by Carol Grace

Thanks Jaunty Quills for inviting me!

My favorite subjects in the world are travel, food and books. I manage to combine all three when I write contemporary romance for Harlequin/Mills&Boon. Which brings me to my July book from Harlequin – THE SICILIAN’S BRIDE. A few years ago I was on vacation in Sicily with my family. We rented a car and drove all over the island, visiting Baroque churches, Hellenic temples, Byzantine palaces, ancient olive groves and volcanoes like Itna, Stromboli and Vulcano. Of course we had to stop and eat – maccu, the creamy bean soup, arancine, the rice balls and vitellocalla marsala. (To mention just a few wonderful dishes the Sicilians are famous for).

By the time we left I was sure I had to write a book that took place in Sicily, where I could take Isabel, my American heroine to this magical island of Sicily to inherit an abandoned vineyard and expose her to the beauty and the lush scenery as well as the food. I wanted to give her a hero to match her determination and independence. He is local vintner Dario Montessori who wants the land Isabel inherited which was once his.

In an effort to persuade Isabel to sell him the land, Dario takes her on a tour of other available properties and plies her with delicious food and drink, and introduces her to his extended family, but stubborn Isabel wants the land she was given by her deceased uncle.

My big problem in writing these books for my editor at Mills&Boon in London is that they think I get carried away with the food and the scenery and neglect the plot. Thank heavens for editors who catch us when we stray.

I’d love to hear from readers who love to travel, either vicariously or actually. Where is your favorite destination, either a place you’ve been or have always wanted to go?

As for me, I’m dreaming of Vietnam, Cambodia and any tropical island. I will send a copy of THE SICILIAN’S BRIDE to one commenter.