Written by Hana Sheik
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Today I am delighted to welcome author Hana Sheik to my blog with a guest post entitled Researching Is Not Always About Procrastination.
Hana's contemporary romance Second Chance to Wear His Ring is on a blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources, and there's a giveaway to accompany the tour.
Hana's contemporary romance Second Chance to Wear His Ring is on a blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources, and there's a giveaway to accompany the tour.
The blurb:
Second Chance to Wear His RingA forgotten past…
Could pave the way to forever!
When millionaire Mansur Ali is called urgently home to Somaliland, he’s shocked to find that the woman who broke his heart needs his help.
After an accident, Amal has lost many memories…including Manny’s marriage proposal and her rejection!
Manny will help her seek treatment in Addis Ababa, but he’s resolved to keep his heart firmly off-limits.
A promise that is tested when their journey brings them closer than ever before…
Women's Contemporary Fiction
RESEARCHING IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT PROCRASTINATION
We’ve all heard it, writers or not, that research is important to a story.
Even in a contemporary romance like my debut Harlequin Romance/Mills & Boon True Love, Second Chance to Wear His Ring, research played an integral part of shaping the story for me. Where I didn’t research, I used my memories and experience.
Today I’ll be sharing some of the research I did with you to write my first Harlequin Romance. To narrow it down, I chose five research topics I used for Second Chance to Wear His Ring.
1. Amnesia
First up is my research on retrograde amnesia to write the amnesia trope effectively. I love a good amnesia romance. The tension it can bring to a couple is delicious. Then there’s the whole ‘will-they/won’t-they’ aspect that heightens the drama until I’m sitting at the edge of my seat wanting to know if memories will resurface at the last moment and change the course of the story’s ending—
*Deep breath* Whew. As you can tell I love the amnesia trope, and I wanted to do it justice, so I had to ask myself a few things:
• What kind of amnesia does my heroine Amal have?
• Will she or won’t she regain her memories?
• Are some of her memories integral to the main romantic conflict?
I won’t give anything away, but I promise all the answers are in Second Chance to Wear His Ring.
2. Uunsi (or unsi)
Pronounced “oooo-n-see”, the traditional incense is endemic to Somaliland and Somalia. It is a huge part of Somali culture. I grew up with uunsi, and I use it regularly now. The scent is like a cozy hug from my mother. I’ve had uunsi burning in the backdrop of my room/office when I write. I find it both relaxes me and stimulates my creativity. Uunsi is mentioned in the book because it’s so closely Somali that it felt wrong not to reference its use even once.
3. Sambusa
Another staple of Somali culture, sambusa! Sambusa are very similar to samosa. They are little delicious triangle pastries. The pastries are savory, with meat and tuna being the top two sambusa flavors usually made and sold. However, I’ve tried vegetarian-friendly sambusa stuffed with potatoes that taste just as delicious! Again, I mention this once in Second Chance to Wear His Ring because my Somali hero and heroine, Manny and Amal would know what this is.
4. Ethiopian coffee
Ethiopian coffee was new to me! The art of coffee making is part of a whole ceremony in Ethiopia. Besides the result looking delicious, I loved watching Youtube videos and reading blog posts and interviews about how and why Ethiopians have this strong coffee culture. It made for some fascinating research.
5. Bishoftu
Lastly there’s Bishoftu, Ethiopia. This resort town is STUNNING (and yes, I needed those all-caps). I couldn’t do it justice by gushing, but I’ll try. Bishoftu is surrounded by reflective crater lakes and undulating green valleys. The town itself looks amazing! When I found it during my research, I knew I had to set a scene there. In the end I have a chapter set in Bishoftu. A short but sweet chapter that I enjoyed writing and revising tremendously. If you’re looking for places to jot down for future travel, I highly suggest Bishoftu be on your list.
That’s it! I hoped you enjoyed my quick list of topics I researched (or I have experienced) for my book. Second Chance to Wear His Ring is available now.
Loved being here on your blog, Deborah. Thank you for having me!
Second Chance to Wear His Ring:
Amazon (US)
| Author Bio – Hana Sheik |
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 Hana Sheik falls in love every day reading her favourite romances and writing her own happy-ever-afters. She's worked as a data entry operator, customer service rep, telemarketer, and ghostwriter—but being a romance author is without a doubt the best job ever! Born in Somalia, she moved to the beautiful capital of Canada as a toddler, and still lives there happily with her family. |
| Social Media Links – | |
| @HanaSoChic | |
| @HanaSheikAuthor | |
Giveaway to Win 2 x PB copies of Second Chance to Wear His Ring
(Open INT)
*Terms and Conditions – Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
(Open INT)
*Terms and Conditions – Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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