I'm a big fan of the classics, because there's always a "slow-burn" to the love story, and I've slowly worked my way through every recommended read I can find, before moving onto fanfics. I'll admit, they're my guilty pleasure, and I love reading someone else's spin on my favourite characters. I also really love how friendly everyone in the fanfic community is, and how willing people are to share their wonderful stories for free.

My favourite classic has to be North and South. I think Gaskell has a gritty humour about her which still appeals to a modern audience, and she has a talent for portraying passion and despair with a really emotive use of language, which totally grips me. It helps, of course, that she created for us, the wonderful character of John Thornton. To me, North and South is what love is all about; John loves Margaret even when he thinks she's done wrong, even when he thinks there's no hope. So many classics set their heroines up to be faultless, but it's Thornton's loving Margaret in spite of all that he thinks she's done wrong, which really shows the depth of his love for her. It was therefore, my first choice for my own fanfic.

This is a time-hop (time-travel) piece, and introduces a new character alongside Margaret (not instead of). I think Mr Thornton has timeless appeal, but I'm not so sure that Margaret stands the test of time quite so favourably; I've always struggled to warm to Margaret as the heroine (sorry!). For me, she's a bit too judgemental, a bit too stubborn, and a bit too blind to all that is Mr Thornton. My fanfic is a personal indulgence (which I hope others can enjoy) and tries to combine all the great qualities of Margaret, but in a modern-day heroine.

Shadow in the North is based on the book (not the TV adaptation) and follows Gaskell's original plot closely until things go awry, so it's a slow burn for anyone who's looking for something totally original from the very start. There is a philosophical debate at the start, which is the vehicle for the time-hop, but bear with me; it's really only the first chapter; I'm not going to lecture anyone like Mr Hale might!

I hope you enjoy it. Please do share comments and suggestions. I've never done a fanfic before, nor a period piece. I only started writing last year, so feedback is always welcome.

Emma x