Recently, I blogged about Read a Romance Month, whose central focus is asking a wealth of romance novelists why romance matters. I’ve been reading with great interest what authors have to say on the subject there. Susan Mallery argues that feminism and romance authorship are not mutually exclusive. She explains
From the blurb: Eilidh Lawson’s life has hit crisis point. Years of failed fertility treatments, a cheating husband and an oppressive family have pushed her to the limit. Desperate for relief, Eilidh seeks solace in the only place she’s ever felt at home – a small village in the Scottish
The patio outside my study where I sometimes write in the late afternoons when the sun is not too bright.
Recently, an interviewer asked me a fun question: If Burning Embers was optioned for a TV drama/movie, who would you like to play Coral and Rafe? Of course, every author delights in the idea of a play or motion picture made of their work. When we write, we are so
The ultimate feel-good romantic film. I defy anyone to watch this without misting up at least once! Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) and her passionate Italian chef fiancé Victor have come to Verona, Italy, for a ‘pre-honeymoon’. Only, lovely as he is, Victor is more interested in sourcing Italian supplies for his
From the blurb: When Gabby first met Elliott she knew he was the man for her. In twenty years of marriage she has never doubted her love for him – even when he refused to give her the one thing she still wants most of all. But now their two
Most houses in Gassin have pots of colourful flowers outside their doors and their windows.
I love art, and I find it deeply inspirational for my writing. Because I write romance, I find special meaning in romantic works. Here are some of my favourites. I would love to hear your opinion. Dance Me To The
Any novelist appreciates that dialogue is an essential part of a story. It’s the means by which you follow the golden writing rule of ‘show, don’t tell’ – it’s the vehicle through which characters reveal themselves and the unfolding story. I love writing dialogue because it really encapsulates the living,
… including my novel, Burning Embers, loaded onto that Kindle Fire! Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway
August is Read-A-Romance Month! I stumbled across this initiative recently, and was keen to share it with those readers of my blog who, like me, love to read romance. What a marvellous idea! As Burt Bacharach so eloquently put it: ‘What the World Needs Now Is Love.’ I don’t believe
From the blurb: Livi Callaway has fled back to London after a reality TV disaster in New Zealand. Safely anonymous in the big city, she’s determined to stay under the radar from now on. But her attempts to build a new life are complicated by unexpected visitors from her old
For this hop I’m giving away three copies of my book Burning Embers: To enter, simply comment on this page by the end of 7th August with your name and email address telling me
Where do painters and sculptors and composers and songwriters and playwrights and authors and poets and architects and all other creative types get their ideas? Ask any individual and he or she will give you a unique answer – art stems from a particular place inside. But collate enough answers
As readers of my blogs and my novels well know, I’m an ardent romantic. Two types of romance exist: Happy-ever-after romance, in which the lovers stroll off into the sunset at the end hand in hand. Tragic romance, in which the lovers’ destinies are doomed not to be intertwined permanently.
If there is one thing I know about the Spanish – having visited their beautiful country many times and set my most recent fictional works, the Andalucían Nights trilogy, there – it is this: they are fiercely proud of their culture and heritage. That pride extends to cuisine, it has
In the past week, book news has been dominated by a single story: that of the unmasking of notoriously private Italian author Elena Ferrante. In case you have missed this story, here are the basics. Elena Ferrante is the pseudonym of an Italian novelist. In the past few years, her
‘A pile of rocks ceases to be a rock when somebody contemplates it with the idea of a cathedral in mind.’ So said one of my favourite French writers, Antoine de Saint-Exupery. I love architecture, and of course as a writer and a romantic I love places that are alive with symbolism
In my new book, Legacy, the male protagonist Ruy is of mixed heritage – he is part gentleman, part gypsy. His gypsy roots are very important to him, and one of the ways in which he connects to these roots and participates in the gypsy community is through music: he
Any seasoned writer will tell you that writing ‘rules’ abound. Over the past hundred years or so, it has become de vogue for renowned writers and impassioned grammarians to publish ‘rules’ by which others should, they are certain, abide. Sometimes, these rules have merit – for example, Elmore Leonard’s ‘Try
Did you know that it took Victor Hugo 12 years to write Les Misèrables, and Margaret Mitchell toiled over Gone with the Wind for an entire decade? That, conversely, Stephenie Meyer wrote Twilight in three months, and Charles Dickens penned Great Expectations in eight months – while in the realms
In my latest novel Legacy, the male protagonist, Ruy, is a man faced with two legacies: that of his mother, Luz, who is descended from a respected and noble Andalucían family, and that of his father, Andrés, whose mother was an infamous and powerful gypsy queen. It would be all
Since I started publishing my romance fiction, I have lost track of how many times people have asked me about my process: just how exactly do I go about writing a book – and beyond that, writing the next book and the next and the next? I think the fascination
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