England may look like a peaceful island, but it swarms with ancient forces: old gods hungry for a touch of worship; mysterious spectres that can grant wishes, no matter how destructive those wishes might be; pre-historic cultural memories that can raise hungry spirits; and then there's the mysterious haunted washing machine unhappy with the new detergents. To combat evil forces, the Church of England calls on a special breed of men (yes, they're all men--and that is part of the problem). The Theological College of St. Van Helsing trains its students to combat evil forces--except when those students go renegade and fight their fellows. With St. Van Helsing restricted to men only, women with talent lack a place for proper training, which makes them both dangerous and tempting targets for dark forces. Penny Bailey finds herself confronting a hungry fertility god, a misdirected love-spell and the horrors of the perfect diet. Author Vanessa Knipe continues her stories out of St. Van Helsing (after WITCH-FINDER) with another strong series of adventures. Knipe writes with a compelling mix of darkness and tongue-in-cheek humor. While theological students confronting evil by calling phrases from the Book of Common Prayer sounds amusing, Knipe makes it both real and dangerous. More so even than in WITCH-FINDER, darkness underpins these stories--the title, HARD LESSONS is definitely hard-earned.

It seemed like a brilliant plan. To entertain her young son on his spring break week, and to get back into the dating world, youthful widow Sally Cartwright advertises on a dating site, requesting that the dates put together an outing entertaining both to her and to Timmy. She never dreams that her ad will look like an invitation to every werewolf, vampire, ancient god or demonic force in England. Unfortunately, because Timmy was saved by his father's sacrifice, the dark forces see in him the potential for incredible power. Because she advertised herself, the Church of England's militant wing, the Theological College of St. Van Helsing, can do nothing--there are rules that govern the behavior of both dark and light. Mike Rider, though, is prepared to break the rules. Sally was his first love and he still cares for her. Unfortunately for him, Sally still hurts from their breakup and wants nothing to do with him. As the dark forces close in, though, Sally and Mike are forced to work together to save their own lives and those of Timmy, Sally's son. Author Vanessa Knipe continues her stories out of the St. Van Helsing Theological College with an exciting and emotional tale of a young mother trying to save her son from forces beyond her imagination. Her past history with Mike gives the story added emotional impact and Knipe's fully envisioned world of England and its magical forces grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go.

Demonic elementals, vampires, krakens, werewolves, and other monsters aren't as mythical as many of us believe. They roam the English countryside, playing their games, fighting their wars, and claiming the souls of many humans. Although many deny their existance, the Church of England is not among the doubters. A special branch of the Church, headquartered at the College of St. Van Helsing, battles demons and attempts to save fallen humans before their souls are devoured. Author Vanessa Knipe spins us stories of the faculty and students of St. Van Helsing--of their successes and failures in this eternal battle.