Double RITA® Finalist

Well, it's been exactly a year since I blogged.  How terrible!

On Friday I was at the pictures with my kids.  We were watching London Has Fallen when my phone started ringing. Well, not ringing exactly.  It was on silent.  I didn't recognise the number so didn't move.  Gerard Butler had my full attention.
Then it kept ringing.  Persistence makes me nervous so I decided to go outside and answer - and I'm so glad that I did.
The lovely Julie Kenner who is a Board member of Romance Writers of America^® introduced herself.  I'd forgotten it was  RITA^® day - what was wrong with me???
She then proceeded to tell me I'd finaled not once but twice as a RITA^® Finalist for the awards this year.
I didn't believe her.  I asked her to tell me again.
Then I asked her who she was again.
Then I asked her to tell what books had finaled again - because even though she'd told me seconds earlier, I couldn't remember.
At this point she asked me where I was.
I told her I was on a date with Gerard Butler!

No, I told her I was at the pictures watching London Has Fallen with my kids.
She asked if I was going to San Diego, I said no, not this year.

I went to my first conference last year in New York.  It was fabulous, I loved it but was absolutely exhausted when I came home.  This year, I planned on heading to the RNA conference in Lancaster.  And I still am.........

But now I'm going to San Diego too!  We'll not talk about how I've had to move our family holiday, or the fact it is an 18hr journey, or on the return home how I have less than 24 hrs home before we leave for that family holiday.  I'm just too excited to think straight quite frankly.

I'm also delighted that I know some of the other finalists - my friend Heidi Rice (who I might have phoned while still kneeling on the ground outside the cinema!), Maisey Yates and Romy Sommer.  It also means I get to see my two Australian partners in crime Rachael Johns and Emily Madden!

Beyond excited!

The pictures are of the two books that are finalists.  They honestly couldn't be more different.

I also found out later that the Board member that phoned me was also a finalist.  Congratulations to Julie Kenner too!

Now all I have to do is find a red dress!

Cover reveal - Montana Born Brides Series

I am delighted to take part in a cover reveal for a new series for Tule Publishing that I'm part of called the Montana Born Bride Series.

Aren't they absolutely gorgeous!!

My book is the first in the series

The Fairy Tale Bride and is out on 4 May.

Here's the blurb

It seems that wedding fever has hit the little town of Marietta...
Lisa Renee loves weddings. As owner of Marietta’s bridal salon, Lisa takes charge when a celebrity wedding rolls into town and does what she does best: hosting the fairy tale wedding her clients dream of. But the celebrity’s badly behaving bridesmaids shatter Lisa’s poise, excitement, and hopes of putting Marietta and her boutique on the map. The only place she can find peace is on the pediatric ward of the local hospital where she volunteers, a place that holds more meaning to her than anyone knows. Leave it to the handsome and charming new doctor to change all of that...
Dr. Adam Brady is enjoying his new job and anonymity at Marietta’s hospital, but he hasn’t been able to focus entirely since the gorgeous business owner and hard-working volunteer piqued his interest. As he spends more time with her, sparks fly, and he realizes that he’s not the only one in Marietta with secrets…

And here's a close up of the cover!

This has to be one of my favourite covers ever!

Here's the rest of the series and the release dates.

Scarlet Wilson The Fairy Tale Bride               4 May

Dani Collins    His Blushing Bride                11 May

Nicole Helm    Bride by Mistake                   18 May

Maisey Yates   Finally his Bride                    25 May

Rachael Johns  Kiss the Bride                         1 June

Kat Latham      Two nights with his Bride      8 June

And if I've sparked your interest here are the buy links for

    Amazon UK and Amazon US

Hope you love this series as much as I do!

Cover Reveals!

There is nothing I like better than gorgeous cover reveals and I have three for you!

The first is for my first release with Tule Publishing out on October 30, Christmas with the Laird.  Isn't the cover just gorgeous??  This is the ebook cover.

And this is the anthology cover for the paperback that is out with three other Christmas stories from around the world.  I love it too!

And for after Christmas here is my new January release with Harlequin Romance, The Prince She Never Forgot.  They have their first kiss in front of the Eiffel Tower so I love this cover!

I have definitely been blessed by the cover fairies!!

$500 Visa Card Giveaway

Are you ready to Fall Into Romance? Check out the amazing giveaway myself and 11 other Tule authors are hosting. It's your chance to discover new authors and have a chance at winning a $500 gift card. Imagine the books you could buy!  Click the link below to enter the competition to win a $500 visa gift card!

http://tinyurl.com/keoj4zn

The Fiercest Easter Egg Competition in the World Part 3

So, you're all used to me by now.

This years effort was.....

Minions!!!!!   What else??

When the film is better than the book....

It's been a long, LONG time since I've blogged. But never mind, let's move on.

I want to share a little something I've discovered - that sometimes, just sometimes, the film is better than the book.

Last night I watched a film in bed. One Day with Anne Hathaway. I didn't gave much hope for the film as although the book hit best seller lists everywhere I just found it kind of meurgh.

Emma frustrated me when I read the book - I just wanted her to grow a spine. As for Dexter? He annoyed me beyond words. What a self-centred character.
What I did buy into was the one day a year element of the book, I thought it was good and moved the story forward well.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


But Anne Hathaway really nailed the geeky Emma, and Jim Sturges, who is he?  Because he almost made me feel for Dexter.  I loved the interpretation of a book I found quite bland and even had a tear in my eye at one point!











So let's move on to the next on the hit list - The Notebook.  This was
a book that was passed around at my work.  People loved it, people hated it.  Again, I found it kind of meurgh.
I was bored, I didn't connect with the characters.  The final scene in the book was poignant, but that was about it for me.

Then, came the greatness that was the film.  Now, not that I especially like Ryan Gosling.  He's fine.  It was Rachel McAdam and James Garner that blew me away.  I thought they were spectacular.  Rachel was bubbly, vivacious and captivating as Allie.  James Garner played the role with his heart and soul on full display.  I'm going to leave the whole interpretation of the older Allie (Gena Rowlands) out of this completely.  Lots of things about that didn't sit right with me.  But this film was great.  I could watch it again and again and again.

So that's it for me.  There have been hundreds of films that are poor in comparison to the book.  I often watch a film and growl because it doesn't live up to the expectations of the book.

But for me, these two were the opposite.  What do you think?

 

 

 

Cover reveal!

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.

So what's your favourite????

The Fiercest Easter Egg Competition in the World 2013

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?

RNA RoNA Rose Award

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!

Time to Celebrate!

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...

Hot new covers!

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??

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

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!

Happy Christmas!

The Next Big Thing

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...

New cover bonanza!

Do you remember a few posts ago I asked the question Who was my hero kissing?  (My heroine was a brunette and the woman being kissed was a blonde!)  Well, I can't quite believe it but I've had a cover change.  Isn't it gorgeous!

Then I have a new kindle cover for the UK

And a lovely french cover for A Bond Between Strangers.

I love a pretty cover!  What do you think??

Sunshine Award

 Romy Summer and Rachael Johns both nominated me for a Sunshine Award. So here goes!

1. What is your favourite Christmas/festive movie?
I have lots of favourite Christmas movies as it's one of my favourite times of year.  My all time favourite is probably Miracle on 34th Street and I must be the only person in the world who loves the second version with Richard Attenburgh, Mara Wilson and Dylan McDermott.
I also love The Grinch, Santa Claus the Movie, Elf, Home Alone and White Christmas.

2. What is your favourite flower?
It has to be Livingstone Daisies.  I try to grow them in my garden every year and fail miserably.  I love the bright array of colours and they always catch my attention if I see them growing in someone else's garden.  Might be a little strange as a favourite flower!



3. What is your favourite non-alcoholic beverage?
It has to Diet Coke or Diet Irn Bru.  For those of you who have not experienced Scotland's National Drink it comes with the slogan "made in Scotland, by Girders" it's bright orange and doesn't look all that great but tastes fab!
 
4. What is your passion?
This has to be easy. Writing and reading.  I never have enough hours in the day to do both.
 
5. What is your favourite time of year?
Even though I don't love the cold, and I like a summer holiday as much as the next person, it probably has to be winter.  I like snuggling up.  I like feeling cosy.  I have enough winter coats to open my own shop.  Ditto hats.  Ditto bags.  Ditto boots.  I love a cold, crisp winter morning with a nip of frost in the air without the danger of skidding and falling on my bum.  

6. What is your favourite time of day?
I used to say I was a morning person.  But I'm having to face up to the truth of that.  I can't write first thing in the morning.  I'm just not in the place I need to be.  I like mid-morning - I like morning coffee and cake.  I love lunches.  I should have been a 'lady who lunched' however finances dictate that I'm not.  My best writing time is afternoon, even though I don't particularly like that time of day.  By then I've done everything else I need to and I'm free to write.  
7. What is your favourite physical activity?
That's really easy.  None.  I wasn't designed for physical activity.  I've done Zumba and I used to swim half a mile a week.  But no.  Life has got in the way.  I'm not fat yet.  But the possibility is definitely there.
8. What is your favourite vacation?
I love a good holiday.  Loved Florida. Loved Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco (that was more than 10 yrs ago now).  Loved New York - going back in February for my 40th.  Been two mediterranean cruises with my other half and the kids and loved them too!

So, if you haven't already been nominated for a Sunshine Award consider yourself nominated now!

Pink Inspiration

I am in the midst of book eight for Mills and Boon. This is my second CDC story and I'm currently in the middle of Nigeria with my characters Evan and Violet.  I still have another 15,000 words to write but should be finished in the next two weeks.

But my mind is beginning to plan ahead. I have another story to write for another publisher along with some other authors.  This will be a bit different from what I currently write and as I've already completed my partial I find myself looking on the Internet for inspiration.

Here's where my story starts.

Aren't they fabulous?  I'm not going to give the game away but they feature heavily in chapter one!

And what do think of this beauty? Can you imagine the rustle when this dress moves? I haven't quite figured out how it will happen yet, but you can bet my heroine will have cause to wear this dress.

And finally, what ring would capture my heroine perfectly? Why, a pink diamond of course.
So this ring will be working it's way into my story.  I currently have these three pictures printed and on my wall.
Waiting for my heroine to reappear.
And her name?
Well, I haven't given too much away so will tell you that the girl who will possess all these items is called Selena.

What do you think of her shoes, dress and ring?
I hadn't even realised a pink theme was going on until I collected my pictures together.  Selena, a pink girl?  Well, it I never knew it!

Who is the hero kissing????

Here is the cover of my next release in the US Her Christmas Eve Diamond. Whilst it's a nice scene it doesn't feel very Christmassy. But more importantly my heroine is a brunette - so just who is the hero kissing??!!!!!

The Reading List: An Update

A few months ago I did a blog called The Reading List about trying some new books.

I showed a huge list of recommendations and what I planned to read over the next few months.

So, how did I do?

Well, not too bad to be honest!  But I have to warn you that I'm going to be brutally honest about these books.
A Prayer for Owen Meany.  Well, I enjoyed the book overall.  It was pretty long and I did feel as if it could have been edited by 200 pages without losing any of the story or content.  My biggest gripe came with the description of Owen.  He was apparently so tiny that the kids could pass him around over their heads.  He was described as the size of a toddler.  Then he made it to 5ft to get into the US army.  It just didn't ring true.  The health visitor in me knows quite a lot about syndromes.  Not sure what Owen's syndrome was supposed to be, but it just didn't add up.

I'm going to do the next few all together.  Kristan Higgins Fools Rush In, Linda Howard Mr Perfect, Susan Mallery Under Her Skin.
I thought all of these books were fine, but none of them blew me away.  I'd heard lots of people rave about them but the truth be told, once I'd read them I didn't think about them again.
PS Still got Susan Mallery Only His to read.

When it came to Susan Elizabeth Phillips I cheated.  I was supposed to read Natural Born Charmer or Ain't She Sweet.  But I swapped them and read Call Me Irresistable instead.  I enjoyed this story and thought that she wrote a fabulous ending.  I have a lot to learn from this lady!






What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty was a recommendation by my Australian critique partner Rachael Johns.  And it was fabulous, loved every minute of it.  Just think, having an accident and forgetting 10 years of your life.  Really enjoyed this one!


And finally..............................the teenage fiction.

All I can say is WOW!!!!
I am so, so impressed.  The Gone series by Michael Grant.  Gone, Lies, Hunger, Plague and Fear.These books were absolutely fantastic.  The final book in the series Light is out next year and I will be fighting my 12 year old for it.  Blown away by how good these books were!!

 The Hunger Games.  I've had these books sitting in my house for months, but once I started reading them I absolutely couldn't put them down!  Talk about Page Turning Quality.  Really engrossing.

So what have I learned?  That I want to be a teenager again.  When I was a teenager I had Sweet Valley University and that was it.  The teenage books I have read have really taken it to a new level.  I have now invested in lots of new teenage fiction (obviously with intention of finding suitable reading for my 12 year old!) and reading these books are pure pleasure.

Maybe I should think about writing one???????

In the meantime I'm compiling a new reading list, including a number of books I've been meaning to read for the last few years.
The list this time will include - Jodi Picoult Lone Wolf, Susan Wiggs Marrying Daisy Bellamy, David Fiddimore The Hidden War, Teri Terry Slated, Anne O'Brien The King's Concubine and Elizabeth Noble Things I Want my Daughter to Know.

Happy reading!