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Julia Williams was born in London in 1965, the youngest of twins and one of eight children. She attended St Michaels Grammar School, Finchley before studying English at Liverpool University, where she met her husband, Dave, a dentist. They married in 1989. Following university, Julia studied at the London College of Printing, before embarking on a publishing career at Routledge. In 1990, she joined Scholastic Children's Books, where she stayed for eight years. During that time she ran the very successful Point list. Her proudest moment as an editor was editing The Sterkarm Handshake by Susan Price which won the 1998 Guardian Fiction award. In 1998 following the birth of her second daughter, Julia decided to pursue a freelance career. At the same time she enrolled on a writing course, joined the Romantic Novelist's Association and started writing her first novel. It took her two more years to complete it and get herself an agent, who signed her up the week before the birth of her third daughter. A further six years was to elapse before Julia completed Pastures New, and in the meantime she has also had two picture books published by Evans Publishers, completed two children's novels and self published a book about running the London Marathon. Julia is proud to be a member of the Romantic Novelist's Association and she blogs regularly at "http""//maniacmum.blogspot.com.
Warm, humorous and completely irresistible. All you want for Christmas is right here! Cat Tinsall is ably juggling her busy family life - a 'sandwich generation' woman, she cares for her kids, her mother-in-law, and her baby granddaughter. Her 'Happy Homemaker' TV career is looking rocky - apparently, as a woman over 40, she's in danger of 'fading to grey'! But she's not going down without a fight ...Cat's friend Pippa Holliday is finding life as a single mum a challenge, especially now the family farm is in dire financial straits. And schoolteacher Marianne North, mum of young twins and a teenage stepson, is dismayed to find her husband's demanding ex is back on the scene. As the close-knit village of Hope Christmas pulls together to battle ruthless plans from local developers, it looks like each of these three women needs a miracle. Christmas approaches, bringing with it more than one big surprise, and it appears they might just find one ...If you love The Archers and the novels of Jill Mansell and Erica James this is the perfect book for you.
Recently engaged Josie is visiting her parents in Cornwall with best friend Diane, fiancee Harry and his pal Ant. Josie can't wait to start wedding planning, if only Harry was more interested, and Diane and Ant weren't at war with each other. As the four make amends over a drink in the local pub, they meet Freddie Puck, a well known TV hypnotist and find themselves agreeing to a dare - to stay out all night on the hills by the standing stones. Local mythology says a young married couple will find true happiness if they can last a whole night there on Midsummer's Eve. But as night time falls, not everyone seems to have remembered the boundaries of love...
With a real skill of getting right into the lives of the characters she creates, this is Julia’s second Christmas novel. Her first, Last Christmas, sold over 70,000 copies. Three friends have a difficult year juggling the pressures of work and modern family life - then tragedy strikes and all their lives are affected - hopefully a little Christmas spirit can give them all better end to the year? An absorbing novel about family, love and friendship.
An entrancing story primarily of a modern-day English village, but with neat little interjections of life and love in the Edwardian era leading up to the grim reality of the First World War. In many such villages, old houses are lived in and their gardens loved as much as ever. But who has enjoyed them before us? What happened in their lives? And to what extent should we restore such properties to their former glory? This is a delightful tale of relationships, restoration and the joyful - and poignant - story of generations before us who lived in the same places we do but whose world was so different.
'A gorgeous, heart-warming read which is perfect for Christmas,' PORTOBELLO BOOK BLOG Christmas with the family. Cosy, relaxing...and a total nightmare? Driving home for Christmas, Beth has everything she wants. The kids and the house, the career and the husband. So why is it that when the New Year comes, she can't stop thinking about her old college boyfriend? Her husband Daniel is tasked with bringing a struggling school up to scratch, but when family life catches up to him, can he be a good father and a good teacher at the same time? Beth's sister Lou has just been dumped...again. Single and childless, she can't help but be jealous of her sibling's success. But is the grass really always greener? It's a Wonderful Life is a heart-warming novel about the lives that could have been, and what happens when you start to question the choices you made...
A sparkling new Christmas novel from Julia WilliamsIt's Christmas, and Beth King is preparing to spend it in the bosom of her family, doing the same things they have done since time immemorial: arguing with each other, stuffing themselves silly, putting up with Grandad making them watch the Queen, and having the Family Row by teatime. Despite having children of their own, Beth and her husband Daniel have never quite managed to escape the horrors of the Holroyd family Christmas. Beth's mother Mary would never countenance anyone else cooking the turkey. So the family traditions have stuck... But this year, things are going to be just a little bit different. For a start, Beth's brother, bachelor Ged, appears to have a girlfriend in tow. A very pregnant girlfriend. And her sister Lou, whose car-crash love life could be a boilerplate for every soap opera going, has turned up in floods having been ditched on Christmas Eve - again. Meanwhile Beth, who has spent years trying to maintain the facade of one completely in control, is facing up to the fact that she has no idea how to deal with either her teenage children or her over-stressed husband. And her hitherto successful picture-book career seems to be on the skids as she tries to get to grips with her newest project, a Christmas book entitled The Littlest Angel. As the family gather for Christmas Day, childhood tensions resurface, the teenagers bicker, and Beth wishes more than ever that she could hide away and forget the festive season once and for all. And that's before her parents drop their bombshell...
A little festive eShort treat from the author who brought you, MAKE A CHRISTMAS WISH**A 35 page short story**All Felicity wants this Christmas is to share it with her daughter, Livvy. There's just one problem, Livvy died last Christmas.As Felicity struggles to come to terms with the anniversary of her daughter's death, it seems everyone around her is moving on.But could a mysterious friend make her Christmas wish come true after all . . .
A little festive eShort treat from the author who brought you, MAKE A CHRISTMAS WISH**A 35 page short story**Dear Mum,I miss you...As a way of coping with his mum's death, fifteen-year-old Joe writes letters to her. As Christmas comes around, Joe only wishes for one thing. Will his Christmas wish come true?
A little festive eShort treat from the author who brought you, MAKE A CHRISTMAS WISH**A 43 page short story**A widower of five years, silver fox Kenneth Harris has no trouble finding women to date. But only one woman has ever captured his heart.When mysterious feathers keep blowing in his path, will Kenneth's only wish come true this Christmas...
A HILARIOUS and JUST-A-LITTLE HEARTBREAKING FESTIVE TREAT for anyone who's looking for a little bit of MAGIC this CHRISTMAS TIME!Last Christmas, when Livvy was knocked down in the supermarket car park she certainly wasn't ready to actually be dead! For months now she's floated on the edge of the afterlife, generally making a nuisance of herself. And she's not ready to go just yet! She's furious about the new woman in her husband's life and she's worried about her beloved son who doesn't seem to be adjusting to life without her at all. This Christmas, Livvy is given one last magical chance to make everything right. Will she take it and give her family the perfect Christmas?Perfect for fans of CAROLE MATTHEWS, TRISHA ASHLEY and JENNY COLGAN.
A HILARIOUS and JUST-A-LITTLE HEARTBREAKING FESTIVE TREAT for anyone who's looking for a little bit of MAGIC this CHRISTMAS TIME! Last Christmas, when Livvy was knocked down in the supermarket car park she certainly wasn't ready to actually be dead! For months now she's floated on the edge of the afterlife, generally making a nuisance of herself. And she's not ready to go just yet! She's furious about the new woman in her husband's life and she's worried about her beloved son who doesn't seem to be adjusting to life without her at all. This Christmas, Livvy is given one last magical chance to make everything right. Will she take it and give her family the perfect Christmas? Perfect for fans of CAROLE MATTHEWS, TRISHA ASHLEY and JENNY COLGAN.
The Romantic One: Part of the Love...Maybe ebook short story collection.A snow storm in the village has meant waitress Rachel is working an extra shift on Valentine's Night. Hopefully, though, she'll still get home in time to have her prosecco with her boyfriend Jamie and tell him her secret...Daniel is stuck in the snow. He should have left work earlier but he hopes his girlfriend Claire will understand - especially when he produces a very special gift.He stops to shelter and wait out the storm in a hotel he passes.Who'd have thought that this one decision could change more than one life forever ...***This is a short story, which you can also buy as part of the Love...Maybe Eshort Collection***
Warm, humorous and completely irresistible. The perfect Christmas treat!The perfect festive treat for fans of The Archers, Carole Matthews and Veronica Henry. Cat needs to get off the 'has-been' heap and rescue her flagging TV career but the demands of her extended family are reaching fever pitch and she barely has time to breathe. Meanwhile, Pippa has got too many balls to juggle as a struggling single mum trying to hang on to her family farm. And Marianne's marriage is looking distinctly rocky now her beloved husband's ex is back on the scene. Happy Christmas? Forget it. But Christmas is a time for miracles, and when the villagers learn they must fight for what they love, it becomes clear that there is festive magic in the air. Suddenly for Cat, Pippa and Marianne, it's looking like it might just be a Christmas to remember ...
LEAP Advanced is a task-based international textbook for students preparing for college or university studies in English. It encourages students to apply critical-thinking skills as they engage in academic listening and speaking tasks across a range of disciplines.
Three warm, witty and uplifting novels from best-selling author Julia Williams.Escape into The Summer Season and meet widower Joe, struggling single mum Lauren and mysterious gardener Kezzie. Can these three very different people help each other overcome their own very personal heartache?Strictly Love is the story of disillusioned lawyer Emily, perfect wife Katie, divorcee dentist Mark and Jack-the-Lad Rob. When they join Isabella's dance class will sparks fly between them?The Bridesmaid Pact is all about four best friends; Sarah, Dorrie, Beth and Caz. Inseparable as children, they swore to be each others bridesmaids when they grew up. Fast forward several years and a terrible betrayal and things aren't quite so straightforward. As Dorrie's big day approaches will their friendship be honoured and obeyed?
Get into the spirit of Christmas with the follow up to Julia William's charming hit Last Christmas. With four children, a Christmas cookbook to write, and her mum suffering from dementia, Cat Tinsall has plenty to juggle. When her eldest daughter, Mel, starts going off the rails, Cat has even more on her plate. Pippa Holliday adores her family, although often finds her hands full. When Dan is involved in a terrible accident, Pippa's world is suddenly turned upside down. Balancing her job as a school teacher with twins and her step-son Steven, isn't easy for Marianne North. With her husband's ex causing trouble, life is getting even trickier. As Cat, Pippa and Marianne help each other through a difficult year, they're all hoping for a much brighter Christmas.
It's the most wonderful time of year. Isn't it? Discover the true spirit of Christmas with this seasonal treat for fans of Love, Actually and The Holiday. Discover the true spirit of Christmas... Catherine Tinsall is dreading Christmas. As the 'Happy Homemaker' she is an online sensation, but the reality couldn't be more different. With Catherine's marriage in tatters, her children running wild and her mother increasingly forgetful, seasonal cheer is running low. Husband Noel also hides a secret: he's facing the axe at work. Until he chances upon the village of Hope Christmas, deep in the Shropshire countryside, which could be the second chance he's searching for. If he can save it from the developers... In Hope Christmas itself, schoolteacher Marianne Moore is trying to heal her battered heart. But Christmas is a time for families, and memories of what she's lost haunt her at every turn. Meanwhile, Gabriel North faces a lonely Christmas but hides his sadness for the sake of his son. Will his wife ever come home? Or does love lie elsewhere? All four need a Christmas miracle. And it might just happen - courtesy of a mysterious guardian angel ... Forced to reassess their lives, will Catherine, Noel, Marianne and Gabriel discover what the meaning of Christmas really is? An irresistible gift of a tale that will warm the hearts of Christmas-lovers and Scrooges alike...
One for all and all for one... As children, Sarah, Dorrie, Beth and Caz were inseparable and vowed to one day be each others bridesmaids. But life got complicated. Now they have one last chance to fulfil their promise. Dorrie is planning her ultimate Disney wedding to the delicious Darren and is determined to have her friends back together for the Big Day. But Dorrie's fairytale is not all that it seems... Beth is desperate for a baby and is starting to resent her more fertile friends. Is a mistake from her past about to destroy her future? Caz's wild streak has tested her friendships over the years. One by one she has let her friends down, not least when she commits the ultimate betrayal to Susan. Can she change her ways and more to the point, does she really want to? Married to Steve, Sarah is plagued by doubts that she went down the wrong path. Does Sarah have the strength to make a change and will she ever be able to forgive Caz? As Dorrie's big day dawns, all eyes are on whether the ultimate act of friendship will be honoured and obeyed...
