Hi from Sandra

Hello everyone and thank you, Lee, for inviting me to blog with all of you. I'm new to blogging but it didn't take me long to decide that I love it. The only problem is finding time...

But I thought I'd drop by, greet everyone (Hi Kate, hi Susan) and take a minute to relax. I also wanted to show you the cover of my new book, THE SICILIAN'S CHRISTMAS BRIDE, on the shelves right now. Readers and reviewers say it's the perfect holiday story: full of emotion and, as always, with a to-die for, gorgeous Alpha hero. His name is Dante Russo and he does have a heart... if Tally can only find it.span>..

Kate Walker - Where do I start?

First of all, a great big thank you to Lee for inviting me to join this blog.

Just please don’t tell my editor that I’m here – I’m supposed to be working – writing a new book, not chatting. I know my editor reads my personal blog - so that’s the one where I say that I’ve been working really hard. But maybe she won’t spot this one.

What I really want to say first of all is how thrilled I’ve been to see the success of my October release, At The Sheikh’s Command. A great big thank you to everyone who has bought a copy and so put this book on both the Waldenbooks Top Ten list and the Booktrack top 100 for four weeks. I’ve been so delighted by this result. And because of it, I’m celebrating. When I celebrate, I like to give my readers a chance to celebrate too – so watch out for a special contest coming up here on My Tote Bag. I’ve got together with a very special friend of mine, and a writer I truly admire – Michelle Reid - to bring you some prizes I hope you’ll really want to win. That’s coming soon, so look out for it.

And I’m busy with new plans and ideas for a big Christmas Contest on my own web site – details of this will be posted early in November – so why not drop by and see if you can win a Christmas Stocking Stuffed with Books. Other new plans are going to include a total revamp of my web site, with the new look launching in the New Year – I’m working on that at the moment. The launch of the new look site is specially to celebrate the fact that in June 2007, I shall have my 50th title for Harlequin published so there are going to be some very special ‘Golden’ celebrations then.

So there’s plenty coming up – I just have to find the time to write as well. Susan (Hi Susan!) says she needs to be twins – I think I need to be triplets. But one thing I’m going to make sure I do is to visit here as often as I can. What I was wondering was what do you want to know about most? Do you want to know what I’m working on ? (A handsome Greek who’s just discovered that the wife he thought he hated is back in his life . . . ) Or what I’m reading ( There’s a Susan Stephens' Sheikh in my TBR pile, several books from the newest of the new Presents authors, the new Michelle Reid. . . )

What would you like to read about in this blog? You tell me or ask questions – and I’ll try to answer.

Just don’t tell my editor – promise!

Susan Stephens - I need to be twins?

'I need to be twins'

I remember my mother saying that, and I'm sure you're familiar with the saying too.

Trouble is, twins wouldn't be nearly enough people to handle my day to day chaos.

Plus, they'd all have to be experts to get things finished, instead of running round in circles as I do most of the time.

Expert chef? Over here please...

Cleaner?

Laundress?

Chauffeur?

Gardener?

Handyman?

Dog walker?

100's more- and we haven't even started on the writing yet.

Today my hairdresser asked me would I like a head massage as I looked a little stressed...

'Stressed?' I screeched. 'Whaddyamean, stressed?!!!

Somehow he talked me into it.

I fidgetted for the first 60 seconds and then subsided into a wibbly wobbly dream state.

Bliss

Ladies, treat yourselves. Do it now. Don't wait. Pick up a couple of romance books from your local store and give yourself a break... I know you need some 'me' time just as much as me.

Love to all, and happy reading everyone!

Susan

Susanna Carr - Think Pink!

My book PINK ICE is about three sisters sharing a pair of pink diamond earrings. I've gotten a lot of feedback on the title, and some have asked how I came up with it.

When I thought of a novella collection about sisters sharing earrings, I ran the idea by my twin sister like I always do. Her first response? "Pink? Why pink?"

Coming from my sister, this was not a strange question. When I was growing up, I had to share a room with my twin sister. For some reason, my mother felt it was necessary to paint the room pink. I'm still not sure why. Neither my sister nor I were partial to the color, but we were girls, it was the 70s, and I sense there was a great discount on bright pink paint.

That's right. Bright pink.

But it didn't stop there. Perhaps my mother had lots left over because she painted the bedroom furniture the same color. The curtains were pink gingham. She even needle-pointed two quilts to go with the room.

In pink.

Remember the line Julia Roberts' character said in Steel Magnolias? "My colors are blush and bashful." Yeah, she was talking about my quilt.

When we were older, my sister and I tried to get a makeover for our room, but my mother was adamant that it stayed this way. We weren't allowed to hang up posters to break up the great expanse of wince-inducing pink. I don't know why since a lot of singers in the 80s would have blended right into that room.

I have to say, there was nothing quite like waking up in the morning to a very pink room. It was jarring. Nauseating. Or maybe the color always reminded me of Pepto-Bismol. That would explain my choice of words when I had to describe my bedroom for a school writing assignment. I got points off for writing "My room is so pink it makes me want to puke."

I told my teacher I was going for alliteration. She still didn't think 'puke' had any literary merit.

My guess is that she liked pink.

I slept in the bright pink room until I moved out of the house. Right after this, my sister manage to convince my mother that the room needed a new look. She would handle everything herself. The first thing she would do was get rid of the pink.

So she painted the room gray.

I'm not kidding. Gun-metal gray that only came as outdoor paint. And, oddly enough, it was refreshing change. Although once my sister left home, my mother immediately repainted the room to a neutral beige color.

Since then, I don't surround myself with a lot of pink other than the occasional shirt. So it came as a surprise when I was at a conference last year and I met a reader who said, "Oh, you're the one who writes those pink books."

Pink books? I immediately did a mental checklist of my books. Uh-oh. I did have more pink books than the average romance writer. How did this happen?

But then I thought about what the color pink symbolizes. That is, once I stop thinking of my childhood bedroom. Pink means fun and femininity. It can show a flirty attitude. I'm told the color traditionally represent love and beauty. This is what my books are about!

So when I put together the idea of three sisters sharing a pair of diamond earrings, I decided to purposely add some pink. After my initial research, I found out that naturally pink diamonds were rare and expensive. It felt like it was meant to be, and I was going to really push the pink (In my books, that is. I still don't have anything pink thing in my home.) That's how I got the title PINK ICE.

What do you think about the color pink? Do you love it, hate it, or are you indifferent to the color?

Lee Hyat - Something new

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