Transita Books - Scuba Dancing

Scuba Dancing by Nicola Slade

ISBN 1-905175-019 Price £7.99

Available April 2005

‘It was late spring when the angel first manifested himself to Ursula Buchanan in the village shop, just along the aisle from the bacon slicing machine… ‘Go on,’ he urged, pointing a glowing golden finger at the notice. ‘Join the group, Ursula, it’ll change your life.’

Synopsis

And so it does.

Ursula’s is not the only life to be altered forever.

Walking out on her job in Brussels, her flat and yet another in a long line of disastrous relationships, Finn Fitzgerald decides at 45, it’s about time she took herself in hand and found out what she wants from life. Moving in with her sister, and meeting gorgeous Charlie Stuart is great, but how on earth has she ended up working as a clairvoyant?

Julia and her friends are busy raising funds but are very cagey about exactly which good cause they are supporting. Then there’s wealthy, gin soaked Delia, ex-Brown Owl, Bobbie, Sue who despairs of her unfaithful husband and Rosemary who despairs of her demented, sex-mad mother.

Soon Finn and Charlie Stuart find themselves drawn into the money-making activities of the older generation and love is in the air. Until that is, they find out more about the alleged good cause, and Finn finds out about Charlie’s wife.

‘A wonderful mix of way-out characters, gin soaked or otherwise, in a plot full of warmth and humour. A great read.’

Nicola Slade was brought up in Poole, Dorset. She wrote children’s stories when her three children were growing up, moving onto short stories for several national magazines. Winning a story competition in Family Circle galvanised her into writing seriously and since then her stories and articles have been commissioned regularly. Scuba Dancing is her first published novel.

Because so many people live alone today, Nicola suggests that a lively singles group such as the one in Scuba Dancing might be a desirable alternative to suffering in silence – though perhaps a group with a more orthodox agenda than the one in the book.

Nicola enjoys travelling and has lived in Egypt. She has tried her hand at antiques dealing and as an artist is currently being asked for pictures of giant vegetables – her latest commission being a three foot long chilli pepper.