My Work.
Here are my books with a few personal thoughts on each. I'm very much a 'seat of my pants' writer. Sometimes the setting appears first, sometimes a song, then pretty soon, along come the characters to nag at me until I've told their story. This is always revealed to me gradually as I write, so I never have any idea how any of my books are going to end until I get there. Which is a bit like life, I guess...
All my books are available in paperback, kindle and audiobook versions.
All my books are available in paperback, kindle and audiobook versions.
'Boundaries' was my first novel, initially published in 1994, and featuring an age-gap romance between Jan, a young lesbian fleeing violence at home, and Elizabeth, a recently divorced older woman who offers her shelter.
The story begins in a West Yorkshire mill town in 1979 and captures a time and attitudes that seem a world away from where we are now. The book is a testament to my youthful fascination with beautiful older women. I was not much older than Jan when I started it, and about the same age as Elizabeth by the time it was published. In 'Boundaries' (and actually, in all my writing), there's a central theme of human resilience and how our capacity to love and be loved can overcome even the most painful of experiences. The book touches on some difficult issues. But there's also a good measure of dry Yorkshire humour, particularly from Pam, Elizabeth's niece, who enjoys nothing more than winding up the dysfunctional adults around her.
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The Full Legacy' is a full length adaptation of my novella 'The Legacy', a modern gothic romance, which was originally published in 1995. The story centres on Gill, a shy photographer, who is literally 'swept off her feet' by a mysterious and potentially dangerous stranger. Gill would probably be described as an 'empath' nowadays, though I'm not sure the term was used in its current form (other than, maybe in Star Trek) when I wrote the original story. The book explores the relation between the material 'facts' of everyday life, and the more nebulous world of the energies we sense, but can't see or measure. On a more mundane level, the enigmatic Turner is probably the 'hottest' character ever to grace the pages of any of my novels.
The story of two unlikely best friends and the love that destroys their friendship. Ed is the only son of wealthy parents. He loves sport, messing around in cars, and drinking. Jo grew up in poverty. She's ambitious and hardworking. They've built a successful business together. They're a great team... But then Nat comes on the scene, marries Ed, and changes everything... 'The Retreat' is about friendship and loyalty and betrayal. It was inspired by hearing the Alexandra Burke recording of Hallelujah on the radio, Christmas 2014. It snowed heavily on Boxing Day that year. I could hardly wait for the festivities to be over to start writing!
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This novel is set in rural North Yorkshire in the long hot summer of 2018. Hazel has returned from London to help her older sister Dorothy clear out the family farm. The pair have been estranged for years and Hazel can hardly wait to complete the work and return to London. But when two lost figures emerge from the past, the sisters are forced to look back on the earlier heat-wave summer of 1976, and reassess everything that went wrong between them.... Writing 'A Tale of Two Sisters' was a deeply personal experience for me. The farm, the motorcycle accident, the traumatic 'coming out', and the flight to London are all, in their own ways, a part of my own life. It felt cathartic to write Hazel and Dorothy's story. I'm sure many lgbt people will find that it speaks to aspects of their own history too.
Alstrom was about two and half years in the writing. I started it just before a difficult time in my own life. Struggling to focus on the novel, for a year I wrote songs instead. Alstrom is the story of a washed up rock singer making a comeback. But it's also a story about forgiveness, of self and others.
While recording the songs of Alstrom, I was fortunate to discover an amazing vocal talent in a young singer called Heather LeAnn. Her interpretations of the songs gave voice to the people in this book.
Alstrom, the novel, is available in paperback & kindle, and in an audiobook narrated by Naomi Rose-Mock.
Alstrom's music is available for streaming on all major music sites. I've included links on the Alstrom page of this website.
THE WRONG WOMAN QUARTET
When I first pictured uptight and anxious trauma therapist Kate Ferrings pulling into the car park of the Horton Hill 'Deluxe' Country Hotel and Conference Centre, I had no idea that I was getting my first introduction to a group of friends who would be my constant companions for almost four years. I can remember exactly where I was when I scribbled the beginning of 'The Wrong Woman' in pencil into a notebook - a method I used exclusively when I was writing the first drafts of 'Boundaries' but which I only use nowadays when I need to write something quickly and don't have easy access to my laptop. I pictured the run-down car park as if I was there. I literally 'saw' each person emerging. It felt like the whole crowd of them had decided to move in with me until I'd told their story. I hope I did them justice.
When I first pictured uptight and anxious trauma therapist Kate Ferrings pulling into the car park of the Horton Hill 'Deluxe' Country Hotel and Conference Centre, I had no idea that I was getting my first introduction to a group of friends who would be my constant companions for almost four years. I can remember exactly where I was when I scribbled the beginning of 'The Wrong Woman' in pencil into a notebook - a method I used exclusively when I was writing the first drafts of 'Boundaries' but which I only use nowadays when I need to write something quickly and don't have easy access to my laptop. I pictured the run-down car park as if I was there. I literally 'saw' each person emerging. It felt like the whole crowd of them had decided to move in with me until I'd told their story. I hope I did them justice.
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THE WRONG WOMAN
Kate is a rapidly rising star of the trauma therapy world - London based, shy, uptight, and with an air of aloofness that masks a deep sense of insecurity. It's bad enough for Kate that she's had to arrange her 'Traumatology for the 21st Century' conference in the North of England, but when an outbreak of illness at the original venue forces a last minute move to the delapidated Horton Hill, she's understandably horrified at the condition of the place. Fortunately Naz, the hotel's 'Hospitality Assistant' is on hand to help. Despite her natural caution, as the weekend progresses, Kate finds herself warming to the kind young Northerner. And when she finds herself accused of a terrible crime, she discovers that friendship and love can be found even in the most unlikely of places. The 'Wrong Woman' is the first novel of the Quartet. This is where you'll meet Kate, Naz, Tracey, Jaiden, and, the irrepressible Saskia 'Prochazka'- the stroppy hotel receptionist with a secret. |
And the story continues with - 'A Question of Trust'; 'A Betrayal' and finally 'A Perfect Storm'...
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If you prefer your books delivered straight to your ears, they're all available on Audible and iTunes.
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None of these audiobooks would have been possible without my wonderfully talented narrators. I'm just SO in awe of their work.
And I've been blessed with some of the very best. Here is a spotlight on two of them...
And I've been blessed with some of the very best. Here is a spotlight on two of them...
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JAN CRAMER
The Voice of 'Boundaries', 'The Retreat' and 'A Tale of Two Sisters' Jan Cramer is a London born actress trained at The Central School of Speech and Drama She has worked in Theatre, TV , Film and Radio. Now a very busy voice over artist and award winning Audiobook Narrator, Jan is proud to have narrated over 100 audiobooks. She has enjoyed every single one of them. ___________________ |
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ANNE BROWNE The Voice of The Wrong Woman Quartet Anne Browne has narrated 18 audiobooks for Audible. Born in the USA, brought up in the UK - where she did her acting training - and now living in Montreal, Canada, she is an actor in film, theatre and TV, as well as for video games. |
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Tip for lesbian audiobook fans...
Audible and most other audiobook platforms have pretty useless search engines for lesbian fiction.
(As anyone who's ploughed through countless lists of M/M Romance in search of lesbian nuggets would probably agree!).
So the best specialist online reference is:
lesbianaudiobooks.com/
