Bøger af Catherine Macdonald

Francesca Bernard ran away from the family vineyard because she was determined to live a different life--one without the grapes and her secrets. But when Enrico, the foreman, calls her home because her father's dementia is making it impossible for him to manage the vineyard, she and her son return and discover the vineyard and her father in dire need. She assumes her father's role and deals with the complexities of running the vineyard, his aging, and Enrico's advances. The grapes are struggling. Money is tight. Her father is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Her teenage son experiments with drugs, and Enrico is still in love with her. Through sweat and hard work, Francesca rediscovers that the rhythms of the vineyard are deeply restorative. She becomes certain of one thing: she wants to resurrect the vineyard and prove everyone wrong. She is willing to do just about anything to prove she can be a world-class vintner--even if that means sleeping with the competition. Her relationship with the bad boy of the Sonoma Valley sparks jealously in Enrico and he abandons her and the besieged vineyard. Francesca is left to fend for herself, but is determined to uncover the secret of the Zinfandel wine that once made the vineyard famous. This wine will allow her to become a renowned vintner, but the secret is buried with her mother. How is Francesca able to save the vineyard and uncover the secret of the Zinfandel, deal with the past, and come to terms with her true love?

Francesca Bernard is a vintner in the Sonoma Valley who just can't seem to perfect her wine, her finances, and her love life. She finds herself torn between the man she lives with and the man she loves. A letter arrives from a long-lost cousin encouraging her to travel to Italy to uncover the secret to her wine and her heart. Tension is tight around the vineyard, so she leaps at the chance. Once in Italy, her cousin notices Francesca's torment and convinces her to visit the local seer, who is known to help lost souls. The old woman propels Francesca back through time on a heart-pounding quest where she visits three lives where her survival was in jeopardy. Armed with the secrets and truths, she finally understands how the love, lust, and revenge they have endured for centuries holds the answers to their present survival. Magna gathered Francesca's hands into her own cool gnarled ones and stroked them lightly. "Listen dearie. No one is allowing you to remain innocent and stuck on the wheel of life and death for eternity, but yourself. Even though the mind forgets, the soul remembers. Hopefully by examining these lifetimes you will understand the truth. You are responsible for the life you have--no one else." From Sonoma, Italy, and the Middle Ages Francesca travels to uncover the truth of the wine and the two men who have fought over her for centuries. Romancing the Vines is the sweeping romance of Francesca, Enrico, and Giancarlo and the secret to the wine that has been eluding her for centuries.

Reluctant amateur detective, Reverend Charles Lauchlan, departs the prairie city of Winnipeg and travels abroad to Scotland with his fiancé Maggie on a bicycle tour of the highlands. Two near fatal accidents put members of the tour on edge and, to make matters worse, a shadowy figure seems to be observing their every move.

'Always go for what you want out of life' advises dynamic CEO Liz Lenister when she offers student Sophie a holiday job as an au pair, but it isn't long before Sophie finds herself out of her depth as she's caught up in the family power games. At least she's friends with teenage Sean and Liz's second husband, Matt, until an unwelcome sexual encounter escalates into harassment and poses a painful predicament for Sophie when she returns home. Sophie must take steps to deal with her tormentor, but then she finds herself succumbing to an altogether different temptation. A stormy day in company with Matt and Sean threatens to lead to tragedy, and Sophie's faced with a difficult decision in order to free herself from their influence and get her life back. But there's a final surprise waiting around the corner...

When Eithne's husband Ian is rushed into hospital with chest pains, it's the beginning of some difficult months for the family. Ian's behaviour becomes erratic and unsettling after his life-threatening experience. Meanwhile, his son Sam is playing a devious financial game and the marriage of Ian's elder son, Alex, is about to implode. Eithne hopes that a quiet summer spent at their house in Provence will get life back on track - but she hasn't reckoned with the wiles of Véronique, Ian's glamorous old flame...Add a wannabe WAG, a visitation of snobbish in-laws, and a thwarted Italian lover into the mix, and summer in Provence has never presented so many challenges.'My husband...and other problems' is the third book about Eithne and her life, continuing the story after 'From the moment I saw him...' and 'Wrong Turning'.

When she was young, Eithne lost the love of her life in tragic circumstances, but now she's happily married, with her children poised to fly the nest. But life and love are not always straightforward. Her ex-fiancé, Ian, moves into the neighbourhood, reviving feelings and memories she thought she had long put behind her. Then an unexpected American visitor reveals more unsettling events from the past. An impromptu trip to France with Ian results in a life-threatening mistake, which could cost Eithne her marriage. What can she do to ensure her future happiness? And how does Josh, her new American friend, help her get her life back on track? Wrong Turning is a sensitive and gripping account of a mid-life affair which keeps the reader guessing until the very end of the book. Wrong Turning is a sequel to the well-reviewed From the moment I saw him..., also available on Amazon.

From the moment she sees handsome Nick with his devastating smile, schoolgirl Eithne falls head over heels for him, and he entices her into a passionate affair. However, the path of true love doesn't run smoothly for Eithne and Nick. Happiness and heartbreak are intertwined as their lives come together and break apart as they grow into adulthood. Eithne finds she's faced with some difficult decisions, especially after she impulsively accepts a proposal of marriage from her boss, sophisticated adman Ian. Will she finally get to live happily ever after with the charismatic boy she's always adored? Fate brings real challenges for Eithne, and she needs help from unexpected quarters before she can move forward with her life. This gripping love story is a rollercoaster of twists and turns set during the fast-changing 1960's and 70's, when anything seemed possible!

2012 Miller Williams Arkansas Poetry Prize Winner.