When it comes to her writing, Catherine Friend likes to try new things and seek new challenges - but she always likes to write stories that make her laugh.Ĭatherine Friend lives on a small farm in southeastern Minnesota - which inspired both THE PERFECT NEST and HIT BY A FARM. She is also the author of the acclaimed adult memoir, HIT BY A FARM: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BARN. Since then, the author has written six children's books, including THE PERFECT NEST, a hilarious read-aloud illustrated by John Manders and two books in Candlewick’s Brand New Readers series. She studied Economics, but because of her love for books and stories, she eventually found herself drawn to writing. She was slightly shy as a child, but enjoyed playing Beauty Parlor with her sister, taking family trips, and watching STAR TREK and TIME TUNNEL. She read so much her parents had to set a 'no-reading-at-the dinner-table' rule. The Spanish Pearl is an epic adventure spiced with humor, lust, and danger-a story with surprising twists that will capture your imagination just as Kate's dilemma captures your heart.Ĭatherine Friend had what she calls a 'boring' childhood, but she says that boring was just fine - because it gave her more time to read. But when a sword-brandishing woman with an astonishing secret sweeps into Kate's life, Kate is suddenly torn between two women, and between two centuries. In her struggle to stay alive and return to the future, Kate must flee exotic harems, filthy dungeons, and treacherous Moorish courts. Kate is captured by a band of mercenary soldiers and becomes an unwitting pawn in the violent conflict between the Catholic kings and the Islamic Moors. Tricky with her now useless twenty-first century skills.

What does a woman like Kate do in a world of no antibiotics, no feminism, no Diet Coke? She denies it as long as possible, then sets her mind to getting home. When Kate Vincent and her partner travel to Spain, Kate is accidentally transported back in time.

The Spanish Pearl by Catherine Friend