Great Gardens of England: Hidcote Manor Gardens, near Chipping Campden

A great garden is an image of paradise, in more than one religious outlook. Perhaps this is because  within such a garden, all the very best of the natural world is taken by human ingenuity, and then gifted and skilled gardeners weave their own design and creativity into it. Our dreams become realised through aContinue reading “Great Gardens of England: Hidcote Manor Gardens, near Chipping Campden”

A Visit to the Prinknash Bird and Deer Park, Gloucestershire

What a lovely place the Prinknash Bird and Deer Park is. I was very impressed with it when we visited on Easter Saturday. The park is beautifully landscaped with some enchanting gypsy caravans and playhouses for young children, and the birds and animals are very tame indeed.  A word of warning – do buy theContinue reading “A Visit to the Prinknash Bird and Deer Park, Gloucestershire”

My Dream Cast for “Mystical Circles”

Novelists, have you “dreamcast the film adaptation of your book? Many do! Film Adaptations of books If you do it early enough in the process of writing your novel, it can be very helpful. Though I understand that the reality of having your book turned into a film can sometimes not be a very pleasant experience.

Heatwave Inspiration – The View From Broadway Tower in Bright Sunshine

What do you do in a heatwave? We headed for the Cotwolds and one of our favourite places, Broadway Tower. The last time I was there a cold gusty wind and a heavy damp mist greeted us. But on this visit, the sun blazed out of an azure sky,   and it was an idealContinue reading “Heatwave Inspiration – The View From Broadway Tower in Bright Sunshine”

Cotswolds Locations to Give Spice and Colour to the World of A Passionate Spirit

Recently I’ve been visiting a number of Cotswolds locations in which key scenes of my novel A Passionate Spirit are set, and locations which are referred to in the story. A Passionate Spirit is a paranormal thriller, and some of the events of the story cross the borderline between the real world and the unexplained. IContinue reading “Cotswolds Locations to Give Spice and Colour to the World of A Passionate Spirit”

A Trail of Discovery Through Small Independent Bookshops in the Cotswolds

Over the past couple of months, at the suggestion of my publisher Matador, I’ve visited a number of small independent bookshops throughout the Cotswolds (where my new novel A Passionate Spirit is set). I’ve introduced myself and my novel, offered each bookshop manager a copy of my advance information sheet and asked if they wouldContinue reading “A Trail of Discovery Through Small Independent Bookshops in the Cotswolds”

The Dream of William Morris at Broadway Tower in the Cotswolds

My dream, wrote the designer William Morris, is a dream of what has never been… and therefore, since, the world is alive, and moving yet, my hope is the greater that it one day will be… dreams have before now come about of things so good… we scarcely think of them more than the daylight,Continue reading “The Dream of William Morris at Broadway Tower in the Cotswolds”

Interpersonal Relationships in the Hothouse Atmosphere of a New Age Commune

In my mystery romance novel “Mystical Circles” I explore the interpersonal relationships to be found in the hothouse atmosphere of a New Age commune. This is a place where relationships and liaisons flare and flourish or fizzle out quickly. The group I describe is based in an idyllic farmhouse in the Cotswolds. It is aContinue reading “Interpersonal Relationships in the Hothouse Atmosphere of a New Age Commune”