The Codebreaker Girls – Only 99c!

 

If you’re in the USA, you’re in for a treat – The Codebreaker Girls is just 99c this month on Kindle!

Fans of Mr Wyngate, the enigmatic Man from the Ministry, will love this book as he makes his debut in our second WW2 saga, based on the intrepid codebreakers at Bletchley Park. Buy your copy now!

Can their courage and friendship keep the nation safe?

It’s 1944, and Rosie Sinclair is full of pride to be doing her bit for the war effort as a driver at Cottisbourne Park – the secret heart of Britain’s fight against Germany, where a team of brilliant and eccentric codebreakers are battling to save the country.

But when she’s given a new mission to drive Major-General ‘Bluff’ Kingsley-Flynn down to Cottisbourne, Rosie finds herself on the frontline of a new battle – to uncover a possible spy at the Park who is jeopardising their vital work, and to resist her own growing attraction to the dashing Bluff himself…

As the threat to her fellow codebreaker girls grows ever stronger, Rosie realises her country needs her more than ever. Can she save the day without losing her heart?

Bestseller – The Resistance Book Club

A huge thank you to all our lovely readers for making our brand new novel, The Resistance Book Club, a bestseller in the UK and US! If you haven’t already got your hands on this story of bravery against the odds in occupied France, and family secrets coming to light decades later, don’t miss out – get your copy now in ebook or paperback, or read on Kindle Unlimited! Audiobook out in November.

The Resistance Book Club

 We’re celebrating! It’s publication day for our latest novel, The Resistance Book Club! Available in ebook, paperback, and Kindle Unlimited. Audiobook out in November.

Every page is shared in secret… and a single book could cost a life.

France, 1941. Margot locks her bookshop door and slips into the cellar, where a circle of brave women gather by candlelight to read the books the Germans are burning. They are risking everything to share forbidden stories and fight back. But one seat is empty… Esther is missing, and as a Jewish woman, she is in terrible danger. Whatever happens, Margot has promised to take care of Esther’s baby, darling Isabelle…

Present day. Lucy gasps as she descends into the cellar beneath the bookshop she has inherited from her grandmother. Wooden chairs are arranged in a circle, as if the resistance book club members have just vanished. A candle sits on a saucer; a book lies open.

Still grieving her grandmother, Lucy was left a letter about the wartime book club hinting at a devastating secret. And one book is wrapped in yellowed newspaper, addressed in faded ink to a woman named Esther. Does it contain a clue about the fate of the tiny baby hidden by the book club? What really happened on that dark night when one of its members taken by the Nazis?

And as she uncovers the bookshop’s past, will the truth force Lucy to rethink everything she thought she knew about her own family?

Did you know…?

Cordeval isn’t a real village, but is based on the many communities along the Normandy coast who lived through the hardships of the Occupation, only to be in the firing line come D-Day. The Liste Otto was a list of books banned by the Nazi regime, which considered them anti-German. Thousands of books were officially condemned as undesirable and removed from French shelves. Whilst the Nazi book burnings didn’t take place in France, Lauterborn’s bonfire of the condemned books reflects the burnings held in Germany in the 1930s.

The tunnels that run beneath Cordeval are partly based on legends of smuggler’s tunnels hidden below many fishing villages. And they’re partly inspired by the tunnels dug into the chalk beneath the northern French town of Arras. After playing an important role during the Great War, the tunnels served as air-raid shelters during the Second World War. But, in 1945, they were closed up and forgotten for decades.

Queens That Changed the World

I'm thrilled to be making my US TV debut today in the second series of Queens That Changed the World! I'll be chatting all things Queen Charlotte on BBC Select and look out for me later in the series too, lifting the lid on Marie Antoinette and her mum, Empress Maria Theresa! The series will hit UK screens later this year.

The Resistance Book Club

 

The Resistance Book Club – pre-order our brand new novel now!

We’re so excited to reveal the gorgeous cover of our brand new novel, The Resistance Book Club!

Pre-order now! It’ll be published on 11th August in ebook, paperback, Kindle Unlimited and audiobook.

Every page is shared in secret… and a single book could cost a life.

France, 1941. Margot locks her bookshop door and slips into the cellar, where a circle of brave women gather by candlelight to read the books the Germans are burning. They are risking everything to share forbidden stories and fight back. But one seat is empty… Esther is missing, and as a Jewish woman, she is in terrible danger. Whatever happens, Margot has promised to take care of Esther’s baby, darling Isabelle…

Present day. Lucy gasps as she descends into the cellar beneath the bookshop she has inherited from her grandmother. Wooden chairs are arranged in a circle, as if the resistance book club members have just vanished. A candle sits on a saucer; a book lies open.

Still grieving her grandmother, Lucy was left a letter about the wartime book club hinting at a devastating secret. And one book is wrapped in yellowed newspaper, addressed in faded ink to a woman named Esther. Does it contain a clue about the fate of the tiny baby hidden by the book club? What really happened on that dark night when one of its members was taken by the Nazis?

And as she uncovers the bookshop’s past, will the truth force Lucy to rethink everything she thought she knew about her own family?

The Lifeboat Orphans - Out Now

 

It’s publication day for The Lifeboat Orphans, the next story from our Runaway Evacuees! Buy now in ebook, paperback, audiobook and Kindle Unlimited!

And it’s has amazing reviews!

‘Absolutely amazing! I loved this book from start to finish! Easy five star read!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘What a heartbreaker! … I loved this.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I sat and read this book in one day… an emotional read that I haven’t stopped thinking about.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Had me holding my breath.’ Leannebookstagram, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Amazing read! So many emotions… Tears of sadness followed by happiness… I couldn’t love this story more.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘You can’t help but ache for the children… truly heart-pulling.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Such an emotional read. Get a box of tissues.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Captures and depicts WW2 London beautifully… Made me cry.’ NetGallley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Special Offer – The Lost Orphans is Just 99p

For a short time only, our latest release – The Lost Orphans – is just 99p!

Buy yours in ebook now!

‘Absolutely loved this… Funny, touching, heart-warming and heartbreaking in equal measure… wonderful.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I loved this… gripping from the off… I was completely invested… Heart-warming, entertaining, and emotional, this book was fantastic.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Lifeboat Orphans

 

The second novel in our Runaway Evacuees series, The Lifeboat Orphans, is on pre-order now. Out on 12th November!

Pre-order your copy now! Available in ebook, paperback, Kindle Unlimited, and audiobook.

North Atlantic Ocean, 1942. The wind whips around Connie’s shivering frame as waves churn beneath the lifeboat. She clings to the little orphan boy in her care, willing him to stay alive—even if she does not. Tears fall down her freckled cheeks. Is this the end for two orphans, lost at sea?

Fifteen-year-old Connie is leaving war-torn England for the safer shores of America, looking after a nine-year old orphan boy with sad blue eyes. But the ocean is rife with Nazi vessels. And when their boat is torpedoed, in the fear and chaos Connie can’t stop thinking about handsome Jack, who stayed behind in London. Will the orphans survive, and will Connie ever be reunited with her first love?

Back in London, sixteen-year-old Jack desperately misses Connie, his brave, kind friend, after their tearful goodbye when her ship set sail. As bombs set the skies ablaze, he listens to an old radio for any news about the dangerous Atlantic crossing. When he intercepts a secret message that could change everything, he races to the war office. Will they listen to a young lad like him, and can he save Connie and countless other lives?

The Lost Orphans - OUT NOW!

It’s publication day for The Lost Orphans, the very first installment in our brand new series, The Runaway Evacuees!

Buy your copy now!

Available in ebook, Kindle Unlimited, paperback, and audiobook.

London, 1941. “Help me, Jack” is Elsie’s last thought as the building crashes down around her and everything goes dark. Will she ever see her big brother again?

The war has robbed eight-year-old orphan Elsie of everything except her older brother Jack. Evacuated together, hand in hand they escaped a cruel farming family only to find their home destroyed, their mother gone. Wide-eyed Elsie hasn’t spoken since, and every night she cries for her mother, and for their father, lost at war.

Wandering under the falling ash, their stomachs twist with hunger and Jack knows he cannot protect Elsie alone. But everything changes when they join a rag-tag band of orphans, runaway evacuees who’ve returned to the city just like them. With nothing left to lose, the children stay above ground as Nazi planes fly overhead, determined to help others. But as they risk their lives, who will protect them?

Then during a night of terrible bombing, the unimaginable happens. Elsie disappears. Their faces streaked with tears, Jack and his friends search through the flames and smoke, knowing she has no voice to respond to their cries. Will anyone find her before it’s too late? And will the lost orphans ever find a safe home?

The Lost Orphans Cover Reveal

The first book in our brand new series, The Runaway Evacuees!

Out on 23 July 2025. Pre-order now from Amazon! Available in ebook, paperback, Kindle Unlimited. Audiobook to follow.

London, 1941. “Help me, Jack” is Elsie’s last thought as the building crashes down around her and everything goes dark. Will she ever see her big brother again?

The war has robbed eight-year-old orphan Elsie of everything except her older brother Jack. Evacuated together, hand in hand they escaped a cruel farming family only to find their home destroyed, their mother gone. Wide-eyed Elsie hasn’t spoken since, and every night she cries for her mother, and for their father, lost at war.

Wandering under the falling ash, their stomachs twist with hunger and Jack knows he cannot protect Elsie alone. But everything changes when they join a rag-tag band of orphans, runaway evacuees who’ve returned to the city just like them. With nothing left to lose, the children stay above ground as Nazi planes fly overhead, determined to help others. But as they risk their lives, who will protect them?

Then during a night of terrible bombing, the unimaginable happens. Elsie disappears. Their faces streaked with tears, Jack and his friends search through the flames and smoke, knowing she has no voice to respond to their cries. Will anyone find her before it’s too late? And will the lost orphans ever find a safe home?

Fact vs Fiction in "The Crown": Live!

Join me in Huddersfield on 8th May as I lift the lid on what was fact and what was very definitely fiction in Netflix's smash hit, The Crown! 

Click here for tickets.

"If you were one of many gripped by Netflix’s smash-hit factual drama The Crown, you probably wondered how true to life this Royal Family saga was. In this special Festival event in partnership with Merrie England, Huddersfield-based historian Catherine Curzon reveals the real stories behind the drama, based on research for her latest book The Royal Family vs ‘The Crown’. 

For six seasons, royal watchers across the globe have been hooked on The Crown. Over 60 episodes, multiple casts and headline-grabbing storylines, The Crown has promised to throw open the closed doors of Britain’s palaces to reveal the deepest secrets of the House of Windsor.  

Catherine Curzon’s new book The Royal Family vs ‘The Crown’ turns the spotlight on the glittering Netflix series and lays bare what is fact and what is very definitely fiction. Season by season, episode by episode, it tells the real stories behind the drama that has thrilled and scandalised audiences worldwide: from the abdication of a king to Princess Diana’s infamous Panorama interview, the marriage of Charles and Camilla and everything in between."

The Royal Family vs "The Crown" is Out Now

For six seasons, royal watchers across the globe have been hooked on Netflix’s smash-hit factual drama, The Crown. Over sixty episodes, multiple casts and headline-grabbing storylines, The Crown has promised to throw open the closed doors of Britain’s palaces to reveal the deepest secrets of the House of Windsor. From the last days of George VI to the accession of Queen Elizabeth II and into the twenty-first century, it has told the story of the monarchy in an ever-changing and turbulent world.

The Royal Family vs 'The Crown' turns the spotlight on the glittering Netflix series and lays bare what’s fact and what is very definitely fiction. Season by season, episode by episode, The Royal Family vs 'The Crown' digs deep into history to examine the plots, the trivia and the characters who have stepped out of the throne room and into the living room, telling the real stories behind the drama that has thrilled and scandalised audiences worldwide. From the abdication of a king to Princess Diana's infamous Panorama interview, the marriage of Charles and Camilla and everything in between, this is your indispensable guide to the true stories behind the streaming phenomenon.

Buy the book here.

Wartime Wishes is a Bestseller!

 

Wartime Wishes for the Land Girls is a bestseller, hitting the number one spot in 20th Century Historical Romance new releases! And you can get your copy now on Amazon!

Wartime Wishes for the Land Girls

 

Thank you, lovely bookstagrammers, for your fabulous reviews of Wartime Wishes for the Land Girls! It’s out now in ebook, Kindle Unlimited and paperback.

I love this series. Returning to Bramble Heath and the Land Girls is always a pleasure. This story is so much more than a war story. – BookedWithMel

I loved the whole story – KatieLuvsToRead

The Real Bogie and Bacall

My brand new book, The Real Bogie and Bacall, is out today; order it here or wherever you get your books!

 It was the Hollywood romance that warmed hearts and thrilled audiences, but the path to true love was littered with alcoholism, abandonment and bitter disappointments.

Humphrey Bogart had crawled up the hard way, leaving behind a childhood without affection for a life as the idol of millions. Bogie’s road to stardom had been long and tough, forging a superstar who hated being in the spotlight as much as he loved being in the bar. With three marriages to his name and a reputation as one of the hardest drinkers in Hollywood, happiness was always fleeting.

Lauren Bacall grew up in New York as the apple of her hard-working mother’s eye, dreaming of a life in the limelight. Modelling by day and tearing tickets at night, when she was summoned to Hollywood to make a screentest, young Betty Bacall grabbed it with both hands. There she was reborn as the vampish Lauren Bacall, a teenage nobody who would make her debut in To Have and Have Not opposite the quintessential Hollywood tough guy, Humphrey Bogart.

Nobody expected what came next, but the love affair between Bogie and Bacall took the world by storm. The Real Bogie & Bacall tells the story of two people whose romance shouldn’t have worked… but did.

Wartime Wishes for the Land Girls

 Our next WW2 saga, Wartime Wishes for the Land Girls, is available to request on Netgalley now!

Audiobook News

 Out now in audiobook – our best-selling novel, The Wartime Vet! It’s available on Audible, and why not ask your local library to order a copy?

“Wonderful… I took this one completely to my heart from the very beginning… You won’t want to put down… Brought a tear to my eyes.”⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read by Laura Kirman.

The Ration Book Baby for 99p

  

The Ration Book Baby is just 99p for a limited time. Buy it now at Amazon!

England, 1940. Opening the box with trembling hands, she couldn’t believe it – a tiny baby lay inside. She gently lifted the newborn as it started to cry. Cradling the little one to her chest, she searched the darkness for any sign of whoever left it here. And as she rocked the child, something fluttered to the ground… a ration book.

Nurse Annie Russell anxiously listens to the terrifying sounds of planes and gunfire overhead, worried about what the morning will bring for the patients in her care. The boys from the local airfield fly up in the skies each night, risking their lives to protect the people of Bramble Heath village, but they can’t stop every bombshell. Until a knock at the door makes her jump.

Awaiting Annie on the doorstep is a hatbox. Peeking under the lid, she gasps – inside is a whimpering newborn, round cheeks glistening with tears. The poor little thing may be all alone, but someone must truly love the baby… Tucked into a hand-knitted blanket, there’s a precious ration book, vital for food supplies in these darkest of days.

Her heart breaking, Anniedoes everything she can to care for her tiny charge. But, without a ration book, she knows that the frightened young mother could also be in dire need of help too. Then social services bring devastating news. If Annie can’t find the helpless child’s family soon, the authorities will have to take the little one away.

As the Nazi threat grows, more and more of the brave pilots at the local airbase don’t come home. Is one of the fallen the child’s father? And with her only clue leading nowhere, can Annie find the answers she needs, and reunite the innocent baby with its parents before it is too late?

A totally unputdownable and emotional historical novel that will have you reading late into the night. Perfect for fans of Diney Costeloe, Martha Hall Kelly and Before We Were Yours.

What readers are saying about Ellie Curzon

‘Must-read… Wow and wow… The twist and turns in the story will come as a surprise and keep you hooked… Loved it.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Writing at its absolute best. A thoroughly enjoyable read… Beautiful… A lovely romance and an amazing ending – what’s not to love… It was so good and I wanted it to go on forever. 5 stars? Worth so many more.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘A rip-roaringly good read… I thoroughly enjoyed it… I’d love to see this as a film or TV drama… Absolutely spiffing. Highly recommended. Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘“Awwww” moments that hit me with the “feels”… I would hugely recommend this.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Brilliant read… Marvellous… Couldn’t put the book down!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘I read this in two sittings. A great insight into what life was like during those dark days of the war… Warmed my heart.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘A page-turner. I found it hard to put down… Was sorry it had to end.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘I was hooked from page one… A can’t-put-down book… I’d highly recommend.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Brilliant… A lovely heart-warming saga.’ Goodreads reviewer

The Wartime Vet

Our brand new Ellie Curzon novel, The Wartime Vet, is just 99p for a limited time! Buy your copy now on Amazon.

England, 1941. Dedicated local vet Laura cares for the farm animals of the little village of Bramble Heath. But falling bombs aren’t the only danger as the war hits close to home…

Despite everyone telling her it’s not a suitable career for a woman, Laura has worked hard to become a successful livestock vet. And she’s not afraid to serve her country in the village of Bramble Heath, where she and the land girls care for animals and protect the crops everyone relies on during the darkest days of the war. But, just when the country is most in need of food, the farms of the village come under attack…

Desperate to figure out who among the villagers could be doing such terrible things even while German bombs rain down, Laura is relieved when the Ministry respond to her requests for help. But the man they send isn’t what she expects. Commander Alastair Seaton is quiet, with a soft, kind smile. And she can’t help but be drawn to his shining brown eyes.

But as they start to open up to each other about past heartbreak, disaster strikes. A farm has been set alight. While Laura hurriedly gathers water to fight the flames, Alistair rushes into the burning barn to make sure no one is trapped inside. Will Alistair make it out alive? And can Laura figure out who is behind these attacks before they threaten the outcome of the war?

An utterly unputdownable and emotional historical wartime novel, perfect for fans of Martha Hall Kelly, Diney Costeloe, and Before We Were Yours.

Willi Willy Harry Stee...

I was so excited to join Charlie Higson to discuss the reign of George I; from the South Sea Bubble to locking your wife up for thirty years, it's all here!

Listen to "Willy Willy Harry Stee" at the link below, or find it on your favourite podcast platform!

https://shows.acast.com/willy-willy-harry-stee