Hayley Lockhart

Hayley Lockhart can usually be found with her head in a book, or her hands covered in soil! Her passion – apart from writing – is gardening, whatever the weather, in her overflowing cottage garden. Hayleys parents have always kept a beautiful garden and without realising for many years, she picked up most of what she know about plants from watching them pottering.
Hayley is married to a man who apart from being the love of her life, is also a gardener. They live in a rural village and share their home with a very fluffy, old and sometimes feisty cat.
Hayley has always found joy in reading fiction, since she fell in love with Noel Streatfield as a child. She devoured books and the escapism they provided. Hayley was a bookworm whose favourite presents were always the tokens she received and clutched excitedly as she spent hours perusing the shelves of her local bookshop. To this day the thrill of entering a bookshop is still as magical to her as it was when she was a young girl.
These days Hayley enjoys reading contemporary romances, family sagas, and the occasional psychological thrillers. She loves a story that has characters she can empathise with and a plot that transports her to another time or place. She aspires to authors such as Lisa Jewel, Marian Keyes, Freya North, Kate Morton and JoJo Moyles, although the list is endless.
Hayley has always found that gardening is good for the mind, body and soul. She is a great believer in horticultural therapy and has researched the proven benefits it has for those suffering with poor mental health. For a short time Hayley Lockhart volunteered at a community garden supporting adults with disabilities and the rewards were invaluable. Following many years working in the early years sector (another form of nurturing), she landed her dream job working in a local garden centre. This was where the seed for Bloom was sown.
Hayley hopes that her story contains all the elements of a good read, engaging characters, several plot twists and a life affirming ending. She would love readers to discover the healing power of horticultural and maybe encourage them to experience it for themselves.
To the gardeners out there, she hopes that her descriptions of the seasons and the plants are accurate, and to the allotment keepers, forgive her if Lydia has dug up potatoes when she should have been chitting them – she is still learning!
“Bloom is my first novel. I hope you enjoy it and love the characters as much as I do.
I am currently writing my second book, The Little Library.” – Hayley Lockhart