I love learning about other countries and experiencing them virtually, though I hardly ever make real trips. Most of my ‘traveling’ is actually ‘armchair traveling’ through books. And it’s just as much fun whisking my readers away to exotic locations. So hold on tight, you’re in for a ride!
Sri Lanka
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I started my international / multicultural / interracial series “Romance Round the World” with Saved in Sri Lanka. That choice was easy because Sri Lanka is my second home country and I’ve been waiting for a chance to ‘show it off’. The plot circles around Sepalika, who is a Sri Lankan tour guide, and Daniel, who is a tourist from Ireland. By making Sepalika a tour guide, it was easy to take the leading pair on a trip around this beautiful island in the Indian Ocean, describing the scenery and sights. Places like Colombo, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Galle feature in the book. Many of my readers have said it’s the perfect mix of travelogue and romance novel.
Spain
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A country I’ve always been fascinated by is Spain, one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. I studied Spanish at high school for 5 years and loved it, and a dear friend of mine is Spanish. So setting a novel there felt right. Seduced in Spain takes the couple (and the reader) through various picturesque regions of the Mediterranean country, from Valencia to Barcelona, from the cities to the coast and to a charming village nestled among vineyards. Though I’ve never been to Spain, research for the novel made me feel like a proper tourist. As usual, snippets of the language spoken in the country where the book is set make things more authentic.
Iceland |
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Although the first book of the FIRE TRILOGY, “Playing with Fire”, is set in America, the heroine Felicia – a fire witch – and the hero Joshua – an ice wizard – travel to Iceland for Book 2 and Book 3. “Dancing with Fire” and “Living with Fire” are filled with adventures in this fascinating country in the north of Europe. Many people ask me why I chose Iceland, and my answer is this: It’s not called the ‘land of fire and ice’ for nothing! Research for the novel was more intense than for any of my other novels, and it left me with a deep fascination for the country. All those volcanoes, all those waterfalls, all that rough natural beauty… If you read the books of the trilogy, you’ll realize how I’ve incorporated nature and made it come alive in the story, almost as if the setting were another character. You can download Book 1 for free, but the real ‘journey’ starts in Books 2 and 3.
England
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I've long dreamed of visiting Scotland, Ireland, and England. That's one of the reasons why I chose the latter country as the setting for the first book in my "Inn Love" series, Tantalizing Temptations. It's set mostly in a charming cottage in the idyllic Lake District with its beautiful landscapes and quaint villages. And of course, it has a proper English gentleman as the hero (one of my favourites to write)! Prepare yourselves for tea, lots of mentions of 'darling' and another lovely stereotype or two...
France
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A country not many can resist writing about is France with its rich cultural heritage, beautiful landscapes and fascinating language. A large part of the romantic suspense novel Forbidden that I coauthored with Mike Wells is set in Nice and Paris, two completely opposite parts of France. The setting further illustrates how out of her depth Jane is and how radically her life changes. Other settings appear in the book too, all of them important and chosen for a reason, among them England and Switzerland. You can download Book 1 for free, but the real ‘journey’ starts in Books 2 and 3.
Books 4 to 6 form the "Lady Sotheby's Curse" trilogy and explore even more countries, among them Spain and Switzerland.
Books 4 to 6 form the "Lady Sotheby's Curse" trilogy and explore even more countries, among them Spain and Switzerland.
More Virtual Trips to Come
I’m planning on more novels in the “Romance Round the World” series. And this month, Book 2 of the "Inn Love" series will release: Hidden Hopes is set in the Canadian Rockies, as Canada is on my bucket list. Book 3 will most probably take my readers to Italy.
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