WEEKEND BOOK CLUB: Doukakis's Apprentice

I hadn't read a straight Harlequin Presents novel in years and the positive reviews on this book made me want to pick it up.

I'm glad I did!

Here's the blurb:
Wanted: willing apprentice to handle indecently arrogant (but incredibly sexy) tycoon

With her family business in crisis, Polly Prince does her best to keep calm and carry on. But hard work alone can't save her London company from a takeover by the infamously ruthless Damon Doukakis...or her traitorous body from the lethal sensuality of her boss!

As his new apprentice, Polly accompanies Damon to Paris to negotiate the most challenging business deal of her life! Worse still, Polly must at all costs resist Damon in the most dangerously romantic city in the world....
 
What with writing and reading, I rarely get to bed before 1am and, my plans for an early night were shot by this book.
I'm always wary when there's hype about a book in case it doesn't live up to expectations.
This one did, and how!

Polly Prince is a standout heroine: ballsy, funny, quirky.

Damon Doukakis is a typical Presents hero: commanding, arrogant and super sexy.

Together? Fireworks!

Every now and then a book comes along that gives me writer envy. This is one of them.
Brilliant read.
Highly recommended

What are you reading this weekend?

Pretty cover!

The Ultimate Hero: Passionate Playboys, may be my favourite Harlequin cover ever!
That guy is completely HOT!

This anthology features HOT NIGHTS WITH A PLAYBOY, set in the glorious Whitsunday Islands.

(and yes, this anthology was released last May so I'm thrilled it's having another release, with a new cover!)

If you can't grab it off shelves in OZ/NZ, you can order online in an ebundle here 
3 romances for $9.99, bargain!

Award nominee

I am rapt to announce that MARRIAGE: FOR BUSINESS OR PLEASURE? has been nominated by Romantic Times magazine for Best Harlequin Presents 2010.

Woo hoo!

New release on shelves now!

My Romantic Times Top Pick, MARRIAGE: FOR BUSINESS OR PLEASURE? is out now in North America and Australia/New Zealand.

"This lovers-reunited tale is awash in passion, sensuality and plenty of sparks. The terrific characters immediately capture your attention, and from there, the pages go flying by."

Now don't you just want to run out and grab a copy right now!

First guest author tomorrow? Kate Hardy

Fancy a bargain?

eHarlequin is having a clearance sale at the moment, with loads of fabulous books 40% off!


You can pick up my TWO WEEKS IN THE MAGNATE'S BED and other fab titles by Marion Lennox, Sherryl Woods, Gena Showalter, Trish Wylie, Barbara Hannay, Fiona Harper, Anne McAllister and many more.

If you're anything like me, your To Be Read pile is always staggering, but we never stop adding to it, right?

(And happy Australia Day to all my mates out there!)

eHarlequin bestseller

Woo-hoo!

MARRIAGE: FOR BUSINESS OR PLEASURE? hit the Top 10 Bestseller list on eharlequin yesterday.

Nice :)

In other snippets, here's an interview I did recently, some answers appearing on 9MSN.Money today. "Love is in the Air: Can you make money as a romance novelist?"

(Note: I do not write 8 books a year across 3 Harlequin series. Not sure where that came from...)

Nice and solid

There's something about hardback books...

I love the solidity of them, that they'll stay on your bookshelf forever and stand the test of time.

My Harlequin Romance novels always arrive in hardbacks first and I love them.

So if you're a fan of hardback, here's your chance to grab some!

This month sees my Harlequin Presents THE BOSS'S BEDROOM AGENDA released in hardback (with TWO WEEKS IN THE MAGNATE'S BED out next month.)

(Quick announcement! If you're in Sydney and love a booksigning, NYT bestselling author Nalini Singh is visiting Galaxy Books on Jan 14th. Details here.)

A fab review to start the New Year

On the heels of my Romantic Times Top Pick for MARRIAGE: FOR BUSINESS OR PLEASURE? comes another lovely review, this time from Susan Barton (a first time reviewer for my books) at ROMANCE READER AT HEART.

Marsh is a master at expressing emotions...

Marsh beautifully decorates her idyllic beach resort setting with fantasy rooms in Nick's hotel...

The brutal realities of Brit's emotional and physical abuse by her father are offset by the tender re-awakening of love and desire between Nick and Brittany. So many emotional landscapes are covered in this way too short story. I would love a longer version exploring more of Noosa, Nick, and Brittany.

Though MARRIAGE: FOR BUSINESS OR PLEASURE? is a fairly quick read, it really packs an emotional punch and my tears came often as I experienced Nick and Brittany's passion and pain.

Lovely.

And if that wasn't exciting enough, this book hits Aussie/NZ shores in Feb, but is currently NUMBER ONE on this month's Top 10 Books on the Mills and Boon OZ site.

Double yay!

Romantic Times Top Pick!

I've received a lovely early Christmas present!

My current release in the UK, MARRIAGE: FOR BUSINESS OR PLEASURE?, out in the States in Feb, has received 4 and a half stars and Top Pick from Romantic Times!

Here's what they had to say:
It's been 10 years since Brittany Lloyd left New Zealand after bad boy Nick Mancini refused to go with her. Now she's on the cusp of a major career breakthrough but needs his help. She's in for a surprise -- he's now the multimillionaire owner of an international hotel chain. While the attraction is still there, so are the memories of how things ended. Nick says he'll help her if she'll help him -- by marrying him so his business associates will take him seriously. But how long will the marriage stay in name only?

This lovers-reunited tale is awash in passion, sensuality and plenty of sparks. The terrific characters immediately capture your attention, and from there, the pages go flying by.

Hot on the heels of A TRIP WITH THE TYCOON scoring an award nomination for Best Harlequin Romance, I love the fab folks at RT!

(An aside on the review...the book is set in Noosa, Australia, a fave holiday spot of mine.)

Do blondes have more fun?

That's an interesting question, considering Britt, my heroine in MARRIAGE: FOR BUSINESS OR PLEASURE? has undergone a radical hair dye job for the US cover (out in Feb 2010.)

In the book, Britt is quite clearly a redhead. Nick, the hero, has nicknamed her Red since they were teenagers. And that is clearly depicted on the UK cover.


Now don't get me wrong, I love this US cover, it's gorgeous!

But why the hair colour change?

Hmm...guess it must be true. In the States, blondes do have more fun. :)

Waldenbooks bestseller!

While I was sweating through the 43 degree heat late yesterday, the lovely Robyn Grady sent me an email, congratulating me on being on the Waldies this week.

Well, let me tell you, my fingers flew mighty fast over the keyboard and landed directly here.
And yep, there I am, sitting pretty on the WALDENBOOKS BESTSELLER list!!!
To say I'm thrilled would be an understatement!

So if you want to discover why THE BOSS'S BEDROOM AGENDA made the list (and is one of my favourite books) go grab your copy now!

Ooh la la!

Ooh, the excitement of a new cover, nothing like it!

And this one's extra special because it's my first Harlequin Presents!

Yes, I had 2 Harlequin Presents Extra releases earlier this year but this one's my first straight Presents and I can't wait for it to hit US shelves. So look out for my sexy boss coming to you in Feb!

And a quick wave to all the ladies who attended my talk at Kew library. It was a fabulous turn out, with at least 8-10 writers in the group of 30-odd.
Question time went almost as long as the talk and it's great to see so many people interested in writing for Mills and Boon, and in romance in general.

Now, if only I could banish the thought of speaking in front of 200 people in 3 weeks, I'd be feeling a lot better...

Hints for Sexy Writers

Remember I recently mentioned the FEEL THE HEAT competition for writers targetting Harlequin Modern Heat (Sexy Sensation in OZ)?

Well, if you want a few hints on how to create Mod Heat characters, I've posted an article at the Harlequin Presents Blog.

Hope it helps :)

Calling all sexy writers!

Harlequin Mills and Boon are running another fabulous contest to discover new authors and this time it's for the Modern Heat/Presents series (Sexy Sensation in Australia), one of the fab series I write for.

So if you like writing sexy, have a fun, fresh, flirty voice and would love to be published in this series, why not give it a go?

All details for the FEEL THE HEAT contest are here.

Good luck!

The Boss's Bedroom Agenda

Here it is, the gorgeous UK cover for THE BOSS'S BEDROOM AGENDA.
What do you think?
I love it!
That boss can seduce me anytime ;)

This book features Aidan Voss, archaeologist turned temp CEO of Melbourne Museum, and Beth Walker, shoe addict and avant garde metal sculptor.
I had so much fun writing this book (little wonder I had to give Lana, Beth's geeky cousin, her own story!)

And the great news?

This book will be released as Harlequin Presents in the USA in Feb 2009!

Another bestseller!

Hot on the heels of my first Harlequin Presents, PURCHASED FOR PLEASURE hitting the Nielson National Bestseller list last month, I've discovered my current release, MISTRESS TO THE TYCOON, has done the same!

Yay!

That's about all I have the energy to post today...took preschooler to a Shrek the Third stage show today and while it was fun, having over a hundred screaming kids is a little tiring.

Or maybe that's due to the fact my other darling little boy is probably teething and I didn't get to bed last night till 3.30am!!!

'night...see you in the morning...

Romantic Times

Reviews are subjective.

A book I might absolutely adore you might hate.

(Some RITA winners can vouch for the fact that books which were canned by reviewers went on to win the RITA!)

And as many authors will tell you, lap up the great reviews and kinda ignore the bad ;)

With that in mind, I'm going to shout the news from the rooftops that my first Harlequin Presents, PURCHASED FOR PLEASURE, out in Feb 08, has just rated 4 stars from Romantic Times.

Here's what Cindy Himler had to say:

Kate Hayden and Tyler James were lovers years ago. Now a magazine writer, Kate sees Tyler at a bachelor auction and, on a bet, bids for his attention for a week. When she wins, Kate has no idea what to do. Then her retiring editor offers Kate his job if she writes about her week with Tyler, so she throws herself on Tyler's mercy. What follows is an enjoyable story about the rocky road to love. Kate and Tyler are likable characters, and the side story of Tyler's friend, Mary, and her work at an orphanage makes a nice addition to the main plot in Nicola Marsh's Purchased for Pleasure (4)

Instant seduction!

Ever dreamed of writing for Harlequin Presents?

Well, here's your big chance!

Harlequin is running a fabulous competition so here's the goss:

INSTANT SEDUCTION

A brand new writing competition from the world’s best-selling romance series is about to hit the blogosphere!

It’s an exciting time for Harlequin Presents: from January 2008, there will be 12 of our intensely passionate romances available every month. And with this increase of titles comes a great opportunity for aspiring authors – we will be looking to buy more books for publication!

The old saying goes that first impressions are lasting impressions – and when it comes to reading a Harlequin Presents, that certainly holds true. If the first chapter doesn’t immediately grip the reader with its pace, passion and intensity, then she won’t continue to turn the pages.

So Presents is inviting unpublished writers to show us how they can grab the attention of our readership with first chapters that really sizzle. The INSTANT SEDUCTION competition offers prizes that are chances of a lifetime for the lucky winner and runners-up:
*First prize – win yourself an editor for a year!
*Two runners-up will be given editorial critiques of their first chapter entries and also a personal telephone consultation about their writing!

Visit the Iheartpresents.com blogsite for full details of the competition – and the chance to prepare for publication with an exclusive series of writing tutorials prepared by the editorial team at Harlequin Presents, including advice on First Chapters, How to Write a Synopsis, Loving the Alpha Male and Generating Emotional Conflict.

Entries for the competition will be accepted as on-line submissions only from 1st January until 14th February 2008.
Entries should comprise of the first chapter and a synopsis of a previously unpublished/unsubmitted novel aimed at Harlequin Presents.
Address for entries: instantseduction@hmb.co.uk

Sounds great, huh?

For more info and for loads of writing tips direct from the Mills and Boon editors, visit www.iheartpresents.com regularly.

And good luck!

On Aussie/NZ shelves this week

I have a frantic week of appointments for the kidlets ahead, so thought I'd do a quick reminder of what's about to hit the shelves cos you never know when I'll make it back here!!

PURCHASED FOR PLEASURE, my sexy SEAL book, will hit Aussie and New Zealand shelves later this week so make sure you rush out and grab a copy of my 3rd Sexy Sensation. Are you rushing yet? ;)

(And no, Ty isn't a teenager or doesn't have long hair, as we've already established in a previous discussion :) )

For US readers, this book will be my first Harlequin Presents on sale from Jan 28th so not long to go now...

New website launch!

We have lift-off!

A new website is born…yes, the Modern Extra authors have banded our sassy butts together to create a new group website and its fabulous!

Want to know about ‘a day in the life’ of an author?
Maybe a… ssshhh…a secret or two?
How about booklists, bios and hot guys?

You’ll find all that and more over at SENSATIONAL ROMANCE so check it out!

And stay tuned for a monster book giveaway…

By the way, in case you haven’t heard, from January 08 Modern Extra will become Modern Heat in the UK, and will be released monthly as Harlequin Presents in the US. Great news, huh?