Before The Storm...

First up, a quick promo for my newest saga, Brighter Days for the Cornish Girls… It’s reduced to only 99p in UK Kindle this July. You can grab a copy on Amazon here!

Now for some exciting news…

This month, my mind has been very much drawn back to the events and characters of the first book in my Cornish Girls saga series, Wartime With The Cornish Girls, back where it all began. And this is not simply because I’m feeling nostalgic.

The book I’m currently writing is a prequel, meaning it occurs before the series even began, back in early to mid-1939 Britain, from that troubled spring right up to the outbreak of World War Two.

In order to see what my characters were doing back then, I’m having to look closely at how my debut saga Wartime With The Cornish Girls began, which was set in 1941 when WWII was already in full swing, London had been heavily bombed and most children evacuated to the countryside. My goal in re-reading those pages and then working on my prequel has been to paint a picture of the character’s lives before the war began, sadly not as jolly and carefree a time as you might be forgiven for imagining, especially in the capital.

Yes, there was no rationing. Yes, there were no bombs falling, and men had not been drafted into the armed forces. Yes, Britain was still free of wartime fears and restrictions. But the Thirties had been a difficult decade for many, and the long shadow of impending war stretched throughout 1939, with protests in the streets and even dangerous unrest when it came to clashes between those who thought Hitler an impressive leader worth emulating and those who were concerned about the rise in Fascism across Europe and Hitler’s obsession with conquest.

Outside London and other major cities, of course, life went on much as usual. But people were aware of the shadow of war even down in rural Cornwall, with locals keenly arguing the politics of standing against Hitler and how it might affect them, and townsfolk studying newspapers and crowding into cinemas to watch the Pathe newsreels for any hint of troubles to come.

My prequel begins in Dagenham in Essex, east of London, as does Wartime With The Cornish Girls. However, in keeping with the traditions of the series, you’ll be thrilled to learn that the action shifts to Porthcurno and Penzance, deep in rural Cornwall, where characters you already know and love, and some you have never met before, discover the beauty and idyllic peace of a Cornish seaside summer before the outbreak of war.

Yet despite such glorious countryside surroundings, with war looming ever darker on the horizon, my characters’ lives are soon strained to breaking point as the true sacrifices that lay ahead become clear…

If you love the sound of that story, you can place a pre-order for the forthcoming prequel, The Cornish Girls Before The Storm, on Amazon and elsewhere online, either for ebook or paperback (the audiobook preorder will come later).

And a warm thank-you to those who have already placed preorders - I’m told they’re at a record high, which is simply marvellous, thank you so muc h for staying the course. It makes such a difference for a writer to know readers are eagerly awaiting the next book…

No cover yet but I’m told it’s in the works - rather like the novel itself!

Wonderfully, this exciting new saga is due out on January 1st 2026 - what a lovely way to usher in the New Year for early readers!

In a future post, I’ll give you some more teasers and insights into the new book, but if you can’t wait, follow this Amazon preorder link to read the book description and gain a tantalising first glimpse into my next instalment of the Cornish Girls saga series.

Have a lovely summer!