NEWS
A Library Love Letter
A Love Letter to Norwich City Library As a child I was lucky to grow up with a mother that valued books above all other possessions and the house was full of books. At school I would come home with […]
Ariana Byrne is a Finalist!!!!
Beyond, beyond, beyond delighted to have been selected as a finalist for The Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award! Huge competition in my category but honestly delighted to even be in the finals! https://romanticnovelistsassociation.org/news_article/the-rna-announces-shortlists-for-the-2021-romantic-novel-awards/ Available Here AMZ: https://amzn.to/3oDaPrh Kobo: […]
Refusing the shame – Declaration of a romance reader
Growing up I was a tomboy. I loved sports, I was loud and adventurous. I read science fiction, crime novels, horror and fantasy. But when no one was looking I was reading Barbara Cartland. I loved Barbara Cartland! Oh those […]
Inauguration fashions, a story behind every outfit
Big events always attract impressive outfits. This year’s American presidential inauguration seemed no different, except this time many of the clothes seemed to be worn with purpose. There were stories behind the designs. More importantly, many of the outfits were […]
2020 – a review
My December newsletter is also a review of 2020. But it’s not doom and gloom, in fact in terms of my books, it was when I was first published and for me, that has been great news. It’s very hard […]
News from home – November
A short and sweet newsletter this month as we all try to juggle preparations for lock-down and Christmas. Cancelled visits, re-jigging menus and disappointment that we can’t all be together. That said, I will take disappointment over grief any day. […]
A New Life for Ariana Byrne – now in paperback
Well due to covid hiccups, Ariana’s print launch got delayed and delayed but now I am happy to announce that she is available in shops and online, in paperback. Even better news, next year she will also be available in […]
News from Home – October
For this month I’m trying something new in my newsletter, reviews and recollections about the month just past. Lots of lovely stuff, gorgeous pictures and links to some really interesting discoveries.
Phillipa Ashley on Cornwall
Cornish authors revealing their love of Britain’s most romantic corner. What makes an author Cornish? Do they have to live here, do they have to have a pedigree that goes back many grandparents, or can they simply write about Cornwall […]
Rachel Hore on Cornwall
Cornish authors revealing their love of Britain’s most romantic corner. What makes an author Cornish? Do they have to live here, do they have to have a pedigree that goes back many grandparents, or can they simply write about Cornwall […]
A New Contract with Hera Books
Delighted to announce that I have just signed a contract for another two Hiverton Sisters book! Book three is Clem’s story and is set in Scotland in a big old crumbly castle and a very unusual housekeeper. This is now […]
Liz Fenwick on Cornwall
Cornish authors revealing their love of Britain’s most romantic corner. Cornwall isn’t on the way to anywhere. If you’re here it’s because you wanted to be, or because you washed up here, carried on strange tides. Living on the edge […]
New Cover Reveal – Dear Diary
New cover reveal!!!! Isn’t it great? This brings my novella in line with the novels in the Hiverton series. Set in Norfolk, you will adore this funny and romantic tale of young love Just 99p and also in ku. Dear […]
Cressida McLaughlin on Cornwall
Cornish authors revealing their love of Britain’s most romantic corner. Maid in Cornwall – Even today, wherever you go in Cornwall you will hear people being called maids or lovers. It always makes me smile when my local fishmonger, a […]
Three Great Families and their Gardens
,Three Great Families and their Gardens – Caroline Rayman – BODFAS (This lecture was from a previous year when we obviously didn’t have an issue with Covid-19) First Bodfas of the year and I’m going to try to make everyone […]
Jane Johnson on Cornwall
Cornish authors revealing their love of Britain’s most romantic corner. Maid in Cornwall – Even today, wherever you go in Cornwall you will hear people being called maids or lovers. It always makes me smile when my local fishmonger, a […]
And the bride wore hand-me-downs… …and what hand me downs they were!
And the bride wore hand-me-downs… …and what hand me downs they were! Her tiara has been seen gracing the heads of many royals. Originally the tiara was owned by Queen Mary who had it fashioned from a necklace. It was […]
Cornish Dreams at Cockleshell Cottage
Cornish Dreams at Cockleshell Cottage My second book launched during the lock down and I forget to add it to my blog post! So here is my very late introduction! Sitting alongside the beach and just up from the gently […]
The British Portrait from Hogarth to Hockney – A Talk by Vivien Heffernan
Well today’s talk started with the AGM, a mercifully brief and efficient meeting and then we were off into the talk. With regards to the AGM it’s worth me noting how much I enjoy being part of this society and […]
Hello again, how’s it going?
Hello again, If you want to receive my newsletters directly in your inbox you can sign up here. How’s it all going? I’m going to be honest, I had a bit of a wobble yesterday. I am one of […]
The Elizabethan and Jacobean Country House – Dr David Bostwick.
A Throwback Post – The Arts Society Obviously there are no lectures at the moment so he’s one from a few years back. All of these houses added to the inspiration for Ariana’s ancestral home – Hiverton Manor. Finally arrived […]
Are you okay? Newsletter.
I know you don’t all see or get my newsletter so I try to remember to always post it on my website as well. If you do want to join my mailing list you are can sign up here. […]
Having greatness thrust upon you
The Unlikely Rise of Certain Young Women It may seem far fetched that Ariana, the heroine in my novel, suddenly becomes the Countess of Wiverton when she is just twenty-eight, but compared to some, she’s a bit long in the […]
Ariana Claims Her Inheritance
A New Life for Ariana Byrne is Launched And it’s a real page turner… I have read some of the reviews for A New Life for Ariana Byrne and I have to agree with them about what a joy it […]
Live like a Countess – Staying in a Landmark Trust property
Every winter Steve and I rent a Landmark Trust property and spend a mid-week break living like royalty. The Landmark Trust is a charity that saves remarkable buildings from destruction. They restore them and then they rent them out as […]
Fabulous Faberge – The Jewel of the Russian Downfall
These are my notes from a recent Art Society talk. Really loved this one but then who doesn’t love jewels and revolution? The Imperial Easter Eggs of Carl Fabergé by Toby Faber* “Between 1885 and 1916, Carl Fabergé made fifty […]
Patrons, Podcasts and a thousand thank yous to my guides
I’ve been tidying up my subscriptions. Those things that I paid for, monthly or annually, and no longer need or want and I looked at my savings (small as they were) and decided to re-invest them so to speak, in […]
Liz Hurley is signed up by Hera Books
Thrilled to announce I have signed a contract with the publisher Hera Books for a two book deal featuring the Wiverton Sisters. https://www.herabooks.com/news/hera-sign-two-womens-fiction-novels-debut-author-liz-hurley/ They have taken on the rights for Under Flint Skies which will be re-released in February […]
Under Flint Skies by Elizabeth Hurley
I am tickled pink to announce my first full length novel, Under Flint Skies. The silly thing is I launched it two months ago and it was bonkers at the time. I also launched one of my walking guides and […]
Russian Art after the Revolution
Russian Art after the Revolution – Theodora Clarke. An Arts Society Lecture. Excuse the brevity of this post. I kept forgetting to take notes! Much was lost after the Russian Revolution but I hadn’t realised that we had lost so […]
May was a rotten month – Newsletter
I love May, it is one of the finest months of the year, in fact it might even be my favourite. The days are warm, the nights are chilly, the countryside is lush, there are two bank holidays and everyone […]
Creative Writing – Penzance Literary Festival
Creative Writing at the Penzance Literary Festival As you know I’m branching out into fiction. And in fact my first book is almost ready to launch. Somewhat terrified but anyway. I saw details of a creative writing course being held […]
Persian delights. Iranian art and architecture
Behind the Veil: the Arts of Islamic Persia – John Osborne So my second BODFAS approached and I was determined not to make such a mess of it this time. However, the fates are cruel and things cropped up. The phone rang […]
Knickers, knockers and knee britches
The Foundations of Fashion – Kate Strasdin Well I’m just back from my first NADFAS talk. For a long time I’ve missed the lecture circuit and academic discussions, so it was nice to stumble across the National Association of Decorative & […]
Lost Lands – warnings from the past.
There is something very exciting about lost lands and histories. As a maritime nation, we have an uneasy relationship with the sea. It has protected us from invaders (sometimes), it has enabled us to travel and explore the world, it […]
2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Same story, different date.
Today’s headlines sounded rather jolly, the ebook is declining, the print book is rising, ra ra ra. Here’s the BBC story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39718016 “Last year, one of the most eye-catching figures from our statistics was that physical book sales were increasing […]
How to take care of dogs in hot weather
[amazon_link asins=’B07F5WZMH1,B00N66ZS8E,B07DXQ184M,B078PB2L9Q,B01MT8PCWY,B008FL1NES,B01DVVSZVA,B06WWHCHSQ,B072DSHKCH,B00I9XYFJ2′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’wwwhurleybook-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’214f0963-987a-11e8-a799-e958f05e0cde’] In this current heat wave, it’s easy for life to become really difficult for our best friends. A few years ago we had our first experience of a dog experiencing heat stroke. Agatha is […]
Slightly over-excited
This was me yesterday on Facebook: I WAS AMAZING!!!! No really, A-MAZ-ING. God I’m stoked, that was so much fun. My audience were the best people ever, they laughed at my rubbish jokes, they were engaged, they asked smart questions, […]
Getting your book onto the shelves of a bookshop
(I’ve borrowed this blog from my Hurley Books page as I’m talking about this at the Penzance Lit Fest) I speak as a bookshop owner. Someone who loves books. Most of us that run bookshops do, so please bear in […]
What’s in a name?
When I decided to start getting serious about writing I realised that I would need a website and an e-mail address. I don’t like self-publicity, it seems so needy and particularly unBritish but for heaven’s sake, I have decided to […]