Refilling the Well...

 Just spent an amazing week in Catalunya, Espana!

After a night in the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona we headed to a family gathering in a tiny little place called Regencos. As I'm currently writing a Presents book set in Barcelona and Catalonia - with my first ever Spanish hero (who is beyond gorgeous but with serious issues!) – I was of course doing a ton of research in between the swimming in beautiful beach coves, sunning myself by the pool (mostly in the shade because it was HAWT!), eating and drinking too much, watching the England football team torture us into the Final of Euro 24 and having some quality family time with my two gorgeous sisters and my magnificent mum, our husbands and all our fabulous kids. Hope you're all having a good summer too...

It was nice to have some sun for a change as the weather in the UK has been pants. But it's back to the grindstone now (luckily I have a ton of inspiration to channel into my book now!) #familytime #summervibes #writinginspiration #refillingthewell

How a romantic trip to Sorrento... Can become important research!

Breakfast on the Terrazzo

It's no secret that I love to travel, but when you're an author, any trip can become a great way to research your next book... Or so I discovered on a romantic getaway this weekend to Sorrento with my DH! I love Italy, it's a place I've visited often (especially since meeting my DH who is of Italian descent), but I've never been to the Amalfi coast. What had I been thinking???

Turns out in March, with the sun not as scorching as the summer months, the air crisp and clear and the tourist traffic at a minimum, Sorrento is an absolute joy. The ornate palladian palaces clinging to the cliffs contrasting with the rabbit warren of cobblestoned streets in the town's historic quarter and the intimate little family run trattorias and pizzerias frequented by locals when you get away from the Piazza Tasso. We stayed in a little but luxurious BnB on the main drag with views of orange orchards and the scooters weaving out of traffic.

Pompeii selfie.. with my hero!

A trip to Capri on the hydro foil introduced us to hilltop villas where a hero could definitely have an amazing pad... I could see him there, his estate opening out from the narrow alley way that winds through the houses and terraces carved into the mountain side. Italian American maybe? Trying to get back to his roots after a rootless childhood? And could my heroine be a tourist? Or a classics graduate doing guided walking tours of Pompeii, the ancient city's mysteries fascinating her...? Until she meets a man who fascinates her even more?? Have no idea for a story yet, or even an opening hook, but Spring on the Amalfi Coast is looking like a very promising location already!! Maybe I could even make this trip tax deductible.

50 Glorious Books with Kate Hardy

I'm jetting off to the Cote D'Azur this morning with 50 Shades and Outlander books 3 & 4 on my Kindle, my lovely husband and NO teenage children as they were off doing other things, so am expecting a proper grown up holiday with added glamour... Talk about refilling the will. LOL!

Anyway, while I'm on that jet plane, I'm also over at Kate Hardy's blog celebrating her 50 Glorious M&B books with a recipe for my celebrated writing Brainfood. Go check it out and you might win a copy of my 2-in-1 PS I'm Pregnant.

Brent Library... Here I come!

Just a quick head's up that I'm in Brent tonight doing my first ever solo workshop about 'How to Write a Mills and Boon'. Have a very nice powerpoint lecture full of top tips organised which I'm hoping will be informative and fun for the participants (well, there is a picture of Daniel Craig in there so I should be on to a winner right?).

Have been told by the library that it's fully booked so am feeling a little nervous (oh all right,  a lot nervous). So if you are coming please be kind and ask lots of questions so I don't bore every one rigid doing all the talking.

Will report back tomorrow on how it went.

Sorry, had to just slip in a couple more piccies from my Italian holiday because I'm a bit of a show-off like that. What do you think of that amazing bed??? Fit for a romance novellist or what? Still can't believe I've actually slept in a four-poster bed now. Mind you by the time we got to the villa resort near Florence I needed a fairly sizeable bed.... Let's just say that after all the vino rosso and three course pasta lunches and gelatis on the Ponte Vecchio I'm not quite as svelte as when I left!

Still every single ounce was gratefully earned.

In Italy... And more on the comp!

Hey all, just sitting in a Villa hotel outside Florence having great fun trying to write a blog with blogger tools all in Italiano!! Have a few happy snaps to decorate this post of the gorgeous ten-bedroom house we did a big family get-together in La Marche last week. Very remote and non-touristy... And cooking for 20 people, what a blast, hence the pick of my DH grilling about a billion aubergine slices on the barbie and me with two tons of shopping at the local market!

Also wanted to take this opportunity to out myself as one of the author mentors for the New Voices comp. Am very excited about doing this and hope that lots of you who read this blog find the time to load up a first chapter so we get a really high standard of entries and totally Wow the judges.

My top tips are: 

1). Remember it's only a first chapter at this stage. No synopsis necessary (yippee). While it might be tempting to shove up something that you've been working on a while, it might be better to let those creative juices flow and dash something new and fresh and exciting off instead.

2). From everything I heard at the RNA conference M&B are looking for that 'fresh spin' on their tried and tested story ideas. So fresh and new is definitely in and something to keep in mind when subbing your chapter. If you feel yourself falling into old habits, familiar conflicts, try thinking of a way to shake it up a bit.... IMHO the Modern Heat format works particularly well with that because there's nothing like a strong, feisty heroine to do something outrageous!

3). While it would be fantastic to win... Don't stress about your entry too much. There's nothing like overwriting and overthinking an entry to sap out all of those creative sparks (believe me I know).

4). Look at this first and foremost as a way to get great feedback and as a great chance for exposure. And this isn't just a chance to show the editors either. The hope is lots of M&B readers will be checking out the entries so here's a rare chance to showcase your voice in front of M&Bs most treasured audience (and hope they ask for more). No pressure then!!

Best of luck to everyone... Right back to sunning myself by the pool and dreaming up handsome Italian heroes. wish me luck, am planning to brave Florence in the height of August tomorrow and try ordering a meal in Italian at the Mercato Centrale!