Annie Groves
| Penelope Jones Halsall | |
| Nationality and residence: | English resident in Nantwich, Cheshire, England, Great Britain, United Kingdom. |
|---|---|
| Born: | 1946 in England, Great Britain, United Kingdom. |
| Died: | |
| Web-page: | http://www.Penny-Jordan.com |
| Penelope Jones Halsall's Pseudonyms | |
| Penny Jordan | Pseudonym used to sign contemporany novels (1981-Present). |
|---|---|
| Annie Groves | Pseudonym used to sign historical novels (2003-Present). |
Biography
Penelope Jones born at about seven pounds, was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, who died two years ago aged 85, and his wife, Margaret Louise Groves Jones, 86, a Scot. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru". Her story-telling career began at the age of eight when she began telling original bedtime stories to her younger sister.
In her early days, Penelope spent fourteen years working as a shorthand typist in Manchester. Penelope Jones married with Steve Halsall, an accountant, who died from oral cancer. They didn't have children.
By her early twenties, Penelope was writing for herself, but she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, an agent, who was looking for a new-style Georgette Heyer to be called Caroline Courtnay, contacted the RNA.
Her writing career began in earnest when she was 30 as Penny Jordan, and she has since written over 170 category romances for Harlequin, as well as full-length contemporary novels. To date, She has authored 138 titles for the Harlequin Presents imprint. She has recently branched out into historical novels as Annie Groves. Penelope gains much of her inspiration from human interest stories in the news as well as her own family history. She adapted a story told by her grandmother (Elsie Jones) in Ellie Pride.
Penelope runs a writing group where she helps other aspiring writers to develop their craft, pointing them to agents and publishers who might be interested in their work. She is also active in women's charities in her native England.
Penelope Halsall writes from an office in her beautiful mock Tudor house in Nantwich, Cheshire home that she shares with her dog, Sheba, and cat, Posh.
Bibliography
Pride Family Series
- Ellie Pride, 2003
- Connie's Courage, 2004
- Hettie of Hope Street, 2005
Single Novels
- Goodnight Sweetheart, 2006
- Some Sunny Day, 2006
- The Grafton Girls, 2007
- As Time Goes By
