Cara Cooper : I have published over half a dozen pocket novels. It gives me a real buzz to write about the settings I love so my books are set variously at the seaside, in the city, in the countryside - wherever there's a story. I've tried cosy crime (Take a Chance on Love) and medicals (Healing Love) as well as many other themes. I live in London and can often be found at the weekend wandering through St James's Park, having sorbet and ice cream at the best little place in Soho or strolling along by the Thames. My wedding reception was held on a Thames Barge sailing down to Greenwich - a magical romantic day. One of my biggest ambitions was to be a published author and there are few things nicer than seeing your own books in your bookcase, all shiny and new with real artwork on the cover. The wonderful thing about publishing a book is going from having the germ of an idea, sweating over polishing it to get it right and then seeing it finalised - putting in that last full stop, writing The End. Sharing it first with an Editor and then, once it is accepted with readers is super-scary but such a thrill, I never tire of it. One of my long term ambitions now is to have enough time to research a Georgian/Regency novel. To that end, I spend inordinate amounts of time downing cappucinos in Covent Garden and wandering around the streets where Henry Fielding and Dr Johnson lived and drinking flat whites before floating down alleyways where Handel, Sheridan and Chippendale may have walked. I love to hear from readers so do please get in touch at cara dot cooper at rocketmail dot com.
Sally Quilford I have been writing since 1995, but did not start to take it seriously until around 2003. Since then I have had over 30 short stories published in women's magazines in Britain and abroad. I am also a columnist with Writers Forum magazine and have had articles published in The New Writer. A couple of years ago I decided to take on the challenge of writing a 30k pocket novel for My Weekly (the novellas are now 50k). I was amazed when it was accepted straight away. At the time of writing I have had 6 novellas published by My Weekly with another due out in December 2011. My next challenge is to have a novella accepted by The People's Friend. I love writing pocket novels, particularly romantic suspense but with, I hope, a good dash of humour. Several of my pocket novels are available via Amazon Kindle. Like Cara, I love to hear from readers, so please contact me via my website.
Chrissie Loveday I have written over 35 Pocket Novels for DC Thomson ... a mixture of People's Friend and My Weekly. I find them very saisfying to write as there is space to develop characters, situations and of course bring on the happy ending. They are 'feel good' novellas of course and the right length for a good read. I'm never sure where the story begins. Sometimes it springs from somewhere I have visited ... "what would it be like to live here?" Sometimes the stories are inspired by people and sometimes events. I have usually visited most places in the books and I always have to know something about the subject matter. When you've been around for some years, that's not so difficult! Always good to have friends in the know as well. I have a 'medical advisor', a midwife, a horsey friend and loads more besides. My own career has spanned teaching, lecturing, home decorating and catering. As I originated from the Potteries, I know quite a bit about the china industry. I wrote a trilogy (a saga?) set in the Potteries .. the final part is out November 3rd 2011. I loved it and suspect number four may be simmering. Though the pocket novels are only available for a short time on the shelves, the large print versions hopefully appear in the libraries. I now live in beautiful Cornwall with my husband and three Jack Russells.
Noelene Jenkinson I have always scribbled since childhood and been writing fiction now for over 20 years. I love to read and write sweet romances with the inevitable happy endings and strongly believe in love for a lifetime. Because I am an Aussie and live in the bush, I love to share everything about this awesome land. You will find outback stories in my novels, small country towns, seaside settings and all manner of Australiana. My most recent Pocket Novel, Wombat Creek, is named after our small and cuddly waddling native marsupial and features the heroine raising alpacas on a farmlet in the lush pastoral Western District just south of where I live. I love the research involved to feature these topics in my books and Pocket Novels are the perfect length and outlet to explore them. So far I have 6 novels published as Pocket Novels, all available as Linford large print romances, and as e-books on Kindle and Smashwords for all reading formats. My next projects will be a number of trilogies of which one series will be set in various places along our beautiful beach coastline, another will revolve around characters in a village, and my outback series will explore the isolation and vastness of remote or outback farms with backgrounds of sheep, wheat and cattle. I live in Horsham, the capital of the wheat growing Wimmera district in the western part of the small southern State of 
Carol MacLean I have always written for my own satisfaction since childhood. It’s only in the last few years that I have started to try seriously to write well and get published. So far my publishing success has included a handful of short stories, a couple of non-fiction articles and two pocket novels for My Weekly.I love the pocket novel structure which allows for a wide range of characters, themes and settings and provides a really satisfying read with a happy ending.I live on the west coast of Scotland and am continually inspired by its rugged coastline, changing seas and the dramatic backdrop of my favourite mountains. These find their way into my stories in all the different seasons and my characters are influenced by their setting and atmosphere just as if the Scottish scenery were another character itself. I work as an ecologist and so accuracy in landscape, habitats and species is important to me, both in novels I read and in what I write. My first two pocket novels deal, in different ways, with the contrast between urban living and the countryside idyll. Now that I think of it, my third (just finished) does too! Maybe it’s time to consider other themes... So far, my novellas are all contemporary, but I’d love to have a go at an historical romance – perhaps pocket novel number four will be just that.
Fay Cunningham: I started writing short stories while my three daughters were quite young and now I have grandchildren. They are the inspiration for the child characters in my pocket novels. One of my daughters is a midwife so, like Chrissie, I can always check my medical facts first hand. I think the greatest thing about writing romance is being able to create a perfect setting and then fill it with wonderful characters. My hero will always be a gorgeous, charismatic alpha male and my heroine young and independent. There is the basis for a plot already. These two are going to strike sparks off one another. He will have his faults, like all men, and she probably won’t even like him at first, but we know they will fall in love before the end of the story. It is the very fact of knowing that everything will turn out happily in the end that makes the pocket novel so popular, and the small size means you can pop it in your handbag. 
Margaret Mounsdon I was born in London but moved out when I was three and I grew up in the countryside. I have always lived in the country apart from when I lived and worked abroad for three years.I also worked at Gatwick Airport in Customer Relations where I gained lots of ideas for my stories. I finally ended my 'working' days in a nursing home for the elderly on the front desk I hasten to add, not as a resident. With about forty five residents, their families, the staff, a haunted house, I was virtually handed stories on a plate. Being on the front desk everyone would spill out their problems.
I write most days, although I do not have a set routine. I do get a bit fretful if I can't write every day and absolutely love sharing my computer room with a vacuum cleaner (which is hardly ever used), an old chest full of blankets etc and several filing cabinets.
I have been published by various women's magazines and of course My Weekly and People's Friend Pocket novels. At the last count it was twelve with several more in the pipeline.
For relaxation I like cooking and yoga.
Patricia Keyson
Patricia Keyson
Fenella Miller I live in a modern house in a riverside village called Wivenhoe. It's a big change from the many years I spent in a rural paradise in an ancient cottage. However I still have my ancient husband and Border Collie, Zoe, for company. I was born in the I have ten novellas published with My Weekly Pocket Novels and all these have been sold to Linford Romance. I have also sold three longer novellas to People's Friend Pocket Novels and two of these are coming out with Linford this year. I am now writing for Aurora Regency Musa and my first two books, Miss Peterson &The Colonel and A Cornish Maid are available from their website. I have a further three coming out with Aurora
