Based on True Stories – Annette Creswell

Sunset over Chania

During the maelstrom of the Second World War, amidst the rugged landscape of Crete, a resilient British nurse named Meg, finds herself caught between duty and desire. Serving tirelessly in a field hospital, Meg’s life takes an unexpected turn when she shares a fleeting connection with a Greek soldier. Their passionate encounter leaves her with a secret which she fiercely guards-a son named Theo.

Upon reaching maturity, Theo grapples with an enigmatic hereditary disease that unravels the threads of his identity. As a diary and a memento of the war are discovered, Theo and his partner, Kevin embark on a poignant journey to try and locate this man who might prove to be Theo’s biological father.

Sunset Over Chania is a poignant tale of love, sacrifice and the indomitable spirit that transcends generations. Set against the backdrop of history’s darkest times, this novel explores the enduring bonds forged in the crucible of war, and the profound impact of a son’s journey of self-discovery. Will Theo find solace in the untold chapters of his family’s past, or will the weight of history prove too heavy to bear?

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LIFE'S LAST PAGE

Into the confines of Waverley Nursing Home steps Lisa, a voluntary worker whose life has
been scarred by emotional and physical abuse. Firstly, by her mother then by her Attorney
husband, Gary.

Tormented by her own painful past, she becomes a guardian angel for the suffering residents, particularly Harry whose own life had been one of hardship and suffering.
under the hands of the Japanese in the second world war. Olga, a survivor of the Holocaust,
was another resident Lisa befriends and to them she offers solace in the most controversial
way possible.

Will Lisa’s acts of mercy truly be the salvation she believes them to be, or will
they unleash a chain of devastating consequences?

Into the picture comes Douglas, a flawed character who harbours a deep secret which leads
him down a treacherous path. Haunted by his own demons he too seeks an elusive redemption that
seems forever out of reach.

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Return to Portovenere

Upon the request of her mother’s dying wish Georgia has made a pilgrimage to Portovenere, an iconic place in Cinque Terre where poets and artists visited and where her mother spent time in the 1920s. With her ashes and a box of memorabilia, Georgia hopes to solve her mother’s enigmatic behaviour towards her and especially towards her father.

From the halcyon days of the twenties to contemporary time, in English grand estates and Fleet Street, the salons of Paris, in Rome, Florence and Portovenere, relationships will be tested and questioned. A tragic outcome will change lives forever and when secrets are revealed there will be an unexpected and surprising ending.

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Based on True Stories

Margaret’s Story follows a woman living in a nursing home and her dysfunctional family’s actions both in the past and present. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?

The inspiration for writing Margaret’s Story came from the time when nursing facilities were being reported in the media as places in which aged people were placed and abandoned by their families.

Margaret endured giving up a child, a husband with bipolar disorder, and children in toxic relationships. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?

Just like many novelists, my stories are based on true stories I have encountered interwoven with a fictional overarching narrative.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

I wanted to show the readers how mental illness can strike suddenly with resultant ramifications for the victim and his family and how surrendering a baby for adoption leaves an indelible mark on the birth mother.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

My next novel, Return to Portovenere was inspired by a visit I made to Portovenere in Cinque Terre, Italy. I and my son were so entranced by this magical place I knew there would be a novel ready to be written. The book is due for publication soon by Pharos Books.

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79 Uxbridge Road: A WWII Romance

Tom, who was previously an Accountant in the shipping office of Cunard, has arrived home from the second world war to his wife Martha and their two children, Brian who is five and Janey eleven.
Because of the terrible conditions in the concentration camp in which he was imprisoned by the Germans, Tom contracts TB and is subsequently admitted to a sanitarium leaving Martha to care for the family.
Tom’s mother who lives in style in Belgravia does not endear herself to anyone and blames her son’s ill health on his enlistment in the war. However, Martha’s mother is the complete opposite to Grandma Johnson, and Brian and Janey adore visiting her in the school holidays.
In Martha’s struggle to care for her family, she is supported by her gossipy but kind neighbour, Ethel, who lives next door and likes to play Bingo at the local hall.
Tom dies of TB, but he did not die alone as Edward, the kind doctor at the sanitarium had been with him in his final moments.
Will Martha be able to support herself and her two children with no husband? Will she find love again when everything looks so hopeless?

MARGARET'S STORY

Margaret, a resident in a nursing home, has been divorcedfrom her husband who suffered from bipolar disorder. Her son Peter and her daughter Phoebe have placed her in this care facility after selling the family home. Both couples, Phoebe and her husband Neil and Peter and his wife Adriana, are in unhappy toxic relationships. Adriana however manages to divorce Peter and moves to Australia. But Peter and Phoebe are not the only two children that Margaret has. Before her marriage, Margaret had given birth to a son who was adopted by a Canadian couple. She always thought of this child and yearned to see him again. The plot takes a turn when by sheer coincidence, Adriana meets Margaret s son in Sydney.

A baby surrendered for adoption, the trauma of mental illness, a dysfunctional family. Can happiness be achieved or what fate awaits this ordinary woman called Margaret?

From an early age, Annette was encouraged to write and was awarded several prizes for English. A native of Sydney, Australia, she published a short story at the age of twelve. She remained passionate to her writing, but the demands of raising a family left no time to pursue her interest. Now retired, Annette has reignited her passion and written six books with the seventh nearing completion. Annette lives with her partner, Stephen, at Neutral Bay, a suburb on Sydney Harbour. She has two sons, Mark and Brett, two grandsons, Jaime and Flynn and a sister, Maree.

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When Charles’ wife, Diana, and first child die in childbirth, Peggy and Charles are thrust into a relationship of happiness, sorrow and unexpected tragedy. They ultimately marry, have a son and adopt an east end refugee boy from London.

What transpires is a web of family dramas a la Downton Abbey with lesbian relationships, Nazi sympathizers and family secrets revealed as Peggy attempts to navigate through her new life from midwife to lady of the manor.

About the author

She is beautiful and warm, and graceful and boasts a wonderful sense of humor. A sure sign of a high intellect. Annette writes from what she knows. Her latest novel entitled The Dark Before the Dawn is a most evocative romantic old world tale with a dark side. The drama of the content is what makes for compelling reading. So long you start at page 1, and curb the irresistible urge to take a peek at the last page just to see how it ends, you will be pleasantly surprised and captivated at at every high and low turn this story takes you into…a world of turbulent flavors and unforgettable ‘Wuthering Heights’ moments.

Annette was born at Watson’s Bay a harbor-side suburb in Sydney’s east where she attended Our Lady Star of the Sea primary school. She was awarded prizes for English and at the age of twelve had a short story published.

Her secondary school education was at Our Lady of Mercy College, Rose Bay and Holy Cross College, Woollahra, where she obtained the Leaving Certificate. She completed a secretarial course and was employed as a legal secretary for a solo practitioner in Kings Cross for five years after which she married and with her husband relocated to Brisbane, Queensland where she worked for a large law firm until the birth of her first son.

The intervening years were spent as a stay at home mother caring for her husband and two sons. When her children were teenagers she secured a receptionist position at a legal firm.

Now retired and a lady of leisure, Annette has more time to devote to her writing. She has written six books two of which have been published.

Annette’s disposition is that of the ‘old school’ where her personal values are concerned in how you approach life’s daily dealings, and not what we can get out of life for ourselves but what you can do for others. She is a prolific reader and enjoys novels set around the periods of the two world wars. She is also interested in the nursing profession and has offered her services as a voluntary worker in one of Sydney’s leading hospitals.

We are going to challenge Annette, to write us a thrilling Law series, as we know she is very capable in coming up with something unique. But that is another story.

She loves to travel and enjoys the diversity of cultures, has visited Europe, the United States and South-East Asia and hopes to be able to enjoy more of travel to exotic destinations in the future. Her other interests include writing, dining out, movie watching, walking and swimming.

Annette has two sons, Mark and Brett, and has two grandsons, Jaime and Flynn, and a sister, Maree. She lives with her partner Stephen at Neutral Bay, a harbourside suburb on Sydney’s prestigious north shore, and is one of Sydney’s most picturesque harbour side locations.

Annette’s novel ‘The Dark Before the Dawn; is available from all good major book store chains in Sydney, and is also available on the Asian market further afield, and the rest of the world via Amazon.com and other book promotions sites such as Kobo, Smashwords, Books.google and many more…

Annette’s works also have a strong film potential appeal and will be considered for Movie projects in the not so distant near future.

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