PARTY DAY 2!

I can't have a celebration without a little cake. Just a mouthful.

Can someone tip Reynaldo out of that hammock and get him to pass them round?

Kate Walker ... just the woman for the job. I'll leave you to handle that while I introduce today's guests.



So, today I have great pleasure in welcoming one of Harlequin's newest authors to the party.  Soraya Lane is a woman made of the right stuff. She delivered a book and then, scarcely pausing for breath, she delivered a baby! As if that isn't enough, she's also being shaken to bits by earthquakes on a daily basis back home in New Zealand.  Romance authors are not made of pink and fluffy; we're Steel Magnolias!

Her book The Army Ranger's Return is about a soldier's second chance…

As nervous as a teenager about to go on her first date, Jessica Mitchell waits for Special Forces Ranger Ryan McAdams—her best friend for the past year— whom she's never met! They've been pen pals while Ryan was away fighting for their country and Jessica was secretly fighting her own demons back home.

She knows widower Ryan's fears of returning to civilian life and his hopes of reconnecting with his son. Now she can't wait to meet him face–to–face—to hear his voice and see his smile…

The returning soldier is so much part of our experience these days and I can't wait to read this story.  And if you'd like the chance to win a copy all you have to do is leave a comment.

Truth, dare, kiss or promise, remember?

Tell us about a kiss from someone special you haven't seen in a long time. A parent, a child, your grandmother, the love of your life.

And meanwhile, back to Kate, if she's finished with Reynaldo! Oh, right, she's brought Jake Gyllenhaal with her, so Reynaldo is going to have to make his own amusement.

I've known Kate almost as long as I've been writing for Mills and Boon and she's the warmest, kindest person you can imagine. Every year we indulge in a "Here Come the Grooms" contest, along with Anne MAllister, definitely one to look out for.  Today she's brought a copy of her most recent book, The Proud Wife, to the party.

Marina thought her dreams had come true when her husband placed a wedding band on her finger. But their marriage was not the fairy tale she'd hoped for, and eventually Marina walked away, her heart broken.  Two years on Pietro D’Inzeo no longer haunts Marina's dreams. She knows the time has come to move on, and even a summons to join him in Sicily won't deter her.

However, with his wife standing before him, about to sign on the dotted line of their divorce papers, Pietro wonders why he ever let her go?

Kate writes the most amazing Mediterranean heroes and you won't want to miss this one.

For a chance to win a copy, tell me which of the great exotic hero types you dream of being swept away by?  A Greek tycoon? A Sicilian Conte? A hot Italian or fiery Spaniard?  Nothing but the truth now!

I've just spotted another guest arriving.

I met Lesley Cookman when she was studying for her Creative Writing MA here in Wales. It started as a cyber-connection but we're now on hugging terms!

A glass of Chianti, Lesley? (Snaps fingers for Reynaldo to deliver!)

While she's distracted by Reynaldo, I'll mention that Lesley writes the "Libby Serjeant" crime series - cosies set in the Kent countryside and I think it's about time they kicked Misummer Murders into touch and moved east! She's the go-to girl if you want to write a pantomime, too, but the multi-talented Lesley is also a long standing member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, writing as Rosina Lesley for Accent Press and she has two of those eBooks to give away, Running Away and A Will to Love.

Catherine Long, in RUNNING AWAY, has a habit of running away from her problems - and one of the biggest problems she's ever had to face goes by the name of James Grant. He was a great support to her and her younger sister Felicity when their father passed away, but when Catherine started developing feelings for this older, married benefactor, she fled to take up residence in her grandmother's country cottage. Except now James has arrived in the village to redevelop his uncle's grand house into a hotel and their lives suddenly seem so intertwined, there's no place left to run for Catherine.

 

It's time for another dare!  For a chance to win one of Lesley's books tell me what you have dared for love. Have you defied your family? Gone to a new country? Run away?  Or do you think that love itself, the risk of your heart, is the greatest dare of all?


Oh, and if you want to see me talking about TEMPTED BY TROUBLE, click on the link at the top of the sidebar!

Impressions from Conference...

I'm typing this blog sitting in bed at 5 o'clock in the morning on Sunday morning. It's light enough to see the furniture in my room here in Caerleon, but not quite light enough to see the keys of my netbook, which is making typing a rather slow process.  I'm a touch typist, but the keyboard is not very familiar - a bit small - and using the mouse on the quilt is a new experience.


What am I doing up at this time on a Sunday?


I'm at the RNA Conference, and having slept the sleep of the dead for six hours, I am now wide awake.  In a moment I'll go along to the kitchen and make a cup of tea, but before I do, I wanted to pass on some impressions of this wonderful conference.


On the opening day, we were given some fabulous advice about contracts from agent Lizzy Kremer; a reminder that publishers and authors are equal partners in the contract. That no matter how happy you are to sign, to be published, you need to look for the pitfalls, think about what would happen if the book were not a success or, conversely, if it's a huge success.  Does your contract give you a good deal in either case? Can you get your rights back if your book goes out of print? Are you getting a fair deal on eRights? If you're a British author, her advice is to get a copy of the Society of Authors' leaflet on contracts.


We then had a panel of award winning authors, Elizabeth Chadwick, Louise Allen and Jill Mansell talking about their work.  The two things that stood out from this were that Louise Allen has the best working titles I've ever heard - Gonad the Barbarian, anyone? - and that they are all extremely hard working.


I saw some amazing book videos in a talk by author and copywriter Lorelei Mathias on book marketing for small pockets; I'm eager to go "viral", but suspect it's never going to happen unless I find myself best friends with a fabulously talented actress and film director.  Or learn to draw cute stick men.

Freda Lightfoot, having spent a lot of time and trouble and effort learning how to publish her backlist on Kindle, generously gave us the benefit of her experience. Actually, Freda, I think you should be publishing another book on Kindle - Kindle for Dummies!  And Linda Gillard, author of the prize winning Emotional Geology, gave a fabulous workshop about setting the scene and creating characters ... painting with words.


My final workshop of the day (we don't sit around here drinking coffee - or anything else - and nattering) was a crime writer's panel consisting of Lesley Cookman, Jean Goodhind and Penny Grubb.  An insight into how they work with their series characters.


My own talk on blending humour and emotion went pretty well, and there will be a longish blog on the subject somewhere else later in the year - I'll tell you where and when.  I still can't believe that one of my own favourite (and very funny) authors turned up to listen to me.  And would have been much more careful talking about my writing methods if I'd realised that one of the editors who works on my books was sitting right up at the top, at the back, where I couldn't see her!


It's been a wonderful couple of days for catching up with old friends, making new ones, reminiscing with Jane Holland about her mother (the legendary Charlotte Lamb) and having a few fan girls moments. I've also met many of the tweeps I know, which was the best fun. Teresa, Jude, Cally... you know who you are!

At dinner last night -  fabulous catering from the Caerleon campus of the University of Wales all round - Cally Taylor (Heaven Can Wait) won the Elizabeth Gouge trophy for the first 1000 words on a story with the theme "keeping a secret"; Liz Fenwick and Anna Louise Lucia were runners up.  Our chairman, the wonderful Anne Ashurst (Sara Craven - pictured here) - aka Mastermind - hoped that all the entries would be published and spark a revival in the romantic suspense genre.



Today I have a full morning lined up, listening to Fiona Harper - getting emotion on the page, Simon Petherick, the future of fiction publishing, and Janet Gover, where are published authors going now.  Then lunch and home.

Conferences are both fun and very hard work, especially the talking, which for authors who spend most of their time alone with their computers is a bit of a shock to the system.  But they are incredibly worthwhile and I can't recommend the experience highly enough to the unpublished author.  You will meet so many people, all of whom will be happy to share their experience with you, hear so much good advice and make so many friends and see so many fabulous shoes.


It's been an inspirational weekend, a time to recharge the batteries before turning home to wrestle my next book into shape.

PS Don't forget that starting the week beginning 18th July I'll be having loads of guests, all giving away copies of their books, and I'll be introducing Leah Ashton, winner of last year's New Voices programme and our newest author.

PPS If you'd like a copy of my conference handout, please do get in touch and I'll happy to send it to you by email.