Rachel Le Mesurier

Rachel comes from a long and varied line of daring explorers, fearsome pirates and brave heroes from all over the world, with the occasional tyrannical ruler thrown in for good measure. But that's a story for another time.

Nowadays, Rachel and her family live a far quieter life on her home island of Guernsey, where she enjoys teaching sign language, singing, reading and (of course) writing.

Rachel has a degree in English Literature, and specialised in literature from other cultures, Post-Colonial, 19th Century and Gothic literature. She loves most genres of writing, and favourite authors include Wilkie Collins, Philippa Gregory, Susan Hill, Chinua Achebe, Arthur Golden and Kazuo Ishiguro.

Her favourite novels are Zorro by Isabel Allende and The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope.

Rachel is the author of Artie's Courage, A Hero's Hope and Sofia's Freedom. Led by strong female characters, The Musician's Promise Series turns the common damsel in distress trope on its head. Based on real historical events, this thrilling page-turner story of love and courage in the face of adversity follows characters on an emotional journey through laughter, tears, passion and heartbreak.

In The Musician's Promise, Rachel wants to challenge harmful stereotypes, proving that women can be powerful heroes and that men should never feel ashamed to express their emotions. She aims to write characters that readers can identify and empathize, who make the reader think, laugh, and cry as they share their adventures.

Rachel is also a vocal advocate for disability and mental health awareness and takes pride in standing up against discrimination. As well as running her own sign language classes, Rachel used to be a primary school teacher with a specialism in teaching children with a wide range of special educational needs.

Rachel has a rare genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which affects her heart, joints and mobility. For more information about this little-known disorder and how you can help those who suffer from it, click here.