In the first few weeks of this New Year, it comes naturally to look forward and hope for better things. That’s something which has become closer to home for so many of us in these last few pandemic years, when no-one can predict what’s going to happen next and the newspaper headlines have increasingly been happening right on our doorsteps.
It’s made me think. What of writers who predict the future? Of course there are as many possible scenarios as there are books, films and TV shows. I remember when that most ominous of years – 1984 – dawned and we all breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Well that didn’t happen…’ But these relatively small jumps into the future such as ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ and alternative reality scenarios like ‘The Man in the High Castle’ tend to concentrate on changes in society rather than technology. They’re about our own world and what might happen to it if we don’t watch out.
But there are a lot of tales of the future that are set many years from now, when human beings inhabit a completely different world. And since last year was the year when Captain Kirk (William Shatner) really did go into space, is it possible that this kind of future might be happening a little sooner than expected?
What about the other things that Star Trek promised us? Transporters. Sadly not, although they’d be extremely handy for shopping. The Replicator. Oh, how I’d love a replicator, particularly on a Saturday evening when I find I’ve run out of hearing aid batteries or light bulbs. Perhaps in the future, Dr McCoy will have been on my case and there’ll be no requirement for hearing aid batteries… THE HOLODECK! The holodeck became much more of a thing when Captain Janeway and the crew were stranded in the Delta Quadrant and there are times during lockdown when a holodeck in our homes would have been a dream come true. Many of us made do with a well-stocked bookshelf, where arguably the ‘pictures’ are better 🙂
Some things have materialised (although not with the aid of a replicator). Captain Kirk did make it into space although according to news reports he never got to switch his phaser to stun, or kiss an inhabitant of another world. We’ve become used to lights and other household appliances that switch on and off on command. Medical science helps combat an increasing number of illnesses and injuries, but just as the crew of The Enterprise were still vulnerable to new viruses, so are we.
Phones, computers and touchscreens have revolutionised communication and access to information. Although in the future, every last thing that the computer tells you is correct. Most of us have developed a healthy scepticism for some of the things we read on the Internet and perhaps what Star Trek didn’t acknowledge is that information is only as good as the human beings who provide it in the first place. (I suppose there’s an alternative – but we all know what happens when computers start to think for themselves…)
One thing that didn’t feature quite so widely on Star Trek as it does in my life, is technical incompetence. The warp drive may have threatened to explode on almost a weekly basis but Scotty always worked something out, and when the technology was working people knew how to use it. I, on the other hand, spent a good fifteen minutes this morning trying to work out how to switch ‘modes’ via the touchscreen on the new radiator in my home office. In the future, someone’s definitely going to have to do something about making it all a bit more user-friendly.
So what about this bright, shiny New Year? Perhaps its most valuable gift to all of us is that readers and writers can still dare to imagine. Not just within the boundaries of science fiction – romance goes just as boldly into the realms of what we’d like to achieve. Human beings thrown into situations that are difficult and often unfamiliar to them, and who have to fight for their happy ending.
I’ll finish by wishing everyone a Happy New Year. May our dreams and imaginings never desert us – and may some of them come true 🙂
Me, still processing 2021. 2022 coming in three weeks.
Hi all!
It’s that time of year again where we all settle in for the holidays and all the ‘Best of” lists start to appear. Many people begin to think about the last twelve months. Some things that happened to us were good. Some things, not so much. But whatever happened, if you’re reading this, then we survived. So cheers to us!
Since I truly believe that what we focus on becomes our reality, I’ve been doing a lot of work on myself regarding gratitude and mindfulness and manifesting the things I wish to see more of in my life. To that end, today I thought I’d share with y’all three things that happened to me this year that I’m so very thankful for. Here goes:
1. My home office re-do is complete!
This project has been a long time in the making. Below at the “Before” pictures. It’s a 3rd bedroom in my home that no one uses. As you can see by the dusty treadmill there in the back, I’d had dreams of this being a workout room when I first move in, but eventually, it just turned into catch-all clutter space. Filled with boxes and mementos and anything else I didn’t have the time or spoons to deal with at that moment. There was also a desk in here, where that blank space is against the wall in the second pic. It’s where I started my writing career, but after my mom’s passing in 2013, I was just too sad to return to it. When I did start writing again in 2016, I did so slumped over my kitchen table because there was so much stuff in this room by then, you couldn’t even see the desk anymore. It was too overwhelming. Until April of 2021 when I couldn’t stand not having a dedicated space for my writing career anymore and…
Before…
After!
I seriously LOVE my office so much now. Lots of storage, everything has it’s place and all the furniture matches. I’ve got my stand-sit desk and under desk elliptical to make sure I get my exercise in and the whole vibe of the space is very light and uplifting. It’s my new favorite room in the house!
2. My new pup Karley!
After my beloved pup and writing partner Clara passed away at the end of September this year, I was devastated. She’d been with me for fifteen years and it was like losing a beloved family member. Grieving, I wasn’t going to get another dog right away. But fate intervened and Karley arrived in my life on October 16th. And after nearly two months with me, Karley’s settling in nicely, I think. Oh, and I had her DNA tested and she’s a Schnese. Gesundheit. LOL! A miniature schnauzer-havanese mix. And 100% the bestest girl! ❤️
3. Author Milestones!
When I published my first book with the Medicals line back in 2018, I had no idea that just three years later, my 10th book with the line would come out. Wow! I’m so proud of Costa Rican Fling with the Doc, my first seasoned romance with older protagonists, and I’m so grateful to all you readers who allow me to keep doing what I love to do by buying my books. Cheers to me writing ten more Medicals books with the line, eh? Oh, and here’s the link if you want to check out Gabe and Sara’s story for yourself!
Proud to publish my 10th book with the line, Costa Rican Fling with the Doc!
So, there are 3 good things that happened to me this year. With so much darkness and uncertainty in the world, let’s shine a light on joy! I’d love to hear what awesome things have happened for you this year too. Please tell me in the comments!
And until next year, I wish you and yours peace and love and every good thing you desire! Happy Reading! 🤓📚❤️
Hope your April is going well. For us in the Northern Hemisphere it’s Spring, my favorite time of the year. Everything’s fresh and new. The plants are blooming and growing. Flowers. New baby animals everywhere. Vaccines for COVID finally going in arms. So invigorating!
Plum blossoms from the Japanese Plum trees in my backyard!
Anyway, let’s talk Medicals. My next stories with the line release June 1, 2021 and are my first duet–First Response in Florida! Take two adopted brothers who both work in the medical field (Jackson is a top paramedic and Luis is an ER doc), a Key West setting, throw in tons of sexy, romantic conflict, and one nasty hurricane and you have the basis for the First Response in Florida duet!
The last time I was on the blog, I gave you a sneak peek into Book 1 in the duet, The Vet’s Unexpected Hero–Jackson and Lucy’s story. So, today, I thought I’d share and exclusive excerpt from Book 2 in the duet, Her One-Night Secret. This is Luis and Stacy’s story and it’s full of past regrets, second-chances, and one very special surprise.
I hope you enjoy this snippet from the story, where Stacy and Luis have their first conversation since their one night together four years before. And I also hope you’ll check out the First Response in Florida duet when it releases on June 1st! If you like action, suspense, heat, and happily ever afters, these are the books for you!
Until next time, stay safe and healthy and Happy Reading!
Traci 🙂
Excerpt:
HER FIRST IMPULSE was to feign ignorance, but from the way he’d been watching her this whole time, it was clear he’d recognized her, so what was the point? Besides, the last thing Stacy wanted to do was draw more attention to her past indiscretions, so she hiked her chin toward the other members of her fire crew to go on out into the hall, then waited until they were gone before turning back to face Luis.
“It is.” She forced a smile she didn’t feel and looked him over. Man, he was still gorgeous as ever. At first, when she’d looked back on that night, she’d figured she’d been imagining that thick, curly dark hair, those velvety caramel-colored eyes, the impossibly long eyelashes that most women would kill for. Of course, then, as luck would have it, her own son was born with those same features nine months later, so…
Stacy swallowed hard and did her best to cover her nervousness with chatter. “Didn’t think I’d see you again. How are you? You look well.”
Luis blinked at her a moment, a slight frown lining the smooth skin between his dark brows. “I wondered what happened to you after that night, if you were okay.”
That slight accent of his sent a sudden shiver of unwanted awareness through her, taking her right back to that night on the beach, the stars twinkling above, his strong arms around her, sweet endearments on his lips as he’d moved over her, in her, so careful, so tender, so…
“I’m fine. Great, actually.” She needed air, and space. The walls of the room seemed to be closing in on her with him that close, his warmth and scent surrounding her—soap and sandalwood. Stacy turned fast and pushed out into the hallway, grateful for the bright lights and noise of the other meeting members to distract her. She pointed at her badge and headed down the corridor toward the entrance to the ER. “Captain now.”
“I see that,” Luis said, keeping pace beside her, adjusting his long-legged stride to accommodate her shorter one. Funny how that worked. She was a good six inches shorter than him, but that night they’d fit perfectly together.
Stop thinking about that night. Stop it.
“Are you living in Key West now?” he asked as they passed her fire crew, who were giving her curious looks.
“I am,” she said, leaving it at that. She and Miguel had moved into a nice apartment at a local complex the previous year when she’d taken the captain’s job here after leaving her department in Miami. “And you? Are you still traveling the world on your mission trips?”
“No. Not anymore,” he said, tapping the square metal handicapped button on the wall with his elbow so the automatic doors swung open ahead of them. “I’ve taken the position as head of the emergency department here at Key West General, so I’m staying put now.”
“Good to know.” Actually, it wasn’t good. Not at all. Because if they were both staying here in Key West, that meant she needed to tell him about Miguel. Honestly, Stacy had never meant to keep it a secret from Luis for this long. It was just that once she’d found out she was pregnant, he was long gone, and she’d had no way to get a hold of him. Then she’d had the baby and had to fend for herself, and she’d been too busy working and surviving to consider another trip back down to Key West to search for Luis. Being accepted into the fire academy training program had been a godsend—good pay, good benefits, good exercise and a new, extended family she’d always wanted but never dreamed she’d have. The guys in the Miami-Dade County Fire and Rescue Department had embraced Stacy and Miguel as their own, giving her son all the attention and positive male role models he could ever want or need.
Still, having a father—his father—in his life was important for her son, at least to Stacy. So, no matter how awkward, she would tell Luis. Just maybe when the time and place were more appropriate.
“You work with Reed?” Luis asked as they stopped near the nurses’ station in the bustling ER. “The injured firefighter?”
“I do. He’s on a different crew than mine, but we’re all in the same battalion.” She swallowed hard against the lingering constriction in her throat. “It’s like a big family.”
“That’s nice,” Luis said, turning his attention to a chart the nurse behind the desk handed him. “Your colleague is in for a tough battle.”
“Is there any word on how the surgery went?” she asked, glad for a topic of discussion.
“I can’t discuss the specifics because of privacy laws, but suffice it to say that when I left the OR upstairs, he was holding his own. With luck they got the bleeding under control and we can move on to evaluating his leg injury.”
“Will he walk again?”
“I can’t give you a prognosis on that at the moment, I’m afraid.” Luis continued jotting notes in the chart he was working on. “It will be a long recovery either way. Given the extent of the initial injury, there will be nerve and tissue damage that will take time to heal. Physical therapy and bed rest are definitely in his future whether he keeps that leg or not. It will just depend on what the focus is—restoring strength and mobility or retraining him to use a prosthetic.”
“Will he be able to return to active duty as a firefighter?” Stacy asked, her heart aching for his family and what they were going through. “He’ll have his pension, but I know Reed, and he’d hate sitting behind a desk all day.”
“We won’t know until after the surgery and the ortho consult.” He glanced over at her. “But if everything works out well, I don’t see why not. They’ve made huge strides in technology and many people with prosthetics can do just as well, and in some cases better, than their counterparts without disabilities. That would be up to your department, however, and what the physical therapists have to say once they work with and evaluate him. We’re getting way ahead of ourselves here, though.”
Now that Stacy had a chance to really study him as he worked, she could see tiny lines near the corners of his eyes that hadn’t been there before, and a hint of dark stubble just beneath the surface of his strong jaw. She wondered how long his shift had been, if he had someone waiting at home for him once he was done…
Not that it was any of her business. Nope. She was not looking for a relationship. She had plenty enough on her plate as it was with work and Miguel and now the hurricane heading in their general direction. It was just that if he was involved with someone else, that would add another dimension to him finding out he had a son from a previous liaison. She needed to tread carefully, since the last thing Miguel needed right now was more upset to his schedule. With his mild Asperger’s, routine was the glue that held their little world together. And most of all, she didn’t want her son hurt.
As someone who knew the struggle of being an only child, raised by a single mother, Stacy knew all too well the pain of letting someone in, only to have them walk away or disappoint you. She remembered when her own father had walked out on them. At first, she’d cried and cried, running to the window each time a car drove by their house, thinking it might be him. Then, after a while, she’d turned the pain and hurt inward, thinking it was her fault he was gone. That it must’ve been something she’d done, or if she’d only been better, somehow, her father wouldn’t have left them. Eventually she’d internalized that feeling of never being enough and translated it into constantly pushing herself to do more, be more, hoping someday it might be enough to keep those she loved from leaving.
Stacy refused to have her son experience that same trauma by exposing Miguel to a man who might just as likely disappear from their lives as quickly as he’d arrived. She’d never really explained to Miguel about where his father was, and luckily he hadn’t asked. It had always just been the two of them. Now, though, as he was getting older, she feared the questions would come and, with them, the knowledge that he’d been a surprise baby. But in the best possible way. Stacy couldn’t image her life without her son. He was her reason for being, her reason for getting up every day, her reason for everything.
There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for Miguel, including telling Luis the truth.
Soon. Just not yet.
They stood there a moment, neither knowing what to say, until finally Stacy spotted Reed’s wife and daughter in the hall and seized on her opportunity to escape. “Uh, I should get back to my crew and Reed’s family. Excuse me. It was nice seeing you again.”
“I’d like to have dinner,” Luis said as she was walking away, halting her in her tracks. “To discuss coordination of our protocols for the hurricane.”
Her heart thudded harder against her rib cage. The hurricane. Right. “Uh, I…”
“Stacy,” he said, handing the chart back to the nurse then stepping toward her, a hint of his tanned chest visible through the vee of his light green scrub shirt. She concentrated there and not on his eyes, those too-perceptive eyes that sent tingles of heat through her like fireworks and always saw way more than she wanted to reveal. Like how nervous she was around him. Like how he still affected her, even after all these years. Like how almost five years later and a lifetime of changes apart, her attraction to him burned bright as the sun. “Just dinner. That’s all. How about tonight? Say, 8:00 p.m., after my shift? Unless you have other plans already.”
There it was. Her out. She seized on it with both hands, even as she cursed herself a coward. “Actually, I do have other plans tonight. Sorry.” Namely, mac and cheese and homework with Miguel. “Maybe another time.”
She took off before he could ask any more questions, the weight of his stare prickling the back of her neck all the way down the corridor.
First Response in Florida Duet
BOOK 1:
In the midst of the hurricane…
…will she find safety in his arms?
Vet Lucy Miller is happy with her quiet, ordered life. But when a tropical storm bears down on her Florida Keys animal sanctuary, the arrival of devastatingly gorgeous, yet equally guarded, emergency medic Jackson Durand brings disorder—and desire! He’s there to rescue her, but Lucy suspects her red-hot reaction to Jackson will be much more dangerous than the storm raging overhead…
Firefighter Stacy Williams knows two things about her return to Key West. Her promotion gives her the security she needs to raise her son, and it will be almost impossible to suppress the memories of her passionate night with Dr. Luis Durand. Almost…until working on the hurricane response team brings an encounter with the tall, dark and nomadic doc! And the chance to make her life-changing confession…
Ever get asked to do something that absolutely fills you with terror? You know, like give a speech to a huge crowd, or display something you made, or do an off-the-cuff presentation? Well, if you have, and are anything like me, it fills you with dread, give you that old butterflies-in-the belly sensation, maybe even robs you of sleep at night.
Yeah, that’s my life this week, since the lovely editors at Harlequin asked me to take part in the Soothing Sunday Series, where I get to do a live Facebook video, reading an excerpt of my upcoming release, Night Shifts with the Miami Doc.
LIVE.
My first thought when I saw the email was, ‘Soothing??? For whom?’
Obviously not for me! I haven’t been this keyed up since… I can’t even remember when.
Did I mention it’s live?
And that I have a face for radio, and a voice for a silent film?
Not to mention a Covid afro that refuses to be tamed?
Now that last one, I have to admit I’m rather enjoying. Since nothing is locked down here in Florida, and (of course) we have no snow, I know I could get a haircut if I really wanted to, but these wild curls of mine seem to suit these crazy times.
However, having taken part in a number of Zoom meetings and video calls over the last year, I know my hair, which is very fine and going gray, doesn’t really translate well in that medium. The gray bits sort of disappear, so I look as though a toddler got at me with a pair of pruning shears.
Still not getting it cut, though.
Of course, too, there are the technical aspects of it, which I’m not familiar with, and am sure I’ll mess up, including setting up the scheduled video. Nothing like being technically challenged in this brave new world of ours to make one feel, well, incompetent.
In the end, I hope I can bring it off without embarrassing myself, and if your free at noon on February 21st, 2021, I hope you’ll join me, so I’m not speaking into the void, mournfully wondering, “Is anyone out there?”
And now you know why I can’t get any sleep.
My crazy, rather paranoid imagination just won’t let me!
I am getting ready to write a new book, which is always an exciting prospect! One of a quad. And I am stoked. Because I’d already written a quad with the same fabulously talented authors, under the Hot Latin Docs! umbrella. We had a blast planning those books. And we’re already having fun figuring out how we’re going to link these new books, and most importantly…our heroes–hunky firefighters and paramedics who work out of the same station house. They also shared the same foster home growing up.
Did I mention how excited I am?
So, in planning my particular hero, Deakin Patera, I am having to figure out what makes this guy tick. Who is Deakin Patera? I’m discovering him little by little. And that makes me curious about what kind of heroes readers connect with.
I write a lot of playboys, but one of my favorite types of heroes is the angsty, broody, wounded, damaged, scarred–you get the picture–hero. Sometimes I dive so deep into the angst, though, that my hero has a hard time holding his breath long enough to reach the surface and retrieve his happily-ever-after. So this time, I will plan carefully (famous last words!).
Do you like angsty heroes? Or are you more of a fan of a hero with witty comebacks? Swashbucklers? Playboys? Bad boys? What kind of hero makes you go weak in the knees? I really want to know!
In the meantime, here are the covers from our Hot Latin Docs! quad, written by Annie O’Neill, Amy Ruttan, me, and Amalie Berlin. It was hard to leave those heroes behind, but I know I’m going to love this new cast of characters just as much!
I’m away at a horse show today, but while I’m gone, I’ll share some pictures of our newest addition to the family. A puppy! A cute, uncomplicated, well-mannered little doll. Okay, so none of that is true except for the cute part. You can guess from the title of this blog post that a) we have a puppy, b) she makes puddles in unfortunate places, and c) she has a penchant for grabbing the hem of our jeans and letting herself be dragged along (no matter how many times we tell her that it’s simply unacceptable).
Yesterday I was texting my husband about the puppy’s latest escapades, and he finally texted back: I thought empty nests were supposed to be quiet (we just sent our youngest off to college last year). Hmmm…he had me there. I finally responded: Well that would be true, if we actually left it empty. Score one for me. Or maybe that point goes to the puppy.
Anyway, here are some of my favorite puppy moments:
The day we brought her home from our friends’ house, where she was born. One would never suspect the changes that would soon befall our little household, where only a cat, a chinchilla, and an elderly pug reside.
. This is our pup’s normal routine: Find stuff. Chew stuff. Make puddles and piles.
Redecorating the house. Every home needs a dead tree in it, according to Miss Puppy. And yes she can fit through the cat door. For now. She’s only nine weeks old and growing fast!
Getting ready for bed. My favorite time of day. She loves her pillow. And we love that she loves her pillow.
What about you? Any funny pet stories you would like to share? Or training tips that have gotten you through the worst of the worst?
And because I also have a book being released this month, I’ll share my cover. I can’t help but wonder what this sweet scene might look like if our puppy had her way!
I am fortunate to be included in another Mills & Boon miniseries
Skyscrapers in Los Angeles California at night
Welcome to The Hollywood Hills Clinic!
Where doctors to the stars work miracles by day—and explore their hearts’ desires by night…
Seduced by the Heart Surgeon by Carol Marinelli
Falling for the Single Dad by Emily Forbes
Tempted by Hollywood’s Top Doc by Louisa George
Perfect Rivals by Amy Ruttan
The Prince and the Midwife by Robin Gianna
My book is #6 – His Pregnant Sleeping Beauty
WATCH FOR TWO MORE TITLES NEXT MONTH FROM Amalie Berlin and Tina Beckett!
As doctors to the stars, these world-class medics are hand-picked by renowned plastic surgeon, Dr James Rothsberg, Head of the ‘Hills’. His clients expect the very best, and James delivers that and more – his team are global specialists in their field, unrivalled in their expertise and patient care.
Yet behind closed doors, when the pressure is on, sizzling passions run high – and for these dazzling docs, their biggest challenges are yet to come!
Passion, glamour, desire and drama …
So where does the amnesia come in? Thankfully it doesn’t. But when I read the bible for the entire project and the story assigned to me, my first thought was – she’ll wake up with amnesia, oh no! I’ve never written an amnesia story, and to be honest, it is the trope (hook) I like least for books. All I can say is, I thanked my lucky stars when my character woke up asking “Is my baby okay?” Whew!
Here is a sampling of the International covers. #1 is UK, #2 is Australia, #3 is US, and #4 is UK e-book version.
I hope you’ll give all eight of the books a read. We had a great time working as a group to iron out little things, and to make sure we got our parts of the overall continuity arc right leading up to James and Mila’s story in book eight.
If you read any of the books, why not write a short review and make an author very happy.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO HOLLYWOOD? SHARE A LITTLE OF YOUR TRIP IN COMMENTS. OR IF YOU’VE NEVER BEEN BUT WOULD LIKE TO, TELL US WHY. OR IF YOU’VE READ ANY OF THE BOOKS, TELL US WHICH ONES! OR, HAVE YOU EVER HAD AMNESIA? (lol – in other words comment…on anything. Thanks)
As many of you already know, I was fortunate enough to spend the last part of September and the first couple of weeks of October in Ireland. One of my absolute favorite places to visit was a gorgeous Georgian Manor Home set on the river Nore in Thomastown, County Kilkenny. Mount Juliet was built in 1757 by the Earl of Carrick and named after his wife, Juliet. How romantic is that?
My room:
The estate has gone through many different owners, and though the home boasts many original paintings and has maintained the lovely “bones” of the home, it is now a popular hotel with a Michelin star Restaurant named Lady Helen. There is also a really good off site restaurant called Kendalls at Hunters Yard. Beware, there is a rainbow trout farm nearby, and if you order fish for dinner it will come served with the entire head and eyes. I ate it anyway, and it was the most delicious trout I’ve ever had!
Besides being the setting for a modern day spa and golf course, it has maintained the grandeur of the classic country home, but now includes wedding packages. What is the draw? For starters, there is a nearby stud farm,
a hundred-year-old bridge over the beautiful river Nore,
Gardens galore,
and a hunting dog kennel, which is home to over one-hundred dogs! Each morning all of the dogs go for a five-mile run with their trainers, sans leashes! These dogs are happy campers and are well taken care of. Can you imagine the vet bills?
A top-notch Golf course adds to the beauty, as well as a luxurious equestrian center. What more could a person dream of?
Even though I’ve been home for months now, I still dream of my lovely time at the Irish Manor named for an Earl’s wife.
Tell us about your all-time favorite vacation! Leave a comment. Join the fun!
It’s the one day of the year when it’s cool to be patriotic.
In fact, flag waving is required.
Of course, as an International blog, we celebrate all countries and personal pride for people of the world and the place of their birth…
In fact, it’s my favorite part of the Olympics – those opening ceremonies where all of the participating countries march in waving their flags and smiling with pride.
BUT July 4th is the good old USA’s special day, so what do you say – wish us happy birthday, and join us for a piece of the cake!
Let freedom ring!
What is the last line from your country’s National Anthem?
I’ll start – “…for the land of the free, and the home of the brave…” United States of America
As the mother of a rescue fur-child, Mathilda, a Maltese Shih Tzu, I have a soft spot for all creatures small and needy. So when our youngest adult daughter still living at home decided to adopt a black toy poodle, I could not say no. And so it was that Betty came to live with us. Mathilda has some residual issues from her previous home where she was abused and friends lovingly refer to her as Kujo, so on a good day she tolerates Betty and the non-furry family members.
In 2006 I was living in Los Angeles with my eldest daughter as she launched her musical career ( I wasn’t about to send her off overseas without family around). After only a week there she decided to give a home to a Pomeranian. Her name was Pumba and she was a typical Pomeranian. Very intelligent, quite neurotic, hyperactive and we thought, perhaps lonely. So, in our infinite wisdom, we decided that a sister for Pumba might be the trick. Along came the most gentle fur bundle ever born, a Bichon-Frise and her name was to be Harriet. I returned to Adelaide in 2008 and Orianthi became the girls’ sole care-giver.
Now, with her time on the road touring greater than her time at home, Orianthi has decided the girls would be better living in Australia. So along with finishing my fourth book, that is due on my editor’s desk at the end of June, and promoting my second book, Back in Her Husband’s Arms, I am also wading through the miles of red tape involved in shipping two dogs to live in Adelaide. The tests, vaccinations, approvals, airline bookings and quarantine all needed to bring our fur-grandchildren to live with us, borders on overwhelming.
And as I ponder the chaos that will befall our household in about four months time with a house full of fur children, I wonder if the new arrivals will have an American accent to their woofs? If so, I am sure these Californian girls will be popular with the fur boys as we walk them along the foreshore on Sunday mornings!
Have you been involved in the transport of a four legged family member over the high seas … or perhaps interstate?
Warm regards
Susanne Hampton
Unlocking the Doctor’s Heart – Mills & Boon Medical Romance March 2014
Back in Her Husband’s Arms – Mills & Boon Medical Romance June 2014
Falling for Dr December – Mills & Boon Medical Romance December 2014
As many of you already know, I was fortunate enough to spend the last part of September and the first couple of weeks of October in Ireland. One of my absolute favorite places to visit was a gorgeous Georgian Manor Home set on the river Nore in Thomastown, County Kilkenny. Mount Juliet was built in 1757 by the Earl of Carrick and named after his wife, Juliet. How romantic is that?
Australia
Love is the Best Medicine 