Casting Spells
Barbara Bretton
Table of Contents
Praise for the novels of
ONE OF TODAYS BEST WOMENS
FICTION AUTHORS.
The Romance Reader
JUST LIKE HEAVEN
I laughed, I cried, I cheered ... Bravo, Barbara Bretton ... Another winner! Contemporary Romance Writers
Just Like Heaven ... is exactly that ... An engaging, humorous, and tender novel. Romance Reader at Heart
Brettons lyrical writing enthralls from the first page.
Romantic Times
Peopled with an interesting cast of secondary characters, not to mention this strong couple, this one will keep you reading past your bedtime. BellaOnline
SOMEONE LIKE YOU
Bretton, a master storyteller, superbly dramatizes a great range of emotions in this compelling tale.
Booklist(starred review)
Readers who appreciate a powerful character study that digs deep into cause and effect will want to read Barbara Brettons fine, convincing tale. The Best Reviews
CHANCES ARE
Alternately poignant and humorous, this contemporary romance gracefully illuminates lifes highs and lows.
Publishers Weekly
Ms. Bretton provides a fine return to the Jersey shore with this warm family drama. Midwest Book Review
GIRLS OF SUMMER
Barbara Bretton is a master at touching readers hearts. Grab this one when it hits the shelves! A perfect ten!
Romance Reviews Today
A moving romance ... Barbara Bretton provides a deep tale of individuals struggling with caring connections of the heart.
Midwest Book Review
A book readers will want to savor. Publishers Weekly
Insightful ... Bretton excels at womens fiction that engages the emotions without manipulating them ... I highly recommend that discriminating readers pay a visit to these Girls of Summer.The Romance Reader
SHORE LIGHTS
An engrossing tale of hope, promise, heartache, and misplaced dreams ... Its uplifting message and smooth storytelling make it a pleasant read any time of year.
Publishers Weekly
[A] warm, wonderful book. Booklist
Her womens fiction is well-written and insightful with just the right blend of realism and romance ... Powerful.
The Romance Reader
A lovely book ... Its an uplifting story, warm and cozy, and easily recommended. All About Romance
An absolute wonder of creative writing that comes right from Barbara Brettons heart. A perfect ten.
Romance Reviews Today
AND ACCLAIM FOR THE OTHER NOVELS
OF BARBARA BRETTON ...
The region of the heart is her territory.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Brettons characters are always real and their conflicts believable. Chicago Sun-Times
Soul warming ... A powerful relationship drama [for] anyone who enjoys a passionate look inside the hearts and souls of the prime players. Midwest Book Review
[Bretton] excels in her portrayal of the sometimes sweet, sometimes stifling ties of a small community. The towns tight network of loving, eccentric friends and family infuses the tale with a gently comic note that perfectly balances the darker dramas of the romance. Publishers Weekly
A tender love story about two people who, when they find something special, will go to any length to keep it.Booklist
Honest, witty... absolutely unforgettable. Rendezvous
A classic adult fairy tale. Affaire de Cur
Dialogue flows easily and characters spring quickly to life.
Rocky Mountain News
No one tells a story like Barbara Bretton. Meryl Sawyer
Titles by Barbara Bretton
CASTING SPELLS
JUST DESSERTS
JUST LIKE HEAVEN
SOMEONE LIKE YOU
CHANCES ARE
GIRLS OF SUMMER
SHORE LIGHTS
A SOFT PLACE TO FALL
AT LAST
THE DAY WE MET
ONCE AROUND
SLEEPING ALONE
MAYBE THIS TIME
ONE AND ONLY
Anthologies
THE CHRISTMAS CAT
(with Julie Beard, Jo Beverly, and Lynn Kurland)
For my husband, for everything
XXXX and counting
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to knitters/designers extraordinaire Wendy D. Johnson and Dawn Brocco for their friendship, their talent, their blogs, and their generosity.
A virtual basket of quiviut to each and every writer and reader who has made Romancing the Yarn such a terrific experience. Special thanks to Fran, Cindi, Jamie, Janet, Elizabeth, Laura, Georg, Kenyetta, Nicole, Ellen, Cathy B, Carol, Nephele, and Linda D.
Love to Nancy Herkness, who is simply the best of the best in all ways possible: a superlative friend and knitter.
And a special 4 dpn salute to Dallas Schulze, the finest needlewoman on the planet! You almost make me want to try spinning again. I dont know what Id do without your friendship.
CHLOE
SUGAR MAPLE, VERMONT
Do you ever wonder why things happen the way they do? All of those seemingly random decisions we make throughout our lives that turn out to be not so random after all. Maybe if I had closed the shop twenty minutes earlier that night or gone for a quick walk around Snow Lake, she might still be alive today.
But I didnt and that choice changed our lives forever.
At the moment when it all began, I was down on my knees, muttering ancient curses under my breath as I tugged, pulled, and tried to convince five feet of knitted lace that it would be much happier stretched out to six plus.
If there were any magic spells out there to help a girl block a shawl, I hadnt found them, and believe me, Id looked. Blocking, like life, was equal parts intuition, brute strength, and dumb luck.
(Just in case you were wondering, I usually dont mention the dumb luck part when I give a workshop.)
That Monday night I was two hours into Blocking 101, teaching my favorite techniques to three yarn-crawling sisters from Pennsylvania, a teacher from New Jersey, and a retired rocket scientist from Florida. We had been expecting a bus-load of fiber fanatics from northern Maine, but a wicked early winter blizzard had stopped them somewhere west of Bangor. Two of my best friends from town, admitted knit shop groupies and world-class gossips, rounded out the class.
By the way, Im Chloe Hobbs, owner of Sticks & Strings, voted the number one knit shop in New England two years running. I dont know exactly who did the voting, but I owe each of those wonderful knitters some quiviut and a margarita. Blog posts about the magical store in northern Vermont where your yarn never tangles, your sleeves always come out the same length, and you always, always get gauge were popping up on a daily basis, raising both my profile and my bottom line.
Sometimes I worried that this sudden, unexpected burst of fame and fortune had extended the tourist season beyond the towns comfort zone. Hiding in plain sight was harder than it sounded, but for now our secret was still safe.
