Friday Five: Sami Lee

Author: Sami Lee
First published with Escape: 2013
Favourite romance trope: Marriage of convenience
Ideal hero (in three words): funny, empathetic, thoughtful
Ideal heroine (in three words): strong, intelligent, resourceful
Latest book: Until He Met Meg

 

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

I enjoy writing female-centric stories about life, love and everything in between.

What was the best writing advice you ever received?

Allow yourself to write crap. The first draft is supposed to be messy, and once you accept that not every word you type will be golden (as if!) it frees you up to just write what comes to mind. It can always be edited later.

Which writers inspire you? Favourite books and authors? What makes them your favourite?

Oh there are lots, but in the romance genre I have to say one of my favourite all time authors is LaVyrle Spencer. She was able to bring to life the emotions of believable, realistic characters, and make you truly care about them. I love her attention to detail and I try to use that in my own writing. I also love Kristan Higgins, Barbara Hannay and the incomparable Jennifer Crusie.

Favourite book covers? What draws your eye to a romance cover?

I think Escape knocked it out of the park with my cover for A Man Like Mike. I do tend to take a second look at any book with a handsome man and a baby on the cover! I also think the traditional romance cover of a couple in a romantic pose never goes out of style, especially if it evokes as sense of place that conveys a bit about the book’s setting.

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

Cooking. It’s another creative outlet for me, experimenting with different combinations of spices and other ingredients. Best done with a glass of wine and some music playing. 

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From the bestselling author of A Man Like Mike comes a new contemporary romance: he can buy anything he wants — except the perfect woman to help rebuild his family.

Meg Lacy came to Sydney to chase her dream, but the dream is somewhat elusive, so she finds herself unemployed, uninspired and on the verge of giving up. A chance encounter with wealthy single father Bryce Carlton gives her a temporary reprieve: a job as a nanny to his headstrong eight-year-old daughter.

The arrangement is supposed to be short-term, an easy way for her to save money while she pursues her dream. But her heart doesn’t understand, and before long she is growing attached to her charge and falling in love with a man determined not to risk his heart a second time.

When his first marriage ended Bryce vowed to never become seriously involved with another woman, but Meg turns his house, his life and his heart upside down.

She is his daughter’s nanny, he’s not the right man for her, and there are a million reasons why their relationship shouldn’t be. Everything was going according to plan…until he meets Meg.

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

December’s Got Your Holiday Reading Sorted

International bestselling author Rhian Cahill kicks off a steamy new holiday series about a very Christmassy company and the three directors who need more than a little mistletoe.

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From Lee Christine, the critically acclaimed author of In Safe Hands, comes a tense, taut, urban romantic suspense about two lawyers, a high-profile divorce case and an attraction that even opposing counsels can’t shut down.

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From the best-selling author of A Man Like Mike comes a new contemporary romance: he can buy anything he wants — except the perfect woman to help rebuild his family.

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She came to Paris to forget about men, but the city of love has different plans for her…

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And finally, one more Christmas title to really help you find that holiday spirit: A beautiful, uplifting holiday story from best-selling author Juliet Madison about a lonely writer, her grandmother’s ghost, a road trip, and twelve different Daves.

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Have you caught up with the Sydney Housewives lately? Two titles release this month!

A strong man needs a strong woman, and Nella’s love is as strong as steel.

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Sienna knows that she’s got a good thing going with her boyfriend, Charlie, but when he sets Sienna up with a very unusual gift accepting it will test all of their limits and the strength of their relationship.
(releases 18 December)

RT Post 4 – The Art of the Selfie

In which Kate stalks readers, reviewers, bloggers, and authors. No one is safe.

Today was a day for meeting people. Harlequin Australia set us up with an absolute mountain-load of free books on USB keys that we are giving away to readers, bloggers, reviewers, and random passers-by with the message that Australian romance rocks, and they need to get into it now.

But one of the best things about being at a romance conference for everyone involved in romance (because everyone involved in romance loves reading romance, and everyone is enthusiastic about romance) is meeting favourite authors.

Oh, boy, did I meet some favourites!

Just from today:

Me, Keri Arthur and Escape Artist Donna Maree Hanson! (check out Donna’s squid necklace)

Escape Artist Nicole Flockton

Rachel Vincent and I. I also got sneak peeks at the covers for her upcoming series and they look AMAZING!

Escape Artists Rhian Cahill, Sami Lee and fellow International Heat author Lila Dubois

Victoria Dahl (squee! I love her so much!)

Megan Hart (who is *so* gracious)

Zoe Archer and Nico Russo, a truly awesome couple who write truly awesome books. Check out Zoe’s Blades of the Rose series for fab, diverse action-adventure romance

Not to get all hipster or anything, but I’ve loved Larissa Ione since she was writing for Secrets. Yes, that makes me a better fan than you.

Courney Frickin’ Milan, everybody. *And* she knew who I was from Twitter. I just about died.

There will be more photos from the Giant Book Fair tomorrow, so be prepared.

One of the things I highly recommend to future RT attendees is to take part in the games sessions. They’re much more low key, a lot of fun, and a great way to meet people and authors alike, as everyone is interacting with everyone else. I hooked up with Gabby and Rudi from Orchids and Peach Cocktails, and headed up to Bad Boy Bingo! , wherein if you won Bingo, you had to read a dirty passage from one of the attending authors’ books out loud. I, who never win anything, won a Bingo on the first go-round, and had to read from Megan Hart’s Broken.

I don’t know if you’ve read Broken (you totally should), but it’s not the easiest book to read out loud. Luckily, after the first round, we had a special guest, who came to do our reading for us:

Shane

That, right there in the yellow shirt, is a cover model. And he started reading the passages for us.

First, he did it from the front. Then he did it from the middle.

An equal opportunity for appreciation of fine literary readings.

And then, ladies and gentlemen, he did it without his shirt.

Damn fine literary readings.

Poor man was blushing all over the place by the time he finished, but he was much applauded for his efforts.

Next up: Bourbon Street!