Monday, October 29, 2012

Sharpening the writing pencil...

Here's Gromit, guarding my writing tools. I'm not entirely sure what the pliers are doing in there - maybe I can use them to extract an plot.

Just as the moment I'm sharpening the my writing pencil - okay, pen - for the start of a new book. While I write straight to my computer these days, I still feel the need for a notebook and a good pen when I'm brain storming. That way I can fly off in whatever direction I want, unconstrained by the "enter" key. A list just doesn't work in the same way as a plot spider.

After a couple of really difficult books, during which I was too distracted by outside goings on (ie, selling and moving house) to concentrate on plotting, I've decided that flying into the mist is just too much hard work and I need to plot like a grown up.

I've done it before. I had a plot when I wrote The Sheikh's Unsuitable Bride and that worked, brilliantly. And I had one when I wrote Reunited: Marriage in a Million, because I was writing it as a trilogy with Barbara Hannay and Jackie Braun and we were assigned an editor who had never worked with me before - and we all needed to know what was going on. I didn't stick very closely to my original plan, to be honest, but a plot is not a straightjacket, it's a  road. The department point is known, the destination is clear, but sometimes the satnav takes you on the scenic route.

It'll be fine. I've got the notebook. I've got the pen. All I need now, is an idea. A story idea - one that asks questions.
  • Who are these characters who've turned up in my head? 
  • What is the driving ambition that keeps them focussed on the future? What do they have to prove?
  • Why are they at this point in their lives? 
  • What is going to happen to bring them together?
  • Why is he the last person in the world she should fall in love with?
  • Why, when she is the opposite of everything his world represents, does he keep coming back?
  • What fear will keep them from making a commitment?
The more questions I ask, the more I can see their world.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

The never-ending book...

The never ending book, the one that I started before I moved house and began to think I'd never finish, is finally done. It is the second in my ice cream trilogy - the first was Tempted By Trouble.

This is Sorrel's story - the middle sister - the one who loves vintage clothes and plans to be a millionaire by the time she's twenty-five.

The title, which I absolutely love, is ANYTHING BUT VANILLA, and it will be published as a Riva title in the UK and in the new KISS imprint in the United States next year.


Before that, however, I will be republishing three of my "vintage" books, A Stranger's Kiss, Dangerous Flirting and Old Desires in eBook format. Here's a taste of the covers to come!


STOP PRESS!

In case you've missed it, I'm running a "special" on Eloping With Emmy on Amazon - that's worldwide - during October. You can pick it upfor 99c in the United States, 77p in the UK and .89€ in Germany and the rest of the EU.

Friday, October 19, 2012

New picture

I have a new author photograph (taken at a recent AMBA lunch) which will, shortly, be on my Mills and Boon author page. The hair survived the rain!





STOP PRESS!

In case you've missed it, I'm running a "special" on Eloping With Emmy on Amazon - that's worldwide - during October. You can pick it upfor 99c in the United States, 77p in the UK and .89€ in Germany and the rest of the EU.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

She's So Over Him...

I'm absolutely thrilled to introduce new Riva author, Joss Wood. Her fabulous debut book, She's So Over Him, is part of the relaunch package for the series and has been attracting a lot of attention. Joss herself, is from South Africa, adding to the international chutpah of a series that has authors from four of the five continents.

Welcome, Joss!


For a newbie author such as myself, it’s such an honour to be on your blog, Liz. Thank you so much for inviting me

My name is Joss Wood and writing has always been an escape, a compulsion, something I’ve dallied with all my life. It’s essentially to my mental well being so I’m absolutely thrilled to be contracted to write books for the Mill’s and Boon’s Riva line. My debut book, She’s So Over Him, was released in September this year and my second book, Wild About the Man, will be released in January 2013

I was a finalist in the Voice of Africa/Essentials magazine Short Story writing competition in 2010 and was placed third in 2011. It was through this competition that my first book was brought to the notice of the Mills and Boon Editors.

About Me…

I live in a rural town in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa in an area surrounded by wild game farms and stunning mountains. Totally spoilt, it’s not unusual for me to see rhinoceros and giraffe, antelope and zebra while driving to visit my family in a neighbouring town.

I run on coffee and drink far too much of it! When I’m not writing or being a hands-on Mom to two very busy kids, I work for a non-profit organization to promote the local economic development and the collective business interests of our town and area, where my background in business, local government and marketing comes in handy. My hobbies include coaching my daughter’s field hockey team, meeting my friends for a before-work cappuccino or an after-work cup of tea and reading, reading, reading. I read everything; from romance to romantic suspense to real life crime to sci-fi…

Travel is hugely important to both my husband and I and I’m happiest with a rucksack on my back and an airplane ticket in my hand and have been so fortunate to indulge my passion for travel by visiting many countries within Southern Africa, Europe and America.  

About writing…

While I’m working on a manuscript, I always have ideas bubbling away in the background. As an idea comes to me for a new book− or a heroine/hero with a problem−  I jot them down and carry on writing. When I’m waiting for revisions to come back from my editor, I go through those ideas again to see if any of the premises/ ideas jump up and shout ‘write me, write me!’ If they do, I start fleshing the story out, if not I pace the floor, eat cookies and worry whether I’ll ever write another book again.  

About She’s So Over Him….

Cale and Maddie. Complicated. Stubborn. So completely right for each other but so determined to keep each other at an emotional distance while ripping each other’s clothes off…

I absolutely adore them and loved writing every moment of this, my debut novel for Mills and Boon Riva. She’s So Over Him is set in beautiful Cape Town and tells the story of Maddie, a very successful event co-ordinator and Cale, a sports psychologist and triathlon maniac.

So as Maddie helps Cale organise a charity triathlon race in memory of his twin Oliver, Maddie and Cale jump into a physical relationship that they both want but neither realise lead to them inviting these pesky little feelings like tenderness and friendship and protectiveness into their lives. They’re both smart, successful individuals but neither of them knows how to deal with love… She’s So Over Him is available at: Amazon UK and Mills and Boon




With a big thanks to Liz and my very best wishes!

Joss
xxx

PS: I love to connect with readers on Twitter @josswoodbooks; on Facebook – Joss Wood9 and at my blog so pop along and say hello.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Christina Hollis introduces her Lady Rascal!

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Christina Hollis, both colleague and friend, to my blog today.

Christina has just launched an eBook edition of, Lady Rascal - an opportunity for new fans to catch up with one of her earlier historical romances from the fabulous Masquerade series.

Over to you, Christina!

Thanks, Liz, for inviting me here today.

When it’s cold and grey outside, it’s lovely to escape to the land of books and blogs where the sun is always shining somewhere, for someone!

Early in my writing career my husband and I abandoned city life in Bristol and “emigrated” across the Severn Bridge. We now live in the middle of a bluebell wood on the Welsh border. Our move was made in a quieter, much more leisurely period when milk was delivered to the house, computers were a novelty and breaking news stories unfolded over days, not minutes.

While I was immersed in this pre-Internet nirvana, I wrote a series of historical romances for the Harlequin Masquerade line. With so many advances in technology I’ve now brought out one of these, Lady Rascal, as an ebook. It’s available from all the platforms including Amazon and iTunes.

It has a very different flavour from my latest Harlequin Mills and Boon Modern Romance, The Count’s Prize, so I’m including an extract here as a little taster.

Releasing Lady Rascal like this is by way of an experiment to see what you, the reader, thinks of the way Madeleine and Philip’s story unfolds. I’d love to hear your thoughts on its different style, and there are a couple of signed books from my backlist on offer for comments picked at random, by Liz. Happy reading!

It is high summer in the England of 1789. Madeleine has been rescued from the riots of Paris by Philip Adamson, an English gentleman. He has brought her back to the safety of his beautiful English country estate. She has witnessed his close friendship with his neighbour Leonora Wright, and watched him laughing with noisy socialite Kitty Pettigrew - but it is Madeleine he has invited into the garden to listen to birdsong...

Madeleine thought back to the hustling, bustling streets of Paris. They were never quiet, no matter what the hour of day or night. This was so very restful.

‘I fancy it grows chillier by the minute,’ Madeleine said when they had sat together quietly for some time. There was still neither sight nor sound of any nightingale.

‘Do you wish to return to the house, mademoiselle?’ Adamson said quietly.

‘The bird does seem to have deserted us, sir. And you have to think of what Miss Leonora would say if she knew we were out here alone together, with no good reason!’ 

‘She wouldn’t mind. In fact, she said that you and I ought to talk together more often.’ 

Madeleine half turned to him and smiled, but he was studying the grass at his feet. ‘I think Miss Wright has a kind heart,’ she said with a soft laugh, ‘but is misguided. She is very young— why, even if you can be trusted in the company of a lady, how do you know that you’re safe with me?’ 

‘After what happened when you came to my room in Paris, you can’t find me attractive.’ 

There was the slightest trace of curiosity in his manner, as though he was waiting for Madeleine to deny it. She thought of Leonora, and felt guilty. Then she thought of the way Kitty Pettigrew had kissed him, quite openly, and felt curious. 

‘I think you’re really far too attractive to be alone with me in a beautiful garden,’ she said slowly. 

‘Young ladies should not say things they do not mean. That is the trouble with—the young these days.’ 

Madeleine’s curiosity knew no bounds now. Did he mean Leonora? Even the divine Kitty herself? Perhaps his heart was broken by having to leave her in Paris. Leonora might be just a diversion to cheer him up. There was always that hope. Leonora was at least human, and stood a good chance of having as many faults as Madeleine.

Kitty was too depressingly good to be true.

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Conflict of Hearts

Occasionally, one of my early books is reissued in a Large Print library edition. This time, it's Conflict of Hearts, one of those ingenue/sophisticated hero books so much loved when I first started writing.

Noah Jordan was the most sophisticated hero I'd ever written and, since the story centred around a marriage of convenience, I was hoping for a "wedding cover". I had written the prettiest outfit for Lizzie French, my heroine, but when my author copies arrived I was horrified to see that my bride looked as if she'd been dragged through a hedge backwards, and my hero looked as if he hadn't bothered to shave, despite having laid on a lavish reception, determined that the world should think this was the real deal.

Clearly, the artist was trying to get over the fact that this was not a "happy" wedding and decided that scruffy was the way to go and the whoever chose the cover art for the Linford cover seems to have chosen the same route.

Here's the way I saw it:

Lizzie didn't see Noah again before the wedding.  Olivia bore her away to her apartment, fussed over her, took her shopping to all her favourite boutiques and clutching James French's credit cards swept aside Lizzie's desperate protestation that she really didn't need a dream outfit for a quiet wedding with just a few witnesses present.
    'The wedding dress isn't for the guests, my sweet, it's for Noah.  It should be special.  He deserves it.'
    And what on earth could she say to that?  So she submitted to gentle bullying and even she had to admit that the pencil slim skirt and tiny jacket of the suit that Olivia finally declared 'exquisite', was just that, the old ivory of the silk perfect against her peachy complexion.  The matching hat, a delicate confection of silk leaves, completed the outfit to Olivia's total satisfaction.


I am, however, feeling rather more sympathetic on the subject of cover art these days. Having spent days looking at images for the new covers for three books I'm in the process of re-issuing as eBooks, I begin to understand the desperation of those who have to provide 50+ covers every month. It's a bit like an assembly line car - you don't want to be the last book of the day.

It really is incredibly hard to find an image that pleases me, will - hopefully - engage the reader, and deliver what is between the covers. It's a work in progress.

Meanwhile, the LP edition is in a library near you. All you have to do is ask and your librarian will reserve it for you. Or, if you're in the US, you can download Conflict of Hearts to your Kindle, or other reading device.




Monday, October 08, 2012

A bit of a muddle...

Please excuse me while I fiddle with my blogger layout. There should be pictures but as you can see, there aren't.

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Riva is back!

Riva - dressed all over in sassy new covers - is back! They are now available in larger branches of WHSmith - not in the small one in Trowbridge, sadly - and you can also download them to your eReader.

Do take a look at the display if you get an opportunity - this photograph is courtesy of Nina Harrington and I think you have to admit that they look pretty amazing!


And for those of you who haven't already read Flirting With Italian - this is a second chance to buy it.