Hello friends. I hope you are enjoying October so far. I've been head-down busy writing lately but I am taking daily walks to enjoy the beautifully colorful foliage here in the northern US. The leaves are so pretty that I brought some home with me. While I walk, I love to listen to audiobooks. I'm currently listening to a book by debut novelist Sara Brunsvold called The Extraordinary … [Read more...]

In my novel, Shadows of Swanford Abbey (December 2021), the Swanford Abbey Hotel is an ancient monastery turned grand hotel. I wrote that mystery during lockdowns and was unable to visit in person. Swanford Abbey is a fictional place, inspired by past visits to the historic Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire, England, as well as photos and floor plans of the Stanbrook Abbey Hotel in … [Read more...]

My husband and I recently returned from a trip to the UK, fulfilling travel plans made and cancelled more than two years before. We were so thankful to be able to visit England again, and felt oddly privileged to be there when Queen Elizabeth died—to be able to watch the news with locals and to witness their heartfelt reactions firsthand. While we were “across the pond,” one of the places we … [Read more...]

Today I thought I’d address one of the common questions authors receive: “How many hours a day do you write?” What do you think? Do authors spend eight hours a day writing as in most other professions? Or do they stay up all night burning the midnight oil? Or do they sit down and dash off chapters in no time flat? Before you read the following answers, make a guess in your own mind, or share in … [Read more...]

To me, choosing the setting for a novel is like designing an effective stage for the “actors” (in my case, fictional characters) to perform or live out the drama to come. My new novel, The Sisters of Sea View (December 2022) is Book One in a new series called ON DEVONSHIRE SHORES. I liked the setting and characters so much, I decided to stay there for at least two more novels. While I … [Read more...]