Elizabeth Bailey
Personal Information
Description
Elizabeth Bailey grew up in Africa, where her father worked in the then British colony of Nyasaland (now Malawi). It was a great place for children, with tropical weather and wide-open spaces. One of four siblings from parents who were regarded as a trifle unconventional, she was encouraged to develop an interest in reading and drama from an early age. A love of romance was born first through fairy tales and then Georgette Heyer, whom Elizabeth discovered at the age of 11. Instantly hooked, she still enjoys a Heyer for relaxation. Her first kiss was classically romantic — on board ship under the stars — and she still recalls feeling her legs turning to jelly. Returning to England after a short period as a secretary (training which has come in useful ever since), Elizabeth went to drama school and trod the boards for some 17 years as an actress. Writing romance was a late development, however. Writing had always been there, as a hobby and a release. She has acres of poetry and half-finished stories from those years. In her 30s, and almost on a whim, Elizabeth began writing historical romance. Within a very short space of time, writing consumed her life and she realized that this was her true métier.A lengthy apprenticeship was at last rewarded with publication by Mills & Boon in the early '90s and Elizabeth has never looked back. In addition to writing historical romance, she taught drama for years and became producer and director of the school's theater company, writing and adapting plays for casts of over 70 students. Now she has given up teaching, but continues her involvement with the school's theater, creating productions twice yearly. She is also artistic director of a local arts festival held annually in August in Sussex, where she lives.
Books
Seventh Heaven
Romance Novel In the tradition of Regency Romance, a Georgian romp in a sweet and crazy tale of the poet and the wealthy widow. Can Louisa’s common sense save her from falling in with the disreputable gold-digging Berownes?
A Trace of Memory
When a bedraggled woman accosts Charles Clevedon, Earl of Wytham, in his woods, claiming to have lost her memory, his first cynical thought is that it's yet another ingenious matrimonial ploy. While he remains suspicious of her, he is safe. But her beauty and her vulnerability are a heady mix. Yet how can they be ruled by their desire when each unfolding memory seems to suggest that she could belong to another man?
The Captain's Return
In a village near Steepwood Abbey, a captain -- thought lost in the war -- returns to his home. But things are not quite what they seem.... Captain Henry Colton is stunned to find his lost love living the quiet life of a widow -- with a small daughter! Since they had parted in anger, how can he expect Annabel to let him back into her life? His only recourse seems to be to pose as her husband, miraculously returned alive from the war....
An Ardent Friendship
Miss Timothia Dulverton's year of mourning had ended. The last thing she expected was a marriage proposal from her cousin, Mr Leo Wetheral. But Leo had a bargain to offer - why should they not combine, and each have what they wanted?...
Friday Dreaming
Shattered dreams and broken promises. Caught between love and loyalty. Friday is bookish and plain, but she has secretly loved her childhood friend for years. The impossible happens when gorgeous Nick proposes, making her dreams come true. Only he isn’t behaving like a man in love. Disaster strikes when Friday learns Nick was forced into offering for her to save him from an unsuitable liaison. Her happiness in tatters, she breaks off the engagement. Can Friday’s true worth oust the attraction of her rival’s incomparable beauty? And will Nick learn to value what he’s lost before it’s too late?
Hidden flame
A powerful historical love story! Perfect for fans of Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Jane Aiken Hodge and Jane Austen. Could a chance meeting lead to happily ever after…? 1795, England A cold and stormy March night forces two strangers to take shelter in..
The Regency Lords Ladies Collection
The Deathly Portent
"Her charm and cajolery may fool the unwary. Ingenious and cunning, as dauntless as she is resolute, the incomparable "Lady Fan" is as ruthless as the killer she is tracking in... The Deathly Portent. A violent murder has left the village of Witherley aghast. The locals are convinced that a witch doing the devil's work is to blame--a young woman believed to have second sight. The new vicar, Aidan, taking up the cudgels in her defence, fears the witch hunt is escalating out of his control. But help is at hand. The bright and perceptive Ottilia, once a lady's companion and now bride to Lord Francis Fanshawe, is drawn to Witherley by an insatiable curiosity. Ottilia rapidly uncovers a raft of suspects with grudges against the dead man, one of whom is determined to incriminate the "witch." And as foul play runs rampant, Ottilia must wade through the growing hysteria to unravel the tangle and point a finger at the one true menace.."--
The gilded shroud
1789 London When Emily Fanshawe, Marchioness of Polbrook, is found strangled in her bedchamber, suspicion immediately falls on those residing in the grand house in Hanover Square. Emily’s husband - Randal Fanshawe, Lord Polbrook - fled in the night and is chief suspect – much to the dismay of his family. Ottilia Draycott is brought in as the new lady’s companion to Sybilla, Dowager Marchioness and soon finds herself assisting younger son, Lord Francis Fanshawe in his investigations. Can Ottilia help clear the family name? Does the killer still reside in the house? Or could there be more to the mystery than meets the eye…? THE GILDED SHROUD is the first book in the Lady Fan Mystery series: historical romance murder mysteries with a courageous woman sleuth embarking on a traditional British, private investigation in eighteenth-century London.