MY BOOKS
Amelia
Part of the 'Love comes knocking' collection
Amelia loves her life in York, the city she moved to as a student. She has a great job at the university she studied at, a lovely attic flat in an ancient house and an adorable cat called Albert.
The only thing lacking, is a man in her life – according to her best friend, Courtney. But Amelia is not so sure, and after several first dates, hasn’t found anyone she’d like a second date with.
And then she met Theo.
Theo ticks all the boxes, and he seems just as keen as she is, but he comes with a package – an overbearing mother and a possessive daughter. How can Amelia compete with them for his attention?
Set in historic York and rural Bridport, Amelia is the second book in the Love Comes Knocking When You Least Expect It collection.
A perfect read for lovers of romance.
𝘼𝙫𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙉𝙊𝙒 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙤𝙣
A note from the author:
Amelia is the third of my books to feature York. It’s one of my favourite places to be. We fell in love with the city in 2008 when we went there for a family holiday. The children had so much fun in all the museums & parks, and we made so many happy memories. So, it was no surprise when our youngest opted to go there for university, and stayed.
Zara
Part of the 'Love comes knocking' collection
Single mum Zara felt like she’d been chasing her tail ever since her divorce, hurtling through a life that consisted of school runs and beating the traffic to work.
With a non-existent social life, which suited her non-existent self-confidence, she hadn’t given meeting anyone new a second thought – until she caught the attention of her son’s teacher, Isaac, and then of his wayward brother, Jeb.
Both bring a shedload of baggage, as they vie for her attention, butting heads in the process. She prefers the company of one, whereas her son prefers the other.
Suddenly, the quiet summer that Zara and her son had planned became anything but.
Set in Honiton in sunny Devon, Zara is the first book in the Loves Comes Knocking When You Least Expect It collection.
A perfect read for lovers of romance.
𝘼𝙫𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙉𝙊𝙒 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙤𝙣
A note from the author:
Zara started out as a short story and the setting for it was rather vague: a village in Devon. Once I started to expand it into a full-length novel, I opted to set it in Honiton, and took the opportunity to include some family history (as I do in all my stories).
My grandpa was given away at birth and knew nothing of his ancestry, other than that his birth mother was from Islington. I have since discovered that his father was from Honiton, from a long line of farmers and lacemakers. So naturally, they found their way into my story!
I just wish I could’ve told Grandpa all about it.
Anam Cara
A stand alone love story
Irish American Brianna thought her marriage and life on the Dorset coast in England was perfect; a doting husband and job she loved, a beautiful home in an idyllic village, and three successful children away at university. And then she met Niall, a photographer from Ireland, just as her steady world was turned upside down, unravelling so fast and leaving her fighting for her life.
Set in my home county of Dorset, Anam Cara is a touching love story of two soulmates who find each other later in life.
𝘼𝙫𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙉𝙊𝙒 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙤𝙣
A note from the author:
Anam Cara was inspired by a ring I bought from Dublin for my husband, bearing the Celtic phrase which means soulmate. I’m a proud romantic and love the idea that there is a soulmate for everyone, and that you don’t need to look – they will find you. Probably when you least expect it.
You can read more about my inspirations behind the novel, in my blog.
The Box
A stand alone tale
Kristabel was only seven when she was transported to England, to escape the tyranny that tore Europe apart and stamped out her family. It’s not until seventy-eight years later, when she befriends her seven-year-old neighbour, that she dares to look back on life and open the door to a past she has always kept shut.
Set in London and Amsterdam, The Box is a poignant story of self-discovery and reconciliation.
𝘼𝙫𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙉𝙊𝙒 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙤𝙣
.jpg)
A note from the author:
The Box was many years in the making, partly drawing on stories/experiences shared with me by my friend Wladyslaw Myslak. A civil servant in his early 20’s, he escaped occupied Poland at the start of the war and worked his way over to England. His accounts, coupled with the fate of my cousin’s family, gave me the inspiration for The Box.
It has been very successful both in the UK and in America, and my readers have been very generous with their praise.
Cobbled Streets & Teenage Dreams
Book one of a saga spanning a hundred years
When the father of her eighteen-year-old daughter walked back into her life, Alice knew she was in trouble. She had kept their child a secret after he disappeared with her best friend, leaving her in the lurch and broken hearted. But now he seemed intent on picking up where they left off.
The consequences were far greater than she could have possibly imagined; exposing dark secrets, harboured grudges and a web of deceit that ensured life would never be the same again.
Set in the New Forest, Stratford-upon-Avon and York, Cobbled Streets & Teenage Dreams is a tale of forbidden love, lies and loss, spanning three generations. It follows the painful journey of four women as they come to terms with the past in order to confront the present.
𝘼𝙫𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙉𝙊𝙒 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙤𝙣
A note from the author:
Cobbled Streets & Teenage Dreams was my first novel, and as I introduced more characters to the mix, I quickly realised this would become a series of stories stretching back to 1900. Characters mentioned in Cobbled Streets & Teenage Dreams but long since passed, come to life in their own stories as the series progresses.
Set in the New Forest village of Brockenhurst, where my children went to college, and Stratford-upon-Avon, near to where my husband & I went to college, it holds a special place in my heart.
Close Your Eyes
Book two of the Cobbled Streets saga
Falling in love for the first time is a feeling that most of us never forget. It was no different for Mary O’Shea.
The second book in the Cobbled Streets saga takes us back to 1994 when Mary, a shy and naïve seventeen-year-old desperate to emerge from her shell, falls for the most unexpected boy. Armed with a bucketful of bad habits and bad enemies, he helps Mary find her feet in life and gives her the confidence to stand up to her overbearing father. Neither one of them could have predicted the fury they unleashed – the consequences of which changed lives forever.
Set in historic Haworth and the atmospheric Yorkshire Moors, Close Your Eyes tells the tale of an unlikely love; one that must be kept secret at all costs. Two damaged souls unite and forge a future that is forbidden. Alone in the world, they fight for what they want most: freedom.
Although Cobbled Streets & Teenage Dreams and Close Your Eyes are part of a saga spanning a hundred years, they are written as stand-alone stories. The thing that connects them all is heritage and friendship. I am writing the stories in reverse chronological order but they can be read in any order that you wish.
𝘼𝙫𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙉𝙊𝙒 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙤𝙣
A note from the author:
I enjoyed doing the research for this novel the most. I stayed in accommodation above the café at the very top of Main Street in Haworth and used this as the home for my main character. I walked the streets of Haworth and across the moors to Top Withens – several times over – both in summer and winter, in driving rain and glorious sunshine. A truly inspiring place.