Author Spotlight - Tess Woods

She's big on social justice, loves to talk, is obsessed with the British Royal Family (Meghan and Harry's wedding just had to be written into Love and Other Battles), and for some reason she hates monkeys.  Please welcome Tess Woods!

Bio

Tess Woods is a physiotherapist who lives in Perth, Australia, with one husband, one son, one daughter, one dog and one cat who rules over them all. Her debut novel, Love at First Flight, received acclaim from readers around the world and won Book of the Year in the AusRom Today Reader's Choice Award. Her second novel, Beautiful Messy Love, made the best books of 2017 lists for Readings, Booktopia, and Better Reading. When she isn't working or being a personal assistant to her kids, Tess enjoys reading and all kinds of grannyish pleasures like knitting, baking, drinking tea and tending to the veggie patch. Tess loves connecting with her readers on Facebook and Instagram or you can visit her website: www.tesswoods.com.au

What is the one 'must have' when you are writing?
My bed! It's the only place I write, snuggled under my doona in my PJs, cup of tea at the ready, pets keeping me company. I think of sitting at a desk to write as a very sad circumstance indeed.

What are you reading at the moment?
I've just finished Amra Pajalic's memoir, Things Nobody Knows but Me. And OH! MY! GOSH! I feel a massive book hangover coming on. Amra is a Melbourne-based author of Bosnian descent and her life-story was utterly heartbreaking and triumphant all at once. It's the most raw and gritty memoir I've ever read and it's given me enormous respect for this brilliant author, both as a writer and as a woman. Amra's gut-wrenching childhood will stay with me for a long time.

Name one thing you're scared of.
My teenage son getting in a car with his hooligan friends. Nobody can prepare a mother for the terror of seeing a raucous group of teenage boys on their P plates setting off in a car with her child in the back seat.

Like to share something that recently made you happy?
Hopping into bed tonight to answer these questions and finding my electric blanket turned on and already toasty warm thanks to my lovely hubby.

What is the premise of your latest book?
Love and Other Battles is the story of three generations of Australian women, spanning fifty years from the Vietnam war to the present day. Their relationships are stretched and tested when things go horribly wrong for the family one fateful day and past secrets unravel.

Love and Other Battles blurb:
Three generations of women. Three heartbreaking choices. One unforgettable story.

1969: Free-spirited hippie Jess James has no intention of falling for a soldier...but perhaps some things are not in our power to stop.

1989: Jess' daughter, Jamie, dreams of a simple life - marriage, children, stability - then she meets a struggling musician and suddenly the future becomes wilder and complex.

2017: When Jamie's daughter, CJ, brings home trouble in the form of the coolest boy at school, the worlds of these three women turn upside down...and the past returns to haunt them.

Spanning the trauma of the Vietnam War to the bright lights of Nashville, the epidemic of teenage self-harm to the tragedy of incurable illness, Love and Other Battles is the heart-wrenching story of three generations of Australian women, who learn that true love is not always where you seek it.

If you loved The Notebook, this is the novel for you.

http://www.tesswoods.com.au/laob-links.html

What unique challenges did the book pose?
I had to bring to life three different time periods (1960s, 1990s, 2000s), three locations (Melbourne, Nui Dat and Nashville) and head hop between three women of varying ages who were all sharing their stories. The contemporary storyline about a young woman who self-harms was harrowing to write as the mother of a girl that age myself. I was heartbroken with what I discovered through my research about the Vietnam War. And it was tough to write about the issue of euthanasia in a way that was mindful of how passionate people are about it on both sides of the debate. Love and Other Battles felt like one continuous challenge, but it also gave me the biggest sense of accomplishment when I finished it.

Do you listen to music as you write?
Absolutely not! I require complete silence and have been known to dish out death stares if my husband even dares to breathe too loudly while I write!

What do you love to love? My GHDs - best invention ever!

What do you love to laugh at? The TV show Friends. I could probably go close to saying all ten series verbatim!

What do you love to learn about? Whatever is making headlines. I can't start my day until I've caught up on my new app in bed. I'm particularly interested in world news and politics, with a side serve of Real Housewives gossip thrown in!

Winter in Wales Writers Retreat with Tess Woods

by Enisa Haines

'Twas a cold winter's night in Wales at yon writers' retreat
Seven writers eager they did journey there and in joy did they meet.'

After a year of planning and anticipation, so began my sojourn in Criccieth, a seaside resort town on the north-west coast of Wales in the United Kingdom. I, and five other writers, joined Tess Woods (award-winning Harper Collins author of Love at First Flight and Beautiful Messy Love), her husband Paul and teenagers Tom and Lara, at Mynydd-Ednyfed Country House, a luxurious, heritage-listed property.

Enthusiastic greetings, a guided tour of the property and gifts given in welcome, then a week of delicious dishes for every meal and an endless supply of snacks and drinks...Tess and her family ensured we were comfortable. But it was more. We felt very special.

Each morning began with opening a happy pill fortune cookie. With messages like 'step with confidence onto a new path' as inspiration, we gathered together for the daily workshops Tess held. Using her own experiences as an author, she talked of the common elements in page turners, of the mistakes she'd made since becoming an author, and of sex scenes, editing, marketing and the importance of social media.

Free time to write or work on edits followed the workshops. We gathered in the lounge room and focused on our own work. If being together was too distracting and focus turned to talking, our individual rooms provided silence and privacy.

A bonus was the one-on-one professional critique session with Tess to discuss the work we'd sent her prior to the retreat (first 40 pages of our manuscripts). For me that session was the highlight of the week. Two hours spent going over every page, complimented at times and others shown in ways so clear how to make the writing tighter and more powerful.

A second bonus was the session we each had with Tom. Learning our likes and dislikes, he updated or created our websites. And they all look amazing!

From day 1 to day 6 we spent many hours quietly writing and when we weren't writing we joined together for chats, frolicked in the falling snow, explored the gorgeous scenery of Criccieth or the more populated town of Porthmadog, the home of a local pub The Australia. Then day 7 came, the day we said goodbye. So hard to do when we all wanted to stay.

December 9 - 15, 2017. A week when inspiration and encouragement flowed. A week when our writing took a giant leap forward on the path to publication. And a week when seven writers became friends in friendships that will last for life.

Have you been to a writers retreat? I'd love you to share your experience.

Love to love: the fun times we writers (and a few family members) had at the retreat.

Love to laugh: six Aussie ladies invading a Welsh shop one cold afternoon and loading the counter over and over with purchases. It was closing time but the smiling salesman sure didn't mind!

Love to learn: Tess Woods' Winter in Wales Retreat was worth every moment.

If you'd like to know more about the retreat, (and I definitely recommend that you do) watch this video (made by Tess's daughter) of us being interviewed by Tess's husband Paul.

And if you'd like to know more abut Tess Woods, her books and her retreats, visit her website at http://www.tesswoods.com.au

Congratulations Helen Sibritt! You are the winner of our giveaway from last week. A copy of A Very Aussie Christmas will be on your kindle soon.

The Breathless List - Our Favourite Reads for 2017

We're back!

Every January we Breathless Bloggers choose our favourite romantic reads from some wonderful Aussie and New Zealand authors to share with you in our Breathless List. 

It's never easy, but here are our top picks for 2017. You are in for a treat!

MIRANDA 

Link to buy

I was delighted to discover Marry In Haste by Anne Gracie, Book 1 of her new 'Marriage of Convenience' series - my favourite romance trope! Returning war hero Major Calbourne Rutherford discovers he's unexpectedly become Lord Ashendon, with duty of care for a neglected estate, two unmanageable half-sisters and a wild niece he didn't know he had. Wrangling the girls is a bit like herding cats, so he tries to engage the services of their previous teacher, Miss Emmaline Westwood - and unexpectedly offers marriage when she refuses 'the job'.

Anne Gracie creates a wonderful family for us to enjoy, one that prickly Cal didn't realise was ever possible, aww... So fabulously heart-warming. A little bit unusual because Cal and Emm don't really fire off together until about halfway through the book - then, wow! Another stunner, Anne. 💞

MARILYN FORSYTH

Link to buy

Every now and then, as a reader, I’ve been lucky enough to find a book that hits that sweet spot inside. In 2017, that story was Sasha Wasley’s Dear Banjo.

It’s a poignant ‘friends to lovers’ story; the tale of Tom and Willow (nicknamed Banjo), childhood bffs who grew up on neighbouring cattle stations in the Kimberley (a spectacular setting I’m particularly partial to 😉). The pact they made as teenagers, not to let anything destroy their special connection, is broken when Tom attempts to kiss Banjo before she leaves for university. She sees it as a betrayal of their friendship and the letters he sends her, one each month for the next year, go unopened.

Ten years later, Banjo returns home where she must confront the past by finally reading Tom’s letters.

I’m a sucker for epistolary narrative and Tom’s letters are heart-rending (such a gorgeous hero). The book is filled with gentle humour and heartfelt emotion, and I loved every minute spent with Banjo and Tom.

CASSANDRA SAMUELS

Link to buy

 A Love to Remember by Bronwen Evans is a story full of emotions, guilt and steamy love scenes. Evans pulls the reader into the story from the first page and tugs at the heartstrings the whole way through to the end.

Rose is a widow with a young son, and Phillip is her best friend's brother. When she offers condolences and support at his brother's funeral they become lovers. At the time, the terms of their affair were clear. Neither of them ever wanted to marry again, but years later they have both fallen in love with each other. Rose wants to marry Phillip and have more children but when he refuses to even discuss marriage she ends the affair, breaking both their hearts.

This is when the story takes the reader on an emotional journey through jealousy, guilt and heartache that made me yearn for the 'happy ever after' these destined lovers deserved. Thankfully, Bronwen Evans gives the sigh-worthy ending that only a great book can give. 

SHARON BRYANT

Link to buy

Nineteen Letters by Jodi Peri is a beautifully constructed, sweet romance novel. It tells the story of Gemma and Braxton, childhood sweethearts who are separated by fate when a car accident causes Gemma to lose all memory of her past life.

Braxton shares his most powerful memories of their time together by writing Gemma a series of letters – nineteen in all. He hopes that she will learn to love him again, and that they may once more live as man and wife.

The sheer emotional tension woven by Peri, together with the well-constructed characters, made me struggle to put this novel down.

ENISA HAINES

Link to buy

After a wild night out, football star Nick Harding meets Anna, a waitress. She’s smart, gorgeous, different to the usual women flocking around celebrities, and Nick is instantly attracted. An attraction that threatens his career. Still, he pursues her. Anna, a refugee haunted by a horrific past, won’t risk hurting her conservative family, but Nick draws her.

Nick’s sister, Lily, a medical student conflicted about completing her degree, crosses paths with Toby, a man grieving his estranged wife’s death. Intense emotions pulling them together, they fall into a passionate affair that soon overwhelms them.

Beautiful Messy Love grabbed my attention from the first sentence and wouldn’t let go, even after I’d reached the last word. Though everyone wishes it, love isn’t always happily-ever-after. It’s complex, at times hilarious and at other times sad, and often messy. Beautiful Messy Love reveals this so captivatingly.

This contemporary tale of four characters intertwined by tragedy, family and duty, hit me hard. Not only for its roller coaster of emotions, but also because Tess Woods shows that love can overcome the social issues of today. Beautiful Messy Love is a 5-star read for me, a book I will always treasure.

Well, there you have it - our favourite reads of 2017. What a fabulous selection from some great Aussie and New Zealand authors! 

Was your top pick among ours? If not, what was your favourite book from last year? Leave a comment and you'll be in the running to receive a copy of A Very Aussie Christmas, our anthology of short stories. 

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.