Caroline England's Blog
March 9, 2023
THE ATTIC AT WILTON PLACE
Did you know that I write gothic-tinged psychological suspense books as CE Rose? After my three stand alone books The House of Hidden Secrets, The House on the Water's Edge and The Shadows of RUTHERFORD HOUSE, The Attic at Wilton Place will be out in paperback and ebook on the 30th March.
It is slowly climbing up the listopia 'MODERN GOTHIC' chart and it would be amazing if you could give it a vote to get it even higher!
The blurb is:
The perfect life. The perfect home. But at what price?
Introspective Ruth Parker is desperate for love and attention. Overlooked as a child by her cold and critical mother, her pain manifests in loneliness and a crippling lack of self-esteem. When glamorous actress ‘Aunt’ Vanessa, her mother’s childhood friend, shows an interest in her, Ruth basks in the blinding light of her attention.
Once Ruth escapes to university in London, Aunt Vanessa invites her to Wilton Place, her stunning Belgravia residence. As she blossoms under Vanessa’s guidance, Ruth finds herself torn between student life and the hypnotic, luxurious confines of Wilton Place. Belgravia wins out, but when Ruth explores the gloomy attic of her new home and finds a hidden, locked door, she discovers that Vanessa is hiding the darkest of secrets from her childhood, secrets that threaten everything Ruth knew about her own mother.
How far will Ruth go to find the truth - and how much does she really want to know?
It is slowly climbing up the listopia 'MODERN GOTHIC' chart and it would be amazing if you could give it a vote to get it even higher!
The blurb is:
The perfect life. The perfect home. But at what price?
Introspective Ruth Parker is desperate for love and attention. Overlooked as a child by her cold and critical mother, her pain manifests in loneliness and a crippling lack of self-esteem. When glamorous actress ‘Aunt’ Vanessa, her mother’s childhood friend, shows an interest in her, Ruth basks in the blinding light of her attention.
Once Ruth escapes to university in London, Aunt Vanessa invites her to Wilton Place, her stunning Belgravia residence. As she blossoms under Vanessa’s guidance, Ruth finds herself torn between student life and the hypnotic, luxurious confines of Wilton Place. Belgravia wins out, but when Ruth explores the gloomy attic of her new home and finds a hidden, locked door, she discovers that Vanessa is hiding the darkest of secrets from her childhood, secrets that threaten everything Ruth knew about her own mother.
How far will Ruth go to find the truth - and how much does she really want to know?
December 7, 2021
THE HOUSE ON THE WATER'S EDGE
THE HOUSE ON THE WATER'S EDGE paperback will be out on Thursday 9th December. It is already available to preorder at Amazon and Blackwells or through your local book shop!
https://amzn.to/3vuCu2A
https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/pro...
'What an emotional, twisty, rollercoaster of a novel! It kept me guessing all the way through.' Alice Hunter, author of The Serial Killer's Wife
Sometimes the past is best left buried
Since the birth of baby Joe five weeks ago, Ali Baker has been struggling to cope. Starved of sleep and haunted by painful memories from the past, she’s a million miles away from the polished, professional barrister she has worked so hard to become.
Then her mother tragically and unexpectedly dies, leaving Ali an orphan. Haunted by her loss, Ali can’t forget her mother's last words to her: There is something I really need to tell you...
Heading back to the Norfolk Broads to sort her mother's things, Ali is plunged into memories of her family’s picture-perfect summers on the river.
But as she starts to uncover secrets hidden within the isolated house, Ali is drawn into a dark web that threatens to destroy everything she believed about her childhood – and her very sanity.
Ali may finally discover her mother's secrets... but at what cost?
A gripping, captivating psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Samantha Hayes and S.E. Lynes.
Perfect for book group reading - includes discussion questions.
If you read it and enjoy it, I'd love to hear from you!
Caroline X
https://amzn.to/3vuCu2A
https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/pro...
'What an emotional, twisty, rollercoaster of a novel! It kept me guessing all the way through.' Alice Hunter, author of The Serial Killer's Wife
Sometimes the past is best left buried
Since the birth of baby Joe five weeks ago, Ali Baker has been struggling to cope. Starved of sleep and haunted by painful memories from the past, she’s a million miles away from the polished, professional barrister she has worked so hard to become.
Then her mother tragically and unexpectedly dies, leaving Ali an orphan. Haunted by her loss, Ali can’t forget her mother's last words to her: There is something I really need to tell you...
Heading back to the Norfolk Broads to sort her mother's things, Ali is plunged into memories of her family’s picture-perfect summers on the river.
But as she starts to uncover secrets hidden within the isolated house, Ali is drawn into a dark web that threatens to destroy everything she believed about her childhood – and her very sanity.
Ali may finally discover her mother's secrets... but at what cost?
A gripping, captivating psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Samantha Hayes and S.E. Lynes.
Perfect for book group reading - includes discussion questions.
If you read it and enjoy it, I'd love to hear from you!
Caroline X
April 13, 2021
THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN SECRETS
Did you know that CE Rose is me?
The House of Hidden Secrets
Tomorrow is THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN SECRETS publication day!😎
You might not be surprised to discover that my first CE Rose gothic-tinged psychological thriller revolves around - well, a house. Fictional Ramsay Hall is a Grade II-listed farmhouse in Cheshire set in acres of lush land with a long, winding driveway, outhouses, a gatekeeper’s cottage, a maze and a dilapidated barn. And of course it is bulging with dusty drapes, panelled rooms, antiques and old paintings. But most of all with dark secrets…
For those who’ve already read my Caroline England psychological thrillers, you’ll know that I’m very keen on characterisation, putting ordinary folk in challenging, extraordinary situations, or stripping back layers of who they appear to be on the surface and exposing the real person beneath. Those individuals are often flawed - they do something bad, they fall in love with someone they shouldn’t, they betray or make the wrong choices, maybe even commit a crime. Some are more than just misguided; indeed, they’re downright evil, but they are still human beings, so I try to make them as realistic as I can within the context of a twisty-turny thriller.
How do I do this? Like most authors I observe, steal bits of friends (sorry guys!) or relatives or people I know, or I draw on my days as a criminal and divorce lawyer. In The House of Hidden Secrets we have the master of the house, Hayden Ramsay. He appears friendly beneath his imposing frame, but what’s going on behind his watchful eyes? Then there’s his barrister son, Jack. He’s done something dreadful and it haunts him day and night. And what about easy-going Hugh? He’s living in a shabby caravan at a farm up the road. Why did Hayden throw him out?
When calm and efficient Serena starts as their housekeeper, she shakes up their lives and unearths buried secrets. But what is she hiding from? Has she got some of her own?
As I wrote The House of Hidden Secrets, it eventually occurred that Ramsay Hall was a personality too! Authenticity was a little more tricky for this character. Strolling around a Grade II-listed farmhouse at anytime - let alone during a pandemic - is a challenge, so it ended up being a Frankenstein house - made up of the many creaky old properties I visited on the internet - but perhaps also because it accommodates a monster…
The House of Hidden Secrets
Tomorrow is THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN SECRETS publication day!😎
You might not be surprised to discover that my first CE Rose gothic-tinged psychological thriller revolves around - well, a house. Fictional Ramsay Hall is a Grade II-listed farmhouse in Cheshire set in acres of lush land with a long, winding driveway, outhouses, a gatekeeper’s cottage, a maze and a dilapidated barn. And of course it is bulging with dusty drapes, panelled rooms, antiques and old paintings. But most of all with dark secrets…
For those who’ve already read my Caroline England psychological thrillers, you’ll know that I’m very keen on characterisation, putting ordinary folk in challenging, extraordinary situations, or stripping back layers of who they appear to be on the surface and exposing the real person beneath. Those individuals are often flawed - they do something bad, they fall in love with someone they shouldn’t, they betray or make the wrong choices, maybe even commit a crime. Some are more than just misguided; indeed, they’re downright evil, but they are still human beings, so I try to make them as realistic as I can within the context of a twisty-turny thriller.
How do I do this? Like most authors I observe, steal bits of friends (sorry guys!) or relatives or people I know, or I draw on my days as a criminal and divorce lawyer. In The House of Hidden Secrets we have the master of the house, Hayden Ramsay. He appears friendly beneath his imposing frame, but what’s going on behind his watchful eyes? Then there’s his barrister son, Jack. He’s done something dreadful and it haunts him day and night. And what about easy-going Hugh? He’s living in a shabby caravan at a farm up the road. Why did Hayden throw him out?
When calm and efficient Serena starts as their housekeeper, she shakes up their lives and unearths buried secrets. But what is she hiding from? Has she got some of her own?
As I wrote The House of Hidden Secrets, it eventually occurred that Ramsay Hall was a personality too! Authenticity was a little more tricky for this character. Strolling around a Grade II-listed farmhouse at anytime - let alone during a pandemic - is a challenge, so it ended up being a Frankenstein house - made up of the many creaky old properties I visited on the internet - but perhaps also because it accommodates a monster…
September 28, 2020
Truth Games cover reveal!
Hello all,
What do you think of my new book cover? It's a new psychological thriller/domestic suspense called TRUTH GAMES. It'll be available in ebook and trade paperback on the 19th November 2020, then in standard paperback next June.
If you fancy pre-ordering it, the Amazon link is: https://amzn.to/2H0DdDl
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What do you think of my new book cover? It's a new psychological thriller/domestic suspense called TRUTH GAMES. It'll be available in ebook and trade paperback on the 19th November 2020, then in standard paperback next June.
If you fancy pre-ordering it, the Amazon link is: https://amzn.to/2H0DdDl
[image error]
February 14, 2020
I'm Caro Land too!
I'm still writing psychological thrillers under my Caroline England name. The standard UK paperback of BETRAY HER will be out in July, but did you know I also write under the pen name Caro Land? The first in a twisty intriguing legal series called CONVICTIONS is out now! My protagonist is a feisty feminist solicitor called Natalie Bach who finds herself stuck in personal, legal and moral dilemmas. She teams up with fellow solicitor Gavin Savage to search out the truth. However, there are two sides to every crime...
Convictions is published by Bloodhound Books and is available in eBook or paperback:
https://amzn.to/37fmKDG
Convictions is published by Bloodhound Books and is available in eBook or paperback:
https://amzn.to/37fmKDG
November 15, 2019
Books That Changed My Life!
There are many books I have LOVED, but books that have changed my life is a more tricky question. Hmm. Here are some from my formative teenage years. What are yours?
The Stud by Jackie Collins.
This might seem a surprising choice but it did change my life! At school I had lent it to a friend, Jo, and the games teacher confiscated it when Jo and another pal were skiving a swimming lesson. Reading about sex was akin to possessing Class A drugs! A SWAT team (or the boarding school equivalent) descended and dormitory lockers throughout the whole school were searched for similar shameful reading matter. As you can imagine, I wasn’t a popular girl for some time (the moral of this tale is never to write your name in the front of a book!). To ingratiate myself with the English teacher, I made more of an effort in the classroom and I discovered ‘the more one puts in, the more one gets out’ was very true!
Switch Bitch by Roald Dahl.
See above! My copy was confiscated at the same time as The Stud. Oh no! Sex again! But these tales with their delicious spiteful twists were just perfect. There’s no doubt the dark twisty stories have influenced my writing, particularly my own short story collections.
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy.
This is the book we were studying when I tried to become teacher’s pet. I’m looking at my copy now with my pencilled annotations. I still find it astonishing that a book published in 1874 had such a feminist heroine. Bathsheba is ambitious, independent, headstrong, determined, and free-spirited. From the very beginning, she makes it known that she could never become any man’s property. I know things go somewhat awry, but go Bathsheba!
The Hawk in the Rain by Ted Hughes.
One of my favourite poets, not lessened by the fact that I saw him perform ‘live’ when I was at school. I can clearly remembering him explaining the background to The Thought-Fox and then reading it in that deep, yet soft Yorkshire timbre. I was mesmerised! I don’t think I would have written short stories, then novels, had I not begun my jottings by writing (not very good) poetry.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
I moved schools for sixth form and we studied this for A Level. My teacher, JB, was just brilliant. Not only was he a great teacher, he was a buddhist with charismatic mystique. We all wanted to listen to his peals of wisdom and learn. I was so honoured that he read my debut Beneath the Skin and wrote: “I admired the sheer confidence of your style and the assurance of your dialogue -- very impressive -- as well as the dexterity of your complex plotting. And your insight into character is both astute and alarming! It is decades since I heard my mother say to my father "I can read you like a book!" when she discovered some minor hidden and innocuous secret (smuggling in a second-hand book usually), and I remember how as a child the possibility that women might have some X-ray capacity to read the minds of mere two-dimensional males haunted me. What on earth was Caroline thinking as she sat in my A level class! Dread to think.”
Betray Her
My Husband’s Lies
Beneath the Skin
Hanged by the Neck
Betray Her: The gripping new psychological thriller that you'll be obsessed with
A Slight Diversion
The Stud
Switch Bitch
Far From the Madding Crowd
The Hawk in the Rain
The Great Gatsby
The Stud by Jackie Collins.
This might seem a surprising choice but it did change my life! At school I had lent it to a friend, Jo, and the games teacher confiscated it when Jo and another pal were skiving a swimming lesson. Reading about sex was akin to possessing Class A drugs! A SWAT team (or the boarding school equivalent) descended and dormitory lockers throughout the whole school were searched for similar shameful reading matter. As you can imagine, I wasn’t a popular girl for some time (the moral of this tale is never to write your name in the front of a book!). To ingratiate myself with the English teacher, I made more of an effort in the classroom and I discovered ‘the more one puts in, the more one gets out’ was very true!
Switch Bitch by Roald Dahl.
See above! My copy was confiscated at the same time as The Stud. Oh no! Sex again! But these tales with their delicious spiteful twists were just perfect. There’s no doubt the dark twisty stories have influenced my writing, particularly my own short story collections.
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy.
This is the book we were studying when I tried to become teacher’s pet. I’m looking at my copy now with my pencilled annotations. I still find it astonishing that a book published in 1874 had such a feminist heroine. Bathsheba is ambitious, independent, headstrong, determined, and free-spirited. From the very beginning, she makes it known that she could never become any man’s property. I know things go somewhat awry, but go Bathsheba!
The Hawk in the Rain by Ted Hughes.
One of my favourite poets, not lessened by the fact that I saw him perform ‘live’ when I was at school. I can clearly remembering him explaining the background to The Thought-Fox and then reading it in that deep, yet soft Yorkshire timbre. I was mesmerised! I don’t think I would have written short stories, then novels, had I not begun my jottings by writing (not very good) poetry.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
I moved schools for sixth form and we studied this for A Level. My teacher, JB, was just brilliant. Not only was he a great teacher, he was a buddhist with charismatic mystique. We all wanted to listen to his peals of wisdom and learn. I was so honoured that he read my debut Beneath the Skin and wrote: “I admired the sheer confidence of your style and the assurance of your dialogue -- very impressive -- as well as the dexterity of your complex plotting. And your insight into character is both astute and alarming! It is decades since I heard my mother say to my father "I can read you like a book!" when she discovered some minor hidden and innocuous secret (smuggling in a second-hand book usually), and I remember how as a child the possibility that women might have some X-ray capacity to read the minds of mere two-dimensional males haunted me. What on earth was Caroline thinking as she sat in my A level class! Dread to think.”
Betray Her
My Husband’s Lies
Beneath the Skin
Hanged by the Neck
Betray Her: The gripping new psychological thriller that you'll be obsessed with
A Slight Diversion
The Stud
Switch Bitch
Far From the Madding Crowd
The Hawk in the Rain
The Great Gatsby
July 17, 2019
How important is location to the story?
Beneath the Skin
Beneath the Skin is set in South Manchester and Cheshire. How important is location to the story?
An interesting question! At first thought I’d say no. I feel Beneath the Skin could be set anywhere because it’s more about people than plot, and though I’m stating the obvious, people are universal! Whatever our size, shape or age, whatever our colour, race or creed, we’re all human beings, so different on the outside, but so similar within…
Of course that’s a simplification. We’re all complex and different inside too, but in my humble view, we all have fears and frailties that we often hide beneath the skin. We all lie and cheat at some point in our lives. That’s not to say any of your lovely readers lie or cheat quite to the extent of the characters in my book, but in some small way we do. Many of us are insecure or jealous or greedy sometimes. Some of us make mistakes or fall in love when we shouldn’t. And try as we might, we can’t all show our best sides all the time. It’s just too exhausting!
But back to location. The advice is to write what you know, so I’ve done precisely that. Sami and Sophie live in a modern townhouse in my village, Didsbury, so I have to be very careful what I say! I love Didsbury, so I’m only joking, but if readers want an idea of what it’s like, they should check out the TV programme Cold Feet which is both set and filmed here. I didn’t deliberately write Beneath the Skin to ape it, but it has been described as a ‘very dark Cold Feet’ many times.
Mike and Olivia live in Chorlton. I once read an article which said the pros of living there were that it was a ‘Guardian-reading heaven’. The cons were that it was ‘A tad self-righteous’ and that people hung out at Unicorn Grocery to discuss falafel recipes and their kids' food allergies. Ouch! I’m glad I didn’t say that. I like Chorlton very much; Dan, my favourite character in my next book lives there too.
We travel south to Cheshire for Antonia and David. They live near Alderley Edge, the champagne capital of the North. We have finally reached the location which, I feel, is important to the story! This area of Cheshire is gorgeous! In the middle of the undulating green countryside, it is littered with glossy shops, bars, restaurants and spectacular gated mansions; it’s where the super wealthy and the Manchester City and United footballers live!
Antonia and David are no different from their neighbours. They are the lucky rich! They live in White Gables, a huge house set in large gardens with stunning views of The Edge. They have every gadget and gizmo. They are what many people aspire to! They have everything. Don’t they? Ah, there’s the rub. Money doesn't buy happiness. All is not what it seems. Why does Antonia self-harm and isolate herself in that huge house? What is David hiding beneath his gregarious, larger than life personality? Check out Beneath the Skin and find out!
Beneath the Skin is set in South Manchester and Cheshire. How important is location to the story?
An interesting question! At first thought I’d say no. I feel Beneath the Skin could be set anywhere because it’s more about people than plot, and though I’m stating the obvious, people are universal! Whatever our size, shape or age, whatever our colour, race or creed, we’re all human beings, so different on the outside, but so similar within…
Of course that’s a simplification. We’re all complex and different inside too, but in my humble view, we all have fears and frailties that we often hide beneath the skin. We all lie and cheat at some point in our lives. That’s not to say any of your lovely readers lie or cheat quite to the extent of the characters in my book, but in some small way we do. Many of us are insecure or jealous or greedy sometimes. Some of us make mistakes or fall in love when we shouldn’t. And try as we might, we can’t all show our best sides all the time. It’s just too exhausting!
But back to location. The advice is to write what you know, so I’ve done precisely that. Sami and Sophie live in a modern townhouse in my village, Didsbury, so I have to be very careful what I say! I love Didsbury, so I’m only joking, but if readers want an idea of what it’s like, they should check out the TV programme Cold Feet which is both set and filmed here. I didn’t deliberately write Beneath the Skin to ape it, but it has been described as a ‘very dark Cold Feet’ many times.
Mike and Olivia live in Chorlton. I once read an article which said the pros of living there were that it was a ‘Guardian-reading heaven’. The cons were that it was ‘A tad self-righteous’ and that people hung out at Unicorn Grocery to discuss falafel recipes and their kids' food allergies. Ouch! I’m glad I didn’t say that. I like Chorlton very much; Dan, my favourite character in my next book lives there too.
We travel south to Cheshire for Antonia and David. They live near Alderley Edge, the champagne capital of the North. We have finally reached the location which, I feel, is important to the story! This area of Cheshire is gorgeous! In the middle of the undulating green countryside, it is littered with glossy shops, bars, restaurants and spectacular gated mansions; it’s where the super wealthy and the Manchester City and United footballers live!
Antonia and David are no different from their neighbours. They are the lucky rich! They live in White Gables, a huge house set in large gardens with stunning views of The Edge. They have every gadget and gizmo. They are what many people aspire to! They have everything. Don’t they? Ah, there’s the rub. Money doesn't buy happiness. All is not what it seems. Why does Antonia self-harm and isolate herself in that huge house? What is David hiding beneath his gregarious, larger than life personality? Check out Beneath the Skin and find out!
October 27, 2012
Buy me, buy me, buy me!
After the kindle hiccups last weekend, A Slight Diversion is back down to the opening offer price of 77p for this weekend only! http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Slight-Dive...
Hello everybody!
My collection of short stories, Watching Horsepats Feed the Roses was published as a kindle by ACHUKAbooks in march. Check out the eight reviews on Amazon.co.uk!
My novel, A Slight Diversion, was published last weekend, again by ACUKAbooks, but the weekend went awry as the book didn't appear on Amazon until the Sunday and then had no buy me button until late Sunday afternoon! It is now back on a weekend offer price of 77p...would be great if you gave it a go!
My novel, A Slight Diversion, was published last weekend, again by ACUKAbooks, but the weekend went awry as the book didn't appear on Amazon until the Sunday and then had no buy me button until late Sunday afternoon! It is now back on a weekend offer price of 77p...would be great if you gave it a go!
