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My new novel - THE STRAY DOGS is out on 27th August and is a must read for all dog lovers...
It's never too late for a fresh start - whether you're on two legs or four...
When burnt-out city vet Leona Lennox moves to the market town of Fiddlers Green determined to set up a dog rescue centre, recently divorced Desmond Leaks takes an instant shine to her and makes a rash promise to get his college band back together for some fundraising gigs.
Although The Wild Boys haven't played together in years, Desmond and his best friend Johnny have no trouble persuading their old drummer to reform as The Stray Dogs. But charismatic frontman Darcus McGuire, the magic ingredient in the original line-up, is harder to track down, and Desmond is strangely reluctant to try.
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After a disastrous first gig and objections by the neighbours, the future of the rescue centre looks ever more uncertain. But the residents of Fiddlers Green are not to be underestimated, particularly when the fates of their four-legged friends are at stake.
And meanwhile, the elusive Darcus McGuire might just be ready to make a comeback...
THE LIGHT A CANDLE SOCIETY, PHOENIX BALLROOM, MADAME BUROVA, THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS, THE WISDOM OF SALLY RED SHOES and QUEENIE MALONE'S PARADISE HOTEL - are out now in all formats.
I was brought up in a house full of books, and grew up with an unsurprising passion for reading and writing. I also loved (and still do) dogs and ponies, seaside piers (particularly the Palace Pier in Brighton) snow globes and cemeteries. And potatoes. So of course, I was going to be a vet, show jumper, or gravedigger. Or potato farmer.
Or maybe a writer...
I studied English and Drama at Goldsmiths College, University of London where I hennaed my hair, wore dungarees, had aspirations to be the fourth member of Bananarama and generally had an amazing time. And then I got a proper job. For ten years I had a successful if uninspiring career in local government before a car accident left me unable to work full-time and was the kick up the butt I needed to start writing seriously.
It was all going well, but then in 2012 I got cancer, which was very inconvenient but precipitated an exciting hair journey from bald to a peroxide blonde Annie Lennox crop. When chemo kept me up all night I passed the time writing and the eventual result was THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS, my bestselling debut novel, which was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. Since then I have had two further novels published, THE WISDOM OF SALLY RED SHOES and QUEENIE MALONE'S PARADISE HOTEL and for my fourth, MADAME BUROVA, I learnt to read Tarot cards and developed a hankering for a traditional vardo and pony. THE PHOENIX BALLROOM was inspired by my childhood ballroom dancing lessons and my love of old, abandoned buildings. It is also a love song to my hometown of Bedford and in particular its beautiful Victorian Embankment.
I live in a chaotic Victorian house with an assortment of rescue dogs and my long-suffering husband. I am a magpie; always collecting treasures (or 'junk' depending on your point of view), a huge John Betjeman fan and I would very much like a full-size galloping horses carousel in my back garden.
As a full-time author I am living the dream, and I'm so grateful to all my readers for making that possible. I love hearing from you, so please feel free to drop me a line on Instagram or Facebook. Even after publishing six books, I've never come across a single person reading any of my books in public, but I live in hope...
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