Her first novel for adults, The House of the Spirits (1982), was an international bestseller; it was followed by more novels including Daughter of Fortune, Portrait in Sepia and Paula, which was written for her late daughter, who died in 1992 at the age of 29. Allende lives in San Francisco with her second husband. Your mother is your editor. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this working situation?Sam Horrocks, HartlepoolMy mother is the first person to read my books. She used to be a very hard critic, but now she is 84 and has mellowed, so she's not as useful as she was She used to have a terrible red pencil We'd have the most horrible arguments. She'd get my manuscript, fly from her home in Chile to where I live in California, and we'd lock ourselves in the dining room and yell at each other for a month I think my novels are better as a result. I hope so - sometimes I had to rewrite the whole thing.You have lived in many places.
Is there one you would call home?Benjamin Morson, NorthamptonHome is where my husband is, so, at this point, it's San Francisco.Salvador Allende was overthrown in a coup backed by the CIA. Today, the US is once again pursuing a controversial foreign policy. What do you make of it?Pamela Falzon, Great YarmouthI'm horrified at American foreign policy Horrified It's a bully's policy and ignores the rest of the world. One of Latin America's foremost writers, Isabel Allende, 60, was raised in Chile. The country's socialist president, Salvador Allende, who died during General Pinochet's 1973 coup, was her godfather and cousin.> One of Latin America's foremost writers, Isabel Allende, 60, was raised in Chile. Gossips reckon an earnings enhancing deal could well be likely in the near future.Investors should keep an eye out for Romag Holdings. The manufacturer of bullet-proof glass is expected to make its debut on AIM at the start of next month.
Romag hopes to raise £8m via a placing of stock at 45p which, if successful, would value the whole company at £19m. Among the company's products is a new architectural solar glass which can be incorporated into the fabric of a building either as a window or a tile and can allow the passage of light while at the same time generating electricity.. At GX Networks, steady at 7.75p, the trade flow from directors went the other way. Christina Kennedy, a non-executive director, purchased 125,000 shares at 7.75p.Analysts at Altium Capital returned from a meeting with Serco's senior management team in a bullish mood. They initiated coverage of the support services group with an "add" rating and told clients that Serco, down 7.5p to 169p yesterday, is in a great position to continue with its record of strong double-digit growth. Huntsworth rose 0.75p to 16.5p on whispers that the company may soon go on the acquisition trail.
