The fourth book in the series, The Courageous Daughters, will explore the time of the sons and daughters of Flora, Mags and Ella, in a war that will pit sibling against sibling and break hearts and lives as Flora’s and Ella’s children, brought up in what is to become Vichy – the so-called free France – take different sides. Though Mags’s girls are too young in the beginning, she is distraught when Betsy and Susan’s children go to war, as she looks on them as her own. It is a story of the Resistance, the Special Operation Executives, and how love can conquer. This is set to be published in Spring 2020.

I love to interact with my readers and to receive your feedback on my books. They say that to leave an author a review is like hugging her and I so love to receive reviews, too.

I can be contacted through my web page: www.authormarywood.com.

And/or, join me on Facebook. My page www.facebook.com/HistoricalNovels is a lively interaction with my readers, with laughter and love in abundance, as well as all the latest book news, competitions and guest authors. I would love to see you there.

You can also find me on Twitter: @Authormary.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Acknowledgements

An author is nothing without her editors and I am blessed to have the wonderful Wayne Brookes and his team, and Alex Saunders and his team, at Pan Macmillan publishers taking care of me and my work. I want to give special thanks to Samantha Fletcher, Mandy Greenfield and freelance editor Victoria Hughes-Williams for all the care they take with my work. Between you, you take my creation and make it sing off the page. Thank you.

And, besides editors, others within the Pan Macmillan team work very hard on my behalf – including Ellis Keene, my publicist, and the sales team, who work so hard to get my books shelf-space. Thank you to each of you.

And thank you to my son, James Wood, who reads my work before I release it to anyone, making suggestions as he picks up on areas that may be a little flat or need to have more dramatic impact. Thank you. After your advice I feel confident to send my work on its journey to the publishers.

And thank you, too, to my agent Judith Murdoch, who is always there for me and always encouraging, as her signature words ‘Onwards and Upwards’ testify. Judith, you are simply The Best.

Thank you, too, to my lovely great-niece Rosie Hall, who gave her valuable time to help me with some aspects of the book.

To my darling husband, Roy, for his love and support. And our children, Christine Martin, Julie Bowling, Rachel Gradwell and James Wood, their partners and the beautiful grandchildren, great-grandchildren and added family they have given me. And to my Olley and Wood families. All of you give me support, encouragement and above all, love. You all enrich my life. Thank you.