Sharon Maria Bidwell

Sharon was born in London on New Year’s Eve. She has always followed many creative pursuits. Eventually her love of books, and a wild imagination compelled her to focus on writing. The first short story she submitted — Silver Apples of the Moon — was accepted by Roadworks Magazine. The editor announced her as “a writer who is going places” and described the story as having “both a Sci-fi and horror element,” and being “strong on characterisation, and quite literary, in terms of style.” Subsequently, she was approached to write all reports and publicity material, including a piece for translation into Braille for The Really Wild Nursery and Arthritis Care Breaking Down the Barriers garden project, which took place at the Malvern Spring Show.

Since then, her work has appeared steadily in both print and electronic publications, such as Midnight Street, Aoife’s Kiss (Sam’s Dot Publishing), Night To Dawn, and Radgepacket (Byker Books). Her short story — Bitter and Intoxicating — was snapped up for inclusion in the anthology Red Velvet and Absinthe. This compilation, edited by Mitzi Szereto with a foreword by Kelly Armstrong, was designed to evoke the romantic ethos of classic Gothic fiction with a serving of eroticism. With a repertoire of twisted tales and a love of cross-genre writing, it surprised everyone (including herself) when she branched out into erotic romance. These works have been critically acclaimed and often described as ‘deeply passionate’. She is the author of the best-selling gay romances Snow Angel and the sequel Angel Heart.

She was propelled into the universe of Steampunk as one of the writers for Space, 1899 and beyond, winning the approval of series creator and award-winning game designer, Frank Chadwick, with two books in season two, one of which was co-authored with editor (and writer) Andy Frankham-Allen.

Sharon’s worlds are vivid, unexpected and sometimes intensely magical. Sharon writes whatever her warped mind can come up with. Although her longer works to date mostly involve a variety of wonderful men finding true love…or at least some loving, she’s quite capable of writing something darker, grittier, and even outright twisted.

She had to leave her house with a Harry Potter cupboard under the stairs, but hopes to settle somewhere magical.

On the Web

• Visit this diverse writer's site -- main website and blog

• Sharon Maria Bidwell -- Romantic Fiction

• A Kernow of an Idea - Dark Fiction

• My Facebook Page -- Facebook

• My Facebook FanPage -- Facebook Fanpage

Published Work

• Hard Pressed Can absolution arrive in three little words?
• Acting Out Can a kiss really change everything? (Available in ebook and print!)
• Seduced by a Legend Ignatius is about to be seduced by a legend.
• Space, Man NOTE: This story has been edited and expanded from the version originally released in 2007. Whoever said space was cold, never found love among the stars…
• Wildest Dreams (A Frederick Dick and Riley Silcox Mystery) Loose Id. Wildest Dreams can come true.
• [Hard Pressed] JMS Books. Releasing 2016. When one man has the worst of reputations and believes any misfortune befalling him is deserved, it’s hard to feel worthy of love. Can absolution arrive in three little words?
• A Not So Hollow Heart Loose-Id. Mason's more scared of love than he is of the walking dead.
• Well Nigh Impossible Changeling. Publisher's Note: Well Nigh Impossible (Box Set) contains the previously published novellas Marooned, Curt Courting, Well Nigh Impossible, and Lost in Inclination.
• Mistletoe and Whine (Sequel to Hounding the Beat can be read as a standalone.) Changeling. It's Christmas, but alas, Sam has more to whine about than plastic mistletoe.
• [Acting Out] JMS Books. Releasing 2016. When one man is the epitome of calm and the other of chaos, how will they ever admit to loving each other? Can a kiss really change everything?
• Toasted:Final Cut Miami Changeling. Armand's about to get toasted in ways he never imagined.
• Hounding the Beat Changeling. Since pounding the beat is no longer an option, how is Sam’s life suddenly more arresting?
• All Washed Up Changeling. It seems Peter’s life is all washed up, but maybe the answer is to “bare” all, including his heart.
• An Act of Generosity Changeling. Is sex enough and can it ever evolve into love?
• A Swithin Spin 3: A Princely Passion Loose-Id. Are you ready for a princely passion?
• Nights in Pink Satin Changeling. Slip into pink... Publisher's Note: Nights in Pink Satin (Box Set) contains the previously published novellas Nights in Pink Satin, A Good Knight, and Faerie.
• Cosmic Loose-Id. Sometimes giving in is not the same thing as giving up. Sometimes it’s cosmic!
• I Do MLR Press. Do you support the right of any human being to marry the person they love?
• Uly's Comet (The Swithin Chronicles 1) Loose-Id. Unleash the Comet... Feel the Power... One Prince, one Pauper, and one unbelievable power that could spiral out of control.
• The Comet's Tail (The Swithin Chronicles 2) Loose-Id. Behind every comet there's a tale... Behind a great man, there is another, and another...and a woman. For the Swithin Prince, his true love Uly, his best friend, and his princess, life should be grand. If only sleeping arrangements were their biggest problem...
• The Comet Cometh (The Swithin Chronicles 3) Loose-Id. This time the Comet's unleashed... Now the Swithin king, Markis has what he's been working for, and the loves of his life at his side. It's the perfect sexy sandwich, but Markis is feeling the squeeze. Uly and Ryanac need to learn to trust not just want each other.
• A Queen's Move (Swithin Spin 1) Loose-Id. When Tressa has to face that to change the world sometimes means sacrificing your very life, she realises she has nothing left to fear, least of all true love, even if that love is with another woman.
• [Snow Angel] Previously published by Loose-Id, this work has been withdrawn by the author for re-editing and re-publication so that it can be made available in print as per reader request. Come out of the cold, into the warm… Dean likes women but not nearly as much as he likes himself. His friend, Jay, likes him more but if he’s not careful he might lose the one person who can take him just as he is, ego included!
• [Angel Heart] Previously published by Loose-Id, this work has been withdrawn by the author for re-editing and re-publication so that it can be made available in print as per reader request. Far from angelic thoughts... There’s a reason Dean calls his lover ‘Angel.’ But Jay’s thoughts are far from angelic. He must stop his sister interfering in their relationship, and ask if Dean’s remembered to pack the strawberry lube for the weekend.
• Plus numerous short published works, a selection of poems, articles and short stories.

Reviews

Snow Angel: a Joyfully Reviewed Recommended Read!

• RRT As much as I originally riled against the two main characters ... I also came to admire them for their brutal honesty and willingness to take a chance. This story is an emotional roller coaster, and more for the reader than the characters themselves. I'm still not sure whether I like this story more than I dislike it. However, I do know that it inspires me to debate with others who've also read it, and will remember SNOW ANGEL long after I've forgotten most other stories. And that is a mark of true originality.
• JERR In a word? Unique. Undoubtedly a word you have heard before, but let me tell you this word fits Snow Angel to a T. Going in, I didn't know what to expect, but I can say this: I wasn't expecting what I got. These characters are very strongly developed, Dean being the most dominant - both in development and in personality. He really stands out. At times, I guarantee you will hate this character, but in turns be fascinated, intrigued and inclined towards him.
• The Romance Studio This is a relationship that seems based on desperation. They cling to each other and enjoy the passion they share but there is so much pain in both of them that the reader hurts with them. ... Snow Angel is a fast paced story with a storyline that draws the reader in and involves them as they join these characters in their search for the truth about their feelings. This is a story that makes an impact and will leave readers thinking about how many people may find themselves in similar situations. I encourage readers to add this memorable love story to their reading list.
• JERR The Swithin Chronicles 1: Uly’s Comet was mysterious and gripping. Gloriously handsome and virile men were everywhere in this novel. I loved each one of them, especially Ryanac. I realize he was not the prince, but his sense of fun and duty won me over. When Ryanac extended his affection to the people around him, he made me believe. He managed to bring all the characters in this novel together.
• Two Lips Reviews This was the story of a very giving, understanding, but lost, leader who depends on his friends to ground him and keep him safe. I found it interesting, entertaining even though it was a little disconcerting. A good read that will have you thinking and make you want to call your best friends and thank them for all they do and who they are. I recommend this book to all that like to read about political intrigue, magical powers, and the more emotional aspects of relationships and how they form.
• Well, my goodness. A literary vampire tale that does not have the word "vampire" in it. It's a love story, of course, not a vampire story. Still, how could I possibly refuse this one...? Tyree Campbell, Managing Editor, Sam's Dot Publishing (re: Effigy in Garnet - approx publication date currently set for Sept '07)
• 'Sharon's work is like strawberry threads in a sweet azure world. With her delicate, flowing, miasma-like prose she weaves a world around her readers, takes them on a journey, and lets them peer through her own unique looking glass. Sometimes through this glass you will see a world of rainbow colours; sometimes an altogether much darker place. Her writing is an intense and mesmerising experience, I find each of her works - be it poetry, a short story, or a novel in progress - always a fascinating marriage of beauty and terror. Stuart Thorogood, Author
• More reviews on website.