I really battled with this story and, more than once, wondered if I'd bitten off more than I could chew when I dreamed up the storyline. There were tears for more than one reason while I wrote this, that's for sure. All of that said, I'm very happy with the finished product. I hope my readers will be too and that they'll relish the strength of purpose Alexis brings to reuniting Raoul with his baby girl, when Alexis arrives to settle a debt she owes to her dead best friend.
You can read the opening scene of the book HERE.
The setting for this Master Vintner story is near Akaroa, on the Banks Peninsula in New Zealand's stunning South Island. When my husband and I married, we were given a painting of French Bay, near Akaroa, and the area has always intrigued me. With a little more research, it became quite clear that the beauty of this area made this setting a must for this particular story. Akaroa, which in Maori means "long harbour", is a delightfully picturesque historic French and British settlement, nestled in the heart of an ancient volcano. At some stage in time, the sea breached the volcanic wall, thereby creating the Akaroa Harbour, which is currently a very popular stop for cruise ships and tourists.
It's an interesting thing, don't you think--wanting what you can't have? Most of the time, I think it makes us want something more and go to great lengths to get it. Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes not so much. Have you ever had something that you wanted with all your might and couldn't have? And what happened after? Did you get it and love/hate it, or is it still something your heart desires?
LOL, Yvonne, does chocolate count?
ReplyDeleteI've wanted things terribly badly in the past (becoming a published author is one of those things) but they've not been things I couldn't or shouldn't have. They were just thing that took a lot of work to achieve.
Unless we're talking chocolate…and doughnuts. ;-)
LOL! I guess chocolate could count. Imagine if you really *couldn't* have any! And yeah, for me becoming a published author was one of those things that seemed to be eternally out of reach for me for a very long time. It definitely took a lot of learning and a whole lot of work to achieve. Made it all the sweeter, too, I reckon. ;-)
DeleteOh chocolate has to count.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I wanted most in my life that took the longest to achieve was to become a published author. And now that I am it still rates up there as being wonderful.
It certainly is wonderful, Sue, and could we add a well crafted wine to go along with the wanting what we can't haves? ;-)
DeleteOMG - Love the title of this blog.
ReplyDeleteYeh. I've wanted something I can't have. Ever. But that's just the way it is. I think it goes under the heading, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. And life's too short to be mopey about it :-)
You're so right, Amy. I think there's a peace to be found in accepting that we can't always have everything we want. When you let that "want" go, you can feel so much lighter in spirit.
DeleteYvonne
ReplyDeleteI do love the sound of this one and the setting sounds lovely :)
I guess there are lots of things I want one of them is to retire and I know it will happen but not as soon as I would like and I am often told I won't enjoy it as I think I will but I am sure I will LOL
Have Fun
Helen
Helen, I think if you plan your retirement you'll enjoy it. It might not be so much fun to be forced into an early retirement if you lost your job, for example. I've seen that happen to people. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying retirement, to be honest. There's so much to do every day! LOL!
DeleteI love Akaroa, Yvonne and can't wait to read "Wanting What She Can't Have." I'm with the others in that being a published author was something I wanted badly for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if anyone ever wrote a novel and didn't really want to be published...hmmm, this has set me to musing. ;-)
DeleteI found that the more I wanted something, the more single minded I became about my focus for that thing. Sometimes, when I shifted my focus, just a little, I ended up with something else even better! LOL!
Hi Yvonne, sounds fab and with Akaroa in the news lately I see is beautiful. Lots of things I want but can't have but the most precious thing I want us more time. More me time. More time to read books and smell the roses :)
ReplyDeleteHi Tash, oh heavens yes! Time! When I most needed time (to write) I found I had to carve it out of a whole lot of little places in my day that were just black holes of time suck. It wasn't easy, but eventually it was doable. Good luck with finding more for you!
DeleteHmmm, wanting what I can't have. I'll have to think about that. I guess I want cheesecake everyday, but don't want to do the associated exercise I'd need to work it off. Does that count?
ReplyDeleteBut I guess it is along the lines of when people tell me a can't do something, it really just makes me want to prove them wrong. I had so many people tell me how hard it was to get published...impossible...a pipe dream...wasting my time... all that just inspired me to work even harder.
Yeah, ain't that the truth? Being told you can't have something is a sure fire way to make sure you find a way to get it...when you want it enough ;-)
DeleteYvonne, congratulations on your latest book. No wonder you're pleased with it.
ReplyDeleteDon't we all hanker after things we can't have? But I suppose we also learn to work out which things we CAN get through hard work and which will be just a fantasy. Must say I love those fantasies too.
Thanks, Annie! Yes, I think we work out what we can get through hard work and whether we're prepared to work hard enough to get it :-) Those fantasies, they're the icing on the cake, aren't they?
DeleteYvonne, mine are all going to be about food. :) Specifically, chocolate. Can't wait to read Wanting What She Can't Have - it looks fabulous!
ReplyDeleteLOL, Rachel, I hope you enjoy it.
DeleteGlad you're happy with the finished product after battling to write the book, Yvonne.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Claire. It seems that the books that tax me the most are the ones my editor loves the most and is the most happy with.
DeleteOh Yvonne- I just read a sample- and I NEED to read this book. It is beautiful and heartbreaking and I can't wait to see what happens.
ReplyDeleteI'm aways wanting what I can't have: cake/wine/Jake Gyllenhal…..*le sigh*
Yvonne, I'm much more about wanting what I "shouldn't" have and that's sweet things! My system just doesn't cope well with too much sugar so no indulging in lovely big servings of chocolate mud cake for instance... or pavlova with lashings of cream... or caramel slice. Mmm, salivating just thinking about those yummy things! I can eat a little bit of dark chocolate though and I have a daily ration, so it's not all bad news! And it has antioxidents so I "almost" feel virtuous!
ReplyDeleteFortunately books are not of any lists that I can't/shouldn't have so I can indulge to my heart's content and WANTING WHAT SHE CAN'T HAVE sounds like a great read!