The Pros And Cons - Elopements Versus Weddings

With Picture Perfect Wedding, my second novel in my Wedding Fever series about to hit the shelf, I've been thinking about weddings!

Way, way, back in the day, people eloped because they wanted to marry but their relatives opposed the relationship. Today, many people live together for years so why would they then choose to elope rather than have a full on wedding? Why do some couples people want the full on wedding instead of eloping?

Lots of reasons!

*A full on wedding takes a year or more of preparation. Some people are overwhelmed by the thought and a quick trip to the registry office is so much easier.  Of course, Erin, the heroine and wedding photographer in Picture Perfect Wedding wants brides to who are addicted to the planning and get a buzz out of making the million and one decisions that a wedding demands. Although as Erin discovers, some brides are more focussed on the wedding than the groom!

*Money. Rumour on the street is that the average cost of a wedding in 2013 is $27,000. Holey moley! That is a good chunk of a deposit on a house! Practical couples may well choose to elope and save the cash.

*Family. Not all families get along and sometimes getting them all together in the same room and serving alcohol is a recipe for a restraining order. Those couples *should* elope!

*Party, Party, Party! My husband and I had a ball at our wedding. In fact our biggest complaint was that it was over way to fast. We should have had an after party instead of running off to catch a plane and starting our honeymoon. I've now been to weddings where the bride and groom come back the next day for an extended family and out-of-state guest BBQ and extend the fun.

*Surprise!  I've been invited to a 30^th birthday, rocked up and had a wedding sprung on me. The couple figured all their friends and family were there for the birthday, why not get married! In fact, I read in the paper just the other day that one couple got married at a family funeral. That may be taking advantage of everyone being together just a bit too far.....

*Vegas. That one goes without saying ;-)

*The vacation wedding. I've had friends decide to get married in Thailand/Hawaii/tropical beach destination and invite friends and family, fully expecting most to say, “no” and then been put in a tail spin when most decide to combine attending the wedding with a vacation. Word to the wise; if you really want to elope, don’t tell anyone.

Of course, the residents in Whitetail, Wisconsin where Picture Perfect Wedding is set are hoping that people want to have the full catastrophe wedding because the economy of Whitetail is dependent on that cash injection.

What would you do if you had your time over? Or if you’re considering getting married in the next little while? Where do you come down on the argument. Would it be an elopement or a wedding?

Picture Perfect Wedding is out on August 12th but up for pre-order now! There is a fabulous $1.99 deal at All Romance Books, a saving of $2 or you can grab it at Kindle, Carina Press, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Sony and where all eBooks are sold!

Here's the blurb...

Erin Davis will do whatever it takes to be the photographer for high-end brides. So what if capturing the moments of people’s lives means she has no time for her own. Nothing will get between her and the security she craves, not even the gorgeous farmer refusing to let her shoot in his sunflowers.

His family has always been tied to the land, but lately Luke Anderson feels more like he’s chained. While he ponders his future, he still has cows to milk and no time to deal with Erin or Bridezillas in his fields. Yet there’s something about the sexy city girl he can’t say no to. So he says yes: just this once.
With the town in need of a photographer, Erin agrees to spend wedding season in Whitetail. The sparks flying between her and Luke quickly ignite, but just as Erin starts to picture her own happy ending, Luke takes a gamble that could risk it all…

For more weddings in Whitetail, check out Saved by the Bride, available now!

100,000 words.

Fiona Lowe is a RITA^® and R*BY award-winning, multi-published author with Harlequin and Carina Press. Whether her books are set in outback Australia or in the mid-west of the USA, they feature small towns with big hearts, and warm, likeable characters that make you fall in love. When she's not writing stories, she's a weekend wife, mother of two 'ginger' teenage boys, guardian of 80 rose bushes and often found collapsed on the couch with wine. You can find her at her website, facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Bottle Trees and Public Gardens

When I was a child, I remember seeing pictures of "bottle trees" and I was very taken with both the shape and the name. They came from Western Australia (WA) and Queensland, which was a very long way from where I lived in the east coast; in fact I live closer to New Zealand than I do to WA.

So imagine my surprise when I visited the botanical gardens in the town near to where I live and I find that the "Australian" garden section has the Boab trees! These trees are unique and their shape is why they were nicknamed, "bottle trees."





They store water in their 'bottle" trunk.For more information about these trees click here at .http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/boab_tree.html

Back in the day, in 1851 to be precise, when the botanical gardens were created, not one single native Australian plant was planted. Back then, it was set out to be very British. Fast forward 180 years and times have changed. Now there is a 'heritage' garden, which recognises the origins of the gardens and the entrance is now the '21st Century' garden. This garden celebrates 'arid' plants from around the world.

These metal 'trees' are pretty crazy!Public gardens are a lovely and peaceful place to visit. I have visited the Singapore Botanical gardens, the Butchart Gardens in Vancouver, Central Park in New York, Hyde Park in London and loved them all.

Do you visit gardens when you are on vacation or do you visit gardens in your home town? I'd love to hear about them!

Fiona Lowe is a RITA^® and R*BY award-winning, multi-published author with Harlequin and Carina Press. Whether her books are set in outback Australia or in the mid-west of the USA, they feature small towns with big hearts, and warm, likeable characters that make you fall in love. When she's not writing stories, she's a weekend wife, mother of two 'ginger' teenage boys, guardian of 80 rose bushes and often found collapsed on the couch with wine. You can find her at her website, facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Saved By The Bride is the first novel in the Wedding Fever trilogy. To follow the story of Annika and Finn, Bridey and Hank and the quirky folk of Whitetail, head to Amazon, Kobo, Nook, Carina Press and all other places eBooks are sold. Picture Perfect Wedding is available for pre-order and is out August 2013. 

Writing a Trilogy by Fiona Lowe

My desk is a big mess and right now my brain is too! I'm writing the final book in my Wedding Fever trilogy, Runaway Groom and I have spread sheet failure. The first book,  Saved By The Bride , which is on sale right now was written back in 2011. Book two, Picture Perfect Wedding , I wrote in 2012 and it's been been fully edited and proofed and has gone to production but did I record every minor character's name, occupation on my spread sheet? I meant to! Sadly, I did not.  Thank goodness for the Find facility on Word, but oh, how much easier it would have been if I had been better organized.

I've loved creating Whitetail, Wisconsin and casting it. All the characters we meet on the opening pages of Saved By The Bride, end up having their stories told in the three books and each book has two significant romances in it!

If you enjoyed Stars Hollow on The Gilmore Girls, then you'll love Whitetail. It's nestled on a pristine, north woods lake and everyone has an opinion on how best to save the town from financial ruin and they're not backward in coming forward.

Writing the town meetings was lots of fun. Anyone who has served on a committee knows how hard it can be to keep a group focused on the main goal without allowing them to become bogged down in semantics. Annika, my heroine in Saved By The Bride, finds this particularly challenging. I think I channelled all my frustrations of being on a school carnival committee into some of the dialogue!

Do you have any stories about being a volunteer or being on a committee?

Here's the blurb on Saved By The Bride and just in case you missed the book trailer last month, I've popped it below.

Welcome to Whitetail, Wisconsin, future home of Weddings that WOW!

As acting mayor, Annika will do anything to revive the economy of the town that's been her refuge ever since her art career imploded and her fiancé walked out. Even if it means crashing an engagement party to talk business with the bride's billionaire father. But the evening starts with a kiss from a gorgeous stranger—and ends with a night in jail.

Finn Callahan can't believe his sister is getting married, not after their parents' disastrous track record. And he'd rather be anywhere than working from his family's vacation home. Until he catches a leggy blonde sneaking in the window, and suddenly telecommuting for the season is very appealing.

Unable to resist their mutual attraction, Annika and Finn are soon mixing business and pleasure—just for the summer. Too bad Annika's heart missed the memo about not falling in love…

Book one of Wedding Fever.

99,000 words

Read Reviews here!

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Saved By the Bride is available from Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Carina Press, Kobo  iBooks, and all other eBook retailers.

Fiona Lowe is a RITA^® and R*BY award-winning, multi-published author with Harlequin and Carina Press. Whether her books are set in outback Australia or in the mid-west of the USA, they feature small towns with big hearts, and warm, likeable characters that make you fall in love. When she's not writing stories, she's a weekend wife, mother of two 'ginger' teenage boys, guardian of 80 rose bushes and often found collapsed on the couch with wine. You can find her at her website, facebook, Twitter and Goodreads where she'd love you to say, "HI".

Spring is here Downunder!

My boys have just headed back to school after our 'spring break'. We have four school terms here, broken up with a two week break between terms 1, 2 & 3 and then six weeks summer vacation after term four.
We took a mini trip during the break, funnily enough to visit Kandy Sheperd who blogged yesterday! It was so great to visit her and her lovely husband and to meet the cats and horses she often blogs about.

On the last day of our trip, we visited The Royal National Park in Sydney. Back in the 1870s, when this park was declared, I am sure it was in the middle of nowhere, but now it is surrounded by the southern suburbs of Sydney and on a public holiday, everyone was there taking advantage of having rugged coastal  beaches and glorious bush right on their doorstep.

And the flowers were out. I wanted to share some of them with you....

This is a Waratah and it is also the state flower of New South Wales. My photography doesn't show off how big the flowers really are but they are about 4 inches across and a glorious maroon red. They last in a vase for about six weeks. I love them but it is a bit too cool for them to grow where I live.

This is pink heath. Although I took this photo in New South Wales, it is the state flower of my state, Victoria.

Sorry, I have no clue what this is but it's pretty, right ? ;-)

 This is flower eucalpyt. Eucalyptus trees can flower in white, red or even orange, depending on the sub species.

I have exhausted my knowledge here but wanted to share them all with you.

So tell me, what is your favourite local flower? Or what is your state flower? I would love to know!

Fiona Lowe is a RITA^®  and R*BY award-winning, multi-published author with Harlequin and Carina Press. Whether her books are set in outback Australia or in the mid-west of the USA, they feature small towns with big hearts, and warm, likeable characters that make you fall in love. When she's not writing stories, she's a weekend wife, mother of two 'ginger' teenage boys, guardian of 80 rose bushes and often found collapsed on the couch with wine. Yyou can find her at her website, facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Her most recent releases are Letting Go Wiht Dr Rodriguez, Boomerang Bride and Sydney Harbour Hospital :Tom's Redemption

Her Christmas novel, NewBorn Baby For Christmas is up for pre-order now

Speechless by Fiona Lowe

Have you ever been struck speechless? It happened to me 12 days ago at the Romance Writers of America's conference in Anaheim, California. Back in April, my single title, contemporary romance, Boomerang Bride had been nominated for the prestigious Rita award and that in itself was a wonderful shock and delightful surprise.

Over the next few months, I read and enjoyed all the great books that had been nominated in the same section and I was heard to say more than once to my husband, "Oh man, this book is so good, how can anyone possibly choose who wins."

 The thought of winning had never really crossed my radar. The night of the awards, Carina Press staff took me out to dinner to a wonderful Hawaiian Fusion restaurant where I sipped Mai Tai's.  I pretty much floated into the awards ceremony and sat back to enjoy  the night.

When the point of the evening reached the single title contemporary romance category, I had a couple of books in my head that I thought might win and I was keenly listening to romance diva and legend, Linda Howard as she said, "And the winner is..." I was never more stunned when I heard "Boomerang" and then this almighty roar went up and I didn't hear anything much else after that. I think my mouth fell open Then my good friend and date for the night, Alison Stuart was hugging me and Angela James, the executive editor of Carina Press was saying, "We won," and still I don't think I'd managed to say anything at all.

Time seemed to slow down to nothing and then I remembered, as per the instructions at rehearsal earlier in the day, that I had to go up onto the stage. Shock is a funny thing and as I made my way to the stairs, all I could think about was how on earth was I going to get a 12", six pound statue back to Australia!

 "They" say always have a speech ready just in case and a month prior, when my husband had said, "you should write a speech" I had put bullet points on the back of a business card and shoved it in my evening bag. By the time Linda Howard had given me the statue and I got to the lectern I was shaking. My fingers couldn't get the card out of the little pocket so money, lipstick and tissues spilled out onto the podium. I guess I was lucky there wasn't a tampon in there as well!

 I finally pulled the sucker of a card out of the bag and when I saw the bullet points I felt a bit calmer and although I wondered if it was a coherent speech. Apart from saying my eldest son's name first instead of my husband, I think I did okay. Given that I tend to call all the men in my family by the wrong name and have been known to call them by the cat's name,I think I might be forgiven
;-) Once the speech was over I got all wobbly again and was pleased to get back to my seat although I'm not sure I actually let go of the trophy!

 Those few minutes from the announcement until just after the speech are still blurry but I remember the rest of the night...the wonderful congratulations, the photos, the champagne... all of that is totally clear.

 I did manage to get "Rita" home although airport security x-rayed her twice and dusted her for explosives. She is now on pride of place on our mantle. It was and continues to be a wonderful time in my writing career.

I'd love to hear your stories about the moments of joy where you've been struck speechless and I'll give away an eBook copy of Boomerang Bride to one lucky winner.

Fiona Lowe is a Rita award-winning, multi-published author with Harlequin and Carina Press. Whether her books are set in outback Australia or in the mid-west of the USA, they feature small towns with big hearts, and warm, likeable characters that make you fall in love. When she's not writing stories, she's a weekend wife, mother of two 'ginger' teenage boys, guardian of 80 rose bushes and often found collapsed on the couch with wine. A RuBY nominee, you can find her at her website, facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Boomerang Bride is available now from Carina Press, Amazon Kindle, Nook and all other online book stores, as well as being available in print in Australia under the MIRA imprint.

 Letting Go With Dr Rodriguez is available from Harlequin.com as well as being on shelf in Australia. Her books can be purchased from  The Book Depository , iBooks and other online shops.