Showing results by author "Holly & LA" in All Categories

From the moment Fern Lucas arrived at its stunning shores, she knew Apple Hill Bay would forever be the place she calls home. Living in her little beach hut with her beloved dog Bones and her artist business on the verge of taking off, life couldn’t be more perfect. Or so Fern thinks....

The expectation used to be that men would be masculine and women would be feminine, and this was assumed to come naturally to them in virtue of their biology. On this view, sex is gender and gender is sex. A new view of gender has emerged in recent years, a view on which gender is an "identity," a way that people feel about themselves in terms of masculinity or femininity, regardless of their sex. On this view, sex is dismissed as unimportant, and gender is made paramount.

This December, Ruby Marlowe is relocating everything she owns to the pretty seaside village of Happiness. With her best friend Willow already there, and a heartbreaking past she’d rather forget, Ruby jumped at the offer of a cosy cottage and a fresh start. But she wasn’t the only one.... The last person Ruby expects to find in Happiness is her summer fling, the gorgeous Jacob Harrington. Falling in love again is something Ruby has vowed never to do. But Jacob is determined to change her mind. As the snow begins to fall, can Jacob convince Ruby that love is worth the risk?

Flowers, fire and fairy tales are the elements that will forever shape nine-year-old Alice Hart's life in The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, the remarkable debut by Holly Ringland. Alice Hart lives in isolation by the sea, where her mother’s enchanting flowers and their hidden messages shelter her from the dark moods of her father. When tragedy changes her life irrevocably, nine-year-old Alice goes to live with the grandmother she never knew existed, on a native flower farm that gives refuge to women who, like Alice, are lost or broken.

Joining us for a chat is the people's poet laureate, the punk performance poet, John Cooper Clarke, who is releasing his memoir I Wanna Be Yours. Clarke, born in Salford, is well known for his classic look of drainpipe jeans, wild black hair and sunglasses, whatever the weather, something which hasn't changed since the 1970s. Being inspired and encouraged by an English teacher at school, Clarke decided that he would make a living from poetry. He performed with many hugely successful bands, such as The Sex Pistols, Joy Division and New Order.

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they'e all criminals. Many become mobsters and con artists. But not Cassel. He hasn't got magic, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail - he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago

Penny Meadows loves her home - a cozy cottage decorated with pretty twinkling fairy lights and stunning views over the town of White Cliff Bay. She also loves her job as an ice-carver, creating breathtaking sculptures. Yet her personal life seems frozen.

From best-selling author Holly Webb comes a charming collection for animal-loving children: The Firefighter's Kitten, The Smallest Kitten, The Railway Kitten and A Kitten Called Tiger.

I am told my union to the crowned prince will determine the fate of the kingdom, but it isn’t my betrothed who haunts my dreams. It’s the half-breed prince who stands at his side. He is darkness and sin, and when he whispers promises of wickedness in my ear, I crave a man who I can’t have. Every thought I have is treasonous. The way my hands ache to touch him deceitful. Even my dreams make me a traitor to the kingdom I am sworn to protect. But when the kingdom is attacked, I am forced to make choices I’m not prepared for.

In Belle and Joni's world, there are two options for girls: One, follow the rules of the Doctrine like Belle: apply your Mask, work hard to be crowned at the Ceremony, be a Pretty. Or two, fight the rules like Joni: leave your face bare, work hard to escape to the Education, be an Objectionable.

Competing on both track and road, Geraint Thomas rides for the Team Sky, Wales and Great Britain. Winner of three World Championships, two Olympic gold medals and one Tour de France, Thomas has now published his new book, The Tour According to G. His book takes us on a personal ride through every stage of the race, and the querulous experience of life as a pro cyclist. The Tour According to G goes to depths we haven’t heard before in a book about cycling: the personalities who shaped his ride, such as Wiggins and Hoy; the cycling etiquette we didn’t know existed; and the ins and outs of Team Sky.

They say there’s no place like home and for Roo Clarke this couldn’t be more true. Fourteen years ago she left the sparkling shores of Apple Hill Bay for America, leaving behind her childhood best friend Theo Lucas, and with him a piece of her heart. Nothing has felt right since then, and though she’s certain Theo has long since moved on from their hometown, Roo has high hopes that the exciting new job that’s brought her back here and the quirky beach hut she’ll make her own will fill her heart again.

All I want for Christmas is...a new Geek Girl story! Harriet Manners knows a lot about Christmas. She knows that every year Santa climbs down 91.8 million chimneys. She knows that Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was almost definitely a girl. She knows that the first artificial Christmas trees were made out of goose feathers. But this Christmas is extra special for Harriet, because four days ago she had her First Ever Kiss. Now she just needs to work out what's supposed to happen next....

Cassie has never really fit in. She remembers everything. Understands nothing. And consistently says the wrong thing. So when she gets dumped, fired AND her local café runs out of banana muffins - all in one day - it feels like the end of the world. But then Cassie discovers she has the power to go back and change things. With endless chances to get it right, can she stop it all from going wrong?

From the day they first meet as teenagers, Fern and Jessica are best friends. Despite their differences, they are there for each other throughout everything, navigating the difficulties of growing up and fitting in. That is until Jessica crosses a line that Fern can't forgive. But now, more than 10 years later, Jessica has unexpectedly reappeared in Fern's life.

For two years, Freya has hidden her love for her best friend, Rome. But he has never shown any sign of feeling the same...until now. Yet, Rome has a damaged heart. After losing his fiancée, he hasn't allowed himself to fall in love again. Freya has already had her heart broken by a man who couldn't let go of the past. Can she risk it happening again? Are they brave enough to take a chance?

Nicki, Lauren, Charlotte and Steffi have been friends since university. Now in their thirties, life is pulling them in different directions - but when Charlotte organises the baby shower of hell for pregnant Nicki, the girls are reunited. Under a sweltering hot summer day, tensions rise - and by the end of the evening, nothing will ever be the same. Someone started a fire at the house - and everyone's a suspect...

Paige is used to staying quiet in the face of lies. Like how popular girl Grace is a such an amazing person (lie). How Laura steals people's boyfriends (lie). How her own family is so perfect (lie). Now Grace and friends have picked their "best" high-school moments for Paige to put in the all-important yearbook. And they're not just lies. They're poison. But Paige has finally had enough.

The day that changes Lucy's life starts in the worst way possible when she is abruptly fired from her job. Drowning her sorrows in a nearby bar, Lucy spots her ex-boyfriend Max walking past outside. Should she stay where she is and ignore him, or should she step outside and say hello? Everything hinges on the outcome of this one decision. In two storylines, we see what happens when Lucy follows both her head and her heart, and how the ripples from this moment change her whole life.

A collection of heart-warming short stories from best-selling author Holly Webb. A scruffy pup eagerly awaits a new home just in time for Christmas, a little girl discovers an adorable kitten in her garden, a dog makes an unlikely new friend, a hamster makes a daring escape and a girl tries to help a family of fluffy ducklings. Perfect for sharing at bedtime, this beautiful treasury features 11 delightful animal stories from best-selling author Holly Webb.