Authors

Author's Page



Pauline Barclay - Years ago I gained a BA (Hons) degree from the Open University. Today I spend my time writing fiction. I have four books published: Sometimes It Happens... Magnolia House, Satchfield Hall and Storm Clouds Gathering.

I live on the beautiful island of Lanzarote in the Canary Isles with my husband and our two lovely rescue doggies who think they own us...!

I am also the person behind Famous Five Plus and the web site, Strictly Sagas

You can also catch up with me on my web site. http://www.paulinebarclay.co.uk/ or my Blog http://paulinembarclay.blogpot.com/

Gilli Allan - I went to art school and originally worked as an illustrator in advertising. I began writing when my son was small. I write contemporary romantic fiction with an edge. I had two novels published almost immediately. Just Before Dawn and Desires & Dreams. But my books did not receive the distribution, publicity and marketing necessary to make any impact. I never saw either in a bookshop apart from my local store whom I'd browbeaten to stock a few. My publisher went bust. I have recently e-published to Kindle a new book, Torn. I live in a beautiful valley in Gloucestershire. I go to an art class once a week. I used to go to a life class to draw and paint the naked figure. For the past year I have been doing a water-colour class instead. I wouldn't be able to live the life I do without the support (emotional and financial) of my husband. We have a clever son, who is now married and is doing a Phd.

Janet Beasley - I have been tagged with the labels fun, creative, and always looking on the bright side of life. I have never met a stranger, and my goal is to bring a smile to at least one face every day. 

I was born and raised in the Midwestern town of Beavercreek, Ohio. I have been involved with the performing arts since the age of five. When I met my husband of 30+ years (high school sweethearts) we both dived head first into the production arena. I favored special effects, but also filled the roles of actor, singer, dancer, producer, director, facilitator, and guest speaker at conferences nationwide regarding such. This genre led me to writing articles for trade specific magazines and self help books, developing classes and seminars, and even attempting to bring about an autobiography which I hope to some day rewrite for the public. Me and my husband have developed our own incorporation, Multi-Tech Productions which lends itself to design and installation of audio visual systems for churches, restaurants, and theaters. In between all this I write and my first novel is due out 2012.

Michelle Betham

Born and brought up in the North-East, I'm a proud Geordie who left northern England only briefly to spend a couple of years living on the beautiful island of Tenerife before returning to settle in County Durham. 

I've trained in the Performing Arts - which only strengthened my love of the theatre - and spent many happy years working as a Media Technician at the University of Sunderland before upping sticks and moving to Tenerife, a place which proved to be great inspiration for my comedy romance Too Much Trouble in Paradise, which is set mainly on the Spanish Canarian island.

After finally finding the time, and the confidence, to seriously pursue my writing dream around three years ago, I now have five books published on Amazon for Kindle - the epic, sexy Hollywood romance No Matter What and the follow-up Illusions of Love, edgy rock-star romance See You At The Show, and two romantic comedies, Bon Voyage and Too Much Trouble in Paradise.

I love every minute I spend at my desk making up stories, creating new characters, and living their lives.  For me, that's a dream come true.

As well as writing, I also like cooking, reading, and walking my gorgeous little West Highland Terrier Archie.  I have a strange obsession with darts, a renewed love of football, and I like nothing better than a huge bowl of popcorn and a decent movie - especially if it happens to have Bradley Cooper in it! 

I'm currently working on my sixth novel, another edgy romance this time set in the world of professional football, and would one day like to write a North-East based sitcom - about darts!

Kathryn Brown - I'm an author and I run a sheep and arable farm in Northumberland. My daughter, Amy, is eleven years old and autistic. She attends a special needs school and is my whole life. I love being a part of online social networking and especially enjoy interaction on my Blog. My debut novel is Discovery at Rosehill

Valissa Enever

Valissa has been reading and writing for as long she can remember, she remembers her mother had an old clunky typewriter that she typed away at stories, drew pictures on the pages and stapled them together before putting them on her shelf amongst her other books.

In Grade five or six she made three books where the teacher typed them and covered them like a 'real book', Valissa was so proud, and yes she still has those books, to never see the light of day.  About the same time she wrote a script and had her fellow 'brownie girls' perform the play, however directing was not her strong point.

Valissa didn't think about writing again until after she had children and the urge to write became overwhelming, she wrote stories for her children but didn't think to have them published.

A story rolled around in her head and she kept pestering her husband saying that someone should write a story about it, when he said that she should write it, a seed was sown.

Writing the story she became engrossed, falling in love with the characters. The story resulting in her debut novel Hart 2 Heart which was published in December 2007.

Still working a full time job she continued to write at night but it wasn't until 2011 she decided to make it a real go of becoming a full time author.

In 2012 she published another book Becky as an e-book with the paperback to be out shortly.

A line up of books are on the production table with another (Chance at Love) at the editors and the follow up to the Crystal Hart series almost ready for the editors, and another 'Advertisement for love' in the writing stages.

As a writer/author she is loving every minute of it.

Serena Farifax - I spent my childhood in India, qualified as a Lawyer in England and joined a large London law firm.

My first romantic novel STRANGE INHERITANCE (published by Robert Hale Ltd in 1990) went into UK and USA large print editions in 2004 (published by BBC Audio Books Ltd and Thorndike Press) and is a Kindle  and Smashwords e-book 2011. The next romantic novel was PAINT ME A DREAM (published by Robert Hale Ltd in 1991) which went into UK and USA large print editions in 2004 (published by BBC Audio Books Ltd and Thorndike Press) and is also a Kindle and Smashwords e-book 2011.

 Fast forward to a sabbatical from the day job when  I traded in bricks and mortar for a houseboat and  embarked on WHERE THE BULBUL SINGS a time-zone saga set in India spanning the last days of the Raj to the present day. This emerged in 2011 as a Kindle e-book, Smashwords e-book and a printed book.   IN THE PINK (Kindle and Smashwords e-book 2011) is a departure in style. GOLDEN GROVE and WILFUL FATE are both romantic novels and are Smashwords and Kindle e-books.

 I'm a member of the Romantic Novelists Association. It’s a wonderfully supportive organisation.

 I live in London and rural Kent (Charles Dickens said: Kent, sir. Everybody knows Kent. Apples, cherries, hops and women) with my golden retriever, Inspector Morse who can’t wait to unleash his own Facebook page.

 

Debbi Ingram. I am a mother of two boys, and a new grandmother to baby Amelia. I was born and raised in Islington London, but have lived in East London for seventeen years. I am passionate about animals and dogs in particular. I have two dogs, a Labrador and a Parsons Jack Russell. I started writing seriously five years ago as I had to give up work after a stroke.

I had always loved writing, but had never had the time before to pursue it. I made a full recovery from the stroke and heart surgery and it changed my life for the better. I started taking my writing seriously. Poppy Days was published on Kindle in February 2012.


  

Caroline James ran away from home at the tender age of fifteen and after a shaky start working as a waitress on the south coast in England clawed her way through the hospitality industry from college in Bournemouth to the front desk of a leading London Hotel.  She has since owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the catering industry from a pub to a hotel, restaurants and outside catering. Today she lives in Cheshire where she runs hospitality related company and spends her leisure time writing and climbing mountains at home and abroad.

Coffee, Tea, The Gypsy & Me... is her debut novel.  Caroline lived in the Lake District for many years, where the book is set.  It draws on happy memories, colourful characters and situations that she experienced.  She is currently writing her second novel – The Agent, which weaves a fictional tale around today’s high profile chefs and their media world.

Lizzie Lamb - With Scottish, Irish, and Brazilian blood in her veins, it’s hardly surprising Lizzie Lamb is a writer. She even wrote extra scenes for the films she watched as a child: The Parent Trap, Pollyanna etc. Until she was drummed out of the playground for keeping all the good lines for herself. Luckily, she saves them for her readers these days. A huge fan of Jilly Cooper, Lizzie had some short stories published and even found herself an agent - but, her writing went on hold while she pursued a successful teaching career, finishing up as a Deputy Head teacher of a large primary school in Leicestershire. Back to being a novelist, her début novel Tall, Dark and Kilted – themed Notting Hill meets Monarch of the Glen – echoes her love of her homeland in every page, not to mention heroes in kilts. She is currently writing her second novel: Boot Camp Bride about a rookie journalist sent undercover into a boot camp for brides in order to investigate a drugs dealing/money laundering trail that reaches all the way from Columbia to Norfolk. At her side is her nemesis and infuriating fellow journo Raffa Ffinch. Will she get her scoop? Can romance flourish in the Norfolk marshes? Lizzie has the plots and outlines for several more romantically themed novels which she likes to describe as 'humorously ever after.' 

Lizzie has also formed an indie publishing collaborative with three other members of the Romantic Novelists' Association's New Writers Scheme. Calling themselves the New Romantics 4, they strongly advocate ‘sisters doing it for themselves’ and to that end have self-published on Kindle and Create Space and held Red Carpet Events to showcase their talents. Lizzie firmly believes that which is written and has been edited and revised, should have the opportunity to be read.

Joanna Lambert - Jo Lambert grew up in rural Wiltshire.  She originally trained as a secretary. In the 1980s she successfully completed a Higher National Certificate in Business and Finance. She has had a full time career since the age of 18, starting in secretarial roles and moving into management. She currently works part-time as an Administration Manager at her local hospital which allows her to make time for her great love - writing. She is the author of four books - The Behind Blue Eyes Trilogy and a sequel, Between Today and Yesterday. Jo is currently working on her fifth novel The Other Side of Morning which is due for publication in 2013. She lives in a village on the eastern edge of Bath, Somerset with her husband, cat Mollie and a white MG Midget which she calls ‘her husband’s other woman.’

Chris Longmuir - I won the Dundee International Book Prize in 2009 with my first crime novel. The prizewinning novel, Dead Wood, was published by Polygon and was so successful that the first print run sold out within four months.
Night Watcher is my second crime novel and is now published as a Kindle edition ebook. I have also published a historical saga, A Salt Splashed Cradle, set in a Scottish fishing community, and two books of short stories - Obsession & Other Stories, and Gost Train & Other Stories. I also write short stories and historical articles for magazines which are published in the UK and the US. I am currently working on a further two crime novels. I am fascinated by electronic gadgets of all types and descriptions and am never happier than when experimenting with new hardware and software. I designed and put up my own website and build computers in my spare time. I describes herself as being a bit of a techno-geek.

Kimberly Menozzi - An aspiring writer from the age of eight, I began writing my first stories instead of paying attention in school. While my grades might have suffered, my imagination seldom did. I managed to keep most of my stories together for years, then lost them after a move when I left a trunk full of papers behind. (I meant to go back and get them, but circumstances prevented me from doing so.)

So, I started over again. And I lost those, too.

After a trip to England in 2002, I began work on A Marginal Life (Well-Lived), inspired by the music of Jarvis Cocker and Pulp. The novel was completed in 2003, and is undergoing rewrites with hopes of publication in the near future.

Also in 2003, I met and fell in love with an Italian accountant named Alessandro. I married him in 2004. This necessitated my arrival in Italy and I have lived there ever since. After several months of working for language schools and writing blog entries for my family in the US to read, new story ideas began to develop.

Finally, in 2007, I began work on a new project, inspired by my love/hate relationship with my new home. The novel Ask Me if I'm Happy was completed in 2009, and was first released November 15th, 2010 in the UK, before being re-released in the US on May 31st, 2011. In May of 2011, I also published the novella Alternate Rialto, a prequel to Ask Me if I'm Happy.

I am presently at work on my next project, 27 Stages, a novel set in the world of professional road cycling.

Tanya J Peterson - I am passionate about issues that involve mental illness and mental health/wellness for all people, so I write novels with themes involving the human experience of mental illness. I have a mental health blog (www.tanyajpeterson.com/blog), and I participate in events both off- and online to increase awareness and understanding and to end stigma.  I’m active in my local NAMI chapter, and I give presentations and speak at conferences.  I’m passionate about mental health because I have a unique combination of experiences that have put me on both sides of the proverbial couch.  I have a Master of Science degree in counseling and am a nationally certified counselor.  I've volunteered my services in schools and communities (I've also been a high school teacher) in order to help people help themselves.  And I've been the recipient of help as a patient.  After sustaining a traumatic brain injury after a car accident (and a couple other concussions in the months/years following that accident due to acts of stupidity and clumsiness), I was on an intense roller coaster ride that had me in and out of a behavioral health hospital.  It was during this time that I was officially diagnosed with Bipolar I disorder.  I've been there -- on both sides, helper and helpee.  So armed with a desire to help people, to teach about the realities of mental health, and a love of writing, I've set out to combine these things.  My most recent novel, Leave of Absence, became available in April, 2013.  A new one, also dealing with mental illness, is already in the works.

I'm married and have two children, a daughter in high school and a son who's almost done with elementary school.  We live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.  I love the outdoors -- hiking, biking, tent camping, kayaking, and show shoeing.  I often drag my family along on these adventures, but sometimes I enjoy quiet solitude.  I also like attending symphony performances.  Especially, though, I like quiet evenings at home with my family.

Melanie Robertson-King - Prior to turning my hand to fiction, I wrote articles and have been published in Canada, the US and the UK. In addition to writing, my interests include genealogy, photography and travel. On one of my trips to Scotland, I had the honour of meeting The Princess Royal.

My first novel, A Shadow in the Past (released in print in September 2012), is under contract with 4RV Publishing - a small press located in the US. Recently, one of my short stories, Cole's Notes was published by Carrick Publishing and is included in their first cross-genre anthology.
I'm a member of Romance Writers of America and their Ottawa Chapter and make my home in Brockville, Ontario, Canada along the shore of the majestic St. Lawrence River with my husband, son and oldest grandson.

Liz Ringrose - I have been writing seriously for about fifteen years, but must admit to having written a very strange novel at the age of nine. It was a boarding school story with more than a swift nod to Enid Blyton. The story was so bad that when I read chunks of it to my mother she would stifle her laughter by pushing a tea towel into her mouth. I like to think my writing has improved since then. At least my readers laugh know when they’re supposed to laugh, now.

I did flirt with writing during the 1980s, even having some poems and articles published in magazines.  I won a local ghost story competition too but it wasn’t until the 90s that I joined Leicester Writers’ club and realised what pure joy being a writer can be.

Since then I’ve been president of the club and sold short stories to Woman’s Weekly and other magazines. I teach creative writing to adults and a very talented 11 year old.

I’ve written two novels, one of which, Unwrapping Angelo, was shortlisted in the 2008 Daily Mail/Transworld First Novel Award. I’ve also amassed a large number of wonderful writing friends who have helped me along the way. There is nothing quite like a group of writers getting together to discuss their craft.

I’m currently editing my second novel, The Art of Surfacing, set in my favourite city of Salzburg in Austria.  My novella, Favourite things, also set in Salzburg, I self-published and is available to buy on Amazon Kindle.

When not writing or teaching I’m holed up in rural Leicestershire with my childhood sweetheart, listening to Mozart and caring for a variety of eccentric pets.

 

Susan Russo Anderson - I am a writer, a mother, a grandmother, a widow. I’ve taught language arts and creative writing, worked for a major publisher, worked for a major airline, worked on an assembly line, driven equipment on airport ramps I’ve known and loved, travelled, now support Mac users in Chicago. Like William Faulkner’s Dilsey, I’ve seen the best and the worst, the first and the last. I’ve seen worlds blow apart and life turn inside out in less time than it takes to type this sentence. Well, almost ... Through it all, and to understand it somewhat, I write.




Eileen Schuh - I'm from Alberta, Canada and The Traz is my first novel and the first book in my BackTracker series which was released in May 2011 as an eBook and is now out in paperback. Schrödinger’s Cat, a psychological crime thriller that spans two universes was released in both eBook and print formats by Wolfsinger Publications in August 2011.







Harry Leslie Smith - was born in Barnsley Yorkshire in 1923. After a stormy and chaotic youth; he joined the RAF in 1941. Smith eventually ended up in occupied Hamburg Germany at the end of the Second World War. He remained part of the peace time RAF until 1947 whereupon, he married and decamped back to Yorkshire with his new bride. Six years of post war England were enough for Harry and his bride and they decided to emigrate to the greener pastures of Canada.
In Canada, Harry Smith worked in the oriental carpet trade.He specialized in designing and importing unique rug creations from all over the Middle East, the former Soviet Block, and Afghanistan.
Since his time in the second world war, Harry Leslie Smith has been an avid reader and writer; who at 89 has found a keen interest in social media and connecting the stories of his past with contemporary audiences.
Currently, he divides his time between Canada, Great Britain, and Portugal.

Suzy Turner - I'm an author - indie author, self-published author, whatever you want to call me, that's fine.I've lived in the Algarve, Portugal, since 1986 when I was a wee lass of just ten. I moved here with my family - who have since moved back to the UK (although my dad has since returned). I'm very much a Yorkshire lass at heart, even though I would consider myself to be European rather than English or Portuguese!
I live with my lovely husband, who I've been with since I was just 16. You could call us childhood sweethearts. We've no kids but plenty of cats and dogs (and my husband would say bikes and cars too...yes, he's a bit obsessed with anything with an engine!). My books todate are Raven, December Moon & The Lost Soul

Tim Vicary  Hi. My name's Tim Vicary and I'm an author and a university teacher at the Norwegian Study Centre at the University of York, England. I've written three crime/legal thrillers in 'The Trials of Sarah Newby' series, and I'm currently writing a fourth. I've also written four historical novels, two children's books, and about twenty graded readers for foreign learners of English in the Oxford Bookworms series, published by Oxford University Press, two of which, Titanic and The Everest Story, won awards from the Extensive Reading Foundation in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

My legal thriller, A Fatal Verdict, was awarded a B.R.A.G Medallion for an outstanding independently published book in 2012, and in 2013 Bold Counsel won the Awesome Indies Seal of Approval.

I live in the English countryside, near York. When I'm not writing I used to like horse-riding, cycling, and swimming, but now I'm getting close to retirement so my main exercise is taking our two hyper-active dogs for a 'walk'. (I walk 2 miles, they run 20!) I also have two horses, two cats, and two grandchildren, but only 1 wife, to whom I have been happily married for more years than I can remember.

Phillip Winberry For most of his life Phillip Winberry has been an avid reader of mystery and suspense novels.  When he was casting about for what the next phase of his life should look like as his nearly four decade long legal career was coming to a close it made sense that he would turn to writing what he loved to read.  The initial effort in his new endeavor, Reno Splits: Mystery on a Nevada Divorce Ranch, was e-published in August 2012 and recently was awarded the indieBRAG Medallion™ by the Book Reader’s Appreciation Group.

He lives with his wife, Constance, and their beloved Weimaraner on Whidbey Island Washington in a home overlooking the Puget Sound shipping lanes and the majestic Olympic Mountains.  Currently he is editing and considering finishing touches on a novel of genealogical suspense set in 1943 wartime and 1947 post World War II England.  Falling from the Sky will be e-published in summer 2013.

Phillip’s third novel, a mystery set on a small Puget Sound island and tentatively titled Foxglove, is in the initial stages of development for publication in 2014.  You can view his blog at www.phillipwinberry.com and follow him on Twitter @phillipwinberry.