The seeds of inspiration for the verdant setting of my novel Burning Embers were sown way back at school when I was introduced to the flamboyant poetry of Charles-Marie Leconte De Lisle, better known as simply Leconte De Lisle, who was the leader of the group of French poets called the Parnassians. In this blog […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
I’ve recently been involved in an interesting discussion with my publisher, Omnific, about what genre my upcoming novel Burning Embers fits into. My book is a love story, so categorising it as romance is no problem; but what sub-category within which to situate the book? The list of sub-genres within the romance genre is […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
In Burning Embers, Coral is reunited with her former ‘yaha’ (nanny) Aluna when she comes back to the childhood home she left in her youth. There is, at once, an interesting dynamic between the two women – one white, naive, young and wealthy who has grown up chiefly in England; the other black, a servant, […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
In an early blog entry I explained that while researching my book, Burning Embers, I read a lot about Africa – including books on proverbs. In any culture, proverbs are a poetic and memorable way to impart wisdom. I’ve decided to run a series of book exploring a proverb in turn, and how it relates to […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
My novel Burning Embers is set in Mombasa in Kenya, on the east coast of the African continent. Because my book is a novel, not a travel or history guide, there is little room there to explore the many facets of this interesting town. So here I provide some nuggets of information for you as […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
How many cups of coffee does it take to write a romance novel? The answer, for me, is many indeed – but they must be of the very best beans. In Burning Embers, which is set in and around Mombasa in Kenya, Coral is invited to stay at a friend’s coffee plantation and drinks […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
When I was growing up, one of my favourite pastimes was visiting the cinema. My governess, Zula, bless her, was just as romantic as I, and would accompany me to see the latest love story on the big screen. When I was twelve, South Pacific was released, and I must have gone with Zula at […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
Africa, the setting for Burning Embers, is of course a country famous for hunting. Natives have hunted to survive since the earliest days of the continent’s inhabitation, and the vast array of large, dangerous wildlife there created a real pull for white hunters, keen to demonstrate their prowess by gunning down a ferocious lion or […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
Yesterday, as I was sitting at my desk typing, I took a break to gaze out at the dark grey sky lit by a beautiful golden sun, and was rewarded by a stunning full-arch, vivid rainbow in the sky. Nature at its most beautiful. I gazed into the sky until long after the colours had […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
I am, of course, a romantic at heart – what romance novelist isn’t? But in today’s fast-paced era of busy people hurtling around in their busy lives; of connecting to people via the internet and mobile phone more than face to face (even arranging dating online); of rising divorce rates and disillusion with long-term relationships; […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
