Room with a view – Helen Lacey

I first met Helen Lacey a few years ago when there was confusion over who was who in a writing competition. I’ve followed her stellar career ever since and was ever so slightly jealous of her sea change! Today she’s sharing her lovely writing space – I can see why she writes her wonderful warm stories set in small towns.
So welcome, Helen, and over to you!

Thank you for inviting me to visit Helene…it’s great to be here!

One of the best things about being an author is being able to work from home. Before I started writing full-time I had a busy day job and only crammed writing on the weekend or at night. That altered when we had out sea change a few years ago. Now we live by the ocean, on the east coast and at the most southern point of The Great Barrier Reef. It’s a lovely little town with only eight hundred people and I have wonderful view from my office window of both the sea and my horses. When I’m writing though, I usually have to pull down the blind as the view can be something of a distraction to my easily distracted mind.

I write most days for approximately six to seven hours and around three every afternoon I switch off the computer and head outside. Animals are a huge part of my life and my ‘down’ time from writing is usually spent out in the paddock with my horses or taking my dogs for a walk along the beach. Over the years I’ve tried ‘sitting down’ things for relaxation (Including one particularly disastrous effort at scrapbooking where I glued the book to the table) but always go back to being outside with the four legged friends. It’s where I like to do my book ‘thinking’. Plus, there’s the bonus of fresh air and er… exercise. I’ve always found something soothing about being around a horse. This is Zeb, my Thoroughbred, who is wonderfully quiet and trustworthy and just about the laziest horse on the planet.

I also like the idea of my little garden. I should say though, that I absolutely do not have a green thumb. I frequently get my veg/herb garden going and always with the help of my father-in-law. I tend to it for a while and when the magic wears thin I tend to neglect it quite heartlessly. But you can see from the picture that when I’m in the ‘green’ zone it does like to flourish.

I love hearing about how other people ‘relax’. Do you have a favourite spot in your garden? Or run on the beach with a furry friend? Or perhaps you like to curl up with a good book? I have a copy of my August Harlequin Special Edition release, Date With Destiny, to give away to one commenter.

And thanks again Helene, was great to visit!

About Helen
Helen Lacey grew up reading Black Beauty, Anne of Green Gables and Little House on The Prairie. These childhood classics inspired her to write her first book when she was seven years old, a story about a girl and her horse. Although, it wasn’t until the age of eleven when she read her first Mills & Boon, that she knew writing romances was what she wanted to do with her life. Her parents’ love of travel meant she saw much of the world in those early years and she feels fortunate to have had a diverse and interesting education over several continents.

She continued to write into her teens and twenties with the dream of one day being a published author. A few years and careers later, including motel operator, florist, strapper, dog washer, and retail manager, she got the call from Harlequin Special Edition. She loves writing about tortured heroes, both cowboys and CEO’s, and heroines who finally get the love of the man of their dreams. She now works part time in her sister’s bridal shop, where she gets to meet fascinating people, some of whom might one day end up being in one of her books.

From Welsh parents and a large family, she lives on the east coast of Australia in a small seaside town at the southern most point of The Great Barrier Reef, with her wonderfully supportive husband, many horses and three spoiled dogs.

Connect with Helen:

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Date With Destiny

Financier Grace Preston did fourteen-hour days in New York City. She didn’t do small towns in Australia. Not since she’d fled almost twenty years ago. But when a personal trauma sent her home-with a secret she couldn’t reveal-the last person she needed was her first love.

Local cop Cameron Jakowski had loved Grace for most of his life. But he wanted marriage and family and she didn’t. He was small town, while she was big city-and lived half a world away. But for now she was right here-a walking, talking temptation. One he managed to avoid…until he made one mistake. He kissed her. And reawakened the passion that could change their lives…forever.

Read Reviews

Buy Links

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Harlequin US

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Amazon UK

B&N

Powell’s Books

BAM

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12 thoughts on “Room with a view – Helen Lacey

  1. Sandy, I can relate to the need to go for a walk after a long day writing. We’ve realised we wouldn’t have visited anywhere near as many islands if it weren’t for Zeus the Salty Sea dog! It clears the brain wonderfully.

  2. Noreen, I hope you spotted some whales. There were loads down in the Whitsunday – every time we turned around another popped up to take a look at us! You’d swear they were on Actors Equity payscales 🙂

  3. Helen, thanks for holding the fort while I’ve been down the Telstra rabbit hole to the east of Shoalwater Bay! Unplugging from the internet is no easy thing!!

  4. Hi Tash, thanks for dropping by! It’s great that stories can take us away from our everyday and plonk us down somewhere wonderful – one of the joys of being a reader 🙂

  5. Hi Helen and Helene!

    Lovely post. Loved the photos. I have my favourite spots among the flowers in the garden.

    Congratulations on the release of Date With Destiny.

    Thanks Helene for hosting Helen here. Hope you are out of the internet black hole by now!

  6. Hi Sandy – he is indeed beautiful. He gets cranky sometimes but he’s 17 now so I don’t push him too hard. Oh, you have a Mount TNR too….:) Thanks for stopping by.

  7. Helen, Zeb has that beautiful classic thoroughbred head. He looks like a darling, a perfect gentleman.

    Date with Destiny sounds like a fabulous read and one that will be added to Mount TBR.

    Sometimes after writing the last thing I want to do is look at more words—or even use my brain to any extent. So its off with KC the cavalier for a walk in the fresh air.

    All the best with DWD. 🙂

  8. Hi Helen and Helene,
    What a view and a handsome four legged friend. Who wouldn’t like taking walks with him. Our dogs love going for walks on the beach while we’re on holidays. We caught 2 fish today. Migaloo has been seen near Cardwell but we haven’t seen any whales so far this year.

  9. Hi Tash – I do feel lucky to be living in such a fabulous spot. I lived city-ish for a long time and now just love my little corner of paradise.
    Thanks for stopping by 🙂

  10. Hi Helen. Hi Helene. Helen, no wonder you write such beautiful and moving stories, your outlook is amazing, i love it. Yep, it’s settled, I’m moving out of the rat race of Auckland lol. Actually thats one of the reasons I read romances, helps me forget Auckland for a bit. 🙂

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