This week Thai Die is on promo, and Don’t Die for Me, Argentina is heading towards its full launch on 2nd May. Two books set on opposite sides of the world, shaped by two very different chapters of my life — but tied together by one unexpected thread. Horses.

There are moments when life feels like it’s handing you a metaphor with a bow on it. Last Friday, somewhere between Dijon and the Italian border, we had one of those moments. We’d pumped up a flat tyre the night before, hoping it would magically behave itself for the long drive. It didn’t. Of course it didn’t.

And when I write, whether it’s crime fiction, travel‑infused adventure, or the behind‑the‑scenes stories that shaped them, those places come back to life. They remind me who I was, what I felt and why the story mattered in the first place.

So yes, the fervour around KU and AI is real. But my response is simple: I will keep writing from the raw, unfiltered truth of my own experience. Because that is the one thing AI can never replicate.

So today’s post is a gentle nudge, for you and for me. To let October do what it does best, soften the edges. Slow the breath. Remind us that creativity isn’t always about pushing forward. Sometimes it’s about pausing long enough to let the light in. 

Travel doesn't just inspire me. It immerses me in the sensory details that makes my fiction feel alive.

Driving to Crete with Rupert for a writing retreat—ferries, road trip tales, and fresh inspiration for my next crime novel.

Slowing down to bring in abundance

Location as inspiration to be creative and write.