Last month, I was visited by the lovely Marie Wiik who interviewed me for her exciting new Youtube channel ‘Success Stories’. If you’re a fan of ‘The Chateau Diaries’ on Youtube, you’ll have seen Marie and her beautiful flower studio. She is such an inspiration and her Instagram photos are heavenly. We had lunch here at Old Thatch and then had a walk around the garden, enjoying the flowers together.
Would you like the opportunity to name a character in one of my future books? It could be your own name of even that of a pet or a loved one. Well, here’s your chance to do just that and to raise money for an amazing charity at the same time. Just follow the link below to find out more!
I’m delighted to have been chosen as a September pick in the L J Ross book club with my novel, The Beauty of Broken Things. Join in the fun by clicking the banner.
I’m so thrilled to be releasing my new novel, The Beauty of Broken Things – a story about two broken souls brought together via a social media site similar to Instagram. It’s about love, loss and photographs, and the power of friendship to mend broken hearts. Set on the beautiful Suffolk coast, this is my twenty-second novel and I’m so excited to be releasing it!
Have you discovered the The Book Lovers series yet? If you’re missing trips to your local bookstore in this time of lockdown, why not visit the three bookshops in the small market town of Castle Clare in Suffolk? You’re guaranteed to find the perfect read and a romance or two along the way.
To celebrate Valentine’s Day this weekend, I’m taking part in a Romance Festival with the team at MYVLF – that’s My Virtual Literary Festival!
You’ll be able to see my interview at 3pm GMT on Saturday 15 February 2020 where it will be followed by a live chat with me and a signed book giveaway, so be sure to sign up to the festival. Registration is free and you’ll also be able to watch the other interviewees on the day as well as access previous interviews with bestselling authors like Jenny Colgan, Cecelia Ahern, Bella Andre and many more.
It really is an exciting thing to be a part of and I hope you’ll join me there.
I’m thrilled to be able to reveal the cover of my next novel.
The Beauty of Broken Things will be published by Lake Union on 9th June. You can read more about it here or click on the cover image.
Scenes from a Country Bookshop – the fourth in my Book Lovers series – is out now and is available from Amazon on the links below.
We’ve just returned from a holiday in the Cotswolds, staying at a beautiful Field House – a Landmark Trust property that looked as if it belonged in a Jane Austen novel.
Whilst there, we visited Great Chalfield Manor which has featured in Poldark, Wolf Hall and on the cover of my novel The Rose Girls.
How exciting it was to see this special place and, most wonderful of all, the garden was full of roses.
Great Chalfield is owned by the National Trust, but is still lived in by the family and we were treated to a guided tour by the lady of the manor. And – yes – I could very easily imagine Celeste, Gertie and Evie living quite happily in this beautiful ancient home.
I love summer! I always try to set aside plenty of time not only to spend in our own garden, but to visit lots of other gardens too.
At the end of June, we visited the wonderful garden at Pashley Manor in Kent. I wanted to see the roses there and I wasn’t disappointed. I truly felt as if I’d stepped into the pages of The Rose Girls.
We also stopped in for a quick look at the walled garden at Scotney Castle where I berated myself for not growing Paul’s Himalayan Musk. Isn’t it a beauty?
And just last week, we spent the afternoon at Great Dixter. I’d previously visited in May, but this was my first summer visit – on the hottest day of the year so far! At least that gave us the perfect excuse to sit on almost every bench and step around the garden.
Every time I visit a beautiful garden, I can’t help wondering if I should write another garden-based novel. I so loved writing my trilogy, and interest in the healing power of gardens has never been greater. Perhaps I should take my notebook outside and see what happens…
Last Sunday, I travelled to the heart of the Cotswolds to a very special place – Wood Green near Witney – the inspiration behind Miss Read’s fictional ‘Thrush Green’.
I’ve visited here before, but it’s always a joy to see the golden homes nestled around the green, and it’s even better that I got to meet up with Dora Saint’s daughter, Jill, for a very special performance…
The wonderful Redlynch Players were performing ‘Miss Read Remembered’ by Ron Perry in the church, and how lovely it was to see the characters of Thrush Green come to life! Mrs Curdle’s caravan looked absolutely splendid, and Ron Perry really captured all the warmth and humour of Miss Read’s story. There was a particularly moving scene between Dr Bailey and Mrs Curdle and the choice of music really added to the beauty and poignancy of the production.
I thought I’d travelled a long way from Suffolk to see the play, but there were at least three people in the audience from America! The appeal of Miss Read is truly international and it’s a real testimony to her writing that this novel, first published in 1959, is still so appealing.
