Have you heard of chromotherapy? It’s a sort of therapy that draws upon colour to rebalance and heal. It’s labelled pseudoscientific by some, and I’ve no personal experience of it. But it seems to me that colours do have significance. If I wear black from head to toe, I can be sombre. If I wear bright, cheerful colours, I’m more likely to feel energised and positive – and, crucially, feel the creative juices flowing.

I grew up in a house in a hot country surrounded by lush green gardens and overlooking the deep blue Mediterranean, so my love for bright colours is innate.

I love the colours of flowers and plants in particular. A garden planted with a range of trees and shrubs and flowers creates the cacophony of sensory input I need in order to dream up love stories in exotic settings. No wonder William Wordsworth called the daisy ‘The poet’s darling’.

Given that Burning Embers is set in Kenya, I was able to draw on a wonderful array of greenery when writing descriptions for the novel. Scarlet bougainvillea, purple wisteria, and yellow mimosa. Rustling palms, vibrant orchids. Plumeria. African tulip. Monkey pod, chalice lilies, jacarandas and wisteria. Flowering cactus. Begonia on a cedar trellis. Acacias, tamarind, frangipani, alabaster anthuriums, coral-pink kapok trees. Dwarf citrus trees, fig trees and the aptly named flame tree.

Today, I thought I would share with you a slide show of these plants and flowers and trees, so you can for yourself get a feel for the setting of Burning Embers.

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