Love Speaks: Romance Quotes

by Enisa Haines

I'm a romantic at heart so of course I love immersing myself in romance novels. I especially love reading gorgeous romantic lines that tug at my heart and thought I'd share fifteen of my Aussie-author favourites:

"Oh, devil take you, you awful man. Of course I'm in love with you."

"I've never known a place to feel like home - until I came to Red Rock Downs. And the reason it felt like home was because you were there. I could live anywhere and it would feel like home - as long as there was you."

"I love you, Ben. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you there have been days these last three weeks when I didn't want to love you, but the thing is, I have no choice. You're part of my heart."

"I love you. I don't think it's something I can switch off like a tap. It's there and there's nothing, it seems, that I can do about it."

"Please don't leave me alone with memories of how you look because eventually they'd fade and I'll be left with nothing but a soft picture of you and that's not enough. I want you. With me, beside me."

"I thought I had it all. Until you came into my life and brought the sun, the moon...everything that matters."

"I love you, Coop. I love you so much I want to weep and yell it from the rooftops all at once and I want to be with you."

"You amaze me. Inspire me. You make me feel ten feet tall. You're so wise and silly and surprising. I want you by my side when I wake. I need you with me forever."

"Love. You deserve it, Luisa. That's what I want to give you. If you'll let me try."

"I fought it for the longest time. I thought it was your rakish wiles I couldn't resist but it was you. Just you."

"When you come to me, I know everything's going to be all right. Your love pushes me and cushions me and leads me to the light."

"When I look at you I see my forever home. You have shown me what love can be, and what a relationship should be."

"I am drunk on you, entirely addicted to your kiss, your laugh, your voice."

"All I want is you. Everything else will be a bonus."

"Babe. This chance with you...You're it for me. You're my number one and you're staying there."









There you have it. My favourite Australian romance novel love quotes. If you have favourite quotes not listed here, I'd love to know them.

Love to love: the beautiful ways heroes and heroines in romance novels say 'I love you.'

Love to laugh: laughing is good for the soul, after all.

Love to learn: about everything. I admit to being very inquisitive.

Miranda's Bumper Christmas Musings!

Darlings, if you're a faithful blog reader with BITB, you'll know I get totally excited about Christmas and the exciting plethora of Christmas reading that floods in. Bring it on, I say, I love it! Here's a little taste of what I've been reading so far.

Something New:

Each year I simply cannot wait for Debbie Macomber's Christmas release. My life is not complete without reading her fabulous festive offering. Alaskan Holiday has a wilderness setting, the remote little town of Ponder. It pretty much packs up and leaves each winter, except for a few hardy souls. Josie Avery is also on her way out of town to her dream job as a sous chef in Seattle...but she misses the last boat out of town! Cue drama and angst! Cue (private) delight from reserved swordsmith - the smitten Palmer Saxton, who now has the chance to woo Josie into staying, forever. Swoon. 

Picture credit: amazon.com

Something Magical:

Alaska put me in mind of Kristin Hannah, whose latest release The Great Alone is also set in Alaska (great read). Do yourself a favour. Rewind a few years and discover her absolutely magical Christmas novel Comfort & Joy. Joy Candellaro used to love Christmas, but doesn't anymore, and it's heartbreaking as to why. Then she meets a little boy facing Christmas without his mother...and things change. Suspend disbelief and simply enjoy this very special book. 

Picture credit: amazon.com

Something Different:

Don't know about you, but every now and then I love reading Manga romance. I find them unique and fun, a throwback to some time ago (cough) when I was young and used to read comics all the time. I loved them then and still do. With Manga I get to combine both loves: comics + romance. Why not give Her Christmas Romeo a go? Quick to read, a lovely Cinderella story line from Carole Mortimer, and gorgeous illustrations from Kaoru Shinozaki, a romance illustrator with a tremendous backlist. Don't forget to read it backwards (you get used to it); enjoy!

Picture credit: amazon.com

Something Aussie:

Can't help it. I'm a biased Aussie and I love reading Christmas stories based here, even though our Christmas is hot and steamy, not the winter wonderland of the northern hemisphere. Our Country Christmas is a terrific anthology from top-notch Aussie authors Darry Fraser, Penelope Janu, Fiona Lowe, Eva Scott  and Jacquie Underdown. There might have been tears when I read your story, Darry, I saw what you were doing (sigh). And I love the baby Fiona gives us - such a cute Christmas present. All different stories, all very moving, even Penelope's prickly pear heroine, who can be melted...

Picture credit: amazon.com

Something Regency:

Earlier in the year Anne Gracie, generous as always, sent me this amazing Regency anthology, The Last Chance Christmas Ball.  Oh my, look at the line up of authors! It was really hard to not read it before Christmas, but as December arrived I dived in with joy. All eight stories are linked around characters planning to attend The Last Chance Christmas Ball, held just after Christmas, 1815. It's absolutely delightful to see the same characters dipping in and out of the stories, hello again, hello again, swoon, swoon, hello again, etc., as eight couples find love. I couldn't put this book down, it's so lovely and lush and romantic. Add it immediately to your Christmas reading! It's poignant to see here a story from Jo Beverley, who sadly passed away after the book came out a few years ago; her story is a true gift. If you'd like to hear more from some of the authors, pop over and subscribe to the Word Wenches newsletter for your Regency fix.

Picture credit: amazon.com

Three more Christmas books - can you last the distance?!

Something, uh, Grinchy:

Well, bah humbug, there's always someone who might spoil Christmas for us, isn't there? Happily, in Starlight Bend (isn't that a lovely name?), love conquers Grinchy growly moments. Seriously, he growls at her, which made me laugh. The Grinch of Starlight Bend by Jennifer Probst is a quick read for a busy day, a heartwarming Christmassy romance that's also a bit Beauty & the Beast, yum! (In fact, the B&tB library in this book gave me an instant case of library lust.) I love social workers, I'm one in another life, so this is a pretty special story. And wow, another super luscious cover! 

Picture credit: amazon.com

Something Inspirational:

Melody Carlson, award winning Inspirational author, gives us tender Christmas stories each year. This year it's A Christmas by the Sea, with a widow and her 12 year old son trying to fix their beachside cottage to sell, to pay the debts from her late husband's cancer treatments. Already your heart wrenches, doesn't it? Along comes local craftsman Caleb Colton. I'm in. I'm in, I'm in, I'm totally into this book. A sweet inspirational about spiritual growth and provision from on high. (P.S. I think I could live in that divine little cottage, and I totally loved the shell decorations.)

Picture credit: amazon.com

Something with Amnesia:

Their Christmas Miracle by Barbara Wallace is really something special. I love the amnesia plot, where Rosalind is shocked when her husband accidentally finds her in an isolated hotel in the wilds of Scotland (and there is a slight mystery about that hotel, hmmm). She's forgotten everything about her life before 6 months ago - and then she starts remembering snippets...and they're not always complimentary to her... Wonderfully, miracles do happen at Christmas!

Picture credit: amazon.com

Last but definitely not least (thanks for staying with me!):

Something Fun:

Office romance! Geeky computer guy! Sunshiney heroine! Unrequited love! Disastrous Christmas party! Casualty department! All the fun stuff! Tinsel in a Tangle by Ainslie Paton is fast and festive, guaranteed to give you all the feels and put a smile on your face. Thanks, Ainslie, you rock.

Picture credit: amazon.com

I do hope that's given you some stocking stuffer ideas? Maybe you can pop one of these into your own stocking and settle down in a blissful post-Christmas moment to read, read, read.

Meanwhile, I'd love to hear what new Christmas books you've discovered? Show and tell!

Happy Christmas - and may all your presents be books!

Stay safe, and I can't wait to see you in 2019!

Until then, much love from Miranda xxx

Love to Love:

Everything Christmas. The tree, the lights, the gifts, the goodwill, church, family & friends, the food...etc!

Love to Laugh:

At the funny Grinch memes coming out. I'm totally keen to drag some children to the new Grinch movie.

Love to Learn:

I know I say it over and over, but tell me what Christmas reading you've discovered. Do share.

When a Novel's Setting Becomes Another Character

by Fiona Lowe

When I set out to write my Australian-set family sagas, my focus was initially on the relationships between siblings, their partners and their parents. I'd planned for those relationships to drive the story forward. However, it quickly became apparent that the districts and the towns where I'd set the novels had become characters in their own right and integral to the books.

https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781489251190/daughter-of-mine/

Daughter of Mine is set in the Western District of Victoria, the home of the squattocracy. (Not Victorian? Think Bowral in NSW). The ancestors of many families still living in the district made a fortune in wool, built massive mansions and public buildings, entered politics and became the closest thing Australia had to an aristocracy. Today, their descendants still wield some social power in the district so that's exactly what my fictitious family does. Birrawarra's social hierarchy became an integral part of the plot and I had fun creating two glorious 1880s blue stone mansions for my families to live in.

https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781489246745/birthright/

Birthright is set in the heart of the north-east of Victoria because gourmet food, tourism, snow-skiing and a history of logging was a vital part of the book. Once again, the setting quickly became a character, adding an extra dimension to the book. I spent a lot of time craving gourmet goat's cheese, sourdough bread and red wine while I wrote Birthright!

When I was a child, I read Anne of Green Gables as well as the other five books in the series. Lucy Maud Montgomery used words to paint such vivid pictures of Prince Edward Island that I visited it as an adult. I know some readers have visited some of the mansions in the Western District as a result of reading Daughter of Mine.

When you read a novel, do you notice the setting? Have you ever visited a place because you have read about it in a novel?

Fiona Lowe has been a midwife, a sexual health counsellor and a family support worker--an ideal careeer for an author who writes novels about family and relationships. A recipient of the prestigious USA RITA award and the Australian RuBY award, Fiona's books are set in small country towns and feature real people facing tough choices and explore how family ties impact on their decisions.


You can find her at https://www.facebook.com/FionaLoweRomanceAuthor/,
https://twitter.com/fionalowe, https://www.instagram.com/fionaloweauthorrom/
and Goodreads. Daughter of Mine and Birthright (HQ Fiction) are her current releases.

Love to Love: the peace of the Victorian high country.






Love to Laugh: The Good Place on Netflix is making me smile a lot.

Love to Learn: I always thought latex was a man-made product but in the Age quiz I learned that latex is the white sap from plants like spurge and rubber trees.

Why Do Writers Write?

by Enisa Haines

Why do writers write? I write because I can't help it. The characters that fill my imagination deserve for their stories to be told. What of other writers? Are they compelled like me or are there other reasons? Is it an outlet for their imagination? Do they want to leave something of themselves behind, or perhaps to educate? I posed the question to five bestselling authors and here they reveal just what it is that urges them to write.

Barbara Hannay, Award-winning Romance Author:

I write because I can't help it. I'm just wired that way. Even before I learned handwriting, I was making up stories for my little sisters - drawings on sheets of paper that I passed through the slats of orange boxes, my version of 'movies'. When I joined the Brownies, the first badge I earned was the writer's badge.Throughout my school days, I wrote anything - poetry, stories, magazine articles, all for my own enjoyment. Later, when my children came along, I made little story books for them, which they illustrated. So, you see, I couldn't help myself and once I discovered the romance genre, it seemed my destiny was sealed.

Available now at: https://www.amazon.com/Country-Wedding-Barbara-Hannay-ebook/dp/B06Y1HVNV5/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Fiona Lowe, Award-winning Romance Author:

I ask myself this question A LOT. Especially when I am starting a book as I don't start well. Many authors are addicted to the start as they get high octane excitement that carries them forward as ideas pop. I, on the other hand, find the start like wading through mud. It isn't until later that story strands come together. I am addicted to the ending and the buzz that comes from a sense of achievement. As the last two books I've written have been 500 pages, I'm a bit in awe that I've managed to write that many words. That's what tricks me into starting again.

OUT NOW: Daughter of Mine: a novel about secrets, lies & family. 

Available Everywhere! Big W, Kmart Target and online

Amazon, iBooks, iBooks AUS, Nook, Kobo, Booktopia AUS

Annie Seaton, Award-winning Romance Author:

Ever since I was a small child, I loved reading. I always carried a book with me and had many confiscated from beneath the desk in my school days. The desire to write blossomed within me as I read, and I knew that I had stories to tell. I promised myself that I would be an author one day. Fast forward many years. The desire to write was overtaken by higher education, marriage, children and career. Six years ago an incident in the workplace led to some deep reflection on what I wanted out of life. I wanted to be in a place where there was truth, integrity and justice. Resigning to take up full-time writing was a very ambitious move for someone who hadn't written a creative word for many years. Six years after that life change I am in the place I want to be, writing my twenty-seventh book and contracted with a traditional publisher. My latest release is Come Back to Me.

Available at: books2read.com/u/3yZ1Zl

Alison Stuart, Historical Romance Author:

I write because I can't imagine myself NOT writing.The compulsion for storytelling has been with me since I was a child and nurtured through school by some wonderful teachers and a like-minded friend. However, it was only later in life, following a ski accident, that I sat down in a deserted ski chalet with snow falling outside and started to write a story that had been tugging at my sleeve for many years. It became my compulsion and my joy as I lost myself in the characters I knew so well. I discovered the delight of building long lost worlds and manipulating the lives of my imaginary friends. This joy and this compulsion is something I haven't lost, even several books later. In short, I write because I love to weave tales...(and I would never have believed that first story I wrote would become part of the Guardians of the Crown trilogy).

Available at: books2read.com/GOTC)

Tess Woods, Women's Fiction Author:

I write because I love story telling. I come from a long line of story tellers, the large extended family I grew up in loved nothing more than to sit around and listen to funny stories and anecdotes told with lots of flair and embellishments. I began creative writing almost as soon as I could hold a pencil but lost the desire late in high school. Then came university, love, marriage, career, babies - lots of distractions. I satisfied my love of literature by reading through those years but something deep inside me pulled me back into writing after twenty years away from it and I'm glad I listened to that inner voice. Because for me story telling is what I was born to do and writing gets those stories out of my head so I can connect with others through them.

Available in bookstores and online: Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Booktopia AUS, Mobile Audible

There you have it. From feeling a sense of achievement to having stories to tell the reasons writers write are many and varied, but they have one common thread. Writers can't not write. Writing is their passion, their joy. It's a need to express themselves that they can't help but fulfill.

Are you compelled to write? Why?

Love to Love: that I'm soon heading off to a writers' retreat!

Love to Laugh: at funny photos

Love to Learn: about the many different ways that writers head down the 'author' path.