Jane Riley

Jane Riley grew up in New Zealand, married an Englishman and lives in Sydney, Australia. She has a degree in French and English Literature and has worked in public relations, television publicity and publishing. For more than twenty years she freelanced as a writer and editor before launching an online e-commerce business and blog interviewing makers and creators. She volunteers as an English language tutor for the Adult Migrant English Program in Sydney, and has completed the Faber academy course in Australia. 

GERALDINE VERNE'S RED SUITCASE (Lake Union Publishing)

His dying wish was to set her free. So why does she feel so trapped?

Jack had two dying wishes: that his wife scatter his ashes somewhere ‘exotic’, and that she not give up on life once he was gone. He intended to spur her on to new adventures, but despite clinging to her red suitcase, Geraldine Verne hasn’t left the house for three months.

It takes an accident for Geri to accept help from her friends, but when Meals on Wheels arrive she is mortified. Yet heartbroken volunteer Lottie brings with her more than cottage pie and custard. Like Geri, she too is struggling to cut loose.

As a gloriously unlikely friendship blossoms, Geraldine begins to feel a long-lost spark of life and a newfound confidence. Perhaps what both women needed most, after all, was each other.