To celebrate the January 1st release of THE JANUARY WISH, the first book in my small town series set in Tarrin’s Bay; The Town of New Beginnings, I’ve started a new interview segment called ‘At Home With…’

Today, we’re paying a visit to coastal romance author, Victoria Purman!

1. Hi Victoria, where are you from and how long have you lived there?

Thanks for having me, Juliet! I’m an Adelaide girl through and through and have lived here my whole life. Some would say that’s pretty boring – others might say it’s lovely!

[Juliet – There’s no place like home! 😉 ]

2. What do you love about the place you call home?

Adelaide has a fantastic food and wine culture and the south coast’s beautiful beaches are only an hour away. When I worked in the city, it only took me twenty minutes to get there from home, so that’s pretty family-friendly, too.

3. Do you have a favourite local cafe, restaurant, bar, club, business, or store? Give them a plug here!

I absolutely love my hairdresser Megan Panozzo from In Awe Salon. I’ve been going to her for more than twenty years and she’s cut my three boys hair since they were were bubs! My other favourite places are those which make the things that sustain writers: Haigh’s chocolates (another South Australian classic) and the wineries Bremerton and Primo Estate.

[Juliet – A good hairdresser is worth their weight in gold!]

4. Do you have any pets? If so, what are their names? (Feel free to share a photo)

I have a very disobedient spoodle called Charlie who absolutely adores me!

[Juliet – I don’t think he’s camera shy either ;)]

5. What is your favourite room in the house and why?

My favourite place in the house is actually not a room, but the deck in the backyard. In summertime, an enormous Acer Negunda (Box Elder) tree gives us a cool canopy to sit under in Adelaide’s scorching heat.

6. If you had to evacuate your house, what three items (apart from people and pets!) would you take?

My Apple Mac – obviously! Passports and some undies!!

7. If you had a magic wand, what’s one thing you would change about your home or your town?

I would drag Adelaide a little closer to New York!

[Juliet – LOL! Not a bad idea.]

8. It’s movie night at your place, the popcorn’s out, and everyone’s nabbed their favourite couch corner or armchair… what movie/s will we watch?

BBC’s “Pride and Prejudice”. “High Fidelity” with John Cusack and “Nacho Libre” with Jack Black.

9. Imagine you have the luxury of a chef for a night and you’ve invited people over for a dinner party, what would you have the chef cook?

The best, juiciest steak… because I panic when I do it, fearing I’ll overcook.

10. Name three books on your To Be Read bookshelf or e-reader:

Nora Roberts “Dark Witch”. Cathryn Hein’s “Heartland” and everything of Amy Andrews. I’ve just finished her latest “Holding out for a Hero” and adored it.

11. Name something unique or uncommon that you have in your pantry or fridge:

Tahini. I make a mean Hommous.

12. If you could live anywhere for one year, where would you go?

New York, New York. Because I may, simply by accident you understand, bump into Ryan Gosling or George Clooney.

13. You’ve just received a phone call from a friend or relative, and they’ll be arriving in five minutes for a visit. What do you do?

a) Relax on the couch until they arrive.

b) Put the kettle on; place some (probably homemade) snacks onto a tray; set the table; put flowers into a vase; and light a candle (and maybe even make some place cards with your super calligraphy skills).

c) Put the kettle on; tip out a few cookies onto a plate; check your reflection in the mirror, and wait.

d) Freak out; shove excess household clutter under beds, in cupboards, drawers, and the garage; trip over something in the process; hold an ice pack to your bruised forehead while swearing profusely; check the mirror to see if you’re still in pyjamas; frantically change into suitable clothing whilst simultaneously holding ice pack to your head; fall over again; alternate ice pack between head and location of new injury; then shove ice pack under bed and greet visitors with the fakest smile of pure calm you can muster.

(a) Relax on the couch. With a half empty bottle of wine, of course!

Thanks for inviting us over, Victoria! 

>>Even though Victoria would probably love you to pay a visit, why not visit her online right now?

Website : Facebook : Twitter : Goodreads : Pinterest

>>And help her pay for that in-house chef (or housekeeper) by buying a copy of her book here:

Kindle : Harlequin :Google Play : Ibookstore : Kobo : Booktopia

>>Victoria’s book: Nobody But Him

She didn’t expect to run into her first love… or to fall back in love with him!

At eighteen, Julia Jones left for the city with a head full of grand plans for an exciting life that certainly didn’t include her home town of Middle Point – a main street with a pub – or Ryan Blackburn.

But fifteen years – and a lifetime later – she’s forced to put her big city life on hold when she heads home to finalise her mother’s estate. Which is where she runs smack bang into the town’s new champion… the same Ryan Blackburn.

The sensible thing to do? Stay the hell away from him and head back to Melbourne as fast as her stilettos can carry her. But Julia finds his offer of a helping hand and a hot body too delicious to refuse and dives into a reckless, one-time fling.

What she doesn’t realise is that tomorrow has a way of sneaking up, and that saying goodbye to her home town – and to Ryan – is much harder the second time around.