I couldn’t have imagined the launch of The Royal Maid Finds Love to be such fun. It was hugely sad that Rosa’s daughter, Jan, who told me her mother’s story as a royal maid during WWII couldn’t join me after an emergency admission to hospital, especially as two of Rosa’s relatives were looking forward to meeting her. Thankfully, Jan is much better now and back home, and I know how disappointed she was to miss it.

It’s not every day you have the chance to launch your book in a castle, and it was a dream come true to be able to do so at Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr Tydfil which I had set my heart on after my first visit there three years ago, wanting to take Rosa’s story back to the town where she was born.

And I know of no other author who has been introduced by a bell ringing town crier, which happened on my special night, thanks to learned historian, Huw Williams, our host, who arrived in his ceremonial robs making public proclamation! He was hilarious, and fantastically knowledgeable when answering questions. I was blessed too with support from Matt of Chepstow Books who sold books on the night.

The icing on the cake was the surprise arrival of two friends I made while on holiday in Japan two years ago. Sue and Barry came all the way from Preston in Lancashire and my jaw dropped to the floor when I saw them. I was also thrilled to catch up with old friends from my days as a Cambridge court reporter where Rosemary, a former court clerk, and Howard, a prosecuting solicitor, worked and are now living in Milford Haven and travelled more than two hours to see me.

More thanks are owed to my son, David, and daughter in law, Fiona, for the beautiful bouquet of flowers they sent me when I returned home saying how proud they were of me, and also from Maddy, my editor at Penguin Random House, who wrote: “Huge congratulations on publication and we hope you had a lovely time in Wales and are now putting your feet up! Such a joy working with you to bring Rosa’s story into the world.”

I’m sad it’s the end of this writing chapter, and hope readers will love the two Royal Maid books as much as I have enjoyed writing them.