Astonishingly kind

Researching The Regiment’s Woman took about three years and I was unable to visit a lot of the places I wrote about. However, throughout that time I was blown away by the kindness of complete strangers I met on the internet who were only too pleased to help me.

One lady volunteered to take time out to drive around the village of Chapel Down and take photos for me.
Another gentleman was very helpful with information about the transportation of military horses.

My biggest surprise however, was about the Greenwich observatory. I went there when I was a teenager and remembered that the observatory sat on a high hill overlooking the Thames. The grass drop-off was so steep at the top that it was possible to lay on the grass and not been seen by people on the path at the top.

I wanted to write a scene in the book where Janetta makes out with her soldier on that slope hidden from view. However I was worried that my memory had failed me, and that it was impossible to be hidden on the slope. Would my readers see this flaw?

So I wrote to the observatory explaining my problem and several days later I received an astonishing reply. Apparently the office staff had volunteered to go outside on their lunch break and test this theory out for me. Happily my memory hadn’t failed me and I included the scene in the book.

I’ve been left with this image of these wonderful people cuddling on the grass and calling out, “can you see us now?”

This week I have uploaded a book trailer to my website.  I’m very pleased with the way it turned out as it really illustrates the flavor of the book. I have two ladies to thank for this. Cheryl Tardif    http://www.cherylktardif.com    for all the help and advice she’s given me in building a web presence and Jennifer Johnson   http://designs.sapphiredreams.org   for doing such an awesome job in designing and producing the trailer. Many thanks ladies.

She who must not be named

The skeleton in the closet, the black sheep or he/she who must not be named, every family has one. There's always some distant aunt or uncle who is spoken about in whispers in front of the children, or who causes frail old aunts to huff, raise their eyebrows and say "oh yes, I remember him."

My family was no different. My grandfather was the dearest soul, but when it came to talking about his mother all hell broke lose. He would not tolerate her name being spoken in his presence. Other tongues lashed venom in spiteful helpings and vilified her very memory. Truly, I was descended from a wicked monster of a woman and her very name fascinated me.

Many years later I took up genealogy and spent several years tracing my family history. How could I resist hunting down this most wicked of women. Had all the stories about her been true? Or had three generations of flapping tongues distorted her life into a twisted fantasy? Part of me hoped that she really was the villain of family stories, and part of me hoped to discover a real flesh and blood woman with human flaws but a good heart.

As expected, my research discovered a woman who had been unfairly blamed for much, but whose life did not disappoint in adventure and scandal. I resolved to write a book about her unbelievable life but a straight biography made for dry reading. Instead I told her story in novel form.  I hope she approves of it.

Introducing the North American launch of my new novel The Regiment's Woman. This novel is based on a true story and is an epic tale from nineteenth century England. It deals with a woman's quest to become a lady in the face of class division. She is in turn promiscuous, piteous, manipulative, caring and cold and her adventures take her on a perilous journey through husbands, lovers, a military court marshal and murder.
The Regiment's Woman is an earthy story that engages and shocks in equal measure.

Voted semi finalist in the 

2008 Amazon 

Breakthrough Novel Award 

Ask at your local book store.