The Scandalous Duchess

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

I was born in the West riding of Yorkshire. After gaining a BA honours degree in history at Manchester university and a Master’s degree in education at hull, I lived in beverley in the east riding for many years as a teacher of history. Always a prolific reader, I enjoyed historical fiction and was encouraged to try my hand at writing. Success in short story competitions spurred me on.

Leaving teaching—but not my love of history—I wrote my first historical romance, a regency, which was published by Mills & boon in 2005. To date ten historical novels and a novella, ranging from medieval through the english Civil War and restoration and back to regency, have been published in the UK, North America and Australia, as well as in translation throughout europe and in Japan.

I now live with my husband in an eighteenth-century timber-framed cottage in the depths of the Welsh Marches in herefordshire. It is a wild, beautiful place on the borders between england and Wales, renowned for its black-and-white timbered houses, ruined castles and priories and magnificent churches. It is steeped in history, famous people and bloody deeds, as well as ghosts and folklore, all of which give me inspiration and sources for my writing, particularly in medieval times.

My previous historical novels published by MIRA:

Virgin Widow, the story of Anne Neville, wife of richard III. What if there truly was an emotional connection between Anne and richard…?

Devil’s Consort, the marvellous story of a medieval queen, eleanor of Aquitaine, who fought to hold her own power in a world dominated by men.

Dynamic, charismatic, she divorced one husband to claim another. As for going on crusade…

The King’s Concubine, the dramatic ‘rags to riches’ tale of Alice Perrers, infamous mistress to King Edward III.

The Forbidden Queen, telling the story of beautiful yet tragic Katherine de Valois, wife of Henry V and, of course, of Owen Tudor, with whom she founded the Tudor dynasty.

For my next book I am writing about Elizabeth of Lancaster, younger daughter of John and Blanche of Lancaster. Spoilt, wilful, but talented, Elizabeth had to learn the high price her royal blood demanded. How could she choose between love for her husband, John Holland, Duke of Exeter, or loyalty to her brother, Henry IV, when rebellion against Richard II put them on opposite sides? Would it be possible for Elizabeth to escape heartbreak?