Christmas Stocking books and authors - 4

I have another Irish novelist for you today. Trish Wylie who writes for both the Romance and Modern Extra lines. Trish, bless her, has done half the work for me – all the pictures here are ones she sent me so I don’t have to go hunting for them or scan them or anything – thanks Trish!

Trish is another writer who came to writing romance as a reader – though she took a rather indirect route from her determination that she would write romance when she was 18 and the day her first ever romance novel was published in what was then known as the Tender line. Before that she worked as a Clerical Officer, in Promotions for a recording company, and then with the other great loves of her life – horses- as a Professional Show Groom . She has her own beautiful Charlie who you can see on her Bio page on her web site. But then she decided to go back to that earlier ambition – to write romance.

Her first acceptance was the Tender Romance The Bridal Bet, which was first published in 2003, and won The Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best First Series Romance of 2005.

Since then Trish has written 12 more books in total – 3 for Modern Extra, the rest for the Romance line. But the book she’s donating to this contest is her first ever Modern Extra – Breathless – so here’s the blurb to get your interest.

It takes just one sexy fireman to set her ablaze...
Circumstance has left Finn McNeill without a place to stay. Which means her only option is the spare room of friend and firefighter Shane Dwyer. Soon Finn's burning question is: what's worse - living with a rugged fireman who's off limits, or having no home and no rugged fireman at all?
Memories from Finn's past refuse to let her act on her present desire. And Shane has promises to keep that mean Finn is forbidden to him. But how long can they resist temptation when the tension's sizzling, the attraction's simmering, and the flames of passion are licking at their heels? Perhaps one secret, white-hot night will be enough to put out the fire?"

Now with a cover like that to grab your attention, you’d want to pick this book off the shelves anyway – and the reviews it got would make you grab it too.

"White-Hot is absolutely wonderful! Trish Wylie’s spellbinding tale will tickle your funny bone and tug at your heartstrings. Featuring characters which leap off the pages, realistic dialogue, sweet romance, sizzling sex scenes, electrifying sexual tension and dramatic emotional intensity, White-Hot! is feel-good romance at it’s finest! " Cata Romance

White-Hot is out in Australia as a Sexy Sensation this month (December) and it will be heading for America in the Promotional Presents line in August when it will have a different title – but

Trish has lost the piece of paper she wrote it down on!

So when she finds it again, I’ll let you know. Among the images that Trish sent me is her idea of what Shane looked like – in the person of Eddie Cibrian, And if you want to read the story behind the book then head for Trish’s web site where you can read an excerpt from it and the story behind the book here.

Like Abby Green, I first ‘met’ Trish on the eHarlequin message boards – which must have been in 2002. Of course as soon as I heard she was from Ireland, I was interested, with my own family coming from Ireland there was that link there. And I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Trish in person several times since. So far she hasn’t shown any tendency to canoodle with the BM – but she’s pretty insistent that he and I visit her in Ireland so perhaps she has ulterior motives!

When I asked Trish if there was anything in particular she wanted me to say when I wrote about her, she said – and I quote:

‘I also would love it if you mentioned the fact that YOU were one of the very first people I spoke to online at eharl when I joined there in 2002 before subbing my first book. I have never forgotten that or any of the fantastic advice you have offered than and since!!!!’

So, okay Trish – done that (and I'm blushing) – and about the visit – hopefully this summer – so get that cabin ready.
Not content with just writing – and still working with horses – Trish was the instigator and originator of the wonderful Pink Heart Society. Here’s a little Pink Heart History:

The Pink Heart Society was founded on New Years Day 2006 when Harlequin Romance and Modern Extra author Trish Wylie had an epiphany. She decided that for every one person out there with a bad opinion about category romance, many of whom likely haven't read a one, there should be ten of us punching the air and rejoicing in the fact that these books have made a difference in our lives. Whether through a couple of hours of delightful escapism, or unforgettable emotional journeys taking us through laughter and tears and back again, or in finding a reflection of ourselves in a heroine that has shown us that we are not alone out there. Millions of readers couldn't be wrong, she reasoned and it seemed that rather a lot of people agreed with her as within days The Pink Heart Society mascot was winging his way through cyber space as fellow lovers of romance stood up to be counted...

The Pink Hearters now have a thriving and fascinating blogazine that you can find here – it’s somewhere I visit everyday and there’s always plenty that’s well worth reading.

Trish’s latest Romance title is Project Parenthood which is still available at Mills & Boon.co.uk or on Amazon.com

Her next Modern Extra will be Breathless on the shelves in February in the UK. Trish’s web site is here – or you can visit her blog to find out more about her.