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It's Monday so I must be back from London . . . right? I think I left part of my brain in the capital as it has taken me till now to catch up with all I have to do.

And I had such a great time meeting up with friends old and new and talking and drinking a little wine . . .

Let's see, Wednesday afternoon was spent settling into the hotel, making a mad dash to Oxford Street to find a book for the Babe Magnet - I told him his History Magazine wouldn't be enough to read - but I think that was just an excuse to make sure he 'needed' to raid the bookshops. Then we met up with Michelle Reid and Sandra Marton and had a wonderfully relaxed evening with them. At RWA Sandra always invites everyone to a pizza party on the first evening and although this wasn't RWA we continued the tradition with pizzas for all. Great fun and an opportunity to talk . . . a lot.

Thursday was the day that Sharon Kendrick had invited some of us to lunch in her home so I met up with American authors Lynn Raye Harris and Jennie Lucas who were over for the AMBA meeting, and Abby Green who was over from Dublin and we all made our way to Winchester. We had a brief tour of the city, including the Cathedral where - for the first time ever (what a confession for a romance writer) I was able to visit Jane Austen's grave there.

Thursday evening there was a dinner for what seemed like a roll call of Presents/Modern authors - Sara Craven, Sandra Marton, Michelle Reid, Abby Green, Natalie Rivers, India Grey, Jennie Lucas, (these two are pictured here) Lynn Raye Harris, Christina Hollis, Sara Morgan.

Friday was of course the date of the AMBA lunch itself. I took my camera and then got completely involved in talking with friends - I was lucky enough to be seated next to lovely Liz Fielding - forgetting to take any pictures most of the time. The same with the Mills & Boon toast to their writers which was held after the event. So I'm indebted to Kate Hardy for this pic of myself (centre) together with Sophie Weston (in brown) and Joanna Maitland at the 'toast' . (Kate also has more detail on the venue and food on her blog if you'd like to see it. )

Among the things talked about were the New covers - which are now appearing on the bookshop shelves all ovder the country - the New Voices contest, and the upcoming Leander Rowing Calendar which will be appearing on the M&B site in the next few weeks - so watch out for that.

Special thanks have to go to Natalie Rivers and Sharon Kendrick for organising the event so efficiently and making it so enjoyable.

By the end of the evening, I was just about talked out and my feet were protesting at being in smart shoes all that time. So with the Magnet, Michelle Reid and her husband and Brigid Coady who came to join us after the 'toast' we headed for a casual dinner at an Italian restaurant.

Saturday morning, we just had time to share breakfast together - Michelle, Sandra and I and our husbands - before sadly packing up and heading back home. It was a fantastic few days and I'm always astonished and delighted by the warm friendships that are forged in spite of living in different countries and hundreds of miles away from each other - as a result of this job of writing romance that we all share. It's something that I never anticipated when I started out, but it's one of the very best benefits of the career I've had.

Tote Bag of Books Presents Special - Natalie Rivers

Today's contribution to the tote bag full of books comes from Natalie Rivers.

Unfortunately Natalie has been struggling with a deadline and much needed family time so hasn't been able to write a separate blog - but I want you all to know about the book she has donated to the wonderful prize collection - so here's the blurb:




A Diakos heir will never go unclaimed!

Kerry Martin wants a different childhood for her unborn baby from the one she had. Foolishly she thought Theo Diakos would provide the love and protection she’d searched so long for. How wrong she was!

Before she can share her news, a scandalous incident makes her vow never to reveal her child’s true heritage. Now Theo has found out about his secret son, and he’ll force Kerry to make another vow – to have and to hold, till death do us part!

The Diakos Baby Scandal was published in June 2009 and will be coming in Presents in November.

Natalie doesn't have a web site I can send you to look at - but the answer to her question can easily be found on Amazon or the Mills & Boon web site if you search under Natalie's name

What was the title of Natalie's previous book, published in December 2008/Presents November 2008

Great Big Blog Party 12 & 19 - WINNERS

First - a question - how many cubitts of wood did it take Noah to build an ark? I'm asking now because I might need the informatuon later on today if it keeps on raining as it is doing now. If this blog ends suddenly on a sort of whooooosh sound, then that will mean that I've been swept away on a flash flood as the amount of water pounding down outside becomes just too much. I am supposed to be going to York to meet visiting Australian author Anna Campbell - but at this moment I'd be afraid of having to swim there not drive.

Seriously though - for many people this is NOT a laughing matter and if you're one of those caught in the potential flood plains over the country you have my sympathies and my thoughts. Keep safe - and I hope and pray you keep dry. A little less rain would help too.

So winners -

First one is from right back at Guest Blogger 12 - this one was for the Authors out there - my fantastic web mistress offered a prize of a banner she's created to the winner. And I can now announce that the winner is:

Kate Hardy

Which seems like a great result to me as T'other Kate (aka Scary Kate) is also having a celebration this week and will be celebrating her 25th published title. Congratulations on both Kate!

And a second winners' announcement comes from Natalie Rivers who has found it hard to choose so here's what she says:
"There were so many fabulous suggestions that I found it impossible to choose just one winner, so I chose two, who will both receive an embroidered coin purse and a signed copy of The Kristallis Baby.
Sharon said Murano, and as my second book is set in Venice I just had to pick this island as a winner.
And Nature nut/jj loch – your description of an uncharted island, where the flora and fauna are straight from the Garden of Eden, made me yearn to go there. So I had to pick you too!
Then, because I had such a lovely time imagining visiting all the gorgeous islands that everyone suggested, I put the rest of the names in a hat and chose three runners up, who will all receive a signed copy of The Kristallis Baby. These are

Sandra Schwab,

Anne and

Lidia.
Thanks again to everyone for commenting and sharing such great ideas for dream holiday destinations!"

Congratulations to all the winners - you know what to do (you should by now!) Send me your snail mail address details and I'll pass them on to Natalie and she'll organise the prize distribution.

Great Big Blog Party 19 - Natalie Rivers

It's a special thrill to me to be able to introduce my next Guest Blogger as someone who has her novel out on the shelves with me this month. Not just her novel - but her very first published novel ever. Natalie Rivers is a brand new signing to the Modern/Presents line and her book The Kristallis Baby is out now in both UK an America - and in the UK it's sharing a shelf with The Sicilian's Red-Hot Revenge.

Which is a delight to me because I have watched this book develop - and watched Natalie grow from an eager student, throught the New Writers' Scheme, to a published author - and I've had my own small input into the success of her career.

But I'll leave Natalie to tell you about that. Just to say that I'm specially pleased that the success of Natalie's book shows how talent, determination, hard work and commitment will win through - and that the publication of it is a great endorsement of the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writers' Scheme - which I'm proud to be a reader for.

So - Natalie Rivers

There are more than 50 reasons why I love Kate Walker, but here are just some of them…

As a brand new writer, I felt very proud and honoured when Kate asked me to take part in her 50th Book Celebrations. It still seems quite unreal to me that I’ve been published (my first book, The Kristallis Baby, is out in June UK and US), and I am delighted, and somewhat awed, to say that Kate Walker helped me on the road to publication.

I first met Kate three years ago at the Romantic Novelists’ Association conference, at Leicester University. It was her second year as the creator/organiser of the Conference Virgins and she did a wonderful job looking after the first-timers. But even better than that, she arranged for us all to have a ten minute discussion with an author of our choice.

Well, you can guess who I chose! I’d loved Kate’s books for years, so it was fantastic to get to meet her as a fan. And, as an aspiring Modern/Presents writer, who could be better to talk to for help and advice?

I already had a very good idea of Kate’s warmth, intelligence and caring personality from her on-line presence. But in person I was immediately struck by her amazing dynamic energy. She is also an incredible teacher and is unstintingly generous with her wealth of knowledge about the craft of writing. (Just take a look at Kate Walker’s 12-Point Guide to Writing Romance, and you’ll see what I mean.)

I discussed my story idea with her. Then, once it was written, I sent it off to the RNA’s New Writers Scheme, hoping that my manuscript would fall into her hands. I was lucky! Although the reader is supposed to be a secret, I was sure I recognised her voice in the hugely detailed and helpful feedback. I revised my story – always keeping in mind Kate’s favourite question Why? Then sent it off to Mills & Boon.

And now my book is on the shelves in the UK, next to the fabulous The Sicilian’s Red Hot Revenge by none other than the equally fabulous Kate Walker.

GIVEAWAY PRIZE:

signed copy of The Kristallis Baby and sequined coin purse

GIVEAWAY QUESTION:
In The Kristallis Baby the hero whisks the heroine away to the beautifulGreek island of Corfu. If you could go anywhere in the world, which islandwould you love to visit for a romantic getaway?

Natalie doesn't yet have a web site that I can link you to but as she has just had her second book accepted, I hope that she soon will have one - and as soon as I know, then I'll give you a link to that.