Showing results by narrator "Emma Thorpe" in All Categories

Of all the weavers of magic, there is none like Lord Dunsany. During his long lifetime he wrote more than 60 books including novels, plays, poetry collections and most memorably, innumerable exotic and fantastical short stories. Here is the very best of Dunsany's extraordinarily evocative tales of Faerie, of dreamworlds and of magic.

From the bestselling and award winning 'master of the spy thriller' comes a collection of riveting short stories. When a man's wife leaves him under suspicious circumstances, he sets off in search for her, unprepared for the guilty secrets he's about to drag back into the light. A man is tempted...

When Zosia arrives at Foxglove Cottage holding her small son's hand in hers, she is desperate for a new beginning. Her new job is to help 70-year-old Hazel transform her tumbledown cottage and re-open the enchanting old café, steeped in folklore. When neighbourly Leon arrives to help them restore the café, Zosia can't help falling for his rugged charm. But her heart has been shattered before, so she distracts herself by translating an old diary that’s been in Hazel's family for generations. She discovers an extraordinary love story from World War Two hidden in the yellowing pages.

The four children of King Lir are happy when their father marries again. Aoife, their new stepmother is very kind to them. But, in her heart, she is jealous of the children and uses her secret magic powers to cast a spell on them, changing them from children into swans. They spend long years on lonely lakes and frozen seas, until one day the spell is broken, and they are human again. Though everyone they loved is long gone, they know they are home at last.

In this game it’s kill or be killed. A stranger has you cornered. They call themselves The Host. You are forced to play their game. In it one person can live and the other must die. You are the next player. You have a choice to make. This is a game where nobody wins....

Molly Thomas is a feisty, independent soul, born on the Winter Solstice. At every stage of her life, she has faced troubles... in 1896, her baby son is taken from his pram. While Molly searches the streets for little Oliver, the police are called but her baby is gone. Why does trouble seem to follow Molly? And will she ever find out what happened to her child? December Girl is a tale of family bonds, love, revenge, and murder.

When William D. Thomas’s wife dies in childbirth, he places an advertisement in his local newspaper seeking a nanny for his newborn child. He is thankful when an experienced nanny arrives at 43, Laurence Street, and takes over from his frazzled housekeeper Mrs McHugh. Mrs McHugh confides in her bedridden friend Betty, who has a bird’s-eye view of all the happenings on Laurence Street, that the nanny is not all she seems.

In a world where everyone thinks witches are warty old women, a powerful and short tempered nine-year-old is trying to find her place in the world, and make amends for something that happened when she was only three. Her name is Paige, and she can bend the elements to her rather strong will. But can she convince people to accept her for who she is?

Everyone knows the mountains are full of dragons, and everyone also knows those dragons are dangerous monsters who eat people. So when the people from the town notice that one of them has a young boy with it they set out to rescue him. But Daisy isn’t like other dragons; she’s sweet and kind, and just happens to be a vegetarian. Unfortunately, the only people who know this are a 9 year old witch named Paige, and a ten year old orphan named Luke. Can Paige and Luke convince everyone else that Daisy isn’t dangerous?

There’s something about birthdays that make you think about the past, and now that she’s celebrating her 10th birthday, that’s just what Paige is doing. But nothing could bring those memories so clearly to the surface better than an uninvited party guest from her past who wont even meet her gaze. Now Paige’s anger and frustration are threatening to over-power the control she has over her magic; can she learn to control her temper before it’s too late?

Can a 10-year-old's life change dramatically in one evening? Well, it did for Ivy McCann. Ivy meets a fairy from the Fairy Kingdom in Northern Ireland - Daisy-Clover. Daisy-Clover is a chatty, happy-go-lucky fairy from the Green Fairy Clan. Ivy's adventures include: saving a Fairy-Baby from becoming a changeling, escaping from a Witch-Fairy's mushroom house and making the ultimate decision - lie or tell the truth about the fairies to her parents.

Princess Pumpkin Patch wonders if there’s more to life than shipping pumpkins. Sassi has been harvesting pumpkins for so long, she is starting to wonder if there is something more she could be doing with her life. What else is out there? Should she be doing more? Should she try other jobs? Should she move away? Come along with Sassi on a journey around the world as she seeks answers to her restlessness.

After weeks at sea with nothing to show for it, the crew of the Crimson Sail is growing restless and ready to mutiny. Only the promise of a treasure worth more than gold keep the pirates from making their own captain walk the plank, along with his beloved rats, Star and Skye. But when a violent storm comes out of nowhere, delaying their journey to the island where the promised treasure can be found, and the treasure isn’t what any of them expected, will Star and Skye’s plan be enough to stop the pirates from leaving Captain Charlie marooned on the island?

There are many fantastic animals around the world with unusual characteristics. But you may be surprised to know that many common animals may also have some different characteristics!