From the blurb: A tragedy brought Eva Brookwell and Samuel Shaw back into each other’s lives. But will lies from the past destroy their chances of a future? Left penniless after the death of her philandering father, Eva Brookwell takes a job as a governess at Rye Hall, but didn’t
San Antonio, USA. Home to the famous San Antonio Spurs, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, the Alamo, the Tower of the Americas, Marriage Island, a well-respected zoo and now…. the first bookless public library. It sounds rather like a contradiction in terms, doesn’t it? When you say the word
Cooking, and enjoying the results, is one of my pleasures in life, so when I am writing a novel I very much relish the research activity of exploring the cuisine of the country in which my story is set. For The Echoes of Love, which is set in Italy, I
For me, when creating a new heroine for a romance novel, occupation is essential. First and foremost, she must have a career of some sort, because this ensures that she is determined, diligent, focused, goal-oriented, hard-working, imaginative, independent and intelligent… all qualities that I think are essential for a modern-day
I was delighted recently to discover a new adaption of my favourite English novel, Jane Eyre. Have you seen the 2011 movie, which stars Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender in the Charlotte Brontë classic? From the first scene to the last, I was utterly captivated. Such darkness – such intrigue – such atmosphere
In my new novel, The Echoes of Love, Paolo owns a home in Tuscany, and he persuades Venetia to take on a contract based there restoring mosaics in a nearby ruin he has purchased. I love Tuscany, such a beautiful, unspoilt part of the world where romance is intrinsic in
Did you know that scattered across Europe are dozens of ‘devil’s bridges’ – ancient stone arch bridges crossing waterways, each with its own particular, spooky legend? There are some 49 such bridges in France, where I live for part of the year, so I was already familiar with the concept
In each of my novels I weave in a wiser, older character whose role is to guide my heroine (in part, I do so in the memory of my childhood governess, Zula, who so inspired me). In Burning Embers Coral’s yaha (nanny) Aluna filled the role – albeit her guidance
From the blurb: Spirited, young scribe Flavia hopes for freedom. She and her fellow slaves in Aquae Sulis (modern Bath) have served the Lady Valeria for many years, but their mistress’ death brings a threat to Flavia’s dream: her new master Marcus Brucetus, a charismatic, widowed officer toughened in the
There were only four or five ladies of the highest rank; all the others, who were more or less pretty, were favourites of the prince, all his days a great lover of the fair sex. Two of these ladies danced the Forlana, and the Elector was much amused in making
Today I’m delighted to be participating in I Am a Reader, Not a Writer’s ‘No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop’. The concept is simple: Win a paperback copy of my passionate, tumultuous romance novel The Echoes of Love… … simply by commenting on
My favourite place in Venice has to be the St Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco), and a major reason for the draw is the stunning architecture that surrounds it. One of the famous and beautiful buildings – and a major tourist attraction for that reason – is the Doge’s Palace
Back when my debut novel, Burning Embers, was newly released, I found on the internet a song with the same title, and was quite taken but it (see my post ‘Burning Embers – the song’). A similar web search recently uncovered three songs whose titles tie into The Echoes of
I love the Romantic poets – Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Keats – but perhaps, for me, the most romantic of them all is Percy Bysshe Shelley, (somewhat incongruously for his romanticism) husband to Mary Shelley of Frankenstein fame. Shelley (1792–1822) never saw success or acclaim for his works during his
Depending on where you are in the world, a café latte from a chain like Starbucks is likely to cost you in the region of £3/$4. Wherever you are in the world, you can absolutely buy all kinds of books for less than that. Cheap books are available in various
When you think of Spain, what springs to mind? Whatever mental image you conjure, it is bound to include at least one of this trio: * Bullfighting: the fever of the crowds at the corrida, the toreros in their costumes, the furious bull. (See my blog post ‘The Running of
I love books, absolutely love books. With that truth as constant as my heartbeat, I find it very difficult to conceive of getting rid of books – let alone actually doing so. I remember, when I was a little girl, my father coming home regularly with boxes of books. At
‘La rue est un véritable musée pour tous.’ So wrote writer and artist Hergé, who is most famous for his comic book series The Adventures of Tintin. Translated into English, his aphorism reads: ‘The street is a veritable museum for everyone.’ What did Hergé mean by this? He was talking
Flamenco – the dance, the music, the culture, the artistic duende spirit – is at the heart of my novels Indiscretion, Masquerade and Legacy, which are set in Andalucía, home of flamenco. What do you think of when you hear the word ‘flamenco’? The rousing, rhythmic, raw music, perhaps –
I dreamed of being an author from a very young age – from the day I first understood how the many books on my parents’ shelves were created and formed the idea that someday I could do that myself. In those days, to be an author was to be someone
Whenever someone asks me what my latest book is about, I am tempted to give a one-word answer: people. Yes, Legacy is about Andalucía, the region’s stunning scenery and long-held customs, and in the book you’ll read about things like gypsy medicine and art and philosophy. But fundamentally, the book
How to Do Good: Essays on Building a Better World, published by my publisher, London Wall, is a collection of essays by thought leaders, celebrities, statesmen and women, Nobel prize winners, social entrepreneurs, philanthropists and others who are driving and inspiring positive change. Each month, I’m focusing on one essay
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