Linda Gillard is the author of eight novels and lives in Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland. She graduated from Bristol University, then trained as an actress at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Whilst under-employed at the National Theatre, Linda developed a sideline as a freelance journalist. She ran two careers concurrently for a while, then gave up acting to raise a family and write from home.At the age of 40 she re-trained as a teacher and taught in Norfolk for some years, then moved to the Isle of Skye where she lived for six years in a house on a hill overlooking the Cuillin mountain range which featured in her first novel, EMOTIONAL GEOLOGY, short-listed for the 2006 Waverton Good Read Award.STAR GAZING, set on Skye, was short-listed for "Romantic Novel of the Year 2009" and "The Robin Jenkins Literary Award", the UK's first environmental book award. Linda's fourth novel, HOUSE OF SILENCE quickly became a Kindle bestseller. It was selected by Amazon UK for their "Top Ten Best of 2011" in the Indie Author category.UNTYING THE KNOT was awarded a 2012 B.R.A.G Medallion by the Book Readers' Appreciation Group, as was CAULDSTANE, a gothic novel in the tradition of Daphne du Maurier and Mary Stewart. HOUSE OF SILENCE was recently awarded a third B.R.A.G Medallion.