There are places that turn up in literature or in film—mystical and legendary places whose names may be familiar but about which we know little. We nod knowingly at the reference, but are often left wondering about places such as Atlantis, the lost land overwhelmed by the sea, or El Dorado, the fabulous city that vanished somewhere in the South American jungles. Other names are more evocative—Mount Olympus, the Garden of Eden, the mystic Isle of Avalon, and Davy Jones' Locker. But did such places actually exist and, if so, where were they, and what really happened? What are the traditions and legends associated with them? In the fascinating new book, Lost Lands, Forgotten Realms, historian Dr. Bob Curran sets out to find the answers by journeying to the far-flung corners of the world and to the outer reaches of human imagination. Views: 67
During the Civil War, the escaped slaves Dorcas and Caleb flee northward with the help of the Underground Railroad. But Dorcas has a secret gift that makes her very valuable to her incensed masters, who will stop at nothing to get her back—including killing those who would give her aid. Yet the seemingly simple farmers Elias and Jenny Sutherland have secrets of their own, secrets revealed when blood is shed upon the land. Views: 67
'This first-time author is set to make her mark!' Sydney Morning Herald.'Historical Fiction at its Best.' Courier MailA Critically Acclaimed Best Seller, both in Australia and internationally, where it was translated into four languages, Temple of the Grail is a philosophical Tour de Force for history buffs and fans of the Medieval detective genre. Heresy, Hypocrisy, Murder... France, 1254 High on a mountain in the Pyrenees, the monastery of St Lazarus is a forbidding place. Behind its ramparts and battlements heretical acts are said to take place and there is the rumour of a secret - a secret so dangerous that its keepers will kill to keep it hidden.At the end of a bitter winter, a delegation headed by the ambitious Inquisitor Rainiero Sacconi arrives to investigate the monks of St Lazarus. Andre a Templar and his young scribe, Christian, have been sent by the King of France to oversee the investigation. But when monks begin to die in gruesome circumstances, Andre and Christian, with the antichrist at their heels and the inquisitor watching their every step, try to unravel the secret of St Lazarus and find themselves drawn into a fight, not only for their lives, but also for their souls.ReviewSydney Morning Herald.'This first-time author is set to make her mark!'The Blurb - Magazine for Australian Arts and Entertainment'Not only did I find this book tantalising, engaging and thought provoking - it allowed me the rare indulgence of reading something I was not going to rush through, finish and quickly move onto something else. I read parts of the novel again and felt very comfortable with all the characters and issues mentioned. It even made me investigate some topics of interest and allow my own knowledge to grow. I was extremely impressed with this secret little gem of a book, and I know anyone looking to read something dense with emotion, imagery and imagination will not be let down.'Goodreads'Finally! A well written, thoughtful murder mystery! Monks, murders, knights, inquisitors and a cracker ending!'Brisbane Courier Mail'Historic Fiction at its best.'From the AuthorAUTHOR INTERVIEW:Who is your target audience?AK: I write books that I would read myself and I like complex mysteries, multi layered thrillers that are textured; books that need your full attention. My goal is to engage the reader and to have him or her participate in the imaginative process. I also love playing around with language and usually try to tailor it to the era of my story. So, I guess this means that those who are after a fast read don't usually 'get' my books. I suppose I write for people who like milieu and atmosphere, who love language and historical mysteries tinged with the supernatural and religious.What do you hope your readers will get out of your books?AK: I hope that at the end of reading my books my readers will have questions about the world we live in, about history and what we consider truth and fiction, because they have been given a different perspective.Is there more coming?AK: I am writing the fifth book in the series right now, making my Quartet a Quintet: Ghost Club and the Devil's Alphabet is a story set in London in 1888 around two real historical characters George Albert Smith (the father of UK Cinema) and Douglas Blackburn (who invented short hand). They were both entertainers on the Brighton stage and are involved with mesmerism and hypnotism. They become entangled in a web of intrigue surrounding the death of a mutual friend when they stumbled unwittingly on a strange club that appears to be involved in the Jack the Ripper Murders. I'm having a lot of fun writing it!What makes your books unique/outstanding?AK: They are a series but they can be read in any order because they are only loosely woven together and so each book can stand alone. They interconnect like puzzle pieces. What is your writing process?AK: I work a 10 hour day. I have a rough sketch of what I'm going to write, the themes and characters and the plot and then I just write. After that I do a lot of editing and I end up with a multitude of drafts which eventually I hone into a book. I guess my books are narrative driven and that means I'm often surprised to find out things about my characters that I didn't know! How do you cope with criticism?AK: Well, that is very hard because we all love our work to be loved, but in truth it is unavoidable and it is even something you should be proud of! Yes! As writer we create concepts that may not fit with the concepts already living in the readers for various reasons. What writers should keep in mind is that if writing is to develop as an art then popularity can't be the focus. Writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Herman Hesse were ahead of their times and some of their books were terribly unpopular until the readers caught up with their work and then they were touted as geniuses. The truth is by the time a book becomes popular and is praised universally it is already outdated. That isn't to say that popularity isn't a great byproduct and a consolation! But it should not be the main focus of writing in my view. When I see a criticism that is very emotive, I realise that at least I have touched something in that person because I have been frustrated with a book myself, which many years later I have picked up and have found life changing! It is all in the standpoint. In fact, my favourite quote, given to me recently by a friend is from Lessing's introduction to "The Golden Notebook": Remember that the book which bores you when you are twenty or thirty will open doors for you when you are forty or fifty." I do believe that to be true. If a book bores you in your 40s and 50s you might have to wait until your next life! :) Views: 67
A warm-hearted story for junior readers about a young girl's friendship with a dog. Harriet is missing her brother. She's refusing to believe that he's not coming back. She wants him to return to his untidy bedroom and make her parents happy again - like they used to be before Toby went away. Ten-year-old Harriet is lonely and is having difficulty coping with school. But she notices the dog next door is receiving visits from other neighbourhood dogs who are teaching him how to slip his collar - then slip back into it. Meanwhile, mysterious parcels are arriving in the mail for her. The dogs, who talk amongst themselves, befriend Harriet, and lead her to a garden shed where they've hidden a small, stray dog called Girl. Harriet's life becomes intertwined with the doggy community in her neighbourhood and she makes some wonderful friends: Max and Gus. In the middle of a botched rescue, Gus is whisked off to the dog pound. And Max, distressed and upset, sets out with Girl... Views: 67
Off of the screen and out for blood!Andy Ryerson, a film school graduate, has been hired to write commentary on two dozen cheap, b-horror movies. It seems harmless enough, and he might even enjoy it. But the people in the town around him won't enjoy it at all when one by one, the films he watches come to life. Andy chose the wrong projector to screen his movies. This one is out for blood. While Andy grumbles about low budgets and poor production values, a hungry butcher, a plague of rotting zombies, demonic vampires, a mallet-toting killer, flesh-eating locusts, and many other terrors descend on the unsuspecting innocent. By the time he realizes what he's done, the town is teeming with evil, and it's up to Andy and the few survivors left to stop the celluloid horror he's unleashed. Views: 67
A perfect holiday treat for fans of Lori Wilde, Jennifer Ryan and Susan Anderson! Take one man-shy reporter, a gorgeous ex-Navy SEAL turned firefighter, add in a thong-stealing dog... and Christmas will never be the same again! There's only one thing on Becca Sinclair's Christmas list this holiday season - her very own column in the local paper. And if she can build a huge blog following, her wish just might come true. Enter Dan 'Wolf' Wolford aka the man-whore next door and the new star of Becca's popular, post-divorce blog about men. A Navy SEAL turned commander of the Florida Marine Rescue Unit, Wolf's the very definition of the word alpha - and with an endless rotation of women on his doorstep, this hunk on a Harley has Becca and her female followers all hot and bothered! All Becca wants for Christmas is her newspaper column, right? But when she finds herself the target of Wolf's irresistible attentions, her snarky comebacks become less and less convincing and, suddenly, she's not so sure anymore... Views: 67
It was not an easy prospect for nanny Isabelle Mendes to hand over three-year-old Jack Carlton to a father he had never seen. After his mother was killed in an accident it had been decided that Jack should live with his estranged father, Jeffrey, and that Isabelle, who had looked after him since birth, should personally deliver him to Northumberland. Isabelle had no reason to have any feelings for this man except anger. But he was soon throwing her emotions into turmoil... Views: 67
