I’m so thrilled to introduce the new historical/ timeslip novels I’m writing under the name of Elena Collins. The choice of pseudonym is a tribute to my grandmother, Nell Collins, who was my father’s mother. She was a teller of stories and fortunes, she had healing hands and the most amazing laugh.
I hope you’ll enjoy these stories, the sense of how the past links to the present time, and just a hint of the suernatural…
The Witch’s Tree. Boldwood Books. May 17th.
A tale as old as time. A spirit that has never rested.
Present day
As a love affair comes to an end, and with it her dreams for her future, artist Selena needs a retreat. The picture-postcard Sloe Cottage in the Somerset village of Ashcombe promises to be the perfect place to forget her problems, and Selena settles into her new home as spring arrives. But it isn’t long before Selena hears the past whispering to her. Sloe Cottage is keeping secrets which refuse to stay hidden.
1682
Grace Cotter longs for nothing more than a husband and family of her own. Content enough with her work on the farm, looking after her father, and learning the secrets of her grandmother Bett’s healing hands, nevertheless Grace still hopes for love. But these are dangerous times for dreamers, and rumours and gossip can be deadly. One mis-move and Grace’s fate looks set…
Separated by three hundred years, two women are drawn together by a home bathed in blood and magic. Grace Cotter’s spirit needs to rest, and only Selena can help her now.
Boldwood Books February 23rd, 2023.
Ravenscraig Castle, Scotland. 1307
When the castle she works in is sacked by the army of Prince Edward of England, kitchen maid Agnes Fitzgerald manages to escape north of Inverness to throw herself at the mercy of the Lord and Lady at Ravenscraig Castle. Although safe for now, the people of Scotland are fighting hard for their independence, and the threat of the English hangs heavy over the land. But when Agnes spies Cam Buchanan swimming in the loch, her mind turns away from war and towards love. Agnes even dares to dream of a happy future, until she learns that Cam must go and fight alongside Robert de Brus.
Present day
Twins Leah and Zoe need a change, so caretaking at Ravenscraig Castle is the perfect opportunity to get away from it all. Surrounded by rugged Highland countryside, and bordered by a loch, the picturesque setting is everything they dreamed of. But the locals are reluctant to visit Ravenscraig, and there are whispers of ghosts and lost souls. The sisters quickly dismiss such superstition, but soon the overwhelming sadness they feel coming from tower grows too hard to ignore.
Can the sisters finally right the wrongs of seven hundred years of heartbreak, seven hundred years of betrayal…?
From the author.
Dear readers,
I’d like to introduce you to my first of three books; this is an exciting new venture for me. They are dual timeline stories, exploring the history of women’s lives and making a parallel with modern experiences. These stories bring together three things I love: delving into history, exploring stunning locations and evoking the possibility of the supernatural.
My first novel in this genre, The Witch’s Tree, is set in the beautiful Somerset countryside. IThe secnd is set in Scotland in 1306, The Lady of the Loch.
I hope my readers will enjoy the stories of people’s lives then and now, and the chance to experience some spine-tingling moments.
I love writing, travelling and researching. When I’m away from my desk, my home and my three black cats, you’ll find me researching my next novel in my camper van in some of this country’s most beautiful locations, and beyond.
I hope you will enjoy my novels.
EC. x
That quintessence of dust 