New Cover

I'm leaving the last Countdown giveaway open for one more day - so if you want to be included in the draw for that please check out the previous post  and post a comment to enter.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share with you my recent discovery - my  latest cover - for The Devil and Miss Jones  which of course is coming out in March (March 2nd to be precise)

So now you can compare it with the USA Presents Extra version -

Which do you prefer? 

Quick catch up

Did you have a lovely Christmas? I hope so
Ours was a quiet,  fun and throughly enjoyable - so there was no reason at all for me to feel so tired on Boxing Day! I spent most of Monday curled up with one of the many books I received as welcome gifts and didn't really do very much at all. 

So today I still need to pick 2 winners for rthe copies of Mediterranean Tycoons!   It's been  difficult to persuade Charlie to come and pick any names and he has been so stuffed full of cat treats that he has  been outside running off the full tummy he's had all over Christmas.

Anyway - he's come back now and the names of the winners he has picked are :
Marlena
 and
Colleen.

  So please send me your  postal addresses ladies and as the Post Office opens again tomorrow, I'll get these prizes out to you.

It was supposed to ber the 12 Day s of  Christmas  Countdown to Christmas but  time ran away with me  - so to make the number up to 12 and to celebrate  the coming New Year, I'll have two more giveaways today  to finish off.

We're also celebrating the fact that today it is 4 years since Flora  came to live in this house and we had our first Maine Coon  ever.  So to mark this occasion it will be Flora who will pick the  prizewinners of the last two books.

The prize this time is one of two copies of an Australian collection  - The Greek Collection  The Price of Passion.   This contains a 'golden oldie' of mine - a 1999 book  called Constantine's Revenge.  This book has recently be rereleased as an ebook  on eHarlequin

His plan was to make her his mistress. . .
When Constantine Kiriazis reappeared after two years, Grace thought that he'd finally forgiven her for her lack of trust in him - and for cancelling their wedding. Certainly, Constantine's desire for had not waned. But neither had his desire for revenge . . .
He fully intended to seduce Grace, but vowed she'd only ever be his mistress - never his wife. It was only when she melted in his arms that Constantine began to wonder just who was exacting the revenge and who was paying the price?

And the question?

Well,  Christmas is behind us now  so let's look forward to the New Year.
Will you be making resolutions this year or is that somethign you're going to avoid this time?
What resolutioms do you think will matter mostn to you for 2012 - even is it's just not to make any resolutions at all!

Post your comments  over the next couple of days and when Flora has finished her special  chicken paté to celebrate coming to live here, she'll  pick some prize-winners.

Happy Christmas

Time has got away from me again - I will have 2 more Countdown To  Christmas giveaways on Boxing Day and Charlie will pick all the winners then,. (But he'd like to remind everyone to double check the winner announcements for the last few days because there  are one or two who haven't claimed their prizes - Debby, Rita . . . .)
And when he's finished trying to open all the presents Charlie will be back to pick the last few winners too. Until then  -

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Countdown to Christmas Days 9 & 10

I blinked and I missed yesterday!  Too much to do, too much going on -  but I promised 12 Days of Christmas so today will have  2 giveaways to catch up!

First things first - the winner of  Day 8's give away is Princess Fiona ( I love the honesty of admitting that you are the most difficult person to buy for!)  - Fiona  you win a copy of  At  The Sheikh's Command so please send me your postal address and I will get the book on its way to you - when there is a post!

Today's giveaway is a double  chance to win - the book I'm giving this time is another 3 in 1 called Mediterranean Tycoons.  This has a reprint of a book of mine from  2007  -

 The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife

He thought she was his mistress . . .
Recuperating on his private Greek island after a car crash, Andreas Petrakos had no memory of the previous year. The last thing he remembered was his passionate affair with beautiful Rebecca Ainsworth.
. . . when actually she was his wife!

Becca returned to the island because Andreas had asked for her. But she had to hide the truth from him. So what would happen when he recalled throwing Becca out - on their wedding day - for a reason only he knew?

And your question today is -

I don't often write Chritmas based stories -  there's The Christmas Baby's Gift   and  Fiancée By Mistake  - and the truth is that usually by this time of year I'm too busy to sit down with any holiday based books, and I'm not desperately keen on reading them at any other time of the year.

What about you? 

Do you love Christmas stories - or prefer not to have such specific references in them? Are there any Christmas books you've really enjoyed - or are looking forward to reading this holiday?

You know what to do - post in the comments and I'll get Charlie to pick 2 winners before he's too stuffed with cat treats and his own Christmas dinner to be interested!

Countdown to Christmas 8

Thank you all for your comments yesterday and for  the private messages too.  I know that it has been a difficult year for many people and  sharing  helps us feel  that bit warmer and more connected. It's one of the reasons why I decided to run the Countdown to Christmas  again this year - and ask you to tell me about yourselves,  even though I've just done the Big Blog Tour as well.

My book stock cupboard is looking much barer than before as a result but it's lovely to know that my stories are going around the world and hopefully brightening that day for someone who needs it.  That is one of the great hnours of being a writer - the way of being able to touch someone's life when they need it without even knowing it.

Yesterday's winner of a copy of The Italian's Forced Bride is  Debby -  so please let me know your postal address Debby

Oh and to answer Kaelee - yes, there is Cordero's Forced Bride as well as The Italian's Forced Bride  but that;s it for the Forced Brides! Personally it's not a title I've ever liked - it's one of those that come from the 'buzzword'  type of titles - that now thankfully seem to be behind us. Incidentally,  do you like the new titles? Just wondering.

Anyway today's give away is a replay of Day 3 - This is At The Sheikh's Command. You may remember that  Lois won  a copy of this back then, but then she realised that she already had the book  so  I swapped it for another backlist title - and At The Sheikh's Command is  still available for a giveaway 

So to remind you  about this 2006 book

Bought...
Abbie Cavanaugh's young brother is in jail. Abbie can obtain his freedom - but only if she marries the Sheikh of Barakhara.
And bedded...

The explosive passion between Prince Malik and Abbie could turn a marriage of convenience into one of Eastern promise.
By The Sheikh!
But neither Abbie nor Malik knows the other's real identity. Can their relationship survive once the truth is revealed?


And the question is -
Who in your family  is the most difficult person for you to buy a present for - and who is the easiest?

My answer to  that - to both questions would have to be my  DH the Babe Magnet - he's easy to buy for because all he ever asks for are books - books - and more books.  But that in my mind makes him the most difficult - because  there is never any variety in what  he wants!
Oh well, they are always easy to wrap !

PS - I'm adding an apology that I don't manage to answer all your comments  everyday. I do read them - obviously because I have to get the names to allow Charlie to pick the winners - but with so much to do and the prizes to send out etc I just don't have the time to respond to every single one. I'm so glad to see everyone joining in, 'old faces' and new   frieds turning up - you are so welcome.  And I'm so happy that you've come to visit.

Countdown to Christmas 7

I'm late today because it's been rather a difficult day -  a time when news from several sources has brought me up against the reminder that, although so much of the world  seems to be celebrating, buying and wrapping presents, enjoying parties, planning get-togethers,  selecting lots of lovely food and drink, there are others who are struggling with sadness and pain, illness and the shock of loss.


So I want to take a moment to think of   those of you who for whom this holiday time is not the joy and happiness it is for others - those of you whose Christmnas is touched with sadness and loss that has taken the sparkle from it.  Having lost my dear Mother in law earlier in the year, it's hard to have this first Christmas when I haven't selected a special gift for her or been able to make up the stocking that she always said she was  too olde for - but that her enjoyment proved you're never too old for a Christmas stocking!

To all of you who are dealing with something like this, perhaps the illness of a loved one, or a more recent loss - my heart goes out to you, and I send my sympathy and thoughts in the hope that they might help just a little.

So I think it's appropriate that the winner of today's prize giveaway - the copy of  Blind-Date Brides - is Alison, whose best 'gift' touched me so much.  And I also related so much to the  pencils with your name on them Alison - I had some of those once and I loved them too. Charlie pounced right on the cat treat on your name so he must have agreed.  Please send your postal address to me - as alway,  use the email at the bottom of the page.

Today's giveaway is a copy of another earlier title of mine - The Italian's Forced Bride.  (2006)

"As long as I want you, you stay — and you only leave when I give you permission to go."
Alice Howard spent six passionate months as Domenico Parrisi's mistress. But she knew he would never love her back and would soon discard her — so she left him.
But now Domenico wants her back in his bed, and his terms of possession are the same as before—until he makes a discovery that changes everything: Alice is carrying his child.

And the question? Well.seeign as I was talking about stockings - tell me - do you still have one - for yourself,  for the children? And if you do, what is it like - do you have a commercially made one or is it like the one I made for my son years ago  - a plain white pillowcase that I decorated with pictures and his name done in fabric paints?
And what sor of  things do you put into the stocking (sorry - perhaps I should say  - what does Santa put in the stocking?)

As you see, even dear old Sid the Cat always had a big stocking that he hoped Santa would fill with treats.

Countdown to Christmas 6

I'm not sure where the weekend went - shopping, wrapping, visiting - and preparing a lot of packages for the post. Prize winners, your books will be on their way - and your gifts to your friends/sisters/mother in law . .  will hopefully reach them soon too,
.
The winner of a copy  of Mistresses Shackled with Rubies is  Sleepysian,   Sian please send me your postal addres  - use the email at the bottom of the page.

Today's giveaway is again a 3 in 1 collection - but this is an older one..  Blind-Date Brides came out in 2002 but my book in there was published  1996! So this is a chance for any collector to grab a copy of a backlist book that isn't  on sale anywhere  - except in ebook format.

The book is Hers For A Night

For twenty-four hours only . . .
Lucas Mallory - star attraction of a celebrity auction. Tall, dark and handsome and fabulously wealthy, he is every woman's dream date.
Georgia Harding - successful businesswoman. She wants to impress her father at his sixtieth birthday party by taking along the perfect man - so she bids for Lucas.
Warned about his reputation, Georgia tells herself that Lucas isn't her type. But she hasn't bargained on his lethal sex appeal - or his determination to give her value for money . . .

The otgher authors with books in this collection are Helen Brooks and Sophie Weston


And today's question is -   What was the best present you were given last year?

I think you can guess what my answer would be - he's  red and white and furry and he's helping me pick out the winners of these giveaways.

And here's what he loooked like when I first saw him! Is it any wonder that he stole my heart!

Countdown to Christmas 5

Remind me again why I do this at this time of year - when it's Christmas and I have so much else to  do?. . . . Oh yes-  I remember  - I  do it because it's Christmas!

And because it's Christmas and there is something so special about  being able to give that extra touch of happiness to someone -  and because Charlie is SO greedy . . .well, the truth is that Charlie is greedy and so is Flora, so she helped pick winners for the giveaway of Claimed by The Sicilian.

Yes I did say winners. Even when Charlie and Flora had had their picks, I couldn't possibly have chosen between all the special nominations for this giveaway - so   because it's Christmas and as a once onlly - I'm giving a copy of the book to all the people  you have nominated  yesterday here and on the PHS - so
Adriana
Maria
Carol

- from the comments here
And
Marybelle
Rita
Kaelee
from the Pink Heart Society
I'd  love to send yuor special mother, sister, friend . . . an extra Christmas gift from me - and you. . .

So you know the drill  - please email me  - see the address at the bottom of the page  - and give me the address you want the book to be sent to - and please also tgell me who I should sign it for to make this extra special.  I do hope your  nominee will enjoy this gift -and I know it will warm their heart to know of the part you played in giving it to them.

One other prize - The Alcolar Family trilogy  - picking from the people who posted over on We Write Romance -  and the winner is -

Carol Woodruff

Carol please send me your postal address too and I can send the book to you.

Today's giveaway and question  -
The book I'm giving away today is another 3 in 1  - this one is called Mistresses  - Shackled with Rubies.
The collection has books in it by Lucy Monroe and Lee Wilkinson as well as my novel.  And the novel of mine that is in this collections is quite an oldie - it's  Her Secret Bridegroom that was originally published in 2000.


Bride by deception!

After a whirlwind wedding in Venice, Amy discovered that her brand-new husband had only married her to gain a priceless old ring. Fleeing Italy, Amy never told anyone of her marriage to ruthless billionaire Vincenzo Ravenelli.
Four years later, while Amy knew she'd never really love another man as she loved Vincenzo, she needed to be free of the past. The time had come to return to venice and confront her secret bridegroom . . .




And the question - well, I was going to ask this anyway but then I see that someone has already asked it over on the Pink Heart Society  too so if you want yo can go and add your comment there too

What was your favourite category romance read for 2011?

And no it doesn't have to be one of mine! - And yes, if you really can't decide then you can  give me your top five! But I'd love to know what you've enjoyed reading this year.

Countdown to Christmas 4

The winner of a copy of At The Sheikh's Command is Lois.  I have to admit that I love the idea of  the traditional Christmas decorations along with Star Wars figures etc.

Lois please email me with your postal address - see the email at the bottom of the blog page.

The contest for a copy of The Alcolar Family is still open over on We Write Romance until  Charlie comes in from the garden - this allows for tiome zone confusions!  Don't forget to answer the question over there to be in with a chance to win.

Today is the third Friday of the month which means that I'm over at the Pink Heart Society  for my regular Date With Kate and I'm taking the Countdown To Christmas with me.

Today's book is another 3 in 1  - with all my titles in it.  it's Claimed by the Sicilian.

 But this time the winning is slightly different. In the spirit of Christmas, this is your chance to win a copy of  this book to give to someone who you think needs or deserves a special gift at this time. You can nominate your mother, your friend, your daughter , a nurse at the local hospital . . .  And I'll send the book to you to give to her.

Claimed by The Sicilian  contains these three novels

The Sicilian's Wife

He gave her marriage - but not his love!

Marriage to Cesare Santorino is all Megan has ever wanted, although never like this! She's in deep trouble and, with no other choice, agrees to Cesare's offer of a mutually beneficial. convenient marriage.
Cesare makes no secret of his desire for her. But what about love? Megan can only hope that her proud Sicilian Husband might eventually come to see his young wife with more than just passion . . .
The story of The Sicilian's Wife is linked to A Sicilian Husband which is the story of Cesare's half-brother Gio. 

Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride

(Guido's story)
Possessed by his passion!
Dark, proud and sinfully gorgeous, Guido Corsentino is determined to reclaim his wife. Outwardly, Amber is perfect and untouchable - but Guido knows the passionate woman inside. One kiss, and he's certain she'll give him whatever he demands . . .
But Guido is also certain of something else: Amber ran away from him once—so she won't be given the opportunity to do so again. He'll protect her from the consequences of her actions . . . in his bed!

The Sicilian's Red-Hot Revenge

(Vito's story)
They shared one night of passionate lovemaking. Then in the cold light of day, her secret tore them apart. Now Vito has come back – and he’s determined to have his revenge.
Emily Lawton never expected to see him again. But Vito Corsentino has tracked her down and he wants Emily. This time he’ll take her and he’ll be the one to leave when it’s over.
But Emily has one last secret for Vito . . . She’s having his baby and if he finds out, he’ll want more than revenge!
When only seduction will settle old scores.

This book is now sold out in paperback on the Mills & Boon site - but you can still get an ebook copy if you don't win
The Countdown continues back on this blog tomorrow

Countdown to Christmas 4

Today's  prize giveaway is another 3 in 1 book collection - but this one has three books that are all written by me.

The prize today is the complete Alcolar Family Collection.

The Alcolar Family is the story of  a family of proud Spanish aristocrats - Passion is their birthright!

The three titles are:

The Twelve-Month Mistress

JOAQUIN'S STORY
Made to be his mistress...

Joaquin Alcolar has a rule—never to keep a mistress for more than twelve months. Cassie knows that her time is nearly up, and to save her pride—and her heart—she decides to jump before she’s pushed.
However, when an accident leaves Joaquin with amnesia, he cannot recall Cassie ending their relationship. And, on doctor’s orders, Cassie can’t tell him the truth.

So is she back where she started—in Joaquin’s bed—until her recovers his memory . . . and the clock starts ticking once more . . ?

The Spaniard's Inconvenient Wife

RAMON'S STORY
The convenient solution is to marry her!
Ramon Dario desperately wants the Medrano company. But the deal has a shocking condition - marriage to the notorious Estrella Medrano. Ramon won't be forced into anything, least of all into wedding a scarlet woman!

But Estrella is not what he imagined. Ramon can't get her gorgeous body out of his mind. He even starts to believe she may not deserve her reputation.
A marriage of convenience - and desire - might be a good deal after all...

Bound By Blackmail

MERCEDES'S STORY
He'll make her his mistress for revenge...

Jake Taverner has never wanted a woman as much as he wants Mercedes Alcolar. So when she rejects him in the most painful way, Jake's hurt pride demands the most pleasurable revenge...
...his mistress for a month!
Jake traps Mercedes into a fake engagement as he embarks on his skillful seduction. She'll share his bed for one passionate month. But though he can bind her by blackmail...can he keep her?

And today's question . . . well, you'll have top follow me over to my guestblog post over on We Write Romance where I'll be talking about  my personal Countdown To Christmas  - and asking the question for you to answer over there!

Countdown to Christmas 3

Thank you to everyone who came by to tell me a bit  more about yourself yesterday -  it seems that my readers are spread far and wide, which is wonderful.

First - some lucky winners
 Over on Romance Book Paradise, the winner of the 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance is Juanita Kees
and my first Countdown winner  is Sunu

Please email me  - see the  link at the bottom of my web site hom page - with your postal address abd I'll get the prize in the post to you.

To those who didn't win  - please make sure you come back every day and join in as there are still lots of prizes to win, right up until Christmas.

Today's giveaway book is an older novel - At The Sheikh's Command was published in 2006.

Bought...
Abbie Cavanaugh's young brother is in jail. Abbie can obtain his freedom - but only if she marries the Sheikh of Barakhara.
And bedded...

The explosive passion between Prince Malik and Abbie could turn a marriage of convenience into one of Eastern promise.
By The Sheikh!
But neither Abbie nor Malik knows the other's real identity. Can their relationship survive once the truth is revealed?

And today's question is -  how do you decorate your house for Christmas? Do you like traditional  decorations - holly, tree, candles - or do you go for something different? If you don't live in the UK or USA please let me know what is a 'traditional'  way of decorating for you.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for another giveaway . . .

Countdown to Christmas 2

Last year when I had more time and more concentration, I organised a special Advent Calendar for all my readers - every day there was a book 'behind the door'  on the calendar and everyone who came to chat was entered into the prize draw for that day - and all the other days through December. This year I don't have so much time. I've also just done the Great Big Blog Tour which meant that I gave away lots of books already.

But - hey - it's Christmas - and last year I had so much fun with this because I got to ask questions and  to find out more about all my readers.  And I loved that.  So this year I'm running a smaller shorter Countdown to Christmas - with questions and  prizes and - I hope  - lots of chat for the 12 days leading up to the big day.

So here's how it works - I've been cleaning out my book stock cupboard and I've found 12 different prizes to give away. Some are older some brand new, some are collections, some single novels - it all depends on what my hand falls on for the day.  Every day I'll ask a  question - I know there are lots of lovely readers out there and I want to know more about you . You just come and chat with me in the commenst section and at the end of the day I'll get Charlie the Maine Coon busy on picking a winner . . .

One a day for the next 12 days.  Well,  11 days actually because as I explained yesterday over on Romance book Paradise Nas Dean has already started this off with the great  giveaway of a signed copy of the 12 Point Guide - there still a chance to win there if you want to check it out.

And today? Well today's prize is a copy of the 3 in 1 volume One Night in Madrid - this has novels by Jennie Lucas, Chantelle Shaw and me.  And the book of mine that is in this collection is
Spanish Billlionaire Innocent Wife -

Two years ago, Alannah left Raul without one word of regret. Now chance has thrown them together once more, and the proud Spanish aristocrat will see that Alannah pays for her mistake.
He had wanted Alannah Redfern the first moment he saw her. Her unique combination of purity and passion intrigued, then intoxicated him. And Raul Marcín was a man used to getting everything he wanted.

Now, Raul knows that Alannah is no longer a naive girl. Until their one night of passion proves that she is still an innocent. Raul will do whatever it takes to keep her at his mercy.

And for the question?

Well, let's start with something simple  -  I see the counters on my blog mounting up - I have had visitors from 167 different countries - 167!!

But what about you? Where are you from?  What country? What city/town?  What's it like where you live?

I'd love to know

And when Charlie comes down from climbing the Christmas tree, I'll get him to pick a winner for today - then you can come back tomorrow and see what book is on offer then.

The countdown to Christmas has started . . . .

Guestblogging and a chance to win

So today, officially, I'm blogging over at Romance Book Paradise.  I say officially because all the time  zones have conspired against me and it's the  morning of December 12th here  - but evening of December 12th the other side of the world.

So I'm heading over there to catch up with everyone who has commented on my post which is about the vexed subject of sagging middles - and I'm not talking about the after effects of the Christmas feasting but  the point in the middle of a book when you know it's s-l-o-w-i-n-g  down and starting to sag

And  as I said, today starts my Countdown To Christmas  when I'm  hoping to find out more about you - and chat with you and there will be some giveaways each day on the 12 Days of Christmas.  Today is the special launch day  and you have a chance to win a signed copy of my 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance.  There will be more giveaways on my blog  from now on.

But first I'm off to Fiji  (I wish I was  really going there and not just virtually)  and Romance Book Paradise  - see you there!

Gifts for Writers

Tuesday?
My last post was on Tuesday?
Where did the week go?

Well - there was shopping, and planning, and wrapping, and writing cards,  and posting . . . . You see, I suddenly realised that it's December  11th - and there's only  14 days left till Christmas.  So I've been  rushing around like a mad thing, trying to knock things of my To Do list.

What about you? Have you got things organised, or are you still trying hard to get everythig done? Bought all your presents - or  are you still  desperately looking for ideas?  Well, if you're  wanting to find something to give to a writer friend - or a would-be writer, I may have a few ideas for you.

A couple of weeks ago,  the very lovely - and very talented (you should see all the prises she won in her exams!)   Riya, daughter   of Nas Dean who so efficiently organised the Big Blog Tour I've just finished,  asked me to guest on her blog Romance Reader .  The Blog Tour was officially over, but I was happy to contribute a guest post - and she came up with a great suggestion for the topic-  Christmas (or any other time) gifts for writers.   That was easy! I just had to think of all the things I'd love to find in my stocking or under the tree this Christmas . . . .
So my suggestions list is posted over on Riya's  blog today - I hope it'll provide some inspiration for you if you're still wondering what to buy for a writer in your life.

Today it's Riya's blog, tomorrow  I'm back visiting Nas at Romance Book Paradise - and  with a post about the craft of writing. There will be a  very special giveaway with this post - one that launches my  special  Countdown to Christmas  12 Days Of Christmas  giveaways on my blog. 

So if you've read the list on Romance Reader's Blog and decided that a copy of the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance is going on your wish list for Santa - then come over to  Romance Book Paradise and chat and see if you can win yourself a signed copy.

See you there!

I amost forgot . . .

Oops, I've only just realised the date! (Yes I am that confuzzled at the moment!)

It's the 6th of December and that means that following on from the Big Blog Tour,  several people asked me to come back and do an extra blog or two with them in the run up to Christmas (and beyond). The first of these was the lovely Michelle Fayard who  won a  copy of the 12 Point Guide way back at the beginning of the tour, then hosted me as a guest blogger a bit later.   She so  appreciated the  12 Point Guide that she asked me to do a special interview with her about the book and how it came to be written and the result is posted over on her blog today.

Lots of hints for writers there too.
And if you're hoping to drop a hint to Santa to put a copy of the 12 Point Guide in your  stocking at Christmas, there is news of another chance to win a copy of this guide coming up soon.

See you there!

And if you're in the UK and either a member or hoping to be a member of the  RNA's New Writers' Scheme - then there's a series of blogs on the scheme and how it works, what writers have got out of it on the RNA blog now.

New Cover

Look what I found while browsing Amazon at the weekend - it's the Presents Extra cover of my next book - The Devil and Miss Jones.

It's a good cover - and it shows the Argentinian estancia setting of the second half of the book - but I was hoping for a cover with the evocative scene at the opening of the story  - the one that gave me my title for this novel.
But maybe the UK cover will come closer. I don't have any copy of that cover yet to show you - but I'll post it here as soon as I do.

You may have seen all the fuss and excitement about Sweetie and Sunshine, the two giant pandas and their arrival at Edingburgh Zoo. The TV coverage has been extensive - and Charlie the Maine Coon has loved every minute of it! He sits up and takes notice when ever the panadas appear on the television, watches intently while they are on - and goes back to sleep when the next item appears.

I wonder if Sweetie and Sunshine know that they have such a great feline fan. We'll have to hope that they do mate so that he can have some baby pandas to watch in the future

Big Blog Tour - Round Up and Winner

So    - it took  almost 3 months
There were about 32 posts - 33 if you count this one
It visited blogs in America, Australia, Fiji,  UK, Canada  . . .
There were about 337 different  commentors -  that's new commentors - many of you can back again and again and chatted with me - thank you!
And I gave away over 35 books!

Charlie had plenty of cat treats to snarf down as he picked the names of winners- and even Flora joined in sometimes to help
.
So I think you can count the Big Blog Tour as as great success ( But I'm pretty relieved not to have to think of extra blog posts - and  replies to comments  for a while now.)

And Charlie has just done his last  blog tour duty  - picking  4 extra winners from my Newsletter list  to celebrate coming to the end of the tour - so

Judith  R from Israel
Sarah H  from UK
Gladys from Houston
Tessa B

Are all winners too -  please email me (see bottom of Home Page)  with your postal address and choice of  a backlist title from this list:

The Greek Tycoon’s Unwilling Wife

Bedded By The Greek Billionaire

Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride

The Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge

The Good Greek Wife?

Kept for Her Baby

The Konstantos Marriage Demand

Cordero’s Forced Bride

Spanish Billionaire, Innocent Wife

The Proud Wife




And finally  - the big winner -  picked from the special list or people who stayed with me and 'stalked' me along the blog tour, is most of the places I stopped - or at least as many as they could manage ..  .
And the winner is:
SUSIE MEDWELL

Susie - you win a signed copy of The Return of The Stranger and  your choice of three other backlist books from the list above. Please email me with your choices

Finally a great big thank you to Nas Dean  from Romance Book Paradise whose contacts, enthusiasm and calm efficiency made this all possible. keep an eye on Nas's site for news of other authors who are running blog tours so you can join in and maybe win a book or two. And don't forget that over on my author page    that Nas has set up,  there will be news of other  blog visits I will be making in the future so you can visit them as well. 

THANK  YOU Nas!

And coming up on Romance Book Paradise on December 12th is a chance to win a signed copy of the 12 Point Guide just in time for Christmas  -  so look out for that.

Normal service will now be resumed - except when I see you out and about!

Charlie's Diary - One Year on

This should have been posted at the weekend, but  my Mum was busy with blog tours and such and I was busy helping her pick winners. I've enjoyed  doing that as I have eaten a lot of cat treats over the past few weeks - there have been so many of you entering  her contests  that I've had a good  time eating treats and picking winners. 

My Mum  asked her newsletter group to let to her know what you most wanted her to blog about and it seems that LOTS of you asked to know how  Charlie was getting on - well, naturally I suppose. I am a superstar  -and I'm getting very good at picking winners. (Not as good as the late great Cat of Superior Breeding Sir Sid - but I'm working on it.) Anyway, seeing as lots of you asked, Mum said that I had better write a blog post to let you all know what's going on in Charlie-world.  So here I am.

So - on Saturday it was a whole year since I came to live in my forever home here, And  it's been great.  I love it here. I have a great bed - but I prefer to sleep with Mum and the Babe Magnet - though  the Magnet takes up more than his fair share of space and  I have to lie on top of him to be able to stretch out. I get them up at about 5.45am to let me out - scratching on the wardrobe  gets them out of bed pretty fast and then I can go and explore in the garden.

I love the garden. There are lots of trees to climb and bushes to hide in. And there's the  little house thing where Mum puts food for the fluttery things she calls the birds. One day I'm going to catch myself one of those bird things - they look quite tasty, if a bit feathery.

Sadly we lost the  two old gents in this year - Dylan and Sid are much missed but it was good to get to know them and Sid taught me all I know about picking winners and important stuff like that. He also taught me about lots of good stuff -  like Teatime. Sid knew good stuff when he saw it (or ate it ) and Teatime is very good stuff. 

So now there's just me and Big Sis Flora. Flora's OK but she can be a bit of a diva at time - she has a mouth on her sometimes- real hissy fits and bad growls. But I know she doesn't mean them - she just doesn't like me pouncing on her tail.  Sometimes I chase her up and downstairs - that's a lot of fun. (And a lot of noise my Mum says) .

Tomorrow it's December and Flora says that;s when we start the Advent Calendar - it was sent to us (well it was sent to the Great Sid ) by Anne McAllister The Lady Across the Pond and we get treats every day  till Christmas. That sounds good to me. I must have had an Advent Calendar last year but everything was so new that I didn't notice it - and besides I had to share all the treats with 3 other cats so it wasn't so exciting.

There are still lots of books here - there are always lots of books. Books are quite boring really, but Mum says they help to pay for Teatime - so I suppose they're OK. And she says a lot of you like these book things and that's a good thing.   But they don't taste very good - and I get into trouble if I try to chew one so I'm really not that bothered  - when it comes to books, I'll pass. I'd much rather have Teatime!

In fact it is Teatime now - Mum just opened the cupboard and took out the tin  - so I'm off!  Teatime is the best time of the day. It's one of the reasons why I love living here - so that's me caught up with everything for now.   See you!  

Purrs
Charlie

Big Blog Tour - the last stop

Well  it's been  a l-o-n-g tour, - I started way back on September 11th and I feel as if I've been all over the internet in the time since then.  I've had blogs in America, Australia,  Fiji  . . .  I've talked of all sorts of things - reading writing, cats, school days, The Brontes .. . and of course, the book  that was the reason for this  major tour in the first place - the celebration of the publication  of The Return of the Stranger.

I've met lots of great people - readers and writers. I've chatted with  you all through your comments  on the  posts and I've given away books all over the place. I've sent out copies of The Return of the Stranger, backlist titles  and even a couple of copies of The 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance.  And I've made some special friends along the way - people I know I will keep in touch with in the future, and I'll be going back to visit their blogs  either as a reader or a guest blogger if they invite me. (Some of these have already been planned.)

But today is the last stop on this official big blog tour this time around.   After today the tour comes to a halt, apart from the round up party and final giveaway of the main prize which will be on December 1st. So today's last stop is over on Romance University. 

As the name implies, Romance University is a great site  which declares as it's aim: "Dedicated to helping writers establish and advance their careers, introducing readers to a variety of authors, and delving into the ever-inscrutable male mind."  So obviously my post there is with my 'teaching hat' on  - I'm talking about the tight focus and word  count that goes into a category romance  and the need to 'Cut for Pace'.  So maybe I'll see you there.

After today that will be the end of this actual tour - but don't lose sight of the Author Page  that Nas Dean of Romance Book Paradise has set up. Nas has been my help and support  and kept me organised - just - through the whole of this tour. And She has already listed some of the upcoming blogs where I'll be posting in the not too distant future. So if you keep an eye on her listings, you'll know where to find me.

A great big thank you to Nas for keeping me on track over the past months - without her I would never have been able to organise this tour, or to take you to so many fatastic sites.