Cynthia Terelst's Blog
September 26, 2025
Whoops! That wasn't supposed to happen
Steam escaped as I opened the bathroom door. I walked across the hallway. A cupboard door opened in the kitchen, and I stopped dead. Shit. I forgot about Curtis. I was standing there in nothing but a towel.
He came towards me. His gaze dropped to my chest, then lingered on my legs and his steps faltered. My thoughts faltered. Heat sparked under my skin before my brain caught up. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He whipped his eyes back up to mine. All I could do was stand there like a stunned mullet.
Words stuck in my throat. One second. Two. He stepped around me and muttered…
books2read.com/hitcheddream
Hitched for a Dream
He came towards me. His gaze dropped to my chest, then lingered on my legs and his steps faltered. My thoughts faltered. Heat sparked under my skin before my brain caught up. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He whipped his eyes back up to mine. All I could do was stand there like a stunned mullet.
Words stuck in my throat. One second. Two. He stepped around me and muttered…
books2read.com/hitcheddream
Hitched for a Dream
Whoops! That wasn't supposed to happen
Steam escaped as I opened the bathroom door. I walked across the hallway. A cupboard door opened in the kitchen, and I stopped dead. Shit. I forgot about Curtis. I was standing there in nothing but a towel.
He came towards me. His gaze dropped to my chest, then lingered on my legs and his steps faltered. My thoughts faltered. Heat sparked under my skin before my brain caught up. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He whipped his eyes back up to mine. All I could do was stand there like a stunned mullet.
Words stuck in my throat. One second. Two. He stepped around me and muttered…
3 DAYS TO GO
Steam escaped as I opened the bathroom door. I walked across the hallway. A cupboard door opened in the kitchen, and I stopped dead. Shit. I forgot about Curtis. I was standing there in nothing but a towel.
He came towards me. His gaze dropped to my chest, then lingered on my legs and his steps faltered. My thoughts faltered. Heat sparked under my skin before my brain caught up. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He whipped his eyes back up to mine. All I could do was stand there like a stunned mullet.
Words stuck in my throat. One second. Two. He stepped around me and muttered…
books2read.com/hitcheddream
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Hitched for a Dream
He came towards me. His gaze dropped to my chest, then lingered on my legs and his steps faltered. My thoughts faltered. Heat sparked under my skin before my brain caught up. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He whipped his eyes back up to mine. All I could do was stand there like a stunned mullet.
Words stuck in my throat. One second. Two. He stepped around me and muttered…
3 DAYS TO GO
Steam escaped as I opened the bathroom door. I walked across the hallway. A cupboard door opened in the kitchen, and I stopped dead. Shit. I forgot about Curtis. I was standing there in nothing but a towel.
He came towards me. His gaze dropped to my chest, then lingered on my legs and his steps faltered. My thoughts faltered. Heat sparked under my skin before my brain caught up. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He whipped his eyes back up to mine. All I could do was stand there like a stunned mullet.
Words stuck in my throat. One second. Two. He stepped around me and muttered…
books2read.com/hitcheddream
[image error]
Hitched for a Dream
August 30, 2025
Cover Reveal
Love, a little mischief, and one very tempting deal—meet your next romance obsession.
I’m so excited to share the cover for the next book in my Diamond Firetail Farm series — Hitched for a Dream! Hitched for a Dream
This story has been so much fun (and emotional!) to write. It’s got:
🤠 A broody American vet chasing his Australian dream
💍 A marriage of convenience with more sparks than either expected
🐴 A thoroughbred breeding farm backdrop
🕷️ A spider scene that will have you laughing
❤️ All the slow-burn, heart-tugging romance you’ve come to love from this series
I can’t wait for you to meet Curtis and Rachel and see how their “strictly business” arrangement turns into something so much more.
Preorders are open now, and while you're waiting for that magical publish date … enjoy the cover, start dreaming, and get ready to saddle up for another trip to Diamond Firetail Farm.
I’m so excited to share the cover for the next book in my Diamond Firetail Farm series — Hitched for a Dream! Hitched for a Dream
This story has been so much fun (and emotional!) to write. It’s got:
🤠 A broody American vet chasing his Australian dream
💍 A marriage of convenience with more sparks than either expected
🐴 A thoroughbred breeding farm backdrop
🕷️ A spider scene that will have you laughing
❤️ All the slow-burn, heart-tugging romance you’ve come to love from this series
I can’t wait for you to meet Curtis and Rachel and see how their “strictly business” arrangement turns into something so much more.
Preorders are open now, and while you're waiting for that magical publish date … enjoy the cover, start dreaming, and get ready to saddle up for another trip to Diamond Firetail Farm.
February 7, 2025
Swoon Worthy
7 days to go! Back in the Saddle is coming soon.
Are you ready to fall in love with your next swoon-worthy hero?
Ciaron is the perfect mix of protective, romantic, and deeply devoted.
✔ Loyal and Protective – He never lets anyone disrespect Taylor.
✔ Devoted and Unwavering – His love for her never falters, even when she doubts it.
✔ Passionate and Magnetic – Their chemistry is still electric after decades.
✔ A Strong but Gentle Man – He’s not just physically strong—he’s emotionally strong too.
✔ Romantic Without Trying – His natural way of speaking, touching, and looking at Taylor oozes romance.
Ciaron is the kind of hero who doesn’t need grand gestures—his constant, quiet love is enough to make anyone swoon.
'Every day, I loved him more. I’m sure he had doubts about whether we could make it work, but not once did I feel them from him. Every day he gave me more.'
Pre order here: books2read.com/u/3yO2LJ
Are you ready to fall in love with your next swoon-worthy hero?
Ciaron is the perfect mix of protective, romantic, and deeply devoted.
✔ Loyal and Protective – He never lets anyone disrespect Taylor.
✔ Devoted and Unwavering – His love for her never falters, even when she doubts it.
✔ Passionate and Magnetic – Their chemistry is still electric after decades.
✔ A Strong but Gentle Man – He’s not just physically strong—he’s emotionally strong too.
✔ Romantic Without Trying – His natural way of speaking, touching, and looking at Taylor oozes romance.
Ciaron is the kind of hero who doesn’t need grand gestures—his constant, quiet love is enough to make anyone swoon.
'Every day, I loved him more. I’m sure he had doubts about whether we could make it work, but not once did I feel them from him. Every day he gave me more.'
Pre order here: books2read.com/u/3yO2LJ
January 19, 2025
Excited!
I'm so excited that my pre-order is live for Back in the Saddle.
This book takes romance in a whole new direction, with the marriage in trouble trope.
Perfect for lovers of sweet, hot romances who love male leads that make you think 'this is fairy tale sh*t right here'.
Release date 14 February. Order here https://books2read.com/u/3yO2LJ
This book takes romance in a whole new direction, with the marriage in trouble trope.
Perfect for lovers of sweet, hot romances who love male leads that make you think 'this is fairy tale sh*t right here'.
Release date 14 February. Order here https://books2read.com/u/3yO2LJ
March 9, 2024
The Insider Scoop on Seal
Wow, release day is so close. When it takes months to write and edit a novel, the day of release seems to come out of nowhere.
Seal of Approval was a fun novel to write, but in a way it was also hard. Ethan had a very rough childhood, and because of that he would hold his thoughts and feelings close.
Here's an example of his thoughts early on, when he finds out he is going to be sharing a house with Jasmine and her two children:
Uncomfortable didn’t begin to describe how I was feeling. If you added in a little fear, that’d be closer to the mark. I’d never had children for a reason. I liked them well enough. But being a father was not in the cards for me. Not with my father’s genes running through my blood.
With a character like Ethan, it can be hard to get chemistry on the page. And you need to have chemistry to keep a reader interested.
While this proved to be a challenge, getting to the end result was rewarding. It may be slow burn but with these characters it makes perfect sense. Because just like Ethan, Jasmine was protecting herself, as well as her children and their happiness.
Jasmine being a single mum is integral to the plot and makes for some very realistic scenes which many readers can relate to, like this opening one:
Rose crossed her arms and dropped onto the couch. Nine years of stubbornness flashed in her blue eyes. “I’m not sharing a room with him.” She threw a piercing glare at her brother.
Bailey’s head whipped in her direction, his mouth opening to offer a retort.
I sighed, cutting him off. “You have no choice. The new ranger, Ethan, is arriving in two days.”
Being a mum was hard sometimes, and this was one of those times. How many repetitions of this same conversation did we need to have?
It's important to me that readers can picture what is happening as real life scenarios. So you can see that anything is possible for you and me, even if we have had dark days.
Ethan and Jasmine are not healed automatically by love or the prospect of it. They have to grow, learn and have some deep introspection.
The respect and admiration these two characters have for each other is paramount and it leads to what we are all here for—romance.
I hope you feel this when you're reading Seal of Approval.
If you have any questions, I'm always happy to answer them.
Seal of Approval was a fun novel to write, but in a way it was also hard. Ethan had a very rough childhood, and because of that he would hold his thoughts and feelings close.
Here's an example of his thoughts early on, when he finds out he is going to be sharing a house with Jasmine and her two children:
Uncomfortable didn’t begin to describe how I was feeling. If you added in a little fear, that’d be closer to the mark. I’d never had children for a reason. I liked them well enough. But being a father was not in the cards for me. Not with my father’s genes running through my blood.
With a character like Ethan, it can be hard to get chemistry on the page. And you need to have chemistry to keep a reader interested.
While this proved to be a challenge, getting to the end result was rewarding. It may be slow burn but with these characters it makes perfect sense. Because just like Ethan, Jasmine was protecting herself, as well as her children and their happiness.
Jasmine being a single mum is integral to the plot and makes for some very realistic scenes which many readers can relate to, like this opening one:
Rose crossed her arms and dropped onto the couch. Nine years of stubbornness flashed in her blue eyes. “I’m not sharing a room with him.” She threw a piercing glare at her brother.
Bailey’s head whipped in her direction, his mouth opening to offer a retort.
I sighed, cutting him off. “You have no choice. The new ranger, Ethan, is arriving in two days.”
Being a mum was hard sometimes, and this was one of those times. How many repetitions of this same conversation did we need to have?
It's important to me that readers can picture what is happening as real life scenarios. So you can see that anything is possible for you and me, even if we have had dark days.
Ethan and Jasmine are not healed automatically by love or the prospect of it. They have to grow, learn and have some deep introspection.
The respect and admiration these two characters have for each other is paramount and it leads to what we are all here for—romance.
I hope you feel this when you're reading Seal of Approval.
If you have any questions, I'm always happy to answer them.
February 21, 2024
Excerpt - Seal of Approval - The moment Jasmine first sees Ethan
"Do you have a name for your new co-worker?” Lily asked.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled to the email. “They emailed it this morning. Ethan Shaw. Marine biologist. Splits his time between Monterey Bay Aquarium and the university.”
Lily came to stand beside her husband. “Ooh, high level. Do you have a picture?”
I shook my head. “If you’ve seen one middle-aged man, you’ve seen them all.”
Jack puffed out his chest. “Some of us are finer specimens than others.”
I laughed.
Lily took out her phone and tapped away. A cheeky smile lit up her face. She showed her husband whatever was on her phone.
He slapped his leg, chuckled and gave her a nudge. “That is no ordinary middle-aged white man.”
“Not ordinary.” She waggled her eyebrows. “And not middle-aged.”
What were they talking about? I hadn’t had time to google him yet. Were we about to get stuck with some grumpy old guy? Lily handed her phone to me. I sucked in a breath. Oh, shit. The person staring into the camera was mid-thirties and had a smile as captivating as his hazel eyes. They seemed to see right through the centre of me in every photo I flipped through. He wasn’t even here in person yet and already I found it hard to tear my eyes away. My mouth went dry. I scrolled. He looked as good in a dress shirt as he did in a wetsuit peeled off to his waist.
“You’re shitting me.” My eyes went to the search bar: Ethan Shaw, Marine Biologist. I shoved the phone back into Lily’s hand.
“Too hot to handle, huh?” Jack asked, chortling.
“Have fun knowing that fine specimen, or should we call him sex on legsSeal of Approval, is sleeping only metres away.” Lily gave me a wink.
“Co-worker, housemate, that’s it.”
I wiped the images from my mind. Or at least I tried to.
Two more days until Ethan arrived. I didn’t know if I wanted his charm to match his good looks, or the opposite. Which would be better?
If you'd like see if Ethan is too hot to handle, pre-order Seal of Approval now books2read.com/u/mB8vgN
Coming to you on March 14.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled to the email. “They emailed it this morning. Ethan Shaw. Marine biologist. Splits his time between Monterey Bay Aquarium and the university.”
Lily came to stand beside her husband. “Ooh, high level. Do you have a picture?”
I shook my head. “If you’ve seen one middle-aged man, you’ve seen them all.”
Jack puffed out his chest. “Some of us are finer specimens than others.”
I laughed.
Lily took out her phone and tapped away. A cheeky smile lit up her face. She showed her husband whatever was on her phone.
He slapped his leg, chuckled and gave her a nudge. “That is no ordinary middle-aged white man.”
“Not ordinary.” She waggled her eyebrows. “And not middle-aged.”
What were they talking about? I hadn’t had time to google him yet. Were we about to get stuck with some grumpy old guy? Lily handed her phone to me. I sucked in a breath. Oh, shit. The person staring into the camera was mid-thirties and had a smile as captivating as his hazel eyes. They seemed to see right through the centre of me in every photo I flipped through. He wasn’t even here in person yet and already I found it hard to tear my eyes away. My mouth went dry. I scrolled. He looked as good in a dress shirt as he did in a wetsuit peeled off to his waist.
“You’re shitting me.” My eyes went to the search bar: Ethan Shaw, Marine Biologist. I shoved the phone back into Lily’s hand.
“Too hot to handle, huh?” Jack asked, chortling.
“Have fun knowing that fine specimen, or should we call him sex on legsSeal of Approval, is sleeping only metres away.” Lily gave me a wink.
“Co-worker, housemate, that’s it.”
I wiped the images from my mind. Or at least I tried to.
Two more days until Ethan arrived. I didn’t know if I wanted his charm to match his good looks, or the opposite. Which would be better?
If you'd like see if Ethan is too hot to handle, pre-order Seal of Approval now books2read.com/u/mB8vgN
Coming to you on March 14.
February 2, 2024
Early Reader's Thoughts
I'm so grateful for my beta readers and editor. They help me see what is working and where improvements can be made.
I have been receiving some good feedback on Seal of Approval.
Here is what early readers have had to say:
The pictured quote was from my editor, and it wasn't even a break up scene. Another one she made was:
Oh Lord that’s sweet as sugar. I’m MELTING.
I've even had some readers feel so strongly, they threatened violence against a character … OMG, as a mother I want to punch this lady a little bit.
And I like to add a bit of humour which this reader captured in her comment - Another thing that intrigued me was how unintentionally funny Jasmine’s thoughts were.
About the setting - You do a lovely job showing the reader what it means to live in a small coastal town in Australia. You don’t only show the physical beauty of the place, but also the warm sense of community. Makes me want to visit!
If you want to be taken through a range of emotions and have a satisfying happy-ever-after, pre-order Seal of Approval now so it lands in your Kindle when it is released on 14 March.
I have been receiving some good feedback on Seal of Approval.
Here is what early readers have had to say:
The pictured quote was from my editor, and it wasn't even a break up scene. Another one she made was:
Oh Lord that’s sweet as sugar. I’m MELTING.
I've even had some readers feel so strongly, they threatened violence against a character … OMG, as a mother I want to punch this lady a little bit.
And I like to add a bit of humour which this reader captured in her comment - Another thing that intrigued me was how unintentionally funny Jasmine’s thoughts were.
About the setting - You do a lovely job showing the reader what it means to live in a small coastal town in Australia. You don’t only show the physical beauty of the place, but also the warm sense of community. Makes me want to visit!
If you want to be taken through a range of emotions and have a satisfying happy-ever-after, pre-order Seal of Approval now so it lands in your Kindle when it is released on 14 March.
December 21, 2023
Behind the Scenes - Seal of Approval
I've been working hard on my next novel, Seal of Approval.
It has just gone through its first round of betas and it received a lot of positive feedback with comments like - compelling, well-developed characters and engaging. It left people thinking after they put the book down.
There is some polishing left to do before it goes to my editor. Editing is one of my favourite phases as I'm always learning new things and it takes the novel to the next level.
Seal of Approval will be released in March and is available for pre-order.
Stay tuned. I will be sharing some snippets in the coming weeks.
Seal of Approval: A Small Town, Workplace RomanceJuly 28, 2023
The Essence of Their Relationship
"I'm brave with you, brave to speak. But it's not just that you let me speak, it’s that you listen." — Peyton, Take The Bull By The Horns
Take the Bull by the Horns
Take the Bull by the Horns
