Welcome to my Blog Series, Historical Fiction Author of the Month.
Each month, I will showcase a different historical fiction author. Their books will range from romance to mystery and adventure to crime, and will be from many different eras. I hope you discover a new author and their work to enjoy. Happy reading!
Suzie Hull
Award winning author Suzie Hull lives in Northern Ireland with her family and numerous rescue cats. She has two WW1 Historical Romance books published by Orion. In July 2022, her debut novel, In This Foreign Land, won the prestigious RNA Joan Hessayon Award 2022.
Her second book, Far Across the Ocean was released in November 2022.
After leaving school she trained as a Montessori Nursery teacher and has spent the last thirty years working with children in a variety of settings. Suzie has always had an enduring passion for reading and history, and enjoys researching each book.
What enticed you to write in this genre?
I have always enjoyed learning about the past and was always drawn to historical books when I was a child. My maternal Granny had a wealth of little stories she would tell me and my sisters; these went back as far as the early 1920’s and particularly during WW2. They lived in Derby, and Grandad worked for Rolls Royce as an engineer developing the infamous Merlin engines for Spitfires and other planes. I had a vivid recollection of Granny holding me up at the window one night and telling me about the night Coventry burned, and that just stuck in my head.
On my paternal side, there is a huge Quaker family with a lot of records going back to the late 1600’s and I love delving in and researching my relatives. Being Quaker, we are related to one of the big Chocolate families and also Clarkes shoes, but it gives me a lot of inspiration for my novels. My second book, Far Across The Ocean, was inspired by a true story from relatives who had moved out to Madagascar during the late 1800’s.
Explore Suzie’s Books
In This Foreign Land: ‘I beg of you this one thing – that if I should perish here, in this foreign land, that you will look after her.’
March, 1914. When talented artist Isobel embarks on a journey to Egypt, it’s to reunite her best friend Alice with her husband, Wilfred – and to use the stunning sights of Cairo as inspiration for her own paintings.
A whirlwind romance was the last thing she expected, but when Isobel meets Wilfred’s handsome brother, Edward, neither can deny the strong connection between them – especially when unexpected tragedy strikes, leaving them all reeling.
Just as they get to grips with their grief, WW1 erupts, and the lovers are forced to separate. They promise to meet again in London. But when Edward is listed as ‘missing – presumed dead’ only weeks after landing in France, Isobel is devastated, unmarried and on the brink of ruin. She has only one way to save her honour… but it means betraying the love she holds so dear.
https://mybook.to/ThisForeignLand
Far Across The Ocean: The answers to her past and present lie far across the ocean…
December 1913. Clara Thornton won’t allow being jilted at the altar to squash her spirit. Against the wishes of her aunt and uncle, Clara decides to travel to Madagascar to learn more about the tragic shipwreck that took the lives of her missionary family, and marked her forever.
Clara is escorted abroad by Xavier Mourain, a handsome young merchant who works with her uncle. The two of them start off on the wrong foot, but Clara can’t help but be drawn to the mysterious Frenchman who helps her unravel the mystery that has always haunted her. But as their love blossoms, war begins. And the world will never be the same again.
For Clara, all the answers seem to lie far across the ocean. But some of them might be closer than she thinks…
https://mybook.to/FarAcrossOcean
You can find out more about Suzie and her work by checking out her social media links below:
Pam Lecky Books 
Leave a comment