Dec 2020 / J�uary 2021
Romance Writers of New Zealand
Heart 2 Heart
TIPS ON :
WRITING SPORTS ROMANCE
+SKELETON DRAFTING METHOD
+RWNZ 2021 CONFERENCE UPDATE
+FREE BOOK BRUSH DEMO FOR MEMBERS
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
NEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT
Susan Sims
romancewritersnz.co.nz
2 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
� evрy�e,Text goes Here.
Text goes Here
Text goes Here
K�p safe, k�p �ll, �d k�p wri�ng!Love, Sus�
MON / MON 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 3
CONTENTS romancewritersnz.co.nz
NEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT
Susan Sims
PRESIDENT’S REPORT romancewritersnz.co.nz
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 3
� evрy�e,I hope your year is off to a great start and that your Christmas and New Year were lovely!
It was exci�ng to see the major adapta�on of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series on Ne�lix,especially given the terrific success of the series with huge audience numbers, and on many,many pla�orms, lists of what to read next, featuring loads of wonderful romance writers!
Our Conference Dream Team is reques�ng we all fill in a survey (see link on Facebook or H2Hpage 15) to see what kind of conference we all want. As you all are aware, there's a hugeamount of work that goes into planning and se�ng up the RWNZ conference. Steff iscon�nuing as conference co-ordinator, however, Linda has stepped down and we'd like tothank her for all her work.
It's impossible to miss the way that COVID-19 con�nues to rage around the world, so pleasekeep scanning the COVID-19 code from your apps! We all s�ll need to follow the guidelinesfrom the New Zealand Government for Kiwis, or the Australian Government for our Australianmembers. This is really important. It is also normal to feel stressed or anxious in thesesitua�ons. For Kiwis to get support with grief, anxiety, distress or mental wellbeing, call or textthe free 'Need to talk?' service on 1737. This is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and aplace where you can talk things through with a trained counsellor. I've s�ll got my fingerscrossed for our double na�on bubble to come to frui�on so we can cross the ditch and seeeach other again this year.
K�p safe, k�p �ll, �d k�p wri�ng!Love, Sus�
4 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
EDITORIAL
WHAT IS YOUR ‘WHY’?
Corina Douglas
romancewritersnz.co.nz
4 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
December and January were awhirlwind. I have no idea wherethose months went. Kids onschool holidays, moving house,and dealing with the worstsummer weather ever made fora trying six weeks.
Like most of us, I ring in the new year withnew goals and new aspira�ons. This processis incredibly mo�va�ng, and even with fourkids to entertain in that first month, I usuallystride forward to begin achieving my goals.This year was no different and by mid-January, I was feeling pre�y proud of myselfbecause I’d pounded out some 35,000 words,but then… I got writer’s block.
For anyone that hasn’t had the opportunity toexperience writer’s block yet, you’re in for atreat. It’s like dealing with a wound thatdoesn’t heal. No ma�er what we do, we justcan’t move forward—we’re stuck in stasis. Icall it ‘writer’s block hell’ and it shares a bedwith ‘pre-order hell’.
There are many tried and true mechanisms toovercome writer’s block—doing exercise,reading a book, watching a movie, mindlesslyallowing your subconscious to flow, having aday off, re-reading earlier books to remindyourself how far you’ve come as a writer,drinking wine (or whatever takes your fancy),alternately—drinking water and ea�nghealthy, going to bed at a set �me, ge�ng upat a set �me, etc., etc. You name it, I tried it.
And whaddayaknow… nothing worked.
A�er two weeks of this, I sat down, feelingdefeated and very sorry for myself. I couldhave thrown my toys and lamented more, buthubby was brow-beaten by my moaningalready, and I realised that I needed to look atthis another way. Eventually, I realised it wasan opportunity to reaffirm why I began thisauthor journey in the first place, andul�mately, it made me reconsider my ‘why’.
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 5
TITLE
Corina Douglas
EDITORIAL romancewritersnz.co.nz
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 5
Everyone has a ‘why’ as to whythey started this author journey.It is unique to you and you alone.Your why is neither flimsy, norinconsequen�al. It’s everythingand hinged upon your deepestdesires. Thus, it should be robustenough to stand against anychallenge that comes your way.For me, my ‘why’ is showing my kids that youmust go a�er your dreams with everythingyou have. Ideally, that thing or object youcrave should bring you joy, and it should alsomake you you. So, in that moment, Ireminded myself that I love wri�ng stories, Ilove giving shape to my muse, I love being aCEO, and I most especially love not just tellingbut showing my kids that I’m chasing mydreams.
So, with my ‘why’ reaffirmed, I deigned topersistently keep showing up at my computerat 5 a.m., day in and day out, regardless ofwhether what I’d wri�en was a pile of horsemanure or not. To help ma�ers, I refused tore-read or edit what I'd wri�en, but ratherstubbornly congratulated myself that I’d‘shown up’ and was s�ll moving forward.
Basically, I kept on ‘keeping on’ andeventually… the dam broke.
The words began flowing a few days ago andI now have a story actually going somewhererather than floundering around, drowning.I’ve also looked back at what I’ve wri�en, andwhaddayaknow? The words I’d managed topound out through blood, sweat, and tearsaren’t as bad as I’d thought they were butrather something I can build on. Hallelujah!
I’d proven that my muse could be brought toheel, and against its will forced to moveforward, regardless of whether I was in thezone or not. I’d kept on pushing through andit was my ‘why’ that lit the fire underneathme to do so.
The point of this editorial is that it isempowering to know your ‘why’. As anauthor, the only person that can drive youforward is you—and your ‘why’ is key to that.So, for those of you who are currentlysuffering writer’s block, or whether it’sanother challenge that you’re facing atpresent, remember your ‘why’. It is theguiding light amidst the storm.
But telling is now considered outdated bypublishers—and by readers. Modern readersdon’t need pages describing a jungle, apanther, and how a panther moves throughthe jungle. We’ve all seen that on theDiscovery Channel.
Instead, we need to show our readers thescene, rather than telling them about thescene. Allow readers to watch and experiencethe story for themselves.
How? Here are my dos and don’ts to help youshow, not tell:
1. Don’t Use Filter Words
Wri�ng instructors o�en advise that authorsuse as many of the senses as possible. Many
authors add these senses in, but they usefilter words which tell the reader what thecharacter saw or heard, rather than showingus. Filter words which add an ar�ficial layerbetween the reader and your characters.
Common filter words include:
• Feel (felt, feeling)• See (saw, look, looked, glanced)• Hear (heard, listened)• Think (thought, wondered, pondered,
realised, knew, remembered)Fortunately, this is easy to fix. Simply deletethe offending phrase:
As she walked into the kitchen, she smelledthe aroma of freshly baked bread.
Becomes:
She walked into the kitchen and was hit by thearoma of freshly baked bread.
2. Do Show the Character, not the Author
Many authors make the mistake of showingthrough their own perspec�ve, not throughthe perspec�ve of their character. For
One of the major rules ofmodern fic�on is “show, don’ttell”. Telling a story is the classicway of structuring a novel—think Jane Austen, AgathaChris�e, or Charles Dickens.
6 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
EDITING ARTICLE
SHOW, DON’T TELL
Iola Goulton
6 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
example, imagine a scene where the point ofview character is watching another charactertry on a ball dress:
• If the point of view character is a sewer,they might consider the quality of thefabric, the cut, and the workmanship.They might wonder if it’s worth payingthat much for a dress when they couldtake a photo and sew their own versionwith something from their fabric stash.
• If the point of view character is anoverprotec�ve father, he probably thinksthe dress is too short, too �ght, too low-cut in front, or that it shows too muchskin in general.
• If the point of view character is acelebrity-obsessed teenage girl, she couldbe comparing the dress with the one thatKylie Jenner wore to the Met Gala, andwondering if the teal or the aqua suits herskin tone be�er.
• If the point of view character is a typicalteenage male, he can’t tell denim fromdamask, but thinks that the blue dress isamazing.
3. Don’t Show and Tell
Some writers have the habit of showing andtelling. They tell an emo�on, then give anac�on or a line of interior monologue thatshows the reader the same emo�on. In thiscase, the fix is easy: delete the tell, and allowthe reader to see the ac�on or emo�on forthemselves.
For example:
She entered without knocking and wasgreeted warmly by Ma�, who enveloped herin a giant hug.
Becomes:
She entered without knocking, and Ma�enveloped her in a giant hug.
Removing the tell �ghtens your wri�ng, andallows your reader to focus on the ac�on.
4. Do Show Present Ac�on
I’m currently reading Techniques of theSelling Writer by Dwight V Swain (with a bigthanks to the RWNZ conference organiserswho set up a book swap table at the 2019conference, and to the a�endee who
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 7CRAFT ARTICLE: EDITING
8 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
SECTION TITLE
ARTICLE TITLE
Name
romancewritersnz.co.nz
8 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
SHOW DON’T TELL romancewritersnz.co.nz
donated this gem). Swain advises readers touse ac�ve verbs:
For a vivid, vital, forward-moving story, cutthe to be forms out of your copy every �meyou possibly can. “The trooper was pounding”is never as strong as “The trooper pounded.”
Swain has a par�cular disdain for had:
Each had makes your story jerk, because itjars your reader out of present ac�on andthrows him back into past history.
The issue with had, to be, and was verb formsis that they are sta�c, and are not showingforward mo�on.
5. Don’t Show Emo�on through Ac�on
We want drama and emo�on in our scenes.But showing emo�on through drama andac�on can slip into telling:
John stood up and kicked his chair.
We get it. John is angry. But while a childmight kick the chair, we want our adultcharacters to have a li�le more sophis�ca�on(not to men�on self-control). Instead ofrelying on ac�on to show emo�on, combineac�on with dialogue cues, facial expressions,and/or body language:
John stood. The angry teenage version ofhimself would have kicked the chair andslammed the door on his way out of thehouse. But he was a bigger man now, a be�erman. At least, that was what he wanted—needed—Jane to believe.
When it comes to wri�ng emo�on, the key isin what you don’t say. Show the emo�ons andallow the reader to feel. If you tell the readeryour character is crying, the reader watchesthe character cry but doesn’t need to cryherself.
6. Do Tell when Necessary
Showing takes more words than telling. Assuch, we don’t need to show everything.Show the scenes that reveal character, movethe plot forward, foreshadow later events, orserve some other important func�on.
But not everything is important, and there are�mes when it’s best to tell through narra�ve
summary. As Browne and King say in Self-Edi�ng for Fic�on Writers:
Narra�ve summary has its uses, the main onebeing to vary the rhythm and texture of yourwri�ng … Just make sure you don’t use itwhen you should be showing rather thantelling.
If you want more informa�on on showing vs.telling, then I recommend readingUnderstanding Show, Don’t Tell (And ReallyGe�ng It) by Janice Hardy. It’s one of thosewri�ng books that’s worth reading andrereading.
About Iola Goulton
Iola Goulton is a New Zealand book reviewer,freelance editor, and writer. She holds adegree in marke�ng, has a background inhuman resource consul�ng, and works as afreelance editor specialising in Chris�anfic�on. When she’s not working, Iola is usuallyreading or wri�ng her next book review.
Edi�ng Website: h�ps://www.chris�anedi�ng.co.nz/
Facebook: h�ps://www.facebook.com/chris�anedi�ng/
Pinterest: h�ps://www.pinterest.nz/iolagoulton/
Twi�er: h�ps://twi�er.com/IolaGoulton
Visit www.chris�anedi�ng.co.nz to sign up formy free email course, Learn to Revise YourNovel in Two Weeks.
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 9
SKELETON DRAFTING
Steff Green
CRAFT ARTICLE romancewritersnz.co.nz
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 9
SECTION TITLE romancewritersnz.co.nz
Skeleton dra�ing is thetechnique you can use to plotintricate, ac�on-packed,emo�onally-charged booksquickly—while enjoying everyword you write. It’s the perfecttechnique for you if you consideryourself a pantser/gardener(e.g. you don't like to outline andprefer to discover the story asyou write), but heavy plo�ersmay find it valuable, too.
Skeleton-dra�ing works on the premise thatall writers use the same building blocks ofplot and character to put together a story—it’s essen�ally just the process that changes.Some writers like to do their plo�ng in hardcopy before they start the book, while others,like me, do our plo�ng in our heads—o�enwhile we’re already wri�ng our manuscript.This means we’re prone to wandering off inrandom direc�ons and o�en experiencewriters block figuring out what happens next.
Skeleton dra�ing enables you as a gardenerto lay your hands on the tools and buildingmaterials of your novel more quickly, so youcan stride boldly forward with your storywithout changing what you love aboutwri�ng.
Step 1: Get psyched to start wri�ng
This first step is about understanding whatyou’re trying to achieve so you don’t getsidetracked.
You’re crea�ng a dra� of 10-20,000 words fora standard-length novel (70-90,000 wordswhen finished). You’re going to do it fast, andyou’re going to do it messy. You do not care ifyou leave sentences unfinished, if yourcharacters don’t have names and your se�ngis completely non-existent. Your focus islaying out the bones of your scenes andchapters with key dialogue, emo�onalturning-points, and ac�on scenes.
You will not go back to fix things (yet). Yourmo�o is, “I’ll fix it in post-produc�on.”
10 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 202110 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
SKELETON DRAFTING romancewritersnz.co.nz
Step 2: Start with your founda�on –character, hook, ending
You only need three things to start wri�ngyour skeleton dra�:
1. A character. This is your protagonist. Now,your story might have several protagonists orPOV characters. In the beginning, focus onone character who will be the person ac�ngon your hook to bring about your ending.
Your skeleton dra� is how you get to knowyour character, but you need to have somespark of them before you begin. You mayhave a certain archetype you want to write,or an idea for an interes�ng moral dilemmayou want to explore, or just some uniquetraits/wounds you want to throw into theworld of your hook.
As gardeners, we don’t “waste �me” filling incharacter sheets or asking ourselvesques�ons about this character yet. We learnabout their eye color and their wounds andtheir vernacular and their didgeridoo skills aswe write the book.
2. A hook. This is the spark that interestedyou in the story idea in the first place—thedetail that seemed interes�ng enough thatyou might want to spend months or yearsimmersed in an imaginary world based uponit. The hook takes your idea and ensures ithas enough meat to become a fully fleshed-out story.
When you’re outlining and wri�ng, your hookis your “X marks the spot”. It keeps you ontrack and stops you from going completely offthe map.
What does a hook need to work?
• A character (see above).
• A conflict.
• A genre.
That’s a lot of work for a couple of sentences.But don’t worry. You can rock this!
3. An ending. This is the most nebulous of thethree essen�al requirements. You do notneed to know exactly how the book will endright now. Of course, you can’t know this—you haven’t wri�en the book yet and you
can’t slot the pieces together when youhaven’t even taken the pieces out of the box.What you do need to know is how the bookwill resolve.
Is your book a mystery? If so, your resolu�onis that the mystery needs to be solved for thereader. Is your book a romance? If so, thereader needs a happily ever a�er. Is it an epicfantasy novel? Cool—then you know the badguys need to be defeated.
That’s it. Time to start wri�ng!
Step 3: Let your character lead the way
Plots come from characters. You take aperson who thinks a certain way because ofall the events in their life that have led up tothis moment, you thrust ‘em into a situa�on,and what they do next is en�rely hinged onwho they are.
Start your skeleton dra� by wri�ng yourbeginning. You know what needs to happenat the beginning of your novel becauseyou’ve defined your hook—the hook has tobe revealed in the first 30 pages or so. Ideallyin the first chapter.
This is enough to start working on theopening scene—don’t waste any �meworrying if this actually IS the opening scene.You can fix it in post-produc�on. You’reskeleton-dra�ing so nothing is set in stone.Just get the reader to the hook and introduceyour main character and throw them into theconflict.
Based on what li�le I know about mycharacter at this stage, I’m able to move tothe next scene by simply asking myself,“What would they do next?” I let my heroinetake the lead and as she reveals herself to me,I learn more about how she grows andchanges, and I build and build on those ideasin a flurry of imperfect words un�l I type ‘THEEND’.
Step 4: Use set-pieces to build your plot
In skeleton-dra�ing, you’re relying on yourcharacter to lead you logically from one sceneto the next. Along the way are li�le helpfulscenes I like to call ‘set-pieces’ that arealready effec�vely done for you (in yourhead).
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 11DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 11
SECTION TITLE romancewritersnz.co.nz
All you need to do is lead your characters tothese scenes. Set-pieces are the shorthandyou use as an author to power through yourskeleton dra�.
Set-pieces are the scenes readers expect inyour story. Some set-pieces are based onyour book’s genre and tropes. For example, amurder mystery book needs a scene wherethe heroine finds the dead body. It needsanother scene where the heroine isthreatened in some way, perhaps with amysterious note. A romance novel needs amee�ng scene, it needs a first kiss scene anda dark night of the soul scene. A werewolfromance needs someone to shi� into awerewolf, you get the idea.
Other set pieces come to you because of theChekhov’s Gun principle—if you show thereaders a gun on the wall in the first scene, bythe end of the book that gun has to go off. Asyou plant your own Chekhov’s arsenal in yourbooks, you’ll have to �e up those storythreads later on in their own set-pieces.
And finally, some scenes will be obviousbased on your character and her emo�onalwound. If your character secretly doesn’t
believe she deserves to be loved because herparents abandoned her, then you’llimmediately realize there are several key set-pieces you need to incorporate so readersunderstand this wound. She needs to pushaway someone who cares about her. Sheneeds to tell a lie to herself about how she‘doesn’t really need anyone’. She needs tosee that forging ahead without backup getsher into trouble. She needs to experience amoment where someone pushes against herboundaries…
In your skeleton dra�, you use yourprotagonist to s�tch together these set-pieces into a cohesive story. You’re basicallywri�ng a plot outline—only while working onthe actual book.
Step 5: Revise your skeleton dra� intosomething workable
By the �me you write ‘THE END’ on yourskeleton dra�, you’ll have a messy stream ofhalf-finished dialogue and notes to yourselflike, “INSERT SEX SCENE HERE.”
The story is s�ll new and fresh to you, andyou’re excited about the twists you’vecreated, but you also understand its rough
About Steff Green
Wri�ng as Steffanie Holmes, Steff Green is aUSA Today bestselling author of theparanormal, gothic, dark, and fantas�cal.Steff received the 2017 A�tude Award forAr�s�c Achievement, and was a finalist for a2018 Women of Influence award. She lives onthe rugged Kaipara coast with her husband, amenagerie of animals, and her medievalsword collec�on.
Steff is also the creator of Rage Against theManuscript, an online community for writersto learn about self-publishing, finding theirreaders, and building a badass author brand.Steff's passionate about helping authors fromall walks of life find their voice and tell theirstory.
shape and how your protagonist arrives atthe ending. Congratula�ons—you’ve wri�ena book outline while also knocking off thefirst 20k of your manuscript. Clever clogs!
It’s �me to start from the beginning of thebook again, only now you know what’scoming. You’ll flesh out each scene un�l itsings. You’ll weave in foreshadowing and redherrings. You pick up on literary mo�fs andrepeat them throughout, and build in lightand shadow in your vocabulary to turn aghastly rough dra� into something beau�ful.
As you edit, keep a second file open on yourcomputer. Use this document to make noteson plot points to wrap up, character traits youneed to refer back to (like eye color), and anysec�ons of text you delete (I keep everythingbecause I never know when I might use itlater).
That’s skeleton dra�ing! It’s how I’m able towrite a 90k novel in less than two months,publish frequently, and build a badass authorcareer.
For more informa�on, listen to my podcaston skeleton dra�ing, or take my skeletondra�ing mini-course.
12 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
SECTION TITLE
ARTICLE TITLE
Name
romancewritersnz.co.nz
12 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
SKELETON DRAFTING romancewritersnz.co.nz
Understanding what the readers want
If you’re wri�ng commercially, this is the mostimportant thing to know, and the best way totruly understand this is to do your ownresearch. Search the Top 100 sports romanceson Amazon, and choose a handful of recentreleases that are priced ‘normally’ (i.e. not onsale) and doing well. Read the reviews andsee what readers like and don’t like, then readthe books and note what the commonthemes or tropes are. I can provide you withthe results of my research, but your voice and
sport of choice might be different from mine,so what I’ve found may not necessarily beuseful for you.
Audience
Many of us probably have a reasonably goodidea of who your ‘typical’ romance reader isi.e. a woman in her thir�es or older. However,sports romance readers tend toward theyounger end of the spectrum, with morereaders in their twen�es than is usual—par�cularly if the characters also fall withinthe ‘new adult’ age range (18-25ish).
Point of view (POV)
Sports romances are typically wri�en in firstperson POV, while the tense can be eitherpresent or past. First person present tense isgrowing in popularity and is what I adoptedfor my sports romance series. That said, if youlike to write in third person, there are sportsromances in that POV, they’re just lesscommon.
It’s also typical to have dual POVs, with boththe hero and heroine’s perspec�vesrepresented equally. Of course, there areexcep�ons, including books wri�en en�rely in
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 13
WRITING SPORTS ROMANCE
Ashlee Robinson
CRAFT ARTICLE romancewritersnz.co.nz
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 13
SECTION TITLE romancewritersnz.co.nz
I’ve recently ventured intowri�ng sports romance, which isquite a change from the small-town romances I’ve beenworking on for the past fewyears, and this ar�cle is a li�le ofwhat I’ve learned. If you’reinterested in wri�ng sportsromance, feel free to use whatsuits you and ignore the rest.There is no one-size-fits-all.
14 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
WRITING SPORTS ROMANCE romancewritersnz.co.nz
14 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
SECTION TITLE romancewritersnz.co.nz
either the hero or heroine’s POV, or wherePOV is used strategically to keep the readerguessing.
Popular tropes
For those of you that don’t know, tropes arerecurring themes, character types, situa�ons,or plot points that readers enjoy. Tropes thatseem to be popular in sports romanceinclude: enemies to lovers, alpha males,forbidden love, sassy heroines, secretromance, revenge, friends to lovers, andsecond chances—or any combina�on of theabove.
It’s really no surprise that sports romancereaders prefer alpha males. As with militaryromance or roman�c suspense, there is acertain expecta�on that athletes will bestrong, good-looking, confident, and incontrol of a situa�on. That’s part of theappeal.
Choosing a sport
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the mostpopular sports for romance readers areAmerican football and ice hockey, but thereare also smaller markets for soccer, rugby,baseball, boxing, mar�al arts, and I’ve evenseen a couple of golf romances.
The most important part of choosing yoursport is to make sure you don’t hate itbecause you’ll need to know (or be willing tolearn) at least the basics (e.g. playerposi�ons, team size, etc). I considered goingwith football or hockey, but as a formeramateur fighter, mar�al arts are my truepassion and the only sport I knew I could keepan interest in. Hence, I chose MMA (mixedmar�al arts) as the basis for my series. Also,cage fighters are hot.
Se�ng
Depending on your sport of choice, yourop�ons for loca�on might be narrow orreasonably wide. For example, my cagefighter series is set in Las Vegas becausethat’s where a lot of the UFC ac�on happens,but an ice hockey romance could be set in anycity large enough to have a team. As withmany romance subgenres, the popularse�ngs are North American, but you don’t
have to set your story there to be successful.There are successful sports romance seriesset in England, Australia, and even NewZealand.
Balance of romance vs sports
How you balance the sports versus theromance is very much a personal choice.Some authors, such as Helena Hun�ng, opt togo light on the spor�ng details and focus onthe romance. Others, such as Ilsa Madden-Mills and Karla Sorenson, weave the sportmore intrinsically into the story. Personally, Itake the la�er approach because mar�al artstraining and lifestyle is something I’ve lived(albeit not at the level of the athletes I writeabout), and I feel that delving into the detailsadds a thread of realism and believability.However, if I were to write an ice hockeyromance, you can bet I’d keep it light on thedetails to make sure I didn’t put a foot wrongbecause my knowledge in that area is almostnon-existent.
Heat level
As with any type of romance, this depends onwhat you’re comfortable with. Many of thetop-selling sports romances err toward thesteamier end of the spectrum but sweeterones have also done well.
I hope this has been helpful. If you love sportsand alpha males, sports romance is such a funsubgenre to write in. The perfect way toblend two passions.
Bio:
Ashlee Robinson writes steamy, emo�onalcontemporary romances under the pen nameAlexa Rivers. She shares a house with aneuro�c dog and a husband who thinks he’shilarious. When she’s not wri�ng, she enjoystravelling, baking and decora�ng cakes,ea�ng those cakes, cuddling fluffy animals,drinking excessive amounts of tea, andabsorbing herself in fic�onal worlds.
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 15
SECTION TITLE romancewritersnz.co.nz
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 15
CONFERENCE NEWS romancewritersnz.co.nz
THE FATE OF THE 2021 RWNZCONFERENCE IS IN YOUR HANDS
�iнds, it h� b�n a year.What else is there to say? I hope that wherever you are in the world, you and your family aresafe and healthy, and you’re muddling through this pandemic with grit and good humour. Ihope there have been a few silver linings—I know I’ve certainly enjoyed having more �me toread :)
As writers, our job is more important than ever—we give our readers a chance to escape grimreality for a few hours, to fall into happy endings in worlds without masks and social distancingand toilet-paper shortages. We give hope and light and that’s a wonderful gi�, but we alsohave to look a�er ourselves and manage our wri�ng careers in an altered market.
I’m sad the pandemic robbed us all of the chance to meet for conference last year. It’s alwaysbeen one of the highlights of my year. As lockdown hit New Zealand, Linda and I and the Execmade the decision to postpone the conference to 2021.
Well, 2021 is upon us, and we’re ready to decide the fate of the conference. Sadly, both Lindaand Michelle have stepped down from the Dream Team, and we’ll miss their crea�vity anddedica�on.
We’ve determined it’s not viable to go forward with conference planning as originallyenvisaged (and our conference venue is likely to remain a border facility for some �me), butwe have two op�ons that we can get excited about.
We can either postpone the conference another year and hope to deliver a stunninginterna�onal programme in 2022. Or we can take advantage of the incredible freedom wehave in New Zealand and host a smaller, “local flavor” RWNZ event. This would be a chance forus to meet in person if alert levels allow us to celebrate our wri�ng wins and learn from eachother on how to survive and thrive in the new publishing landscape.
This is your organisa�on and your conference, so the Exec and the Dream Team want to hearfrom you. Please fill in the survey (h�ps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B5RNNJ6) and tell uswhat you want to see for the 2021 conference. I know it feels like the world is upside down,but I’m hoping we can put together something for us all to look forward to.
Much Love, Sтff
16 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
MEMBER ONLY RESOURCE romancewritersnz.co.nz
FREE BOOK BRUSHBOOK MARKETING SEMINAR:
WHEN: FEBRUARY 20TH AT 9AM(NB: event is in US �me on the registra�on page)
HOW: VIA ZOOM. REGISTER AT THIS LINK:h�ps://us02web.zoom.us/mee�ng/register/tZAkdu-
qqDMvEtw8dbK9DM3GCbvQT9IZPsO_
We invite you to join Kathleen Sweeney from Book Brush for a fun live walk-through of theBook Brush tools. Get ready to embrace the marke�ng side of wri�ng and see why authors sayBook Brush saves them both �me and money!
Learn how easy it is to use Book Brush to create your own eye-catching marke�ng images,design book covers, and all things social media. Plus, explore video effects, anima�on, box setimages and more! Kathleen will share handy �ps and tricks along the way and have �me for aQ & A, too.
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 17
OBITUARY: romancewritersnz.co.nz
Grant Bayley passed away peacefully on the 20th of December 2020 in Tauranga from thecomplica�ons of a stroke he'd suffered several years ago while on holiday in the USA.
Grant has been a member of RWNZ since 2016 and ,any of you will remember him from pastconferences—his warm smile, his infec�ous love of people, and those bright shirts he enjoyedwearing so much.
Apart from his love of wri�ng, Grant was an avid ar�st, musician, photographer, and apassionate plant man whose ‘Serenity Garden’ featured in the 2020 Garden & Art Fes�val.
Several members of RWNZ were at Te Puna Quarry Park to farewell Grant, and many thanks toCatherine Hudson from the Coast to Coast chapter who spoke so eloquently about him onbehalf of RWNZ.
Grant lived his life to the fullest and le� behind many loving friends and a close knit family.May he rest in peace.
Maria K∈g
GRANT MAURICE BAYLEY30-8-1953 TO 20-12-2020
NEW RELEASES / AWARDS / NEWS romancewritersnz.co.nz
Jen Yates
Leeanna Morgan
COURTINGCONTROVERSY
ENDLESS LOVE
18 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
Jen Yates has released Cour�ngControversy, Book 2 in the 'RegencyRebelles' series.Conven�onal meets Original. LadyLucy writes novels, is adept withsword and pistol, and rides like aman.Colonel Wolfenden needs a wifefor one last mission and Lucy has justbeen wai�ng for him. Hasn’t she? Thepromise of travel and adventuresways her. A convenient marriage it isnot. Although, Lucy’s skill with asword proves very convenient. If onlyGabriel saw it that way.h�ps://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RWJBW7M
If you enjoy small-town, feel-goodromances, download LeeannaMorgan's new novel, Endless Love, inthe Santa's Secret Helpers series!h�ps://www.leeannamorgan.com/endless-love.html
NEW RELEASES / AWARDS / NEWS romancewritersnz.co.nz
Corina Douglas
How to get your title featured:
THE MORRIGAN:WINGS OF WAR
Heart 2 Heart is always keen to share news from members:
• new book releases• news of awards,• contracts, and anything else that is worth celebra�ng.
To submit email the editor [email protected] or usethe form on the RWNZ website.
Supply: 2-3 sentences in the third person, a cover image (no other imageswill be accepted) and a CLEAN link direct to the retailer.
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 19
Corina Douglas released TheMorrigan: Wings of War in mid-December and is a prequel to a newseries based on Macha, Badb, andMorrigan.Welcome to a world of Cel�cmythology and dark magic.h� ps://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PZ51M3C
Coast to Coast
20 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
RWNZ CHAPTERS
REGIONAL ROUND-UP REPORTS
romancewritersnz.co.nzromancewritersnz.co.nz
ARTICLE TITLE
PUZZLE PAGE
20 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
WELCOME NEW MEMBERSKiri Carter ~ Auckland.
Samantha Barber ~ Christchurch.Giselle Simoes ~ Auckland.Jacqui Peck ~ Hawkes Bay.
Great to have you all with us!
Don’t forget to read the informa�on for new members page on our website. Ofcourse, you’ll need to login before you can access the members’ area, but you’llfind informa�on there about how to join the RWNZ Members-Only Facebookpage.
h�ps://www.facebook.com/groups/RWNZMembersOnly/
NEW MEMBERS
20 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
Convenor: Julie Gilligan + Jill Ba�y
December Mee�ng:
C2C had their Christmas mee�ng on Saturday12th December with food, secret santa, andsome short stories based on real epitaphs.Very different and quite brilliant! There aresome very interes�ng epitaphs out there.
We all listed our win for 2020. These rangedfrom surviving COVID-19 in a covid hotspot topublishing numerous novels, changing jobs,and working hard. For most, a produc�veyear with lockdown provided space to write.There’s always a silver lining!
RWNZ CHAPTERS romancewritersnz.co.nz
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 21
romancewritersnz.co.nz
VALENTINE’S DAY WORKDOKU
PUZZLE PAGE
DEC / JAN 2021 • H2H - HEART 2 HEART 21
CHO¢ØLATE PUZ # 3
ROMANTICS PUZ # 1
VALėNTIÑE PUZ # 4
SOULMATE$ PUZ # 2
Ahh ♥ Valen�ne’s Day! ♥ A �me for chocolates,roses, wine and also a �me to show apprecia�on ofloved ones. And what’s be�er than candy?Brain candy!
Valen�ne’s Day Sudoku Puzzles:450 Valen�ne Theme Wordokus.
h�ps://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TZK8T72
romancewritersnz.co.nz
SOLUTIONS
PUZZLE PAGE SOLUTIONS
22 H2H - HEART 2 HEART • DEC / JAN 2021
CHO¢ØLATE PUZ # 3
ROMANTICS PUZ # 1
VALėNTIÑE PUZ # 4
SOULMATE$ PUZ # 2
The Heart 2 Heart forma�ngand Puzzle Page
are brought to you by Kura Carpenter
The Cover-Up Ar�st
h�ps://www.kuracarpenter.com/
