This week, I smiled when I heard on the news that the zoo in Dublin, Ireland, has found a novel way to cool its elephants: with giant ice lollies! ‘Nature’s great masterpiece’ – that is how John Donne described the elephant. A perfect description, don’t you think? Ever since I
There is the heat of Love, the pulsing rush of Longing, the lover’s whisper, irresistible — magic to make the sanest man go mad. – Homer, The Iliad This is the epigraph for my latest novel, Aphrodite’s Tears. It is from Book XIV of The Iliad, and refers to a
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. – Ecclesiastes 1:9 Originality is one of the key concerns for an author. Of course I want to write a book that is fresh and unique. New is what
‘What brings a beautiful girl to such a deserted place on this enchanting night? … You look like the ocean nymph, Calypso, waiting for Odysseus on your island, ready to bewitch him with your mesmerizing voice.’ So says Damian, hero of my latest novel Aphrodite’s Tears, at the start of
This sandy-hued island of eternal azure skies, ever-changing blue sea, beaming sunshine and ancient stone temples… Welcome to Helios, the setting for my novel Aphrodite’s Tears. Helios is a small island in the Ionian Sea that is privately owned by the Lekkas family. It is fictional, inspired by my travels
‘Summer afternoon – summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.’ So wrote English novelist Henry James. I quite agree! I love the month of June, because it heralds the beginning of summer – those long, heady months of warmth and
Picture the scene. You have decided to write a novel. You take yourself off to a little cottage overlooking the sea. It’s quiet; there are few neighbours. The scenery is beautiful and inspirational. You have weeks, months even, in which to do nothing but immerse yourself in your fictional world
The best piece of advice I was given as a child is this: If you want to be a writer, then write. It is obvious, of course; but in fact it doesn’t seem to be a given these days that if you yearn to become a writer, you must practise,
In my novel Aphrodite’s Tears, the heroine, Oriel, comes to work on the Greek island of Helios. Her new boss is Damianos (Damian) Lekkas, the owner of the island and a man with quite the reputation. ‘In ancient Greek, Damianos means master, tamer and conqueror. The name suits him well,
‘How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.’ So wrote Henry David Thoreau. When I was a young woman, my desire to write could sometimes be quite frustrating – I yearned to write, but I knew the time was not right:
‘Tell me,’ says Damian, the hero of my latest book Aphrodite’s Tears, ‘how did you become so keen on archaeology?’ ‘My father used to tell me tales of Atlantis as a child,’ replies the heroine, Oriel. ‘After that, I read anything I could lay my hands on, especially stories about
For my latest novel Aphrodite’s Tears, I took inspiration from the stories of the Ancient Greeks. Interwoven within the narrative you’ll find reference to plenty of Greek myths. But one story you won’t find is that of Andromeda. The poet Ovid tells us that Andromeda was the daughter of Cepheus, ruler
Recently, Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, took to Twitter to answer a fan’s question: ‘Is there a difference between a romance novel and a love story?’ In stating her case that her own novels are absolutely not romance novels (as, to her frustration, they are often categorised), Diana
To date, I have published six novels: three standalones and a trilogy. The trilogy follows three generations of families, but essentially each novel can stand alone as one, cohesive love story. Increasingly, I’m finding that readers me ask whether I’ll write a sequel to a novel they’ve enjoyed. ‘Why oh
I have always been interested in mythology. The Greek myths, which inspired my new book Aphrodite’s Tears, were written thousands of years ago by wise men who helped to shape our modern thinking, and many of those stories have withstood the test of time and are relevant today. I am
A maze of dry, meandering paths led them across the island. On either side crumbling stone temples, toppled columns and the remains of statues told a story of the once-great sacred island. Damian and Oriel were greeted by something new at every bend. Whether it was a view of the
A story reported widely in the British press last week caught my eye: ‘Crime pays,’ read the headline in the Telegraph; ‘thrillers and detective novels now outsell all other fiction.’ According to data by Nielsen BookScan shared at the London Book Fair, sales of crime and thriller novels in the
‘Tell me about this house. It seems enormous, a real labyrinth…’ So says Oriel, the heroine of my new novel Aphrodite’s Tears, with regard to the big house on the island of Helios where her new boss lives. Nods to Greek mythology are interwoven throughout Aphrodite’s Tears, and of course
For my latest novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, I took inspiration from the classic stories of Greek mythology. I grew up with these stories, told to me by my governess and my parents, and one of my oldest and most treasured possessions is a children’s compendium of myths based on the epic
Recently, the editors at Bookish.com published an article compiling favourite romance novel heroines as chosen by romance authors (http://www.bookish.com/articles/favorite-romance-heroines/). The heroines in the list were from modern-era novels, with one notable exception: Elizabeth Bennet of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. When I consider my favourite characters in romance, I invariably find
In my new novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, the heroine Oriel is struggling to maintain a professional distance from her new employer, Damian, with whom, years ago, she shared a single night of passion: ‘Rules were made to be broken.’ Damian smiled with his lips but his eyes, so astoundingly silver, had
In my new novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, the heroine Oriel has come to stay on the small Greek island of Helios in order to carry out archaeological work. The island is out of step with the modern era and steeped in ancient traditions, and the people are not used to newcomers.
One of the most fundamental choices a novelist faces before setting pen to paper is whether to narrate the book in the first or third person. Here is a paragraph from my latest novel, Aphrodite’s Tears: Could she really do this job? She wanted it so badly. Her own Roman
I love going to the theatre. When I sit in my seat, listening to the orchestra tune up, looking around at all the grandeur of the auditorium, my stomach flutters with anticipation of the spectacle to come. But while the seat is invariably upholstered in soft red velvet and is
A recent news headline in The Bookseller caught my eye: ‘Bookshops staffed with robots to open in Beijing’. With a heavy heart, I clicked the article and read about the 20 bookstores being opened by China’s largest bookselling franchise, Xinhua. Each will be open twenty-four hours, and accessible, via facial
In my new novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, set in the 1970s, the heroine Oriel is an archaeologist who has been hired to work on a subsea exploration around the small, private Ionian island of Helios. An ancient wreck has been found off the coast, calcified and half buried in the sand,
‘Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.’ So said author Emilie Buchwald. Recently, though, it was reported in the press that just half of preschool children in the UK are read to daily. A survey commissioned by Nielsen Book Research found that the number of parents reading
I find inspiration for my writing from all kinds of sources. For Burning Embers, I was inspired by the poetry of French poet Leconte de Lisle; for The Echoes of Love, an experience in the Piazza San Marco, Venice, sparked the idea of a city with two faces; for my
The modern concept of romantic love owes much to the roman of medieval times: a story told in one of the Romance languages (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese or Romanian) about chivalry and love. As Marilyn Yalom of Stanford University pointed out in her recent article ‘How medieval storytellers shape our
Did you know that to this day, much of the Western way of thinking is derived from the philosophical explorations of three men of Ancient Greece? Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. No doubt you have heard of these thinkers. Certainly, when I began researching my latest novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, set in
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.
‘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.
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!
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…
‘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…
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…
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…
‘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…’
‘Oh, the power of a good screen adaption of classic literature to awaken the romantic sensibilities! I can’t tell you how many afternoons since I have sat on a shady bench and gazed at the pond in the grounds of my home in Kent, indulging in a Darcy-esque daydream…’
One of the prizes in my current Sunday Special giveaway is a silk scarf inspired by the colorful and sensual artworks of Gustav Klimt. Here’s a look at the works of this amazing painter, who found hope in empty canvases.
If you are interested in the decorative arts, you’ve no doubt heard of Tiffany glass. Today, I’m sharing with you a little about this beautiful glass of the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements. Don’t forget that you can win a Tiffany-inspired vase in my Sunday Special giveaway!
Over the past few months, as a ‘Sunday Special’, I have given away my novel Indiscretion, serialised in chapters. I had such a wonderful response that I’ve decided to run another Sunday Special – a giveaway with exquisite and unique prizes worth more than £150. This giveaway is open to EVERYONE, so don’t miss your chance to win a wonderful gift from me to you.
‘Love consists of this: two solitudes that meet, protect and greet each other…’ I love poetry, its ability to capture and convey a sentiment in so few words; and for me, the more lyrical, the more beautiful. That is why I love the poems of Rainer Maria Rilke.
Museum, for me, is another word for sanctuary, paradise. I suppose, growing up in Alexandria, Egypt – home of the original Musaeum (‘Institution of the Muses’), founded in the third century BC – it is inherent in me to have a fascination with these places. Over the years I have lived in Britain, it has been such a pleasure to explore its museums. Here are some of my favourites.
Lockdown, quarantine, distancing – these are all words, and experiences, that equate to some level of isolation. None of us have found this time easy, for to be separate from each other is to deny the basic human need for connection and company. Perhaps the novelist is better suited to being alone and apart than others. Perhaps not…
Art is a great source of inspiration for my writing, and so I am very fortunate that my French home is located on the Riviera, which has attracted so many wonderful artists. Here is a look at the stunning scenery, the vibrant Mediterranean colours and the beautiful light of the Cote d’Azur, as encapsulated by the artists who fell in love with this special place.
Is there any more iconic scene of Egypt than this statue of the Sphinx guarding the Pyramids?
In ancient times, people turned to deities for solace and guidance. Who was devoted to matters of the heart? The goddesses of love.
‘Ozymandias’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley is a poem about this ruined statue of the pharaoh Ramesses – a poem that speaks of wealth and power and glory, and how these are lost to time.
Spanning the period from the death of Alexander the Great to the conquest of the Romans, the Ptolemaic dynasty changed Ancient Egypt irrevocably…
Who was Helen, beautiful woman of legend? What significance does she have in Greek mythology?
In my novel Song of the Nile, and indeed in modern times, this is a crucial question.
Egyptology is the study of Ancient Egypt. How did this fascination come about, and who drove it?
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