Romance shines through in The Great American Read
Over the past six months, American readers have been voting for their favourite novels as part of The Great American Read. An advisory panel of
Author: Hannah
Sacrifice and offerings: Appeasing the Ancient Greek monster Typhoeus
My novel Aphrodite’s Tears is set on a small Greek island near the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. It is an island where tradition is deeply
Inspiration for Aphrodite’s Tears at the Afqa waterfall, Lebanon
November is an exciting month for me. My novel Indiscretion, which won a Gold Medal for Romance at the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards and Best
Fear of failure: a driving force, or one that hinders?
‘We have a saying in Greek: To dis examartein ouk andros sophou, to commit the same sin twice is not a sign of a wise
Greek mezedes, my favourite dishes to cook and enjoy
When I was a teenager growing up in Alexandria, I became very interesting in cooking. I read cookbooks, I tried my hand at recipes and
‘Up-lit’: a more hopeful era in literature?
Once upon a time, being an author meant reading a lot of books, writing some books, and perhaps doing a book signing or reading tour
The sea casts its spell: sailing to the Bandits’ Lair with my hero and heroine
One of my favourite times of the year has just passed: Les Voiles de St Tropez. This sailing regatta is held in the gulf of
15th October: when history skipped forward by ten days
On this day in history, the Roman poet Virgil was born (19 BC), as was the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844). Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier
Celebrating autumn – and Queen of the Underworld, Persephone
The leaves outside the window of my writing room are a riot of colours, and as LM Montgomery wrote in Anne of Green Gables, ‘I’m
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
I love writing my novels, being immersed in the story world; but I also love the work that comes before I write: the research. For
Modern publishing: empowering writers to write
Last week, I wrote about the rewards of reading slowly, inspired by an article in the Guardian. Within that article, another theme caught my eye:
He who fights sharks: My scarred hero, Damian
Dreaming up the hero is, for me, one of the most enjoyable parts of writing a new book. Before he takes shape in my mind,
Underwater archaeology: the Roman galleon shipwreck that inspired my writing
The story of my latest novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, centres on the discovery of an ancient shipwreck off the coast of a little Greek island called
Making beauty out of tragedy: the tears of Aphrodite
My new novel is entitled Aphrodite’s Tears. Most readers will know of Aphrodite – the Greek goddess of love. But why in my book title
Making more time in your life for reading
‘Have we ever had enough time to read?’ So began a recent article on the Literary Hub website, drawing on a book by Associate Professor
Should we read one book at a time – or several?
My bookshelves – and there are many of them, in my homes in France, Ireland and Kent – are filled with all kinds of books.
Drawing upon a rich legacy of storytelling
Recently, Italian author Elena Ferrante wrote an opinion piece entitled ‘I don’t have much faith in those who say, “Here is a truly new book”’. ‘There
‘All happiness depends on courage and work’: inspiration from Honoré de Balzac
Those who follow me on Twitter will know that I like to collect quotations – little nuggets of wisdom and inspiration from great minds. A
Novel titles: Which comes first, the story or its title?
Did you know that Leo Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace was originally entitled All’s Well That Ends Well? That William Faulkner’s The Sound and the
A Greek gastronomic tour through my novel Aphrodite’s Tears
Cooking and dining are great passions of mine, and when I am writing a new novel, I take great pleasure in exploring the cuisine of
The lyre: playing the music of Ancient Greece
If I could create a ‘booktrack’ for my new novel Aphrodite’s Tears (a musical soundtrack to which you listen while reading), it would feature prominently
On authors reading their own novels
In July, author Michael Ondaatje was awarded the ‘Golden’ Man Booker Prize, when his novel The English Patient was voted the most popular Man Booker Prize-winner
A brief overview of Ancient Greek architecture
My interest in ancient civilisations began with the stories I was told by my parents and governess in childhood – but it was cemented by glimpses
‘Hope costs nothing’: The life and legacy of French novelist Colette
I was thrilled to read of a new movie being released in September based upon the life of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. Here is the trailer for
Favourite settings from my fiction
‘We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.’ So wrote novelist Anais Nin. What a perfect explanation for the
Amphitrite – an overlooked Greek goddess
Imagine you are a sea nymph, one of the fifty daughters born to Nereus and Doris (the daughter of Oceanus). You are perfectly happy in your
History unearthed: Olympia, Greece
The heroine of my latest novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, is an archaeologist with a passion for ancient civilisations. I imagine she would have been thrilled to
Better the dream than the reality? On romantic heroes
‘Not a man, but a work of art…’ This is how Italian author Elena Ferrante described her latest screen crush in her Weekend column for
Heaven under my feet
Heaven. That is my writing spot today. I have been writing my blog for almost seven years now. Seven years! In that time I have
‘Another world’: Plunging a liberated heroine into a conservative society
‘Your women’s lib doesn’t work here.’ So the heroine of my novel Aphrodite’s Tears is told when she comes to work on a little Greek