Blogging around

Today I'm guesting over at Lucy Monroe's blog.
It's not officially part of the Big Blog Tour as I was asked  personally by Lucy to join her.

She did an interview - and of course I'm talking about The Return of The Stranger which is out in Presents Extra in October

And  as The Return of The Stranger is part of The Powerful and the Pure mini-series, over on I heart Presents  there's a poll to see which classic romance you'd like to see reworked as a Presents romance. Interestingly, one of the titles listed is  North and South by Mrs Gaskell  which was the book  I was originally asked to do.

I loved the challenge of writing a romance inspired by Wuthering Heights - but I did miss all that heavy duty research of the UK TV mini series with the inspiration of one Richard Armitage.

Oh well, I'm sure I can rope him in as  a potential new hero . . .

Reasons why I love my job . . .

Sometimes I curse and swear when a character won't behave or a plot gets totally knotted, but really, althought slightly wierd, writing romance is a great way to earn a living.

Some days there are parcels and parcels of books that arrive - this last week alone, there have been

French editions of The Sicilian's Red-Hot Revenge, and The Spaniard's Inconvenient Wife and Cordero's Forced Bride.

Brazilian editions of Cordero's Forced Bride, Bedded By the Greek Billionaire, The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife, Sicilian Husband,Blackmailed Bride, The Sicilian's Red-Hot Revenge

Polish copies of The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife

German, Portugese, Japanese and Dutch editions of Cordero's Forced Bride

The foreign languages collection in Hull library is going to be happy with me!

Other reasons to smile -

The Konstantos Marriage Demand has 3 five star rating son the Mills & Boon web site- when the readers rate your book, that's what it's all about! Oh and Claimed by the Sicilian is at #2 in the bestselling listing of the M&B By Requests titles.

And last night I spent the evening with a glass of wine and two great DVDs - and it was all research.

Honest.

Nothing but research.

The DVDs were supposed to have been this drama. . . but for reasons beyond my control they ended up being something else. Oh well, North and South can always be used for inspiration . . .

More clues? Well the 'special project' is sort of linked to a famous author who was born on this date in 1816 . . .

Oh and the post lady has just delivered an extra treat in the shape of the latest great romance by a special favourite author - Liz Fielding - A Wedding at Leopard Tree Lodge - and I might actually have time to read it!

Can't wait.

Like I said, sometime I love my job!

Sexiest Thing on Two Legs

And for once it's not Hugh-in -A-Towel

Here's a Press Release from the UK's Romantic Novelists' Association. This should brighten everyone's Saturday . . . .

Romantic Novelists vote Richard Armitage Sexiest Thing On Two Legs

British actor Richard Armitage has leapt from last year’s 4th place to thisyear topping the ratings in the Romantic Novelists’ Association 2009Valentine’s poll, to take the title of Sexiest Thing on Two Legs, beating top Hollywood stars to the number one spot. Johnny Depp, who topped last year’s poll, was pushed firmly into second place, with Hugh Jackman and George Clooney mere also-rans.


“RichardArmitage took 20% of the vote, more than double the count of any other male on the list,” said the RNA pollster. “He was a clear winner from the off.”



The RNA is not alone in admiration of the actor, as numerous online RichardArmitage fan sites will testify. The ardency began with North and South,grew by leaps and bounds with the leather-clad baddie in Robin Hood, and shows no sign of diminishing as Spooks takes to the airwaves.

‘It’s a coup for Britain,’ said one starstruck writer, ‘not just for sexyRichard.’

According to romantic novelists, the sexiest male celebrities of 2009 are

1 Richard Armitage

2 Johnny Depp

3 Hugh Jackman

4 George Clooney

5 Daniel Craig

6 Sean Bean

7 Alan Rickman

8 David Tennant

9 Pierce Brosnan

10 Gerard Butler

And this makes me smile because, of course, the hero of my September book Kept For Her Baby is called Ricardo and looks like this.

Not that I would want to replace H-I-A-T of coourse - but it's nice to have options.

Now all I have to do is to convince Anne McAllister!

Getting a life

One of the questions I'm often - no - one of the questions I'm always asked is the 'Where do you get your ideas from?' one.

Where do I get my ideas from? I dunno.

Usually I answer with something like 'Ideas are everywhere- all around, newspapers, magazines - TV - you know LIFE.' (I once tried to persuade my accountant that living/life was a viable expense for a novelist because it was after all research - where else did I get information from, experience relationships, learn about clothes, travel . . . Sadly, he wasn't having any of it.

But I'd still say that really life is research for a writer.

One of the most valuable lessons in being a writer was given to a friend of mine a long long time ago. With her first acceptance under her belt, her then editor asked her when she could expect the next book. Well, my friend said, if she missed her tennis club . . .. No, the editor said. You must go to the tennis clunb - do the other things you usually do - a writer needs to do more than write. You have to have a life to give you things to write about. (See Mr Accountant?)

It's true. A writer needs a life. And not just a working life. Because th writing isn't just what a writer does. At least it hasn't been this past year. Don't get me wrong - it's been a wonderful year - but it's been hectic and exhausting. The M&B centenary meant that the demands on authors for publicity, workshops, interviews have been huge. I've actually lost count of how many places I've been, talks or interviews I've given, people I've met. I'll count it all up soon when I put the details into my expenses for that accountant.

And while I've been doing that I've been writing as well - of course.

As you know, I've been busy with revisions. I got them done. Sent them back - then, still with fingers tightly crossed, I contemplated what I needed to do next. Of course one of the things was that I needed a new idea for a book. I didn't have one. I also had to catch up on the ordinary everyday things that get pushed to the side in the pressure of dreadlines, workshops, revsions . . . Things like connecting with the family, cleaning and organising my office (Still haven't done that - the visitors this weekend will have to wade through the piles of papers, but then they're used to that - they're writers too!) And someone started a nasty rumour that Christmas will be on 25th December and no one told me!

And I hadn't sat down, relaxed and read - really read for enjoyment in a l-o-n-g time. Writers should read to 'fill up the well' and feed their imagination.

If I wasn't going to feel like my brain had blown a fuse, something had to give. So that's where I've been. I've not been blogging, not been joining in on anything much on the internet. To be honest, I didn't have any ideas for a blog post anyway. Just for a while all my words seemed to have been written out and I couldn't find any more of them. So if you're one of the people I owe a message to - I apologise and I'll get to it soon.

And how have I spent my well-filling days? Sleeping a lot,doing really exciting things like the laundry and cleaning rooms ready for visitors, reading (not enough but enough to remind me how much I need it). Pottering. Wandering round shops thinking that maybe I should be thinking about Christmas.

And watching a couple of great dramas. Re-watching in one case. So there was the Life on Mars back to back orgy. Wonderful. My heartfelt thanks to The Offspring who loaned me the full set of DVDs

And then there's Spooks - now with added extra 'research' in the form of Richard Armitage as Lucas North. It's a tough job but someone has to do it.

And finally - with heartfelt thanks to Anne McAllister who brought the DVD of the complete first series with her on her recent visit - Life . I know it's now running on ITV 3 but thanks to Anne I can watch the whole series back to back and not have to wait till next week. Plus, I get to see the wonderful Damian Lewis over and over . . .

See - I told you it was all research.

So that's what I've been doing. I've been away filling up the well. Doing research. Getting a life. Interesting that two of the dramas I've been glomming have got 'LIFE' in the title - there's a message there.

I'm still not quite sure who my next hero will be. But at least I feel more as if there will be a next hero - an next idea. The dark intensity of Lucas North in Spooks will probably influence my thoughts there somewhere. As will the outward mask hiding the effects of the past of Charlie Crews in Life.

And Life on Mars? Gene Hunt as the Alpha Male anyone? (I'm talking about the original and brilliant UK version of this wonderful show - sorry, not the USA one. That's Philip Glenister not Harvey Keitel)

Actually, there's a lot of food for thought in that one - and I'll probably come back to it. But at least I am thinking . . .

Heroes and countries

I love the fact that my books sell all over the world. And I love the way that this blog has so many visitors from so many different countries - the collection of flags and places in the sidebar is evidence of that.

Recently I mentioned the fact that Mills & Boon had lauched the distribution of their lines in India where they knew there was already a large market for romance novels and they hoped that this new venture would be a great success. I haven't yet seen the royalties fro the 3 books of mine that have been published in India but I do know that it is in the top twenty countries for visitors to this blog. I know that the publisher of the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance has sold the Indian rights to that book, too.

Then this morning I discovered that I discovered that I am this month's Featured Author on the M&B India site. My newest title in the UK - Bedded By The Greek Billionaire is published in India this month and as I've already said the cover art has been changed to suit the country of sale. So today is a good day to send a special hello and welcome to all my readers from India if you're visiting as a result of that. If you are visiting from India please say hello in the comments section and tell me where you're posting from. To celebrate being the featured author, I have a 2 small prizes on offer in the form of some M&B centenary goodies for the first couple of posters with Indian home addresses.

It seems so appropriate that as this interest in M&B romances in India is growing , over on the I heart Presents site, Penny Jordan has been talking about her new book and how she is pushing the boundaries of the types of heroes that are popular as she has written this one with an Indian hero. That made me wonder what other countries that are not well represented in the hero populaton of the Modern Romances/Harlequin Presents titles, you would most like to see. Again, I have a couple of small prizes for those whose posts interest me.

Or, rather, interest Sid. Sid of course will be busy this weekend anyway as the Super September Contest that I'm running with Michelle Reid is now closed and The Cat will be choosing my winner just as soon as I can get him organised. Meanwhile, Michelle will be asking Saffy the Labrador to pick her winner. Two lucky winners will win signed copies of Bedded By The Greek Billionaire and The De Santis Marriage both of which are out now in the UK, together with a copy of Her Passionate Italian the 3 in 1 By request volume in whihc Michelle and I both appear. The results will be announced when we know them and have got together to disover the two winners' names - probably on Monday. Watch this space.

And talking of heroes - as you know, sometimes I use a photograph to imspire me when creating a hero - sometimes I don't seem to need one. I was working on the current book and my brooding Italian hero without any extra inspiration but then yesterday I came across this. . .

Not quite sure why this particular image of Richard Armitage inspired when all the photos of him in black leather as Guy of Gisborne - or frock coat and cravat as John Thornton didn't. Perhaps it has something to do with the screen behind him that looks as if it might have a place in the historic island villa that is his home - but I took one look and knew that that was Ricardo. So I'm hoping that having a little extra inspiration will help the book grow even more and get me to The End a little faster. It should please Natasha Oakley anyway!