Deborah Swift

Deborah Swift (born 1955), also writing as Davina Blake, is an English writer of historical fiction, based in north west Lancashire.

Her first published novel was The Lady's Slipper (2010, Macmillan, ISBN 9780230746862), which alludes to the lady's slipper orchid found in the Silverdale area near her home. Levens Hall features as one of the locations of the book, which is set in 1660 and involves the persecution of local Quakers.

The Gilded Lily (2012, Pan, ISBN 9780330543439) follows some of the same characters but moves the location to London and considers aspects of beauty and cosmetics.

A Divided Inheritance (2013, Pan, ISBN 9780330543446) starts in London in 1609 but the action moves to Seville during the expulsion of the Moors and reflects this turbulent period of European history.

Swift's Shadow on the Highway (2014, ISBN 978-1500549831) is the first of The Highway Trilogy of young adult novels, and is based on the life of highwaywoman Katherine Fanshawe, also known as Lady Katherine Ferrers. The second in the trilogy, Spirit of the Highway (2015, ISBN 978-1517279486) is told in the voice of the ghost of a roundhead farmer's son who loved Katherine. Lady of the Highway (2016, ISBN 978-1533248954) completes the trilogy

Past Encounters, published under the name Davina Blake, (2014, ISBN 978-1499568257) is a story set in Carnforth which features the filming of Brief Encounter at Carnforth railway station in 1944 and uncovers a husband's wartime secrets.

Pleasing Mr Pepys (28 September 2017, ISBN 978-1786154187) is a " re-imagining of the events" from the diary of Samuel Pepys