Erica James Bio

Born in 1960 in Surrey, England, Erica James grew up on the south east coast of England. She never considered becoming an author as a child.

Erica James was married at 19 and ran a small knitting business while raising her children. It wasn’t until her late twenties when it was something she considered, and even then it was never as an author but more a hobby she enjoyed to do while her sons were at school and nursery. Erica James loved losing herself in a good book, and she was curious to know if writing one would give her the same pleasure. Today she is the author of 27 novels. 

Her first novel, written as a hobby, A Breath of Fresh Air, was published soon after her divorce and her agent then negotiated a great two-book deal for her. 

After living much of her adult life in the north of England, and a few years in Belgium, today, Erica James lives in Suffolk in a 500 year old thatched cottage that overlooks the village green. She regularly travels to Japan and the US to spend time with her two grown-up sons and their families. 

Life outside of writing

Outside of writing, Erica James has some interesting hobbies – gardening, needlecraft and doll houses. She uses gardening and needlecraft as a way to switch off from work, while dollhouses and the world of miniatures where the attraction lies in creating a miniature world in which she can lose herself.  She is also an avid Formula 1 fan and watches it avidly.

Erica James’ published books 

Erica James has published 27 standalone novels. She has also published eight omnibus editions and contributed to another with Donna Hay and Maureen Lee. She has sold over five million novels worldwide which have been translated into 10 languages. 

Fans of Erica James enjoy her ability to write authentic characters and her engaging and moving storytelling.

She has several Sunday Times Top Ten bestsellers including Swallowtail Summer, Coming Home to Island House, Letters from the Past and Mothers and Daughters. Gardens of Delight won the 2006 Romantic Novel of the Year award and in 2020, James received the Nielsen Silver Award for sales of over 250,000 copies for both Love and Devotion and Tell it to the Skies. 

• A Breath of Fresh Air (1996)

• Time for a Change (1997)

• Airs and Graces (1997)

• A Sense of Belonging (1998)

• Act of Faith (1999)

• The Holiday (2000)

• Precious Time (2001)

• Hidden Talents (2002)

• Paradise House (2003)

• Love and Devotion (2004)

• Gardens of Delight (2005)

• Tell It to the Skies (2005)

• It’s the Little Things (2008)

• The Queen of New Beginnings (2010)

• Promises, Promises (2010)

• The Real Katie Lavender (2011)

• The Hidden Cottage (2012)

• Summer at the Lake (2013)

• The Dandelion Years (2014)

• The Song of the Skylark (2016)

• Coming Home to Island House (2017)

• Swallowtail Summer (2019)

• Letters From the Past (2020)

• Mothers and Daughters (2022)

• A Secret Garden Affair (2023)

• An Ideal Husband (2024)

• The Forever Home (2026)