Grounding my romance novels in real places
Recently, I was interested to read an article in the Guardian on the subject of settings for books by the very popular novelist David
Author: Hannah
Keeping Kylee by Jan Romes
From the blurb: Millionaire Quinn Randel is a world-class philanthropist and a world-class ass. He has a perfect life and doesn’t want to muck it
Passing on books
In my novel Indiscretion, it is the power of heredity that pushes the heroine, Alexandra, to return to the place of her birth: Spain.
Adult colouring books
This morning, I logged onto Amazon UK and had a look at the books bestsellers list. What did I find at the top? Not a
Welcome to Triana, Seville
The closest city to the hacienda, El Pavon, where my characters live in Indiscretion is Seville, Spain. It is a city I know well, and
Dreaming big, writing small: The #TwitterFiction Festival
Twitter: a social media platform used regularly by 302 million people, including me. I use Twitter extensively as a means by which to connect
The well-thumbed dictionary
On a mild summer’s day, once I have completed the writing tasks I set myself, I am usually to be found sitting in my
Rooting romance in a close-knit family
In my new novel, Indiscretion, the heroine Alexandra is a young woman of dual heritage: she is half-English and half-Spanish. When her parents’ marriage ended,
Historical romance fun for aspiring romance writers
I know that many of my readers enjoy historical romance, and a number of you either write in the genre or aspire to. So I
Reading romance: A feminist pursuit
Is reading romance a ‘guilty’ pleasure for you? Do you read romance novels on an ebook so no one knows what you’re reading and judges
The ‘real’ Mr Darcy
Mr Darcy, the archetype of the brooding, aloof romantic hero who is famous the world over more than two hundred years since his inception. Clearly, Jane
Machismo: a positive or a negative quality?
No doubt you know the term machismo (from the Spanish ‘macho’) – most romantic heroes, after all, exude this quality. But what connotations does machismo
Book restorers: The unsung heroes of the literary world
Two news stories caught my eye this week. The first was that, according to The Association of American Publishers, ebook sales fell by 10 per
Scent-sational: Indiscretion
Whenever I start writing a new romance novel, setting is one of the most important considerations. My signature style incorporates exotic, beautiful, romantic settings,
Sebastian the Alchemist and His Captive by Lindsay Townsend
From the blurb: He takes her for hate. Will he keep her for love? Sebastian, lord of the tower in the northern high lands, is
Follow your read with The Fictionary
I’ve written about a couple of interesting apps for readers recently: Whichbook, which matches a book to your mood, and The Clean Reader, which blanks
Author: the most coveted job, and yet the least lucrative?
Back in February I reported on a government survey of almost 15,000 British people in the UK that revealed ‘author’ is the most desired job
An Andalusian specialty: Gazpacho
One of the most lingering memories of my time in Andalusia, Spain – setting for my new novel, Indiscretion– is of flavours. Succulent tomato.
How to Tame a Willful Wife by Christy English
From the blurb: How To Tame A Willful Wife: 1. Forbid her from riding astride 2. Hide her dueling sword 3. Burn all her breeches
Author outputs: Prioritising quantity over quality?
The publishing industry has transformed radically in the past twenty years. The keyword in the preceding sentence is industry. The business of publishing has been
Improbable libraries
I came across this book via the Guardian this week: Here’s the outline: From the rise of the egalitarian Little Free Library movement (motto: Take
Rehoming the forgotten books
Here’s a simple fact of the publishing industry: many more books are printed than are read. In the UK, for example, according to data compiled
Reasons to admire Spanish artist Joan Miro
When I write a novel, I immerse myself in the culture of the country in which the story is set. For my new novel Indiscretion,
Digital roundup April
I’ve been following publishing news ever since I began publishing my romance fiction, and in recent months it’s become apparent that digital is dominating the
Digital roundup
I’ve been following publishing news ever since I began publishing my romance fiction, and in recent months it’s become apparent that digital is dominating the
The importance of attribution
Regular readers of my blog and followers on Twitter will know that I love quotations – little nuggets of wisdom to make you smile, make
The era of Indiscretion: 1950s Spain
Readers of my new novel Indiscretion will find themselves transported not only to a beautiful location – the ancient cities and wild landscapes of Andalusia,
The secret language of the Spanish fan
A cultural symbol of Spain known around the world, the Spanish fan exudes romance and passion. So much so, it is an important symbol on
The most spectacular libraries in the world
Regular followers of my blog will know I am an ardent bibliophile, and that extends to an adoration of those places dedicated to connecting us
JK Rowling’s Very Good Lives
Did you watch the video of JK Rowling’s 2008 speech at Harvard University? I found her words very poignant, especially such points on imagination and