Pamela Kent
Personal Information
Description
Ida Crowe was born on 12 April 1908 in Lewisham, Kent, England, UK, the daughter of a single mother and a unknown father, who rumoured to be a Russian duke, who her mother met at a ball in Greenwich. Ida narrowly escaped being smothered with a pillow by the nurse who attended her birth. As a teenager, she travelled alone to Morocco, after suffering a mental breakdown. From the age of ten, she knew she wanted to write. She began to write while still at school encouraged by her mother, with whom she lived in Hastings. Writing fiction since her very early teens, setting her first publication, Palanquins and coloured lanterns, in 1920's Shanghai and she had several stories in major magazines and short novels in print. When at 20, she visited the George Newnes's office in London, to sold her her first full-length manuscript. Three months later, she discovered that they had lost her manuscript. After they found it, she returned to London to met one of its editors, the 39 year old Hugh Alexander Pollock (1888–1971), a distinguished veteran of World War I. Hugh had been married since 1924 to his second wife, the popular children's writer Enid Blyton, with whom he had two daughters Gillian Mary (1931–2007) and Imogen Mary (born 1935). Hugh was divorced from his first wife, Marion Atkinson, with whom he had two sons; William Cecil Alexander (1914–1916) and Edward Alistair (1915–1969). George Newnes bougth her manuscript, and contract her to wrote two other novels. In the dark days at the beginning of World War II, Ida worked at hostel for girls in London through the Blitz. Hugh, who had left publishing to join the army, was Commandant of a school for Home Guard officers, and his second marriage was in difficulties. They has a chance encounter after a long time, and feeling Ida should be out of London, he offered her a post as civilian secretary at the army training centre in the Surrey Hills. She accepted, and as the months went by their relationship intensified. During a bungled firearms training session Hugh was hit by shrapnel on a firing range, and Ida had contact with Enid, but she declined go to visit her husband in Dorking, because she was so busy and hated the hospitals. On May 1942, during a visit to her mother's home in Hastings, a bomb destroyed the house. Ida escaped unhurt, but her mother was in hospital for two weeks. Hugh, who was sent overseas, paid for Ida to stay in smart London hotel Claridges, and decided to divorce his wife, who in 1941 met Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters and had begun a relationship with him. To get a quick divorce, Hugh blamed himself for adultery at divorce petition. On 26 October 1943, Ida married with Hught at London's Guildhall register office, six days after Enid's marriage with Darrell Waters. In 1944, they had a daughter Rosemary Pollock, also a romance writer. Enid changed the name of their daughters, and Hugh did not see them again, although Enid had promised access as part of his taking the blame for the divorce. After the World War II, George Newnes, Hugh's old firm, decided not to work with him anymore. They also represented Enid Blyton and were not willing to let her go. After this the marriage experienced financial problems and, in 1950, Hugh had to declare bankruptcy while he struggled with alcoholism. A determined Ida plunged back into her literary work, and decided to write popular contemporary romances, she sold her first novel to Mills & Boon in 1952. Being in print with several major international publishers at the same time, she decided to use multiple pseudonyms. At that time, the pseudonyms were registered by the publishers and not by the writers. In the 1950s she wrote as Susan Barrie, Pamela Kent, Rose Burghley, and Mary Whistler to Mills & Boon, as Averil Ives and Barbara Rowan to Ward Lock, as Anita Charles to Wright & Brown, as Jane Beaufort to Collins. With the production of ten or twelve titles in every year, it was not long before she becoming hugely popular right across the world. Ida became little disenchanted with contemporary romances and decided to write her first historical romance, "The Gentle Masquerade", that was published in 1964 under her married name, Ida Pollock, and after the success of it, Mills and Boon's "Masquerade" series of historical romances was launched, and she became one of their four founding writers with four novels more. Under her last pseudonym, Marguerite Bell, she also wrote historical romances. In the 1970s she slowed the rhythm of publication, but continues to write. Besides romances she published as Barbara Rowan a suspense novel and two Children/Young Adults Fiction books. Ida has more than a hundred widely published novels as her married name and under her numerous pseudonyms, most of her novels have been reprinted by Mill & Boon (or Harlequin in the United States). Ida was a founder member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, and in 2010 she helped in its 50th anniversary. During her marriage Ida travelled widely and lived in many parts of England. It was their daughter's bad asthma that brought the Pollocks to Cornwall. They also lived in Ireland, France, Italy, Malta and Switzerland, where they successfully obtained a lasting cure for Rosemary's debilitating asthma. Hugh died at 8 November 1971 in Malta, where he is buried in Mtarfa's British military cemetery. After her husband's death, Ida returned with her daughter to England and they lived several years in Wiltshire, before moving to Lanreath in 1986. Ida is also recognised oil painter, who has been selected for inclusion in a national exhibition in 2004. She also makes model houses, usually scale miniatures of Georgian or Tudor buildings. Ida's autobiography, Starlight, published November 15, 2009, tells the story of the start of her career, her marriage, and the relation of her husband with her ex-wife Enid Blyton.
Books
Bladon's Rock
Richard was coming home! When Valentine first met Doctor Gaston Lamoine, the famous neurologist, she found herself provoked by his remark that they were both ships that pass in the night. The remark didn't say very much for the impression she had made on him. But why should this bother her? For as long as Valentine could remember, Richard Sterne had been the most important person in her life. But he had loved only the beautiful Roxanne, whose disappearance had left him rootless and restless. Now Roxanne had returned, intent on marrying Richard, but Richard's reaction to her no longer mattered to Valentine. For now she had met Dr. Gaston Lamoine, the man who showed her what it was like to really love. Yet Roxanne seemed to have a hold on Gaston, too!
Nile dusk
Romilly was pleased, but certainly not alarmed, when her great-aunt left her a house in Cairo. Why should Crighton Bey warn her to be careful of her possessions? Romilly soon found herself thinking of him more than was good for her -- but was he really interested in her -- or only in what she had inherited?
White heat
With its unique blend of outspoken opinion, recipes and dramatic photographs by the late legendary photographer Bob Carlos Clarke, White Heat captures the magic and spirit of Marco Pierre White in the heat of his kitchen. This 25th anniversary edition features brand new material, including photographs from the late Bob Carlos Clarke and contributions from James Steen, Lindsey Carlos Clarke and a host of high-profile chefs: Jason Atherton, Sat Bains, Mario Batali, Raymond Blanc, Anthony Bourdain, Adam Byatt, David Chang, Phil Howard, Tom Kerridge, Paul Kitching, Pierre Koffmann, Gordon Ramsay and Jock Zonfrillo.
Star Creek
When Helen's father died, she was grateful to Roger Trelawnce, his old friend and now her guardian, when he offered her a temporary home in his Cornish manor house --and it was not long before she found herself looking on him as much more than a guardian. But that was before she discovered the existence of Mrs. Valerie Trelawnce.
Beloved enemies
Miss Caprice Vaughan could hardly wait to take possession of the lovely Tudor manor house she had been left by her great-uncle, so it was disconcerting, to say the least, to find a lodger already installed who showed no signs of wishing to leave. How was she to get rid of Mr. Richard D'Arcy Winterton?
Sweet Barbary
Was hers to be the next heart he broke? Catherine's stay in Morocco was not turning out to be the quiet holiday she had envisioned! The reason was simple: David Barrington. Catherine was a girl everyone believed would make a prosaic marriage with someone nice and steady. David Barrington was heady - dark and handsome and rich, and it was rumored his patio was paved with broken hearts. He wasn't really Catherine's type at all, yet he appeared interested. Only Catherine knew the real reason why.
Man from the sea
Louise's first meeting with Captain Nicholas Wentworth, RN, had been most unfortunate, and neither of them was sorry to part company. But later on, in very different surroundings, they were due to meet again.
Moon Over Africa
Elizabeth's journey to Cape Town included the very reverse of a shipboard romance, for a lively mutual dislike was established between her and a certain tall, dark passenger. So it was a shock to her to learn on landing that there was a very close connection between this man, Nigel Van Kane, and the father she had come so many miles to see. Worse, she was going to be in a position where she would have to be grateful to him! Yet Elizabeth wasn't at all keen on the alternative - to accept help from the beautiful Carol Wainwright. And too late she realised why: she was jealous of the undoubted power Carol had over the aloof Nigel ...
Cuckoo in the night
Janine Scott knew her sister was upset Something was very wrong at Sandals, the isolated Devonshire house in which Janine's sister and brother-in-law lived. And it was not comforting when a strange young man burst into her bedroom in the middle of Janine's very first night there. Her sister had said her biggest fear was her recurring "nightmare man." But this man was real--and he seemed to think he had a perfect right to be there!
Desert Gold
A border town like Casita is no place for a drifter - especially a rich man's son looking for adventure. From the moment Dick Gale steps into the stinking, sun-baked hellhole of gambling and corruption, revolution, and revenge, he gets more than he bargained for. His old friend Thorne is in love with a beautiful Senorita who's been targeted by Mexican rebel Rojas. A bold, sneering devil of a man, feared, envied, and idolised by his people, Rojas spends gold like he sills blood - and collects women like trinkets. Gale knows that defying such a man could be suicide. Defeating him is his only chance to survive - in a brutal one-on-one battle on the parched desert cliffs.
Enemy lover
Overwhelming arrogance demands that Damian Marcel claim Jamie Walsh no matter who vies against them. For she is the only woman who can sate this powerful were's untamed hunger. But Jamie believes Damian is the Draicon werewolf who murdered her brother. She fights the dominating male at every step—only to succeed in binding herself to him.Now the same magick that links them together is slowly killing Jamie, for she is infected with a spell that's turning her to stone. As they race against time to find a cure and to ward off attacks from the evil Morphs, dare Damian hope that his draicara will finally accept him as her lover...forever?
Gideon Faber's Chance
Kim felt she was going to enjoy her new job - helping the delightful elderly Mrs. Faber to write her memoirs, in the luxurious surrondings of her lovely home, Merton Hall. It all seemed to good to be true. But of course there was a fly in the ointment - in the person of Mrs. Faber's son Gideon, who was coldly overbearing towards Kim. Her was suspicious of her innocent friendship with his bailiff Bob Duncan, even more suspicious of her very old friendship with Dr. Ralph Maltravers. But what business was Kim's private life of Gideon Faber's - when he had one of his own, in the person of Mrs. Monica Fleming!
Desert doorway
Jenny was free to travel - anywhere! Jenny Armitage had never travelled before she took on the job of looking after the Comte de St. Alais’ children in Marrakesh, the Moroccan city witch is such a fascinating blend of old and new, east and west. She was so thrilled by it all that Max Daintry thought she was too young and ingenuous for the responsible position of governess. The Comtesse began to think she was too pretty as well, particularly as Max, the case-hardened man of thirty-five, seemed to be taking a protective interest in her. It was true Jenny was a country woman of his, but the lovely Frenchwoman was not accustomed to sharing the interest of any man with another member of her own sex. Jenny herself entertained a good many doubts about Max Daintry. In fact, her disapproval of him was so strong that she was considerably alarmed to find herself becoming more and more conscious of his masculine attraction. Where, she wondered, was it all going to lead?
Flight to the stars
Melanie Blake knew she'd never be the same... She didn't remember how or when it had happened -- but she was in love with Rick Vandraaton! Melanie, junior secretary, was in love with the son of a millionaire. It seemed an unlikely romance right from the start. Not only was her love hopeless to begin with -- because of their stations in life -- but Rick was practically engaged to the elegant Diane Fairchild, who seemed to have all the advantages and no sense of fair play! Melanie knew that beautiful Diane was not being totally honest with Rick -- but would telling him the truth make any difference in this impossible situation?
Meet me in Istanbul
Gay was living in Istanbul amid every kind of luxury - and yet she wanted to get away from it! She felt that she was in a trap, though a silk-lined trap, and she must escape at all costs. She appealed for help to Charles Villiers, whom she hardly knew, simply because he was her fellow-countryman. and that appeal launched her into a series of extraordinary adventures.