Beginnings

I've been thinking a bit about beginnings lately, not least because I'm starting a new work in progress. And so, for my Breathless blog this month, I thought I'd take the opportunity to explore a few of my beginnings, and ask you to share a few of yours (in the comments below!)

My beginning as a romance author: Forget-me-not, a 5000 word short that won the inaugural Romance Writers of Australia Spicy Bites contest. The beginning of this was something that actually sprung from a little snippet of fanfic I wrote (Sea Patrol fanfic for those who remember that show!) and played off a contrast between a prim and proper FMC and her rougher 'round the edges MMC. This short isn't currently available but keep your eyes peeled and hopefully it'll be available before the end of the year, in a collection some of my other short stories.

My beginning as a romance reader: The Chesapeake Bay Saga by Nora Roberts. I read these back in the day, before e-readers were a thing, and carried them with me on travels through the US (back when we travelled to the US... won't be doing that for a while now!). These books were HEAVY, but the read was worth lugging them about. I still go back to them every so often when I need a little reminder of how good romance can be.

My beginning as a 'shipper:' This goes way back in the day, to the 1990s when I insisted my mother had to buy a video recorder (bless her, our first VCR was on one of those rent-to-buy arrangements!) so that I could record Days of our Lives every day while I was at school. Jack & Jennifer were my first loves... and I had to know what angst they were suffering that week! From that time I was easily convinced to ship who didn't also love Brenda & Dylan; Mulder & Scully; Superman & Lois (it's a shame Dean Cain turned out a little cooked); Monica & Chandler; Buffy & Angel & Spike; Booth & Bones; and (my latest obsession) Benson & Stabler (and I could go on).

My beginning fangirl experience with Christina & Lauren of Christina Lauren. This was taken at the Sydney Reader Event in 2016 and I stood in a queue for a while before I got a chance to meet them. I also remember poor Christina was so sick that day (she ended up having to cut her trip short) but she was SO LOVELY to everyone who stepped up to the table to meet them. Class acts... I got to meet them both again in 2024 at the RWA Conference (but no pic on that occasion!)

And last, but not least, my beginning in writing groups: the Love Sabre girls. We met at the RWA Conference in 2015 and we've been each others' cheer squad ever since. For writing things, but also for life things. I don't think this is our first conference elevator selfie, but it is one of the first and we try to recreate one every year (at least with everyone who can make it to conference, Life does get in the way sometimes!)

 

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 set down. Find her at www.wordsbykristinecharles.com or on Facebook, Instagram or Bluesky.

You can preorder Kristine's latest novella in the Save the Date anthology here. Available 18 June 2025.

I love to love: this month, I remain obsessed with Benson & Stabler from Law & Order: SVU/Organised Crime. Sue me, I'm a glutton for exceptional unresolved sexual tension and these two have it!

I love to laugh: What do you call a fish wearing a bow-tie? Sofishticated!

I love to learn: I'm attending InkersCon online in June and I can't wait! 

Spring has SPRUNG!

I don't know about you but spring is my favourite time of the year (maybe because it opens with my birthday!) but how can you NOT love the mild, sunny days, the blooming flowers, the beginning of daylight saving, and the sense of emerging from the winter hibernation.

Spring is also a great season in which to set a romance or read a romance and so, this month, I thought I'd share a couple of my favourites with you (to help fill those TBR piles!)

Firstly, this one's been out a little while now but, if you haven't read it, what are you waiting for? The Vintner's Muse by Jennifer Westgarth is set in the spring in South Australia (mostly in the beautiful Clare Valley) and opens with one of the best scenes I've read in a while (no, I won't tell you what it is because that would be a spoiler!).

This is Jennifer's debut, and it's a great one... I have quite the soft spot for professional women (like our FMC Shannon) who are trying to make sense of their lives when their plans go off the rails. And our MMC, Ethan is her perfect foil, with similar dilemmas, and our two dummies clearly have to work out that they're made for each other. 

Secondly, an oldie but a goodie, Nora's A Bed of Roses, the second book in the Bride Quartet series. I've not linked this as I'm expecting that most of you will have already read this but, it's always great for a re-read and, if you haven't  read it, you really should - the series is a little older now, but still generally holds up. 

A Bed of Roses is a friends-to-lovers story involving the Quartet's florist, Emma and their architect, Jack. It's also a romance set amongst an abundance of weddings (and the occasional Bridezilla to balance the mood!). This book (and its series siblings) are also great because of the sense of family (especially found family), and the focus on women successfully navigating a successful business together. 

Thirdly, we have one that's not 'strictly' a romance but rather a women's fiction book, Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center. This one also isn't, strictly speaking, set in spring (in fact I can't quite work out the season where we begin) but I got it for my birthday, which is in spring, so I say it counts. I asked for this book because I'd seen one of my fave actresses (Missy Peregrym from FBI and Rookie Blue) had apparently optioned it for a movie, so I wanted to see what it was about.

It's an interesting book... and I'm still thinking about it so that means it must have resonated somehow. Cassie Hanwell, Texas firefighter, is our protagonist, who has to uproot her life and move to Boston, partly to deal with her own actions and partly to deal with an unwell parent. The story follows her finding her way through vulnerability and forgiveness, and it can be a little blunt instrument in parts but, overall, is worth a read. Note though, it doesn't seem to be available in ebook in Australia.

Finally, RUBY AWARD WINNING The Library at Wagtail Ridge by Janet Gover is my current read (a spring read, even though it's set in summer) and I'm loving it.

I love Janet - she was a 'newbie' at the Romance Writers of Australia conference in 2015, the same year as me and some of my closest friends, and we've remained friends since... Janet writes amazing rural romances, and this one seems no different.

The Library at Wagtail Ridget tells the story of Lou Taylor uncovering the story of her birth mother via her inheritance of a cottage, a mobile library, a scattering of letters, the town of Wagtail Ridge, and her new neighbour, Jake Barnes. And, who doesn't love a MMC named Jake?! They're always a little trouble and a lot worth it! 

I'm still in the middle of this one, so if you've read it, reach out and let me know your favourite parts.

So, what else has sprung in Spring? A little shameless promotion to end this month.

November 14 this year sees the launch of Love for Maui a jam-packed anthology of all kinds of romance shorts and novellas with all proceeds going to the University of Hawai'i Foundation, to assist those impacted by the Maui wildfires last August. I've submitted my award-winning, sexy contemporary short story, Cuffed. You can preorder Love for Maui here.

LOVE TO LAUGH: When is it impossible to plant spring flowers? When you haven't botany!

LOVE TO LOVE: The first blooms of my Mum's roses.

LOVE TO LEARN: I attended the Toronto Romance Writers Conference this month and while I confess to not attending most of the sessions in real time (as time zones are a pain) I really enjoyed hearing from their guests... Zoe York and Farah Heron in particular. And everything you hear is true, Canadians are the NICEST people!

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 her website, or on various social media platforms here. 

The Breathless List – Pandemic Style

And an update from the Breathless in the Bush ladies

(Sorry in advance! This is a long one)

Normally, in January each year, the Breathless in the Bush ladies reveal their favourite ANZ romance read of the year.

But, let’s be serious, 2020 wasn’t a NORMAL year.

Adobe Stock - SharlottaU - 338693547

And so, while we didn’t want to leave you hanging without a list, we did take a slightly different approach this year – compiling a list of the books (or not books) that got us through 2020 (and, we do note that they are not all Aussie or Kiwi this year).

First up, our book reviewer extraordinaire, Miranda who, when asked which books helped her survive 2020 gave us the following great recommendations;

I found The Great Escape From Woodlands Nursing Home by Australian GP Joanna Nell a terrific example of the endurance of the human spirit, friendship, and love. This book is a story of connection in a nursing home, an environment most people don't want to find themselves in, told with great warmth, empathy and lovely gentle humour. It gives hope that no matter what the circumstances, others are also going through tough times, and there is always a kindred spirit who understands - or has an inkling - what you are going through. Every time I think of the book, I smile. The perfect thing to read in lockdown. 

Another wonderful pick-me-up romance to read in these troubled times is Marry in Scarlet by Anne Gracie. This book is the end of a 'Marriage of Convenience' series, so I'd met and been highly entertained by these characters before (although you can read this stand alone - but why would you when you can have 4 delicious books to inhale?). I think the anticipation of reading the fiery marriage of the icy cool duke and the wonderfully independent and slightly reckless, impetuous George (Lady Georgiana) was just fabulous. She turned every stuffy outdated thought he had on its head, and made him completely rethink the way he treated women and marriage - for the better (yay!). In the process she was still honest and 'herself' to the core, a complete heroine. I absolutely loved their rocky road to love; the story showed that love changes everything. The romantic in me loves that!

For the wonderful Breathless lady, Lynne, she discovered the wonderful Natasha Lester and devoured all of Natasha’s backlist. Lynne said:

I read all her wonderful books taking me to what I have found to be a most romantic time in history.

Amongst all the dangers and atrocities, there are incredible stories of love and survival and Natasha has certainly recreated wonderful stories in this time frame.

So hard to pick a favourite but if pushed would have to say The Paris Secret which combines a compelling romance with an intriguing mystery.  Definitely a can't put down story which I found to be case with all her books.

Lynne also told me that as long as there are books like Natasha’s to read, lockdown can go on forever.

Yeah, nah Lynne… I love your thinking, but I cannot be stuck in my house FOREVER 😉

And then the fabulous historical romance author Cassandra found solace in Amy Rose Bennett’s How to Catch a Sinful Marquess. This story is book three in Amy Rose’s Disreputable Debutantes series, described by the author as: a reserved debutante and a former soldier make an unlikely but fated match as they hasten for the Isle of Skye and, I mean, who doesn’t like disreputable debutants, soldiers and Scotland! Cassandra said that this book was "just the tonic I needed after finding it hard to read anything."

And finding it hard to read ANYTHING was certainly an affliction suffered by others in the Breathless in the Bush team. Both Jayne and Alyssa reported finding it hard to find the energy to read with everything else happening – whether that was writing work, work work or family and friends. Jayne did find some escape in Tricia Stringer’s The Family Inheritance – which, she says, highlighted the importance of family and communication. Jayne said:

 

One thing I really felt through Covid was how lucky I am to have my family all living in Australia, even though I wasn't able to see them as often as normal due to living in different states, at least I knew they were safe and close. A few friends of mine have family overseas and I couldn't imagine how painful it must be knowing that it could be years until they would be able to easily visit each other in person again. 

Alyssa, on the other hand, commented that she had found some solace in work. Working as a speech pathologist in the day job, Alyssa noted that it was good to know she was helping, and that there was plenty of variety coming in her front door!

And then there was Marilyn, who struggled with romance and happily ever afters in 2020 (SHOCK! HORROR! KIDDING!).

Finding it hard to find romances that interested her, Marilyn turned to other genres to fill her well but (OF COURSE!) returned to romance via a Barbara Erskine dual timeline historical romance, Sleeper’s Castle. Marilyn LOVES time slip stories, and said that she had been meaning to read this one for a long time as Barbara is the QUEEN of time slips (at least according to Marilyn!). Marilyn said:

'Two women, centuries apart. Linked in a place haunted by its history' is the tagline that drew me in, that and the fact that it's set in Wales (we had to cancel our third trip there in mid-2020, and I am so missing it!). It's a haunting tale with one heroine's story set in the 1400s, the other, a modern-day heroine. 

Great characters, fabulous settings. If only we could travel back in time... 

And then, unlike many of us, who did not get the memo until Netflix launched Bridgerton on Christmas Day, Sharon found the Julia Quinn bandwagon early in 2020! She, of course, started at Book 1 with The Duke and I but then read through all 8 of the Bridgerton books and followed those with the Rokesby series. Sharon said:

I loved escaping from the worries of the pandemic year into a world of romance, particularly Regency romance. Julia Quinn’s characters are the sort of people I would love to know well, and her novels are real page turners. Of course, my Regency romance year culminated with the release of the first series of Bridgerton on December 25. I’ve watched it twice already.

Then, last but not least, is the gorgeous Enisa, who returned to an old fave, Nora Roberts (Queen Nora, if you please!) and a new series, The Chronicles of the One. Enisa said:

Part fantasy, part romance, part adventure, the series (written over 3 years just before 2020), starts in Ireland with an event that causes the outbreak of a deadly virus that kills off most of the world's population (an eerie echo of Covid-19). Many who survive discover they have abilities stemming from 'magick.' This magick creates fear and hatred in those who aren't left gifted and wars break out, threatening humanity. It is up to one such gifted girl, and the boy who is her destiny, to save her new people. Loved, loved, loved this series. 

That the book was about a virus pandemic that has love fighting hate drew me in. I'm a sucker for stories where good wins against evil.

Who isn’t a sucker for good winning against evil? Seriously? Who isn’t?

Oh, yeah. And then there’s the book that got me through 2020.

I actually read more than I thought I did this year, but I did tend to read in fits and starts rather than consistently. And when I read – I binged authors and backlists. Katee Robert, Kylie Scott, Amy Andrews, K. Bromberg and Helena Hunting all have lots of entries on my ‘have read’ list. Yet, when I looked at my list I can’t say that any single book got me through 2020 – it was probably a podcast that saved my sanity – the Fated Mates podcast with Sarah Maclean and Jen Prokop (hey, I’m writing the list, I can go off track if I want!). If you aren’t already listening to this podcast, what are you waiting for? There are THREE seasons to catch up on. Sarah and Jen are knowledgeable, honest and if you don’t laugh at least five times during each show, I don’t know what’s wrong with you!

An update from Breathless in the Bush

On 19 March 2020 I (Kristine), like who knows how many other people lucky enough to be able to do so, I started working from home.

Adobe Stock - Petra Richlii - 377598177

Since that day I’ve been into the office on less than 10 occasions (most of them actually in January 2021). Like almost everyone in the country I’ve spent innumerable hours staring down the barrel of my laptop’s camera, on Zoom, Skype, Teams and Facebook Messenger, ‘virtually’ talking to all the people I’d usually be seeing face to face. I’ve been entertained by and wanted to strangle my mother* in equal measure (we live together), I’ve missed family dinners, Easter and Christmas gatherings, conferences, travel and hoarded just a little toilet paper. 

I even started watching Netflix (yes, I was LATE to that party…).

Others have lost friends and family members, or have not been able to see and spend time with loved ones, whether those loved ones were in aged care homes, interstate, or across the world. They’ve been sick and they’ve been scared. This virus has been serious business. Honestly, I don’t know how many times I’ve been just a little thankful that my father passed away in November 2019 and not November 2020 because I DO NOT KNOW how I would have said goodbye from such a distance. 

Love your family and friends peeps. From a safe distance. With masks. And hand sanitiser.

And yes, in saying all this, I recognise how lucky we have been in Australia. Less than 1000 dead is still too many, and yet still much better than the numbers we’re seeing in the US, UK and Europe. We’ve also had significantly less people fall ill and, like always, we’ve recognised the Aussie spirit – pulling together off the back of floods and fires, to manage this virus as best we can.

But, 2020 has also invited us all to rethink our relationships with work, families, friends, and, importantly for us Breathless in the Bush ladies, writing. I don’t know about you but the one benefit I saw of working from home – avoiding the commute and WRITING ALL THE WORDS, funnily did not materialise in the way I’d imagined 😉 Yes, clearly I can still procrastinate like a boss.

So, in light of 2020, and on behalf of all the BitB clan, I’m writing to share an announcement.

Breathless is NOT going anywhere but, at least for 2021, we will be a little less prolific, publishing our blog every second month or so, rather than pretty much every week. We love everyone in our community – and we love blogging for you, but it’s just not feasible for us to keep up this pace!

We will be back later in February with our stalwart, Enisa Haines, leading the charge. We’ll then have posts up in later in February and around mid-month in April, June, August, October and December and, last but not least, OF COURSE, will be Miranda with her annual, and irreplaceable, Christmas round up. 

If you haven’t already read 2020’s round up, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? IT’S HERE.

We might also pop by from time to time when we have NEWS to share… a fabulous read, a celebration (when, finally, I’ve FINISHED a manuscript!) or just something funny (because, frankly, we need more funny in 2021). But we won’t be in your eyeballs every week.

We hope that you, our amazing community, understands our need to take a little breath (tee hee, see what I did there…) and we hope you’ll stay with us – and share with us in the comments below some of the reads (or other things) that got you through 2020.

Kristine xx

* PS, just to be clear, I don’t REALLY want to strangle my mother. It’s a turn of phrase… Don’t call the cops on me!

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.

LOVE TO LOVE: the Aussie romance writing, and reading community, who all pulled together in 2020.

LOVE TO LAUGH: At quarantine jokes… Come on, tell me these (from Fatherly) don’t elicit at least a chuckle…

Ran out of toilet paper and started using lettuce leaves. Today was just the tip of the iceberg, tomorrow romaines to be seen.

After years of wanting to thoroughly clean my house but lacking the time, this week I discovered that wasn't the reason.

The World Health Organisation announced that dogs cannot contract COVID-19. Dogs previously held in quarantine can now be released. To be clear, WHO let the dogs out. 

And yes, thank me for putting that earworm in your head. Woof! 

LOVE TO LEARN: Or, at least, to sign up for learning. I’ve signed up for MasterClass, and Babbel in the last year or so and yet… I still procrastinate by watching reruns of The West Wing… go figure.

MIRANDA'S SEPTEMBER MUSINGS: THE TBR PILE!

 Hello my precious people and hello spring, you are both lovely!

Time to spring clean! I shifted a few shelves in my TBR (To Be Read) section, and discovered some extremely exciting and swoonworthy books I'm ashamed to say I haven't read! Don't judge, I'm sure you also have *cough* hundreds waiting for you, too. My excuse is I think mine multiply in the dark at night, being romances and all.

But omigosh, I found so much treasure waiting for me.

First up, the very patient and lovely Narelle Atkins sent me her inspirational Snowgum Creek series some time ago. I love Narelle. She's an inspiration not only in her books but in her life, and I feel terrible I haven't read this gorgeous sweet series yet. Now I've unearthed them I can't wait to start. The first sentence refers to runaway bride Kate: She had to escape now!... Wow, what an opener. Thanks so much Narelle. (Sorry I've taken so long!)

Picture credit: amazon.com

Next, I discovered four beautiful bride books by Nora Roberts. Gasp! New-to-me Nora books, unread - happy day! I feel like someone just gave me a birthday present! Everyone loves a bride book, don't they? Oh, the utter romance and wonderful-ness of a wedding. The first in the quartet - yes, four bride books with four wedding planner friends, is Vision in White. This is going to be good...

Picture credit: amazon.com

What next? Happily, readers, I won the following book in a competition from the fabulous Catherine Evans - oh dear, yes, a while ago. Never read but not forgotten. It's a spectacular 3-in-1 anthology, a teeny weeny hard to find now, so absolute gold on my shelf. Catherine's story is called The Healing Season, and there are books by Jennie Jones: A Heart Stuck on Hope, and Lisa Ireland: Honey Hill House. So much rural romance goodness in one book! Lucky, lucky me.

Picture credit: Catherine Evans

Here's a rediscovered blast from the past: Heartstrings by beloved author Rebecca Paisley. I found not one, not two, but three copies on my shelf. (Super reluctantly let one precious paper copy go because I do have an ebook as well...) Time to reread this little gem, published back in the 1990s. Not that I was alive then or anything. 😉 (Yes, I was.) This is a wild west story, where a prim spinster hires a wild west tough guy to sire her baby, so she can give the little one to her childless sister. So much tenderness and fierce family love right there. There's also a talking parrot that reduced me to helpless laughter every time it opened its mouth. Beak. I love this book, so it's going back onto the TBR pile. I'm sure it'll stand the test of time.

Picture credit: amazon.com

I'm going to cheat here and at least claim some success with my TBR. I plucked forth and enjoyed a recent Aussie historical romance, Alison Stuart's splendid The Postmistress, mainly because the next book in the series, The Goldminer's Sister has also just been released. The loosely linked books are set on the Australian goldfields in the 1870s. Yes please, I simply can't get enough of that era. It was truly a fascinating slice of history and romance, with lots of colourful characters, an intrepid heroine, and the best and the worst of the Australian bush thrown in. Such gripping reading, thanks Alison.

Picture credit: amazon.com

Last but not least, there's a brand new addition to the TBR I'm very excited about. I won a book from wonderful Aussie author Darry Fraser - Elsa Goody, Bushranger, set in 1896 South Australia. Our Elsa appears to be on a quest for buried treasure, and her freedom, and embarks on a perilous quest to find Ezekial Jones, the last man to see her brother alive. More exciting colonial history. Thank you Darry, you wonderful author you, and also thanks to Alli Sinclair, who featured the comp for the book on her blog. Lucky me.

Picture credit: amazon.com

So! Do you have a massive, teetering, years old TBR pile like me? Or are you one of those brilliant readers who manages to read everything on your shelf before you get distracted by more shiny new romance?

Confess.... No judging here.

Lots of love dear readers, and please stay safe and well,

Miranda xxx

Love to Love:

My TBR. True treasures await. You?

Love to Laugh:

At funny books, like Heartstrings. You?

Love to Learn:

How you manage your TBR. Random/blind selections, whatever suits your mood, or another method? 

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!

Blurbs - Hook Your Reader

by Enisa Haines

You've completed your novel and now it's time to write the back book cover blurb. Those 150-200 words on the back of the book that grab a reader's attention, intriguing them and enticing them to buy.

How do you write the blurb? In an earlier post author Marilyn Forsyth described the many ways (The Blurb - Make it Count!) and what I learned is that it's not a shorter version of the synopsis as I'd somehow convinced myself. The blurb is a teaser mentioning the setting, the main characters, the conflict and a glimpse of the plot. Most important of all are the tagline, the hook that snags your reader, and the last statement, the hook that leaves the reader yearning for more.

The back book cover blurb to Under Currents by Nora Roberts -
"The perfect facade can hide dark undercurrents" - gives a sinister feel and readers know immediately the story is romantic suspense.

The back cover book blurb final statement to Marry in Secret by Anne Gracie - "But Rose never did follow the rules, and as she takes matters into her own unpredictable hands, Thomas finds himself in an unexpected and infuriating predicament: he is falling in love with his wife..." - tempts readers into immersing themselves in a sweet, romantic tale that promises a happy ending.










How to perfect the tagline? The last statement? Think about your story. What is it's selling point? Is it the main characters, or the plot point that sends them on their journey and pits them against each other? Know the answers to these questions and what to include in the blurb will be clearer.

Do blurbs catch your attention? Do they convince you to buy? Are there any blurbs so memorable you'd like to share? 

Love to love: impulse buys when a blurb reels me in.

Love to laugh: at some of the blurbs I've written - mediocre at best (that's laugh after a good, long cry!)

Love to learn: how to write the perfect blurb.

Romance Books VS Romance Movies/Miniseries?

Miranda's September Musings

Big Question, darlings. How many of your favourite romance novels have you seen on screen...and which do you prefer? The book? Or the movie/miniseries?

Do you know what? When I started to think about it, I was hard pressed to remember if any of my favourites have hit the big screen. Maybe onto DVD, though, or buried at 3am on the Movie Channel. 

The biggie that instantly comes to mind is Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, a timeless classic. Oh, I do love reading it. And rereading it. Jane Austen's prose is still fabulous after 200+ years. But, wow, seeing Colin Firth - ahem, Mr Darcy - on the screen was totally worth the 327 minutes (5 hours 45 minutes) it takes to watch this miniseries. It's also possibly the time it takes to read the book if you're a fast reader. To answer my own question: I like both, book and miniseries. I think it depends on my mood which one I turn to.

Picture credit: amazon.co.uk

How about a more modern romance, like Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan? Apparently it's been called the 'new' Pride & Prejudice. Anyone read it? Anyone seen it on the big screen? Which version do you prefer...or is it both? I haven't read the book, although it's hovered on my radar for a while. Anyhoo, I snuck off to see the movie and absolutely loved it. It is truly a Cinderella romance, and the lead actors are gorgeous and incredibly lovable, as are some of their friends. It showcases Singapore at it's very best and OH MY GOSH WAIT TILL YOU SEE THE WEDDING (not theirs)! So OTT it is ridiculous - but I bet you sit there and think, gosh, wow, why didn't I have a teeny tiny bit of that razzle dazzle at my wedding? Cough. Or not. A very fun film, with lovely romance, family and true friendship at its core. 

Picture credit: amazon.com

Moving on. What about the (sometimes controversial) blockbuster Fifty Shades Trilogy by EL James, vividly transported from book to big screen? I have yet to finish watching the trilogy...and I confess I've yet to finish reading it... But I have read and watched the first book, Fifty Shades of Grey, and I preferred the movie. You?

Picture credit: amazon.com

There's obviously demand for romance on film. A 'Chick Flick' night at the local cinema usually features something romanc-y and feel good. I love those nights! Meanwhile, Passionflix and Hallmark continue to film favourite romance novels that might not hit the big screen but are accessible in your lounge room.

I still remember being blown away when I watched these four Nora Roberts books on film. I totally adored the books, especially my favourite Montana Sky, but the films were fabulous too, they brought the books to life. 

Picture credit: amazon.com

So... Your thoughts? Romance book? Or film? Or - BOTH!? 

Love from Miranda xx

Love to love: 
Romance movies. Always have, always will. 
Love to laugh:
at all the memes Mr Darcy inspires. A lot, I've discovered.
Love to learn:
if anyone subscribes to Passionflix? I'd love to know how it works in Australia. Please?

Ending with a BANG!

with Enisa Haines

Image courtesy of: https/d.g.-assets/hostedimages

You're immersed in a book, totally captivated by the characters, the plot and the setting, and then, wham! The ending comes. An ending that unexpectedly introduces new characters or a subplot never hinted at previously, that has a sudden change in tone or leaves many questions unanswered. It's endings like these that leave readers disappointed, frustrated and annoyed and losing interest in the writer.

That's not an outcome any writer wants. It's often said, "The first chapter sells your novel. The last chapter sells your next one." How do we ensure this? How do we give closure to the story in such a way that readers gasp out, "Wow!", sigh with awe and yearn for more?

Ask yourself these 5 questions:

1. Does the ending evolve naturally from the progress of the plot? The ending is not text simply tacked on to close the story. From the first page to the last, everything that happens occurs for a reason and that reason leads the story towards the ending.

Image courtesy of: i.gr-assets.com/images

Example: To Hell and Back by Juliana Stone:
     'This wasn't the end for them. This was the beginning of something new and exciting, and for the first time in forever, it seemed, Kira was content.
     She was safe and she was loved.
     As Logan placed his palm against her belly and murmured, "I love you, little Dove," Kira felt as if she'd found her way         home.'




2. Is the story complete, the plot and sub-plots wrapped up and all loose ends tied? Reveal everything that needs to be explained.

Image courtesy of: www.readingreality.net

Example: Broken Open by Lauren Dane:
     '"I love you, too, Tuesday Easton, woman of my dreams,       artist, my beauty."
     "Yeah, that's nice." She sighed happily and when he fell asleep again, he knew he'd always have a place to return to.'






3. Does the story end with a cliffhanger? This is not advised for stand-alone novels but for novels that are part of a series. Any questions planted in readers' minds or left unanswered will have them waiting for the next book.

Image courtesy of: d.gr-assets.com/books

Example: Dark Witch (Book One of the Cousins O'Dwyer trilogy) by Nora Roberts:
'Deep in the woods in another time the wolf whimpered. The man inside it cursed. And with arts as black as midnight, slowly began to heal.
     Carefully, began to plan.'





4. Does the ending have a sense of surprise? An early detail, at first appearing trivial, can reappear and show the reader just how important it really is to the story.

Image courtesy of: www.fictiondb.com

Example: Butterfly by Sharon Sala:
The first scene:
'If only she could become as small and insignificant as the lowly little worm, then maybe Clyde would never bother her again. And if she was as ugly as Clyde said she was, being invisible would protect her from offending people with her presence. It seemed like a good idea, and she even closed her eyes and tried to think herself small. But when she finally looked up, she was still China and the caterpillar was gone.'

The ending (after China sees herself for the first time in a mirror):
     '"So, is this a yes?" China asked.
      He started to smile.
     "It's a yes!" she crowed. "The man says yes!"
     "I don't know what happened to you, but whatever it is, I am  eternally glad."
     China kissed him soundly, savouring the truth in her heart.
"It was nothing," she said. "I just saw a butterfly."'


5. Does the story end with a last paragraph or line that moves readers emotionally and leaves them wanting to read on?

Image courtesy of: www.thumbs.buscape.com.br

Example: Cry No More by Linda Howard:
     '"I-uh-I'm Zach Winborn. Justin. Your son," he added, unnecessarily.
     Her face was wet, her eyes overflowing; the tears blurred his features. A sob burst out of her before she could stop it, and an alarmed expression crossed his face. Just as suddenly the sob turned into laughter, and she reached out and took his hand. "I've waited so long," she said, and drew him into the house.'



The examples above each answer a different question and yet each book ends with a bang. Each ending works! And that's what writers want.

Which endings work for you? What do you consider as 'do's and don't's' of last scenes? 

Love to love: discovering images on the wonderful World Wide Web. Like this one of handfasting - the wedding ceremony (where the term 'tie the knot' originated) popular in ancient times and now making a comeback.

Image courtesy of: www.luckyinlove.co.nz

Love to laugh: at the funny gifs (like the one at the top).

Love to learn: how to end my novels with a punch!