We caught up with Mills & Boon Modern author Amanda Cinelli to chat about her writing journey, inspiration and tips!

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You write for the Mills and Boon Modern series – these contemporary romances are packed with heat, luxury, and alpha heroes. What’s your favourite thing about writing Modern romances?

My favourite thing about Modern is the endless possibilities for fabulous settings. I love that I can travel all around the world in my research for the stories I dream up. I like to do up Pinterest boards for all of my stories and once I know the country (or countries!) I’m working with, I often go onto google maps street view and “walk” around cities to find places to set scenes in. It’s not just procrastination – I swear!

Can you tell us a bit about how you started writing for Mills & Boon?

I grew up as an avid Mills and Boon reader and romance is still my absolute favourite genre to read so it was no surprise that when I decided I wanted to try my hand at writing a book- id choose a love story! I entered a competition called So You Think You Can Write in 2011 with a story I’d been working on about a stressed-out wedding planner on a mission to get a venue deal from the playboy owner of a Sicilian castle. I didn’t get through, but I did get a request to see more. I had a problem though…I hadn’t written the book yet! I was also busy planning my own wedding at the time, so I let my dream go for a while and got busy with my own happily ever after. Two years later in 2014 I was on maternity leave with my first baby, and I decided to try again. I entered the same competition with the same first chapter, but this time…I WON! It was a dream come true and my very first Modern- Resisting the Sicilian Playboy was published in October 2015.

What was the inspiration behind your new book, Pregnant in the Italian’s Palazzo?

This is the third book in a trilogy loosely inspired by Greek mythology where Zeus is a recently deceased billionaire despot who leaves a stipulation in his will for his three estranged sons. The first to marry…gets everything! The first two books are centred around the myth of Eros and Psyche (Stolen In Her Wedding Gown) and Pandora’s Box (The Billionaire’s Last-Minute Marriage) and they both begin on the same day, following the bride and groom in a Manhattan wedding that all goes VERY wrong. This book also begins on that same ill-fated wedding day, but follows the bridesmaid who got stranded in the chaos. It’s loosely inspired by the myth of Dionysus and Ariadne and I had so much fun weaving in little easter eggs and nods to the myths throughout this entire trilogy.

Our Modern books often feature the workplace romance, surprise baby and playboy boss tropes. Do you have a favourite trope to read and write?

My favourite trope to read in Modern has always been marriage of convenience. I just love the drama and intensity of two people falling for one another (or trying NOT to fall) after they’ve already made their wedding vows. As a writer, I love to play with this trope as much as I can.

What does your writing routine typically look like?

I have three little girls at home, ages 4, 6 and 8 so my writing routine isn’t really a routine at all most days. I try to get my writing time done in between school runs and I usually set a fairly realistic goal to hit by end of each day. When I’m writing a first draft, I set a timer for forty minutes solid writing focus and I usually get between 500-1000 words written per block on a good day. If I use dictation software, I can get double that but it tends to need a lot of editing and fixing up after. When I’m in the editing stage of a book, I tend to work longer hours as that’s the part I find the hardest and takes the most energy for me to get through and stay focused. I write at home at my desk mostly as I struggle to focus in a café or library where there are other people around. When I’m in a pinch and need more time in the evenings or at the weekend, I head out in my car to write in the silence alone. It all sounds a bit chaotic, but I promise I do love it!

What was your favourite thing about writing a book set in Italy?

My dad is Italian so I love writing books set in Italy. I love the food, the culture, the stunning settings. But most of all, I love playing around with the small family dynamics or cultural references that I find endearing or funny from my own experiences. In this book, Nysio has some lovely moments with this parents that I really enjoyed and I loved being in Aria’s perspective watching these interactions!

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?

I regularly stalk my fellow Dublin based Modern author Abby Green for dinner along with Heidi Rice (who is technically English but we let her visit sometimes). They have been kind enough to pass along some fabulous advice over the past eight years but the best has always been to just keep your head down, write the best book you can and try not to get too distracted by the world around you.  

Can you tell us your favourite trait about Aria from Pregnant in the Italian’s Palazzo?

Aria is a plus-size woman who has done a lot of work getting to a point of acceptance and confidence in her body and I can really relate to that myself. It was important to me to have a heroine on the cover who reflected that and I am absolutely delighted with this one. The red dress, her red hair….its all absolutely perfect! But my favourite thing about Aria is how she accepts and manages her ADHD brain and all the quirks and challenges it may present. She was such a fun, strong and funny character to write, I honestly missed her once the book was done and I hope readers feel the same.

Can you tell us your favourite trait about Nysio from Pregnant in the Italian’s Palazzo?

Nysio is a very grumpy, reclusive type of hero who is dealing with a very shocking family revelation at the beginning of this book. My favourite thing about him is his strong family values and how much effort he puts In to always try to do his best for the people he loves. He suffers pretty badly from anxiety and has done since he was a child and he spent a long time trying to mask this perceived deficit in himself while putting his family legacy first. I love that through him unapologetically accepting Aria for who she is, he finds himself supported and accepted to live as his best self too. Also…he is instantly obsessed from the first moment he sees Aria and I don’t think I’ve ever had as much fun writing a hero.

Last question! Flowers or chocolate?

Both! But I never get flowers so I’d choose a lovely bunch of spring tulips.

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Pregnant in the Italian’s Palazzo by Amanda Cinelli

Weeks after their passionate encounter on his private jet, Nysio can’t get fashion designer Aria out of his head. He’s determined to finish what they started! Only once she’s in his palazzo they discover something truly life-changing—her unexpected pregnancy!

Read now in eBook or in paperback which also features Cinderella Hired For His Revenge by Emmy Grayson.

By Lauren Gardiner