Audiobook

Well yesterday was very exciting because I had the opportunity to go into the studio and hear the audio version of the Glassblower of Murano being recorded! We've been very lucky to get Kate Magowan for the voice of Leonora - an extremely talented actress and stunning to boot! (last seen in Hollywood blockbuster 'Stardust' alongside Robert Deniro and Michelle Pfeiffer, and now she's reading my humble book!) She's got a beautiful speaking voice, and in the extract I heard she really brought the novel to life. The Corradino story is read by terrific half-Italian actor Cristian Solimeno, who gives his extracts a real sense of danger and adventure in his deep tones.

Paul Kent, an experienced radio director who includes The Archers on his CV, is at the helm of the project, and is now enjoying the challenge of cutting the two storylines together, interspersed with original music commisioned for the purpose.

It's all very exciting, and on the evidence of what I heard it's going to be wonderful!


The recording will be available for sale or download from Beautiful Sounds later this summer.

2nd book deal

I'm delighted to announce that just this week Beautiful Books bought my second novel, The Madonna of the Almonds, for release in the same 'summer read' slot as Glassblower but in 2009. They're already working on the cover which I'm very excited about.

Meanwhile the press is continuing in the UK with pieces in the Metro, the Sun Online and in my local newspapers in North London. Word is spreading!

Tour and launch

Hello! Sorry for the month-long radio silence (shocking really) but I've been on my whistle-stop tour of the country from as far north as Newcastle to as far south as Jersey. I must say it's been a fantastic experience - lovely venues where I did a talk for about 20 minutes (terrifying) and then a chance to meet the audience which was actually the best bit...everyone was so lovely and lots of people had been to Venice or were wearing Murano glass. It was great to meet the people who had bought the book, as this is something that writers don't usually get to do (My signature has gone very sloppy from all the signings) So if you came along - thank you!

Last week was all very posh as it was the book's launch at the Lalique store in Bond Street where the cover had been recreated in the store window (thank you Frederick from Lalique!) I had some moral support in the shape of friends and family, and was bolstered up on a great deal of champagne and some very fancy canapes.

Now it's just a matter of watching those sales and this week has been vey encouraging - number 27 in WH Smith's chart, number 25 in Hughes and Hughes, 11 in Books Etc., number 9 in the Heatseeker's chart in The Bookseller magazine, and best of all, number 1 in the small publisher's retail chart!! Yay!! Feeling very lucky...fingers crossed for the coming weeks...