Caroline James always wanted to write but instead of taking a literary route, she followed a career in the hospitality industry, which included owning a pub and a beautiful country house hotel. She was also a media agent representing many celebrity chefs.
When she’s not writing, Caroline likes to go wild water swimming or walk with Fred, her Westie.
Peter de Jonge is the co-author, with James Patterson, of three bestselling novels, including the Number 1 New York Times bestsellers Beach Road and The Beach House. He has written for a variety of publications including National Geographic, New York Magazine and Harper’s Bazaar. He was born in New York City, where he continues to live.
Penelope “Penny” Halsall (née Jones; 24 November 1946 – 31 December 2011) was a best-selling and prolific English writer of over 200 romance novels. She started writing regency romances as Caroline Courtney, and wrote contemporary romances as Penny Jordan and historical romances as Annie Groves (her mother’s maiden name). She also wrote novels as Melinda Wright and Lydia Hitchcock. Her books have sold over 70 million copies worldwide and been translated into many languages.
Chloe James is a pseudonym for Fiona Woodifield, who is the author of The Jane Austen Dating Agency.
Sophie Jenkins is a serial joiner of writing groups and workshops and a prolific short story writer. To encourage her creativity she regularly enters half-marathons and trains by running from her home in North London to breakfast in the centre of town with a notepad.
The character of Nancy in The Forgotten Guide to Happiness is based on her experiences with her own mother, who was diagnosed with dementia fifteen years ago.
Debbie Johnson is a best-selling author who lives and works in Liverpool, where she divides her time between writing, caring for a small tribe of children and animals, and not doing the housework.
Her books include The Birthday That Changed Everything, Pippa’s Cornish Dream, and Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe, all published by HarperCollins.
Follow her on twitter @debbiemjohnson, or at www.facebook.com/debbiejohnsonauthor – but be warned, she mainly talks about dogs.
Polly James was born in Wales, but now lives in East Anglia, which she finds unnervingly flat, and chock-full of writers.
