What I Did With My Summer Vacation...

posted by Christine Rimmer...

Note the picture at left. Me and the DH in Napa, California. Tasting bubbly at the Mumm winery. We had a great time in Napa. Five days of nothing resembling work or home life. Sleeping late, sitting out under the trees in the lush backyard of our B&B, sharing a bottle of wine with cheese and these amazing herb and garlic Triscuits. Yes. That's what I said. Triscuits.

And then it was over. That was it. Pretty much all that's happening in my family this year that could remotely be called a vacation. I came back home to write a couple of proposals--and to start a new book by 9/1.

Also this summer, we're doing home improvement. Actually, around here, we're always doing home improvement. We think of it as entertainment. Nothing so fun as being covered in paint splatters, changing the color of the living room. Or the family room. Or a bathroom. Or the kitchen...

I also moved my office this summer. (That's the new space at left) From half of the formal living room in the front of the house to a bedroom near the back. Now I have more privacy when I work. I think that's good. Though I confess I miss the chance to scream "shut up! I'm working here!" at the top of my lungs at least twice a day.

What else? Oh, I attended the RWA conference in Dallas. Great fun, very exhausting. But I got to catch up with all my good buddies and wear all my favorite clothes. What's not to like about that?

Here I am in the published author's lounge with, clockwise from left, Eileen Rendahl, Eve Gaddy, Lenora Worth, Kathy Garbera, Susan Crosby, Cindy Gerard--and that's me in the red.

So now I'm home, here at my desk, wondering how the summer flew by so fast. Time to finish up this second proposal--and move on to that book I'm starting the first of September.

How 'bout you? What did you do with your summer vacation?

www.christinerimmer.com

http://christinerimmer.blogspot.com

Sandra Marton says: LAST CALL FOR COUPONS!

I sent out an email telling readers of my newsletter that I have available a few (very few!) coupons good for $1.00 off on any Harlequin (or Silhouette) book. One of you kindly wrote me and said I should have mentioned those coupons here... so, I am!

If you want one, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to me at P.O. Box 295, Storrs CT 06268 but first, please drop me an email at sandra@sandramarton.com so I can set a coupon aside for you. As I said, I only have a handful left.

Sorry, but these are only good in the USA.

Conference High - Annie West

I’ve been home a week and I’m still on a high. Exhilarated and just a tad exhausted after attending the wonderful Romance Writers of Australia Conference. It’s held every August and each year it seems to get better and better. I always come away feeling so glad I write romance, so enthused about writing, so thrilled at having such a lovely time and so tired from the late nights. This year at least I came home with a voice. In the past I’ve suffered from laryngitis. Really! It’s absolutely NOT a case of talking too much. No way!

This year we gathered in Sydney and it was a real treat. Our plenary speaker was Jennifer Crusie who started off proceedings in such a positive way that we were grinning for days. There were editor pitches, chats with lots of published authors, great plenary sessions and informative workshops. There was lots and lots of talking (how surprising), lots of familiar faces and plenty of new ones to get to know. It’s rather sad that no matter how hard you try, you just can’t get to talk to everyone. We had our second Pink Breakfast, with all proceeds going to breast cancer research. Honestly, donating to charity has never been so much fun!

On a personal note, I survived the experience of running my first writing-related workshop, and even better, so did the participants! I presented with friend and Avon author, Anna Campbell on ‘Unleashing the Alpha Hero’. Lots of fun and even a few chocolates thrown in (literally). It was such a terrific feeling to have other writers talk to me later and say they’d got something useful from the session, (apart from the chance to stare at pics of fantastic heroes).

We had a glittering awards dinner where successful authors received awards for competition wins and other successes. Our own Aussie RITA winner, Barbara Hannay finally got to collect her lovely RITA statue since she’d been unable to attend the Dallas conference this year. There was another fantastic cocktail party sponsored by Harlequin Australia. This year’s theme was Venetian carnivale. I’ve never seen so many glittering masks and costumes in one place. Here’s just a glimpse of how it looked! From left to right here are Anna Campbell, Sharon Arkell, Fiona Lowe and Judy Griffith.

Already I’m planning for next year. Melbourne promises to be another fantastic conference and the venue, the Langham Hotel on South Bank, is just gorgeous. So if anyone wants an August treat, do consider popping in! This year there were attendees from all around Australia, New Zealand, the USA, and Europe.

What do you like best about conferences? Or don’t you attend? Do you like large and fabulous or small and friendly? Seeing familiar faces or learning more about publishing? Or maybe getting home and starting to put those good ideas into practice?

Annie’s smiling because she’s just sold her 6th book to Harlequin Presents. Meanwhile her latest release, ‘For the Sheikh’s Pleasure’ is on sale now in North America. To read an excerpt, or to enter a contest to win a copy, visit her website at http://www.annie-west.com/

A Room With A View - Susan Mallery

I have a writer friend who writes in an office on the top floor of her house. She has a view of most of the area where she lives, along with a lake. Storms whip by, rain hits the windows. It’s inspiring and beautiful.

I have this fantasy office in my mind…actually it’s two rooms. A place for a desk and tons of storage with piles and books and folders and manuscripts cluttering every surface. Then, beyond that, a calm oasis in pale green with windows and a view, light and a desk with nothing but my computer and notes on the chapter in progress. There’s a sofa on one wall, an ottoman, maybe a ceiling fan and nothing else. Just total, relaxing peace.

My reality is much more the cluttered space than the calm oasis, which makes me wonder if calm is a good idea. I’ve always crammed too much furniture, too many papers and books into too small a space and I’ve never had a view. My first office was also the guest room, with high windows that showed nothing but electrical wires and a slice of sky. While living in eastern Washington State, I had an office in a walkout basement. (I was from California—what did I know about basements?) Not only was the space always cold and dark, my window was level with the ground. Even the spiders lived above me.

I tend to find rooms with high windows or back windows. My current office is a loft with skylights. I see treetops. There is one “real window” and from that I see the neighbor’s backyard. My computer faces a corner, so when I’m working, there’s no view at all. Except I’ve realized I tend to close my eyes a lot when I’m writing so I can “see” what’s happening in my book. I turn to check on the dog every few minutes and she wags her tail at me, but other than that, there is only the screen and the words.

Maybe it’s better that way. I’m not distracted by a warm breeze or the pattern of rain. I can lose myself in my characters and the mess they’ve made in their lives. A view might take me away from that. But still…it’s nice to think about.

Susan

http://www.susanmallery.com/

Sandra's Computer Woes

Stand back, because I'm about to reveal my age. Are you ready for this? I am old enough to remember writing by hand. Yes, with a thing called a pencil. No keyboards, no monitors, just pencils and paper.

That's how I wrote my very first Presents. In longhand, on pads of yellow lined paper. Then I typed that manuscript, all 250 pages of it, on my trusty IBM Selectric typewriter.

Harlequin Presents bought the book.

I took my advance check and sank it into a computer. It was a Franklin, it had (gasp) 64 megs of memory... and I didn't have the slightest idea how to use it. Everyone in my family had suggestions but nobody knew anything more than I did so, finally, I shut my office door and warned them that to open that door was to court disaster. After a week of hell, I'd learned enough to begin writing my second book.

Over the years, I bought new computers. Many new computers, at first because I fell in love with the technology and then for less happy reasons, like fried motherboards or dead hard drives.

Last week, we had a death in our computer family. The corpse was my husband's desktop unit. It was time to replace it.

This was the plan: I'd give him my desktop computer and buy myself a new laptop that I could use when we travel and I could also plug into my big flat-screen monitor and my ergonomic keyboard for use at my desk. (I already have a laptop but that's a whole other story.) Sounds simple, right?

Sigh.

I spent days and nights, literally, researching what to buy. The brand I'd relied on in the past was now getting awful reviews, including from me. The only good news was that I'd just finished writing my latest Presents, so I'd have a couple of weeks in which to select a new computer, order it, receive it, set it up...

Anyway, I finally placed my order last night.
The new computer is gorgeous. It has zillions of bells and whistles. I love it... Well, I hope that I'll love it. Despite its great reviews, its good looks, its excellent components, its hefty price-tag, I won't know if I made the right choice until it arrives. Or until I start using it. Or until it either becomes my steadfast friend or my worst enemy and yes, I had one computer that was precisely that.

I have to admit, sometimes I'm tempted to go back to pencils. Or typewriters. Or further back, maybe, to papyrus or stone..

Hmm. I went through erasers like crazy when I wrote in pencil. I bought White-Out three bottles at a time when I used a typewriter. Didn't anybody ever make a mistake, chiseling on stone??? What happened then, or don't I want to know?

Anyway, I'll let you know how things go on my own blog where I'll also keep you updated about my books. Oh, and right now, if you go there you'll see that I'm giving away $1.00 (one dollar) off coupons (a very, very limited number of them) as well as gorgeous bookmarks. Why not drop by and say 'hello?'

Sandra

THREE THREES MAKE A TRILOGY

What is it about the trilogy that is so potent? Readers seem to love them and, for the author the benefits, in the form of extra promotion, a “buzz”, means that we all strive to find that little extra something that give an idea wings and takes it beyond a single title.

Having done it once, with Boardroom Bridegrooms, I had caught the “trilogy” bug, but these books aren’t written in the same casual way as linked stories in which characters flow from one book into another. A trilogy is almost always published in consecutive months and for a single writer it means producing three books within six months. Story outlines and artwork ideas are required by editorial before even the first book is finished. It’s a pressure cooker environment and the author needs to cancel any idea of a “life” outside the work before she takes it on.

Following eye surgery, it was not a scenario I felt able to commit to, but there was another way. Not one author writing three books, but three authors writing three books linked by a theme.

I approached my editor with my proposal for three books, three authors, three continents. She thought it was a workable idea and all I had to do was persuade the two authors who I thought were a style and emotional “match” to come and play “trilogies” with me. It helped that I’d met both Barbara Hannay and Jackie Braun in New York and London. Flatteringly, they were enthusiastic, a great start, and we burned up cyberspace brainstorming “themes”, settings, the initial “meet” that would set everything off. Were they to be long term friends? Had they only just met? What event had brought these women, from America, Australia and the UK, together in one place?


We discarded weddings, funerals and a whole heap of scenarios before Barbara’s sister, with her charitable cycling adventures in the Himalayas, provided us with that opening scenario, the kick-off point, the moment in time when the world turned back on itself for our three heroines. We were assigned an editor who would work on all three books to ensure continuity and, heart-in-mouth we sent in our proposals. Her response to mine was a heartfelt “You never make it easy for yourself, Liz...”

It isn’t me – honestly.

Belle (she would insist on being called Belinda, despite the fact that I stamped my foot and said “No, no, no!”) was there from the moment the theme was set. Believe me, my objections weren’t just to her name. I was also saying “No, no, no” to the whole idea of a blonde bombshell breakfast television presenter as a heroine from the moment she wandered onto the page.

Please.

I mean, really...

In the end I let her have her own way since I know from experience that a character who has a mind of her own from the word go is always going to be winner. I also knew that this book was going to be dark, emotional, difficult, although unexpectedly, once I started writing, the humour crept in.

As soon as we got editorial approval, and because I was first up in the schedule, I wrote the set-up as my first chapter – you can read an excerpt at my website. It’s published almost exactly as I first wrote it, which is unusual – although I was asked to write a short prologue when I’d finished. As soon as Barb and Jackie were happy with the way their characters had been portrayed, we were off and running.

Since each of our books stands completely on its own, once we had actually started writing, it was simply a matter of keeping in touch, organising time lines so that when our characters lives touched whether by email or SMS, it “worked”.

I can’t speak for Barb and Jackie, but working with them was a truly rewarding experience. I’ve already read Barb’s book, which is available now online and retail next month, and it truly lives up to the promise of heartrending secret it contains. I’m now anxiously waiting for the postman to deliver a copy of Jackie’s book so that I can find out how she wraps up the story!

“SECRETS WE KEEP”

In the breathtaking peaks of the Himalayas, three women, on the most challenging adventure of their lives, share the secrets of their hearts and make a pact that will change everything.

Three extraordinary women.
Three unforgettable heroes.
Three emotionally charged books.

Reunited: Marriage in a Million, August 2007, Liz Fielding
Needed: Her Mr Right, September 2007, Barbara Hannay
Found: Her Long Lost Husband, October 2007, Jackie Braun

“Liz Fielding begins “Secrets We Keep” with Reunited: Marriage in a Million, a moving yet frequently amusing tale. Highlighted by truly great characterization, it’s one of the author’s best.” ...Romantic Times, ****½

Meet KiKi the Chaotic !

Want to know a great way to fall behind on your deadlines or any other VIC ? (Very Important Chores) Get a puppy! What was I thinking?

I had resisted getting another animal since my beloved cat passed away a couple of years ago. But my sister informed me one day that my house was like a tomb without an animal. She grabbed me up and we went looking for a new member of the family. (my husband helped- reluctantly)

If you ever fall into a moment of weakness like that, please remember the house training, the chewing on everything (shoes, rugs, the frigging walls!)
and the constant need for attention until they grow and become more independent. I forgot.

Gladly, I forgot! Because now that she's part of our family, I wouldn't give this darling baby up for anything in the world! KiKi loves people and wants to please and we love her in return. She brings me the greatest pleasure and she'll grow to be a fantastic companion. If we all live through puppyhood, that is.

By the way, she has gotten her first haircut since these pictures but I haven't managed to get a new photo of her. She looks more like a Bichon Friese now. Like she's supposed to look. And next week we start training classes! Thank goodness.
Maybe then I'll catch up with my deadlines and finish this darn book!

If any of you have any suggestions to make our life easier or any stories of new puppies you would love to tell, please let us know! I can use all the help and commiseration I can get!

Linda

Time Flies - a brief sojourn out of the writer's cave

How can it possibly be August already? I much regret how time has flown. It is far too long since I have been here to post - although you might all be very glad of that! Truth is I have been stuck in the deep, dark deadline cave finishing two urgent manuscripts, both of which will feature in 2008 amongst various exciting new projects to mark Mills & Boon's centenary year.

I am now blinking against the light through bloodshot eyes, dragging the decrepit body around a long-neglected house buried under layers of dust and ever-growing TBR piles of books, trying to get as many things done as possible before I shut myself back in the cave to embark on the next book. I'm also giving myself a few treats and making a raid on the TBR piles as a reward for getting both books finished on time.

I love to lose myself in my characters but I always find starting a new book a scary experience. I am not a plotter. I have a vague idea where I am going, but it is my characters who take me there, often by a scenic or unexpected route! I know them and their back stories, I fling them together, and then they lead the way, often taking hold of the reins and ignoring all my attempts to control them and get them back on track again. Some are more sure of themselves than others, some more willing to discuss things, and some determined to go their own way and stuff their author's ideas, thank you very much!

The saddest part is saying goodbye - even if it is only temporarily because I might meet them again in linked books. I get so involved with them and their lives, and it takes a while to get them out of my head and ease the next cast in. Now I am at that turnaround point, sadly trying to let Seb & Gina venture out into the world without me, knowing I will catch up with them again in future Strathlochan stories, but sad to cut the apron strings. On the plus side, I get to welcome back Lauren, best friend to Chloe whose story I have already told and whose romance with the delectable Oliver will be out in the summer of 2008. Lauren's turn has come. She has a bumpy ride ahead but a scrumptious French hero called Gabriel is waiting in the wings to smooth out the choppy waters for her - if she'll let him.

Gabe & Lauren will soon be pulling me back into that cave and I will be able to lose myself in their story, hanging on to their coat-tails as they lead me on their journey through trials and tribulations, learning to love and trust, seeking their happy ending. And all the while the layers of dust and piles of books I'm yearning to read will begin to grow again.

Time flies when you are having fun - and despite the self-doubt, the times when things won't flow and the fright of staring at the blank first page, fingers poised over the keyboard, there is nothing quite like the feeling of launching out into a new ficticious world with a new cast of characters.

My current book, One Special Night, is out now in the UK and in Australia/New Zealand, available in bookshops, via Amazon or via Harlequin Mills & Boon's websites in those countries.

His Very Speical Nurse is now available via Harlequin's North American website.

Happy reading,

Love,

Mags

www.margaretmcdonagh.com

The Perfect Romantic Setting - Michelle Monkou

I have a voracious appetite when it comes to romance novels. I read just about anything and have a keeper list of my favorite authors that span over thirty years when I started reading in my young teens.

From all those titles, authors have lit my imagination with wonderful romantic settings. I thought it would be nice to share some of those settings and the emotions they evoked. Feel free to jump in with your favorites.

Argentinan horse ranch - ok, you will notice a definite trend toward the cowboy hero.

Australian sheep ranch

Texan cattle ranch

Greek isles - ancient history, beautiful seaside views, perpetually sunny

Coastal Italian towns

British castles - anything royal-related.

Caribbean island - tropical, relaxed, sexy interludes

Now that I've started the discussion on the important stuff, let me close with who I am :-)

I'm Michelle Monkou an author of eight and counting novels. I'm new to the blog and looking forward to meeting many of you. I write under Harlequin's Kimani imprint where my third book - Straight To The Heart - will be released in September; 4 stars from RT Bookclub.

Looking foward to hearing about your favorite romantic settings.

Michelle Monkou

http://www.michellemonkou.com/

Authors who have influenced me - by Helen Bianchin

I love to read. Romance and romantic suspense, mysteries, crime ... the list is endless.

Bliss is reading a book by a favoured author, uncaring what the story holds, the characters, the setting. Just knowing I'll be held enthralled by the author's magical skill with words is enough. A comfortable chair, the benefit of several uninterrupted hours ...

A vivid imagination has been my companion for as long as I can remember. I was there with Enid Blyton's famous Five as they engaged in their various adventures; the probation nurse in all the doctor-and-nurse stories who fell in love with the resident hospital doctor, to the extent nursing almost became a considered occupation. The legal profession eventually won out, but that's another story!

I adore romance. The mythical knight on a white horse who rode to rescue the fair maiden. The modern day "Pretty Woman" scenario.

The darker marriage of convenience; the wild boy from the wrong side of the tracks who makes good; Cinderella in its various guises.

Which authors did it for me? On reflection, it was a paperback romance titled "The Distant Hills" by Lucy Walker which first made me think I'd like to write. Closely followed by Violet Winspear, who crafted and maintained sensual tension with just a look between her heroes and heroines.

Then along came Kathleen Woodiwiss, who dared to go where few authors in the genre had gone before! Wow! Who could forget Shanna? The Flame and the Flower? The Wolf and the Dove? Such passion! So much emotion. Sensuality.

As a reader, I was hooked. As a writer, I became totally enthralled. Excited by the talent, the magic, the words.

There are past works I can read and re-read countless times. All-time favourites. Keepers. To read and become entranced by the magic again and again.

I could list so many of today's authors whose work enthrall me as a reader. However the list would be long ... perhaps too long to occupy this space! And I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I inadvertently missed including someone.

Kind regards and best wishes to you all,

Helen

Reading and Technology - Susanna Carr

When I started reading romances, I only knew of a couple other readers who liked romance books. They were my twin sister and a few of our friends. We traded, recommended, and discussed the books as often as we could. When we finally got our drivers licenses, we would pile up in a car and make trips to romance-friendly bookstores.

Our group of readers was small. I knew these romance readers because they were already in my circle of friends. Eventually our reading tastes shifted and developed, and we realized we wanted very different things from our books. One was really into the dark gothic stories while another was on the perpetual hunt for traditional Regencies. As for me, I couldn't get enough of the Harlequins and the contemporaries.

Then came the Internet.

I was thrilled when authors I've read for years put up their own websites. I found out more about their books, their booklists and what was coming next. I thought it was great when Harlequin developed their online community at eharlequin.com. I now could hear from others who read the same kind of books I did. I couldn't imagine anything better than that.

Until the emergence of bulletin boards and blogs. And then there was Yahoogroups, which allowed people of a specific interest to go off on their own and discuss. Suddenly there was MySpace, where a reader could gather all of her friends and her specific interests onto one page.

I've heard of Bebo and Facebook, but I haven't really looked into those to see what makes them different than MySpace. Why haven't I looked? Because I'm busy building my shelf at Shelfari.com. Add a book on the shelf and you will immediately find out who else has that book on their shelf. This is a reader's paradise.

I wished I had this community when I was a teenager and trying to find a book that would deliver what I want, but there is a price to the sense of connection. All of this technology is quickly becoming an addiction—and eating into my reading time!

Susanna

http://www.susannacarr.com/

Escapist, Guilty Pleasures, by Bronwyn Jameson

Hello there. This is my first post on Tote Bags'n'Blogs and I would like to thank Lee for inviting me to share this space with some of my favourite authors. Perhaps I should start by introducing myself. Briefly, I'm Bronwyn Jameson, author of 12 Silhouette Desires to date with several more in the publishing pipeline. I live on a farm in the rural heartland of Australia, am mother to three almost-grown-up boys (do they ever grow up entirely?), and I love immersing myself in the fabulous world of an emotionally compelling book...whether I'm reading the pages or writing them.

After reading Sandra's post, I am green with envy over missing the RWA National Conference this year. I was invited to present a RITA at the Awards ceremony, a prospect that both excited and terrified me, but I wasn't able to make the long trip to Dallas. However, I lived the events vicariously through the many blogs posting live from the heart of Texas.

One blog I checked daily was The Pink Heart Society which included not only social and fashion updates and loads of party pictures, but notes from the Harlequin Spotlight. Thank you, Jenna! I learned the latest from Desire's Senior Editor, Melissa Jeglinski, who is looking for "escapist, guilty pleasure reads that are powerful, passionate, and provocative. The hero is very successful, the pursuer. Set the scene with international vacations and luxurious parties."

I'm currently working on some new proposals and this little snippet consolidated that I was on the right track with my storylines, my characters, my settings, but also jogged loose a new idea. Yesterday I incorporated this into my draft synopsis, and I can't wait to dive into this glamorous, lux world. I'm smiling as I write that, thinking how I'll be sitting in my cosy but quite ordinary office, probably still wearing my pyjamas, while my mind will be lost in a world of cashmere and silk organza and superfine wool suits, private jets and first-class travel, five-star hotels and penthouse apartments, country estates and seaside manors.

I do love that research. I do love my job.

And I'm also curious – which international settings and luxurious locations do you like to read about? I have a trio of fabulously escapist, no-need-to-feel-guilty reads by Yvonne Lindsay, Annie West and Bronwyn Jameson – set in diverse international settings – and I will randomly select the winner from comments left by Thursday 26th.

The winner is...comment #4. Congratulations, Anne! Email me with your address and I will mail yr prize books.

Sandra Marton: Home from Dallas!

I just returned home from the Romance Writers of America conference in Dallas, Texas. What fun! Imagine a huge hotel filled with people who love the romance genre: writers, readers, editors, agents... it was truly a wonderful experience.

I signed books at RWA's Literacy Signing , signed more books--hundreds of them--at Harlequin's special Forty Authors Signing. I had a dinner to die for in an incredibly elegant restaurant with Presents editors Tessa Shapcott and Kim Young; a wonderful lunch in a charming restaurant with Toronto Special Projects editor Marsha Zinberg; breakfasts and lunches, coffees and drinks with writers who are long-cherished friends and others who are new friends. I gave a workshop with Tessa and Kim and had the chance to meet writers eager to sell to Harlequin Presents.

The HMB (that's Harlequin Mills and Boon Ltd) writers got together for our annual Pizza Party.We were from all around the world: the USA, England, Australia, Egypt. We met in my room, sat on the floor, ate pizza, drank wine, munched on delicious baklava, laughed and talked and laughed and talked...

The next morning, as I left my room, the woman in the next room also left hers.

"You had some party last night," she said, with no readable expression on her face. I gulped and said, uh, yes, that was true...

And she laughed and said it had sounded like lots of fun.

She was absolutely right. It was.

Sandra

Got Covers??

I love getting new covers. It's like Christmas, when you open an package to discover if you have a new toaster, or a fabulous new piece of jewelry. With covers, I tend to open an email, download a file and hit, open file...then watch as the cover appears. Most of my covers I've at least liked, a few not-so-much, and every now and again I get one I absolutely adore.

Well, I've recently received my October and December covers...and adore them both! It's like hitting a lottery...well, not quite, but almost like hitting the lottery. Want to see???

The House on Briar Hill Road is my October Harlequin Everlasting Love, and Everything But a Groom is my December Avalon, it's the first book in my Everything But... trilogy. And they're both beautiful.

Yes, I've got covers...and I'm thrilled with both. It's the lottery and Christmas all wrapped up in one!

Hope you all are having a wonderful summer!

Holly

A Romance Pioneer dies

Kathleen E Woodiwiss died on 6 July 2007 after her battle with cancer, it has been announced. Her family and her publisher are working together to polish her last book.

Kathleen E Woodiwiss's 1972 book -- The Flame and The Flower is widely credited with starting the bodice ripper craze or the modern historical romance genre. The 600 page epic with its sex scenes was turned down by several publishers, before Ms Woodiwiss submitted to Avon. The initial print run of 500, 000 rapidly became over 2.5 million copies sold.

Her prose was often colourful and her history could be dubious, but her stories were wonderful. She could tell a cracking good story. And to read a Woodiwiss was to become immersed in her world. For many women in their forties, her books were the first historicals romances that they ever read. I know she was one of the first historical romance authors I ever read.

CONFERENCE TIME

This weekend a lot of my friends and colleagues will be gathering in Leicester for the Romantic Novelists' Association conference. This is a fairly small and intimate conference. Lots of networking, generous help for new writers from the veterans and inspiring speakers, but most of all fun. I really, really wish I was there, but I'm sweating over a hot deadline, suffering for my art :)

I did, however, send a little something for the "goodie" bag, just so that no one will forget me. This is what conference goers will find in their bags. Would you like one? And a copy of my August book, REUNITED: MARRIAGE IN A MILLION?

Here's the opening prologue, just to tempt you...

The car is here. Your paparazzi army are forming their usual guard of honour.’

Ivo was waiting, his face expressionless. Waiting for her to back down, tell him that she wouldn’t go and Belle had to fight back the treacherous sting of tears.

She didn’t cry, ever.

Why couldn’t he understand? Why couldn’t he see that she hadn’t chosen to spend ten days cycling over the Himalayas on some whim!

This was important to her. Something she needed to do.

By demanding she drop out at a moment’s notice to play hostess at one of his power-broking weekends at his country house in Norfolk, he was making it plain that nothing, not her career, certainly not some charity stunt, was as important as being his wife.

That he had first call on her.

If only she could have told him, explained. But if she’d done that, he wouldn’t want her to stay...

‘I have to go,’ she said.

For a moment she thought he was going to say something, but instead he nodded, picked up the heavy rucksack that contained everything she would need for the next three weeks and reached for the door handle.

By the time it was open, Belle was wearing a smile for the cameras. She paused briefly on the step with Ivo at her side, then they made their way to the car.

The chauffeur took the rucksack and while he was stowing it, Ivo took her hand, looked down at her with grave eyes that never betrayed what he was thinking.

‘Look after yourself.’

‘Ivo...’ She stopped herself from begging him to come to the airport with her. ‘I’ll be passing through Hong Kong on my way home. If you happened to find you had some business there, maybe we could take a few days...’

He made no comment, he never made promises he could not keep, but simply kissed her cheek, helped her into the car, repeating his directive to “take care” before closing the door. She turned as the car pulled away, but he had already turned away, was striding up the steps to the house, wanting to get back to work.

The chauffeur stopped at the drop-off point, loaded her bag onto a trolley, wished her good luck and then she was alone. Not alone, as a woman with a loving husband waiting at home might feel.

Just ... alone.

(I've had complaints that my hero is not shown wearing his famous towel -- mentioning no names Kate Walker! -- but I thought it might be nice to concentrate on his face for once!)

If you want a chance to win a copy of Reunited: Marriage in a Million, the first book in the SECRETS WE KEEP trilogy, then email me with the names of all three books and their authors with Tote Bag Secrets in the subject line and your snail mail addy so that I can mail straight out to the winner.

You'll find the answer on my website along with an email link. I'll draw the prize on 10th July.

A SANDRA MARTON UPDATE!

I can't believe how long it is since I blogged! I've been sooo busy--I know we all are, but with a book due and the RWA conference coming up, the time's been flying past.

I've started writing the first book in my 2008 trilogy called The Sheikh Tycoons. This first story, The Sheikh's Defiant Bride, is, well, the only word is 'steamy.' Very. And the hero, Crown Prince Tariq of Dubaan, is the kind of guy I love to write. Tariq is gorgeous, of course, and sexy (also, of course!) but more than that, he's accustomed to people obeying his every command.

Then he meets the very proper, very independent Madison, and she's not about to take orders from any man, especially one who gets her hot and bothered.

These two people have drawn me deep into their story and I want to stay with them until the last possible minute before I leave for the Romance Writers of American HUGE annual conference in Dallas at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Here's what I'll be doing in Dallas.

1. I'll be among the hundreds of authors autographing books at the big Literacy Booksigning Wednesday evening, July 11 from 5:30 PM to 8 PM.

2. I'll be one of Harlequin's Special 40 Favorite Authors signing books Friday, July 13 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 PM in the Marsalis Ballroom, Section B(2).

3. I'll be giving a very special workshop, HOW TO SELL TO PRESENTS, with editors Tessa Shapcott and Kimberley Young on Saturday morning, 9:45 AM to 10:45 AM.

If you're at the conference, be sure and stop by to say hello!

Before I forget... here's the cover of my August release, The Italian Prince's Pregnant Bride, which will be on the shelf at your favorite bookstore, supermarket, Target, Wal-Mart, KMart, etc. in July!

Just Perfect for Reading - Annie West

As I write this winter has set in here in Australia. Finally our drought seems to have broken. We’ve had rain...rain...rain. In fact we’ve had floods and even a cyclone.

This morning I woke to the sound of rain pounding on the roof and that dim light you get when the sun seems too lazy to get up. My first thought was that it was a perfect day for reading. There’s something about being snug and warm in a house, preferably with a fire glowing, when the rain is pouring down, that just makes me want to pick up a book.

I have my favourite spots too. One of the best is in a large wing chair with a huge ottoman so I can put my feet up. It’s in a corner of the lounge with a view out to the eucalypt trees, and you can see the fire at the end of the room. Very cosy. There’s a lamp and a table at just the right spot for a warm drink or a glass of wine. There’s a CD player too if you want background music.

On the other hand, summer has its benefits. I’ve discovered the joys of reading in a hammock late on a hot afternoon, beside a pool. Bliss! A cold drink, a good book and I’m in heaven. I always dream of relaxing on holiday with a stack of books, but somehow it rarely happens.

Recently I found another idyllic reading spot – also outdoors. Visiting a friend I discovered her huge raised patio, looking out across the paddocks to where her llamas (yes, I said llamas) grazed. The sun was warm on the recycled timber deck, the magpies warbled and there was a seat in just the right spot for a bit of reading.

I can’t imagine a home without at least a couple of good reading nooks. I’ve always dreamed of building my own library to house the burgeoning collection. There would be full height bookshelves, comfy chairs and, of course a fire. There’d be space to stretch out and room for even more books than we currently possess. Hey, a girl can dream.

In the meantime I've just received some copies of my own July and August releases for the US. Two sheikh stories. I can't tell you how tempting it is to curl up in a corner and read one of those instead of trying the write the next one. But perhaps you know exactly what I mean.

Do you have favourite reading places or do you just open a book wherever you can? Do you like to be outdoors, in a library, or in your own place? Surrounded by other books or maybe in a cafe, with coffee and cake on tap? I’d love to hear.

Annie

http://www.annie-west.com

Sandy Blair says We Love it, But...

We’re downsizing. Our home is on the market so instead of writing I’ve been out straight with painters, decorators, appliance installers and all manner of beasts who make messes wherever they go.

Worse, being the seller in a “buyer’s” market is much akin to being an author. Rejection becomes part of your everyday life. While someone looks at your “baby,” you hope, you pray and then you get those 4 dreaded words, “We loved it, but…”

In the case of a book, the but might come in the form of “we just bought a similar plot,” or “there wasn’t enough emotional depth.” In the case of this house, the but(s) amounted to “it’s too formal,” “it’s too white”, and “it needs updated appliances.”

Our agent has been as kind as can be—as any agent or editor worth the name should be—when delivering the bad news, but it still hurts.

So, like any good author--or desperate home owner—I went into revision mode. I took what the buyers said to heart, made some changes on my own then called in a “young” decorator. One whose taste would hopefully shout from my lofty 24 ft ceilings, “Hey, I’m hip and trendy.”

Five serious digits later, we now have an all stainless steel kitchen with built in wine cooler, new light fixtures, textured walls, fresh paint in colors that would make any coffee shop proud (Toffee crunch, Cocoa Latte, Espresso bean), not to mention the furniture has been rearrange to such a degree that we don’t dare walk around without a light on for fear of killing ourselves. Yes, neither Scott not I recognize the place.

And so now we’re back to waiting some more. Hoping. Praying.

Bottom line: I’ve tweaked this place so much in the last few months that I’m sick of it. Can’t wait to be rid of it. Have you ever done that to a home…or manuscript?

Sandy
http://www.sandyblair.net/

Memorable Kisses - Susan Stephens

I dreamed a dream in times gone by...

One of my all time favourite songs from that amazing musical, Les Miserables.

Dreams. Odd things, aren't they?

As I confided over at the Pink Heart Society Spotlight the other day, I had this weird dream recently that I was kissing Roger Moore!

As one of my fellow Presents authors, India Grey so reasonably demanded- why not Sean Connery, or Pierce Brosnan?

You tell me!

But that brings me neatly round to the subject of kissing- don't you think we should have a contest for the best first kiss?

Mine was when I was nine years old and at a mixed camp during the school holidays.
Of course boys couldn't visit the girls' dorm, but Brian Bigland - 11 years old- (Hi, Brian! Goodness knows where you got to ) snuck into mine and gave me a very wet, and rather yucky kiss! Of course, the dorm' monitor was hot on his tail and poor Brian was punished severely for his boldness. But wet and yucky, I still remember my very first kiss to this day! And no, it wasn't repeated, and yes, the security between the girls and boys was tightened up right away!!! And no, of course my mother never found out ;-)

How about your first kiss?

Share your stories and I'll pick out a winner at random from those we love and award a prize!

Susan

http://www.susanstephens.net/