Ally Blake's Blog, page 11

RIVA's back! Now meet meet your new best friend Ruby Delisantro from Mills and Boon RIVA's "Cupcakes & Killer Heels" by Heidi Rice

ebook from millsandboon.co.ukName: Ruby Delisantro
Age: 27
Occupation: Cupcake entrepeneur
Vital Stats: Chocolate-coloured eyes, rich caramel skin (courtesy of her Italian heritage) and long wavy chestnut hair. Ruby is a statuesque beauty with femimine curves in abundance who knows how to flaunt her assets (ie, she’s been trying to lose that extra 10lbs since she was 17, but she enjoys life far too much to try all that hard)  (Find out sexy legal eagle Callum Westmore's vital stats at Natalie Anderson's blog!)
Who'd play her in the movie of her life: Mila Kunis (with extra boobage and a British accent!)
Instant BFF or Gotta Earn Her Trust:Gotta earn her trust, but once you doshe will stand by you no matter what.
Friends or Family: Her only surviving family is her long-lost brother Nick (the hero of The Good the Bad and the Wil d ) who she still misses. Ella is her BFF since nursery school and also her business partner.
Satin Teddy or Cotton Comfort :Satin Teddy, baby, or nekkid… Unless she’s having a slumber party with mates, then it’s her brushed cotton cupcake pjs.
Shower or Bath:Warm candle-lit bubble baths when she has the time, when she doesn’t she’s partial to a scalding hot shower!
What she doesn't want the hero to know:That she has a soft centre beneath her sharp, savvy, sexy exterior and once she’s given her heart, it’s lost for good!
We'd be her friend because...  Ruby lives life to the full and knows how to make even the mundane exciting — she’s cool, creative, flamboyant, fun to be around, hopelessly flirtatious (but staunchly loyal to her gal pals – she would never poach!) and ever so slightly reckless (even though she doesn’t mean to be). She dives into all her relationships head and heart first, knows how to laugh at herself, is an absolute rock in a crisis and will always offer a shoulder to cry on if need be. Basically, once Ruby’s your friend, you can count on her for life.
In her words: Now she knew she was uniquely susceptible to CallumWestmore — to the point where she could become addicted to him — it would probably be wise to steer clear of him.Once had definitely been enough.She frowned. Fine, make that five times had definitely been enough. Or was it six? Her brain had become a little addled after having more orgasms in one night than she’d had in the rest of her life put together.She grabbed the shampoo, poured a large dose onto her hair as the steamy water began to soothe tired muscles. She massaged the expensive lotion into her scalp and ignored the liquid pull in her abdomen from the woodsy scent she recognised as his.The number of times they’d done it was completely irrelevant. What mattered was that she had now alerted herself to the danger. Callum Westmore hadn’t only found her G-spot last night — he’d also discovered her weak spot. And if she was going to stop him from exploiting it, it would probably be wise to preventWhat's the book about?  Ruby Delisantro is the queen of cupcakes and salsa. She is in charge, with a great repertoire of quick retorts and snappy one-liners, and even sharper moves on the dance floor. And then CallumWestmore comes crashing into her life. One glance from those infuriatingly luscious bedroom eyes and she’s close to losing ­control. Something tells her that Callum sees straight through the tough attitude to her soft-as-buttercream heart beneath. Is Ruby in danger of falling for him and – worse still – of liking it?  Mills and Boon say, "If you like Lindsey Kelk and Jenny Colgan, you’ll love this."
And the author?  USA Today bestselling author Heidi Rice is married with two teenage sons (which gives her rather too much of an insight into the male psyche). She also works as a film journalist and was born and still lives in London.
She loves her job because it involves sitting down at her computer each day and getting swept up in a world of high emotions, sensual excitement, funny feisty women, sexy tortured men and glamourous locations where laundry doesn't exist ... Not bad, eh.
Then she gets to turn off her computer and do chores (usually involving laundry!)
Find out more about Heidi's books:Website: http://www.heidi-rice.comBlog: http://heidi-rice.blogspot.comTwitter: @HeidiRomRiceFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/heidi.rice.524Email: Heidi@heidi-rice.comBuy CUPCAKES AND KILLER HEELS from Mills and Boon UK!
Through September and October, keep dropping by Natalie Anderson's blog for giveaways, sneak peeks at more great stories and the low down on RIVA's hottest heroes.And check out the awesome RIVA app on Facebook for more!

my "office"

This is the office of my dreams.

The space, the peace, the tone on tone colour palette, the lux fabrics and the view over a Hamptons beach. In fact I'd give a kidney to live in the entire house from Something's Gotta Give.

Unfortunately I ain't a movie character.  I'm a mum and a writer on a deadline and my "office" is less spartan, and more needs must.

To find out all about where I write, head on over to the Pink Heart Society blog today where I natter about my "Writer's Workspace".

RIVA's Back! Now meet your new best friend, Sarah, from Mills & Boon's "FLIRTING WITH ITALIAN" by the fabulous Liz Fielding!

ebook from millsandboon.co.ukName: Sarah Gratton
Age:  27
Occupation:  Teacher
Vital Stats:  Grey eyes, warm chestnut hair, tall, woman-shaped.  (How can Matteo resist?  Matteo, you ask?  Check out Natalie Anderson's blog to meet him!)
Who'd play her in the movie of her life:  Kate Winslet, perhaps?
Instant BFF or Gotta Earn Her Trust:  Instant BFF
Friends or Family: Loads. Mum, Dad, brothers and sisters but she has a special relationship with her great-grandfather.
Satin Teddy or Cotton Comfort :  Cotton comfort
Shower or Bath:  Bath
What she doesn't want the hero to know: Nothing. She’s an open book – not that he believes that for one moment.
We'd be her friend because... She’s kind, generous, loving, funny and just human enough to wish swollen ankles on her ex’s pregnant new love.
In her words…
Italians are incredibly elegant, even in the classroom and my first task was a complete revamp of my working wardrobe. It was tough, but I know you’ll appreciate my sacrifice.Spending so much on clothes had come as a bit of a shock to the system but her savings account was no longer burdened with price of her dream wedding dress. And handing over her credit card to pay for her spending spree had slammed the door on any lingering hope that Tom might come back. That her sacrifice in giving up her job so that he could return to Maybridge High would bring him to his senses.It was too late for him to be having regrets.         There is also a rule that no one should come to Italy without buying at least one pair of shoes. I bought these. And these. And these.She stretched out her foot to admire the sandal she was wearing. Well, she wasn’t on holiday. One pair was never going to be enough and, just to make the point, she picked up her phone and took a photograph of it.As you can see, there is a lot more to Rome than a load of old ruins but since you’re expecting churches and I wouldn’t want to disappoint you, this is Santa Maria del Popolo. You’ll probably recognise it from one of the gorier bits in the film Angels & Demons.Rome boring?  I think not.It was probably not quite what the Head had in mind when he’d asked her to write a blog about working in Rome, Sarah thought. With luck he’d remove the link from the school website sooner rather than later. Then, as she loaded up the pictures, she wondered if Tom would bother to read it. Whether Louise could resist taking a look.Those shoes would evoke envy in the heart of any woman. Especially one whose ankles were swelling…Several of her ex-colleagues had made a point of texting her to let her know that Louise was pregnant, but not before Tom had told her himself. Wanting her to know before she heard it from anyone else. As if it would hurt any less.She gave herself a mental bad-girl slap as she clicked “post”, but there were limits to her nobility.

What's the book about?  Could stepping into the past make your future perfect? Sarah’s been dumped. Unceremoniously. Painfully. A romantic at heart and a historian by profession, Sarah has always wondered about her grandfather’s wartime romance in Italy. Who was that brave woman who cared for him during the war? Clearly this is the time to heal her wounds with the trip of a lifetime to Rome and maybe find a hot Italian lover to take her mind off the past. Armed only with a photo of the house her grandfather stayed in, the village, and the name Lucia, Sarah sets out to find her…and meets the beautiful Italian count Matteo di Serrone there. Now here’s a man who could move Sarah on from her broken heart! It’s a fairy-tale romance, until Sarah realises she’s made the most rookie mistake of all: falling in love with her holiday fling…
Find out more about Liz's gorgeous books on: Her website: www.lizfielding.comTwitter: @lizfieldingFacebook: Liz Fielding
Good Reads
Buy FLIRTING WITH ITALIAN from Mills and Boon UK!
Til the end of October, keep dropping by Natalie Anderson's blog for giveaways, sneak peeks at more great stories and the low down on RIVA's hottest heroes.And check out the awesome RIVA app on Facebook for more!

RIVA's back! Now meet your new best friend, Nadia from RIVA's "Dating & Other Dangers" by Natalie Anderson

ebook from millsandboon.co.ukHeroine:  Nadia Keenan
Age: 26
Occupation: HR assistant in an old school insurance company by day, web warrior by night…
Vital Stats: To put it bluntly, she’s short. Here’s Ethan’s impression: she looked like one of the fairies on his three-year-old niece’s miniature china teaset. All fine bones and fine features in her heart-shaped face, with her hair tumbling loose and kinking at the ends.  (More about Ethan at Nat's blog!)
Instant BFF or Gotta Earn Her Trust:  You have SO got to earn her trust—and you’re going to have to work hard to do it.
Friends or Family: She’s all about her girlfriends—sisterhood unite!
Satin Teddy or Cotton Comfort : With Ethan? It’s all about the game so it would depend on the strategy required at the time...
Shower or Bath: Bath, with her mobile and a glass of wine in easy reach.
What she doesn't want the hero to know:  That despite his horrific reputation and how gallingly confident he is, she so WANTS him!
We'd be her friend because...  Nadia is full of passion and energy and totally wants to do the right thing, she’s fully supportive of her girlfriends—mates before dates all the way!!!
In her words…
He leaned closer, resting his hands on the wall behind her as he bent, his words whispering across her face. “Anticipation is everything—didn’t you know?”            It’s only everything if the end result is a disappointment,” she said caustically. “If the end result was as amazing as it’s meant to be, then the anticipation would be forgotten in the heat.”“Oh, you’re wrong.” He smiled. “You need to live moment by moment.” His head lowered. “It’s much more fun.” He paused, his mouth a millimetre from hers, as he gently instructed, “You start with lots of soft, teasing touches.”His lips brushed hers lightly, just once. But the second she went to snap back at him he did it again. Then again and again and again. Until it was lots—as he’d said. Not deep, hungry kisses, but slivers of rich sensuality that made her open her mouth for more before she’d thought to stop it. Then she couldn’t think at all—she only wanted to move closer for more.But he kept them light, lifting back as she tilted towards him.“Uh-uh,” he teased. “You keep it the same—don’t go deeper until she’s begging.”With one hand he played her like an instrument, gliding one finger after the other across her neck. Not making music but pleasure, with gentle touches. But she knew the strength was there.And she wanted it.

Dating and Other Dangers is part of the RIVA launch in the UK and is available as an ebook from AmazonUK .
 Here’s the blurb for the new look Riva!
Could two players both win the dating game? Nadia Keenan is corporate HR by day, web-dating warrior by night – she runs WomanBwarned.com, where bad-date stories are aired and shared to help other women avoid the same pitfalls. Ethan Rush, serial dater-and-dumper and utterly, gorgeously lush, has just found out he’s been trashed – repeatedly – on Nadia’s website and he’s…um…not happy. Both know they’re in the right. Neither is ready to back down.Let the battle of the dates begin!
It is also on the shelves in stores in North America this month as a Presents Extra and you can grab it online from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Here’s the blurb for the US version:
Nadia Keenan’s first date Do’s and Don’ts:
1.      Do boost your confidence by looking hot2.      Don’t put out until at lease date two3.      If the man is trouble (however sexy!) do report all on www.WomanBWarned.comAfter being trashed on Nadia’s website, serial dater-and-dumper Ethan Rush is about to put Nadia’s rules to the test. He’s determined to change her mind about him. She’s determined to prove him for the cad he is.
Let the battle of the dates begin…
Find out more about Natalie's books at:
Her website FacebookTwitterBuy DATING & OTHER DANGERS from Mills and Boon UK!
Through September and October, keep dropping by Natalie's blog for giveaways, sneak peeks at more great stories and the low down on RIVA's hottest heroes.And check out the awesome RIVA app on Facebook for more!

RIVA's back! Now meet your new best friend, Maddie from RIVA's "She's So Over Him" by Joss Wood

ebook & paperback @ millsandboon.co.ukHeroine:  Maddie Shaw
Age: 29
Occupation: Event Co-Ordinator/ PR Specialist and Cale manoeuvres her into helping him organise his charity triathlon race in remembrance of his twin brother.
Vital Stats: Dark, curly hair and amber eyes. Thanks to her insane shopping habit (Cale thinks she keeps the retail sector in champagne and caviar) she’s always stylish. (And who's Cale? I hear you ask.  You can meet him over at Natalie Anderson's blog - and boy are you gonna wanna meet him!)
Who'd play her in the movie of her life:  Mila Kunis
Instant BFF or Gotta Earn Her Trust:  Got to earn her trust.
Friends or Family: Since she has the world’s most dysfunctional parents, friends are her family. 
Satin Teddy or Cotton Comfort : Satin teddy.
Shower or Bath: Bath, with her mobile and a glass of wine in easy reach.
What she doesn't want the hero to know:  How insanely, crazily attracted to him she still is.
We'd be her friend because...  Maddie is warm and funny and vulnerable beneath her tough, business-girl exterior.
In her words…
Cale crossed his arms and rested his glass against his bicep.Sexy arms, Maddie thought. What would he look like with his shirt off? Images from long ago flashed in her head. A wide chest, lightly covered in crisp blond hair, strong shoulders—and did he still have that washboard stomach? Her eyes brushed over his lower mid-section and drifted across his slim hips. Oh, yes, it was still there…Whoah, boy—chemical reaction.Maddie hauled in her breath, shoved an agitated hand into her hair and counted to ten. Then she counted to twenty, frantically thinking that she might have to go to two thousand and sixty-two to get her heart-rate under control.Damn him… If he ever gave up his day-job he could hire himself out as adefibrillator. Huh! That was a pretty impressive word for—she glanced at her watch—twenty to one in the morning. ‘Earth to Maddie?’Maddie was jerked out of her thoughts by Cale tugging on the curl again before allowing it to fall off his finger.‘You took quite a mental side trip. What were you thinking about?’Your muscles under my hands…‘Cardiac arrest and defibrillators.’Cale’s eyebrows lifted in surprise and he scratched his forehead. ‘I’d forgotten about your weird thought processes.’‘You always said that I had a mind like a grasshopper,’ Maddie agreed. ‘It drove you crazy.’‘Newsflash: everything about you drove me crazy.’Maddie’s stopped her glass halfway to her mouth and silently cursed when Cale turned his face away, leaving her with a very good view of his strong neck. What, for the love of all things bright and beautiful, did he mean by that? Was he joking? Being serious? Sarcastic? Unfortunately his neck and the back of his head didn’t give her a clue.  What happens next?  Buy the book to find out!
What's the book about?  What not to do with your ex…  He’s back. He’s insanely hot. He’s absolutely the last person she should date. Maddie Shaw is a part-time bartender with a never-get-involved attitude to dating and a flair for the perfectly served drink. Yet when ex-boyfriend Cale Grant walks into her bar, a whole ten years after their massive bust-up, she’s blown away all over again by his dark chocolate voice and deep blue eyes. So, just how over him is she?
Find out more about Joss's books at:Her website FacebookTwitterBuy SHE'S SO OVER HIM from Mills and Boon UK!
Through September and October, keep dropping by Natalie Anderson's blog for giveaways, sneak peeks at more great stories and the low down on RIVA's hottest heroes.And check out the awesome RIVA app on Facebook for more!

RIVA's Back! Now meet your new best friend, Hannah Gillespie from Mills & Boon RIVA's "THE WEDDING DATE" by Ally Blake!

eBook from millsandboon.co.ukHeroine:  Hannah Gillespie
Age: 25
Occupation:  PA to the gorgeously sexy mountaineer/TV adventure show producer Bradley Knight.  (Find out aaaall about Bradley at Natalie Anderson's blog!)
Vital Stats: Brown wavy hair (won't stay straight no matter what she does), pale green eyes, and not much the way of curves - the girl needs to work less and eat more!
Who'd play her in the movie of her life:  Gorgeous and goofy Amanda Peet
Instant BFF or Gotta Earn Her Trust:  Hannah takes friendships very seriously.  She's nothing like her mum, who's onto her third - or is it fourth? - husband.  Stick with Hannah and you've got a friend for life.
Friends or Family: Hannah's made a new life for herself since moving to Melbourne, but when the call to come home to Tasmania for her little sister's wedding comes, turns out those strings were too tight to break!
Satin Teddy or Cotton Comfort: Cotton comfort, for sure!  She can't even go so far as wearing high heels with a nice dress; cowboy boots and her dad's old watch are her accessories of choice.
Shower or Bath:  Well, both come to good use in Hannah's story ;).
What doesn't she want the hero to know:  That she's been smitten with the guy for the entire year she's been his right hand man.  So shhhhhhh...
We'd be her friend because...  Hannah is loyal, to a fault.  She's organised too, so if she's your ride to a party, you'd never be late.  And she'd rather wear jeans and a T than anything else, so your best dresses and fave shoes are safe from the borrowing ;).
In her words…  Hannah was in the bathroom washing sleep out of her eyes when her apartment doorbell rang just before six the next morning.  It couldn’t have been the cab taking her to the dock, it wasn’t due for another hour.‘Can you get that?’ she called out, but no sound or movement came from Sonja’s room.Hannah ran her fingers through her still messy bed hair and rushed to the door.She opened it to find herself looking at the very last view she would ever have expected.  Bradley in her favourite of his leather jackets, chocolate brown and wool-lined.  Dark jeans straining under the pressure of all that hard-earned muscle.  Tall gorgeous and wide awake standing incongruously in the hallway outside her tiny apartment.  It was so ridiculous she literally rubbed her eyes.When she opened them he was still there, in all his morning glory, only now his eyes were roving slowly over her flannelette pyjama pants, her dad’s over-sized, faded, thirty-year-old Melbourne University jumper, her tatty old ugh boots.Even while she fought the urge to hide behind the door, the feel of those dark eyes slowly grazing her body was beautifully illicit.‘Can I come in?’ he asked, eyes sliding back to hers.No good mornings.  No sorry to bothers.  No I’ve obviously arrived at a bad time.  Just right to the point.‘Now?’  She glanced over her shoulder, glad Sonja’s makeshift delicates clothesline that usually hung, laden with silky nothings, from window frame to window frame had been mysteriously taken down during the night.‘I have a proposal.’He had a proposal.  At six in the morning.  That couldn’t wait.  What could she do but wave a welcoming arm.He took two steps inside and instantly the place felt smaller than it actually was.  And it was already pretty small.  Kitchenette, lounge, two bed, one bath.  Small windows looking out over nothing much.  Plenty for two working women who just needed a place to crash.She closed the apartment door and leant against it as she waited for him to complete his recce.Compared with his monstrous pad with it’s multiple rooms and split levels and city views it must have seemed like broom closet. When he turned back to her, those grey eyes like gleaming like molten silver in the early morning light, the pads of her fingers pressed so hard into the panelled wood at her back her knuckles ached.But he was all business.  ‘I hope you’re almost ready.  Flight’s in two hours.’She blinked.  Suddenly as wide awake as if she was three coffees down rather than none.  Had he forgotten?  Again?  She pushed off the door and her hands flew to her hips.  ‘Are you kidding me?’His cheek twitched.  ‘You can get that look off your face.  I’m not here to throw you over my shoulder and whisk you off to New Zealand.She swallowed - half glad, half disappointed...  What's the book about:  

Never mix business…with cocktails!  Hannah is PA to the smart and gorgeous adventurer and TV presenter Bradley Knight. Together they make the perfect professional partnership – they’re both ambitious, super-organised and don’t own an off-button! So when Hannah heads back to Tasmania for her sister’s wedding, and back into the family craziness she had run from years before, the last thing she wants is for Bradley to come too. He sees it as a perfect shooting location; she just wants to shoot herself if he sees her in less than a super-human professional light. How can she stay zipped up and professional when karaoke and flowing mojitos are the wedding entertainment?!Mills and Boon says, "If you like Harriet Evans and Miranda Dickinson, you’ll love this."
And the author?  

In her previous life Australian romance author Ally Blake was a head cheerleader, a maths tutor, a dental assistant, and the secretary of the Australian Cinematographers Society. She married in Las Vegas - no Elvis in sight, though Tony Curtis did put in a special appearance.  In this life Ally is a bestselling, multi-award winning novelist who has been published in over twenty languages with more than three million books sold world-wide. Her fun, fresh, flirty books are published by Harlequin Mills and Boon.  Ally and her family, including three boisterous toddlers, share a property in the leafy western suburbs of Brisbane, Australia, with kookaburras, cockatoos, lorikeets and the occasional creepy crawly. When not writing she loves eating M&Ms, watching The West Wing reruns, playing hide and seek, and barracking til hoarse for the Collingwood Magpies AFL team.

Find out more about Ally's books on: Her website: www.allyblake.comTwitter: @ally_blakeFacebook: Ally Blake Romance Author
Buy THE WEDDING DATE from Mills and Boon UK!

Through September and October, keep dropping by Natalie Anderson's blog for giveaways, sneak peeks at more great stories and the low down on RIVA's hottest heroes.And check out the awesome RIVA app on Facebook for more!

chatting up gerard butler...again!

Today I'm over at Natalie Anderon's blog with my Date a RIVA Hero post chatting up Gerard Butler again... I mean chatting about my current release THE WEDDING DATE.
Out now with Mills & Boon RIVA!All through September and October, gorgeous RIVA author Natalie is hosting is a fabulous line of of RIVA authors giving you the lowdown on this most fantastic editorial, with the to-die-for-covers, wtih a few fab giveaways thrown in to keep it even more fun!
So to get yourself a little Bradley Knight, head here.  Now.  I dare you ;). 

male on monday with the pink heart society

I'm over at the Pink Heart Society today with a much-coveted Male on Monday slot. 

Male on Mondays are a chance to wax lyrical about heroes...and the hot men who inspire them.  I'm over there doing my bit to enchance to carrer of the guy who I thought'd do a decent job of playing Bradley Knight in THE WEDDING DATE , the movie.  It could happen!

Wanna know who that be?  Go to the Pink Heart Society !

Out now in ebook & paperback

weekend australian - newspaper interview

Photo Adam Armstrong (c) The AustralianMissed The Weekend Australian last weekend? 
I nearly did too, which would have been a pity as an interview I gave a few weeks back appeared suddenly therein! Thanks to the quick thinking of the lovely Melanie Milburne who let me know, I found this fabulous piece about the current state of romantic literature in Australia.
You can read it if you subscribe to the Australian newspaper website, here's the link .
Or, for the next few days, you can sign up to a 28 day free trial, so if you're super keen to have a look, there's that option as well.
Enjoy!

RIVA's back! Now meet your new best friend, Ella from RIVA's "A GIRL LESS ORDINARY" by Leah Ashton

ebook & paperback only from millsandboon.co.ukName: Ella Cartwright
Age: 29
Occupation: Image Consultant
Vital Stats: Always perfectly presented – sleek long dark brown hair, immaculate makeup, super fashionable clothes. Pretty, but not really beautiful – but she makes the most of what she’s got.
Who'd play her in the movie of her life: Melanie Lynskey
Instant BFF or Gotta Earn Her Trust: You definitely have to earn Ella’s trust!!
Friends or Family: No family – and while she’s constantly surrounded by people and is out socialising most nights of the week – she has no close friends. She finds it impossible to let people in, believing if anyone gets to truly know her, they’ll reject her.
Satin Teddy or Cotton Comfort :Cotton comfort, no question!
Shower or Bath:Bath – with lots of bubbles!
What she doesn't want the hero to know:As they were best friends at high school, the problem with Jake is that he already knows all of Ella’s secrets! Ella wants nothing more than to keep her past buried, but Jake is the only person who sees straight through her carefully crafted façade.
We'd be her friend because...  She’s heaps of fun! She knows all the coolest bars and is invited to the swankiest parties. Plus – once she does lower her guard and become your friend, she is your friend for life.
In her words…
“How do you do it?” he asked, “all this?”Her lips quirked. “You mean have a good time?”“I think you know this isn’t my idea of a good time.”“So what is?” she asked, curious. “Coding,” he said, quick as a flash. Ella smiled fully. Always such a geek.Then he shrugged. “And, I guess hiking with my dogs up in the mountains. Mountain bike riding – sometimes with a mate or two. Climbing.”“Let me guess – in the mountains?”Now it was his turn to smile. “It’s the best place in the world. I’ve got my own place up there.”She knew that, of course. No self-respecting tabloid journalist could let an article go by without some reference to his home. Sydney’s Blue Mountains Billionaire, Software Mogul’s Mountain Hideaway and so on and so forth.Ella wrinkled her nose. “I know it’s supposed to be beautiful, but I reckon I’d go crazy living that far away from Sydney.”“I’d go crazy if I lived any closer.” He rested both hands on the balcony railing, and looked out over the harbour. Beneath them, along the edge of the marina, flowed a steady stream of Friday night revellers, muffled snippets of their conversations mixing with the heavy bass emanating from the party behind them. “You still haven’t answered my question,” he said, after a while. “I genuinely want to know – how do you stand this?”“It’s really not all that complicated,” she said. “It’s fun. It’s the buzz of getting ready. Of meeting new people. Of laughing and chatting and dancing. What isn’t there to love?”He shook his head. “It’s exhausting.”She shrugged. “For me it’s the opposite. I’d go mad stuck in my apartment all the time. I need noise, and chatter and people. It gives me energy.”“But you must need a break, occasionally?” he asked. He was looking at her like she was some bizarre software glitch – one that if he stared at long enough would offer up a solution. “Nope,” she said. “I like to keep myself busy. Most nights I’ve got something on – salsa dancing, pilates, any classes I feel like taking - or just catching up with friends. Cocktails. Dancing, that kind of thing.”He turned, and leaned back against the railing, studying her.“But that’s new. You used to say you were happiest in your own company. Or, with…”Me. With Jake.But of course – he’d left.Ella laughed, but it sounded about as artificial as it was. “Ah, the words of a girl not invited to any parties, and with no money to go shopping or to riding lessons.” “Really?” he said, the word a little hollow. A beat later she realised exactly what he was thinking. “Oh! I don’t mean I didn’t like hanging out with you. You were my best friend.” It felt bizarre to say something like that, something so juvenile, to the tall, dark and devastatingly handsome man before her. But it had been true. He’d been her best friend, her only friend. “But, you know, I also kind of wondered what it would be like to be one of the popular girls.” She held her hands up in a helpless gesture. “What can I say. I guess it’s kind of natural to want what you can’t have?”It was a cliché – a nothing, thoughtless sentence – and yet it was as if they both temporarily stopped breathing.What they both wanted suddenly made the air between them impossibly thick with delicious, unignorable tension.  “What did you want, Ella?”Oh, that wasn’t fair. He knew. She’d told him – a very long time ago.The memory still had the power to make every last remnant of awkward, shy Eleanor want to cringe, then run away and hide. “What do you want, Ella?”
Need to know what Ella really wants?  Buy A GIRL LESS ORDINARY here!

So what's the book about?  She dreamed of being a girl less ordinary…
Eleanor had worked hard to transform herself from the sad, lonely girl she once was. Switching braces for a breathtaking smile, dowdy clothes for fabulous dresses, and heartbreak for flirty, fun-only dates, she’s now Ella! But one man can see through her glamour-plating to the real woman beneath.
Fiercely private billionaire Jake Donner has never forgotten Ella, and he’s shocked to see how she’s changed. Sparks begin to fly as old memories haunt Ella and Jake – for the innocent attraction they’d once resisted is all grown up and won’t be denied again…
Find out more about Leah's books at:Her website FacebookTwitterBuy A GIRL LESS ORDINARY from Mills and Boon UK!
Through September and October, keep dropping by Natalie Anderson's blog for giveaways, sneak peeks at more great stories and the low down on RIVA's hottest heroes.And check out the awesome RIVA app on Facebook for more!