Severn House

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Freda Lightfoot

Born in Lancashire, Freda Lightfoot has been a teacher, bookseller and smallholder. Moving out on to the remote Lakeland fells for a 'rest' she became thoroughly involved in rural life, kept sheep and hens, various orphaned cats and dogs, built drystone walls, planted a small wood and even learned how to make jam. Fortunately the weather was so bad she was forced to stay indoors a good deal and wrote and sold over forty short stories and articles. She followed these with five historical romances for Harlequin Mills & Boon. Inspired by this tough life on the fells, and her passion for history, she has written over thirty-five family sagas and historical novels. She has now given up her thermals to build a house in an olive grove in Spain, where she produces her own olive oil.

Visit Freda Lightfoot's Blog, where you will find articles pertaining to her books, history and snippets on her life.

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Lady of Passion

Her face was her fortune - but also her downfall.

Beautiful and talented actress, poet and fashion icon, Mary Robinson was one of the most famous women of her time - yet she died virtually penniless, her reputation in ruins. For Mary was destined always to be betrayed by the men she loved, whether it be her father, a prosperous Bristol merchant who abandoned his family for a life of adventure - and another woman; her husband, the weak and foolish Tom Robinson, who bankrupted the family with his inveterate gambling and humiliated his young wife with his numerous affairs; or the Prince of Wales, later George IV, who fell in love with Mary when he saw her playing Perdita in A Winter's Tale. Mary gave up everything for her prince - her career, her husband and her independence - only to be cruelly abandoned when his affections turned elsewhere.

Against the turbulent background of the American War of Independence and the French Revolution, this is the extraordinary story of an extraordinary woman: a tale of ambition, passion, scandal and heartbreak.

The Duchess of Drury Lane

Passion, jealousy, scandal and betrayal - a true-life Regency Romance of the rise and fall of an extraordinary woman born into extraordinary times.

Growing up in a poverty-stricken, fatherless household, Dorothy Jordan overcame her humble beginnings to become the most famous comic actress of her day. It was while performing on Drury Lane that Dorothy caught the eye of the Duke of Clarence, later to become King William IV. Her twenty-year relationship with the Duke was one of great happiness and domesticity, producing ten children. But ultimately, Dorothy's generous nature was her undoing and she was to be cruelly betrayed by the man she loved.

The Queen and the Courtesan

A historical novel from a well-loved storyteller

Henriette Entragues isn't satisfied with simply being the mistress of Henry IV of France; she wants a crown too. Despite his promises to marry her, the King is obliged by political necessity to ally himself with a rich Italian princess. But Henriette isn't one for giving up easily. All she has to do to achieve her ambition is to give Henry a son, and then do whatever it takes to set him on the throne . . .

Reluctant Queen

In a time of war and uncertainty, the French king must choose between love and duty...

Sixteenth-century France. Gabrielle's one wish is to marry for love, but her mother sells her as a mistress to three different men before she catches the eye (and the heart) of Henry of Navarre, King of France. Henry promises to marry her, but Gabrielle's difficulties have just begun . . . for Henry's wife will only divorce him if he promises not to marry Gabrielle. Is the love of a king enough to secure her both the happiness and respectability she craves and a crown for their son as the next dauphin of France? . . .

Hostage Queen

Drama, scandal and passion in the sixteenth-century French court

Marguerite de Valois, the most beautiful woman in the French Court, is the subject of great intrigue. She loves Henri of Guise, but is married off to Henry of Navarre, which (her mother hopes) will bring peace to the realm. But, within days, the streets of Paris are awash with blood, and Marguerite and her new husband are held hostage by her own family. Can they ever hope to escape alive? In a court rife with murder, jealousy and the hunger for power, it will not be an easy task . . .