Precious Time

In order to spend more time with her four-year-old son Ned, Clara Costello trades in her secure, well-paid job and sports car for a camper van called Winnie, and the three of them set off on a mystery tour of England. Of course, her friends and family think she's gone mad. But when they arrive in Deaconsbridge, a small market town on the edge of the Peak District, Clara and Ned become drawn into the lives of the locals. Two in particular seem destined to get under Clara's skinGabriel Liberty, a cranky widower who terrifies his family, and Archie Merryman, a local dealer in second-hand furniture, who possesses a heart of gold. Then Clara finds herself having to confront a problem much closer to home, and one she had hoped she would never have to face.

Hidden Talents

Dulcie Ballantyne knows that creative writers' groups attract an unlikely mix of people, so when she starts up Hidden Talents, she is well prepared for the assortment of people she is bringing together. Beth King is facing empty-nest syndrome as her only son, Nathan, leaves home for university; Jack Solomon, a local estate agent, is having trouble coming to terms with the shock of his wife leaving him for his best friend; Jaz Rafferty is an intensely private 17-year-old girl who writes to escape her large, boisterous family; Victor Blackmore is a know-it-all, who claims to be writing the blockbuster novel every publisher will be clamouring for. What they all have in common is a need to escape, as well as a desire to keep their lives as private as possible. As they grow more confident in their writing skills, friendships develop, and gradually they come to realize that a little openness isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Paradise House

Angel Sands is a traditional seaside resort of bed and breakfasts, cottages to rent, and teashops. And with the best views of the tiny beach and surrounding coastline is Paradise House, home to the Baxter girlsor the Sisters of Whimsy as they're known locally. With their mother taking time out to find herself, it's down to Genevieve to maintain the smooth running of the family-owned B&B. Not an easy task given that their fathernow that his wife isn't aroundhas suddenly become a magnet for the opposite sex. And there's little help from her sisters. Nattie is too busy offending her long time admirer, and Polly spends most of her days with her head in the clouds or in a book. But when news spreads in the tightly knit community that a nearby dilapidated barn has been sold, Genevieve finds that a bittersweet trip down memory lane is unavoidable.