Sydney-born author Melanie Milburne has written 97 books since she first began penning novels professionally at the age of 40.
“I read my first romance novel, Mills & Boon, when I was 17,” she tells Woman’s Day in our exclusive interview. “A girlfriend handed me one, and I just got completely hooked.”
50 YEARS OF MILLS & BOON
It’s been 50 years since the very first Mills & Boon books hit shelves in Australia. And despite newcomers over the years like the Fifty Shades Of Grey novels, it continues to be one of the most enduring popular romance brands in the world.
The publisher has also been a key champion of women writers over the past five decades.
Melanie explains, “I know that people sort of mock what women read. It’s seen as fluffy and not really serious literature. It’s another way of denigrating women because they’re reading about relationships.”
But rather than be worried about what the haters say, Melanie is proud of what Mills & Boon has done for the romance genre.
“Once upon a time you didn’t see a sex scene on the page, but that has changed,” she said.
Her life and career are a testament to her tenacity and her dedication to making her dream of becoming an author a reality.
“Life got in the way,” she says of her journey to publishing success. “I married a surgeon, had children, we lived overseas and one of our sons has a neurological disorder so I got a bit stuck at home looking after him because of all the doctor’s appointments.”
FINDING THE ONE
“I guess I’d been holding all these stories inside me since I was young and I just wrote. Even though I submitted five and it was quite a long turnaround back then,” she adds of when she finally put pen to page.
After years of creating countless enthralling romance tales, surely Melanie has the secret to finding The One in real life?
“We don’t find a soulmate, we become one,” she says, adding reality is not quite the same as life in the wild and raunchy tales she writes for her legions of fans.
“If there’s only one person in the world for you that is quite negative because what if you don’t find that person? There are many people that you could have a happy relationship with… it’s just finding them, that’s the trick!”
01
Guarded Secrets
from $11.99 at Amazon
Steely detectives and muscle-bound marines abound in this action-packed collection of classic romance. Includes Marine Force Recon and Cavanaugh In Plain Sight.
02
Outback Nurse
from $12 at Big W
Remote Aussie communities, playboy locum doctors and hot-and-bothered nurses collide in this home-grown-themed collection of medical Mills & Boon classics.
03
Reunion in Marriage
from $12 at Big W
Three searing romance novels are set against the high-pressure backdrop of a wedding. Tuscan villas, Italian tycoons, memory loss and cold feet add fuel to the fire!
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