Rachael Johns's Blog, page 3

A letter from Loretta!

A few months ago, I sent a letter to the lovely rural author Loretta Hill and recently I got one back. As us authors are sharing-caring types, I thought I’d share it with you (Btw, I read Loretta’s new book THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW VEST last week and it is fabulous. You’ll be wanting to add it to your TBR pile right about NOW!)

Hi Rachael,

How are you?  I’m good.

Thanks for having me on your blog this month. In November and December, I took a break from writing to just read and rest. While I didn’t finish as many books as I wanted to, I did get into Man Drought and just loved it.  I can see why you have so many fans!

Unfortunately, Christmas is over and it’s back into a structured writing schedule. I don’t know whether to be sad or relieved. I do miss writing when I’m not doing it – a bit like smoker misses nicotine actually. But I really needed that break and enjoyed it also – ate far too much, but that’s Christmas for you.

While I’m planning my next novel, my new one is coming out this month. It’s called, The Girl in the Yellow Vest and is in the same series as my other FIFO girl novels. I’m pretty excited about this book because it’s quite different to the other two. While readers will still get to catch up with some of the characters from the previous books, The Girl in the Yellow Vest is set in a whole new world – Queensland.

Just off the coast of Hay Point in Northern Queensland is one of the largest coal exportation ports in the world. I’ve set my novel on there on a brand new wharf, with a brand new expansion team stirring up trouble for the locals.

One of the challenges I had writing this novel was that I couldn’t decide who was the main character. I was really drawn to two females in the story and couldn’t get either one of them to take a back seat. So in the end, it had to be a double heroine novel. Two heroines also meant two heroes, so readers will be pleased to hear that they’re getting two love stories instead of one.  This was heaps of fun to do.

I love both my heroes equally but the most amusing one to write was, Mark, the Project Manager at Hay Point Wharf.  He’s a cross between Mr Darcy (Pride and Predjudice), Miranda Priestly (Devil Wears Prada) and Gru (Despicable Me).  He’s clever, obnoxious and witty with a mean streak but also drop dead gorgeous, of course. His past is seriously, tarnished, so you have to forgive him for some of the things he does, even though you really don’t want to. Writing him allowed the little devil that sits on my right shoulder free reign. It was fabulous for a few months there.

He’s also the first gamma hero I’ve ever written. Have you ever written a gamma hero before? They’re a cross between alpha and beta, a kind of split personality if you will. They are different around different people depending on what influence that person has in their life.

Mark is very, very alpha around one of my heroines, Charlotte but to her little sister, he’s like a big teddy bear. I loved writing him because he was just such a paradoxical character. Both caring and sweet yet abrasive and down right evil at times. It’s kind of weird to think that a person can be all these things at once but given his history and what he is going through throughout the novel, it was perfectly understandable.

This book has quite a few funny moments. But otherwise, I do delve into a few deeper issues. Particularly, dealing with the loss of a loved one and parenting your sibling. I hope you and your readers will be tempted to check it out.

When The Kissing Season came out last month, (great read btw), you asked me how my novella was coming along. It’s all done and dusted now and out in February. It has a lovely Valentine’s day theme to put everyone in the mood. So look out for that one too.

 Happy New Year Rach!

Loretta

xo

You can find Loretta online at her website www.lorettahill.com.au or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Loretta-Hill-Author/263559140330214

Belated goals for 2014!

I’m going to be ambitious with my goals for 2014 (even though they’re a few days late) because something monumental is happening. For the first time ever all three of my children will be in full time school. While I’ll be helping occasionally in our family business, mostly five days a week I’ll be working on my writing business. Because of this massive change, I’ve decided 2014 will be the year I push myself that little bit more.

First up: I’m aiming to complete (90k to go) THE ROAD TO HOPE by the beginning of April even though my deadline isn’t until June 1st. When I work out how many words this is per day, it isn’t actually that scary.

Second: Write a novella to follow up THE KISSING SEASON or write a novella as part of a charity anthology I’m trying to organise.

Third: Write a sexy novella or fun project, different to my rurals.

Four: Write two more single titles or if the second is an idea I have that requires more research, write one more single title and make a dent in the second.

Five: Read two books a week. This was my goal last week and I didn’t quite make it. Might throw more novellas into the mix next year so I have a better chance.

Six: (only vaguely writing related) Get back into exercising and eat better so I have a hope in hell of fitting into the dress I just bought for the ARRA dinner in March!! Or if that fails, at least be slim enough to wear it during RT in New Orleans in May! See picture below

Creating small town settings with Juliet Madison

Today I welcome the HUGELY prolific Juliet Madison who writes gorgeous romagic stories (is that the term Juliet) and also small town women’s fiction. Her newest release is The January Wish wish is the start of a series. Today Juliet discusses how she went about creating her town.

Welcome Juliet!

Creating the Perfect Small Town Setting

Just as the fabulous Rachael Johns writes stories set in small towns, so do I. I just love the dynamics of a small community and the connection to the landscape. My new Tarrin’s Bay series is set in a small Australian coastal town that has the best of both worlds – beautiful sandy beaches and a village atmosphere, along with lush green pastures and farms. I based it on the town I live in on the South Coast of NSW, Australia, and also a few other neighbouring towns. I wanted to grab bits from each that I liked to form my own unique town, and Tarrin’s Bay was born. I call it the Town of New Beginnings, as people often come to the town and never want to leave, so it’s a place where people can start fresh and begin a new chapter in their lives.

Where did I come up with the name of the town? I have no idea! It literally popped into my head, it was the first name I thought of. I Googled it and couldn’t find anything with the same name (unless I didn’t look hard enough!). But I did find out that the name Tarrin means ‘Earth Man’, which I thought was perfect. I decided to make a focal point of the town a rock formation near the beach that looks somewhat like a man’s face. In the series, the rock formation is known as ‘Tarrin’ and is how the town got its name.

The first book in this series which has just been released, THE JANUARY WISH, is special to me because I started writing it right after I moved house for a seachange. I tried to capture the beauty and wonder of the seaside environment seen with fresh eyes, especially as two of my main characters were new to the town. I discovered the town along with my characters, so writing the story and setting was a journey for me too.

What I love about writing a fictional town is that I can be creative and flexible. I can put things where I want to put them, come up with cool business names, street names, landmarks, and unique locations that add to the appeal of the story.

Some of the places I created in the town that feature in The January Wish (apart from the Tarrin ‘earth man’ formation) include:

- Miracle Park:

The main park in the centre of town where people meet and kids come to play. It’s also where the town holds its monthly markets and regular festivals.

- The Wishing Fountain:

An historic four-metre tall fountain in Miracle Park, which legend says can help make wishes come true each year on the 4th January, the day of its completed construction in the early 1900s. This is where the story of The January Wish starts, when Dr Sylvia Greene makes a wish at the town’s annual Wishing Festival.

- Cafe Lagoon:

The most popular cafe in town, in the main street opposite Miracle Park. Its interior has the atmosphere of a lagoon and has fantastic service, mostly by the young and gorgeous barista, Jonah, whose parents own the cafe (you’ll meet him in the story!).

- Lookout Point:

Situated on a headland a short walk away from the main street, Lookout Point is where people go to admire the beautiful coastal views, eat fish and chips while watching the sunset, and have late night romantic picnics. J

I’ll be revealing and exploring more great places in the Town of New Beginnings in future books (which although a series, don’t necessarily have to be read in order as each is a stand-alone story, though some characters reappear). The second book, FEBRUARY OR FOREVER is releasing very soon, on 1st Feb! Locations that feature prominently in this one include the beach and a beachfront health retreat, and a large rural property up in the Tarrin’s Bay Hills area. I hope when people read a ‘Tarrin’s Bay book’ that they’ll feel like they’re escaping into a beautiful natural world that they’d love to call home.

What do you think makes a perfect small town setting?

>> WIN! Enter via Rafflecopter below to win a $25 Amazon gift voucher and a coastal photographic print of the setting of the Tarrin’s Bay series. Competition is open worldwide and the winner will be drawn at the beginning of February.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Perfect for fans of Susan Wiggs and Sherryl Woods, THE JANUARY WISH was a finalist in the Choc Lit Search for an Australian Star contest:

When Dr Sylvia Greene makes an impromptu wish at the Tarrin’s Bay Wishing Festival, it’s the most out of character action she can think of. Hers is not a life of wishes. Hers is a controlled life of order, plans and preparation…of science and research and diagnosis and treatment. But her past has been weighing on her mind, and decisions made long ago have far-reaching consequences.

A week later, the daughter she secretly gave up for adoption at sixteen arrives in Sylvia’s small coastal town with secrets that can’t be shared. Between feelings of guilt, gossip, and a growing attraction to an emotionally unavailable colleague, Sylvia’s well-ordered life is soon thrown into chaos. She is no longer alone, and for the first time she feels as if her world is open to possibilities.

They say be careful what you wish for, but, for Sylvia, the unexpected consequences may be just what the doctor ordered.

Buy THE JANUARY WISH from all good ebook retailers:

Amazon - Amazon UK - Amazon Aus - iTunes/iBookstore - Kobo - B&N/Nook - GooglePlay - BigW ebooks - Booktopia - JB HiFi - ebooks.com - All Romance ebooks

Visit Juliet online at her website, blog, facebook, Goodreads, and twitter.

A Tasty Tidbit with Christina Brookes and a giveaway!

Happy New Year folks! My first guest for 2014 is the fabulous and hugely talented Christina Brookes sharing an excerpt from her new release – THE GREATEST LOVER EVER! With a title like that… how can you NOT read it!? I have a copy and cannot wait to get to it. Check out the blurb, cover and fab excerpt below:

Title: THE GREATEST LOVER EVER

Author: Christina Brooke

Blurb:

Passion to last a lifetime…

The Sweetest Scandal

Beautiful, exuberant, and stubborn Georgiana Black has more spirit than sense—which she learns when an ultimatum to the Earl of Beckenham ends their engagement. Six years later, Georgie is less concerned with impending spinsterhood than with making sure her young sister doesn’t make the same mistakes she did. But soon Georgie stumbles into a scandalous encounter with none other than her former fiancé. Beckenham is still breathtakingly desirable.

The Truest Temptation

Beckenham’s brief engagement to Georgie taught him one thing: when it comes to a wife, he wants a woman who will do her duty and cause no trouble. When the fiery Georgie falls unexpectedly into his arms, Beckenham remembers just how lushly delectable she is. Suddenly, the idea of actually marrying Georgie is irresistible. In a battle of wills, can passion conquer pride?

Excerpt:

Having once decided upon a course of action he knew was right, Beckenham never allowed himself to be swayed by uncertainty or base cowardice.

He would propose. She would reject him. Then they could go on as before, and he would know he’d done his duty.

In a low tone, he said, “Don’t play innocent, Georgie. I know it was you.”

He observed her closely, had an impulse to whisk that charming bonnet from her head and toss it into the street for the horses to trample.

She evinced no reaction at all. Which of course spoke volumes. Not that he had an iota of doubt on the matter, but if she truly was innocent, his accusations would have produced a reaction of some sort. Fury, most probably. He’d never known a woman with such a temper.

“As I said, my lord, you were mistaken.” She put the faintest emphasis on the final words, and he received her message loud and clear.

She wanted him to take the hint, accept the lie and leave her be. Damn her. She knew he’d like nothing more than to forget the entire incident.

She offered him the craven solution. If he took it, he would know himself for a coward. Worse, she would know it, too.

He wished, with sudden exasperation, that she’d make it easier for him, admit to her presence and let him get on with this damnable proposal. But when had anything that involved Georgiana Black been easy?

She left him in the awkward position of offering to right a wrong she refused to acknowledge they’d both committed.

“I know not why you seek to continue this pretense,” he said, checking his horses to let a dray lumber past them, “but I must tell you that I am not so easily diverted from my purpose.”

“No,” she said, a little wistfully. “You were ever a steadfast type, were you not? Some might call it stubborn. Or pigheaded, perhaps.”

He ground his teeth.

She sighed, and in the voice of one humoring a child, said, “Very well, in the interests of concluding this delightful interview as soon as possible… Let us pretend—for argument’s sake, you understand—that it was indeed I at this party, in this bedchamber, with you.”

She fanned herself a little with her gloved hand. “Goodness, I’m all a-flutter just thinking of it.”

His frustration fired to anger. “Do you think this is a jest, ma’am?”

“Oh, the very cream of jests. However,” she continued, “let us pretend that all of this happened and it is not a figment of your imagination. What then?”

Her mocking tone stripped any desire to couch his proposal in terms that might make it acceptable to her.

“Obviously, I must offer you my hand in marriage,” he snapped. “For an intelligent woman, you are remarkably slow today.”

Finally, she gave him the full view of her face. Shock etched across her features.

For a bare instant, her plush lips quivered.

Then she laughed.

Threw her head back and laughed. A throaty, husky sound that filled him with all kinds of vengeful, thoroughly bawdy thoughts.

The struggle to keep his hands to himself, compounded by the frustration of bowling through populated Brighton streets, fully occupied with steering his strong-willed cattle, made the pressure build inside him until he bit out, “I take it your answer is no.”

Her chuckles ended on a long sigh. “Oh! My dear Lord Beckenham, you vastly underrate your charms if you think that.”

To-Buy Links:

Booktopia

Amazon

Kobo

Giveaway: For the chance to win a copy of THE GREATEST LOVER EVER answer this question in the comments section by Monday midnight EST Australia

Question: What’s the best or worst proposal of marriage you’ve read/seen/experienced/heard about?

2013 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 9,300 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

My Top Reads of 2013

For the last few years I’ve been keeping a list of books I’ve read over on my Facebook page. Usually I post this list to my blog, but I decided if you want to read it, you can head on over to my page and have a scan. Click HERE!

I managed to read 66 (I think that was the number last count) books this year. This wasn’t as many as I’d hoped but I did actually start more than this, however now if a book doesn’t grip me within the first chap or so, I move on. Sometimes I’ll go back to it because sometimes it’s the mood I’m in, not the book.

The majority of my books were read in print as although I LOVE my iPad and Kindle for reading in theory, for some reason books annoy me when I read them in digital format. Saying that, some books only come out in digital format and I’ll make more of an effort with them – especially when they’re by fabulous authors I know and love.

So, without further ado my Top Five reads for 2013 were (no particular order and for many different reasons):

THE ROSIE PROJECT by Graeme Simsion – honestly if you haven’t read this book yet, I want to know why. It’s LOL and feel-good, with quirky characters (something I adore) and a cute plot. Also explores the more serious issue of Aspergers, which is something close to my heart.
SMALL-TOWN STORM by Elise K Ackers – I loved this book so much Penguin asked me to quote on the cover of the trade paperback addition. It’s a romantic suspense with a fascinating premise and fabulous characters!
WEDDING NIGHT by Sophie Kinsella – I haven’t read all Kinsella’s Shopaholic series but something made me pick up this book and I’m SO glad I did. I don’t think I’ve laughed so much while reading a book in a LONG time!! Such a hilarious set-up, which is quite unbelievable but the fact it COULD happen makes it work!
MAD ABOUT THE BOY by Helen Fielding – I’m a HUGE fan of Bridget from way back and when I heard there was going to be a third one, I just had to have it. NOW! It was a hoot to read – and I felt simultaneously sorry for Bridget while laughing with her and admiring her. It was sad that Darcy was no longer on the scene but I loved this book anyway.
WALLBANGER by Alice Clayton – I only finished this book yesterday and I think it’ll stay with me for a while. Despite the erotic sounding title, it’s not THAT graphic a book, but it has one of the sweetest romances I’ve read in a while.

Looking back on my fave reads, one things that stands out is most of them have a high level of humour. So, hit me with books you found funny and I’ll add them to 2014′s TBR mountain!!

 

The year in review – or did I meet my goals for 2013?!

Every year I make a list of writing goals for the next twelve months. They are not New Years’ Resolutions but things I can definitely achieve if I put my mind to it. Previous experience has taught me that if I make goals I am more likely to be productive and even if I don’t EXACTLY meet those goals I get close or do something similar.

Below are the goals I made for 2013 and in pink the outcome achieved:

1) Finish the next book in my “Outback” series and begin the third book. Submit the first book. - By next book I meant OUTBACK BLAZE. As it happens there was a deadline mix-up and I therefore achieved this goal by June 1st. That gave me the rest of the year to not only begin the third book but also finish it (OUTBACK GHOST – was handed in in Dec). 

2) Write another novella or short romance and/or the second in my Carina Press Hollywood series. Submit. – I didn’t achieve this and I almost wrote unfortunately but it is not unfortunate. I didn’t actually complete another novella or the second in my Hollywood series but I did write three partials I didn’t plan to write. THE ROAD TO HOPE partial was written mid-year and subsequently contracted by Harlequin Australia. I will be finishing this book in the new year. I also wrote another partial – FANCY MEETING YOU HERE – cos the idea just wouldn’t leave me alone. I plan to write this book this year also. In addition to this, I wrote the partial of a novella, which my agent has recently submitted. Watch this space! So although I didn’t specifically achieve this goal, I’m fairly happy with what I DID achieve

3) Read at least two books a week! – FAIL!! I only read 66 books this year, which definitely works out to less than two a week. Must try harder next year!! 

So, did you achieve your goals in 2013? I’d love to hear. And I promise on New Years Day to post my goals for 2014!! Let me know if you blog about yours – post a link in the comments section of this blog or my New Years Day post and I’ll come read yours!

Coastal Romance Christmas Blog Hop

Welcome Coastal Romance Christmas blog hoppers – I’m thrilled to be part of the Coastal Romance Christmas blog hop, the brain time of fantastic author and all round lovely lady Annie Seaton. If you’ve been following the hop, you’ll already know about the fantastic prizes on offer but if this is your first stop, don’t forget to check out the contest at the end, where you can win a $100 Amazon gift card and 26 ebooks from awesome authors! I’m also offering one lucky commenter the chance to win a signed copy of JILTED and MAN DROUGHT for themselves or as a gift. Just leave a comment below to win. 

Now… without further ado, my thoughts on coastal romance

I wasn’t raised near the beach, so a day at the seaside was an occasional treat rather than a way of life for me. Although I liked paddling at the beach, the vastness of the ocean and all the things that could be hiding beneath the sand scared me, so I did my swimming at pools rather than down at the beach.

However, all our family holidays when I was a child, happened to be in coastal towns. When we lived in NSW we went to Forster for two Christmas’s and then later when we moved to WA, we spent many a summer holiday down in Bunbury, Busselton  or Margaret River. All these places hold special family memories for me. I love the atmosphere in coastal towns, the quaint shops, the beach side cafes, the friendly smiles of locals and tourists alike, the strolls along the beach at sunset, the resorts, the caravan parks, the surfers (oh yeah), the lifeguards, the kids with buckets and spades, sandcastles, ice-creams…

When I think of the coast, I conjure up all sorts of happy images and I often think of Christmas because my family spent many as Christmas holiday near the sea when I was growing up. So, when I decided to write a Christmas novella, it is no surprise I chose to set my little fictional town on the beautiful south west coast of Australia, which is very close to my heart.

My fictional town of Wildwood Point has all the things I love about the coast and I hope those who indulge in a few hours with my characters will love my little coastal town. I can’t wait to write more novellas set here.

So, for my future books, I’d love to know what your absolute favourite thing is to visit when you go to a coastal town, and who knows… maybe you’ll see that in my next Wildwood Point novella.

For more information on THE KISSING SEASON my coastal Christmas novella click here.

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to leave a comment to enter my contest, enter the Rafflecopter give-away below for the Amazon gift card and ebooks and also visit the other authors on the coastal blog hop (listed below).

Click here for a Rafflecopter giveaway :)

Our Christmas Blog Hop Calendar 

28 November Annie Seaton

29 November Jenny Schwartz

30 November E.E.Carter

1 December Nicole Flockton

2 December Dilys Carnie

3 December Elsa Winckler

4 December Maureen O Betitia

5 December Sherry Gloat

6 December Chris Stovell

7 December J’AimeeBrooker

8 December Susanne Bellamy

9 December Barbara Cool Lee

10 December Tea Cooper

11 December Juliet Madison

12 December Linda Mitchelmore

13 December Julie McCullogh

14 December Eva Scott

15 December Maureen Fisher

16 December Rachael Johns

17 December Susanne O’Leary

18 December Jean Joachim

19 December Demelza Carlton

20 December Lily Malone

21 December Marisa Cleveland

22 DecemberMonique McDonnell

23 December Lauren McKellar

24 December Annie Seaton  Prize Draw

All the books!!

I often refer to my ridiculous To-Be-Read pile. Lord knows I buy far more books than I read. It’s almost impossible for me to go somewhere that sells books and walk away empty handed. It just doesn’t seem right not to give at least one of those books a happy home. As a result, I have shelves and shelves of books and many of them are still waiting for me to read them.

This week, I decided to count these books and find out EXACTLY how many unread books I own. Note, this list only includes the print books and I shudder to think how many more are on my e-devices!! That Amazon and iBooks one-click thing is SHOCKING for book addicts.

Anyway am going to write my list of books below and I’d love you to let me know, which ones you’ve read and recommend. I’m taking three weeks off writing soon and hope to catch up on a LOT of reading in this time. WHAT should I read first?

Thanks for your help!

x

Rach!

My Ridiculous To-Be-Read pile:

Unforgiven – B J Daniels
The Bark Cutters – Nicole Alexander
Close Enough To Touch – Victoria Dahl
Love Is Bad Company – Jennifer Crusie
Freefall – Jill Sorenson
His Captive Lady – Anne Gracie
That Night on Thistle Lane – Carla Neggers
Don’t Cry For Me – Sharon Sala
The Luxe – Anna Goberson
Tell No One – Harlen Coben
The Tinkers Girl – Catherine Cookson
Beautiful Disaster – Jaimie Maguire
Beach House Number 9 – Christie Ridgeway
Cloudstreet – Tim Winton
Salem Falls – Jodi Picoult
The Pact – Jodie Picoult
All Fall Down – Megan Hart
One Day – David Nicholls
Upside Down Inside Out – Monica McInerney
I’ll Be There For You – Louise Candlish
Smart Women – Judy Blume
Smitten – assorted authors
The Love Child – Fran Cusworth
Water For Elephants – Sara Gruen
Beautiful Malice – Rebecca James
The Perfect Man – Sheila O’Flanagan
Walking Back To Happiness – Lucy Dillon
The Fault in our Stars – John Green
The Goodbye Quilt – Susan Wiggs
Ondine – Ebony McKenna
The Love of my Life – Louise Douglas
The Inevitability of Stars – Kathryn R Lyster
The Cuckoo’s Calling – Robert Galbraith
Men I’ve Loved Before – Adele Parks
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape – Peter Hedges
Secret of the Tides – Hannah Richell
Then Came You – Jennifer Weiner
Fly Away Home – Jennifer Weiner
The King’s Concubine – Ann O’Brien
IOU – Helen Warner
Trouble – Linda Howard
Afterwards – Rosamund Lupton
The Dreamers – Nora Roberts
Honest Illusions – Nora Roberts
The Other Daughter – Lisa Gardner
The Making Of Us – Lisa Jewell
The Ugly Duchess – Eloisa James
Flirting With Forty – Jane Porter
Untamed – Anna Cowan
Dare To You – Katie McGary
Pushing The Limits – Katie McGary
Her Mother’s Shadow – Diane Chamberlain
Since You’ve Been Gone – Anouska Knight
The Help – Kathryn Stockett
Black Hills – Nora Roberts
Dead Heat – Bronwyn Parry
Gold Dust – Kimberley Freeman
Belonging – Karen Ann Hopkins
Feral Bells – Peta Jo
The Long Ride Home – Mary Alice Monroe
A Woman Of Substance – Barbara Taylor Bradford
Goodbye Lullaby – Jan Murray
A Stranger In My Street – Deborah Burrows
Better Than Chocolate – Sheila Roberts
A Place Called Home – Cecelia Ahern
The Secret Ingredient – Dianne Blacklock
Half Moon Bay – Helene Young
A Duchess To Remember – Christina Brooke
Sweet Talk – Julie Garwood
While It Lasts – Abbi Glines
The Hive – Gill Hornby
Killing Time – Linda Howard
Mistress To The Crown – Isolde Martyn
The Hunter’s Wife – Katherine Scholes
Burnt – Karly Lane
My Brother But one – T M Clark
Driftwood – Mandy Magro
London’s Last Scoundrel – Christina Brookes
The Sanctuary – Nora Roberts
Dark Witch – Nora Roberts
The Secret Keeper – Kate Morton
Firefly Lane – Kristin Hannah
Necessary Lies – Diane Chamberlain
Last Christmas – Nora Roberts
Before I Met You – Lisa Jewell
Kiss River – Diane Chamberlain
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer
Ember Island – Kimberley Freeman
Eliza’s Gift – Rachel Herron
The Carriage House – Carla Neggers
The Way Back Home – Barbara Freethy
Chesapeake Bay series (four books) – Nora Roberts
Heart of the Outback – Lynne Wilding
Malicious Intent – Kathryn Fox
Slammed – Colleen Hoover
Point of Retreat – Colleen Hoover
The Light Between Oceans – M L Stedman
Come Back To Me – Sara Foster
Netherwood – Jane Sanderson
The Italian Aristocrat – Louise Reynolds
Rules are for Breaking – Imelda Evans
The Yearning – Kate Belle
You Had Me At Hello – Mhairi McFarlane
Outback Sunset – Lynne Wilding
The Alphabet Sisters – Monica McInerney
Hot For the Fireman – Jennifer Bernard
What I Did For Love – Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Flowers From The Storm – Laura Kinsale
The Sweetheart Bargain – Shirley Jump
Heart of Texax – Debbie Macomber
And Then He Kissed Me – assorted authors
Sleigh Bells in the Snow – Sarah Morgan
The Luminaries – Eleanor Catton
Poppy’s Dilemma – Karly Lane
The House of Impossible Loves – Lopez Barris
A Family Curse – Elaine Crowley
Starry Night – Debbie Macomber
Naken – Megan Hart
Taking A Chance – Deborah Burrows
Picnic At Hanging Rock
The Devil’s Feather – Minette Walters
The Thornbirds – Colleen McCullough
The Longest Ride – Nicholas Sparks
How To Bake The Perfect Life – Barbara O’Neal
Witch In The House – Jenna McKnight
LA Candy – Lauren Conrad
Family Baggage – Monica McInerney
That Summer – Sarah Dessen
Jasper Jones – Craig Silvey
And 22 Mills & Boons!

Christmas Present Madness with Jennifer St George! (giveaway)

The fabulous Jennifer St George, an extremely lovely, charming and gorgeous lady stopped by to talk Christmas presents with me. Welcome Jen!

Ahhhh – it’s December. Where did the year go? I can’t believe it’s nearly Christmas.  But, I do enjoy the festive buzz. I love buying Christmas presents. Being a control freak, I’m really organised and have the present buying in hand.

My other half, on the other hand, leaves it to the last minute. He suffers in the Xmas Eve shopping madness almost every year. So, I always have to have a list of simple things he can buy me. (Rach: My hubby asks me to do this too as he reckons he’s HOPELESS at present buying) This year my list includes:

Beautiful notebooks. I have so many but I just love them. I love some of them so much I can’t bring myself to write in some of them. Sad but true! (I’m EXACTLY the same!)

Lingerie. Hey, I’m a romance writer. I don’t think you can ever have too many pretty under garments!!

Exercise gear.  With all the sitting down I do for writing, I try really hard to balance this out with lots of exercise. This year I started running again after a twenty year hiatus.  It’s been really hard, but now I run between five and seven kilometers three times a week.  As I’m rubbish at keeping up with the washing, I like to have lots of lycra lying around.

Books. Even though my TBR pile will probably keep me going for the rest of my life, I do love new books, especially writing craft books. (Funny thing all writers seem to have in common – absolutely ridiculous TBR piles. I estimate mine will see me until about 2027).

Perfume. I’m a sucker for sweet smells.

Clothes. I’m lucky that my husband has great taste and buys me the most fabulous outfits. But, as he is often rushed, this is usually a birthday option.

So, are you an organised Xmas shopper or do you suffer the madding crowds at the last minute.  Leave a comment to go in the draw to win a copy of my latest release, Sweet Seduction.

Ooh a fab prize. Thanks so much Jen. This would be a gorgeous gift to self

Sweet Seduction Blurb:

Together for the first time in one heartwarming volume.

The Convenient Bride

Sienna De Luca will do anything to save her family’s hotel, and ruthless Italian businessman Antonio Moretti knows it. With problems of his own, he proposes a marriage of convenience that will secure his next business deal and save Sienna’s hotel.

 In keeping with her part of the bargain, Sienna travels to Venice with Antonio, who introduces her to a life of luxury and opulence. Antonio soon realizes he has vastly underestimated Sienna. Unexpectedly, she gets too close, and when she discovers his dark secret, Antonio’s perfectly planned life begins to unravel . . .

Seducing the Secret Heiress

Diamond heiress, Charlotte Wentworth, is passionate about two things – cooking and her fiancée, Paul. Until the day she finds out Paul has been unfaithful. 

Charlotte flees to Europe, determined to build her own life without her family’s fortune. When she meets gorgeous TV producer, Gabe Grenville, she keeps her connections secret and soon finds herself the star of his new cooking show. But how will he react when he discovers Charlotte’s true identity?

Don’t forget to leave a comment to win a copy of Jen’s gorgeous book. You could also tell Jen and I what’s at the top of your Christmas list! Contest closes Friday EST time.

You can find Jennifer online at her website, Facebook and Twitter. She also blogs regularly at Lovecats Downunder.  

To Buy Links:

Sweet Seduction is available through Big W and other good book stores. Ebook available at Amazon and iTunes.