Helen Brooks British writer, novelist Country: Great Britain

Biography of Helen Brooks

Helen Brooks is a British writer and novelist known for her unique and soulful romance novels. Fans of women's fiction have been captivated by her novels for over twenty years, while lovers of historical romance praise her well-written books in this genre, published under the name 'Rita Bradshaw'. Both these authors are one and the same person, Rita Bradshaw. She publishes her books written as 'Helen Brooks' and signs her works with her real name for historical novels. Rita was born in the historic English town of Northampton in 1950 and belongs to the older generation of English writers along with Nora Roberts and Michelle Reid.

As a child, Rita grew up in a modest religious family. She never thought about a career as a writer or any other profession, although she had two dreams she wanted to fulfill someday: learn to drive a car and write her own book. After finishing school, Rita attended secretarial courses and, after a few years of work, married Clive Bradshaw, whom she fell in love with when she was just sixteen years old. Following the traditions instilled in her during childhood, the young wife devoted all her time and energy to her family. Rita and Clive had many friends, and as a hospitable hostess, she never missed an opportunity to show off her culinary talents. Over the years, they had three children - daughters Kara and Faye, and son Benjamin. Rita and her husband loved animals, and their home was always filled with several dogs and cats, which also required love and attention.

Years passed, and on the eve of her fortieth birthday, Rita realized that her life could be called happy and filled with love, but she had not accomplished what she had once dreamed of: learning to drive and writing a book. Realizing that she could easily fulfill her first dream by taking a few driving lessons, Rita had to invest much more time to achieve the second. Her manuscript about the love story of the heroine with the exotic name Tanya and the cynical and heartless Enrico Meliore was sent to the famous publishing house 'Mills & Boon'. To Rita's surprise, the editorial staff only requested minor edits, and in 1992, her debut romance novel 'Angel of Stone' was released under the name Helen Brooks.

The success inspired the aspiring writer. In the same year, three more of her books were published, followed by six the following year. Helen Brooks has published about fifty novels under her pseudonym. In addition, many of her works were released in publishing series such as 'Marriage by Contract', 'Latin Lovers', 'Stolen Moments', and more. Helen Brooks collaborated with famous writers such as Emma Darcy, Nora Roberts, Carol Wood, and many others. In 1998, Rita published her first book under her real name. The novel 'Under One Sky' depicted life in England during World War II and received enthusiastic responses from readers. Rita Bradshaw's 'historical' series currently consists of fourteen books that, according to readers' unanimous feedback, focus primarily on the emotions and experiences of people during that time. The most successful book in the series is 'Candles in the Storm', which tells the dramatic love story of an orphan girl from a fishing village. Rita Bradshaw's historical novels have not yet been translated into Russian. However, Russian readers have access to about twenty books published under the pseudonym Helen Brooks, all of which have high ratings among readers.

One of the most popular books is 'Gentle Savage', which presents the recurring plot in Brooks' novels about the love between a shy girl and a dominant macho in a captivating and unconventional way. Another touching melodrama with a happy ending is 'A Christmas Night to Remember', which depicts the protagonist's struggle with her own inadequacy after an accident and the husband's guilt, who takes responsibility for what happened. The book 'Forgive and Forget' also received high praise, with its tragic plot standing out among other novels of this genre despite its classic 'Christmas' resolution.

Rita Bradshaw continues to live in Northampton with her family, still considering it the best place on earth after traveling around the world. The writer continues to work on new works, albeit at a slower pace than before, and often contemplates plots while sitting in her old garden with a glass of wine. Their home is still filled with many friends, and they often visit their beloved grandchildren. Rita and her husband have maintained the warmth of their relationship, which united them many years ago. They enjoy long walks together, accompanied by their dogs, going to the cinema and theater, as well as reading and listening to music.