Hello! I've always been fascinated by history, and would love to travel back and witness past events; the mundane as well as the momentous. But seeing I don't have a time machine, the next best thing is to write about it.
My writing career comes after 40+ years working at various occupations—labourer, waiter, musician, clerk, bookie, public servant, copywriter, consultant, corporate director and filmmaker (not to mention husband, father and grandfather). These gigs didn't make me rich, but they were rich in reward, and I draw upon them to write stories that are as authentic as I can make them.
I've travelled a good slice of the world, but still have many more things to see and experience. I live on the beautiful Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia, and have lived and worked in South East Asia and New Zealand.
My books accentuate the positive things in life—optimism, determination, dignity of self and others, and a damn good laugh now and then. My stories are briskly paced, with colourful characters that will inspire and entertain you.
Come with me on a journey to experience special people and places in time - stories that beckon you back to days gone by.
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Galway, Ireland. 1841. The Thornton family faces a decision which will put their lives on the line.
The Thorntons are in debt to their wealthy landlord, and their dream of owning land of their own seems an impossible one; while across the world, the colony of New South Wales calls for farmers to work the rich plains west of Sydney.
Mick and Cate and their two young boys survive 12,000 miles of treacherous seas, gales and sickness, but that’s just the start of a rollercoaster ride through dangerous territory; prison bars, crooked cops, bushfire, outlaws, and the gold rush, to name just a few.
Wide Sky People is a gripping tale of adventure in an untamed world where the price of success is hard work, a will of iron and a little luck. Two generations of Thorntons will take you on a journey of action, suspense, sadness, love and laughter. Join the people who saw a wide sky full of promise, and turned a colony into a country.
This is the first volume of the Thornton series. The second, ‘Breaking Lucky’, is out now on Amazon.
I thoroughly enjoyed the saga of the Thornton family, emigrating from Ireland to Australia in 1840, their first year in Sydney, and their lives thereafter in Central Western New South Wales. The bits of Australia's history liberally sprinkled throughout the Thorton's story were most welcome - like the US, Australia is a country of immigrants who found their way in a new land, and I loved discovering more Australian history. Definitely recommend!
Danny ‘Lucky’ Thornton cursed his middle name.
Born in 1895, asthma almost killed him when he was four, but he survived to be among the first volunteer lifeguards on Sydney’s Coogee Beach. His sister Cath dreamed of being a doctor, but the walls of prejudice against women demanded she should ‘know her place’.
Danny came home from the Great War with a crippling wound and a shattered mind. Unable to kill his demons, he saddled a horse and rode west, looking for answers. Cath refused to listen to the voices of bigotry, and fought for the right to follow her dream.
Will Danny find solace, or self-destruct? Will Cath achieve her dream or be crushed by a male-dominated world?
Join them in this gripping story of adventure, love, and courage against the odds.
‘Breaking Lucky’ is the second volume of the Thornton Series. The first, ‘Wide Sky People’, is out now on Amazon.
I really enjoyed this story of the trials and tribulations of the Thornton family. It feels as if I know each of them well. The backdrop of the Australian countryside is so realistic, and having spent time in both Sydney and Kiama, I loved being reminded of streets and sights there. Although the book is set in the early years of the twentieth century, much remains the same. Not just the places, but the ups and downs of family life. I hope the author continues with tales of the next generation of the family.
Sydney, January 1879. A body with its eyes hacked out is found in a suburban street, and a cryptic note promises more. Detectives Kennedy and Walsh scour the city for a crazed killer dubbed ‘Doctor Hacksaw’ by the press.
A female suffrage march turns ugly and Kennedy’s wife Mary defends three accused women in a courtroom drama. Walsh’s partner Victoria Chen has information on a crime boss that could get her killed.
Lives spiral out of control as the body count rises. Kennedy and Walsh are entangled in a web of Asian thugs and terrorism. Mary steals a horse for the ride of her life to stop the killer, and Walsh has a secret that could end his career.
There will be a reckoning in the darkness. Dare they enter?
Victorian Sydney Australia comes to life in Dare the Dark. Mitchell deftly weaves a story that’s sure to satisfy. A murder mystery combined with the changing political and social landscape of the 1870s makes for an intriguing read. Multiple subplots enhance the tale in expert fashion.
Pivotal moments are highlighted with perfect timing. Protagonist Liam Kennedy is immediately likable, and Henry Walsh is nuanced, showing an often unseen side of society at that time. A wide range of characters populate the pages, all of whom elevate the story and breathe life into the historic setting.
Booklife Prize.
The First World War is over, and the Thorntons celebrate Armistice on the streets of Sydney, but their vision of an era of peace and prosperity is about to be shattered.
Against a backdrop of the Spanish Flu, the Roaring Twenties, organised crime and the Great Depression, the Thorntons do what they’ve always done—they knuckle down and get on with life. But will that be enough? Will they survive the challenges before them, or be cast upon the jagged rocks of life, like so many during those troubled times?
From the Hindenburg Line to The Hungry Mile, Wild Fennel tells the story of Sydney’s battlers who faced overwhelming odds in the chaotic 1920’s and 30’s. Join the Thornton family in a rich, sweeping novel of hope, resilience, grit, and determination.