Alison James, novelist & artist

I grew up in the UK and studied English at King's College, Cambridge.  I've always loved a good story and have been writing all my life.  After moving to the United States (as I thought briefly), I instead married a bookseller and settled here with our two children. My current home is in the blue ridge mountains of Western North Carolina.  

Careers in bookselling and then business didn't keep me from getting up in the middle of the night (like going to meet a lover) in order to weave & follow the adventures of my beloved characters.  I had to write, I couldn't NOT.  Readers tell me they love the insightful characterizations and poignant writing.

My mother, who taught English and History, brought me up with a keen sense of the past still present all around us - and also of the lives and sacrifices of previous generations. 

My grandfathers both fought in the First World War (West Yorkshire Regiment & Royal Flying Corps) and my dad, who rose from the ranks to become an officer in the Royal Navy, saw active service throughout World War 2 & the Korean War.  Their experiences, though rarely spoken of, made a deep impression on me. 

As a child I was an eager observer of the natural beauties of our home among the chalk downs of Hampshire.

I've always loved to capture beautiful things in paint or fibre art, especially landscapes and birds.