St. Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai
May 12, 2022
This monastery, at the foot of Mount Sinai, is steeped in history…
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My latest blog posts
Is the male point of view important in a romance novel?
May 5, 2022
Should the hero get a chance in the spotlight, or is the heroine the star?
The Mena House Hotel, Cairo, Egypt
April 28, 2022
The perfect setting for a glamourous party and an inspiring view…
The Festival of the Blooming Rose, Venice, Italy
April 25, 2022
Today, on St Mark’s Day in Venice, it’s traditional for men to give women a single red rose to symbolise their love.
Sobek, the Egyptian god of the Nile
April 14, 2022
This ancient god, inspired by the fearsome crocodile of the Nile, was worshipped for thousands of years.
A legendary love story: Abelard and Héloïse
April 11, 2022
Let me take you back in time, to the 12th century, and tell you a story that has become legend. This is a true story, and it has inspired many stories since.
The exquisite sculptures of Antonio Canova
April 7, 2022
Two hundred years after his death, the works of this Italian sculptor continue to awe and inspire.
‘Dreams are necessary to life’: Anaïs Nin
April 4, 2022
Taking inspiration from an insightful writer…
Spring blossoms
March 31, 2022
As the poet Emily Dickinson wrote, ‘A light exists in spring.’
To sleep, perchance to dream
March 28, 2022
Where does a dream end and reality begin? Can a dream not only come true but be true?
Timeless views from the River Nile
March 24, 2022
Drifting serenely along the waterway that is the source of life – the perfect way to see the age-old beauty of Egypt.
Papyrus: the ‘paper’ of Ancient Egypt
March 21, 2022
The Nile was the source of life in Egypt – and of the all-important papyrus plant.
Floriography and the symbolic meaning of flowers
March 17, 2022
Throughout history, people have seen flowers as not only beautiful but also symbolic.
The origins of English words
March 14, 2022
Have you ever wondered why we use the words we use today?
Springtime captured in poetry
March 10, 2022
Spring: beautiful, hopeful and a great source of inspiration for poets…
Do you read classic literature?
March 7, 2022
On why we may not read classic literature – and how we may do so.
The lost pleasure of handwriting
March 3, 2022
‘I have found that when I am writing something emotional, I must write it the first time directly with hand on paper. Handwriting is more connected to the movement of the heart.’ So wrote Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones, and I quite agree. For me, handwriting has such soul.
The Temple of Isis, Philae
February 28, 2022
This ancient temple, devoted to the mother goddess, is a uniquely precious site in Egypt.
Comparing Egyptian, Roman and Greek gods
February 24, 2022
Did the ancient civilisations have similar deities?
A legendary love story: Tristan and Isolde
February 17, 2022
So many of our modern-day love stories are inspired by legends, stories that have been passed down from generation to generation, and so it is with the tale of Tristan and Isolde.
7 things you may not know about Cleopatra
February 14, 2022
Who exactly was Ancient Egypt’s famous queen?
‘Dressing’ my heroines
February 10, 2022
The women in my novels are strong and independent, so why not stylish as well?
Romance novels – the ideal bedtime read
February 7, 2022
Sweet dreams follow a romantic read…
Colour symbolism in Ancient Egypt
February 3, 2022
What did the colours used in Ancient Egyptian art mean to the people of this civilisation?
The Golden Age of Hollywood
January 31, 2022
On taking inspiration from the era of classic movies…
A dynastic timeline of Ancient Egypt
January 27, 2022
What were the dynasties of Ancient Egypt?
The ‘false’ doors of Ancient Egyptian tombs and temples
January 24, 2022
What was the symbolism of doors that led nowhere?
Agatha Christie: Taking inspiration from the Nile
January 20, 2022
A passion for Egypt inspired this prolific English novelist to write one of her most famous crime stories…
Does a woman need a ‘room of her own’ to write?
January 17, 2022
On claiming a space for your writing…
Lessons from great philosophers
January 13, 2022
Born in every generation are the wise people, the thinkers, the guiding lights who can show us the path ahead…
My latest blog posts
St. Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai
May 12, 2022
This monastery, at the foot of Mount Sinai, is steeped in history…
Is the male point of view important in a romance novel?
May 5, 2022
Should the hero get a chance in the spotlight, or is the heroine the star?
The Mena House Hotel, Cairo, Egypt
April 28, 2022
The perfect setting for a glamourous party and an inspiring view…
The Festival of the Blooming Rose, Venice, Italy
April 25, 2022
Today, on St Mark’s Day in Venice, it’s traditional for men to give women a single red rose to symbolise their love.
Sobek, the Egyptian god of the Nile
April 14, 2022
This ancient god, inspired by the fearsome crocodile of the Nile, was worshipped for thousands of years.
A legendary love story: Abelard and Héloïse
April 11, 2022
Let me take you back in time, to the 12th century, and tell you a story that has become legend. This is a true story, and it has inspired many stories since.
The exquisite sculptures of Antonio Canova
April 7, 2022
Two hundred years after his death, the works of this Italian sculptor continue to awe and inspire.
‘Dreams are necessary to life’: Anaïs Nin
April 4, 2022
Taking inspiration from an insightful writer…
Spring blossoms
March 31, 2022
As the poet Emily Dickinson wrote, ‘A light exists in spring.’
To sleep, perchance to dream
March 28, 2022
Where does a dream end and reality begin? Can a dream not only come true but be true?
Timeless views from the River Nile
March 24, 2022
Drifting serenely along the waterway that is the source of life – the perfect way to see the age-old beauty of Egypt.
Papyrus: the ‘paper’ of Ancient Egypt
March 21, 2022
The Nile was the source of life in Egypt – and of the all-important papyrus plant.
Floriography and the symbolic meaning of flowers
March 17, 2022
Throughout history, people have seen flowers as not only beautiful but also symbolic.
The origins of English words
March 14, 2022
Have you ever wondered why we use the words we use today?
Springtime captured in poetry
March 10, 2022
Spring: beautiful, hopeful and a great source of inspiration for poets…
Do you read classic literature?
March 7, 2022
On why we may not read classic literature – and how we may do so.
My latest blog posts
St. Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai
May 12, 2022
This monastery, at the foot of Mount Sinai, is steeped in history…
Is the male point of view important in a romance novel?
May 5, 2022
Should the hero get a chance in the spotlight, or is the heroine the star?
The Mena House Hotel, Cairo, Egypt
April 28, 2022
The perfect setting for a glamourous party and an inspiring view…
The Festival of the Blooming Rose, Venice, Italy
April 25, 2022
Today, on St Mark’s Day in Venice, it’s traditional for men to give women a single red rose to symbolise their love.
Sobek, the Egyptian god of the Nile
April 14, 2022
This ancient god, inspired by the fearsome crocodile of the Nile, was worshipped for thousands of years.
A legendary love story: Abelard and Héloïse
April 11, 2022
Let me take you back in time, to the 12th century, and tell you a story that has become legend. This is a true story, and it has inspired many stories since.
The exquisite sculptures of Antonio Canova
April 7, 2022
Two hundred years after his death, the works of this Italian sculptor continue to awe and inspire.
‘Dreams are necessary to life’: Anaïs Nin
April 4, 2022
Taking inspiration from an insightful writer…