Doncaster author launches debut novel

Lynda Stacey’s novel, which was originally called Keeper of the House but has been renamed House of Secrets, beat a number of extremely high quality entries to win independent publisher Choc Lit’s Search for a Star competition, in collaboration with Whole Story Audiobooks.

The prize for the winning entry was a publishing contract for Lynda.

House of Secrets is now available as an e-book on Amazon and is a contemporary romantic suspense with a parallel timeline set in the year 1942.

It is described by the author as “Fatal Attraction meets Lady Chatterley’s Lover”.

The book follows the character of Madelaine Frost as she attempts to escape Liam O’Grady, a man frighteningly obsessed with her, helped by ex-marine, Christopher ‘Bandit’ Lawless.

One particularly interesting aspect of the novel is the distinctive location.

The hotel owned by Madelaine’s father in the novel is based directly on the Wrea Head Hall Hotel in Scarborough where Stacey and her husband have themselves stayed in the past.

Step-mum and grandmother Lynda, 47, who lives in Hatfield Woodhouse, and who is also the sales director for Doncaster-based business Intec Office Systems, said: “Haydn, my husband and I have been going to Wrea Head Hall for a number of years.

“You can literally feel the history seeping out of the walls, along with a story that needed to be told.

“My characters are totally fictitious, but I can honestly imagine them working and living at the hall.”