It is with great pleasure I present to you Harlequin author Bronwyn Stuart.
Bio
Bronwyn Stuart's love of reading got her into trouble at a very young age, starting with Mills & Boon 'borrowed' from her mother and then progressing to meaty historicals and sweeping sagas. It's only fair that romance pays her back with unique ideas for her own novels. She now writes gritty romance from her treehouse in the Adelaide hills where she lives with her young children, two terror hounds, one fluffy white cat, and a bad boy (now husband) of her very own.
Bronwyn is an award-winning author and multiple contest winner in both Australia and North America. She has three full-length Regencies published in English and Italian with Carina Press and Harlequin MIRA Australia. Her previous contemporary romance from Escape Publishing is entitled Mixing Business with Pleasure and can be found anywhere great ebooks are sold.
You can find out more about her and her books at http://www.bronwynstuart.com or catch up with her on Facebook - Bronwyn Stuart Romance Author.
What is the one 'must have' when you are writing?
Apart from my little pink laptop, I have to have lollies or something to chew. I'm a teeth grinder, especially at the intense chapters!
What are you reading at the moment?
I'm about to jump into an Annie West threesome (three books, not three people) that I got at the RWAus conference in Brisbane.
Who is your favourite literary crush?
My crushes change as my reading tastes do. One day it might be a highlander (let's face it, it's always a guy in a kilt) and the next it might be a billionaire. If I could have a rich highlander, I'd be happy.
What is the last photo you took with your phone?
My two Jack Russell Terrors (and yes, terrors, 14 months and 6 months).
What is the premise of your latest book?
My latest Escape Publishing release revolves around the reality TV show, The Bachelor. I was once, unashamedly, an addict. In She's The One, the hero signs up for the show drunk as a skunk and when he sobers, tries to pull out but the contract is ironclad. In a last-ditch attempt to claw back his shady reputation, he demands his 'bride' be chosen before filming.
The heroine is the daughter of the network boss and he basically blackmails her into becoming a bachelorette, the last woman standing. But she has other plans to make our hero fall in love with anyone who isn't her...
What unique challenges did the book pose?
It was challenging to not make a mockery of the actual Bachelor show. We all know it's more scripted than they let on and we all know it's a huge setup, but it's about the journey, the reason I watch it, and I wanted She's The One to have that same exciting romantic journey.
What are you working on at the moment?
I submitted an entry to Harlequin's new Dare line and got a request for more chapters so I'm forging ahead on that. Fingers crossed.
What is your writing schedule? Morning, afternoon or night?
Morning and afternoon while the kids are at school. I'm too tired at night.
Are you a plotter, pantser or something in-between?
Pantser.
Do you listen to music as you write?
I need total silence! Well, birds singing is nice.
What do you love to love?
Not what, but who. I'm fiercely protective of my family and friends and I love to love them.
What do you love to laugh at?
I actually love to laugh. Kids, pets, movies. I try to make people laugh as much as I can too because there's not enough to be happy about sometimes. It's my motto. Love, Laugh, Live. I have it tattooed on the back of my neck. Find someone who makes you laugh, fall in love with that person and then you'll know what it is to truly live...
What do you love to learn about?
I am always learning something new. I consider myself to be quite intelligent so information is like crack for me. Honing my writing craft is at the top of my list but I also love those useless facts, too, the kind that you'll never use for anything but a conversation starter.
Monday, 4 September 2017
Monday, 28 August 2017
What are 'Romantic Elements' in a Book?
Hello darlings, and welcome to Miranda's August Musings!
Every now and then a book with the label 'Romantic Elements' pops up, and you think - what does that mean? Is it still a romance?
Yes it is, but in a slightly different way. In romance fiction the romance is the main part of the story.
In a book with romantic elements the romance is definitely there in the plot, but it's not the main part of the story. The protagonists enter on their journey and get to their fantastic end, but the bonus is a romance sub-plot and often a happy - or at least 'optimistic' ending.
Examples? Why yes, glad you asked. Just so happens I've read three in the last few weeks.
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| Image courtesy of: amazon.com |
I read The Dangers of Truffle Hunting because I planned to go to the recent Mudgee Reader's Festival and hoped to meet the author, Sunni Overend. Unfortunately (long story) I didn't get there, but I really enjoyed the book! It's written in a very cool, refreshingly unapologetic, on trend, hip voice. The relationships are fun and realistic, and the questions about the heroine's fiance Scott and potential lover Raph lured the story on. I loved the theme of being true to yourself. (Psst! 'Strong language' warning.)
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| Image courtesy of: amazon.com |
Isn't this book gorgeous? I totally snapped up The Romance Reader's Guide to Life by Sharon Pywell. It packed a punch, building up to a huge showdown at the end. There is a book within this book, notably The Pirate Lover, a fairly dated bodice-ripping pirate romance which is then eerily echoed in the main story. So much so I found myself wondering which bits of the book within the book were going to be part of the main book. (!) Lots of bad, violent guys here, lots of angst and grief, some ghosts, and a great story. Plus, you know, pirates.
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| Image courtesy of: amazon.com |
Last but definitely not least is Lost For Words by Stephanie Butland. For starters, this is set in a bookshop. Immediate huge big tick for me. The issues the book touches on are mesmerising to read, and done with a huge heart. Domestic violence, fostering, mental illness, panic attacks, a love story, more. By the end of the book I loved Loveday, the main character, and those around her. I really wanted a happy ending for her, and you will too. Such a great read I didn't want it to end.
What do you think? Do you enjoy books with Big Issues and a Great Story that, incidentally, also have Romantic Elements? Let me know!
Love from Miranda xx
Love to Love:
Sunshine on winter days.
Love to Laugh:
At my default setting: books set in a bookshop or library, must read...!
Love to Learn:
About other people's fave books. My TBR just grows and grows.
Monday, 21 August 2017
RWA Conference Round-Up: Love Gone Wild. Yes, absolutely!
by Enisa Haines
It's August, the month when RWAustralia entices romance writers to their annual Romance Writers Conference. And entice writers they did, this year to the gorgeous Pullman King George Square Hotel, Brisbane.
It's August, the month when RWAustralia entices romance writers to their annual Romance Writers Conference. And entice writers they did, this year to the gorgeous Pullman King George Square Hotel, Brisbane.
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| Image courtesy of: image.leisurecom.com |
The RWAustralia Conference is that wondrous time when bestselling authors reveal their paths to publication; where writers attend workshops focused on the craft of writing, or take the opportunity so generously given to pitch their stories to an agent or editor. It's the time when writers gather together, old friends mingling with new, and celebrate their love of the romance genre.
Inspire. Entertain. Create magic. Every speaker I listened to, every workshop I attended, those were the messages I received, and will nurture as I now look back on the conference as a wonderful memory to treasure as I write.
The Bring Out the Animal in You Cocktail Party was fun, fun, fun. Especially the costumes!
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As always, the keynote speakers grabbed my attention. Marion Lennox and Kate Forsyth were so emotive, so inspiring. Equally valuable were the workshop sessions. A variety of topics, each aimed at educating. I was reminded of things I already knew and learned a lot more.
Some unforgettable quotes:
Marion Lennox - RITA Award-winning author:
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| Photo courtesy of: Joanne Boog |
"Every day I sit at my computer and imagine people in my head."
"At times writing is easy. Often it's not. Protect your magic."
Kate Forsyth - Aurealis Award-winning author:
"Books are magic. They transport you to other worlds where for a while you travel the journey of other characters."
Ally Blake - Harlequin Mills & Boon author:
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| Image courtesy of: allyblake.com |
"Show up. Show up. Show up." And after a while the muse shows up, too."
"If it isn't beautiful or functional, lose it!"
"Do not write 'The End' until the book is finished!'
Chris Taylor - indie author of romantic suspense:
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| Image courtesy of: christaylorauthor.com.au |
"Choose a character's past with care, one that they can get over."
Lauren K McKellar - author and editor:
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| Image courtesy of: goodreads.com |
"Page-turning quality is reader magic."
Liz Pelletier - Founder, Entangled Publishing:
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| Image courtesy of: midwestwriters.org |
"The key to crafting a bestseller is entertainment."
"Tell a story readers want to hear."
Inspire. Entertain. Create magic. Every speaker I listened to, every workshop I attended, those were the messages I received, and will nurture as I now look back on the conference as a wonderful memory to treasure as I write.
Do you love attending writers' conferences? Do they fill you with inspiration?
Love to love - beautiful dancing at the Butterfly Ball Gala Awards Dinner
Love to laugh: at funny animal snaps.
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| Image courtesy of: chelseadogs.com |
Love to learn: all about writing, both serious and fun!
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