Christmas Earworms: In The Bleak Midwinter

In the lead-up to Christmas this year, the Escape authors take some time out to share their favourite Christmas earworms…

by Elisabeth Rose

I’m not a churchgoer but years ago my favourite thing at Christmas was Carols From Kings on ABC TV. Sometimes it was on on Christmas morning other times Christmas Eve. I’d turn the volume up and have those glorious choristers from King’s College Cambridge belting out the beautiful traditional Christmas hymns and songs. My husband put up with it but as the kids grew older I had to tone it down although my son did and still does, appreciate the singing, which is what I love about it. It’s hard to pick a favourite but In the Bleak Midwinter is beautiful with those angelic boy soprano voices soaring to the top of the church. I’d love to hear this choir in a big resonant space!

but I loved the big chorus sing-a-long favourites like ‘The First Nowell’

Then disaster struck and the ABC stopped broadcasting it. I went off and bought myself a double CD of traditional Christmas songs but it’s not the most popular CD when the kids turn up for Christmas. They’ve developed their own tradition. My daughter and her cousin email each other to remind themselves to drag out Chris Rea’s Drivin’ Home For Christmas for the Sydney/Canberra trip and now we listen to all sorts of music interspersed with as many King’s College carols as I can sneak in.

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A chance sighting leads to second chances – for hope, for family, and for love.

Five years ago, teenager Antonia disappeared. With no compelling evidence, the police eventually called her a run-away, and dropped the case. Her teacher, Jax, has always regretted not speaking up about the rumours she heard circling the school that day, but a random sighting at a train station raises the possibility that Antonia is still alive – and not too far away.

Antonia’s father, Connor has never given up hope that his daughter will be found and returned to her family. When her old teacher, Jax, calls him with a small spark of a lead, he seizes it with both hands, determined to chase it down.

But there’s more at play than simple teenage rebellion and the path Jax and Connor travel rapidly becomes more dangerous than either could have imagined, and opens up new possibilities that neither could have expected.

iBooks, Booktopia, Nook, Kobo, Google, Amazon AU, Amazon UK, Amazon US

Friday Five: Elisabeth Rose

Author: Elisabeth Rose
First published with Escape: April 2013
Favourite romance trope: Fish out of water
Ideal hero (in three words): Dark, quiet, confident
Ideal heroine (in three words): Strong, independent, caring
Latest book: Find Her

What began your romance writing career? Why do you write romance?

I read an article about someone who collected romance books and thought ‘I could write one of those’. I’d always enjoyed reading romances and always liked writing but never seriously sat down to write a book. As I went along I discovered I really liked the psychological aspect of two people working their way through a thicket of problems to find each other. The happy ending is the prize and for me the most fun to write.

How do you write? What is your process like?

I start with the germ of an idea and I make it up as I go. No plotting, or the bare minimum, for me. I write chronologically and learn things about my characters along the way. I can’t write scenes from different parts of the book then stick them together because future events and actions are created by what the characters are doing at the time. I do begin to have an idea of what I want certain scenes to be like though.

What was the best writing advice you ever received?

Every page should have some question or some little surprise for the reader, to make them keep reading. I pick a page at random in my work as I go, and check.

If you could cast anyone for the movie/stage adaption of your book and characters, who would they be? (I would love to know why they are perfect for the role! Please include pictures!)

Chinese actress Gong Li would be perfect for the role of my heroine Jacqueline Xue—Jax, an Australian of Chinese descent. Jax is a mature woman with a strong character.

Sam Worthington has the large build and rugged outdoorsy look for hero, Connor.

Besides writing, what is something else that you’re really good at?

I did a performance degree on clarinet when I left school many years ago, and played in the Australian Youth Orchestra back in the seventies. I still play and teach the instrument. Thirty years ago I began learning tai chi and moved into instructing so I’m pretty good at that, too.

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A chance sighting leads to second chances – for hope, for family, and for love.

Five years ago, teenager Antonia disappeared. With no compelling evidence, the police eventually called her a run-away, and dropped the case. Her teacher, Jax, has always regretted not speaking up about the rumours she heard circling the school that day, but a random sighting at a train station raises the possibility that Antonia is still alive – and not too far away.

Antonia’s father, Connor has never given up hope that his daughter will be found and returned to her family. When her old teacher, Jax, calls him with a small spark of a lead, he seizes it with both hands, determined to chase it down.

But there’s more at play than simple teenage rebellion and the path Jax and Connor travel rapidly becomes more dangerous than either could have imagined, and opens up new possibilities that neither could have expected.

 

 

Feed Your Reader: A Romantic Mystery

A chance sighting leads to second chances – for hope, for family, and for love.

Five years ago, teenager Antonia disappeared. With no compelling evidence, the police eventually called her a run-away, and dropped the case. Her teacher, Jax, has always regretted not speaking up about the rumours she heard circling the school that day, but a random sighting at a train station raises the possibility that Antonia is still alive – and not too far away.

Antonia’s father, Connor has never given up hope that his daughter will be found and returned to her family. When her old teacher, Jax, calls him with a small spark of a lead, he seizes it with both hands, determined to chase it down.

But there’s more at play than simple teenage rebellion and the path Jax and Connor travel rapidly becomes more dangerous than either could have imagined, and opens up new possibilities that neither could have expected.

December Gift Guides: For Great Cooks (and want-to-be Great Cooks!)

by Elisabeth Rose

I’d recommend The Cook’s Companion by Stephanie Alexander for someone setting up house for the first time or someone developing an interest in cooking. It’s pricey so probably for someone a bit special, but it’s a really comprehensive guide for Australian kitchens. It has sections on vegetables, fruit, herbs, spices, cooking techniques, measures etc and is packed with recipes for pretty much everything. Best of all it’s terrific value for money because it has no glossy photos that cost a bomb and waste space.

It sits on a book seat thingy on my kitchen bench and I refer to it all the time. We bought it as our Christmas gift to ourselves one year. Husband and I do that instead of trying to think of something each after 43 years together.

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For fans of romantic mysteries – not thrillers, mysteries – on your list, we heartily recommend Elisabeth Rose who writes romantic suspense with real characters with real problems and real happy-ever-after endings. Perfect for those readers who like their suspense without the gore.

Gateway to Romance: Elisabeth Rose

by Elisabeth Rose

Fifteen by Beverley Cleary was the first book I read that had everything a young teen wanted and I loved it. It was published in 1956 but doing a search today reveals it as still available and ranking well.

It seems too good to be true. The most popular boy in school has asked Jane out — and she’s never even dated before. Stan is tall and good-looking, friendly and hard-working — everything Jane ever dreamed of. But is she ready for this?

Suppose her parents won’t let her go? What if she’s nervous and makes a fool of herself? Maybe he’ll think she’s too young. If only she knew all the clever things to say. If only she were prettier. If only she were ready for this…

With her usual warmth, perceptiveness, and humour, Beverly Cleary creates the joys and worries of a young girl’s first crush.

That book made me want to be fifteen so I could have all those exciting experiences Jane was having. I must have been about thirteen when I read it, way back in the early sixties and it kindled a desire to read more books about romance. I can’t remember any other titles but I’ve never forgotten Fifteen.

At about the same time my cousins introduced me to Georgette Heyer. I stayed with them for summer holidays and they had all her books which I devoured pretty much non-stop. My uncle was mighty peeved when we all went to the Davis Cup tennis tie at White City and I took Devils Cub with me and read during a match. Since then I’ve always loved historical romance.

We didn’t have romance books at home although there were plenty of books in the house and everyone read. Mum and Dad preferred crime—books, not the activity—and we belonged to the library where I discovered to my delight that almost every book I read had a romance in it somewhere. A few years later, as a student, I found piles of old Mills and Boons at a friend’s coast house—the perfect summer holiday reading. And romance was front and centre.

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One honeymoon, one vanished husband, one desperate wife—and the cop who is tasked to help her, but can’t seem to keep his thoughts on the job.

Honeymooner Nikki Spenser emerges from the surf at Surfers Paradise and can’t find her husband, her towel, or her clothes on the beach. Carlos has disappeared from her life as suddenly as he entered it.

In despair, Nikki returns to Sydney where she is contacted by Detective Luke Emerson, a reminder from her past she thought never to see again. Luke informs her that the man she married so recklessly in Las Vegas three weeks prior doesn’t exist. Everything she knew about Carlos is a lie, and Nikki realises she knows nothing about her husband—not where he is, not even who he is.

As Nikki and Luke chase down tenuous leads, they soon find themselves plunged into an ever-widening sea of international crime and violence, and Nikki is faced with the hard questions—how much of her love is based on lies, and how much is true?

From February with Love

From Jacquie Underdown comes a new adult story about what happens when you meet the perfect guy at the worst possible time.

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From Jenny Schwartz comes a new coastal short read: She’s escaped to a tropical paradise, but her past is going to find her.

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From Elisabeth Rose: One honeymoon, one vanished husband, one desperate wife—and the cop who is tasked to help her, but can’t seem to keep his thoughts on the job.

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From Carly Drake, a YA fantasy romance: In Words Once Spoken¸ we met Evelyn, the normal girl with an extraordinary secret. Now we meet the men who love her…

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This housewife is bright, intelligent and loves her family, but she’s also sensitive and prone to worry. What she lacks in confidence however is made up in her artistic flair, charm and hidden sensuality. She is dedicated to her man and there is nothing she won’t try to keep the fire in her relationship burning.

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All titles available now from Escape Publishing!

#AllHallowsRead – Romantic Suspense Scary with Elisabeth Rose

by Elisabeth Rose

I must have been about six I think, (we’re talking late 1950’s) when Mum and Dad took me and my brother to see Hansel and Gretel at the movies. I think it was the same outing when my great aunt and uncle were with us and my Great Uncle Billy came back from the loo in the dark and almost sat on my brother which could well be my brother’s first scary movie memory. I don’t remember much else except being in the theatre sitting on those old fashioned fake leather flip up seats with wooden arm rests. Mum says every time the wicked witch appeared I hid under the seat until she said it was safe to come out.

The next scary movie I remember was a few years later when I was about twelve. I’ve no idea what it was but it involved a ventriloquist’s doll that came to life and did evil, scary things. It wasn’t Chucky; it was earlier than that but it put me off puppets for life. There’s something seriously creepy about them. The Muppets are about all I can take in puppet world now.

Next came Deliverance. I went with a boyfriend who arrived one evening depressed about something so we decided to go to a movie in an attempt to cheer him up. We didn’t know anything about it beforehand, unfortunately. Bad choice. Feral hillbillies with guns hunting city slickers in beautiful mountain scenery wasn’t an antidote to the blues. We were both terrified and he blamed me for taking him!

As a parent I think the scariest thing is the thought of something happening to your child. When he was about two my son wandered away from us at the shops. One minute he was standing with us while we looked at a stand of sun hats outside a chemist shop and the next minute he’d gone. Completely. It was the most terrifying experience of my life. My husband ran one way and I ran the other. Fortunately I found a couple of policemen who sprang into action. One immediately called it in to roving police cars in case he’d been abducted and one went off searching in the direction I’d been heading. A couple of minutes later that lovely constable came back with my sobbing, darling boy still clutching his little toy car. He’d followed the wrong person and ended up at the other end of the block.

I’ve never forgotten that mind numbing fear and whenever I see a missing child case on the news I know exactly what the parents are experiencing.

In Evidence Of Love my heroine Lara’s world revolves around her toddler son and she will do anything to protect him. When the past she has desperately tried to avoid catches up with her a parent’s worst nightmare becomes real. Her baby is taken.

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She survived years as a gangland wife, sacrificing everything to the family. But now they’re threatening the one thing that she will never, ever give up — her child. 

When Maja’s abusive gang boss husband Tony is murdered, she takes the opportunity to flee, change her name, and leave her criminal family and her past behind. As Lara Moore, she and her toddler son Petey live quietly in suburban Sydney. Then, one act of kindness threatens to reveal her secrets and unravel the threads of her new life. But Detective Nick is dedicated and determined, the antithesis of everything she was brought up to believe about the police. Slowly, Maja finds herself drawn out of her shell and into his protective embrace.

Investigating Detective Nick Lawson doesn’t know what it is about the prickly, reclusive young mother that attracts and intrigues him, but as the facts about her crime-steeped family emerge, Nick doubts whether his career would survive this relationship, even if she were interested.

Then, to Lara’s horror, her past meets her present, and thoughts of love and a future are lost as the fight for her child begins.

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To win a copy of Elisabeth’s book, leave a comment telling us the first scary movie you saw (or the first scary movie you can remember seeing). Bonus entry points if the movie is not, in fact, scary at all.

Remember to include your email address, so we can contact you if you win!

See what’s blossoming in May – just in time for Mother’s Day!

Kicking us off this month is a favourite author going in new directions – Fiona Palmer introduces us to Jas, and the secret, shadowy world of the MTG Agency in this contemporary, action-adventure, YA/NA series debut!

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Next, we’re thrilled to welcome Alison Stuart to the Escape family with this beautiful, pastoral regency about a woman who’s just escaped one dismal marriage, and has no interest in ever entering into another…if only her husband’s heir wasn’t quite so appealing.

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Dark, violent, gripping, enthralling, thoroughly addictive – we’d never read anything like Daniel de Lorne‘s debut novel – the novel to read if you prefer your vampires to actually have bite.

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Looking for something short and very sweet? May we recommend Jane O’Reilly’s latest – lovely – story about best friends on the cusp of something more – if only one of them dares to take that next step.

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One of Escape’s best-loved contemporary authors, Elisabeth Rose, moves into Romantic Suspense this month with a gripping, harrowing tale about a mob widow, and what she’s willing to do to protect her son.

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Trust us – after reading this fantastic corporate-set contemporary romance by debut author Alexa Bravo, you’ll never look at elevators the same way again!

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Hot, steamy, sensual – suspenseful, this debut Romantic Suspense novel from debut author Wendy L Curtis takes on the people smugglers of Papua New Guinea, featuring an intrepid investigative journalist, a Federal Policeman, and one major one-night misunderstanding.

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Last, but definitely not least, we welcome back Charmaine Ross with a fun, flirty contemporary romance, a David v Goliath story that celebrates the beauty that is Melbourne’s cafe culture.

Inspiration Behind the Story – Elisabeth Rose

Years ago I read an item in the newspaper about a married couple who’d been together for a long time —thirty years or so. Somehow, and I’ve forgotten exactly how, it was discovered they were actually brother and sister.

Can you imagine? They’d innocently met, fallen in love, married, and had children – the way most of us do. What a bombshell that knowledge must have been. How would you deal with the fact the man you loved, your husband, was your brother? Apparently they’d been separately adopted out as babies and grown up quite apart. I can’t remember if they even knew whether they had brothers or sisters somewhere. They certainly didn’t know they’d married a sibling.

I always wonder how their children felt about it. In ancient times, incest wasn’t such a taboo as nowadays and had to do with retaining wealth and property within the family. Most of the European royal families are now closely related to each other as an effect of marrying selected cousins through the ages. I think they drew the line at sibling marriages though.

For us, incest is a big no-no. This painful dilemma intrigued me and made me think there could be hundreds of such couples who never find out, especially after wars or natural disasters rip families apart and destroy records.

My problem was making the lack of early knowledge feasible and, of course, not wanting to write a book about incest, working out how two adult people might come to think they’re related, but fall in love regardless. I needed to avoid the ‘ick factor’ as one editor put it. And then once my couple figure out the truth amongst a morass of well-intentioned lies, they have to set about finding their real parents and what happened all those years ago — thus the ripple effect.

Multi-published in romance, author Elisabeth Rose lives in Australia’s capital, Canberra. She completed a performance degree in clarinet, travelled Europe with her musician husband and returned to Canberra to raise two children. In 1987, she began practising tai chi and now teaches tai chi classes. She also plays and teaches clarinet. Reading has been a lifelong love, writing romance a more recent delight. 

Elisabeth branches into Romantic Suspense in May with her new title, Evidence of Love.