Category: Writing and publishing
How important is originality in fiction?
‘There is nothing new under the sun.’ So goes the proverb derived from the Book of Ecclesiastes. Depending on your perspective, you may find this a comforting thought or a frustrating limitation – or, indeed, a challenge to which you will rise.
Whimsical and wonderful words for your nature walk
‘The dappled sunlight filtering through tree branches – is there a word for that? The seeds of a dandelion drifting on the breeze – do we have a word for that? Should we?…’
Favourite Parisian haunts: the cafés where history was made
‘Two cafés with long and prominent histories, Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots in Paris: inspirational, fascinating and a chance to brush shoulders with the ghosts of the greats…’
Why I am proud to be a romance author
‘I will always read romances and write romances, and I will always be proud to do so, because it feels to me that every happy-ever-after is a candle of hope…’
What makes us fall in love with a romance novel?
Recently, the BBC published an article entitled ‘Is it time to re-think the love story?’ about a new study into what makes an enduring romance novel. What is it that makes us really fall in love with a romance novel?
Writing, and reading, beyond debut novels
We live in a time when ‘new’ is highly prized. New is shiny and exciting and interesting; new is coveted. But should new be the focus in publishing?
Print books favoured over ebooks
On Monday, I posted an article celebrating eight years of blogging here. Over those years, I have revisited certain themes in my articles, and one of those is the ‘print versus ebook’ debate.
Making books accessible with ebook versions
When I wrote my first novel, Burning Embers, there was no such thing as an ebook. My dream was simply to see the book in print; to hold the novel in my hands. By the time I came to publish Burning Embers, however, the digital revolution was in full swing. My publisher informed me that the novel would be simultaneously published in print and ebook formats.
Leaving a literary legacy with the Future Library
Have you heard of the Future Library project by Scottish artist Katie Paterson? The concept is simple, and very beautiful. In a Norwegian forest, 1,000
An end to cinemas, and bookstores?
Cannes is just an hour away from my home in the south of France, and I always follow news of its film festival, held at
Romance shines through in The Great American Read
Over the past six months, American readers have been voting for their favourite novels as part of The Great American Read. An advisory panel of
Modern publishing: empowering writers to write
Last week, I wrote about the rewards of reading slowly, inspired by an article in the Guardian. Within that article, another theme caught my eye:
On keeping a diary – but keeping it private
The best piece of advice I was given as a child is this: If you want to be a writer, then write. It is obvious,
After the ‘happy-ever-after’? Why sequels aren’t my style
To date, I have published six novels: three standalones and a trilogy. The trilogy follows three generations of families, but essentially each novel can stand
The enduring wisdom of Jane Eyre
Recently, the editors at Bookish.com published an article compiling favourite romance novel heroines as chosen by romance authors (http://www.bookish.com/articles/favorite-romance-heroines/). The heroines in the list were
Romance novels: quality still counts amid quantity
While reading an article in the Irish Independent on romance novels, a quotation from author Kate Kerrigan caught my eye: ‘The people who are reading
Should the gender of an author matter?
Back in the nineteenth century, readers – men and women alike – began to discover and enjoy fiction by new novelists Currer Bell, Ellis Bell,
Should a book cost more than a coffee?
Depending on where you are in the world, a café latte from a chain like Starbucks is likely to cost you in the region of
The author’s role – to write books, or tweets?
I dreamed of being an author from a very young age – from the day I first understood how the many books on my parents’
Does romance need new sub-genres?
Here is a dictionary definition of the word ‘romance’: a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love; a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement,
Categorising romance novels
Many years ago, when I set pen to paper and wrote the first draft of what would become my debut novel, Burning Embers, I thought
Supporting independent bookstores
For me, there are few pleasures that can compete with a half hour spent browsing in a bookstore. Canterbury and Dover, the main cities near
The writer’s need to experience – and retreat?
‘How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live,’ wrote Henry David Thoreau, the great American writer who
A print book resurgence?
Recently, the arts news has been full of a major comeback: that of the vinyl record. In 2016, vinyl sales in the UK reached 3.2
Writing for oneself – without expectation
‘You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.’ So said Nobel Prize-winning writer Saul Bellow. I
The case of the missing romance novels in 2016
Amazon.com has recently released a list of the top twenty bestselling books published in 2016, based on both print and Kindle sales. Here it is:
‘Choose an author as you would a friend’
‘Choose an author as you would a friend.’ So wrote English poet Wentworth Dillon, 4th Earl of Roscommon (circa 1633–1685), in his ‘Essay on Translated Verse’:
Will you judge a book by its cover?
One of the many aspects of being an author is cover creation. I am fortunate to have a publisher that allows me to have input
On writing of love that lasts
Have you seen the recent theatrical trailer for the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? In the trailer, author J.K. Rowling explains how