Welcome to Cape Fear...

Ahh, summer weekends: those bastions of escapism we all so crave. And all too often live to regret…

The idea was a peaceful weekend at a relative's lake house. We brought a friend and her kids along who needed to get away and chill even more than we did. But with the holiday weekend now past, I desperately need to recover from my non-restful getaway.

In the interest of disclosure, I should admit that I'm not a lake person. The idea of stagnant water teeming with things like poisonous snakes and trash and the fuel discards from tens of thousands of boats and jet skis (oh, and an entire valley of rotten trees and lord knows what else that might lurk beneath one's floating body, as this is a lake created from flooding a large tract of land) doesn't make me too thrilled. The mushy gushy unidentified bottom, the clay-rusted water that stains your swimsuit, the decomposing leaves on the top, and other stench and detritus along the lake's shorelines just do not appeal to me. Give me the wash of crystal blue ocean waves, the soothing sound of seagulls, the brilliant twinkle of sun reflecting off sugared sand beaches any day.


My sister-in-law used to refer to the lake house as Cape Fear. As in, "Oh, no! You're going to Cape Fear again?" She knew how not-keen I was for the aforementioned reasons. Throw in my small children who needed to be watched like hawks in order to avoid drowning, being flung from a pounding motor boat, poisonous snakes and spiders, ground wasps, ticks, sunburn, and about a hundred other safety hazards, and being lake-bound meant being stress-bound for me. The absence of air conditioning in sweltering heat along with other missing accoutrements of modernity like a dishwasher didn't add much to the charm. To top it off, the nearest town—a limited escape hatch--is a bit, well, cheesy. The kind of place where they have a "Junque Shoppe" and another that sells "Biskits." As the fourth grade spelling bee champ, I am rarely amused by deliberately freakish misspellings of common words, even if to be cutesy.

But as my brood has gotten older, the trip has become a bit easier. Enough so that while I still contend it's pretty much camping with a roof (and I do loathe camping)--what with the massive amounts of foodstuffs, linens and other items you have to lug along for even a few days--it's not quite as hazard-filled. And since I've not been away anywhere just to relax in easily a year, our getaway sounded almost fun. Almost.

We arrived later than planned after a harried Saturday morning of packing, topped off with last-minute inclusion of every blanket and spare pillow we owned (which I would have to wash upon our return). My bug-averse daughter discovered the room in which she'd be sleeping was infested with hundreds of jumbo ants, whose eradication took top priority.

Meanwhile, I'd unleashed the dogs to run free, to hear only moments later the piercing yelps of pain from our Labrador echo hauntingly across the water: a neighbor's dog had raced onto the property and promptly latched onto her hind quarter with a very powerful and unrelenting jaw, leaving her bleeding and endangering my daughter who tried to break up the melee. Bizarrely, the owner of the dog (which had a rap sheet of previous bites) chose to scream at us rather than apologize profusely, as protocol would dictate.

After spending the first hour trying to track down a veterinarian that actually worked on a holiday weekend (with limited cell phone service, natch), I then had to divert to the lovely vet's to have our dog treated.

Meanwhile, a neighbor across the cove had decided to destroy the serenity with a gas-powered leaf blower, then to set fire to five towering mounds of wet leaves and branches that smoldered for several hours, filling the cove with blinding smoke and leaving everyone choking in its wake. This despite my husband's entreaties to cease the burning, what with all of the fumes wafting our direction.

The lake was overrun with other fun-seekers, churning up the normally calm waters to hurricane proportions. Not one inclined toward seasickness, I felt green in the gills as the boat towed our tubing kids in treacherous currents. Sure I could've stayed on shore, but felt the need to actually witness what I figured were the inevitable tubing-related head injuries that would result from the foray into fierce waters. Call me crazy, but I hate the idea of naively waiting back at the house, only to have someone come racing in to tell me we need to find emergency medical help.

By days end an aged and rotting chair in which I was lounging collapsed, and I sweated to near-fainting proportions while cooking dinner for 13 in the stifling air of the a/c-free kitchen, my R&R a mere specter of its former potential. Oh, and my father-in-law put a dent in my car.

Back home now, I'm tackling the nearly twenty loads of lake-related laundry, remnants of my relaxing escape from life's drudgeries. I might be done washing by my next vacation. That would be the one sailing in the Keys, right where several million gallons of oil and toxic solvents are wending their way. So much for that relaxing vaca, eh?

Some of my favorite YAs

As well as being a writer, I also work weekends at my local library in the teen section, which is pretty much a dream job since there is nothing in the world I love more than reading YA books (okay, there is one thing I love more and that's reading YA books and eating a big block of chocolate!) Anyway, I thought I'd talk about some of my favorite reads of the last twelve months.

First up is The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, which are the first two books in The Hunger Games Trilogy. I loved these dystopian novels that follow Katniss as she refuses to let her little sister go to the Hunger Games and fight to the death for her survival. For me the books are like Lord of the Flies meets Big Brother and I spend a good part of my day at work recommending them to everyone who crosses my path. Now I just need to wait until Mockingjay is released!!!








Graceling by Kristin Cashore. This is a fantasy novel about a world where people are gifted with different graces and for Kasta, her grace is death. Because of this, the king uses her as a henchman, until she slowly starts to discover that there is more to her grace than she thought. Truly, this book is amazing!









Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. Okay, so I love what Stephenie Meyers has done for the ya genre, not only in getting girls to read but also in getting publishers to publish more ya books, but when it comes to vampires, I like mine Richelle Mead style! Rose is a fresh-talking take-no-prisoners heroine who gets herself into plenty of trouble! Definitely my favorite of all the ya vampire series.



The Amulet of Samarkand (and the other books in The Bartimaeus Trilogy) by Jonathan Stroud. My friend's fifteen year old son actually got me onto these books after I sold my own Djinn series and boy am I pleased that I didn't read them until after I'd made my sale because I probably never would've even started my own! Anyway, they are amazing books - think Harry Potter but with djinns and evil magicians.




Of course there are plenty more, but these are just a few of my fav YA reads. What about everyone else? Have you been into the teen section lately?


Amanda Ashby
Fairy Bad Day (Puffin June 2011)
Zombie Queen of Newbury High (Puffin out now)

Father's Day - Kathleen O'Brien

Father’s Day is coming. At our house, that’s always cause for anxiety, because my husband won’t ever tell us what he’d like to do, or what presents he’s hoping to get. He insists that his happiness comes just from knowing we’re happy. But, particularly on that day, our happiness comes from making him happy…and so the whole silly situation can get pretty complicated!


This year, as the kids and I were going through our usual “what, oh what, would Daddy like?”, I started thinking how incredibly lucky we are to have a guy like that. I was young when I married him, and I have to be honest. I wasn’t evaluating what kind of father he’d make. I never once considered the gene pool, or inherited traits, or parenting skills, or anything even remotely practical. I was just thinking how I could hardly breathe whenever he came near, and how I could easily drown in those deep brown eyes.

Isn’t it wonderful when that primal chemistry and great father material come in the same package? This is a photo of our firstborn and her Daddy. Have you ever seen such bliss—on both ends? Makes me smile just to look at this one.

I guess it’s no accident that the heroes of my books are so often great fathers—whether it’s fathers of the heart, or fathers of the blood. I’ve written furious heroes who discover they have a “secret baby” the heroine hid from them years ago. I’ve written bewildered heroes who fall in love with a woman who is carrying another man’s child, horrified heroes whose girlfriends show up on their doorsteps to announce the unwelcome news. In my most recent Superromance, TEXAS TROUBLE, Logan Cathcart is a broken-hearted man who lost his four-year-old son and is desperately resisting falling for the owner of the ranch next door, a young widow with two troubled boys.

I love my “father” heroes, and I seem to return to that storyline, one way or another, again and again. Each of these wonderful men comes to fatherhood by a different path, but, when he arrives, he embraces the experience with joy and love and an unshakable commitment to the future.

My favorite fictional father—a difficult choice, as there are so many fabulous ones—is Atticus Finch from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. He is so brave, so gentle and wise and steady in the storm. And of course it doesn’t hurt that, in the movie, he looks like Gregory Peck. I always tear up at that wonderful moment, when Rev. Sykes tells Scout, “Stand up…Your father is passing.”

How about you? Is there an awesome father in your life? Do you love the father hero? Who are some of your favorites?

Men in Shorts : : Anne McAllister

It’s that time of the summer again – that time of the summer every four years, that  is.  I know you who live in enlightened areas of the world get to see more soccer/football than you probably ever want to see.  But for those of us who live in the US, this is the summer we look forward to.

Yes, we have MLS soccer, and yes, our sons and daughters play AYSO soccer, and yes, even high schools, colleges and universities are getting in on the act at last. But it’s not the same. 

Nothing is the same as watching the World Cup.

I got seriously hooked when I spent most of a summer in Europe 20 years ago.  It seems like yesterday – except the kids I was traveling with now have kids of their own.  But I still look forward to it because, oddly, it’s the only time I get to watch soccer in the US (that I’ve found) where the cameras stay back far enough to watch the action.

Of course the cameras still give us close-ups now and then, but not the way they do in MLS soccer, where you can’t ever tell what’s going on but you can tell which players shaved that morning.

So I like watching the World Cup for the action. But I also, admittedly,  like it for the men.

I can’t help it.  I like watching fit, agile men run and run and run.   I almost considered putting up a half dozen photos of soccer players’ legs here on the blog because they are, simply, worth ogling.

But so are the men themselves.

I am used to seeing American baseball players or football (American version) or hockey players.  There are occasionally ones worth a second glance. But not nearly as many as there are in every World Cup match.

There are the ones who get all the press like David Beckham (not in this year’s  tournament but certainly still a part of soccer lore) and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo who is gracing this month’s cover of the UK edition of Vanity Fair along with Ivory Coast football star, Didier Drogba.

Lots of ogle-worthy gents in this issue besides  Didier and Cristiano.  But also lots they left out.

It’s hard to remember them all.  Just yesterday as I watched Uruguay play South Africa, Diego Forlan crossed my radar. I’ll be keeping an eye on him.

While I wasn’t looking the USA provided Heath Pearce and Benny Feilhaber to go with Carlos Bocanegra. 

I’m looking forward to another glimpse on Friday. 

In the meantime I had Spaniards Cesc Fabregas and Iker Casillas to entertain me Wednesday. 

And I have France’s Yoann Gourcuff on Thursday.   There’s no end (well, until July 11) of my enjoyment. 

Are you watching the World Cup?  Got a favorite player?  If not a soccer player, pass on your favorites from other sports.  From the comments, I’ll pick a winner to receive a copy of my very own soccer  book, a Harlequin Presents called McGillivray’s Mistress. 

  If soccer isn’t your thing, but you still like hot-blooded heroes, check out my most recent Mills & Boon Modern, The Virgin’s Proposition. 

No soccer – just the Cannes Film Festival, the hot Mediterranean sun, and a sailboat journey to Greece, not to mention  Demetrios Savas, who is seriously sexy and definitely a wounded hero. 

What on earth could a virgin like Anny have to propose to a man like him? 

It will be out in the US in September.  In the meantime, enjoy the World Cup!

Michelle Styles: The Reader as a Child

I will put my hands up and say that I was an enthusiastic reader. Even before I could read, I was constantly looking at books. Richard Scarry certainly helped me with my reading progress. When I was first sent away to Girl Scout camp, my mother wondered what I would without books for a week, I found the disused library in a dusty corner of the craft building and read my way through it. My mother sighed when she found out.
And there books that I loved with my whole heart because as a child I read passionately. If I didn't like something, I moved on. I can remember a friend being passionate about Julie of the Wolves, it never did anything for me. But it was the book that helped her discover the joy of reading. As an adult, I suppose I read less passionately. I do not tend reread as much and since I've become a writer, I tend to read more critically. But I still remember the experience and know that while a book might not speak to me, someone else may care passionately about it.
I am always delighted when readers write to me that they have loved my books. A fifteen year old girl in Essex recently wrote to me about An Impulsive Debutante, how she checked it out from the library and was now on the sixth reread in between studying for her GCSEs. I was also slightly nervous because I sincerely hope that she doesn't fall out of love with the book. But it was the sort of letter that authors long for when they start writing. To touch one person... It made me wish that I had been brave enough to write to my favourite authors...
Last week, I happened to discover a blog post by the Editorial Ass about childhood reading and the Magician's Book. Some of you may remember when Lucy reads it in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Anyway, the blog got me thinking about favourite books I had as a child and I did a blog post on my own blog. And I wanted to get a meme going so that if others wanted to talk about their favourite childhood books, they could. And I thought I would repeat it here.
The invitation goes like this:
Name at least one book that you read as a child (ie 11 or under) that still exists in your memory as a perfect story. You can say why if you wish, or simply give a list -- your choice. It can be a story that you are now uncomfortable about having loved or were uncomfortable at some point and have now come back to or alternatively just one that you have always loved:
I put some of my favourites on my original post but here are some my other favourites (after if you are a Reading Child -- the library is full of magic.) Other authors who have posted their favourites on their individual blogs include: Donna Alward, Kate Hardy, Nell Dixon and Nicola Cornick -- in case you are interested.

1. The Princess and the Goblins by George MacDonald -- I discovered this because it was shelved next to the Mrs Piggle-Wiggle books in my library. I adored the tale. After I grew up, I discovered that JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis were also fans of George MacDonald as children. My children adored it as well and the sequel The Princess and Curdie.

2. Mara Daughter of the Nile by Eloise McGraw -- it is the book that made me realise that ancient civilisation romance/adventure was not only possible but desirable.

3. Dancing Shoes by Noel Stratefield. I loved all of the Shoe books but this one with Rachel who suddenly doesn't fit with Mrs Winters Little Wonders really struck a chord.

4. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett ( with illustrations by Tasha Tudor) -- I loved it and A Little Princess. I could wax lyrical for hours. In fact when we first looked at the house where we live with its very overgrown garden, I thought that it was a garden that just needed to be brought back to life.

5. Betsy, Tacy and Tib by Maud Hart Lovelace. I read all the Betsy-Tacy books. I adored the relationship Betsy, Tacy and Tib had and their adventures. I suppose in a way because of the setting, they were the books that first got me into historicals. I also loved the Lois Lenski illustrations.

6. A Little House on The Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I loved all the House books and the illustrations by Garth Williams. I was given this as a Christmas present when I was seven and immediately wanted to be a pioneer and travel in a covered wagon. But somehow the television series never lived up to my imagination. Later when I reread the books as an adult, I was impressed at hard Ma worked and the dangers they faced.

I will stop here, but I do want to know about books that touched you as a child.

Love, lies and lasagna - Kandy Shepherd

Have you ever had a cooking disaster—the kind that makes you cringe even years later at the memory of it?

Serena Oakley, the heroine of my second book HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS (on sale July 6), is the self-confessed world’s worst cook. Hero Nick Whalen is a big hunky guy who plays sport, works out and is always hungry.

What’s Serena to do when Nick thinks the wonderful lasagna she serves him for lunch is all her own work? She tries to tell him it was cooked by her chef friend Maddy O’Brien (heroine of my first novel LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD) but Nick is so in love with her lasagna he doesn’t hear her.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers here, but suffice to say that over the course of the novel, Serena comes to wish she’d never lied about lasagna.

It wasn’t hard for me to write about Serena’s cooking disasters as I’ve had a few of them myself. I like cooking. My “day job” as a women’s magazine editor means I’m working with fabulous food people, so I hope I’ve picked up some hints and tips. But none of the expertise I’d gained helped me with the great cheesecake catastrophe of many years ago.

I was single and had invited a group of friends around to my apartment for dinner, one of whom was a gorgeous guy I was hoping to impress. He’d mentioned his favorite dessert was cheesecake. I slaved all day over that dinner—and especially the baked cheesecake. The crumb crust. The decadently rich filling. All to be topped with cream and strawberries. (Just like in this picture.)

It turned out perfect, with not a crack to mar its smooth, golden surface. I gloated with glee as I reverently slid it out of the oven. Until the bottom of the springform pan fell out and my cheesecake fell out and smashed all over the oven door.

Yes, there was cursing. Yes, there were tears. And there were strawberries and cream for dessert.

Over coffee, I’d relaxed enough to confess to my guests about the cheesecake calamity. “Did you throw it in the trash?” asked gorgeous guy when he followed me into the kitchen. I showed him the rescued remnants hidden in the fridge and he laughed. After the other guests went home, we snacked on that cheesecake which looked a real mess but tasted wonderful. No, it didn’t lead to romance but it broke the ice for a warm friendship that lasted for years.

Do you have a tale of culinary disaster to share? Leave a comment here and I’ll draw a winner for an ARC of HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS so you can read about Serena’s cooking disaster for yourself!

http://www.kandyshepherd.com
Food photos courtesy of stock.xchange

Wedding Wonderings

As some of you know, my guy and I are engaged, and we spent the whole day on Sunday looking at reception halls, trying to find one that felt like “us” but still fit the budget.

Mostly we’re looking in the Hudson River Valley in New York State—it’s a dream of a landscape: rolling mountains, lazy afternoons, lush trees and insouciant wildflowers. I just love it. It’s the perfect place for Matt and me to say “I do.”

I have to admit—as excited as I am to throw a great wedding party, there’s some varying schools of thought about whether or not to spend any money on a wedding at all.

Some people tell me about their weddings, and they say things like: I splurged on the dress/venue/food/whatever and I’ve never regretted it. The tell me to just throw caution to the wind and go for it, financially, so that we don’t look back and think “I wish I’d done it differently.”

But others are more cautious. They say (to varying extremes): you don’t need a wedding at all. Go to city hall and say “yes” then meet up with your friends at a bar afterward to party. They point out that what we don’t spend on a wedding we can put into savings.

Matt and I have been together for a very long time (almost ten years) and so we’re not exactly the blushing bride and groom. But I do want us to have a memorable, beautiful day for our wedding.

So here’s what I’m wondering: What did you do at your wedding? And what do you think is the “right” way to approach the wedding glitz?

Thanks and best,

Lisa Dale

P.S. Last Call: I’m giving away a copy of Robyn DeHart’s Seduce Me over on my blog today. Comment to enter!

Family Affairs - Christina Hollis

I used to work with a lovely woman who was born in the Welsh valleys, about seventy years ago. In those days it was a close knit community of large families. As an only child, she was unique. This meant everyone else for miles around felt an overwhelming urge to include her in everything. The whole valley was so concerned she might become a ‘lonely only one’, she was passed around from house to house like a little princess. She said it was (mostly) wonderful, and far from feeling left out, if anything, it meant she saw too much family life. It was only when she left Wales and started her married life in an English city that she felt lonely. This drastic change from the hothouse of family life to independence fascinates me. My triplet nephews are as lively as beads on a tray now - what a contrast to this picture of them ‘celebrating’ Christmas in the Special Care Baby Unit a couple of years ago!

In my July release for Harlequin Presents Extra, The Count of Castelfino, Meg comes from a close family but is determined to strike out on her own. Gianni had the opposite problem, and doesn’t know what emotion is until he meets Meg. She is determined to make a success of her wonderful new job. Unfortunately, when she gets to her dream destination things have changed. A change of circumstances mean it’s doubtful if she has a job to go to. She has to fight for recognition, but her brilliance and determination wins over Gianni, the sceptical new Count of Castelfino. He can’t resist her, but when Meg gets the impression he thinks more of her skills in the bedroom than he does of her career, she runs back home. That is when they both discover they’ve made huge mistakes. Neither can live without the other. Meg discovers that going it alone can be a lonely business, and Gianni’s jaundiced view of family life is about to be given a mega-makeover!

I really enjoyed writing The Count of Castelfino, and I’ve had some lovely reviews, particularly this one from Cataromance:

“...it’s impossible not to love feisty and warm-hearted Meg, sexy but hardened Gianni and the gorgeous Italian setting which Christina Hollis describes so vividly that readers will feel as if they are under the beautiful Tuscan sun.”

Did you long for brothers and sisters as a child, or did you come from a big family and dream of the peace and quiet of a room of your own?

Travel Ahoy! - Anna Campbell

 by Anna Campbell

It's that time of year again!

Yup, conference season is in full swing in the U.S. and I'm getting ready for some travel.

This year is a bit of a bumper year for me (I hope that's not cursing my flight - bumper is NOT good in that context!). I've got a whole month in America so I'll be seeing lots of the big white flying guys in the picture before I'm done.

I've got two big conferences while I'm away (one of the reasons I'm away so long). One is the fabulous RomCon. This is their first year and they've put together a marvelous program. It runs from July 9-11 and takes place in Denver, Colorado. You can get more information here: http://www.romconinc.com/index.php I'm one of the spotlight authors so I should be pretty well everywhere! They've got a whole stack of special events planned and couple of signings so if you're around, please drop in!

One of the things I'm really excited about with RomCon is that CAPTIVE OF SIN is a finalist in the Readers Crown Awards. You can see a list of all the finalists here: http://www.romconinc.com/index.php/conversations/post/327

I enter a lot of published author contests and I'm almost never there for the award announcements because I live in Australia. But I'll be at RomCon, so this time I'm there with bells on.

Actually speaking of CAPTIVE OF SIN, do you mind if I have a little bask? I've had some great news about COS in contests lately. It finaled in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the Greater Detroit RWA Booksellers Best, and the Wisconsin RWA Write Touch Awards. It won the Phoenix Desert Rose RWA Golden Quill Award as best historical (and finaled in the Regency category which TEMPT THE DEVIL won, wow!). It was voted most popular historical of 2009 at the Australian Romance Reader Awards (I'm delighted to say I was voted most popular Australian romance writer of 2009!). COS was also chosen by Publishers Weekly as one of their 100 best books of 2009. You can read an excerpt at: http://www.annacampbell.info/captivesin.html

I'm so pleased that Gideon and Charis are making so many friends!

Anyway, back to my trip. Another reason I'm really excited about RomCon is that I'll get to see the Rockies. They've been on the list of things to do before I turn off my typewriter forever. Can't wait!

After Colorado, I'm off to New York for a few days then Washington D.C. Then it's the Romance Writers of America Conference at Orlando in Florida.

As many of you know, this conference was scheduled to take place in Nashville but the major flooding in Tennessee put paid to that. My best wishes go out to the people of Nashville - my home town had a huge flood in 1974 and the devastation has to be seen to be believed. I hope one day RWA can come back to your city!

In Orlando, I'll be taking part in the huge literacy signing that opens the conference. That's always great fun so if you're in the area, please put Wednesday, 28th July in your diaries. The signing takes place at the conference venue, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, between 5:30 and 7:30. It's a great opportunity to catch up with all your favorite romance writers in one place! For more information on the RWA conference, check out: http://www.rwanational.org/cs/conferences_and_events

When I get home, I'll basically have time to unpack and then it's the Romance Writers of Australia conference in Sydney. That's always such fun!

So do you have any summer (well, your summer - we're heading into winter down here in Oz!) travel plans? Been anywhere interesting lately? Are you coming to RomCon? Are you coming to RWA? Any travel tips for me?

Summer Plans - Donna Alward

The end of June marks two events.  One, my current book will be off my desk and on my editor's (and yes, it will, even if it kills me), and two, the kids will be out for summer holidays.

I'm looking forward to this summer.  I'll still be working, but I'm planning on doing some major relaxation.  I love day trips.  It's vacation without the long travel time or living out of a suitcase.  :-)  So this year I have a "wish list" of things I would like to do before September and school and new deadlines arrive again.

First of all - camping.  We moved here 2 years ago and haven't camped since.  Year one we had just moved in and we'd spent a week driving across the country and three more weeks sleeping in our trailer while we waited for furniture.  Camping wasn't high on the list of priorities.  Then last summer we had company for a few weeks and then more again for nearly a month in the fall, so we didn't make it out then either.  But this summer I'm determined, and the first place on my list is Cape Breton Island.  I haven't been around the Cabot Trail since I was 14, so I'm really excited to do it again and take the kids.

Prescott House.  We ran out of time last year when we were in the Annapolis Valley.  The girls and I love visiting historic houses/museums, but it's not my husband's cup of tea so this is one of those trips we'll probably do when he's elsewhere. Maybe on the way back we'll stop at Fort Edward - another spot we missed last year when we were in Windsor visiting Haliburton House.  When we take these trips we generally pack a picnic too.  Picnics and museums...a perfect way to spend the day.

Pier 21.  I have yet to visit Pier 21 here at the harbour.  I've done the Harbour Hopper tour and gone to the Museum of the Atlantic and the Citadel, but not Pier 21.  There's a lot of history here - this was the point of entry for immigrants between 1928 and 1971.  With the exception of two small groups, all 494,874 Europe-bound service personnel embarked from Pier 21 during the Second World War.

Hopewell Rocks - these formations are on the New Brunswick side of the Bay of Fundy.  We might be able to sneak in a trip while visiting the inlaws during the summer.  It's a bit of a drive but very worth it.  I made this trip when I was 18 with my mom - when we took a "day trip" and ended up spending three days away on a whim.

And one other place I'd like to go but that might require a camping trip is the Parrsboro area and the Fundy Geological Museum.  I haven't been to Parrsboro since I was...maybe 14?  The kids love that sort of thing and it's sufficiently scientific for the husband.  Plus there are blueberries.  Lots and lots of blueberries.  And gorgeous views.

I probably won't be able to fit in all those places, but I know we'll get to at least some.  What are your plans for the summer?

Readers Groups! - Jasmine Haynes

I’ve belonged to a romance readers group for over five years now. It’s run by Ellen Higuchi at my local Borders in Los Gatos. Ellen is the BEST bookseller and the group is wonderful! Ellen hands out ARCs (advance reader copies) and we write reviews on them which are reported back to Borders Corporate. Plus we all do a lot of reading besides the ARCs, so we get lots of feedback on what everyone else has read during the month. And it’s all mostly romance! Though we had a great recommendation at the last meeting and now I’m dying to try out Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody series (why did I never read these books!) which is mystery series but with a very strong romantic hero. So for me, that counts as romance, plus, I’m going to start writing a mystery this time around. Haven’t done it in ages! Ellen compiles that list of recommendations for us and sends it out after the meeting. Thank you, Ellen!

For our last meeting we had special guest authors Bella Andre and Anne Mallory who were signing their latest releases for us. Many times we have guest authors as we have a lot of local writers in the San Francisco Bay Area. I sign for the group when I’ve got a new book out, too. And, LOL, the readers group meeting is my one night out every month! Here’s a few photos of the group and the signing last Wednesday. The photographs are courtesy of Jackie Yau. I picked up a copy of Anne’s Seven Secrets of Seduction and Bella’s Never So Hot. I can’t wait to read them! The group highly recommended both authors’ books, and I have loved all that I've read of theirs. Bella’s is the 3rd in her HotShot Firefighter series. So many books, so little time!

So tell us, do you belong to a readers group? If not, where do you get your book recommendations? Leave a comment and your contact e-mail address and I’ll enter you in the drawing for an autographed copy of Laced with Desire, my February anthology with Jaci, Joey and Denise. I’ll also add you to my newsletter for updates if you aren’t already a member.

Be sure to drop over to my blog this week for more photos and more chances to win books. http://jasminehaynes.blogspot.com/

Following the Footsteps of my Favorite Characters -- Susanna Carr

Thirteen years ago I moved to the Seattle area. It was a risk because I had never been to Seattle and I didn't know anyone who lived there. I was nervous, but my anxiety level really shot up when I left the airport and followed a very vague set of directions to a city called Bellevue. For a Midwestern girl who was used to flat land and cornfields, this place was strange and weird.

And then I took a wrong turn. I was lost and I was about to panic when I saw a freeway sign that said San Juan Islands. Wait a second, I thought. Those are the islands from Joy! Joy was a Jayne Ann Krentz book I had recently read.

It turns out that the San Juan Islands aren't right next to Bellevue, but that was okay. I saw something familiar. I was near a place I had read in a favorite book. And as I settled into my new home, I saw more places Krentz mentioned in her other books. Day after day I ventured out of my small comfort zone to see the places that I had only read about.

These days I'm delighted when I read a book and recognize a place. Last year I took a short trip to San Francisco and I had an Abby Green book with me. One of the scenes was set in a San Francisco hotel. (Yes, I made a point to go to the hotel and I looked around.)

I haven't taken any reader tours yet, but they sound fun. There's a Twilight tour in Forks, Washington for those who loved the books and movies. Debbie Macomber hosted the Cedar Cove Days last year for her fans. Cedar Cove is a fictional town, but it is based on Macomber's hometown of Port Orchard, Washington. If I ever get to the UK, I want to take the Inspector Morse tour in Oxford and see all the sights of his (and now Inspector Lewis's) cases.

What about you? If you could visit a place (fictional or real) that you read in a book, where would it be?

Old Favourites by Kate Walker

Some sad news that I received this week started me thinking and remembering.

The sad news was that the lovely Elizabeth Oldfield, a fabulous writer for Harlequin Presents in the past a a dear friend, finally lost her battle with cancer and died at the end of May.

Elizabeth Oldfield was a great writer whose books I loved. I remember how, when I was trying to learn my craft, working towards getting published, I would always pounce on one of her novels knowing how much I would enjoy it and how much I would learn from it. I could never write like her - she had a wonderful light touch, often dryly humorous, that was not my style but I enjoyed it her novels so very much.

She was also one of the authors who when I first went to any of the social events that brought M&B authors together and was desperately nervous, not knowing anyone, Elizabeth was one of the very first to welcome me into the group, talk to me about my work and make me feel at home. From then onwards I was lucky enough to consider her as a friend and we exchanged letters where she told me all about her wonderful husband, her loving family and later the grandchildren she adored.

I still have some of Elizabeth's books on my 'keeper' shelf and this week, to remember her, I piecked one of them, Love's Prisoner (April 1994), to reread - and enjoy all over again. I remembered how when I first read it, I had told Elizabeth that if I didn't like her so much, I would have hated her as she had used the plot that I had wanted to write - and written it so well that I liked her version better than my own. She just laughed and said that great minds think alike.

It was a lovely, if bitter-sweet trip down memory lane, recalling Elizabeth's warmth, wit - and her talent as a writer, but it was when I'd finished the book and looked at the back pages that I started thinking on a different track.

Because then, as now, one of those pages listed 'Coming Next Month' with a list of titles and authors that were to be published in the next month's line up. And I read the list of names with a mixture of feelings. It was just 16 years since that book came out but some of the authors have lasted, some have disppeared, stopped writing, some have sadly died, and others I just don't even remember at all.

The authors listed were:

Helen Bianchin - Passion's Mistress

Emma Darcy - The Upstairs Lover

Charlotte Lamb Body and Soul

Betty Neels -Waiting for Deborah

Sandra Field - Wildfire

Diana Hamilton - In Name Only

Rosalie Ash - An Imported Wife

Jenny Cartwright - Blameless Desire

Sally Heywood - Master of Destiny

Lucy Keane - Dance to the Devil's Tune

Barbara McMahon - Living for Love

Alex Ryder - Dark Avenger

Shirley Kemp - When Strangers Meet

Kirsty McCallum - Past Imperfect

Laurey Bright - Jacinth

Miriam Macgregor - Heir to Glengyle

I wonder how many of those you can remember?

The first 3 were real favourites of mine - still are. I used to enjoy Sandra Field's book - Charlotte Lamb's books too. Sadly she, Betty Neels and Diana Hamilton are now no longer with us.

Barbara McMahon is still writing - for Harlequin Romance - and Laurey Bright was a pseudonym used by Presents author Daphne Clair. Looking the others up on Fantastic Fiction it seems that Master of Destiny was Sally Heywood's 17th and last book, Miriam Macgregor wrote her last book in 1999, Rosalie Ash in 1998. I couldn't find Lucy Keane or Jenny Cartwright.

I remember Alex Ryder - whose seconfd book is in this list. He only wrote 3 more. Yes - that's right - he. I met Alex at the very first author day that Mills & Boon organised in London years ago - I remember he was a small, bearded Scotsman - and I can still recall the look on his face when, discussing the things that didn't sell well in romance, one sentior editor listed ' men with beards and Scotland'!

So all this started me recalling other authors I've loved and how many of them are still writing - how man y not. Witchstone by Anne Mather was the the book that revived my love of romance after I'd let it drop. I used to love to read Sara Craven and Robyn Donald( still do), Sara Wood, Mary Wibberley . . . .

I have to admit that this wander down memory lane made me want to go and find some more of my stored 'keepers' from the old days and curl up in a chair and reread so many of them. If only I had time!

What about you? Do you have favourite authors/books from the past? Which ones would you like to reread? Which authors did you use to read when you first got hooked on romance - are they still writing or do you miss them and wish they were still creating wonderful new books?

Kate’s latest USA title is The Konstantos Marriage Demand, still available in Presents Extra.

In the UK, her By Request 3 in 1 volume Claimed by The Sicilian contains reprints of three of her best-selling titles – The Sicilian’s Wife, Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Wife, and the Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge.

You can find all the details on Kate’s website and the most up to date stuff is on her blog.

Dark Hearted Desert Men - Trish Morey

What’s left to say about the Dark Hearted Desert Men miniseries after the fabulous Annie West posted just yesterday?


Beyond saying it was such an awesome pleasure to work with the likes of fabulous Presents authors such as Carol Marinelli, (RITA finalist!) Jennie Lucas and Annie West on this very special series.


I love sheikh books. Always have. Always will. To me, they’re the ultimate fantasy alpha male (at least, if you want a living breathing alpha male – vampires are something else againJ) because the worlds they inhabit are so exotic and foreign and they can make their own rules.

Yet for all their power, still they are merely men and oh, so susceptible to the love of just one special woman!

Sheikh Rafiq Al’ Ramiz in Forbidden: The Sheikh’s Virgin knows the love of just one special woman. Or at least, he remembers it, but not in a good way. Betrayed by the woman he loved, Rafiq left Qusay for Australia, where he made a life and a fortune, leaving Qusay behind until he is summoned back, to confront both a family crisis, and a woman he has never really forgotten.


I loved writing Forbidden: The Sheikh’s Virgin, and I hope you love reading it too. Already in its second week at #3 on the Borders Series Bestseller List, and as of yesterday a USA bestseller, thank you to everyone who has made it such a success!


Trish would love to giveaway a copy of one of her backlist titles of choice. Simply comment as to what is your ultimate fantasy male and why, and you will be in the draw!

My First Continuity Story - Annie West

I've discovered a writer's life is full of firsts. The first exciting idea for a story. The first completed manuscript. The first rejection (so long ago I shouldn't be able to recall it but I can). The first contest placing/win. The first writers' group. First conference. First sale! First story in print. First editor. First time seeing your book in the store. First review. First reader mail!! First translation.

Now I've got another first to add to my collection: my first ever continuity story. You know the ones where a common thread weaves through several books, yet each book stands alone as an individual story?

Early last year my editor asked if I'd be interested in being part of a four part Presents continuity with a sheikh theme called DARK HEARTED DESERT MEN. How could I resist? I was particularly excited as it was a small series of books, following on from the Royal House of Karedes continuity. Being part of a small series appealed. Especially when I discovered my fellow continuity writers were some of my faves - Carol Marinelli, Trish Morey and Jennie Lucas. What fabulous company!

Soon I found myself immersed in a wealthy, exotic desert kingdom, with a challenging hero who was weary of the world and even of women, and who dreaded a reunion with his family in the country he'd left behind over a decade ago. But as soon as I began digging I found Tahir's cynicism was rooted in a painful past. Far from being simply a dissolute rake, this hero had perfected the art of hiding his weaknesses from the world and himself. Until he meets a special woman who threatens not only his comfort zone but his carefully constructed world. What happens after that - well you can find out more from SCANDAL: HIS MAJESTY'S LOVE-CHILD.

It's out this month in the UK and in July in North America, Australia and New Zealand. You can also read an excerpt on my website.

To celebrate this release I thought I'd offer a signed copy of my book to someone who leaves a comment. For a little challenge, how about seeing if you can write an interesting sentence or paragraph to hook a potential reader that includes one word from each title in the continuity? The words are: banished, king, forbidden and scandal.

Best of luck,

Annie

Beach Reads - The Prince's Royal Concubine

It's that time of year again! Summer, glorious summer - time for trips to the beach (or pool) and entertaining books while we're there. I know the media likes to portray beach reads as fluffy and lacking in substance.

But I think those labels do a disservice to the books I choose to read. Yes, I read a lot of romance. I especially read the line I write for - Harlequin Presents - because I can't believe I actually share shelf space with these talented women on a regular basis.

The stories my fellow Presents authors come up with just astound me with their excitement and passion. Presents will always be my first love, no doubt about it!

I've been on a killer deadline recently, so my reading has been cut down a bit, but the most recent Presents I read were some backlist books by Jane Porter (The Sicilian's Defiant Mistress) and Lucy Monroe (The Sicilian's Marriage Arrangement), Jennie Lucas's May book, Tamed: The Barbarian King and Kim Lawrence's May book, Mistress: Pregnant by the Spanish Billionaire. I still have four May books left, and I have already pre-ordered the Kindle bundle for June.

I've also read Linda Howard's Loving Evangeline, and a book by Maggie O'Farrell called The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox (not a romance).

Naturally, I have a lot of books on my TBR pile! These range from historical (Laura Kinsale, Tessa Dare) to contemporary (Rachel Gibson, Susan Elizabeth Phillips) to paranormal (Jennifer Estep, Annette McCleave), etc. Those are just a sampling of authors from the pile. :)

I also have my own beach read out in June! If you're looking for another book to add to the pile, The Prince's Royal Concubine is full of passion and emotion and the sweet ache of first love. This fast-paced tale takes place on a Caribbean island (mostly) -- quite appropriate for the beach!

RT Book Reviews awarded this story 4 1/2 stars and a Top Pick recommendation!

From the back cover:

Two glittering royal houses…

Prince Cristiano di Savaré hunts his prey by ruthless means. Tonight’s pickings…Antonella Romanelli, crown princess of a rival country and part of a dynasty he has every reason to despise…

…one majestic seduction

Antonella is rocked by Cristiano’s unexpected magnetism. But there’s ice in his wolfish smile… She’s far from the promiscuous, spoiled socialite he believes her to be, but Cristiano is here to persuade her into compliance. If bedding her is what it takes, then it will make his mission all the more pleasurable…

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What books do you have on your beach or pool read list this summer? What have you already read that you really enjoyed?