What is your book House of Grace and the whole series about?
House of Grace is a powerful family saga featuring strong-minded women determined to survive and flourish in the fashion world, despite the obstacles of poverty and disadvantage thrown in their way. It explores how friendship, love, romance and self-belief can break down barriers to success and allow talent to thrive.
Opening in Brighton, England, 1950, Grace Granville has grand ambitions. After finishing boarding school, the naive sixteen-year-old manages to convince her father, Lord Granville, to allow her a short adventure to Lancashire, where she meets a handsome coal miner, and goes from riches to rags. Her sweeping plans to become a fashion designer are destroyed. The book and the series follow Grace, and her family, as she navigates poverty, discrimination, and grief to find a path to success and happiness.
Describe your book in three words.
Friendship, Family, Romance.
What advice would you give aspiring authors?
Firstly, write for yourself and not for commercial success. Secondly, join a writers’ group or get a writing buddy. Thirdly, don’t be afraid of rejection. Rejection is part of the journey. Persistence makes a writer stronger.
How long did you write the book?
House of Grace took four years to complete as I hadn’t set out on writing a novel. Initially I was working on an assignment to write a day in the life of a coal miner or coal miner’s wife. I chose the latter. So I had my character first. Secondly, House of Grace began as a screenplay for my final assignment when completing my Open University creative writing degree. It was only after that was complete I realised there was so much more to tell about Grace. And House of Grace was born.