Hazel Osmond

I've worked for years as an advertising copywriter, but only began writing stories after watching the actor Richard Armitage in the BBC's adaptation of Mrs Gaskell's 'North & South' - this inspired me to try my hand at fan fiction. After that I was hooked on plotting and characters and keeping the reader reading.

I have now written four Romantic Comedies. I love writing with humour and exploring that moment when people fall in love - and what gets in the way of them falling in love.

My first romantic comedy 'Who's Afraid of Mr Wolfe?', was shortlisted for the Romantic Comedy of the Year by the UK's Romantic Novelists' Association and my fourth book 'The Mysterious Miss Mayhew' was one of the Read Regional books chosen by New Writing North in the UK.

I'm also a keen writer of short stories and have won a number of competitions including the Woman & Home short story competition sponsored by Costa and the Yeovil short story prize and have been published in a variety of magazines in the UK, such as My Weekly, The Sunday Express Magazine and The Weekly News.

I write with humour but also with heart - to me, being able to find the funny side when fate is being cruel, is a form of bravery. I'm also really interested in how loving someone and being loved can redeem people from all kinds of pits they might have fallen into.