I was born in West Africa – in Accra, Ghana, more precisely – and I’ve had itchy feet ever since.  My first memories are of Africa, of what was then Tanganyika and Zanzibar, and South Africa.  Later we went to Papua New Guinea and to the Sultanate of Oman, where I first fell in love with the desert.  I come from a family of travellers, in fact, on both sides.  For five generations now we’ve been trotting round the globe, so it’s natural for me to be fascinated and intrigued by different places and different languages and the different ways people live. 

So for me, one of the most thrilling things about writing romance is knowing that there are women in so many different countries reading the stories I write here in York.  But where exactly are you? When you clicked on this page, the map below and flags on the right should have registered where you are.  If you can't see the world map below, hover your mouse over the white space and it will magically appear!  Already there are an amazing number of countries registered.  I’ve started a photo gallery below, which I hope will be a showpiece of this wonderful, varied world we live in.  I’ll include photos of my own, as well as those sent by  friends and readers, so if the place that means most to you isn’t there, do send me a picture - I would love to see it and will send you a signed copy of one of my books in return.

 

 

 

 

The Solway Coast was the setting for one of my earliest books, The Right Kind of Man. It's not very clear, I know, but I'm holding a copy of it in this picture.  I took it with me when I walked along the coast recently with my cousin Jenny.  Sadly, Mungo is too old for a good long walk nowadays, but that's my mother's dog, Roxy with me instead, with Folly looking bored in the background. 

 

 

 

 

 

In The Right Kind of Man, Kielven was my name for Kippford, which is where I stay whenever I go to Scotland.  Walking to Castle Point is a kind of ritual whenever we go, and Skye and Lorimer walk out there too.  I always think of them when I'm there.  I invented the manse Lorimer buys, but I know exactly where I put the house.

 

 

 

 

 

The picture above was taken in March, with the sea and sky looking uncharacteristically blue.  This view of Castle Point is more recent - just ten days ago - but it was a much more typical day.   I still think it's beautiful, though.  I've been walking along this coast for 40 years now and never get tired of it.  

  

 

 

 

 

Charlotte sent this picture from Switzerland, and as soon as I saw it, I longed to go skiing again!  It's ages since I've seen snow like that, and they all look like they're having such a good time... 

 

 

 

 

 

My friend Stella was in Burkina Faso recently, and sent me this photo of dancers at the Chief of Ouagadougou's party.  I love this picture!  Can't you just feel the noise and the heat and the light?  Wonderful.

 

 

 

 

 

You can't tell from the photo, I know, but it comes from Adelaide, in South Australia.  This is my favourite great-aunt Dora, who at 91 is not actually my oldest reader (I heard the other day about a lady of 96 who read my books!) but who is certainly my most loyal one.  Here she is with the complete Jessica Hart collection.  I've sent Dora a copy of every book since the very first, A Sweeter Prejudice, and she has read and kept them all!  Dora remembers my great-grandmother, who left Cornwall in 1888 to get married in South Australia, and is the reason I still fee such a strong sense of connection with Australia 180 years later. 

 

 

 

 

A completely different part of the world!  This is Guyana,and was sent to me by Julia. Can't you just hear the rainforest in this photo - and smell it too? Just looking at this picture makes me SO jealous!  I used to be the kind of person who sat in dugout canoes nosing my way through the jungle.  It's time I got back to being that person, I think.

 

 

 

 

 

Another picture from Guyana.  This is the Kaitur Falls, the longest drop in the world.  I haven't been to Guyana myself, and no one has clicked the map from there yet, but it's somewhere I've always wanted to go, and a friend once told me that he saw one of my books on sale in Georgetown, so I feel entitled to include a picture here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the view from my front gate (the one badly in need of painting).  The scenery isn't as spectacular as the other pix, I know, but York Minster is a pretty spectacular building, and I hope you can see that it's right at the end of my street, just behind the city walls.  I walk up the street with Mungo every morning, and the sight of the Minster never fails to impress me.

 

 

'King's Square': York is a city that fairly reeks of history, and it's not big on straight lines, as you can see from this picture. 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Goolwa, South Australia - a great place.  I love this photo as it reminds me of many happy times sailing in Australia (for 'sailing' read 'making gin and tonics')...

 

 

 

 

 

I was thrilled to hear that Dulcie had clicked here from St Helena, in the South Atlantic Ocean!  Sadly, for computery reasons I don’t understand, St Helena didn’t register on the map, but I don’t think it’s cheating if I include a photo.  St Helena looks spectacular, Dulcie, and I love the thought of you reading my books there.

 

 

 

 

 

Donna Alward sent has this photo of the Three Sisters in Canmore, Alberta, which is apparently just outside the city where she lives.  It's spectacular, isn't it? What a contrast with York, where I live!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is from Mariana in Monterrey, Mexico, who sent me the following message:

I am a really big fan of your books. They are really good help for me with my English and I love to read them, they are super chido. If you can see the stadium with it's surrounding buildings that is the TEC university and I live 10 minute drive from there in Contry La Silla. The mountain is called La Silla because it looks like a saddle or seat (la silla = the seat). I am looking forward to your books this year, maybe you can set one in Monterrey! jajaja!

 

 

This one comes from Juanita in Bolton Point, NSW, Australia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here to start the fun is a photo sent in by a reader in New Zealand!  

 

Don't forget to send in your photo!