The best-selling author was born in May 1933, the only child of Winston and Freda Taylor.

She started work as a typist for the Yorkshire Evening Post before being promoted to reporter.

Aged 20 she moved to London and worked on Fleet Street for Woman's Own and the London Evening News.

In 1963 she married American film producer Robert Bradford and moved to the States.

She continued with her journalistic career, but began writing children's books and wrote about design and lifestyles issues.

She never lost her desire to write fiction, and despite several failed attempts, the turning point came in 1976 when she sold A Woman of Substance to a publisher on the strength of a 10-page outline and 192 pages.

The novel became a huge best-seller and was followed by more than 20 others.

She is one of the richest living authors with her work published in more than 90 countries in 40 languages, with sales figures in excess of 75 million.



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