Books as art: the wonder of the pop-up
December 3, 2020
What better Christmas gift than a book? Well, perhaps one that is also an object of beauty, an intricate and marvellously clever work of art…
My latest blog posts
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Six dreamy winter paintings
December 1, 2020
It’s the first day of winter – the season of sparkling frosts and crystal skies and perfectly white snow. A time to find beauty and solace in nature.
The path to being a writer
November 26, 2020
I don’t think I ever set out to ‘be a writer’; I just knew from an early age that I wanted to create stories and write them down.
Perfect Christmas gifts for book lovers
November 23, 2020
Looking for Christmas present inspiration for your book-loving friend or partner or family member? Look no further! I’ve found some wonderful and quirky literary gifts that are bound to delight.
‘Passion is universal humanity’
November 19, 2020
The Ancient Greeks defined ‘passion’ as ‘to be acted on’. Should we follow our passions, act on them – or should we tame them?
A little tour of the Alcazar, Seville
November 16, 2020
This ancient palace, which features in my novel Indiscretion, transports you to a time gone by…
Romantic classical music: My top five pieces
November 12, 2020
Music has such power to express romantic feelings: as the French novelist Victor Hugo wrote, ‘Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.’ Here are my top five romantic pieces of classical music – inspiration for my latest novel, Concerto, the love story of a pianist composer and a music therapist.
An architectural tour of my novels
November 9, 2020
My love for travel shines through in my novels, which are set in countries I have loved exploring. Here I take you on a little tour of some of the wonderful historic architecture that features in my books.
How important is originality in fiction?
November 5, 2020
‘There is nothing new under the sun.’ So goes the proverb derived from the Book of Ecclesiastes. Depending on your perspective, you may find this a comforting thought or a frustrating limitation – or, indeed, a challenge to which you will rise.
The romance of the sunset
November 2, 2020
‘It is almost impossible to watch a sunset and not dream,’ said the English philosopher Bernard Williams. I quite agree: for me, the sunset can be so stirring and poignant and romantic.
A brief introduction to opera
October 29, 2020
‘I have lived for art, I have lived for love.’ So sings Floria in Puccini’s opera Tosca. But what is an opera exactly, and how did this art form develop?
Writing for readers
October 26, 2020
‘Why does a writer write? Why hazard yourself? Each writer has their own answer to this question. Mine lies in my childhood…’
Welcome to Cádiz
October 22, 2020
The day I first visited Cádiz I just knew I must situate a love story there! The Moors compared the city to a ‘dish of silver in a bowl of blue’, so vivid are the colours there. It is a lovely city; the most beautiful in Spain, I think, and so today I want to introduce you to it briefly.
Modern expressions derived from Greek mythology
October 19, 2020
How’s your Ancient Greek? Better than you may imagine, for in fact plenty of modern words are derived from the language and legends of this ancient civilisation…
Collecting book editions
October 15, 2020
Confession: I have not one, or two, or even three copies of Jane Eyre. I have nine. Why collect different editions of the same book? For several reasons…
An enduring trope: The damsel in distress
October 12, 2020
In a modern love story, is there room for a damsel in distress? From where did this trope originate and why has it so endured? Is it okay, in fact, to be in distress and in need of rescue sometimes?
Should we rewrite classic literature for the modern times?
October 8, 2020
Classic literature endures for a good reason: it’s powerful and beautiful writing. But in our modern era, the language of these books can make for challenging reading. So should we translate classic literature into modern English?
Comfort from autumnal poetry
October 5, 2020
‘Come autumn’s scathe — come winter’s cold — / Come change — and human fate! / Whatever prospect Heaven doth bound, / Can ne’er be desolate.’ The seasons are changing… but we can find hope and comfort in poetry.
The heroine who follows her own star
October 1, 2020
My grandmother was a well-known feminist who taught me that women can do anything. Naturally, then, the heroines of my novels are strong, independent and bold…
Literary cookbooks for bibliophiles
September 28, 2020
Love novels? Love food? Then you’ll love literary cookbooks! These collections of recipes inspired by works of fiction offer you a chance to not only imagine fictional words but get a real taste of them…
Muse: The woman in the shadows
September 24, 2020
‘Maybe you could become my muse … what d’you say?’ So says the hero of my latest novel, Concerto, to the heroine. Umberto is a pianist composer set for superstardom; Catriona is his young and naïve neighbour who dreams of being an opera singer. The idea of being a muse… well, who wouldn’t be flattered? But does it mean living in the shadow of genius?
‘Classy and fabulous’: The heroine’s style in my novels
September 21, 2020
‘A girl should be two things,’ said Coco Chanel: ‘classy and fabulous.’ Certainly, this is the ethos I have in mind when I write the heroines of my novels. One of my favourite aspects of characterisation is to consider the heroine’s style, and I must confess I am a big fan of dressing them to impress!
Writing Romantic heroes
September 17, 2020
An individual, a maverick, a self-made man; introspective, a thinker; drawn to nature; driven by emotion and deeply impassioned… the heroes of my novels are not just romantic, they’re Romantic in the sense of the literary archetype.
Building your home library
September 14, 2020
‘I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.’ So wrote Jorge Luis Borges, and I quite agree. What is truly wonderful about this idea is that paradise is within our reach! We each have the ability to create a little haven at home, with a home library.
Views of Lake Como: ‘a spot blessed by heaven’
September 10, 2020
My latest novel, Concerto, is set on Lake Como, Italy, a place so beautiful the composer Franz Liszt described it as ‘a spot blessed by heaven’. Today, I’m sharing with you some of my favourite views of the lake. Don’t forget my Sunday Special offer: if you sign up to my newsletter, you’ll receive my ebook 8 Must-See Tourist Attractions Around Lake Como for free!
The romantic lace-making of Venice
September 7, 2020
Venice, setting of my novel The Echoes of Love, is famous for being the City of Love – but did you know it’s also known for lace-making? Not only is Venetian lace so intricate and beautiful that it’s a work of art, but there’s a romantic legend that tells us how this lace originated…
Finding beauty in the moment
September 3, 2020
‘Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!’ From a William Wordsworth sonnet, inspired by a moment of reflection and connection he experienced during a visit to London and written 218 years ago today…
Romantic legends of Italy
August 31, 2020
Once I have chosen the setting for my next novel, I do my best to learn all about this place: its history, its culture, its cuisine, its scenery. But my favourite research of all is into the stories of the place: its myths, legends and fairy tales. So it was with my novel The Echoes of Love…
Drawing inspiration from romantic settings
August 27, 2020
Setting is everything for my fiction, not just the backdrop of the story but where I write – where I dream up the first meeting of two people destined to be soulmates, or a first kiss shared on a moonlit beach, or a sunset framing lovers walking off into their happy-ever-after…
Romance: not fantasy, but reality
August 24, 2020
‘To me, romance is reality. Romance – love – is everywhere, playing out all around us every day. Reading a romance novel isn’t indulging in a flight of fantasy; it’s reading about something real, and beautiful, and within your own reach in life…’
My latest blog posts
Books as art: the wonder of the pop-up
December 3, 2020
What better Christmas gift than a book? Well, perhaps one that is also an object of beauty, an intricate and marvellously clever work of art…
Six dreamy winter paintings
December 1, 2020
It’s the first day of winter – the season of sparkling frosts and crystal skies and perfectly white snow. A time to find beauty and solace in nature.
The path to being a writer
November 26, 2020
I don’t think I ever set out to ‘be a writer’; I just knew from an early age that I wanted to create stories and write them down.
Perfect Christmas gifts for book lovers
November 23, 2020
Looking for Christmas present inspiration for your book-loving friend or partner or family member? Look no further! I’ve found some wonderful and quirky literary gifts that are bound to delight.
‘Passion is universal humanity’
November 19, 2020
The Ancient Greeks defined ‘passion’ as ‘to be acted on’. Should we follow our passions, act on them – or should we tame them?
A little tour of the Alcazar, Seville
November 16, 2020
This ancient palace, which features in my novel Indiscretion, transports you to a time gone by…
Romantic classical music: My top five pieces
November 12, 2020
Music has such power to express romantic feelings: as the French novelist Victor Hugo wrote, ‘Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.’ Here are my top five romantic pieces of classical music – inspiration for my latest novel, Concerto, the love story of a pianist composer and a music therapist.
An architectural tour of my novels
November 9, 2020
My love for travel shines through in my novels, which are set in countries I have loved exploring. Here I take you on a little tour of some of the wonderful historic architecture that features in my books.
How important is originality in fiction?
November 5, 2020
‘There is nothing new under the sun.’ So goes the proverb derived from the Book of Ecclesiastes. Depending on your perspective, you may find this a comforting thought or a frustrating limitation – or, indeed, a challenge to which you will rise.
The romance of the sunset
November 2, 2020
‘It is almost impossible to watch a sunset and not dream,’ said the English philosopher Bernard Williams. I quite agree: for me, the sunset can be so stirring and poignant and romantic.
A brief introduction to opera
October 29, 2020
‘I have lived for art, I have lived for love.’ So sings Floria in Puccini’s opera Tosca. But what is an opera exactly, and how did this art form develop?
Writing for readers
October 26, 2020
‘Why does a writer write? Why hazard yourself? Each writer has their own answer to this question. Mine lies in my childhood…’
Welcome to Cádiz
October 22, 2020
The day I first visited Cádiz I just knew I must situate a love story there! The Moors compared the city to a ‘dish of silver in a bowl of blue’, so vivid are the colours there. It is a lovely city; the most beautiful in Spain, I think, and so today I want to introduce you to it briefly.
Modern expressions derived from Greek mythology
October 19, 2020
How’s your Ancient Greek? Better than you may imagine, for in fact plenty of modern words are derived from the language and legends of this ancient civilisation…
Collecting book editions
October 15, 2020
Confession: I have not one, or two, or even three copies of Jane Eyre. I have nine. Why collect different editions of the same book? For several reasons…
An enduring trope: The damsel in distress
October 12, 2020
In a modern love story, is there room for a damsel in distress? From where did this trope originate and why has it so endured? Is it okay, in fact, to be in distress and in need of rescue sometimes?
My latest blog posts
Books as art: the wonder of the pop-up
December 3, 2020
What better Christmas gift than a book? Well, perhaps one that is also an object of beauty, an intricate and marvellously clever work of art…
Six dreamy winter paintings
December 1, 2020
It’s the first day of winter – the season of sparkling frosts and crystal skies and perfectly white snow. A time to find beauty and solace in nature.
The path to being a writer
November 26, 2020
I don’t think I ever set out to ‘be a writer’; I just knew from an early age that I wanted to create stories and write them down.
Perfect Christmas gifts for book lovers
November 23, 2020
Looking for Christmas present inspiration for your book-loving friend or partner or family member? Look no further! I’ve found some wonderful and quirky literary gifts that are bound to delight.
‘Passion is universal humanity’
November 19, 2020
The Ancient Greeks defined ‘passion’ as ‘to be acted on’. Should we follow our passions, act on them – or should we tame them?
A little tour of the Alcazar, Seville
November 16, 2020
This ancient palace, which features in my novel Indiscretion, transports you to a time gone by…
Romantic classical music: My top five pieces
November 12, 2020
Music has such power to express romantic feelings: as the French novelist Victor Hugo wrote, ‘Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.’ Here are my top five romantic pieces of classical music – inspiration for my latest novel, Concerto, the love story of a pianist composer and a music therapist.
An architectural tour of my novels
November 9, 2020
My love for travel shines through in my novels, which are set in countries I have loved exploring. Here I take you on a little tour of some of the wonderful historic architecture that features in my books.