Fiona Lowe's Blog, page 2

A big hello to the few people who are still reading this blog. With the rise of social media, my blogging days have dipped and waned to the point of me thinking it is time to bid farewell to the blog.

But never fear, you can still find me all over the internet

The inspiratio for the Frog & Peach pub

Next year, there’s a new medical romance series coming out set in London. I have a book in it and I’ve had so much fun researching and drawing on my memories of London. The first film I can recall seeing was Mary Poppins and years later, I was very fond of watching Upstairs, Downstairs. When I finally got to London, I remember thinking I was on the set! Google Maps is my research friend along with Google in general.

 

I had the BEST FUN reading up on the Savoy Hotel. Oh, if those walls could talk! Fortunately, enough of the wild and wonderful stories and antics of the patrons were written down. Fred Astaire danced on the roof. It was a fave hotel of Marilyn Monroe’s and way back in the day, the rich and famous threw extravagant parties. Think Mr. Selfridge!

As you may or may not know, I have written a women’s fiction novel,  Daughter of Mine. It will be out March 2017 and closer to the date I will fill you in more on that. Right now, I have to start the second WF book and I’ve been researching. This took me to an artisan sourdough bread bakery.

Back in 2000, the Calverts started Irrewarra Sourdough, baking bread in historic stables on their western district property. From their first order of 100 loaves it has grown to baking 22,000 loaves a week as well as extending into other products. It was fabulous seeing all this glorous bread being made by hand. The boys and I were lucky enough to be sent home with some bread:-)

The research part of writing a book is always fun. It’s such a shame I now have to knuckle down and write the sucker

With the cooler weather comes reading weather[image error] Harlequin Australia have re-released three of my medical romances that feature flying doctors and bound them all under the one cover ….And with a handsome guy on the front.

This post is x-posted at Everybody Needs A Little Romance.

Yes, this is the USA sculpture from Palm Springs that has come on a holiday/vacation ‘Downunder’ for six months. It’s the first time it’s ever left USA soil.

On Friday, I played hookie from writing my current novel.  Some girlfriends and I took a 400km/248 miles road trip from our rural city to another rural city to see a fabulous exhibition centred around the public and private clothing of Marilyn Monroe.  I’m not  a fan per se  but I LOVE exhibitions that give me an insight into people . Oh and I love looking at clothes[image error]

However, I came away with a much better sense of a woman I had never really given much thought to as she died when I was born.

The Bendigo Art Gallery has also been given permission by Twentieth Century Fox to use film footage so between the clips, still photography, the clothes and some personal items you came away with an impression of a very savvy woman behind the vapid blonde persona.

 

Sadly, she was just coming into her own having fought for roles that stretched her acting ability and owning her own production company; she was the first woman in Hollywood to do so, when she died.

I had no idea she’d had such a rugged early childhood in and out of orphanges or that she’d been ‘discovered’ by a photographer during WW2. I remember my mother sitting me down as a kid on holidays  watching How To Marry A Millionaire  and Gentleman Prefer Blondes on the midday movie slot so I loved seeing some of the clothes from the films. Her personal wardrobe was incredibly understated although she did have some beautiful pieces and occassionally they sneaked into films. The white dress above, made so famous in Some Like It Hot was actually her own dress purchased from Jax in NYC. She loved it so much she bought it in 4 colors[image error]

I have never seen the The Prince and the Showgirl but it seems like it’s straight out of a Harlequin Romance[image error] Some things don’t change except that I think the showgirl deserved a more handsome prince than an aging Olivier.

To get to Bendigo, we drive inland from the coast and over a range. We climed, the temperature dropped and we were surrounded by gloriously tall and stately gum trees. As we came through small towns, the native vegetation gave way to gardens and in the cooler climate we were treated to glorious autumn/fall colors.

 

Do you have any Marilyn stories? Road trip stories? Spring flower stories? I’d love to hear them.

Happy Reading!

Fiona x

21 years ago today, we flew out of Australia with our 8 month old baby and landed in Wisconsin, where EVERYTHING was different. We had the best few years there and loved every minute. I’ve set four wedding themed books there including Picture Perfect Wedding set on a dairy farm in the dairy state :-) If you haven’t read Rita award-winning Boomerang Bride or the Wedding Fever series, read all about them at finoalowe.com and grab a copy today where all eBooks are sold. Happy Anniversary to us!

Amazon Kindle,  Barnes & Noble   iBooks 

Carina Press, Kobo, Booktopia (Australia & NZ)

It’s officially autumn ‘downunder’ and Pekoe-the-cat’s coat is thickening up.  There’s  a hint of crisp mornings and some autumnal colours peeking into the leaves. I love March and it’s stable time of year.

I’m glad February is over as it was rather frantic.

I had one of those months where domestic life and work life clashed big time. I had a book due by Feb 29th. It’s a women’s fiction novel, a big sucker, and it features 4 generations of women.  I had timelines, charts, 5 storylines and personally,  thought it was enough just to try and keep track of all that but life had other plans.

I am the president of the school sailing club and we do a presentation dinner every year. I was on committee last year but I was CLUELESS as to the work involved as president. Even delegating the raffle, the table decorations and prizes, I have chased guest speakers, wrestled with AV people, torn my hair out at the logistics and now I find myself doing table seatings for 90! I tell you, it’s like a wedding!  So I was writing a book and trying to be creative and organising the dinner.

I was also battling with Air B&B about a booking in New York City in November. It should have been simple but nothing is ever simple when there is a 17 hour time difference,  two different currencies and possibly a language barrier. Somehow, with goodwill on both sides and some help from Air B&B we managed to sort it out but it took 9 days and when there is money at stake, it’s a little stressful.  And I was writing a book, trying to be creative and wondering if I had just lost $1500.

Oh, and I was judging nine books for a competition. Every evening was “gotta read, gotta read, gotta read.” Ain’t that relaxing 

It’s February and all the jewellery stores are having sales, the florists are gearing up and retail love is in the air. Hopefully some real love is always in the air and Valentine’s Day just gives it a bit of a push along :-)

 

 

What’s happening with me this month? Well on Sunday February 7th, there’s a Facebook party to launch the Secret Confessions Down & Dusty series :-)

It kicks off at noon and continues across the afternoon. RSVP here and enter the competition to win a $50 Amazon Gift card.   All 8 authors will be there to play and there will be fun giveaways so do call by.

My short story in this sexy series is titled Kelly and it’s about a marriage struggling under the pressure of the drought. Read an excerpt here. It’s also received some great reviews.

“A romantic story that tells of re-evaluating and re-connecting. (P.S.: Lowe serves up some fantastic sexual chemistry)” Aus Rom Today.

“I loved Kelly and Grants story! Their stresses and emotions grabbed this reader and their intoxicating passion was scorching! Wonderful reading from start to finish.” Talking Books Blog.

“I highly recommend this one get a drink sit back and enjoy.” Goodreads 

Have I tempted you? You can individual stories for 99 cents and all buy links for all eBook platforms are available here at Escape Publishing.

My most recent Harlequin Mills & Boon novel, A Daddy for Baby Zoe? has also been pleasing readers. I’ve had a lot of positive mail about this book despite the fact I’ve made people cry. Read all about it here.

Of course, I have 27 other books out there for you to read including my Medicine River series and Wedding Fever.  For a complete list of my backlist books head to my website.

I have a February 29th deadline so I’m pretty much tied to the desk but I do play a little bit on Facebook and Twitter. Of course you can always email me too. Want to keep up to date? Subscribe to my newsletter.

Wishing you a happy February, a realistic Valentine’s Day and plenty of time for reading.

Fiona xx

Happy New Year! As bushfires rage in Victoria and floods, hurricanes and tornadoes strike around the world, it is a tough start for many families. I think it is especially hard as we associate this time of year with holidays and fresh starts. My thoughts are with those who are struggling.

I’m kicking off January with two new releases; a medical romance and a very short story :-) January 1st sees A Daddy For Baby Zoe? hit the shelf. I’ve wanted to write this story for years so I’m thrilled my editor loved the idea as much as I did. Set on a coastal island in early summer, Meredith and Raf are both dealing with loss, families who interfere with the best of, but misguided, intentions and lives that are far removed from the way they’d envisaged. It’s a book about hope, taking chances and not letting the past rule your future.

The blurb says, Weeks away from giving birth, Dr. Meredith Dennison finds herself with no husband and few funds. Retreating to Shearwater Island, she just wants to hide from the world…until she meets her gorgeous, caring neighbor, multimillionaire Raf Camilleri. Meredith is the last woman Raf should fall for. He’s no more ready for her and newborn baby Zoe than Meredith is for him! But they so need his support, and their tender pull makes it impossible for Raf to stay away…

If that grabs your interest, please read an excerpt here. See photos that inspired the story of the setting here and for all the buy links, click here. It’s available as an eBook at your favourite eBook store as well as in print where Harlequin books are sold. I hope you enjoy this uplifting read.photos that inspired the story of the setting here and for all the buy links, click here. It’s available as an eBook at your favourite eBook store as well as in print where Harlequin books are sold. I hope you enjoy this uplifting read.

For something completely different, I have written a sexy outback short story as part of the Secret Confessions Down & Dusty series published by Escape Publishing. Set in outback Queensland, my story is titled KELLY and is the third in the series. It features a marriage struggling under the enslaught of the drought. Read an excerpt here.

There are nine stand alone short stories in the series and all are set in the same town. The first one, Casey by Rachael Johns is released on January 3rd, followed by Lucky by Cate Ellink on January 10th and mine, Kelly on January 17th. Retailing at $1.20, it’s a quick, fun read. All are up for preorder now.

Of course, all my other 27 novels are still available as eBooks. For a printable copy of my complete backlist, click here.

I’m currently working on a multi-generational women’s fiction novel, which I hope to complete by Februrary. It’s currently out on submission so please cross everything a publisher wants to buy it. Meanwhile, I’m planning on writing more Harlequin Medical romances during 2016. I love to hear from my readers and you can contact me at [email protected] or on Facebook and Twitter.

Wishing you a happy start to 2016 and plenty of time for reading!

Hello!

December has rushed in and suddenly Christmas and the summer holidays are looming :-) I’m about to bake my Christmas cake  and my thoughts are turning toward mince pies. YUM! I am ignoring the pesky thought that Christmas shopping is required and am instead floating the idea of a gift-free Christmas. Not sure that will work but I am of the theory that if people don’t know what they want then they probably don’t require anything other than my love ;-) There are only two weeks left of the school year and I’m looking forward to the carol service; it always puts me in the festive mood.

In celebration of the festive season, I’d like to give you a gift :-) JUST DELECTABLE is a short story and bit of fun. It also features one of my favourite Christmas recipes. This short story was first published back in 2007 in Sizzle, Seduce and Simmer so any long time readers may have read it but a very long time ago. I’ve tweaked it a bit and am thrilled to be able to share it with you all.

So what’s it about?

Love and a recipe! Annie Higgins is stuck working in the deep freeze of the Port Frazer fish co-op earning money for her semester at Cambridge. She never wants to see another prawn again. While she’s filleting fish, she’s dreaming of sunshine and building castles in the air. Little does she know that the prawns she detests are the key to romance and adventure.

How do you get your free copy? It’s available FREE in all eBook formats at Smashwords, as well as free at iBooks, Nook and Kobo. Sadly, Amazon won’t price match it for free so if you have a Kindle, please grab the FREE mobi version at Smashwords and side load it or email it to your Kindle.

BOOK NEWS!

WOOT! I have covers for A Daddy For Zoe? My next Harlequin Medical Romance, which releases on January 1st 2016 :-)  Set in summer on an island, it explores the notion of family ties and navigating the fine line between duty, responsibility and chasing dreams. To read an excerpt, see photos of the setting and to preorder it, click here.

Thank you for your support this year. I play a bit on Facebook and Twitter so you can catch me there as well as on  website, which is updated once a month. My readers come from around the world and if you’re not Australian, you might like to read about some of the Aussie Christmas traditions here.

It may seem early but I know you’re going to be getting busy so I’d like to take this time to wish you a happy and safe festive season. May the celebrations involve family and friends, good food, your favourite beverage and the ultimate gift; time for reading!

Fiona x

November 2015

Hello!

Are you as stunned as I am about the fact it’s November? It means it’s time to cut up the fruit for my Christmas cake and soak it in spirits for four weeks before baking it in early December. How did we get to this time of the year again so quickly? The first half of 2015 rocked along at a steady pace but since July, time seems to have vanished. The roses are blooming beautifully, which reminds me it is also exam season. My eldest son is about to finish his first degree and counting the days until he leaves for Europe. Lucky him! My youngest still has exams looming and is enjoying the start of the sailing season.  The book I’m working on is chugging along and my agent loves it so I hope a publisher does too!

BOOK NEWS!

WOOT! I have a cover for A Daddy For Baby Zoe? my next Harlequin Medical Romance which is released on January 1st 2016 :-) It’s up for pre-order all over the place and you can find buy links here  along with an excerpt. To peak your interest I have a special Pinterest board. You can see the little penguins, the fishing fleet, and the actors who inspired Meredith and Raf :-)

And what do you think of the cover? I just adore that baby! It tugs on my heartstrings :-)

My Medicine River series, set in glorious Montana, is still getting great reviews so if you haven’t caught up with it yet, now might be the time :-) Montana Actually and Truly Madly Montana, are available in mass market paperback and eBook format.

Unlocking Her Surgeon’s Heart, a Harlequin Mills & Boon medical romance is out in the world. If you enjoy the TV series, Call the Midwife, you’ll love this book. It’s part of the Midwives-on-Call series and my story is set in a small rural town. Lilia is the midwife and the last thing she needs is a grumpy, city surgeon trying to throw his weight around. Buy links are here.

I hang out a bit on Facebook and Twitter if you’d like to join me there.

I’m currently reading The Lake House by Kate Morton. I hope your November has plenty of time for reading!

Fiona xx