To me, one of the most challenging and fascinating process of writing my book is to give distinct voices to characters that are so different than myself, and to create a setting that I have never stepped foot in. How can I make Luke a more sympathetic character? Or, how can I put Catherine’s lack of courage […]

As I’m wrapping up my manuscript for my first novel, I’ve come to realize how writers have every right to be head-over-toe obsessed with their favorite characters – because I certainly can’t help it. One of my characters, for instance, Catherine, is an unyielding and headstrong woman whose life has been challenged, scrupulously and indiscriminately […]

“What do YOU carry in your bag?” I’ve seen this several times in magazines, where celebrities’ bags are opened and boldly dissected for the world to see; what shade of lipstick does she carry with her, which perfume best defines her signature, everyday scent, what moisturizer replenishes her skin when in absolute emergency? And while I, like the […]

The big move to East Africa sounded appealingly adventurous, and as I envisioned my new life in Tanzania, exotic landscapes instantly comes to mind (Serengeti, anyone?) and there I would be, cruising in my safari outfit and hat in the endless plains … But as with all major relocation, even those so geographically foreign to […]