Since I first started writing – way too long ago to own up to – I’ve been thinking about settings. I’m Canadian and I was told, “You can’t sell a romance novel set in Canada.”

When I asked why, I was told that Americans (the largest market) didn’t want to read about any place other than the good old United States, that Canadian men weren’t sexy, and basically, that Canada wasn’t interesting. Excuse me??? No, none of that rang true for me.

So, as an unpublished author, I wrote Canadian settings. And I wondered what I’d do if one day a publisher offered to buy my book, but only if I changed the setting to an American one. Fortunately, I never had to answer that question. Kensington – bless their hearts – bought my Awesome Foursome series (Champagne Rules, Hot in Here, Touch Me, She’s on Top). This is a “Sex and The City” series about four 20-somethings who live and love – and eat and drink and talk girl-talk – in Vancouver. That’s Vancouver, BC, Canada, one of my two hometowns.

Would the books have sold better if they were set in, say, Seattle? Who can tell? But I couldn’t have written as authentically about Seattle. And I do know that the books gave such a flavor of Vancouver that LoveLetter, the German romance reviews magazine, asked me to write a feature article, which I called “Awesome Vancouver.”

It’s not that I’ve always stuck to Canadian settings. I’ve written destination wedding books, one of which was indeed set in Whistler, BC (Sex on the Slopes), but the other two were set in Belize (Sex on the Beach) and the Greek islands (Heat Waves), both places I’ve visited and love. But I do believe that setting is critical to the story. My concept with the destination wedding books is that the exotic destination contributes to the romance and sexiness of a wedding, and that’s bound to rub off on some of the wedding guests – and they’ll find their own sexy romances.

Setting is key to my Wild Ride to Love series, too. It’s a “planes, trains, automobiles, and a cruise ship” set of four books about three older sisters who come home (from Australia by planes in Sex Drive, from Montreal by trains in Love, Unexpectedly, and from Santa Cruz by automobiles in His, Unexpectedly) to their baby sister’s wedding in Vancouver.

Travel can be sexy and romantic, and it’s often enlightening. It can be a personal journey, an emotional one, as well as a physical/geographical one. And that’s what happens for the three older sisters. Baby sis, Merilee Fallon, is the one who’s always been lucky in love, and when her engagement sends her sisters journeying home, some of that luck rubs off and each sister finds a passionate, exciting new romance that challenges everything she’s ever believed about herself.

But what about Merilee, sitting at home, waiting for them all to arrive? Merilee, who at the age of 21 has loved the same guy since they were both 7? Merilee hasn’t been on a journey, and her love for Matt isn’t exactly exciting, passionate, or challenging. In some ways, M&M are still kids, yet in some ways their relationship is a lot like a middle-aged marriage.

I did say it’s a four-book series, right? Well, obviously M&M needed a journey of their own! So that’s what I gave them, and that’s where the cruise ship comes in. My tag line for Yours, Unexpectedly, my December Brava, is: “What happens when the runaway bride finds that her discarded groom has come along for the honeymoon cruise?”

When Merilee calls off the wedding two days ahead of time, the non-refundable Mexican Riviera cruise will go to waste. But, independently, she and Matt decide they’re going to take that cruise and use the time to do some thinking. It’s an opportunity for each of them to figure out who they are as individuals rather than as part of the bonded-at-the-hip couple they’ve been since they were in grade 2. It’s a time for each to indulge in make-overs, to try on different roles, to experiment – and to grow up.

And yet, though they’re barely speaking to each other and they’re going their own ways, they are sharing a cabin. And they have loved each other for 14 years . . . Oh yes, they’re in for some challenges!

What’s it like for Merilee to see steady old Matt, the guy she thought she knew so well, costumed as a dashing pirate, or being kissed by a sexy older woman? What’s it like for Matt to see his sweet, conservative girlfriend dressed like a flapper, or going zip-lining, or having other guys try to seduce her? What’s it like to discover that the person you’ve loved all your life is a fascinating combination of different and the same? To find out that maybe you never really knew them – and maybe you never really knew yourself either?

Yes, travel is about enlightenment – and for M&M, their cruise is indeed a wild ride to love. I hope you’ll join them on their adventure. You can find an excerpt on my website, along with behind-the-scenes notes, a discussion guide, and recipes for chocolate chip pancakes and chocolate mousse! You can also enter my contest for a chance to win one of my books and a Vancouver firefighter calendar.

I hope you have a lovely holiday season and that Santa brings you lots of wonderful books.

The holidays are almost here. Hooray! I can finally take a nap! :]

Are you a plan-ahead gift shopper or a  last-minute gift shopper?

Plan ahead. I have so many people to buy for that it doesn’t make sense, sanity-wise and budget-wise, to wait. I had about 90% of my shopping done last week.

Ok, ask away!