It’s a question I’m often asked: “Why would an American from California write a novel about an all but forgotten 11th century English queen? Certainly, if I’d followed the old adage “Write what you know” I would never have attempted … Read More →

On November 11, 2005, I wrote the following in my private journal: I have decided to write the Emma novel. I want to try it. If I fail, I fail – but if I don’t try, I can never succeed. … Read More →

As I write this post, we are less than two weeks away from the U.S. launch of Shadow on the Crown on February 7. You may be wondering how a debut author with a book to promote spends her time … Read More →

My favorite part of Christmas is the singing of carols – in the midst of darkness a plea for light. The music of the carols, some of their melodies floating down to us from the Middle Ages, can lift hearts … Read More →

I’ve been going back and forth through time in my writing all this week, wrestling with an 11th century English king and an Archbishop of York, trying to imagine what their relationship might have been like. To give myself some … Read More →