Home is where the heart is for romantic author
THE author of a new Mills & Boon novel has used her adopted hometown as inspiration for it’s medieval setting.
Claire Lackford, who writes under the pseudonym Elisabeth Hobbes, has set her latest historical-romance novel in a medieval, fictionalised version of Macclesfield.
Her new book, ‘Redeeming the Rogue Knight’, is her fifth for publisher Harlequin UK, who own the Mills & Boon title - it is the second book to be set in an historic Macclesfield.
The 42-year-old teacher and author said: “I have lived in Macclesfield for the past eighteen years after ending up here accidentally – though not in such a dramatic fashion as my hero – so this area was the obvious choice for him to turn up in.
“I just think that it’s such a lovely area - I often travel around to places like Macclesfield Forest and love the idea of my characters riding around the area on horseback.
“At one point they visit the St Barnabas fair, which is obviously now the Barnaby fair, which I go to and think is great - I do think we should have jousting at the real fair though!”
As well as celebrating the town, Claire, who is originally from York, has given appreciation to some of Macclesfield’s well-known businesses.
She said, “I wanted my heroine to own an inn and be a brewer to pay tribute to the great local independent breweries such as Bollington Brewery and Red Willow - whose products I enjoy on a regular basis.”
Claire, who works in Holmes Chapel, has been writing for Mills & Boon since 2013, when she came third in their annual world-wide writing competition.
She said: “I’d always written stories since I was little, but at the time of the competition my husband was working away and I was alone with the kids.
“I initially thought it would be easy to write for Mills & Boon, but when I entered I realised it wasn’t so. The quality control is really tight, but my editors are really good - they do focus on historical accuracy as well as the story.”
Claire, who regularly writes in Macclesfield Library, is delighted with the response her book has received on Amazon.
She said: “I’m really pleased with the way people have responded - I still sometimes get ‘impostor syndrome’ - where someone will tell me stop, but no one has yet!”
Claire hopes to focus more time on writing, with another book due out shortly .