authors

Faiz Ahmed Faiz was a Pakistani-born poet. He was the best-selling poet writing in Urdu in Pakistan and India. See also: No 9 poem ‘Before you came’ in ‘”Between the shadow and the soul” – love in all its guises, 10 love poems’ Other writers of interest: Pablo Neruda; Maya Angelou

  Pablo Neruda was a Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet and politician. Neruda’s real name was Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He wrote many acclaimed collections of poetry, including Twenty Poems of Love and a Song of Despair.  Books include: Twenty Poems of Love and a Song of Despair. See also: Poem no 10, One Hundred Love … Continue readings →

Kate Perry is the author of several very successful books, most famously the Laurel Heights’ and Summerhill series, set in San Francisco and London, respectively. BOOKS INCLUDE: How Sweet It Is REVIEWS: ‘From London to Paris and back again – Kate Perry’s How Sweet It Is, A Review‘, in The Literary Lounge See also: Mary … Continue readings →

  Michael Morpurgo is the former Children’s Laureate (2003–5) and is an acclaimed, much-loved award-winning author of fiction, plays and poetry. His work includes: War Horse; Kensuke’s Kingdom (a personal favourite) and The Goose Is Getting Fat. In 2014, he edited the World War I charity anthology Only Remembered.   REVIEW: ‘Only Remembered – remembering World … Continue readings →

  EDITOR’S CHOICE A Welsh-born Canadian writer, Mary Balogh is the prolific author of Regency romances. A former school teacher, Balogh came to Saskatchewan on a two-year contract and met and married her husband, Robert. Her first book, A Masked Deception, was signed by Hilary Ross at Signet and published in 1985 to popular acclaim. … Continue readings →

  A relative ‘newbie’ to the historical romance genre, Ella Quinn has published four books in quick succession in Kensington’s digital programme. Desiring Lady Caro (April 2014) is the latest book in Quinn’s acclaimed ‘The Marriage Game’ series, a book of eight proposed novels and a novella.   ‘THE MARRIAGE GAME’ SERIES: The Seduction of … Continue readings →

Texas-born writer Julia London is an award-winning romance writer of more than 20 books, including the acclaimed historically based ‘Hadley Chase’ series. A former public administrator, who worked at the White House, before returning to her native Texas, London has recently been nominated for the RITA 2014 best romance novella for The Bridesmaid (2013).   … Continue readings →

Award-winning American writer Caroline Linden‘s first book, What a Woman Needs, was published in 2005 by Zebra. Since then, she has written 12 novels and several short stories/novellas, mostly Regencies. ’50 ways to sin’ SERIES: Love and Other Scandals (2013); It Takes a Scandal (2014)   Q&As/INTERVIEWS: ‘Caroline Linden – 50 ways to write a … Continue readings →

  EDITOR’S CHOICE I absolutely love American crime writer Carol O’Connell. Since I first read Mallory’s Oracle (1994), which introduced the extremely odd and emotionally challenged Kathy Mallory, these books have literally grabbed me by the throat and I pace around until the next book is published. O’Connell’s standalone titles are also chillingly brilliant in … Continue readings →

The pseudonym of English husband-and-wife team Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, who write psychological thrillers together, the entity that is Nicci French is an award-winning author. Titles include: Blue Monday.   See also: Tami Hoag

American-born Donna Leon has lived in Venice, Italy, for more than 30 years and this is where she has set her extremely successful series of books featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti. Famous for her elegant prose and lyrical style, Leon carefully evokes the Venice of contemporary times, while revealing through her language her very strong love … Continue readings →

EDITOR’S CHOICE I love Ngaio Marsh. One of the Four Queens of Mystery, along with Agatha Christie, Margaret Allingham and Dorothy L. Sayers, Marsh was born in New Zealand on 23 April 1895. She grew up in Christchurch and studied art, before joining a theatrical arts company. From 1928 she spent about half her time … Continue readings →

EDITOR’S CHOICE Even if Vera Caspary hadn’t written Laura, one of my favourite books and films, she would be an editor’s choice. Caspary’s novels have independent and spirited female protagonists who look for love but also are inevitably embroiled in mystery/suspense/murder. Laura is often considered the first noir. It’s a superb book and was well … Continue readings →

EDITOR’S CHOICE One of our favourite food writers, Nigel Slater is not only a cook who writes, but a great broadcaster. Slater writes a popular food column for the Observer. He has also appeared in five television series and has written numerous books, including his award-winning memoir Toast (adapted by the BBC for television) and … Continue readings →

Letters of Note, Letterheady and Lists of Note are just a few of the sites that enterprising Shaun Usher runs. The Letters of Note site, which we love, features really interesting, erudite pieces of letters that probably otherwise wouldn’t see the light of day in modern times. Usher has published a critically acclaimed book, Letters … Continue readings →