Gillie Bowen

I have finally finished and published a biographical novel, Tambourine Man, based on the life of Daniel Carney. The Rhodesian novelist, best known for the 1978 film The Wild Geese, the fourteenth-highest-grossing film worldwide, died tragically at 42. Writing this book has been a labour of love over several years and means a lot to me.

As a writer, a dreamer, a loner, and a brave man, Daniel Carney's life story has always resonated with me. His passion for the country he loved, his service in the British South Africa Police, and his fight for freedom and justice during the Bush War are all aspects of his life that I deeply admire and have strived to capture in my writing.

Daniel Carney was born in Beirut in 1944, the son of a British diplomat. From a troubled and lonely background, he developed a love for Africa. He co-founded the well-known estate agency Fox & Carney in Salisbury. He wrote five best-selling novels, three of which were made into films.

I was with Daniel in London in 1965 when Rhodesia announced a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). We became good friends. His story is written with the blessing of his sister, Erin Pizzey, the domestic abuse advocate known for starting the first and largest domestic violence shelter in the modern world. Erin has recently been presented with a CBE at Windsor Castle for her work with abused women and men. I am honoured that Erin has written the Foreword to Tambourine Man.

My biographical novel 'Operation Bullseye' was published on Amazon on 1 May 2024. I have long been captivated by the unique character of Bill Hudson, a South African cousin of mine on my mother’s side. His exceptional bravery and ambition set him apart. During the Second World War, he became an SOE agent for Britain in Yugoslavia and later in Poland. The author, Ian Fleming, drew inspiration from Bill for his James Bond character. They were close friends. Bill was also acquainted with the author, Evelyn Waugh. Under the codename Operation Bullseye, Bill Hudson made history. He was the first agent to penetrate Yugoslavia after it was occupied by the Axis powers in 1941 and, for eleven months, the only one there. He was the only agent to meet both the rival resistance leaders, Tito and Mihailovic, a testament to his strategic brilliance and courage. I have researched Bill’s life thoroughly and am confident that the facts are correct. Allow me a writer’s imagination, and I am happy to say this is the true story of an amazing man. His physical strength, intellectual subtlety and moral courage all found scope in intelligence gathering, sabotage and liaison with guerrilla forces. But beneath his rugged exterior, Hudson harboured a generous, gentle, and romantic spirit, a testament to his multifaceted personality and admirable character.

'White on Wight' is based on the true life story of Thomas White, a boat builder from Kent. In the early nineteenth century, there is no cure for smallpox. When most of his household succumbs to the dreadful disease, Tom is left to run the family boatyard on his own. With his young wife dead and his business in tatters, he bundles his three young children into a boat and sets sail for the Isle of Wight to start a new life. His dream to build a steam-driven ship of controversial design to conquer the waves is complicated by juggling an embryonic business with the duties of rearing a young family. Tom fights for his life at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in war-torn Britain.

'The Mary White' was published on Amazon in October 2020. She was Tom White's aunt. Mary White’s dream is to build a rescue boat that will save lives. She risks her life helping her first love, Stephen, to smuggle goods brought in from France. Her smuggling escapades and rescue attempts bring scandal to her family. In an attempt to restore their good name, she marries a wealthy socialite. Will the marriage bring her the freedom she craves to realise her ambitions? This is a true story set in a time of political unrest, war with France and the Jacobite Rising of 1745, led by Bonny Prince Charlie.

Mary was my seventh great-aunt. She was also the second great-aunt of Hougham Hudson, who was my third great-grandfather. He was also born and raised in St Peter’s in Kent, before emigrating to South Africa in 1820, aged twenty. You can read his family’s story in 'Beneath African Skies', available from Amazon Books. 'Beneath African Skies' is a novel based on the true story of the Hudson family whose forebears were amongst a band of brave young people known as the 1820 White Settlers. They left England over 190 years ago to make a new life for themselves in South Africa. Four generations later, in 1918, George Hudson was born in Benoni, near Johannesburg. His sister, Molly, was born fifteen months later - she was my mother.

In the sequel, Breaking African Ties, George and Molly return to their homeland, Kenya, after the conclusion of the Second World War. They now face the 'Winds of Change' as Kenya seeks independence under Jomo Kenyatta. They will live through the horrors of the Mau-Mau Rebellion as their children grow up in a new Black Africa. They must decide if their futures lie in a new Kenya after the fight for African Freedom.

My family saga, 'The Lost Seed of the Pomegranate' was first published in 2019. It is based on the true story of two Victorian women faced with heart-wrenching decisions which will have life-long consequences. What will be the future of the child Emily carries? A daughter who will break her mother’s heart, but will go on to face tragedy herself? Emily was my husband's second great-aunt.

'Towering Expectations' is the first book in 'The Ville Rose Series' a contemporary romantic drama trilogy. Based in London and Toulouse, France, the story follows the love affair between Patricia and Freddy, and its devastating repercussions for them and for those that follow. 'Scandalous Revelations' is book two. We fast forward to 2035 when Patricia's daughter, Juliette, discovers she has a half-sister. Will the sisters' entangled lives survive their father’s infamous and immoral past? 'Sacrificial Atonement' brings a dramatic end to the series and involves heartbreak, intrigue, murder and love.

I am the co-author of the best-selling cookbook 'amuse-bouche', a collection of French recipes and photographs adapted for the British and American markets. An amuse-bouche, roughly translated, is a 'taste tantalizer' or an 'appetite teaser'. Its purpose is to introduce exciting, unusual flavours in tiny quantities at the onset or in the middle of a meal. 'amuse-bouche goes Latin' was published in 2015 and introduces spicy flavours to these French treats.

Personal Anecdotes: I was born in Nakuru, Kenya, and have travelled extensively over the years. I am a retired British journalist now living with my husband in the Loire Valley, France. I love to write, cook, entertain, and travel.