Rachel Hore

Rachel Hore's first novel was The Dream House. Her second, The Memory Garden, was published in August 2007 and was an Amazon Top Ten bestseller. Her third, The Glass Painter's Daughter, was published in April 2009 and was shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year 2010. She teaches Publishing at the University of East Anglia, and Creative Writing, and reviews regularly for the national press. Her new novel, A Place of Secrets, was published last month in the UK.

From her Q & A with Arifa Akbar in the Independent:

Choose a favourite author and say why you like her/him

I'm very fond of Barbara Kingsolver. I love the way she places people in the world and suddenly you zoom back and see the larger, natural order of that place. I have read all her novels but my favourite is 'Prodigal Summer', about the wilderness and set in American forests.

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Which fictional character most resembles you?

I suppose I would go for Jo March, in 'Little Women', in the sense that I've got a scribbling suit like her woolly pinafore dress and hat with a red bow. In my case, I've got mismatching track-suit top and bottoms.

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Who is your hero or heroine from outside literature?

I would say Caroline Lucas, the Green Party's first Member of Parliament.

Read the complete Q & A.

--Marshal Zeringue