May I recommend
Signing up to my Advent Christmas Romance!
I’m doing it guys, I talked about it last year, but I’ve finally got my act together!
I’ve written a serial Christmas romance — SNOWDROP KISSES (!) — which will be released in instalments from December 1st to December 25th. If you sign up, you’ll receive two short chapters delivered right to your inbox every morning. As an existing newsletter subscriber, in order to get it, you need to sign up for it — go to your Substack Settings here find Méli-Mélo and click on Snowdrop Kisses. You’ll be on the list!
It’s FREE.
SNOWDROP KISSES is based on a novel I outlined on the back of a napkin nearly 25 years ago in Cairns Australia… My profoundly unreliable friend — let’s call her Meghan — and I were backpacking through Australia. We bussed our way up the east coast, entertaining ourselves the whole way (this was before cellphones, babies) by reading 15 cent (this was before inflation, babies) secondhand Harlequin romances.
Wait Amy, why did you call Meghan unreliable?
So glad you asked!
Our epic bus journey began with an early morning start. I was staying with family friends and sensibly got myself and my giant backpack to the bus station in good time. When Meghan didn’t show up, I boarded the bus, confident she would be there. When the bus was about to pull away and she still hadn’t arrived, I stopped the driver, begging him to wait, because my friend would DEFINITELY be there any second (again, pre-cellphone). Soon there was a bus full of very late and very hostile Aussies. In shame, I scuttled off, further delaying things as the driver dug out my giant backpack.
Myself and the backpack trundled across Hyde Park, my righteous anger growing with every plodding step. When I burst into Meghan’s hostel room to find her STILL IN BED my fury knew no bounds. She tried to explain that she knew we had an early start, so sensibly stayed up the whole night not to miss it. Very rationally, she’d guaranteed she’d stay awake by going to a bar and dancing until the wee hours. The flaw in her plan was her decision to take a quick “power nap” before meeting me.
I was not happy.
I told her she was now in charge of getting us out of Sydney and that she’d better make arrangements pronto, then I self-righteously stomped away.
Anyway, by the time Meghan and I rolled into Cairns after boozing, dancing and flirting our way up the coast, the Bus Incident was water under the bridge. By then, we had read so many Harlequins, we were confident we could write our own. We decided our protagonist would be a plucky florist and she’d meet a brooding man eager to sniff her gladioli. We outlined the whole thing on a napkin and when I got back to Canada, I proceeded to write it up.
I was confident it would immediately be published. It was not. Turns out, it’s harder to write a Harlequin than you think. This was my first taste of rejection, but more importantly, it taught me I could start and finish a novel. Back in 1999 that story was called LOVE’S BOUQUET — it’s had many updates since then and will now be delivered to you (if you want it) as SNOWDROP KISSES.
Fantastic, Amy. Super interested in all this, but I can’t help but wonder why you are so judgmental about Meghan’s reliability. She made one youthful mistake, surely you can forgive her?
Ha ha. No.
It was our last day in Cairns, we were due to fly back to Sydney the next morning (again — quite foolishly in retrospect) —on an extremely early flight). We had just finished a scuba diving course on the Great Barrier Reef and were celebrating our success by hitting the bars with our whole class and Simon, our instructor. Simon was short, extremely tanned and maybe had a lazy eye, but he was very confident and extremely competent, which is/was/always will be very attractive. We were all crushing on him.
At one point, in all the dancing and drinking, I realized that Meghan and I needed to get back to our hostel because of the very early flight. I looked everywhere for my friend, but she’d reeled in the big fish and gone home with Simon. I stumbled back to my bunk and passed out fully clothed. Still, I managed to wake up for my flight (sidebar - how did I do that? I didn’t have a cellphone. Was I backpacking with a small alarm clock?) At any rate, massively hungover and thoroughly bedraggled, I left Meghan an apparently incomprehensible, but definitely furious note and made it to my flight, returning to Sydney on schedule.
Meghan? She’d slept through the departure. I guess Simon, the possibly lazy-eyed scuba instructor, did NOT have an alarm clock.
Thankfully, Meghan — sorry, “Meghan” — and I moved passed these incidents and over the ensuing decades she’s never let me down again.
Anyway, here’s a blurb about SNOWDROP KISSES and if you want to sign up for it, reminder, go here and click “Snowdrop Kisses.”
Also, if you think you know someone who might like SNOWDROP KISSES — please forward them this newsletter and tell ‘em to SIGN UP — they can opt in ONLY for the romance, if they don’t want to receive the regular twice-monthly newsletter.
Important Life Skill
How to Flirt, According to a Bartender
Despite striking out with the scuba diver (see above) I used to be quite good at flirting… I think this offers some actionable advice.
2. Eye contact really works — but make it subtle.
Rule No. 1, don’t be too aggressive with your eyes. Don’t stare! Don’t be scary! Let them catch you checking them out, then quickly look away. You’re just planting a little seed. And if you’re chatting, remember that your eyes are a reflection of your inner life, so if you’re truly engaged, it will show in your eyes.
You need a hobby. Yes, you!
I am on board for this — I went DEEP into Sudokos once and I honestly think they saved me from depression.
“Mentally, if you’re doing an activity that just absorbs your attention ... it’s getting you out of your headspace,” said Matthew Zawadzki, an associate professor of health psychology at UC Merced who has studied the effects of hobbies. “You’re not ruminating and worrying about what’s happening. You’re invested in the moment, and so that restoration from the relaxation has big effects.”
Book Stuff
I spoke with Alexa Bigwarfe at PublishHer about archives, writing and so much more - you can listen here.
I also talked to the Capital Crime Writers Association this week. Title of my talk — “Late Blooming: Making a Career of Rejection.” Ha ha, I’m turning my years of failure into talk circuit GOLD. But seriously, if you’re an aspiring writer in the Ottawa region, check them out… And if you’re an emerging author anywhere — find a local writer’s group. They are so GREAT for companionship, info and community.
THE FOULEST THINGS is the Carleton Place Library book club pick. If you’re free and in CP the night of October 12, 2023, come on out and chat!
Finally, I’m available (virtually or in person) for your literary events - so send me an email amytectorwriters@gmail.com
Buy my books!
TikTok
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French people pronounce English words
An excellent use of these people’s time
Took me a while…
Foot Fetish
I am on board for Goldenrod love
Extreme Canadian content
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Hahaha. Meghan.