One of the elements of my writing that readers most often comment on is the description. I was brought up to be a highly descriptive writer, because I spent so many years immersed in French literature, because writing in English (not my native tongue) demands that I consider carefully vocabulary,
From the blurb: As dawn breaks over the Pont Neuf, and the cobbled alleyways of Paris come to life, Anna Trent is already awake and at work; mixing and stirring the finest, smoothest, richest chocolate; made entirely by hand, it is sold to the grandes dames of Paris. It’s a huge shift
Being a published writer today means being within a competitive market – trying to stand out in a crowd with your words. But one organisation has taken this notion of competitively to new heights. Yesterday I was fascinated to watch on BBC News an item about a new phenomena in
My home in the south of France, where I’m residing for the summer, has panoramic views over the Mediterranean. On a calm day, I sit out and watch the sparkling sea melding into the hazy cobalt horizon, and I get lost in the majesty of sweeping sunsets and sunrises whose
From the blurb: A forbidden love, a life-long secret, and one chance to make the right decision. Ella has always been an artist, jotting down pictures from a young age, and now in her thirties she has made it her profession. Commissioned to capture memories, fading beauty and family moments,
You can see why my husband and I bought our French home: the view!
Picture the scene: You’re having coffee with a dear friend, and the subject turns to books you’ve read recently. You tell her about a romance novel you really enjoyed. She tells you about a work of literary fiction she found moving and inspiring. ‘That sounds wonderful,’ you say. ‘It is,’
I was fascinated to read of research published in scientific journal PLOS ONE that has found that British writers today are less emotive in their writing than their counterparts of 100 years ago. Researchers examined five million books published between 1900 to 2000 to see how often emotive words –
From the blurb: Enter a sinfully wicked world where three daring women encounter sexy rakes in these erotic adventures… In Lessons in Indiscretion, widowed Lady Julia Renwick pursues the much younger Earl of Bedingfield and is shocked to discover she has much to learn from him when it comes to
A view from my garden in France. Even black clouds can have a certain beauty.
Regular readers of my blog will know that one of my favourite poets is Leconte de Lisle, whose poems are wonderfully visual in that each word contributes to a vivid mental image. Many of his poems are about wild animals, and today I am sharing with you one on the
From the blurb: From the bestselling author of EAST OF THE SUN comes an extraordinary love story. It is 1942 and the war is tearing Europe apart, shattering lives and devastating countries. But for some, it will be the greatest of adventures. Saba, a striking, headstrong singer from Wales defies
Time Out has put together a top 100 list for romantic movies, complied by 101 experts – film makers, actors, critics and writers. The top ten as voted were: Brief Encounter (1945) Casablanca (1942) In the Mood for Love (2000) Annie Hall (1977) Harold and Maude (1971) Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Just for fun, today I’m sharing an A–Z of romantic ideas for creating that special moment with your loved one. Art – awaken the romantic sensibility by ‘getting cultural’. Bathe – together? Candles – for creating an ambient mood. Dance – the closer, the better. Eye contact – lingering, sparkling,
I love going to the nearby hilltop village of Gassin for its quaint little streets and its stunning views.
Last week in the UK, in the county of Devon on the south-west coast, a single name echoed on the breeze: ‘Flaviu’. The county’s attention – and, indeed, that of the wider country – was captured by the news that Flaviu the Carpathian lynx was loose somewhere among the population.
Most people are aware that reading is a Good Thing: for knowledge-building, for intelligence, for empathy, for wellbeing even (see my post ‘Want to feel better about yourself? Read more books…’). But have you ever considered what you read in terms of how it benefits you? Have you ever thought
Back in 2005, the Global Language Monitor, an organisation that analyses trends in word usage and their impact on culture, sent out an alert entitled ‘The “Skirt With No Name” Challenges Linguists – and the Fashion Elite’. Its subject was a skirt that was currently trending, variably being called tiered,
In this season’s edition of The Author magazine I was fascinated by an article by Alexandra Harris, author of Weatherlands, a book that explores the relationship between the writer and the weather in English literature (well worth reading; you can find it on Amazon here). The article, entitled ‘Fine weather
A girl never forgets the first time she sees Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I was in my late teens and absolutely enchanted by the story, the characters… but most of all, the style. Audrey Hepburn’s black dress, which she wears at the opening of the film, is probably the most famous
My latest book, Masquerade, focuses on Luz, a young writer who finds herself torn between two men. The first is Andrès, a smooth, sophisticated businessman who exudes intelligence and authority. Attractive, certainly, and a sensible choice in many ways – but whatever he says and whatever he does, he’s just
Having read the title of this blog post, you may be thinking: Modern and courtship? Now there are two words that don’t belong together. True, courtship conjures up a picture of times gone by, before the Jazz Age heralded a shift to ‘dating’, but it’s valid today to describe the
From an early age, I have been interested in style – in fashion and accessories and looks. I’ve read Vogue. I’ve attended fashion shows. I’ve shopped-until-I-dropped in all manner of stores, from little boutiques right through to the heavenly Selfridge’s, Oxford Street, all the while with the iconic words of
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