I've always been in love with romance novels, and the compact love stories of 'series' romance hold a special place in my heart. I marvel at the variety of fast-paced, well-told stories within the pages of these short books, where a complex relationship between the hero and heroine is the main focus; where a book opens with the characters falling in love even if they don't know it; and where you can be transported to a ski resort in Aspen, a dignified office in London, a luxurious penthouse in New York, or a cattle ranch in the Australian Outback.

My latest Silhouette Desire, His Ring, Her Baby is set in the romantic Outback and is part of the successful Billionaires & Babies mini-series. It’s followed by two more Outback books by Australian Desire authors, Robyn Grady and Paula Roe. Imagine spectacular sunsets and scenery as the perfect backdrop for a love story, or a night sky spread out like a blanket of velvet. Everything is more in the Outback, from the power of the hot sun, to the power of emotions.

And yet the term “Outback” is not a precise location, and even Australians don’t know exactly where the Outback starts and ends. Many Australians live in the cities, others in rural areas called “the bush”, and further out – somewhere “out back” it turns into the “Outback”. Where the line is drawn no one really knows. You’re suddenly there in the middle of something that entrances a person like you’ve never felt before, and you just know deep inside that this is it.

It’s a bit like love. 

His Ring, Her Baby revolves around a wealthy landowner and his housekeeper. It's here on what Australians call a “cattle station” that Vanessa Hamilton and Kirk Deverill realize too late they can't escape their deepening emotions. Vanessa has been mourning her late husband and is now busy protecting her son from his smothering grandparents. Kirk has a secret he won't burden any woman with. There are just too many reasons against them falling in love… Or perhaps they simply haven't counted on the romantic lure of the Outback.

Having lived in Australia all my life, I’ve seen the diversity of the countryside, from the tropics to the bush, country towns to the cities. Each place is unique and a different experience. I’ve visited relatives on a sheep station numerous times, and long ago my grandmother was a cook on one of the vast properties (homesteads), so I grew up hearing tales of life on the land. Is it any wonder I jumped at the chance to write a love story set in the heartland of Australia? It’s a special place that deserves a special love story.

Romance novels have it all. They take you on a journey where romance turns to love and dreams are found... no matter where in the world you are.

Happy reading!
- Maxine