Читать книгу Hattie Wilkinson Meets Her Match - Michelle Styles, Michelle Styles - Страница 4

AUTHOR NOTE

On a cold and windswept day in March 2011, I travelled to the University of Birmingham with my daughter. We were early for her visitors’ day, so we went to the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. There in the foyer was a portrait of one of its main benefactors, Martha Constance Hattie Barber, with her dogs.

Instantly and most inconveniently—because I was trying to finish another manuscript—the heroine of this novel, Harriet Wilkinson, popped into my brain and refused to leave. Her appearance was swiftly followed by the hero, who took to whispering in my mind that I really needed to write their story rather than writing the other one. Luckily I have dealt with such characters before, and I promised—as long as I finished the other manuscript first.

They agreed, and I kept my promise. However, immediately I started to turn my attention to them they became coy and refused to tell me their story. I saw the days start to tick by towards my deadline. Was I going to have to abandon them?

Luckily the Hexham Courant happened to run a story about a long-ago incident at the Stagshaw Bank Fair, and I was intrigued to learn that the fair was once the largest one-day fair in Britain and took place every year on 4th July. The fair has since been replaced by the Northumberland County Show, and now takes place on the late May Bank Holiday. But once I had read about the fair I knew I had my story, and thankfully my hero and heroine agreed.

I do hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it—once my two stubborn and self-willed characters began speaking to me!

As ever, I love hearing from readers. You can contact me either by post to Harlequin Mills & Boon, via my website, www.michellestyles.co.uk, or my blog: www.michellestyles.blogspot.com. I am also on Twitter @michelleLstyles, and maintain a Facebook page.