The Heart's Desire [Paperback]

Anna Furtado (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2004

Travel back in time to the early Renaissance town of Willowglen Township. Catherine Hawkins, a spice merchant and healer, prepares for the autumn fair when she is captivated by a stranger with beautiful eyes. Join Catherine as she struggles to come to grips with her feelings for the mysterious noblewoman. Journey with both women as they battle against those who mean to keep them from their hearts' desire.

Can they overcome these obstacles? Find out in Book One of the Briarcrest Chronicles: The Heart's Desire.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

The smell of spices takes me back over more than 500 years to a little shop in the imaginary town of Willowglen. This is a story that I needed to write -- had the great pleasure of writing. I felt honored to be the scribe for this tale and was so pleased to get to know Catherine and Lydia and all their friends. I hope you enjoy getting to know them, too.

About the Author

I'm a native of New England. Some years ago, I migrated to California where I continue to live with my partner -- and two fur-people of Scottish Terrier descent. My first publications were on the Web where I called on my love and knowledge of animals to write pet care articles.(Note: Put FURTADO in the search box when you get there for a list of all my articles.) I've also published on LesbiaNation.com and I was a first-place winner of the Writers' Market 24-Hour Short Story Contest.

The ultimate way that I nurture my creativity is by writing lesbian fiction. "The Heart's Desire" is my first published novel-length work, a trilogy. I am working on several other novels, including the second book of "The Briarcrest Chronicles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Yellow Rose Books (August 5, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932300325
• ISBN-13: 978-1932300321
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,758,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Anna Furtado is the Author of The Briarcrest Chronicles, novels set in the Renaissance about women who just can't seem to keep from getting in trouble with Church and local authorities. The Heart's Desire-Book One of the Briarcrest Chronicles was a finalist for the Golden Crown Literary Society "Goldie" award. The Heart's Strength-Book Two was nominated for several awards. Anna is also a contributor to The Butch Cookbook. She has a bi-monthly column on writing technique and the writing life at the Just About Write Web site, where she also contributes book reviews on lesbian fiction regularly. Anna lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner and their two Scottish Terriers. Most weekday mornings, Anna goes into a phone booth and changes into her Quality Compliance super-hero outfit and goes off to work in the medical device field.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of The Heart's Desire by Cheri Rosenberg, November 8, 2004

By 

Cheri Crystal (Eastern United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Heart's Desire (Paperback)

This captivating novel by new author Anna Furtado, "The Heart's Desire," is a delightful tale about two women who fall in love during the early Renaissance. The year is 1458 and Mistress Catherine Hawkins, who owns and runs "The Shoppe of Hawkins & Hawkins" in Willowglen Township, England, is getting ready for the Feast of St. Remi. Catherine, a truly extraordinary woman and purveyor of herbs, spices, and fine linens, is a well-known and respected member of the Spice Vendor's Guild. She is well educated and has extensive knowledge of herbal medicine.

On the eve of the Feast of St. Remi, Catherine lays eyes on the most beautiful woman she has ever seen...she is at once smitten. Unbeknownst to her, this woman-Lady Lydia-is captivated by Catherine as well. Lydia, devises a scheme whereby she can get to know Mistress Catherine better. Catherine and Lydia are aware of their love for each other, but both are too afraid to reveal their hearts' desire. Not understanding her intense feelings makes it harder for Catherine to profess her love for Lydia. Lydia yearns to express her love for Catherine, but she too is afraid of offending her, and of losing her friendship. Will the women realize their dream?

Furtado has done her homework. "The Heart's Desire" reads as if it were written with a quill dipped into ink, made visible by candlelight, at a small shop, on a quaint cobblestone street in England. Everything from the tone of the book to its language is impeccable as this historical novel takes you back to the fifteenth century. From the very first page, to the last, you feel enamored to these brave women, as they fight circumstances beyond their control. I cannot emphasize how well written Furtado's novel is and how much I enjoyed it. I was sorry to finish reading it. The characters are so real that I felt I had actually made their acquaintance. The Heart's Desire is the first installment in the Briarcrest Chronicles with book two hopefully on the horizon. I highly recommend the book to all you romantics out there.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful book rich in historical detail, May 31, 2006

By 

E. B. MULLIGAN "Bronwyn" (Tampa, Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Heart's Desire (Paperback)

I can't really add anything to the three wonderful reviews by AGermain, CRosenberg or Joyce McNeil except to say that I agree with them.

It has been a long time since I read a romance from this historical period and it was a very nice change.

This was a lovely story rich in drama and surprisingly violent in part that fit in perfectly with the story and the period of time the novel takes place.

It's lovely to think that the Duchess of Briarcrest and her companion Hilary could have existed and that Lydia, a daughter of a duke, and Catherine the daughter of a merchant had a chance at happiness together. This story seems more feasible in 1458 than it would in 1858. and I am glad I had the chance to read it.

The novel has depth and you will want to take your time reading it so save it for a lazy weekend.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "A Wonderdrous Tale in the Days of Ole!", November 28, 2004

By 

Joyce McNeil (Metairie, LA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Heart's Desire (Paperback)

What if it was feasible to have your heart's desire? Would you take the chance?

Going about her daily life, one woman never places much thought on the questions. That is until she meets a woman who invokes feelings of wonder in her. What do these feelings mean? Should she allow herself to act on them? Each woman finds themselves puzzling over the same questions. As they interact with each other daily, feelings start to grow stronger and stronger. Will they allow themselves the chance at love? Are they each other's heart's desire? And just who is the person that wants one of the women for themself? Will this person pose a threat to the women's happiness? Can their chance at love be strong enough to overcome such a threat?

Told in the days of ole, the story takes the reader on a wonderful journey of life, love, heartbreak, danger and the overwhelming question of: "Will love conquer all?" Noted as the first in a trilogy, The Heart's Desire can only be a great beginning to what should be a fantastic series.