Christina Hollis: The Worth Of Workshops

 Hard at Work! 

I’m a keen member of the local branch of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. The Marcher Chapter takes its name from the border country of the Welsh Marches, where England meets Wales. We have meetings every six weeks or so between March and November at The Courtyard, Hereford’s centre for the arts. Our members are scattered far and wide over the West Midlands and East Wales, and Hereford is easily reached by train and road. The possibility of rail delays and the state of the roads puts us off travelling in the short, cold and dark days of winter. That’s when we stay at home and write.

Each Spring and Autumn, the Marcher Group holds writing workshops. Members taking part submit a piece of their work to our Chairman-Co-ordinator, Ann. She makes sure the writer’s name doesn’t appear, then allocates a number to each piece and distributes them via email to the rest of the workshop participants. We then read and critique all the pieces, ready to spend the day of the workshop discussing each of the entries in turn. You can see RNA authors Fay Wentworth, Georgia Hill, Christina Courtenay, Joanna Maitland and Ann Ankers hard at work in the picture above.

Find out more at myBook.to/HisMajestysSecret

The Marcher Group has been running biannual workshops for several years now. It really helps to have several other sets of eyes concentrating on a piece you’ve toiled over until you’re too close to appreciate its worth-or see its flaws! 

I feel my writing has improved a lot since I’ve been attending these sessions. The chance to network, and learn how to accept criticism as well as how to frame it tactfully are invaluable, too. I live deep in the countryside and can go for days without seeing anyone outside my immediate family, so the chance to escape from behind the keyboard once in a while is something I always enjoy. Face-to-face interaction with professionals who have read my work has improved my confidence and speaking skills, too.

I submitted the opening pages of the book which became His Majesty's Secret Passion for The Wild Rose Press to one of the Marcher Group workshops. You can find out more about the book a workshop panel inspired at myBook.to/HisMajestysSecret. 

Nearly all the works put through the scheme by other authors have been published. It's Beta reading to the max!

On the strength of the Marcher Groups comments on a piece of mine submitted to a more recent workshop, I worked the sample pages up into a full-length novel. Love Lies Bleeding will be published by Endeavour books later this year, and the encouragement I’ve had from the Marcher Group was invaluable. 

To me, that really proves the worth of workshops.

When she isn't cooking, gardening or beekeeping, Christina Hollis writes contemporary fiction starring complex men and independent women.  Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she’s sold nearly three million books worldwide. Catch up with her at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, on Twitter, Facebook, and see a full list of her published books at christinahollis.com

Her current release, Heart Of A Hostage, is published by The Wild Rose Press and available at myBook.to/HeartOfAHostage  worldwide.

Christina Hollis: Fast Forward, Reverse...and Writing

The Man In Grey

When I was a teenager, the world was full of old people. Now it's crammed with kids—including Son No. 1, resplendent in his new suit and ready to start in the sixth form next month while I'm still trying to lose the baby weight. Where does the time go? Breakfast comes around every ten minutes in this house, and there are only 131 shopping days to Christmas!

A century ago today, my grandfather (along with thousands of other soldiers of the Great War) was fighting near Baghdad. It was his way of thanking the British Empire for saving him from the poisonous mud of the Thames  (you can read more about that here). Fewer than a hundred years ago, horses and carts outnumbered motor vehicles, and the only planes were made from string and matchwood held together with crossed fingers and good luck. The phrase "wing and a prayer" originates in World War Two, but I'll bet there were no atheists in those earlier aircraft, either.

These days we think nothing of hopping on a sturdily-manufactured plane and crossing the globe for work, or on holiday. What my grandfather looked back on as The Good Old Days of army life (three square meals a day and three—yes that's three!—sets of clothes: one on, one in the laundry, and Dress Uniform) is far beyond living memory. I look back fondly to pre-internet times, although whether the past was quite as rosy in real life for either Gramps or me is a moot point. I hated school, and left as soon as I could.  I dived straight into various office jobs, which at the time were all cauldrons of ambition, powered by Darwin's edict of survival of the fittest. 

Find out more at http://bit.ly/2aNlOwm

Throwing off the shoulder pads and power-perm to become a writer was the best thing I ever did...but that doesn't stop me getting a bit misty-eyed when I look back on those days. It was only when I included some of my real-life office experiences in His Majesty's Secret Passion that I remembered what a cut-throat business keeping your name in front of the boss could be.  Writing all the other bits of the romance reviewers call "thrilling" and "...highly sensual and shimmering with emotional intensity" was a whole lot more fun. All that, and Grecian sea and sun, too!

Going back to talk of teenagers...in our grand old family tradition of carefully avoiding following in a parent's footsteps, my children look on learning as their lifeboat (although they've come close to capsizing now and then). They put their trust in paper qualifications, rather than luck and native cunning. I don't blame them. Especially when Son No. 1 looks so smart in his new suit!

When she isn't cooking, gardening or beekeeping, Christina Hollis writes contemporary fiction starring complex men and independent women.  Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she’s sold nearly three million books worldwide. You can catch up with her at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, on Twitter, Facebook, and see a full list of her published books at christinahollis.com

Her current release, Heart Of A Hostage, is published by The Wild Rose Press and available at myBook.to/HeartOfAHostage  worldwide, and from http://bit.ly/1iNf2Gw in the US.

Christina Hollis— Puppy Love!

Prince Alex the Puppy...

I've got fresh writing inspiration on tap right now, and edits are on hold because we've got a new family member.  Meet Alex—he's just eight weeks old. His dad Freddie is a golden retriever (you can see a pic of him in the banner of Care and Connect's Facebook page), and his mum is labrador Ellie.

Alex is adorable, with silky soft fur and black, boot-button eyes. He's a quick learner, too. Some of Alex's older siblings are assistance dogs for autistic children, so we're hoping he turns out to be as kind and well-balanced as his older relatives.

Puppies are harder work than babies, as they're so fast on their feet. I hope Alex doesn't turns out to be too bright. He's already discovered a talent for finding clean socks which have disappeared behind the radiator while airing. He lies on his back, and scrabbles at them from underneath with his paws. That not only retrieves the sock, it pulls out a lot of hidden fluff and dust, too!

He's only been here a week so we can't expect too much from him yet, but he was crate-trained when he arrived, uses the litter tray inside it (although his aim isn't always perfect) at night and he's learning the word "outside" so he can eventually tell us when he wants to go out during the day.

The only problem we've had is with our poor old cat, Jynx. Alex was brought up with felines, so they were strolling about his home unconcerned on our visits to his breeder. Our Norwegian Forest cat is a pest control expert, but he's afraid of anything bigger than a rabbit—including human visitors.

...King Jynx the Cat

We assumed our cat and the new dog would get on with no problems. How wrong can you be? They first met in our big kitchen. Alex edged forward, slowly wagging his tail in greeting, without realising the cat felt under threat. Jynx sprang forward, boxed Alex's ears, then fled. The puppy was surprised but none the worse for wear, although the cat now refuses to use the back door. He will only come in at the front of the house, which in an Alex-free zone.

The cat now spends his days in my office, where Alex is banned, then goes outside at night. This system is working well. When the puppy's sound asleep, Jynx has started creeping about and extending his new territory into his old haunts, with one eye always on the sleeping Alex.

It's all go here, what with the puppy having three meals a day, exercise, suspiciously quiet naps, and playtime sessions in between—and that's before I spend time making a fuss of our deeply offended cat. It's no wonder my writing schedule has gone out of the window.

It's all I can manage at the moment is to work on my next newsletter. There's going to be puppy news, and a lovely recipe for orange polenta cake I was given the other day.

To find out more, mail me at christinahollis(at)hotmail.co.uk and put newsletter in the subject line.

When she isn't puppy-minding, cooking, gardening or beekeeping, Christina Hollis writes contemporary fiction starring complex men and independent women.  Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she’s sold nearly three million books worldwide. You can catch up with her at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, on Twitter, Facebook, and see a full list of her published books at christinahollis.com

Her current release, Heart Of A Hostage, is published by The Wild Rose Press and available at myBook.to/HeartOfAHostage worldwide, and from http://bit.ly/1iNf2Gw in the US.

Christina Hollis—A Giveaway, And A Very Early Christmas Present...

http://bit.ly/1ujX5zc

I'm running a Goodreads Giveaway this week over at http://bit.ly/1PBDK9H, so I hope you'll all join in! There's a free copy of my book His Majesty's Secret Passion on offer, which is the first novel in my Princes of Kharova series for The Wild Rose Press. 

King Leo's romance with career girl Sara in His Majesty's Secret Passion really set the ball rolling. Her Royal Risk followed. It was the linked story of King Leo's personal assistant, Krisia, who was "promoted" into a job with career soldier Prince Athan. Sparks flew, and led to a third book, Heart Of A Hostage, which is going to be launched on 4th December.  Visit my blog at Writing A Series to find out more, and read this teaser for my Giveaway...

The sea was so calm, Sara felt a wonderful sense of release. The Neroli swept across the surface like a swallow. She loved it. “You handle this boat like you were born to it, Leo.”

He seemed to find this funny. Seeing him look so happy made her heart do a little dance in her chest. The tousled man who kicked off his shoes and commanded his vessel barefoot and windblown was a world away from the sleek seducer of the night before...

http://bit.ly/1GQPIIq

Sara had a sudden crisis of conscience. She hadn’t texted her PA since the night before. Digging in her bag for her mobile, she switched it on. “Why do I get the funniest feeling I’m being watched?” she said without looking up from the keypad. 

“Because you are. And there are two good reasons for that.”

 “You’re going to moan at me for checking mail when I should be taking a break.”

“That was one of the reasons.”

She guessed the other before he put it into words. “Blushing suits you, Sara.”

“It’ll look a whole lot better when my skin’s lost this pasty white colour.”

Leo clicked his tongue. “A woman like you should be sophisticated enough to accept compliments with better grace.”

“Sorry, but I don’t take orders from a guy who looks like a pirate.” She lolled back against the rail. It felt good to let the sun pour over her body. “Stop laughing, Leo.”

“If I’m a pirate, then the sea should be my only mistress. Is that what you want?”

...and while you're in the mood for reading, here's a sneaky peek ahead of the release of Heart Of A Hostage....

Your early Christmas present!

When Maia's car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, a handsome stranger comes to her rescue. But Mihail is a rebel leader, and Maia's brother is the king. Mihail takes her hostage, but instead of the meek little mouse he expects, he finds he's snagged the houseguest from hell...

"We’re stuck with each other now, aren’t we? For my part, I’m not bothered," he said with a shrug, "I stopped caring what people thought about me years ago. But you…”

Maia watched, transfixed, as he lifted his hand. He traced the curve of her cheek with his fingers, gently kissing her skin with his touch. She couldn’t pull back. He was crossing more lines than she could count, and his deadly smile was a reminder of exactly how much trouble she was in...

If you live in the US, you can order a paperback copy of Heart Of A Hostage in advance of its release date here. If you'd rather have an ebook, or live outside the US, then click here.

When she isn't cooking, gardening or beekeeping, Christina Hollis writes contemporary fiction starring complex men and independent women.  Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she’s sold over two million books worldwide. You can catch up with her at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, on Twitter, Facebook, and see a full list of her published books on her website

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Christina Hollis—Good News!

Thanks to so many people making their voices heard in the initial voting stage of The Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Awards for Winter 2015, the first two books in my Princes Of Kharova series for the Wild Rose Press, His Majesty's Secret Passion and Her Royal Risk, have both made it through to the final round in the Contemporary Romance category. 

Now it's a case of whichever book in each category gets the most votes, wins. I had a great time writing both books, so it's impossible for me to choose between them. It's lovely to know readers are enjoying them, too!

I'd be really grateful if you could spread the word about The Romance Reviews Award shortlist for me, and if you enjoyed my books, then I'd love you to vote for them both in this second and final round.

You can vote for each book by clicking on the following links:

For His Majesty's Secret Passion, the link is: http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=18902

And here's the one you'll need to vote for Her Royal Risk: http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=17729

Again, thanks so much for your support.  I really appreciate it!

On my blog this week, I'm canvassing opinions about the ways writers keep in touch with their readers. If you'd like to have your say, please visit here, and leave your comment.

My own Autumn newsletter will be going out in the next few days, with news of what I've been writing, and what I've been doing in the kitchen, garden and among the bee hives during the months since my Summer newsletter was issued. You can sign up for my newsletter by joining my mailing list.  

When she isn't cooking, gardening or beekeeping, Christina Hollis writes contemporary fiction starring complex men and independent women.  Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she’s sold over two million books worldwide. You can catch up with her at her blog, on Twitter, and Facebook and see a full list of her published books here.

Christina Hollis: My Favourite Things...

On sale 15th September! myBook.to/MyDreamGuy 

My family and good health top the list of my favourite things, of course, but I've been very lucky in that three more things I enjoy combined to make this a great week for me... 

Countryside: I've lived out in the countryside nearly all my life. When things are going well and the weather's nice, there's nothing like it. It's not always sunshine and holidays, though. One winter we couldn't get the cars to within half a mile of our house for nearly three weeks! 

By the middle of an English September, nights are noticeably drawing in. This year there's been a real nip in the air, which isn't always the case but makes it important to enjoy good weather while we can. 

I hope summer still has a while to run. Just in case we're shivering from now until next spring, I've written a short, summery romance, My Dream Guy, to capture some of the fun. It's set in our local countryside and will be published tomorrow, Tuesday, 15th September. You can reserve a copy of My Dream Guy from Amazon by clicking on this magical link: http://myBook.to/MyDreamGuy

Find out more at http://bit.ly/1ujX5zc

Holidays: When I worked in an office, I lived for the weekends and holidays. As a full-time writer living the dream, holidays are a lovely treat—but I never stop work. I've always got a notebook and pencil to hand, so I can jot down anything and everything that takes my fancy. 

My holiday notebooks really turned up a treat when I wanted to escape from one particularly dark, cold, and wet February day. I got the idea for a romance set in sun-drenched Greece. His Majesty's Secret Passion turned into my perfect escapist fantasy, with an exhausted businesswoman and a king in disguise finding fun in the sun at a luxurious spa.

His Majesty's Secret Passion was the first book in my Princes of Kharova series for The Wild Rose Press. It's up for nomination in The Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Awards, Winter 2015, so if you're feeling kind I'd be really grateful if you could cast your vote for His Majesty's Secret Passion by clicking here! 

Find at more at http://bit.ly/1GQPIIq

Romance: If you follow me on Facebook, you'll have seen the spectacular surprise my OH sprang for our wedding anniversary a few days ago. I love romance, especially when a story involves two contrasting characters discovering they can turn there lives around by becoming first a team, and then a couple. This is how it happened for me and OH in real life.

In the second book of my Princes of Kharova series, Her Royal Risk, I gave Krisia and Athan some enormous challenges before they found their happy ever after. Their story touched a nerve, and readers tell me they identify with the frustration both Krisia and Athan feel when conflicts between life and duty put them on opposing sides of a problem.

Her Royal Risk also qualifies for inclusion in The Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Awards, Winter 2015. I'd love you to cast your vote for Her Royal Risk by clicking here. Thank you so much! 

Will you be able to enjoy your favourite things this week? There's a signed copy from my backlist on offer for a comment picked at random next Sunday, 20th September.

When she isn't cooking, gardening or beekeeping, Christina Hollis writes contemporary fiction starring complex men and independent women.  Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she’s sold nearly three million books worldwide. You can catch up with her at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, on Twitter, and Facebook

Christina Hollis: Rebel Prince Of Kharova Steals Heart Of A Hostage Shock!

Coming Soon!

The cover of my twentieth novel, Heart Of A Hostage, has just been released. Heart Of A Hostage is the third book in my Princes Of Kharova series for the Wild Rose Press

The first book, His Majesty’s Secret Passion, sets the scene for all the stories that follow. Leo and Sara look on their holiday romance in Greece as some fun in the sun, with strictly no strings attached. She’s determined to go back to her career, while he has to return home to take over his ‘family business’, as he calls it.  Then she discovers the dangerous truth about Leo's life. In an instant, the lives of both Sara and Leo change forever. 

Her Royal Risk is the second book in the Princes Of Kharova series. It follows Leo’s outspoken personal assistant, Krisia, to her new job with Leo’s younger brother Prince Athan. With rebels threatening the future of Kharova and its new king, commando Athan is suddenly centre stage. The last thing he needs is Krisia trying to help out. Luckily, she isn’t a woman who takes no for an answer. The crown of Kharova is in so much trouble, Athan soon finds he needs her like never before. In all sorts of unexpected ways...

In my next book, Heart Of A Hostage, the focus switches from the two legitimate Princes Of Kharova to the pretender to their country’s throne. Four generations ago, Mihail Dukagjini’s royal ancestor was disinherited for eloping with a commoner. Descendants from that marriage have borne a grudge ever since, but their claim to the throne has never got them anywhere. Mihail is the last of the Dukagjini.  He’s more of a realist than his predecessors, but he’s got plenty of imagination and initiative. When the beautiful woman he rescues from a car breakdown turns out to be the king’s sister, Princess Maia, Mihail sees her as a bargaining chip rather than the girl he had a crush on eight years earlier. But Maia's not a blushing teenager any more. She's got no intention of being used as a pawn. 

Find out more at http://bit.ly/1GQPIIq

Here’s the tag line and blurb of Heart Of A Hostage. I'd love to know what you think!

Mihail walks out of Maia's past, and into her present. Who is in more trouble—kidnapper or victim?

Princess Maia has it all—including a horrible fiancé chosen for her by the king, and a family bullying her into doing the right thing—but all she wants is her independence. When she falls into the hands of rebel leader, Mihail, she tastes real freedom for the first time. Mihail is a lone wolf, Public Enemy Number One, and heir to a fierce tradition. A dangerous reputation, a castle full of guilty secrets and now rescuing Maia are all woven into his master plan. He can’t lose.

Until his unexpected hostage turns out to be the house guest from hell...

There's something unusual about the background to Heart Of A Hostage, but I’m only revealing that little nugget to readers of my newsletter. The autumn edition comes out in October.  As well as background details about Heart Of A Hostage, it will also contain news of my latest short story, My Dream Guy, together with a seasonal recipe, an update on my bees after their recent scare, and a competition to win one of my books. 

Sign up to my mailing list here to get a copy delivered straight to your inbox, as soon as it's ready!

Christina Hollis: Extract, Heart Of A Hostage...

Find out more at http://bit.ly/1GQPIIq

I'm working on the final edit of the third book in my Princes of Kharova series for The Wild Rose Press. This story is called Heart of a Hostage (although that detail may change). It lands rebel leader Mihail, and his enemy Princess Maia, in a whole load of trouble. He's a fighter, and she's a diplomat but rules, like promises and pie crusts, are made to be broken.

After Leo and Sara's romance in His Majesty's Secret Passion and the fireworks between Athan and Krisia in Her Royal Risk, Heart of A Hostage spreads the Kharovan net wider. Leo and Athan's younger sister, Maia, wants to be part of the modernisation of her old-fashioned country on the Mediterranean coast. For all their go-ahead ideas, her brothers still want her to have an arranged marriage.  When she falls into the hands of rebel leader Mihail, things take a sinister turn.  

Here's an extract from right at the beginning of the book, where Maia and Mihail meet for the first time. Her official car has broken down in the middle of nowhere. While she's exploring the countryside with her little dog, she's confronted by a handsome stranger...

“What’s the matter?” His voice was as rough as his stubble.

“ I want to go back to my car.”

“Not possible. Sorry.” 

That must top the chart of most insincere apologies, ever.

“My driver and my bodyguard…they’ll be worried.”

“Not about you. They've got other things to think about, such as their own skins. I’ve got lookouts posted everywhere. They’re busy taking your vehicles to a place of safety.”

“You mean they’re stealing them.”

“Haven’t you heard the saying ‘all’s fair in love and war’?”

Maia looked him up and down. There wasn’t any room to hide a weapon in his white tee shirt and tight jeans, so she lifted her chin and tried to calm her breathing.

  “This is neither. You’re a rebel and a thief, Mihail Dukagjini, and I want to go home.”

“No. And I haven’t stolen anything for years.”

He reached out, ready to trail his fingers down her cheek. Maia recoiled. Truffle tensed and she waited for the dog to lunge at her attacker, but he wasn’t going to challenge Mihail. Petrified to have someone stand up to his threats for once, Truffle turned tail and stuck his head under her arm. 

Find out more at http://bit.ly/1ujX5zc

The rebel’s arm kept on moving. Quivering almost as much as her dog, Maia turned, and tried to run. Mihail laughed.

“Where are you going? And how far do you think you'll get?”

“I don’t care! It'll be away from you. That's a start...”

He overtook her in a few yards, barring her way. 

“Escape? In those shoes? Come on.” 

“Where?”

He groaned. “It wasn’t an invitation, it was sarcasm. If you want shade, you’ll have to follow me. Once I’ve sorted out what to do with you, I must get up onto the road and make sure my men rip any tracker devices out of your vehicles.” 

“What are you going to do to me?”

“To you? Not concerned about your staff, then?’ His mouth was an economical line. ‘Aren’t you worried what I might be going to do to them?”  

Cut off from her men and face to face with someone who wanted her family forced from power, Maia was more on edge than Truffle. Her fiancé's family had spent the last six months drilling the rules of Kharovan diplomacy into her. What were engaged princesses supposed to do in this sort of situation? She racked her brains. No…none of those endless lectures covered anything like this. The only thing she had to fall back on was ten generations of Gregoryanak arrogance. It wasn't a soft landing.

“I am a princess of the blood royal. I demand you return me to my family.”

Mihail clicked his tongue. “I hope you aren't trying to impress me.”

Maia’s insides spiraled in a plunging turmoil of despair. My ancestry is all I’ve got, she thought, and he knows it.

Maia is horrified to be the prisoner of the man who is rumoured to have killed his own grandfather in his search for power. The last thing Mihail wants is the inconvenience of a hostage, but the family of Maia's future husband won't have anything to do with her now her reputation's wrecked by her association with Public Enemy Number One. It's stalemate, until Maia discovers Mihail has something a lot more frightening than illicit alcohol tucked away in his rebel hideout.

What do you think of Heart Of A Hostage  so far? You can find out more in my next newsletter, which is due in a couple of weeks.  Sign up for it here!

Christina Hollis writes contemporary fiction starring complex men and independent women–when she isn't cooking, gardening or beekeeping. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she’s sold nearly three million books worldwide. You can catch up with her at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, on Twitter, Facebook, and see a full list of her published books at http://www.christinahollis.com. Her current release, Her Royal Risk, is published by Wild Rose Press and available at http://bit.ly/1GQPIIq.

Christina Hollis—How Writing One Book Led To Another...

Available from The Wild Rose Press at
 http://bit.ly/1GQPIIq

Last year, I escaped the horrible winter weather by shutting myself away in the warm to write a book called His Majesty’s Secret Passion. It was published by The Wild Rose Press earlier this year. You can find out more here, and read an extract here. 

When the hero of that book, King Leo, fell in love with a girl called Sara, his personal assistant Krisia was promoted out of his life. She went to work for the king’s brother, Prince Athan.  Krisia and Athan were such a mis-matched couple, sparks were bound to fly. When readers asked me what happened to them, I knew I had to write a second book about the Princes Of Kharova.  Her Royal Risk was the result, and you can find out more about it here.

When I started brainstorming ideas for Her Royal Risk, I didn’t have much to go on. Krisia resented being pushed aside to work for Athan. He was head of the army, and everything Krisia wasn’t: loud, self-confident and full of native cunning. In contrast, she was quiet, but highly intelligent and determined.  Part of the fun of writing is to take an idea, and let your mind freewheel.

I decided that, as her father worked for the royal household, Krisia could have had lessons with the royal children. I thought back to when I was a swot, and a boy called Gary disrupted every lesson. He was noisy, defensive and could fly off the handle over nothing. He made school life hell for everybody. Nobody could figure him out. In those days, there weren’t many experts ready to identify and help children who fell behind. Gary was pretty soon excluded from school, and left to fend for himself. I met him years later, and  discovered his story had a happy ending. Gary was mad keen on fishing. When he wasn't at school, he did odd jobs at the local angling club.  One of the members had experience with kids like Gary, and a chance remark led to his problem being diagnosed. 

Knowing what was wrong was half the battle. With a lot of help and  hard work, Gary found his feet and was eventually taken on as an apprentice at an engineering firm. Once he had a job, his self-esteem went through the roof. He got married, and lived happily ever after.

I thought a variation on Gary’s story would make a good romance. Playboy Prince Athan has been a bad boy all his life—his parents’ attention was always focussed on his two older brothers, and his problems at school fed on themselves. The routine and camaraderie of military life suits him, so when life bowls him  a tricky ball, he thinks a light is about to shine into all the dark corners of his private life. He needs a personal assistant. Krisia’s the last person he wants, but she’s also the best person for the job.

Available from The Wild Rose Press
http://bit.ly/1ujX5zc

Krisia doesn’t want to be a meek housewife like her mother, who has no life outside of their home. She wants to be part of the new, modern country King Leo is building. Until she starts working with Athan, she thinks her new boss is a fool, and her new job is a demotion.  Then she discovers the prince isn't the unruly boy thrown out of the royal classroom any more. He’s a brilliant, instinctive soldier, who’s hiding the problem ruining his life behind his Alpha-male exterior. As long as he’s judged on his actions, Athan is unbeatable. Krisia is completely different. She wants everything done by the book, and properly, first time. 

I threw these two opposites together, then put them under such pressure, they had no one to turn to but each other. Krisia discovers Athan’s secret, but is there time to help him defuse an explosive situation threatening their whole country?

Everybody deserves a second chance. Athan gets it when he’s teamed with Krisia. I got my second chance when I met OH, and he showed me how amazing family life can be. 

What’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you? There’s a copy of Her Royal Risk on offer for a comment picked at random after 17th May.

Christina Hollis—Royal Baby Fever!

False alarm—this is Prince George
Pic by Christopher Neve/Jaqen via Wikimedia

As I write this, devoted royalists are getting ready to welcome the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's second child—a little brother or sister for Prince George. Nobody except the Royal Household knows the due date, but it's expected to be in the second half of this month. Babies don't take much notice of predictions, anyway. 

There are already two important dates in the Royal Family's diary for April. It's Queen Elizabeth's real birthday on April 21st, as opposed to her Official birthday. That's held on a Saturday in June. This is England, after all—there's a better chance of good weather for the Sovereign's birthday parade if it's held in what we call "summer".

William and Kate's fourth wedding anniversary falls on the 29th April. Like the rest of us, they'll be wondering where the time went. If they've got any sense, they'll have a quiet celebration alone together, before the new baby arrives. Royal parents may be able to avoid some of the walls we poor commoners run up against such as sleepless nights, but as Prince William said; "The first baby is a life changer. The second baby is a game changer."

At least this royal addition won't be pushed straight onto the throne of England, unlike King Henry VI. Son of the "Once more unto the breach..." warrior made famous by Shakespeare, Prince Hal II lost his father when he was only nine months old and too small to be left alone with a cat, much less a kingdom. Henry VI's life, along with his kingdom, was run first by regents—and then later by his wife (according to staunch supporters of the House of York).

James Francis Edward Stuart, also known as "The Old Pretender" or "The King Over The Water" was another royal baby famous for all the wrong reasons. His mother, Mary of Modena, must have had a very traumatic labour. Depending on who you believe, her child was either a) stillborn and replaced with a healthy baby boy smuggled into the lying-in room inside a warming-pan, or b) produced under the full glare of publicity, to the cheers and leers of seventy eye witnesses. Whatever his beginnings, the child ended up disappointed. He was son of King James II of England and Ireland (King James VII of Scotland), who was later deposed. 

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Whether the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's child is a boy or a girl, while they'll have all the disadvantages of growing up in the media spotlight, they'll also have many enormous advantages. The most useful (apart from the obvious) is a father who grew up in the same public goldfish bowl, and knows all the pitfalls. The Royal Family also has a huge, international army of enthusiastic fans. I used to work with a woman who not only sent hand-knitted baby clothes to Buckingham Palace for every new arrival, she baked and posted celebration cakes to them, too!

I'm guessing Baby Cambridge will be a girl, especially as there's a rumour the duchess has been spotted carrying a tin of pink paint. For all we know, she's renovating the royal chicken coop, but it's harmless fun. 

If the gloss-watchers are right, I like the sound of "Sophie Victoria Elizabeth". How about a game of guess the Royal Baby's name? For the chance to win a copy of my latest contemporary romance, Her Royal Risk, leave your suggestion as a comment below. During the weekend of 18th-19th April I'll pick one name at random—that way it can't be influenced by William and Catherine's eventual decision!

There are no babies in my April release for The Wild Rose Press, Her Royal Risk, but there is plenty of sexual chemistry, conflict, and one of those electrifying moments when somebody bursts into church and shouts "Stop!" 

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