Today my visitor has come from just across the Pennines. For anyone not familiar with UK geography, the Pennines are a range of hills running down the north of England, separating Lancashire and Yorkshire. In the fifteenth century there was fierce fighting between the two counties in the Wars of the Roses. And even today…… Continue reading Good to meet you…author Sarah Mallory
I mentioned earlier this week, in my post Saltaire, Lyon and weavers’ stories, that I’d downloaded Liz Trenow’s The Last Telegram, a romance in which the silk industry plays an integral role. The novel has been waiting patiently for me to pick it up, and now I’ve finished it – and thoroughly enjoyed it :)…… Continue reading Parachutes, bombs and silk: a review of Liz Trenow’s The Last Telegram
“Happy, happy Christmas, Arthur dear. I hope you like sausages for breakfast?” “I do – better than anything,” he assured her, and wanted to add: “I love you, I love you.” I spent all last night simply riveted to this page-turning 1930s Mills and Boon novel. In the Name of Love, by Guy Trent -…… Continue reading A review of a 1930s Mills and Boon novel (it’s all too divine, darlings!)
Please take a minute to check out the header at the top of my blog. Notice any changes in the text since last time you visited?… What do you mean, no? You mean you haven’t you been concentrating?? OK, then I’ll tell you!When I first started this blog a few weeks ago I described myself…… Continue reading Getting the call for my first romance novel
A long time ago, in a bedroom far, far away, the geeks were passing their days happily ignored by romantic fiction readers. Our romantic heroes were no nerds. They were alpha males who’d dominated their way to the top of their macho worlds, with their ripped bodies and chiselled jaws, hunky men who would offer…… Continue reading The rise of the geek as romantic hero
A few years ago I had a manuscript rejected with the gutting comment that my romantic hero had no charisma. The rest of my novel apparently had everything: likeable heroine, great setting and dialogue and believable conflict. It was just that no one actually liked the hero enough to want to fall in love with…… Continue reading The charismatic romantic hero – and how to create him
Helena Fairfax 