Harp Maiden 1

It’s 1899, and fourteen-year-old Evelyn Wells has just won the opportunity of a lifetime: a scholarship to study music at an isolated and mysterious conservatoire. Evie leaves her family and moves to Dower Hall to begin her lessons with renowned maestro, Lionel Thorn. But all is not as it seems at the rambling old manor. Evie soon realises that Dower Hall harbours many dark secrets and some strange and threatening characters. There are secret doors at every turn, and a peculiar little harp seems to contain a dangerous kind of magic. Evie must discover why the maestro is so obsessed with the strange harp. Why is she the only one who can play it? And if Evie is the next Harp Maiden, what does the future hold, and is it a future that she truly desires?

About the author: Jackie grew up with her sister and three brothers in Dublin. An avid reader and writer since her early school days, she only recently began writing children’s stories, having dreamed of doing so for quite some time. Harp Maiden is the first book in Jackie’s second series for children, following the hugely popular Secrets of Grindlewood series. The magical, mystery tale of the Harp Maiden was inspired by Jackie’s other great love, music. She is also greatly inspired by her love of nature, gardens, forests, wildlife and of course magic! Reading, hill walking, music and baking are just a few of her other many interests and hobbies. Jackie divides her time between writing and giving creative writing workshops to children in schools and libraries around the country. She lives with her husband in Bray, County Wicklow. They share their home with a big fluffy cat called Millie.