The painting that is my oldest memory
My earliest childhood memory is from when I was a baby. Apparently, I cried all the time – probably because of the rude arrival of my brother when I was fourteen months old! My dad would be deputed to try to get me to shut up when I woke bawling my head off in the...
The Cromwellian Church, Berwick-upon-Tweed
One of the interesting highlights of my recent trip to Berwick-upon-Tweed was a look at one of the few churches in England built under the jurisdiction of Oliver Cromwell during the Commonwealth era (1649-1660). The church and the charming, wooded graveyard that...
Dublin Dockers’ Nicknames
Recently I visited Ireland for a family wedding. Whilst there, enjoying an evening in a local pub, I was reminded of one of the inspirations behind part of my book Storms Gather Between Us – an inspiration I’d entirely forgotten about until now!
A Recent Visit to Charleston Farmhouse
I’m lucky enough to live just a fifteen-to-twenty-minute drive from Charleston, former home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. My sister was visiting and had never been, so off we toddled – me somewhat reluctantly as I’ve been several times before and am not a huge...
Retreat at Mousehole
I love writing retreats. Not organised ones with tutors, but small gatherings with other authors in attractive or new surroundings to write. Being in a different place is usually a stimulus to the creative juices – and there’s nothing like having someone to else to...
A Treasured Book from my Childhood
I was always a voracious reader from a very early age. I seem to remember my dad – who was then a school teacher – teaching me to read to give some respite to my mum who by the time I was three had two more babies to contend with. I raced through the entire canon of...
On Location in Australia
My first novel A Greater World is set in the beautiful Blue Mountains of Australia. As it’s only about 70 miles from Sydney you can visit on a day trip. On my first visit to Australia in 1995 I stayed at the beautiful Lilianfels Hotel close to The Three Sisters and...
The Lady at the Fountain
Continuing my new blog series, featuring important items from my life. In the second of the series, I invite you to meet “The Lady at the Fountain”, who has sat on my mantelpiece for many years and has a special place in my childhood memories…
The Girl in the Cemetery
The first in a new series of blog posts where I discuss items of significance in my life – starting with a treasured painting.
The reviews are in from my German readers…and they’re wunderbar!
In the middle of 2021, I began translating my books into German. I'd always liked the idea of translating my novels for a wider audience and, hearing that Germany was packed with prolific readers, I decided to start there. Almost immediately, I was blown away by the...
What I’ve been reading…January book reviews
This year, my resolution is to write more book reviews – I always appreciate my own readers leaving reviews, so I’m leading by example!I did rather a lot of reading during January. The long winter days, and some very unpredictable weather, meant being cosied up with a...
Inspiration: The Irish stained glass window artist, Harry Clarke
I’m currently working on a novel inspired by the great stained glass artist Harry Clarke. In this blog, I take a look at his history and some of his window masterpieces.
