Reading Dark

I love reading romance. I’m currently reading The Million Pound Marriage Deal by fellow LoveCat Michelle Douglas and love it. 

Crime is another of my favourite genres. Michael Connelly and Michael Robotham are two of my go to authors. I devour everything written by Jane Harper.

But, there are some books I just can’t bring myself to read. I love Stephen King’s book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. I’ve read it three times, but I can’t bring myself to read one of his fiction books. I’m too scared.

At the recent Byron Writers Festival, I listened to Ginger Gorman discuss the world of online trolls and her incredible journey researching this phenomenon. I immediately purchased Troll Hunting and had Ginger sign it. I’ve picked it up a number of times to read, but just wonder if I can face learning about the inside world of online hate. I teach Social Media Tactics at university, so feel it is a book I should read, but do I really want to know about this world?

What about you? Are there genres of books you can’t read or don’t want to read?

I’m heading back to Will and Sophie’s story and will leave the trolls for now.

Who has time for hobbies?

With life so busy, I find it hard to dedicate time to hobbies. When is there a spare minute in the day to dabble in something that a dictionary defines as ‘an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure’? Sad really. Isn’t life supposed to have some time for pleasure?

Well, I have been forced, well not really forced, but encouraged back into one of my hobbies recently. My parents are downsizing so my mother’s grand piano has come to me.  It is such a beautiful, elegant instrument. I can’t believe it now sits in my sitting room.

Now, I used to play piano quite well. In fact at one point I was tossing up whether to go to university or to the conservatorium of music. However, I attended enough eisteddfods to know I was never going to be good enough to be a world-class concert pianist.  Me being me, if I wasn’t going to do it perfectly, I wasn’t going to do it at all (I have matured a little since then). So, I stopped cold turkey and didn’t play for nearly twenty-five years!

Me playing a Steinway (!!!) at the Bangalow Hall

Then, about a year ago, Mum and I were discussing her move to a smaller home and she said, ‘The grand will be yours.’ Well, I had to deserve the instrument, didn’t I; so back to piano lessons I went.

I completed my grade five exam through Trinity College last Thursday. I believe I did okay. I did muck up a couple of sections in my pieces that I’d never mucked up before which was pretty frustrating, but I’m trying hard not to be too much of a perfectionist and enjoy the process (I read somewhere that that was important).

It’s so nice to be able to play again. Nice to have a hobby that is so vastly different to everything else I do in my day.

Do you have a hobby you love or one you’d love to try but still haven’t had a change to jump into?  I’d love to hear all about it.

Jennifer’s latest book The Billionaire’s Passionate Revenge is currently available on Amazon, iBooks, Kobo and Google Play.

Love is in the Air

Can you feel it? Love is in the air. Valentine’s Day is just a few days away.  I have a few things going on this week in celebration of the day of love.

Library Lover’s Week

As part of Byron Library Lover’s Week, I’ve been invited to do an author’s chat this coming Wednesday. I love listening to authors speak about their books, their writing process and their writing inspiration. I’m so privileged to live in Byron and each August I enjoy the Byron Bay Writers Festival which is held just down the road. Last year I was lucky enough to be on a romance panel with the hilarious Mandy Nolan and fellow LoveCat Amy Andrews.  We had a blast.

So, I’m currently preparing what I’m going to speak about on Wednesday and I’d love to know what you like to hear authors discuss at these types of events.

Valentine’s Day Sale

My fabulous publisher, Penguin’s Destiny Romance, is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a sale of the first book in my Billionaire Romance Series, The Billionaire’s Pursuit of Love. You can pick it up now online for just 99 cents. It’s a lovers reunited story that plays out between the high life in London and an orangutan sanctuary in Brunei.

The inspiration for The Billionaire’s Pursuit of Love came when I attended a seminar held by a charity dedicated to saving the world’s orangutans. The wildlife workers lived in very basic conditions, working in the mud, rain and heat to ‘mother’ the baby orangutans until they could look after themselves – a little like human babies.

I then read a newspaper article about a man who’d designed one of the world’s most successful computer games and was worth millions. He lived a classic urban, jet set lifestyle.

I wondered what it would be like if two people, from such incredibly different worlds, were brought together through a twist of fate that just wouldn’t let them go. This is what happens to wildlife warrior, Sarah Walker and global technology guru, Blake Huntington-Fiennes.

So, wishing you a week of love and laughter. Happy Valentine’s Day for Saturday!

The Billionaire’s Pursuit of Love is available from Amazon, iTunes, Google, Destiny Romance and Penguin.  

The Magic of the Action Date

First dates. The pressure. The nerves. The fear of failure.

Dinner…what if the conversation dries up after the entree?

Movies…lacks imagination and you can blow it if your date hates the genre you choose

Picnic…clichéd and what if your date is allergic to the alfalfa in the sandwiches?

I think the ‘action date’ is a great way to kick off a new relationship. In my latest release Tempted by the Billionaire Tycoon, my hero and heroine end up cycling around Versailles on their ‘first date’ (well, it’s not really meant to be a date, but it sure ends up feeling like one!). That scene got me brainstorming action dates and this is what I came up with:

Stand-Up Paddle Boarding. Imagine a slow flowing river, being surrounded by Australia’s spectacular fauna and flora and the peaceful dip of paddles in the water…how romantic. But romance with action. With the scenery constantly changing there’s always something new around the corner and therefore something new to chat about. All that and with a great dose of fitness thrown in.

Let’s Go Surfing. Most of us in Australia live within driving distance of a beach and most these days provide a surf school. A surf date has several of advantages. It’s action packed. Lots of fun. And being pummelled by waves is good for the soul and is great for post lesson conversation. There’s nothing like standing up on a wave for the first time to get the adrenaline going and the conversation flowing. Add sunshine, sunscreen, swimsuits and surf wax…what’s not to love. And, there is something very bonding about being zipped up in rubber together.

Shoot ‘em Up. How could you not fall for each when fighting against a common gun-toting enemy? How cool are you going to look when you save your date from the rush of the opposing team? Laser Tag is some of the best fun you can have in the dark with your clothes on.

Ride ‘em Cowboy. Who doesn’t look good on a horse? Riding high on a majestic beast grants you instant cowboy/cowgirl cool. Being saddled up, riding through the Australian bush with the smell of leather and eucalyptus…you can’t beat it. Or, imagine the romance of riding on the beach, waves washing around the horse’s hooves at sunset. Just magical.

Roller-Skating.  Channel your inner-Xanadu. Strap on your skates and head for the Roller Disco. Hold hands the old fashioned way while you skate to some awesome tunes in 80s neon. No-one can resist a date who has glide in their stride.

Roller-Coaster Heaven. What better way to bond than through the shared experience of the adrenaline-pumping thrill of the multitude of theme park rides?  Think rapid breathing, racing hearts…sounds good doesn’t it. And there’s enough time to get to know each other in those inevitable queues punctuated by the pulse pumping action.     

So what do you think of the action date idea? Great for making unforgettable memories or a recipe for disaster?

Tempted by the Billionaire Tycoon is available now at Amazon, iTunes, Google and more. 

Find out more at www.jenniferstgeorge.com.

Travelling as Inspiration

I love to travel. Many of my stories have been inspired by places I’ve lived in or visited ... Venice, Paris, London, Melbourne, the US, the Lake District. I spend a lot of time thinking about the perfect setting and it’s not simply about pretty or interesting backdrops but locations that shine a little light on the characters…creating an environment that helps their story unfold. 

Many of my romances feature an heiress or a billionaire, and with that kind of incredible wealth it’s important to sketch a gloriously luxurious setting, one that is glamorous, fabulous, international.

My first novel, The Convenient Bride, was inspired by a trip to Venice where I was entranced and moved almost to tears to see so many gorgeous but decaying historic buildings crumbling into the canals. If I were as rich as the characters in my stories, I would have brought one on the spot and have it restored to its former glory. Long after leaving Venice, its tragic beauty continued to haunt my dreams and so I set The Convenient Bride there, with one of those Venetian gothic buildings playing a special part in the plot.

Being under the hot and harsh spotlights on a reality TV show was the experience that sparked the idea for Seducing the Secret Heiress. I took part in the Australian version of Dragon’s Den and the call for ‘action’ alone was enough to raise my heart rate.  Add judges, camera close-ups and a demanding Director, for an experience that was unbearably intense, yet exhilarating. I thought this pressure-cooker environment would make good fodder for a sexy romance. Not to mention that much can happen in a dressing room and those dressing rooms have mirrors, which adds a whole new dimension to a scene.

Parts of Seducing the Secret Heiress take the reader to London.  I lived in that amazing city for seven years. The seasons, the parks, the history, the pubs, the incredible mix of people who live there, left an indelible impression. Actually, London pops up a few times in my novels and one day I’d love to live there again. Who knows?

The Love Deception was inspired by my days working in the top end of town in Melbourne – think high-rise corporate offices with stunning views across the city, suits with high heels and stockings, business-class travel, luxury hotels. My heroine didn’t have a chance spending all those long stressful hours locked away in legal meetings with her hot boss in his private office.

A few scenes in The Love Deception are based on the terrifying experience of living through the remnants of a hurricane in North Carolina. A scary night! I’ll never forget the noise. My hero and heroine are in Barbados when they find themselves in the eye of the storm, literally and figuratively. They are only on the island for a very short time before nature unleashes itself and the hurricane hits. Of course I had them return to the island later in the book so they could enjoy everything this tropical paradise had to offer when a category five storm wasn’t causing mayhem. (It’s nice as an author to give your characters a reward when they have worked so hard to deserve happiness).

The core idea for The Billionaire’s Pursuit of Love popped into my head after attending a seminar dedicated to saving the world’s Orangutans. The wildlife workers lived in very basic conditions, working in the mud, rain and heat to ‘mother’ the vulnerable baby Orangutans until they could look after themselves – a little like nurturing human babies. When I read an article about a man worth millions who’d designed one of the world’s most successful computer games, I wondered what it would be like if these two people from incredibly different worlds were brought together through a twist of fate that just wouldn’t let them go. 

My latest release, Tempted by the Billionaire Tycoon, was inspired by a trip to a health retreat, an experience that gave me my heroine’s profession. Another trip to France and the UK inspired the lavish, deeply romantic locations in Tempted. Each time I visit Paris I fall under its spell – again. Seeing Versailles for the first time left me in awe of the beauty and romance of France, its history and great art. My heroine, Poppy, feels this too when she visits France for the first time. My billionaire hero of course has seen it all before, but it feels that little bit different now he is with Poppy!

At the moment I’m busy conjuring up my new billionaire novel. The hero and heroine are having a tortured time in a gorgeous old stately home in the UK, complete with a beautiful secret garden. That locked-up walled garden plays an integral role in the twists and turns in the story.

I hope they both find the key!

Is there a place you've visited that you found inspirational? I'd love to know.

Jennifer St George is a romance author whose sexy stories feature courageous, career-minded heroines, strong heroes in glamorous international settings. She has five books published with Penguin's digital-first imprint, Destiny Romance. 

How To Date A Billionaire

If you were organising a date with a billionaire in Europe, where would you take him? It would be a little hard to compete in the ‘I’ll impress you’ stakes as he could whip you off to Paris in his private jet (this is what Nic, the hero of my latest release – Tempted by the Billionaire Tycoon – does with my heroine Poppy). 

So it got me thinking….where would I take a billionaire if I was organising a date that was full of romance but on a realistic budget?

The walking date: I’d arrange to meet my billionaire in Monterosso, one of the five villages in the Italian Cinque Terre. We’d have a lovely, early breakfast in Monterosso and then walk along the coast through the four other villages of Vernazza, Corneglia, Manarola and finally Riomaggiore. Of course we’d enjoy lots of gelato along the way and finish the day watching the sunset while sipping limoncello

The cycling date:  I’d meet my billionaire as he stepped out of his limo with a couple of bikes in the town of Versailles.  We’d cycle through the famous Versailles Palace gardens and then enjoy a picnic of fresh baguettes, cheese and wine at the end of the ornamental lake taking in the palace vista

The midnight date: After a casual dinner at one of the cute bars (that had a view of the famed Charles Bridge) on the shore of Vltava River, we’d walk through the old town square as Prague’s medieval astronomical clock struck midnight

The floating date: I’d buy a couple of tickets on the ferry that crosses the Monte Carlo harbour. We’d enjoy a sneaky champagne while enjoying the view of the super yachts and the opulence and glamour of Monte Carlo.

Where would you take your billionaire for a romantic budget date?

Author Bio:

Jennifer St George is a romance author whose sexy stories feature courageous, career-minded heroines, strong heroes in glamorous international settings. Tempted by the Billionaire Tycoon is the second book in Jennifer’s Billionaire Romance series and is out now.

You can buy Tempted by the Billionaire Tycoon from:

Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, Penguin and Google 

Find Jennifer at: Facebook, Twitter, Blog and web.