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Behind the Writing of Wormwood Abbey

What special knowledge or research was required to write this book?

I found an arcane and neglected Elizabethan bestiary that was an absolute treasure trove of historical dragon lore. Funnily enough, a lot of people think I make this stuff up. I would never!

What do you hope readers will take away from this story?

I hope people find this a comfort read; something that makes you feel like you’ve curled up by the fire with rain spattering on the window, with a friendly dragon nestling against your feet and the Yorkshire wind wuthering outside. I hope that’s the correct use of wuthering.

Was there something major that happened in your personal life while writing this?

I was pregnant with my tenth child—pretty major, I’d say! He was born the same week that I received my first author copies.

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Synopsis:

As a Victorian clergyman’s daughter, Edith Worms has seen everything — until a mythical salamander tumbles out of the fireplace into her lap.

When a letter arrives from estranged relatives, Edith is swept away to a crumbling gothic Abbey in the wilds of Yorkshire. Wormwood Abbey isn’t just full of curious beasts and ancient family secrets: there’s also a tall, dark, and entirely too handsome neighbour who is strangely reluctant for her to leave.

An unexpected bond with her prickly cousin Gwendolyn gives Edith a reason to stay in this strange world — especially when it turns out that Edith herself may have a role in guarding her family’s legacy.

But not all of the mysteries of Ormdale are small enough to fit in her lap…and some of them have teeth.

WORMWOOD ABBEY, Book 1 of The Secrets of Ormdale, is a cosy gothic novel of mystery, dragons, and the perils of friendship, perfect for fans of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries and Maria Grace.

Start exploring the hidden valley of Ormdale in 1899 with WORMWOOD ABBEY, the first in a new 5 book series.

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