Spunky Senior Author, Rosemary Morris, Not Only Visits Gardens, But Also Grows Organic

Rosemary Morris says all of us know that we should eat healthily. She can’t claim to be a saint where this is concerned. However, as well as ornamentals this senior citizen grows as much of her own stone fruit, soft fruit, herbs and vegetables as possible.

She firmly believes eating freshly picked or organic food is an important factor in good health and tries to eat her five a day or more.

Her home grown produce is particularly important because she is a strict vegetarian. Meat, fish and eggs are not part of her diet. When asked if such a diet is healthy Rosemary points out that there a millions of healthy vegetarians in the world. She also says a vegetarian menu can include a wide variety of cuisines and need never be boring.

Rosemary enjoys visiting gardens large and small including those in the grounds of the Stately Homes of England. Those in which areas are set aside to grow fruit, herbs and vegetables inspire Rosemary to borrow ideas for her garden, albeit on a very small scale.

Stately Homes and other places of historical interest – in towns, villages, museums etc., - fuel Rosemary’s imagination.

Since her teens Rosemary has been interested in history, particularly that of the British Isles and the British Empire. She has also relished reading King James Bible with its rich language, Shakespeare’s inspiring works, the classics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayan which are as rich as the Greek Classics and so much more, Jane Austen, Margaret Mitchell, Sir Walter Scott, the Bronte Sisters, Georgette Heyer, Elizabeth Chadwick, Agatha Christie, to name only a few.

At school Rosemary was a star pupil in literature, history and geography but had little interest in mathematics which led to the accusation of comments such as Rosemary could do better, Rosemary is lazy. Maybe she was lazy when bored by a subject but she was not without ambition, which was to become a published author.

In her mid twenties, while living in Kenya, Rosemary wrote a Regency Romance which was accepted by a publisher in the U.K. Unfortunately she did not know that a date for publication of a book should be included in the contract. The publisher was taken over by another one; the editor in the new publishing house did not like the novel so it was never published.

ROSEMARY SPEAKS

While living in Kenya I met a Brahmin from India. He read my palm free of charge and said: “You have an exceptional interest in literature.”

“Yes,” I replied.

“I mean exceptional,” he reiterated. “|An interest in reading and writing.”

He knew nothing about me, so my love of writing must have been written on my hand.

My children and I moved from Kenya, to an ashram in France, and then back to England where I was born. My late husband, who had stayed in Kenya until my return to England, encouraged me to write. Actually, I had never stopped writing but was too demoralised by my earlier misfortune to submit my work. Nevertheless, I wrote historical novels. Historical because I want to share my love of history with others.

Nothing can describe my joy when my novel Tangled Lives was published and nothing could describe my misery when the publisher went out of business. This time I did not accept defeat. I read books on How to Write, joined Writing Groups, Completed all three parts of a Writing Course which gave me credits towards a degree, and kept on writing.

At long last, Tangled Lives was republished by MuseItUppublishing as Tangled Love, since then two more of my novels have been published and fourth will be published this month.

My novels are available as e-books from:

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/  amazon kindle, kobo and elsewhere.

TANGLED LOVE

 Shortlisted for Romance Festival’s e-book award.

Tangled Love is the story of two great estates. The throne has been usurped by James II’s daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange. In 1693, loyal to his oath of allegiance, ten year old Richelda’s father must follow James to France.

Before her father leaves, he gives her a ruby ring she will treasure and wear on a chain round her neck. In return Richelda swears an oath to try o regain their ancestral home, Field House.

By the age of eighteen, Richelda’s beloved parents are dead. She believes her privileged life is over. At home in dilapidated Belmont House, her only companions are her mother’s old nurse and her devoted dog, puck. Clad in old clothes she dreams of elegant gowns and trusts her childhood friend, a poor parson’s son, who promised to marry her.

Richelda’s wealthy aunt takes her to London and arranges her marriage to Viscount Chesney, the new owner of Field House, where it is rumoured there is treasure. If she finds it Richelda hopes to ease their lives. However, while trying to find it her life is in danger.

SUNDAY’S CHILD

Georgianne Whitley’s beloved father and brothers died in the war against Napoleon Bonaparte. While she is grieving for them, she must deal with her unpredictable mother’s sorrow, and her younger sisters’ situation caused by it.

Georgianne’s problems increase when the arrogant, wealthy but elderly Earl of Pennington, proposes marriage to her for the sole purpose of being provided with an heir. At first she is tempted by his proposal, but something is not quite right about him. She rejects him not suspecting it will lead to unwelcome repercussions.

Once, Georgianne had wanted to marry an army officer. Now, she decides never to marry ‘a military man’ for fear he will be killed on the battlefield. However, Georgianne still dreams of a happy marriage before unexpected violence forces her to relinquish the chance to participate in a London Season sponsored by her aunt.

Shocked and in pain, Georgianne goes to the inn where her cousin Sarah’s step-brother, Major Tarrant, is staying, while waiting for the blacksmith to return to the village and shoe his horse. Recently, she has been reacquainted with Tarrant—whom she knew when in the nursery—at the vicarage where Sarah lives with her husband Reverend Stanton.

The war in the Iberian Peninsula is nearly at an end so, after his older brother’s death, Tarrant, who was wounded, returns to England where his father asks him to marry and produce an heir.

To please his father, Tarrant agrees to marry, but due to a personal tragedy he has decided never to father a child.

When Georgianne, arrives at the inn, quixotic Tarrant sympathises with her unhappy situation. Moreover, he is shocked by the unforgivably brutal treatment she has suffered.

Full of admiration for her beauty and courage Tarrant decides to help Georgianne.

FALSE PRETENCES

Five-year-old Annabelle arrived at boarding school fluent in French and English. Separated from her nurse, a dismal shadow blights Annabelle’s life because she does not know who her parents are.

High-spirited Annabelle is financially dependent on her unknown guardian. She

refuses to marry a French baron more than twice her age.

Her life in danger, Annabelle is saved by a gentleman, who says he will help her to discover her identity. Yet, from then on nothing is as it seems, and she is forced to run away for the second time to protect her rescuer.

Even more determined to discover her parents’ identity, in spite of many false pretences, Annabelle must learn who to trust. Her attempts to unravel the mystery of her birth, lead to further danger, despair, unbearable heartache and even more false pretences until the only person who has ever wanted to cherish her, reveals the startling truth, and all’s well that ends well.

FAR BEYOND RUBIES

(To be released March 2013)

Set in 1706 during Queen Anne Stuart’s reign Far Beyond Rubies erupts when William, Baron Kemp, Juliana’s half-brother claims she and her sister are bastards. Juliana is determined to prove the allegation is false and that she is the rightful heiress to Riverside, a great estate.

On his way to deliver a letter to William, Gervaise sees Juliana for the first time in the grounds of her family home…The sight of her drew him back to India. Her form changed to one he knew intimately – but not in this birth.

An unexpected event brings Juliana and quixotic Gervaise together and circumstances force Juliana to accept his kind help. However, when Juliana’s life irrevocably tangled with Gervaise’s she discovers he is not all that he seems.

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

http://rosemarymorris.blogspot.com

Member of: Romantic Novelist’s Association, Historical Novel Society, Watford Writers

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