Short Breaks – Big Inspiration

Short Breaks – Big Inspiration

Apart from planned trips to India and Australia to research two of my books, these days I usually plan my holidays around painting – choosing locations I’ve never visited before and where I think there might be interesting landscapes. There have however been two short...
Painting in France

Painting in France

I’ve just had a fabulous week painting in France – blessed with beautiful weather until the very last day when a much-needed downpour arrived – the commune next door had actually run out of water. I was staying in the Creuse valley near Crozant – a stunningly...
Bali Calling! Writers’ Rooms #11

Bali Calling! Writers’ Rooms #11

I have been very neglectful blogging lately – but the past 2 months have been very busy. I  was getting my next novel off to the editor; I went to Denver to the Historical Novel Society Conference; I was in the process of moving house – something...
In the Steps of The Miniaturist

In the Steps of The Miniaturist

I’ve just spent a couple of days in Amsterdam. It was an unplanned, last minute, impromptu reaction to reading The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton – my book club’s choice for this month. You can read my Goodreads review here. I’ve visited Amsterdam loads of...

Infiltrating The High Range Club

I need to say upfront that the photo on the left of the famous (men only) bar of the High Range Club in Munnar was not taken by me but plucked from the interweb. Read on to find out why. I’ve been dying to visit this famous bastion of tea planters as a lot of...