Via Domitia - the background

Several people have commented on the new look of this blog (which is lovely of them) and asked me about the background.

Of course, it’s a Roman road and in particular it’s the Via Domitia at Ambrussum, near Nimes in southern France. The Via Domitia provided a fast and sure link from Spain to Italy. […]

Weekend in Wales - A bit of a Roman(tic) holiday

Carleon (Isca) Roman fortress wall

Last weekend, I was in Caerleon, South Wales attending the Romantic Novelists’ Association conference. It’s a joyous event, where you re-affirm old friendships and form new ones, where you’re are reminded of old things you’ve forgotten and learn new ones. Talks on characters, publishing contracts, marketing; presentations by […]

Diversion, FTI or accidie?

What is that strange feeling when you schedule work in that day, but at 6 pm and the nth cup of tea, you wonder what happened. Many people suffer from this. Especially writers, it seems.

Diversion is a word that comes up a lot. Doesn’t sound too bad: something that distracts the mind and relaxes […]