Readers
Welcome to my Musings for Readers
If you enjoy reading, you’ll find snippets about my favourite books and authors, insights into my own work, special previews and news.
Age is a Number
Nearly four weeks have passed since the launch of my book. I’ve visited over fifty bookstores, participated in writers’ panels and author events, chatted on live radio shows and podcasts, and...
Unboxed At Last
I’ve spent the past ten years learning how to write fiction, which involved attending courses, writing numerous drafts, deleting chapters, writing more drafts, editing the plot and characters,...
Snapshots of Antonia
I’ve discovered that the image of the striking woman pictured on the front cover of my book was created by fine-art photographer Dmytro Baev from Odesa, Ukraine. The woman is a real person, not an...
Sound On
I recently listened to actors reading excerpts from my book, The Engraver’s Secret, and was asked to select my favourite voices with a view to using them for the audiobook. I was asked to describe...
Looking Forward
As I think of the people, conversations, experiences and challenges that have filled my past year, I am grateful for the numerous times I have been inspired and encouraged. I am thankful for the...
Cover Reveal
One of my favourite flowers are striped tulips, which have featured in floral still life paintings since the sixteenth century, and starred in springtime garden displays around the world. I was...
Embrace Doing Nothing
When Leonardo da Vinci was painting The Last Supper in Milan’s Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Prior reportedly complained that Leonardo was spending too much time standing about, staring into the...
All About the Voice
I'm listening to the mesmerising voice of Meryl Streep as she narrates Tom Lake, a novel by Ann Patchett, one of my favourite authors. I wander around the house, making the bed, watering house...
Surprised by Escher
Another month, another museum visit. With each visit, comes inspiration. This time, it’s the Escher special exhibition at The Hague’s Kunstmuseum. Dutch-born Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) is...