The three titles in The Mil Valley series are now available on audio for the first time, as a set of CDs or as an MP3 disc. They are delightfully read by Victoria Brazier to give a true flavour of their Yorkshire background. Look for them in your local library, or wherever you download your audio books.

Just one week to go until The Smuggler’s Secret is published in paperback, on 20th July. It’s already available as an ebook, or on audio, if you can’t wait that long! bit.ly/3NZdgCJ

Set in the town of Castle Bay on the east Kent coast, it tells the story of Meg Marsh, who is struggling to keep her family fed after the death of her father. When she meets Bartholomew Banks, she thinks all her hopes and dreams are about to come true. But is tragedy waiting around the corner instead?

A century later, Carrie Marsh is leading a quiet life, teaching in the local school and looking after her ailing mother. Then she meets Oscar Hadley and, despite some initial misgivings, falls in love with him. War is looming, though, and Carrie’s life is about to change for ever. Will she follow the same path as her ancestor, Meg? Or does the future hold something different for Carrie?

A few weeks ago, lovely saga author Susanna Bavin, who also writes as Polly Heron and Maisie Thomas, featured a couple of pieces I wrote for her blog about the importance of location when I’m writing, both as a setting and an inspiration. There are lots of photos in the articles – just click on the book titles to get an idea of the backgrounds to The Margate Maid and The Secret Child.

There will be another piece early in 2023, covering The Lost Sister, before the new book – The Smuggler’s Secret – is published. It is set in Kent, too, but based around the towns of Deal and Walmer. The cover is below – hope you like it! And it’s available for pre-order now – just follow the link.

The publishers have given my first triolgy, set in Yorkshire, a lovely update with some fresh covers – and new titles, too. So don’t be confused – I haven’t just written three new novels!

Ella’s Journey is now A Daughter’s Hope, Alice’s Secret is A Family Secret and Sarah’s Story has become A Country Scandal. I hope you like the way they look as much as I do!

Sending Christmas wishes for a calm, safe and peaceful festive season, as the end of 2021 approaches.

Thank you to all of those who have bought my books, listened to them on audio or borrowed them from the library. Your support has really mattered, as it has to all authors, and I very much appreciate every single review and rating.

I’m looking forward to the publication of the final part of The Margate Maid trilogy in January – I do hope you will enjoy reading it.

Here we are – the cover of the final part of The Margate Maid trilogy, out in hardback, ebook and audio on January 27th 2022 and available for pre-order now. You’ll have to wait a bit longer for the paperback, until July.

I’m looking forward to hearing what readers think when they get their hands on the final part of Molly’s story. For myself, I’m sad to say goodbye to the family, but I’ve already started on a new series, set a little way along the coast, and I hope you’ll be able to enjoy reading it in 2023 (right now that seems like a very long way off!)

Well, it has been a while since I posted but I haven’t been slacking! I’ve finished the first draft of a new novel – the start of a new series – and hope to be able to share more news about this soon.

I’ve also seen the cover for The Lost Sister, the final book in The Margate Maid trilogy – you’re in for a treat when it hits the shelves in January!

And recently I was interviewed for a new show, Paperback Writer, on my local radio station, Deal Radio. Richard Sirot, the lovely host of the show, has had a great many interesting and well-known people as guests, most recently Wayne Sleep, Patti Boulaye and Deborah Moggach for this show and his other, In My Life, so I was in illustrious company. It was great fun to do and you can hear the interview here

And here they are, a box of books from the publisher, Piatkus. Always exciting to see them! I’ve been busy with the final copy edits on the next book, the last one in The Margate Maid trilogy, which is due out in January 2022. And I’ve been writing a new book – I’m 95,000 words in and nearing the end!

For now, though, the focus is on the paperback and sharing the second part of Molly’s story with as many people as possible. The early reviews have been lovely and very encouraging:

‘a very compelling story full of twists and turns . . . Held my interest to the very last page’

‘I read The Secret Child in two days, and while reading it I wanted to curl up in a sunny wild flower meadow and drink blackberry wine. That’s the sort of feeling it leaves you with.’

‘Loved reading this . . . It was a page turner that I finished in just a couple of days!’

‘Such a wonderful book, full of history, romance and the realities of life in the 1800s. . . . I’d highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an uplifting read.’

https://bit.ly/3kjdNCO

Here we are in April – and it’s over a year since restrictions began and lockdowns were introduced. Far better words have been spoken about this than I’m able to conjure up, but the first social gathering – socially distanced, in the evening of the last week of March in a friend’s garden – was a joyous occasion and a forceful reminder of what we have been missing.

I had another book published during lockdown – The Secret Child, above, with publication day flowers – the second part of The Margate Maid trilogy.

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Other than that, I did a lot of walking – daily, when I could manage it, even through the Beast from the East no. 2, which arrived in early February just three days after glorious sunshine and blue skies (above). Bitter winds and a high wind chill, plus ice and snow, guaranteed I had the sea front path to myself – or maybe my winterwear frightened everyone away.

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As last year, it was a delight to see spring start to arrive. In March, there were lambs by the stream in Bishopsbourne.

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Kingsdown Woods held violets, wood anemones, primroses and even clumps of late snowdrops.

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In the garden, lime green euphorbia and pots of violas lifted the spirits even on the dull days, while the end of March brought my first tulips to life.

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When the sun came through, it was glorious. The last week of March brought sunbathers in bikinis to the beach… Temperatures in the twenties all too quickly fell to something at least ten degrees lower – Easter snow is forecast! But after that unexpected taste of summer, and with the opening of ‘non-essential’ shops and outdoor eating and drinking to look forward to in April, spirits are rising at last.

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