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My new book is out on 6th August! You can order it here.

I absolutely loved writing Mary and Beckett’s story. My festive books are always full of fun, alongside some tender moments, a little heartbreak and of course a sprinkling of possible romance. I can’t wait for you to read it!

Mary never planned to stop running.

With a past she’s desperate to leave behind and a baby on the way, she’s found a new home, deep in the forest, hidden from the world. But when the time comes to go to the hospital, she has no idea that Beckett, the quiet, steady taxi driver who braves the blizzard to reach her, will change everything.

As Mary adjusts to life with her newborn, she finds herself drawn into a local close-knit community she never expected to be part of. Beckett is always there ­– dependable, patient and offering a friendship she doesn’t know how to accept but slowly comes to rely on.

In a place she thought she’d only ever be passing through, Mary finally learns what it truly means to belong. And as Christmas approaches, she begins to believe that maybe, just maybe, she doesn’t have to do this alone, and that this could be the start of something wonderful…

I’m excited that my new book, Have I Told You Lately, is now available in paperback, ebook and audio! You can find it here.

Emmie Brown has always known she was adopted. Nellie Brown sacrificed everything to make their life together comfortable and, while not the most demonstrative or warm woman, Emmie never doubted her devotion. But, when Emmie finds a stash of letters and a hidden photo after her mother’s death, everything she has believed changes in an instant. And she won’t be able to rest until she finds the mysterious ‘G’ who sent the letters.

Emmie’s quest takes her to the breathtakingly beautiful Isle of Siskin and into the home of the gregarious, fiercely loyal Hawkins family. After an isolated and introverted life, the burst of colour and noise is overwhelming. But soon Emmie feels her heart begin to open, her mind begin to dream. And as her friendship with kind and gorgeous islander Pip Hawkins gets closer, endless possible futures draw into focus.

But the discovery of ‘G’s true identity will mean Emmie has to choose. One of her choices would mean revealing secrets hidden for decades, one could lead to happiness, but both will need Emmie to be braver than she’s ever been…

I’m so happy that I’m another one of my older books is being republished. The Name I Call Myself will be out with a new title, cover and tiny edit on March 4th, and for the first time will be available as an audiobook, too. This was third book I wrote and the first one where I knew some people were actually going to read it. It has to be up there as one of my favourites to write, as I now knew there were those out there who liked my stories, which gave me a real freedom to “go for it”. There’s lots of my kind of humour, some horrific moments that shocked me even as I wrote them, the absolute best group of women and a male character who more than one reader has asked who he’s based on because they want to marry him. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it! You can preorder it by clicking on the cover image below.

As Faith tries on her future mother-in-law’s wedding dress in preparation for her own wedding, her tears are not of joy. The hideous frock is nicknamed ‘The Ghost Web’ by Faith’s best friend Marilyn, who can’t understand why Faith would even consider wearing it. But there’s a lot Marilyn doesn’t know about Faith – not the least of which is that Faith is just the latest of the names she has called herself.

Faith and her brother Sam survived a traumatic childhood which included having to change their names to hide from the past, but surviving has left scars. Faith’s generous fiancé Perry doesn’t just promise to be a partner, he offers freedom and security, and enough kindness to keep Faith squashing down any doubts on what ‘being in love’ really means.

It’s not until she meets an extraordinary group of women at the Grace Chapel choir, that things start to become crystal clear. As choir-leader extraordinaire, the indomitable Hester, holds a mirror up to her ragtag group of singers, all with their own burdens and insecurities, and teaches them to see how magnificent they are, so Faith can dare to dream of a future where she and Sam can stop running and she might even be ready to accept the love that she deserves.

I’m so excited that my new book, Take Me Home, is out in October! Writing this book made me laugh, swoon and smile even as it tore my heart to shreds. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it! Available to preorder as an ebook now, and out in paperback and audiobook on October 13th.

Sophie Potter’s job is helping people deal with the worst, because Sophie Potter knows what the worst feels like.

An expert at keeping moving, with her trusty motorhome and faithful dog Muffin, Sophie has built her life around keeping her loves and loyalties as few as possible.

Fabulous fifty-something Hattie Langford has kept her heart and past safely stored away too. But for reasons she’s only willing to share with a stranger, Hattie needs to tell the story her family has been hiding at Riverbend, their home in Sherwood Forest. There is a history of heartbreak and hurt that Hattie is ready to face.

As Sophie helps Hattie uncover the secrets of generations of women who have lived at Riverbend, along with the stories of the men they have loved and lost, they start to see echoes in their own pasts. And as Riverbend shares its biggest secret of all, can Hattie and Sophie finally embrace the lives they’ve put on hold for so long, and risk their hearts to men who can maybe break the Riverbend curse?

Today this arrived from my wonderful publisher, Boldwood Books, to celebrate me reaching half a million book sales in May. I can’t say a big enough THANK YOU to Boldwood, my brilliant agent Kiran and most of all everyone who has read, reviewed and shared about my books. Being an author is a dream come true, but selling so many books has meant that my husband and I have the capacity to foster more teenagers, and that is life-changing. I am so very grateful.

I’m thrilled that my very 1st book, Making Marion, is being rereleased with a new title and cover in January. It will also be available in audiobook for the 1st time!

It’s had a few tiny tweaks, but is otherwise the same story. This book has such a special place in my heart, I can’t wait for you to read it. You can preorder the ebook here.

Marion Miller needs a fresh start.

Her childhood in Northern Ireland wasn’t easy, with a father who passed away when she was young and a mother who got lost in grief. Now grown-up and with family relations as tense as ever, Marion heads to England, to find out the truth about her father’s mysterious past – and hopefully an extended family who will love her as much as he did.

Scarlett Obermann runs a holiday park in Sherwood Forest with her daughter Grace, but what’s she’s best at is making people feel like they belong. With her merry band of waifs and strays, Scarlett welcomes Marion with open arms, and it isn’t long before Marion finally understands what it means to find a home. 

As she tries to uncover her father’s story, Marion slowly blossoms, even daring to indulge in her crush on Reuben, the son of the Lord of the Manor, but she hasn’t quite out-run her past. And as Scarlett faces her own tragedy, it’s Marion’s turn to take care of everyone. 

Because you can’t choose your family, but you can make your friends the family you choose. 

I’m absolutely blown away that Just the Way You Are has sold 100,000 copies since it came out 8 months ago! I’m so grateful to everyone who has read, reviewed and blogged about the book. And, of course, to my amazing publisher Boldwood Books who have made so many of my writing dreams come true. They also sent me this rather lovely champagne, so I’ll be popping the cork this evening as it also happens to be my wedding anniversary. Thank you so much if you decided to read Ollie’s story!!

I have a confession: I really don’t like snow. Well, maybe that’s not quite true… I don’t mind looking at it through the window, while wrapped in a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate. Or driving on a clear road, with white trees either side as though I’m heading into Narnia. But having to walk through slushy, slippery snow while my hands, toes and face go numb is not one of my favourite things to do.

Where we live, the schools have to close if there’s more than an inch or two, because the teachers can’t get down the country lanes. We often end up stuck in the village, which is fine for a couple of days, but while the idea of being snowed in can seem romantic and cosy, the reality can be very different…

My worst ‘snow-in’ happened when I was eleven, during the ‘Big Snow’ of 1987. I will never forget it! Young Adult novels about nuclear holocausts were filling up my local library, and to my overactive imagination I fancied myself in a similar situation as I shovelled snow off the drive because frozen pipes meant no running water.

For a few days we had a bucket of melted snow in the bathroom for flushing the toilet, and even, under my Mum’s firm instructions, washing my face. I remember looking the bits of pine cone floating in it and wondering how on earth this was going to make me cleaner than before I started. This was well before bottled water was commonplace, but thankfully we managed to find some before the shops sold out so we didn’t have to drink tea with twigs and dirt for added flavour.

We also had no power for several days. My family spent our time reading, or huddled around the battery operated radio playing cards by candlelight, my brothers and I arguing over who got the best torch at bedtime. My dad, a Queen’s Scout, dug out his ancient camping stove and we heated up water, soup or tins of beans and sausages.

The gas was restored before the electricity, at which point we could toast bread and crumpets on our fire. One evening we all trooped round for dinner with a neighbour who had a gas oven. When my mum got a new kitchen a few years later, she made sure we had one too in case it ever happened again.

As a child I enjoyed the novelty for the first day or so, but it must have been so stressful for my parents. However, once school returned, I discovered that we had it easy. One of my friends in a nearby village had no electricity for three weeks.

I’m happy to say that in Let in Snow, when Bea and Henry find themselves snowed in while trying to get home for Christmas, despite sharing some of the logistical challenges I encountered during the Big Snow, they end up rather cosy. Maybe getting snowed in can be romantic after all…

Here in the UK it is hot and sunny, but I’m so excited that my new book, Let it Snow, is out on August 30th! It is available to pre-order on ebook, and on publication day will also be released in paperback, audiobook and hardback. I had huge fun writing about Bea and her family – and of course Henry – and can’t wait for you to meet them.

After the end of a long-term relationship, local weather girl Bea Armstrong has been avoiding her family, and their inevitable ‘I-told-you-sos.’ But with Christmas fast approaching, she is finally on her way home to Charis House, the school in Sherwood Forest that her mum and dad run in their old family home. And to top it all off, the insufferable Henry Fairfax – who her parents have always wanted her to marry – has also been invited. 

Relief comes in the shape of a last minute interview for her dream job. There are just a few minor problems… The interview is in Scotland, Bea has no car, and the snow is falling already. The only solution is for Henry to drive her – could this Christmas get any worse…

But during an unforgettable two day interview, a stay in a log cabin and a nightmare journey through the snow, Henry turns out to be nothing like she thought.  And when Bea’s first love and recent ex shows up, Bea has a difficult choice to make…

I’m so excited that my new book, Just the Way You Are is now out in paperback, audio or ebook.

I’ll be celebrating today with some fancy cheese for lunch and a meal out at a lovely riverside restaurant this evening. Oh, and my publishers Boldwood Books sent me these very cute biscuits, so I’ll need at least 4 mugs of tea to go with them.