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Monday, November 22, 2010

The Italian Sabbatini Brothers - Melanie Milburne

Hi everyone,


I am pleased to introduce you to the first two books of my first ever trilogy for Harlequin Mills and Boon Presents: The Italian Sabbatini Brothers.

Book One is Scandal: Unclaimed Love Child

Book Two is: Shock: One Night Heir

Book Three is: The Wedding Charade

I am eagerly awaiting the cover for Book Three but I adore the first two new look ones from the UK.

Writing a trilogy was a wonderful experience as it gave me the opportunity to link characters between books, delve a little deeper into family issues and get to know the differences in the relationship between each of the brothers. Exploring family dynamics is a useful tool for writers. We often don’t have to look very far outside our own family to find rich sources of material!

The things I wanted to explore in the Sabbatini brothers’ family was how each strong, ruthless and powerful man approached the issue of love, commitment and being true to themselves.

In Scandal: Unclaimed Love Child Luca (the middle brother) is a man who has conquered a huge personal issue in private, only to find that the young woman he cast from his life two years ago in order to deal with that issue is now the mother of his little daughter. He has a hard task ahead of him in order to win Bronte back given how cruelly he broke off their relationship. The poignancy of Luca and Bronte’s story is that he was only trying to protect her by ending their relationship. He thought he was doing the right thing but it backfired horribly. I think that is something we can all relate to. Decisions we wished we could remake. If only!

In Book Two- Shock: One Night Heir Giorgio and Maya have a quite different battle on their hands. Whilst in the throes of a difficult separation leading to an imminent divorce they have a passionate encounter on the night of Luca and Bronte’s wedding. Fireworks truly fly! But the biggest surprise of all is that after years of trying to conceive a baby that stolen night of passion has produced a potential heir. Can Maya carry this baby to full term and give Giorgio what he most wants? Again the poignancy of this story is Maya left the marriage because she felt such a failure. She could not provide the heir the blue-blooded family (and Giorgio) wanted so much. Again, like Luca, she thought she was doing the right thing.

And then we come to the third brother Nicoli and his feisty heroine Jade Sommerville in The Wedding Charade. I would have to say that this book was one of the most enjoyable books I have written so far. I had such a strong sense of who both Nic and Jade were as they had cameo appearances in Book One and Two. Nic was determined not to be a pawn in his late grandfather’s machinations, tying him to wild child Jade Sommerville for a year in order to inherit his share of his grandfather’s estate. Jade is equally determined to get Nic to marry her. She is harbouring a shameful secret she is desperate to keep out of the press, and marrying Nic is the only way she can achieve this now her father has cut off her allowance. It’s not just fireworks in this relationship but thunder and lightning as well!

I hope you enjoy the Sabbatini Brothers Trilogy and I will give autographed copies of all three books (will have to wait for Book Three to arrive, however) to a randomly selected comment poster who tells me what they love about trilogies.

Happy reading,

Melanie Milburne
http://www.melaniemilburne.com.au/

18 comments:

Virginia C said...

Hi, Melanie! The Sabbatinis sound sensational : ) Trilogies are the perfect size for series, and four well-written books can also make a great series. Beyond that number and the creative process and quality control has to really be sharp. Trilogies can allow certain characters to develop through the first two books before they become fully-fleshed in the final book, and that can be very rewarding for the reader.

I read more stand-alones than series. However, when I am hooked on a series, I will collect the entire set. Whether it’s great characters or an intriguing story line, or both, I’ll stay with it until the end. I do believe that some characters and scenarios are better suited to one intense edition that’s perfect just as it is–don’t mess with it! Some story lines work better on a larger scale, and they might just be too much for one book. They develop more slowly, with characters coming and going along the way. In the final analysis, it’s always the ability of the storyteller to spin a great tale that makes the difference.

gcwhiskas at aol dot com

Laurie G said...

I like trilogies because you feel like you are a relative or close friend of the family. You know the families secrets! You feel a sense of belonging to the community where the story is set and to the family itself. I like the continuity of series books.

Melanie,

Your Sabbatini brother's series sounds fabulous!

Familiarity + stife + passion = HEA

Linda Henderson said...

I have always been a big fan of trilogies or connected books. As a reader I get attached to the characters in the first book and always hate to see it come to an end. With the connected stories, I get to find out what happens after the first story and read the stories of the secondary characters from the first one. It's a win win to me. I hope that makes sense.

seriousreader at live dot com

Nas said...

Hi Melanie, The Sabbatinis sound intriguing and interesting. As a reader I always feel that I'm in the story and when connected books come it's interesting to read what happens to other charators we left behind.

runner10 said...

I love to see how the characters develop in a series. I love to see secondary characters get their HEA.

Leni said...

I love the anticipation of waiting for each book to come out. And being able to follow characters into another book. There is always a new discovery that brings it all together.

lenikaye@yahoo.com

Melanie Milburne said...

Lovely comments from everyone. It's interesting to hear what people think of connected books. I think it is always important that the books can stand alone because if you happen to miss one the other won't make sense. A trilogy is like an extended epilogue for the books that have gone ahead. Not that I have focused totally on the previous couple in the next book but at least you get to hear what is going on with their lives now they are all sorted out, so to speak!

desere_steenberg said...

Hello Melanie

Trilogies are always exciting because the writer lets you learn about a whole family and you get connected to them. You cant stop reading after the first book because you have find out what happens to the rest of the sisters or brothers.

And a good mystery that is only revealed in the last book is even more intriguing.

With a trilogy get to learn about the characters and when you get to the second book it feels like you all ready know the character and it is almost like you know then in real life ,and you feel connected to them because you learned about them in the first book and now you just need to learn about the rest of the family and who they will end up with or where.

The Sabbatini brother's sounds sensational and I know just like all your other books they will all be master pieces!!

Have a wonderful day

Desere

Estella said...

I love trilogies because it is like visiting old friends when you start the second book.

Melanie Milburne said...

Hi Desere and Estella!
Thanks for your comments. I agree it's nice to have some feel for the family and its history and that connection you feel with them makes you want to read on.
One thing some of my colleagues have done is write the next generation's story a few years on. I think that would be interesting. It is like watching the royal engagement at the moment. It is the next generation and so romantic given the first had such a tragic outcome. Maybe I will do a new Sabbatini series in twenty or thirty year's time!

Pat Cochran said...

So many trilogies are family-related.
They give the author and the reader
a truly marvelous way to connect via
the story. We are able to really get
to know the family,learning all the
twists and turns of their lives. I
looove trilogies!

Pat Cochran

Mary Kirkland said...

Hi Melanie,

this trilogy sounds so good. Love the covers you posted, they look really great.

I like reading trilogies because we get to delve deeper into their world, get some back story and get to see the secondary characters come alive a little more.

There's so much that can happen when you have more than one book to do it in and I like reading what the author can come up with when they have mor room to do it in.

miztik_rose@yahoo.com

Melanie Milburne said...

Well then, I am definitely going to write another trilogy in the next year or so now that I know how popular they are!
Thanks for all the great comments.

SiNn said...

I love when they come together and tell the story about siblings or carry on ect sometimes one book or two books makes me sme what sad when it ends i need more thats what i love about them


ur a new to me author deff have to check out urbooks

Melanie Milburne said...

That's true,SiNn, it's nice to hear about what happens after the story is over. I love characters that live on in your memory for weeks if not months afterwards. That is when an author has really crafted a character well when you connect with them so well.

Melanie Milburne said...

Congratulations, Desere, you have been chosen as the winner of my trilogy. If you contact me via Facebook or via my website I will arrange to have those books sent to you.
Thanks again everyone for your great insights.
Cheers,
Mel

desere_steenberg said...

Hello Melanie

Thank you a million times over this is so amazing !!! I have sent you my details via facebook.

Thank you again for this awesome contest and thank you again for the wonderful books you share with us!!

Desere

Mary Kirkland said...

Congratulations, desere.