This weekend my daughter and I visited family members in Northborough and attended the John Clare Festival in Helpston, Northamptonshire. We thoroughly enjoyed sharing in the community celebrations of John Clare (1793-1864), their local poet. JOHN CLARE was born in Helpston in 1793 and deeply loved the natural world. During his life he wrote bothContinue reading “Flowers for John Clare, Poet of Rural England: ‘The Peasant Poet’”
Category Archives: About Books I love
Book Trailer Fun for Mystical Circles
I’ve been out and about in Warwick and the Cotswold hills with my film-maker daughter Abigail, having great fun as Abigail puts together a book trailer for my romantic suspense novel Mystical Circles. As I’ve watched our actors follow Abigail’s directions and play my characters, my story has come alive in a new way. I’veContinue reading “Book Trailer Fun for Mystical Circles”
The Great Gatsby – a Capacity for Hopefulness, Sparkling Decadence, and Tragedy That Touches Us All
The Great Gatsby, written in 1925, is one of the greatest American novels. Yet its author, F.Scott Fitzgerald, died in 1940 believing himself a failure. The Great Gatsby has been among my top favourites ever since I first read it, for my Contemporary American Literature course at university. Two days ago I saw the latest movieContinue reading “The Great Gatsby – a Capacity for Hopefulness, Sparkling Decadence, and Tragedy That Touches Us All”
Controlling Women in History and Life: Bess of Hardwick and Tudor England
Controlling women are a recurring theme in my life. Add to this a love of history. And so when I found the book Bess of Hardwick: First Lady of Chatsworth by Mary S. Lovell, I felt impelled to read it. It is said that only when a lesson is learned, does an issue stop recurringContinue reading “Controlling Women in History and Life: Bess of Hardwick and Tudor England”
The Enduring Appeal of ‘A Kid With Spots’ in Fiction, TV, Movies & YouTube
There’s a character we love, in all forms of media. Is he the exciting hero? Is he clever, bold, handsome, courageous? No. He’s a bit downbeat and low-key. A bit dumb. He drifts around in the background looking vacant. And he’s the one we find most endearing. He’s Rory Williams in Doctor Who Series 5-7.Continue reading “The Enduring Appeal of ‘A Kid With Spots’ in Fiction, TV, Movies & YouTube”
Mystical Circles Romance and Psychological Suspense Free Promotion Bonanza!
Mystical Circles is on free giveaway to Goodreads members for the next month! Five copies of the paperback second edition are on offer. Goodreads Members, get on over there and sign up for the giveaway! Mystical Circles is also FREE ON KINDLE FOR 5 DAYS STARTING NOW! ROMANCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE IN THE HEART OFContinue reading “Mystical Circles Romance and Psychological Suspense Free Promotion Bonanza!”
The Curious Tale of a Rediscovered King, a DNA Trail and What It Tells Us of the Nature of Truth
“There were a lot of nasty rumours spread about me,” says Horrible Histories actor Jim Howick in his hilarious portrayal of King Richard III. “Tudor propaganda, it’s all absurd. Time to tell the truth about Richard III.” Who was he? “That King they found in the car park in Leicester”. This will have been theContinue reading “The Curious Tale of a Rediscovered King, a DNA Trail and What It Tells Us of the Nature of Truth”
Jennifer Lawrence, Young Success, and The Gift of The Present Moment
Picture this. A 22-year old actress who has won an Oscar, is asked at her press conference: “You’re awfully young to have so much success so far. Do you feel it’s a good thing? You’re not worried about peaking too soon?” What can she do, but smile, give a baffled grimace and say, “Well, nowContinue reading “Jennifer Lawrence, Young Success, and The Gift of The Present Moment”
Why Les Miserables Is So Popular
How is it that the story of Les Miserables has tapped into the emotions of so many? I first read Victor Hugo’s novel in my late teens/early twenties, and a central idea stayed with me over the years (though not necessarily in the exact words Victor Hugo used): You have been taken away from evil,Continue reading “Why Les Miserables Is So Popular”
The Core of a Successful Novel: The Ring of Truth
Q – What is the core of a successful novel? A – You can in some way identify with it; you recognise it as relating to your own life experience. And this doesn’t mean you need to have experienced exactly the same events that the novel describes: simply that you recognise the truth in theContinue reading “The Core of a Successful Novel: The Ring of Truth”
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