The modern preoccupation with courtship in romance novels
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,
Category: In the news
Reading and the quest for romance
Lipstick, powder, compact, hairbrush, breath freshener, eau de toilette… the contents of a woman’s handbag are myriad and many. Now, according to a recent study
Fusing fairy tale with fashion
Earlier this week I blogged about how high heels can infuse a woman with a sense of style and confidence. While researching the book, I
TED talk: reading around the world
I am a keen follower of http://www.ted.com/: the website devoted to ‘ideas worth spreading’. Recently, the following video, entitled ‘My year reading a book from
From shelfies to bookstagramming: for the love of books
If you love reading and you want to share your passion with the world, how do you do so? How do you identify yourself as
Using romance novels to teach conversational skills
‘Learning language from the language of love’: That was the headline that caught my eye in the news recently. Have you heard about Google’s artificial
Mature women readers: the backbone of digital romance publishing
Digital publishing is still in its infancy. Developments are quick, and frequently surprising, because ebooks are breaking new ground. With anything new comes a desire
Should romances with unhappy endings come with a warning?
On every romance bestseller list in the UK right now (and, indeed, in plenty of countries worldwide) you find After You, Jojo Moyes’ sequel to
Mañana mañana: An end to the Spanish siesta?
Siesta: as I write in my novel Indiscretion, it is ‘that sacred hour of the afternoon when Spaniards retire to the coolness of their rooms,
‘You shall go to the ball’: The romance of dressing up
Recently, I’ve been following the blog of Terry Dresbach, the costume designer on the show Outlander. Her research into eighteenth-century fashion is fascinating, and like
America’s first romance-specific bookstore
My dream has always been to write romance novels, and I am very fortunate that I live that dream every day. But if, for some
Racing through a book, or enjoying the journey?
When American writer James Patterson makes an announcement, it is usually big news; because he’s a bestselling author, of course, but also because he’s a
An award-winning author!
So many feelings surge through me when I read those words: award-winning author. Happiness. Fulfilment. Gratefulness. Most of all, pride. A day when I learn that
The dream of a writer: to coin a new word?
Etymology, the study of the origin of words and their changing meanings, fascinates me. Yes, I will confess to being a reader of dictionaries, and
The author’s all-consuming need to write
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to write. Writing makes me feel at one peaceful and alive; it feeds a raw
From narrowing readership to review battles to reader analytics: a contentious news round-up
Like many bibliophiles and writers, I follow various news outlets with an eye on stories relating to the arts, publishing and the business of being
Art as inspiration for writers
I am always delighted to discover a new edition of Mslexia magazine on my doormat (although this month’s cover artwork on the theme of monsters
Collecting – and treasuring – print books
Recently, a headline in the Observer caught my eye: ‘The Rarefied World of Rare Book Collecting Is Not a Dying Art’. My first thought was,
Visiting London? Don’t miss ‘Shakespeare in Ten Acts’
‘Speak low if you speak love.’ ‘Hear my soul speak. Of the very instant that I saw you, Did my heart fly at your service.’
Finding affinity in the origins of Outlander
I happily confess that I am a big fan of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books. Her plots are intricate and clever, her historical context is fascinating,
Rooting fiction in its cultural time
Recently, writer Kevin Pickard wrote an article for Electric Literature entitled ‘Should Fiction Be Timeless? Pop Culture References in Contemporary Novels’. In it, he explored
Tale as old as time: The fairy-tale
Once upon a time… those four simple words evoke such wonderful memories for me. I remember being a little girl, bathed and ready for bed,
A new culture of supportive readers
Regular readers of my blog will know that I like to keep up to date with writing, publishing and reading-related news. This week, my favourite
A must-have for the London literary tourist
One of my favourite sites for online window-shopping is The Literary Gift Company at www.theliterarygiftcompany.com. They sell all sorts of essentials, luxuries and quirky delights
Book titles: What’s in a name?
For me, choosing the title of a book is one of the most fun parts of the writing process. But it is also one of
Should we be interested in authors, or only their books?
The novelist Jean Rhys declared: ‘All of a writer that matters is in the book or books. It is idiotic to be curious about the
Should authors re-read their own books?
Plenty of actors famously declare that they don’t watch their own movies. Johnny Depp told David Letterman on The Late Show: ‘In a way, once
Spotting the differences in romance novels
Do you remember the children’s game ‘spot the difference’, where you compare two pictures and circle the differences? Well, if you played that game with
And the winner is… Indiscretion!
I’m delighted to share that my novel Indiscretion has been named the winner in the ‘Fiction: Romance’ category of the 2015 USA Best Book Awards!
Innovative sequels to extend the book’s legacy
Two stories recently in the news caught my eye. The first concerns JK Rowling and her enduringly popular Harry Potter series. Having announced in 2013