A writer’s retreat: at home in France
Autumn has come, and the lawns surrounding my house in Ireland are carpeted with leaves in glorious colours. The view from my writing desk over
Author: Hannah
Favourite autumnal quotations
The leaves on the trees in my garden are a riot of colour: crimson and ochre and russet and gloriously ripe yellow. The lawns are
10 facts you may not know about dictionaries
One of my hobbies is reading dictionaries; not cover to cover, because that would take an age, but dipping in and out. I love to
Bringing sculpture to life: The Sevillian school of sculpture
Seville, capital of Andalusia, setting of my romantic trilogy: Indiscretion, Masquerade and Legacy. On the map for its rich historical and cultural sites, like the
A reading corner of one’s own
Where do you read books? On the train, perhaps, and in a doctor’s waiting room; in a few spare minutes before going out, or while
Spain’s legendary female knight: the Lady of Arintero
‘Female knight’ may well strike you as a contradiction in terms: how could a knight of medieval times be a woman? Surely this was a
Epic love stories of history: The lovers of Teruel
Two marble hands reaching for each other, immortalised for all time; these are the 12th-century lovers Diego and Isabel, whose tomb to this day attracts
Seville’s Plaza de España, the most beautiful in Spain?
Did you know that the plaza – a large, open urban public space, especially a square – originated in Spain? The Spanish built them to
Epic love stories of history: Layla and Majnun
‘Layla, you’ve got me on my knees. Layla, I’m begging, darling, please. Layla, darling, won’t you ease my worried mind.’ So sang Eric Clapton. ‘Layla’
Blood-red and sea-blue: the colours of Andalucian Nights
Readers of my novels will know that I am a very visual writer, especially when it comes to describing colours. Not for me grey, dreary
5 must-see artworks at the Prado Museum, Madrid
Have you visited the Prado art museum in Madrid? It is one of my favourite places on the planet. Not only is the building itself
Romance novels: quality still counts amid quantity
While reading an article in the Irish Independent on romance novels, a quotation from author Kate Kerrigan caught my eye: ‘The people who are reading
Gigantes, cabezudos and castells: very Spanish spectacles
Whenever I visit Spain, top of my ‘to do’ list is going to a festival. The Spanish love festivals: it’s a wonderful reason to come
Thought piece: we can – and must – eradicate malaria
How to Do Good: Essays on Building a Better World, published by my publisher, London Wall, is a collection of essays by thought leaders, celebrities,
The colourful character behind the wisdom of Legacy
Secrets, deceit, betrayal – and revelation, truth and loyalty: these are the themes that underpin my Andalucían Nights trilogy. In the final book in the
A brief history of the hand fan in Europe
As part of my FANtastic Fiesta, running until 14 August, I’m giving away three lovely wooden Spanish hand fans, as featured on the covers of
Taking inspiration from the Andalucían almadraba
My latest novel, Legacy, is set in Cadiz, a city in Andalucía that is almost entirely surrounded by sea. This is the view from my
WIN in my FAN-tastic Fiesta
This month, I’m having a FAN-tastic Fiesta, to celebrate the launch of my Andalucían Nights trilogy in a special, all-in-one edition. The award-winning epic Andalucían
Should the gender of an author matter?
Back in the nineteenth century, readers – men and women alike – began to discover and enjoy fiction by new novelists Currer Bell, Ellis Bell,
A visual tour of my novels’ landscapes
Earlier this week, I was hunting in my files for a photograph when it struck me just how many images I was browsing through. Since
An inspiration for my Andalucían Nights series: Gaudí’s architecture
In my latest novel, Legacy, the love story begins when the hero and heroine cross paths in Barcelona. I very much enjoyed setting the scene
Stepping back into the Roman Empire in Andalucía
There is so much that drew me to the Spanish region of Andalucía when it came time to choose a setting for my romantic trilogy.
She’s the one: Five reasons I write in the third person
She’s the one: Five reasons I write in the third person ‘I had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard
Flamingos: striding into the imaginary
Here’s a little quiz question for you: Which bird features in my novel Burning Embers, set in Kenya, and my novel Indiscretion, set in Spain?
What am I reading? That’s private
‘Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.’ So wrote satirist P. J. O’Rourke. Of course, he was joking. We should
Castanets and Spanish folk dancing
Andalucían culture features prominently in my recent novels, Indiscretion, Masquerade and Legacy, especially in relation to music and dance, which is characterised by a single
The feel-good factor of giving books
I love books. I love to browse books, choose books, purchase books, collect books – and, of course, read books! If, like me, you are
Thought piece: on DOING good
How to Do Good: Essays on Building a Better World, published by my publisher, London Wall, is a collection of essays by thought leaders,
The Moorish legacy in Andalucía
Each of the Spanish regions has its own unique culture and history; but for me, the most beautiful and fascinating of them all is Andalucía.
10 unforgettable vistas in Cádiz
The city of Cádiz features in each of the novels in my Andalucían Nights trilogy. It’s such a vibrant, luminous city, it was an easy decision