Blog

I have just returned from the Romantic Novelists Association’s 2023 Conference which was held at the Imperial College in London. Despite being a member of the RNA since 2016, this was my first conference and I’m pleased to say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself. So, what is the conference all about?

"TV gives everyone an image, but radio gives birth to a million images in a million brains."
-Peggy Noonan

In April, I was delighted to join radio presenter (and fellow Choc Lit author) Chris Penhall on her show, Books and Tunes. Books and Tunes is a weekly West Wiltshire radio show, where Chris talks to writers and readers about books and publishing. Needless to say, the friendly, informative chat is interspersed with music. I was one of two guests in the hour long show (episode 5) and although it’s always daunting to be a guest on a radio show, fortunately Chris made it feel as if we were just chatting over a coffee and not recording a show.

Research is an integral part of writing historical fiction. Accurate historical details will anchor the plot firmly into an era and invite the reader to immerse themselves into this alternative world. I enjoy reading well-researched historical fiction. Learning about our history helps us to understand how the past has influenced the society, environment and beliefs of today.

In 2011, my husband and I made the decision to walk the entire coastal path of Cornwall. With much enthusiasm and convinced that we would complete it in a few months, we set off from Hartland Quay in Devon so that we may experience crossing the county's border on foot. We aimed to walk a section of the path whenever we could spare the time, however due to other commitments (both work and leisure), changeable weather and (shamefully) lack of dedication, we have yet to complete the 422 miles (697km) path. Last week, 11 years after we had started, we arrived in Sennen Cove and made a promise (as we do every time we walk a section of the coastline), to not leave it so long before we walk the next part.