Romy is a career freelance writer who decided to turn her attention to fiction in recent years. She calls herself a 'butterfly writer' because she flits between genres. To date, she has published historical romance, Dangerous Deceit with Champagne Books; paranormal romance, Mischief at Mulberry Manor; and her recent 'tween' novels as Ros Gemmell, Summer of Eagles and The Jigsaw Puzzle with MuseItUp Publishing.
Today sees another release in Romy's collection, the first book in the Aphrodite and Adonis Series . . . The Aphrodite Touch.This is a charming story about two people who haven't quite made the ultimate connection in their relationship. Carla hopes the time she shares with Jamie on the exotic island of Cyprus will help them to finally make the connection she so desperately desires. But when they arrive into their hotel, all seems lost when she steps into their shared suite to find Jamie has booked single beds and not one big bed for the both of them.
Oh, my!
Unbeknownst to Carla and Jamie, the goddess of love, Aphrodite, and her own lover, Adonis, will play a hand in getting these two humans together. No better setting than Cyrpus.
Before we get to the excerpt, we had some time to chat with this busy author. Grab a cup of PG Tips, Typhoo, Brehaha, or whatever your favorite tea is, and settle in to meet Romy.
Welcome, Romy!
Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to have a wee chat with us. I know how busy you are at the moment.
Rather than ask the same questions you'll, no doubt, be fielding about where you get your ideas and do you write to music and all that, our readers love to hear about their favorite author outside the writing process. With that in minds, please describe your writing space.
My house is in a pretty, quiet village at the top of a hill in the west coast of Scotland, within sight of the river and countryside. I’m lucky enough to have the use of a study in the extension we added to the house when the children were at home. Visitors call it the library as one wall is lined with books of all kinds.
Although I do all my computer work in here, I go to my favourite coffee shop once a week at the nearest mall where I write for about half an hour with pen and paper while enjoying the Italian coffee and a cake. Most of the staff know me now and are really interested in my writing – the lovely young female boss bought my first book right away. I also love writing on trains when going into the city – can’t decide if it’s the change of work place or using a pen and paper that produces more words!
My window looks out onto our back garden that slopes up towards the fields and hillside. Beyond the fence, we often have sheep and cows passing by and one year a couple of lambs got through the fence onto the tasty grassy bank of the garden! Now and then a pheasant will wander across the grass to forage around the trees – it probably thinks our garden is part of the countryside, and the woods are nearby!
Coffee AND cake? Nice!
I know what you mean about working in different spaces and the pen and paper thing. Sometimes I find I can write better when I take the laptop into another room, away from the office. But your work space sounds lovely, too. All the wildlife just outside the window. Sounds like it comes to you when you don't have time to go to it!
When you can pull yourself away from that stunning view, what is your daily writing routine like? As they say in writing, are you a planner or a panster? ;-)
Hmm...I’d love to say it’s very organised (it’s not), but every so often I try and keep to some kind of schedule. If possible, I stay around the home space two days of each week to catch up on everything. Monday and Thursdays are normally writing days, though I spend far too much time on blogs, forums, and other social networking. I sometimes have to fit in talks or competition adjudications for other writing groups, which I love doing.
Writing at the coffee shop on a Wednesday morning lets me do some food shopping afterwards, so it’s a very satisfying and enjoyable day. Tuesday afternoon is my local writing group which I’ve been part of for many, many years but I wouldn’t be without. Other days are taken up with necessary chores, meeting friends or family, excercise – the usual, although my husband has always been great at helping with housework!
Sounds like you're a bit of both the planner and panster . . . a nice balance though. Having a routine but allowing flexibility in it will keep you sane! But let's not talk about social media LOL
OK, so when you're not stuck online, not writing, not doing household chores, what do you get up to for fun? I imagine living in Scotland you have all kinds of interesting things on your doorstep.
Husband and I enjoy walking at the weekends, especially down the coast beside the river or over at Loch Lomond – we both love the water. I also love to dance! I’ve tried belly dancing, salsa, and tap, as well as zumba exercises, but I’m now looking for a new class of some kind. Meanwhile, I put music on in the house and dance if I’ve been sitting too long - as long as nobody can see me! I also like swimming but need to get back to it again.
I’ve always enjoyed film and TV dramas, reading of all kinds and I travel quite a lot – I don’t always enjoy the travelling part but I adore seeing new, interesting places around the world. Photography is fast becoming a favourite hobby.
Sounds like we'd be a deadly pair if we ever had an afternoon together! Loch Lomand is stunning--I love the water too. I dance when no one's looking . . . or to get a laugh out of the hubs. And photography is a great past time, for sure.
Thanks so much for having a chat with us.
Now, let's get to that excerpt.
• • •
Carla hopes that ten days on the romantic island of Cyprus will
finally progress her relationship with reserved Scottish boyfriend,
Jamie, to a full physical commitment. Or prove that they have no future
together. But they had not counted on the intervention of the goddess
Aphrodite and her lover, Adonis.Will Aphrodite awaken Jamie’s hidden depths and allow him to return the passion that Adonis senses in Carla?
• • •
“They’re late.” Aphrodite flounced down in the wicker chair and propped her sandaled feet on the coffee table between them. A petal dropped from the sweetly fragranced lisianthus flowers making a pretty centrepiece, their delicate white petals tinged with pink.
Adonis smiled, and shook his head. “We don’t even know who they are, my love.”
Aphrodite waved off his remark and glanced at the hotel’s reception desk. “I’ll know them when I see them.” She studied the group of tourists now checking in for a week or two of paradise before returning to their boring, everyday lives. None warranted the Greek goddess of love’s attention.
“How about those two?” Adonis nodded to his right, displaying his fine profile.
Aphrodite smiled. Thousands of years, and she had yet to tire of her lover’s fabulous face. She glanced beyond him to where two marble statues angled slightly to face each other. Chiselled names identified the busts as Aphrodite and Adonis. She grimaced and reached across to touch his hand. “I am so glad you don’t look like that.”
Adonis laughed out loud. Several people in the lobby turned in their direction, and each smiled as though in appreciation. He took Aphrodite’s hand. “I never tire of your beauty and delightful presence, my love. Even after these thousands of years.”
Aphrodite’s smile faltered for a moment as she remembered their time was now limited each year, then her gaze shifted to the couple now approaching the reception desk.
“Ah, now they are more worthy of our attention, Adonis. Look at that girl with such fiery hair. If I am not mistaken, and you know that seldom happens, her heart beats with passion. But see how the man by her side acts toward her. He is solicitous but even from here I sense his hesitation.”
Adonis followed her gaze. “Repression. It is in every movement. You are right. I think we have found our new project. This man has great need of your loving touch, my Aphrodite.”
With one graceful, synchronised movement, Aphrodite and Adonis stood up and watched discreetly as the couple took their room key and turned toward the lift around the corner. Adonis quickly slipped a flower from the vase and followed Aphrodite.
They found the couple waiting for the lift and smiled their greeting.
“Welcome to our beautiful island, fair lady,” Adonis said, as he held out the fragrant bloom to the girl.
At the sight of the girl’s pleasure in the flower, Aphrodite stepped up to the man and briefly touched his cheek. “Enjoy your stay on this island of love.”
Before the couple could find words to reply, Aphrodite took her lover’s hand and they walked through the hotel lobby without a glance at anyone.
“Let our fun begin,” she said, once they were some distance from the hotel.
Adonis kissed her hand. “And may those young people know such love as we enjoy, beloved Aphrodite.”
• • •
A freelance writer for many years, Romy Gemmell’s short stories and articles are published in UK magazines, in the US, and Online and she has won a few short story prizes over the years. Her first historical novel, Dangerous Deceit, was published by Champagne Books in Canada in May 2011 (as Romy), and Victorian novella, Mischief at Mulberry Manor, was published on kindle in December 2012.
First tween novel, Summer of the Eagles, was published by MuseItUp Publishing in Canada in March 2012 (as Ros) and The Jigsaw Puzzle is now released in April 2013. She describes herself as a butterfly writer, as she writes in so many different genres and different styles. Rosemary is a member of the Society of Authors, the Scottish Association of Writers and the Romantic Novelists’ Association. She indulged her love of literature and history by achieving a BA hons followed by a Masters in Humanities degree as a mature student. Happily married with two grown-up children, she loves to dance!
Find Romy online --
• • •
Tirgearr Publishing is giving away a copy of The Aphrodite Touch today to one lucky commenter. Leave Romy a message with your email address, or ask her a question, and be automatically entered into the random drawing.
Or grab a copy of The Aphrodite Touch here.
