The only blue door
Based on real events.
A gripping read.
A story of courage and endurance.
Imagine you are a twelve-year-old girl; you have a happy life and a family that loves you, then bit by bit your life disintegrates and you find yourself alone, thousands of miles from home.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joan is still passionate about both the language and history of her adopted home and this is reflected in the books she writes.
A history graduate, turned teacher, then business woman and now an established author, Joan Fallon’s writes both fiction and non-fiction. Although she doesn’t always write in a particular genre, her work encompasses historical fiction, literary women’s fiction, and more recently, crime fiction.
Joan has lived in Spain since 1998 and has become immersed in the culture and language of her adopted home. Spanish history and culture have been the inspiration for many of her books and have provided some exotic settings for them. Joan focuses on two distinct periods in the country’s history, the Spanish Civil War and Moorish Spain. She is particularly interested in social history and her books are filled with those interesting small details that bring the period to life.
Joan also likes to write literary fiction for women, usually featuring a strong female character and exploring the emotions and relationships of the protagonist. Almost all her contemporary novels reflect the challenges that women have to face in the modern world.
Joan Fallon was born in Dumfries, Scotland, from an Irish father and a Scottish mother, so considers herself a Celt, despite the fact that she spent most of her adult life in England. Her father used to write in his spare time, and as a child her home was always full of books; the local library was her second home. Those early influences have stayed with her and have been the reason that she has had a life-long desire to write.
Joan is still passionate about both the language and history of her adopted home and this is reflected in the books she writes.
Many of her books have now been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian.
Joan is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and The Society of Authors
Here is her Affiliate link if you are interested in joining the Alliance of Independent Authors.
OTHER BOOKS
You will find a list of all her books below, many of them set in Spain, and be able to read extracts from each of them.
The Ring of Flames
It is 1008 AD, in Córdoba, the capital of the caliphate of Al-Andalus. When our story opens, al-Mansur has been dead for six years and al-Hisham II, the caliph and rightful ruler of Al-Andalus, continues to live an isolated life
The Thread that Bind Us
Have you ever had a secret that you cannot tell anyone – even your closest friend? Susan’s childhood was full of secrets—‘Don’t tell anyone,’ was her mother’s favourite phrase. So when she discovers that her father had an illegitimate child
Spanish Lavender
SPANISH LAVENDER is a love story set in the Spanish Civil War. A riveting read of passion and love that spans three generations. Elizabeth is visiting her parents in Málaga when the Spanish Civil War breaks out. All foreigners
The Eye of the Falcon
The Eye of the Falcon is the second novel in a series about Muslim Spain, set in the Andalusian city of Cordoba. By the end of the 10th century Al-Andalus was a rich and peaceful country, but when the Omayyad
WHAT READERS SAY
A brilliant read I loved it ! I loved the way each chapter was about a different character in the story and how the whole story linked together. I started the book and could not put it down as I was dying to see what happened to each person and how it would all end. A great story and I have recommended to friends to read it also.
Luis Villasmil
Reader of the ‘The Human Interface’.
The Ring of Flames is an exotic adventure story filled with intrigue, passion, grand battles, and the clash of cultures and loyalties. A rousing finish to the trilogy.
Karen McCann
Author of Dancing in the Fountain
BLOG
GABI PLUMM actor, narrator and writer
One of the real pleasures of using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter is that sometimes you meet really interesting people. The sort of people that you would happily have as a friend in the “real world” and meet up with from time to time to share ideas and have a glass of wine. The chances of my ever meeting Gabi face to face are slim, but one never knows. Gabi Plumm began life in the UK in the 50s. Her talents as an actor, screen and theatre performer, narrato […]
Who owns the Great Mosque of Córdoba?
Even if you have never visited the beautiful mosque in the centre of Córdoba’s old city, you will have most probably have heard of it. While I was writing the al-Andalus trilogy, which was set in 10th century Córdoba, I visited it many times. It is a truly magnificent place. The Mezquita’s fame is widespread, and its history stretches back to the time of the Moors in the 8th century. Work was begun in 785 AD, on the banks of the Guadalquivir, under t […]
THE OX OR THE CAMEL? Transport in Moorish Spain
If you have ever visited southern Spain and ventured into one of the numerous small white villages of Andalusia, you may have been surprised to suddenly come across a flight of steps where the road should be, or a sudden sharp right-angled turn. Maybe you were walking along and the road narrowed from three metres to one metre for no obvious reason, and you heave a sigh of relief that you parked your car at the entrance to the village. These roads were originally never constructed for wagons, bu […]
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
Here we are in December; Christmas is almost upon us and COVID-19 restrictions are becoming a part of our daily life. For a large part of this year many people have been working from home – something that has its benefits and its drawbacks. True it must be nice not to have the hassle of rush hour traffic, or all the expenses that are associated with going to work, petrol, clothing, and lunch out. And of course, less cars on the road are better for the environment. It’s fun for a whi […]
