Dance Upon the Air

May 14, 2001
The first installment of Roberts's newest trilogy set on Three Sisters island invokes the sensitive characterizations and magic that distinguished her previous trilogy (Jewels of the Sun; Tears of the Moon; Heart of the Sea). An enchanted island off the coast of Massachusetts, Three Sisters was formed as a sanctuary by three frightened witches fleeing persecution. Although the witches found peace on the island, each of them entered into an ill-fated relationship and died tragically. Now their descendants—Nell Channing, Ripley Todd and Mia Devlin—have to break the pattern set by their foremothers, or the island will sink. This first book focuses on Nell, a newcomer to the island who escaped her abusive husband by staging her death. Nell is unaware that she's a witch, but she is instinctively drawn to the island and secures a job as a chef in the café owned by Mia. Between coping with her bleak memories and deciding whether she can give her heart to Zach Todd, Ripley's brother and the island sheriff, Nell has little time to digest the discovery that she's a witch. In the end, however, Nell will have to come to terms with her newfound powers so that she can fight her all-too-demented husband. It's probably witchcraft that Roberts can turn out so many books and still create something that's sexy and charming, but in this tale, it's evident that she hasn't lost her fairy touch. (June 5)Forecast: No stranger to bestseller lists, Roberts triumphed in 2000 with the release of two hardcovers and eight mass market paperbacks, seven of which sold in the millions. National radio advertising and print advertisements in
USA Today will ensure that her latest hits the big time as well.

May 15, 2001
Escaping to Three Sisters Island to put her life together after an abusive marriage, Nell Channing gradually begins to think that she has finally found a place where she can create a new life. But her husband isn't about to let her go, and when he finally finds her, it takes all her new-found strength and a little help from her "sisters" to deal with his violence. A magnetic hero, a heroine who finds herself, and some memorable secondary characters weave a mesmerizing tale of witchcraft and magic that launches Robert's latest trilogy in fine style. One of the best and most consistent writers in the genre, Roberts (The Villa) is a member of the RWA Hall of Fame and lives in Keedysville, MD.

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2001
\deflang1033\pard\plain\f3\fs24 Legend has it that Three Sisters Island was created by the magic of three witches escaping persecution in seventeenth-century Salem and that at some time descendents of each of them will come together on the island. Nell Channing finds Three Sisters the perfect place to settle into her new life, a life she started over with a new name and a new look after faking her death to escape her wealthy, extremely abusive husband. A photo of the island drew her there, and a fortuitously overheard conversation nets her a job, a cute cottage, and Mia, a new friend who happens to be her employer and a modern witch. The local sheriff, Zack, is a hunk as well as being a sensitive and kind man. His sister, Ripley, the deputy sheriff, has a beef with Nell's pal, Mia, but had been her best friend years ago. As Nell recovers from her disastrous marriage, she begins to learn magic from Mia and how to love and trust from Zack. But horror looms on the horizon unless Nell, with the help of Ripley and Mia, can weave a spell that will keep her safe. Once again, Roberts proves that she's a top-notch romance writer. This enchanting and empowering tale is not only terrifically entertaining, it vividly shows how a capable woman can be swept into an abusive relationship and how extremely difficult it can be for her to extricate herself. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)