This is Ink & Intrigue—the blog where romance ignites, secrets simmer, and every love story hides a twist. I’m your blog host, Sheila Kell, romance author and lover of plot twists, slow burns, and morally questionable book boyfriends.

Today, I’m thrilled to introduce you to an author whose stories are perfect for readers who cherish emotionally rich narratives—L.B. Griffin (Lynn).  If you love a historical romance with swoony, worthy heroes and touched with suspense, then you’re in for a treat.

Fans of Kate Morton, Lucinda Riley, Santa Montefiore, and World on Fire will find themselves swept away by these elegant and unforgettable tales.

Secrets, Shame and a Shoebox and The Twenty-One-Year Contract—explores how love, loss, and resilience shape us across decades.

Though L.B. Griffin always writes from the heart—identifying with her readers—it is unusual to find historical romance novels that cross generational divides, starting from the 1950s and moving through to the 1960s, where Mary Quant, the Beatles, and Elvis all played a part in the developing culture.

Whether you write love stories, devour them, or dream of doing both, you’re in the right place. Let’s get into it and give a warm welcome to Lynn–L.B. Griffin! 💖

In this spotlight, Griffin has shared a little about her childhood—where her stories were created and characters formed, and where Secrets, Shame, and Shoebox and The Twenty-One-Year Contract were born:

I was brought up on a council estate, where people weren’t expected to succeed. The junior school was literally across the road from me. I lived in a prefab—these modest homes were introduced in the UK after World War II. Delivered and assembled like a jigsaw puzzle to the site—the aim was to address a severe housing shortage caused by bomb damage and returning servicemen.

Our prefab had been built on some parts of a grand estate called Carrswood, in Bath, (where Jane Austen once roamed). It was considered a rough area to live in. There were a few tough people around—but no one knows what goes on behind closed doors, whether rich or poor.

Anyway, at the end of the lane where I lived, were huge black wrought iron gates—the lady of the manor would be chauffeur-driven past (us being the last in the lane), and I would stand outside our tiny home and do a courtesy, because my mother thought she was like royalty. Seriously. Can you believe it? But I digress. Behind those wrought iron gates were woods—Carrswood—if anyone has a mind to check it out—the Bath to Bristol train line slips neatly under there through a tunnel.

Those woods became my playground, where dens were built, dreams were dreamt, streams were dipped into, and I would laze on the banks, staring at the sky and clouds, pretending I could float around on them. They were my special memories. We were wild. Out all day. My mother never had a clue where we were or what we were doing. Or in fact ever bothering to ask. It felt safe. Harmless. A world away from today.

Though there were those dangerous, silly, stupid things we would do as well. My friends and I would slide right through the gates and climb down the banks all the way to the train line. Dangerous, right? Yes, we used to be so crazy young—five maybe, not realizing the enormity of it—putting pennies on the line so the train would run right over it and squish them to a larger size and flatten the head of the monarch.

I would be furious these days if I saw anyone near a train line.

Anyway, we survived, and this is where my stories were born. They were the rich tapestry of life—the characters came from the ministry of hard knocks and a timeless imagination.

So, if you have a mind to read my current novels—which I would love—you will find bits of me, and some of those people whom I knew dotted around in them.

Oh, and I am excited to share—I have a new project I am working on at the moment—hopefully it’ll be out very soon.

At this point, I want to say a huge thank you to you as readers—for without you, writers wouldn’t be needed. I also want to add another note of thanks—thank you for your kind words, thank you for your wonderful reviews, and thank you for purchasing my novels. I appreciate you more than you will ever know.

I love a quote—and nothing resonates with me more:

Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

To enrich, enlighten, to empower.

BLURB:

It’s 1950s London—and where everyone has a secret

When Harriet Laws loses her grandmother and her job, her happy life in London crumbles. Alone, grief-stricken, and penniless, she contemplates ending it all – until fate steps in. Tom Fletcher saves her, offers her hope, and helps her find new work. He’s older, quiet, and kind, and she’s drawn to him. But is he drawn to her?

Tom is busy building his business and is unsure of Harriet’s feelings. So when a suave, sophisticated rival sweeps her off her feet, Tom is left behind. What follows is a dramatic turn of events that no one could have predicted. Harriet not only loses all contact with her friends she must fight for her life…will she ever see Tom again?

EXCERPT

Harriet exhaled. Pleased. Happy. There were another couple of calls she would need to make. Daisy and Tom, her next priority—she prayed they would say yes. With her heart in her mouth, she made the call. When she put the phone down, she was bouncing with joy. They said yes! What to cook? Though Christmases with her Nana had always been wonderful, they were always a frugal affair. Now she wanted to splash the cash, be frivolous for a change, and make the holiday really special for her special guests. Harriet found Marguerite Patten’s cookery book and began making a list, full of ideas new and traditional. She quickly got her order in with the butcher. Chicken was more expensive and much smaller. They would have turkey, and sausage meat stuffing, and cranberry sauce, and puddings. She would have to make a Christmas cake and puddings. Her mind flew over the list. She had never felt so happy and started singing Christmas carols. Turkey would allow for leftovers, but she ordered pork pies, and chutney, and cheese for the evening. She would make the bread, sausage rolls and mince pies herself, and she would make soup, like Nana’s.

With the Christmas cards written, she dropped them into the postbox with a lift in her heart. Back home, she stirred, mixed, and baked the Christmas cake, and put a silver sixpence in the Christmas pudding for luck. She made the decorations and ordered a Christmas tree to be delivered. Harriet bought small gifts for each of her guests. She freshened the bedrooms, beat the curtains, cleaned the windows, washed the floors, and put fresh linen on every bed. Even the garden looked neat and tidy again. She worked hard making everything welcoming and comfortable for her guests. It was a distraction, but a good one. A positive way of living in the house alone, without thinking too much about its history. Her history.

BIO:

Lynn Griffin writes heartfelt stories that shine a light on life’ quiet struggles—those tucked-away truths we all recognise but rarely speak about. Her characters, especially the women, don’t think of themselves as brave or bold…but readers know better.

Her debut novel, Secrets, Shame and a Shoebox, earned glowing five-star reviews, and praise for its emotional depth and page-turning power, the sequel (which also stands alone), The Twenty-One-Year Contract, continues the journey with laughter, tears, and plenty of cheering from fans.

Griffin’s mission? To turn silence into strength, one story at a time. Just don’t ask her to choose between chocolate raisins and strawberries – she’ll take both.

I hope you enjoyed getting to know L.B. Griffin and hearing about her journey, inspirations, and latest swoon-worthy release, Secrets, Shame, and a Shoebox. If you haven’t added this to your TBR yet, now’s the time—trust me, you won’t want to miss it. 💖

You can connect with L.B. Griffin here:
📱 Socials: www.instagram.com/lynngriffinauthoruk
www.Facebook.com/lynngriffinauthor/
www.twitter.com/lbgriffinauthor
www.wifeinthewest.com – blog

🛒 Grab her book: mybook.to/twentyone

Available in all good bookstores – Ebooks: Apple. Kindle. Kobo.

@Thewildrosepress
@Amazon
@Kindle
@Waterstones
@barnesandnoble
@WHSmith
@richardandjudypix
@richardandjudybookclub
@kindle @allgoodbookstores
@Trowbridgelibrary
@bradfordonavonlibrary

Thank you for joining me in spotlighting a fellow romance lover who’s giving us all the feels. Stay tuned for more author features, book talk, and behind-the-scenes romance goodness.

Until next time—keep reading, keep swooning! ✨📚