A name. A snippet of story. A random fact. Inspiration often comes from one little thing that intrigues me then I build a story around it.
Novels
Coming soon
1565: Anne Winston returns to young Elizabeth Tudor’s court after burying her husband, only to find it full of grief, disorder, and intrigue. Then, she receives an urgent message: her nephew has been arrested for sedition and “unnatural acts.” He is friendless and powerless, having been declared a bastard by his cruel grandfather. His arrest reminds her of what it was like to be powerless against her own father’s cruelty. She finds herself unwilling to stand by as her nephew is victimized and decides to help him.
Meanwhile, she has also been enlisted by Sir William Cecil, the Queen’s closest advisor, to help uncover a plot against Her Majesty. But the line between protecting the throne and saving her nephew blurs when the Queen’s favorite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, is implicated in both. When her inquiries rattle the wrong cages, her life and the lives of her sons are threatened. Anne must decide whether saving her nephew is worth the risk. Does she have the strength to face down her fears and the lingering effects of her father’s abuse to bring justice to the forgotten?
Inspired by my family tree (the historical Anne deBurgh Winston was my 13th great grandmother), I have woven a tale based on a few facts in the record. The first in a series, the book will be published by Sapere Books. Follow me for updates!
Completed novels seeking representation
1910 Manhattan: Police typist Rose gets pulled into a Bowery murder investigation when she recognizes the victim. A mystery filled with family strife and immigrant stories in the raucous world of the pre-World War I Bowery, it was inspired by my grandmother’s immigrant ancestors and the first female detective of the NYPD, who serves as Rose’s mentor.
1801 England and Wales: A young woman’s dreams of becoming a botanist run up against societal and familial expectations. When she meets a charming Welshman and fellow intellectual, she is torn between doing her duty and her own desire and ambition. Set amidst the Napoleonic Wars and societal upheaval, it was inspired by my 8th great-grandmother, an early botanist, and Jane Austen’s Persuasion.
Works in progress
Dual timeline. Set in Guernsey during World War II and the witch hunts of the 1570s (editing phase)
Medieval mystery set amidst the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 in and around one of the wealthiest abbeys in England (editing phase)
Women pirates in the 18th century (drafting phase)
Cold War suspense set in 1960s Glasgow (drafting phase)
Jane Austen retelling set in the 1990s (drafting phase)
Short Stories
I also write historical fiction short stories.
Night of the Big Wind: May 2021, Reedsy Weekly Prompt (Celtic mythology set during a massive historical storm in Ireland, 1839)
The Selkies’ Welcome: August 2021, Reedsy Weekly Prompt (Norse and Celtic mythology set during 8th century Viking age)
For All the Tea in Texas: January 2022, Reedsy Weekly Prompt (inspired by the true story of an East Texas town that protected a Japanese resident when the FBI came to arrest him after the bombing of Pearl Harbor)