The small rituals that help me write my small-town romances

When I’m writing my small-town romances, I can’t always just sit down and expect the vibe to arrive. I kind of have to invite it in. This is how I do it: those little rituals that keep me anchored in that cosy but spicy small-town love story vibe...

Walking my own small town

I try to go for a walk most days. I live in a smallish town in the UK, and walking through it does more for my writing than staring at a screen ever could. I love saying hello to neighbours, passing the same houses, exchanging a bit of gossip. It sets me up for a day getting that sense of community onto my pages.

Lakeside headspace

Solace Springs, where this series is set, is a lakeside small-town. And I’m lucky enough to have a lake right near me, so you'll often find me walking around that lake. I find walking near water instantly puts me back inside that world. Calm on the surface, plenty going on underneath. I love how the water changes the pace of my thoughts and gives feelings somewhere to surface.

Chai lattes and small-town timing

When I'm at my desk, I love drinking a chai latte, usually somewhere between 10.30am and 11am (yep, I'm that precise!). There’s something about chai – the smell and taste – that immediately pulls me into cosy romance mode. It feels like a proper small-town drink. So yep, that slow-burn romance energy starts there for me.

Making the space cosy enough to write in

I can’t write cosy romance in harsh light, so my office is deliberately soft. I have this gorgeous tree motif on the wall which really gets me in that romance fiction vibe. There are also lamps everywhere. I honestly feel the atmosphere matters when writing emotional romance and that slow-burn attraction. I guess I need the space to feel like the story I'm telling.

Candles that feel like spring

Candles are non-negotiable. When I was working on my spring small-town romance,The Cherry Blossom Boathouse, I went for scents that felt like the season turning. Blossom, obvs! Plus fresh linen, cut grass. Those scents helped make me feel like I right there in the bookshop romance vibes.

Fresh flowers and soft focus

I try to keep fresh flowers in the room while I write. Spring flowers while writing The Cherry Blossom Boathouse, especially tulips, daffodils, ranunculus, hyacinths. I guess they kind of remind me how romance novels thrive on that softness.

My dog assistant, Bronte

And then there’s Bronte, my dog assistant, who takes her role verrrrrry seriously. She’s always nearby, always snoring (!), always looking adorable. She’s not unlike Coral, Luke’s dog in The Cherry Blossom Boathouse. A constant presence plus reminder that life keeps moving around the romance with routines like dog walks and lunchtime snackathons.

So where we have it! This is how I stay inside the world in my imagination long enough for it to feel true. And I hope that energy comes across in my Solace Springs Romance Series. If you’re curious about the kind of cosy, steamy small-town romance that grows out of this headspace, The Cherry Blossom Boathouse is where Solace Springs begins.