Blog
I know I’m in Canada when…
I’m in Canada this month, reconnecting with special people and places, thinking about where I come from and how it influences my writing. I know I’m in Canada when I… Glimpse my dad in my cousin’s face, my grandmother in the blue of his daughter’s eyes. Watch the...
Living history, remembering WWI
In the UK, we're preparing to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War. For most of us, August 1914 is many lifetimes away. Yet, I'm fortunate to have a connection with one of those lifetimes. It's part of the web of family and community history which...
Making memories at the RNA conference 2014
Last weekend, I attended the conference of the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) held on the beautiful, rural campus of Harper Adams University near Telford, England. Learning about craft From sessions on taking control of plot and using setting more effectively,...
Seeing the world through someone else’s eyes
As an expat, no matter how long you've lived in another country, you’re always to some extent on the outside looking in, trying to see the world through someone else’s eyes, the filters of their experience. My day job in international business also necessitates...
The power of 250 words
I have a family, with responsibilities for people ranging in age from 10 to 104. I have a day job with international travel and unpredictable demands. I have friends, a community and ‘to do’ lists perpetually syncing between multiple electronic devices. In short, I'm...
I never meant to be an emigrant – writing about home
A recurring theme in my writing is a search for home and community. My heroes and heroines grapple with the push and pull between roots and wings, finding their happy ever after in small towns much like the one where I spent childhood summers. Places where...
Family, food and fiction
One of my most cherished possessions is my mother’s recipe book. A worn binder holding loose leaf sheets, it’s not much to look at from the outside. But inside it holds a treasure trove of memories – not only of her but of family and friends spanning several...
Friendship in life…and in fiction
In both the books I write and like to read, family, friends and community are integral to the romance between the hero and heroine. While I don’t ‘write from life,’ like most writers, my own experiences to some extent shape the stories I tell and that’s especially...
What writing news releases taught me about writing romance
One summer, I had a part-time job writing news releases. The work was repetitive, mind numbing and, as the days slipped by, I questioned its value beyond the much-needed pay check. Years later, I appreciate that job taught me valuable lessons about writing craft –...
Photo by Robin Spencer, Spencer Studio