Showing results by narrator "Heather Long" in All Categories

Beautiful but impoverished Lina Dahlstrom is dying of tuberculosis and it seems that no one can save her. All hope is lost until an eccentric doctor, Carl Dance, becomes enthralled with Lina's charms and vows to do everything in his power to cure her. But when the illness inevitably claims Lina's life, Dance's obsession with her only grows and so begins a mad and criminal scheme to bring her back from beyond the grave and claim her as his own forever.

1972. Ten years on from the events of The Miseducation of Evie Epworth and Evie is settled in London working for the BBC. She has everything she's ever dreamed of (a career, a leatherette briefcase, an Ossie Clark poncho) but, following an unfortunate incident involving Princess Anne and a Hornsea Pottery mug, she finds herself having to rethink her life and piece together work, love, grief and multiple pairs of cork-soled platform sandals.

1491, Eltham Palace. Anne Oxenbridge is still mourning the loss of her young child when she accepts the position of wet nurse to Prince Harry, the Queen's second son. Beyond the silver cradles and luxurious Turkish carpets of the royal nursery, she knows there is something special about this baby - but never expected to love him as her own. All too soon, singing and stories must be set aside in favour of books and learning. It appears that Anne's time with her golden prince is also over...until a twist of fate reunites her with the boy who must now become King Henry VIII of England.

The fastest milk-bottle-delivery girl in East Yorkshire, Evie is tall as a tree and hot as the desert sand. She dreams of an independent life lived under the bright lights of London (or Leeds). The two posters of Adam Faith on her bedroom wall (‘brooding Adam’ and ‘sophisticated Adam’) offer wise counsel about a future beyond rural East Yorkshire. Her role models are Charlotte Bronte, Shirley MacLaine and the queen. But, before she can decide on a career, she must first deal with the malign presence of her future stepmother, the manipulative and money-grubbing Debbie.

Clara Woods has a secret. At the bottom of the garden is a flowerbed, long overgrown, where her murdered husband rests in peace – or so she always thought. Then the girls arrived. Lily and Violet, her adolescent nieces, are recently orphaned and in urgent need of care. Raising teenagers is certainly not what Clara had envisioned for herself, but they come with a hefty sum attached. There is only one problem – both girls are untrained witches.

It's been years since Nadja Kulka was convicted of a cruel crime. After being released from prison, she's wanted nothing more than to live a normal life: nice flat, steady job, even a few friends. But when one of those friends, Laura von Hoven - free-spirited beauty and wife of Nadja's boss - kills her lover and begs Nadja for her help, Nadja can't seem to be able to refuse.

Anna Whitlock is done being nice. After a lifetime of saying yes to everything - work deadlines, sponsored runs, impromptu drinks and (especially) her fiancé Sean - everything Anna has worked so hard for falls apart in one terrible afternoon. With a broken heart she heads to the countryside to start again. The glorious Stonemore Estate in the wilderness of Northumberland holds more than enough distraction for a city girl. There’s Callum, the gorgeous estate manager, and an enthusiastic beagle called Hugo. And then there’s Jamie, Stonemore’s sexy but emotionally unavailable owner.

In Rise Like Lions, Booker Prize winning writer Ben Okri has compiled a collection of poems that celebrate the many voices of politics, from polemics and rallying cries to lyrics and meditations. Many of these poems have resonated with readers over lifetimes and through generations, from William Blake to Marvin Gaye. In exploring the impact political poems have on ideas, vision, protest, change and truth, Okri demonstrates how the need for this strand of poetry is as great as it has ever been, and its inspiration just as powerful.

Enjoy these short stories from Enid Blyton, the world's favourite storyteller. From fairies hiding in flowers to toy trains having a secret meeting, this fun collection is filled with magic, mischief and more!

All Lady Alice Walpole wants is to be swept off her feet, but she keeps finding herself on one bad date after another. And when she’s caught partying too hard with her latest royal beau, her father banishes her to Balmoral to clean up her act. Fraser Bell just wants to do his job as Piper to the Sovereign at Balmoral. He prefers tartan to tuxedos, and spends his days with horses rather than dealing with people, so when he’s assigned to wake Alice up to the sound of bagpipes every morning, he’s less than pleased.

Imagine suddenly being sacked from your job. After spending years building your career, it’s all taken away in one moment. Why? Because you told your boss you are pregnant. This happened to Joeli Brearley. And she quickly realised she wasn’t alone - 54,000 women a year are forced out of their job because they dared to procreate, and three-quarters of working mothers face workplace discrimination. Pregnant Then Screwed is an expose of the unscrupulous work practices and antiquated systems that we’ve been conditioned to accept and a toolkit for how to challenge them.

This gorgeous collection of nature poems is an exciting celebration of the natural world and its wonders from Enid Blyton, the world's best-loved storyteller. From birds in May and August flowers to green trees in November and summer seaside walks, explore the enchanting worlds of animals, birds, trees and plants throughout the year in verse.

Two couples. One reckless night. In the time they've known each other, Sally, Al and Mike have shared - well, almost everything. Sally and Al have been married for seven years, though now their relationship is hanging by a thread. Sally and Mike have been best friends since university. And on many occasions something more. Mike and Al have been friends and colleagues for many years. Yet with Al poised to become Mike's boss, their friendship comes under threat. And now there's Mike and Faye. They haven't been together long, but Mike's pretty sure that this time it's the real deal.

Lucie Hart is a fledgling actress, her confidence having been shattered by her manipulative ex. Making ends meet by performing Shakespearean monologues full of romance she doesn’t believe in, she can see her dreams getting further out of reach. Theo Larkin has already taken Hollywood by storm and his next conquests are Shakespeare’s greatest works – and his incensed leading lady. Always short of money, Lucie can’t afford to waste the opportunity to bring crowds to her shows. And when a well-publicised bust-up leaves Theo’s reputation hanging by a thread, he is desperate to prove his worth.

Jessie Jefferson is back in the next instalment from best-selling author Paige Toon. Perfect for fans of Geek Girl, Jessica Cole and Girl Online. Life as the undercover daughter of a rock god isn't going to be easy. How will Jessie adjust to her old boring life again after spending her summer living it up with her dad in LA? With tough decisions ahead (and not just choosing between two hot boys), can she cope juggling her two very different lives? Summer may be over, but Jessie's story is just beginning....

Is the life of a famous rock star's daughter all it's cracked up to be? And what about dating your fellow band member just as you hit the big time? Jessie is still getting used to being a celebrity and the daughter of one of the world’s biggest rock stars. With her own music career on the rise, a gorgeous love interest and a fun group of friends, it seems Jessie’s glamorous LA life couldn’t get any better...but things are about to get really complicated.

When Jessica, a young British woman, discovers a shocking secret about her birth, she travels to Switzerland in search of answers. She knows her mother spent time in the country writing an article on the Swiss women’s rights movement, but what she doesn’t know is what happened to her while she was there. Can Jess summon the courage to face the truth about her family, or will her search only hurt herself and those around her even more?

At 104 years of age, Mrs Elsie Drake of Granville Gardens, London, is the sixth oldest woman in Britain. But fed up with sitting in her armchair all day, Elsie is ready for new adventures. And so, armed with a computer she can barely operate, she fires off dozens of letters to everyone from the Prime Minister to Greggs Bakeries, to see if they can help. Whether offering her services as the new Arsenal football mascot dressed as a giant hare, or simply sending Sainsbury's a load of meat, no one can escape the clutches of Elsie Drake.

Nova Kumalisi would do anything for her closest friend, Mal Wacken. She owes him her life. So, when he asked her to be the surrogate mother for him and his wife, in spite of her fears about how it would alter their friendship, Nova agreed. Eight years later, Nova is bringing up their son alone, and she and Mal don't speak. Months into the pregnancy, Mal's wife changed her mind about the surrogacy agreement. Already suspicious of how close Nova and Mal were, Stephanie realised her strained marriage was in serious trouble when she found a text from her husband to Nova.

When Esther Thorel, the wife of a Huguenot silk weaver, rescues Sara Kemp from a brothel she thinks she is doing God's will. Sara is not convinced being a maid is better than being a whore, but the chance to escape her grasping madam is too good to refuse. Inside the Thorels' tall house in Spitalfields, where the strange cadence of the looms fills the attic, the two women forge an uneasy relationship.