The Emerald Spy
An Irish World War 2 Story
Against the simmering tensions of summer 1939, a group of evacuees flee Vienna for the sanctury of Newtown House in Ireland. Haunted by their pasts and those they have left behind, Gisela Muller and Hans Schmitt struggle to settle into their new, rural Irish home.
Tasked with being a companion to the precocious and spoiled Nola de Freyne, Gisela misses previous scholarly life terribly. Meanwhile, Hans pines for his true love, Anja.
With the surprise arrival of a German secret agent to Ireland, Gisela and Nola find themselves caught up in a plot of espionage and IRA politics that will change Hans’ and their lives forever.
But who is the true Emerald Spy? And what exactly is it that they seek at Newtown House?
Adele
A bio-fictional account of Adele Astaire
1973: Californian journalist Ellie Morgan sets out on a mission to research the life of Adele Astaire, famed 1920s dancer and comedienne, older sister to Fred Astaire. She uncovers a wealth of material from the people who knew her.
1905: Eight-year-old Adele Austerlitz moves from her humble home in Omaha, Nebraska, with her five-year-old brother Fred, to New York to begin training at a professional stage academy. They undertake a gruelling schedule of rehearsals and touring, setting the foundations of what will be the most famous and sought-after dance partnership on 1920s Broadway.
1928: Patricia Ryan, a no-nonsense Irish girl takes a job as a housemaid at Lismore Castle in County Waterford, Ireland.
All of their lives will intersect, weaving the tale of one of the most famous women of her time – charismatic entertainer, celebrity, fashion icon, muse to artists and writers and favourite of royalty.
The Nanny at Number 43
A Gothic 19th century Thriller
Wanted: a respectable woman to care for a motherless child.
When William D. Thomas’ wife dies in childbirth, he places an advertisement in his local newspaper seeking a nanny for his newborn child. He is thankful when an experienced nanny arrives at 43 Laurence Street and takes over from his frazzled housekeeper Mrs. McHugh.
When Mrs. McHugh confides in her bedridden friend Betty, who has a bird’s eye view of all the happenings on Laurence Street, that the Nanny is not all she seems, Betty begins her own investigation into the mysterious woman.
When the bodies of twin babies are discovered buried in a back garden, a police investigation begins. But it is Betty who holds the key to discovering who the Nanny really is … and the reason she came to 43 Laurence Street.
December Girl
A Winter Solstice tales inspired by true events
Molly Thomas is a feisty, indepedent soul, born on the Winter Solstice. At every stage in her life, she has faced troubles. As a young woman her family are evicted from their home at Christmas. Molly swears vengeance on the jealous neightbour and land agent responsible, Flann Montgomery.
Then, in 1896 her baby baby is taken from his pram. Molly searches the streets for Oliver. The police are called but her baby is gone.
Why does trouble seem to follow Molly? And will she ever find out what happened to her child?
December Girl is a tale of family bonds, love, revenge and murder.
Children’s Fiction
Sorcha, Queen of the Castle
A commissioned Decade of centenaries novel
When Sorcha O’Neill gets a job as a scullery maid in Bellingham Castle in 1912, she cannot know that the years ahead will see some of the most turbulent in Irish history. Like many Irish families, Sorcha’s is divided; her mother is a staunch nationalist, while her father does not believe in the cause. Her brother Cathal is ready to stand up for the British crown, but her brother Liam is an Irish Volunteer. Sorcha, Queen of the Castle examines one girl’s experience as she grows up during the foundation of the state, from her work with the Gaelic League, through the great war effort and the 1916 rising, the rise of republicanism and her role in Cumann na mBan. Just what sort of young woman will Sorcha O’Neill become at the dawn of a new Ireland?