Anna Markland is a Canadian author with a strong interest in genealogy, who writes historical romance novels with a focus on family honor, ancestry, and roots. Her books are known for their intimate love stories, filled with passion and adventure. After a successful career in teaching, Anna turned her love of writing and history into engaging works of fiction. She enjoys the in-depth research required to provide an authentic medieval experience for her readers.
As an amateur genealogist, Anna attempted to trace her English roots back to the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. However, she found that records were not kept for "common folks" until much later, and early parish records are often difficult to read. As a result, she began to write stories about a noble medieval family she imagined, giving birth to the Montbryce Legacy, a 12-book series. Writing superseded genealogy as her primary addiction, and she has since published more than 60 novels and novellas, almost all of which are historical romances featuring Vikings, Highlanders, medieval knights, or Regency earls.
Anna was born in the UK and received an English grammar school education that instilled in her a love of European history. She has lived most of her life in Canada but remains a Lancashire lass at heart. Before becoming a full-time writer, Anna worked as an elementary school teacher and later as an administrator for a world-wide disaster relief organization. She loves cats, although she hasn't been able to adopt another one since unexpectedly losing her cat, Topaz, a few years ago. Anna has few domestic skills, and many of her heroines dislike sewing as well. She follows three simple writing guidelines: giving her characters free rein to tell their story, believing in love at first sight, and writing wholesome scenes of intimacy for people who love each other deeply. She values historical accuracy, although she has been known to tweak history when necessary. Anna writes romance because she finds happy endings very satisfying. She can be found on all the usual social media platforms, and she has a reader group on Facebook called Markland’s Merrymakers.