The spark for Finding Cleo

I can’t remember where I was, or when it was, that I learned about the unsolved 1986 assassination of Olof Palme, Sweden’s Social Democrat Prime Minister. But it was in the early to mid teens of this century.

Olof Palme, PM, was murdered walking home from a Stockholm cinema with his wife at around 10 pm. The impact of the story on Sweden was akin to the impact of the assassination of John F Kennedy on the USA and the world.

I was intrigued, then I asked myself, what sort of characters, apart from police and spy agencies, would pursue such a story after all this time and why? There was still so much speculation, still whispers and rumours, much of it in the time before the World Wide Web or social media took up residence in our heads.

Just like that, the unsolved Olof Palme assassination triggered the idea for a contemporary romance. The mystery added a dash of suspense. Not the detail of the case, just the idea of it.

In about 2015, I started entering early versions and chapters of my manuscript in competitions to get a sense of whether it worked. The manuscript went through multiple titles and multiple competitions, placing Third in the Romance Writers of New Zealand Pacific Hearts competition in 2017 under the title Loving is Believing. Some lovely feedback, enough to feed that voice in my head that said don’t let this one go. I did let it go, because hey—new year, new competitions.

It wasn’t until I found my publisher, Inkspell Publishing, and in the midst of Australia’s Covid lockdowns, that I dug out the old manuscript, retitled it Finding Cleo, and decided to have another look.

Then a body blow—in rechecking facts I discovered that on 10 June 2020, the Swedish lead prosecutor, Krister Petersson announced officials now believed that graphic designer Stig Engström, often referred to in Sweden as “Skandia man “was the killer and the case would be closed”.

Engström got the moniker “Skandia man” because he worked at the Skandia insurance company located close to the murder scene. Engström was working late that night and known to be critic of Palme’s policies. So, thirty four years after the killing, a man who had long been regarded as a witness at the time, was named as the perpetrator. Tricky thing is Engström suicided in 2000 so was unable to defend himself.

As the Politico report concluded:

“The case may be closing, but the debate goes on.”

I hung on to that line while reworking the manuscript. If lots of people had unanswered questions, then my MMC could also legitimately have questions.

The middle months of 2025 were filled with edits and finetuning. Finding Cleo releases on 17 February 2026, but the Olof Palme story took another twist.

I’d already decided to share my interest in Olof Palme’s story in this blog. History is endlessly fascinating and has lessons for us now. Plus, I’m not the only writer who starts a story from a historical event. To be on the safe side, I did a quick search to remind myself of some of the details of the case.

No one was more surprised than I was to discover an 18 December 2025 report by the German Press Agency (dpa.com) where the Swedish Director of Prosecution Lennart Guné stated that in September, “prosecutors received a request to reopen the investigation given the possibility of new DNA technology that could be used to analyse samples from Palme’s coat.”

Guné said this “cast doubt over the evidence provided for naming the chief suspect.” However, Swedish officials won’t reopen the case, “Based on the investigation material that is now available, it is not possible to prove who the perpetrator is and further investigation cannot be assumed to change the evidence in a decisive way.”

Guné noted that the reason for closing the inquiry (in 2020) would be changed: “Based on the investigation material that is now available, it is not possible to prove who the perpetrator is and further investigation cannot be assumed to change the evidence in a decisive way.”

Is this a case of watch this space?

I’m glad I stuck with the doubters, because if I’d definitively stated that Olof Palme’s assassin had been named, eagle-eyed readers could call me out for historical inaccuracy. Engström doesn’t appear in my story, and I don’t go into great detail about the case, but it was the spark for Finding Cleo.

This is my 50th blog post and coincides with the publication of my 10th novel Finding Cleo.

Australian Cleo Montford has spent the last two years working as a guide and interpreter in Helsinki, cocooned from the lies and betrayals of her past, then Australian author Jack Spencer wants to hire her. Not for sightseeing, but to research the story her internationally awarded journalist father was investigating when he was accidentally killed. Cleo’s tempted. Is she brave enough to look the past in the eye and set herself free, or will she keep hiding?

Sometimes you have to let go of what’s killing you, even if it’s killing you to let go.

Upcoming: Australian Romance Readers Association’s (ARRA’s) annual author signing for 2026.

I’ll be attending the Sydney Romantic Rendezvous 2026 on 22 March, with special guests Sarina Bowen and Cathryn Hein. Events are in:

  • Brisbane—Saturday 21 March 2026 (Royal on the Park, 152 Alice Street, Brisbane)
  • Sydney—Sunday 22 March 2026 (Rydges Sydney Central, 28 Albion Street, Surry Hills)
  • Melbourne—Saturday 28 March 2026 (Novotel Preston, 215 Bell Street, Preston)
  • Perth—Sunday 29 March 2026 (Pagoda Resort and Spa, 112 Melville Parade, Como)

>>> Tickets are now on sale here! <<<

There are up to 30 local romance authors attending in each city. You can find full details of the authors signing here:https://australianromancereaders.com.au/events/arr2026/

Join the FB group to keep up to date: https://www.facebook.com/groups/arr2026attendees

Find me on:

  • Diana Kathryn Penn’s Indie Reads Aloud podcast has recordings of me reading the opening 20 mins of my books:
    • Betrayal—Choosing Family Book 3 (episode 212)
    • Quinn, by design—Choosing Family Book 2 (episode 208)
    • Masquerade—Choosing Family Book 1 (episode 188)
    • Lela’s Choice (episode 143)
    • Planting Hope (episode 101)

You can also contact me directly via the contact page on my website if you have any other questions.

In 2026, emotional safety is the romantic fantasy

In 2026, emotional safety is the fantasy.

Everywhere you look at the moment you see disharmony, people struggling to survive alongside obscene wealth, cheers for a winning hand rather than compromise, the victory of might over right, disagreement turning into violence against the other. It doesn’t seem to be making us happier or more secure.

So, what would?

I reckon a little bit of empathy, looking at the situation from the point of view of someone who doesn’t look like or sound like you, holding fire on that abusive post for a minute or two, listening to an alternative point of view, taking a walk in a forest, or as we say in Australia, the bush, or losing yourself in a book.

Which brings me to what I write and why.

I’m not going to start the year by yucking on anyone’s yum, so I’ll say right up front that romantic fiction is as diverse as we are diverse, from sweet to sexy to dark and erotic and everything in between, set in places and times and with characters as wide as your imagination.

I’ll also be upfront about my fantasy world—I write cisgender characters in heterosexual relationships. Readers often want to know this in advance. Cisgender is a comparatively recent term, abbreviated to cis, it refers to people who identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. Heterosexual or straight refers to sexuality. Cishet is a newish term for me, and refers to people who are both cis and straight, so it works to describe my romantic main characters.

Next, I write what used to be called beta males.

Not to be confused with Gen Beta who apparently started being born in 2025!

Often described as easy-going, patient, caring, and sensitive, not the loudest in the room or the first to take control, but more likely to be kind, thoughtful, and supportive, beta males have traditionally been less popular in romances, dismissed before people even read the book as “less traditionally masculine, and having lower social standing”. Wow! That’s a big load to carry.

Language has always evolved to meet the moment, and in the world of social media this seems to happen even faster. You’ve just mastered a term or a concept and the world wide web has moved on—in the last few years new terms Golden Retriever boyfriends (GRB) and cinnamon roll heroes have entered the lexicon. In the time it’s taken me to write this, there are probably newer terms.

When an author offers you their book, they’re asking for your precious time. You pick your favourite fantasy, you get to choose your book “boyfriend”. Just like in real life. And that’s the point. What’s happening in real life influences what we read and, as authors, the characters we create.

In September 2025, Sera Bozza wrote a long, interesting article in bodyandsoul.com.au entitled Golden retriever boyfriends: green flag or walking doormat? He isn’t a fluke, he’s a response.

Here’s a snapshot of her thoughts: remember she’s talking “real” boyfriends.

It used to be about the bad boy: the mystery-filled whiplash you convinced yourself was passion. Now, we want the safe, secure opposite. Enter the Golden Retriever Boyfriend (GRB)… sweet, supportive, and emotionally available. He sits, stays, and texts back. But he didn’t just show up–we built him.

After a decade of marinating in ghosting, Hansel-and-Gretel-ing, and whatever the hell else we’ve normalised, the GRB is the soft antidote. He listens, validates, and doesn’t treat your needs like a threat.

According to Tinder’s latest data, nearly half of singles in 2025 say they’re looking for one. The other half? Not so sure. Because while the GRB can be comforting, he can also make people squirm. And how you respond to him says just as much about you as it does about him.

Why he makes sense (and why it’s getting complicated).

The Golden Retriever Boyfriend didn’t come out of nowhere. He’s a reaction to a dating culture that’s made people chronically anxious, emotionally burnt out, and wildly cynical.

We spent so long idolising the emotionally unavailable that the anti-player started looking like the dream. So we swung the pendulum hard.

But like any overcorrection, it comes with side effects …

There’s a big difference between someone who’s emotionally safe and someone who’s endlessly agreeable. One meets you with presence and perspective, and the other mirrors your needs and disappears into them.

The secure GRB is grounded. He’s soft, but not submissive and participates in hard conversations instead of smoothing things over to keep the peace. He shows up for you, but also for himself.

… real partnership isn’t about being mirrored, it’s about being met.

We’ve spent so long romanticising the idea of someone “showing up for us” that we’ve stopped asking whether they’re showing up for themselves too. And when they don’t attraction fades.

Relationships require polarity, not performance. You don’t build connection by folding into someone else’s identity. You build it by standing in your own, and choosing each other anyway.

Other commentators talk about cinnamon roll heroes when they are talking “book” boyfriends. The term can be traced to the second half of the 2010s.

Author T K Leigh, who writes cinnamon roll heroes, describes them as:

“an inherently good guy book boyfriend. Someone who will go the extra mile for his partner, who lacks toxic masculinity. It doesn’t mean he’s a pushover. Anything but, actually. It means he will do whatever it takes to protect his better half …”

I’ve always had a problem saying someone will do “whatever it takes”. I agree with her other statements, but “whatever it takes” opens up scary landscapes that I don’t want in my romance.

Becky, writing in 2023, at bookcase and coffee.com comes closer to my goal.

“This is going to be the ultimate good guy. The sweet guy who goes the extra mile. He is going to be his partner’s biggest cheerleader. A caregiver who is invested not just in the relationship but in the well-being of their partner.This does not mean he will be a push over. Instead, he is likely to stand his ground especially if it is what he deems best for his beloved …”

There is a balance that is needed when writing a Cinnamon Roll. His actions and words must match his integrity and who he is as a person.”

Choosing to read about characters who value and respect the partners they lust over is an affirmation of what we seek as humans. The highs and lows of first love are intoxicating, but if you’re looking for a happy ever after, then emotional safety isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a must have.

So, I write male characters who are confident of their own strengths, but equally see the female characters in their lives as equal partners, having their own strengths and deserving of respect. Passion is a given.

If you want to check out some of my book boyfriends you’ll find them at: website FaceBook Instagram

Upcoming: Australian Romance Readers Association’s (ARRA’s) annual author signing for 2026.

As regular readers will know by now, I’ll be attending the next Romantic Rendezvous event in Sydney and as a special New Year treat for my readers I have a ticket to give away!

The Australian Romance Reader Association’s #ARR2026 will be in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth next March, and you could win a ticket to the afternoon signing (to the city of your choice).

ARRA has been hosting multi-author, multi-city signings for over six years and they are the friendliest romance book signings in Australia, offering the opportunity to meet your favourite authors in an intimate setting. In 2026 the special guests will be Sarina Bowen and Cathryn Hein, and there are up to 30 local romance authors attending in each city. You can find full details of the authors signing here: https://australianromancereaders.com.au/events/arr2026/

To enter the draw, just fill in this form <https://forms.gle/v6dUPwHBkhfUiDLQ7>. Be sure to let them know which city you would like to go to, and let them know that I sent you. (This is important, you **must** mention my name to be included in the draw.)

Then, while you’re waiting to see if you’ve won, why not join the official Facebook group to find out more about these events and keep up to date with all announcements: https://www.facebook.com/groups/arr2026attendees

Winners will be drawn on 31 January and will be notified via email. Prizes must be claimed within two weeks, or they will be redrawn. Each prize is one ticket to an afternoon signing event; no travel expenses are included.

Find me on

  • Diana Kathryn Penn’s Indie Reads Aloud podcast has recordings of me reading the opening 20 mins of my books:
    • Betrayal—Choosing Family Book 3 (episode 212)
    • Quinn, by design—Choosing Family Book 2 (episode 208)
    • Masquerade—Choosing Family Book 1 (episode 188)
    • Lela’s Choice (episode 143)
    • Planting Hope (episode 101)

You can also contact me directly via the contact page on my website if you have any other questions.

Goodbye to 2025

I’m far too early, and there are always last minute surprises in any year, but I can’t wait until 31 December to write my final blog of the year. I’m sure I have a date that night.

I want this blog to concentrate on the positives from the year.

On so many levels, political and social, it’s been a crap year. Some days the forces of evil seem to have the upper hand, and having studied a bit of history, I wonder what the citizens of murderous regimes in the past knew in advance about what their leaders were doing in their name. Did they feel helpless to stop the juggernaut of power, greed and hate despite being opposed to it? Were they frail or vulnerable and afraid to protest? Were they, as many people are today, punished for their views or even punished for simply existing, for being different?

So … deep breath, and back to the positive.

A highlight is always the readers who say they liked/loved a book, a character, a scene, or a moment in my romances, and I received a few of those this year. So, thank you for your generosity in letting me know!

I also published two books, Books 4 and 5 in my Choosing Family Series and a short story in the holiday anthology Inkspell’s Enchanted Holidays.

A Just Man (Book 4) was a long time in the making. It was born of reports of illegal strip searching of young girls and women at music festivals in NSW, Australia. It still happens. But I wanted to look into the future and see where that cop and that young woman landed.

An Accidental Flatmate (Book 5) was—well—almost accidental. After I created Casildo Hariri and Beatriz Gomez in Betrayal, I was convinced they needed their own love affair and their own book. They’re both committed to family, even to the extent of sacrificing or delaying their own dreams, so what are their choices when they fall in love?

Merger, the short story included in the anthology, was born of an old idea tucked away in my files. A fragment that might have become a book, and instead I used it to experiment with short stories ( approx. 2000 words) and first person point of view.

Six years ago, I disappeared without a word, leaving the man I loved behind. Now, Ben’s arrived at my door. Will I run again, or can we find a way to work together?

I also, with Inkspell Publishing’s team, finished the edits, cover and formatting for Finding Cleo, a contemporary romance with a dash of suspense, due in February 2026.

And essentially exhausted my back list!

Speaking of my back list—another highlight of the year was my success in Romance Writers of New Zealand Annual Koru Awards. This is a competition judged entirely by readers, and I was pitted against multi-published, highly successful authors. Masquerade placed second in the long romance category, beaten to first place by Alison Roberts. In the overall Koru Award for Excellence, Fiona McArthur (first in short romance) placed first, Alison second with me sticking my head above the parapet in third. Wonderful to be in such romance writing company.

So, 2025 has been a year for private celebration and creation. I can’t dash off a book quickly. I need time to get to know my characters, to reflect on how they’d react in certain situations, what they’d feel. That makes me slow. I don’t use AI tools to “improve my productivity”, unless you count spelling or grammar checks as AI. Unfortunately AI does use the intellectual property of writers and other creatives without attribution or payment.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. I sometimes use actual dictionaries because I mistrust what I’m reading on the internet. I’ve astonished you, I know. The meanings of words can change, some drop out of use, and some are just plain misused. I like words and I like selecting the right one for the moment.

What have I created?

I’ve written A Day at a Time, a novella about Bluey (Lachlan) Murdoch and Helen Wilson, minor characters in Grace Under Fire. It releases in July 2026. I’ve been thinking about writing their story since Grace was published, after a nudge from some readers who said Bluey was their favourite character. I couldn’t disappoint them.

My work in progress (WIP) is Tainted. I first got the idea for this in February. I’m now at approx. 50,000 words and it’s starting to come together. It’s another contemporary romance with a bit of suspense.

And then there’s life, which has a pesky way of sideswiping you and taking you away from writing. That’s happened a few times this year, so my wish for myself in 2026 is some solid writing time.

I wish you and your family peace, good health, a safe place and shared laughter as 2025 nears its end. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the line from Happy Xmas (War is Over) released by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1971. So for 2026:

“Let’s hope it’s a good one

Without any fear.”

Available Now—November 2025 Release: Inkspell’s Enchanted Holidays

From Thanksgiving disasters to new holidays ready for happy memories or settling a score for love lost over Christmas to a chance meeting that turns to a rekindling of a past love, these holidays will warm your heart.

Nine best-selling and award-winning Inkspell authors share special origin holiday stories for your favourite romances, or sneak peeks into a new romantic couple navigating family time together. Inkspell’s Enchanted Holidays is the perfect anthology for readers and will quickly become your next favourite book!

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FPPM6G3J

KOBO- https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/inkspell-s-enchanted-holidays

BN- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/inkspells-enchanted-holidays-inkspell-publishing/1148189678

APPLE- https://books.apple.com/us/book/inkspells-enchanted-holidays/id6751919923

Upcoming: Australian Romance Readers Association’s (ARRA’s) annual author signing for 2026.

I’ll be signing at ARRA’s A Romantic Rendezvous in 2026 in Sydney. I’m looking forward to chatting with you about TBR piles, what I’ve got coming out, what we love about romance, our favourite bookshops and trends. ARRA has been hosting romance book-signing events since 2009, and they are always so much fun. I can’t wait to see you there!

  • Brisbane—Saturday 21 March 2026 (Royal on the Park, 152 Alice Street, Brisbane)
  • Sydney—Sunday 22 March 2026 (Rydges Sydney Central, 28 Albion Street, Surry Hills)
  • Melbourne—Saturday 28 March 2026 (Novotel Preston, 215 Bell Street, Preston)
  • Perth—Sunday 29 March 2026 (Pagoda Resort and Spa, 112 Melville Parade, Como)

>>> Tickets are now on sale here! <<<

And don’t forget to join the ARR2026 Facebook Group for all the latest news.

You can find me and my books here: website FaceBook Instagram

Find me on

You can also contact me directly via the contact page on my website if you have any other questions.

Remembrance

November is for remembering.

Australia, along with countries of the former British Empire and Commonwealth member states celebrates Remembrance Day on 11 November each year. The day acknowledges those who suffered or died while serving in wars, conflicts or peace operations. The date chosen is the anniversary of the Armistice of 1918 that ended fighting in World War 1.

Since World War 1, the common poppy, Papaver rhoeas, has been used in the Commonwealth as a symbol of remembrance. The flower has other names, including Flanders poppy, but I prefer the French word coquelicot (see image on website).

If you’ve ever encountered the 1969 musical film Oh! What a Lovely War about World War 1, directed by Richard Attenborough (in his directorial debut), you’ll see the red poppy used as a recurring visual symbol for death. The flower is handed to, worn by, or picked by characters before they are to die. This image has stuck with me since seeing the film. It’s powerful, moving and enduring. We feel the desperate sadness of a young life lost.

As we age and weave our lives into the lives of others, we create more memories —remembrance.

I remember hearing about the stages of life. I was in my twenties and it seemed so distant to imagine thirties, forties, much less fifties or older, but the idea stayed with me, and I’ve reflected on it over the years. You do change physically, mentally and emotionally as you age, and the people and events in your life influence those changes.

A thumbnail sketch of emotional transitions from an article on women’s health (Deeds Health) suggests our twenties are a whirlwind of firsts when the world can feel wide open and full of possibilities; in your thirties emotional cracks start to show, especially if you’ve been running on fumes. In your forties you notice subtle but significant shifts in body and mind. The fifties deliver grief over changing bodies, changing roles—kids leaving home, parents who need more care—while navigating transitions in careers and relationships. After turning 60, some of the biggest emotional hits can occur— retirement, new grandparent roles, loneliness and loss.

Studies, and life, suggest moving house, divorce, loss of a partner, death, diagnosis of a serious illness are among the most stressful events we can experience in our lives. They can come as a shock, and it’s hard to find the space to think logically when you’re in shock. And to be blunt, it’s harder to deal with the big shocks as you age. For me, grief is cumulative. Each new loss taps into the subterranean river of grief that runs through me. It keeps within its banks most of the time, but a new hit has it breaching those banks and swamping me.

One of the hazards of growing older—as any older person will tell you—is losing a partner to dementia and potentially being forced to leave your home. I’ve watched people around an elderly person talk over their heads, make decisions without consulting them, ostensibly because they want the best for them, but forgetting their older relative’s perfectly functioning brain and even their humanness. In seeking to be kind, they have added to the stress the older person is experiencing. Unfortunately, these acts aren’t always kind. Too often I hear the term “elder abuse” murmured by professionals I mix with.

Let’s agree, loss is super stressful, making the memories we associate with the person or place we’ve lost critical. So the way we deal with the loss, and those around us, is important. What we do in the moment matters.

When I think about my books, I deal with grief and loss in many of them. There’s no single way or time frame to respond to grief, and our emotional responses can range from rage to acceptance, sometimes in the same conversation.

Remember, remembering, remembrance are key to who we are. Let’s mourn our losses this November, but celebrate the good memories as well.

Available Now—November 2025 Release: Inkspell’s Enchanted Holidays

From Thanksgiving disasters to new holidays ready for happy memories or settling a score for love lost over Christmas to a chance meeting that turns to a rekindling of a past love, these holidays will warm your heart.

Nine best-selling and award-winning Inkspell authors share special origin holiday stories for your favourite romances, or sneak peeks into a new romantic couple navigating family time together. Inkspell’s Enchanted Holidays is the perfect anthology for readers and will quickly become your next favourite book!

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FPPM6G3J

KOBO- https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/inkspell-s-enchanted-holidays

BN- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/inkspells-enchanted-holidays-inkspell-publishing/1148189678

APPLE- https://books.apple.com/us/book/inkspells-enchanted-holidays/id6751919923

Upcoming: Australian Romance Readers Association’s (ARRA’s) annual author signing for 2026.

I’ll be signing at ARRA’s A Romantic Rendezvous in 2026 in Sydney. I’m looking forward to chatting with you about TBR piles, what I’ve got coming out, what we love about romance, our favourite bookshops and trends. ARRA has been hosting romance book-signing events since 2009, and they are always so much fun. I can’t wait to see you there!

  • Brisbane—Saturday 21 March 2026 (Royal on the Park, 152 Alice Street, Brisbane)
  • Sydney—Sunday 22 March 2026 (Rydges Sydney Central, 28 Albion Street, Surry Hills)
  • Melbourne—Saturday 28 March 2026 (Novotel Preston, 215 Bell Street, Preston)
  • Perth—Sunday 29 March 2026 (Pagoda Resort and Spa, 112 Melville Parade, Como)

>>> Tickets are now on sale here! <<<

And don’t forget to join the ARR2026 Facebook Group for all the latest news.

You can find me and my books here: website FaceBook Instagram

Find me on

You can also contact me directly via the contact page on my website if you have any other questions.

The Power of Words

Lots of people have lots to say about the power of words. And there are words everywhere—in our message groups, on our social media feeds and on our screens. That’s before you add books, journals, magazines and the steady stream of printed words we encounter wherever we turn.

I’m also thinking of romance because that’s my jam. In romance, words are often accompanied by music. The noun serenade can be traced to the first half of the 17th century. A serenade was a vocal performance by a lover to their loved one, usually at night, often below a window or balcony. Shortly afterwards, it became a verb, to perform a serenade. Over time, serenades became bigger events, written by major composers—think Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Stravinsky and others, performed with multiple instruments and then for groups of people.

Romance has been a mainstay of music forever. Any genre of music you care to name from opera to rap includes love songs—new love, lasting love, second chance love, failed love, betrayal, deceit, even love being the catalyst to set you free to be your true self.

But today, I’m thinking of the written word, unaccompanied by images—particularly the fake and AI generated images designed to mislead or manipulate us—and the written word unaccompanied by music. Old-fashioned black type standing out on a white page. In particular, I’ve been thinking about poetry.

I struggled with poetry at school. I read voraciously, but couldn’t quite get the hang of poetry. Until Georgette Heyer’s romances. In my senior years at school, it was Heyer’s Venetia, with its love story of Venetia and Damerel, that sent me scurrying to the library to trace references. The emotional impact was huge. The hero, Damerel cursing that the gods won’t:

“annihilate . . . space and time“

Unspoken is the next line from Alexander Pope’s satirical biography Martinus Scriblerus

“And make two lovers happy.“

But the poem that I really wanted to read and understand started with two lines in the book. Remember, this was before widespread use of the internet, before AI was freely available, so the library was my go-to resource. The hero Damerel says:

“Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part.“

Venetia recalls the following line from the poem:

“Nay, I have done, you get no more of me;“

Wow! What a powerful black moment. The emotional devastation behind those two lines hit this young romance reader hard. Their shared knowledge of poetry and the second line implied, but not spoken aloud, strengthened the impact. They were shattered. I was shattered! But note that semi-colon at the end of the second line—there was more.

I remember when I found the actual poem, where I was, how thrilled I was. It was my giddy secret at the time. Michael Drayton’s From Idea (1619) Sonnet 61, Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part

“Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part.

Nay, I have done, you get no more of me;

And I am glad, yea glad with all my heart,

That thus so cleanly I myself can free.

Shake hands for ever, cancel all our vows,

And when we meet at any time again,

Be it not seen in either of our brows

That we one jot of former love retain.

Now at the last gasp of Love’s latest breath,

When, his pulse failing, Passion speechless lies;

When Faith is kneeling by his bed of death,

And Innocence is closing up his eyes—

Now, if thou wouldst, when all have given him over,

From death to life thou might’st him yet recover!”

I studied that poem. I memorised it. I tried to understand every tiny element, especially as I’d long since finished the book. I did sense some hope in the final lines.

So, I was pretty pleased to read Professor Emerita of English at the University of Toronto Anne Lancashire’s December 2020 article Venetia: Georgette Heyer’s Pastoral Romance

“Heyer, in her complex use of art/artifice, not only uses quotations to emphasize the physical tension between Damerel and Venetia but also counts on some of her readers to think more carefully about the sonnet than the emotionally-distraught Venetia does; for the sonnet’s last two lines suggest the possibility of a reunion of the lovers if the poet’s beloved initiates it, thus providing a hint of how the novel’s eventual happy ending will be effected.“

I’m no academic, but I was thinking of the place of poetry in romance novels recently when I was checking something in Grace Burrowes’s Lady Louisa’s Christmas Wish. Her lovers share a strong interest in and knowledge of poetry. Burrowes’s also uses it to further their romance. In contemporary romance we might use the words of a song, but I’ve rarely seen references to poetry.

While I came to appreciate poetry and love some poems, poetry isn’t my go-to for comfort. I have friends who write poetry, beautiful poetry, and marvel at their capacity to distil powerful ideas into a few lines. I wonder how many people who pore over Taylor Swift’s songs to find every ounce of meaning and emotion ever look at poetry not set to music?

My key takeaway was that poetry has power—in the moment and over time.

World Poetry Day was declared by UNESCO in 1999, “with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard”. It’s celebrated on 21 March, so if you’ve never read a poem before, check one out on 21 March 2026.

Upcoming 1: Inkspell’s Enchanted Holidays Prepare for a holiday filled with romance! 

From Thanksgiving disasters to new holidays ready for happy memories or settling a score for love lost over Christmas to a chance meeting that turns to a rekindling of a past love, these holidays will warm your heart.

Nine best-selling and award-winning Inkspell authors share special origin holiday stories for your favourite romances, or sneak peeks into a new romantic couple navigating family time together. Inkspell’s Enchanted Holidays is the perfect anthology for readers and will quickly become your next favourite book!

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FPPM6G3J

KOBO- https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/inkspell-s-enchanted-holidays

BN- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/inkspells-enchanted-holidays-inkspell-publishing/1148189678

APPLE- https://books.apple.com/us/book/inkspells-enchanted-holidays/id6751919923

Upcoming 2: Australian Romance Readers Association’s (ARRA’s) annual author signing for 2026.

I’ll be signing at ARRA’s A Romantic Rendezvous in 2026 in Sydney. I’m looking forward to chatting with you about TBR piles, what I’ve got coming out, what we love about romance, our favourite bookshops and trends. ARRA has been hosting romance book-signing events since 2009, and they are always so much fun. I can’t wait to see you there!

  • Brisbane—Saturday 21 March 2026 (Royal on the Park, 152 Alice Street, Brisbane)
  • Sydney—Sunday 22 March 2026 (Rydges Sydney Central, 28 Albion Street, Surry Hills)
  • Melbourne—Saturday 28 March 2026 (Novotel Preston, 215 Bell Street, Preston)
  • Perth—Sunday 29 March 2026 (Pagoda Resort and Spa, 112 Melville Parade, Como)

>>> Tickets are now on sale here! <<<

And don’t forget to join the ARR2026 Facebook Group for all the latest news.

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