Welcome to The House of Gemma,

the website accompanying the book of the same name.

This place is more than just a companion to a story — it is a doorway to a quiet legacy, a glinting trail of meaning and memory, threaded through time.

Through the Delights page, you will discover the jewellery pieces behind the stories in the book — how and why they came into the author’s life, and, if known, the tales they carried before finding her.

The Legacy page follows the life of the author and shares the deeper thoughts behind the legacies she chooses to leave behind — to people, to time, to hope.

Within the Stories page lies a glimpse into the collection of short tales in The House of Gemma — each inspired by a real piece from the author’s jewellery box. Expect other worlds, sparkling secrets from velvet-lined pouches, and souls caught in the jeweller’s loupe. These stories glimmer in faceted cuts of fantasy, magic-realism, and quiet horror.

The author’s philosophy, shaped by life and softened by time, lives in the Facets page — a gentle meditation on what it is to feel, to endure, to cherish.

The first seed of The House of Gemma is found in the stones themselves — the gems that lend their presence and their name. The Gems page explores these stones and the notable pieces of jewellery that have made an impression on the author’s heart.

The Gemma page honours the second inspiration: a fictional girl with spirit, from a children’s novel by Noel Streatfeild, first published in 1968. Gemma, a beloved story from the author’s childhood, became an inner companion. She lives on here, stitched into the soul of this place.

The Jewel page is written for someone very special — not yet known to the author, but deeply felt. This message is only for her.

And finally, the Updates page documents the building of this website — a quiet archive of the moments that shaped it, one click, one colour, one memory at a time.

Love,
The author of The House of Gemma

Norfolk, England
June 2025

Forthcoming, the accompanying short story collection by Faith McCord.