Devika Fernando's Blog, page 44

New Poem: MEMORIES (for 'Seduced in Spain')

A recent thunderstorm inspired me to write 3 poems. I've already shared 2 of them, titled "Sing Me a Song" and "Don't Underestimate Me". Here's poem number 3, which was inspired by the heroine from my latest romance novel SEDUCED IN SPAIN. Poem: Memories ​I’m sitting by the window, trying
Not to slip back in time again
And take a trip down memory lane
Because I’ll just end up crying
 
I’m lying in my bed, wide awake
Cursing my inability to see
That you never cherished me
And made my lovesick heart break
 
I’m walking with my head held high
Pretending that I’m all over you
Though forgetting you is hard to do
And every breath is a painful sigh
 
I’m sitting by the window, thinking why
I couldn’t arm myself against your charm
Couldn’t see that loving you meant harm
And yet another day of regrets goes by
 
I’m lying in my bed, counting the stars
Wondering if you remember me too
Recall all the things we used to do
Feel the painful itch beneath the scars
 
I’m walking with both feet on the ground
But my head is high up in the clouds
Full of memories, dreams and doubts
Waiting forever to be searched and found
 
I’m sitting by the window with my broken heart
Asking myself whether it was worth the pain
Whether I was meant to lose again and again
And our love story was doomed from the start
 
I’m lying in my bed, longing for your touch
Whereas you have forgotten my name
Wondering if to you I was only a game
Realizing that I gave of myself too much
 
I’m walking alone on a road dark and long
Trapped in a world of unrequited love
Eternally waiting for a sign from above
Clueless as to what on earth went wrong
Silently singing a sad, sad song
 
© Devika Fernando

SEDUCED IN SPAIN - Why Spain?

​My latest contemporary romance novel, SEDUCED IN SPAIN, is out now. I released it roughly a year after Book 1 of the same series, SAVED IN SRI LANKA. Both novels of the ROMANCE ROUND THE WORLD series can be categorized as multicultural / interracial romance, and I love this challenge. Being half German and half Sri Lankan and having married a Sri Lankan after growing up in Germany means that I’m a staunch believer in love overcoming all boundaries. ​
​So why did I choose Spain as the setting for this new novel? Several reasons made it an obvious choice.I love the Spanish languages. It’s my favourite of the Romance languages, and I understand it pretty well.One of my best friends is from Spain, so I had a person to turn to for details, for verifying the authenticity of information I had researched, and for beta-reading the few sentences in Spanish.I’ve always wanted to travel to Spain, and with my book I did just that, though only virtually. Here’s my Pinterest Board for the book so you can travel along with me.Readers love falling for heroes from Mediterranean countries. I could’ve chosen Italy or Greece, but Spain is my first love in this regard Spanish men are hot. I mean HOT. ;-) I might write about an Italian hunk in the future, so stay tuned… 
To celebrate the new release, I’m sharing my happiness with you: SAVED IN SRI LANKA is discounted, and SEDUCED IN SPAIN is available for the same price of $2.99. From next week onward, both books will be priced at $3.99 again.
 
If you want to get a feel of the story, you can read the first 4 chapters for free here on Wattpad (you don’t need to be a member for that).

Already know you want to read the book? Here are the buy links! Amazon Apple iBooks Kobo Google Books Barnes&Noble Smashwords

Featured - Book Club Spotlight for "Right Fit, Wrong Shoe" by Varsha Dixit

Right Fit Wrong Shoeby Varsha Dixit 
Blurb Right Fit Wrong Shoe, begins at a point where all love stories end. The tale weaves around Nandini and all that is important to her, with two contenders gunning for the top spot; Aditya Sarin and Sneha Verma.
Aditya Sarin, the man Nandini is madly in love with, yet compelled, for some unsolved reason to shun.  Aditya, on his part, in the past declared Nandini to be a ‘millennium bhehenji (conservative girl)’ and ‘lassi (yoghurt drink) in a wine glass’. Yet he fell for her  . . . hard! However, some mysterious episode caused the lovers to, acrimoniously, part. 
Now, Aditya is back in Kanpur,  all his guns blazing (the real and the imagined), determined to devastate her life. Fortunately for the readers, and unfotunately for Aditya, Nandini is determined not to‘bite the dust’ oh so quietly. Wonder, in the battle royal, who wins or who loses it all?
Sneha Verma, the other contender, is Nandini’s BFF, that one friend who knows us better than we do. The one we trust more than Stayfree or Clearasil. Sneha maybe headstrong, hammer fisted and stern mouthed, but for Nandini, she will willingly stand in the path of imminent lightning bolt or a nasty tornado, even if it’s named Aditya Sarin. In standard X, Sneha took Nandini under her wing and that equation hasn't changed much. Sneha, a recent wife and even more recent mom, appears to be fighting some unknown demons of her own.
Right Fit Wrong Shoe, observes and opinionates the society, affected and amused. It fleetingly touches on issues; fleeting as watching discourses (courtesy Astha Channel), is trendier and quicker, than reading them. 
The book is an AAA (anytime, anywhere, anyone) read. It promises to make your day better, and a bad one not any worse. 
Grab your copy  amazon.in | amazon.com

About The Author 

Varsha Dixit, the best selling author of four successful contemporary romance books. Her debut book, Right Fit Wrong Shoe was a national bestseller for the year 2010. Varsha was a part of the Indian Television Industry and worked as an assistant director and online editor. She considers herself a dreamer who thinks deep but writes light. Even though creativity is gender free, Varsha feels blessed and enriched to be a woman. Currently, with her family, Varsha resides in CA, USA.
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Featured - Book Club Spotlight for "His Christmas Delight" by Summerita Rhayne

Book Blitz

His Christmas Delight by Summerita Rhayne





Blurb
Caught by Santa!
For Myra, Christmas means supporting her friends. They rallied round getting her back on her feet after she lost Pete, her husband, so she's always ready to help any of them. No matter to what lengths the challenge makes her go. Only she didn't expect to find Santa almost catching her in her wrongdoings. Then she finds that the handsome Santa is Jay, her old high school friend. Now he's changed from a gangly geek to an attractive stranger. After missing out on the dating scene for a long time after losing Pete, she feels the first stirring of desire. But Jay is playing hot and cold, refusing to admit the attraction sizzling between them.

He’s back in Goa just for Christmas
Jay knew Myra as his best friend's girl. Now Pete is gone, but Jay is finding difficult to let go of the scars he picked up in Coast Guard service. He’s home only to help revive his brother’s toy shop. When he finds himself making excuses to stay, he knows he’s crossing the limits he’d set himself. What’s the purpose in taking this further when he knows he cannot be the one to give her the happiness she deserves? But no matter how hard he tries, the scorching flames of wanting only seem to get stronger. How can he keep on denying the attraction between them when she insists on coming close?
Grab your copy on  Amazon.in  |Amazon.com

About the author

Summerita Rhayne writes sensual romance which is sheer escapism with lots of emotional conflict. She first got published in 2013 and has won contests with prestigious publishers such as Harlequin and Harper Collins India. Writing, she finds, is the only way to deal with the numerous story ideas bubbling in her brain which pop up more rapidly than her keyboard can do justice to. Her pet belief is that even when writing time is in short supply, if the inspiration is strong enough, the story characters get a life of their own and will find a way to make the writer pen them down. When cerebrally confronted with the sizzling interaction of two Alpha characters, the only way to get peace is write their book!

At heart, she's a family person and even though she loves her medical teaching profession, she happily becomes a homemaker when not at work. She loves winding down with music, movies, cricket (strictly watching only) and social networking.

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Teaser Tuesday - Excerpt from "Seduced in Spain"

Book 2 of the 'Romance Round the World' series, SEDUCED IN SPAIN, will be released on March 29th, so here's another snippet from my new multicultural romance novel.
​Luigi launched into a long monologue about his family’s pizzeria—gah, how clichéd—and Emily suppressed a sigh. She weighed her opinions. He was handsome to look at, but he didn’t hold her interest. Should she try out a date and get laid so she’d get Alejandro out of her system?
“How about you?” Luigi’s voice jolted her from her musing, as did his hand on hers. She kept it where it was. Nope, definitely no spark.
Before she could answer, a deep, growly voice said, “She’s mine.”
Their heads shot up. What in the world?!
Alejandro towered over them, blocking out the sunlight, his expression grim and his tone forbidding. He amended his strange comment after a tense moment of stunned silence. “She’s my personal assistant. And this is my hotel.”
Did he have to sound so proprietary? It turned him into a caveman of sorts. And all about his body language screamed “mine, don’t touch”. Luigi pulled his hand away, and Emily actually blushed. Goddammit. Her one chance of forgetting Alejandro, ruined by the man himself.
Luigi was spluttering a little, clearly confused, complimenting Alejandro on the beautiful hotel. Alejandro continued to glare at him with narrowed eyes before turning the full force of his gaze onto Emily. For a second, his expression faltered, and his gaze traveled slowly up and down her body. She had automatically sat up straighter and unfolded her legs, and his gaze lingered on the lightly tanned skin dotted with water drops.
There was that tingle all right, traveling straight to her core. He was undressing her with his eyes, and she felt the urge to press her thighs together and do something about the sudden spark of need.
But Alejandro’s expression hardened again. “Emily,” he said gruffly, “Do you have a moment? There’s something we need to discuss about the conference in Madrid next week.”
Resisting the urge to grit her teeth, she lifted her chin defiantly. “You gave me the rest of the day off. Can’t it wait?”
A muscle began to tick in Alejandro’s jaw. “No, it cannot wait.” He turned and took a few steps away, clearly expecting her to follow. Huffing internally, Emily got up. This time she did wrap the towel around herself before turning to Luigi. “I’m sorry,” she said in a slightly raised voice. “It was so nice meeting you.”

Pre-Order the book now by clicking here, and enjoy an early bird discount!

Featured - Book Club Spotlight for "Twists of Fate" by Priyanka Naik

Book Blitz

TWISTS OF FATE by Priyanka Naik
Blurb
As kids, we thought grown-ups had so much fun. How we wished we could grow up fast. If only we knew what we were wishing for.Three pieces of a soul, they'd call themselves soul sisters and this is their journey, a journey through the lives of three best friends who accidentally reunite after a decade long disconnection. A round of startling revelations later, the three realize that life is indeed unpredictable. However, in this world of uncertainty, there is just one thing they can still be sure of their friendship!With secrets confessed, pain shared, tears shed and troubles discussed, they help find answers to each other's problems, just like old times.Each has a lesson to learn from the other, a story to tell, a reason to say 'I'm sorry' and a reason to say 'Thank you'. Has destiny brought them together to complete the picture?Will they succeed in finding the missing pieces?Can every twist of fate be interpreted in just one way?Join Sharvari Joshi, Parizaad Sethna and Nandini Mazumdar in a nostalgic journey from girlhood to womanhood. 'Twists of Fate' promises to be a roller coaster ride of emotions that will captivate the reader's heart and leave him pondering on life, fate and all its conspiracies.
Grab your copy on  Amazon.in | Flipkart | InfibeamAbout the author Priyanka hails from the beautiful land of Goa. She is a doctor by profession and a writer at heart. She runs a private clinic where she consults as General Physician and Diabetologist.She is a perfectionist by nature and a gypsy by habit…a realist by design and a dreamer by default. Sometimes jaded and sometimes overtly optimistic, she is quite a paradox trying to figure out her role in the grand scheme of things. She has won several elocution competitions during her school days, and has had her poems and articles published in newspapers and magazines.Being a blogger for the last twelve odd years, it is the love of her readers and friends that has inspired her to come out with a book. She believes everybody who has a story to tell deserves a chance to be heard. She has faith in the power of words. She celebrates the magic of bonds (like the one already formed between you and her) that exist despite time, space and lack of physical proximity. Winner of the 'Literary Diva 2015' Award, she owes her success to the love of her readers and an undying passion to express her thoughts. Besides reading and writing, her other interests include traveling and music.
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Featured - Author Interview with Susanne Bellamy & Book Spotlight

Today I'm chatting with a friend and amazing author from Down Under whose books I really enjoy reading. Susanne Bellamy is celebrating the release of her latest Aussie romance "Heartbreak Homestead". *round of applaus* Interview with Susanne Bellamy ​1) What do you like most and least about being a writer?
I have the best boss in the world! ;) I get to set my deadlines and choose my projects and work in my PJs if I want to. I can arrange my work day to accommodate household requirements that used to be put on the back burner because I was 'out at work' from 7.30 – 5 pm. But there is seldom anyone waving a big stick and telling me to 'get on with it' if I'm a bit slow or slack. And there is also the dreaded self-doubt that rears its head from time to time. That's when we need wonderful writer friends to chivvy us along.
 
2) I read and enjoyed your book “Just One Kiss” immensely, and I think the title fits perfectly. How do you come up with titles, and what do you think is important about them?
Thank you! The easiest one was my first story, “White Ginger”. When I was a teenager, I discovered Hawaiian White Ginger perfume which remained a favourite for years. When I set my first story on Kauai, the white ginger plant growing at Amelie's rented cottage gave me that title and never changed. Others have been much more difficult but when I'm struggling, I brainstorm then run possibilities past a few trusted friends.
My husband came up with the title of my latest release, “Heartbreak Homestead”.
 
3) What inspired the story of “Heartbreak Homestead” and its underlying theme of new beginnings and second chances?
I had very different ideas about who would feature in book 2 while I was writing “Just One Kiss”. Originally, Amy's brother Jeff was to have his story in book 2 but I get to know my characters as I write and see them interact and a certain feisty woman called Lizzy grew stronger and louder until I agreed that, 'yes, your story has to be told next'.  
 
4) Do you have to do a lot of research for your books (e. g. about the Flying Doctor service)? How do you go about it?
I think most writers do, even when they are building their own fantasy worlds. But I use Google, Wikipedia, Google maps, and ask for expert help on various online loops. There are many ways to discover what you need when you're a writer but talking to people who know is still my favourite option.
 
5) Any hidden talents or crazy facts about you?
I studied ballet for 13 years and was one of a small dance troupe who burst onto local television in glorious living colour back when colour TV 'arrived'!
 
6) Your novels of the “Hearts of the Outback” series are set in rural Australia. You’ve also written stories set in Italy and Hawaii, among other countries. Is there any other country you’d like to write about?
I have a hankering to write a story set in Antarctica but would love to visit before I tackle it. And the idea is in a different genre to my current works. I've travelled in lots of countries, including various European and Asian places, and would like to set one in Vietnam for a change.
I recently subbed a story set mostly in Nepal to my publisher but have to 'wait and see' if they like it.
 
7) Tell us in 3 sentences what makes your latest release “Heartbreak Homestead” special to you.
“Heartbreak” allowed me (perhaps demanded) that I toughen up and 'kill my darlings' as writers like to phrase it. I loved the push/pull between the protagonists and the suspense aspect of Lizzy and Alex's story. And I loved writing about baby Daniel; perhaps more so now that I'm about to become a grandmother!
 
8) Do you have any advice for (aspiring) authors?
Write every day, even if it's only a couple of hundred words. If you do that, within a year, you'll have a long novel or two novellas written! Because you cannot edit a blank page, so write! But don't retreat so far into your writing cave that you forget your loved ones, or forget to refill you r own creative well with reading and new experiences.
 
9) If you were suddenly forced to marry one of the characters you’ve written, who would it be and why?
That's a seriously difficult question! I'm not sure I can pick one as I tend to 'fall in love' with each of my heroes; perhaps because there is a little bit of my husband in each of them. Okay, biting the bullet here – I'll say Luc Martineau from “Winning the Heiress' Heart”. There is one special scene in this story that just gets me each time I read it. It brings together Eva's past and her worst nightmare and allows Luc to reveal just how special a man he is. 
 
10) What are you currently working on?
Book 3 of “Hearts of the Outback” is Sarah and Caleb's story. They 'met' under, shall we say, unusual circumstances in book 2 when Detective Richards arrested Sarah. Now, he needs the skills of the horse whisperer to solve a case.
And no, I haven't figured out its title yet! I doubt that “From the Horse's Mouth” is a great rural suspense title!
 
Thanks so much for hosting me, Devika. I love visiting your blog.
​ About the Author Born and raised in Toowoomba, Susanne is an Australian author of contemporary, rural, and suspense romances set in exciting and often exotic locations, and in Australia. She adores travel with her husband, both at home and overseas, and weaves stories around the settings and people she encounters.
Her heroes have to be pretty special to live up to her real life hero. He saved her life then married her.
Susanne is a member of the RWA and was a finalist in their 2011 Emerald Award. She placed third in the 2015 Pan Macmillan short story competition with Chez Romeo. Mentoring aspiring writers, and working as a freelance editor keeps her off the street! She loves connecting with readers and fellow writers.   

​You can find me at the following:
a.     Facebook https://www.facebook.com/susanne.bellamy.7
b.    Twitter https://twitter.com/SusanneBellamy
c.     Website http://www.susannebellamy.com/
d.    Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/susannebellamy/
e.     Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/6869630.Susanne_Bellamy  

About the Book After her brother’s death, the last thing Lizzy Wilmot wants to do is to return to her family’s property but Alex Carter, his former business partner, needs her help to locate some missing files. Alex doesn't trust Lizzy and the feeling is mutual but when they find themselves back at the homestead in the midst of a bitter custody battle for Lizzy’s baby nephew, sparks begin to fly. 
Who is trying to harm Lizzy? 
Can they both learn that trust will overcome heartbreak? 
 
Buy link : amzn.to/ 1nqc9hc 
​

Featured - Release Day Blitz for "The Strength of a Heart" by Ioana Visan

About the Book ​Title: The Strength of a Heart
Series: The Stolen Wings #2
Author: Ioana Visan
Release Date: March 2016
Genre: Urban Fantasy
 
Book Description:
One day, a pair of wings will change the world. Alise’s wings are killing her.

Twice condemned to death, Alise is slowly fading away after a poisonous Mermaid’s bite, but Rafe will have none of that. Along with two other Guardians of Balance and Alise’s human friend, they go in search of a cure in The Mists, where Gorem’s Wizard is in hiding.

Their journey will be met with danger and strife along the way. With werewolves, demons, dangerous sea creatures, and Alise’s poisoned-filled wings growing back, their chance of survival is slim.

Will Alise survive another murderous plot?
 
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28693249-the-strength-of-a-heart
 
Buy Links:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C4AP5KI
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01C4AP5KI
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01C4AP5KI
Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01C4AP5KI
Free with Kindle Unlimited 
​ ​Don’t miss book one in The Stolen Wings series, The Weight of a Wing!
 
Title: The Weight of a Wing
Series: The Stolen Wings #1
Author: Ioana Visan
Release Date: April 2015
Genre: Urban Fantasy
 
Book Description:
Alise has achieved the impossible. After her wings were chopped off, the fairy survived and now finds herself in the human world, once again hunted like prey by the sadistic Gorem.
 
Locating him with her help means that the two Guardians of Balance, Rafe and Vale, will not only be able to turn him in and make him pay for maiming her, but make him accountable for the deaths of other fairies as well.
 
Gorem has plans of his own for the rogue fairy. With the help of a wizard, Fabian, and an army of monsters by his side, Gorem will stop at nothing to recapture Alise.
 
With already so much on the line, Alise not only has to keep herself safe from harm, but will also have to protect her new human friend, Cassie, in the process.
 
Who will win the battle of good versus evil? Is capturing Gorem worth risking what remains of Alise's life?
 
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25053046-the-weight-of-a-wing
 
Buy Link:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W4BSUUU
Promotional Price: $0.99
Free with Kindle Unlimited 
​ About the Author ​Award-winning writer Ioana Visan has always dreamed about reaching the stars, but since she can't, she writes about it.

After fighting the apocalypse aftermath in “Human Instincts”, she played with shapeshifters in “Blue Moon Café Series: Where Shifters Meet for Drinks”, she dealt with vampires in “The Impaler Legacy” series, and then she designed prosthetics in “Broken People” before tackling longer works like a fantasy trilogy and a science fiction series.
 
Aside from publishing short stories in various Romanian magazines and anthologies, she published a Romanian short story collection “Efectul de nautil” and the Romanian edition of “Human Instincts”.

She received the Encouragement Award from The European Science Fiction Society at Eurocon 2013.
 
 
Social Links:
 
Website:      http://www.ioanavisan.tk
Blog:             http://weirdvision2001.blogspot.com
Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/AuthorIoanaVisan
Twitter:        https://twitter.com/weirdvision
Amazon:      http://amazon.com/author/ioanavisan
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ioanavisan

Featured - Spotlight of "The Other Side of Morning" by Joanna Lambert

About the BookGenre: Romance
Release Date: 8 March 2014
Publisher:  ThornBerry Publishing
​
Fashion designer Thérèse D’Alesandro has recently moved into Higher Padbury Manor with daughter Felica and stepson Marco. Joining forces with Ella Benedict’s exclusive functions venue Lawns at Little Court, she is about to open a bridal boutique.
Working in London where he manages his father’s European restaurant chain, Marco has both the looks and charm to guarantee him any woman; any woman, that is, except the one he wants: Ella’s niece Charlotte. Marco knows he should walk away as she’s already involved with rock star Christian Rosetti and is the most rude and argumentative female he has ever encountered, but Charlotte has sparked strong feelings within him; feelings which despite her attitude, he senses she is also experiencing.
Recently returned from abroad and now working for her father’s record company, Lucy Benedict has discovered Christian’s guilty secrets – ones he has been keeping safely hidden from her cousin Charlotte. Determined to cause mischief and at the same time settle her own score with the arrogant star, she sets in motion a chain of events which sees Charlotte eventually beginning a relationship with Marco.
Rossana Caravello, the D’Alesandros’s newly-arrived house guest, is due to inherit the one of Italy’s premier vineyards on her eighteenth birthday. Aware they would make an excellent addition to her husband Gianlucca’s international business portfolio and eager to bring them into his possession, Thérèse sets about engineering a match between Rossana and Marco, determined nothing will stand in her way… including Charlotte.
From rural West Somerset to the glorious rolling landscape of Tuscany and the Italian Lakes THE OTHER SIDE OF MORNING is a story of love, betrayal, deception and ultimate sacrifice.

VIDEO TRAILER
https://youtu.be/37hGyB4WVPc
 
BUY LINKS
AMAZON UK
AMAZON US
​ About the AuthorBorn and raised in rural Wiltshire, Jo grew up with a love of books and a vivid imagination. As a child she enjoyed creating her own stories and reading them to her friends. College, work and eventually marriage meant writing was kept very much as a hobby. Her career as a board level PA eventually moved into management and it wasn’t until 2009 that she finally realised her long term goal of publishing her first novel - When Tomorrow Comes.
Juggling work and writing, three other connected books - Love Lies and Promises, The Ghost of You and Me and Between Today and Yesterday - followed. They became collectively known as the Little Court Series. 

In 2013 she decided to give up full time work to concentrate on her writing. Two books have been written since - The Other Side of Morning, which finally wrapped up the Little Court Series and Summer Moved On, book one of a two-part love story set in South Devon. Although you can find her characters in glamorous locations like Italy, Grand Cayman, Bali and Australia, the core of her writing remains with village life, an environment she knows and loves. When she isn’t writing, she reviews for Hodder and Stoughton, Brook Cottage Books and NetGalley. Jo lives in a village on the eastern edge of Bath with her husband, one small grey feline called Mollie and a green MGB GT.  She loves travel, red wine and rock music.
 
Facebook: Facebook.com/joannalambert
Twitter: Twitter: @jolambertwriter
Goodreads: /thewriterwhoreads
Instagram:  taurusgirl185
Google+ Googleplus: google.com/+JoLambert
Website: http://jolambertbooks.com
Blog:   http://jolambertwriter.wordpress.com
​
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International Women's Day - Meet My Leading Ladies

​To celebrate International Women’s Day today, I want to share why the protagonists in my romance novels are special to me, and what I like about them. Give it up for some woman power! Emily from SEDUCED IN SPAIN Emily works as a PA for a hotelier, but she has higher ambitions than that. She’s chosen this career for herself despite her parents’ disapproval. When she was younger, she used to be the odd one out, the quiet and studious one who didn’t take risks and knew nothing about love. But an encounter in Spain opened her eyes, and she’s grown into a confident woman who’s learning what’s best for her.
I love most about Emily that she doesn’t let others get her down or boss her around. Sepalika from SAVED IN SRI LANKA It was a (welcome) challenge to write from an Asian woman’s point of view for this romance novel, though my Sri Lankan side was a huge help. Sepalika is in a real spot of bother and had prepared herself for the worst, but falling in love with Daniel makes her realize that she deserves better. It’s great seeing her sort of ‘come into her own’ and finding the courage to fight for her happiness.
I love most about Sepalika that she is so caring and kind, yet has a backbone. Felicia from the FIRE TRILOGY Writing about a fire witch was thrilling. I had initially planned only one book with Felicia, but she demanded she wanted to go on an adventure, so “Playing with Fire” was followed by “Dancing with Fire” and “Living with Fire”. She’s stuck between needing to lead a normal life and yearning to find out more about her true self, to discover and use her fire magic. She’s a fiery force to be reckoned with, sometimes wild and willful, but also caring and a bit insecure.
I love most about Felicia that she is always up for a challenge. Jayne from the FORBIDDEN Series In the romantic thriller I coauthored with bestselling American author Mike Wells, we have two leading ladies, so to speak. There’s Eleanor, who isn’t who she seems, and Jayne, our main character. Jayne might appear as the proverbial ‘plain Jane’ but she’s much more than that. Once she’s faced with difficult decisions, she finds an inner strength.
I love most about Jayne that she isn't fooled by riches and promises, but uses her heart and her brain to find her way. Nadia from KALEIDOSCOPE OF HOPES ​This character reminds me of a (modern day) Cinderella, but in reverse. Nadia grew up among riches, then has to face one difficulty after another until she’s lost almost everything. She tries to make the best of what she has—and then her life gets turned upside down again when her new neighbours move in. While she might not seem strong on the outside, she never gives up and she always strives to make everyone happy.
I love most about Nadia that she’s quiet, caring and intelligent. Cathy from WHEN I SEE YOUR FACE At the beginning of the book, Cathy couldn’t be in a worse situation. She’s battled an abusive relationship and has no idea what to do with her life now. But she faces her second chance head-on and slowly learns to love herself and really live. She follows her dream of starting her own cake business, and she is determined to trust and love again despite all she’s been through.
I love most about Cathy that she never lost her kindness and endurance, although everyone has been treating her wrong.