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Writing Romance in Paradise and loving it…

~ Australian Expats in love, far from home. Global careers, perfected veneers.

Writing Romance in Paradise and loving it…

Category Archives: Medicals – Authors

sytycw

30 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by wendyleslie in General, Medicals - Authors, Sport, Writing Romance

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Country Music, Golf, Harlequin, Mills & Boon, Sports Medicine

So you think you can write? Well, yes-but with the realization that I’m still at base camp with a long haul straight up, ahead.

Harlequin and Mills & Boon’s global writing competition has opened for First chapter and Pitch submissions and mine HIDDEN TRUTHS, OPEN HEARTS  is amongst them under the tab, Read Entries.  http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/manuscripts/

This is an exciting opportunity, not simply to enter, but to read all the other writer’s First Chapters and think about how important it is to begin a story well in just under 5000 carefully chosen and constantly evaluated words.

Then there is the Pitch-the 100 word pitch. In such a small space, the concept, plot, conflict, characters and setting need to be outlined with as much pulling power as possible to convince the reader that this book is well worth the effort of at least reading the first chapter.

If it fits your ideal of a Romance between a wonderful guy and a gal finding her feet after adversity, then I hope you will visit the sytycw website and vote for HIDDEN TRUTHS, OPEN HEARTS – just one amongst all the amazing stories there.

Voting begins on October 2 to 10 – with ONE VOTE per DAY allowable.

So for the continued high regard and success of this global competition, please visit ^^ read the stories and don’t forget to VOTE.

Thank you,   Wendy

Marion Lennox

24 Thursday Nov 2011

Posted by wendyleslie in Medicals - Authors, Writing Romance

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Marion Lennox, Medical Science, Medicals, Romance Writing, the perfect kiss

I first met this lovely lady at a Writers weekend at Robina on the Gold Coast in 2010. I had read many of her books and wanted to write in the same genre – Romance Medicals – and she was my inspiration to attend.

Marion’s session, “Romantic notions – The perfect Kiss,” was packed out. A tall lady, she had a delightful and friendly way of talking and the audience murmured appreciatively throughout, as she spoke.

“Romance is fun and fantasy, a chance to escape the serious times when life is tough,” she said, “it gives a sense of freedom to go into your head and just be someone else for a while.”

Being good at Maths she said had deflected her for thirty years into the Maths, Science stream. I felt an instant connection. 🙂

We laughed when she said her first book was written in a play pen because the kids had the rest of the house. It was her time out from the surrounding stress.

Market research wants Romance, she continued, with Georgette Heyer, Jane Austin and Dick Francis, notable writers who fall into this category. The heroine was best someone the reader could become; slip into her skin. She must be gorgeous, wealthy, never ‘unlike-able’ and never ‘over the top.’

The Hero must be to die for! Tall, let fantasy take a free hand here – tender, incredibly strong, capable and if angry, has a solid reason for it.  Marion explained he would never be a new age guy and wouldn’t help with the washing up because there was never any washing up to be done in her books.

Romance was central to the book with emotion building, conflict between the Hero and heroine – and she being ‘aware of him’ all the time. “Kisses never happen in isolation. A beautiful kiss will have a wonderful build up, will create a change and realization suddenly that ‘he/she’s special’,” as the heroine/Hero truly sees each other for the first time.

Research was vitally important and whether we touch lightly or write in depth, the topic has to be accurately portrayed. Hence her request to the AIDS hotline to ask if leopard seals contracted AIDS. She was told chimps and green monkeys get it but are not sick.

At the end we asked her to name which of her own, was her favourite story. With her love of animals, especially dogs it was easy to see why “Falling for Jack,” one of her earlier novels fit the bill.

The following link to this excerpt will demonstrate why Romance and Medicine, along with the care of animals IMO, go hand in hand.

http://www.marionlennox.com/books/rescue-cradle-lake/

Medically speaking

08 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by wendyleslie in Medical Science, Medicals - Authors

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Medical Science

Several months ago I discovered the website of C J Lyons.  http://cjlyons.net/

This enthusiastic, talented and very kind lady made a huge career change from a Medical Doctor specializing in Paediatrics to a writer specializing in “Thrillers with Heart.”

Not only did I receive a free ebook with that promotion, in return for a comment at her publisher’s site on reading it, but this busy lady re-sent it as I couldn’t download the first copy.

We exchanged several emails – I was wished all the best with my writing and it was the first contact with an overseas author – a complete stranger and a member of this extraordinary group of women writers who despite the competitiveness of the pursuit, are so warm and giving to others.

Many thanks, CJ

Valerie Parv

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Posted by wendyleslie in Medicals - Authors, Writing Romance

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Romance Writing, Valerie Parv

My first encounter with “Writing Romance” occurred in the early 1990’s by chance as a listener to a radio program where Valerie Parv was a guest discussing her new book, “The Art of Romance Writing.”  I ran out and bought a copy.

I was totally enchanted, still working full time, participating in further studies in Medical Science, and generally too busy to do much more.

So “The Art of Romance Writing” sat beckoning, stationed between Muir’s Pathology and Dacie and Lewis’s Practical Haematology for the best part of a decade, whilst I read sections, tried my hand at short stories and thoroughly enjoyed creative writing.

I mentioned this to Valerie at the recent Romance Writer’s Conference in Melbourne and it brought a smile to her face. She said she liked the idea of her book firmly ensconced amongst the Pathology tomes in my office.

Needless to say, my genre is “Medicals” – and Thank you, Valerie Parv.

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