Anything But Vanilla - the third kiss...

Anything But Vanilla was launched in retail two weeks ago. I'm not sure how many will be left on the shelves in your local Walmart, or in Barnes & Noble - they will have a new set of books to fill the slots by now so you have to be quick.

Thank goodness for the internet, where they'll be available until stocks run out and to download to eReaders while there's a demand.

So much has changed in our book buying habits since I started writing. It used to be the dash to W H Smith (in the UK) to buy the new Mills and Boons on the first Friday in the month when the new titles hit the shelves so that you could be sure to get your favourite authors. Then the numbers of books and series published increased to the point where they split them up and released new books in two batches. I'm not sure if that was more excitement, or just confusion.

The supermarkets got in on the act,  giving women the opportunity to add the treat of a romance to the weekly shop, and taking the place of the corner shops and newsagents that had once stocked the books - although since it was only the bigger branches it meant that some people were no longer able to pick them up since that usually involved a car journey. Always winners and losers - it's been a bumpy ride.

Amazon appeared in our lives and those of us with access to the internet no longer had to hunt the shelves of charity shops to find old backlist books by favourite authors - they could be delivered to the door. It made used books big business - good for readers but hard for publishers, authors and booksellers (who, unlike the big charity bookshops that were opening, actually have to pay rent and staff) and who need readers to buy new books to stay in business. If they aren't making a living there are no new books.

And then the eReaders gave "one-click" a whole new meaning with instant gratification, no waiting joy when a favourite author released a new book. Plus the "try before you buy" first chapter downloads for authors you didn't know, but whose book blurbs intrigued. And adustable print size for those of us whose eyesight has never been great and are deteriorating with age.

Now you can not just read anywhere - on your phone, your tablet - you can buy a book wherever you are and here to tempt you to download that first chapter is another moment from Anything But Vanilla - another #KISSkiss.

And it's also available direct from Harlequin US and Harlequin Mills and Boon in Australia and on iTunes, Kobo and Sony - there are links on the sidebar as is Elle's story, Tempted By Trouble.