So Long, Farewell!

by Anna Campbell

I've put up a picture of my first historical romance CLAIMING THE COURTESAN here because not long after Avon accepted me as one of their authors back in 2006, lovely Lee Hyat who runs this blog asked me to be a contributor to Tote Bags 'n' Blogs. It was the first time anyone had asked me to blog - in fact, back in 2006, even blogging itself had a lovely new shine.

Fast forward to over eight years later. It's 2014 and after many happy years of being a dedicated contributor every month to this wonderful blog, I'm moving on to new pastures.

Next year holds a lot of changes for me. Hopefully a new house in a new city.  A long trip to the U.K. Some new stories (always new stories in the life of a writer!). And a cutting down of some of my commitments outside my writing.So sadly after my many years here, I'm hanging up my tote bag!

We've talked about so many interesting things over my years here at Tote Bags. All my new releases and the inspirations behind them, life in Australia, other books I've read and enjoyed, travel, silly daily stuff like my love affair with a new appliance or a new piece of office equipment (my scanner still occupies a niche in my heart, you'll be glad to know!).

Thank you to everyone who has read my columns over the years and thank you especially to those wonderful people who have taken the time and trouble to leave me a comment. I've so enjoyed our conversations over my time here.

I love how the blogoverse has allowed me to find so much stimulation, discover so many likeminded people and also make so many friends. You've enriched my life immeasurably so please take a bow.

I'd also like to offer my deep gratitude to Lee, firstly for inviting me onto the blog (such a thrill for a new author!) and also for letting me meander through whatever my current preoccupations were over the last eight years. I hope one day, Lee, you and I can meet face to face and I can say thank you in person.

I'm not abandoning social media. I'll still be blogging a couple of times a month with the Romance Bandits and I update my website (www.annacampbell.info) at the beginning of each month with latest news. And of course I'll still be active on Facebook and on Twitter so I'd love to see you there if you don't already follow me.

So given I'm looking backwards and forwards in the spirit of yesterday, today and tomorrow, I thought I'd put up the cover for A SCOUNDREL BY MOONLIGHT, my next Sons of Sin book which is out at the end of April 2015. And also the cover for my current release, my Christmas novella, HER CHRISTMAS EARL (only 99 cents), which hit the shelves 21st October.

I wish you all a very happy festive season and the best in 2015. With lots of happiness, health and great books! 

Goodbye and good luck! Here's a red rose from my garden for luck - and for romance!

Introducing Her Christmas Earl!

by Anna Campbell

It's that time of year again!

The time of year when we writers go all misty-eyed and sentimental and jolly and start penning Christmas romances.

This is the third year in a row that I've done a Christmas novella. My first was THE WINTER WIFE which was a reunion story set on the snowy Yorkshire Moors. My second was "His Christmas Cinderella" which was an ultra-romantic addition to the free anthology A GROSVENOR SQUARE CHRISTMAS.

This year I'm writing a marriage of convenience story featuring a rake ripe for redemption and the straight-talking unfashionable woman he finds himself married to as a result of bad luck and scandal (except as in all good romances, the bad luck is actually very good luck in disguise).

Here's the blurb for HER CHRISTMAS EARL: A REGENCY NOVELLA:

No good deed goes unpunished…

To save her hen-witted sister from scandal, Philippa Sanders ventures into a rake's bedroom - and into his power. Now her reputation hangs by a thread and only a hurried marriage can rescue her. Is the Earl of Erskine the heartless libertine the world believes? Or will Philippa discover unexpected honor in a man notorious for his wild ways?

Blair Hume, the dissolute Earl of Erskine, has had his eye on the intriguing Miss Sanders since he arrived at this deadly dull house party. Now a reckless act delivers this beguiling woman into his hands as a delightful Christmas gift. Does fate offer him a fleeting Yuletide diversion? Or will this Christmas Eve encounter spark a passion to last a lifetime? 

You can read an excerpt of HER CHRISTMAS EARL on my website here: http://annacampbell.info/xmasearl.html

And all at only 99 cents! 

You can buy HER CHRISTMAS EARL from:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Her-Christmas-Earl-Regency-Novella-ebook/dp/B00OQY2X06/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1413942208&sr=1-1&keywords=her+christmas+earl

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/486725

There's something lovely about writing a Christmas romance. It's a time of hope and family and love and generosity, and all of those qualities feed into a feel-good love story. I really enjoyed meeting clever, direct Philippa Sanders and her dashing, handsome, disreputable Christmas Earl, Blair Hume. I hope you feel the same! 

So are you a fan of romances set around Christmas time? Any favorites?

Fun in the Sun

by Anna Campbell

The writing life tends to be fairly solitary most of the time (which is actually one of its appeals for me). It's you with your characters and your story in front of a computer or a notebook or whatever your medium of choice is when it comes to getting down those ideas. So it's always great fun to catch up with some of my writing mates and get out and about.

Recently my critique partner Annie West came up to see me on Queensland's Sunshine Coast and for a few days we really lived the high life.

Of course we did a lot of work too. We always do when we get together and it's been the sort of year where we've only managed one other session together, so we had a lot to catch up on personally and professionally.

You can see what I mean about work and high life coinciding in this picture of French champagne (a birthday present I'd saved) and our notebooks out and ready for any inspiration lurking in the bubbles to strike.

It did strike! 

In between all our book natter, we did some lovely walks. It's spring here where I live and the weather was just gorgeous.

I hope you like the picture of the pelicans along Pumicestone Passage. They're among my favorite birds - so full of personality. And they're the most beautiful fliers.

We also managed to see a dolphin. I've been living here permanently nearly ten years and that's the first time I've seen one in the bay. Lovely! He hung around for ages, just lazily popping and down as if to say hello.

The photos of Annie and the one with the sea in the background are from a lovely lunch we had at a very nice local restaurant. We always try to celebrate a recent publication from one of us and in this case, we were toasting the success of Annie's REBEL'S BARGAIN which is out next month from Harlequin. It's a corker of a read so we popped a few champagne corks to wish it on its way to the world!

By the time Annie left, I had a book or two plotted and a whole stack of writerly mojo to carry me forward to our next meeting. I hope it's soon!

So what have you been up to lately? Any celebrations on the horizon?

The Truth - and the Duke - Is Out There!

by Anna Campbell

I'm so excited! It's exactly a year since I had a full-length new release and now, after that long wait, WHAT A DUKE DARES has hit the shelves.

This is book three of the Sons of Sin series (previous books are SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE'S BED and A RAKE'S MIDNIGHT KISS, with the novella DAYS OF RAKES AND ROSES squeezed in between). A character who has intrigued me from the start is Camden Rothermere, Duke of Sedgemoor. Cam is the guy who always keeps his head in a crisis and who always hands out great advice. As a reader, I love seeing Mr. Cool, Calm and Collected tumble into chaos when he falls in love - and that's just what happens to Cam. I can tell you that particular character arc is fun to write too!

Cam's heroine in Duke is his childhood friend Penelope Thorne, a headstrong and passionate woman who leads Cam on a merry dance before they get their happy ending. Pen was fun to write too. I love stories about unrequited love, and Pen's got a really rotten case of the malady for Cam.


Here's the blurb:

A reputation at risk

 

What woman in her right mind would say no to marrying the dashing Duke of Sedgemoor? Miss Penelope Thorne, that's who. She's known Camden Rothermere since they were children - and she also knows she'd bring nothing but scandal to his name.

Cam can hardly believe Penelope turned down his proposal. But if she wants to run off to the Continent and set the rumor mill ablaze, he can't stop her. Then her brother's dying request sends him to bring home the one woman he thought he'd finally gotten over.

The only way they'll both get back to London without their reputations in tatters is to pretend they're married during the journey. That means kissing like they mean it and even sharing a bed - until it becomes hard to tell where the game ends and true desire begins...

 

Reviews so far have been wonderful. RT Book Reviews gave Duke a Top Pick, 4.5 stars, a Knight in Shining Silver (K.I.S.S.) awad and called it "an extraordinary read." Publishers Weekly commented on the "romantic fireworks" and a starred review in Booklist said, "With its superbly nuanced characters, impeccably crafted historical setting, and graceful writing shot through with scintillating wit, Campbell's latest lusciously sensual, flawlessly written historical Regency, part of the Sons of Sin series (A Rake's Midnight Kiss, 2013), will have romance readers sighing happily with satisfaction."

 

You can read an excerpt here: http://annacampbell.info/dukedares.html

 

Duke is available in print and digital everywhere good books are sold, including: 

 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/What-Duke-Dares-Anna-Campbell/dp/1455557900/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1387328558&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=what+a+duke+dares

 

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-a-duke-dares-anna-campbell/1117543455?ean=9781455557905

 

The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/What-Duke-Dares-Anna-Campbell/9781455557905

 

Booktopia;  http://www.booktopia.com.au/what-a-duke-dares-anna-campbell/prod9780732295141.html

Penelope Thorne, the heroine of WHAT A DUKE DARES, suffers from a major crush on her girlhood hero Camden Rothermere. Did you have a crush when you were growing up? Was it someone real or someone fictional like a movie star or a rock singer?

My Favorite Writing Books!

by Anna Campbell

In the second half of 2014, I'm running a course called Express Year of the Novel for the Queensland Writers Centre down in Brisbane, the capital city of the state in Australia where I live.  For five full days between now and December, I'm working with a bunch of enthusiastic aspiring novelists to help them develop the skills to write a saleable longer piece of fiction.

Putting together the course has had its challenges - five full days is a longish time, but not when you're covering everything a person needs to learn for writing a novel! One of the things I realized as I was designing the program was that I should brush up on some of my writing textbooks, especially when it came to complex subjects like the hero's journey.

Among the resources I've put together for the group is a list of recommended writing books. I'm a bit of a how-to book fan so I've read lots and lots of writing books. Looking at the list, it was apparent to me that a couple of books have given me help and advice that has stayed with me over a long time. In preparation for running the Express YOTN course, I've re-read some of them and they're still as useful as they ever were.

So here are my four favorite writing books.

The first is an absolute classic. Dorothea Brande's BECOMING A WRITER has been in print since 1934. I've read it a few times - it's quite short and you can knock it over in a couple of hours. And it never fails to help me with my writing life. It's not a book about the nuts and bolts of writing, it's about how to find motivation and inspiration and how to persist in this odd occupation we've set ourselves to mastering.

The second book is a more recent classic - Anne Lamott's BIRD BY BIRD: SOME INSTRUCTIONS ON WRITING AND LIFE. This one is great when it comes to needing that push to get words down on the page and when you have to overcome the fear factor. The title comes from a story Lamott tells about her brother doing a school project about the birds of America. Like a lot of kids, he left it to the last minute and then floundered around in a panic. Lamott's father sat down with him calmly and said, "The only way we can do this is bird by bird." When you write a book, it's word by word. I've heard this approach also called 'baby steps' and it's amazingly wise. My critique partner and I often just say "bird by bird" to each other when we're starting to get into a flap and those three words alone settle us down.

The third book is New York agent Donald Maass's WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL: WINNING ADVICE FROM A TOP AGENT AND HIS BESTSELLING CLIENT. I was lucky enough a few years ago to attend a full day workshop with Donald Maass and I still use a lot of the tips that he gave to the room full of aspiring writers. This book is wonderful for turning a good manuscript into a great manuscript. He's fantastic on how to lift tension and pacing and how taking risks can pay off when you write. If you're not sure why your story isn't hitting the high points, I highly recommend this book.

The last of my great quartet is Christopher Vogler's THE WRITER'S JOURNEY: MYTHIC STRUCTURE FOR WRITERS. This is a great introduction to how the work of Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung can help strengthen the structure of your novel and give your story a universal appeal. And there are fascinating analyses of popular films like THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS and THE WIZARD OF OZ, drawing on the mythic superstructure that has made these movies into timeless classics.

There are some wonderful books on writing on that list of resources I gave the YOTN class, but if the crunch came, these are the four I'd save from the burning building. If you haven't read them and you're interested in writing either as a writer yourself or as a dedicated reader, give them a go!

If you're a writer, do you have any favorite books that have helped you with your craft? If you're a reader, do you ever read books about writing to give you an insight into the writing process?

My Latest Crush

by Anna Campbell

I think this might be a companion piece for my May column about how much I love stationery. Sort of the horror version of the story! Well, horror for any paper product within reach, anyway!

I'm currently clearing out years and years of junk/treasures as I prepare the house to go on the market at the end of the year. Last month I shared a gorgeous childhood book I found. I suspect there will be more than one blog here about the joys of packing up after years in one place! And I use "joys" ironically.

Paperwork has proliferated in this process. I was ripping it up as I found it, but I have to say that got old VERY quickly. So I went on the hunt to buy a shredder. After a few hiccups, I picked up a Lowell that has become my latest crush (bet you thought I was going to talk about George Clooney or Richard Armitage when you saw that title!).

I'd never used a shredder before and I have to say in my naivety, I imagined I was getting something whose joys would be purely practical. But I've since discovered that there's something mind-bogglingly satisfying about munching up the detritus of years (and it is years - I've got electricity bills here in Mum and Dad's paperwork that I swear go back to before they invented electricity!). It's a fabulous stress release, works out any aggression, and leaves you with a wonderful sigh of satisfaction to rival the end of a great romance novel.

The fruits of my labors - boxes of shredding ready for the recycling!

What's not to love?

Well, the machinery is rather noisy but that's part of the fun. And it heats up fairly quickly so I have to be careful not to love my darling to death.

And oh, my goodness, is my house covered in a mixture of paper dust and little curly white worms of paper. The vacuum cleaner has been out a LOT lately.

Danger! Danger! Shredding in process!

Still, nothing can take away from the fun of seeing one's history become piles of little pieces of paper. It's so cathartic!

Do you own a shredder? Do you have fun with any of your office equipment? Should I seek counselling over my new obsession? 

Stationary Stationery

by Anna Campbell

When I was a little kid - I'm going back to primary school here - I thought the most boring presents in the world were toiletries and stationery. Which was a pity because the relatives used to give me toiletries and stationery in droves.

Switch forward um, 20 years or so (please, humor me!), and two of my favorite things to receive as gifts are, you guessed it, toiletries and stationery!

I must admit to being a bit of a stationery nut anyway. A real treat for me is a visit to OfficeWorks, our local warehouse office supplies company. Amazing what interesting little doodads you can find in those long corridors smelling deliciously of paper. Little doodads you had no idea you wanted until you saw them in front of you begging to be bought. 

I thought today I might share some of the pretty stationery in the stationery cupboard. This year, I've made a concerted effort to write more actual letters. There's a reason the universe is showering me with all these pretty notecards.

Actually I really enjoy writing letters, but it's something that requires a bit of a mental shift, doesn't it? It's so much easier just to shoot off an email. But I think people love getting actual mail in the post - I know I do. And I'll keep letters, whereas it's just so easy to hit the delete button when it's electronic. 

I also love buying pretty stationery for people - clearly so did all those aunties and cousins when I was a wee gel! There's something really pleasurable about looking at gorgeous printed cards and thick creamy sheets of paper and wrapping them up as a present.

Luckily, my critique partners love buying people (me!) stationery, often as souvenirs of their wonderful overseas trips. Both the New York and the two Rijskmuseum sets in this blog came as booty from my friends having exciting times far away from me.

Hold on, that didn't come out quite right!

The Liberty set was a birthday present this year from a fellow historical romance writer who understands my taste to a T.

And the beautiful romantic Victorian set of notelets, a very welcome Christmas present, came from another romance writer who I know has a wonderful time picking out nice stationery as the perfect gift. We've both admitted that we tend to buy what we'd like someone else to buy for us as presents! Often those are the best gifts, aren't they?

So do you write letters still? Or have you gone completely e in your communications? Do you like stationery? Do you have a favorite style of stationery?

My Life's Soundtrack

by Anna Campbell

Recently on Facebook there was one of those things going around where people tagged their friends to list ten things. I find these endlessly interesting - and almost invariably surprising. So I thought I'd break out of the Facebook ghetto and ask my Tote Bag chums the same question.

This particular meme doing the rounds was naming ten albums that have stayed with you. That doesn't particularly mean your favorite albums, but the ones that had some influence over you - or at least that's how I took it.

Inevitably, a lot of the records I picked (and I'm old enough that most of them actually WERE vinyl) went back to my childhood/teens and include some records my parents played a lot when I was a wee gel.

Here's my top 10 as of today (it's slightly different to the one I posted on Facebook but that's the nature of these things, isn't it?).

1. Swan Lake Ballet - Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic

2. Station to Station - David Bowie

3. Rubber Soul - the Beatles

4. Standing on a Beach (the Singles) - the Cure

5. Beethoven's Greatest Hits - various CBS artists

6. Les Miserables - Original Stage Cast

7. The Sound of Music - Soundtrack

8. The Glenn Miller Story - Soundtrack

9. My Fair Lady - Original Stage Cast

10. Lawrence of Arabia Soundtrack

So clearly my tastes run to classical and musicals with a bit of classic pop thrown in. Yup, that pretty much describes it, with a few movie scores as runners up.

It's been great fun to revisit some of the music that's influenced me. And even more fun to look at those album covers. Talk about a trip down memory lane! 

Now it's your turn. And if you want to put in a line or two about why you made your selections, I'd be very interested!

Oh, and by the way, if you don't follow me on Facebook, you can find me at:

https://www.facebook.com/AnnaCampbellFans

I'm pretty active there and I regularly do giveaways! 

Looking forward to seeing your music lists!

Eat, Pray, Inspire

by Anna Campbell

Have you ever been to see a writer speak? I must say I love going to things like writers festivals and conventions and conferences where I get to hear people talk about their writing process and what inspires them.

Last week, I was lucky enough to go to hear American writer Elizabeth Gilbert speak about creativity at the Powerhouse arts centre in Brisbane.

Wow, what an inspiring woman.The qualities that I love in her writing - the honesty; the heart-on-the-sleeve emotional openness; the intellectual curiosity - were on display like Christmas lights in December!

Most of us know EG through her mega-bestselling memoir of finding herself after a divorce, EAT, PRAY, LOVE (which inspired my title for this piece!). This was made into a movie with Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem which I saw and I have to say I found a bit underwhelming. EG told a funny story about meeting a pair of old ladies at JFK airport who came up to her to ask if she was the writer who had done the novelization of the movie!

I really enjoyed EAT, PRAY, LOVE, but the book of hers that I really, really liked was the memoir that followed it, COMMITTED:  A LOVE STORY. This is an examination of the history of marriage and current cultural attitudes toward marriage around the world and it continues the story started in EPL. The other piece of work of hers that I strongly recommend is a talk she gave for TED (Technology, Education, Design) back in 2009 about "Your Elusive Creative Genius." Here's a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA

On this trip to Australia, EG was talking about the inspirations behind her latest book THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS, which is a historical novel (I haven't read it but it sounds fascinating).

It was so interesting to hear her discuss her theory about ideas - she believes that ideas are floating around out there, looking for someone to fasten onto to achieve realisation. Which explains the rather odd phenomenon that two completely original ideas will pop up at nearly the same time (happened to me with courtesan books, happened to Darwin with evolution, LOL!). She also talked about the need for a writer to keep herself receptive so that the idea that is meant for her can find her.

It all sounds quite mystical, but I knew what EG was talking about, although I tend to think in terms of conscious and subconscious. I firmly believe that there is a whole ocean of 'stuff' out there that coagulates under its own volition in a writer's mind and will eventually find its way out as a book. One of the things I love about a good reading binge is that it lets my subconscious get on with its work of deciding what I'll do next!

Another thing that EG said that really rang a bell for me was when she said you can't force these ideas. It's pointless standing there and saying to the universe (or your subconscious in my terms), "Hey, give me an idea now, bud, or ELSE!" That just makes the good ideas curl up into a closed ball like a sulky child. The sort of sulky child who goes 'nuh!' a lot!

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Elizabeth Gilbert. I'd love the chance to hear her again. She's a wonderfully warm, witty and insightful speaker. If you get the chance to see her, rush to get a seat!

So did you read EAT, PRAY, LOVE? Read anything else by Elizabeth Gilbert? Have you been to see a writer speak? Did it help or hinder your appreciation of their work? Is there a writer you'd crawl across broken glass to hear?

Sweet or Steamy?

by Anna Campbell

Right from when I first started reading romance novels in state school (I was an early convert to the genre!), I've always liked a passionate read. As a teenager, books by Anne Mather or Kathleen Woodiwiss definitely got my adolescent heart pounding. All those wonderful sensual scenes and that sizzle of sexual tension.

But just lately I seem to have been on a reading jag for sweeter books so I thought I'd talk about a couple of sweeter reads that I've enjoyed over the years.

One of my all-time favorite books is A COUNTESS BELOW STAIRS (1983) by Eva Ibbotson. I dare you not to be charmed by this gorgeous story of a Russian countess trying to make her way in England after the revolution and the lovely, heartbreaking, triumphant romance she has with the owner of the house where she finds work as a maid. I must have read this twenty times and it never fails to make me smile. Kisses are about as hot as this book gets, and I didn't mind at all!

One of my favorite category romances ever is the unforgettable A WEDDING AT LEOPARD TREE LODGE (2010) by Liz Fielding. I'm pretty much a pushover for any of Liz's books. She writes so beautifully and with such deep emotion and her characters really take a hold on your heart.

This lovely romance is set on a game park in Africa, a place Liz knows well. Two damaged and outwardly incompatible people meet and find themselves falling hopelessly in love against the odds, but they both have to deal with the pain of the past before they can move on to the future they both deserve.

Like COUNTESS, this is another one I finished with a big happy sigh. A really good steamy romance doesn't stint on the emotion, but there's just something that catches at your heart about these particular books with their sweeter edge. And plenty of sensual tension if not actual love scenes.

My final sweet read is another all-time favorite of mine. Sophie Weston is an English writer who wrote some brilliant shorter romances, but my favorite book of hers by far is THE BEDROOM ASSIGNMENT (2002).

This one actually has a love scene but I find that with sweet and steamy, often the difference is one of tone rather than whether the relationship reaches physical consummation within the pages of the story. Mind you, you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a steamy read with that title which really doesn't express the pleasures of the story within!

The heroine of this one basically falls for the hero at first sight. He's the one who has to become self-aware enough to recognize that his new employee is the woman who will change his life forever and fulfill him in ways he's never imagined. This one will break your heart and then put it together again for a beautiful, sigh-worthy ending. Well worth going to the effort to track down.

So my question for you is, sweet or steamy or a mixture of both depending on your mood?

Where Do I Begin?

I hope that title hasn't led you to expect a piece on how to start a novel!

It's a phrase that's been ringing in my ears for the last few weeks because Santa came a little bit early for me last year by way of talented Australian author Gracie Macgregor,  Gracie was clearing out her house preparatory to moving and she delivered a huge box of sheet music to my place.

What a treat! Fabulous, fabulous stuff!

Mainly hits of the 60s, 70s and 80s, with a very nice smattering of musicals like SOUTH PACIFIC and GUYS AND DOLLS and LES MISERABLES. The neighbors have started dreaming a dream - it involves me moving VERY far away!

And as I'm sure anyone of a certain age has guessed, among the jewels from a rich musical past comes the theme from LOVE STORY. Hence "Where Do I Begin?"

I'm still making my way through this collection. So far favorites include the aforementioned LOVE STORY theme, the GODFATHER theme, and Ballade pour Adeline which I've never particularly liked to listen to but which turns out to be fun (and reasonably easy - always welcome!) to play.

One source of really lovely music has turned out to be something called BUGS BUNNY'S BIRTHDAY ALBUM. Wasn't sure what to expect when I opened this one but it's full of all these beautiful songs from Warner Movies over the years published to celebrate the Warner Brothers 50th Anniversary back in the 90s. 

There's also a smattering of popular classics which I'm looking forward to bashing out. And some rather groovy 80s numbers which I don't actually think I'm hip enough to play. There's a reason I've steered clear of playing I Got Rhythm. I don't!

The photos only convey a smattering of the glories hidden in Gracie's present. I had a lovely time over the Christmas break bashing out showtunes and revisiting memories of my youth. Music is one of the quickest ways to access those memories, isn't it?

So do you play an instrument? Do you have a favorite show tune? I grew up on musicals so I'd be hard put to think of just one! 

Ah, "Memories light the corners of my life..." Yup. The Way We Were came in the box as well!

Christmas Reading Bonanza!

by Anna Campbell

Firstly, happy Holidays to everyone! And I hope 2014 is a wonderful year for all of us.

Thank you so much to everyone who's swung by to read my posts here and especially those lovely people who left comments during the year. And thanks to Lee for hosting this fun blog!

2013 was a terrifically busy year for me - I feel like I haven't stopped since I was wishing everybody happy new year last January.

So I'm very much looking forward to a few days off between Christmas and New Year. Here in Australia, Christmas falls in midsummer so instead of snow and sweaters, we have beaches and sweat! My plan at this stage is to grab the TBR pile and make some serious inroads before I get into a new project.

So I thought for my final blog of the year, I might give you some idea of the books I'm looking forward to reading over that week of sloth.

This last year, I've read a lot of mysteries, but it seems I'm going (almost) solidly romance for my holiday. The one exception is a couple of the charming Aunt Dimity mysteries by Nancy Atherton to which I've recently become addicted. I'm up to books 12 and 13, AUNT DIMITY GOES WEST and AUNT DIMITY: VAMPIRE HUNTER.

But on to the romance.

First up, I've got three Karina Bliss SuperRomances waiting for me. I love Karina's writing - if you haven't read WHAT THE LIBRARIAN DID, grab it. It's a wonderful story.

Also on the SuperRomance front, I've discovered a Sarah Mayberry hidden in my TBR pile. Hurrah! SUDDENLY YOU looks like Sarah's usual wonderful mixture of aching emotion, sizzling sexual tension and memorable characters.

I've got a couple of longer romances from favorite Australian writers waiting for me.

I love Bronwyn Parry's award-winning romantic suspense stories set in very vividly described outback Australia. I've got her latest DARKENING SKIES calling to me right now. Can't wait.

Cathryn Hein writes wonderful rural romance. I picked up her latest,  HEARTLAND, a couple of months ago but haven't had a chance to dive in yet.

I've been stockpiling marvelous historical romance author Nicola Cornick's Scandalous Women of the Ton books for just such a time as this when I can wallow in her richly imagined and sensual Regency world. I've loved the first few in the series.

If I've got any time spare after all those, I've got a Nora Roberts omnibus, CHARMED, to look forward to. I recently read Nora's NORTHERN LIGHTS and loved it. 

So do you take a break over the Holidays? Are you looking forward to reading anything in particular? 

To add to your Christmas reading, I'm giving away a download (international) of my Christmas novella THE WINTER WIFE to someone who comments today. Good luck!

A Seasonal Gift for You!

by Anna Campbell 

It's the time of year when for many of us, thoughts turn to gift giving! 

Way back at the beginning of 2013, wonderful historical romance writer Shana Galen contacted me about being part of a Christmas anthology with her, Kate Noble and Vanessa Kelly. I hadn't met Kate, but I knew and loved Vanessa and Shana (Shana was one of the very first Avon authors I met at my first RWA) both in person and as writers. 

Of course I said yes. This was a chance to hang out with some great authors. Even better, all of us were committed to putting the book up for FREE as a thank you to our readers. 

Much toing and froing ensued, although the girls were all such a pleasure to work with, it was all USEFUL toing and froing. We all wrote longish short stories so readers get great value for their zero expenditure (each story is more than 10,000 words). 

And voila, I introduce to you A GROSVENOR SQUARE CHRISTMAS: FOUR HOLIDAY SHORT STORIES, available free from your e-tailer! 

Here's the blurb:

Four breathtakingly romantic tales of a Regency Christmas from four bestselling romance authors.

Down through the years, enchantment touches a tall gray house in Grosvenor Square. The legend of Lady Winterson's Christmas ball promises true love and happiness to one lucky couple. Who will feel the magic this winter?

1803 - The Seduction of a Duchess by Shana Galen

Rowena Harcourt, the Duchess of Valere, never forgot the handsome footman who helped her escape the French Revolution. For fourteen years, Gabriel Lamarque has loved Rowena-now at Lady Winterson's Christmas ball, has fate finally delivered a chance to win her hand?

1818 - One Kiss for Christmas by Vanessa Kelly

Nigel Dash is London's most reliable gentleman, a reputation he never minded until he fell in love with beautiful Amelia Easton. Unfortunately, Amelia sees Nigel as a dependable friend, not a dashing suitor. At Lady Winterson's famous Christmas ball, Nigel vows to change Amelia's mind-by sweeping her off her feet.

1825 - His Christmas Cinderella by Anna Campbell 

At the season's most glittering ball, a girl who has never dared to dream of forever after discovers a Christmas miracle.

1830 - The Last First Kiss by Kate Noble

Susannah Westforth has always loved Sebastian Beckett - but he's only ever seen her as a friend.  When Sebastian takes his Grand Tour, Susannah transforms herself into a woman he'll notice. Now Sebastian is back, just in time for Lady Winterson's Christmas ball - but the last thing he expects to see is his little Susie, all grown up...

You're invited to join the whirling dance at Lady Winterson's sparkling Christmas ball, where miracles happen and true love shines forever. How can you resist?

I thought the idea of this glamorous Christmas ball was so romantic, that I went hyper romantic in my retelling of Cinderella. There's an ugly stepmother and one stepsister and a very charming fairy godmother. Or perhaps two if we count Lady Winterson as a person who facilitates the romance between humble but beautiful Campion Parnell and the magnificent Earl of Ravenglass.

You can read an excerpt from "His Christmas Cinderella" on my website here: http://annacampbell.info/xmascinderella.html

You can read an excerpt from Shana's "The Seduction of a Duchess" here: http://www.shanagalen.com/seduction-of-a-duchess1.php

You can read an excerpt from Vanessa's "One Kiss for Christmas" here: http://www.vanessakellyauthor.com/books/one-kiss-for-christmas/one-kiss-for-christmas-excerpt/

You can read an excerpt from Kate's "The Last First Kiss" here: http://katenoble.com/books/grosvenor.php

At this time of year, I love a short story or a novella. We're all so busy so it's an easy way for me to get my dollop of delicious romance without going totally off the rails! I hope you'll all download A GROSVENOR SQUARE CHRISTMAS and that our stories will give you a smile.

You can pick the book up at most etailers including Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Grosvenor-Square-Christmas-Shana-Galen-ebook/dp/B00FSLF4NO/ref=pd_sim_b_1 and Barnes and Noble: 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-grosvenor-square-christmas-vanessa-kelly/1117251695?ean=2940045347853
 

So do you like Christmas stories? Do you have a favorite? Are you planning on reading any Holiday-themed stories this Christmas?

Half-Price Halloween!

by Anna Campbell

No, pumpkins haven't suddenly had a price drop!

To celebrate this special month when things go bump in the night, I've got my Regency Ghost Romance, THESE HAUNTED HEARTS, on special at only 99 cents until witching hour on the 31st October.

So if you're looking for a romantic read with a couple of ghosts involved in the love story, may I humbly recommend THESE HAUNTED HEARTS to your attention?

If you'd like more info, here's a link to the blurb and an excerpt: http://annacampbell.info/hauntedhearts.html

Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/These-Haunted-Hearts-Regency-ebook/dp/B00BSJR0HI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363340949&sr=8-1&keywords=anna+campbell+haunted+hearts

Here's the Barnes and Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/these-haunted-hearts-anna-campbell/1116890279?ean=2940044507302

Actually Halloween isn't a huge deal here in Australia where I live. In the Dark Ages, when I grew up, it passed completely uncommemorated.

I think part of the reason is that seasonally we're heading into spring so the harvest festival element of Halloween means absolutely nothing down here. As a kid, I remember watching shows like THE BRADY BUNCH and being totally fascinated by the exotic celebrations with pumpkin lanterns and kids going trick or treating.

Because of films and TV, there's a minor celebration now. I've been to a few Halloween parties in my time which have given everyone a good excuse to dress up and be silly. Occasionally the little kids in the neighborhood will do trick or treating. There are some very sad pre-made Halloween costumes in one dusty corner of the grocery store for a couple of weeks in October.

All fairly half-hearted frankly.

I think it would be great fun to be in America and see it done properly. I have a friend who goes to enormous trouble, including building a fake graveyard in her front garden. Her kids love it!

So where do you stand on Halloween? Huzzah or myeh? Any Halloweeny plans for this year? 

I'm away at a writing convention this weekend but I'll get back to answer comments as I can. I'm doing a panel on historical research - now THAT's scary!