Three Greek heroes – Kandy Shepherd

Making my first visit to the glorious Greece islands in 2015 must really have fired my creative process. (Or should I say being surrounded by gorgeous Greek men on that and a subsequent vacation the next year might have done the trick!)

Whatever the inspiration, I realised I have written three books in a row for Harlequin Romance with tall, dark and very handsome Greek heroes: Lukas Cristophedes, Greek Tycoon’s Mistletoe Proposal(November 2016); Alex Mikhalis, ConvenientlyWed to the Greek (May 2017); and Cristos Theofanis, Stranded With Her Greek Tycoon (February 2018).

I didn’t intend to write hero number three. I was going to write quite a different story with a different hero. But I couldn’t stop thinking about a minor character in the second book,cousin to the hero–he just had to have his own book! 

I didn’t know a lot about Cristos except that he was incredibly handsome, very charming and had a deep, hidden sadness in his eyes. Turned out he’d separated from Hayley, the wife he’d adored and couldn’t forget. I just knew I had to get Cristos and Hayley back together again and the story was born. (Yes, I know it sounds a little crazy but my characters seem so real to me that I feel I really know them!)

Here’s the blurb for Stranded With Her Greek Tycoon:

One night to win back his wife!

Can Hayley resist Cristos’s seductive charms?

After the demise of her marriage, Hayley fled to nurse her broken heart. Now she’s back to ask her husband, Cristos Theofanis, for a divorce—but he has other ideas! When a storm hits and they’re stranded together, Cristos has one night to prove himself. Can Hayley resist the temptation of Cristos’s kiss or will she find herself back in his arms?

 The next story I’m working doesn’t have a Greek hero and is set not on a Greek island but on a tropical island. But I won’t tell you anymore as things can sometimes change in the writing!

Do you enjoy a particular type of hero? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please make a comment!

 Kandy Shepherd’s most recent book ConvenientlyWed to the Greek is a May 2017 release from Harlequin Romance in North America; Mills & Boon Cherish in the UK; and Mills & Boon Forever Romance in Australia and New Zealand. Watch out for Stranded With Her Greek Tycoon in February 2018.

Kandy Shepherd is a multi-published, 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, Pinterest and Instagram

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Invitation to a Royal Wedding

 Here it is! My first book from Tule is part of the Royal Wedding Invitation series, a quartet (although each book stands alone) set in the Cotswold village of Combe St Philip and San Michele, a small country with an Adriatic coastline and mountainous interior.

It all started just about a year ago when I was asked if I'd like to be part of a small series set in the Cotswolds with a wedding at it's heart.

The timing was perfect for me. I've known Sophie Weston, Jessica Hart and Anne McAllister for many years and I couldn't think of three authors I'd rather be working with.

It's enormous fun working with other writers. You get to bounce ideas off each other, go a little wild, stretch your imagination in new ways. I also learned - from Jessica Hart - the joy of using a timeline. (So organised - not at all like the way I tend to go off into the mist!) Sophie supplied an entire history for the royal family and found us our imaginery principality and Anne did her inimitable thing and tossed in an American rock star as the best man.

We settled on our village in the Cotswolds - modelling it on Castle Combe, Anne was coming to the UK in the spring and we decided that once we had broken the back of the writing, we would all spend the day there, getting the feel of the place. The books would be delivered by May and published in the summer.

Oh dear.

The best laid plans...

Jessica, who with her Pamela Hartshorne hat on had a mainstream women's fiction novel to write, flew out of the traps and produced her first draft in record time. After that things went downhill fast.

First Anne broke her wrist and, rather later, discovered that she had also broken her finger. Then I broke my arm. That was two of us down to one-handed typing and when all the focus you need to create your world is spent struggling to type (or use dictation software that hates you) there's not much left over to get the words down.

Tule were understanding. The delivery dates were put back six weeks.

Jenny was next to be struck down - this time with a series of horrible of viruses. Other dramas followed, but eventually, the books were all delivered into the hands of the waiting editor.

Fabulous covers were produced and we did have our day out in Castle Combe - the prettiest village in England. We walked the ground on which events took place and had lunch at the Manor House Hotel - which we had recast as Hasebury Hall - under a cloudless blue sky. And we had a fabulous lunch.

That wasn't the end, of course.

We might have hundreds of books between us but there were revisions. It's part of the process, a chance to tighten up the prose, put right the names of minor characters that had been changed and which I'd forgotten. I'd missed the "s" of the end of the Crown Prince's name, my hero's name (Count Fredrik Jensson - that's him up there, btw) got changed in one of the books to Jansson. Some scenes were cut, a few new ones were written, all perfectly normal - especially when four authors were writing scenes that crossed over the series.

Here's the blurb for the series -

A baronet’s daughter is marrying into European royalty and the wedding is set to take place in her pretty Cotswold village, where she grew up. Each hero/heroine is providing a wedding service– catering, PR, security. They aim to make the royal wedding an unforgettable one. Love finds each of them along the way.

And here's a taste from The Bridesmaid's Royal Bodyguard -

“ALLY!”

Ally Parker glanced at the clock and sighed. Jennifer Harmon, the landlady of the Three Bells and her temporary boss, never failed to find a last-minute job that would take her over her basic hours. Extra minutes for which she would not be paid.

Mostly, because she needed a job—even one that involved scrubbing the floors of a busy gastro-pub—she gritted her teeth and got on with it, but not today.

She had to get away promptly for the first test in the once-in-a-lifetime PR gig handed her by her BFF, Hope Kennard. Not that she could tell Jennifer the reason she had to leave on time.

Much as she’d enjoy wiping the superior look off Jennifer’s face by explaining that she was meeting Count Fredrik Jensson, Head of Security for the San Michele royal family, this morning at Hasebury Hall, Hope’s marriage to His Serene Highness Prince Jonas Reval was very much on a need-to-know basis. Family, bridesmaids…

“Ally!” The second summons was sung out so sweetly that she knew Pete must have joined his wife in the bar to set up for the lunchtime rush. That would make things easier, at least for today. Jennifer would dissect any excuse she offered with her scalpel of a tongue but Pete would wave her out of the door. It would give his wife even more reason to give her a hard time when he wasn’t around but right now she’d take it.

She gave the range of stainless steel sinks one last wipe down but kept on her pink rubber gloves when she walked into the bar so that she couldn’t be accused of not working every second she was being paid for.

“Oh, there you are, Ally. I was beginning to think you’d slipped away early.”

Jennifer looked her up and down, clearly enjoying the fact that, having lost her “glamorous” job in London, her working wardrobe now consisted of a wrap-around pinny that had belonged to her grandmother and the scarf she wrapped around her hair to protect it from the scent of cooking and ale that lingered in the air.

“No, still here—” she looked up as the bar clock clicked onto the hour, setting her free “—although I do have to leave promptly today,” she reminded her, pulling off one of the gloves to emphasize the point.

“Of course, my dear. I wouldn’t dream of keeping you a minute over your hours.” Her smile might have convinced anyone who didn’t have the misfortune to work for her. “The only reason I called is because you have a visitor.”

A visitor?

She turned as Jennifer gestured in the direction of a tall figure standing with his back to her in front of the fire.

Who…?

He turned as if she’d spoken the word out loud and any number of words skittered through her brain  mostly of the what-the-hell variety  but her over-riding thought was that Count Fredrik Jensson looked a lot more dangerous in person than he had in the photographs she’d found online.

His thick, light brown hair, cut almost brutally short, looked as if it had been touched by the hard frost riming the hedges as she set out for work at dawn. His eyes were a matching icy grey and he had the hard-boned good looks that turned strong women to jelly.

Jennifer, gossip antennae twitching like the whiskers of a mouse scenting cheese, was simpering in expectation of an introduction.

The man might be dangerously sexy but he was also dangerously stupid. Fortunately, her three years working for a gossip magazine had given her plenty of practice in diversionary tactics.

Before he could speak she flung her arms wide and exclaimed, “Fredrik!” hoping he’d have the sense to follow her lead. “How wonderful! I wasn’t expecting to see you until later.”

The last, at least, was true. Plan A had been to present herself at Hasebury Hall on the dot of ten o’clock, city-smart and thoroughly professional in her “serious” suit and the Manolos she’d bought with a bonus when she’d been flavour of the month at Celebrity magazine.

She hadn’t anticipated the need for a Plan B but no one could accuse her of being slow on her feet.

Jennifer, agog at the arrival of a drop-dead gorgeous male, needed distracting. If she thought they had history, she wouldn’t be wondering what he was doing in Combe St Philip; her imagination would already be filling in the blanks.

Peeling off her other glove and stuffing them both in her apron pocket, Ally placed her hands on the sleeves of his coat and, leaning forward to brush her lips against his cold cheek, murmured, “Just play along.”

For a heartbeat nothing happened, but Count Fredrik Jensson was not slow on his feet, either. While she was distracted by the enticing scent of cold skin, tingly fresh air, leaves mouldering beneath the bare canopy of winter woods, his hands encircled her waist and before she could blink he was crushing her against the soft cashmere of his coat and the hard body it concealed.

“Alice…”

Never had her name sounded so desirable and, held by his penetrating grey stare, she only realized his intention a split second before he lowered his mouth to hers.

Her tiny mew of protest was obliterated by the touch of cold lips that sent a shiver to her toes. Her brain, seeking an appropriate response to the shocking experience of being kissed senseless by a man she’d only moments before set eyes on, floundered as the ice of his mouth combined with the heat of hers in an explosion of pleasure.

Her last coherent thought as she closed her eyes and kissed him back was more…

The books are being released on the 13th, 15th, 18th and 20th October but are up for pre-order now. Go get them!

Tule

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon Australia
iTunes
Googleplay
Kobo

For the Love of Pets - Addison Fox

For anyone who’s read prior blog posts I’ve written or read my work or looked at my social media feed, it’s pretty obvious that I’m a family person. The families we’re born with and the ones we create as we go through life are essential to my view of the world. I am the person I am because of my family – both the one I’m related to by blood and the one who’s come to me through the daily joys of living.

While both of these situations have produced incredible bonds, there’s one other family I’ve had through my life that fits both of those situations. My pets. There is an incredible joy that comes from having a pet and I’ve been blessed with several.

For me, the majority have been beagles, though we had some family cats when I was small who still carry a place of honor in my heart. But for me, there’s just something about the merry little hound that I’m a sucker for and the beagles who have filled my life – first Charlie when I was a kid, then Tank once I was a young adult on my own and now Max, my beagle rescue who came into my life 2 ½ years ago – have all filled my world with joy, laughter, happiness and, in the case of Charlie and Tank who’ve crossed the rainbow bridge, sadness, too.

Pets are amazing equalizers. They provide ready conversation with strangers, whether it’s an in person meeting or a story told (or retold for the eighth time!) at work. They provide companionship and steady warmth that eases even the hardest days. And they continually prove to us that we can care for something that’s both vulnerable and dependent on us while also having its own capability to get on in the world.

It was with this love and joy that I jumped at the opportunity to write a book set in the world of K-9 police work. I’ve had the good fortune to work on a few of the Colton family continuity books for Harlequin and when I could both write a hot hero (those Colton men are ALWAYS attractive!) and one who’s crazy about his dog, well, I was hooked. It amazed me how many times in the writing I channeled a memory of my own loveable dogs or stories that had been shared lovingly with me by others. The big, soulful eyes. The love of food scraps. And even a few misplaced puppy experiences found their way into the writing of the book and I spent most of it with a big smile on my face.

So I’d love to hear about your loveable pets. What furry (or feathered, or scaled!) family members do you share your life with? How do they enrich your life and what recent antics have they gotten themselves into?

Thanks for joining me today!

XO,

Addison

PS

Here’s the cover of the new book (see…hot guy and adorable dog!!) and my own loveable Max.

                                                                                                                                                   

Despite early ambitions of being a diver, a drummer or a doctor, Addison Fox happily discovered she was more suited to life as a writer. She lives in New York and - thankfully - doesn't have to operate on anyone. You can find her at her home on the web at www.addisonfox.com. Her latest release, COLTON K-9 COP, is out in mid-October from Harlequin Intrigue. You can visit her at her website at www.addisonfox.com

Nicole Locke - Snippets from the Historical Romance Retreat 2017!

Historical Romance Retreat 2017 is over, and I just want to share with you what an incredible experience it was.

Except, how do I describe that for an entire week, I lived, breathed, chatted, and laughed historical romance? How to explain that readers and writers of historical romance watched their beloved genre come to life before them?

Because that’s what happened. There were lectures on port and perfume, and little gems regarding the back roads of Regency London. 

There was Afternoon Tea, a black and white film in a preserved theatre, and gambling with Regency games. We made fascinators, sipped on absinthe and nibbled on historical desserts. 

Attendees celebrated with historical clothes from Medieval gowns to Mid-Century swing dresses, from cravats to shoe buckles. The gentlemen had their own private clubs to attend. Hijinks occurred and a duel was fought in front of all.

Then we danced at the Grand Ball.

Was there a favourite bit for me? Oh yes, and that was chatting with everyone, readers and writers alike. The days when we had breakfasts, lunches and dinners together. 

The times we laughed during the book signing. The brief hellos and happy words in the hallways. 

All those moments full of fun and yet, ever so dear as well. Those moments were my favourites because though my gowns and shoes are now put away, I can still share those happy Retreat times and all the moments yet to come.  Love to you all, and to those I’ve yet to meet! Hope to see you at the next Historical Retreat!

Nicole :-) 

 

Things and People: Susan Sands

This should be a blog about books since I have a new book coming out October 26th! I'm so excited about that and want to give it a good promotional shout for it. Christmas, Alabama is available now for pre-order!

Available October 26th

But there are so many other things happening in my life right now that I must purge them onto this page.

Many of us are in a similar place in life where our children are growing up and leaving the nest, while our parents are becoming more needful of us in physical, emotional, and sometimes financial ways. They become our new dependents as their parents became during their aging cycle. It's a life shift that isn't easy for anyone. But it is a transition that happens.

My husband and I are trying to sell our house and downsize. We've just rid ourselves via a three-day professionally-run, estate sale of most of our furniture and household items and accessories with the idea that our house would show and sell better with empty closets and rooms free of clutter. This week we move my dad into memory care. Next month, my mom moves in with us. My daughter is filling out college applications and visiting colleges and will graduate in the spring. Oh, yes, and I have that new book coming out...

So, our house goes back on the market in a week or two after the last offer fell through.

But we're all okay for now. People matter. Things don't. It was easy to get rid of them. We have each other. We all get along pretty well. We're working together as a team to accomplish all these goals. We work for grace every day. Some days are better than others.

I wish you grace in your life struggles.

Susan Sands

His Majesty's Temporary Bride - Annie West

Have you ever dreamed of another life, different from your own? Have you imagined what it would be to act as someone else, someone free of the complications of your own world and history? Would it be exciting to take on another persona, at least temporarily? Or would it be terrifying?

Today marks the official release of HIS MAJESTY'S TEMPORARY BRIDE. My first ever masquerade story and hands down one of the most engaging, exciting and passionate stories I've written.

Cat (Catherine) Dubois doesn't want to play stand in for her royal half sister, Princess Amelie. Shunned by their father, her parentage is a secret that's haunted her all her life, especially because of her physical similarity to her royal sister. Cat turned her back on her homeland years ago but finds herself drawn back when Amelie goes missing under mysterious circumstances and Cat agrees to a royal masquerade for her sister's sake.

The complication is sexy Alex, a stranger who turns out to be King Alexander of Bengaria, visiting the palace as a possible suitor for Cat's sister. And despite everything Cat tells herself about resisting the allure of this compelling man, she finds herself hovering on the brink of surrender. Here's a taste:

‘Tell me you understand.’ His breath warmed her lips. His thumb stroked back and forth across her cheek.

Cat nodded. ‘You don’t want to marry.’

‘I’ve got too much to do. There’s still so much work to get Bengaria back on track. I haven’t got time for a wife. I’m not ready to be a father.’

Yet Alex didn’t draw back. If anything he seemed closer.

‘If I wanted a bride it would be different.’ His voice was husky.

Cat didn’t trust herself to speak. His expression held her spellbound, though logic screamed that she needed to put distance between them.

‘If I wanted a bride I couldn’t go past those big green eyes. Or those lips. I’d be suggesting we got to know each other much better.’ His thumb dipped from her cheek to her mouth, pressing her lower lip and dragging it down. Cat exhaled, lungs tight, nipples budding against the constraint of her bra as his thumb stroked her lip, once, twice, till she couldn’t resist and tasted him with the tip of her tongue. He was salt and spice and frighteningly addictive.

His eyes dilated, his breath warm on her face, he crowded closer, long legs bracketing hers. His other arm stretched out to the tree trunk behind her as if Alex too felt the sudden need for safe anchor as the ground seemed to ripple and swell.

‘And as for this body…’ To her dismay his hand dropped but before she could frame a protest she felt his touch, tantalising and soft, brush her collarbone, then trace the wide neckline of her T shirt, before sliding down.

Cat’s breath stalled as his knuckles brushed the outer swell of her breast, slowing then tracing down her ribs then splaying at her waist. Those long, hard fingers made her aware of how small she was compared with him. Of how much strength resided in those large, capable hands and that taut, athletic body.

Her mouth was parched but she had to find words to make him back off. This was too dangerous. To her masquerade but also to her. She teetered on the brink of feelings that made a mockery of all her training, her strength and control. She swallowed and moistened her lips with her tongue then opened her mouth to speak.

But the words didn’t come because Alex’s mouth settled on hers and the world exploded.

To buy:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
IBooks

Carnival masks and cloaks in Venice

I so enjoyed writing the story of hidden identity and intrigue, I can't wait to write another! So much drama and passion! Just my sort of story.

Hiding your identity, often with a real mask, is popular around the world and there are multiple festivals where people dress up and pretend to be a total stranger. Halloween is an obvious example in North America. And I know in Germany one of the Carnival traditions is to dress in costume to celebrate. On a recent trip to Venice I saw plenty of masks and cloaks, which I have to say looked terrific and just a little scary - especially when you turned a corner into a narrow alley and discovered a couple of people in full costume, watching you from behind anonymous masks.

Do you like masquerades? What is your favorite dress up experience?

If you want to keep up to date with Annie's latest releases, behind the scenes information and exclusive giveaways, sign up for her reader newsletter. 

The Rehabilitative Quality Of A Good Book

As a writer, some days I don't feel like writing. Now there are those normal, run-of-the-mill, short-term moments when the feeling lasts a day or two, but then I rebound and sit in front of the laptop and write.

On the other hand, there are the longer episodes when my brain isn't cooperating with the creative side to produce anything. It's not author's block, but more about feeling motivated. And authors who may suffer similar feelings completely get what I mean. There's no shortcut or easy solution, either. Everyone has to find her unique way to climb out of that hole.

Sometimes I fight through and use sheer determination to get to that necessary point. Lately, however, I've opted to give myself the space and time to figure it out. I'm not under deadlines so I can afford to slow down and take a breather.

And the best breather I know is to pick up a book and read.

Claire Norton at book club 

I'm a big reader. And this isn't about only reading when I feel blah about my writing. This sharing moment is about holding steady until achieving the creative balance. It's about taking a deep dive into book land and gorging on books. I tend to surround myself with books from most genres. And I especially make sure to include authors from various countries to enjoy the unique styles and flavors that come through due to the author's culture.

Now, filling my reservoir on books isn't about copying a particular author or copying a particular style. The joy in reading is about re-discovering the magical quality where a story sucks me right in and doesn't release me until well after the book is done. Allowing the imagination to roam and explore is a necessity like breathing. And I can only get that special rehabilitative quality through reading books.

So while I go through the process to get back in the saddle and write, I will enjoy every beautiful word, story, book that is in my e-reader TBR pile. As a dutiful reader, I will also leave reviews in Goodreads and on particular e-reader platforms.

I hope you have a book ready at your fingertips that will give you joy.

All the best,

Michelle
http://michellemonkou.com

Power of Story

by Joanne Rock

With apologies to the wonders of modern transportation, I can’t help but think there is no faster way to take a long journey than four simple words—once upon a time.

There is magic in those words.  If you don’t believe it, try watching the opening to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast sometime, where a wonderful narrator’s voice sucks you in with a long ago legend told over the still pictures of a story book.  Whether or not our books begin with the classic words that begin a fairy tale, our brains still hear them as we sit down to open a book.  And by “we” I’m referring to romance readers, readers who believe in the transporting power of story and are eager to undertake that journey again and again through the pages of a book.  The magic of “once upon a time” is engrained, a mental portal we go through whenever we open a new book and that excitement for a story begins all over again.

Of course, maybe I’m a very susceptible reader.  I willingly suspend disbelief at the drop of a hat, always ready to take a new journey and see where a story leads.  Perhaps not all readers are as eager to see the world through pages as I am.

But even the most cynical of readers will undertake that magical story journey every now and then.  No matter that they fight the pull of “once upon a time,” sooner or later something will draw them in and lead them deep into a story.  For my oldest son recently, it was DaVinci Code.  For my youngest, it was Harry Potter.  You’ve got to hand it to J.K. Rowling.  Nothing captures a six-year-old’s attention like a giant driving out of the sky on a motorcycle.

 

Thanks to the power of story, I’ve been all around the world and through time to save the world, save the family farm, save numerous rocky marriages.  I’ve battled plagues, bad guys and vampires.  And of course, I’ve fallen for a few bad guys and vampires.  And sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively, it all started once upon a time.

**Do you remember the last book that almost gave you goosebumps as you read the opening pages? Or the last book you highly anticipated? Share with me today for a chance to win a download of LAST CHANCE CHRISTMAS! Don't miss my next book in the Road to Romance series, A CHANCE THIS CHRISTMAS, releasing October 5th.

His Mistletoe Wager

His Mistletoe Wager is released worldwide on 1st October 2017

In the middle of the summer heatwave of 2016, and halfway through writing my Wild Warriners series, my editor at Harlequin Mills and Boon asked me if I would like to do a Christmas book for them. I happily jumped at the chance but because I was already a third into A Warriner to Tempt Her and there was no way I was going to be able to turn a smallpox epidemic into a festive tale, I decided to write a standalone story for my publisher instead.

Sort of.

I say sort of because it is also a bit of a sequel to my second book, Her Enemy at the Altar although like all my books, you don't have to have read one to enjoy the others.

Thanks to several lovely messages from readers and quite a few comments from reviewers, I knew that some people, including me, wanted to see the tormented Aaron Wincanton and shrew-like Constance Stuart again. Fortunately, I gave Connie a younger brother in that book and so it was his story I decided to write as the sun singed my lawn and I melted at my computer.

Hal (Henry) Stuart, the newly minted Earl of Redbridge and notorious rake is a little out of sorts. Something is not quite right in his life but he can’t put his finger on what. His scandalous life has suddenly become very boring now that he has a title, largely because hunting for women has got too easy.

On a quest to find his missing vigour, he accepts a bet from his brother-in-law Aaron that he cannot steal five kisses in five separate places before Twelfth Night. One kiss for each of the berries on the sprig pinned to his lapel. Hal assumes he has to kiss five separate women, but Aaron decrees that all the kisses must be stolen from just the one woman.

Sullen Lizzie.

A committed spinster with a hatred for rakes and, unbeknownst to both Hal and the whole of the Ton, a very dirty secret she has kept hidden for five long years.

At times, these two characters had me laughing out loud as I wrote them and despite forming a fast and unlikely friendship, I couldn’t get Lizzie to allow herself to fall for Hal. Throw in a couple of meddling relatives, a menacing butler and three adorable and tenacious children and the end result, His Mistletoe Wager, was huge fun to write.

But in the end, a wager is a wager and it’s Christmas. And at Christmas there is always mistletoe…

Virginia Heath writes raunchy Regency romantic comedies for Harlequin Mills & Boon but her dog Trevor mostly writes her Facebook posts.

Favorite Movie Couples

I am a sucker for a great movie couple – Joan Wilder and Jack T. Colton (Romancing the Stone), Vivien and Edward (Pretty Woman), and Jack and Rose (Titanic) are all on my list. I like couples that banter, couples that laugh together, couples that are hot for each other…even if they’d lost a little of that sparkle. Here are a few of my favorite movie couples.

Phil & Claire (Date Night). First, I have to say that I adore Steve Carell and Tina Fey, I have yet to find a movie starring either of them that I don’t love. Putting them together, and as a married couple, no less? That was the icing on this movie lover’s cake! Phil & Claire have lost the spark in their marriage, and it takes their friends’ impending divorce to make them see it. The problem is that their romantic date night in the city has gone haywire because they’ve been mistaken for a couple on the run from mobsters. It’s delicious watching the two of them working together to save themselves, to see those little moments of jealousy, and when they finally save the day (and their marriage) you just have to cheer!

Tess & Finn (Fool’s Gold). Another couple on the rocks! There seems to be a theme to my list!! I adore a good treasure hunt movie, and I adore the chemistry between Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughy. Tess & Finn haven’t lost the spark in their relationship – they’re still hot for one another. The problem is that Tess has a vision of her life that isn’t lining up with Finn’s; things aren’t lining up because she’s so focused on what she wanted for her life pre-Finn that she can’t wrap her mind around what she wants once he’s in her life. Throw in a mean rapper, a cricket bat, and a lot of banter? And they not only find their way back to one another, but they both realize what they really want in their lives.

Margaret & Andrew (The Proposal). Finally, a movie that isn’t about breaking up – it’s about faking it! This is one of my favorite tropes in all of romanceland – a couple of people faking a relationship and falling for one another is such a sweet journey. . .and when you add in the angst of Sandra Bullock’s Margaret and the obliviousness of Ryan Reynolds’ Andrew? It’s even sweeter!

Those are my top three – tell me, who are your favorite movie couples?

Kristina Knight’s latest release is Breakup in a Small Town, the third book in her Slippery Rock series!

This isn't the man she married…

Jenny Buchanan never considered what "for better or for worse" meant when she married Adam Buchanan at nineteen. Six years and two little boys later, "for worse" arrives in the form of a tornado that ravages Slippery Rock and injures Adam. Now he's a stranger to his family…and love won't be enough to bring him back.

Only when Jenny asks him to move out does Adam become the husband she needs…but Adam isn't the only one who's changed. As their attraction sparks back to life, Jenny and Adam must learn what it is to grow up—and grow together—before this small-town breakup lasts forever.

Kristina Knight is a contemporary romance author, part-time swim-kid wrangler, and full-time Thin Mints enthusiast. You can find out more the book and Kristina on her website, and feel free to stalk follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 

Free Book and New Releases! By Jenny Gardiner

Hi!

Great news! Red Hot Romeo is free! A hot Italian, a gorgeous supermodel, and fabulous wines…what’s not to love?!

You can check out the first book in the Royal Romeo series for a limited time here:

Kindle: bit.ly/RedHotRomeo
iBooks: http://bit.ly/RHRom
Nook: http://bit.ly/RHRNook
Kobo: http://bit.ly/KoboRHR
Google Play: http://bit.ly/RHRgoogle

And on Tuesday, the final book in the series, Big O Romeo, will be released! You can get it here. 

But wait, there's more! ;-) I just started a new series! Falling for Mr. Right. And book one, Falling for Mr. Maybe, comes out November 14. I hope you get a chance to check it out!

Lastly, don't forget, book one of the It's Reigning Men series, Something in the Heir, is free here!

I hope you'll have a chance to check out my Royal Romeos series, which is a spin-off of my wildly popular It's Reigning Men series--please do check them out!

Happy reading!

    

  

  

 Coming November 14! 

Getting my Glad Rags out by Michelle Styles

Today I shall be on my way to the annual gathering of Mills and Boon authors aka AMBA. It is the first I have been able to go in a while. Getting children to their respective universities or going on holiday with my husband has taken precedence. However, this year I get to go and collect my pin for writing 25 books for Harlequin. Harlequin celebrates various significant milestones for authors, marking them with little gifts. There are pins for 25 and 50 and I forget what for 75 books (however I will find out as my friend and fellow author Kate Hardy is getting her 75^th memento today as well)

Picture from RWA of Joanne Rock with 2017 Author milestones

I very nearly didn’t get the pin. After my 24^th, I thought this is me done.  I am not getting any joy from writing historical romances any more. So I walked away from the offered contract and started writing something new. It took me awhile (and still it hasn’t sold – I have faith that some day it will but it also got me a fabulous agent) But then I was in a used bookshop and saw several historical romances. A fierce longing rose in my breast and I realized that after all I did like writing historical romances, and in particularly I did like writing my Vikings. So I set to work and wrote what became Sold to the Viking Warrior, my 25^th Harlequin. I then took time off and wrote a single title because I could. And then I wrote The Warrior’s Viking Bride, my 26^th which comes out in March 2018 and I think is one of my best.  I shall be interested to see what readers think. Then partly because my mother made sniffy noises (I don't get her attitude), I am working on the next Viking which isn't finished. Sometimes it is about figuring out what works for you.

AMBA is a magical experience. The first time I went I was frightened because there were all these authors whose books I have loved and then there was me. One of the big things I learned was that no author was born published and therefore everyone remembers what it was like not to be published. There is a certain energy to being there because the attendees know intimately about the struggles, the pitfalls and unparalleled joys which come from writing romance for Harlequin Mills and Boon. In the evening, the party means that the authors get to mingle with the editors. This is always fun as I have worked with a number of editors over the years and it is pleasant to see how they are doing.

The lunch is at London Bridge Hotel and then there is a special presentation about what is happening at Mills & Boon before the party where I will finally get my pin. Then back on the train and home to the reality which is my current Viking. A long and exhausting day but oh so worth it in many ways.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romances in a wide variety of time periods, most recently Viking. Her next Viking, The Warrior’s Viking Bride will be published in March 2018. You can learn more about Michelle and her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk

Christina Hollis—Beginnings and Endings

Goodbye, summer...

September and the beginning of the new school term is always bittersweet. The peace after a summer of comings and goings is tinged with sadness at another milestone passed in the children's lives, and our own. 

This year is more poignant than most, as our son enters his last year at secondary school. It'll be final exams for him in summer 2018. A few weeks after that he'll be off into the big wide world. This is the last time I'll be doing the school run beneath dancing flocks of gathering swallows and house martins. This time next year, he'll be getting ready to fly the nest himself. 

In the meantime he's fine-tuning his skills in the kitchen, learning how to budget, and sitting at the top of the best local driving instructor's waiting list. I'm trying to step back, but it's difficult. He's got numerous health problems, but you can't keep them wrapped in cotton wool all their lives, can you? Not that it stops me worrying. 

Maybe leaving home will be the making of him. Maybe. You hear such worrying things about Generation I—the ones who live life at one remove, behind screens or via their telephones. How they're in danger of becoming Special Snowflakes because they lack the social skills we all learned in the days BC—Before Computer.  They're not so well-equipped to deal with the rough and tumble of daily working life, it seems.

...hello, autumn...

 

I'll look on the bright side. I worried about DD when she went off to university. Now she's back home and has a new career as an archaeologist. We could be toasting Son Number One's similar success in a few years' time, with wine made from our new grapevines!

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

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