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Novels, Short Stories and Non-Fiction

Gracie Fields has always been special in my life.
When I was four I heard her singing on the wireless
(as we called the radio in those days)
and the magic of her wonderful voice has never diminished.

Gracie Fields
I have many of the recordings of Gracie when her voice was at its peak. [image] Cover of self published first Gracie biography
I wrote a memoir while she was alive - she saw the first part of this and put me right about her childhood and after she died I finished it (not straight away but that's another story) and published it privately.
[image] Cover of Our Gracie - The Life of Dame Gracie Fields Cancer Research
The money it earned went to three separate appeals for machinery for research into cancer. A third to Manchester, a third to Brighton and a third to Portsmouth hospitals.
I had so many letters from people who read that little book, asking for a full length biography, that, although I was at that time mostly writing fiction, I decided to have a go. No-one else seemed to be doing it and I thought why not?
Our Gracie - The Life of Dame Gracie Fields
So many people thought of the comic songs when Gracie was mentioned. They are good and folk enjoyed them, but she sang so many beautiful songs too, and was a tremendously interesting person. [image] Gracie Fields - A Biography Cover My preference had always been for her serious songs, but I appreciated the comedy too, so I wrote Our Gracie (published by Robert Hale) and the first lot of royalties bought a guide-dog, which I had the honour of choosing a name for. No difficulty there - I chose Sally. Here is a picture of her.
[image] Guide Dog Sally That was in 1983 and it was the first full length biography.
After that I returned to fiction and more novels.
Gracie Fields - A Biography
In 1998 I wrote another biography (published by Summersdale to incorporate some of her wartime experiences because I now had permission to quote from her personal letters home.
SPECIAL OFFER: Buy a copy for just £4
This book (called simply Gracie Fields - A Biography) is still available from me, for just £4 (inc p+p within the UK). Please print out this order form (which will open in a new window) and send it, together with your cheque and the number of copies that you require, (please note this order form is a pdf - and will require you to have Acrobat Reader programme - available free from the Adobe website) or send your name and address (printed clearly please) with your cheque to 35, Marisfield Place, Selsey, Sussex. PO20 OPD.
[image] Gracie Fields Singer and Film Star [image] Gracie Fields when she received her CBE This book will also be on sale in the foyer of theatres where Caroline Fields (no relation) will be touring with her one woman show Our Gracie, which is an affectionate tribute to a lady who truly was that now much maligned word - a star. (Song writer Jimmy Kennedy called Gracie a star human being and I wouldn't argue with that.)

If you have memories of Gracie I would love to hear about them.