The thrill of a new book

[Nicola Marsh]

I love starting a new book.
That blank page just waiting to be filled.
The characters bursting to tell their story.

Mind you, I always seem to get jittery just before starting, the same questions popping into my head: 'can I still do this? Can I write another book? Can I sustain the conflict? Can I get to the resolution stage? Can these characters ever truly be together?'

Which is why I tend to jot down the opening paragraph or two long before I start a book. It usually comes to me when the idea does and I'm glad I scramble for paper because it makes the actual starting a little bit easier, for once I type that opening, the fingers get warmed up and the characters start to come alive.

Last night, I started JOURNEY OF THE HEART, the Harlequin Romance I'm super excited about. From the initial doubts when staring at a blank page, 2500 words managed to blurt out of my mind onto the screen and I'm well and truly into the story!

I made a collage on Sunday night and here it is.
Do you get a feel for the book from it?

Anyone care to guess what it's about?

[Jennifer Shirk]

Well... gee, it looks exotic. Um, is there an Indian prince or something as the hero?

[Jim]

I'm guessing an Indian princess meets a Greek restaurant owner on vacation.

[Nicola Marsh]

Good guesses, Jennifer and Jim, but not quite...
the heroine is half Indian, half Aussie, the hero Aussie.
They take a train trip through India.
And the Taj Mahal is key.
That's all you're getting out of me for now :)

[Jim]

Well good on ya, cobba digga. That's a fair dinkum.