SHE LOOSED THE CHAIN….

Today I'm over at iHeartspresents, talking about the inspiration for my latest book.
And here it is…

A copy of the painting used to hang on my bedroom wall when I was a teenager, and I used to imagine that I was The Lady Of Shalott.  
It wasn't much of a life, was it?
Pacing that small room.  Looking in that mirror and seeing the reflection of the man she loved, who didn't even know she existed.  Giving into the irresistible temptation to feast her eyes on him properly and then listening to the sickening sound as the mirror cracked from side to side and the web flew out, like a horrible dark spectre of a curse.  
I imagined the east wind straining as she made her way down to that boat, probably freezing cold in that lovely white dress and getting mud on her delicate slippers (though we're not actually sure what she was wearing on her feet).  I thought about how heavy the chain must have felt as she picked it up to loosen it, before laying down on the hard wood, with her blood growing cold in her veins as she floated down the river….

And do you know what used to make me madder than anything?
The fact that Lancelot - the man she had died for  - could give such a wimpish response when he saw her corpse bobbing its way into Camelot.
  But Lancelot mused a little space;
  He said, she has a lovely face;
  God in his mercy lend her grace,
  The Lady of Shalott.

I was like, IS THAT ALL?

Anyway,  the book it inspired is called SHAMED IN THE SANDS, and you can read more about it here

So what inspires you?

KITSCH, CHEATING & CUTE

Wonder if it's cheating to lie soaking in a bath brimming with detox bath salts while drinking strong coffee.?

(Oh, well).

The tree is naked and sitting outside the front door, waiting to be recycled.  Kitsch Santa (carrying a flock of robins, while having a golden candle stuck in his back) is back in his  permanent home in the loft.

And I've had to pack away the unbelievably cute music box, which I bought in the Christmas Shop in Padstow and which is well worth a visit if you're down that way.

So for one last time….

Hope your Christmas had bells on!

A SKY ON FIRE

Sometimes I get to party in the kinds of places which feature in my books.
Sunday was just such a day.
There were twelve of us singing carols around the piano.  A table groaning with food.  
And views from the upper terrace of the sun setting over the London skyline, which were completely breathtaking.
Like this.  
A sky on fire.  (If you look closely, you can see the faint outline of the Eye).

And here's the view from downstairs.  Me posing with a bauble to get a suitable seasonal shot. "Beside the lake, beneath the trees" - or should that be: Beside the tree, above the river?

POSSIBLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY IN THE WORLD...

So which city would get your vote for the above title?
Would it be Paris? * 
London? 
Sydney?
All the above (and plenty of others) are possibilities.  Beauty after all, lies in the eye of the beholder and if you've had the most amazing time of your life in New York - then you're always going to look adoringly on that place.

For me, it has to be Venice - mainly because it's a city which defies logic.  It's a masterpiece - a triumph of beauty over practicality.  It's a dream of a place.  Where traffic jams make you smile…

And restaurants serve exquisite food like this:

Here's the view from the hotel terrace…

And here I am in the sumptuous lobby of the gorgeous Gritti Palace Hotel where I was staying with two of my dearest friends….

In other news - my book has changed radically.  I've scrapped what I'd written (17,000 words - boo, hoo!) because it wasn't working.  But then this morning I sat down to write the new version and the story just took off.  
I think - hope - that we have lift-off!
How was your weekend?

*cue for Jessica Hart to plug Paris book!

STILL IN MILANO….

where they eat with stylish simplicity.
This was a starter of fresh, raw artichoke - dressed with good oil, lemon juice, a little seasoning - and topped with shavings of a hard and salty cheese.  That's all.

I even know the Italian word to describe it:  perfetto.

IN MILANO….

they take their shoes seriously…

Here are some heels by Dolce & Gabbana - crammed into a case lined with decadent scarlet satin. 
I imagined what kind of man might buy them (vampire? fetishist?) and take them on a midnight visit to his mistress...

And in case you're wondering - I'm using all this as valid *research* for the Milanese hero I am currently creating.  He is going to be as spectacular as the city in which he dwells!

WHERE AM I?

I've just come back from an amazing city….

which has a spectacular Gothic cathedral (the fourth largest in the world).  Here is a photo of it  soaring upwards towards the skies….

Known for its delicious risotto, it is the fashion capital of the world.  It's also the capital of Lombardy and will host the Universal Exposition in 2015.  Have you guessed yet?

I'll tell you more about my trip when I have better internet access - at the moment the signal is dipping and dying - probably because I am in the middle of a beautiful wood, beside a lake (and beneath a tree).