I took some photos of the office I work out of for a posting on a friend's promotion and thought I'd share the things here that are all part of my writing space. I'm super lucky that I can use a bedroom that I've taken over and I sit right opposite my bookshelf which has every single paperback I have ever released (or had released for me!). Sometimes, when the words aren't happening on my screen, I'll look over and see the things I've written in the past, and it is a huge inspiration 🙂
On the shelves, I love photos of my family, inspiring quotes (I have a thing for Oscar Wilde since studying Lady Windermere's Fan and The Importance of Being Earnest for A-Level English). I have a rainbow flag that I got at Galway Pride, bobbleheads of Sid and Geno from the Pittsburgh Penguins (Hockey), also one of Legolas (nom). I have old copies of original fan fiction from way back that Chris Quinton gave to me (hand-printed, The Professionals!), a Pens hockey puck, in fact, several things related to the Pens, including a cap that Vicki Locey sent me for Christmas.
On my desk, apart from my trusty Apple Family Mac, iPad, iPhone, iWatch (yeah, I am easily tempted by the shiny!) I have my cordless headphones. I listen to music when I write – only songs I know really well, that then fade into the background and become almost like white noise. I also love notebooks and all kinds of pens, and there will always be a mug. Most of the time the mug has tea in it, sometimes it's empty, but then I get sad LOL.
Anyway… here are some photos, including the gorgeous view of the park (currently flooded so a lake has formed). I feel sort of arty taking a photo where the lake is mirrored in my Mac.
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Across the Pond
The greatest journey isn’t from England to the States, it’s the one that two men take on the way to find each other.
Sebastian Brown is on a mission to rescue the Arizona Raptors and a vow he made to a friend in college. Either that or he’s on vacation. He’s not entirely sure that he’s made up his mind yet. Either way, traveling from England, to the arid desert of Arizona isn’t exactly a picnic, particularly with the doubts and worries he takes with him. He’s turned even the worst of companies around, but faced with the challenge of improving the reputation of a hockey team that everyone seems to hate, he knows his work is cut out for him.
Focus is key, but that is easier said than done when Seb is sent into a tailspin by the intriguing Alejandro. Seb’s entire marketing plan hinges on making Alex a poster boy for equality and fair play. But with Alex’s utter dedication to the game, and his dark secretive eyes, the gorgeous Alex is stubborn, opinionated, doesn’t want any part of being the team focus, and worst of all, doesn't appear to like Seb at all. It takes everything that Seb has to keep his hands off of Alex, but things get out of hand and Seb’s life might never be the same again.
Alejandro Garcia has had to work hard to get where he’s at. Born to Mexican immigrants, his siblings and himself have never had it easy in this new country their parents dreamed of calling home. A native son of Arizona, Alex has always been the odd man out on the ice but he’s not going to let a stupid thing like his heritage get in the way of his dreams. He’s now a Raptor and he plans to put all that training and collegiate hockey experience to good use. Working hard comes naturally to him. It’s something his parents have instilled in him from the time he was a toddler. Being one of a handful of Latino hockey players makes him strive for success with even more determination. His first pro season has had some ups but a lot more downs, but Alex is one stubborn young man and failure is not an option.
As the Raptors struggle to rebuild not only their team but their core values, Alex finds himself drawn to one of the owner’s friends, a tall, lanky Brit with the face of an angel and an accent and attitude that bewitches and befuddles him. Sebastian is everything he thought he would never be attracted to but he can’t push the sexy, older, fun-loving man out of his thoughts. If ever there were a man he would not be able to take home to his parents - not that he can bring a man home since he is deeply closeted - it’s Sebastian, but desire knows no socioeconomic, age, or international borders. The heart wants what the heart wants and Alejandro’s wants Sebastian.
More info →
Promise
A cop bound by the law. An ex-con shackled by his past. One stolen kiss that changes everything.
Leo Byrne has never questioned his place in the world—adopted into the sprawling Byrnes family, surrounded by love, and dedicated to his job as a cop. Romance has never been on his radar, but watching his best friends build new families sparks a quiet longing for something more. When he shares a kiss with Jason Banks at an event honoring the former convict’s heroism, it should mean nothing. But when Jason and his daughter have nowhere left to turn, Leo steps in to help, knowing full well that taking them into his home is a risk. Falling for the guarded ex-con? That’s a danger Leo never saw coming.
Jason made a deal to protect his daughter and paid for it with years behind bars. Fighting wildfires as a convict volunteer gave him purpose, but now that he’s free, he has nothing—no home, no job, and no way to shield Daisy from the man who still sees her as leverage. The only safe place left is in the arms of the cop, who shouldn’t want anything to do with him. But Jason knows the truth has a way of destroying everything in its path, and if Leo discovers the secrets he’s still keeping, Jason might lose the only chance he has at love—and the only family he’s ever wanted.
More info →
A Reason To Stay
“A sexy and fast-paced romantic thriller.”
It takes a Navy SEAL's training to keep them alive, but when the mystery on the mountain is solved, will Viktor and Aiden's love story survive the fallout?
Viktor left small-town Vermont to become a Navy SEAL and had no intention of tying himself down or falling in love. A succession of men and women share his bed, passion and danger are his addictions, and he's the first of his team to run headlong into trouble. When his nephew witnesses a murder, Viktor returns home to protect his family and lands in the middle of an active case led by none other than the man he left behind. He can handle getting punched out by Aiden, but teaming up with the sheriff to find a killer is not on the cards. For Viktor, love is dangerous, makes a man vulnerable, and one mistake could get Aiden killed.
Aiden never expected to find lasting love with a decorated active SEAL, but he didn't anticipate Viktor would leave his bed never to return. Even two years later, disappointment simmers below the surface, and he never wants to see Viktor again. But, when seemingly unrelated deaths draw Viktor back home, Aiden has to find a way for them to work together despite their past. With Viktor's training and Aiden's local knowledge, they partner to work the case, but Aiden isn't just fighting the bad guys and mother nature; he's falling in love with a man who will surely leave him again.
What links the string of deaths in the Green Mountains? Can hate and distrust turn back to love? And if they make it down from the mountain alive, can Aiden persuade Viktor he has a reason to stop running?
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Crooked Tree Ranch
The cowboy, the man from the city, and the ranch where adversity turns to love.
Amidst the chaos of his crumbling life, Jay seizes the opportunity to apply for a marketing role at a dude ranch in Montana. Leaving New York behind, he embarks on a fresh start at Crooked Tree Ranch. However, the infuriating cowboy who constantly challenges him begins to stir up more than just frustration. Falling for the gruff cowboy shocks Jay, but when kisses turn to more, could love be possible?
Nate, a former rodeo star and the ranch's foreman, has been shouldering the responsibility for five years after his mentor fell ill. Encouraged by his brothers and determined to keep the ranch thriving, Nate realizes the necessity of bringing in an expert to propel the business forward. Yet, when the new arrival arrives with a troubled family, Nate is caught off guard by the magnitude of the challenges they bring. As he and Jay work together to transform the ranch, Nate finds himself unexpectedly drawn to the charming city guy, one stolen kiss at a time.
Against the backdrop of the Montana mountains and in saving Crooked Tree Ranch, Nate and Jay fall in love, one kiss at a time.
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If you could choose a view from your window, what would it be, and where in the world would it be?
Well, it would be Hardanger Fjord, in Norway. So beautiful!
It would be in Port Stephens New Zealand, looking out onto Salamander Bay. My family had a wonderful vacation there last year, it is a beautiful place, I love the city and the entire island, it had this incredibly quirky local radio station that we are still laughing about and I think was one of our favorite things to listen to ever, and it would be incredible to look at it every day
Outside of my window I would live to see a sky filled with big puffy white clouds, children playing baseball and a bright sun shining down on all of them.
I love the view I have already – I live in a neighborhood of Victorian 2 and 3 family houses built close together (housing built in the late 1800s for workers commuting into Boston, Massachusetts). I look out onto the back yards of two long roads of housing, full of peoples porches and postage stamp gardens, with old huge trees at the far end, tons of lilacs and rhododendrons in various yards, and great architecture! And then I’m lucky enough to have a small camping trailer in Maine where six months a year I look out across a small camp grass road into the woods, combining the endless possibilities of following paths with beautiful wildness on the other side. So I chose my two home views!
It would be of my hubby, leaning against a bridge in Venice with his arms crossed, smiling at me.
My choice would be a view of the Ocean from beautiful Bethany Beach, Delaware!
I’d love a vast hillside view (with a bit of forest afar). It goes without saying I love countryside/highland view as it’s rare for me to see.
Any body of water. I love moving water such as an ocean or a waterfall. It doesn’t have to be anywhere popular, just quiet and serene.
A rural mountain view in Northern Ireland.
I love the mountains, so that would be the view I choose.
I would love an ocean/beach view. If not that then an amazing mountain.
Honestly even though I don’t like being outside much, my view would be of beautiful nature. Some days that may be waterfalls or a forest. Others maybe cattle grazing or dogs running around yards. Since we are going ideal and I can’t pick one, maybe if we lived in a world that could cycle through and change simulation where most of the sensory input was there. It would never get boring and stay peaceful.
I would be deep in Sequoia National Forest n California, among the most beautiful trees in the world. The sequoia trees are huge, and have the most unique smell that would surround me every moment.
The Eiffel Tower
I would love a fall foliage view!
I love waterfalls so looking out my window to see Niagara Falls would be wonderful 🙂
I’d like a view of a lake, from a cabin in the woods.
The beach in Pensacola, Florida
I’d love to see a forest, please! Or just a ton of greenery, maybe from Ireland. I grew up with the woods directly behind my house and that was my view for 18 years; I miss it a great deal.
My view from my window….https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQ53ZIrqsaZWyU0DfAdRTWI0x5jaQX7M7ZU5TZrsaqvylinW2Ap A Companion of Valdamar on a beach, on a planet founded in the incredible imagination of Mercedes Lackey!
I have two dueling places. I would love to live in a forest and see the wind blowing through the trees. But, I would also love to look out over the ocean and watch the sun set. I think that would bring me to tears, lol. So my daughter and I have decided that I would move to the mountains, and she would move to the beach and we can just visit each other and have the best of both worlds.
If you could choose a view from your window, what would it be, and where in the world would it be?
I would want it to be a view from the highest place on earth but not in the Mount Everest kind of way, more like the gods in Mount Olympus for the Ancient Greeks. A place were a I could sit and gaze at the world in it’s entirety and remember that there is more beauty than what I know and bigger things that those that happen to me and my love ones. A place of calm and peace and perspective; somewhere you can just be…even if only for a moment.
I would love to wake up each morning looking out over the savanna of the Masai Mara in Kenya with all the wild animals.
I would love for my view to be of the forest but with the ocean in view as well. I love both elements and they are both completely relaxing to me.
I’d like a sunny blue sky and a view of the countryside.
Sea view for me – with a sunset.
A beach view on a tropical island.
Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains
A forrest were wild animals would come to visit
Seaside, Honestly, a cliff over the sea would be perfect
Wow that’s a lot of great books for one person to have written, congratulations. If I had a choice of view from my window it would be of the ocean, sand, blue skies, and palm trees. I do have a beautiful view of my city from my window and I love it.
I’m torn 😀 it would have to either be the Eiffel Tower and Paris rooftops, or a beautiful lake in the mountains, surrounded by trees and not much else 🙂
i would love to look out my window and see green grass and maybe a rainbow. I would be happy if it was right where i live. But if i could i’d enjoy it somewhere in Scotland as that’s my dream destination
The Scottish countryside!
I would love to be able to see the Northern Lights, as I am housebound, that would be one heck of a view
There’s a spot on a hill top a few miles away that is being cleared and built on after years of overgrowth and neglect. It’s got a beautiful view of the Heldeberg foothills. That’s what I’d like to see every day.
I would be in a valley surrounded by the Rocky Mountains in Colorado so in the spring I could see the beautiful wildflowers and the mountains.
I love my view just as it is. I have trees, pastures, sky, and can watch the birds at the feeder outside the window.
I quickly envisioned the valley and surrounding peaks of Glen Coe in Scotland. They appeal to my moody, dreamy, contemplative side, but going through some other comments, yes, a northern night under the Northern Lights would also be awesome!
I’d love to have a view of the Napali coast (which is on Kauai) out my window.
I would love to be looking at Lake Michigan out my window on a cloudy, stormy day when the wind would be whipping up white caps. Of course there would be no one else around and I could just watch and listen.
It would be the Pacific Ocean in Long Beach, California, where I grew up!
A view of the sea at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.
I would choose a view of the ocean from an island in the Caribbean.
The view from my window would be the majestic Pacific Ocean from high on the cliffs of the Mendocino County coast, California.
I would love to see a lake, with mountains behind it.
My youngest is turning 20 in a few weeks, so I feel your pain. And I am currently wearing a (brand new) Penguins pullover, because it is a game day and I always have something Penguins on when it’s game day!!
The view I would love to see would be a jungle and beach in Roatan.
I would love a view of an ocean, lake or beach from my window. Turks & Caicos looks so beautiful on TV, but I would worry about the hurricanes. I think a nice beach in West Virginia would be a perfect view!
If I had a choice I would be looking out at the waves crashing on a beach, the window open so I could hear the surf and small the sea air. Since I’m in the land-locked Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas. I especially love to vacation along the Pacific Coast…California, Oregon and Washington States. Carmel, Monterey and Newport are favorites.
I would want to be looking at a Lake in Scotland!!
I would want a view looking into a large garden with blooms all year and birds and butterflies. Somewhere in the country
I often read/have coffee on our back deck overlooking the garden. With overnight rain, this morning it is peppered with murraya, looking snowflakish and heavily scented. Why dream of somewhere else!
The view of the water, the islands and the mountains of Vancouver Island is lovely here. I would just want a less obstructed view than the one I have now.
My office would be windowless and be in Fiji. I would be able to feel the ocean breeze, smell the ocean air and have an amazing view everyday!
I love the ocean. So I would like a window view of the ocean.
I would love to have the Eiffel Tower be the view out of my window.
I’d love a beach view, especially if it is at sunset.
Beautiful, calm water at sunset in the Maldives.
I’d love a beach view, crashing waves and blue skies on the horizon.
I live in suburbia so anywhere that looked out on nature unhindered. Be it a mountain range, forest area or rocky coast line. Just so long as there is nothing hindering the view and not many people living in the vicinity.
I’d love a view of the mountains in the distance luring me to new heights.
I would like to live in a lighthouse and when I looked out my window all I will see is miles and miles of ocean and sky.
I would see the canals in italy
As I open my eyes in the morning the first thing I’d love to see if the crisp blue sky reflected on the tranquil water of a placid lake. In the near distance, the peaks of the mountains call my attention. Pretending it’s Summer, the songs from the multiple birds that visit the feeders are enough to encourage me to spring out of bed and enjoy the day. Cup of coffee in hand, I’d sit on the patio to enjoy the concert and the fantastic view.
My office looks over a lovely park where a pre-school walks every morning and the high school track team runs every day. That suits me just fine.
I’d love to have a of the ocean from a tropical island
I would see the Scottish Highlands.
I think I’d like an ocean/gulf view. I live 2 miles from the gulf coast of Florida but rarely get over to see it.
I think I’d like an ocean/gulf view. I live 2 miles from the gulf coast of Florida but rarely get over to see it.
Either Whenuanui Bay, New Zealand overlooking the Sound, or right on the shore toward the east end of the island of Roatan, Honduras. Both have a lovely climate and are by the sea.
My preference for the window view would be a seaside view of a wide white sand beach with the ever-changing temper of the water. I feel closer to my inner self near water and the emotions going from calm blue to violent gray would feel really good as I sit and watch.
My two happy places are the beach and the mountains – so either overlooking the ocean or the view from either the Smokies or Rockies. But if I get to open the window, it would have to be the beach so I can hear the water.
The snow covered Swiss Alps Mountain tops.
I simply love how relaxing and picturesque they look.
My view would be the beach in Santa Monica CA. I love it there!
I have a nice view of our garden which gets visited by lots of birds and squirrels but my dream view would be on the sea – don’t really mind where although I do love my North Devon and Cornwall coastline.
love your books and your pic at the end of you mail certainly made me smile as well as other things
I would love for my bedroom view to be of the mountains I see when I’m vacationing in Tennessee.
My fave view would be the beach on Maui; preferably down Kihei way.
I would love to have a big forest and some clouds outside my window, somewhere on the countryside. thanks for the chance!
Probably an ocean view.
I’m not sure where I’d like my view to come from, I just know that I’d like sunshine, clear skies, and a nice breeze coming in my window. I seriously cannot wait for nice weather. Winter stinks! 🙂
A large serene body of water, with not too distant mountains in the backdrop. Best of both my worlds.
I’d like to live near the Olympic National Park and own waterfront property on Puget Sound. The views from my window would be breathtaking. I love the rain forest and water soothes my soul.