Love at first bite

Top selling romance novelist, Melanie Milburne

AH romance&&..it can topple kingdoms, move mountains and isnt a bad way of killing time via a novel on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

One of the greats of that genre is coming to Wollongong.

Melanie Milburne is one of Australia's leading romance writers.

On Saturday, February 10 she will host a book signing at "Ever After - The Romance Book Specialists" at Shop 2, 262 Crown Street at 11am.

Ms Milburne became the first Australian writer in a decade to be contracted to write for the Sexy/Presents line of Harlequin Mills and Boon in London. Her books have consistently been on best-seller lists both in the UK and the US as well as in Australia. She writes for the Medical series and is currently on a seven-book a year contract. Melanie is married to a busy Hobart surgeon and has two young adult sons. A keen competitive swimmer with national top ten rankings, she is often seen following the black line of the pool with her head swimming with ideas.

Melanie grew up on a small farm on the outskirts of Sydney and as a keen horse rider, often competed in local gymkhanas and even broke in a few horses from time to time.

As I was surrounded by animals, I decided at an early age to become a nurse, she recalls.

However, I couldnt stand the sight of blood and opted for a career in teaching.

Its a bit ironic that I married a surgeon.

She read her first Mills and Boon novel at 17.

She took the bait, hook, line and sinker, the lure being the traditional tall, dark handsome hero.

In reality I fell in love with him and agreed to marry on our second date, she says.

We moved to Scotland so my husband could work and study for his MD in surgery.

Two lively sons later, I decided teaching was the last thing I wanted to do - I knew when I was beaten!

She went back to University and up-graded her teaching diploma to a degree and intended to do Masters, still feeling that something was missing.

I sat down one day and began writing and everything clicked into place, she says.

I had finally found my brilliant career!

Melanie says she writes from instinct rather than a specific plan.

An idea will pop into my head, she says.

Sometimes it will be just a simple phrase and I'm away!

The characters come to life and virtually tell me what to write.