Tuesday, October 29, 2013

What’s soft and fluffy about Is This Love? Interview with Sue Moorcroft

Sue Moorcroft writes romantic novels of dauntless heroines and irresistible heroes.



Love and Freedom won the Best Romantic Read Award 2011 at the Festival of Romance and Dream a Little Dream was nominated for a RoNA in 2013.  She received three nominations at the Festival of Romance 2012, and is a Katie Fforde Bursary Award winner.

Sue is vice-chair of the RNA and editor of its two anthologies.  She also writes short stories, serials, articles, writing 'how to', and is a competition judge and creative writing tutor.






I’m not one for resisting soft and fluffy animals, and if they say ‘Mmmm’ a lot, have great liquid eyes, punk rock topknots and a ‘Huh?’ expression, I definitely need to get involved. Having made some friends who own an alpaca farm, I could see it was only a matter of time before these appealing animals made their way into one of my books. So when I created Emilia, a secondary character in Is This Love? who’s married to a wealthy man, I wanted something over the top for her to possess. I gave her a starter herd of alpacas. (They don’t like to live alone.)

What I had to do, obviously, was get myself off to the alpaca farm with my camera and my notebook to be introduced to about thirty of them, to see their field shelters, their feed, their halters, even their feeding bowls. I was fascinated. Alpacas are all colours from ash blond through fawn and brown to black. Their fibre is incredibly thick in winter and when they’ve been shorn you can see the tracks of the clippers. They look as if they’ve been neatly combed.



In this country, alpacas are bred for their fibre, which is spun and knitted like wool. I consider it itchy but the most exclusive of shops attach eye-watering price tags to the resulting fine garments. Alpacas are camelids, smaller than their llama cousins. They’re used to low temperatures but like to be able to get out of the rain (wouldn’t you, with all that hair to get dry?) and their babies are called ‘cria’.

I learned a lot more but one thing was overwhelmingly obvious - alpacas are cute. They have a funny walk, their heads pop up like periscopes with devil horns on top whenever anything excites their curiosity. And they make the most soothing humming noise.



Heroine Tamara has a sister, Lyddie, who’s an adult who needs care, having suffered an accident as a teen. (The alpacas may be soft and fluffy but not all of the themes in my books are.) Lyddie loves animals and the alpacas and their cria draw her towards Emilia and the odd household at Lie Low, where Jed Cassius happens to work. Those four characters are essential to the plot and, in the middle of them? Alpacas.

Some research is hard work, some is uncomfortable, but learning about alpacas was just fun. Mmmm. Mmmm-mmmm.



Is This Love? will be out on 7 November 2013 in paperback and is already available across all ebook platforms. It has been nominated for the Readers Best Romantic Read Award.

Website www.suemoorcroft.com.
Blog http://suemoorcroft.wordpress.com/
Facebook sue.moorcroft.3
Twitter @suemoorcroft


Thanks for a fascinating - and educational - interview, Sue.  We wish you all the best with Is This Love, and all future novels.  

Liv 


Interviews on the RNA Blog are carried out by Freda, Henri and Livvie. They are for RNA members only. If you are interested in an interview, please contact: freda@fredalightfoot.co.uk


Friday, October 25, 2013

Interview with Elizabeth Moss

Photo courtesy of Anna Rybacka

Elizabeth Moss lives in the South-West of England with her husband and large family. She also writes commercial fiction as Victoria Lamb. For more, visit http://www.elizabethmossfiction.com.


Members of the RNA may be thinking, hello, the woman in that photograph looks oddly familiar. But the name is wrong.


Well, your instincts would be correct. I am in fact Jane Holland, aka Victoria Lamb, historical novelist and daughter of romantic novelist Charlotte Lamb - and now also Elizabeth Moss, author of a raunchy new series called Lust in the Tudor Court. The first book is Wolf Bride, out in paperback November 7th. (The ebook is already available for those who can’t wait for a bit of steamy frock action.)



So how did I become Elizabeth Moss?



Three years ago, I was writing Regency romances, hoping Harlequin Mills & Boon would take pity on me and publish one. Sadly, they never did. But my luck was just about to turn.



In 2010, my late mother’s agent emailed me. ‘Can you write Tudor fiction?’ he asked. ‘Um, yes, if that were required,’ I replied, bemused. Apparently it was. And urgently.



So off I went to look up the Tudor dynasty and bash the keys. Luckily I’d studied Elizabethan playwrights at university, so some of it was familiar territory. Victoria Lamb became my pseudonym with Transworld. Later I branched into Young Adult fiction under the same name. (Ironically, my YA debut Witchstruck has just been published by Harlequin Teen in the States – so I finally got in, albeit by the back door!)



Then about ten months ago, an editor at Hodder approached my agent with an indecent proposal, or rather a request for one. Lust in the Tudor Court was born. So was Elizabeth Moss, a middle name allied to my first married name – I’ve discarded a few husbands along the way – as I didn’t want to confuse my teen readers.



I’ve now written the first two books in the series, Wolf Bride and Rebel Bride, and am starting the third soon. Never one to miss an opportunity, I’ve also self-published some of those old Regency romances under the name Elizabeth Moss!



Writing Wolf Bride was fantastic fun. It’s a holiday read, and very steamy indeed – think Sylvia Day – reflecting the decadent times in which these characters lived. My hero and heroine, Lord Wolf and Eloise Tyrell, are fictional. But the turbulent historical events that play out behind their love story are based on fact. So do give it a whirl. But be warned, it’s highly erotic.



Wolf Bride is the first in a debauched, decadent and passionate series set in the last months of Anne Boleyn’s reign, perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, Sylvia Day and raunchy, revved-up BBC costume dramas like The Tudors.


Lord Wolf, hardened soldier and expert lover, has come to King Henry VIII's court to claim his new bride: a girl who has intrigued him since he first saw her riding across the Yorkshire moors.



Eloise Tyrell, now lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne Boleyn, has other ideas. She has no desire to submit to a man she barely knows and who - though she is loath to admit it - frightens her not a little.



Then comes that first kiss...




Thank you for sparing time to talk to us today, Elizabeth/Jane. We wish you continuing success with your books.

Best wishes, Henri



Interviews on the RNA Blog are carried out by Freda, Henri and Livvie. They are for RNA members only. If you are interested in an interview, please contact: freda@fredalightfoot.co.uk





Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Steampunk Darcy

Monica Fairview is an ex-literature professor who abandoned teaching criticism about long gone authors who can't defend themselves in order to write novels of her own. Monica can be described as a wanderer, opening her eyes to life in London and travelling ever since. She spent many years in the USA before coming back full circle to London, thus proving that the world is undeniably round. 

 I’m delighted to be here visiting the RNA blog to celebrate the release of my latest Jane Austen-inspired novel – Steampunk Darcy. How do I describe Steampunk Darcy? I’d love to say (as they often advise you to do in cover letters: compare your book to something familiar) that Steampunk Darcy is Monty Python meets Jane Austen, but Monty Python is so much funnier than I am, it isn’t a joke.

There is just the teeniest weeniest hint of truth in it, though, in that there is an element of the burlesque in Steampunk Darcy. Not so much on the parody side, because the novel is really a tribute to Jane Austen rather than a parody, but in the sense that, like the burlesque, it’s rooted in the Victorian period. Perhaps a good word for it might be a Victorian Extravaganza. Steampunk Darcy is a romantic retro-Victorian extravaganza about a descendent of Fitzwilliam Darcy who happens to encounter a woman who challenges him (as Lizzy does Darcy) as no other woman did. Seraphene is not a doormat, and she isn’t going to put up with his arrogant assumptions. Darcy, being a Darcy and a powerful Boss, is not going to let her get away with being cheeky.

But what would Jane Austen have thought about taking her sacred Mr Darcy and turning him into a Steampunk Darcy, into a Victorian Extravaganza? Wouldn’t she have been appalled?

My answer is: Not at all. Have you read Jane Austen’s “The History of England”” as written “by a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant Historian”? It’s parody at its best, an experience in rewriting the past to suit her purposes, while at the same time making fun of historians and the way history portrays its heroes. I will slyly insert here that her book is actually an alternative history (which is often how Steampunk is described). Since I adore Austen’s early work, I can’t resist posting a short excerpt.

Henry the 6th
I CANNOT say much for this Monarch's Sense -- Nor would I if I could, for he was a Lancastrian. I suppose you know all about the Wars between him and & The Duke of York, who was of the right side; If you do not, you had better read some other History, for I shall not be very diffuse in this, meaning by it only to vent my Spleen against, & shew my hatred to all those people whose parties or principles do not suit with mine, and not to give information.... There were several Battles between the Yorkists & Lancastrians, in which the former (as they ought) usually conquered.

If you think of Jane Austen as the austere, saintly maiden aunt that her Victorian nephew tried to make her out to be (Victorian, again), then that Jane Austen would be horrified. She would be as prudish as Miss Jenkyns in Cranford. But if we’re talking about the fifteen year old uninhibited young girl (who has been described as “boisterous” and “anarchic”) who wrote “The History of England”, then she might well enjoy the burlesque aspects of Steampunk Darcy. She might appreciate that Steampunk Darcy is an alternative history, a 21st century novel about a retro-Victorian Darcy descendent who idealizes Fitzwilliam Darcy as his model of a gentleman.

She might even approve of the romance. [gasp!]

William Darcy is obsessed with his ancestors. So much so that he intends to rebuild Pemberley (destroyed during the Uprising) stone by stone, and he wants to employ reconstruction expert Seraphene Grant to help him.

Or does he? Seraphene wasn’t born yesterday. She can smell a rat, particularly when it stinks all the way up to her airship. She knows Darcy is hiding something. But with the Authorities after her and her other options dwindling by the moment, the temptation of genuine English tea and a gorgeous Steampunk gentleman are very difficult to resist.

But what if Darcy’s mystery job courts nothing but trouble? What if Darcy is harbouring a secret to kill for? When kiss comes to shove, will Darcy’s secret destroy Seraphene, or will it be her salvation?

Join us on a romantic adventure like no other in this whimsical Pride and Prejudice-inspired tribute, featuring Darcy (of course) Wickham, dirigibles, swash-buckling pirates and a heroine with fine eyes and an attitude.

Previous novels include: An Improper Suitor, The Other Mr Darcy and The Darcy Cousins (both published by Sourcebooks)

Find out more: 
Website: http://www.monicafairview.com 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/monica.fairview 
Twitter @Monica_Fairview 

Friday, October 18, 2013

Interview with Caroline James

Caroline James wanted to be a writer from an early age. She trained, however, in the catering trade and worked and travelled both at home and abroad. Caroline has owned and run many related businesses and cookery is a passion alongside her writing, combining the two with her love of the hospitality industry and romantic fiction. Caroline can generally be found with her nose in a book and her hand in a box of chocolates. 

So tell us why you love food so much Caroline? 

I've always been interested in food. As a child I hovered round the kitchen and watched my mother bake, relishing the smell of sponges, pies and pastries as they emerged from the old aga. I've worked in food related businesses all my life and it has given me not only an income but many opportunities.

Does your wit and humour come naturally to you?

I find the hospitality trade a great source of humour. No two days are alike and there is a plethora of fascinating characters to mingle with. I think anyone working in this business has a natural inclination towards humour in order to survive the punishing hours and demands of the job.

And what makes you laugh the most?

I love the re-runs of Jeeves & Wooster - comedy in a period setting with actors perfectly cast. Phoenix Nights was always a favourite too and more recently Mrs Brown's Boys has me in stitches, I enjoy the Irish humour and clever way of using the back-to-back sets in front of a live audience.

What would your most indulgent day consist of?

Turning the phone and computer off! Then a long walk in the beautiful countryside followed by a hot pampering bath with luxurious oil and a favourite book, topped off with a home-cooked meal - ideally a roast, with my family and close friends. Perfect.

Who is your favourite celebrity chef?

I admire all the chefs we see on TV. Success doesn't fall into anyone's lap and there's a background of seriously hard graft, very often over many years, to get to the top. Catering is tough and to be a 'celebrity' chef you have to have a touch of magic and be able to entertain too.

Would you share with us your favourite recipe?

I'm delighted to. I have a very sweet tooth and love chocolate - this recipe for chocolate brownies is easy but the results are impressive.

Caroline's Chocolate Brownies 

These brownies are really rich and you can taste the molasses in the Muscovado sugar.


Ingredients:
350g good dark chocolate
250g unsalted butter - cut into cubes
3 large eggs
250 g dark Muscovado sugar
100g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder.

Set your oven to 170 degrees C / Gas Mark 3 Grease and line a 22cm square tin

Method:

Break chocolate into pieces and add to butter, in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, stir with a metal spoon until melted and take off heat. Whisk eggs and sugar together until mix is smooth and paler and fluffy then fold the chocolate mixture in and combine.
Sieve the flour and baking powder into the chocolate mixture and fold until all combined.
Pour into the tin Place in oven for 35 minutes - until the surface is set (slightly cracking on top).
Remove and cool completely in the tin.
Slice into square and store in a tin or container in the fridge.

TIP: You could substitute the Muscovado sugar for golden caster sugar. I often chop little chunks of white and milk chocolate and add to the mix for a different texture and very rich brownie. If you're feeling seriously decadent and naughty, these brownies are wonderful served slightly warm with ice cream or cream. Enjoy!


Take a peek behind the celebrity pinny and see what really goes on in the world of famous chefs! Media agent and tough cookie, Hilary Hargreaves has many ingredients to juggle as her client's battle it out to find fame and fortune. This romantic recipe follows Hilary and her team as she sizzles and simmers from cosmopolitan London to a crazy food festival in Ireland and the calming shores of the beautiful Caribbean. 

Thank you for sparing the time to talk to us today Caroline, and we wish you every success with the book. 
Best wishes, Freda

Find out more: 
Web: http://www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk 
Twitter: @CarolineJames12 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolinejamesauthor 
Blog: http://www.carolinejamesauthor.blogspot.co.uk 
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/550084.Caroline_James 
Amazon UK

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Interview with Gwen Kirkwood

Gwen Kirkwood was hatched on a Yorkshire farm and attended agricultural college but has spent most of her life in Scotland after being wonderfully matched to a Scottish dairy farmer. She has three children and five grandchildren, is now a widow and presently mulling over her twenty fifth novel – mainly family sagas with Scottish farm and country backgrounds. 

Welcome to the RNA Blog, Tell us Gwen, what do you enjoy most about being a writer?

Living in a fictional world while writing a novel. I create characters, events and settings to suit myself – a bit like painting with words. I am never lonely.

What inspires you most, people or places?

People are important. Characters come first in my novels, but there are times when beautiful scenery, a magnificent dawn or sunset stir emotions and urge me to be creative.

In what way has your childhood most influenced your attitude to life?

Farm life is demanding and not always easy. We were brought up to help, share, work hard and to be thrifty. These lessons are not easily cast aside.

Which poem makes you laugh?

I remember lots of poems from childhood with great affection. The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear still makes me smile. As an adult I’ve had many a laugh at a Burns Supper from Holy Willie’s Prayer and Tam’0 Shanter.

Is there some treasured item from the past you’ve lost and still miss?

I had a pen friend in Malta .She sent me a brooch of a bird in flight, not valuable in money, but it still vexes me because I lost it.

What is your favourite way of relaxing?

I enjoy my garden. There is always something to do and forgotten plants re-appear with the changing seasons I have the birds to watch too.

And what about your new title?


Billy is the third generation of Carafords.. He survives a bad car accident but believes girls will regard him as a cripple. He works hard at university but he is determined to carry on the family tradition of farming. When Kimberley Wilshaw is orphaned she moves to Scotland with her aunt. Billy introduces her to new school friends and he is surprised at the way his uncle takes her under his wing. Friendship grows between the families. Kim develops the strength of character to confront problems and fight for the life and the love she craves.

Amazon


Home to Lochandee, the last in this series, is also live on Amazon this month. It is FREE to download from 12th to 16th October http://amzn.to/1fZwkLq $3.08, http://amzn.to/17n43L2 £1.91 A new generation of the Maxwell family are farming at Wester Rullion during the 1980’s. Young Paul Maxwell and his cousin Ryan are determined to work together to restore the farm’s prosperity, with the support of their grandparents and so long as they can overcome the hurdles of new farming regulations.

Ryan has set his heart on marrying Molly Nairne, daughter of a prosperous local farmer, while Paul – abandoned by his mother as a young boy – is adamant that he will never fall in love. Can a new arrival at the farm cause him to change his mind

Watch my blog for details of a new e-book from Endeavour Press due before Christmas http://gwenkirkwood.blogspot.co.uk

Thank you for sparing the time to talk to us today Gwen. We wish you continuing success with your books. Best wishes, Freda. 

Find out more: http://www.gwenkirkwood.co.uk 

Interviews on the RNA Blog are carried out by Freda, Henri and Livvie. They are for RNA full members only.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Take a roll in the hay – Australian style

Bore da, good morning, and g’day.

I’m a Welsh girl born and bred, now living in Australia and writing Rural Romance. The latter piece of information is due in no small way to The Romantic Novelists’ Association and their New Writers Scheme, so I’m doubly thrilled to have the opportunity to speak on their blog as a published author and tell you about Rural Romance and how I came to write it.

It was a fluke.

My debut novel, The House on Burra Burra Lane is set in the Australian Snowy Mountains and I was recently asked what makes a rural or country, small-town romance.

I had to think about this.

You see, I hadn’t intended to write a Rural Romance (an Australian term for a popular and growing genre of romance stories set on the land – not a story about one of the many dating sites with the same title) but I’d created a handsome, home grown country vet full of reservations about his dubious bad boy past, and a fresh, wholesome (although somewhat put upon) city girl looking for a tree change. Writers know that the setting is the third character in any novel, and it’s what the setting does for the story and how the setting envelops the characters that is important. So my heroine and hero were born, as was the rural and remote town of Swallow’s Fall with all its stalwart and meddlesome inhabitants.

After a journey that included a number of finalist placements in competitions within the US and the UK, The House on Burra Burra Lane found a home with Harlequin (Australia) digital first imprint, Escape Publishing and was released as an eBook in June this year. That was thrilling beyond belief, given the hard work I willingly undertook to learn how to write fiction (it wasn’t easy and still isn’t. I doubt it ever will be).

But it hasn’t ended there!

The House on Burra Burra Lane will now be sent to trade paperback and released in print format in January 2014 with Harlequin (Australia) MIRA which makes me one lucky and proud Welsh-Australian author of Rural Romance.

Book two in my newfound series is on its way to completion and book three is exciting me as odd scenes and characterisations begin to take shape almost before I’m ready for them.

I hope you’ll give Australian Rural Romance a whirl. We have some fantastic authors, some of whom are British!

I’ve known two countries for an almost equal amount of time, and have gained an understanding and love of each. In my perfect garden, I’d plant a gum tree and surround it at the base with daffodils. Then I’d draw up a wicker chair with plump cushions and sit and read a book.

Diolch yn fawr for reading, thank you so much for listening, and hooroo – bye for now.


All links of where to buy:
http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9780857990532

Amazon.co.uk:

Thank you for sparing the time to talk to us today Jennie. We wish you every success with your new career. Best wishes, Freda

Find out more:

Website: http://www.jenniejonesromance.com
Jennie’s Facebook author page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennie-Jones-Romance-Author/290261037740578?ref=hl

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Interview with Shirley Heaton

Shirley Heaton lives in a Yorkshire village on the edge of the moor and loves spending time with her family. She swims regularly and enjoys aquaerobics. Each week she attends a writers group to discuss writing, drink coffee and eat naughty cakes. Having travelled extensively, she uses her knowledge of people, cultures and personal experiences in her writing. 

Welcome to the RNA Blog Shirley. Medical romances are very popular right now, so tell us how you set about the research.

The basis of my knowledge began when, as medical secretary to two orthopaedic surgeons, I took notes during ward rounds and in theatre ante-rooms. Since I began writing I have contacted various institutions such as The National Blood Service, and found most people show a genuine interest and are willing to help. When I needed specialist information for my novel ‘Relative Strangers’, I received expert advice from Leeds University’s Professor of Haematology, who later attended the book launch. I regularly update my knowledge because over the years the names of hospital departments, medical treatments and procedures have changed. Casualty is now Accident & Emergency, there are Triage Processes prioritising clinical needs, Major Trauma Centres dealing with multiple injuries, and x-rays are viewed on computer and not film on a light box. I check information both on line and with the local hospitals and know that, if I get it wrong, someone will let me know.

Does dividing your time between Spain and the UK create problems for you or can you work anywhere?

I find I can work anywhere and my home in Spain is inspirational especially when I’m gazing across the mountains to the sea and formulating ideas for my next novel. But when friends and family visit on holiday we take trips out which allows me to people-watch, take in the world around me and reflect.

Are you a well-organised sort of person?

I try to be organised in the way I work and, in addition to online facilities, I have a large filing cabinet packed with well-catalogued information. Most days I write early morning when I’m at my best, starting by editing the previous day’s script. I continue until lunchtime and take an hour out when I catch up on recorded TV programmes or the news. I find TV useful for ideas on storylines and I also enjoy reading a variety of genres and styles. I always finish my writing by six o’clock latest. Evenings are reserved for relaxation, dinner and a glass (or two) of red wine, watching TV, and sudoku or crosswords. Even though I’m resting my body, I like to keep my mind active.

What would you look for in a romantic hero?

My hero is a combination of the best characteristics of the Alpha and the Beta males. Whilst he is strong and quietly confident, he is not arrogant or egocentric. He is caring and loving but not overpowering or demanding, concerned and protective but not confrontational or dominating.

What was your favourite film as a child?

I recall vividly The Red Shoes starring Moira Shearer. Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales, it’s a love story with a difference. A young ballerina falls in love with a composer. Torn between her love for him and her need to dance, she eventually chooses her lover. The film has a very sad ending and it made me cry.

What would your most indulgent day consist of?

Give me a sunbed on the deck of a swish cruise liner bound for some exotic destination where I can relax, sip a cool gin and tonic, read when I feel like it and watch the dolphins frolicking in the waves.



Lifeguard, Pierce, rescues Brooke from a rip tide and, after a whirlwind romance, promises to keep in touch. Time goes by without contact and, ten years on, anaesthetist, Brooke, discovers Pierce is not only her new neighbour but also consultant surgeon at the clinic. But he wears a wedding ring, and a pregnant woman shares his cottage. Recognising the warning signals, Brooke determines to steer clear, realising letting him close could re-ignite the fire. Pierce, however, has other ideas… 

Thank you for sparing the time to talk to us today Shirley. We wish you continuing success with your books. 
Best wishes, Freda 

Find out more:
Website: www.shirleyheaton.co.uk 
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Kobo

Interviews on the RNA Blog are carried out by Freda, Henri and Livvie. They are for RNA full members only. If you are interested in an interview, please contact: freda@fredalightfoot.co.uk 

Friday, October 4, 2013

Interview with Helen Phifer

Helen Phifer works full time for Cumbria Constabulary and has a rather large family. She has loved reading and writing since she was a child and was very fortunate to become a member of the RNA’s New Writers Scheme. Through the NWS she met her wonderful editor at Carina UK.

Welcome to the RNA Blog Helen, so tell us which piece of music is most likely to make you feel happy?

There are so many but the song which always makes me smile and brings back some amazing memories is September by Earth, Wind & Fire.

What is the craziest ambition you ever fulfilled?

I always wanted to get a portrait tattoo on my arm of Herman and Lily Munster. In March this year I was asked if I would attend The Tattoo Tea Party Convention in Manchester to have my Lily portrait done. It took over six hours but she is beautiful.

What would you look for in a romantic hero?

He would need a great sense of humour, be able to cook and he wouldn’t be afraid to show his romantic side. A bunch of flowers every now and again goes an awful long way.

Do you have any little phobias or superstitions to help with your writing?

I don’t really have any because my life is so hectic I have to snatch my writing time whenever I can; in the car, on my lunch break, waiting to pick the kids up. I have even been guarding a crime scene and been writing notes for my next novel in the tiny notebook I always keep in my pocket. The only thing I do every time I sit down to write at my desk is make a mug of coffee.

How does chocolate help you in life?

I think I should be sponsored by Galaxy. It is the answer to everything, stressed with my storyline, stuck on my edits, kids driving me mad I always reach for the chocolate; unfortunately it does nothing to help with my diet.

Apart from writing, of which accomplishment are you most proud?

I think that would have to be my five children who are almost all grown up now, and my granddaughter. They drive me mad but I’m also very proud of them all.


There's not much that scares Annie Graham. Not even the horrors she has witnessed during her years on the police force. When she agrees to look after her brother's farmhouse, she finds herself drawn to the crumbling old mansion in the woods nearby. But an innocent exploration of the empty ruin and the discovery of the diary of former resident Alice leaves her more than a little spooked. She knows it holds the secrets to a dark past, and she has to find out more.

What was the terrible truth that Alice uncovered? And how could what happened to her over 100 years ago help solve the murders of young women in the town? Annie needs to stop the serial killer before she becomes his next victim – but the past comes back to haunt her in ways she could never have expected.

Amazon

http://www.helenphifer.co.uk
http://helenphifer.wordpress.com/

Thank you Helen for sparing the time to talk to us today. We wish you every success with your books. Best wishes, Freda

Interviews on the RNA Blog are carried out by Freda, Henri and Livvie. They are for RNA full members only. If you are interested in an interview, please contact: freda@fredalightfoot.co.uk