In my new book Masquerade, an ‘us’ and ‘them’ mentality dominates the location in which the story is set: Andalucía. On the one side is Andrés, a respected businessman and technology visionary, mixing in aristocratic and elite circles. On the other is Leandro, a spirited and wild gypsy, one of
In my new book Masquerade, the heroine, Luz, is a writer who has taken a commission to write a biography on a famous Spanish artist. The client who has hired her is the artist’s nephew, Andrés de Calderon. He is a well-respected and influential businessman, the chair of Caldezar Corporación
Do you remember the children’s game ‘spot the difference’, where you compare two pictures and circle the differences? Well, if you played that game with two romance novels, you would entirely deface the pages with red circles (please don’t!). To me, it is evident that all romance novels are unique.
I’m delighted to share that my novel Indiscretion has been named the winner in the ‘Fiction: Romance’ category of the 2015 USA Best Book Awards! You can check out the award and my win over at http://www.usabooknews.com/
Welcome to my stop on the Super Stocking Stuffer Giveaway Hop, hosted by The Mommy Island (http://themommyisland.blogspot.com) and The Kids Did It (http://thekidsdidit.com). I’m giving away a copy of my sultry, evocative romance novel Burning Embers in paperback, so you can escape to the sun this winter: Burning Embers is a contemporary
Welcome to my stop on the Gratitude Giveaway Hop. I am giving away a paperback copy of my new novel Masquerade: love, mystery and desire under the scorching Spanish sun. Entry is via Rafflecopter: a Rafflecopter giveaway All of these bloggers are offering fantastic prizes too: <!– end LinkyTools
Two stories recently in the news caught my eye. The first concerns JK Rowling and her enduringly popular Harry Potter series. Having announced in 2013 her involvement in a Harry Potter-related play, Rowling has now shared details. The play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, will open in London’s West
From the blurb: When Lucy’s secret is unearthed, her world begins to crumble. But it may be the best thing that has ever happened to her. Lucy Alling makes a living selling rare books, often taking suspicious measures to reach her goals. When her unorthodox methods are discovered, Lucy’s secret
I recently came across an article discussing the British Library’s collection of images. Fascinating, I thought at once: I love to visit the library when I am in London. Then my eye caught the word ‘online’. I was astonished to read on and learn that the British Library has shared
In my new book Masquerade, the heroine, Luz, is descended from an old and well-respected Andalucían family. But such is her manner that she usually avoids mixing with the aristocratic circles of the region, preferring instead quiet evenings spent with the same handful of friends, long walks in the countryside
No doubt you’ve come across newsletter signups in your forays online. Perhaps you subscribe to some newsletters; perhaps you even put out your own. Certainly, newsletters have become one of the core tenants of a marketing strategy, alongside social media activity. But I wonder: have you ever stopped to think
One of the best things, for me, about writing a trilogy set in Spain is the excuse it gives me to bury myself in Spanish history, culture and folklore. Of all the countries I have travelled to (and there is quite a list), Spain is in my top three favourites
Welcome to Cadiz, setting for my new novel Masquerade. But not the sparkling, alluring parts of Cadiz to where the tourists flock: welcome to another world – to the gypsies’ world. A little distance from the sea in a glade as dry as brown wrapping paper, wild and barrenlay the
Welcome to my giveaway, as part of the fantastic annual Spooktacular Giveaway Hop. Of the four romance novels I’ve published to date, one stands out as fitting with the ‘Spooktacular’ theme, for its haunting air: The Echoes of Love, a passionate story of secrets, loss, hope and haunting love in romantic
With my new book entitled Masquerade, I read plenty of poetry on this theme while writing the book. Here’s one I love, by American poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox (who penned the famous adage: ‘Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone.’): Look in the eyes of
From the blurb: Raised in a poor yet genteel household, Rachel Woodley is working in France as a governess when she receives news that her mother has died, suddenly. Grief-stricken, she returns to the small town in England where she was raised to clear out the cottage…and finds a cutting
Welcome to my blog, and thank you for visiting! When it came to deciding which book/movie to focus on for this hop, the choice was easy for me: I have loved Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind and its film adaption all of my life. Here’s why: It’s the Great
Being a writer means immersing yourself in story worlds. Living and breathing the characters’ lives. Knowing those characters. Loving those characters. When I am writing a novel, I am at one with it, lost in it. Blissfully happy. Then comes that pivotal word: ‘END’. I busy myself with the business
I’ve teamed up with The Sun UK to offer a four-day holiday in Andalucía, setting for my latest novels Masquerade and Indiscretion, staying in Seville’s exclusive boutique hotel, Corral Del Rey. To enter, all you need do is join Sun +, and you can access Sun Perks and http://perks.thesun.co.uk/public-perks/andalucia-holiday.
Pablo Picasso is generally regarded as one of the most important artists of the twentieth century. A painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, poet and playwright, he was instrumental in the development of various new artistic styles and the Cubist movement. He was an extremely prolific artist (he produces 1,885 paintings alone), and – unusually
Did you know that in apartheid South Africa Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was banned? That in the Soviet Union Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four was forbidden? That in Hunan, China, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll was not permitted reading material? And that to this day, a large number of petitions are put forward
What is a romance novel without a dash of danger? A sudden threat thrust into the story forces emotions to the fore, thereby challenging the characters and eliciting new and revealing reactions. When I was writing Masquerade, I wanted to give a strong sense of the Spanish setting in the
Today you can win a copy of The Echoes of Love in an exclusive Amazon giveaway. Visit http://giveaway.amazon.com/p/ff8ecb51ad643ee9
Welcome to my blog, and thank you for visiting. I’m delighted to be participating in the hop, not least because surely one of the greatest pleasures in life is being thoroughly immersed in a great book, so deep that you just can’t bear to put it down and mundane aspects
This week, I was reading a review of my new novel, Masquerade, when a particular word jumped out at me from the page: epic. It is a word I’ve come across several times in reviews of my books, not least in The Sun newspaper’s review of my novel The Echoes
My new book, Masquerade, is set in 1976. The most important aspect of the historical context is that the heroine, Luz, is finding her way as a young woman in a society being transformed – by the sexual revolution. The revolution changed lives across the Western world in the 1960s,
A common theme in my writing is fortune telling. In Burning Embers, a witch doctor warns Coral of what is to come; in The Echoes of Love, a Chinese wise man offers Venetia advice on where her path will take her; in Indiscretion, an old gypsy, Paquita, thrusts her predictions
From the blurb: A passion that runs soul deep… Zoe Sutherland can’t stand the pushy, arrogant architect Dale Cavallo. He was just too damn sure of himself, too handsome, too…everything. Maneuvered into working as the interior decorator on his latest project, a glamorous new hotel, Zoe can’t keep her mind
This month I’m giving away a paperback copy of Masquerade, a ‘Legends of Gypsy Flamenco’ CD and two £20/$30 Amazon gift cards. Entry opens tomorrow. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway
‘Blurb.’ It is not a very compelling word; it does not seem to signify text of importance. Indeed, the word came into common usage back in 1907 when it was popularised by humourist Frank Gelett Burgess, who used it as a dig at commercialising publishers: ‘To blurb,’ he wrote, ‘is
So far in my Writers’ Spaces series I’ve visited a tower writing room where privacy was key, and two homes where novelists penned their works at tables in snug family rooms. Today’s writing space is both snug and private, but neither of these factors are what really mattered to the writer: this
Last week, I introduced a series on my blog exploring where noted writers through history wrote their works. My first article focused on Sissinghurst Castle, home of Vita Sackville-West, and took a look at the tower that she claimed as her own private writing space. Such a statuesque and grand
Sir Winston Churchill, politician and prolific writer, said this of the writing process: Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy and an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase is that just
Readers of my fiction will know that I paint settings vividly. A strong sense of place brings colour and context and atmosphere to the story. But setting is not only important on the page; setting matters a great deal to the writer striving to put words on paper. I write
Sun, sea and sky: in Ancient Greek mythology, each had its own god. Poseidon was the god of the sea, Apollo was the sun god, and mighty Zeus was the god of the sky (and everything beneath it). As I wrote my novel Aphrodite’s Tears, I had Aphrodite, goddess of
On the British high street, a store called Poundland specialises in selling all manner of items for just £1. Usually, those items are mundane – cleaning cloths, for example, and envelopes. But last week the media thoroughly enjoyed sharing the newest product line in the Poundland range: engagement rings. As
The first hedge maze I ever navigated was at Hampton Court Palace. It was planted for William III of Orange as a means of entertainment for the gentry in around 1690, making it the oldest surviving hedge maze in the world. It is not vast – the paths cover about half
My latest novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, begins with the chance meeting of two strangers, Oriel and Damian, on a beach one evening. I write: The dark waves murmured on the sand, their gently rolling edges lit a luminous blue under the moonlight. Everything was cloaked in unreality and it was as
In my latest novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, my heroine takes a job working on a small Greek island off whose coast a fascinating old shipwreck has been discovered. As an archaeologist, Oriel is used to being immersed in the past, but she is astonished to find the past so present on
Happy New Year! I love waking up to a new year, full of promise and potential. But as the following poem conveys, we can have this wonderful feeling every single day, if we so choose: ‘New Year’s Morning’ by Helen Hunt Jackson Only a night from old to new! Only
What does the New Year holiday mean to you? Counting down to midnight, perhaps, and raising a toast to a prosperous new year; watching the fireworks; sharing a meal with loved ones. It’s a meaningful holiday – after all, since ancient times people have celebrated new beginnings – but in our
A very happy Christmas to you all. Here, infused with the spirit of Christmas, is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem ‘I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day’. What better wish can we make today than ‘peace on earth, good will to men’… I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old
It’s the most magical time of the year – for children, of course, but for adults too who are infused with the spirit of Christmas. No doubt you and your family have developed your own traditions over the years. Our Christmas Eve ones include attending a carol service, unwrapping a
‘You may say I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one’ So wrote John Lennon and Yoko Ono for the song ‘Imagine’. Aren’t we all dreamers, deep down? We all have aspirations. We may hold these dreams close; quietly long to do something or have something. Or we may
What better gift to give and receive at Christmas than one that brings comfort, solace, inspiration, enjoyment and learning? Books are readily available, they are inexpensive and they are bound to be treasured, for as Stephen King put it, they are ‘a uniquely portable magic’. I love to browse bookstores and choose
Are you familiar with the Image of God concept? It’s inherent in the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Sufism that human beings were created in the image of God. The Ancient Greeks had a different take, however, on creation and the gods. When we talk about Greek gods and goddesses, we’re
The beautiful landscapes of Upper Egypt, where I grew up, are so vividly etched into my memory. The Nile, of course, is at the heart of the landscapes, and one of the most romantic views is of traditional felucca sailboats gliding on these timeless waters.
A passion for my home country of Egypt – its history, people and culture – is at the heart of my novel Song of the Nile. Of course, the ancient history of this land is particularly fascinating, and ‘Egyptology’ has wide appeal.
When we think of Ancient Egypt, we think of pharaohs and pyramids – and, of course, a large pantheon of gods and goddesses.
My new novel, Song of the Nile, opens with the heroine returning to her home in Luxor after an eight-year absence. For Aida, the homecoming is at once wonderful and painful.
Song of the Nile, my new novel, is set in Upper Egypt, where the River Nile is a timeless part of the landscape and a crucial part of history and culture.
My new novel, Song of the Nile, is a passionate love story set in the sultry heat of Egypt. Allow me to introduce you to the protagonist, Aida, and the hero, Phares…
The new Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a treasure of my birthplace: Alexandria, Egypt. Not only is it beautiful and significant in and of itself, but it commemorates the Great Library of Alexandria built in the 200s BC, one of the most important libraries of all time. How could I fail to be inspired by such devotion to books?
I am delighted to share with you today the cover of my brand-new book, which will be published next month. Song of the Nile is my eighth novel, and is so close to my heart, for it is set in my homeland, Egypt.
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