Personal life

Violet Vivian Finlay born in Berkshire, England on January 2, 1914.Her youth mostly was spent in Burma and India. Studied medicine at the Universities of London and Budapest.She married twice during her lifetime. Emigrated to Australia with her second Husband ..an Hungarian Doctor who she worked with.Joined the Australian Forces during World War 2 and was attached to the IVth Army. Was later transferred to British xiv Army in Burma.Frequently journeyed between Rangoon, Singapore, Java and Sumatra.She died in August, 1986, at age 72.

Writing career

Stuart published her first novels in 1953, under her first married name using her most prolific pen name Alex Stuart.Other pen names : Barbara Allen, Fiona Finlay, V.A. Stuart, William Stuart Long (The Australian Series) and Robyn Stuart.

The novel, "Gay Cavalier" (Alex Stuart) caused trouble between Vivian and her Mills & Boon editors. Vivian featured a secondary story line featuring a Catholic male and Protestant female who chose to marry.This so-called "mixed marriage" touched many peoples nerves in the United Kingdom at the time.

The "Australian Series" (William Stuart Long) is factually and historically accurate.Much historical research went into this series.With extensive research fromThe Mitchell Library Sydney; The National Maritime Museum;British Public Records Office and the New York Public Library.

A number of fictional characters and narrative were added due to the series being written in novel form.

Some of Vivians novels are released under different pen names or titles.

As Vivian Stuart

Single novels

• Along Came Ann (1953) aka Along Came Doctor Ann
• Proud Heart (1953)
• The Unlit Heart (1954)
• Eyes of the Night (1954)
• Pilgrim Heart (1955) aka Doctor in the Tropics
• Lover Betrayed (1955)
• No Single Star (1956)
• Life Is the Destiny (1958)
• Nurse in Malaya (1960)
• The Unlit Love (1961) aka Jungle Doctor
• The Summer's Flower (1961)
• The Brave Captains (1968)
• Black Sea Frigate (1971)
• The New Mrs. Aldrich (1976)

Non fiction

• The Beloved Little Admiral: Admiral of the Fleet the Hon. Sir Henry Keppel 1809-1904 (1967)

Non fiction in collaboration

• His Majesty's Sloop-of-War: Diamond Rock (1978) (with George T. Eggleston)

Alex Stuart

Single novels

• The Captain's Table (1953)
• Ship's Nurse (1954)
• Soldier's Daughter (1954)
• Gay Cavalier (1955)
• Island for Sale (1955)
• Bachelor of Medicine (1956)
• A Cruise for Cinderella (1956)
• Huntsman's Folly (1956)
• Garrison Hospital (1957)
• Queen's Counsel (1957)
• The Last of the Logans (1957)
• Master of Guise (1957)
• Master of Surgery (1958) aka That Wonderful Feeling
• Daughters of the Governor (1958)
• Castle in the Mist (1959)
• Peacock Pagoda (1959)
• Return to Love (1960)
• Star of Oudh (1960) aka On Her Majesty's Orders
• Doctor Mary Courage (1961) aka Only a Memory
• Spencer's Hospital (1961)
• Sister Margarita (1961) aka Nurse in Spain
• Doctor on Horseback (1962)
• The dedicated (1962)
• Doctor of Rhua (1964) aka The Piper of Laide
• Maiden Voyage (1964)
• Samaritan's Hospital (1965)
• There But for Fortune (1966)
• Random Island (1967)
• Strangers When We Meet (1968)
• Stranger in Town (1970)
• Young Doctor Mason (1970)
• Research Fellow (1971)
• A Sunset Touch (1972)

Anthologies in collaboration

• Fair Horizon / Desert Nurse / Queen's Counsel (1970) (with Jane Arbor, Rosalind Brett)
• Nurse on Holiday / Country of the Heart / Last of the Logans (1972) (with Catherine Airlie, Rosalind Brett)
• Return to Love / Stormy Haven / Nurse to Captain Andy (1972) (with Rosalind Brett, Jill Christian)
• Send for Nurse Vincent / Island For Sale / Winter is Past (1973) (with Margaret Malcolm and Anne Weale)
• Harlequin Classic Library (1980) (with Elizabeth Hoy, Susan Barrie, Mary Burchell, Juliet Shore, Jean S. MacLeod, Elizabeth Houghton and Jill Tahourdin)

As Barbara Allen

Single novels

• Doctor Lucy (1956)
• Someone Else's Heart (1958)
• The Gay Gordons (1961)
• The Scottish Soldier (1966)

As Fiona Finlay

Single novels

• Moon Over Madrid (1957)

As V.A. Stuart

Alexander Sheridan Series

1. Like Victors and Lords (1964) aka Victors and Lords aka Captain of Cavalry
2. The Sepoy Mutiny (1973) aka Mutiny in Meerut aka Mutiny at Dawn
3. Massacre At Cawnpore (1973)
4. Cannons of Lucknow (1974) aka Battle for Lucknow
5. The Heroic Garrison (1973)

Phillip Hazard Series

1. The Valiant Sailors (1966)
2. The Brave Captains (1968)
3. Black Sea Frigate (1971) aka Hazard's Command
4. Hazard of Huntress (1972)
5. Victory at Sebastopol (1973) aka Hazard in Circassia
6. Hazard to the Rescue (1974)
7. Guns to the Far East (1975) aka Shannon's Brigade
8. Escape from Hell (1976) aka Sailors on Horseback

As William Stuart Long

Australians Series

1. The Exiles (1979)
2. The Settlers (1980)
3. The Traitors (1981)
4. The Explorers (1982)
5. The Adventurers (1983)
6. The Colonists (1984)
7. The Gold Seekers (1985)
8. The Patriots (1986) aka The Gallant
9. The Empire Builders (1987)
10. The Seafarers (1988)
11. The Nationalists (1989)
12. The Imperialists (1990)

As Robyn Stuart

Single novels

• Buccaneer's Lady (1981)
• Wild Rivers Run (1983)
• From the Flames (1983)

William Stuart Long