by Jennie Lucas

What’s your dream vacation?

A week in a sunny 19th-century villa in Tuscany, being waited on by a staff of four?

Or a week developing your dream career, attending a small intensive class as bestselling author Sharon Kendrick personally teaches you how to write a book for Harlequin Presents?

What if you could do both?

Two months ago, while doing research for my fifth book for Presents, I stumbled over an article in an online British newspaper about a weeklong workshop: “How to Write for Mills & Boon”. (Mills & Boon is the British side of Harlequin that edits and publishes Modern/Presents.) The idea of hanging out in Italy with other romance authors, and getting the chance to meet Sharon Kendrick in the bargain, instantly caught my imagination. “If only I could go,” I sighed to myself. “If only I could do something so wonderful.”

Then, suddenly, it happened. I mentioned the trip to my wonderful husband, and he thought it would be a great present for my upcoming 36th birthday. I got my airline ticket, and suddenly there was no backing out.

I was scared when the day came. It’s fun to dream about solo travel, but scary to actually do it! The quickest flight I could find to the Pisa airport took 22 hours (I live in Idaho) and arrived two hours late. But, miracle of miracles, someone was waiting for me—Kerstin, the house manager of the Watermill at Posara, whisked me away for the two-hour drive through the cragged mountains of northern Tuscany.

The setting

The Watermill is a beautiful nineteenth-century house nestled into a valley in the green mountains of northern Tuscany. There are no shops, no television, no newspapers, not even an alarm clock to disturb the serene setting. Just elegant apartments set around a courtyard, the sound of the nearby river, and a staff of four to prepare our meals and serve us cocktails on the veranda at sunset.

If you can’t get inspired here, you’re not a romance writer!

The Star

I was nervous to meet Sharon Kendrick. With 70 published books to her credit, she had the right to act like a posh diva. Would she?

I needn’t have worried. Sharon descended on me in a whirl of gorgeous British glamour and charm. “Jennie!” Two cheek kisses. “Hello, so glad to meet you!” Sharon Kendrick is not only a vastly talented writer, but she is outgoing and effervescent—rare for a writer, I think—and made everyone around her relax. Easygoing and gorgeous, she would teach us the basic craft of writing a book in just a week—and make it fun!

The students

Ten students signed up for the creative writing course—the maximum allowed—but three canceled at the last minute when they heard the BBC was sending a film crew. Since it’s Mills & Boon’s centenary, British newspapers and television are doing stories all year about what has made the romance novels so popular for 100 years. The BBC sent a film crew for the last two days of the course, while presenter and author Stella Duffy learned “how to write romances for the 21st century” as part of an hourlong documentary. (But more about the BBC later…)

The students were all women, and aside from me, all British. We ranged in age from early 30s to early 60s. We were single, married, divorced, widowed. We had no children, young children, grown children, grandchildren. Most were new to the craft of writing. All so different and yet all with the same dream of writing. Sharon, Rachael, Veronica, Susan, Carol, Becks, Rachel and I quickly became fast friends. And getting to know this fantastic group of women, it occurred to me that we were all at a crossroads in our lives.

For example, take Becks, who is in her early forties, and whose real-life fiancé often disappears for weeks to the most dangerous places on earth for his job. Becks had just helped get the mayor of London elected, but tired of “not having a life” and working sixteen-hour days, she’d turned down a high-powered job as his assistant. This workshop kicked off her new life following her childhood dream—becoming a romance writer.

All of my fellow students had families, jobs, interesting lives. But all of us were looking back to the dreams we’d had as girls—and deciding it was time to have the lives we’d always wanted. It was time to seize the day.

During each session of the workshop, we had to write. I was amazed when the other students read their work out loud. So much talent! But one person stood out above the rest with her dedication.

Introducing: Rachael Lloyd

Rachael Lloyd is a Welsh farmer’s wife with two young children. She is kept very busy with her “day job” taking care of her family and home and cooking for all the men on the farm. A few years ago, she realized she wanted to write for Harlequin Mills & Boon.

“For the last three years,” Rachael told me earnestly, “I’ve spent every spare minute focused on Mills & Boon. Reading the lines. Writing my book.”

Rachael was the only other student who’d completed a manuscript. She is a frequent poster on the I Heart Presents website, and even entered the Instant Seduction contest a few weeks ago. Her submission didn’t win, but she’s determined to keep trying.

Rachael practically hummed with her dedication. She’d recently submitted her book to the New Writers Scheme, and was anxiously awaiting to hear back. As a Harlequin subscriber, she’d made herself an expert on all the lines. (“Oh the sexiest one? I think you mean Blaze.”) She knew all the authors. And though she’d finished one manuscript, she was already starting on the next one. Keep your eye on this girl. I think we’ll hear from her again.

Just like we’ve recently heard from Sabrina Philips, an attendee of Sharon’s autumn 2006 writing workshop who just sold to Harlequin Presents on her first submission. Sabrina’s book, Valenti’s One-Month Mistress, will be out in February 2009.

So what did Sharon Kendrick teach us in her class? And what was it like to have it all filmed by the BBC?

More about that in Part 2…

Jennie Lucas’s August Presents title is Caretti’s Forced Bride – don’t miss it!

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