“Ticket to Paradise” is
a movie to take you away from the everyday to a peaceful island paradise. The rom-com
movie features two couples and what happens on the island. The first couple,
Georgia and David Cotton, are played by actors, Julia Roberts and George
Clooney. They were the reason I watched the movie. As a divorced couple, they
had a snarky relationship, sniping and being sarcastic to each other, which did
wear thin for me. But I was happy to see them acting together again.
The second couple was
made up of an American college graduate who is the daughter of the first
couple. Lily quickly falls in love with an island man (Balinese), called Gede.
Gede’s family farms seaweed for a living right beside the ocean which I found
interesting to learn about.
Lily and Gede want to
get married, but Lily’s parents are going to try and stop the wedding. Principal
photography took place in Australia during c-virus times. Watch this movie for
paradise escapism, the young couple falling in love, and seeing Julia and
George on screen again.
♥♥♥♥
Movie Synopsis
Academy
Award® winners George Clooney and Julia Roberts reunite on the big screen as
exes who find themselves on a shared mission to stop their lovestruck daughter
from making the same mistake they once made. Ticket to Paradise is a romantic
comedy about the sweet surprise of second chances.
This week I’m delighted
to tell you about my romance story which is featured in the Holiday Kisses anthology
being published 4 November 2022. In 2021, Gumnut Press located in Perth,
Western Australia, put out a call for White Christmas romance short story
submissions.
I was intrigued by the challenge of writing a
Christmas romance, but how would I do it? Now I am a fan of the Wham song, ‘Last
Christmas’ which has almost become a classic Christmas song since its release
36 years ago.
I imagined a heroine called
Gracie who had a heartbreaking last Christmas and she’s not over it yet. She’s definitely
not looking forward to the new Christmas day which is tomorrow in the story. She keeps her distance
from a special man, Jedd, even though he catches her eye every time and she’s
naturally attracted to him. What can Jedd do to make Gracie realize they could get
together and make a great couple?
How will Gracie ever
know that the special man right there with her is the guy she’s been looking
for? He’s a man to love.
It was going to take a
miracle to bring this couple together. So, I called my story, The Now or Never Miracle.
How exactly was this
miracle going to work? Well, I took Gracie and Jedd away from homes and their
normal lives, which is the ‘fish out of water’ trope. I sent them on a holiday
to the Southern Highlands of Scotland to find the true spirit of Christmas. Then
I enlisted the help of an unusual matchmaker.
As I continued writing,
I laughed until the last page. The matchmaker is TROUBLE of the 4-legged kind.
The romance turned fun, and it was wonderful that Gumnut Press liked the story
enough to include it in their anthology. I hope you can read it sometime too.
Christmas is a magical time when you choose to
believe in love.
After her last
Christmas left her heartbroken, Gracie Joyce will do anything to avoid another
yuletide disaster. Sidestepping a kiss under the mistletoe is her first safe
move at the staff party in Scotland. She must keep resisting her attraction to
her charismatic, handsome boss, Jedd Taylor, even when the Christmas Eve party
turns to chaos.
Lovely Gracie is a
smart and funny woman who captivates Jedd Taylor. If only her smile didn’t fade
when she laid eyes on him. How can he convince her not to pigeon-hole him as
her boss, and let them get to know each other better?
A miracle unfolds
in a picturesque village in the Southern Highlands. The spirit of Christmas
comes alive in unexpected ways. When a special matchmaker appears, will they
surrender or deny the heart’s desire?
My next excitement is that Gumnut Press have released a
video featuring The Now or Never
Miracle.
Thank you to author, Carolyn Wren who made the video.
Carolyn also wrote a romance story in the anthology. I can’t wait to read her
story, and the whole book.
The
Holiday Kisses anthology is available for a special-pre-order book price of $ 0.99 (Australia) at Holiday Kisses Universal Book Link
Take care, stay well,
♥ Ashlyn
Photo
Credits: Gumnut Press, Seema Miah and Freestocks R on Unsplash.com
The year is speeding on
toward Christmas. The excitement is building as Holiday Kisses, the
Christmas Romance Anthology gets ready to launch in early November 2022. There’s
news from the publishers, Gumnut Press. I can share the book description and
pre-order details. It’s been fun being in a group of authors who are enthusiastic
about every single book detail like the cover, videos, and write-ups. So, let’s
dive into the description of the stories.
‘Tis the season to
fall in love in this heartwarming collection of Christmas romance stories.
It’s Christmas…a
time for kisses under the mistletoe, tree decorating, fruit mince pies, fairy
lights and snow in abundance. This holiday season celebrates the joy of romance
with some Holiday Kisses.
Filled with love,
romance, and a whole lot of heart. From a Christmas gift exchange program,
Manhattan wedding, fireman’s calendar photography shoot, train trip to
Edinburgh, Irish castle, holiday job, Christmas wedding photo shoot, missent
text, plum pudding catastrophe, and a mischievous donkey named Colin. All with
a kiss or two.
Families reunite,
new friends are made, and old flames take a second chance at happiness. Escape
between the pages and get swept away into these holiday stories celebrating the
spirit of the Christmas season!
Light the fire,
grab some hot chocolate and settle in for the night and dive into these
Christmassy romances. With ten stories from Australian authors, you’re sure to
find something to pull at the heartstrings while rediscovering the joys of
Christmas.
If you want to grab
a bargain, there’s a special-pre-order book price of $ 0.99 (Australia)
available now. Catch it before the normal price is set at $3.99 (Australia).
For readers living outside Australia, I have a buy link here; Holiday Kisses Universal Book Link
This week I have a
little piece of backstage chatter to share with you. It could be a bit funny.
The chatter comes from the cast of the musical theatre show I was recently part
of.
Every performance,
the actress on the stage said her line which was similar to;
“He snores like
there’s a group of pigs on the loose.”
The line found
common ground with the audience, and they laughed. It seemed that a lot of
people know a heavy snorer and what they sound like when they’re sleeping.
One night,
backstage, in the ladies dressing room, a conversation started about the
challenges of sleeping with another. One of the women told us a real-life
story, grin.
Her man is one of
those loud snorers. During the evening of the story, she was woken up by
snoring. She gave her a husband a whack, poor guy, to stop the annoying sound
from interrupting her sleep.
The problem was…he
wasn’t snoring. He was awake and innocent.
The woman had been
woken up by the sound of her own snoring.
Not so funny for her.
I know what that’s
like too. Sometimes on the weekend, it’s nice to have a catnap after lunch. I
can drift off to sleep, the snoring starts, and suddenly I’m awake again. Oh
dear!
So, snorers who
share a bed should be careful with their sleepy judgements. Get to know the
sound of your own group of pigs on the loose.
Have you ever known
someone who doesn’t snore? One of my family members had enough snoring power to
launch a rocket into outer space.
I’ve been away
these last few weeks and busy at a small community theatre doing a show. The show story is set in
the 1950’s and I’m acting two characters, singing and dancing. It’s my first
time acting and some of the singing parts are solo. I’m still really nervous
about the singing. There’s one more week to go before the show is finished.
Naturally, I’m a quiet writer type of person, an introvert. Theatre
drags me out of my shell and helps build confidence. I also feel like my
creativity gets recharged and inspired by the different way of telling a story
on the stage.
I’m really looking
forward to getting my time back for romance writing and blogging. In the background, Gumnut Press are
continuing to work on the Holiday KissesRomance Anthology
book. I expect there will be more news coming from the publisher soon.
The year seems to
be getting busier and busier. Is this happening for you too?
This week, a
surprise appeared on fb, and it’s worth sharing. It’s revealing. I mean, book
cover revealing. Yay! Gumnut Press has released the book cover for their Holiday
KissesAnthology.
Early November 2022
is when the collection of Christmas stories is planned to launch. The book will
be a sweet romance read for the holidays, or before, or for whenever you want
to indulge the heart-warming feelings of the festive season.
Historical romance
stories never completely disappear from the bookshelf. During the last decade, hearsay
was that when the world is in crisis, or there’s war, violence and unpleasant
stuff going on, the real world can become overwhelming for some. Romance
readers reach for their historical novels as a means of escaping reality.
However, in recent
years, the world continues to be in crisis and regency romances are becoming shining
stars. Perhaps people are enjoying the entertainment of regency romances as
they flourish on television like the mega-hit, ‘Bridgerton’, and the
latest retelling of ‘Persuasion’ which is Jane Austen’s story from 1817.
It’s easy to see
the visual appeal of watching regency romance on the small screen. Such as
the good-looking people, the fashion, the social worlds of pleasure, the
intrigue in the gossip, the gardens and sweeping country landscapes.
The article said,
the heart of a regency romance is a love story. Love is something worth
fighting for. The challenges faced by the heroines as they find their love
matches are still relatable and readers can indulge in the stories set in
fantasy yesteryears to see how the love unfolds in a fertile, and perhaps less
painful place than the present world.
Oh yes, I’ve enjoyed watching the complications that
love brings to the TV couples and their happy-for-nows. How about you?
Before the social media world came to life,
traditionally published book authors had limited ways in which they could
communicate with their readers.
I recently read an article set in this quieter, online
age about the experience of author, Tara Moss. A journalist didn’t believe she
had written her own book. It was challenging for her to have a direct voice to
the public so she could answer the rumors.
Twenty years ago, Tara Moss was judged on her model
looks, as if being blonde and beautiful, made it doubtful she had the brains to
write crime fiction stories.
How did the Canadian-Australian woman of many
talents prove she was the legit author of her own book?
A journalist invited her to take a lie detector
test, and she said yes.
She passed the test with flying colors and up to the present has
written fourteen best-selling books.
The ‘is she lying’ test seems ridiculous now.
Follow the link here to read more about her experience
or to listen to the Mamamia.com.au interview with Tara Moss.
Her latest book, ‘The Ghosts of Paris’, is a
gripping story of secrets and intrigue set in postwar London and Paris and is
available now.
Tara Moss is also a UNICEF Australia Goodwill
Ambassador, and an advocate for human rights, and the rights of women, children,
and people with disabilities. A truly remarkable woman.
Sarah Bendall has hand-sewn many corsets from 400-year-old
patterns and made reconstructions of historical clothing that has survived. She
wore the corsets she made and observed other women wearing them for her lessons
in the wearing. Sarah came to understand how corsets impacted women. Based on
her research, she says,
“There are very few
sources from the 16th and 17th centuries where women
themselves describe what it was like to wear corsets and hooped skirts at the
time.”
Traditional writing about corsets is missing the
lived experiences of these women and myths persist up to modern times.
Historically, it seems the people who wrote
negatively about women’s corsets were mostly not corset wearers themselves. Nor
would they have a need or a social obligation to wear a corset. But in past
centuries, some men did wear corsets, discreetly, and for the same reason as
women—fashion. Men also wore corsets for medical purposes such as a weakened
back caused by Tuberculosis. The corset has endured over the years for men as
well as women. Some modern men wear underbust corsets to flatter their
masculine shape.
Corsets were once popular among women and not just
for vanity or beauty reasons. Read more about Sarah’s corset research in the
article here.
In 2020, Netflix’s first season of Regency-era
romances starring the Bridgerton family inspired fresh conversations about
historical clothing and corsets. In 2021, with my state isolating from the rest
of Australia because of the virus, I tried to buy on-line, a dress-makers mannequin
and sewing patterns for corsets. Nope, no luck. Everything was sold out with no
sign of when supplies would be back in stock.
In the twenty-first century, why would women want
to wear corset underwear or corset tops on the outside anyway? Had Bridgerton
set a fashion trend that would surely fade? On TV, the corsets looked like
torture devices designed to give the regency ladies a desirable figure but
stealing their breath. It’s worth noting, there is forensic evidence that
suggests slowly over a lifetime, tightly laced corsets could rearrange women’s
organs and deform their skeletons.
So why did I want to sew a corset during the
Bridgerton-inspired renaissance? Well, two large-chested ladies in the family
who have ongoing bra problems wanted to know if corsets could improve their
sense of well-being. A custom-made corset, sewn to fit their bodies sounded
like a new kind of heaven. They find it hard to buy large-sized bras that fit
properly. They’re uncomfortable to wear. The straps dig into shoulders. Back
ache is a common, daily occurrence.
Corsets from yesteryears were invented in France in
the 1500s and worn by women for the next four centuries. There is plenty of
commentary about how corsets altered the female shape. But aside from fashion,
working women also wore corsets, and they didn’t necessarily pull the laces
tight and gasp. Corsets were worn for practical reasons like comfort and
support. Instead of hoisting the weight of a heavy chest onto the shoulders,
the corset distributed the weight more evenly around the upper body. This
relief from pain is what the ladies in my family wanted to try.
So, the modern woman can try the benefits of the
corset without the TV torture effect. She can wear a corset to support the bust
and back. Maybe she will have better posture and not rounded shoulders. Or her
figure will have a flattering shape like the ladies in history. And lastly, the
corset has endured throughout the centuries without the attention of Bridgerton
as lingerie for weddings, sexy times, or to be feminine and beautiful, or….whatever
you like.
Next week, I’ll be writing about a woman who has
hand sewn historical corsets from old patterns and she says, don’t believe
everything you’ve read about corsets.
Have you heard these two common sayings about how
people can be attracted to each other?
1.Opposites attracts (the human magnet effect).
2.Like attracts like(the not
human magnet effect because like and like coming together repel each other).
Hmm…it seems attraction can work in
different ways for people.
Attraction can be interpersonal or personal.
Interpersonal attraction can involve having good thoughts or feelings about another person.
A platonic type of reaction. While the personal ways people feel attraction can
include physical, mental, emotional, or even spiritual, for example, a soul
mate connection.
So, taking an interest in someone is
not straight forward at all. That’s life!
What happens when
you resist the attraction you have for another? Watch Bridgerton Season 2 for a
fictional view of how that works. We see the drama play out where Viscount
Anthony Bridgerton has a mental connection with Edwina Sharma caused by his
sense of family duty. He convinces himself he’s found the right woman to wed
and preserve the family line of aristocrats and their fortune.
Then we get spoiled
by the super wonderful drama of his slow burn attraction for Kate Sharma, and
hers for him. Anthony has so many different physical encounters, thoughts, and feelings
for Kate. He spends most of the season burying them deep inside. Eventually, his
heart speaks louder than his head. Kate also finally surrenders to the
desires of her heart for him too. I couldn’t help crying during the final
episode of the love story. That’s TV life!
Wow and woo-hoo!
I’m delighted to write that this week is a celebration of all the readers
around the world who helped this blog site reach 100,000 views. Thank you everyone.
I started this blog
about romance, history, and mystery back in 2015 when blogging was a common
thing for authors to do. Gosh, hasn’t the social media landscape changed since
then. Blogging and long form writing was predicted to be replaced by video
format, and then video was predicted to be replaced by short videos of one
minute or less.
Yet today, after an
unpredictable history, this blog is going stronger than ever. I have no words
to explain it. But I feel gratitude toward the people who’ve stopped by and
read the posts.
So, let’s get the
celebration started with a little romance.
Words can weave a
story that doesn’t include anything from the worldwide news. In the softer
reality of romance, we can believe in love, feel good and anticipate a happy story ending.
“Romance means
leaving things out: where life grunts and shuffles,
romance only
sighs.”
--Margaret Atwood (Goodreads)
“Romance is the
glamour which turns the dust of everyday life
into a golden
haze.”
--Elinor Glyn (Goodreads)
Sometimes, I write
about interesting curios from the past or knowledge long buried in history.
History is another story where we can find our own place to explore. Indigenous
cultures, Celts, the Roman Empire and the ancient Egyptian civilization are
some of my favourite topics to dive deeper into. These old cultures helped
shape the world we live in today.
“Imagination
governs the world”.
--Napoleon Bonaparte (Goodreads)
In this week’s history making news, NASA successfully launched its first rocket in 25 years on
Australian soil. The southern hemisphere location was necessary because the
science phenomena to be studied can only be seen from down south.
The rocket was
launched from the new Arnhem Space Centre located in the Northern Territory.
The launch happened with permission, and on the lands of the Yolngu people who
are the traditional owners. The most fascinating aspect of this story is – the
partnership between the oldest living culture on earth with the futuristic
science of space. Amazing, and a rumbling boom was heard like nothing before in
the Yolgnu communities and homelands.
Mysteries have an
attraction that catches our attention. They can be about something strange, or
which can’t be solved. Or enigmas that can’t be understood. The mind can’t
resist searching for answers even if the path leads into the darkness.
“The most beautiful
experience we can have is the mysterious.”
--Albert Einstein (Goodreads)
Mysteries steer us
away from the routine of everyday life to maps and mazes of the mind.
“When I left my
body on a distant shore.”
--T.S. Eliot
(Goodreads)
Enjoy your week.
May life bring you happy days and delight with the people you love.
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