Traditionally, both writing and reading are solitary, perhaps even lonely pursuits. But thanks to the digital revolution, no longer! Being a writer or reader can mean being part of a thriving, friendly online community, and – wonderfully – having access to literary-specific news sites designed to inform and foster a
From the blurb: The story of a betrayal that wasn’t. Even so, it still tore two lovers apart for eleven years. On the eve of their wedding, Michael Jeffres, Earl of Daventry, found his betrothed, the woman who meant as much to him as the air he breathed, in bed
As promised, here is my favourite chocolate cake recipe – easy and foolproof, and deliciously, decadently rich and morish. It’s an ideal base cake to decorate for an occasion, and it keeps well (two to three weeks). Ingredients: 250 g unsalted butter 250 g dark chocolate (I love Green &
Chocolatier-created caramels and truffles and pralines and mousses that melt on the tongue and instantly release that ‘just fell in love’ hormone. Cupcakes topped with pink vanilla frosting and edible glitter made to share (icing endearingly smeared on a lover’s nose optional). Bakery window displays crammed with a mouth-watering array
There is no denying that writing changes over time. Compare Dan Brown to Edgar Allen Poe, J.K. Rowling to C.S. Lewis, E.L. James to Jane Austen. Of course, society has changed so much in the past 100, 200 years that stories and settings and characters are radically different also. But
There are often regattas in the Bay of St Tropez. We watch the beautiful sailboats go by from our balcony and it’s like being at the cinema.
From the blurb: Three years ago, Kate Sullivan was prepared to tell her best friend, Eric Wagner, that she had developed romantic feelings for him. But before she could, he abruptly ended their friendship. Now Eric has walked into Kate’s bakery and back into her life – but why? Will
I was fascinated to read a recent article in the Guardian Books section on the increasing success of self-published books in genre markets. According to the article: The figures, from Bowker Market Research, show that while self-published books made up a tiny proportion – 2% – of all books purchased last
An interesting gap exists in modern romance publishing. We have contemporary fiction, which is set in the modern time – usually the action predominantly takes place within a few years of the publication date. And we have historical fiction, which is usually seen as covering the period of history up
From the blurb: Antoinette’s world has fallen apart: her husband, the man she has loved for as long as she can remember, has died tragically in an accident. He was her rock, the man she turned to for love and support, the man she knew better than she knew herself.
As James Joyce wrote in Ulysses, “I’d love to have the whole place swimming in roses.”
From the film’s description: U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive – a photograph he found of a woman he doesn’t even know. Discovering her name is Beth (Taylor Schilling) and
Why do writers write? For any or all of the following: Praise – the need to be recognised for the work Notoriety – the need to be respected and liked for the work Money – the need for success in writing to be monetised Posterity – the need to leave
From the blurb: Bitter life lessons have taught Crown Prince Maksim Yurkovich that duty must come before desire. His country needs an heir, so when he discovers his lover can’t have children, he must sever their ties. Only Maks can’t resist spending one last night in her bed. …can avert
Outside my front door in France with the cuisine d’eté at the end. I love the profusion of colours that welcome guests as they arrive.
The publishing world is atremble. Having recovered from the excitement of Dan Brown’s Inferno launch, eyes are now firmly on the release of The Next Big Sensation, which, it is hoped by publisher Jonathan Cape, will be Helen Fielding’s new novel Mad About the Boy, out in October of this
In the past few weeks, a single book has dominated the arts headlines: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The script of the new stage show has been eagerly anticipated by readers worldwide, and the release of what has been designated ‘Book 8’ of the Harry Potter series caused a
Have you ever had a melody, or a line of poetry, or a quotation stuck in your mind? It happens to me quite often, especially with quotations from literature. I can be weeding in the garden whispering, ‘She was lost in her longing to understand’ (Gabriel Garcia Marquez); I can
Last year, I wrote about one of my favourite works of literature, One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of stories from ancient and medieval Arabic, Persian, Indian, Egyptian and Mesopotamian folklore compiled during the Islamic Golden Age (ninth to thirteenth centuries). I grew up on these fairy tales, which my father read to me, and the
Today I am delighted to formally launch my new novel, Legacy, the third and final book in the Andalucian Nights trilogy: A troubled young journalist finds her loyalties tested when love and desire unearth dark secrets from the past. Spring, 2010. When Luna Ward, a science journalist from New York,
Today is the day: my new novel Legacy has been published in ebook format. It is now available to buy from all leading retailers, like Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Barnes and Noble (the print version will be released on 25th August). Legacy is the third and final book in my Andalucían
As a young woman – after my university degree and before I met my husband and settled down in England – I travelled extensively through Europe. I was something of a nomad, moving from country to country in my eagerness to see new places, meet new people and experience new
Are you in need of a break from the humdrum; do you need to escape to someplace atmospheric, beautiful and inspiring? Then head to Italy – Venice and Tuscany – with my award-winning novel The Echoes of Love! You can win one of two paperback copies of this novel at Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/194683-the-echoes-of-love.
Reader of my novels will know that I love style. This often comes across in how I dress my heroines, but of course how the hero looks is just, if not more, important: he must be sublimely attractive and exude sexuality. Businessmen feature regularly as heroes in my novels (as
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