Meet Valerie Green, author of The McBride Chronicles

 

I am delighted to welcome Valerie Green to the blog today to introduce herself and her books. Thank you for joining us, Valerie.

FROM FACT TO FICTION

By

Valerie Green

(Hello from Canada!)

I have always been passionate about historical fiction, even though for many years as a writer in England where I was born and educated. and in Canada where I now live, I have written mostly non-fiction, true crime, and books on social issues. All my necessary research for those topics has provided me with a good foundation for delving into historical fiction in more recent years.

I also am passionate about reading so I am always on the search for new historical fiction writers, having read and enjoyed most of the books by Philippa Gregory, Rosamund Pilcher, Edward Rutherford, Hilary Mantel, M.M. Kaye, Margaret Mitchell, Ken Follett, and Colleen McCullough—to name just a few. And of course, I have not neglected the classics by Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Charlotte Bronte.

I was delighted, therefore, to recently discover books by another historical fiction writer, U.K. author Judith Arnopp, and I soon became hooked on her Tudor and Beaufort series. Henry VIII was always my favourite character in school and Judith manages to show her readers many new sides to his very complex character. Fascinating! I was thrilled when she asked me to be a guest on her blog today.

I grew up in England and for a few years we lived in an 18th century farmhouse. I loved all the nooks and crannies of that old house that we discovered had once also been a bakery. Maybe someone had died eating the homemade bread because we also had a resident ghost. At one time or another, my parents, my older sister, and I had all been aware of his/her presence. I think those were the years when I became hooked on history and the seeds of many later stories I would write were born.

I am currently working on a four-book historical fiction series entitled The McBride Chronicles. The first three books – Providence, Destiny, and Legacy – are already released. I’m currently working on Book 4 – Tomorrow. The series starts in the 1840s in England and Scotland and travels to the New World where my two main characters, Jane Hopkins (an orphan) and Gideon McBride (the son of a poor fisherman in Scotland) finally meet in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. and start a family dynasty. The future books about their descendants take the story from the 1870s to present day.

If you decide to read The McBride Chronicles, best to begin with Providence and I hope you will enjoy the story enough to leave a review. All the books can be found on my website: www.valeriegreenauthor.com which will connect to my publishers’ website www.hancockhousepublishers.com where the books can also be purchased.

The books, both paperback and kindle, are also available on Amazon, and you can follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valerie.green3 

Find me on Instagram – at valeriegreen8382

And on Twitter (X).  @valgreenauthor 

And, if you have time, check me out at #greenonhistory too where many of my articles can be found.

 I always love to hear from readers at hello@valeriegreen.com

Thank you, Judith, for the opportunity to be here today on your blog. So much fun to talk to people in the United Kingdom. Now I look forward to having you on my blog as a ‘visiting author’ soon. I’m sure readers in Canada would love to hear more about your books.

 

About the Author

Valerie Green’s love of history and writing about the past and travel began when she was a child in England. After graduating from journalism school in London, she worked as a cub reporter on a local newspaper. She also worked briefly at Foyles Bookstore in London and at the War Office (MI5) before becoming a legal secretary. Freelance writing was not very lucrative!

In 1968, she moved to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and met her future husband. After marrying in England, they returned to Canada and raised a son and a daughter together. Valerie continued to pursue a career as a freelance writer, columnist, and author of over 20 historical nonfiction books set in the Pacific Northwest.

She also branched out into true crime books, including one set in Colorado: Gamblers, Gunmen and Good-Time Gals. Her most famous true crime book is Vanished: The Michael Dunahee Story, the tragic story of a child abduction that occurred in Victoria in 1991 and still remains unsolved.

She has also written one audio fiction (mystery-suspense) story, one ghostwritten book about caring for a handicapped child, and a caregiver’s story, Embrace the Journey, to help those taking care of family members at home. In addition, she has edited many books, including Mental Aerobics by Nancy Lewthwaite, now widely used in medical circles.

Valerie belongs to the Professional Writers of Canada, the Federation of BC Writers, and the Writers’ Union of Canada and is a past director on the board of the Saanich Arts, Culture & Heritage Committee, the Saanich Heritage Foundation, and the Saanich Legacy Foundation.

Passionate about heritage and heritage homes, Valerie wrote two books devoted to Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island heritage houses: If These Walls Could Talk and If More Walls Could Talk. The recently released Dunmora: The Story of a Heritage Manor House on Vancouver Island continues this theme.

Her lifelong dream of writing a definitive historical novel set in British Columbia comes to fruition in her debut novel Providence, part one in the McBride Chronicles series, to be published soon. Destiny, the second in the series, will follow later.

Today, in semi-retirement, Valerie still lives in Greater Victoria, British Columbia. She and her husband enjoy making short road trips around the province and watching their two beloved grandsons grow up.

https://www.valeriegreenauthor.com/