FEATURED AUTHOR - Michael James spent his formative years writing, and when he wasn't writing, he was writing. A mistaken belief that a "real" job would be more satisfying led him down a dark path that did not involve writing but did involve meetings. Fortunately, he has since course-corrected and is back on the right (write? Ha!) path. The Hotel at the End of Time is not his first book, but it is the one with the most Hotels in it. He lives in Canada with his family.
Lindsay Brambles’s book reviews
Taken in the context of its time, the novel 'Emma' is a delightfully fun and witty examination of the societal constraints and mores of the period in which it takes place. Plot is not essential here, and there really isn't a great deal of it. It's the characters who count, and Emma is certainly the most captivating of the lot. She bears some resemblance to the major female leads of other Jane Austen novels, but rather lacks the spirited, rebelliousness of Elizabeth Benett (of 'Pride and Predjudice').
'Emma', as a novel, is not as tightly written as Pride and Predjudice (which is probably Austen's best known and best loved work). There are places in 'Emma' that certainly could have done with some decent editing, sections of dialogue that are simply far too protracted and tend to weary the reader. That said, the book is still worth investing the time to read.
Lindsay Brambles (author of 'In Darkness Bound')