Rome’s Last Noble Palace follows the lives of two women living over a century apart who are connected through a shared location of an attic room in the Palazzo Brancaccio. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The Palazzo Brancaccio is a real monument in Rome. I was inspired to write the story after moving beside this palace and, one night, seeing a ghostly light and what seemed like a hand adjusting a window of one of the attic rooms. This image, combined with the real-life story of the American princess who married into an Italian noble family and used her wealth to build the Brancaccio Palace, sparked my imagination for this story.

What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?

I enjoyed writing all of my characters, but I always find myself fascinated by the past, so I was truly drawn into Isabelle’s story in fin de siècle Rome – such an exciting time, in the “new” capital of a newly united Italy. Rome was a heady mix of new ideas in art, music, literature, art and urban planning – and I loved creating my character in the midst of this optimistic time.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

As always with my historical fiction, I love to draw parallels between the past and the present, and to create connections between characters in our contemporary world and those who came before us. This novel also includes themes of self-realization, resilience, embracing change and overcoming hardships, and the strong female friendships that help us through our greatest challenges.

What is the next book that you are working on and when can your fans expect it to be out?

I switch between historical and contemporary fiction (the latter requiring a lot less research!) My next, out in spring 2024, is a sequel to my first, contemporary novel, Three Coins. It’s been four years since Emma, Annarita and Tiffany threw their coins in Rome’s Trevi Fountain and cemented a friendship that would change their lives, in more ways than one. Emma has departed Rome for the charming Umbrian village of Todi. where she’s busy managing the Three Coins Inn, while Annarita and her husband run the hotel’s cooking classes. When a new set of hotel guests descend on the idyllic property, eager to recharge and leave their problems far behind, will the inn manage to work its magic on them?

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