June New Releases

Happy June! Time does fly by.

Big congrats to Becky Wicks on her 10th book and Louisa Heaton on her 25th!

The Princess Who Stole His Heart by Julie Danvers

Her title must remain a secret! But when they give in to a night of temptation, the princess has more than one shocking surprise for the pulse-raising cardiologist… Find out what happens in the latest Harlequin Medical Romance by Julie Danvers.

From paradise fling…

to royal revelation!

When doctor Princess Danielle takes a fellowship in the Caribbean, she’s swept off her feet by a bronzed god—cardiologist Cade. But her title is a secret…and a relationship with Cade strictly forbidden! Cade has shut the door on romance, and yet his attraction to Dani is undeniable. After finally surrendering to his desire, he fears Dani might steal his locked-up heart—especially when she reveals that their passion has had a shocking royal consequence!

The Brooding Doc and the Single Mom by Louisa Heaton

In this Greenbeck Village GPs story, a single mom is shocked at her connection with the brooding GP, but will they both be able to open their hearts to love again? Find out in the latest Harlequin Medical Romance by Louisa Heaton.

Greenbeck Village GPs:
Making a new family

Widowed GP Daniel is far from eager to start dating! But when single mom Dr. Stacey joins the practice, she ignites a fire in him he’s long thought lost… Stacey is surprised at the instant connection between her son and Daniel, but her instinct is to protect her little family. She’s too guarded to fall in love again, but in a small village, they can’t keep away from each other…

Greenbeck Village GPs

 Book 1: The Brooding Doc and the Single Mom
Book 2: Second Chance for the Village Nurse

Tempted by Her Royal Best Friend by Juliette Hyland

In the latest Harlequin Medical Romance by Juliette Hyland, when the nurse reunites with her best friend, the prince, a newfound spark develops… But will they risk their rekindled friendship when it’s only just started to mend?

Reunited with her best friend—

the prince!

Trading scandal for a fresh start, nurse Hazel starts her new job and comes face-to-face with pediatrician Prince Syver. He was once her best friend…until he disappeared from her life with no goodbye… Royal duty took Syver away from Hazel, but he’s never forgotten her. Now they have a chance to rebuild their friendship—except the new red-hot longing between them is too tempting to ignore…

South African Escape to Heal Her by Beck Wicks

In the latest Harlequin Medical Romance by Becky Wicks, an escape to South Africa is a chance for the GP to heal her heart, but she doesn’t count on her brooding surgeon boss being the one to help her do it…

She isn’t looking for love…

until she meets him!

GP Kaya has dreamed of visiting South Africa, her mother’s homeland. Now, after a recent trauma, it seems the perfect escape. Kaya’s mesmerized by the landscape, but she’s even more stunned by her boss, founder of Lindiwe Health Foundation, brooding surgeon Arno Nkosi. Kaya has never believed it possible for anyone to heal her bruised heart, but maybe Arno is the exception to the rule…

Second Chance for the Village Nurse by Louisa Heaton

In the latest Greenbeck Village GPs story, what will happen when fake dates between the new nurse and her boss start to become all too real? Find out in the latest Harlequin Medical Romance by Louisa Heaton.

Greenbeck Village GPs:
Fake dating to forever?

Both cautious nurse Hannah and gorgeous GP Zach want to overcome past heartbreak. But Hannah is floored when Zach suggests they “practice” going on dates…together! His encouraging Hannah out of her comfort zone brings them closer, but when the pretend dates start to feel real, the lines become blurred… Now Zach believes Hannah might be the second chance he’s been looking for—but is she ready to admit the same?

Greenbeck Village GPs

 Book 1: The Brooding Doc and the Single Mom
Book 2: Second Chance for the Village Nurse

Fling with the Doc Next Door by Alison Roberts

Will the infuriatingly handsome doc next door be the one to convince her to stay? Find out in the latest Harlequin Medical Romance by Alison Roberts.

The only doc…
to make her stay?

After a dramatic first shift, Dr. Ella is locked out of her temporary residence. The only person to help? New neighbor and infuriating boss Dr. Logan! But as they work together, she sees the softness behind his sharp edges, and it’s impossible to ignore their simmering electricity after hours. Ella’s only passing through, and widower Logan has long since barricaded his heart… Could a fling be what they both need?

Happy Reading!

Summer lovin’ in South Africa

Hey readers,

It’s been a hot minute. And by that I actually mean it’s been quite cold here in The Netherlands throughout the endless wintry gloom, but writing my latest novel SOUTH AFRICAN ESCAPE TO HEAL HER kept me all snuggly inside!

Based on a couple of trips I took to South Africa waaaay back (and we’re talking at least fifteen years ago) this book is now one of my faves. 

I got to remembering the amazing skies at sunset, the tall, handsome, brooding men; the food. Oh my life, the food! And I thought hmmm, how can I bring all of that from swirling around in my head, onto the pages of a story?

And so, we have the new romance, out this week on a virtual, and real, bookshelf near you. Here’s the blurb:

She isn’t looking for love…until she meets him!

GP Kaya has dreamed of visiting South Africa, her mother’s homeland. Now, after a recent trauma, it seems the perfect escape. Kaya’s mesmerised by the landscape—but she’s even more stunned by her boss, founder of the Lindiwe Health Foundation, brooding surgeon Arno Nkosi. Kaya has never believed it possible for anyone to heal her bruised heart, but maybe Arno is the exception to the rule…

I like this one because aside from the gorgeous setting, and all those reimagined sunsets oozing with possibility, it touches on real themes of grief, loss and healing. 

Our Dutch female lead Kaya was mugged in an Amsterdam park several years ago and the perpetrator was never caught. This hideous violation ate into her self-confidence and soul, and as you can imagine, changed her outlook on everything. Men, included.

The male lead, our sexy game reserve hero Arno has been through his fair share of heartache, preferring to love on his animals instead of people. He also has a pet lion. 

Yes, you read that right. A lion.

Well, technically, the lioness is wild, roaming freely as she should, but he’s tamed her. Because that’s just the kind of guy Arno is. Can he tame our lead Kaya’s heart, too?

You’ll just have to read it to find out!

I hope you have some exotic travels of your own planned, now that the winter is leaving us and making way for some much-needed sun. If not, I hope you can at least get lost in a good story set on foreign shores and take your imagination in a hot new direction (wink wink).

Until next time, readers,

Much love,

Becky x

PS: You can order SOUTH AFRICAN ESCAPE TO HEAL HER here on Amazon. Enjoy!

March New Releases!

Happy March! I always forget how fast February goes by.

We have some brand new releases for you this month.

Secret Son to Change His Life by Alison Roberts

A surprise reunion…

…changes everything!

Paramedic Jonno’s memory of Brie is instantaneous when they meet again—and so is their mutual attraction. While Brie can’t disguise the flutters of excitement Jonno brings out in her, she also knows she now has an opportunity to reveal what she’s been longing to tell him—he has a son! Jonno wasn’t planning on sticking around, but maybe Brie can give him a reason to stop running…

From Harlequin Medical: Life and love in the world of modern medicine.

Morgan Family Medics

 Book 1: Secret Son to Change His Life
Book 2: How to Rescue the Heart Doctor

Reunited with the Children’s Doc by Susan Carlisle

He loved her once…

Can he risk falling for her again?

Since losing her son, Marcy has had a single focus: researching a cure for cancer. Meeting Dr. Dylan again is unexpected, and his compassionate warmth invades the fortress around her heart. Marcy’s even more beautiful than he remembers, but Dylan’s been abandoned too many times. As they fight for their patients’ lives, an irresistible passion flares between them. Dare they put themselves on the line again for a shot at happy-ever-after?

Neurosurgeon, Single Dad…Husband? by Charlotte Hawkes

A nurse to save…
…the single dad!

When neurosurgeon and notorious bachelor Seth becomes the guardian of his nephew Noah, for the first time in his life, he has no idea what he’s doing. Noah hasn’t spoken since his mother’s passing, so when nurse Andrea gets him to speak, Seth enlists her help. Andrea understands what Noah is going through and brings a sparkle back into this little boy’s life—and Seth’s, too! Is she the bright future this fledgling family deserves?

How to Rescue the Heart Doctor by Alison Roberts

The family they share…
…brings them together!

Pediatric heart surgeon Anthony Morgan is used to fixing tiny hearts yet can’t mend his own after being estranged from his son. When he meets nurse Elsie, he learns some shocking news—they share a grandson! Having been alone for so long, Elsie welcomes Anthony’s friendship and is delighted that it develops into something more… But when his family problems seem insurmountable, can Elsie rescue Anthony’s heart and heal her own, too?

From Harlequin Medical: Life and love in the world of modern medicine.

Morgan Family Medics

 Book 1: Secret Son to Change His Life
Book 2: How to Rescue the Heart Doctor

Highland Fling with Her Best Friend by Becky Wicks

A fresh start…

…with an old friend!

After a bad breakup, Dr. Sadie Mills is offered a new job at an exclusive health facility in Scotland with her best friend! It sounds like the perfect escape. Sadie’s never worked with Dr. Owen Penner before, but why would that be an issue? She loves Owen and has never been tempted to date such a committed playboy. Yet suddenly she wants to shove him out of the friend zone—straight into her bed!

Father for the Midwife’s Twins by Fiona McArthur

Two babies. One houseguest…
A forever family?

Midwife Lisandra panics when the hospital elevator gets stuck—just as her water breaks! Luckily, she’s trapped with obstetrician Malachi, who expertly cares for her. Having lost everything since her fiancé’s death, she has nowhere to go, so Malachi offers her and her babies a temporary place to stay. But living with the brooding workaholic is less convenient when a spark ignites between them! Could her knight in shining armor also become a father for her twins?

Happy Reading! xo

September New Releases

Happy September!

And Happy Back to School! My kiddos start 2nd year University, Grade 11 and Grade 8. Time sure goes quickly and to help fill your day we have some great new releases this month.

The Vet’s Escape to Paradise by Becky Wicks

Looking for adventure!

Finding a family?

Ivy’s dream trip to the Galápagos Islands was planned as her honeymoon—now it’s a chance to regroup alone. So on meeting single dad Jero, Ivy tries to give the sexy, brooding vet a wide berth. She’s sworn never to be a mother, and after his divorce, Jero’s priority is his child. But as Ivy’s drawn into his work with the local wildlife, and his daughter latches on to her, she starts changing her mind about a family…

One Weekend in Prague by Alison Roberts

For one weekend…
Or forever?

Before attending a medical conference, trauma specialist Mac meets stranger Hanna under the astronomical clock in Prague. Their intense connection takes him by surprise. Straitlaced Mac has never met someone like free-spirited nurse Hanna, and suddenly he’s dropping his guard and stepping out of his comfort zone! Their unforgettable and spontaneous weekend together, touring the city and then tangling between the sheets, makes him see the world differently. But what happens when they leave Prague?

Nurse’s Outback Temptation by Amy Andrews

The right temptation…

…at the wrong time?

When nurse Chelsea lands in Australia, her plan is simple: to leave the heartbreaking reason why she can’t call London home anymore on the plane and start over. Yet when Chelsea is introduced to far-too handsome flight doctor Aaron, it’s clear that her “new start, no romance” vow is already at risk! All Chelsea wants is a summer free from her painful past… But could a summer of love with Aaron be what she really needs?

Mending the ER Doc’s Heart by Susan Carlisle

Unexpected second chance…

…for the single dad!

ER doctor and widower Chad is focused solely on his job and his little boy. But when the newest nurse at Atlanta Children’s Hospital, Izzy, walks into his emergency room, Chad’s firm defenses are tested! Because behind her dazzling smile he recognizes a similar wariness in her eyes. But when Chad sees how she can make his little boy light up like never before, he can’t ignore how she may be the missing piece to their puzzle…

His Cinderella Houseguest by Charlotte Hawkes

When midnight strikes…

Will his Cinderella stay in his arms?

Helicopter pilot Piper Green is supposed to be Dr. Lincoln Oakes’s new air ambulance colleague—not his houseguest! Yet discovering she’s practically homeless, he offers her his spare room. In such close quarters, sparks soon start to fly, but they agree to keep things strictly professional. Until a dazzling kiss makes their chemistry impossible to ignore… But Piper has a secret and when Linc learns the truth, could their chance at happy-ever-after disappear?

Her Secret Rio Baby by Luana DaRosa

An impulsive night of passion…
A life-changing consequence!

The night surgeon Eliana Oliveira met Diego Ferrari, he was just a handsome stranger in a bar in Rio de Janeiro. And acting on their instant attraction was the perfect escape from the shock of inheriting a whole hospital from her estranged late father. Now, on her first day at Santa Valeria General, she’s in for two shocking discoveries: first, coming face-to-face with Diego in the operating room, and second, that she’s expecting his baby!

Happy Reading!

Galapagos dreams and a new house…

Hi Readers,

Wow, what a summer! A lot has changed since I last blogged, not least the cold and rainy Dutch summer that used to be the norm. Lots of us are sweating it out in hot high rises wishing we hadn’t prayed for the heat all those drizzly days over winter!

Anyway, sorry for being so British, starting out my post by complaining about the weather… honestly.

In other news I have another book coming out in August. The Vet’s Escape to Paradise might be my fave yet – it’s set in the Galapagos and follows a headstrong female vet who falls for a local mysterious scuba diver, who happens to be a wonder with the animals too… but uh oh, they’re from totally different worlds – how could they ever be together? (wink)

I got to revisit my Galapagos trip from 2013, which was probably a highlight of my life. The way the lizards lounge around on the rocks like dinosaurs that forgot to go extinct. The way the sea lions swim up to you and ask you to play like puppy dogs. The way you can see every star in the sky at night as the hemispheres combine in one cosmic swirl… it’s all just unreal. I hope I captured some of the magic in my story, you tell me!

Me, making new friends in the Galapagos, 2013

In other news, I moved house. I bought an apartment for the first time in my life (in beautiful Utrecht) and let me tell you, I had no idea how stressful and time consuming it would be, finding contractors to fit a bathroom, getting new carpet laid, tracking a sofa that was meant to be delivered in July, that is somehow now scheduled for December… if I wasn’t going a bit grey already before this, well, I am now, but home will be one sweet home when it’s done and I’ll forget I ever complained.

Probably.

Ok maybe not.

Anyway readers, I hope you’re all keeping your cool in multiple creative ways out there, and until next time, may a thousand peaceful Galápagos sea lions soothe your soul as you dream of wondrous things.

Becky

May New Releases

Happy May! It felt like forever to reach this month. In my part of the world it was SNOWING up until now. SMH.

That’s okay, when it snows it means I can curl up with some good books to read and we have plenty of new releases for that.

Congrats to Karin Baine on her 20th book and Charlotte Hawkes on her 20th book too!

Shock Baby for the Doctor by Charlotte Hawkes

An unforgettable night has consequences that will change this surgeon’s life forever in the first story in Charlotte Hawkes’s exciting new Billionaire Twin Surgeons duet!A blast from the doctor’s past……brings a baby into his future! Billionaire surgeon Basilius has just one rule: don’t get attached! After a childhood where Bas was only ever let down by those closest to him, he’s hesitant to trust anyone. So why can’t he stop thinking about nurse Naomi after four and a half months? Still, as Bas fights to forget her, he hits a stumbling block. Naomi is back as his new colleague—and she’s carrying his baby!

From Harlequin Medical: Life and love in the world of modern medicine.

Billionaire Twin Surgeons

Book 1: Shock Baby for the Doctor
Book 2: Forbidden Nights with the Surgeon

Miracle Baby, Miracle Family by Alison Roberts

Returning home could lead to a life the nurse never expected! Enjoy this wonderful reunion romance from Harlequin Medical Romance author Alison Roberts.A family……to change the nurse’s life! Nurse Isobel has no doubt. Returning home will be anything but easy. Especially as being back in England means being back in her ex Dr. Rafe’s life. Rafe was once the man whom Isobel almost found happily-ever-after with. Now he’s the single father of adorable twin boys! Yet it’s when Isobel discovers that she has an orphaned newborn niece in the NICU that their lives truly collide. Will their reunion be for good this time?

Island Reunion with the Single Dad by Traci Douglass

Will the heartbroken doc take her second chance with the single dad? Find out in this emotional and uplifting Harlequin Medical Romance from USA TODAY bestselling author Traci Douglass.

Home is…
…where the doctor is?

Widowed Dr. Morgan needs a fresh start! But the first man that Morgan meets on Whidbey Island in Washington State plunges her back ten years…to a passionate encounter she’s never forgotten. Dr Ely is now a single dad—and her new, if temporary, colleague! Yet as their connection bursts back into life, Morgan’s resolve to protect her broken heart is sorely challenged. Dare she let herself dream of forever again?

Forbidden Nights with the Surgeon by Charlotte Hawkes

Flirting with the forbidden! Can they resist their attraction, or will they give in to temptation? Find out in the second story in Charlotte Hawkes’s Billionaire Twin Surgeons duet!Will one night……be enough?  It’s surgeon Rik’s first day at Thorncroft Royal Infirmary and his plan is simple: to reunite with his long-lost brother and put the ghosts of their past to rest. Until Rik is reunited with Dr. Grace…who completely derails his plans! Because Grace is not just the woman whom he spent one unforgettable night with—she’s his brother’s best friend! With a connection this powerful, can they walk away from their off-limits temptation?

From Harlequin Medical: Life and love in the world of modern medicine.

Billionaire Twin Surgeons

Book 1: Shock Baby for the Doctor
Book 2: Forbidden Nights with the Surgeon

A Princess in Naples by Becky Wicks

Travel to Naples with a princess as she swaps her tiara for a stethoscope—and an unexpected romance!—in Becky Wicks’s latest Harlequin Medical Romance.   Trading her tiara……for a stethoscope! After the very public explosion of her engagement, Princess Adrienne is dedicating every hour of every day to her medical training! Arriving in Naples, she’s ready to learn everything she can from esteemed Dr. Franco. If only it wasn’t so hard to prove that she is so much more than just a “privileged princess” to him! Yet as Adrienne battles for Franco to recognize her talent, she finds herself battling their fierce—and unexpected!—chemistry, too…

A GP to Steal His Heart by Karin Baine

A GP steps into the earl’s world in the latest Harlequin Medical Romance from author Karin Baine. See the sparks fly as these opposites attract!What happens……when opposites attract?Nobody is more dedicated to their job than Dr. Thomas. Which is why he struggles to accept that it’s time to take on a new job as the Earl of Morton. Not least because, by taking the title, Thomas must accept that he’s lost his father. So Thomas does not have the headspace for dynamic Dr. Daisy’s arrival. Until a flood hits Little Morton and together, they must fight the rising water and their rising attraction!

Spanish Inspiration: the life of a writer

Let’s go to Spain he said, looking up over his morning coffee and the telling orange EasyJet page on his laptop. I was looking for an excuse for some sun in the name of research for my next book, so off we went!

And oh my, readers, what a magical week it was in Gran Canaria. We managed to steer clear of the tourist spots along the coast and booked a multi level house built into a canyon.

It was just the right level of romantic to inspire my new hero and heroine and bring them to life in my head. Especially the kitchen. As I made my morning coffee in a kitchen overlooking a red Rocky canyon, and sipped it on a balcony that felt a thousand miles high, i imagined them canoodling with a view and set to work. I wrote and wrote and wrote and my boyfriend, stuck in the real world, might have wondered where his holiday partner had gone.

He managed to coerce me out, eventually. My own manly protagonist and I climbed rocks and sniffed orange blossom, and dipped our toes in the sea. We dined on fresh prawns and got sticky lemon on our fingers, and met a local guy who acts as host, chef, waiter and restaurant manager in one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to. A real one man show.

Of course, in my head I was marrying him off too, creating his happy ending with one of my characters, maybe in the next book, because this one isn’t about a restaurant entrepreneur. Hmmm.

 

That’s the thing about travelling. You always get so many ideas.

I mean sure, you can sit at home and go places on Google but nothing beats some human interaction and banter. Nothing conjures storylines more than stimulating all five senses at once, from sight to taste, to ruining your sunglasses with a sticky lemon finger touch. There’s inspiration for magic and mishaps everywhere.

So writers and readers, what’s inspiring you lately? Is it sunny days spent away from home? is it relaxing in the garden with a good book, walking the dog, or cooking up a storm with friends?

Tell me how you’re springing into Spring, or maybe it’s autumn where you are. Wherever you are, I hope you remember to breathe in the magic that is everywhere, as long as you remember to look.

 

December New Releases

Happy Festive season everyone! I apologize if my typing is a bit wonky, I sliced my finger open and of course, it’s the pinky which usually works the shift key. Writer problems eh?

It’s December first and that means brand new releases from our awesome authors!

Congratulations to Louisa Heaton on her 20th book A GP Worth Staying For!

Winter Nights with the Single Dad by Allie Kincheloe

Two months in Toronto…
…a gift to change her life?
As a TV star, surgeon Stella was suffocated by the pressure to be perfect. So the offer of a temporary job three thousand miles away from home is a chance to break free. Then, meeting single dad Dr. Aiden Cook and his little boy offers a window into a life she could never have imagined! Now Stella must ask, “Do I really want to leave?”
 
The Christmas Project quartet
Book 1 – Christmas Miracle in Jamaica by Ann McIntosh
Book 2 – December Reunion in Central Park by Deanne Anders
Book 3 – Winter Nights with the Single Dad by Allie Kincheloe
Book 4 – A Festive Fling in Stockholm by Scarlet Wilson

White Christmas with Her Millionaire Doc by Becky Wicks

Can Christmas together…
…mend their broken hearts?
Montana ski-resort owner and single dad Dr. Jax Clayborn doubts the new locum from New York City can survive five minutes in his busy clinic, let alone two months! But dedicated Dr. Ophelia Lavelle’s kindness toward his son thaws a heart that’s been frozen since his wife died. Yet Ophelia must return home after Christmas to her own reality and, no matter how tempting it is, a just-for-Christmas romance can’t lead to forever…can it?

ER Doc to Mistletoe Bride by Louisa George

From one intimate night…
…to a Christmas proposal?
Dr. Rachel Tait has come to the winter wonderland of Sainte Colette to work. After the humiliation of being left at the altar, she’s determined to ignore the romance of sparkling snow and seasonal decorations. And meeting her gorgeous new boss, Matthieu LeFevre, only makes her redouble her efforts to shield herself! Until one fateful evening, he rescues her from the slopes and insists on taking care of her—all night long…

Christmas Miracle at the Castle by Alison Roberts

A Christmas angel…
…to transform his world!
For GP Euan McKendry, Christmas is not the most wonderful time of the year—it conjures up too many painful memories. But his home, Ravenswood Castle, is hosting its annual Christmas camp for sick children…and when perky pediatrician Abby Hawkins arrives to help, Euan knows he’s in trouble. Not only does Abby adore the festive season, but she sees beyond Euan’s impenetrable facade: to a man in need of a miracle!

A GP Worth Staying For by Louisa Heaton

A Second chance…
…with the new Island doc?
For widowed GP Owen Ledger, the arrival of his replacement, Dr. Lucy Childs, is step one on the road to a new life away from the island where he spent his marriage. Only as Owen hands over the practice to warmhearted Lucy, he starts to see everything through fresh eyes. Could Lucy be the final step to a second chance and show Owen that he does belong on the island—with her?

A Festive Fling in Stockholm by Scarlet Wilson

She’ll have to break his rules…
…to win his heart!
Stepping into Stockholm City Hospital, visiting specialist Dr. Cora Campbell expects to ruffle a few feathers. But she doesn’t expect the brooding head of midwifery, Jonas Nilsson, to get under her skin! Surrounded by the charm of the city’s ice-kissed festivities, their electric chemistry is proving impossible to resist. Cora relishes the challenge to break down Jonas’s defenses…and to show him it’s time to take a chance!
 
The Christmas Project quartet
Book 1 – Christmas Miracle in Jamaica by Ann McIntosh
Book 2 – December Reunion in Central Park by Deanne Anders
Book 3 – Winter Nights with the Single Dad by Allie Kincheloe
Book 4 – A Festive Fling in Stockholm by Scarlet Wilson

Happy Reading!

Birthday Northern Lights in Iceland

You can’t beat a bit of winter sun in the midst of the bleakness.   So why we decided on a week in Iceland over the Canary Islands I don’t know, but suffice to say it was the best decision my friend and I ever made.  Last week in Reykjavik, I was blessed with something better than sun – a display of the northern lights on my birthday!

We followed a local’s advice and walked a trail along the harbour towards a lighthouse.  As the sky got darker and the city lights fell behind us, there they were.  Aurora  Borealis – our magical mystic green dancing friends.

I had a boyfriend from Iceland once, and I was lucky enough to visit there with him twice while we were dating. I was welcomed into every single home by his VERY extensive family, and was made to feel like part of the tribe.  In winter I got to sit around a giant table in the family’s log cabin, playing games and drinking shots while the snow made a blizzard that blocked the mountains outside.

I got to try homemade moonshine and sing as they played piano (everyone is musical in Iceland).  In summer I foraged for wild mushrooms in meadows that would make the Twilight cast weep with envy.  I was even offered a taste of sheep head stew and whale sushi at local festivals, while children sawed gaily into a freshly caught shark with sharpened tools – it’s a tradition, you just have to keep quiet OK?

As you can imagine, I was enchanted.  Marginally disturbed at times yes, but enchanted.

This time it was just my friend and I, who’d never been to Iceland before.  I promised to try and recreate at least some of what I experienced on past visits.  We got lucky.  The same family members welcomed me back… even though my ex is my ex.  They’re just wonderful like that; once you’re family, you’re family.

We were given tickets to Bjork by perfect strangers, live at the Harpa concert hall.  We drank tomato beer in the hydroponic greenhouses of Fridheimar.  We crept inside a lava tunnel, snorkelled along the Silfra ridge between two tectonic plates, got to bask in three different face masks in the Blue Lagoon, and were cooked a meal of reindeer and Icelandic salmon, and sweet mashed potato and more, all in a friend’s beautiful kitchen.  This memorable meal was all overlooked by the moose he shot with his son several years ago, which was nailed to the wall.

Tomato Beer

Reykjavik Snow

Lava Tube

Gullfloss Falls

Coldest I’ve ever been

Blue Lagoon

His son wasn’t there this time.  He’s up in the national park hunting a native goose-like bird for Christmas, but it’s a tradition, you just have to keep quiet OK?

Ah Iceland, you are literally my new favourite place in the world.  I plan to set a book here very soon, my heart is calling for it.  Maybe I’ll leave the hunting part out…

Where have you been that’s left a lasting impression on you, enough to write a book about?

Tis the season to be in a box set

I bet you’re all looking forward to Halloween? My office is throwing a party in a pub, promising games, food, drinks and “scary” cocktails. Whilst I doubt they mean the 100% proof rice liquor that once saw me waking up dazed in a rice paddy in Bali (true story) I’m still not sure I’ll go this year. I’d have to rummage into boxes deep at the back of my storage cupboard to find my cloak and witch’s corset… and even if I did, I doubt the corset would fit. Hey, I ate a lot of cheese in lockdown, what can I say?

Anyway, maybe I’ll decide on that later, but for now I’m more excited about CHRISTMAS!

Why?

Well because, for the first time in my life, I will be part of a box set! And I don’t mean the part that jumps out of a decorated gift parcel in another ill-fitting piece of seasonal apparel. I mean a Harlequin box set.

Check it out.

How cool is it that my words – all fifty-thousand of those wintery babies – get to dwell amongst the snow-covered greatness of Alison Roberts and Louisa Heaton? It’s like Christmas came early.

Here’s the premise of my first Christmas romance, WHITE CHRISTMAS WITH HER MILLIONAIRE DOC.

Can Christmas together mend their broken hearts? 

Montana Ski-resort owner and single dad, Dr Jax doubts the new locum from NYC can survive five minutes in his busy clinic, let alone two months! Until dedicated Dr Ophelia’s kindness towards his son thaws a heart that’s been frozen since his wife died.

Yet Ophelia must return to her own reality and, no matter how tempted, a just-for-Christmas romance can’t lead to forever… can it?

And here is a sneaky snippet, the meet-cute, I guess you’d call it.

Enjoy lovely people, and whether you’re more pumped up for Halloween or Christmas, I hope you have yourself some seriously happy holidays.

****

The teenage girl at the coffee cart in the airport took seven minutes to make her latte. It was almost amusing, watching how she did it with such pride, at a pace that wouldn’t much rival a snail’s. She’d be fired for being that slow in Brooklyn.

‘Dr Lavelle?’

Ophelia spun around at the voice, and promptly had her words snatched away by her sudden intake of breath. He was much taller than she’d expected.

‘Jax Clayborn,’ she managed, adjusting her hat and matching scarf. His dark almond eyes studied her with the same depth and intensity that had stirred her up in their video call, but it reached inside her now on a whole different level. Jax was as striking as she remembered, but he was all about presence too, commanding the attention of everyone who passed, especially the women.

‘It’s so nice of you to come pick me up.’ She watched him remove one glove, then took his bare outstretched hand. Big, she noted, like my father’s hands.

Tufts of his dark hair flicked outwards from his beanie hat, and when he clamped his palm firmly to hers, something told her she should wake up now and pay attention. It was the strangest feeling. It totally caught her off guard as he studied her eyes up close.

‘Shall we?’ he said. He pushed a stuffed bear into her hands and then bent to pick up her suitcase.

‘What’s this?’ she asked, turning it over in amusement.

‘A welcome gift. Everyone gets one.’

The air was freezing outside. A dark cloud promised more snow. Craggy white-peaked mountains framed Jax like a moving painting as he carried her case towards a huge white truck in the parking lot. Damn, he looked good in those jeans, she thought. He was even seriously pulling off a flannel shirt under his ski jacket—not an easy task for any man.

He caught her eye as he flipped the trunk on the shiny four-wheel drive. ‘Again, my apologies for being late, Doctor, I was out on the slopes, then I got the call about the bear attack…’

‘A bear attack?’ she echoed.

Jax lifted her suitcase into the back as if it were nothing but a feather and flicked the red scarf she’d tied around the suitcase handles. ‘I wouldn’t go waving this colour around here. Unless you want to attract that bear right into your room.’

She swallowed. ‘I’ll remember that.’

The first step up into the truck was almost knee height. Ophelia placed the stuffed bear on the seat first and tried to climb in gracefully. Jax hovered behind her to make sure she wouldn’t fall—he was probably fighting the instinct to make a comment about her rather impractical high-heeled boots, she thought.

‘I like the heated seats, nice touch,’ she told him, self-awareness making her hot.

‘I liked them too, last time I broke down in a minus-thirty snowstorm,’ he remarked.

When he dropped to the leather seat behind the wheel and closed the door, she still hadn’t managed to fasten her seat belt.

‘Need help with that?’

She stopped breathing as the smooth sleeve of his padded winter coat slid a millimetre above her lap. His fingers made a split-second job of clinking the chunky seat belt into place, and there it was.

His wedding ring.

Disappointment surprised her but there was something in Jax’s expression as he spotted her clocking the ring that stunned her into looking away. She knew that kind of emotional pain very well indeed. A bad divorce?

No, he’d likely have taken the ring off if that was it. It was more than that, something worse.

Something had happened to his wife.

‘So, where did you say this bear attack took place?’ she asked when the silence during the drive got too heavy. He didn’t seem too chatty. She was aware of his every slight movement in the driver’s seat, the way his eyes scanned the mirrors and the roadsides intently, as if he was expecting a grizzly to pounce at any moment.

‘Guy got unlucky out on the Trout Camp Trail… Eagle Peaks Mountain Club community, slightly northwest of Sunset Range.’

The geographical information meant nothing to her. She was still thrown from seeing that look in his eyes, the same one she’d seen all too often in the mirror… She’d know the face of grief on anyone. What had happened to his wife? Jax was older than her, maybe by a decade, but being widowed at his age would be grossly unfair, not to mention tough.

‘Seems like it was a pretty surprise encounter,’ Jax continued. ‘Pretty is probably the wrong word for it. Poor guy had to crawl up to the road after the bear left him for dead.’

She winced. ‘That’s…terrible.’

‘The ranger up there found him. He thought it was weird that some guy was taking a break, just sitting in the snow. Then he saw the blood everywhere. Guy couldn’t speak but he scratched out “BEAR” in the snow with a stick.’

Ophelia put a hand to her mouth. ‘God, I can’t even…’

‘The fire department brought him to us, but we sent him to Willow Crest Trauma. The lacerations were beyond our team’s capabilities to fix on-site. He had puncture wounds on his face, and all down his back. Slashes all up his arms and stomach, and you don’t want to know what those claws can do to a man’s—’

‘I’m pretty sure I can imagine.’ Ophelia hoped she didn’t look as horrified as she felt. She thought she’d seen it all in New York, but never a bear attack. ‘I can’t imagine it, actually,’ she admitted. ‘It’s just too horrendous.’ What sort of job had she walked into?

‘Don’t worry, this kind of thing is very rare. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’ll give you a tour if you like, show you where not to go. Are you going to open that, by the way?’

Ophelia held the stuffed bear up to face her. ‘This?’

‘Open it.’

Obediently she dug inside the bear’s belly to find a clasp. Pulling out the aerosol container inside, she held it up over the dash. ‘Bear spray. Are you serious?’

‘If you need it, start from the feet, right up to the head. And if that doesn’t work…’ He reached across her knees again, and she caught a whiff of his scent, no cologne, something primal and musky that was all his. It left her breathing in expectantly, wanting more. Pulling the glove compartment open, he revealed loose rags, a few sticks of gum…and a gun.

Ophelia froze. ‘Have you ever actually used that?’

He seemed to contemplate her question. ‘I wouldn’t carry it if I didn’t need it.’

‘So, you have, then.’

He snapped the compartment shut, and his almond eyes narrowed behind the wheel. ‘We’re not at the top of the food chain out here, Ophelia. No matter what happens, we all respect that. But we always shoot as a warning, never to kill. I can teach you how to use a gun for protection.’

‘I probably won’t take you up on that.’

‘As you wish.’

When she looked at him, he was smiling faintly, as if she amused him. He’d probably laugh out loud if she mentioned her own attempts at self-defence, the Taekwondo classes in an old gym hall in Brooklyn that she’d given up on after only three weeks. She shuffled in her seat. How was he affecting her like this?

For more… and you know you want more, readers, you can pre-order WHITE CHRISTMAS WITH HER MILLIONAIRE DOC here.