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)

COVER TO COVER: As time goes by.

In an earlier COVER TO COVER post, I talked about "Letting your manuscript stew."

At that point, I'd just finished writing my last Harlequin Romance and had forced myself to walk away from it for a week before getting back into the layering and editing process.

It's tough walking away from your story.

At least, it is for me.

The minute I finish I want to go back over it, read it again, see how far my characters have come, refresh my memory of plot points I may have missed or loopholes that need to be closed.

But I don't. I let it stew. Fresh eyes are essential for picking up all sorts of bit and pieces.

So imagine how surprised I was when I recently re-read my next Modern Heat, TOYING WITH THE BILLIONAIRE BOSS. Why surprised?

Well, I finished this one in August and it was one of those lovely books that flew off my fingertips.

I thought it was pretty special at the time.

Then deadlines changed and this one is getting to sit a while longer so I threw myself into writing my next Romance, secure in the knowledge I had a first draft sitting there just waiting for me.

Well, 4 months definitely brings perspective, more than I could've ever thought possible.

Don't get me wrong, I still love the story and think it's pretty spot on but on the first read through, quite a few things leapt out at me.

I needed to layer much more.

I needed to alpha up the hero in a few places to be consistent with his behaviour in the rest of the book.

I needed to qualify the heroine's crazy scheme which is the crux of the book.

It all seems so crystal clear with the benefit of time, even the perfect words falling into place to replace my green highlighted ones.

It's rare to get this much time if you're published, as deadlines loom consistently for all of us. But here's a tip if you're on the road to publication.

Make a pitstop. The longer the better.

Leave your manuscript for as long as you can. (Work on your next while you wait!)

Trust me, you'll see it in a new light with time on your side.

In the beginning...

Margaret Mayo got me thinking about beginnings yesterday.

How we first started writing...what we knew or didn't know...who helped us on the road to publication...

So continuing with that theme, I'll tell you a bit about the first romance I ever wrote.
It was a Harlequin Medical, with a doctor hero and a physiotherapist heroine.
Working as a physiotherapist at the time, I thought it would be easy (and no! It wasn't based on real life experience!) 'Write what you know' and all that...

Well, that book is the only one I've never finished. It sits languishing at around 25K words.
So what happened?

Apparently, working in the medical profession and writing about it were TOO close for me! I started to get bored. I didn't want to write about what I knew. I wanted to escape from all that, from the everyday reality of patients and orthopaedics and cardiac rehab and hydrotherapy.
I wanted to let my imagination roam free.
So I did.
And started writing plots I wanted to write, plots that came to me while mulling over yet another report, while flicking through a magazine at lunch time (my first book, THE TYCOON'S DATING DEAL, was born from a magazine article on speed dating while I was on a short lunch between patients).

So how did you all get started?
What inspired you to write?
Who inspired you to write?
Would love to hear your stories.
And there's a book in it for a randomly chosen response (numbered responses with a bit of scrunched paper picked out by my preschooler!), just because it's Christmas and I'm getting into the swing of the giving thing. :)

A kindness never forgotten

When I first started writing, I joined the Melbourne Romance Writers Guild.
I had no clue about publishing.
I didn't know what a synopsis or a partial was.
All I knew was that I wanted to write a book.

So after plugging 'Melbourne' and 'Romance writing' into google, I came up with MRWG, contacted them and traipsed off to my first meeting feeling like an absolute fraud. And very nervous. It was like my first day at school all over again.
I wouldn't know anyone.
I knew next to nothing about the main reason I was attending.

At this first meeting, I sat next to a lady who made me very welcome. She chatted to me, she encouraged me and as I couldn't help but stare at her arthritic-riddled hands and wonder how she penned so many novellas, I admired her.
This lady was Joan Hunt, who has just passed away.
I've never forgotten her kindness to me when I took the first step along my road to publication.
RIP Joan.
And as a fellow MRWG member said, "may you write in peace, every author's dream."

For career mums out there...

Paperbacks arrived for EXECUTIVE MOTHER-TO-BE and here's the back blurb:

From employee to mommy-to-be...

Career-girl Kristen Lewis is at the top of her field.
She's driven, sensible-and her spur-of-the-moment decision to have one perfect night with sexy Nate was totally out of character! She puts it behind her...until she's faced with two shocks: she's pregnant...with her boss's baby!

Nathan Boyd, one of Australia's leading entrepeneurs, buries himself in work to forget his private torment. But now he's faced with a dilemma: the first woman to tempt him in a long time is his employee.

For readers who enjoyed Carissa's story in WIFE AND MOTHER WANTED, and Tahnee's story in TWO-WEEK MISTRESS, Kristen's story rounds off the Lewis sisters' trilogy.
I loved placing a 35 year old career woman in a situation she thought she'd never find herself in.
And Nate is the kind of hero we'd all like to have around...

Hope you enjoy it :)
It's out in Feb though will be available online in 2 weeks.

Good news & bad news

The bad news first...
if you're trying to buy my latest Sexy Sensation release in OZ, PURCHASED FOR PLEASURE, and it has sold out on the shelves, you won't be able to buy it online at eharlequin.com.au anymore.
TPTB tell me it sold out online very quickly, and when they tried to locate extra copies from other areas, they couldn't, as all sold out there too. So the links to Purchased for Pleasure have vanished from the OZ eharlequin site and I'll update all of mine asap.

The good news is you can buy it online here!

Or enter my current website comp to win a copy.

And speaking of comps, you only have a few more days to sign up for my newsletter and be in the running to win the 'Aussie special' 4 book pack!

The Black Moment

Kirsty asked:

I am about to write my first Black Moment and would be grateful for any advice you have.I'm happy with how it's progressing so far. Both characters have GMCs that have lead them to this crossroads so it (hopefully!) doesn't seem contrived. But I would love to hear any hints you have for making these scenes impact the reader.

Okay, when I said you could ask questions, I didn’t mean tough questions!! ;)
Just kidding…

In fact, I’m not a very good ‘how to’ writer (which means I just sit down and write instinctively without getting caught up with characters arcs and acts and the general technical side of things.)
It also explains why I've recently spent a month doing loads of research on characterisation and ordered 4 'how to' books. Writing instinctively is good to a point but if you want to take your writing to the next level, it pays to put in the hard yards and check out the technical stuff. Which means I'll probably post more technical blogs too. Scary!

So answering these questions is really making me think. Which is a good thing, trust me!

Kirsty, it sounds like you’re right on track. With both characters’ goals, motivations and conflicts leading them to the BLACK MOMENT, you’ve got them to the point of no return.

So, how to make an impact at the black moment?

Ensure the black moment is when the stakes are highest for your characters. This scene should be the point where all seems lost and their goals cannot be achieved.

Everything should hang in the balance, make it seem like your hero and heroine can’t ever work things out.

At this point the danger (most often to the characters’ peace of mind) is at its worst.

Make the characters draw on new strengths or lessons learned. This plays into the characters’ growth arcs and how they’ve grown/changed during the story. For maximum impact, it helps to make this growth/change occur due to the relationship between hero and heroine.

Does that help oomph up the BM scenes a bit? Hope so. :)

I really must get my act together and put up a series of articles on my website. When I get a spare second…ahem…!

Last but not least, thanks to Mary who said this about PURCHASED FOR PLEASURE:

"BTW, I live in the U.S. but I ordered Purchased for Pleasure when it was released in the U.K. (a patient girl I am not!) For those awaiting the U.S. release, let me just say, you don't want to miss this one! Tyler is to die for!"

Awww....thanks Mary :)

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!

Book giveaway!

This month, I'm running a special book giveaway comp exclusive to my newsletter readers only.

It's an Aussie special, where I'm giving away 4 brand spanking new books: Barbara Hannay's Claiming Her Family (her 2007 RITA winner), Melanie Milburne's Bought for the Marriage Bed, Fiona Lowe's Pregnancy on Arrival and Two-Week Mistress by moi :)

To be in the running, sign up for my newsletter by emailing me with 'newsletter' in the subject and I'll forward you a copy so you can enter. Easy-peasy.

The comp closes on Dec 16th, so hurry. And remember, you have to be in it to win it!

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...

The award I forgot about

Breaking news!!!
I've placed 3rd in the Laurel Wreath 2008 with WIFE AND MOTHER WANTED.
This award is judged by booksellers all over America so I'm thrilled.

And the best bit?
It's in the Short Contemporary category, which means the book went up against Harlequin Presents, Americans, Medicals and Silhouette Desires (and other publishers)

So it's a win for me and for the Harlequin Romance line! Yay!
Will give more details once I get them.

Funny thing, I'd forgotten I'd even entered this comp so it was a lovely email to wake up to this morning. :)

An addiction

I'd like to pose the question: do all writers have a stationery addiction?

I do, and I know several others who do too.
Let me loose in an Officeworks and I'm in heaven!
I can never leave the place with the one item I need.
Oh no, uh-uh. Instead, I come out with a whole range of stuff I'll use 'one day'.

I can't help myself.

I love all those brightly coloured hard back notebooks (yes, I have several gorgeous ones just waiting to be used.)
I love those free-flowing pens.
I love the coloured note blocks.
Those gorgeous storage boxes...filing credenzas...labels...I could go on and on but you get the picture!

The other day I ran in there for a few envelopes and came out with a purple binder and matching notebook, which I'm about to put to good use with the new Harlequin Romance I'll start shortly. I tend to have my notes for a novel shoved into a clear plastic sleeve so this is definitely a step up. Tidy mind makes tidy work? We'll see!
Also picked up way too many envelopes, manila folders, a mini-ruler, stickers and a penguin stamp (my preschooler tossed those last 3 into the basket. A writer in the making, perhaps?) :)

Any other stationery addicts out there?
Come on, 'fess up. You know you want to.

COVER TO COVER: How much is too much

Rach asked a great question in response to my layering/editing post:

Just wondering about how long your mss are when you finish your first draft! And whether that means adding words or taking them away.

I'm a bit of a perfectionist so my first draft is pretty much close to the finished product.
What I mean by this is that I write the book consecutively, from start to finish, without jumping around to various scenes.
I try to make it the best it can be, without getting stuck on the exact word or making sure a description is spot on.
For these, I highlight in bright green so when I start the layering and editing process, my eyes are instantly drawn to the word that needs to be tweaked or the paragraph that needs more description.
Then I go through a rough mental checklist (many of the points I listed in the previous post) to really tighten the story.

So my first draft tends to be pretty much spot on with word count. And it usually means adding words with the layering.

Please remember this is only one person's viewpoint.
I know authors who move from scene to scene, who might write the end of the book before the middle, who get inspired by a particular scene and will write that first before the beginning.

I'm a bit of a plotter and like to have the book roughly outlined while I'm writing, sometimes before I start (see earlier Cover to Cover post) so for me, writing in chronological order and having the book pretty close to my outline tends to make the book flow and not need a lot of tweaking.

Whether you have to cut words or add them to your first draft, it doesn't matter. Making the story the best it can be is what it's all about :)

New cover

I've been waiting for my hardback copies of my next Romance EXECUTIVE MOTHER-TO-BE to arrive for a few weeks...and nada!

Well, thanks to Trish who pointed me towards Barnes and Noble today, I now have the cover :)

What do you think?

Nate and Kristen are both very business oriented in this book, and Kris is an older heroine who never thought she'd have kids so the cover is pretty spot on.
I wish it could be a little more romantic though...both Trish Wylie and Fiona Harper have books out in Feb too and their covers are absolutely gorgeous!!!

Baby is sick again so my intentions to do a Cover to Cover post have been delayed again. Sorry! I'll finish editing COURTING CUPID tonight and will pop the post up here tomorrow. Hopefully...

Mouse problems!

I'm thankful to say, they aren't real mice, thank goodness but my PC mouse went kaput yesterday. My second in the last year!
So had to troup to PC shop, buy new mouse and keyboard, wait whole day for it to charge...and here I am.

Loads has happened.
My baby post the other morning must've got things moving for my bud Ally, as later that day I got a text message saying she's had a baby girl!
Congrats Ally, I'm thrilled for you!!!! And can't wait to meet the gorgeous girl :)
I have over 170 emails to get through.
I have a book to finish editing.
I have a Cover to Cover post to do here.
I have to participate in an online course which I signed up for but haven't got the time to make full use of yet.
I have to send off an interview I've done for that magazine I mentioned a while back.
I have to tidy house for fab writing friends to descend on Sat morning (our first meeting in months!)
Life is busy.

And they're off!

Today is the running of the Melbourne Cup, the race that stops a nation.

Over one hundred thousand will flock to Flemington racecourse, frocked and suited up, to socialise and have a flutter or two.

The Spring Racing Carnival has become a huge social event in Melbourne, so much so it inspired a book around this time 2 years ago: INHERITED: BABY, featuring my horse strapper heroine and set at Flemington. If you haven't read it, check it out (enter the comp on my website and you can win your choice of a book from my backlist!)

Speaking of babies, can you believe my bub is 6 months old now?
Time has flown.
There is so much to love about him...
-his gorgeous sweet milky smell
-his loud chuckles when I snuggle my nose into his neck
-his loud chattering...even in the middle of the night!
-his good morning smile
-his hands reaching up to explore my face
-his screwed up expression when tasting food for the first time yesterday
-his wide-eyed amazement when his brother does something new

I could go on...and on...and on...
Being a mum is the greatest gift in the world. :)

Writing-wise, started editing COURTING CUPID last night. Very nice surprise to find I'm 69 pages in and the book is a lot tighter than I anticipated. Looks like all my research on characterisation paid off! Will blog about it towards end of the week.

It's official: book 15 sold!

I now have a title and release date for my 4th Modern Heat (and 15th book!)

HOT NIGHTS WITH THE PLAYBOY will be released in June 08 (yes, another simultaneous release, as my Harlequin Romance THE DESERT PRINCE'S PROPOSAL also hits the shelves in June!)

The title is spot on: Judd Calloway is a photographer who has spent the last 8 years travelling the world (and has a teensy weensy playboy reputation) and when he meets up with his best friend, Abby Weiss on a Whitsunday island, there's plenty of steam, loads of hot nights...

When I get a spare minute (ha!) I'll be popping the usual excerpt and 'under the covers' (behind the scenes goss) on my website.

Hopefully some time this weekend...or not...

Will try, promise!

The launch!

The book launch for SIZZLE, SEDUCE & SIMMER last night was absolutely fantastic!!

Dymocks bookshop in the heart of Melbourne is huge and the perfect venue for a launch.

About 100 people turned out for this event and it was fabulous to be surrounded by so many author friends who contributed to the book.

As Marion Lennox says in the intro, this is a friendship book.

It started from the regular lunches we have as a group and developed from there.

It's truly satisfying to see our collective work in one, fantastic book. And the recipes are yummy! I've already tried the Sinfully Delicious Seed Slice...twice!!

(Pity in my rush to bundle baby and sick mum out the door and into the car last night I left the slice in the fridge rather than taking it to the launch where it was supposed to be!!)

A great evening was had by all. And I had my first taste of a book signing on a larger scale...was great fun!!

Here are some of the talented, wonderful authors who feature in this book: (from left to right) Fiona MacArthur, moi, Bronwyn Jameson, Fiona Lowe, Amy Andrews, Valerie Parv, Marion Lennox, Anne Gracie, Stephanie Laurens, Trish Morey, Carol Marinelli and Keri Arthur.

Aren't the pinafores cute?

I'm so proud to be a part of this book.

Thanks to everyone who turned out last night (and who bought copies of the book as gifts for their friends.) Remember, it would make a fabulous Christmas present: romance and recipes in one book, what more could you ask for? :)

(Pop back tomorrow for news of my 15th book. The title is fab!!)

Where am I today?

The start of another month...and how many days till Christmas? Sheesh! Where has this year got to?

I'm blogging at the PHS society about why I love the Harlequin Modern Heat series. And yes, there will be the usual sexy hero pics. Need you ask? ;)

Tonight, I'm off to my very first book launch at Dymocks in the city, at Australia on Collins.

I was thrilled to be a part of SIZZLE, SEDUCE & SIMMER, the fabulous short story and recipe anthology collated by Marion Lennox.

Hope to see you there! If you can't make it, pick up your copy here. It will make a great Chrissie present!

COVER TO COVER: Life Happens

I should be busy trying to get this guy, Blane Andrews, and this girl, Camryn Henderson, together.

Well, okay, they are together considering I've finished the first draft of COURTING CUPID but in my mind, they won't officially be together till the book is polished, edited, done, dusted and sitting in my editor's inbox waiting for a read!

I had grand plans to start the layering process this week.

But like all grand plans, they suffer setbacks when life gets in the way...

I have a household of sick boys (and yes, including hubby in this because I think men tend to regress to boys when they're sick...not being mean here, just truthful!!)

Boys who are coughing all night, boys who need their noses blown, boys who are teething and scratching because their eczema is out of control...yes, I love my boys but right now, I could do with a moment (or ten!) to myself.

The interesting thing when 'life happens' is that writing is my saviour.

Writing keeps me sane.

Writing keeps me focussed.

Writing gives me a distraction from the everyday stuff.

Writing gives me an escape.

And life does happen.

No matter how well you plan, how much time you set aside for your writing, something will always pop up.

So deal with it.

But keep your mind fine tuned by thinking about your characters/story/next plot.

Jot down a word or two between baby feeds and nose blowing.

Look forward to that peaceful hour next week when you can dive back into your story.

Most of all, dose up on Vitamin C and garlic.

Those boys have a happy habit of sharing their germs around ;)