Time for things to be on the up.

We've had some tough times in the Lovecats family. In the past year a few of us have lost parents, some have had ill family members, and some have had their lives turned upside down by fires, floods and other disasters. It's funny how bad things seem to happen in waves and then all of a sudden things start to take a turn for the better.

We've had some challenging times in the DeLeo house in the last twelve months, too. My husband and I have both lost our dads, I've had a few health issues and my husband left the job he'd been in for twenty years to start his own business so I'm back full time teaching. While I've been supporting my family and friends I've found it increasingly difficult to spend time reading or writing and so I haven't had a book out for almost a year. Now that I am starting to get back into some "normal" life, it's those happily ever afters that are helping me through. Picking up a book and knowing for certain that despite all the trials and tribulations love will always win out is the best feeling in the world.

To celebrate the upcoming release of the second in my "Weddings in Westchester" series my first book in the series, "The Bouquet List", is being re-released as a traditional sweet romance and is on sale for a limited time.

If you've been having a tough time, may this April 1st bring wonderful winds of change for you.

I have a very important question to ask.....

Last night we were going through some REALLY old photos and came across this one. Well, it's a bit more than a photo, it's a photo made into a postcard that we sent back from Greece when we were living there LOTS of years ago. We mailed them to all our friends and family and then waited. After a week or so our phone ran hot with lots of squeals and congratulations down the line.

On the front it says "The Proposal" - Lesvos, Greece.

On the back in huge red letters it says "ACCEPTED".

It still brings a little tear to my eye when I think about that day. We'd been riding little motorbikes all over the island and then we found a field of poppies and I was asked that very special question. When we were back in Athens we bought the ring, and of course it's still on my finger.

Coincidentally, right now I'm considering having a proposal in my latest book. The second in my "Weddings in Westchester" series will be out soon and since both the hero and heroine are in charge of wedding companies so a proposal would have to have to be spectacular!

What's the very best proposal you've ever heard of, or do you have a proposal story of your own?

And just because it's Friday and just because I can, let's eavesdrop on a few memorable proposals. I think my favourite is the wakeboarding one...!!

Happy weekend X

Brides, bouquets and book deadlines. Opa!

I'm up to my neck in weddings!  Not mine, and I don't even have to plan an outfit or buy a new pair of shoes. I'm living and breathing my latest book which is due to my editor next week. This is the first in a series about a family wedding business set in Westchester, New York. The parents have suddenly left, it's up to the three children to run things, and it's not as easy as they first thought. This is a Greek-American family and they specialise in weddings for Greek families so there's lots of beautiful Greek inspired food and Greek customs and traditions.

Although I was married in New Zealand, I had a traditional Greek Orthodox ceremony - well actually not completely traditional. My DH was born in New Zealand to a Greek father and a Greek Cypriot mother and was brought up in a household with very rich traditions. While we wanted to have those elements as a big part of our day, we also wanted to celebrate my New Zealand heritage of outdoors, sun and a relaxed approach to the wedding ceremony.

We ended up with the very best of both world. We were married in a traditional medieval herb garden and our reception was on the verandah of the colonial cottage nestled amongst the rosemary and thyme. A Greek priest officiated and the whole ceremony was in both Greek and English with a traditional "chanter" singing parts of the ceremony. We had the candles and the "stefania" - the decorative crowns to link us - and when the priest said in Greek that I would be expected to obey my husband, I did what generations of Greek women have done and stepped on my husband-to-be's toes...

It's been fifteen years since our big day but I've loved spending time this week looking over our photos and remembering what an incredible day it was.

Have you been involved in wedding ceremonies from another culture? What did you enjoy about them?