Well, here they are my covers for my two linked books coming out in August. They are set in the equivalent of the CDC in the US and feature some very gorgeous doctors - male and female.
The first is The Maverick Doctor and Miss Prim.
Not too sure about the cover since my hero is supposed to look like Sawyer from Lost. There seems to be a distinct lack of hair going on here. My heroine spends her whole time in scrubs too, but hey! Who says no to a pretty dress!
And the second is About that Night... I'm liking the little African silhouette since that's where the book is set, and the hero and heroine look just about right.
Some of you might remember that every year our Sunday School has a decorated Easter Egg competition. This is a hotly fought contest.
In past years we've spent a long time making our eggs. It normally takes around a week. My personal favourite was this one, Finding Nemo.
But we've also made the penguins from Happy Feet.
The rats from Ratatouille.
Then we had the Mr Men, Mr Bump and Mr Tickle. These were another of my favourites.
Last year was Shrek and Princess Fiona.
And this year, what did we do???................................
Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick! Yes, I know. We didn't quite the right colour of pink for Patrick, or the right coloured felt for his trousers. But sometimes you have to make do with what you have.
What do you think of this years effort?
Tuesday started early for me. I couldn't sleep - I was far too excited. Then I started to drift off, and dream that the roads to the airport would all be blocked and I would miss my plane. So I just got up and headed off to the airport early.
A flight to London later, a quick dash to Harrods to pick up my sister's birthday present, and a mad dash to check-in to the hotel (the room wasn't ready and I had to get changed in the toilets!). Then I made it to Piccadily in London and the lovely Le Meridian Hotel.
Time for Lunch!
Tessa Shapcott and Dianne Moggy from Harlequin Mills and Boon took myself and the other nominees Fiona Harper, Carol Townend, Heidi Rice and Sarah Mallory out for lunch. It was a beautiful setting, gorgeous food and even better company.
Then it was a stroll (!!!!) down Piccadily to the RAF Club where the awards were being held. I wasn't as well prepared as the others - due to frantic change in a toilet, I had forgot to bring my other shoes and had to walk in my black sequin ones.
The RAF club was crowded, the event very well attended. It was great to see everyone although I still feel as if I hardly got a chance to talk to anyone. My camera also suffered from blurry images.
Richard and Judy were presenting the awards. I really wanted my picture taken with them but failed miserably!
Liz Fenwick managed to capture the actual awards. I'll let you watch it here! I've posted it at the bottom so you can watch. I couldn't manage to put it in the middle of the blog!
So, you can see that Sarah Mallory won the award. Bravo Sarah!
After the awards I went for some drinks with Heidi Rice, Abby Green, Susan Stephens, India Grey and Fiona Harper. It was lovely to get a chance to chat, and when I finally got back to my hotel and got to see my room it was much bigger than expected.
London was fabulous and I wish I could do it all again tomorrow. Oh well, there's always next year!
I'm delighted to say that two of my books have made it on to the shortlist for the Romantic Novelists Association RoNA Rose Award.
West Wing to Maternity Wing and Her Christmas Eve Diamond have made the shortlist with four other books.
Here's the other nominees.
Betrothed to the Barbarian by Carol Townend
Beneath the Major's Scars by Sarah Mallory
The Good, The Bad and the Wild by Heidi Rice
Always the Best Man by Fiona Harper
I'm really over the moon.
First of all, I didn't think I'd made the shortlist. My friend Kate Hardy made the shortlist last year and at a later date she'd told me she got the call on Christmas Eve.
So, this year, when Christmas Eve came and went, I just assumed I hadn't made it.
Then on 4 January an email pinged into my Inbox. And I promptly pinged onto the ceiling!
There was screaming. There was shouting.
There was Richard and Judy are presenting the Awards! I get to be in the same room as them!
Yes, I was very happy. So, my flight and hotel are booked. My ticket is bought for the awards.
There might even have been the purchase of a new dress...
I have a new release on 1 February in the UK and I have been blessed with a beautiful cover. Not only that, the book also releases in the US and Australia and the covers are equally gorgeous!
You can tell it's a cruise ship story from the cover and I was jumping with glee when I saw the red cover trim. Do you know how long I've waited to see the name Scarlet Wilson in red??!!
And here is my australian cover. I'm loving the dark haired girl on the front cover. Wouldn't mind seeing a bit more of the guy though!
And finally the US cover, my own hero inspiration was David Gandy and the hero isn't quite that, but overall I love these covers!
Most authors know that covers can be a hit or a miss. We fill in sheets regarding our characters and describe a few scenes in the book. Sometimes when you get a cover you wonder if anyone has read the info at all.
However, on this occasion I'm a happy camper.
Which one if your favourite??
So, it's almost Christmas. One of my most favourite times of year.
I've just finished my partial for next years Christmas medical and the penny has finally dropped with what was wrong with another partial I was writing.
It needed a Christmas theme! Hooray!
So here is some Glasgow pictures. My latest book Her Christmas Eve Diamond is set in Glasgow at Christmas and it's a fabulous place to visit at this time of year.
I want to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year. I'm signed for four new Harlequin Mills and Boon Medicals next year but have also completed another story with a Halloween theme for another publisher.
Once I've signed the contract for that one, I'll tell you a little more!
I've been tagged by the lovely Kate Hardy to be part of The Next Big Thing blog. You basically answer a series of questions about your latest book. But before I get to that I want to let you know that I was SUPER excited to find out my February release is going to be paired with Kate Hardy's next book. I've read Kate's books for the last five years and she was one of the people who encouraged and inspired me to write for Mills and Boon, so sharing a book with her is just awesome! Her Inescapable Temptation comes out in February.
But in the meantime on to The Next Big Thing
What is the title of your book?
Her Christmas Eve Diamond
How did you come by the idea?
I begged my editor to write a Christmas story as I love all things Christmassy. I also wanted to set my story in Glasgow and introduce some Scottish words and foods!
What genre does your book fall under?
Medical Romance
Which actors would you choose to play your characters if it were a movie?
My hero is based on the delicious Bradley Cooper and my heroine on the actress Stana Katic who plays Kate Beckett in Castle.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
When The Grinch meets the Christmas Fairy who will come out on top?
Will your book be self-published or traditional?
It was published by Harlequin Mills and Boon in November in the UK, USA, Australia and France.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Around 2 months. I tend to write 1000 words a day.
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
My definite love of Christmas! I'm just about to start next year's Christmas book!
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
This story also focuses on a dad who has been separated from his child and a woman who is struggling to adjust to her Gran's worsening dementia.
Nurse Cassidy Rae is a stickler for rules, but even she revels in the magoc of Christmas! This year, however, new registrar Brad Donovan's surfer-boy good looks and cocky charm are severely testing her goodwill to all men. But in the festive season miracles can happen, and Brad's about to give Cassidy a Yuletide to remember...
