I’m an avid reader, especially of stories that fit into the same genre that I like to write in. Stories that capture my heart the way I hope my writing inspires readers. Historical family sagas involving several generations, bringing to life stories of tragedy, hope, and love. One thing historical fiction authors have in common…
I’ve spent quite some time running down rabbit holes recently looking for people and their stories, discovering what life was like in the 1920s here in New Zealand, and connecting a few dots. What struck me most while doing this research, is how similar life is today to then, as it was fifty or a…
Editor’s Note: Coming soon Martha of Paisley. Sign up to my newsletter for updates. Those who were handy with a needle and thread in days gone by, had a job for life. The ladies of the house learnt to do embroidery, and endlessly stitched alphabet samplers and cushion covers, or sewed initials into the corner…
One of the more interesting aspects of writing is getting to know your characters, learning what they like and how they behave in certain situations. For those who plan their story arcs, character analysis is part of that planning – not that having a plan stops the characters from putting their own spin on the…
I became a genealogist long before I started writing novels, and love delving into the past. I’ve recently had the privilege of helping someone write up their family tree. It’s been a fascinating experience, following the good times: the love, the successes, and the laughter. But there are always enmities and tragedies among the convoluted…
Being interviewed by Friday Night drinks with Julie Morris of A Little Book Problem was an absolute delight. Wine, books and a lot of conversation – I’m happy to share the occasion with you. First things first, what are you drinking? I’ll start the evening by offering to share a bottle of one of our…
Intricately woven stories to tease apart… Readers with even just a passing interest in family trees and genealogy will be drawn into the fragments of this mosaic-like mystery…A refreshingly different family saga … PORTRAIT OF A MAN When Matteo Borgoni steps ashore in Port Chalmers in January 1863, he is a man on a mission, and…
It’s always lovely to hear from readers, but especially so when they have such nice things to say. I’m delighted to have received such wonderful comments about my latest story, Portrait of a Man. Muriel said: Wow’. Took me a few days to come back to domestic routines after finishing “Portrait of a Man”. Story…
Every one knows that authors are introspective creatures who spend days weeks, and months, on their own, locked in a room finding words to string together that will tell the story buzzing in their head. They are introverted, isolated and solitary during this writing phase and – for most authors – it is the most…
Will the secrets of the past destroy an artist’s legacy?
