Belonging

by Barbara DeLeo

We’re four weeks into our three month trip to Greece and Cyprus and it’s as incredible as I imagined. One of the main reasons we decided to do such an extended trip with the kids was to forge links to one part of their heritage. 

The ancestral home in Agios Isidoros, Plomari, Lesvos

I remember the first time I went to Ireland where my own grandfather was from. All those little mannerisms and sayings that I'd thought were my family's (often embarrassing) quirks, were owned by a whole town! After that visit I felt suddenly more "connected", and more proud than embarrassed.

My husband's parents are travelling with us this time and we’re visiting the places where they're from.

Plomari

Last week we were in the village of Plomari  on the island of Lesvos. My husband’s grandfather  left the village in his twenties to seek a better life in New Zealand. A wife from the same village was sent over for him a few years later!

They came back to the village for a time when my father-in-law was young and to be here now with my father-in-law and my children is very special. We’ve had afternoon tea in the garden my  children’s great-grandmother tended, swum in the beach where their grandfather learned to swim, and walked the cobbled streets of their ancestors.

Me in the garden of the old house.
Greek sweets for afternoon tea!

A village stroll after "another" long lunch

The girls (me, my twin daughters and their Yiayia)
take a walk to get the bread

In two weeks time we’ll be visiting the village in Cyprus my mother-in-law left when she was seven. She’s very excited about showing my kids where she helped tend the almond trees and to introduce them to village life. Her memories are still so vivid of that time that it makes me realize the deep seated connection to a place we can have.

More pictures of me in Greece here!

In my first book Contract for Marriage, released next week, (squeals a little bit, next week!!) Ruby, who is pregnant and alone, suddenly realizes she needs to be back where she belongs. Only problem is, it’s the same place the man who broke her heart ten years ago wants for himself.

I'd love to know where you feel you belong. Is it a place, is it with certain people, or is it somewhere you’re still searching for?

Sunday Smooch!

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!


Today we have a smooch from Losing Control by Robyn Grady, but first ...

the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is -- Bn100!


Congratulations, Bn! Can you please contact Anna Hackett at

anna (at) annahackettbooks (dot) com

and she'll send you a copy of Time Thief.

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Losing Control by Robyn Grady ...

Taking charge comes naturally to workaholic media mogul Cole Hunter. That includes dealing with headstrong TV producer Taryn Quinn. Cole may not like her idea for a travel show, but Taryn intrigues him. Enough for Cole to join her on a location-scouting trip to an isolated Pacific island, despite the family drama at home.
 
Soon the tantalizing Taryn makes Cole forget about everything…except making love to her in the moonlight. But once reality intrudes, will he risk losing all he's worked for to keep this woman in his life?

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( set up: Cole Hunter has invited himself along on his new producer’s location survey. Earlier they’d fallen into a close encounter of the kissable kind. Now, lying together propped against a sand dune in the moonlight and waiting for a nest of turtles to hatch, the mood changes...)   

Excerpt: 

When Taryn’s gaze dropped and grew distant, he asked, “What’s on your mind?”

“Muffin and her big belly,” she admitted.

In the mix of moonlight and shadows, she looked so thoughtful, Cole wanted to reach over and squeeze her hand for support, even if her concern was only over a cat.

“She’ll be okay.” Remembering her philosophy on strays wanting a home, he asked, “Have you got families picked out for the litter?”

“Are you interested?” She gave a playful smirk. “Oh, that’s right. Real men don’t own cats.”

“I do like the fact they can look after themselves. Independent characters.” He winked. “Like you.”

“There’s no better feeling than knowing you can make your own way in life.”

“So you don’t dream of marrying a rich man who’ll shower you with every luxury for the rest of your decadent life?”

“Guess you’ve met a few women who want to settle down with a wealthy tycoon stroke tyrant.”

He pretended to preen a tie. “Gee, you make me sound like such a catch.”

She surrendered to a smile. “To answer your question, no. I’ve never wanted to marry for money.”

He quipped. “Me either.”

“If you ever had the time to marry.”

“Perhaps I’d make time if the right person came along.”

When her eyes widened and suddenly neither of them had anything to say, Cole wished he’d thought before he’d come out with something that had sounded like a bad pick-up line. He didn’t use pick-up lines - good, bad or anything in between. 

She jerked upright and looked ahead. “Was that some movement?”

He glanced around. “Not that I saw.”

“Oh.” She reclined back, pulling the blanket extra high.

Cole exhaled. He really had made her uncomfortable. Best to let that thread drop and talk about something inane. Non-personal. But, truth was, he wanted to get personal. Whether it was the moon or the water or maybe even that delicious pink nectar, suddenly another twenty-four hours alone with Taryn didn’t seem long enough.

“Taryn, I didn’t mean to make you anxious.”

Still looking dead ahead, she shrugged. “Why would I be anxious?”

Oh, let’s try because you’re alone on a secluded beach with a man who is not only your boss but is also dying to kiss you.

“I’m not anxious,” she went on. “I’m not...anything.”

He mulled for moment.

“You’re not.”

She was winding her fingers deeper into the blanket, lifting the cover high around her neck. “Not in the least.”

“And if I were to do this?”

He leaned toward her but stopped a heartbeat before his mouth met the sweep of her neck...when she’d be able to feel the warmth of his breath on her skin. “Are you anxious now?”

He heard her swallow. “That’s not the word that springs to mind.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t worry about words.” Giving in to the spell, he breathed in her intoxicating scent then brushed his lips over a pulse that beat erratically at the side of her throat. He felt her quiver, almost heard her questioning her own resolve. But she didn’t ball him out. Didn’t move away.

Rather, still looking ahead, she lifted her chin and said, “I think we should go back.”

“Anything you want.” His lips brushed a line up to her lobe. Anything at all.

Her neck rocked slowly back. He imagined her eyes drifting shut...the hormones in her system heating and sparking just like his own.

Gently he turned her head until they were gazing into each other’s eyes, noses touching. She shivered, but not from the cold.

“Would it surprise you to know,” he said, “that I’ve always wanted to make love on a beach under a full moon with a batch of turtles ready to hatch?”

A smile touched her eyes. “What a coincidence.”

He twirled his nose around hers, stole a feather light kiss from one side of her mouth.

“Cole, when I said something might happen, I didn’t mean this.”

His hand on her arm, he brought her closer.

“I did.”

 

 

To be in the draw to win a signed copy of Losing Control, let us know the last time you were truly anxious! Going for your driver's license? Being interviewed for your ideal job? Or when you were about to kiss the man of your dreams?


Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced -- and a smooch from Bella's Impossible Boss by Michelle Douglas will be posted!

Leah Ashton bakes bread!

By Leah Ashton

I love bread. I reckon I am the about last person in the world who would go on a no-carb diet - even the idea makes me feel a little sad :)

I also love to bake. But cakes, pies, biscuits etc... I've never made bread. That's for two reasons: 1. My kitchen storage is limited and there is no room for a breadmaker and 2. It always just seemed far too difficult to do by hand.

Then, on Facebook (I think via Mira Lyn Kelly?), I saw this book mentioned, and raved about: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Five minutes? And also no kneading? Right - I was a sold! So I ordered the book, and waited impatiently for it to arrive.

Now, the 5 minute thing refers to the effort of mixing the ingredients together - being yeast-based breads, there is of course some rising time. But - really - it was all far simpler than I imagined. I just bunged the ingredients into a big plastic container, took a minute to stir it together, then left on the bench to rise before putting the container in the fridge over night. Then all I had to do was take off a hunk of dough as needed - given the dough lasts for 14 days, and the mixture makes enough for about four small loaves - this was really efficient.

From my first batch of dough!

Even better, I had instant success! Check out my loaf from my first batch of dough!

The best home made pizza, ever!

Next I tried pizza dough - and trust me, this recipe makes the purchase of the book worthwhile. This pizza base is seriously restaurant quality. A-maz-ing!

Then I got a bit fancy. First was raisin bread, at the request of my husband. And then banana bread. Both were more effort - having to rise after mixing, then rise another few hours in the loaf tin - but still - totally worth it. There is nothing quite like the smell of baking bread in my house :) I still have half the banana bread dough in the fridge, so I'll bake that tonight, ready for breakfast Saturday morning.

Raisin bread

Anyway, while I've been baking, the characters of my new book were spinning about in my head. It took me a while to make the connection, but then I figured it out - my new heroine (Lanie) bakes bread. But not lazy bread like me - she's a serious baker, who has a sour-dough starter she's been nursing for years and who has a cupboard full of obscure seeds and flours. For Lanie, baking is her escape from the world - and it provides her reassurance. Bread is something she can control - and that if she follows her process, that she can guarantee will turn out well.

Of course, my hero, Gray, is not at all predictable and bread-like! I have lots of plans for Lanie and Gray, I just know sparks are going to fly :) And maybe, if Gray is lucky, Lanie will make him Raisin bread for breakfast one morning, too.

Oh - and before I forget - my second release, A Girl Less Ordinary, is part of the very exciting Riva re-launch in the UK! Here is the gorgeous cover, but you can find out all about the books at the Mills & Boon UK site, as well as by checking out the super sexy Riva Facebook App!

Art on the Go!

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by Sharon Archer

We’re home! Which is absolutely gorgeous! Having everything under the one roof - bathroom, laundry, toilet kitchen - is a terrific treat. (Though I confess that we did have a fabulous few days with Rachel Bailey and then with Anna Campbell - thanks, girls! - and they have exciting things like bathrooms under the same roof too!)

Anyway, we're under our home roof and there’s not a thread of canvas anywhere! Though the house still looks a bit like we need a “hoarder intervention”!

As I’ve been slowly getting organised, I’ve been “re-finding” some of the treasures of our time away. I thought I’d share a couple of them...

The first are these gum leaves.

Miniature "Masterpieces"!

Anita at Four Corners Farm Stay gave us an art lesson with acrylic paints and our “canvases” were dried gum leaves. Enormous fun! And a messed up canvas just means a quick trip outside to the nearest patch of shrubbery!

And the mini-scenes felt “approachable” somehow - in fact, one of the hard things was knowing when to stop adding details!  You know, the temptation to add another rock... or a fence post... or another tree...

Art Apprentice!

Rather more scary was the pastel lesson because it was real art paper and a much bigger “canvas and it ! Though having said that our pictures are only about 6 inches square. The lessons are run by Jenny Greentree at the Back o’ Bourke Gallery. We sat at a table (out of business hours) in the centre of the gallery surrounded by her glorious pictures and prints.

We learned about blending the pastels, about tonal perspective, detail perspective. And, with Jenny’s expert tutoring, we came out the other end of our lessons absolutely rapt with our finished pictures.

So how about you - have you tried out anything new lately? Is there anything you’d really like to have a go at?

Winner

Catherine, can you email me your postal address at lsmackay (at) ts (dot) co (dot) nz so I can send you a prize.
Cheers
Sue

Sue MacKay on Writing and Writers

Reading: Look Again by Lisa Scottoline

I have spent most of the last month immersed in writing and surrounded by writers.
I've attended two writing conferences - in Surfers Paradise, Australia and Auckland, NZ - and caught up with so many writer friends and met a whole bundle of new ones. Everyone was very positive about our industry and all the growing opportunites for authors out there.

Seeing friends win awards is awesome. Sharing a wine at the end of the day is almost as good. I think I talk more in August than I do for the rest of the year. (Makes it nice and peaceful for my DB when I get home as the voice tends to have disappeared.)
The buzz and excitment at these conferences stays with me for a long afterwards. Which is just as well as I have had revisions to complete over this time. That book finally headed off into cyberspace late last night and now there is another book waiting to be written in a very short time which I've been trying to work on at the same time. This one is a Duet which I'm doing with Louisa George, and at the moment she is way ahead of me. So out with the whip. No, not that sort of whip.

But what I'd really love to be doing right now is reading. Writers read a lot. It's in our make up. And I brought home quite a few books from the conferences to add to my already large to-be-read pile. These books came from goodie bags, a raffle I won, and the book stalls. As you can see from the photo I don't need to buy a book for a long time to come. But I know I will. Can't help myself.

Does everyone else have a large to-be-read pile waiting by their bed? I have a copy of Every Boy's Dream Dad to give away today.

Can you help Miss Mousie? by Nikki Logan

Cat lovers ahoy!  A fellow Harlequin author (based in the US) gave an old cat a home a few years ago and now Miss Mousie needs expensive surgery to correct severe ear pain. She has her own website now and donations are starting to come in, but if you're someone who has a cat (or once did) in generally good health then please see if you can spare a few dollars to donate towards Miss Mousie's cause. Not all cats are as lucky.

http://helpmissmousie.blogspot.com

A whole range of authors and their feline friends will be featured by Miss Mousie there in coming weeks.

Thanks everyone!

*Nikki*