The joy of women behaving badly…in literature
Because I get so much great feedback from my writing critique groups, I’ve started looking at character development in a different way. It feels as if there’s a lot of pressure on authors to make our characters ‘likeable’ and to ensure that readers can relate to the protagonists we create. While I agree a reader…
Read MoreFollowing in Jane Austen’s footsteps in Bath
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that all Jane Austen fans will eventually find their way to Bath Yes, embarrassingly enough, I am one of the “Janeites”: a lover of all things Jane Austen who has read and re-read her six novels and watched countless adaptations of her works by the BBC and others.…
Read MoreA room with a view
Okay, I know it. I’m an unabashed Wanderlust-afflicted-dreamer. I can’t help it. When I travel, I always find myself wondering what it would be like to live in the place I’m visiting. I enthuse about charming little cottages, ivy-covered buildings, white-washed homes along the sea. Mostly, I seek out – in the tradition of E.M.…
Read MoreSkiing in Ovindoli, Abruzzo
I love living in cities. Maybe it’s just part of growing older – ahem – more mature, but now I find that to continue to enjoy living in cities, I need to escape them occasionally. And I’m not sure if there’s a better escape than a skiing get-away. Italy has lots of great skiing destinations…
Read MoreA timeless tradition – Vienna’s Lipizzaner horses
Many, many years ago, I had the good luck to live just under one year in one of my favorite cities – Vienna. Before that time and since, I’ve been on numerous visits to Austria’s capital city. Walking around Vienna’s charming pedestrian streets and admiring its Jugenstil architecture never fails to put a smile on…
Read MoreReason #5,354 to love Rome – Pope Joan
I live close to this little shrine and I love that people always leave flowers here. In summer, winter, rain or shine… and a couple of times, even in snow! … people come to this little portico to leave their floral offerings. My children like to pass by and count how many flowers have been…
Read MoreWhere do you develop your ideas for stories?
I love to read author interviews or talk about writing habits with other writers. What I find most fascinating is that there’s no one blueprint for writing a novel or short story. Everyone seems to have a different method for developing a story: hearing an idea in something said by an acquaintance, the kernel of…
Read MoreEating potatoes in Vilnius, Lithuania
Every year in December my birthday rolls around. Some of my friends and colleagues grumble about adding another candle on the cake, but some years back, I discovered a foolproof way to enjoy myself as the years pile on. I absolutely love to travel. I plan it. I look forward to it. I have fun…
Read MoreContext reading
You know the term context drinking, don’t you? Ever noticed how that bottle of wine you share on a sun-drenched table perched on the cobblestone square of a charming little town in Tuscany or Provence tastes ever so much better than the same bottle you bring back home to drink in Peoria? True, isn’t it?…
Read MoreSnow Day in Rome!
Today – Monday, 6 February 2012 – is actually only the second official Snow Day in history for Roman schoolchildren. The first was way back on Friday, 3 February 2012. Yes, Roman children had the unusual pleasure of listening to the Mayor of Rome declare a long weekend due to snow. Snow rarely falls on…
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