Spring in the Cotswolds and Thief’s Mark

With spring here (finally!), I find myself remembering April visits to the English Cotswolds. I couldn’t help but be inspired to write what became Thief’s Mark. It’s an incredibly part of the world, the perfect place for us to find mysterious, enigmatic Oliver York and his farm.

“A crime thriller of rare depth and complexity.” Providence Journal

A murder in a quiet English village, long-buried secrets and a man’s search for answers about his traumatic past entangle FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan in the latest edge-of-your-seat Sharpe & Donovan nov

Spring on the southwest Irish coast

The snow is melting fast now on our Vermont hilltop, with green grass, flowers and tulips not far off. Spring in northern New England! I’m loving the longer, warmer days, but I also love this beautiful time of year on the southwest Irish coast. It’s one of my favorite places.

Lambs hiding in tall grass. Pink blossoms on a “secret” trail. Wildflowers on a hedgerow.

I can walk forever this time of year (that’s me in my Irish mack!). I’m always refreshed when I return to writing.

Wherever you are, happy spring, and happy reading!

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Walking on the southwest Irish coast

Walking and writing go together for me, whether I’m working out a specific issue, letting my wander, taking a break or not thinking about writing at all. I love getting outside and heading off on a trail or a garden walk or a beach or a city street, whether for a short distance or f0r miles.

Ireland, of course, is one of my favorite places to walk (and run). Below are some of the places I wandered recently on the southwest Irish coast, coming away energized, refreshed and filled with creative ideas. The top two photos are in Derreen Garden and the bottom one is in Kenmare. Azaleas and rhododendro… Read More

The Elusive Finian Bracken

Irish priest and whiskey man Finian Bracken has become a reader favorite. A man with a tragic past, serving a parish in a struggling Maine fishing village, he appears as a key secondary character in every Sharpe & Donovan tale.

And he started and has remained one of my most elusive characters.

The clock was ticking on my deadline for Saint’s Gate, the first book in the series and I took a three-week writing retreat in a little hideaway cottage on the southwest Irish coast, an experience it itself. I didn’t know at the time if Saint’s Gate would be a standalone novel or the fir… Read More

Spring flowers…I’m ready!

With a surprise ten inches of snow and a spell without power this past Sunday, I’m in the mood for flowers! Maybe you are, too. Here are some images from our visit last spring to the Keukenhof gardens just outside Amsterdam in the Netherland. They open for the 2024 season on March 21.

Enjoy!

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Yes! “Write postcards.” ~Maeve Binchy

Long before either of us visited Ireland, my mother introduced me to Irish novelist Maeve Binchy’s books. I, too, became a fan. I can see my mother, who died a little over two years ago, reading one by the fire in the back room.

Ms. Binchy, who died in 2012, left behind a few tips for us:

“Learn to type. Learn to drive. Have fun. Write postcards. (Letters take too long and you don’t do it; a postcard takes two minutes.) Be punctual. Don’t worry about what other people are thinking. They are not thinking about you. Write quickly. (Taking longer doesn’t usually make it b… Read More

Adventures await!

“It’s bad manners to keep an adventure waiting.” ~Unknown 

My mother would appreciate that quote. She lived into her mid-eighties and went through some hard times, but she was always up for an adventure. It was her mindset, even when funds were tight, and a great example for me as the third of her seven kids.

She was with us on our first trip to Ireland in 2006. I said, “Mom, would you like to go to Ireland with us?” I swear she started her packing list before she said yes. She didn’t let health issues and knee troubles stop her. I remember her delight as we trekked through a muddy pastu… Read More

An Irish castle walled garden

It’s no secret I love visiting gardens. On our recent trip to Ireland, we once again wandered through the walled garden at beautiful Dromoland Castle, now a stunning hotel near Shannon Airport.

My photographing abilities don’t do the garden justice but hope you get the idea! 

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Ireland’s Black Valley

Ireland’s Black Valley is one of our favorite spots to hike on our many visits to this beautiful part of the world. When I came up with the idea for my next Sharpe and Donovan installment, I knew part of it would be set in the Black Valley. Tentatively titled Return to Declan’s Cross, it doesn’t have a pub date yet but I’m working on it. I’ll be offering a “sneak peek” in the coming weeks.

Here’s a photo I took on our first hike in the Black Valley. The cottage ruin is a well-known site on the Kerry Way, a marked hiking trail we crossed on our own route. … Read More

Spring is here!

Maple-sugaring, melting snow and muddy roads are hallmarks of early spring on our Vermont hilltop, but flowers aren’t far off. I can’t wait to get back in my garden and visit other gardens.  

Joe hails from middle Tennessee, one of the prettiest places I’ve visited in spring. We’ve taken many lovely walks at Cheekwood Estate and Gardens. I have fond memories of meeting writer friends J.T. Ellison and Sherryl Woods there.

My father was Dutch, and he loved tulips. So do I. We managed to keep deer, squirrels and chipmunks from devouring our tulips last spring. We’ll see how we do whe… Read More