SEELIE KAY: Postcards from The Ledge: This week in The Loft: Australian author Cynthia Terelst!

Joining me today in The Loft is emerging Australian author Cynthia Terelst. Cynthia writes contemporary romance, what she calls, "heat with heart." A project manager by day, a romance writer by night, Cynthia enjoys sharing a little history and Australian scenery in her books. She has published four books in her Love Down Under series. Cynthia is based in regional Queensland, where the sun shines 283 days a year.

Author Cynthia Terelst

S: Welcome, Cynthia! Why write romance?

C: Romance novels are full of those feel-good feelings. I enjoy creating stories where characters fall in love, whether it’s for the first time or the second time around. I like seeing how they grow and develop their relationship while navigating the push and pull of love. When I began writing romance I decided on three main things. First, I would write contemporary romance. I thought I would fail at the amount of research required for historical romance. Let’s just say that I was fooling myself. Contemporary romance requires a lot of research. Second, I would base my stories in Australia because I wanted to share our uniqueness, beautiful scenery, and some of our history with the world. And third, I would write heat with heart. I don’t shy away from tough topics, but also embrace the hope and warmth romance can bring. Plus, I include some sexy times.

S: Sexy times always heats things up!

Do you believe in love at first sight?

C: I believe in attraction at first sight. You can be attracted to how someone looks and their personality. But I don’t think you can love someone until you know them and what makes them, them. I have never felt love at first sight myself, but I have felt instant attraction.

S: What's the best advice you have ever been given?

C: I have a friend who gives the best advice about writing. A lot of what I have learned is from her. One of the best things she told me was to listen to my writing. It has made a big difference. I get Word to read my text aloud. You can actually hear the mistakes--words missing or the wrong words used.

S: That's great advice. Reading your story out loud highlights what works and what doesn't.

What inspires your stories?

C: Real life. I write about subjects that I think are important--domestic violence, loss, drought, the environment--and stick them in romance novels full of warmth and hope. Writing about these subjects is risky. My last novel was probably the riskiest of all. When I wrote the blurb, I was told not to mention things like an environmentalist. So I didn’t. Even though the book mentions sustainable farming and the environment. Another risk I took was writing a small town romance about a small town that was not endearing. The truth is not all small towns are great to live in. Bullying can be rife. In the end, I felt comfortable taking these risks because the subject matter was close to my heart. Some readers did not warm to it, while others embraced it.

S: Life can be ugly. I think it's important to acknowledge that.

What do you want to be inscribed on your tombstone? How do you want to be remembered?

C: I think something along the lines of--"She said it the way she saw it and those close to her could appreciate her blunt honesty."

S: What inspired "Down the Rabbit Hole?"

C: I think it all started with my passion for the environment and evolved into wanting to write a small town romance with a difference. I also wanted to explore the intricacies of emotions in a friends to lovers romance. And just for fun, I threw in a fractured family into the mix. I like experimenting with different tropes and these were new ones to me.

Here's the blurb--

Love and secrets are a tricky combination

For Emily, going home isn't easy, especially when her small town never felt like home in the first place. She escaped Alma seven years ago when she went to university, but now her estranged father needs her help. At least returning means spending time with the only good thing in town--her best friend, Luke.

Luke always knew Emily needed to be free of their hometown, so he withheld his true feelings. Even though she has returned, he knows she will never stay. He tried hard to respect the boundaries of their friendship but every moment they spend together makes it harder to deny their connection. Self-control dissipates. One kiss turns into two...

But is Luke really the man Emily remembers? When Emily discovers Luke has betrayed her trust, they could lose the most precious thing of all--each other.