May the Fourth Be With You: Powerful Women and the Men Who Love Them.

Sorry. This blog post is not about Star Wars!

image purchased from i-stock 477399888

Did you know that 4 May 1979 was the day Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?

No?

Well, it was. And, love her or loathe her, women like Thatcher are the women I like to write. Strong, complex women – lawyers and doctors and bankers and stockbrokers and entrepreneurs – who are navigating work and life and love in big cities.

So, of course, when I sat down to write this blog, I thought, who better to write about on May the Fourth than four of my favourite fictional women who have the Force (and the men who love them).

Yeah, yeah, sue me. I told you this blog wasn’t about Star Wars! 

Meet Chloe Mills

Chloe Mills is the heroine of Christina Lauren’s first book: Beautiful Bastard.

Chloe has stuck with me a long time… probably since this book started as a fanfic (I still have the original… shhh!). She’s focused on completing an MBA but is also completely consumed by her Bastard - and he's completely consumed by her. She's the one who stands up to him, sticks to her guns and makes him think. She's courageous. And that's kinda hot.

Also, I do love a man who has good taste in lingerie (for his lady, of course!).

Meet Alice Lawrence

Alice Lawrence is my latest favourite heroine, who comes alive in Kylie Scott’s recent release The Rich Boy (hoo boy – have you seen the cover for this one. Hot!)

As Alice is navigating her relationship with the swoon-worthy Beck, she has to deal with a whole host of mess from his VERY WEALTHY family and she does it with style, grace, and wit. There are a couple of scenes where she takes on his Grandmother which are 5-star scenes. Alice is awesome.

Now, if only I could find my very own Beck…

Meet Laurel McBane

Laurel McBane is the baker extraordinaire in Nora Roberts’ Bride Quartet series. Laurel's book is book three in the series.

Now, I partly love Laurel because she bakes… and I love to bake. But she’s also feisty and forges her way through culinary school (with a little assistance from the indomitable Mrs G who's also a fave!) into a successful bakery/events business and a relationship with Delaney Brown - lawyer, brother of one of her BFFs and her long time friend.

Meet Miranda Gray

Last but not least, let's talk Miranda Gray. 

We first meet Miranda when she's been sleeping on a park bench, trying to get a better understanding of what should be included in housing for the homeless, and we pretty quickly learn that Miranda goes ALL IN - whether it's for work or play! 

But Miranda's not a push over. And when her Knight (tee hee hee - Lucas Knight, see what I did there) doesn't give her what she needs - she walks away.

Thankfully, Lucas finally gets his head on straight!

Tell me about your favourite female with the Force (whether factual or fictional) in the comments below.

As a final note, did you know that, on receiving a school prize, aged nine, Thatcher said:

I wasn’t lucky. I deserved it. I just love her moxie… and I do deserve the things I work for, darn it!

Kristine Charles writes sexy tales where coffee (and red wine) is abundant, designer shoes and handbags are cheap, chocolate has no calories and men always put the toilet seat down. Find her at www.wordsbykristinecharles.com or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

I love to love… my healthy and happy family and friends #stayathome

I love to laugh… at the ridiculous Zoom backgrounds everyone’s finding to make online meetings more entertaining!

I love to learn… online! How many great classes can you find online at the moment – ballet, yoga, dance, cooking… try something new this month!

Smothering the Breathless Authors with Love!

Miranda's February Musings

Wow, December/January in Australia! So many super hot days, so many horrendous fires, so much heroism and so many sad losses. Keep donating (thankyou), keep praying, the fires are still burning in some places. We will get back on our feet, but as we do we salute the heroes who've saved so much, even as some lost their own lives. Such humbled thanks. Thankyou. Thankyou. Thankyou.

Words are simply not enough. We need to celebrate our own, our friends and family and loved ones, and hug them tight and just smother them with love. 

So as February begins I'm celebrating my fellow Breathless in the Bush authors, precious people to me. And, {{{shrug}}}, I'm totally biased about them and I don't care! So with no further ado, let my smother-them-with-love CELEBRATION begin! 

We love having KRISTINE CHARLES on board at BITB, and I've just read the anthology LOVE SABRE featuring her novella, A Mutual Thing. The book totally sends up the purple prose that used to dominate romance in yesteryear, but in such a creative way it's taut and terrific, sassy and sexy. (See what I did there? Thank goodness we've moved on.) But seriously, this book romps along with such fun. And not so much of the purple prose after all. These authors have created quick-to-read stories that are very energetically entertaining. (18+ warning for the *cough* love sabre...)

Image courtesy of amazon.com

Our beloved JAYNE KINGSLEY blows me away with her stories - and you'll find her Christmas novella A Kiss For Christmas Eve reviewed by yours truly here; sheer delight. Her full-length novel LOVING LUCAS made it onto my January read list, and I have to say that the always popular office romance trope - and friends-to-lovers - makes a wonderful appearance (I love these so much). Miranda is the boss's daughter, and Lucas doesn't know how he can work with her - because, so much temptation. OOH. And, that cover. 💋

Image courtesy of amazon.com

I actually knew ALYSSA J. MONTGOMERY before she was published. As soon as I read her first unpublished manuscript I knew Romancelandia had a powerhouse author about to explode on the scene. I am fairly smug I called it, heh, and her star continues to rise. I read her wonderful book SEDUCED BY THE STRANGER  over January and, wow. I love me a good amnesia plot, with a pregnant-by-I-don't-know-who plot also tossed in! So gripping. Go, Alyssa!

Image courtesy of amazon.com

The marvellous CASSANDRA SAMUELS is someone who knows just so much about Regency times, I'm impressed. Never try and get away with anything but true facts about the Regency period around her, she is spot on! I adore Regency romances, so enthusiastically dived into COLLECTOR OF HEARTS in January. My only concern was - why had I waited so long to read this?! Silly, silly me. I totally loved her hero, Robert Mallory, Marquis of Sheldon. To cope with something absolutely appalling in his life he became, well, a 'Collector of Hearts' - but then tossed them aside. I knew it was going to take someone very special to collect his heart... I laughed at Cassandra's wit and sparkling dialogue, and then, oh my, I cried. Such an outstandingly beautiful story. ❤ 

Image courtesy of amazon.com

Magical MARILYN FORSYTH creates beautiful stories in exotic settings, and I can't wait to read whatever she publishes next. If you haven't already, fall on her last book, FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN. I've never been to the Australian opal fields and possibly never will, so reading about the amazing opals, a mystery about a fossil, and a stunning romance - is, like, win win win! I adored this story. In fact, when I visited the Australian Museum in Sydney, there was a certain opal exhibit that entranced me...and which Marilyn assures me is the inspiration for this story! Intrigued? Oh, do read the book, it is so wonderful. You'll never look at opals the same way again. Or fossils! 

Image courtesy of amazon.com

ENISA HAINES and SHARON BRYANT are special stars in our special Christmas anthology A VERY AUSSIE CHRISTMAS.  I was so thrilled to read it, and each story is so very unique. Enisa's story is Endings, Beginnings and Sharon's is Desert Fire. Why wait until next Christmas to read them? It's still hot here in Oz, go back and get some blazing Christmas spirit in your year right now. 😍 

Image courtesy of amazon.com

So, ta-dah! I give you The Breathless Girls, who I celebrate! Perfect to pop on your reading list!

With love until next time,

Miranda xxx

Love to Laugh:

At the charm and wit in those ravishing Regencies, like Cassandra's!

Love to Love:

My BITB authors. Always and forever, girls! Mwuh. 

Love to Learn:

Which of the above have you read? Is there a special author you celebrate? 

The Fashionable Writer

I adore autumn, it is hands down my favourite time of year. The nights are cool, the days fresh yet still enough heat in them to enjoy being outside. The trees are turning every shade of red, orange and yellow. It’s magical.

It’s also my favourite time for shedding the summery outfits and shifting into comfy slouchy autumn wear. Jeans. Who doesn’t love jeans? They are the perfect pant (IMO). Dressed up or dressed down, they work with all types of shoes and really, denim is one of the easiest colours to work with as a base.

You’re probably wondering what I’m rambling on about by now? But I thought, given it’s my favourite time of year, that it would be fun to talk about a writer’s wardrobe. Contrary to popular opinion, just because you can do your job wearing PJs, it doesn’t mean it’s the choice we all make.

So, I’ve detoured out into the writing wilderness to ask the serious question:

What is your writing outfit?

Here are my ‘fashionable writer’ results below

Left: Active-wear Writer
Right: Lounge-wear Writer
Sketches by Jayne Kingsley

The Active-wear Writer

Enjoying leggings and a baggy tee, these writers are ready to jump up and go for a walk at any moment to ensure those creative juices continue to flow.

Most likely dressed from a selection of Kmart and country road, black is always the best answer.

The Lounge-wear Writer

Praise the day that lounge wear became a thing. Who knew that wearing tracksuit pants would actually become a fashion yes, not just a fashion faux-pas. (Apparently not me when I was 14 and went down the street in matching bottle green tracky-dacks and jumper, but that’s another story). Here are the eternally comfortable yet stylish writers, those whose wardrobes are filled to the brim with Susan’s latest catalogue.

Left: Denim is the only option Writer
Right: Stylish Writer
Sketches by Jayne Kingsley

Denim is the only option Writer

This is popular among the mum writers. Those who actually have to leave the house and look presentable, when really, they’d prefer to be wearing their PJS all day. I might add this is most definitely where I fall. Denim lover forever!

The Stylish Writer

These are writers who are just plain stylish and would be no matter what they did with their lives. Yes, you know who I’m talking about, those people you imagine wake up, their make-up already in place, bad hair days don’t exist, and they have an aura of effortless cool. I aspire to be this writer, a girl’s gotta dream right ;)

The Office-wear Writer

Left: Office-wear Writer
Right: Pjs Writer
Sketches by Jayne Kingsley

These are people who have a job and find time to write around that – amazingly organised writers these ones. I’ve also had writers tell me that wearing their work clothes helps them turn on their inner dialogue better – because they feel like they are still in work mode. I have decided to try this – might be a good use for my collection of heels.

The PJs Writer

You knew it was coming. It’s a big draw card on the working as a writer list of perks. Of course the hard slog that is writing, coupled with intense self doubt and a strong requirement for chocolate… well it just says PJs doesn’t it?

In case any of you would like a further giggle – I highly recommend this article by Maggie Downs for The Coachella Review. It made me laugh and really, if you’re a writer, I bet you will also see the humour in this piece.

http://thecoachellareview.com/wordpress/2014/04/25/the-clothes-behind-the-books-how-to-dress-like-a-writer/

I love to love... denim jeans
I love to laugh... at my outfit of pjs and heels
I love to learn... other people’s views on the importance of a ‘work’ uniform, and do writers have a work uniform that helps them

So, these are my ‘bit of fun’ writer fashion groupings. What about you? Are you a lover of Autumn fashion? Do you have a special outfit you gravitate to for your writing? And does it help you get those words out on paper or keyboard?