The Order of the Lily (65 page)

Authors: Catherine A. Wilson

Tags: #Historical Fiction

BOOK: The Order of the Lily

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âAt the suggestion of Anna Jacobs, another highly successful and talented Australian novelist, I joined Romance Writers Australia. One keystroke error placed me on a chat loop where I met my namesake, Cathy T. After making a crass remark concerning my rather plain name, our friendship was born. We began to regularly email one another, offering words of encouragement (the publishing world is a tough place for the uninitiated â believe me), when Cathy T came upon the idea to create a novel along the lines of our real-time friendship. Hence,
Lions and
Lilies
was born.'

Catherine was born in London, England and emigrated to Australia in the 1970s, growing up in and around the leafy suburbs of Eastwood, Epping and Dundas. Without a particular path in mind she simply took the first job she was offered, which happened to be the position of Layout Artist for a well-known map publisher, but changed course and selected a career in nursing. She later enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force, before resigning to a quiet life at home.

She lives in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, with her husband and two beautiful children, several Jack Russells, a large flock of flighty chickens, goldfish and budgies. When not writing (which is not often) she likes to garden, read books, shop, read books, drink copious cups of strong coffee with friends and read plenty of books.

Catherine T. Wilson

âMy first lasting love? Hmm, I was fourteen when a friend handed me a book about a heroine in France during the 15th century, and I fell in love with everything medieval. But maybe it didn't start there. Come to think of it, when I was younger I devoured Alan Garner's tales of sleeping knights in
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen
, progressing to
King
Arthur
and
Ivanhoe
, but somehow that French heroine always stayed with me.'

Catherine was born in Burnley, England, but moved to Australia when she was eleven months old. She grew up in Elizabeth, South Australia, relocating to Queensland when she was fourteen. She worked in communications, before finally deciding to fulfil her dream as a writer. The raw draft of her first novel, a Viking romance, won an encouragement award of $1,000 from six hundred entries in a popular women's magazine competition. A member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, she visited Europe in 2006 to witness the annual re-enactment of The Battle of Agincourt, and then travelled extensively throughout Britain and France, researching material for
Lions and Lilies.

She lives on a small bushland property, on a mountain range west of Brisbane, with her husband and two beautiful children, three dogs, a small herd of cattle, a flock of cockatoos, and one horse. And yes, you only have to walk into her house to see her first love. Pictures of maidens on horseback grace the walls, and every corner and mantel is filled with knights and battle axes, the bookshelves overflowing with tales of chivalry.

The Lily and the Lion
was published in 2012