Serenity Woods - Romance You Can Relate To

Besides writing great romance novels, Serenity Woods enjoys juggling, archaeology and celebrating Christmas next to the pool. She lives in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand with her husband and teenage son and likes to write books about everyday people, with the issues that affect them. As our author of the day, Woods talks about her Christmas Boxset, Three Wise Men, why she is not a fan of alpha males and reveals what readers can expect from her pen next.

Please give our readers a short introduction what to expect from the Three Wise Men Box

The box set includes all three of my Three Wise Men series of sexy contemporary romances. These are set at Christmastime, although you have to remember that Christmas in New Zealand is in the middle of summer, which gives an interesting twist to the festive season – imagine spending Christmas by the pool! All three books have happy endings, but there is also a scene at the end of book 3 where all three stories come together.

These books are all contemporary romances.  What appeals to you about the genre?

I like writing about men and women of today, with the issues that affect them, like the difficulties of balancing a career and a home life, looking after children, and meeting Mr (or Mrs) Right, especially if you’ve had failed relationships in the past.

What do the three books in this box set have in common?

They all feature single moms, and the three heroes are brothers (and they’re rich!) The King brothers had a younger sister who died from an asthma attack, and this prompted one of them to become a doctor and the second to invent medical equipment for children with breathing problems. The third brother writes children’s stories, and they use his characters to decorate the medical equipment – Three Wise Men is their company. The stories are compassionate and heart-warming as well as steamy!

The Perfect Gift is about a romance between a pediatrician and a single mom. What inspired you to write this book?

I like to write about people with problems and how they solve them, because few of us are perfect, and it makes me feel good to write and read about characters who are courageous and surmount difficult obstacles. I have asthma and so does my husband and son, so we are well aware of the issues surrounding it. I also have a friend whose daughter has CF, so I wanted to write about a child with that, without making the story about her disease. I’ve had lots of readers, including nurses who work with children with respiratory illnesses, write to me to say they loved the way I handled these stories, and that was the best praise I could have had.

In An Ideal Present we see a hero who reckons he is useless with women.  Why did you give Charlie King this personality, which is a bit different from your usual, confident alpha male one often finds in romance novels?

Charlie is usually my readers’ favourite Wise Man. He has borderline Asperger’s, and he finds it difficult to read people. He’s great in bed, LOL, and he’s gorgeous and funny, but he has trouble understanding the signals that women send. He needs a girl to say exactly what she wants and what’s troubling her, and luckily Ophelia is happy to oblige! I’m not a great fan of the arrogant alpha – all my heroes are alphas in that they’re brave and confident in their field, but they’re real men with real men’s personalities and flaws.

In A Secret Parcel, Georgia has a troubled past which almost causes the end of the relationship.  Why do you choose to give your protagonists "flaws" or hardships like these?

Because it makes them real, and it gives them obstacles to overcome. Characters who are perfect are boring! It gives a romance breadth and depth, and touches the heartstrings, which I love. Light is always brighter when it’s contrasted with darkness.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I’m an archaeologist. And I can juggle!

Do you consider yourself a disciplined writer? Do you have a schedule that you stick to, or is it more in the moment?

I’m very disciplined. I recently gave up work to write full time, and I write every day, usually at least 2,000 words and often nearer 5-6,000, especially toward the end of a book. I write whenever and wherever I can – I have a small laptop that I write on in the car waiting for my husband to finish work, or if I’m waiting for an appointment. Even ten minutes means I can write maybe 200 words. I believe in writing every day to keep the story fresh in the mind. Plus I love to write – I can’t not!

What are you working on right now?

I’m writing another Christmas series called Love Comes Later. Book 1 (My Christmas Fiance) is out now, and I’m currently writing Book 2 (My New Year Fling). I love Christmas stories! These are slightly different as they’re first person, present tense – something I haven’t tried before. But after writing 50 or so romances, I wanted to give my readers something different, and they’ve been huge fun to write. First person makes the story very intimate, and I switch from the hero to the heroine’s POV in alternate chapters, so you get to see inside both their heads (and hearts!)

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

I’m mostly on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/serenitywoodsromance) and occasionally on Twitter (@Serenity_Woods), plus all my books are on my website (http://www.serenitywoodsromance.com ). Sign up there for my newsletter and you can download the first book in each of three of my series for free, so you can see which one you like!