G'day, ,

I'm back from my jaunt across Canada and while I'm still recovering, I feel refreshed after my break. I think it was just what I needed.

We flew over 32 900 kilometres (20 440 miles) from Perth to Vancouver and then Toronto back to Perth. While in Canada, we drove 7 347 kilometres (4 565 miles) from Vancouver to Toronto for our road trip! That's a lot of kilometres!

I'm pretty sure my Fit Bit thinks it has a new owner. 🤣 I logged almost 314 000 steps (just over 222 kilometres or about 138 miles) over our 28-day adventure, with my highest number of steps on any one day being almost 22 000! That explains why my knees are so damn sore. OUCH!

We slept in 14 different beds, which means I lost my way to 14 different bathrooms in the middle of the night when I needed to pee! 🤣

Canada is jaw-droppingly stunning. There really aren't enough adjectives to describe its beauty. The sheer amount of water present in creeks, streams, rivers, waterfalls, and lakes across British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario is mind blowing. The enormity of the Canadian Rockies can't be captured in a photograph. There were times when we were driving that we couldn't see the sky above the mountains because they took up all the physical space in front of us, demanding our full attention.

It seemed every which way we turned there was another picture perfect postcard photo opportunity. My phone is packed full to the brim with photos from our Canadian adventure. Photos that I'll look back on with fond memories.

Some of my highlights were (in chronological order):

Seeing the Pacific Ocean from Vancouver Island after trekking the Juan de Fuca trail! Of course I've swum in the Pacific Ocean on the Australian side, so it was fabulous to see and touch it from the Canadian side (it was too cold for a swim).

Canoeing with our son on Lake Louise! It was such a special memory to create with him. He thought it was hilarious every time he "accidentally" splashed water on me with the paddle when he was switching sides.

Meeting some of my readers at the Romance Invades the Canadian Rockies event in Calgary! It was such an incredible day and my assistant (and long time reader and friend) made it so much fun. I received some very thoughtful gifts which I will cherish forever and my readers made me feel so very special—exactly what this girl needed. I also had the opportunity to meet one of my unicorn authors, KC Lynn, which meant I fan-girled something silly. 🤣

Being in Niagara Falls. This was almost spiritual for me. My late sister visited the American side of the Falls about ten years ago and always spoke about it with such fondness, so I was keen to see it for myself. It felt a little poetic that almost eleven months after losing her; I could experience one of her favourite places in the world. As you can imagine, my time there was emotional. And the Falls were breath stealing. Their size and the amount of water that drops over them every single second boggles my mind. If you're ever considering visiting, I highly recommend doing the boat to the bottom of the falls (be prepared to be soaked) and visiting at night when they're lit with fireworks and coloured spotlights.

Some of my lowlights were (in chronological order):

On our third day, we were almost in a crash in Vancouver because of a speeding driver who wasn't paying attention. He just missed our car and ended up in someone's front yard, taking the stop sign with him. It was a scary experience and I'm pretty certain I saw my life flash before my eyes, but we came away unscathed and after calming down, went about our day.

Fires ravaged Jasper National Park and destroyed most of Jasper's township while we were in the area. It was devastating for the community, forest, and wildlife—and broke our hearts to know that such a gorgeous landscape was being destroyed. We missed one of our most anticipated tours and ended up driving for hours on unpaved logging roads to escape the blaze. Smoke settled across the area for days afterward, reminding us of everything the local communities lost.

Driving through Winnipeg. Ahhhhhh! This city broke me. The amount of roadworks through the city centre was crazy and Google Maps couldn't even help us avoid it, sending us in endless loops through an unfamiliar city. I thought we would never make it out. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I tried to navigate us through, eventually making it out the other side.

Overall, our Canadian adventure was incredible. The scenery, the flora, and the fauna were so different from what we're used to and we loved everything about it. The people were warm and friendly, as well as happy to help us whenever we got stuck.

As I said before I left for our Canadian adventure, I planned to take a break from writing and I did just that.

Now that I'm home again, I can't wait to dive back into Hope and Ben's story to give them the HEA they both deserve once I read over what I've written so far to refresh my terrible memory.

To celebrate diving back in, I thought I'd treat you to the title of their story!

"Everlasting Promises" is the perfect title, isn't it?

I even managed to work the title perfectly into the story which is always rewarding. It's one of those author moments that makes you kick your feet and cheer!

I slide my fingers through her gorgeous locks and trace my fingers along her jaw until I reach her chin. Tipping her head back, I erase the space between us and gently press my lips to hers. I’ll never get enough of kissing Hope. She opens her mouth, inviting me inside, and I don’t hesitate to deepen our connection. She tastes of rich dark chocolate, sweet peach schnapps, and everlasting promises. She tastes of everything I’ve ever wanted … everything I need. And as I kiss her beneath the stars, I know she’s the last woman I’ll ever kiss. ~ Ben Taylor

Stay tuned for updates. You'll be the first to see the cover when it's time and the first to know the release date! Eeek!

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Happy reading until next time,