★ Scarlett’s Banter ★

Sexy as Sin Filthy Rich Book Boyfriends.

Red-Hot Passion.

Bom tarde/Good afternoon, sexy readers!

I’m back!

Jetlag is real, y’all. My body still doesn’t know what time it is.

I’m slowly catching up, but it’s hard to get back into it when I spent 14 days in a country that is incapable of spelling the word cloud.

More on that later, along with more photos at the end of this banter.

There are so many things to love about Portugal—the people, the bread, the olive oil, the olives, ripe fruit, veggies, inexpensive lip-smacking wine, tasty meat and chicken, incredible ice cream, and the list goes on.

Don’t get me started on the breathtaking views, especially the seaside ones.

And of course, the heavenly weather.

I was chatting up a restaurateur on my last day, and he was going on about the new dessert menu he was planning for the month of September. I commented that it would be great for autumn as the season changes. He looked at me like I had two heads and they he schooled me by letting me know that in Lisbon, in September, it’s still hot. I made a face because in September, in the North Pole, it’s not hot. That’s when you start mentally preparing yourself for days with little sunlight and Siberian winters that never end.

Now, I understand why everyone is talking about Portugal.

The temperature was a dream. It hit 39°C in the Algarve and when I returned to Lisbon, it hit 40°C. Even with sunblock, I got sunburn. That said, I’ll take sunburn over the crappy, rainy summer we had (and still having) in the North Pole.

So, what did I not like about Portugal?

Although, I had watched numerous YouTube videos and read about it on multiple blogs, I wasn’t prepared for the sharp hills and never ending stairs in Lisbon, Porto, and in so many other towns/cities. Although, I have yet to go back to the gym since the mandatory lockdown and travel restrictions ended in the North Pole (Sept 2022), I consider myself a fit person. I’ve always been a hardcore gym goer, and since the pandemic, I’ve made it a point to walk an hour and a half 5 to 6 times a week.

That wasn’t enough to prepare me for Portugal. Sometimes, I wanted to explore more of the neighbourhoods, but mentally, I was defeated by the hills or the stairs.  I’m still scratching my head, trying to figure out how the Portuguese do it. How are you supposed to drag bags of groceries up 8 million stairs to your apartment or up a hill that has the same incline as Mount Everest?

I guess you get used to it because I’ve seen plenty of older people strolling around.

Another thing that was a shock was the number of tourists. Cities like Lisbon, Porto, and areas like the Algarve aren’t big because Portugal isn’t a big country and the streets are quite narrow. Between the Pope and people exploring this amazing country, there were tourists everywhere. In Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve, it felt claustrophobic. I could’ve gone at another time of the year, but I wanted to experience the different facets of Portugal.

I’m sure locals nowhere to go to hide from tourists.

Did I get any inspiration for future stories while I was in Portugal?

You bet!

While I was in Nazaré, I was hit with an idea for a plot I intend on using in an upcoming book. Dare I say, I could totally see myself going back to Nazaré for a writing retreat. Or better yet, to write the book in that breathtaking seaside town.

I’m sure over the next few days, and as I go through my photos, other ideas will pop into my head.

Portugal doesn’t have a monopoly on 350+ days of sunshine a year.

Southern California is another place where they can barely spell the word cloud.

And that’s where my Los Angeles billionaires reside.

In both series––Billionaire Hotshots and Billionaire Moguls––I exploit the ride up the coast of Malibu.

A lot of you discovered my books through Beckett, and since most of us have bulging TBRs—thank you Tik Tok, I wanted to make sure you don’t forget to indulge in the spicy romance of all the alpha billionaires in the series.

To all the readers wanting to know when Gage’s book is coming out.

Because I’m going over my back list to prepare it for audiobooks, Gage’s grumpy/sunshine romance what do you publish until next year.

But in the meantime, there are nine sexy as sin filthy rich book boyfriends to indulge in… along with all my other delicious but boyfriends.

Binge-read both series now!

Billionaire Hotshots Series

Billionaire Moguls Series

Happy reading!

More photos of Portugal!

Portugal has the most beautiful tile

Lots of stairs and inclines. Restaurants have to adapt.

Restaurant in Porto that has cocks hanging from the ceiling

I witnessed 2 wild fires while I was in Portugal

Fatima, Portugal

About the photo above: these devote Catholics walk on their knees for a long stretch as they pray.

Beautiful Portugal. ☀️ There are NO clouds in Portugal. None.

And Quermesse in Lisbon

This is the restaurant where I was chatting up the restaurateur. Although the owner is Portuguese and a chef is Brazilian, the porcini risotto was to die for. I didn’t expect that outside of Italy. The dessert—Greek portokalopita—had me seeing God. I had it on my second visit because I was too stuffed after the porcini risotto.

 

Come and hangout!

Scarlett Avery’s VIP Squad

Chat soon!

XOXOXO