Essie Summers

Essie Summers was a New Zealand author who wrote so vividly of the people and landscape of her native country that she was offered The Order Of the British Empire for her contributions to New Zealand tourism.

Ethel Snelson Summers was born on on July 24, 1912 to a newly-emigrated couple, Ethel Snelson and Edwin Summers, situated in Bordesley Street in Christchurch, Essie was always proud of both her British heritage and her New Zealand citizenship. Both her parents were exceptional storytellers, and this, combined with her early introduction to the Anne of Green Gables stories, engendered in her a life-long fascination with the craft of writing and the colorful legacy of pioneers everywhere.

Leaving school at 14 when her father's butcher shop

If you like author Essie Summers here is the list of authors you may also like

Buy books on Amazon

Total similar authors (22)

Mary Burchell

Ida Cook was born on 1904 at 37 Croft Avenue, Sunderland, England. With her eldest sister Mary Louise Cook (1901), she attending the Duchess' School in Alnwick. Later the sisters took civil service jobs in London, and developed a passionate interest in opera. The sisters helped 29 jews to escape from the Nazis, funded mainly by Ida's writing. In 1965, the Cook sisters were honored as Righteous Gentiles by the Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority in Israel.

As Mary Burchell, she published more than 125 romance novels by Mills & Boon since 1936. She also wrote some western novels as James Keene in collaboration with the author Will Cook (aka Frank Peace). In 1950, Ida Cook wrote her autobiography: "We followed our stars". She he
Buy books on Amazon
Dorothy Cork

As an author for Mills and Boon and later for Harlequin Romance, Dorothy Cork wrote 38 romance novels. She was born in 1918 and is still alive. Her first book was published in 1965 and the last in 1985.

Quite a number of her books have been translated into a diversity of languages: Japanese, Greek, Italian, French and so on.

She also wrote a number of short stories - about half of which were published in various Australian magazines.
Buy books on Amazon
Lilian Warren

Lilian Warren aka Rosalind Brett, Kathryn Blair, Katrina Britt, and Celine Conway.

Lilian Warren was born in London, England, UK. She worked as secretary, when at 19, her first magazine story was accepted. She married and moved to South Africa, where she continued writing. In the 1950s, she started to write to Rich & Cowan, and later to Mills & Boon, under various pseudonyms Rosalind Brett, Celine Conway, and Kathryn Blair. She passed away on 1961 in South Africa. Some of her books were published posthumuously.
Buy books on Amazon
Lucy Walker

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Lucy Walker (1907–1987) was the most famous of a few pseudonyms used by Dorothy Lucie Sanders (née McClemans). She was born in Boulder, Western Australia, on 4 May 1907. Her father was of Irish stock, a minister of the Church of England. Her mother was from New Zealand. Dorothy began writing at an early age, despite her father’s scepticism about her ability.

A qualified teacher from Perth College (1928), she taught in state schools in Western Australia until 1936. She continued teaching later in London while her husband, a fellow school teacher whom she married in 1936, completed his doctorate in education.

They returned to Perth, Australia in 1938 but Dorot
Buy books on Amazon
Betty Neels

Evelyn Jessy "Betty" Neels was born on September 15, 1910 in Devon to a family with firm roots in the civil service. She said she had a blissfully happy childhood and teenage years.(This stood her in good stead later for the tribulations to come with the Second World War). She was sent away to boarding school, and then went on to train as a nurse, gaining her SRN and SCM, that is, State Registered Nurse and State Certificate of Midwifery.

In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service, which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station. This comprised eight nursing sisters, including Betty, to 100 men! In other circumstances, she thought that might have been quite thr
Buy books on Amazon
Mary Burchell

Ida Cook was born on 1904 at 37 Croft Avenue, Sunderland, England. With her eldest sister Mary Louise Cook (1901), she attending the Duchess' School in Alnwick. Later the sisters took civil service jobs in London, and developed a passionate interest in opera. The sisters helped 29 jews to escape from the Nazis, funded mainly by Ida's writing. In 1965, the Cook sisters were honored as Righteous Gentiles by the Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority in Israel.

As Mary Burchell, she published more than 125 romance novels by Mills & Boon since 1936. She also wrote some western novels as James Keene in collaboration with the author Will Cook (aka Frank Peace). In 1950, Ida Cook wrote her autobiography: "We followed our stars". She he
Buy books on Amazon
Jane Donnelly

Jane Donnelly began earning her living as a writer as a teenage reporter. When she married the editor of the newspaper she freelanced for women's mags for a while. After she was widowed she and her 5 year old daughter moved to Lancashire. She turned to writing fiction to make a living while still caring for her daughter, she sold her first Mills & Boon romance novel as a hard-up singleparent in 1965. She wrote over 60 romance novels for Mills & Boon until 2000. Now she lives in a roses-round-the door cottage near Stratford-upon-Avon, with four dogs and assorted rescued animals. Besides writing she enjoys travelling, swimming, walking and the company of friends.
Buy books on Amazon
Dorothy Cork

As an author for Mills and Boon and later for Harlequin Romance, Dorothy Cork wrote 38 romance novels. She was born in 1918 and is still alive. Her first book was published in 1965 and the last in 1985.

Quite a number of her books have been translated into a diversity of languages: Japanese, Greek, Italian, French and so on.

She also wrote a number of short stories - about half of which were published in various Australian magazines.
Buy books on Amazon
Charlotte Lamb

Sheila Ann Mary Coates Holland
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy

Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romanc
Buy books on Amazon
Patricia Wilson

Patricia Wilson (1929 – 2010) was a best-selling writer of 53 romance novels for the Mills & Boon publisher from 1986 to 2004. She placed her novels primarily in England, Spain or France.
Buy books on Amazon
Joyce Dingwell

Enid Joyce Owen Dingwell, née Starr, was born on 1908 in Ryde, New South Wales, Australia. She wrote, as Joyce Dingwell and Kate Starr, 80 romance novels for Mills & Boon from 1931 to 1986. She was the first Australian writer living in Australia to be published by Mills & Boon. Her novel The House in the Timberwood (1959), was made into a motion picture, The Winds of Jarrah (1983). Her work was particularly notable for its use of the Australian land, culture, and people. She passed away on 2 August 1997 in Kincumber, New South Wales.
Buy books on Amazon
Rebecca Stratton

Rebecca Stratton wrote two books as a Harlequin Presents author. Writing for the Harlequin Romance imprint, she published 43 novels. She also wrote under the name Lucy Gillen. She passed away in 1982.

Biography from Harlequin Romance #2489 The Golden Spaniard

"When one happens to be an unmarried woman of forty-five and apparently fixed for the rest of her working life in a safe and settled job," Rebecca Stratton says of herself, "it is apt to be regarded as bordering on the insane to suddenly give it all up and become a full-time writer."

But that is precisely what British-born and -bred Rebecca did one August day in 1967. Writing had always been her ultimate aim, and she felt that if she didn't make the move right then and there she'd end her
Buy books on Amazon
Miriam Macgregor

1912- 2001

Miriam MacGregor wrote several romances for Mills & Boon and Harlequin in the 1980's and 1990's. Her stories are mostly set in New Zealand.

She also wrote several well regarded non fiction books about New Zealand.

Mrs Macgregor was married twice. Rachel McAlpine states in The Passionate Pen that Mrs Macgregor moved to England in the 1990s to live with a daughter.

added information from The Passionate Pen, the back cover of Petticoat Pioneers & National Library New Zealand.

Buy books on Amazon
Susan Barrie

One of many pseudonyms used by Ida Julia Pollock, née Crowe.

Mrs. Pollack was a British writer of several short-stories and 125 romance novels that were published under her married name and under a number of different pseudonyms: Joan M. Allen; Susan Barrie, Pamela Kent, Averil Ives, Anita Charles, Barbara Rowan, Jane Beaufort, Rose Burghley, Mary Whistler and Marguerite Bell. She has sold millions of copies over her 90-year career. She has been referred to as the "world's oldest novelist" who was still active at 105 and continued writing until her death.

Ida and her husband, Lt Colonel Hugh Alexander Pollock, DSO (1888–1971), a veteran of war and Winston Churchill's collaborator and editor, had a daughter, Rosemary Pollock, who is also a ro
Buy books on Amazon
Susan Barrie

One of many pseudonyms used by Ida Julia Pollock, née Crowe.

Mrs. Pollack was a British writer of several short-stories and 125 romance novels that were published under her married name and under a number of different pseudonyms: Joan M. Allen; Susan Barrie, Pamela Kent, Averil Ives, Anita Charles, Barbara Rowan, Jane Beaufort, Rose Burghley, Mary Whistler and Marguerite Bell. She has sold millions of copies over her 90-year career. She has been referred to as the "world's oldest novelist" who was still active at 105 and continued writing until her death.

Ida and her husband, Lt Colonel Hugh Alexander Pollock, DSO (1888–1971), a veteran of war and Winston Churchill's collaborator and editor, had a daughter, Rosemary Pollock, who is also a ro
Buy books on Amazon
Margaret Malcolm

Margaret Malcolm, née Margaret Lilian Graham was a British writer over 100 romance novels at Mills & Boon from 1940 to 1981.

Not to be confused with Margaret Malcolm (Edith Lyman Kuether), author only of Headless Beings.
Buy books on Amazon
Joyce Dingwell

Enid Joyce Owen Dingwell, née Starr, was born on 1908 in Ryde, New South Wales, Australia. She wrote, as Joyce Dingwell and Kate Starr, 80 romance novels for Mills & Boon from 1931 to 1986. She was the first Australian writer living in Australia to be published by Mills & Boon. Her novel The House in the Timberwood (1959), was made into a motion picture, The Winds of Jarrah (1983). Her work was particularly notable for its use of the Australian land, culture, and people. She passed away on 2 August 1997 in Kincumber, New South Wales.
Buy books on Amazon
Rebecca Stratton

Rebecca Stratton wrote two books as a Harlequin Presents author. Writing for the Harlequin Romance imprint, she published 43 novels. She also wrote under the name Lucy Gillen. She passed away in 1982.

Biography from Harlequin Romance #2489 The Golden Spaniard

"When one happens to be an unmarried woman of forty-five and apparently fixed for the rest of her working life in a safe and settled job," Rebecca Stratton says of herself, "it is apt to be regarded as bordering on the insane to suddenly give it all up and become a full-time writer."

But that is precisely what British-born and -bred Rebecca did one August day in 1967. Writing had always been her ultimate aim, and she felt that if she didn't make the move right then and there she'd end her
Buy books on Amazon
Barbara Rowan

One of many pseudonyms used by Ida Julia Pollock, née Crowe.

Mrs. Pollack was a British writer of several short-stories and 125 romance novels that were published under her married name and under a number of different pseudonyms: Joan M. Allen; Susan Barrie, Pamela Kent, Averil Ives, Anita Charles, Barbara Rowan, Jane Beaufort, Rose Burghley, Mary Whistler and Marguerite Bell. She has sold millions of copies over her 90-year career. She has been referred to as the "world's oldest novelist" who was still active at 105 and continued writing until her death.

Ida and her husband, Lt Colonel Hugh Alexander Pollock, DSO (1888–1971), a veteran of war and Winston Churchill's collaborator and editor, had a daughter, Rosemary Pollock, who is also a ro
Buy books on Amazon
Esther Wyndham

Mary Lutyens (pseudonym Esther Wyndham; 31 July 1908 – 9 April 1999) was a British author who is principally known for her biographical works on the philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti.
Buy books on Amazon
Roumelia Lane

Kay Green
aka Roumelia Lane, Florissa May, Guy Granger, Katie Kent, Harley Davis

Kay Green was born on 31 December 1927 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, UK. On 1 October 1949, she married Gavin Frederick Green, they had a son and a daughter.
Buy books on Amazon
Rozella Lake

Rozella Lake is the pen name of an author who also published as Roberta Leigh, Rachel Lindsay, Janey Scott. See the "Roberta Leigh" entry for full biographical information.

Buy books on Amazon