Without dialogue a novel is no more than an endless essay. Only through their speech can the characters really come to life. We all talk to one another all the time, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to get our realistic dialogue into the mouths of our fictional characters. Yet for some writers it is an impossible task. This practical guide by prolific author Jean Saunders shows how it is done. Jean has defined all the necessary ingredients for creating realistic dialogue...

Do I hear you say that romance is dead? Not for the millions of readers who find escape between the covers of a paperback novel . . . If you think that writing romantic fiction is a quick way to make a fortune, forget it. Often the novel that’s so easy to read, and slips down as easily as a blancmange, has taken a good deal of skill on the part of the author to achieve that very impression. In this comprehensive guide, successful novelist Jean Saunders shows you the way ...

First published in 2004, this novel tells the story of Robert Jarvis who dies from a heart attack, leaving his wife Margaret a widow at forty-two. Family and friends rally round, but their attentions only serve to stifle her, and with increasing suspicions that her marriage had not been as perfect as it had appeared to be, Margaret longs to get away from it all. Six months later she revisits Guernsey, the scene of her honeymoon twenty-five years earlier. There she meets and becomes attract...

The day dawns bright and fair on peaceful San Francisco. Outside the Pendleton mansion, the O'Connell sisters – Bridget and Kitty – enjoy the freedom of the hour. But this is the day of the great San Francisco earthquake and life is set to change forever for the O'Connell girls.Orphaned by the disaster, Bridget must assume responsibility for herself and eight-year-old Kitty. They face an uncertain future with only Bridget's fierce spirits to sustain them.All in the April Morn...

Gracie Brown's dream is to become an acclaimed seamstress, but because of her background, she believes that success is an unattainable goal. Then, at an opening of the new Palais, she meets Charlie, a dashing saxophone player. Dancing in his arms, she begins to believe that dreams can come true. But a disastrous fire at the Palais breaks the spell and drives the couple apart. Gracie wonders if she will ever see Charlie again. But he is never to forget the girl he danced with at the Palais,...

Characters are the lifeblood of fiction. There is more to writing a novel than simply supplying an exciting background or location. No one can write a successful novel without creating the right characters to people those pages. In this comprehensive and easy guide successful novelist Jean Saunders has defined all the necessary ingredients for creating believable characters that come alive on the page. Learning to love the characters you write about is the most obvious, yet often...

Tania Paget bitterly resented Frenchman Claude Girard, who had survived an tragic mountaineering accident, while her brother, James, had not. Then, astonishingly, Claude asked for her co-operation on a book about the two men's mountaineering exploits. Tania finally agreed, but it meant living in the family chateau in the Pyrenees for six months. As she got to know Claude, Tania begins to understand the male fascination with mountains. When Claude's own life was in danger, she discovered th...

**One Night in Italy is a charming, funny and heartwarming novel from Lucy Diamond, author of Anything Could Happen.'An absolute treat' – Katie Fforde, author of Island in the Sun**Is Italian really the language of love? A new class of students hopes to find out . . .Anna has recently been told the father she’s never met is Italian. Now she’s baking focaccia, whipping up tiramisu and swotting up on her vocabulary, determin...

Meet the women in love with three very different brothers . . .Izzy's determined to escape her troubled past with a new start by the sea - but flirtatious Charlie Jones is causing complications.Alicia's been happily married to loyal Hugh for years but secretly craves excitement. Maybe it's time to spice things up?Emma's relationship with David was once fun and romantic but trying for a baby has taken its toll. Then temptation comes along . . .

A fantastic Maeve Binchy - written specially for the World Book Day Quick Reads promotion.'Her storytelling ability is second to none' SUNDAY EXPRESS'It's little wonder that Maeve Binchy's bewitching stories have become world-beaters' OK MAGAZINE'Maeve Binchy is a master storyteller' NEW YORK TIMESDee loves her children very much, but now they are all grown up, shouldn't they leave home?Rosie moved o...

'This is a story of courage, brutality and fear, of loyalty and betrayal, of love and hatred, of despair and unquenchable hope. As always, Victoria Hislop brings vividly to life a horrendous episode in the history of the beautiful island of Cyprus. Excellent, in every way' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐In the golden city of Famagusta, Greek and Turkish Cypriots alike enjoy a life of good fortune.Invasion comes without warning, bringing chaos and terror....

Log fires, long walks through the snow... Escape to Huntersbrook House this Christmas in this bestselling winter warmer from Emma Hannigan.'A wonderful, magical storyteller' Cathy KellyChristmas at Huntersbrook House has always been a family tradition - log fires, long walks through the snowy fields and evenings spent in the local pub. And this year the three grown-up Craig children are looking forward to the holidays more than ever. Pippa ...