14th May 2023

I am delighted to announce that The Mandarin Seeds is now on pre-order by my publisher, SpellBound Books, ready for its full release on 30th May 2023. With especial thanks to Nikki for her spellbinding new cover design. Listening to the King last week, calling on all of us to help those in need, brought to mind the real-life Chinese hero in The Mandarin Seeds who did just that, at great personal risk to himself. Here’s what my novel is about:

You are but seeds of fortune, strewn eastwards by an unlikely Mandarin, towards the South China Seas. May you flourish and germinate in your new earth.

An epic story crossing three continents. 

From the terror of pre-war Vienna to Shanghai and finally to post-war San Francisco, this is a saga full of fight against adversity. Added to this is a touch of romance and absolute, real-life, heroism.

In 1935 Vienna, the demi-monde enjoy the delights of the Grünberger patisserie. Eva and boyfriend Michael love dancing in the illicit American jazz clubs but Nazi terror is rising. Soon, the desperate situation for the Jewish civilians of Vienna forces Eva to try to leave, but where can she go?

Step forward an unlikely, real-life, Chinese hero called Ho Feng Shan, who miraculously helps Eva, her father and showgirl Marta to obtain visas for Shanghai. But, as Marta plans to seduce real-life Shanghai businessman Victor Sassoon, how is shy Eva coping in a totally unfamiliar world of sampans and rickshaws? 

And what has happened to brave Michael, left behind in Nazi-controlled Vienna?

Cross continents to an electrifying and  surprising ending in post-war San Francisco 

To give this novel a flying start, the ebook is only £0.99 (paperbacks available next month), which won’t be debited until 30.5.23. It’s also FREE on KU. Here’s the pre-order/buy link:   https://tinyurl.com/mua598r4

I look forward to reading your review on Amazon in due course. Hope you like it!