My guest this morning is Laura Boon.  She hails from Sydney, Australia, though she’s lived all over the world.  Laura is a fellow “Rose” writing romance for The Wild Rose Press.  Please help me in welcoming, Laura Boon!

Hi Peggy, thanks for hosting me on your blog today.

I just finished reading American Witch* by Thea Harrison. According to one of the protagonists, the secret to their villain’s eternal youth is his theft of other witches’ power. Fortunately contemporary scientists offer us another alternative, at least as far as a youthful mind is concerned. The secret to staying as sharp as a tack is life-long learning. Apparently learning new stuff develops new neural pathways and connections and provides the best defense against dementia. So next time you’re having a really wretched day, knee-deep in stuff you don’t understand, think about what great exercise your brain is getting and smile.

I immigrated in my forties – and then decided to finally, finally settle my butt in a chair and write the stories I had always dreamed of penning. I felt like I was frying neural pathways rather than building them, but the science says otherwise. I’m going to be very disappointed if I end up suffering from Alzheimers.

Tenses and tennis have run side by side through the roads of my life. English was my favorite subject at school. Tennis is our family sport, and I’ve been playing since I was ten years old. I was a club player not a professional, but one way or the other, I’ve put in a lot of time on the court. In April, I picked up a racket for the first time in six years. I was pleasantly surprised to discover I could still make contact with the ball following my mom’s advise – “Play from memory,” she says if any of us complain about being out of practise. I’m older and slower than I used to be so I’ve had to adapt my game to counteract “mean” opponents set on playing lethal drop shots. On the plus side, I’m less nervous than I used to be – it’s amazing how much more creative and inventive one is when operating from a place of calm curiosity rather than frenetic worry. And how much more fun the journey is.

Experience has taken me down a different path when it comes to pen, paper and keyboard. My anxiety manifested in a different way. In this area, I had no family role models or experts to call upon for help. I could say I haven’t been writing (with publication in mind) for nearly as long as I’ve played tennis, and it’s true that I only started in earnest about seven years ago after a couple of false starts earlier in my life. However, it’s also true that I wrote around my desire for years. Instead of writing fiction, I wrote newsletter copy, press releases and essays, book reviews and non-fiction articles. Calling up the courage to follow my dreams meant learning a bunch of new skills – how to convey character, create plot twists, describe a landscape, and maintain tension to name but a few. It’s been such fun!

“Do something that scares you every day,” they say. Writing scares me. Will I be able to translate what’s in my head onto the page? Will readers enjoy it? It’s a tightrope dance between fear and exhilaration – and it that doesn’t build neural pathways, I don’t know what will.

My new release is the Deerbourne Inn novella Lion Dancing for Love. His love died. Her love cheated. Can two broken hearts learn to trust again?

Licking her wounds after a bad relationship, San Diego accountant Caitlyn Summers travels to Willow Springs to help her friend gear up for the annual Maple Sugar Ball. She isn’t planning on staying long, but one encounter with the delicious Corey Duncan has her re-evaluating her plans.

Corey swore off love when his wife Annie died from breast cancer. Caitlyn is too young, too citified, and vibrates with a passion and energy that will upend the safe, comfortable rhythm of his life. Corey has to choose between playing it safe and taking a risk on love. Caitlyn needs to find the patience to let Corey lead. If not, the Maple Sugar Ball might end in a sticky mess, instead of a slow dance with the man who has captured her heart. Find it at Amazon US and other online retailers. Find me online via my blog or Facebook page and on Twitter, Instagram, GoodReads, Bookbub and Amazon.

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading everyone.

* Highly recommended, especially if you love paranormal romance.

Thank you, Laura and pick up a copy of Lion Dancing for Love – and leave her a review!