Book Challenge Day 5

I forgot to post this yesterday when it was  due - though I put it on my Facebook page for Sunday.  So this is a little catch up before I post  the book for July 30th, which is a rather special one. 

Day 5 of 7: I've accepted a challenge fromAli Williams who is obviously as nosey as I am about the books that people love! Each day for seven days, I will post the cover of a book I love with no explanation (well, maybe a little comment if I feel like saying something!)and no reviews.

 Each day I'm supposed to invite a friend to join the challenge. I'll pass on the 'tagging' bit of this because I know how sometimes it can be a bit too much to take on something else - but if any friend cares to join in (yes - I really am nosey, just dodging the issue!) the please tag me to let me know so that I can visit your Facebook page and satisfy my curiosity - and maybe collect a few new titles for my mountainous TBR pile - like that is something I really need!

Today's book is more - well - today's author. I really didn't know how to choose one of Michelle Reid's books. But again I'm going to cheat - the first book A Passionate Scandal is the first book I ever talked about with Michelle - when I first met her over 24 years ago. The other - well, it's just a favourite. As are so many of Michelle Reid's romances. So I'm not really choosing a book - but an author and a friend.

Book of The Day

I often take a look at the Mills and Boon web site - just to see what's going on and what books are around at the moment,.

Today I'm really glad that I did!

Unexpectedly I found that a By Request collection I have a novel in has been  brought back  as an ebook  - and it's today's Book of The Day.

Which means that it's  on a reduced offer for today  at £5.09 instead of £5.99.

Here's what the web site says:

Back by popular demand! These great value titles feature stories from Mills & Boon fans' favourite authors.

A Sicilian Husband by Kate Walker One night was all it took for Terrie Hayden to fall in love with a stranger. One night was all that Gio Cardella thought he wanted from her. But some irresistible force dragged the proud, remote Sicilian back to her door…

This book was originally published in 2003. (22004 in USA)

The other two books in the collection are The Passion Bargain by Michelle Reid  and
The Italian’s Marriage Bargain by Carol Marinelli

I know that some readers have been looking for an ebook version of A Sicilian Husband  because I've had messages from you asking where you can get hood of it. For some reason there isn't a separate single edition of this book  yet - I talked with my editor about it and they're working ion it. But this is a great way to get hold of a copy and get two other great books in the bargain bundle too.

40 for 40 - Michelle Reid

Does anyone really need to be introduced to today's special guest?  If you haven't read a Michelle Reid book, then you really should sample one.   I know because her books reached me  and went on to my 'must buy' list  before I met Michelle in person.

But then  at one  Harlequin Mills & Boon  Author Day - the very first author day - I met Michelle in person for the first time. I struck lucky that day - I not only met one of my favourite authors, but I made a very special friend  for life.  As Michelle herself mentions in her post - we've been friends now for a long time. We've seen each other through a lot of writerly moans - the 'I'm stuck' -  or 'This is rubbish' - or 'I just can't make this hero behave'  - moans. The things only another writer can really understand.   Our phones calls are legendary - I think we keep the phone companies afloat all on our own.

It wouldn't be a celebration of any sort without Michelle being here  - so I'm  truly happy to have her here to join in this special celebration.


Welcome Michelle!



From Michelle:

I’ve decided that there must be a gene in my family DNA that makes us pick out our life partner very young.  Most of my (numerous) siblings met and married their life partners quite young. I was just 17 when I met mine, we married when I was 20 and we are still here going strong 45 years on with never a cross word spoken between us (what a big lie!) In fact I think the occasional spat helps to refresh our relationship - me being the fiery one and the DH being the stubborn one, we need a good spat now and then to clear the air. And talking about stubborn, my eldest daughter met her husband when she was 14 and no matter how anyone tried to advise them to live a little before they committed to each other, they did not listen, and are about to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary. So yes, I’ve decided it’s definitely in the family genes.

Many - many congratulations to Kate and Steve for reaching their 40^th. I would not have wanted to miss celebrating here with two of the most caring and loving people I know.

And Kate, Steve, on a personal note, our 20 year friendship is worthy of note. We’ve seen each other through some great times and some tough times over those 20 years and like both our marriages, our friendship has stayed strong and true. Thank you for yours and Steve’s wonderful support through my recent tough time, it would have been so much tougher without you.

 

Do any of you have a special friendship that you cannot imagine being without?

For a giveaway I have a copy of my Hot Blooded Husband Series, newly released and very nicely  

packaged in one volume.

 

Blogging around

Today is the first Sunday in February so as usual, I'm blogging over  on  Tote Bags 'N' Blogs.

Today I'm talking about  books that  keep coming back as reprints again and again  - and  as I'm celebrating the release of   the February collection  -  Mediterranean Tycoons - there's a chance to win a copy.  This  3 in 1 volume has a reprint of the  2007 title The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife.

Mediterranean Tycoons is a great collection - there are books in there by Michelle  Reid and Sarah Morgan too  - fabulous company to be in.

Free Books

Now that's a headline to delight any reader. And now that the first flurry of excitement about the New Voices has died down just a little (expect it to build back up again from October 11th when the next chapters are planned to appear) how a bot a little time to relax and enjoy some good rfeading?

The team at M&B has done it again and is offering another set of 12 free books for people to download. One from each series. So you can read your favourites, try a new line, sample something you've never tried before . . . and all for free.


You can download them at http://www.everyonesreading.com/It is a great chance to see what the current series are all about. There is also Michelle Reid's Mia's Scandal which is the first installment of the Balfour Legacy mini series. The total value of all the books on offer is over £50.

So what are you waiting for?

Back

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.

Kate's Corner and AMBA

I'm busy planning and packing . Yes, I'm on the road again. Or, more accurately, taking the train this time. I've barely had time to breathe, turn round, unpack my case and do the laundry after the trip to Durham and NAWG, and now I'm off again.

This time I'm heading for London and the annual meeting and lunch of the Association of Mills & Boon authors. I'm so looking forward to meeting up with old friends, making new ones, and learning everything that's been happening since we last met. This time several authors are coming over from America so tonight I'm having dinner with Sandra Marton and Michelle Reid. And tomorrow I'm heading for Sharon Kendrick's lovely home to have lunch with her and Lynn Raye Harris, Jennie Lucas, and Abby Green. Then that night we're having dinner with another of my own personal romance writer heroines and favourite authors - Sara Craven and a whole bunch of Presents writers. I'm getting excited just thinking about it.

But as today is the 15th of September (is it? How the heck did it get to the 15th already?) I have my regular post for Kate's Corner over at We Write Romance's blog. So that's where you'll find me today while I dash around here flinging things into a suitcase and wondering just what to wear.

Oh, and while you're there why not check out the great review for The Good Greek Wife?

Winners

The Summer Sizzler Contest that I shared with Michelle Reid has now closed and today Michelle and I - or, rather, Michelle and Sid the Cat - picked the winners.

So I'm happy to announce that my (Sid's) winner is Eve S from Estonia (I don't think I've ever sent a prize to Estonia before)

Michelle picked out Carol W from New Jersey

And my special newsletter winner is Ali F from Texas.

Congratulations to all the winners who will each receive a copy of my latest release The Good Greek Wife? and Michelle's novel Mia's Scandal which starts off The Balfour Legacy series.

My thanks to everyone who entered. I'm not sure when I'll have the next contest - but keep your eyes on my Competition page for any details.

Incidentally, if you'd like an extra taster of the Balfour series, then Michelle's on-line read Scandal at the Balfour Ball which is a prequel to this goes live from today over on eHarlequin. You can find the story here.

Thanks and clebrations

My thanks to everyone who has sent me questions for the Conflict Q&A . I'll be addressing those in the workshop - and hopefully on here after the Conference. Any more questions, you still have time to ask.

Oh and special thanks to Janet who sent me a question by email and reminded me of something I'd once said a long time ago on this topic (some of you have memories like elephants!) that is a point I really want to make at RNA - so thanks for that question Janet!

And just to remind you that as it's 29th June, you still have one more day in which to enter the Summer Sizzler contest that I'm running with Michelle Reid. In case you've forgotten this is the contest where you can win a signed copy of both Michelle's and my new releases - Mia's Scandal and A Good Greek Wife?. Details can be found on the Contest page on both our sites. And don't forget that you can enter twice - once with Michelle, and once with me.

The contest closes when June 30th ends - everywhere in the world!

Of course this contest is to celebrate the publication of The Good Greek Wife? The official publication day is supposed to be July 2nd but as I was out and about yesterday and I discovered that it's already on the shelves, I'm celebrating today. I love seeing a new book on the bookshop shelves. And seeing it selling well - which A Good Greek Wife? was already doing, is even better.

Talking of publication, as Harlequin continues to reissue backlist books in ebook form, I've been thrilled to see The Married Mistress get a new lease of life as an ebook over on eHarlequin and Amazon. And now I've just discovered that Their Secret Baby has been reissued in ebook too.

This is one time when I'm realy pleased that it's the USA version of this book that's reissued. The original UK edition was known in this family as The Headless Wedding. And if you want to know why, you can see that cover here

WInners and Blogging about

Well, there is still plenty of sunshine around - the sun is already high in the sky outside and the cats are preparing for another hard day lying around in sun patches or under a bush if it gets a bit too warm. I may well join them with my laptop later.

Today I am blogging over on the Pink Heart Society where as it's Must Watch Friday I'm blogging about one of my favourite TV programmes. One of 'our' favourite TV programmes I should say as it's one that the Babe Magnet loves too.

And today I get to bring some extra sunshine into the lives of some visitors to this blog by letting you know that Sid has chosen a few winners and the names he picked this time are:

Laurie London

Denise

Laney

Jean Hovey

So if you would all contact me - see the email at the bottom of the page - I will get your prizes sorted out. You can choose one of these backlist books so let me know your choice.

AT THE SHEIKH'S COMMAND

THE ITALIAN'S FORCED BRIDE

SICILIAN HUSBAND BLACKMAILED BRIDE

THE SICILIAN'S RED-HOT REVENGE

THE GREEK TYCOON'S UNWILLING WIFE

CORDERO'S FORCED BRIDE

BEDDED BY THE GREEK BILLIONAIRE

KEPT FOR HER BABY

THE KONSTANTOS MARRIAGE DEMAND

And don't forget that the special Summer Sizzler Contest that I'm sharing with Michelle Reid ends on Wednesday 30th June - so get your entries in for that.

You could win yourself a copy of my next release: The Good Greek Wife?

SUMMER SIZZLER CONTEST WITH MICHELLE REID

Once again Michelle Reid and I have books out at the same time this summer and to celebrate we are running a joint contest to give you a chance to win a copy of each of these great new titles

Dates: June 10th – June 30th

Prizes:

There are two prizes of one signed copy of each of our new titles:
The Good Greek Wife? By Kate Walker (out July 2nd)
Mia’s Scandal by Michelle Reid (out now)

How to win
All you have to do is to answer this simple question:

Name the two series that these new books are coming out in this summer (one series for each book)

You can find the answers on our web sites

Send the names of the two min-series to each author with Summer Sizzler Contest in the subject line of the message and you’ll be in with a chance of winning
Good Luck!

The closing date for entries is June 30th.

Where did the week go?

Is it just me or do you find that if you go away it takes longer to catch up than you were actually away for?

We had a wonderful weekend with Michelle Reid and her husband - the sun shone, we walked by the sea, ate wonderful meals, talked, laughed, talked some more. Michelle gave me an advance copy of her upcoming book - Mia's Scandal. This is the launch book for a new continuity The Balfour Legacy that starts in July. I'll have more info on that in a while and Michelle and I will be running a joint contest to mark the publication of our next books.

Mine of course will be The Good Greek Wife? and that's part of the mini-series The Greek Tycoons which has the shout line - Legends are Made of Men Like These! Some of the other books in the series are already out now and they are:

The Greek Tycoon's Achilles Heel by Lucy Gordon

The Power of the Legendary Greek by Catherine George

A Good Greek Wife? will be out in July

and the fourth book in the series will be

Powerful Greek, Housekeeper Wife by Robyn Donald (coming in September)

These dates are the UK ones. The first two books are out in Presents EXTRA in June and my book and Robyn's will also be Presents EXTRA in October.

Of course if you can't wait till then and you haven't already ready it, there's my other Greek book The Konstantos Marriage Demand still available on eHarlequin or Amazon. And as a sneak preview of good news, if you're buying from eHarlequin, from May 26th - May 31st they're running a BOGOF (buy one get one free) sale - so you could get twice the number of books for your money!

If you're in America, have you noticed the changes that have happened in the Presents line-up lately? This is how it was announced over on I Heart Presents:

On another note I wanted to talk to you, our most avid fans, about a recent change that you may have noticed within the Harlequin Presents line. In the month of May there are a few less Presents stories available than you may be used to, instead of 8 titles per month we will now be publishing 6 titles each month. We decided on this change for a few different reasons as we felt very strongly that we weren’t being fair to our authors or readers; with so many titles out there we noticed it was becoming difficult for our readers to keep up and we didn’t want anyone to miss out on any of the fantastic stories that were being offered.

The other change in the line-up is that the Presents titles that were originally Modern Heat/Harlequin Sexy in the UK and Australia will now be brought out in special collections in Presents Extra in America.

There will still be 4 Harlequin Presents Extras on-sale mid-month. Two of these will be regular Presents titles and two of them will be books that have been published in Modern Heat in the UK - these will now appear in their separate 'collection' in the Presents Extra instead of being in the first strand of publication when it wasn't easy to tell which ones had this rather different editorial content.

You should be able to tell them more simply now with the titles to the collections - Modern Heats will be in the ones with titles like Sex in The City/P.S. I'm Pregnant/Conveniently Wedded . . .And Bedded

And the traditional Presents authors' books will be in collections like: The Greek Tycoons/Her Irresistible Boss/British Bachelors. So there will still be 8 great 'traditional' Presents books each month - just split over the two lines.

Will this help you find the type of books you're looking for? And American readers - are you finding it easy to get hold of copies of the Presents Extras you want? OR even to get the info on which books are out in that line-up each month?

Oh yes - and talking about changes - there are some coming up in the UK lines as well. The number of books in the Modern line will be reduced to 8 - 4 in each two-weekly line-up and there are some BIG changes coming in the way the books will look.

I can't tell you more just yet but watch this space and you'll find out . . . (but looking at Michelle's book cover up above should give you a clue)

Neither Here nor There

I'm writing this from another writer's desk - the desk of Michelle Reid in her cottage in the Lake District.

The Babe Magnet are spending the weekend here to celebrate our (Michelle and mine) birthdays. We've just walked all round the village and along the sea fron so no it's time to relax with a cup of tea and our feet up.

Because it's the 15th of the month, it's the day that I blog in Kate's Corner over at We Write Romance. So while I'm chatting with Michelle perhaps you'd like to join me over there?

. . .and again

Today I'm out and about again - blogging over on the Pink Heart Society site.

As it's Monday, my topic is the famous Male on Monday slot - but I've been greedy today and not limited myself to just one male but a type of man that sets my pulse rate pounding.

And if it's greedy, well it's my birthday this week so I indulge myself a little - can't I?

Talking of birthdays I want to send very special birthday greetings to one of my very special friends, and a real favourite writer of romances I just love to read

Happy Birthday Michelle Reid!

Michelle and I hope to celebrate our joint birthdays next week when the Babe Magnet and I will travel to visit her in her gorgeous cottage in the Lake Distract. But for now I'll just send my best possible birthday wishes.

And as it's a week for celebrations, I'm giving away a book a day to someone who posts a comment - so why not join in and maybe you'll be celebrating too.

My First/Favourite Kate Walker novel - Michelle Reid

In another of the occcasional blog to celebrate 25 years of being published, today I have a post from a very special writer and a very special friend - Michelle Reid.

If you haven't read a Michelle Reid book then I both feel sorry for you and at the same time I envy you. I find it hard to believe that there are people out there who haven't yet experienced the intensity and emotion that Michelle brings to her stories. But then if you haven't, I envy you the fact that there are all those great books out there waiting for you to read them all.

2009 was a difficult year for Michelle with family health problems so the new books haven't been coming as fast as she would like but for American readers who haven't yet been able to buy it, Marchese's Forgotten Bride is out in Presents in March., with another title coming in July/August UK/USA And of course her book The Brazilian's Blackmailed Bride is available in the We Write Romance Selects Presents ebook bundle on eHarlequin and Amazon right now.

Here's Michelle:

Celebrating Kate Walker's 25th

When I think of Kate’s early books there are 3 which instantly leap into my head; Flirting with Danger - Shattered Mirror - Man of Shadows, and as I typed this I realised why these three leap out at me – just look at those titles! They speak for themselves of deep dark intriguing heroes and vulnerable heroines. They flag trouble before you even glance at the first page, where you’re treated to opening gambits like,

The sound of the doorbell rang loudly through the house, making Catherine tense instinctively. She froze in the middle of the room...

from Flirting with Danger,

Or, “How dare you? How bloody well dare you?” The savagely angry words flung at her from the darkness, seemed to slam into Eve...

from Shattered Mirror.

Don’t you want to read on? I know I do.

Just plucking these books off my shelf today I was hooked all over again. Sadly, I couldn’t find my copy of Man of Shadows, which is really annoying because I have a full set of Kate Walker books so it should be there, now I know I won’t settle until I find it. --Look’s like my bookshelves are about to receive an early Spring clean!

Some other favourites:
Rafael’s Love-Child
The Twelve Months Mistress
A Sicilian Husband
Constantine’s Revenge
Kept for Her Baby

And because they have to be here...
The Alcolar Family

Thanks Michelle!

On a personal note, I have to put Shattered Mirror as one of my favourites in this list as it was the first book of mine that Michelle and I talked about when we met and started our very special friendship over 15 years ago.

You can read more about Michelle's books and find out about new titles on her web site here

Kate's Corner

Today is the 15th of the month so that's my day for blogging over on We Write Romance.

Today I'm talking about writing The Twelve Month Mistress

This is the book that was chosen to go into the special Bloggers' Bundle of ebooks - We Write Romance Selects Presents - which is out this month.

Here's what Heather who runs WWR and seletced the titles for this bundle says about it -

Dear Readers,

Once upon a time, in a land called Harlequin, ladies of all ages found that there are these spectacular books with strong, sophisticated heroes and sensual, endearing heroines who were fighting to find love in exotic, romantic places. They were sexy, emotional and definitely life changing! They were called Harlequin Presents.

WeWriteRomance.com is about all things romantic fiction, so when Harlequin asked us to put together our picks for an ebook bundle we were over the moon. Then came what we thought would be the easy part -- picking the books! But it was a lot harder than we'd thought--as Harlequin publishes so many exciting and wonderful stories! But in the end, we agreed on the strongest of the lines: Presents.

Presents stories have it all. They have what women want most: excitement, an escape from reality, and most of all romance that ends with enduring promises. They are well-written and just the right size. They were, in a word, fabulous.

So we hope you'll sit back and enjoy the first book we chose to showcase from this line, Kate Walker's The Twelve-Month Mistress. Ms. Walker allows you a glimpse into the life of Spanish aristocrat, Joaquin, who has a stead-fast rule to only keep his mistresses for twelve months...but when an accident claims his memory, he forgets all about his latest mistress Cassie breaking up with him!

Up next you'll find Margaret Mayo's Surrender to the Millionaire where a life changing decision could lead Kristie down the path to revealing a devestating truth to Radford, one that doesn't only affect their lives.

To be followed by Anne McAllister's Lessons from a Latin Lover which allows us--and Molly McGillivray!--to learn the art of seduction from super-sexy Joaquin.

And to round out our super Presents package is Michelle Reid's The Brazilian's Backmailed Bride that takes us through the art of seductive revenge...Anton only thinks he's got Cristina where he wants her: blackmailed and in bed!We hope you enjoy!

Sincerely,Heather Reed

WeWriteRomance.com

WH 2 and other stuff - like contest winners!

Thank you all for your comments on the latest production of Wuthering Heights. I was glad to know that others agreed with me - having read some surprisingly (to me) positive reviews for thge programme. But then that's one of the things about books and dramas - and particularly about adaptations. Some work for some people and miss completely for others. I should know. The Modern Romance/Presents line comes up against this problem all the time.

I did watch the second part of Wuthering Heights but I was disappointed with that too. It was strange because there were some times when the actor who played Heathcliff showed real power - and then other times that I found myself thinking that there is a big difference between playing some who is 'stony -faced' and looking as emotional as a brick wall.

For me, the major problem ended up being the script. It really wasn't an adaptation of Wuthering Heights but a reworking and whether you love the original book or hated it, that was what Emily Bronte wrote so taking major liberties with the story/characters/events isn't a dramatisation of her novel. It's a whole new concept. And one that just didn't work for me. But then it was advertised as a drama of the greatest love stories of all time so that's what they tried to make it.

It's September 1st so that means that Sid has been busy picking a winner's name for the Summer Sizzler contest. Obviously he and Michelle Reid's husband are in psychic contact becasue they both picked the same name - so Susan Wilson from Ayrshire is very definitely the winner. I sent Sid back to the crunchie choosing (he didn't object) and this time he picked out the name of Summer Halls from Canada.

So Susan and Summer both win a signed copy of my September book Kept For Her Baby and Michelle's Marchese's Forgotten Bride. Congratulations to both of you and your prizes will be in the mail asap.

Finally, if you're interested in writing for Presents and have plans to enter the current Presents Writing Competition (and I know plenty of you are) then you'll want to head over to Lynn Raye Harris's blog where she's running a series of posts that could help you.

Lynn of course won the Instant Seduction writing competition last year and her winning boko - Spanish Magnate, Red-Hot Revenge was published in August (you can probably still find copies around if you missed it) Lynn is posting hints and advice under the title So You Want to Write For Harlequin Presents, staring with the very basic - and important - why do you want to write for Presents. And today she has a great post on the Alpha hero. All the posts are well worth reading - and not just because she recommends reading some book called The 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. So why not go and take a look and maybe join in the discussion.

Tell Lynn the 'divine' Kate sent you . . . ;o)

If you like ebooks . . .

I've just discovered that Kept For Her Baby is already on sale in this format on eHarlequin.com. You can find the ebook version of this October Presents EXTRA release here.

I wasn't expecting it to be available in the Presents format yet, so it was a surprise to see it there.

It has been on sale on the Mills & Boon web site for a while, as have all the September Modern Romance, whether they appear in the shops on August 21st of September 4th. Kept For Her Baby will, of course, be in the bookshops in the UK from next Friday - September 4th. And you can read an excerpt from it here or using the link in the sidebar.

And don't forget that my Summer Sizzler contest which I'm running jointly with Michelle Reid is still open - nut the closing date is the end of this month Monday 31st September. So get your entries in for that- the details are:

We are giving you the chance to win a signed copy of each of the two great books we have out in September - my Kept For Her Baby and Michelle's Marchese's Forgotten Bride.

All you have to do is: Name the Hero and Heroine in both of the above titles!

(you can find the information on my web site - and of course on Michelle's)

Send your answers to me and to Michelle
Please put September Sizzler Contest in the subject line.

The closing date is the last day of August 2009 after which Michelle and I will pick out the winners and send them signed copies of our books.

Reading

Sunday afternoon and yesterday, a migraine kept me away from the keyboard so I had a rare opportunity/excuse for some concentrated reading. For the first time in ages I worked my way through three of the recently published Modern Romance titles, one after the other and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

What I loved about the experience was the way that each of these three titles was so typically a Modern Romance with the passion, sensuality, sophistication and emotional intensity that the line demands, and yet they were very clearly individual works by very different authors each with their own special voice and unique approach to the demands of the line.

First was Abby Green's Ruthlessly Bedded, Forcibly Wedded - with a vulnerable but spirited heroine and a hero who started out cold-bloodedly determined on revenge but then had to learn how wrong he was and gradually change his mind. Cara's confrontation with Vincenzo at the very public setting of the ballroom shows she's no pushover and his the journey of growth from avenger to lover was so clearly marked out - no miraculous 'conversion' at the end which made this so satisfying.

India Grey is still a 'newbie' author in the numbers of her books but with her RNA Romance Prize win she's already marked herself out as an author to watch and her latest release Spanish Aristocrat, Forced Bride will continue that reputation. Personally I've always loved a wounded and tormented hero and Tristan is certainly that. His icy cold facade is so obviously (to the reader) a shield put up to protect his more vulnerable self that the reader can't wait to see it shatter into a thousand pieces - which it does of course! And Lily's warmth and giving is a natural foil to Tristan's brutal control so that you just know she will eventually break through to him and teach him how to love.


Finally, a book that I'd been keeping for a personal treat and when I finally got to read it, it didn't disappoint. But then a romance by Michelle Reid never does. Marchese's Forgotten Bride is a reunion story with a twist - As the title reveals, the hero - Sandro - has lost all memory of his time with Cassie six years before. And so when they meet up again the past reaches out to grab him with a violence and shock that devastates him. I totally believed in Sandro's reasons for the way guilt had wiped the vital 6 weeks from his mind and taken all memory of Cassie with itWhat I loved about this book was the way that the feelings each had had for the other in the past were revealed as swiftly and urgently as they had done when they had first met so that the passionate relationship was once more - seemingly - back on track very fast. But there was one vital element of Sandro's past that hadn't yet been revealed and to have that brought to light just when it seemed that everything was going to fell into place had an impact that was all the more potent because of the reconciliation that had already been growing.

So if I couldn't work on my own book I had a lovely time reading these three great stories - books that reminded me yet again that no matter how many ill informed critics sneer and declare that romances are all the same, there are plenty of very distinct and individual and talented voices in the line-up. Voices that brought me to romance over 25 years ago and still keep me interested now.

Changes and a contest

So have you got the idea of the new M&B scheduling system yet?

No - me neither - but then it's only really just starting up. But I'm thinking about the new 'two tier' system as I just realised that we're now a couple of weeks into August. Which means that next Friday will be the mid month changeover point, the time when the second set of books, the new titles for 21st August should appear on the shelves.

It's going to be interesting to see if this actually happens in the shops and whether the new books will go out, and the books from mid July will come off the shelves. Everywhere I've looked, the mid July books and the beginning of August books are all shelved together, with no indication of which is which.

You can tell the new Romance, Medical etc books though, because they have the new design covers and some of the 2 in 1 books that are a new format. Have you seen these new covers around? What do you think of them?

nd what about readers in America? You've had more time to get used to the mid month publication of the new Presents titles in the Presents Extra scheduling. How is that working for you? Can you find the Presents Extra titles easily - or are there some shops that don't yet stock all the Presents titles? Obviously I'm interested in the because my next title Kept for His Baby will be published in Presents EXTRA in October. But I'm interested anyway in what's happening in the readers' world as these changes and new developments take place.

One of the way that this has affected me is that last year , as you may remember, Michelle Reid and I both had a book out in September and we ran a small joint contest to mark the event. The Super September contest. When we discovered that we had books out in - we thought - September again this year we decided to run the contest again. But we hadn't reckoned with the new scheduling sytem.

So now we both have new titles coming up, but the books are actually published in a slightly different schedule. Michelle's book - Marchese's Forgotten Bride is out in the first run of September books which are published August 21st (are you confuzzled yet? Me too!)

And my next title - Kept for Her Baby - is out in the second run of September books - on September 4th.

So we had to do a bit of rethinking and we decided we'd still like to run the contest - but this time we're calling it the Summer Sizzler (if the summer isn't exactly sizzling where you are, then don't worry - these books will warm you up instead.)

Details - prizes first -

We're offering two prizes of a signed copy of each book - one of Marchese's Forgotten Bride and one of Kept For Her Baby for each winner.

And here's what you have to do

Just go to my website or to Michelle's - or the M&B web site - and find the answer to this very simple question:

What are the names of the hero and heroine of each book?

Put your answers on an email with the title Summer Sizzler in the subject line and send your entry to me or to Michelle by the last day of this month - that's 31st August.

Good luck!

Readers in America - don't forget to look out for the Presents EXTRA edition of Kept For Her Baby in October. The USA date for Michelle's book is yet to be announced. Australian readers are lucky, you don't have to work out any different dates or scheduling - you'll just find Kept For Her Baby and Marchese's Forgotten Bride in the normal run of Sexy Romances for October.

And I expect that we'll all get used to the new publishing schedules - eventually. If you can;t spot the titles you want in the shops - ask! Or order from the M&B website where Kept For Her Baby is already on sale now.