Virginia Heath: Life Through a Lens...

The first time I went to Disney was 20 years ago. I will never forget the experience. My two kids were little and totally believed all the characters in those fancy suits were real. It was, as Disney so often promise, magical.

I especially remember the fireworks. All those twinkling patterns set to music, high above Cinderella’s castle. Next to me was a solitary man who watched the whole display through the viewfinder of his video camera, while his children stood next to him. At the time, I thought it was an odd thing to do. Here he was, surrounded by all this atmosphere, his three children filled with awe and wonder, missing the full experience as he recorded it for posterity. It struck me as a waste of a good memory.

Twenty years later, we visited Anaheim again and just had we had that first time, and on numerous visits to different Disneylands around the world since, we found a spot on Main Street and waited patiently for the fireworks. This time though, we were one of the few spectators in that sea of people not holding up our smartphones and watching the spectacle on the screens.

Back home in London a few weeks later, I was sat outside a café on the banks of the River Thames. To my right was the magnificent Tower Bridge. To my left, the wonderful Tower of London. A group of Japanese tourists walked by, and it struck me that they were all holding selfie sticks, viewing those amazing sights on the small screens of their phones rather than experiencing it in the flesh. Since then, I see this all the time. Every event seems to be so meticulously filmed that the people doing the filming are distanced from the great things happening in their own lives.

My point is this, it is Christmas Eve. A time for sharing all the joy of life with those you love. For the next few days, put down your phones people. Live in the moment. Enjoy it. Those memories will be revisited more often than all those hours and hours of video ever will.  

Happy Holidays!

Virginia Heath writes witty, fast-paced romances filled with feisty heroines and mouth-watering heroes she would want to fall in love with.

The Discerning Gentleman's Guide, is out now.

Greek Tycoon’s Mistletoe Proposal - Kandy Shepherd

I’m delighted to share the cover of my November 2016 release for Harlequin Romance, Greek Tycoon’s Mistletoe Proposal.

Isn’t the cover model gorgeous? That’s my heroine, runaway bride Ashleigh Murphy and she’s obviously lapping up the sweet nothings being whispered in her ear by gorgeous Greek billionaire Lukas Christophedes. Lukas doesn’t actually have a beard in the book, but some sexy designer stubble does come into it!

I was asked to write this story as part of the Maids Under the Mistletoe Christmas continuity series. It features four consecutive books (mine is number two) with heroines who are working as maids for an elite employment agency over the Christmas-New Year period.

The story is set in snowy London at Christmas

My story Greek Tycoon’s Mistletoe Proposal is an engagement of convenience story with a Pretty Woman type of makeover which I thoroughly enjoyed writing. It’s set in London, England over Christmas. Although I live in Australia I used to live in London and it was fun to revisit favourite places through my characters’ eyes.

Here’s the blurb:

A proposal of convenience!

When billionaire Lukas Christophedes finds maid Ashleigh Murphy gatecrashing his mansion, he strikes a bargain: if Ashleigh acts as Lukas’s girlfriend to help him close a deal, she can stay until the New Year!

For newly single Ashleigh, agreeing to keep hearts off the table sounds easy...until the line between what’s real and what’s for show starts to blur! And as Christmas approaches, all Ashleigh is wishing for is a different, much more heartfelt, proposal...

I’m in awesome author company for this series: Christy McKellen with A Countess for Christmas (October 2016); Scarlet Wilson with Christmas in the Boss’s Castle (December 2016); and Jessica Gilmore with Her New Year Baby Secret (January 2017).

From left: Jessica Gilmore, Christy McKellen, Scarlet Wilson, Kandy Shepherd

Even though I live on the other side of the world from these authors, I know them all—we’ve spent some fun times at writers’ conferences, and I love that we’ve been able to work together on this series.

Greek Tycoon’s Mistletoe Proposal is now available for pre-order.

Kandy Shepherd is an award-winning author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. She lives on a small farm in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia, with her family and a menagerie of four-legged friends.

Visit Kandy at her website

www.kandyshepherd.com

Connect with Kandy on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest

Pick a City for Romance! Annie West



As you know from my blogs, and hopefully my books, location is incredibly important to me. Whether it's a coastal area or mountain locale, or a rambling old house, or a city, I usually find at least one location in every book really 'speaks' to me as I write. That location is as important as another character to the development of my story and the way my characters interact.  I've had heroines who've struggled on dairy farms or found themselves in windswept deserts or isolated castles! But sometimes a city location is just right for a story. For instance, my current one, THE FLAW IN RAFFAELE'S REVENGE takes place in New York, as well as in country Australia and the Caribbean. My lucky characters - they really can be jets-setters!

 





 

Most of the time I don't deliberately set out to choose a location for a story, it chooses me. That's what happened with New York in FLAW, when I wanted a place as far from rural Australia (where Lily lives when the story opens) as I could get. And with Sao Paolo in Brazil for DAMASO CLAIMS HIS HEIR when Marisa finds herself unexpectedly pregnant to the most dangerous man she's ever met. And the quaint old city of Prague in Europe seemed the perfect place for Flynn and Ava to marry in THE SINNER'S MARRIAGE REDEMPTION.

 

 

A VOW TO SECURE HIS LEGACY is about a woman who believes she only has months to live. She decides to experience life to the full, and so of course, she includes Paris on her bucket list, where she meets a suave, charismatic Frenchman who turns her expectations on her head.

 

 

When I needed a palatial inner city apartment for a man intent on revenge against his English father, it seemed natural Rafe would move to London in RAFE'S REDEMPTION. I loved the glamour of that city as a backdrop to the tension between Rafe and Antonia, the woman he blackmails into being his mistress.



Some books almost grow from their setting. I knew from the first that SEDUCING HIS ENEMY'S DAUGHTER would be set in Sydney, and that sun would shine on the harbour, making it look it's spectacular best.

Right now I'm considering writing a few more of my HOT ITALIAN NIGHTS novellas and Venice is a distinct possibility for a setting. After all, it's such a romantic city and I was lucky enough to visit in the last couple of year so I have a good feel for the location.

So now it's your turn. I'd love to hear what city or cities you think might make a good setting for a romance. So much the better if it's one I haven't mentioned.

I'm giving away a copy of my first HOT ITALIAN NIGHTS novella: BACK IN THE ITALIAN'S BED to someone who comments. Do come back later to check the name of the winner - I'll post it in the comments section.

Sarah Morgan: A Tale of Three Cities

I find it hard to decide whether I’m a country girl or a city girl. I love to spend time in the mountains or at the beach, but I also love the buzz, excitement and opportunities of a city.

I live near London and have worked in the city at various points of my life so I know it well.  London is rich in history and culture. We have some of the best museums in the world and I have spent hours at the Natural History Museum with my two sons admiring the dinosaurs, gazed at the Egyptian mummies and the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum and marveled at the Apollo 10 Command Module in the Science Museum. I love to stroll along the river, particularly the South Bank which is always vibrant. On a sunny day it’s a glorious walk, and you can enjoy the sparkle of the water while taking in many famous sights including The Globe Theatre and St Paul’s Cathedral. For a stroll mixed with some shopping, I love the cobbled streets of Covent Garden which has great cafes, talented street entertainers and of course the famous Royal Opera House.  On a sunny day, I think London might be my favorite city, and then I remember Paris……

Paris is famous for its iconic architecture, stylish shopping and of course food. It’s a mere two hours train ride from London, which makes it perfect for a romantic weekend. Stroll along the banks of the Seine and you’ll pass palaces, lush gardens and flower markets.  If you don’t feel like walking then join a boat tour and glide under the bridges while admiring some of Paris’s most famous landmarks, from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame.  If you make it as far as Notre Dame then drop in to the famous bookstore, Shakespeare and Co. Take the stairs up to the top floor and curl up with a book.  The place has a magical atmosphere. When I’m walking through the leafy Tuileries Gardens that stretch between the famous Louvre Museum and the Place de la Concorde, I think Paris might be my favorite city, and then I remember New York……

New York has an energy and vibrancy all of its own, which is why I decided to set my new series there. Arriving in New York for the first time (and the second time and possibly the third!) is like stepping onto a movie set. Whether you choose to explore the expanse of Central Park or admire the iconic view from the top of the Rockefeller Center, there is something for everyone in this city. If you’re in a romantic mood you can sip champagne on the roof garden of the Metropolitan Museum while admiring the skyline and the views over Central Park, or head to Brooklyn and walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan at sunset.

If you feel like a dose of city excitement without leaving the comfort of your sofa, then take a look at my brand new series, From Manhattan with Love.  The first book, Sleepless in Manhattan, is out now.

Christina Hollis—Writing, Learning, and Networking: The Romantic Novelists' Association Conference 2015

My Souvenir

I arrived home only five minutes ago, straight from this year's Romantic Novelists' Association conference. It was my first full conference, and it was such a great experience I dumped my case and came straight online to tell you about it.

The conference started at 8:30am on the 10th July, and went right through to 10pm on 12th of July. It was held at Queen Mary's University, Mile End, in East London. Delegates used student accommodation on the campus. It's a great way for the university to earn money while its students are on their long summer vacation.

Jan Jones, Roger Sanderson, Jenny Barden and their RNA team plan these events years in advance, so nothing could be done when a strike of London Underground (subway) workers was called last week for 9th July. That was the day when most people would be arriving at the campus. Worse still, mainline trains running from the west of the country into London would be cancelled, too. People like me who live right out in the shires wouldn't have a hope of getting to the university, as the total lack of parking space there meant bringing a car was right out of the question.

I went up to London a day early to avoid the problems, but lots of people didn't have that option. They battled in on foot on the day, hired cabs, and tried to find a space in one of our traditional red double-decker buses. British people are famously good at queueing, but things got heated and the police had to be brought in to calm things down. You couldn't make it up. We English are usually so peaceful!

The (Prince) Regent's Canal, On Campus

The first day of the RNA conference, Friday, was an industry special. There was a panel of agents discussing their part in an author's career, and talks by editors, publishers, mass book buyers and reviewers. Workshops on character development, finding your writing voice and how to promote yourself, your brand, and your book filled the rest of the weekend. You could learn to punctuate with confidence, experience the intricacies of dressing like a Geisha or a Victorian woman, or (and this was my favourite workshop) learn to shed your inhibitions and project your voice at the same time by jumping up and down and grunting like Bigfoot. Anyone who could do that in a room containing thirty other people had no worries when it came to a one-to-one appointment with one of the agents or publishers who also attended the conference.

Saturday Evening's Gala dinner gave the 300 delegates the chance to dress up and glitter beneath the spectacular vault of books contained in the university's grand Octagon library.

A Touch Of Hogwarts At Queen Mary's

I'm not really a party person—I'd rather read ( or write!)—but the atmosphere was infectious. Joining the Romantic Novelists' Association and taking part in its local chapter meetings has boosted both my career, and my social life. If you've never got around to joining a special interest group like the RNA that's local to you, why not take the plunge? I enjoy being an overseas member of the Romance Writers of America, but however good their online seminars, magazines, message-boards and loops, networking is much more fun when you do it face to face.

What do you think are the best things about belonging to a creative writing group?

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 more than 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. Her current release, Her Royal Risk, is published by The Wild Rose Press and is available at getBook.at/Her_Royal_Risk and http://bit.ly/1MpGd3D

A trip to romance headquarters — Kandy Shepherd

Years ago, like many aspiring romance writers, I started off by sending my fledgling manuscripts to Harlequin Mills & Boon in London, England. After all, they’re practically synonymous with romance!

My efforts came back with rejection but lots of encouragement. Eventually, I was published by first a small Australian publisher and then by Berkley Sensation in New York. I had success with self-publishing, too. But I still liked the idea of getting published by Harlequin Mills & Boon and never gave up on that dream.

London in early September-warm, sunny and with masses of flowers like those planted on this pub

A few months ago I got “the call” from the London office to say they would like to publish my reunion romance The Summer They Never Forgot  for Harlequin Romance (Cherish). It comes out in February 2014 in both the US and the UK. You can imagine how thrilled I was!

But wait…there was more excitement to come.

I had planned to fly to London (where I used to live) from my home Down Under in September to visit friends and family. “Why not come in to visit the office?” suggested my editor. Needless to say I said “yes”. 

You know you're in London when you see the red buses-this one heading for the Harlequin Mills & Boon UK office

My visit also coincided with the Association of Mills & Boon Authors annual lunch to which I was invited by my fellow writers. And then I got an invitation to the Harlequin party for authors that same evening. Suddenly my vacation in London was set to become a lot more interesting!

All those wonderful tales of romance are nurtured in this building!

The Harlequin Mills & Boon office—"romance headquarters"—is in Richmond, on the outskirts of London, on the aptly named Paradise Road. So many writers’ submissions have been sent off to that address with high hopes—though these days they’re mostly sent by email. It was such fun to actually see it.

How wonderful to get a welcome like this!

When I got there I was greeted with balloons, champagne and a multitude of warm, friendly smiles. Harlequin author Kimberly Lang from the US was also visiting that day and there was a big sign welcoming us both.

The editors told me they love it when authors visit—they certainly made this first-time Mills & Boon author very welcome. Interestingly, I found the actual office to be very like the magazine editorial offices where I spent many years of my magazine career. Then my editor—who I met face-to-face for the first time that day—took me out to an excellent lunch where we talked romance and, in particular, the details of my next book for Harlequin Romance. What a memorable day!

The Royal Horseguards Hotel is on the Thames  in a beautiful old part of London. (Photo from the hotel website.)

Next day I travelled into the heart of London to the very posh Reading & Writing Room, part of the Royal Horseguards Hotel. 

The Reading & Writing Room where our author lunch was held

It was fabulous to be in the company of so many smart, personable and interesting authors in such awesome surrounds.

The ladies room was by far the grandest I've ever seen-wish I'd got a snap of the chaise-lounge!

Romance writers, no matter where they come from, truly are the nicest people. I felt sad that we lived in different countries and I didn’t know when I might see them again—but I can always read their books!

The marble staircase was mindboggling

A few of us went to the legendary Fortnum & Mason for afternoon tea, silver service and all. Then we crossed the road on London’s famous Piccadilly to the glamorous Meridien for cocktails with the Harlequin Mills & Boon team. I had the best macarons—pistachio and coconut—I have ever had.

With Harlequin authors Katherine Garbera (left) and C.C. Coburn

To writers, editors can sometimes seem scary beings—I can’t say too many times how delightful I found the London team.

My London trip was full of surprises—including the warm, dry weather which I wasn’t expecting at that time of year.

Have you ever had something unexpected happen to you on vacation? Good or bad! (Bad: I came back home from my wonderful vacation with a nasty cold!) 

Please leave a comment—I’d love to hear about it. Add your email address if you'd like to get a free e-book copy of Reinventing Rose.

Kandy Shepherd writes fun, feel-good fiction.

Her new contemporary women's fiction e-book, Reinventing Rose, is available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, and other e-book retailers. 

Kandy’s romances include the Amazon bestseller The Castaway Bride, Something About Joe, and the award-winners Love is a Four-Legged Word and Home Is Where the Bark Is.

Watch out for The Summer They Never Forgot, her first release from Harlequin Romance in February 2014.

Visit Kandy at her website

www.kandyshepherd.com

London Calling - Christina Hollis

I’ve just spent 363 days chained to my computer. Then last week, I escaped! I left my home in the countryside, and went up to London. This was a big deal for me. It was the first time I’d spent away from home, alone, in seventeen years. Kate Walker and Michelle Reid were hosting a dinner for the Harlequin Mills and Boon ‘Presents’ authors, so it was a very special appointment. I’d met Kate, Jacqueline Baird and Abby Green last year, at my first Mills and Boon event. This time I got to chat with India Grey and Natalie Rivers, too. Next day, there was a lunch organised by the Association of Mills and Boon authors. That was followed by a reception where, among other excitements, Kate Walker received her commemorative gold brooch for the fantastic achievement of writing fifty romances.

Meeting up like this is a great opportunity to socialise and swap experiences. Writing romance is the best job in the world, but it’s a solitary affair. It’s good to know that you’re not alone in sharing the pleasures and pitfalls of sitting behind a computer screen all day. We keep in touch regularly via e-mail, but there’s no substitute for a face-to-face chat. Especially when it comes complete with good food and a glass of wine!

If you’d like to read more about my first trip to London alone, I’ll be posting on my blog when I get the chance. Find it on my website, http://www.christinahollis.com/, by clicking on the link to ‘Christina’s blog’

Exotic or Familiar? - Susanna Carr

I just read WIFE FOR A WEEK by Kelly Hunter. This Promotional Presents was a very fun read. One of the pleasant surprises about this book is that it was set in Hong Kong.

I don't think I've read a romance set in Hong Kong before, which is kind of shocking since a lot of romances promise exotic locales. Well, exotic for me. One of my life goals is to visit London, which sounds very cosmopolitan, dynamic, and unlike anything I've ever experienced. I've read so many romances set in London and I want to see it first hand.

But I think my favorite settings when it comes to romance are the sun-drenched islands. I live in the Pacific Northwest where it's usually cloudy and cold. Reading about these tropical paradises is a great way to escape the constant drizzling rain.

Yet there are times when I'm homesick for the Midwestern farm towns of my youth and I purposely look for a book that will remind me of those days. The familiarity of small town living comforts me, no matter how it looks outside my window. I'm so glad that romance publishers offer such an array of locales, so I can find exactly what I need depending on my mood.

Which setting do you usually prefer? The exotic or the familiar?

Susanna

http://www.susannacarr.com/