Diary
Getting My Hands on a Dior Gown
The Books Starts With ... The Paris Secret opens with my contemporary protagonist, Kat Jourdan, finding a wardrobe full of sixty-five Christian Dior gowns hiding in her grandmother's abandoned cottage in Cornwall. Kat's a fashion conservator, so she knows exactly what...
read moreThe French Photographer Wins!
I was absolutely thrilled to learn, about a month ago, that THE FRENCH PHOTOGRAPHER (or THE PARIS ORPHAN as it's known in North America) had been shortlisted for the RNA's Goldsboro Books Historical Novel Award for 2020. I was even more thrilled – and incredibly...
read moreMy Favourite Books of 2019
I'm going to confess what's missing from my list right from the outset - there are no Australian authors on my list of favourite reads of 2019. I don't know how that happened and it probably means I missed some good ones somehow. I read plenty of Australian fiction...
read moreTHE PARIS SECRET Cover Reveal!
I'm so excited to reveal the cover for my next book, THE PARIS SECRET! This will be published in Australia on 31 March 2020 and this is the Australian cover. THE PARIS SECRET will also be published in the US in September 2020 and in the UK in late 2020. I'll reveal...
read moreLots of New Natasha Lester International Translations Out Now
It's been a big week for international news! The Czech translation of The Paris Seamstress, or Pařížská švadlena has just been published. I quite like my new Czech name, Natasha Lesterová! You can find out more about that edition here. The Italian translation of The...
read moreTHE PARIS ORPHAN is a New York Times Bestseller!
I was absolutely stunned and thrilled this week to learn that THE PARIS ORPHAN hit the New York Times Bestseller list! We reached No. 14 on the list, which is a dream come true. I can't believe it! Huge thanks to every wonderful reader in North America who has bought,...
read moreThe Paris Orphan Receives a Starred Review in Publishers Weekly!
I am so completely thrilled to share the news that The Paris Orphan was recently given a starred review in Publishers Weekly. Starred reviews are only given out to the best books, so it's definitely a cause for celebration! Last year, The Paris Seamstress also...
read moreMixing Fact and Fiction in The French Photographer
One of the questions I've been asked a lot is how and why I've used a mix of the real and the imagined in writing The French Photographer. Most of you know my main character Jess was inspired by Lee Miller, and I've used aspects of Miller's life in writing Jess. But...
read moreResearching The French Photographer / The Paris Orphan
I hope you've been enjoying this series of blog posts about The French Photographer / The Paris Orphan. If you've missed any of them, you can find the post about the inspiration behind the book here, and a post about the Lee Miller connection here. Now, onto research!...
read moreWriting The French Photographer / The Paris Orphan: The Lee Miller Connection
If you read last week's post, you'll know that once I came across the story of Lee Miller in my research, I wanted to write a character inspired by her. So, Jessica May, the main character in The French Photographer / The Paris Orphan, is a model for Vogue at the...
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