Author Archives: kathmcgurl

The Girl with the Emerald Flag

30 Friday Sep 2022

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Here’s the cover and blurb of my new novel, The Girl with the Emerald Flag, which is now available for preorder from all the usual places! It’ll be published as an ebook and audio book on 11th November, and as a paperback in January next year.

It’s set partly in Dublin, 1916, during the Easter Rising, and partly in Brighton, 1998. I absolutely loved writing this novel and hope you love reading it.

Here’s the blurb:

A country rebelling
It’s 1916 and, as war rages in Europe, Gráinne leaves her job in a department store to join Countess Markiewicz’s revolutionary efforts. It is a decision which will change her life forever. A rebellion is brewing, and as Dublin’s streets become a battleground, Gráinne soon discovers the personal cost of fighting for what you believe in…

A forgotten sacrifice
Decades on, student Nicky is recovering from a break-up when a research project leads her to her great-grandmother’s experiences in revolutionary Ireland. When Nicky finds a long-forgotten handkerchief amongst her great-grandmother’s things, it leads to the revelation of a heartbreaking story of tragedy and courage, and those who sacrificed everything for their country.

Inspired by a heartbreaking true story, this emotional historical novel will sweep you away to the Emerald Isle. 

The Storm Girl

25 Friday Mar 2022

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Delighted to say that my latest book, The Storm Girl, is now available for preorder from all the usual retailers. It’ll be published as an ebook in May, and as a paperback in July.

This was a real lockdown book, written when we could not travel anywhere and set in my home town which I’d discovered was a hotbed of smuggling back in the 18th century…

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New book!

15 Wednesday Sep 2021

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Delighted to announce that my latest novel, The Girl from Bletchley Park, is now available for pre-order! The ebook will be released on November 3rd, and the paperback about 2 months later in early January.

I absolutely adore this cover – possibly my favourite of all my books. Here’s the blurb and preorder links. It’s just been added to Netgalley as well, and I am nervously awaiting first reviews.

There will be a blog tour starting on publication day, organised as ever by the brilliant Rachel.

Will love lead her to a devastating choice?

1942. Three years into the war, Pam turns down her hard-won place at Oxford University to become a codebreaker at Bletchley Park. There, she meets two young men, both keen to impress her, and Pam finds herself falling hard for one of them. But as the country’s future becomes more uncertain by the day, a tragic turn of events casts doubt on her choice – and Pam’s loyalty is pushed to its limits…
 
Present day. Julia is struggling to juggle her career, two children and a husband increasingly jealous of her success. Her brother presents her with the perfect distraction: forgotten photos of their grandmother as a young woman at Bletchley Park. Why did her grandmother never speak of her time there? The search for answers leads Julia to an incredible tale of betrayal and bravery – one that inspires some huge decisions of her own…

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The Lost Sister publication day!

12 Wednesday May 2021

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Today is ebook publication day for The Lost Sister. I’m really proud of this novel, written during last year’s lockdown. The historical story centres around three sisters who go to work on three sister ships – the Olympic, Titanic and Britannic. The modern day story centres around a granddaughter of one of the girls, who is herself now a grandparent and going through some difficult times with her family.

A blog tour has begun today, and I am hugely thankful to all bloggers taking part. As always, as each blog is published I will add a link to it to the book’s page on this website.

It’s already had some lovely reviews on Netgalley, and I am honoured to see myself called by some reviewers, “the queen of timeslip”!

Paperback and audiobook versions of the novel will be published in July.

The Lost Sister – available for preorder!

16 Tuesday Feb 2021

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Delighted to announce that my latest book, The Lost Sister, is now available for preorder! I absolutely love the cover for this one – HQ art team have surpassed themselves, thank you!

Here’s the blurb:

Three sisters. Three ships. One heartbreaking story.

1911. As Emma packs her trunk to join the ocean liner Olympic as a stewardess, she dreams of earning enough to provide a better life for both her sisters. With their photograph tucked away in her luggage, she promises to be back soon – hoping that sickly Lily will keep healthy, and wild Ruby will behave. But neither life at sea nor on land is predictable, and soon the three sisters’ lives are all changed irrevocably…

Now. When Harriet finds her late grandmother’s travelling trunk in the attic, she’s shocked to discover a photo of three sisters inside – her grandmother only ever mentioned one sister, who died tragically young. Who is the other sister, and what happened to her? Harriet’s questions lead her to the story of three sister ships, Olympic, Titanic and Britannic, and a shattering revelation about three sisters torn apart…

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Welcome to 2021!

01 Friday Jan 2021

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And good riddance to 2020. I think we are all hoping that this year will be a little better.

At this time of year I always write a blog post looking back on the year and setting out some aims for the year ahead. I considered not doing it this year, as no one really wants to look back on 2020 do they? But I think I’ll stick to my tradition. There have (for me) been a few good things in the year.

Last year, none of us could have foreseen what was ahead. I envisaged another year like 2019 for me – lots of travelling and writing, but slow progress on thinning down house contents ready to move. That’s reflected in last year’s resolutions. Here they are:

  • Complete the two novels written last year. Both are slated for publication in 2020. — Done, The Secret of the Chateau and The Forgotten Gift
  • Write first drafts of two more novels. — Wrote a full draft of one, and the starts of two others, so I guess I’m a little behind here.
  • Continue thinning down possessions, with a view to selling this house in 2021. — The pandemic and lockdowns helped us here – we completed the declutter, put the house on the market in July and moved on December 1st – ahead of schedule!
  • Continue enjoying life! — Not as easy as it had been the previous year. Of course all our travel plans were scuppered. But we had our sons living with us on and off all year, and managed lots of family walks and bike rides and board games. So not all bad.

Looking ahead, of course the one thing 2020 showed us is that life is never certain. It’s hard to plan in detail, when we don’t know how this pandemic will pan out. And Brexit means our travel plans are not as achievable as they were, now that I’m no longer an EU citizen (although my Irish husband still is). But here’s what I hope to do in 2021:

  • Complete writing two more novels
  • Pandemic allowing, spend a couple of months in France in late spring/early summer (a booking from 2020 that was postponed a year)
  • Finish sorting out the new house, including building a garden room which is to be my writing space
  • Make the most of every day, even when we’re restricted in what we can do. There are always possibilities.

Thanks to all my readers for your support, and I hope the year was kind to you. Best wishes for 2021.

OUT NOW!

11 Wednesday Nov 2020

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Delighted to announce that The Forgotten Gift has now been published as an ebook. Paperback and audiobook to follow in January.

It’s been receiving some lovely early reviews on Netgalley, including one that said: “The queen of dual timelines has done it again!” – makes me giggle every time I read that sentence, but I am delighted with it.

The blog tour has begun – links to all reviews will be added to the book’s page on this blog as they come in. Thank you to all bloggers for taking part, and to Rachel for her fabulous organisational skills!

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