Romantic fiction author Katie Flynn dies

Author Judy Turner, who wrote under the pseudonyms of Katie Flynn and Judith Saxton, has died at the age of 82.

The author of historical and romantic fiction penned more than 90 books in her lifetime, selling more than eight million copies.

Born in Norwich, she was encouraged to write after she had a poem published in Enid Blyton's Sunny Stories, aged eight.

Literary agent Caroline Sheldon said writing was her life.

"Through her talent to tell stories she forged a remarkable career spanning nearly 50 years," she said.

"She will be much missed by all who knew her."

She published her first novel in 1974 as Judith Saxton, but found greater success as Katie Flynn.

A Liverpool Lass, her first as Flynn, was published in 1993 and her novels under that name have gone on to sell five and a half million copies.

Susan Sandon, managing director of the Cornerstone division at Penguin Random House, said: "All at Century and Arrow feel immensely proud to have been Judy's publisher over so many years.

"Her storytelling has provided pleasure for literally generations of readers; I feel privileged to have worked so closely with her."

Turner attended Norwich High School for Girls and married a local man before moving to Wrexham due to her husband's job.

When her three children were young, she would write in the evenings once they had gone to bed and send her stories to women's magazines.

Her friend of 70 years, Brenda Ferris, of Norwich, said: "She was a born storyteller. She would regale this serial story at school.

"There was always a story in her, they just flowed from her and they were gripping."

She continued to write after she was diagnosed with ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) in 1996 and her daughter Holly worked as her assistant for 10 years.

Holly joined her mother in writing her latest Katie Flynn books - Christmas at Tuppenny Corner and A Mother's Love - and further collaborative works are still in the pipeline.