Annie Shields

Annie Shields lives in Shropshire with her husband and her two daughters. You will often find them all climbing through remnants of castles or weaving through the streets of historical cities, because they're all history nuts.

"I love history," Annie says, "I am a people watcher now! I love trying to imagine how many people have wandered the same streets as me, and what their lives were like."

Annie has long been fascinated with the Victorian Era - not just because she studied the classic literature books - but because of the significant changes that were happening within that time period.

"There were huge changes being made; it was an exciting time historically, with technological and medical advances being made, but also for women. No longer were they oppressed, they were finally fighting to gain a voice.

I often wonder about the home lives of these women - of what their day to day lives were like. Of how they would have had to fight and push to survive. These women would have much in common with my family experience.

I like writing about women who will prevail, I enjoy romance and I love to weave a story around how, sometimes, you have to fight the system, too. All of my heroines are fighters. I also like for the heroine to get her way and the people who have wronged them to get their just deserts!"