Coffee Time Romance

I'm guest author over at Coffee Time Romance during December and I'm Diggin for your answers to my questions!  Each Sunday during December I'll be asking a new question, so why not pop over? Today I'm kicking off by wondering ... well, you'll have to come on over to find out ...

Release Date

All the Way, my latest contemporary romance, is now available for pre-order at The Wild Rose Press. Official release date is 7 December 2012

Nothing would have induced Grace Redman back into the arms of her ex-lover two years after ending their turbulent affair, but now she needs help--the kind only he can offer.

Nikolai Kernov won't forgive the woman who betrayed him. If she wants his help, it comes at a price--one he'll make sure she pays.

But as they battle the scars of the past, neither is prepared for the attraction that pushes them together even as it threatens to tear them apart.

Perchance to Dream

Blogging today over at Nicky Wells' site. Visit Nicky's Centre Stage and read about something amazing and pretty special that happened to me during a recent girlie weekend away.

Marketing Summer Camp July 14-15, 2012

Marketing Summer Camp is a free, two-day online conference designed to help authors learn the basics of marketing and promotion, and to fine tune skills already obtained. It will include guest speakers, pitch opportunities, prizes, top giveaways, and plenty of learning and fun. It will be held on the Yahoo group, Marketing for Romance Writers. Membership is open to published as well as non-published authors, editors, publishers, literary agents, author promotion services, cover artists, and virtual assistants. MFRW members are automatically signed up for Camp. If you want to take a particular course, read the messages posted with that title of the class. If you want to skip that class, don't read them. It's going to be that easy. Handouts and goody bags will be up for grabs once the conference begins. Giveaways include advertising packages, blog tours, and more. Discounts on services will also be available for all attendees.

PITCH APPOINTMENTS

There will be pitch appointments with multiple publishers for camp attendees. These will take place after camp so you don't have to miss classes.

Sign up by joining the group: http://is.gd/mfrwgroup

To learn more:
Website: http://is.gd/mfrworg
Paperli: http://is.gd/mfrwpaperli
Newsletter: http://is.gd/mfrwnews
Facebook group: http://is.gd/mfrwfb
Marketing Camp Schedule: http://is.gd/mfrw_camp_hours

The MFRW Friends of Romance Award is presented to companies seeking to aid authors with promotion at little or no cost, and to offer affordable programs. In 2012 they are: The Romance Studio, Romance Junkies, and CoffeeTime Romance. The award is one way MFRW can help authors and publishers save money and obtain ethical and excellent service. http://marketingforromancewriters.org/friends.htm

A Summer Audience and a Happy Surprise

Had a very enjoyable day at the Love a Happy Ending Summer Audience in Tetbury last Saturday. Great to meet so many writers and readers and enjoy many interesting talks and workshops. As if that weren't enough, I was thrilled to learn that the extract I submitted for the page-turning extract contest actually won! Seeing as the extract from Bull at the Gate was up against extracts from so many other very talented authors, it was doubly thrilling.

You can read the winning extract by clicking here.

I'm a Spring Author!

Come over and join me on Stephanie Keyes' blog where I'm talking about my writing day. I'd love to know about yours.

Friday Quickie

Find out 25 quickie facts about me today over at Sarah Grimm's blog :)

Cover Love

Excited to announce that The Wild Rose Press have contracted my latest contemporary romance, All the Way. I'm currently working with my editor on second edits, so not sure at this stage what the release date will be. But I have my cover...squee! Isn't it gorgeous? Debby Taylor at DCA Graphics did a fabulous job.

Here's the blurb for All the Way: 

Nothing would have induced Grace Redman back into the arms of her ex-lover two years after ending their turbulent affair, but now she needs his help—the kind only he can offer.

Nikolai Kernov won’t forgive the woman who betrayed him. If she wants his help, it comes at a price—and he’ll make sure she pays.
But as they battle the scars of the past, neither is prepared for the attraction that pushes them together even as it threatens to tear them apart forever.

Every Step of the Way by Kit Domino

Tomorrow sees the release of a really great family saga from author, Kit Domino. I've had the pleasure of beta reading Every Step of the Way and it kept me spellbound all the way through.  Kit conveys the setting of early nineteen fifties London with such intensity, I was almost coughing along with the characters who had to endure the Great Smog. There are plot twists which I didn't see coming and the characters are wonderfully drawn. I loved this story.

Here's the blurb:

1952 in West London. A time of coffee bars and jukeboxes, Teddy boys and gang fights. As Christmas approaches, sixteen-year-old Beth Brixham has so much to look forward to. No more school, her first job, her first boyfriend. Instead, her world is thrown into darkness and chaos as the Great Smog descends over London, leaving in its wake a trail of death and disruption and changing Beth’s life forever.
When family tragedy strikes during the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Beth finds herself shunned by her father. Faced with eviction, she must battle against the prejudices, laws and social bigotry post World War II in an effort to prevent her baby sister being taken into care, but she hadn’t gambled on the price she has to pay when offered a radical solution.

Every Step of the Way was shortlisted for the 2004 Harry Bowling Prize for a London novel.

Enjoy!
 

Love a Happy Ending's Summer Audience

Calling all writers and readers ... have you got your ticket yet for A Summer Audience in Tetbury, Gloucestershire here in the UK?For more information check out this great video




See you there!

Luscious Lynton

Blogging at Over the Backyard Fence about our recent trip to the North Devon coast. Fab weather, great scenery, pixies, legends and an inexhaustible puppy ... 

It's hard being a puppy

Zorro is not happy. He came home from the vet's minus his manly bits and has since been showing his displeasure. Like most dogs he absolutely hates the buster collar and glares at me as if I'm the evil witch of the west. It seems all his naughty puppy behaviour, which we thought (hoped) we'd conquered, has returned with a vengeance. Jumping, which we have to prevent because of his wound, has intensified, mouthing (mostly me), dismantling his bed, stealing then running off with gloves, scarves and towels and pulling on the lead. Not to mention barking his dissatisfaction at life for stealing his jewels.

We were sort of hoping he might calm down a bit after the procedure, but right now it's as if someone flipped an electric switch and wired him for action.

Happy days!

A little boy's courage

We hear and read about bravery all the time, but it is never more poignant when found in a small child. A friend's nephew is the epitome of everything that is brave and courageous, and at last this lovely little boy gets the chance to have surgery that will change his life. Four year old George Palmer has selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR). This amazing little boy was never expected to walk, talk or know who his parents were. The thing was, nobody told George that. Today, he helps feed and dress himself, uses two-three word sentences to communicate, can sit up on his own, crawl and even pull himself up on the sofa.

Now, he has been given the opportunity to fly to the US for surgery at a specialist children's hospital in Missouri, the type of surgery that is not available on the NHS. Of course, this sort of life-changing trip does not come without it's difficulties and George's family need to raise £55,000 to give George the chance of walking unaided for the first time in his short, but amazingly inspiring life.

You can read more about George HERE and HERE and if you can donate even a small amount it will go a huge way to raising the £55,000 needed to send George on the trip that will change his life.

The Joy of the Small Stuff

Blogging at Over the Backyard Fence today about the small things in life that bring pleasure. What's on your list?

Artists and Dancers

Blogging about Pre-Raphaelites and Morris Dancers at Over the Backyard Fence today. Come on and join the conversation.

New Review

Lovely Ananda over at Books to Remember has given Bull at the Gate a fab review. She says: I really enjoyed this book! It's one of those books that will warm your heart and make you believe in magic! Take a look at the whole review - http://books-to-remember.blogspot.com/2012/01/bull-at-gate-tricia-jones.html