My latest book A SAFE HAVEN ON BEAMER STREET, published on 9th May, tells the story of my main character Elodie, a herbal healer, who in 1916 dreams of owning her own apothecary. Her life is not easy after she finds her mother dead on the day of the summer solstice – her sixteenth birthday – yet she continues to share her healing gifts with those less fortunate.

Having lived in the small Lancashire village, steeped in rumours and hearsay all her life, her life-long friend, Aiden Newman is called up to fight in France and her home burned to the ground. With nothing and nobody, Elodie is tricked into marrying Lord Carraway after receiving tragic news about Aiden. Later, she discovers her husband did not marry her for love, but as a vessel for the son he craves.

Forced to flee her picturesque countryside home when dark secrets are uncovered, A Safe Haven on Beamer Street sees Elodie taken to the sooty backstreets of dockside Liverpool and plunged into the lives of Mary Jane, Molly, and the rest of the inimitable characters of the close-knit community of Beamer Street. But will she have the determination to stay?

Read the book here https://mybook.to/safehavensocial

MY FASCINATION WITH PLANTS AND HERBS

Plants and herbs have always fascinated me, by enhancing the flavours in our food, from their healing properties – not to mention those amazing perfumes.

By soaking a handful of petals from Dad’s rose tree in cold water for a few weeks, I ventured into making a fragrant perfume for Mother’s Day, although I’m sure Channel has nothing to fear. Because the action was initiated for a good cause, I was forgiven for picking the rose, and my gift was loved by Mum. Being only eight, my pocket money didn’t stretch to buying real perfume.

I have healing herbs and plants in all forms, in tea bags, dried in jars, growing on windowsills and in the herb garden, or right outside my back door in plant pots where I can snip off a few leaves for a refreshing, morning cup of mint or lemon balm tea. I always maintain a good supply. Living in a house without fragrant greenery is something I could not do.

I was inspired to grow Aloe Vera after I read about its healing and beautifying properties. Did you know the plant has been used in various forms for centuries? Thousands of years ago, Egyptian queens Cleopatra and Nefertiti used the nourishing juice of Aloe Vera in their beauty routine and was also used in the embalming process for its antibacterial and antifungal properties, while Christopher Columbus grew Aloe Vera plants on board his ships to use medicinally as a wound healer.

A huge aloe vera is always present in the kitchen, after reaching up to a shelf through the boiling steam of the kettle, I scalded my hand. The healing gel from this plant’s long swords of fleshy leaves came in very handy. I sliced a piece from the leaf and applied the fresh gel onto the scald. Its pain relief was almost instantaneous, and I’m sure it sped up the healing of my damaged skin.

My fascination with the natural healing of plants led me to have one of those ‘what if ?’ moments, introducing me to the fictional Elodie Kirrin, a village healer who longs to have an apothecary and follow her mother’s healing principles. But her life takes many turns before she can follow her dream

Read the book here https://mybook.to/safehavensocial

All reactions:

22