Juliet is the author of First World War Novel ‘We That are Left’, completed with a Literature Wales Writers’ Bursary 2013 and published by Honno Press in February 2014. ‘We That are Left’ is the Welsh Book Council’s Book of the Month for March, and also Waterstones Wales Book of the Month and the National Museums of Wales Book of the month.
Juliet’s previous novel for Honno, ‘ was chosen by the Welsh Books Council as Welsh Book of the Month for May 2012, and the Kindle version became an Amazon top five best seller in August 2013. ‘Eden’s Garden’ is currently a finalist in ‘The People’s Book Prize’ 2014.
Juliet lives in a traditional Welsh cottage halfway between the romantic Isle of Anglesey and the beautiful mountains and ruined castles of Snowdonia.
After studying English at Lancaster University and King’s College, London, Juliet worked in a variety of jobs, from running a craft stall at Covent Garden Market to teaching English.
The Gwynfynydd Goldmine in Coed y Brenin, southern Snowdonia. Inspiration for the serial ‘Gold for a Princess’ .
Juliet began writing seriously about ten years ago, after a severe viral illness left her with debilitating ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for years. Juliet always says that M.E. was the worst, and the best, thing that ever happened to her. On one hand, it sent her from being able to walk up mountains with ease to struggling to do the simplest of everyday tasks for more than a few minutes at a time. But on the other, it forced her to re-evaluate her life and her priorities. And it made her a writer.
Juliet in Brondanw Gardens, one of the inspirations for ‘Eden’s Garden’
She is now well and back to dog walking and working on her beloved garden. As well as novels under her own name, Juliet writes stories and serials for magazines as ‘Heather Pardoe’.
When not writing, Juliet works on local oral history projects, helping older people tell their stories before they are lost forever.
She’s also attempting to go as green as one shamelessly comfort-loving woman can go in an end-of-terrace cottage halfway up a Welsh hillside with as much slate as earth in the garden. And to do it cheaply and in style. It’s the only way to go!
In the grounds of Glynllifon, one of the inspirations for ‘We that Are Left’
Finally back on top of Snowdon!
Hi Juliet,
I did a rare thing today. I clicked on your blog because another person commented about your beautiful photography. You do have lovely photos. But my reason for this comment is to tell you that I am so happy to know another writer from England. I haven’t been able to visit since 1983, and boy do I miss it! I am sitting here with a cup of Yorkshire tea and thinking of my friends I left behind. I will tell you about my time in England and my brush with literary fame there. Or maybe I’ll blog about it. Perhaps your blog will urge me to create my own. I’ve needed this urge for a long time. Thanks! Emily
Hi Emily,
Thank you for those lovely words. I’m thinking of you drinking Yorkshire tea, far from home. That’s a long time not to be able to visit. I hope you can make it back sometime.
I’d love to hear about your time in England. And the brush with literary fame sounds wonderfully intriguing.
Subject for a first blog post?
Juliet
Hi Juliet,
I’m a Platform Building Campaigner like yourself, newly joined and just beginning to feel my way around.
I’m in central England, in Leicestershire, and Emily, I just had a cup of Yorkshire tea myself. Burning the midnight oil, or as we say on twitter #midnightbrew
Hope to read many more posts.
Hi Maria,
Good morning from Wales. Great to meet you. I’m just off to find your blog.
Leicestershire is lovely, and feels very close in the big world-wide blogesphere. Aha, I haven’t come across #midnightbrew, but I shall be brewing now. I’m really looking forward to getting my head round the Platform Building Campaign. See you there!
Juliet
Lovely post! So glad you’re on the way back from M.E. Takes great strength and courage. Cheers to you!
xo
Ilie
Hi, Juliet –
I noticed you subscribed to my blog – Thank You! Subscribers are always appreciated.
I think the WordPress Group on SheWrites is a fabulous idea – good connections have been created.
Your pictures show some beautiful landscapes – I am glad you posted them.
I looked for your books on Goodreads – both under your name, and your alter ego. I saw that information on Gravatar, and naturally tried Goodreads. Initially I was not fan of Goodreads, and resisted signing on.
I do like it now, have connected with some good communities. It has been helpful for me as a Book Reviewer – another place to get feedback, and make connections with authors. They have a lot for authors, I would recommend you give it a look. I signed on as your ‘fan’ under both names, and look forward to my first read.
As you may have read on my Blog, I am on a short hiatus right now, but hope to be back at it soon. I have picked up on my reading, so I know my reviewing will follow.
Nice to meet you, Juliet!
Patricia
Hi Patricia!
Great to meet you too. Thanks for being my ‘fan’ on Goodreads – and Heather says thank you too. Ahem :)
I’m in the middle of final edits at the moment, but I’m getting round to Goodreads next. I think it’s a brilliant idea! Edits should be finished by the end of next week. Hopefully by then I’ll have a book cover as well.
See you on your blog and She Writes. And Goodreads as well. Going over there now!
Juliet
What an inspirational bio, I love how you acted on your circumstances and changed them for the good. I am sure that doing the thing you are passionate about is in some way a healing experience and to be surrounded by those gorgeous landscapes must create an abundant space in the mind for your stories to develop as well.
Happy to have stumbled across your blog via Twitter/SheWrites.
Bonne continuation.
Claire
http://clairemca.wordpress.com
Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting today, Juliet. I enjoy your blog a lot and look forward to hearing more about you and your book! How exciting you’re being published.
Greetings Juliet,
I’ve nominated you for the Liebster blog award. Please check via this link: http://wp.me/p1PO0E-76
I look forward to reading more of your work !!
Best wishes,
Lucinda
Very nice blog and what a beautiful place. I can see how inspiring it must be to see such sights so close to home. I am so jealous, and anyone that loves dogs, well, you just know they’re living life right.
Glad you like it, Briget! And my dog agrees with you. :)
Juliet
Hi Juliet
I agree with Claire, what an inspiring bio! I love your pictures and it’s always nice to connect with someone living in wild rural Wales. I’m rather jealous, I’d love to live in a traditional cottage half way up a Welsh mountain! I currently live in a small village in England, having been ‘priced out’ of having a home in my beloved native Wales, where I lived most of my life, but I do hope to return one day!
Heylo Juliet,
I have nominated you for the Kreativ Blogger Award.. thank you for being a bright and beautiful inspiration.
The RULES for this award are as follows:
1. Thank the person nominating your for the award: Check
2. List ten things about yourself: Here is the link to my previous acceptance.
3. Nominate SIX blogs you think deserve the Kreativ Blogger Award.
*
Woohoo! Thank you Lucinda! I shall accept the Kreativ Blogger Award with pride.
Thank you and hurrah!
:)
Hi Juliet, I couldn’t help but tag you in the ‘Be Inspired’ blog hop since you are a great inspiration to me. :)
You can read more about it in my recent post ‘A Piece of the Mosaic’.
Thank you, Claire! I love that I’m an inspiration. Cheering away here. :) Your blog is an inspiration to me, too – so I am honoured to be tagged.
Heading over …..
Hi Juliet,
How is it that I have known you for years and never knew that you suffered from ME? I had it too for about eight years and when it was active I would also lose my voice for months at a time. It is a very debilitating illness, but it changed my life in a similar\r way to yours because that is when I began to write seriously too,
Yes it is a horrible illness, Anne. I’m sorry that you suffered from it too. I’m glad we are both better now. I still have to be careful at times, but having a dog is the best way to keep fit and that goes a long way to keeping well.
We writers need to keep up our strength. :-) xxx
Couldn’t agree more Juliet about owning a dog keeping a person fit. My lovely little collie Meg is eighteen months old now and very active. She needs to be walked twice daily in places where she can run free and boy can she run and often does just for the sheer joy or it. Other times she loves having the ball thrown, jumping the waves on the beach, chasing the sea gulls terns and ravens, or chivying the oyster catchers, who rise in a mass if twittering, fluttering black and white, . She also plays hide and seek and tracking in the marran grass of the sand dunes. I walk five miles every morning and she runs and gallops three or four times that distance. l I love our walks together, whatever the weather and it is my chance to breath fresh air and a time to think in a day where most of it is spent on a chair before the computer, doing a job I love.
Hi Juliet,
Thanks for finding and following my blog. It’s lovely to know more about you. Hope to meet you at a RNA event some time soon :)
It is so rare I find anyone else from Wales that blogs about books that I felt I had to say hello. I’m at the other end of the country from you, close to Cardiff. I was wondering if you would be interested in doing a guest post on my blog? I have a series looking at literature from different parts of the world and I got challenged recently to do a feature on literature from Wales. Interested?
Definitely! I’d love to. Emailing now. I love bloggers from Wales – we have so many brilliant books here. :-)