Ally Blake's Blog, page 33

first loves revealed

Head on over to the Pink Heart Society - the blogazine dedicated to all things category romance - to find out about my first love, and my first red-hot love affair.

Pictures included. I'm serious! But naturally, there is a twist ;).

december? it can't be!

Is it really December already? No!!!!!!! How fast has this year gone???????????

Don't you know I have a book due? And the Christmas tree's not up. And summer's yet to hit sunny Brisbane. And I've yet to even contemplate what needs to be done to update my website. Oh, yeah, and I'm due to have a baby any day. Eek!

At least I've been nesting so rabidly the Xmas shoping is DONE! (Okay, all bar the things I want to get for hubby - poor love.) The new couches have just arrived, and they look goooorgeous! And the air-conditioning is going in on Monday. And my boxes and boxes of author copies of my books have found a home in the magnificently lucky space we discovered in our ceiling above the garage.

Right, so now that I'm over the worst of the shock, I'm actually kind of excited. The kids' presents this year are, to my mind, pure genius. Our new house feels so much like home I can't believe we haven't lived here forever. I'm enjoying my current book. Christmas is coming! And, best of all, I HAVE A NEW BABY DUE ANY DAY!

Yep, that tingle in the tummy is happiness. Not labour pains. Promise!

the race is on!

Three weeks til baby #3 is due!

Hospital bag's packed - kind of.  Bub's clothes and bedding are washed and ready to go - waaaay too many!  Nappy station all set up - they don't really go through, like, 12 nappies a day, right?  Name's all picked out - and the fact that we have no back-up won't possibly be a problem, will it?
A tad less than three weeks til book 22 is due. 
Hero Will is proving mighty inspiring as this picture can attest.  As is the rugged coastline of southern Victoria where much of the book is set.  And I'm loving my heroine Mia - on the oustside she seems like she has it all.  But on the inside Will and I are discovering she is pure mush.  Hmmm, which will be ready first?  Baby or book?

that'll teach him

Hubby's day off yesterday so we began with a list of things to do:

Pre-admission phone interview for baby hospital at 8:30Me dye hair at 9:00Air-conditioning guy # 3 coming out to give quote @ 10:00Hubby clear foliage from around pool @ 11:00Me off to cafe to write at 1:00etc.


Unfortunately, the air-conditioning guy hadn't been privy to our list and he arrived a half hour early. Naturally I was upstairs, in my tatty old nighty, hair full of dye, eyebrows same, looking like something out of a horror film. What choice did I have but to allow him upstairs 'cause that'[s where the kids bedrooms are that need the air-conditioning!

Poor guy. By the amazed glint in hubby's eye as I carried on a perfrectly normal conversation with the poor, terrified fellow told me I should be glad I wasn't looking in a mirror ;). Well, lucky for anyone else who ever wants a quote from him he'll know he's meant to be late!

happy birthday boo

Today my baby turns three.



I can't believe a whole three years has passed since she came into the world a tiny creature with a serious frown and wary grey eyes. But it has. In a manic amazing blur.



Right this moment she's so tall - the size of a 5 year old! - with a tumble of beautiful ringlet curls and a vocabulary that shocks me everyday. She's snuggly and independant and inquisitive and a lover of books. She loves Batman and bubbles, strawberries and playing "shopping at Bunnings", snuggling on the couch and fairy stickers. Poor love inherited my lack of coordination ;) but she still loves to run and jump and dance. Right now she wants to know how to spell everything and figure out what time it is every five minutes. Keeps mum busy! She adores her little sister, which is a beautiful thing to see. They chase and tickle and play together all day long.



Happy Birthday Baby Boo. It's the absolute pleasure of my life getting to watch you become you!

the charming Mr Northam, and we who adore him so

A fabulous band of lovelies with immensely good taste have invited me to natter on their blog. Why? Because to a one we all adore one Jeremy Northam.

You know, the heavenly Mr Knightley vs Gwyneth Paltrow's adorable Emma. The unstoppable investigator opposite Kate Winslet in Enigma. The charming celebrity guest in Gosford Park. (I can't be the only one who has a thing for men who can play the piano!) And best of all the gorgeously stoic counsel in The Winslow Boy who never saw love coming!

So much so when they'd heard that I had uised Mr Northam as inspiration for my first ever Modern Heat novel, GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS , a whole bunch of them them out and bought it, and read it, and by all accounts oh so sweetly enjoyed it! And now that its getting a re-release in the BOARDROOM HOT-SHOTS collection, I'm over there remembering why he was such inspiration for my hero, the unflappable Flynn Granger, in the first place.

If you too have a fondness for the charming fellow, check out the Jeremy Northam Fan Blog which has links to their Facebook page and a wonderfully chatty forum where you can talk all things Jeremy.

Read more ~ Buy the book

place your bets!

Melbourne Cup day today - the race that stops a nation!

This is the one day on the calendar when girls get to dress up in gorgeous frocks, and men in their best suits and we can all pretend we're posh and glamorous everyday. Until about five in the afternoon when the guys a drunk and the girls have lost their hats and everyone stumbles home bare foot and worse for wear ;).

And for the first time in ten years I'm not in Melbourne enjoying the holiday that goes along with it. But still, even from up in the sunshine I can indulge in my once yearly splurge at a bet! So who to tip?

Like any good punter, I believe it's all about the horse's name, right? So on that note I'm tipping MALUCKYDAY with a lovely white and pink number. Toddler Girl (who was born on Melboure Cup day three years ago!) told me she wanted "orange", so she's tipped SHOCKING a horse whose jockey is wearing orange and black silks. Danger Mouse went a little different, choosing her tip by the picture and she's gone with PRECEDENCE.

Between us we've accidentally picked the second favourite, last year's winner and a horse trained by mega-trainger Bart Cummings who's won more Melbourne Cups than any other trainer. I reckon we are gifted. But we'll know for sure come 3:30 this afternoon when the greatest horse race in the world has been won!!!

May the greatest horse win!

honorary minx

Head on over to the glorious Mixes of Romance blog today for some inside tips on where I get my ideas, the kind of romance I like best, and who inspired me to become an author in the first place as well as lots of other bits and bobs you've ALWAYS wanted to know ;).

So far there has been some happy discussion of this cover for my upcoming re-release of reader favourite GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS . I can't imagine why ;).

Like the guy? Then take him home! Pre-order today from the Book Depository get 25% off and free delivery worldwide.

crush

The book I'd thought was going to be next - POISON of the head-to-toe, green-lyrca-wearing heroine - has of late been ousted by another idea I'd had in the pipeline. Working Title? CRUSH.

And if you're wondering why...

This is my hero. Will Garrison. With eyes as blue as the sky over Torquay.

And these are his two best mates and business partners - Logan and Crash.

Now can you blame me for making the switch? ;)

getting down to business

My first ever Modern Heat GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS is coming out in a fab new collection entitled BOARDROOM HOT-SHOTS alongside books by Jennie Lucas and Robyn Grady and here's a look at the cover!

Stubble, nice lips, great-looking suit. Tick, tick, tick!

It's not officially released until January but you can pre-order your copy today from the Book Depository, get 25% off the cover price AND Free Delivery Worldwide!!!

I use them ALL the time and they are FABULOUS. Just when I forget I've ordered a couple of books they turn up in the mail. Ooh that reminds me, I should have some old Jenny Crusie's arriving on my doorstep anyday now. Squee!!
Read more ~ Order now!