My Author’s World, by Helen J. Christmas
I often wonder why I am so driven to write but it has been a huge part of my life. In 2011 I began writing my series ‘Same Face Different Place,’ part romance, part thriller, with a mystery that runs over 4 decades.
Writing was not just something I enjoyed (a form of creative expression) but somewhere I could escape into my own little world, fantasise about my characters, imagine their voices and bring their stories to life. Even as a child of six I wrote a picture book. There were lots of drawings of kings and queens and princesses. Yet I did it at an age when I was innocent, oblivious to the outside world and its harmful influences.
How strange that the older I got, the darker my stories became and much as I loved entertaining people, there were times I wanted to open their eyes a little wider. This is the reason I included some of the social influences that affected my own life; unemployment, buying a flat (after being priced out of the market). Then in my latest book I wanted to explore something different. Having studied psychology, I focused on abuse and the way victims are affected by it; that it takes time to rebuild confidence and trust, overcome feelings of shame and learn to love again.
Rosebrook Chronicles the Hidden Stories
Such is the plight of my characters in ‘Rosebrook Chronicles’ a series of interwoven short stories in which three broken people try to rebuild their ruined lives. Two are Irish orphans, Peter and Bessie. Cruelly separated by the Church, their lives are about to twist down very different paths.
Peter is a gentle, naive 16-year-old. Driven to desperate measures, he escapes the Dublin based orphanage in which he is incarcerated but in doing so, unintentionally commits a serious crime, which has him fleeing to the British mainland with the law on his tail. He fears retribution but is driven by his quest to find his sister. His story whilst dark, does have a happy ending when Peter finds his salvation.
His younger sister, Bessie, (later known as Beatrice) is adopted by a family in London. She falls in love but has no idea of the terrible fate in store for her when she falls pregnant. Condemned to living in social housing, she puts her trust in a close family member, oblivious to the control and consequent betrayal this will lead to. Limping her way through life, she is looking for love, wishing she could find her brother and desperate to protect her child.
Promotion
Rosebrook Chronicles has been on a Kindle 99p/99c countdown promotion since St Patrick’s Day (March 17th - 21st) with 2 days left to run.
Download your copy from https://tinyurl.com/way2gn2 (UK)
or https://tinyurl.com/s2nx2y6 (US)
Or if you like audio books, you can hear the musical Irish accents of the characters come to life in a FREE Audible version, narrated by Paul Metcalfe.
I have 10 codes up for grabs so please contact me if you would like one.
Promo Codes from ACX need to be redeemed at audible.com/acx-promo for US-based codes or audible.co.uk/acx-promo for UK-based codes. You will also need to download the audible app to enjoy the book.
Book Links:
Rosebrook Chronicles, The Hidden Stories Kindle Version:
UK https://tinyurl.com/way2gn2
US https://tinyurl.com/s2nx2y6
Rosebrook Chronicles, The Hidden Stories Audio Book: https://tinyurl.com/wxnvo88
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