Just The Honeymoon Capital, or Is There More?

                                                             Canadian Romance, Eh?

Blog Post by: Kali Willows

Just the honeymoon capital or is there more?

It’s been a busy summer. I can’t believe it’s September already! I’m so far behind in blogs, promotions, edits and writing, but I’ve enjoyed time with my family, and isn’t that what it’s all about?

We have done lots of things, but the one I wanted to post about today, was our trip to Niagara Falls. I’d been there several times over the years to visit family, but in all honesty much to my dismay, short of stopping for a quick view of the water phenomena I had never taken in any of the sights.

Being highly noted as the honeymoon capital, we took a different route. I brought my beautiful children, and left the romance at home, to tend to the domestic responsibilities. (Although, I do have to admit, I got the better end of the bargain.

We did the Hornblower (The Canadian version of Maid of the Mist), the Aerocar over the whirlpool of breathtaking water, the Skyline Tower, one day for the tour, the next night for dinner in the revolving restaurant and so much more. Our feet hurt from three days of walking, but it was an incredible vacation I got to experience for the first time, with my children.

The only attraction I personally found a letdown, was the Canadian tour behind the falls. For a price, a short elevator ride and a walk down an old tunnel, it was a different vantage point of seeing the falls, but it’s not one I will repeat.

Clifton Hill, proved adventurous. Arcades, watching fudge get made, we visited the Hersey factory, the fun houses and the Skywheel gave even more spectacular views to indulge in. Of course, the main reason we went, was for the kids to go to Marineland. I was impressed the costs were not nearly as outrageous as I had expected and the fun was endless.  We played it smart, and went at the end of August, in the middle of the week, while to Toronto CNE was in it’s prime. We had less crowds to contend with and more enjoyment to be had by all.

Although we didn’t do the haunted houses or wax museums, (too much for the little ones at this stage), the very low budget hotel we booked provided a Bates Motel atmosphere with a single electrical socket for three of us to share, and fluctuating water temperatures, that both invigorated and scorched us interchangeably.

What does this post have to do with Canadian Romance you ask? Well, now that I’ve done the ground work, when my sweet husband and I return for an adult only vacation, I know exactly what I want to do…get your mind out of the gutter, I meant what attractions to visit!

Next time, when it’s just us two, I want to book a nice hotel suite on Falls Avenue, preferably one with a cozy hot tub right in the room and within walking distance to everything. Take in a romantic Falls Illumination Evening Cruise, complete with a bar, snacks, night show and fireworks. Then, a stroll along Clifton Hill, and venture into the haunted houses and wax museums, where, if I get a little spooked, my sweetheart can hold me close as we laugh and enjoy the festivities. Perhaps sample the fudge being made in the store front window, and a night time ride on the Skywheel, with maybe a few stolen kisses.

The romance potential is definitely all over Niagara Falls, but so is the family fun. You can’t go wrong no matter what kind of vacation you’re looking for. This Canadian gal is quite satisfied with her trip and plans to return, soon!

Happy Reading!

Canadian living, at its best.

Road Trip #Canada Style: Nova Scotia: So Much to Sea by @KarynGerrard #Beach #Ocean

Being married to a teacher has its advantages. Though he works hard during the year, often into the evening way past school hours, one benefit is we have the summer off. We usually travel, taking different route each time. I have been to 40 out of 50 states (okay, some just driving through, but still) and 9 out of 10 Canadian provinces and 1 territory (I crossed into The Northwest Territories!).

Usually our end destination is Nova Scotia, our home province where the fam lives. But not this year. Unfortunately there has been a lot going on in my real life which has cut into a lot of my social media time. Due to my hubs's health, there is no summer adventure this year.

However, I thought I would go to Nova Scotia in my blog post. I have set some of my stories there. Timeless Heart, my vampire Blackthorne series with Evernight Publishing takes place on the South Shore of the province. And so did my shifter stories under another pen name.

For those not familiar where exactly Nova Scotia is, check it out on the map to the left. We are the greened-in area on the east coast jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean. And regardless of Hollywood movies like World War Z which shows Nova Scotia as "wearing parkas in June" and a "seagull laden, rocky wasteland" it is far from the truth. :)

The Halifax municipality has a population of 390.000, and the province itself about 960,000.. Halifax always makes the list of "The best cities to live in Canada".

Founded in 1749, it is a major port and a global city, and still steeped in history with loads of landmarks,  museums, and historical buildings,including gorgeous Victorian homes in the south end.

A shot of down-town Halifax from the harbour. Major economic centre, as well as educational with many universities and the arts, including Neptune Theatre and Symphony Nova Scotia to name a few.

On the whole, Nova Scotia has a humid continental climate which means for the most part, winters are mild compared to the rest of Canada. One drawback, since we are jutting out into the Atlantic, there is a fair bit of rain and the chance of severe storms, summer and winter, though  if we get snow during the winter months, for the most part it melts quickly.

And talk about fresh seafood! There is an abundance. Nothing like hanging out at the waterfront, sitting outside a Halifax pub (like The Lower Deck) on a summer day, listening to Celtic rock and drinking ice cold Alexander Keith's pale ale while eating deep fried haddock and fries. *sigh*

Here is a shot of the Lunenburg area down the South Shore of the province. The Lighthouse Route is a gorgeous drive. Highly recommend!

In the eastern end of the province is the isle of Cape Breton, attached to Nova Scotia by a causeway. Nova Scotia means "New Scotland" in Latin, and a lot of Scots settled in Cape Breton because the rolling, mountainous area is very similar to the Highlands of Scotland. In fact, my hero in 'My Highlander Cover Model' had his descendants settle here. :)

It's where the hubs's family is from. He was born there, but moved to the Halifax area when he was five years of age.

You haven't seen anything until you've driven around the Cabot Trail, (named after explorer John Cabot) voted one of top islands to visit in the world. Check out the Cabot Trail HERE

And I didn't even mention all the great beaches! Hey, they're everywhere! We're surrounded by water!

If you're planning a trip to anywhere in Canada, I have to recommend Nova Scotia! You won't be disappointed!

Now I'm homesick. *wink* Pass the lobster rolls!

Karyn's Site/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Tsu/Amazon Page

HOME SWEET HOME ~ Guest Post by author Deborah Cooke #TimeTravel #PNR #Toronto

It gives me great pleasure to welcome my friend and fellow Canadian author, Deborah Cooke to the blog. She will be attending Romancing the Capital hosted by Eve Langlais in April 2015.

Home Sweet Home!

By Deborah Cooke 

(also writing as Claire Delacroix)

When I first began to write, I heard that authors should write what they know. My first books were set in Canada, since I’m Canadian. I know southern Ontario better than any others. It took a long time for me to place a book with a Canadian setting: American publishers tend to be more interested in American readers, who are believed to be more interested in certain settings (and Canada isn’t one of them!) I did ultimately sell two Canadian-set romances, and they are two of my favourites of all my books.

TheMoonstone is a time travel romance. It begins in medieval England, where Viviane has been condemned as a witch and sentenced to die. She makes a wish upon a magical pendant, hoping to be taken as far away from that court of justice as possible. Niall, the knight in charge of this particular prisoner, can’t believe it when she disappears before his very eyes. When Viviane ends up on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, she figures she’s made it to Avalon. It might just be paradise, especially when the hunky knight who granted her last wish shows up, too. Niall is determined to fulfill his vow and deliver Viviane back to the court, but a little time together in British Columbia makes him doubt that she’s really a witch—although he does find himself under her spell. This is a fun, light-hearted time travel romance, set in one of my favourite places in Canada. It doesn’t hurt that Viviane—who has a gift for telling romantic stories—decides to earn her living in our world pretty much as she did in her own, and resolves (with the help of a few friends) to become a romance writer. I had such fun writing this book and am very pleased to have it available in a new edition.

More Information: http://deborahcooke.com/claire-delacroix-books/time-travel-romances/the-moonstone/

My second book with a Canadian setting is Love Potion #9, a paranormal romance, set in the Annex neighbourhood in downtown Toronto. Lilith is a tarot card reader and psychic, separated from her one true love for centuries, and waiting on him to reincarnate. She’s hunted down an elixir of immortality to be sure she’s still around when he turns up—because Sebastien, despite his promise, is taking an awfully long time to show up and find her again. Impatient as many of us get in the middle of a sweltering Toronto summer, she casts a little spell to hurry him on. Her new neighbour, a single father named Mitch, knocks at her door and she believes he’s Sebastien. You can imagine the welcome she gives him after five or six centuries of waiting—and Mitch is astonished by the friendliness of his new neighbour. I love this story for a number of reasons: not only does it remind me of the quirky neighbourhood where I lived for years, but each chapter is named after (and governed by) one of the tarot cards in the higher arcana. I also love how Mitch and Lilith bring out the best in each other and build a relationship that really will last for all time. Although this one is also available in a new edition, I was lucky enough to have the original cover artist make the illustration available for this edition as well—I think it’s a perfect image of Lilith in her garden and love that it still is on the book’s cover.

More information: http://deborahcooke.com/claire-delacroix-books/time-travel-romances/love-potion-9/

I’m planning a new linked series of contemporary romances right now that will be set in a small town. I’m pretty much convinced I’ll set it in southern Ontario. That way, I can put that extra u in lots of words <g> and I’ll know all the best chocolate bars for my characters to eat. It’ll be like coming home again.

Do you read books with Canadian settings? Do you choose to read books specifically for that reason, or is something else more important to you? Maybe you choose by the story, the blerb, or the author. Tell me what you think of romances set in Canada—whether you read them and why.

About the Author:

Deborah Cooke sold her first book in 1992, a medieval romance called The Romance of the Rose that was published under her pseudonym Claire Delacroix in 1993. Since then, she’s published over fifty novels in a variety of subgenres and under three names. Her medieval romance, The Beauty, was her first book to land on the New York Times’ List of Bestselling Books. She’s USA Today bestselling, nationally bestselling and Kindle bestselling. In 2009, she was the writer in residence at the Toronto Public Library, the first time that TPL hosted a residency focused on the romance genre. Currently, she writes the Dragonfire series of paranormal romances as Deborah Cooke, and the True Love Brides series of medieval Scottish romances as Claire Delacroix. Her next release is a collection of short stories and novellas called Beguiled: Tales of fantasy, romance and forbidden love, which will be available on Thursday. (http://deborahcooke.com/claire-delacroix-books/novellas/beguiled/)

For more information about Deborah and her books, please visit her website at http://deborahcooke.com