Finished & Published!

I’m exhausted, I’m seeing double and have lost the little confidence I ever had in knowing where to place a comma. Yes, I’ve finished a book. The Modern Girl, in all its 134,000-word / 406 page, dual-timeline glory, is complete.

I came up with the bare bones of the story in August 2018, began writing it in earnest in late 2018, and completed it in June 2019. Then it was set aside for six months while I completed other projects and had it copyedited by the wonderful Jenny Waters (redheadediting@xtra.co.nz).

I feel a real sense of accomplishment in having finished this book because I’ve long wanted to write a book with two timelines. Compelling novels full of love, family, and secrets are my favourite kind of books to read, and must-read authors include Kate Morton, Hannah Richell, Susanna Kearsley, Mary Ellen Taylor, to name but a few. They write books which are haunting, mysterious and romantic, and I hope dear reader, you’ll find The Modern Girl is, too.

The Modern Girl is the story of Frances, who in 1931, wins a Hollywood screen test and leaves behind her staid Victorian lifestyle in New Zealand, and Paige, her great-granddaughter who arrives in New Zealand needing to connect with her past. Paige begins her search for family with her grandmother and the mysterious, abandoned house, which holds the key to a secret she is determined to uncover. But some secrets are never quite as they seem...

The Modern Girl is available in ebook format from Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play (see my website for buy links and to read an excerpt), and in print format from Amazon, Ingram Spark, and other online retailers. If you’d like your library to stock it, it would be great if you could ask them, as it’s available through their usual suppliers. If you read, and enjoy the book, I’d love to hear from you, and would also love it if you’d write a review where you purchased the book. Thank you in advance!

Now, back to musing about my next dual timeline book, set in Napier, New Zealand in 1931. It involves a massive earthquake, an escapee from The Russian Revolution, and a priceless gem...

Happy reading!

Diana