In a world where connections are forged through shared experiences and mutual understanding, close proximity romance emerges as a compelling narrative of love blooming in the most unexpected places. From roommates turned soulmates to colleagues discovering a deeper connection, the dynamics of close proximity relationships offer a rich tapestry of emotions, challenges, and ultimately, profound intimacy. Proximity Breeds Familiarity Close proximity romance often begins with a simple proximity: living in the same apartment building, working in adjacent offices, or frequenting the same neighborhoo ..read more

Hello Today I am going to talk about something which I am starting to get my head around. Note: I’ve not nailed this yet but I am trying. So, I am talking about – the ability to coexist with your imperfect draft novel and be at peace with all its flaws. You can go about your daily life and not be plagued or tortured by your draft novel sat there with it’s saggy middle, flat ending and cast of chaotic characters. You can even smile naturally at your imperfect draft novel. There’s no gritting of teeth or sleepless nights. You don’t delete it, quit writing it or quit writing altogether because ..read more

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-u7ekx-14a6956 In this episode: We chat to Romance Author and Digital Publicity Director for Bookouture, Kim Nash.  We talk about her writing journey, her books and the publishing side of romantic fiction.  Find out more about your hosts:   Bettina Hunt – My latest romantic comedy novel, ‘A Girl Like Me’ is available now from Amazon. mybook.to/AGirlLikeMe  Find out more about me – author.to/romanticcomedies   Lucy Keeling – Written the Just Friends series, with the final in the series, Just Friends for Now available from Amazo ..read more

I read a LOT of romcom and romance books and I have had MANY crushes on fictional male characters. There’s nothing better than having a crush on a fictional male character. If the author is on top of his / her romcom book writing game than you will find it difficult to have time away from your fictional love interest, you will become good friends with your handheld fan, NO fictional female character will ever be good enough for him and at night your fictional love interest will step off the page and into your dreams.*Sigh* In romcoms female characters are tough to write but an even bigger chal ..read more

Hey, I was busy with my new creative project last week so didn’t get a chance to sort out a blog post. This week I thought I would tell you about it and how the thrill of creating something new has put the sparkles back in my eyes. I love writing books and that will always be my biggest passion. But, focusing on the writing alone can become stifling and you can lose your shine. So, me and two fellow romance authors, Lucy Keeling and Bettina Hunt have got together and created a podcast – Love at First Write which is coming soon to the podcasting airwaves. On this podcast we will be chatting abo ..read more

I love reading and writing romance stories which are centred around cafes or coffee shops. The possibilities for romance in a coffee shop are endless; unexpected conversations in the queue, accidental spillages, chance encounters, handsome baristas, beautiful and ambitious cafe owners, arguments over who gets the last pastry, secret messages on coffee cups, and incorrect coffee orders. There are so many interaction points for romance characters. Cafes and coffee shops are popular settings for romance books. They do more than just provide us with wonderful beverages and mouth watering pastries ..read more

We all want our stories to connect with readers. We all want our readers to read our words and feel like they are slipping into the shoes of our fictional characters and stepping into another life. We all want our readers to live out another life inside the pages of our books and forget they are still sat in their armchair, on the train, in a cafe or curled up on the sofa. To do this we need some writer magic sauce. This writer magic sauce has many ingredients but to name a few; conflict, a compelling plot, a good setting, great dialogue and captivating characters. Characters are so important ..read more

Hi there, welcome to my little corner of the World Wide Web. I LOVE reading about writing journeys. They are normally filled with perseverance, bravery, an endless love of words, a lot of daydreaming, blood, sweat and tears. Reading an author’s writing journey is my go-to for when I am lacking motivation. If you are thinking of writing a book or are in need of some motivation read on. Here is my journey. September 2013. I turned 40 and decided I wanted to achieve a life long ambition. Since a small child I’d wanted to be an author. However life had got in the way. By the time I was 40 I was ..read more

Hello, welcome back. Today I am going to talk about something which I am starting to get my head around. Note: I’ve not nailed this yet but I am trying. So, I am talking about – the ability to coexist with your imperfect draft novel and be at peace with all its flaws. You can go about your daily life and not be plagued or tortured by your draft novel sat there with it’s saggy middle, flat ending and cast of chaotic characters. You can even smile naturally at your imperfect draft novel. There’s no gritting of teeth or sleepless nights. You don’t delete it, quit writing it or quit writing altog ..read more

I am super excited because the author of heart-warming and funny romantic comedies Anna Bell has come to take over my blog today. She’s going to share with us her tips on writing comedy and I am hoping she will also tell us about her book which I can’t wait to read as it sounds fab. Please give a warm welcome to Anna Bell: Hello everyone, Here are my top 5 tips for writing comedy: 1 – Belief One of the hardest things about writing comedy is believing in yourself. Jokes are subjective, and they’re also personal. Sometimes writing comedy and exposing what you think is funny can make you feel vu ..read more