Pat McDermott Michener
As a journalist and editor who turned to public relations, then became co-founder/partner in a Toronto corporate communications firm, Pat McDermott Michener has written everything from speeches and video scripts to web copy and ads. In retirement she wanted nothing more to do with writing, but old habits die hard. Over time her novel assembled itself in bits, then big chunks. Then her two main characters, Emma Madison and her niece Jasmine, nagged her endlessly until she finally sat down and brought them to life in words. Pat is mother to three marvelous, accomplished adults and lives happily on a farm overlooking Georgian Bay, Ontario.
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Emma Madison Master Meddler
Women's fiction
When Jasmine Holmes left the small lakeside community of Medford nine years ago, it was with a well-deserved reputation as the town tramp. Last heard of, she was divorced and working as a blackjack dealer in a Las Vegas casino. Probably she never would return — if she had a choice! But fate has not been kind to Jasmine. Now her Aunt Emma is rescuing her from a hospital, and along with her eight-year-old daughter Laura, bringing her home to recover. She arrives with a suitcase full of old scandals, and one closely guarded, unspeakable secret. None welcome her return; some actively dread it. So, one can only imagine the volcano of gossip that erupts with the news that Lianne Latham has chosen, as her sick nurse during her last illness, none other than her husband’s former lover — Jasmine Holmes! As time passes, other suitors appear: Mason Stoddart, who is leaving an unhappy marriage; Alistair McGregor, a determined, if callow, young suitor, and Royce Parke, the disreputable husband of Anna, Jasmine's cousin and best friend. It is Royce's dark secret that will put Jasmine in the greatest danger of her life. Only once it is resolved can she use the great skill she has acquired during her years in Vegas to pursue her ambitions, and find once more the love she lost along the way. This novel may be Jasmine’s story; but there is someone else hovering in the background, subtly influencing the course of events that lead to its happy outcome. Watching, waiting, and then, with perfect timing, pulling the right strings is Jasmine's sage and savvy aunt, the redoubtable Emma Madison, master meddler. |