Cathie Dunn

Author of award-winning historical fiction, mystery & romance

I have been writing stories for over thirty years.

My love of history shines through my novels, which have been praised for their authentic description of the past.

My earliest inspirations were Daphne du Maurier, MM Kaye and Victoria Holt, and since reading their novels when I was still in my teens, I’ve wanted to create tales that combine the three aspects of mystery, danger and romance.

I love visiting castles & ruins, and own a growing library of non-fiction research books which I like to dip into.

After having called Scotland my home for many years (and it’s still the place where my heart is), I now live in Carcassonne in the south of France.

Book Awards & Nominations

My novels have received readers’ and reviewers’ awards from The Coffee Pot Book Club, Chill with A Book and Discovering Diamonds Reviews.

I have received positive reviews from the Historical Novel Society, Readers’ Favourite, and many other review sites.

  • Love Lost in Time – Book & Cover of the Month – Discovering Diamond Reviews
  • Love Lost in Time – Coffee Pot Book Club Award
  • A Highland Captive – Chill with A Book Readers’ Award
  • A Highland Captive – longlisted for a Chanticleer historical fiction award

Writing

I'm a pantser. That means I don’t plot my novels in great detail, but rather wait for her characters to take me on their adventures. Research often provides intriguing sub-plots.

Reading

I love reading, mostly in the genre I write in. Her favourite authors are Daphne du Maurier, Judith Merkle Riley, Sharon Penman and MM Kaye. I'm also a book reviewer.

Visiting

I love to visit historic sites. Castles, ruins, abbeys and museums full of artefacts from my favourite eras provide some of the inspiration for the settings of my novels.

Notes

I take notes whenever I discover something historical of interest. A small notepad or my mobile phone are handy for adding useful snippets of information.

Mystery

I love to add a touch of mystery or suspense to my novels. My characters seem to enjoy their challenges. Well, most of the time!

Romance

Romance makes up for part of my plots, but it’s not what drives my novels. It's there to support my characters. I hate leaving them all alone, though it can't always be avoided...