MORE THAN WORDS

Author: Susan Wiggs, Karen Harper, Kasey Michaels, Catherine Mann, Tori Carrington ISBN: 0373836589 10/2006 ANTHOLOGY Publisher: HARLEQUIN

Introducing the third annual More Than Words anthology Five bestselling authors Five real-life heroines They're your neighbors, your aunts, your sisters and your best friends. They're women across North America committed to reaching out and changing lives, one good deed at a time. Five of these exceptional women have been selected as this year's recipients of Harlequin's More Than Words Award. And once again five award-winning bestselling authors have kindly offered their creativity to write original short stories inspired by these real-life heroines. Because of this year's recipients' dedication, thousands of tiny babies born into poverty are going home from the hospital wearing warm, hand-knit clothing. Prisoners are raising pups to keep people safe and be loyal guide dogs. Special-needs kids finally have a sports league to call their own. Cancer survivors enjoy a week of relaxation and rejuvenation nestled in Canada's stunning cottage country. And high-quality, low-cost children's books in Braille are finding their way to the thousands of children who need them. We hope More Than Words will touch your heart and inspire the heroine living inside you.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I suggest going out to your bookstore in October and buying MORE THAN WORDS, Volume 3. Read it and then share it. It's a truly inspirational and remarkable anthology written by five well-known authors: Susan Wiggs, Karen Harper, Kasey Michaels, Catherine Mann and Tori Carrington.

All five of these stories were inspired by real woman who had the courage to not only survive hardship, but also find a way to make a difference not only in their lives, but also in the lives of others.

Before you decide to read these wonderful stories, grab a box of tissues and be prepared to read with watery eyes. These stories are sure to touch your heart.

Susan Wiggs begins this anthology with a story titled Homecoming Season. This story was especially near and dear to me, and I don't think I even managed to make it through the first page without tearing up. I'm a cancer survivor—it's been two years since I had the surgery to remove my right thyroid and the cancerous nodule that imbedded itself in it. I have a scar on my neck that I see every day to remind me how lucky I am to have caught the cancer in time. Although, recently, my clean bill of health is no longer clean, I know that whatever lay ahead of me I will overcome it. Homecoming Season is a story of one very courageous woman who beat breast cancer, and her fight to regain control of her life through the help of her loving family and some time spent at Cottage Dreams.

Next is Find the Way by Karen Harper. It is a romantic story about a blind woman finding love not only with a man, but with also her guide dog. It is also an encouraging story about how the smallest of animals can turn out to be the biggest of heroes.

Kasey Michaels tells an incredibly heartwarming story in Here Come the Heroes. She tells the story of a community coming together to give special children a place to play and feel like children again.

Catherine Mann, in Touched by Love, tells the story of how one woman can bring joy to the lives of blind people by turning their written stories into Braille, so that they are able to read it themselves.

Finally, Tori Carrington end this anthology with A Stitch in Time. It's a lovely story about a woman who finds love again, and also finds it within herself to make a change in someone's life. She knits clothes to give to needy families for their babies.

It's really comforting to read true-to-life stories where at the end, you want to get involved somehow. Just by buying this book, you're already making a donation to Harlequin's charitable initiatives.

Julie Kornhausl