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AUTHOR Patricia Burns is an Essex girl through and through - and damn proud of it!

The prolific author - whose new novel, We'll Meet Again, is published on Monday, April 21 - loves small village life and taps away her chapters in a sleepy cul-de-sac under the watchful stare of Stock's grand old windmill.

A typically romantic backdrop for the 60-year-old, whose latest novel is her first for Mira, an imprint of renowned love and passion hungry publishers Mills and Boon.

"I love Essex and have never dreamed of moving away for one minute," said Patricia, who spent most of her life in Leigh, before escaping to the country.

"Essex is a unique place and has everything you could possibly want. Great people, beautiful countryside, nice pubs, the seaside and you are so close to London."

Her new book is set in on a bleak family farm in the Essex marshlands during the Second World War, as the Battle of Britain rages overhead.

The main character, Annie Cross, has a tough life and is terrorised by her cruel father, leading the heroine to seek refuge in the arms of holidaying painter Tom Featherstone. But just as their love begins to blossom, Tom is snatched away from Annie by the RAF. When he returns from the air conflict he finds the woman he loves carrying another man's child.

"I suppose it's a case of shagged and forgotten," laughed the immediately likeable author, who delivered the same response to a startled Stock Women's Institute audience. But, being the chairman, she got away with it!

"Seriously though, I like a happy ending. I like to think my books are hopeful and optimistic. I don't like to see my characters suffer," added Patricia.

Childhood experiences and motherly memories played their part in creating the setting of We'll Meet Again. "I know the Essex marshes well as I used to sail up the coast a lot with my father," she explained.

"The setting is loosely set on the coastal area around Clacton, which is another place I have spent a lot of time in.

"There are a few examples of my mother's memories of the war in the book. For instance, there is one man who takes great pleasure in milking cows into a tin hat, which is a Canadian my mother knew at the time."

Patricia got her big writing break during her twenties, snapped up by publishers Transworld - another arm of Corgi.

She cultivated her talents at an evening class at the old Southend Technical College, helping to found a writing society, Group 77, which is still in existence today.

Being an author is a labour of love for Patricia, who has now seen 14 novels make the book shelves. She certainly doesn't do it for the money.

"It's not something which is ever going to make me rich - it's definitely for the love," she said. "It has come in handy, providing extra money to help put my three children through university. But it hasn't made me a millionaire."

Patricia, who enjoys belly dancing as "all girls like to dress up and move around" is already working on her next book, which is due out next year.

"It's another love story, set in Southend during the Fifties," she revealed. "The working title is Scarlet and it is all about the pub trade on the Golden Mile and people meeting up for the first time, dancing at the Kursaal ballroom during its heyday.

"It's already well underway. It takes me about eight months to write a book these days - a lot quicker than when I first started out doing this.

"I was teaching at North Street School, in Leigh, trying to cook and change the nappies, then find time to write a book as well. It's all a lot more relaxed now."

We'll Meet Again (ISBN 9780778302179) is published by Mira on Monday, April 21. £6.99

9:07pm Saturday 19th April 2008

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