Wednesday, July 31, 2013

40 for 40 - Chantelle Shaw

Today's special gust posting on my blog is Chantelle Shaw. Chantelle herself has told you how we first met, so there's  no need for me to do that! It's funny that she describes feeling very nervous when I remember a petite, smiling, and very  easy to get to know blonde!

I'm specially enjoying being able to host Chantelle here today because she's another of my gusts who's appearing  on my blog on her own very special day As you'll see from her post, today is Chantelle's own 31st wedding anniversary - so I'm delighted that she wanted to share her day with me - and my readers.

Welcome Chantelle! And a very Happy Anniversary to you and Adrian.




Congratulations to Kate and Steve on your Ruby wedding anniversary! Wishing you many more happy years in the future!


I met Kate at the first Harlequin Mills & Boon author party I attended in 2006. I was very new, and very nervous as I walked into a room full of strangers who were all successful authors. Star-struck and feeling horribly shy, I remember almost wishing that I hadn’t come – but then a friendly voice introduced herself as Kate Walker. Of course I recognized the name as I had read many Kate Walker books. Kate – Kate, immediately made me feel welcome, we chatted for ages and she introduced me to the other guests.


I don’t think Kate has any idea how grateful I felt that she took me under her wing that evening.

Later I met ‘the babe magnet’ and found Steve as kind and charming as Kate. It’s no surprise that these two lovely people are celebrating forty years of marriage!


My husband Adrian and I are celebrating our 31st wedding anniversary at the end of July. Yep – I was a child bride too! My great-grandmother, grandmother and mum had all got married at nineteen and had their first baby by the age of twenty-one. That won’t be me, I said – but that’s exactly what I did!


Despite having very little money we had a wonderful wedding. My aunt made the bridesmaids’
dresses, friends and family helped with the catering, (my grandmother’s homemade elderberry wine was so strong it was probably illegal!) and Mum grew all the flowers for my bouquet in her garden! Talk about ‘homespun’ but it was a magical day! I still love looking at our wedding photos, especially the one with the wedding cake that is leaning to one side like the tower of Pisa!


I know that Adrian and I have been very lucky. We were so young when we married and had to grow up fast as baby number one was followed at two-yearly intervals by another five children! Eventually someone took pity on us and bought us a TV!


I love writing romance novels and my books usually end with a wedding. My next book is due for release in September. His Unexpected Legacy is set in Sicily and tells the story of Sergio and Kristen’s rather rocky romantic journey as they deal with misunderstandings and past hurts before they can look to a happy future together. This is a duet book, and Sergio’s twin brother Salvatore’s story is told in Secrets of a Powerful Man, due out in November.

I am giving away a copy of HIs Unexpected Legacy to someone who answers my question in the comments.


 My  question  is - 'What is the worst prank to have been played on newlyweds?'



(Adrian and I spent our wedding night at our new flat, and his best man had hung a kipper behind the curtain in the  bedroom, in full sunlight for a whole day! The smell was unbelievable)! 




You can find Chantelle's web site here-  and she also has a  Facebook page.

13 comments:

Sally said...

A couple I knew left the reception to their waiting car - a yellow Mini - to find it had been wrapped in toilet paper, all over the car from bonnet to boot and underneath to over the top, trailing toilet roll all the way down the road. They were not best pleased!

Anonymous said...

It must have looked so funny! I hope your friends saw the joke later, Sally. And at least they began married life with plenty of toilet roll!

Had a lovely day out with Adrian on our 31st anniversary.

Chantelle

Caroline said...

Sally, at least they were on a roll! Happy anniversary to you as well chantelle. The only thing I can can think of is not so much a prank but it was when rice was thrown at the happy couple. Rice got in the brides eye and it hurt so much that she cried throughout the wedding photos. Caroline xx

chantelle said...

Oh - that's awful, Caroline. Who would have thought that getting married could be so dangerous!

On my sister in laws wedding day the wedding car didn't turn up and she had to travel to the church in her father's very small car. Trying to get into the car in her long dress, she banged her nose and had a nose bleed!

Chantelle

jaganderson said...

A very shy and devout couple came back from their honeymoon to move into her childhood bedroom for a few weeks until their house was ready. While they were gone younger brother snuck into their bedroom and tied cowbells to the mattress springs. It was not until they moved into their own home that they felt they could relax.

chantelle said...

Poor things! Without giving away too many details - Adrian and I spent our honeymoon at a farmhouse bed & breakfast. Our room was next door to the very dour Yorkshire farmer and his wife, and our bed creaked if you so much as looked at it!

Chantelle

Caroline said...

Honestly, chantelle I'm not sniggering. Honest!

Chantelle said...

To make things worse, we had to go to bed at 9pm when the farmer switched all the lights off - and there was no TV in the bedroom. It was only a week but it seemed like a very long honeymoon!

Caroline said...

Still not sniggering, honest ;)

Mary Preston said...

I don't like pranks of any kind. I tend to find them mean.

I've only seen mild things like shaving cream writing all over the 'get away car'.

bn100 said...

losing the marriage license

Eli Yanti said...

Don't find any pranks

Quincy said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 

Home Bio Books USA Readers Writers Contests Events Blog Links

Join Kate's Newsletter

Email Kate

Modified and Maintained by HR Web Concepts