The Shipyard Girls: Shipyard Girls 1 (The Shipyard Girls Series)

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These women didn’t just inspire me to write this series, but they also inspire me as I go about my daily life. I think it’s a mix of reasons, but the overriding one which comes through time and time again is the love of the characters – Rosie, Polly, Gloria, Dorothy, Angie, Martha, and Hannah. I receive so many messages telling me that the women welders feel ‘like family’ and that they can’t wait to see what happens to them all in the next instalment. I also have demands that certain characters find love, or others end up taking a long jump off a short pier! And the shipyards are proving tougher than Polly ever imagined, while she waits for her man to return home safely.

Helen would love to find the courage to tell the dashing Dr Parker of her true feelings for him. But how can she when he clearly has eyes for someone else? I felt incredibly passionate about basing the series on these incredibly brave and hard-working women because I was astounded that next to nothing had been written about them. It was as though history had simply ignored them. There wasn’t even a single blue plaque giving these women even the slightest recognition for what they did. And yet they risked life and limb by working in the northeast shipyards. The Shipyard Girls start off as strangers - but end up forging an unbreakable bond of friendship in the most difficult times. During the day, Rosie (head welder) teaches her fledgling group of trainees their new trade, however at night she hidesAnd as Polly grows with child, she hopes against hope for a safe delivery - and that her husband Tommy can soon return from the front line to meet their new arrival.

I have recently discovered gardening – something I used to avoid like the plague. I’m a convert and now bore anyone who will listen to me about how wonderful it is to be out in the fresh air, pulling weeds, and creating something with my hands instead of my head. It’s the end of an era with Three Cheers For The Shipyard Girls– the last book in the series! How did you feel when you were writing it? It must have been a very emotional experience…. It was! Very emotional. I also felt quite nervous when I first started plotting and writing as I knew it had to be the best yet – the series had to go out with a big bang. As I neared the end of the book that apprehension was replaced by a feeling of joy as the women’s stories reached their conclusions – as they ended a chapter in their lives and embarked on a new one. I hope my readers will feel that there’s a real celebratory feel to the final book and an excitement for the future.Rosie is flourishing in her role as head-welder while still keeping her double life a secret. But a dashing detective is forcing Rosie to choose between love and her duty.

Meanwhile Rosie is throwing herself into her work, taking on as many shifts as she can. Anything to keep her mind off the fact that she hasn’t heard from her sweetheart in months… Sunderland, 1943: With the future of Britain uncertain, the shipyard girls fight to keep their lives on an even keel.Meanwhile Rosie is delighted to have her husband safely home but she begins to wonder – what lies ahead for her and her friends when the war is over? Sunderland, 1943: As Christmas approaches in the shipyards, everyone is hoping for a little magic... The subject is near to Nancy’s heart, since she comes from a long line of shipbuilders that were well-known in the area. There are also a lot of characters so the author does bounce you around a lot along with all the grittiness. Sunderland, 1942: Christmas is fast approaching, and with it comes a flurry of snow and surprises...

More than a year has passed since Bel's wedding to sweetheart Joe. She knows she has much to feel thankful for and yet there is still one burning desire which she cannot ignore. Polly is determined to do her bit by working in the local Shipyard much to the annoyance of her mum Agnes who says its no place for a woman. Her sister in law Isabelle, who works on the buses, or Bel as she prefers, has a two year old daughter Lucille. Polly likes a young diver called Tommy who lives with his elderly grandad, (Arthur) who also used to be a diver when he was younger, but with the owner's daughter on the prowl will she manage to be his girlfriend. Rosie works at the Shipyard during the day and in the evenings at a red light establishment to pay for her younger sisters boarding school fees. There are some secrets going on here and Rosie fears her secret will come out.Secrets of the Shipyard Girls” is the third novel in the “Shipyard Girls” series and was released in the year 2017. While the war drags on, the shipyard girls find they are facing battles of their own.