Have you seen the musical Guys and Dolls? It’s a favourite of mine, because it’s upbeat and atmospheric and has toe-tapping tunes; plus there’s a wonderful cast of Hollywood greats in the 1955 film version: Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine. And of course, hopeless romantic that
Daffodils, tulips, bluebells; dozy bees and cheery thrushes; the drone of a lawnmower, the scent of the new grass; the bluest sky, the sun on your face . . . spring has arrived! For me, spring is the most energising season. There’s renewed vigour, more power in a daydream, the
It’s Easter, so of course I’ve chocolate on my mind. Easter means different things to different people – a symbolic time of new birth; a cause for religious praise; the heart of spring. And then, of course, there’s the Easter egg. All the chocolate around at Easter time can get
One of French author Francois de la Rochefoucauld’s most famous maxims is on the subject of jealousy. ‘Live on doubts,’ he advises; ‘it becomes madness or stops entirely as soon as we pass from doubt to certainty.’ Francois de la Rochefoucauld is advocating an ostrich-with-its-head-in-the-sand approach to doubts about a
The view at sunrise from our garden. It was this picture that inspired the ending of Burning Embers.
Regular readers of my blog will know that settings are a big inspiration for me in my writing. I love to write outdoors, amid the lush, vivid colours of gardens, the hum of crickets and the melodies of the birds; but of course sometimes the south of France is too
I love quotations and aphorisms and proverbs – simplicity coupled with inspiration and power. In researching Burning Embers, I read a lot of books about Africa, in particular those relating to African culture and philosophy. It struck me that some of the basic African proverbs have become worldwide currency. Perhaps
This past week the newspapers have been full of commentary on the release of this year’s Eurovision entry song: ‘Love Will Set You Free’, sung by Engelbert Humperdinck (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFNv9pjqZkk). The song is a ballad, simple, restrained – the vocals accompanied by a melancholic Spanish guitar arrangement. The lyrics are
It’s been a while since I’ve shared a poem from my favourite poet, Leconte de Lisle. Regular readers of my blog will remember I have a real affinity for de Lisle’s poetry, which dates back to the 19th century. His verses are a source of inspiration for me in creating
I’m delighted to announce that the book trailer for my new novel is now live: I had a lot of fun writing the script for this, and am delighted with the visuals – particularly of the lead male character in the book, Rafe, who is most rakish and debonair. I
Regular readers of my blog and followers on Twitter will have spotted that I love quotations – especially romantic ones. I find them inspiring, and they often eloquently voice a sentiment one struggles to put into words. I was intrigued to see recent reports of a survey commissioned to boost
We often have our aperitif on this terrace before meals, à la Française, looking out onto the view. I sit here sometimes in the afternoon reading to research my current book.
… is through his stomach, or so they say. Anatomically, that seems rather suspect; but I would have to agree that food – especially when cooked by one lover for the other – has vast potential to create a romantic ambiance. But it has to be the right food. You
April is fast approaching, and with it the publication of my novel Burning Embers by Omnific Publishing. It’s an exciting time indeed; this is a milestone I’ve much looked forward to in my journey as a writer. I first began writing Burning Embers years ago. The story and the setting
The ocean was my first love. I grew up in a house overlooking the sea, and it was a constant source of inspiration to me growing up. There is something so breathtakingly beautiful about the water – the power of its motion; the glorious colours, changing daily; its constancy; its
The harbour, a short walk from my house. In the evening after a good day’s writing I go to a little cafe outside the harbour where there is a soft sea breeze and relax as I watch the boats and passers-by.
A long-time subscriber to Mslexia magazine, ‘for women who write’, I always find its surveys really interesting reading. Not only do they help me find common ground with other writers, but they also offer up new ideas and ways of thinking. This month, the survey in questions is ‘How do
With 30 published books translated into 80 languages and a total of 175 million copies sold across 170 countries, Paulo Coelho without a doubt knows writing and publishing extremely well. So when Coelho has a new idea, the publishing world listens. And his latest idea could be ground-breaking. Here is the
Whenever I write a new book, I immerse myself in the history and culture of the country in which the story is set. Legends are among my favourite aspects to research, because they say so much about the people and their philosophies and beliefs, both now and in the
Recently on this blog I wrote about books as a legacy, reflecting on the story of a writer who realised after his mother’s death how important her books were for him and the generations of his family to come (‘Passing on books’). With this concept in mind, have you heard
Would you buy a romance novel written in the perspective of the male protagonist, so the entire story is told through his eyes? Traditionally, the answer is ‘no’ – romance is rooted in the female gaze. Here’s the thinking behind that: 1. Most romance readers are female. 2. The
The culture of Spain has many influences and nuances (see, for example, my blog post on the Moors of Spain), and in my new novel, Indiscretion, I wanted to go beyond the traditional archetypes of the flamenco dancer and the toreador. So, for example, to attend a masked ball
Recently, I was interested to read an article in the Guardian on the subject of settings for books by the very popular novelist David Nichols (author of One Day, which just about broke my heart!). In ‘Google v old-fashioned legwork – how to research a novel’, David writes candidly
From the blurb: Millionaire Quinn Randel is a world-class philanthropist and a world-class ass. He has a perfect life and doesn’t want to muck it up with marriage and kids. And then he meets luscious Kylee Steele; barmaid, single mother and college student. Kylee makes him nervous with just a
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