We all know the type of hero I’m talking about. I remember them from the historical “bodice rippers” I used to read, as well as the Harlequin Presents line. They’re the traditional tall, dark, handsome, wealthy, and powerful guy who is often so incredibly harsh with the heroine that I used to wonder what she saw in him at all! Some deep hole in his past meant he didn’t do relationships, and he was determined to protect his heart from the heroine, even if he did manage to talk her into bed.

These heroes reflect the times in which they were written, when men were expected to be the breadwinners and to look after their families, while the wives stayed at home and had babies. Think Don Draper from Mad Men and you’ll be on the right lines.

The heroines in Harlequin Presents began to challenge this by having careers and standing up to the hero when he tried to dominate, but the struggle for equality was real for these heroines, just as it was for women in the real world.

The romance genre hasn’t completely changed. Powerful, controlling men remain eternally popular. One glance at the Amazon romance charts reveals page after page of Mafia Romance and Stalker Romances in which men dominate and control their women. Personally, I don’t see the appeal, and I’ve been relieved, if not overjoyed, to see a recent rise in readers’ requesting another kind of hero.
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Most of us can't jump on a plane whenever we need a break from everyday life. That's one reason I love writing romance set in New Zealand. Every book becomes a virtual vacation, both for the reader and for me, as I get to research beautiful places to stay!

When I moved to the Bay of Islands, I felt as if I'd stepped into Jurassic Park. The forests were full of palms and ferns, the sea sparkled turquoise blue, and the air smelled different. I remember thinking that if I was going to write romance novels anywhere, this would be the place.
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I don’t know about you, but I frequently feel the need to escape from the world. The news is full of troublesome politics and wars. Social media can be stressful, and it’s difficult to avoid all the negative comments and opinions. Even TV doesn’t hold the joy it used to for me, and sometimes all the crime shows and drama feel… too much. Add to that the stresses of everyday life, and I desperately need to close out the world and escape. And that’s when I turn to reading romance.​

I just wanted to drop a note in here to announce I'll be starting up the blog again very shortly. Expect articles on how and why I write luxury romance, what New Zealand romance involves and where I get my inspiration, insights into my series and characters, and information on the themes and tropes I include in my stories.

I'm excited to get stuck, and I hope you are too!

​Less than a week to go before the release of My Best Friend, the Billionaire! Are you excited to start the new series after reading Casanova? You'll meet Hal again, and Stefan, Elise's boy!

To whet your whistle, here's the first chapter...
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​It’s time to introduce my new series for 2019!
 
The first book out in January will be Casanova, a standalone, but if you read it you’ll also be able to spot the first mention of a very important character – Hal, the son of Brock from the Three Wise Men series, who is going to be the star of the first book in my new series.
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​My Best Friend, the Billionaire, will be the first book of The Billionaire Kings, and it features Hal and his best friend Izzy, who both work at Noah’s Ark, an animal rescue shelter. Hal and Izzy are veterinarians who also work for the Animal Welfare Unit, rescuing wounded and mistreated animals in the local community.
 
You might remember Noah from A Secret Parcel (Three Wise Men Book 3). (If you haven’t read the Three Wise Men yet, the box set is currently only 99 cents, so it’s the perfect time to catch up!)
 
Noah runs the Ark, a no-kill shelter that treats and re-homes rescue animals, as well as providing important veterinary services to the Bay of Islands. It’s situated high on a hill overlooking the bay, somewhere like this: 

​​You get what you pay for…
 
It’s my thirtieth birthday. It’s also Valentine’s Day. I’m not sure which one sucks most.
 
My best friend, Sarah, begged me to go out with her and her husband for dinner, but I’m not in the mood for celebration. I’ve worked hard all day, run for an hour, and now I plan to spend the evening alone playing video games and eating a whole tub of cookie dough ice cream.
 
But when I get home, I discover a man sitting on the carpet in the corridor outside my penthouse apartment.
 
He’s tall, gorgeous, wearing an expensive suit, and carrying the biggest bouquet of red roses I’ve ever seen.
 
He also has a huge red bow tied around his waist.
 
“I’m from Casanovas,” he says.
 
Hmm. That sounds vaguely familiar…
 
He gestures at the bow, and his smile turns mischievous. “Sarah says Happy Birthday.”
 
Oh. My. God.