GOSH DARN IT...

Comments aren't appearing for some reason so just for Snookie ...

To enter the competition to win a copy of BRINGING UP BABY all you have to do is email me the three years in which Jessica, Marion and I have each won a Rita. Email the answer to me with your name and address and BRINGING UP BABY in the subject line and I'll draw one lucky winner on 31 August.

CONGRATULATIONS, NELL!

A few months ago I posted about the delightful Nell Dixon winning the RNA's Romance Prize for her novella Marrying Max.

Last week, Nell sold Blue Remembered Heels to Headline's Little Black Dress imprint and I'm so delighted I might just go pop. I can't wait to read it!

READING...

I haven't been blogging much lately. I had a tight deadline for my sheikh novella, which is presently sitting on my editor's desk while I wait on tenterhooks for it to come boomeranging back with revisions. That story seemed to consume all my writing energy so that when I surrendered for the night I just allowed myself to sink into the pleasures of reading someone else's hard work.

One of my favourite books was Ally Blake's, Billionaire on Her Doorstep. When you've written (and read) as many Romances as I have, you think there's nothing new. It's not true of course, but maybe one gets a little jaded. And then you pick up a book like Billionaire, with a quirky heroine who's searching for herself, a group of terrific, off the wall friends that you'd love to have yourself, and a hero to die for. Oh and the gorgeous setting along the Australian coast just made me long to be there...

Treat yourself.

I've just ordered the latest Anne McAllister for my holiday reading. And another Ally Blake. This time one of her Modern Extras. And Lilian Darcy's Cafe du Jour is on its way from Australia. You've got until the end of the month to win yourself a copy and a t-shirt. Check out Lilian's website, read the excerpt, and email her at lilian@liliandarcy.com with CAFE DU JOUR COMPETITION in the subject line. Just tell her the name of Julie’s son, and whether you think he’s going to be good or bad for Susie.

...AND WRITING

So what am I doing now? Apart from decorating a couple of bedrooms? Well, the next deadline is even tighter and I have to go to Italy for two weeks right in the middle of writing this book -- really, I mean, how bad can it get? -- so I didn't have a second to waste worrying about who or what I was going to write about.

Actually you all made it really easy for me. I've lost count of the number of emails from readers who've read Reunited: Marriage in a Million and want Manda's story. So there she is on this tropical island that isn't quite paradise when an earthquake hits. His name is Jago and he's just fallen out of love with the entire female sex. And Manda? Well, Manda has just done all the smiley Godmother stuff for her sister-in-law, Belle, and her assistant, Daisy, and she needs a break. Anywhere. The trouble is, she's so busy running from her demons that she just doesn't see the brick wall until she's run into it...

COMPETITIONS

Have you entered the two competitions running on this blog yet? You've got until the end of the month for the chance to snaffle a copy of Lilian Darcy's stellar single title CAFE DU JOUR. Scroll down for full details of how to win, but first feast your eyes on Diana Dempsey's review from THE MELBOURNE AGE, a journal not normally known for kindness to romance authors.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

"Susie is a 28-year-old chef whose sister has been injured in a motorbike accident and she’s in love with a schmuck who starts up a series of shonky New Age workshops. Now that’s a good set-up. Lilian Darcy does an incisive job demolishing the dilettante boyfriend, as well as some of the self-centred participants, who, in the name of personal development, just want more and more and more.

"With regard to Susie’s career, we have the pleasure of eating vicariously as well as being able to participate in the backstage argy-bargy of the restaurant. Despite the culinary setting, Susie doesn’t eat much herself and instead fixates on coffee. The stress of seeing her sister suffering has put Susie off her tucker, which means, in fact, she loses weight and becomes more and more gorgeous without realising it.

"Darcy is the writer of about 70 romances for Harlequin and Silhouette and she says on her website that editors didn’t quite know where to place Café du Jour. I can understand why.

"While a new boyfriend looms on the horizon, the romance in this case is secondary to the book’s theme: Susie’s personal crisis as she deals with the changes in her life. Written as a journal through Susie’s eyes, the voice is warm and witty. Susie’s insights into her relationship with her sister, workmates and her lover are handled in a subtle and totally credible way, making for an excellent read."

You can tell this a "serious" publication by the way it refers to the author by her last name!

And you still have a few days left to enter my own competition to win a copy of the 3-in-1 UK reissue BRINGING UP BABY, which includes my THE BABY PLAN, as well as books by Marion Lennox and Jessica Hart.

AUGUST COMPETITION

I promised you a competition this August for a copy of the September BY REQUEST (UK only) called BRINGING UP BABY with reissues of books by me, Jessica Hart and Marion Lennox.

To win all you have to do is email me the three years in which Jessica, Marion and I have each won a Rita. Email the answer to me with your name and address and BRINGING UP BABY in the subject line and I'll draw one lucky winner on 31 August.

SHEIKH NEWS...

The novella has reached a conclusion. I got to a point this week that I could call the end.

I wasn't entirely happy with the last scene (I could hear my editor in my head saying, "Mmmmm, I think we need to do something...")

Anyway, I woke this morning with my head in that clear space that it goes to when you stop trying and it'll be on her desk on Monday morning when she returns from holiday. Whew!

I've been thinking titles and I rather like THE SHEIKH'S HONOUR, but you can all see the problems with that one straight away can't you? US readers will think I can't spell. It doesn't matter. Whatever I come up with "marketing" will have it's own ideas. Leave them to worry about it.

Now I have an October deadline and a clear space in my head. Question -- Where do you get your ideas from? Anyone ... please ...

WRITING A QUERY AND GETTING AN AGENT

Writer Marcus Sakey tells us all how it's done, here. In the meantime, where does he get his ideas from...

A WINNER and REUNITED: MARRIAGE IN A MILLION

Just a quick message to thank all of you who left wonderful and inspiring messages on Elizabeth Oldfield's blog. The winner was Merri, and a copy of VINTAGE BABES is on it's way to her.

Next week sees REUNITED: MARRIAGE IN A MILLION go retail in the UK and US. If you all rush out and by it in the first week it might make the Waldenbooks list -- wouldn't that be great!

I've already given away at least half a dozen copies in competitions around the 'net so I won't be giving away any more, at least not while you can go out and buy it!

I will, however, be offering a copy of my September 3-in-1 BY REQUEST (including books by Marion Lennox and Jessica Hart) which won't be available in Australia or the US, and maybe a book or two from my backlist, so drop by for reviews, snippets and all the goss.