One of my favourite television programmes at the moment is First Dates, a programme in which French maître d’ Fred Sirieix oversees couples dining together on blind dates in a London restaurant (and, more recently, at a French hotel). The focus of the show, of course, is an exploration of
Emily Brontë – Wuthering Heights; Anna Sewell – Black Beauty; Margaret Mitchell – Gone with the Wind; Boris Pasternak – Doctor Zhivago; JD Salinger – The Catcher in the Rye; Ralph Ellison – Invisible Man; Sylvia Plath – The Bell Jar… What do these authors have in common? They published
‘The moon lives in the lining of your skin.’ So wrote the poet Pablo Neruda in his ‘Ode to a Beautiful Nude’. This line resonated with me as I wrote my latest novel, Legacy. The heroine, born under a full moon, is Luna, which is Spanish for moon. Ruy, the
There are so many different ways to express that you love someone; often, though, it can be hard to find the words to encapsulate all the emotion within. When it comes to declarations of love, however, the words you write in your Valentine’s card need not be entirely your own;
Before I start writing a book, I always know three things: * The story * The title * The epigraph These, for me, are the foundations from which the writing is built. Choosing the epigraph is an important task for me, and one I enjoy immensely. I am an avid
Of all the mythical creatures – and there are many – the nymph has always been one of my favourites. What image does the word nymph conjure up for you? Perhaps something like this vision, painted by John William Waterhouse: A nymph is a female deity, but a minor one.
If you’ve read any one of my novels, you’ll know that I root my fiction in a strong sense of place. The settings for my stories are not merely scenic backdrops, like two-dimensional paintings on a theatre set. They are vibrant and vivid – as real as I can make
I do not know that I would be a writer today were it not for fairy tales. I was fortunate to have parents who had a well-stocked library and who believed in reading to their daughters; it was on their knees, as a very young child, that I discovered the
What’s the single most important element of a romance novel? Love. Not only must the love story that unfolds between the hero and heroine be compelling and moving and epic, but it must also cause the reader to fall in love a little herself. What is the reason for the
‘What’s the formula for a bestselling book?’ So read an attention-grabbing headline in the Guardian last week. The article was prompted by a list of those books that have sold more than 250,000 copies in the UK since 2000, compiled by Specsavers for their inaugural ‘Bestseller Awards’ (I confess I
In 1899, psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud published a book entitled The Interpretation of Dreams, in which he laid out his theory of how dream interpretation can allow one to explore the unconscious. His belief – which slowly became a talking point among academics and doctors of the mind – was that we
Welcome to my blog, and thank you for stopping by on this Best of 2016 Giveaway Hop. It took me some time to decide on a giveaway for this hop, because there were so many books I enjoyed in 2016, but finally I settled on Well-Read Women: Portraits of Fiction’s
Recently, the arts news has been full of a major comeback: that of the vinyl record. In 2016, vinyl sales in the UK reached 3.2 million, which is the highest figure for 25 years, and represents a 53 per cent increase on the previous year. Most interesting is that this
After all the vibrancy and jubilant cacophony of December, January always feels a quiet month to me: the silence of a snow-covered field, the gentle crackle of logs on the fire, the scratch of my pen moving over the paper, and – most notably – the lulling melodies of classical
Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to travel to Spain several times, and each of these visits provided rich inspiration for my Andalucían Nights trilogy, spanning Indiscretion, Masquerade and Legacy. Each of my stories is set during the hot, heady days of summer, but I didn’t limit my
This holiday season, I have been fortune enough to do some stargazing. The night skies have been velvety blankets sprinkled with stars, and the moon… magnifique! I have always been fascinated by astronomy and astrology, but more than anything the moon has captured my imagination since childhood. Little wonder back
Knusper, knusper, knäuschen, wer knuspert an meinem Häuschen? Nibble, nibble, gnaw Who is nibbling at my little house? So says the witch in the children’s fairy-tale ‘Hansel and Gretel’ by the Brothers Grimm. I loved fairy-tales growing up, but I always found this one quite dark and chilling. However, like
I was in my twenties when I first came to England. I recall vividly my first Christmas; it was bitterly cold, which was a shock after a lifetime of Christmases in sunny Alexandria, Egypt; but then it snowed and I was enchanted, and I understood Charles Baudelaire’s verse: I watch
Thank you for visiting my blog on the Bookhounds’ Midwinter’s Eve Giveaway Hop. I’m thrilled to be giving away this beautiful silk scarf by the British Museum: A silk scarf printed with a design of Japanese Iris, a type of flower native to Japan. For centuries, the flower has been
In my latest book, Legacy, the heroine Luna is a scientist, with a first-class honours degree in Molecular Biology from Princeton, followed by a PhD in Science Communication. She’s bold, inquisitive, rigorous, sensible, logical – the perfect candidate to write an exposé of a cancer-treatment clinic. But what Luna is
‘You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.’ So said Nobel Prize-winning writer Saul Bellow. I was reminded of this quotation recently while reading an interview with author Stephenie Meyer in the Telegraph, in which she touches on how she came
Amazon.com has recently released a list of the top twenty bestselling books published in 2016, based on both print and Kindle sales. Here it is: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2, Special Rehearsal Edition Scriptby J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi The Whistlerby John Grisham
The news has been abuzz in recent weeks about the movie Beauty and the Beast, which will release next spring. Why all the interest? Well, the lead actress is Emma Watson, of Harry Potter fame, and supporting actors include Luke Evans, Ewan McGregor, Emma Thompson, and Ian McKellen. Also, there
This week, I’ve decided to theme my posts on fairy tales, because they have played an integral part in shaping the writer I am today. I was very fortune to grow up with a governess who loved to both read stories and tell them orally, and she had a fantastic
Alternative herbal medicine features prominently in my latest book, Legacy. The hero, Ruy, is a conventional doctor who heads up a cancer-treatment clinic. He is also part-gypsy, and through learning the ways of his people he has come to know a lot about herbal medicine, which he blends into his
Those of you who have read two or more (or even all) of my novels may have noticed a common theme in relation to the heroines: each is immersed in a new culture. In Burning Embers, Coral is returning to Kenya, where she lived in her early childhood, to take
‘Choose an author as you would a friend.’ So wrote English poet Wentworth Dillon, 4th Earl of Roscommon (circa 1633–1685), in his ‘Essay on Translated Verse’: Examine how your Humour is inclin’d, And which the Ruling Passion of your Mind; Then, seek a Poet who your way does bend, and choose
I’m delighted to share today a review of Legacy published by The Lady magazine: Legacy is filled to the brim with family scandal, frustrated love and hidden secrets. Ruy is the ideal love interest, exuding both charm and intelligence, and Luna fits the part of innocent and fragile heroine perfectly.
I love taking part in this annual giveaway hop, hosted by BookHounds, because it’s an opportunity to give something back to the people who support me by following me online. Would $25/£20 to spend on Amazon help with your Christmas shopping? Or, better still, provide an opportunity to treat yourself?
Are authors allowed to have favourite books of their own? If so, I think my second novel, The Echoes of Love, is a strong contender for the top spot. The Sun newspaper called The Echoes of Love ‘an epic love story that is beautifully told’. It’s unfolds at the turn
This month is NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month. All over the world writers commit to writing a novel in a month, and November is a blur of writing, and writing, and writing.
In my latest novel, Concerto, the heroine, Catriona, has built a good life for herself. She is a partner in a psychologists’ practice and has a reputation as an excellent music therapist. She lives in a beautiful home on the coast near Nice. She is a single mother and is raising her son, Michael, in love.
Three hundred years ago, the first novel was published in English: Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. The book was an instant bestseller (within a year of its publication it was into its fourth edition), and evidently it had a profound effect on readers, sparking debate on cultural imperialism and inspiring a wealth of ‘marooned’ narratives.
The hero and heroine of my novel Concerto are both very talented musicians. At the start of the novel, Umberto is in his early twenties and is taking the classical music world by storm as a great concert pianist and composer, and Catriona is in her teens and studying piano and singing. They are deeply passionate about their careers: Umberto is planning a tour of the United States, and Catriona wins a competition to study at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris, which will make her the opera singer of her dreams.
Recently, the British media reported the story of a lady who discovered a book she had owned in her childhood for sale in the shop of the Museum of English Rural Life. She recognised The Secret Garden Ladybird Children’s Classics as hers by the hieroglyphics penned on the inside cover – a secret code she and her sister had devised.
Music is at the heart of my latest novel, Concerto. The heroine is an opera singer and the hero is a pianist composer. The novel draws on the rich heritage of classical and operatic music, particularly with relation to Italy, where much of the story is set.
It has been seven years since I published my debut novel, Burning Embers, and even now I can remember how nerve-racking it was to contact some book bloggers and ask whether they may like to review the novel. Would they enjoy the book? I very much hoped so.
Concerto, my most recent novel, tells the love story between music therapist and single mother Catriona and blind pianist Umberto. Umberto has not handled losing his sight well and has sunk into a depression, no longer able to compose and play as he once did so well. Catriona is hired to stay at Umberto’s Lake Como villa and work with him, and as she does so, attraction stirs between the two.
Recently, I celebrated eight years of blogging here. While looking through some of my articles, it struck me that I have had a wonderful time exploring myths and legends and folklore from around the world while researching and writing about my novels.
The crack of thunder, the crash of waves on the beach, the hammering of rain on the roof, the howl of wind through the trees – nature plays a symphony for us during a storm.
We live in a time when ‘new’ is highly prized. New is shiny and exciting and interesting; new is coveted. But should new be the focus in publishing?
The story in my novel Concerto begins in a place I know well: Nice, in the French Riviera, a little way along from my summer home. The hero of the novel, Umberto, is Italian, and so it makes sense that he spends time in this part of France, so close to the French–Italian border.
When I am staying at my home in France, I love to take long walks by the sea and hear the rhythmic sound of the water lapping, or sometimes crashing, on the sand. I sit in my garden and listen to the chorus of the cicadas and the drone of the bees attracted to my lavender. In Ireland, I go for walks in the woodland near my home, to the sound of the leaves stirred by the breeze and the birds singing high up in the trees and the merry tinkling of a little stream.
‘True love stories never have endings.’ So wrote American author Richard Bach.
In Ancient Greek mythology, there were nine goddesses for the arts and sciences: Calliope for epic poetry, Clio for history, Erato for love poetry, Euterpe for music and songs and lyric poetry, Melpomene for tragedy, Polyhymnia for hymns, Terpsichore for dance, Thalia for comedy and Urania for astronomy. These muses, as they were known, inspired mortals in their creations.
One of my favourite ways to spend an afternoon is to visit an art gallery. Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to visit some of the biggest art galleries and museums in the world, like the Louvre in Paris and the Tate galleries in London, but I love to visit small galleries too; one of my favourites is the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nice, near my home in France, which has a beautiful Rodin sculpture.
Festivals were an important part of life in Ancient Egypt, and there were plenty of them!
In a series of blog articles, I am exploring the great love stories of Ancient Egypt. First, Anthony and Cleopatra: passionate, dramatic, epic, it is one of the most enduring stories of all time.
‘For as long as I can remember, art has fired up my imagination. I remember gazing at paintings on the wall in my childhood home for ages, dreaming up stories that would play out in the worlds inside the picture frames. When I wrote my first book, it was natural for me to turn to art for inspiration…’
Hieroglyphs – pictures to represent letters, sounds, objects and ideas – are one of the most enduring legacies of Ancient Egypt.
When you think of Ancient Egypt, no doubt you think of its distinctive art: embellishments in tombs and temples, beautiful statues, pottery and papyrus.
Throughout the pandemic, I have had love on my mind. Love for my family, of course, but also romantic love, about which I write in my novels. Time and again I’ve questioned: how is this difficult time affecting romance?
‘A rare rose to add to my garden…’ How will Aida, heroine of Song of the Nile, feel about visiting a prince’s harem?
Home for me in Egypt is Alexandria, the Bride of the Mediterranean, the centre of the Mediterranean world in ancient times – and the location of the Pharos of Alexandria.
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