Today I’m pleased to be taking part in the blog tour for A Sunset In Sydney. My post is presented with thanks to Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me on the tour and of course to Sandy Barker for writing her guest post.

Blurb:

Sarah Parsons has a choice ahead of her. After the trip of a lifetime she’s somehow returned home with TWO handsome men wanting to whisk her away into the sunset.

Pulled in two directions across the globe, it’s making life trickier than it sounds. Her gorgeous American Josh, wants to meet Sarah in Hawaii for a holiday to remember. Meanwhile silver fox James plans to wine and dine her in London.

It’s a lot to handle for this Aussie girl, who had totally sworn off men!

Join Sarah after her adventure in One Summer in Santorini, for the heart-warming and uplifting third novel in The Holiday Romance series.

Travel to beautiful destinations with old friends and new in this gorgeous romantic novel perfect for fans of Holly Martin and Sue Roberts.

Guest Post:

Sandy Barker looks back at the answers she gave in an interview in 2008 and thinks about what has changed in 12 years.

‘Interviewing My Writer Self’ by Sandy Barker

I recently found this set of questions in the archives of my blog. I originally posted it in 2008, long before I became an author when my main form of writing was travel blogging, and I thought it would be fun to see what has changed in 12 years.

What’s the first thing you wrote that you still have?

Then: I wrote a cutting satirical expose about public toilets when I was 15. It is still pretty funny, but limited in insight. I have been to many worse public toilets in the world since. Maybe I should revisit it.

Now: I still have that piece, but I recently found my Creating Writing exercise book from Year 4. It’s brimming with stories about a talking tennis shoe.

 

Favourite genre of writing?

Then: Autobiographical commentary – on life, on travel especially.

Now: Travel romantic fiction―the intrepid traveller and hopeful romantic in my colliding.

 

Most fun character you’ve ever created?
Then: Kiara, a storyteller and the heroine in a fairytale I am penning for adults. [I still have this sitting in a drawer waiting to be dusted off.]

Now: I’d say Siobhan from A Sunset in Sydney. She’s an homage to a wonderful friend of mine and was a lot of fun to write. I defy readers not to fall madly in love with her like I did.

Coolest plot twist you’ve ever created? 

Then: It is in the fairytale. The heroine is not who she seems to be and is subsequently faced with a harrowing moral question. [I really must get back to this story!]

Now: My author friend and I have this brilliant idea for a book we could write together and the TWIST! I can’t say any more other than it’s contemporary and we are both hoping to carve out some time to start it by the end of the year.

How often do you get writer’s block?

Then: All the time. The best cure is just to sit down and start writing. 9 times out of 10, action creates inspiration. If not, I just give up and go for a run or eat chocolate. The running sometimes brings inspiration. The chocolate just makes me happy.

Now: Not too often (thank goodness), but if I am really stumped, I need to step away. The ‘fix’ will come to me when I am doing something else, when I have let the conundrum percolate for a bit.

What’s your favourite thing you’ve written?

Then: I wrote a detailed retrospective travel diary of my time in Greece in 2006. It is a record of falling in love with life all over again, after a long period of unhappiness.

Now: Looking back at my last response is amazing, because that travel diary sparked the idea for One Summer in Santorini. Answering this now, I am really proud of ‘A Love Letter to Australia’ – a piece I wrote for Australia Day 2020 in the midst of the worst fire season we’ve ever had.

How many writing projects are you working on right now?
Then: My blog, my fairytale, and perhaps I will revisit my first the novel again. It’s semi-autobiographical and needs to be dusted off and freshened up. [It has never seen the light of day.]

Now: I am about to start structural edits for book 4, The Christmas Swap, which comes out in October. I am close to finishing the first draft of book 5, the next in the Holiday Romance series, and I have many ideas percolating for books 6 and beyond. I also regularly blog. 

Quote something you’ve written. Whatever pops into your head.

Then: Her voice was tentative at first, but soon the richness of its timbre filled the room as the young women sat around her, mesmerized by her face, her lined, and very beautiful face. She began her tale. [This is from the prologue of that darned fairytale.]

Now: He has cheekbones a male model would kill for, a perfectly straight nose with a rounded tip and a smattering of freckles across the bridge, a strong jaw peppered with a several-day growth, and fuller lips than most men. He’s Hemsworthy. He also has a man bun. It’s the only thing marring his near-perfect appearance. [This is from book 5.]

Do you favour happy endings, sad endings or cliff-hangers?

Then: Truthful endings.

Now: Truthful endings. 

What an incredibly fun way to explore my journey as a writer―and I really must get back to that fairytale!

***

A Sunset In Sydney is available from Amazon.

You can follow the rest of the blog tour here: