Christmas Stocking Contest - More Great Books

I should know better than to try and run a big contest at Christmas - right?

I'm busy enough as it is and there are so many other things that need to be done. But then Christmas is always a busy busy time - and I lov e running this contest. It reminds me of how many great books there are in the world (too many!) and so many of them are written by my great friends - and the prize is being offered to my great readers.

So that's a lot to celebrate.

OK - so here are some more of the great books on offer:

Amanda Ashby's You Had Me at Halo is her very first book , published in August this year. It's not a traditional romance - it's actually one of the most original and fun books I've read this year. One of the most original books I've read ever. And a synopsis will give you an idea why.

She's halfway to heaven . . . and she's just been pulled over

Holly Evans has just seen her own body laid to rest, and if it had been up to her, she wouldn't have chosen that particular polester dress for the event. Still, she could live with that (so to speak) if it guaranteed a quick jump to Level 3 of the afterlife, which she hopes will feature both reruns of Friends and reunions with lost loved ones.

But Holly has some mortal baggage to unload first, starting with the matter of how she died. Yes, she drowned in her bathtub under suspicious circumstances, but she did not kill herself. Holly had too much to live for, from her recent promotion to taking the next big step in her relationship. OK, her life had a few loose ends but whose doesn't? Holly's heavenly shrink isn't buying it. He says she has to return to Earth to straighten things out. The problem is, she'll need to borrow someone's body to do so, and the body in question belongs to none other than computer geek, Vince Murphy. Oh, and although Vince was supposed to have vacated the premises, he apparently never got the memo.

Now Holly has 48 hours to resolve her issues while sharing arms, legs, and . . . other things with a guy she barely noticed while she was alive. But the real surprise is what life has to off when you have only two days to live it.

And this book actually comes with your own personal free halo!
Don't believe me? Well, check out Amanda's blog where you can see her wearing hers!

Amanda's next book will be the equally original Zombie Queen of Newbury High, a Young Adult book. Coming Spring 2009 (Puffin)

If you read this blog when I wrote about the RNA Awards lunch in April this year, you'll remember that I met new Modern Extra author Heidi Rice there. Heidi has given me two signed copies of her very first book too - Hers is titled Bedded By A Bad Boy.

A tough loner - with a past . . .

Monroe Latimer is a drop-dead gorgeous Harley-riding bad boy who doesn't do commitment. No way; no how.

One look at Monroe and feisty English girl Jessie Connor knows he's about as Mr Wrong as a guy can get, but there's one great big problem. He's sexy as hell, he fires her blood like no other man ever has, and his killer bllue gaze is focused right on her. His look says he'll bed her - but never wed her . . .

Is Jessie the one who can tame the untameable?

Bedded by a Bad Boy is out in the US in January under the new title Bedded by a Playboy in the Harlequin Special Releases Presents collection Pregnant Mistresses. Heidi's second Modern Extra The Mile High Club was out in the UK in November, is due out in the US in March under the new title The Millionaire's Blackmail Bargain. Her third book was accepted last month and is out in the UK in July as The Tycoon's Very Personal Assistant.

Finally today, there's One Glass is Never Enough by Jane Wenham-Jones, who, as you'll know from my posts on the subject, shares my love of and and teaches at Caerleon Writers' Holiday which is where I met her:

Three women, one bar and three different reasons for buying it.

Single mother Sarah needs a home for her children, Claire's an ambitious business woman. For wealthy Gaynor, Greens Wine Bar is just one more amusement. Or is it?

On the surface, Gaynor has it all - money, looks, a beautiful home in the picturesque seaside town of Broadstairs, and Victor - her generous, successful husband. But while Sarah longs for love and Claire is making money, Gaynor wants answers. Why is Victor behaving strangely and who does he see on his frequent trips away? What's behind the threatening phone-calls? As the bar takes off, Gaynor's life starts to fall apart.Into her turmoil comes Sam - strong and silent with a hidden past. Theirs is an unlikely friendship but then nobody is quite what they seem in this tale of love, loss and betrayal set against the middle-class dream of owning a wine bar. As Gaynor's confusion grows, events unfold that will change all of their lives forever.

So if this makes you want to enter the contest and you haven't already, then check out my Contest Page on my web site for the details of what you have to do.

Contest closes 18th December 2008