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Janetta was born in 1913, the second of two daughters, to Alfred
Walters, a civil servant employed with the Ministry of Housing, and his wife,
the
former Bertha Potter, in Bayswater (London W2).
She and her older sister Helen (b. 1905) enjoyed a relatively comfortable lower-middle class upbringing during and following WWI, until Arthur and Bertha were killed in the distastrous London flood of 1928. Helen, then 23, took it upon herself to continue making a home for herself and her 15-year-old sister in their little Bayswater house. Helen worked as an assistant at Barrington's Department Store, insisting that Janetta continue her education. Janetta first discovered her marvellous writing talent when she tried her hand at a romance, in the vein of her favourite authors, Elaine Elkington, Diana Wilding and Sara Seale. To her great surprise and delight, Bride of May was accepted by Abbott and Spicer, who have been her publishers ever since. Janetta and her sister Helen were able to move to the house in the country where they now live and work. Janetta writes every day in her study, a vase of her favourite sweet peas on her desk, inspired by the charming old world garden outside her study windows. Helen Walters, Janetta's first reader and biggest fan, takes care of her sister's business and personal needs, as well as tending their garden, so that Janetta can continue to bring her readers more of the wonderful, inspiring love stories we all adore so. Janetta's readers are legion, and spread around the world, to Canada, America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, as well as all corners of the British Isles |