SNAPSHOT VIEWS OF VIETNAM

A little bit like Maraban (the country I created for my very first Sheikh book: SURRENDER TO THE SHEIKH) - Vietnam is a land of complete contrasts.

Here we have the chaos of the traffic system (you are told that when you wish to cross the road - to turn your head towards the traffic and walk slowly but steadily across the line of moving vehicles, which will then slow and swerve to avoid you! Oddly enough, it seems to work.)


And here we have the unconscious synchronicity of two workers sweeping the leaves in perfect harmony. It really was poetry in motion - and hard to believe that we were only yards away from the noisy roads.




And lastly, one of those amazing temples - full of colour and gleaming gold, where offerings are left and incense burns and the pervading sense of spirituality is hard to escape....gorgeous.

But it's back to "normal" for me after the Easter break. I've removed the last of the chocolate from the house and launched myself into my latest book, which features a Sicilian called Santino Cavallaro who is not behaving as I thought he would behave. He looks different to how I imagined, as well. His eyes are sapphire (blue and green eye-colour are often found on this fascinating island) and he's much swarthier than my usual heroes.

To get myself in a Sicilian frame of mind, I'm reading THE LEOPARD, by Tomasi di Lampedusa. It's brilliant.

What are you reading, and why?