One Kiss is Never Enough
That’s the title of the Canterbury Romance Writers’ latest anthology. Time’s gotten away from me and I’m just realising it’s been out for almost a month!
I wasn’t holding out on you, promise. I was moving house and staying (almost) on top of my day job. And I’ve been putting the final touches on my next novel!
But I’ll tell you all about it now!
Seven short stories. Seven first kisses. All of them complete, happy-ever-after romances. And all by my brilliant romance-writer friends, here in Canterbury.
As with Rising Heat, we’ve started with the sweets and by the end things have gotten properly spicy. My story, ‘The Artist and the Attorney’ sits toward the back of the book…
Lucinda is Kate’s ex from What’s Dutch for Damn? – a set-painter and artist in sore need of a new muse now that Kate’s gone and fallen in love with a Dutchman.
And in walks Mel, a divorce attorney looking for a lead. Lucinda’s pencil kicks into life and she barely questions it when Mel offers to pose for a painting.
Mel, meanwhile, is scoping out the gallery, on the hunt for clues about Lucinda’s boss. Scoping out Lucinda wasn’t the plan, but when a good thing lands in your lap… what’s a girl to do?
But wait, there’s more! Six more, to be exact. Let me introduce my fellow authors…
Alexa Rivers writes small town New Zealand romances and has a whole library’s worth already available. We met for the first time fairly recently, at a writing retreat in Akaroa.
Emmy-Lou James is the absolute hero that took over my NaNoWriMo ML role a year-or-so ago when I finally gave in to my full-time job and overloaded life. I was doing a crap job of it and she’s BRILLIANT. Em has so many books lined up – coming soon! – and her short fiction is a delightful taster of the dégustation feast to-come!
Michele Clare is the only author in the bunch whom I’ve not met in person. Oh, but her story in this anthology is divine! Such a great read. And we’re bound to meet soon – perks of living on the same lush pile of rocks in the South Pacific!
Speaking of New Zealand, Stephanie Ruth writes gorgeous local stories. I can’t wait to get my hands on her Mako Bay series, when it comes out. Her voice is just beautiful – real and fresh, as honest and diverse as the world we live in. Steph cleans up every year in the Romance Writers of New Zealand short story and first kiss awards. Definitely one to watch.
Molly Matheson is an absolute legend. She organises us all and make things HAPPEN. Writing retreats, a whole freakin’ romance writers conference, and now TWO anthologies. Molly hasn’t got full-length novels out yet, but her short stories are a ride! Sexy and fun.
Jillian Barnes was one of the first writers I got to know in the local NZ Society of Author’s crowd. We worked together on the Canterbury branch committee and, of late, have both wandered romance-ward. Jillian has a flare for crime-writing, dips her toes into sci-fi on occasion, and there’s nothing vanilla about her romance stories.
Not gonna lie, I’m a lucky duck landing in a book with this lot. Get your hands on a copy today!
