Amanda Geard

Welcome, welcome, it's lovely to see you here! If, like me, you've always adored novels with interweaving timelines, where stories from the past tie with those in the present, then you've come to the right place. The inspiration for my first novel, THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE, appeared in the rafters of our Irish home, a two-hundred-year-old stone building perched on the edge of the Atlantic. Hidden there was a message, scratched into wood: 'When this comes down, pray for me. Tim O’Shea 1911'. As I held that piece of timber in my hands, dust clinging to my paint-stained clothes, I was humbled that a person’s fingerprint could transcend time, and I wanted to capture that feeling of discovery on the page. THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE was a Richard & Judy book club pick and has sold over 150,000 copies. During 2023, it stayed in the UK Kindle Top 50 for more than five months, and was #5 on the Bookseller Heatseekers Chart. My new novel, THE MOON GATE, is set across three locations I love: Tasmania (my home state), London (where we rented a houseboat for many years) and County Kerry, Ireland (where I now live with my family). Each of these places is special to me and I hope you’ll feel you’re entering the temperate rainforest with Grace, opening the door to Towerhurst with Willow, walking through London’s layered history with Libby and stepping out to the heather-clad hills of County Kerry with several characters whose names would be spoilers! I've received countless messages about THE MOON GATE. These have been filled with reader's memories of west coast Tasmania, and many have been inspired to pick up Banjo Paterson's works again (his poetry weaves the narratives together). I’m also a geologist who explores the world’s remote places. I've worked on five continents, and spend months at a time out in the wilds. It's an amazing job, and writing novels provides a similar sense of wonder and discovery, though the warm office, fresh food and a shower in the evening make the conditions rather more comfortable! Being an author is also the perfect excuse to regularly curl up by a fire with a great book (which I can always say is research). I treasure my reading time, and I know you do too, so thank you for taking a chance on my books. Come over to Instagram and Twitter (@amandageard) where I share plenty of photos of the wild settings in THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE and THE MOON GATE. You can also find me on Facebook (@amandageardauthor). I love hearing from readers, so please get in touch!