A question I’m commonly asked is: ‘What advice would you give an aspiring romance writer?’ I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject – really, who is? – but the following outlines some of the lessons I’ve learned on my journey from being a little girl who dreamed of writing romance to being a grown woman who really does write romance, every day.
Music is at the heart of my latest novel, Concerto. The hero, Umberto, is a pianist composer who has lost his sight, and consequently his will to compose and play. Enter music therapist Catriona, who will have her work cut out trying to guide this stubborn and depressed man back to the piano, where he belongs.
Classic, vintage, timeless, shabby chic – whatever you call them, antiques can be truly beautiful and soulful. They connect us to those who have come before, who have lived different lives. The writer in me is fascinated by the stories inherent in antiques: who once wore this necklace, read this book, took plates from this dresser, admired this glass bowl?
‘Darling, sweetheart, my love, baby, honey – these are not empty words, but words to be treasured, imbued with passion and feeling and meaning…’
These past months have been a difficult time for us all. Whatever our circumstances, we have had to deal with a great deal of change, of anxiety and of frustration over restrictions to our liberty. Alongside being patient and compassionate (for oneself and for others), our greatest tool for coping with the stress has been to be in the moment. Not dwelling on yesterday. Not fretting about tomorrow. Just breathing and being in the present time.
‘Bees are buzzing, wildflowers are swaying in the breeze, cotton-candy clouds are drifting across the bluest of skies – ah, summer…’
Regular readers of my blog will know that I love to travel. Exploring new cultures is the main appeal of course, but also… I adore the duty-free shopping! I often arrive at my destination with a new perfume, and my trip feels all the more special for it. Later, when I am back home and I smell that perfume, I am transported across the world to Egypt or Greece or Italy. Truly scent-sational!
‘For me, experiencing different cultures and their people is as essential a part of life as reading and writing. That is why all my novels are infused with a passion for travel…’
‘”Ever thine. Ever mine. Ever ours.” This is the kind of intense, enflamed passion that I dreamt of for my novel Concerto…’
‘The dappled sunlight filtering through tree branches – is there a word for that? The seeds of a dandelion drifting on the breeze – do we have a word for that? Should we?…’
‘An author’s job is to tell a story through writing, but in Concerto I was able to also use music to tell that story.’
‘En la sangre hierve España sin fuego. (In Spain blood boils without fire.) This proverb says it all: Spanish is a land of deep passions, the perfect setting for fiery, dramatic romance…’
Recently, a memoir caught my eye. Published in February this year, Sounds Like Titanic by Jessica Chicceh Hindman is an account of her time playing the
‘”Each kiss a heart-quake,” wrote Lord Byron, and that is how I envision the first kiss in each novel I write…’
‘Solitude is fine, but you need someone to tell you that solitude is fine.’ So wrote French novelist Honoré de Balzac. For me, this quotation perfectly encapsulates the
‘The title is such an integral part of any novel that I write. It’s the cornerstone, essentially. From the title flows the work. Thus, the title fits…’
In my novel Concerto, the heroine, Catriona, is a music therapist who is hired to work with a client who is depressed. Umberto was once
‘I would love to return to each of my story worlds. I would love to tell the stories from different angles and perspectives, go back in time and forward, fill gaps, reimagine – dream it all over again…’
Indiscretion: a compelling story of love and identity, danger and desire. Yours free!
‘The world may never have had the fairy tale were it not for Perrault and a group of other intellectuals challenging the status quo in literature in the 17th century…’
‘To write fiction, to express oneself eloquently and with passion, to set down the words in order – that requires triumph over chaos. But more than that, I think writing demands finding a harmonious way of being with chaos…’
‘Does it matter, ultimately, when a romance is interrupted, when a hero and heroine spend years apart when they could have been together?’
‘Reading is a passport to distant lands. From the comfort of your armchair – or your bed, or your window seat, or your garden bench – you can visit the Himalayas or the Grand Canyon or the Pyramids…’
‘There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy… Is the shore at Lake Como haunted, and if so, by whom? And why: what tragic secret has been buried there?’
‘Two cafés with long and prominent histories, Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots in Paris: inspirational, fascinating and a chance to brush shoulders with the ghosts of the greats…’
‘Finding a book that speaks to you feels like finding treasure. There’s a magic to it – a spark of energy when you realise the book in your hand is one you’re going to read…’
‘As a child, I longed for the world to be only sunshine and rainbows and happy-ever-afters. As an adult, I understand that real romance is multi-faceted, and there is a danger in indulging in fantasy…’
‘Studies have shown that bibliotherapy is especially powerful for alleviating anxiety and depression, which makes reading so important for us all right now as we are trapped in a bubble of worry, fear and isolation. Reading is an act of self-love; it is a way to make yourself feel better…’
‘The best romances offer an opportunity for readers to learn about something new, such as an interesting occupation or a place. In my own romances, I take readers to fascinating locations around the world, like Lake Como and Venice and Cadiz, so that my books are like a passport to travel from the comfort of your own home…’
‘My romance novel Burning Embers: FREE for all readers…’
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