Category Archives: Writers

💻 Let’s Start a New Blogging Chapter

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This little blog has been trying to get my attention for sometime. For months it has been tugging at my virtual coat tails. It is persistent, I will give it that, and it was not put off by my excuses: too busy, too tired, have not consumed enough sugar and need to wait for blogging inspiration . It didn’t care about those.

So, here I am at the start of a new blogging chapter.

What’s been happening in my creative life? I had five contemporary romance books published, and then… something beautiful (see below) came into my life and I wrote a funny and heartfelt romance novel with a speculative twist (enemies to lovers in the afterlife). It didn’t go anywhere, but it unlocked something inside me.

I got so much enjoyment from writing that book (I even enjoyed editing it) that I decided to write more of these sorts of romances. These are love stories where I add a sprinkle of fantastical, supernatural or futuristic subplots. In simple terms my new stories couldn’t exist in reality, as something about the world I have created is fundamentally different.

I have tried to get my writing brain to return to contemporary romance, but it refuses and keeps serving me these weird but delicious love stories. Writing has become a joy again, and I have found a part of me that I never knew existed. There’s something liberating and satisfying about this new journey.

I blame my new antique Gothic writing bureau. Isn’t she beautiful? My husband found her on a second-hand church furniture website.

She’s giving me strong female energy and has done so since she arrived in a van…during a thunderstorm. She is such a diva and I love how she made a dramatic entrance into my writing life.

Ever since she arrived, all these fabulous wild and wacky new love story ideas appeared in my brain. I can’t write the stuff I used to write. It’s as if she slammed the door shut to contemporary romance and yanked opened a new one.

So, if you have ever wondered where I am, I am sitting at my antique Gothic bureau writing love stories which combine my love of all things weird. I am also hiding secrets in all of her little drawers.

I do wonder whether my Gothic writing bureau is possessed and is channelling all sorts of weird stuff through me. If this is the case you need to remember this blog post 🤣

Oh, and I am going to start blogging about all things weird and wonderful. I am going to write about things that blow my creative mind: time slips, synchronicities, special gifts (not the type wrapped up in pretty paper and a bow) and the unexplained.

My Gothic writing bureau and I both say hello and thank you for reading.

Until next week 🙂

Learn more about me here

✉️ The Role of Love Letters in Romance Stories #Romance

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I have been busy working on book 4 where the main characters used to date as teenagers and write each other love letters.

Does anyone remember sending handwritten letters or even better receiving them? I used to cover mine in doodles – flowers, hearts etc and maybe the odd – T.L.N.D (true love never dies) and S.W.A.L.K (sealed with a loving kiss).

Love letters / romantic post-it notes / romance text messages/ romantic emails serve multiple purposes, enriching the narrative in various ways:

Intimacy and Connection: Love letters provide a glimpse into the intimate thoughts and feelings of the characters. They allow readers to witness the depth of emotions shared between the protagonists, fostering a stronger connection between them and the story.

Romantic Gestures: Love letters often serve as romantic gestures within the storyline, showcasing the effort and thoughtfulness of one character towards another. This can heighten the romance and create memorable moments for readers.

Character Development: The content and style of the love letters can reveal insights into the characters’ personalities, backgrounds, and motivations. Through their writing, characters may expose vulnerabilities, desires, and fears, deepening readers’ understanding of them.

Plot Advancement: Love letters can drive the plot forward by conveying important information, such as hidden feelings, secrets, or conflicts. They may serve as catalysts for character decisions and actions, influencing the direction of the story.

Historical Context: In historical romance novels, love letters can provide historical context and authenticity, reflecting the communication norms and societal expectations of the time period. They offer readers a window into the past and enhance the setting of the story.

Anticipation and Suspense: The exchange of love letters can create anticipation and suspense as characters await each other’s responses, heightening the emotional tension and keeping readers engaged in the unfolding romance.

Overall, love letters serve as powerful literary devices in romance books, enhancing the emotional depth, character development, and overall storytelling experience for readers.

Here’s some tips:

  • Be specific. Mention the ‘little things’ – the way they make you laugh, the moment you knew they were special.
  • Show vulnerability. Let the character reveal their fears, hopes and desires. Vulnerability makes the letter more moving and initmate.
  • Use sensory details. Describe how they feel, sound, taste and smell.
  • Stay true to the character.

Learn more about me.

💖 Love, Lost and Found: Mastering the Second Chance Romance Plot

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This blog post is going to help my writer brain focus on one of my current projects. I do hope someone else out there writing a second chance romance finds it useful.

Second chance romance is one of my favourite romance tropes. I could read these stories all day.

One of my current projects focuses on a second chance romance so I could really do with going back to basics with the trope in order to revise my story.

Below I have come up with a list of all the things to consider when writing a second chance romance.

How did they initially connect?

Were they childhood sweethearts? Maybe they met at work?

The secret here is readers need to see and feel how good that connection was between these two beautiful characters. This breathtaking romance has to be unforgettable for both readers and the characters.

Why did they split up? What made them walk away from each other? Were they too young? Was it a case of bad timing or did one hurt the other? What broke them?

Readers need to understand what made these characters go blubber into a box of Kleenex, wedge chocolate into their mouth and go for long solitary walks in the rain.

What personal growth have they experienced? What has life taught them in the years they were apart? What did other relationships teach them? Have they thought about why they have never connected with anyone on the same romantic level as they did with each other?

What made them want to give their relationship another chance? Why can’t they disentangle from each other’s lives? What has made them come together again? Why salvage a broken relationship?

The reader must understand and agree with these decisions. There must also be that old connection and the chemistry.

What stuff have they overcome? Have they resolved the old conflict? Readers need to see how these two characters might have had different priorities that caused their breakup. But now that those priorities have changed, so, maybe there is still a chance for them to work it out. It could also be a case of these two characters making mistakes and generally causing an emotional mess.

The reader needs to believe these two have changed for the better.

Here’s my second chance romance which got published:

Second chances at the Little Love Cafe

It’s never too late to try again… 💕

‘Must read summer book’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘A fantastic uplifting read that takes you direct to the cute Little Love Cafe.’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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