Travel turns you into a storyteller
Embarking on a journey to distant lands not only broadens our horizons but also awakens a dormant storyteller within us. Travel has the incredible power to ignite our imagination, fuel our creativity, and transform us into captivating storytellers. In this blog post, we will explore how travel can unlock the storyteller within and forever change the way we share our experiences with the world.
BOOKS AND TRAVEL
1. The Tapestry of Cultures
When we venture beyond the familiar, we immerse ourselves in a tapestry of diverse cultures, customs, and traditions. Each new encounter becomes a chapter in our own personal narrative. As we absorb the sights, sounds, and flavors of different lands, our stories begin to take shape. The vibrant markets, bustling streets, and ancient ruins become the backdrop for the tales we will weave.
2. Embracing the Unknown
Traveling often involves stepping outside of our comfort zones and embracing the unknown. Whether it’s navigating through foreign cities, trying exotic cuisines, or engaging in unfamiliar activities, these experiences become the raw material for our stories. The moments of uncertainty and the unexpected adventures become the plot twists that make our tales all the more compelling.
3. Connecting with People
One of the most powerful aspects of travel is the opportunity to connect with people from all walks of life. The locals we encounter along our journey become the characters in our stories. Their stories intertwine with ours, creating a tapestry of human experiences. From the elderly storyteller in a quaint village to the young street performer in a bustling city, each person we meet adds depth and richness to our own narrative.
4. Finding Inspiration in Nature
Nature, in all its glory, has a way of inspiring the storyteller within us. From the majestic mountains to the tranquil beaches, the vast deserts to the lush rainforests, the beauty of the natural world sparks our imagination. The awe-inspiring landscapes become the canvas on which we paint our stories, capturing the essence of the places we have explored.
5. Reflecting on Personal Transformation
Travel is not just about the external journey; it is also about the internal transformation that takes place within us. As we navigate through different cultures, face challenges, and embrace new experiences, we grow as individuals. Our personal growth becomes the underlying theme of our stories, adding depth and meaning to our narratives.
Travel nourishes my creativity
LOVE STORIES SET IN MEXICOTravel always inspires me and nourishes my creativity. Some moons ago now, I used to manage several travel agencies and often travelled on my own, including to Egypt, Israel and Jordan, to experience holiday destinations so I could recommend them to my clients.
In 1999, I decided to fly solo to Mexico and travel with a winemaker I had met after an eventful New Year’s Eve the year before. He was a fellow Kiwi who had returned to NZ briefly and was living and working in Mexico and was a good friend of my best friend.
When I flew to Mexico City from my home in Wellington, I had absolutely no idea of the scale and size of the place. My tiny city, once voted the coolest little capital in the world by Lonely Planet and where I also set my book Twist of Fate, has a tiny little population of around 418,000 people!!
The estimated population of Mexico is approximately 129 million people. New Zealand’s population is only 5 million!
I couldn’t speak a word of Spanish, and I couldn’t even be sure that the person I was flying to meet would be at the airport in Mexico City to greet me. What if he had forgotten? This was before cellphones! The estimated population of Mexico City including the entire metropolitan area, which includes the surrounding areas, the population is estimated to be around 21 million people. As I flew over the vast landscape, I suddenly realised with a heart-pounding shock the enormity of the risk I was taking.
Happily, it worked out beautifully. I had some wonderful, unforgettable experiences, stayed in some heart-stompingly beautiful places and met some lifelong friends, including Joe and Gerry and their family who live in New York. I have set a couple of my love stories there, including Christmas For One.
While staying in Oaxaca, I had a memorable experience when cycling back from the UNESCO site of Monte Albán, which is one of Mexico’s most jaw-dropping ruins, continuously inhabited over a span of 1,500 years by Zapotec, Mixtec, and Olmec peoples. As I cycled down the hill, I was surrounded by a cloud of butterflies. In part, the experience inspired my latest love story, Love in Mexico.
The butterfly theme that so many of my readers love is also inspired by tales of the amazing migration of Monarch butterflies to Mexico every year during the winter months. They travel from the United States and Canada to specific regions in Mexico, primarily to the states of Michoacán and Mexico. where the climate and habitat are nourishing for the butterflies to hibernate and reproduce. The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, located in the states of Michoacán and Mexico, is a popular destination for tourists to witness the incredible phenomenon of millions of monarch butterflies clustering together in the oyamel fir forests.
Love in Mexico is an expanded version of my book, Flight of Passion. There are quite a few additional scenes, including several beautiful weddings, but I don’t want to give away too much!
I’ve several of my books in New Zealand. Readers tell me it is one of the places they long to see.
The Passion Down Under Sassy Short Stories 6 Book-Bundle Box Set contains stand-alone fun and frisky later-in-life, small-town romance books set in beautiful locations all around New Zealand.
AMAZON US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVRBG532
AMAZON CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CVRBG532
AMAZON UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CVRBG532
AMAZON AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CVRBG532
UNIVERSAL LINK: https://mybook.to/6SassyShortStories
a delightful, suspenseful read“When Alexandra receives a lawyer’s letter informing her that the father she has no knowledge of, has left her an inheritance, including a very special and priceless painting, her world is thrown into disarray. Alex leaves the comfort of her home in New York to investigate her past in New Zealand where she is confronted by the unusual painting she names Lost Love. The painting stirs up more questions than answers and the simple investigation into the life of her father turns into a multidimensional mystery. It also brings an angry Vitaliano Rossi across her path and before she knows it, her life is intricately bound with his. In a relationship where both Alex and Vitali mistrust one another, theirs is a battle of wits as Vitali wants the painting every bit as much as Alex does, but neither will divulge the reasons as to why they do. The attraction between Vitali and Alex is electric and although the book is relatively clean, there is enough passion between them to boil water. As truths emerge and they come to an understanding of each other’s motives, the love that has been simmering between them comes out in full force. I loved both Vitali and Alex and even though Vitali was arrogant and seemed to be self-serving, he is nevertheless an exciting hero, whilst Alex is the kind of woman we can all identify with. This is an excellent and somewhat suspenseful read.”
Set in the dual locations of Auckland and the South Island of New Zealand
Buy this book through the links below…To grab your copy from Amazon>> getBook.at/ScandalousMarriage
To grab your copy from iBooks, Barnes & Noble and other great bookstores,>>https://books2read.com/u/mVNdn5
To grab your copy from Kobo>>https://www.kobo.com/ebook/the-italian-billionaire-s-scandalous-marriage-1
LOVE STORIES SET IN FIJITHE ITALIAN BILLIONAIRE’S CHRISTMAS BRIDE
Last Christmas, art therapist Issy Riley was jilted by her fiancé. This Christmas she’s running away. A week with a client on his private Fijian island promises to save her from cheating men and the London festive season. But when the client turns out to be a gorgeous and magnetic Italian billionaire, he threatens her resolve to never again trust her heart to the wrong man.
Milan fashion house leader and avowed bachelor Massimiliano Balforni has no intention of taking a vacation, despite his sister’s insistence that he subject himself to an art therapy retreat following a minor heart attack. With an important collection due, he intends to fire his therapist and work, instead. But the determined and striking Issy gives his heart palpitations of a far more dangerous kind.
The one thing Max and Issy agree on: they are as wrong for each other as wrong gets. He’s a workaholic playboy who believes emotion is a weakness. She’s a romantic who yearns for a happily ever after.
As the tropical heat soars, they discover that in this battle between work and play, resistance only fuels attraction—and sometimes two wrongs make a very passionate right.
Set in two beautiful paradises—Milano, Italy and the tropical Pacific islands of Fiji.
Buy this book through the links below…AMAZON
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LM8SWAI
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01LM8SWAI
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LM8SWAI
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01LM8SWAI
Universal link: http://getBook.at/ChristmasBride
To enjoy your copy from Ibooks, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and other great bookstores, click here>>https://books2read.com/u/3LpDa7
LOVE STORIES SET IN ITALYLove in SicilyDate: 13th February 2024, Posted by mollie
Set in the dual locations of Sicily, Italy, and The Bay of Islands, New Zealand—some of the most beautiful, unspoiled, sensuous places in the world.
Love in Sicily: A later in life billionaire romance by Mollie Mathews
A heart-wrenching yet heart-healing story An unexpected lover…a volcano of exploding passions
★★★★★ ““Another heart-wrenching yet heart-healing story from this gifted author.”
After surviving a horrific accident, Kate Miller is plagued by guilt. Hiding both her mental and physical scars, she shuns love and escapes into work—finding meaning and purpose in running her boutique Manuka honey business.
Billionaire business magnate Gianni Romano has ventured from Sicily to New Zealand driven by the crimes of his father and the memories he wants to escape. But the infamous Romano name and ill-gained fortune follow him wherever he goes. But this only makes the headstrong Italian more determined to strike out on his own. Now, he’s on the cusp of achieving world acclaim.
Only one woman stands in his way—fiercely independent Kate Miller and her refusal to submit to his demands that she sells her business to him. Her passions are inflamed. How dare he think he can flaunt his considerable wealth and buy the only thing that gives her a reason to live?
The spark they have is hotter than a Sicilian sunset and conflict flames. When emotions run deep, and hearts are on the line, will mixing business with pleasure be the bedrock for lifelong love? Or will their love explode like an angry volcano?
Love In Sicily is a beautiful romance, brimming with the promise of a happily ever after. Set in the dual locations of Sicily, Italy, and The Bay of Islands, New Zealand—one of the most beautiful, unspoiled, sensuous places in the world.
Love In Venice: A forced proximity, billionaire romance (True Love) Kindle Edition3rd PRIZE RWNZ EXCELLENCE IN ROMANCE AWARD
One summer could change everything. . .
When two hopelessly mismatched people share a love for art, a passion for love, and a city like Venice, nothing is truly impossible…or is it?
a warmly romantic story
“Love In Venice is a warmly romantic story. I loved that their hearts seemed to speak to each other almost from their first meeting. I love that we get to see how their lives unfold and their beautiful love for each other. The story has a wonderful flow and beautiful and vivid descriptions. I could envision myself in Venice – seeing the canal, the cobblestoned streets, the architecture and more. There are family, friends, and lots of heart-to-heart moments between Maggie and Mauro. There is sadness and tears, euphoria, romance and love. There is also art brought in – music and painting that touched their souls and mine. There is a happily ever after that was portrayed better than I hoped. The epilogue adds an additional layer to the story and briefly brings in characters we’ve met in other books. Ms Mathews is an author whose books I enjoy. She always transports me to someplace new with a cast of characters I grow to love. Give her books a try if you haven’t already!”
~ JoAnne W.
AMAZON US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7Q9LDCP
AMAZON CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0B7Q9LDCP
AMAZON UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B7Q9LDCP
AMAZON AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0B7Q9LDCP
iBOOK, BARNES AND NOBLE, AND OTHER GREAT BOOKSTORES: https://books2read.com/u/bPgV0Y
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/en/ebook/love-in-venice
AUDIO
KOBO
https://www.kobo.com/us/audiobook/love-in-venice-1
The audio version is also available from other online retailers and libraries for your listening pleasure.
AUDIBLE
AUDIBLE US: https://www.audible.com/pd/Love-in-Venice-Audiobook/B0BBH8S35L
AUDIBLE UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Love-in-Venice-Audiobook/B0BBHCNBW6
AUDIBLE AU: https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Love-in-Venice-Audiobook/B0BBH927T6
LOVE IN THE DESERTSheikhs Untamed Brides Box Set Books 1-2: Second Chance, Secret Baby Romance
★★★★★ “The depth of emotions touched my heart!”
This is a sweet and clean sheikh romance boxed set from award-winning author Mollie Mathews. Filled with sweet, enthralling tales of sheikh romance, set in a number of fictional Middle Eastern kingdoms, and featuring a host of maverick, handsome sheik romantic heroes, it’s a great value boxed set featuring two books at a bargain price!
Claimed by The Sheikh
The secret she kept from the Sheikh…
A grief-stricken Sheikh Tariq na Hassir, the formidable ruler of the Kingdom of Avana, arrives in Paris to claim his brother’s child after a car crash killed his parents–only to find out from the hospital that the child isn’t their biological son. Salim is Tariq’s son, with his former lover, a renowned architect.
Three years ago, after being banished by Tariq from his desert kingdom, Melanie Jones secretly gave her baby to Tariq’s childless brother and his wife, in a swap the world was never supposed to discover.
The tragedy pulls her back to the world that rejected her and the man who abandoned her—the only man capable of turning her carefully controlled world upside down.
Tariq will do whatever it takes to protect his legacy, including claiming Melanie as his bride and his son as heir before scandals ensue. But Melanie has other plans for her future—a westernized life where she’s free to operate her own business, control her life, and hold onto her wish that one day she’ll meet a man who loves her for who she truly is.
Stolen By The Sheikh
Fiercely independent contemporary artist Lucy Ford was absolutely content with her life—until the day maverick Sheikh Anwar na Hassir strolled into her gallery and back into her life. Anwar could not, would not, must not ever know the truth. Not if she was to keep her child.
Luring Lucy to his desert Kingdom, somewhere between the magic of the desert and the stroll along the ocean, she lets him steal her heart. Only to discover that love, once given, can never be returned.
If you love second-chance romances after heartbreak books, you’ll love these exotic secret baby romances.
Exclusive to KU
LOVE IN THE USA!Will Ruby find love this Christmas?44-year-old Ruby Evans doesn’t want to be a ‘leftover girl’ —especially at Christmas. But finding a ‘forever’ man is proving impossible.
A single mum after 20 years of marriage, her husband is the only man she has ever slept with. But the one bit of security she always thought she’d hold onto for the rest of her life is brutally ripped from her.
Living the worst cliche she is is humiliatingly and cruelly ex-ed when her husband trades her for a younger model. Chanel Zest, a long-time friend and unconventional, X-rated life coach, comes to her rescue. Together, they embark on a quest to reclaim and rebuild Ruby’s shattered life and find love again.
But, once in a pink moon, Ruby has to play dirty…
But then, a chance meeting with a stranger threatens to unravel all her secrets. Will Ruby be exposed or finally get everything she wished for? Will she find true love or be alone this Christmas after all?
Full of quirky humour and the promise of a happily ever after. Christmas For One is a warm, festive romance with a few spicy bits.
You’ll love Christmas For One if you love Jojo Moyes and enjoy a romantic comedy.
“Mollie delivers with this artfully compelling, skilfully enthralling rollercoaster. Divvying out some festive frolicking, seasonal cheer and holiday magic, whipping this sweet treat into shape perfectly.”
Buy this book through the links below…AMAZON US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMGSZ95G
AMAZON CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CMGSZ95G
AMAZON UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CMGSZ95G
AMAZON AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CMGSZ95G
Universal link: https://mybook.to/ChristmasForOne
To enjoy your copy from Apple, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and other great bookstores: https://books2read.com/u/bQg2eP
AUDIOBOOKAUDIBLE US: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0CVR2JHXP
AUDIBLE UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0CVR3F811
AUDIBLE AU: https://www.audible.com.au/pd/B0CVR1YM23
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/christmas-for-one-7
Love In Montana
I’ve always dreamed of writing a love story set in Montana. I know you’re going to love it!
Pretending to fall in love has never been so easy…
A Fake Marriage Romance
Billionaire rancher Jack Archer would give every dollar to bring his mother and father back from the fatal car crash that killed them when he was only four. Instead of starting fresh, he’s tied to the ranch his parents created from scratch, and he loves every wild acre of it. When his grandfather demands that he find a bride or lose his inheritance, the legacy his dad and mom helped build for him, Jack is furious. He loves his freedom, and he doesn’t want a wife. But he’ll do what it takes. He needs a bride, and he needs her fast.
New York doctor Elizabeth Buckley has lost everything. First, the man she thought she’d marry, then her reputation, and then her job, following the brutal, back-stabbing, slanderous betrayal by her best friend. Former best friend, make that. She escapes into fantasy and decides to channel her inner Beth Dutton and escape for 3 weeks to Montana. In a fateful moment, she meets a handsome heart throbbing cowboy, and unexpected flames spark to life inside her broken heart. But she is suspicious when Jack makes a crazy offer of marriage in exchange for the money she needs to rebuild her life.
Three weeks. Two hearts. One fake engagement…one wedding?
Will opposites attract or be forced apart as they choose between life and love?
Fans of Sarah Morgan and Danielle Steel will love this feel-good romance!
LOVE IN MONTANA is part of Mollie Mathews’ TRUE LOVE series starring Maverick Billionaires. While it can easily be read as a standalone story, you’ll likely enjoy reading the other books, too.
THE TRUE LOVE SERIES
Love In Venice (3rd prize, Koru Excellence in Romance Award)
Love in Montana
PRE-ORDER NOW…Pre-order this book through the links below…
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRR3VDYP
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CRR3VDYP
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CRR3VDYP
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CRR3VDYP
Universal Link: https://mybook.to/LoveInMontanaBook
iBooks, Barnes & Noble and other great bookstores: https://books2read.com/u/3JGv9K
travel truly has the power to change lives and the way we share our stories with the worldTravel has the remarkable ability to unleash the storyteller within us. By venturing into the unknown, connecting with people, finding inspiration in nature, and reflecting on personal transformation, we create a treasure trove of stories waiting to be shared. So, let us embrace the transformative power of travel and embark on journeys that not only take us to new places but also turn us into captivating storytellers. Let the world hear our tales and be inspired to embark on their own adventures, for travel truly has the power to change lives and the way we share our stories with the world.
Sending you much love and wishing you the happiest, most joyful, love-filled 2024.
Thank you for being part of my community and loving my stories
Enjoy book two in the True Love Series, Love In Venice>>Enjoy other full-length contemporary romancesby Mollie Mathews:Bride of Gold; Married by Christmas; Claimed by The Sheikh
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