Showing results by narrator "Nicky Diss" in All Categories

The family curse has been lifted and the Widdershins sisters: Betty, Fliss and Charlie are free to leave the misty prison isle of Crowstone. But when a mysterious girl arrives at the Poacher’s Pocket with a pocketful of hagstones, and accompanied by a will-o’-the-wisp, it seems another adventure has landed on their doorstep. And when Charlie goes missing, it’s up to Betty and Fliss to journey through misty marches, past wisp catchers and on to a secret island that doesn’t exist on any map.

Eleven-year-old Casper Tock hates risks, is allergic to adventures and shudders at the thought of unpredictable events. So, it comes as a nasty shock to him when he accidentally stumbles into Rumblestar, an Unmapped Kingdom full of magical beasts. All Casper wants is to find a way home, but Rumblestar is in trouble. An evil harpy called Morg is sending her followers, the Midnights, into the kingdom to wreak havoc and pave the way for her to steal the Unmapped magic for herself.

The fairies stole her brother...and now Red is trapped. In the dangerous fairy realm, she strikes a bargain. Her brother will be returned, but only if she can complete a perilous magical quest in the human world. If she fails, she will lose him - and her own freedom - for ever. With the help of Tanya and Fabian, Red's desperate task begins - but a shocking discovery turns it into a race against time. And even if the friends succeed, will the fairies keep their promise?

The whole world believed eight-year-old Cara killed her younger brother on that fateful night. But she blamed it on a paranormal entity she swears was haunting her house. No one believed her and after two years of treatment in a psychiatric unit for delusional disorder, Cara was shunned by her remaining family and put into foster care. Now she's being forced to return to the family home for the first time since her brother's death, but what if she's about to re-discover the evil that was lurking inside its walls?

Deep within Tanglefern Forest, Moll Pecksniff and her wildcat, Gryff, are waiting for a sign from the Old Magic before they continue their quest to find the last Amulet of Truth and free their world from the Shadowmasks’ terrible magic. Still missing fellow Tribe member Alfie, and armed only with a mysterious set of clues, Moll sets out on an adventure across the northern wilderness with Gryff and her friend Siddy at her side. They must brave the Lost Isles, scale the Barbed Peaks and face witches, goblins and giants who lurk at every turn...while the Shadowmasks draw ever closer.

A priceless flower. A dangerous past. A terrible secret. On the eve of the Second World War, the last surviving specimen of a prized camellia plant lies secreted away on an English country estate. When amateur botanist Flora Lewis is employed to infiltrate the household and acquire the coveted bloom, she embarks on a perilous journey of discovery that leads her to a blossoming romance, and into terrible danger.

Open your eyes to the meaning of your dreams and take advantage of their incredible power for self-improvement. Find out how to decode and interpret your dreams to reveal how the images, stories and emotions you experience in sleep are deeply connected to your waking life. Learn dream skills that will enable you to train your mind to access your unconscious and open the gateway to self-discovery.

When struggling actress Heidi has a life-changing accident aged 32, her world falls apart. Stuck in hospital and unable to walk, her only companion is Maud, the elderly lady in the bed next to hers. Heidi misses her flatmate, her life, her freedom - surely 32 is too young to be an amputee? But when Maud's aloof but attractive grandson Jack pays a visit to the ward, Heidi realises that her life isn't over just because it's different.

Madame Augustina Pinchbeck travels the country conjuring the spirits of dearly departed loved ones...for a price. Whilst her ability to contact ghosts is a game of smoke and mirrors, there is real magic behind her tricks, too - if you know where to look. Through a magical trade, she persuades children to part with precious objects, promising to use her powers to help them. But Pinchbeck is a deceiver, instead turning their items into enchanted cabinets that bind the children to her and into which she can vanish and summon them at will.

England, 1932, and the country is in the grip of the Great Depression. To lift the spirits of the nation, Stella Douglas is tasked with writing a history of food in England. It’s to be quintessentially English and will remind English housewives of the old ways, and English men of the glory of their country. The only problem is—much of English food is really from, well, elsewhere. So, Stella sets about unearthing recipes from all corners of the country, in the hope of finding a hidden culinary gem. But what she discovers is rissoles, gravy, stewed prunes and lots of oatcakes.

Mum-to-be Rachel did everything right, but it all went wrong. Her son, Luke, was stillborn, and she finds herself on maternity leave without a baby, trying to make sense of her loss. When a misguided well-wisher tells her that 'everything happens for a reason', she becomes obsessed with finding that reason. She remembers that on the day she discovered her pregnancy, she'd stopped a man from jumping in front of a train, and she’s now certain that saving his life cost her the life of her son.

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.

Echo Quickthorn has been reunited with her sky-pirate mother, Indigo Lil, and is now a fully-fledged member of the Black Sky Wolves. So when Lil is summoned to the Alliance of the Seven Skies, Echo decides to sneak along with her friend, Horace. There, Horace is captured by the dastardly Thunder Sharks, a rival pirate clan, who present Echo with an ultimatum: they’ll release her friend in exchange for the legendary dragon’s gold.

Fifty years ago a girl vanished in the woods nearby - a girl Tanya's grandmother will not speak of. Fabian, the caretaker's son, is tormented by the girl's disappearance. His grandfather was the last person to see her alive and has lived under suspicion ever since. Together, Tanya and Fabian decide to find the truth. But Tanya has her own secret: the ability to see fairies. And after disturbing an intruder in the night, it emerges that someone else shares her ability.... The manor's sinister history is about to repeat itself....

A collection of 29 of Enid Blyton's Christmas stories. Visit Santa's workshop, hang up your stocking and help two naughty goblins make a Christmas pudding in this magical collection from the classic children's author. Stories include 'Mr Icy-Cold', 'The Christmas Party' and 'Rescuing Santa Claus'. A wonderful selection to enjoy and share. Mystery and magic, laughter and mischief, the joy of shared times and plenty of delicious food....

Red's past won't stay hidden. She's now living at Elvesden Manor under her real name, Rowan, and trying to put her terrible adventures behind her. But staying out of trouble isn't as easy as she'd hoped. Haunted by awful dreams of Hedgewitch's cottage - and of Eldritch, who swore revenge when she left him there to die - Red fears the fairy realm is about to draw her back in.... But will she make it back this time? Or will dark forces finally claim her?

The snowy kingdom of Erkenwald was once a magical place — until an evil ice witch cursed the land and began stealing the voices of the kingdom’s people to strengthen her powers. Eska is one of the many prisoners of the Ice Queen. With no memories of her past, Eska only knows that she cannot allow the Ice Queen to take her voice, that it might be special in some way....

In this short prequel to Alison Weir's new novel, Elizabeth of York, The Last White Rose, the young princess is born - and the future of England hangs in the balance. The Palace of Westminster, 1466. As the queen of England lies in her chamber, exhausted from childbirth, the court awaits news of the longed-for heir.

Julia is looking for Mr Right, but Ben is more Mr Right-Now-He-Could-Do-with-a-Bath. You may think you know what kind of novel this is, but you'd be wrong. Yes, Julia is a single-girl cliché, living alone with her cat in Vienna and working in a language school. And yes, a series of disastrous dates has left her despairing of ever finding The One - until Ben sits next to her on a bench. He's tall, dark, handsome.... And also incredibly hairy, barefoot, a bit ripe-smelling and of no fixed abode.

Having the ability to see fairies means that Tanya Fairchild's life has never been easy. After all, real fairies are nothing like the ones in books, ones that grant wishes or leave money for teeth. Real fairies don't like to be talked about, and they cast spells if Tanya steps out of line. The most she's ever received in exchange for one of her teeth is a chewed up toffee. Of course, it would help if Tanya knew someone - anyone - else who could see them, too....