Sunday, August 26, 2012

Sunday Six...

It's been a while since I've joined in with Six Sentence Sunday fun, but it's a holiday this weekend in the UK and apparently it's going to rain and blow - no change there, there - so I thought we'd probably all be indoors putting out feet up with a book.

This is from WILD LADY the second book in the Beaumont Brides trilogy. The first, WILD JUSTICE can be downloaded free (there are links on the sidebar). Or the entire trilogy is available in one collection


Startled by the sudden switch she froze. But as his body moulded itself to her, his arms about her waist lifting her from the floor, taking her weight, all the anger at being set up like this seeped away from her and she bunched his sweater beneath her fingers, clinging to him.
Somewhere in the back of her mind she could hear the audience clapping, counting out the seconds as the kiss went on and on. But this final humiliation didn't seem to matter. Nothing seemed to matter, except the heat of Gabriel MacIntyre's mouth and the slow, deliberate way in which he was taking possession of her.
Then, suddenly it was over and as she leaned back against his arm, her hair falling back from her face, his eyes were shuttered, giving her no clue to the way he was feeling. 

Don't forget to check out other Six Sentence Sunday blogs and hether you have a holiday this weekend or not, I hope it's a good one.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Hitting the bestseller list...

There's been a certain amount of excitement in the Liz Fielding/Jackie Braun/Nicola Marsh camp this week as our three-in-one anthology, Bombshell for the Boss, is creeping up the Amazon UK Contemporary Romance list.

Boardroom bundle of joy! As Events Manager it’s up to Sylvie Smith to settle up for a wedding that never happened! Since the ex-groom hired her they’ve shared undeniable chemistry – and avoided each other at all costs! Now, a steamy encounter results in an unexpected surprise

Kristen Lewis’s decision to have one perfect night with sexy entrepreneur Nathan Boyd was totally out of character! She puts it behind her…until she’s faced with two shocks. She’s pregnant and Nate is her new boss!

When tycoon Bryan Caliborn first meets pregnant Morgan Stevens, she goes into labour. Mother of his late brother’s child, Morgan appreciates the support offered by this once-burned bachelor – but surely he’s just doing it out of duty? 

As of this moment it's at #11 - just below That Book. :) Check it out here

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Riva is back...

This was all over Facebook this morning!


Here's a closer look at the new cover on Flirting With Italian.


 So? What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Don't be shy. Enquiring minds want to know.

And if you haven't already read it, this new look edition will be available on the Mills and Boon website from 1st September. I won't let you forget!

Oh, and before I forget - a save the day note: I'll be giving a mini workshop in Melksham Libraryat 7pm on 18 September as part of the SYTYCW writing challenge.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

A Room of One's Own...

"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction. "
Virginia Woolf

I'm not sure that's true today. I'm not sure if it was ever true. Mrs Gaskell, I understand, wrote on the corner of the dining room table - something I've done myself on many occasions. My first "office" was a very moveable space that shifted in response to the needs of the family.

That all changed when we built a writing cottage the bottom of the garden in Wales. But I shared that, too, with the best beloved and his cameras and his computers.

In our new home in Wiltshire, the top floor has two lovely rooms. One for him and one for me. Mine is beginning to shape up into a proper writing space. I now have a big table for my computer, a small table for the dictionary I can't lift. The cupboard I brought with me, that holds my stationery. And now it has bookshelves.

The best beloved excelled himself yesterday, with drill and saw and screwdriver and I now have 48' of space on which to place all those copies of my books that had been living in boxes for weeks. All my research and reference books.

There's space for the iPod thingie that the BB gave me (and the iPod when we find it!) And my Ritas are no longer being used as doorstops but are sitting front and centre, looking very shiny after a polish.

The bottom shelf is for ringbinders. The boring ones, full of tax records, receipts, business stuff. And the exciting ones filled with possibilities. Photographs, newspaper and magazines articles, stories that are waiting for me to have time to give them their day. Files stuffed with ideas.  (I'd take pictures, but the camera is two flights down!)

A room of one's own may not be essential, but it is a delight.


Tuesday, August 07, 2012

NEW TALENT AWARD

NEW TALENT AWARD AIMS TO UNCOVER FUTURE STARS

The Festival of Romance is delighted to announce that the New Talent Award will run again this year. The industry judges are Georgina Hawtrey-Woore senior editor at Cornerstones, Random House and Diane Banks, literary agent at the Diane Banks Associates Literary Agency.

The Festival of Romance New Talent Award aims to cast a spotlight on the authors of tomorrow and is open to all writers who have not yet had a book commercially published. Writers may submit the opening chapter (up to 3,500 words) of a romantic novel of any type by 30th September 2012. The winner and runners-up will be announced and presented with trophies at the gala Festival of Romance Awards on Friday 16th November 2012. There is a small entry fee to cover the award administration. Entrants may also gain a critique of their entry written by a professional novelist.

“As part of the Festival of Romance we want to help new writers with talent get their break into the commercial fiction world,” says Kate Allan, chief romantic at the Festival of Romance. “At the Festival of Romance in November we are running writing workshops, an industry conference and chance to meet publishers face to face as well as the New Talent Award. I'm delighted that Georgina Hawtrey-Woore and Diane Banks have agreed to judge this year's entries.”

Winner of the 2011 New Talent Award Henriette Gyland subsequently garnered a book deal from publishers Choc Lit. Her debut novel Up Close will be published in December 2012.

For more details about how to enter the New Talent Award please see www.festivalofromance.co.uk

If you need help with your own writing, there are some tips on Elaine Pillay's blog today, along with a chance to win my Little Book of Writing Romance!  

Monday, August 06, 2012

Celebrating Kate Hardy's 50th book...

I'm over at Kate Hardy's blog today joining in the party to celebrate the release of her 50th book,  The Hidden Heart of Rico Rossi.

Do come and say hello to Kate and maybe win a copy of
Eloping With Emmy for your ereader.

In fact put her on your auto-visit blog because we're all lining up to cheer one of the most popular (and busy) authors in the Mills and Boon family. There will be books galore to win from authors all over the world.

Happy 50th Kate!


Saturday, August 04, 2012

London Olympics...

I loved the opening ceremony which was all about us as a nation, and not thousands of children doing physical jerks. Haven't managed to get to anything, but have sat enraptured as brilliant people gave it their all.

My daughter, her husband and littlest had an absolutely wonderful time in the pool this week (only five rows back!). Veda Mae gave them celebrity status - everyone wanted to talk. She behaved like a perfect lady, entranced by the reflections of the water and sent to sleep by the noise (she wakes up when it's quiet!)