Author of Novels Celebrating the Female Journey
Welcome!
If you love the arts, food, travel, and reading historical and contemporary novels about women who follow their passions, then we have a lot in common! I've written four award-winning novels (with more to come) and I share my enthusiasm for novels inspired by the arts on my two blogs--Artsy Traveler and Art In Fiction -- and on The Art In Fiction Podcast.
Let's connect! I love chatting with readers and hanging out at book clubs and writers conferences. I also teach writing and publishing workshops and enjoy helping new authors (particularly non-fiction authors) edit and publish their work.
I live with my husband, painter Gregg Simpson, on beautiful Bowen Island near Vancouver, BC, where I also teach Nia, a holistic dance/fitness practice.

The Women in the Arts Trilogy
The Towers of Tuscany is a delightful escape to the Siena we all love. Carol Cram has crafted a delicious story about a strong woman torn between her secret past, her love of painting, and the forbidden charms of her rich patron. Hard to resist and highly recommended! —Anne Fortier, author of the New York Times bestseller Juliet and The Lost Sisterhood
In A Woman of Note, Cram’s writing is so vivid, you can hear the music in your head as you read. —Historical Novel Society (Designated Editors' Choice)
The Muse of Fire is another page-turner from Carol Cram – this is an enthralling narrative set in the realistically gritty London theatre world of the early nineteenth century . . . I warmly recommend this wonderful novel.--Professor Susanna Braund, Professor of Classics, University of British Columbia
In A Woman of Note, readers will love Carol Cram’s colorful writing and attention to the minute details of daily life at this time in European history. . . .The book never loses its pace. and readers will be rapidly turning the pages until the very end.--Chanticleer Reviews
The Towers of Tuscany has all the elements of a wonderful historical novel . . . Carol is a first-rate storyteller. The details of dress, fabric, food, are flawless. The clever dialogue and fast pace make the novel zing along. —Roberta Rich, bestselling author of The Midwife of Venice and The Harem Midwife
From the very first page in The Towers of Tuscany, Carol M. Cram captivates with her writing, transporting you to the rolling hills and rich palette of fourteenth-century Tuscany. . . . I cannot praise this novel highly enough. —Janis Pegrum Smith, Historical Novel Society
Oh my stars, The Muse of Fire! Can I give it a standing ovation? Or throw roses at it? Or…what did people do back then when they enjoyed a theater performance…propose! Can I propose to this book, please?--Stacie Tyson, Book Blogger
The Towers of Tuscany unites a strong heroine with settings and characters drawn from the rich tapestry of medieval Tuscany. The novel appeal to readers fascinated by art, by Tuscany during one of Europe’s most turbulent centuries, and by the struggles of a female painter who refuses to be defeated.
Set in 1830s Vienna, A Woman of Note is an intricately crafted and fascinating tale about a female composer and gifted pianist who struggles to find her soul’s song in a dissonant world. A classical music lovers delight, the novel features cameo appearances by some of the 19th century's most famous composers.
In The Muse of Fire, Shakespeare’s sweeping themes meet the wit of Jane Austen in a mashup of theater riots and drawing room angst as actress Grace Johnson fights against social norms to find her place in the fraught and sometimes dangerous world of early 19th Century British theater.
Jump into my award-winning Women in the Arts series and follow the adventures of an artist in medieval Tuscany, a composer in 1830s Vienna, and an actress in Georgian London. And just out is Love Among the Recipes, a fun-filled contemporary novel about Paris and food.
I've developed two websites that celebrate the arts! Go to Art In Fiction to discover over 1,400 novels inspired by the arts and listen to my conversations with authors on The Art In Fiction Podcast. And if you're keen to explore Europe through an arts lens, check out Artsy Traveler.
Do you need a writing mentor, a content writer, an editor, or a workshop facilitator? Contact me! As an experienced author, teacher, and editor, I love working with writers. If you've written a book (or you're thinking about it!), I can help you make it the very best it can be.
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