Synopsis

When nineteen-year-old munitions worker Cassie Taylor leaves Birmingham to become a land girl in Dorset, she assumes she will be in for a quiet and boring time. But when she arrives at the Denham family’s farm, she meets Robert and Stephen Denham, army officer twins still convalescing after being wounded at Dunkirk.

At first, Cassie is drawn to lively, friendly Stephen, but then she falls deeply in love with his brother, Robert. When Robert returns to active service, Cassie joins the ATS, and when she meets him again in Alexandria, he asks her to marry him. Robert is reported missing in action and now Cassie finds that Stephen expects to take his brother’s place in her heart. How will it all work out?

Synopsis

When fifteen-year-old Daisy Denham goes to live in the Dorset village of Charton, she finds herself the centre of attention for reasons she can’t understand. Missing India, where she grew up, Daisy then discovers her family is not all it seems.

Restless and longing to escape, she meets Ewan Fraser, an ambitious young actor, who encourages her to develop her own acting talent. They join a provincial theatre company and at first all goes well until Daisy meets the charismatic Jesse Trent. Now, she must choose between two men, two families and two completely different ways of life.

Reviews

‘The Long Way Home’ is a classic coming of age story. Daisy is an attractive character whose basic naivety is her greatest strength and weakness. The 1930s theatre scene is particularly well recreated… By the end all the main characters have grown and developed in heartwarming ways. The Historical Novels Review, Issue 40, May 2007

Synopsis

Rose Courtenay’s wealthy parents expect her to marry a neighbours son and then settle down in Dorset. But the outbreak of the Great War offers Rose an unlikely opportunity to escape. Longing for adventure, she trains to be a nurse and is sent to France where the stark reality of war forces her to grow up fast. And then she falls in love with a man she can never marry.

As the war ends, Rose must make the most difficult choice between her family, wealth and comfort, or the man she loves. Set in rural Dorset, the East End and on the Western Front, The Morning Promise explores the meaning of courage and the enduring power of love.

Reviews

A well written, well researched book which, in spite of the grim details, is a pleasure to read. Historical Novels Review November 2005

A powerful and riveting story of love, treachery and betrayal during the Great War. June Tate

A well-researched, gritty, heartwarming story of love and war with strong memorable characters. Kate Tremayne

Synopsis

Set in contemporary and Anglo-Saxon England, Elegy for a Queen is the story of Susannah Miller, who is haunted by a recent tragedy and echoes from the distant past.

The ghost of a Saxon queen, whose story unfolds with the discovery of documents in a cathedral library, brings Susannah close to madness and death. But the power of love can prove stronger than the most malevolent destiny, and when Susannah summons up the courage to face demons that have chased her and her alter ego down the centuries, she finds an unselfish love that was missing in her former life.

Reviews

A well written, intriguing and sensitive novel. Definitely recommended. Katie Fforde

A lively and enchanting heroine, and a story that skilfully interweaves the past and present. Trisha Ashley