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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: Writing Romance

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

From Rose to Gold

26 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by wendyleslie in General, Writing Romance

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Alex Sokoloff, Australian Romance Readers, Avon Romance, Baci, Choc Lit, Gold Coast, Google, Harlequin, HelzKat Designs, Monte Carlo, Penguin Group (Australia), Rafael Nadal, Romance Writers of Australia Inc

Well, I’m sneaking back in on tippy toes after a more lengthy absence than anticipated, but “la vie en Rose” it certainly was and our Hero made it eight-in-a-row. Well worth the effort to be there…

So, back on the Gold Coast, still savouring the aftermath of the wonderful Romance Writers Conference here last week. Pure Gold, in so much as what was presented, what was learned and what can be done to enhance one’s WIP.

Alex Sokoloff’s workshop on the Friday thrilled us with her Screenwriting Tricks for Authors and set the tone for the entire event – it was fabulous – as were without exception,  our keynote speaker,  Eloisa James and presenting Authors of the sessions I was lucky enough to attend.

The Author Cafe morning teas and brief lunch breaks with, in my case, Barbara Hannay and Fiona Lowe gave us the chance to ask one on one, questions dear to our hearts.

New friends made and existing friendships reinforced – it truly was a Conference worth it’s weight in Gold.  Thank you, Romance Writers of Australia,  RWA and all of our sponsors and supporters who participated fully and really were part of the Conference. Thank you.

Looking Back at Heroes – and even more Impressed.

18 Sunday Mar 2012

Posted by wendyleslie in Writing Romance

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Heroes, Joe Cable, John Kerr

As a child, my parents took me to see the new movie hit, South Pacific. My father had returned to us and although a casualty of the War in the Pacific himself, he was in good spirits at that time and wanted to see the film.

Shown on a wide screen in colour with the glorious music of Rogers and Hammerstein, it was inspiring and I fell in love for the first time.

I was too young to really understand the arguments of the day regarding politics, the War itself and the attraction between the grown ups – aka the sailors and the nurses. I was however desolate that the young Joe Cable didn’t get to go back to his girlfriend and it put paid to the rest of the film for me. How could the others be happy?

Living unknowingly in the midst of the perpetuating horror of the Stolen Generations of my time, I was discretely informed while my tears were gently brushed away, that this ‘friendship’ was somehow not allowed and that’s probably why it wasn’t continued with, in the film. It was my introduction to racism and like Joe Cable had so eloquently sung with the help of Bill Lee, ‘You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught.’

I saw the film, now a Classic Movie, again for the first time just last week and have re-run it several times, enchanted with the story by James A Michener, the scenery, the dancing and singing and the acting. It’s ‘fifties’ but I think it has aged well when compared to other musicals of the era which seem stilted and highly vaudevillian, imho.

Many at the time criticized the use of filters which flood the screen with red or deep purple hues when intriguing, mysterious scenes are about to happen. Similarly golden yellow hues overlay the happy moments. I thought in a way it worked well as it gave the theatrical singing scenes, a comfortable place to be until we returned to the main storyline. However the critics’ POV was detrimental to the very popular film and did affect the actors’ futures.

Getting back to the Hero.  For me it was and still is, without doubt, Joe Cable played by the actor John Kerr.

I realized this week I have often thought of him,  John and ‘Joe,’ over the years and wondered ‘whatever became of…’ as one does. So he, his acting, his character’s role in the story, the screen play and how it was played out on the screen had a huge effect on my childhood view of the world. He seemed such a good young man and I related well to his gentle portrayal of his brave young character at the time.

Having decided to follow up on the ‘whatever…’ and now as a woman of an age who definitely should not be ogling such a gorgeous young man in his prime, I was impressed with the results of my research. And John Kerr, I say with a smile, is older than me in real life so I don’t feel so badly about it, really.

He was a contemporary of James Dean and in fact both were in line for roles in the many films they both made. But he took a different route in his life, relaxed his focus on Hollywood, enrolled in University and became a Lawyer.

He received bonus points from me for remaining a lifelong friend of France Nuyen his ‘girlfriend’ in South Pacific and indeed assisted her in a matter of Law later on in life. She too went back to University and became a successful professional woman. Well done both of you; if I may.

So, a truly happy ending for my first Hero who caught my attention as a child for many reasons and is also seen appraisingly from this stage of my life.

It’s highly likely that he, John or Joe, may resurface as a thoughtful, good looking, romantic Hero in one of my next books.

I hope he doesn’t mind.

Choosing Heroes

04 Sunday Dec 2011

Posted by wendyleslie in Writing Romance

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Gold Coast, Heroes

A few days ago, I walked along the Esplanade, soaking in the exquisite views of moderate rollers coming in, beach goers relaxing on white sand or strolling along in the shallows and gulls floating in to land amongst their own.

With a soft whirring, I turned my head to see four guys in racing gear cycle past in a neat single line. Like the many who practice here along the foreshore roads the length of the Gold Coast, they were trim and had a confident air about them. Without doubt, they knew exactly what they were doing – experience in any sport shows instantly.

As one by one they lent into the curve of the round-about up ahead, in a light hearted manner I thought, there go four Heroes, I wonder which one fits my next WIP. I could only see them from behind as they had raced past at a fast pace but the guy in white stood out.

Was it just the colour of the top? They all wore similar knee length tights and patterned helmets. Why not the the turquoise, the marine blue or the yellow?

Hmm… On reflection, it was the athleticism, the not-too-slim muscular definition; the tall but not-too-tall or gawky, rangy body type and the balance. Above all, it was his balance on the bike to the point of being one with it and in total synchronisation, that caught my eye.

As I sipped my coffee and concluded my short pieces of observation on Ibis’s squishy feet and the bright red fire brigade truck that had stopped at the lights a moment earlier, bringing memories of my little granddaughter’s delight on seeing one flooding back, I looked up and saw the cyclists pull up within a metre of my table.

Now I got to see their faces for the first time. They were all late thirties or early forties and one of many groups of retired competitive riders who enjoy their training runs together.

The guy in white smiled a stunning smile, luckily I was sitting down and said “Shh, watch the language, we have a lady in our midst.”

I returned the smile to the happy bunch but obviously along with a slight frown, as I tried to find a word that had escaped me – one to describe the fire engine.

I answered, “Thank you, but that’s OK.”

“Is there a problem, luv?”

“Actually, yes there is – I can’t remember the word for the window at the front of a car,” I said as I scratched my head gently with the end of my pencil.

“Windscreen, luv,” and as the lights changed, another gorgeous smile and in answer to my thanks, he said, “not a problem, see ya, bye” and off he rode.

“Thanks again, bye.” Whew.

Windscreen. Of course it was. But the metal protective screen to stop stones, debris and the odd kangaroo perhaps, had clouded the issue. In fact, since I’ve upped my daily word count I’m finding I’m often stymied by a simple word.  Something else to research.   🙂

Might I conclude by saying, he was my choice, Mr White guy – back, front, voice, twinkling soft grey eyes, hair a little long and escaping at the nape of his neck, hmm…

How did I know that?

—ooOoo—

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/

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.

Recent Posts

  • ‘En Vacances,’ now ‘Back in Oz .’
  • Back to the Classroom
  • sytycw
  • From Rose to Gold
  • Monte Carlo – et la vie en rose.
  • Looking Back at Heroes – and even more Impressed.
  • Pirates in Paradise
  • Summer in Oz
  • Year’s end and a New beginning
  • Choosing Heroes
  • Moulding and honing the new Writer
  • Marion Lennox

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