Joy Stonehouse

As soon as Joy retired from teaching, she took more of an interest in her family history, just one of the things she'd always put on hold: this led to a series of novels about the Jordan family in Reighton, a small farming village in Filey Bay on the Yorkshire coast. Joy's father came from Filey and married Gladys Jordan, a descendant of the Jordans of Reighton who date back to the 1500s.

Joy writes and researches local archives in the winter, often spending days at The British Library at Boston Spa and The Treasure House in Beverley. During the summer she likes to visit museums. Favourite places are The Yorkshire Museum of Farming at Murton, near York, and The Ryedale Folk Museum at Hutton-le-Hole.

Joy lives on the east coast and finds inspiration by walking in the area, especially along the cliffs and beaches. Memorable times include a walk above Speeton as dawn was breaking, and a visit to Reighton church for a carol service on a frosty, starlit evening.