Rachael Johns's Blog, page 4

Where do characters come from with Pamela Cook

Today I have the delightful rural romance author Pamela Cook visiting. She’s talking about something I’m sure many of you find fascinating – characters and where they come from. I know as a writer and reader I’m always interested to know about other writer’s processes and characters are a HUGE part of writing a novel.

Welcome Pamela… take it away!

Character Inspirations For Essie’s Way

One of the questions writers are sometimes asked is “Where do you get your characters from?” The answer is usually a combination of real life and our imagination and that’s certainly true for the characters in my new novel, Essie’s Way.

So today I thought I’d give you a run-down on where the ideas came from for the two protagonists and a couple of the support cast.

But first of all, here’s a quick outline so you know who’s who:

Miranda McIntyre looks like she has it all sorted. A successful lawyer, she is planning her wedding and ticking off all the right boxes. When searching for something old to go with her wedding dress she remembers an antique necklace from her childhood in the shape of a horseshoe encrusted with pearls. When she asks, her mother denies any knowledge of it. But Miranda is sure it exists. Trying to find answers, she discovers evidence that perhaps the grandmother she thought was dead is still alive.

Ignoring the creeping uncertainty about her impending marriage, and the worry that she is not living the life she really wants, Miranda takes off on a road trip in search of answers to the family mystery but also in search of herself.

A reclusive old woman and a handsome horse trainer help show Miranda what she is missing. Ultimately, she will find that looking back can lead you home.

ESSIE’S WAY is a touching story about finding yourself and learning from past mistakes.

Miranda

The inspiration for both Miranda and Esther’s characters came from a week long writing course I did years ago called Catch The Whisper. The idea was to write whatever came into your head using a series of prompts which ranged from cue cards to photos to music. In the fragments I wrote that week Miranda started was a I’m-not-going-to-take-it-anymore type of girl who catches her boyfriend in bed with her best friend, has an epiphany and decides it’s time for a sea change. The Miranda in Essie’s Way is a lot more mild-mannered, at least to start with but she is certainly searching for something, and it’s not just her grandmother. She’s young, professional and has the world – apparently – at her feet. The question is: is it the world she wants?

Esther

Esther’s character also appeared that week and she appears in the book as she came to me then – playing a melancholy song on her violin as she sits on the verandah of her cottage by the sea. But Esther isn’t all she seems – a bitter old woman hiding away from the world. She’s tough and independent on the outside but underneath her brittle shell is a past filled with love, passion, grief and betrayal. I guess I drew on a lot of the strong women I’ve met in my life who carry on regardless, making the best of what they have, including my own mother. I really enjoyed imagining Esther as a young girl and writing in her voice for the diary section of the book, seeing her evolution, for better or worse.

Belle

Belle is Miranda’s best friend and they are total opposites. While Miranda is quite conventional and plays by the rules, Belle is much more of her own person and doesn’t care quite so much for what she “should” be doing. She follows her heart and says it how it is. While Belle doesn’t appear that much throughout the book, she’s a great support and is always there for Miranda when she needs her. The idea for the character didn’t come from any particular person but I’ve often noticed that best friends can have completely different character traits and that’s what I wanted to explore in this relationship.

Vincent

Vincent is a local horse trainer who Miranda comes across on the beach at Pelican Point. Once again he isn’t based on anyone in particular – if only he was! While he’s tall, dark and gorgeous he has a laid back charm and sense of vulnerability that Miranda finds herself attracted to, despite her engagement to another man. He is kind to Esther and loves horses and animals – what’s not to love! In his relationship with Miranda I wanted to explore the idea of instant attraction – not necessarily love at first sight, but something close to it, something that’s enough to make you wonder.

I hope you enjoyed this insight into the characters. There are a few others in the book who you can hopefully meet between the pages of Essie’s Way. When you do I’d love to know what you think of them.

Thanks for having me on the blog, Rachael.

Happy reading everyone!

Thanks for that insight Pamela, I’m even MORE eager to get a copy of Essie’s Way now. For all you readers who agree with me, you can grab a copy online at Booktopia, Amazon, iBooks and all other good bookshops Be sure to pop on over to Pamela’s website, or visit her on Twitter and Facebook!

Extract: THE KISSING SEASON

As promised, here’s the first chap of The Kissing Season below for your reading pleasure. I do hope you’ll enjoy it, pre-order your copy and enter my fabulous contest, in which you can win a Kobo Mini e-reader. Details here!

Chapter One

Two seconds after Hannah Elliot’s boss – who just happened to be her older brother – left Elliot’s Emporium to meet his fiancée for Christmas tree shopping, she let out a ‘whoop’ of joy. Nikki had a reputation of being unable to make a decision quickly, which meant Luke would be away for ages. Hannah relished the thought of a few hours reprieve from people breathing down her neck about responsibility and family duty. Having returned to Western Australia from Vegas only two weeks ago, she hadn’t even told them the worst of her situation yet, and still, every member of her immediate family thought her flighty and irresponsible. Always had, and now, no doubt always would. It hadn’t always bothered her, but things had changed recently and now she needed to as well. Still, the idea of being free to phone a friend, peruse the latest gossip on Facebook or simply sit back with her feet on the desk and enjoy the gingerbread man she’d bought that morning was more than a wee bit appealing.

And, after all, in her condition, she had to keep her strength up.

Four seconds after he left, the silly chimes at the entrance, which alerted Elliot staff of potential customers, clanged. She eyed the brown paper bag under the desk and groaned. She could practically hear the crumbly gingerbread man she’d bought early that morning at the Wildwood Point Bakery crying out to be devoured. What kind of person bought a bed the week before Christmas anyway?

Six seconds later she had her answer.

The male type of person. But not any old male. No way. Even sworn off men and on a necessary, self-enforced dating drought, she could look at this man with a critical female eye and admit there was absolutely nothing to be critical about.

‘Good morning.’ His cheery voice held the attractive hint of a foreign accent and also a question. She realised she’d been gawking quite freely at this impressive specimen of man – at his tall, well-built but not too muscular torso that wasn’t at all hidden beneath a decidedly designer shirt and smart black pants. His jet black hair had a touch of unruliness that perhaps on another man would look scruffy and unkempt, but on him looked sexy as hell. And that was even before she started on his wide eyes that sparkled in a way she didn’t think possible of chocolate brown. ‘I heard this was the place to buy a bed.’

‘Yes. That’s right.’ She jumped to her feet, inwardly berating herself for getting distracted by this… this… man. What was she like? Barely five minutes onto the straight and narrow path that was to be her life from now on and she was ogling the customers. ‘Elliot’s have been crafting top-of-the-range furniture for almost a hundred years. Family owned and…and…’

Dammit, she’d forgotten the spiel.

He peered at her, his brows slightly raised in anticipation and his smile still wide, almost bemused. ‘Yes?’

If it wasn’t bad enough she was the laughing stock of her family, now total strangers found her antics amusing. She racked her brain for the sales pitch but all she could think about was how perfect this guy would be as a model for a pin-up calendar. A calendar she’d happily give pride of place on her bedroom wall. Which was ridiculous. For a start, well-groomed prep-boys were definitely not her type. If they had been, she’d likely not be in her current predicament.

It had to be the insurgence of hormones wreaking havoc on her mind. Forgoing the traditional Elliot’s sales pitch, she forced her rebellious hormones back into their box and summoned her most professional smile. ‘You’ve definitely come to the right place. Would you like to look around or do you have an idea of the type of bed you’re after?’

‘I’ve got an idea alright.’ Although his words were benign, the tone of his voice – smooth, sultry, sinful, suggestive – sent her hormones off on another wild spin. She leant forward slightly, gripping the desk for support. He continued, summing up his requirements in one very distracting sentence. ‘Not too hard, a little bit bouncy, four solid bedposts, luxurious enough to be able to laze in on long Sunday afternoons, and of course, big enough for two.’

‘Of course.’ She swallowed as heat flushed to her cheeks. Of course someone like him would have a bed buddy. Of course. She glanced at his left-hand, at his ring finger and found it to be decidedly lacking in marriage bling. A silly spark of hope lit her heart.

It was quickly extinguished by the one cell of common sense in her body. He might not have a wife but that didn’t mean he was ‘available.’

And she certainly was not.

Her hand fell to her still-flat belly, to the tiny life she would already do everything to protect. She straightened and walked around the desk. ‘Well, I think most of our beds fit that description, so perhaps we should take a stroll around the showroom and see if any appeal to you?’

‘Sounds like a plan.’ That grin again. Argh.

Hannah stepped in front of him, so she couldn’t be bamboozled anymore by his killer smile and led the way to the front of the showroom. ‘This here is our local range. All these beds,’ she swept her arm through the air like a model on some corny television quiz show, ‘are crafted with timber from Western Australian Jarrah, Karri or Tuart trees. Many of our local clients like that aspect and prefer it to imported woods.’

‘I can see why. They are very beautiful.’ He ran his hand along the foot of one of the beds and Hannah actually shivered as if he’d run his hand up her spine instead.

Ridiculous.

‘Of course, you don’t sound very local so you may be more interested in some of our international woods,’ she said, trying to divert her mind from all things physical. From his hands and lips and the way they’d feel traversing the planes of her body.

He chuckled. ‘I’m Aussie born and bred actually, but my father is as Italian as they come and I’ve spent a lot of time working overseas the last few years.’

Italian. Her knees went weak at the thought. The French were known to be the most romantic nationality in the world, but personally she’d always had a thing for Italians. She’d had an Italian boyfriend while travelling in Europe and he’d always have a special place in her heart. They had that bad-boy element combined with irresistible charm that she’d always been such a sucker for. Always as in past tense that is.

Although his grey shirt, a slightly loosened tie with ships of all things splattered over it and his sweet, boyish smile didn’t scream bad-boy to her. Hmm, she frowned, perplexed, as she tried to work him out.

‘Is it okay to test it?’ His dreamy voice snapped her out of her reverie.

‘Sure, sure.’ She cleared her throat, hoping she’d cough out some of this craziness. There was absolutely no need to try and work him out for crying out loud. ‘How about I let you have a look around without breathing down your neck?’

He stepped a little closer, so he was just outside the boundaries of personal space. ‘Sweetheart, you can breathe down my neck any time.’

Good God. She swallowed, grappling with the thought that she should reprimand him for being so presumptuous as to call her sweetheart while at the same time positively sweltering at the thought of her breath on his. Or vice versa. She wasn’t fussy. Somehow she managed to say, ‘I’ll be at the desk if you need any further assistance,’ before she turned and fled.

It wasn’t Elliot’s policy to leave potential customers on their own in the showroom but neither was drooling or freaking them out by staring in a stalker-ish manner. And unfortunately she seemed quite capable of doing both. She needed a few seconds to pull herself together, to perhaps eat her gingerbread man and get some much-needed sugar into her bones. She felt light-headed and suddenly realised this dizziness likely wasn’t a result of her customer’s sparkling presence or even her pregnancy. She probably just needed something to eat.

Shoving the pastry in the drawer of the desk between stealing tiny mouthfuls, she watched as the tall, tanned customer prowled about the showroom. He stopped at almost every bed, rubbing his chin as he gave it careful consideration. So far he hadn’t sat on any to test them and she wondered if perhaps they didn’t have anything he liked. Swallowing the last morsel of sweetness, she was about to get up and ask if he’d be interested in ordering an individually designed bed, when he kicked off his black shoes, no doubt Italian, and flopped back onto a bed in the very middle of the showroom.

She stared, warmth filling her and her lips curling into a helpless grin as he rolled back and forth across the bed. He wiggled about, mucking up the crimson quilt set that adorned the bed for decorative purposes only. He left no corner of the bed untested. He stretched out, puffed up the pillows and then clasped his hands behind his neck. She’d never witnessed anyone testing a bed in such a complete manner. She was mesmerized, bewitched. Her hormones were banding together to form a positively hot pool of desire right where it mattered.

Until he stood right up in the middle of the bed and began to jump.

On no! Her hand flew to her mouth in shock and she knocked her bottle of Mount Franklin over in the process. She let the water trickle out onto the desk, her mind focused on another problem entirely. Such as, what would Luke say if he returned this minute? Trust her customer to choose to manhandle the most expensive bed in the store.

‘No! Stop!’ The words tumbled out of her mouth as she leapt out of her seat and made a mad dash to the bed. Elliot’s beds were renowned for being solidly crafted but they weren’t designed for ninety-plus-kilo men to treat them as nothing more than a children’s trampoline.

She reached the edge of the bed. ‘That’s not how you test beds.’ Even as she spoke, the hilarity of the situation sparked a bubble of laughter deep within. She struggled, and failed dismally, in keeping her amusement a secret.

‘You’re absolutely right,’ he said, staring right into her eyes and catching her laughter like a disease. ‘Testing a bed definitely requires two people.’

Before she could guess his mischievous intentions, he’d flopped down into a sitting position, leant forward to grab her hands and hauled her onto the bed beside him – on top of him in fact. Hannah’s insides twisted, rocked and praised the Lord as if she’d just indulged in a whole block of Cadbury’s milk chocolate. She didn’t have time to wrap her mind around the idea that what he was doing to her wasn’t appropriate in the slightest, all she could think about was the tenderness of her breasts pressed into his chest, the feel of his long muscular thighs against hers and the infectious grin on his face.

He rolled over, taking her with him until she was underneath and he was on top, gazing down at her eyes and lips as he held her head between his hands as if she were the most precious thing on earth. She licked her lips, all the while roving her eyes over his face taking in every single detail – cursing the heavens above for not having met this face three months earlier. Time seemed to stand still, her heart definitely stopped working as he took forever to drop his lips to hers.

But when he did… oh when he did… Hannah forgot everything she’d promised herself on the long flight back from Vegas. His hand swept down the side of her head, her body and cupped her buttocks towards him as his tongue slipped between her lips and explored. She kissed him back, sucking, nibbling, delighting in him for as long as her conscience allowed.

Then, after about ten minutes in this stranger’s passionate embrace, something hard pressed against her belly. Oh Lord, was that an erection she felt? His erection? Sirens sounded loud and clear in her head. What the hell was she doing making out in Elliot’s showroom with a potential client? Or a rapist? Not that she knew much about rapists, but she watched the news, she knew they were our there. As if sensing her sudden tension, he did something illegal with his tongue, making her bones melt and leaving her wanting a lot more than one kiss.

            Hell, Hannah!

Never mind the rapist, what the heck was she doing making out with anyone? Horrified and shamed by her wanton actions, she gave the heavy weight a hard shove. He barely moved with her effort but his eyes blinked open and his lips jumped from hers as he scanned her face.

‘Get off me,’ she panted, thinking that she should feel violated when all she felt was hot, turned-on and flustered. Not good.

‘Sorry.’ The guy obeyed her immediately, rolling over to free her from his clutches. He wiped her pink, strawberry-flavoured lip-gloss from his mouth and jumped to a stand.

She remained prostrate on the mattress, too shell-shocked by what had just occurred to make a move.

‘I’ll take the bed,’ he said, already digging in his pocket, presumably for his wallet.

‘I should think so.’ Her heart finally making an effort to return to normal speed. She feared it’d be a while before her temperature did the same. Somehow she managed to pull herself together enough for her brain to give the instructions for her legs to stand.

‘And that.’ He pointed to a tallboy and dressing table that matched the bed, before taking a quick stroll around the rest of the showroom and picking out a number of pieces. She had to jog to keep up as she pressed little sold stickers onto everything he pointed at.

‘Did your house burn down or something?’ She could think of no other reason why someone would go out and buy so much furniture with so little thought. ‘Or did you win the lottery?’

He chuckled and she prayed he’d hurry up and finish this crazy shopping spree so she could begin to forget him and the feel of his body mashed against hers. ‘None of the above. I’ve just bought a house in the area and I need to furnish it. I’m also the type of man who doesn’t like to waste time and knows what I want when I see it.’

Why did she get the feeling he wasn’t just talking about the furniture?

‘Fair enough.’ She shrugged as if she really didn’t care either way and placed a sticker on the coffee table he’d just earmarked. She guessed he was one of the many rich business people choosing south west Australia – amidst the forests and winerys, seconds from the coast – as their place of residence.

‘I think that’ll be it for now. Do you do home delivery?’

‘Of course.’ Shaun would have to do at least two trips in their truck with this load. She smiled at the thought, suddenly realising how good this sale was going to make her look when Luke returned. ‘Let’s take a seat and I can finalize your order.’

Not waiting for another word from the Italian, Hannah headed straight for the sales desk, determined not to look him in the eyes for fear she’d forget all her resolutions yet again.

His long legs had him just behind her. As she sat in the swivel chair, he slapped his platinum Amex card down in front of her and smiled. She glanced up only once and even though she recognised that smile as one perfected for a hundred ladies before her, it had the power to unravel need deep within. Ignoring that need – or at least trying to – she found his name on the credit card and almost swooned. Matteo Della Bosca. It was the perfect name for all the tall, dark, gorgeousness in front of her.

He didn’t ask for the price and she forgot to give it to him, but as she slipped his card into the machine, he spoke.

‘Would you like to go out for dinner with me?’

She almost fell off her chair in shock. ‘I’m sorry, what did you say?’  She looked up and met his gaze for the first time since their kiss. Why his request surprised her she had no idea. He’d been making sweet eyes at her since the moment he walked in the door. But her world had shifted recently and she kept forgetting no one else knew her secret.

‘I said,’ he cleared his throat and smiled, ‘would you like to come out to dinner with me?’

Yes please, was on the tip of her tongue. But, ignoring the raging disappointment of her hormones, she swallowed her instinctive reply. ‘No thank you,’ she said instead. Her time for men – especially ones as obviously dangerous as him – was finished.

 

Matteo Della Bosca knew if he intended to settle down and find Miss Right, he’d have to stop indulging in spur-of-the-moment activities such as this one. Unfortunately that was his mother’s wish for him but he was quite happy with the status quo. He hadn’t yet met a girl who made him want to change his carefree ways. His mum believed he couldn’t just kiss every girl he felt like kissing, and frequently begged him to stop what she called his Casanova ways and get serious but he hadn’t been able to help himself with this girl. In fact he’d been more impulsive than usual, not even pausing to question if she was available.

The smile as she returned his card didn’t meet her eyes and he couldn’t believe his ears when she rejected him. That kiss had been smouldering and he knew he wasn’t the only one to think so.

‘Are you married?’  He asked. He wasn’t used to women turning him down and only if she belonged to someone else would he take no for an answer now. ‘Engaged? In love with the boy next door.’

He swore he saw the corner of her lips crinkle with amusement and although he felt the pull of victory, she didn’t let such feelings prosper.

‘Nope, none of the above.’ She echoed his words of earlier, then added, ‘I’m simply not interested.’ Holding her pretty chin high, she pushed a piece of paper in front of him. ‘Sign here.’

He didn’t believe she wasn’t interested and had a good mind to kiss her again just to prove it. Instead, he slipped his card back inside his wallet and leant forward to sign the paperwork.

As he scrawled his signature, she turned back to the computer. ‘What’s your address?’

Without glancing up, he said, ‘Why do you want to know? Planning to stalk me?’

‘Uh no. I need it to give to the delivery driver.’

Dammit, he closed his eyes as he cursed silently and wondered where the hell he’d misplaced his cool. He didn’t usually come up with such shocking lines. ‘Wishful thinking I guess.’ And best to move on quickly from such a low point. ‘I’ve just bought a place on the beach.’ He rattled off the address of an old beach shack that had been renovated to look like something out of movie set. Mum had always dreamed of living somewhere that overlooked the Indian Ocean but her deadbeat husband would never have managed to scrape together the dough. He’d barely left her enough to cover the costs of his funeral.

‘Ahh, I think I know it. Pretty place.’

Something the house and you have in common. Luckily he managed to bite his tongue before he totally looked the fool. Who said things like that? Certainly not him. Was it because this cute girl had turned him down so flatly, without any hesitation? He racked his brain trying to think of a time where any woman had been so hasty to reject him but came up blank. ‘Yes, it is. Have you lived here long?’

He decided to change his tack, use a roundabout approach to get to know her, and he was curious. Although he’d grown up in small town Wildwood Point, he’d lived with his father in New York as a teenager and hadn’t been back much in the last decade. His job kept him busy and on the move, at least that was the excuse he’d always given his family. Now that his wicked stepfather was gone, he might manage to make it home a lot more often.

‘All my life.’ Her tone suggested this was some kind of punishment. ‘Although I’ve been travelling the past few years and only come back home recently.’

‘Ah… a kindred spirit.’ He raised his eyebrows suggestively at her. ‘You see, we already have something in common and if you promise to come out to dinner with me tonight, we’ll never run out of conversation.’

‘I’m busy tonight.’ She took his receipt off the printer, folded it and slipped it inside an Elliot’s envelope.

‘Tomorrow night then?’ This was the closest he’d ever come to begging for a date.

She looked at him as if he’d grown another head and she didn’t want to kiss that one either. ‘This is the week before Christmas. Sorry. I’m all booked out.’

‘You really don’t want to go out with me, do you?’ he asked, unable to keep the scepticism out of his voice.

‘Nope, I really don’t.’

Thing is, the blink of her eyes told him otherwise and Matt decided then and there, if he did nothing else while home for Christmas, he’d succeed in getting this particular girl into bed.

AWESOME ‘The Kissing Season’ contest!

So, you may have heard… I have a short, fun holiday novella out in December!! I’m very excited about this book – the premise came to me years ago and I finally got around to writing it – and to share my excitement, I decided to run a THE KISSING SEASON contest.

From the author of Man Drought and Jilted comes a funny and romantic Christmas story set in rural Australia.

Every family has a black sheep…and Hannah Elliot is it.

It’s no surprise to anyone when Hannah Elliot makes the spontaneous decision to marry a stranger in Las Vegas. But when she finds herself pregnant and her new husband files for an annulment, she dreads having to tell her family.

Returning to her Australian hometown of Wildwood Point, Hannah is determined to become a devoted mum and put her baby’s needs ahead of her own. She’s also set to prove to her family she can actually be responsible. This means putting her wild past behind her and accepting a job back in the family business…while keeping her pregnancy a secret!

Except, when gorgeous Italian Matteo Della-Bosca walks through the shop door, Hannah finds her resolve slipping fast…

Sounds like fun, hey?! I promise to share an extract VERY soon, but in the mean time check out my contest below!

WIN WIN WIN!!!

THE KISSING SEAON – KOBO MINI CONTEST



HOW TO ENTER:

Purchase a copy of THE KISSING SEASON (or any of my books) from your favourite retailer and email me a copy of your receipt to thekissingseason@gmail.com before Friday 20th of December (midnight EST – Australia). If you pre-order and don’t get the receipt, you’re welcome to email me the screen shot.

You can pre-order THE KISSING SEASON from Amazon, iBooks or Google Play and links for my other books can be found on my website.

WINNER:

The winner will be chosen at random using http://www.random.org on Saturday 21st December and will be drawn and notified via email . I will also announce the winner on my blog and on my Facebook page.

HOW TO BUY AND READ AN EBOOK WITHOUT AN E-READER

I must confess I still read mostly print books. I love the feel and smell of a brand new book and I love having all my faves lined up in the bookshelf. I DON’T like the dust they gather because I think we’ve established before, I’m not a housekeeper. But I do also read books on my Kindle and now my iPad, even occasionally on my phone. But let’s forget about the Kindle e-reader for a moment and talk about HOW I could read if I only had a phone, tablet or even PC.

Most e-bookstores now also have apps you can download to your phone, tablet or computer to enable you to buy books from them and read them on whatever device you feel like doing so on.

If you don’t have a tablet and want to read on your computer, I suggest downloading the Kindle App for PC from Amazon. Click here for information on how to download this free app. You can then set up an Amazon account and purchase THE KISSING SEASON or any other books through Amazon and they will be magically delivered to the Kindle App on your computer.

If you have a tablet (e.g. iPad, Samsung Galaxy, etc) or a smart phone, you can download an app so you can buy from Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Booktopia,Google Play and many many more. Simply search in your devices app store. On my iPad I have the iBooks app, the Amazon app and the Google Play app, which means I can shop around and find the best priced book before buying.

I hope this has been helpful and that you’ll find away to access ebooks, even if it is only for novellas, which aren’t usually available in print!

We can’t have you missing out on booky goodness!!!

Tempting Tidbit from Mandy Magro

Today my good friend Mandy Magro is releasing her fourth rural romance – DRIFTWOOD with Harlequin Australia (also my fabulous publishers) and today I get to share a tempting excerpt with you in celebration.

Cover:

Blurb:

When the bushranger heritage of a family explodes into modern day, buried secrets are unearthed…with lasting consequences.

To Taylor Whitworth, knowing that she’ll never meet her biological father is devastating. All she knows is that before he died, he was a stockman. Taylor yearns to be like her father — and to become a jillaroo. So she packs her bags and hits the road, destination unknown, until she happens upon the country township of Driftwood.

Life-burdened Jay Donnellson is a cowboy through and through. Both his passion for the outback and bad boy image have been inherited from his forefathers. The whole town whispers about him but Jay doesn’t care…until his rough and tumble lifestyle is stopped dead in its tracks when he happens across Taylor on a deserted country road.

When Jay offers Taylor a job as a jillaroo on his cattle station, their mutual love of horses helps to form a bond between them. It’s not long before they find their wonderful friendship developing into something more.

‘Mandy writes great stories…sexy and uniquely Australian!

What more do you need?’

Adam Brand

Excerpt:

Sliding from the driver’s seat, Taylor stretched her long limbs, her butt numb from spending almost nineteen hours behind the wheel, nine hours of it yesterday. A quick stop at a roadside hotel last night had allowed her a restless sleep on what felt like a bed older than her before she had hit the road again early this morn­ing after a greasy breakfast of bacon and eggs. Placing her hands deep in her jeans pockets, she wandered up to the signs, weighing up which way she should go, a weird yet wonderful feeling of excitement washing over her. It was as if the land was reflecting her inner confusion, offering her — literally — a crossroad. Exhilarat­ing, liberating and scary all rolled into one.

    A weathered sign pointing to the left read ‘Waratah Station’ and an equally worn one pointing to the right read ‘Driftwood — 38 kilo­metres, population 712’. Hmm. Waratah Station sounded very allur­ing but Driftwood sounded out of the ordinary, picturesque. The name suggested it was nearer the ocean, which was odd, seeing this was primarily northern cattle country. Taylor’s curiosity was piqued.

    Pulling her wild tresses of waist-length strawberry blonde ring­lets into a ponytail, Taylor motioned to the left with a wide sweep of her arm. ‘Well, Floyd, what do you reckon? Do we go this way like a pair of crazies, deeper into the magnificent countryside and towards a station we have no idea about, or do we go right, towards the town of Driftwood, where there will most certainly be a fuel station, and a bed?’ Taylor felt her tummy rumble. ‘Oh, and pos­sibly a pub with steak, chips and salad?’

     Floyd barked his reply, his tail wagging zealously.

    ‘Yep, that’s what I thought. Driftwood it is then. Let’s just hope we have enough fuel to make it there, bugger having to walk in the dark — I’d be shitting myself.’

Want this book? Grab it at your local bookshop, Kmart, Big W, Target or one of the links below: 

Amazon

Harlequin

Booktopia

How much do you read?!

Once again, I’ve sadly neglected this poor blog! If you’re still with me, thanks for hanging in there. I’m much more active over on my Facebook page, so if you’re on Facebook be sure to come on over and say Hi!

Anyway a week ago I went to Brisbane for the second ever Genre Con in Australia. Last year’s sounded so fabulous that I signed up pretty much as soon as they opened registrations this year and I was NOT disappointed! I caught up with my good friend Cathryn Hein, lunched with a bunch of amazing women and writers, met new friends and heard fabulous local and international writers talk about their processes, etc, which is always inspiring! I also met the fabulous Dianne Blacklock and Anita Heiss who I’ve been tweeting with for a couple of years. They are just as magic in person as they are online and I can’t wait to read their books. I’m currently reading Dianne’s latest THE BEST MAN and enjoying it immensely.

Speaking of reading, one of the common threads many of the guest speakers said was that to be a writer you also have to be a reader. I have always believed this to be the case – I can’t understand how you can be a writer and NOT a reader – but at Genre Con, I realised something terrible. My reading life has been suffering this past year as I have more and more writing commitments and deadlines. I’m lucky now if I read one book in two weeks whereas I used to read two to five in ONE week!

Nowadays I mostly read at night in that tiny window between falling into the bed and falling asleep. I’m usually knackered from the requirements of the day and sometimes only read for ten or fifteen minutes. This could be why I haven’t been able to get into many books of late and I’ve decided it has to change.

As a writer, reading is WORK! Yes, terrible chore I know but it is a FACT. I NEED to read to keep up with what is out there, to refill the well and to learn from other fantastic writers.

So, that’s the biggest thing I brought away from Genre Con. I’m going to read more and I’m going to read widely. I bought a book by the enigmatic Chuck Wendig when I was in Brisbane and one by the divine Kathryn Fox. These are books I would likely not pick up normally but hearing these amazing writers talk I just could not miss out on their work.

Anyway… sorry for all this waffling, but I’m basically curious. How much do YOU read!? How many books a week? Do you read mostly in one genre or widely?

Tempting tidbit from Elise K Ackers

One of the BEST and worst parts about being a writer is that I meet other fabulous writers and want to read ALL their books. I do my best (but it’s not very good at the moment) so I thought why not share all these wonderful people and books with you. So I thought I’d start showcasing some of this awesomeness on my blog. From now on, I’ll be sharing my friends’ releases with you and giving you a tantalising extract to tempt you!

First up is the gorgeous Elise K Ackers with her new book ASK ME FOR TOMORROW published by Destiny Romance. I must quickly say here that although I haven’t read this book I LOVE Elise’s work and am actually quoted on the cover of her December release! But today we’re looking at ASK ME FOR TOMORROW!

Cover:

Blurb:

Three years after losing his wife, Dean Foster feels like he’s living in a daze. When he finds himself attracted to his new employee, it comes as quite a shock.

Single mum, Alice Jaye, is struggling to make ends meet. She’s too tired to flirt with her gorgeous new boss and firmly maintains a professional distance. But when their children bring them into close contact, keeping their relationship strictly business isn’t easy.

As Alice and her son spend more time with his family, Dean’s heart begins to open once more. But can he risk starting all over again?

This eagerly anticipated book in the Homeland series is a tender, heartwarming story about letting go of the past and giving love a second chance.

Excerpt:

Eyes still on the road, he leaned forward in the seat, listening for the offending sound. After a moment he thought he might have caught it in the left part of the dashboard. He strained closer, only to wonder if he hadn’t misheard, because now it seemed to be coming from the passenger door.

It was only when the scent of flowers came to rival the scent of fruit that he realised how close he had moved to Alice. His cheek was close enough to her chest that a good bump in the road would probably embarrass them both.

‘Sorry,’ he said, moving quickly back to his side of the car.

Alice laughed and settled more comfortably into her seat. ‘It’s fine. Do what you’ve got to do.’

He glanced over, surprised by the subtle flirtation. She was smiling with one side of her mouth again. He grinned and looked back at the road.

He thought about her legs and perfume as he continued to listen for the elusive sound, but there was only the rain, her breathing and his fast beating heart.

How unexpected that Alice Jaye would manage to shine a light in the darkened corners of his desire. She wasn’t the kind of woman he was used to – he was surrounded by gregarious, fun-loving chatterboxes, women who had a lot to say, who would talk over him to get their point across. Yet here was Alice, reserved and relatively even-tempered, inciting thoughts that hadn’t crossed his mind in a long time.

Did this mean that Dean was open for business again? Was he seriously thinking about venturing forward into the new and unknown? What would people think of him moving on – would they think it was too soon? Did such opinions matter?

Want it now!? ASK ME FROM TOMORROW is available now from Destiny Romance, iBooks and Amazon.

Reblogged from Booktopia’s Booktoberfest

This month Booktopia is celebrating Booktoberfest and lots of publishers have come on board to join the fun. Harlequin Books (my fabulous publisher) have a great prize pack up for grabs, if you buy any of the books in their Booktoberfest spotlight from Booktopia!

Order Outback Dreams or any of the books in the Harlequin Booktoberfest Showcase to go into the draw to win one of six Rural Romance Prize Packs valued at $120!

Prize Pack Includes: Outback Dreams by Rachael Johns, Driftwood by Mandy Magro, Nobody But Him by Victoria Purman and Right as Rain by Tricia Stringer (Published 1st of December).

For further details click here!

There’s also some other special content on the blog this month and I’ve contributed a piece about the Five Writers I Want To Be When I Grow Up. Reblogged below

Five Writers I Want To Be when I Grow Up

By Rachael Johns

As a romance writer and an English teacher, books are my LIFE. So I have many favourites and many writers I admire. Aside from writing, reading is pretty much the thing I like to do more than anything in the world for so many reasons. Reading is relaxing and therapeutic; it takes me away from the real world and lets me indulge in fantasies (yes, sexy farmers for example), and having books around means I’m NEVER bored. My only disappointment when it comes to books and reading is that I’ll never have enough time to read all the books I want to. Yes, this is a very sad fact.

I have a number of must buy authors – some I’ve even been lucky enough to meet – and I’d like to share with you my Top Five Writers I want to be when I grow up.

1. Marian Keyes – she’s funny in person and on paper. I love her quirky characters and her delicious humour. (fave book – Last Chance Saloon)

2. Helen Fielding – she created one of my all time favourite books Bridget Jones’ Diary, a book that has been read and loved by women all around the world.

3. J K Rowling – I’m a HUGE Harry Potter fan. I read them all when they came out and continue to re-live their fabulousness now as I read them with my boys. Her imagination is awesome and I just wish Hogwarts was real!

4. Kristan Higgins – her books are pure delight to read. Gorgeous heroes and heroines you just want to wrap your arms around and console for their embarrassing moments. And she’s also funny and witty in person. I met her earlier this year at the Romance Readers Convention and wanted to kidnap her. (fave book – Too Good To Be True)

5. Sophie Kinsella, Lisa Jewell, Cathy Kelly, Liane Moriarty, Nora Roberts, Dorothy Koomson and Linda Howard – okay, I cheated and listed more than five but these authors all inspire me to write better every time I read one of their books!

Click here to order Outback Dreams from Booktopia, Australia’s Local Bookstore

I’d love to know who are your favourite writers and what particular you love about them!!

My Secret Life with Victoria Purman

I’m delighted to have my shelf buddy for October and Harlequin sister (sounds nicer than stable mate) on the blog today!! Victoria has a new contemporary BEACH-SET romance out and I have it on my Kindle and am desperate to start it. I ‘met’ Victoria on Twitter and then we met properly at this year’s Romance Writers of Australia conference in August, so I know her book is going to be fabulous because SHE is!! 

Anyway, I’ll stop yakking and hand over to the star herself. Welcome Victoria…

My Non-Writing Life

By Victoria Purman, author of “Nobody But Him” Thank you Rachael for having me on your blog! Our lovely host has asked me to talk about what I do when I’m not writing.

The first thing that springs to mind is: sleeping, of course!

Because, you see, I’ve succumbed to the Dreaded Writers’ Disease. Although definitely not fatal, it means that if I’m not pounding the keyboard, I’m thinking, plotting and obsessing about my characters and how I can throw every obstacle in their way before they reach their happy-ever-after!

I have a very busy life outside words. The husband and I have three teenage sons, so obviously shopping and cooking are important in our household. I quite like to try new things for The Hungry Horde to eat. Jamie Oliver is a big favourite in my house at the moment because I like his concept of 15 minute meals!

I continue to work part-time and I volunteer on a few organizations: the SA Writers Centre, South Australia’s youth arts body Carclew, and my kids’ high school council.

I love music and can even have it playing in the background when I write. Now the kids are older, the husband and I are able to get out more and see bands again – something we did a lot when we first met.

My top three best live shows during the past five years are:

British band Elbow (lead singer Guy Garvey actually looked right at me and we sang together!)
Lyle Lovett (brilliant songwriter, brilliant singer, brilliant band)
and Carole King and James Taylor together on a double-bill. They must have played a million shows between them but they convinced us they were having a ball (and singing along to “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman” with my friends is something I’ll never forget).

I could go on: Foo Fighters rocked; k.d.lang was sublime; Keith Urban was incredible and… I’m running out of adjectives.

When I’m driving, I’m ALWAYS singing along in the car, to artists like those I’ve mentioned above, plus country artists like Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum. Years ago, I gave up worrying what it would look like – now I just sing proudly!

Although I don’t get as much time as I used to (now that I’ve got The Writer’s Disease), I do like watching TV series like Hart of Dixie, Castle, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Miranda and A Place To Call Home.  It goes without saying that the BBC adaption of Pride and Prejudice gets a heavy workout while I’m cooking – I love to have it playing on my iPad while I’m working in the kitchen.

And did I mention reading? How could I forget! I’ll just drop some names: THE Nora, Rachael (of course!), Bronwyn Parry, Helene Young, Sarah Mayberry, Tricia Stringer, Kristan Higgins, Jill Shalvis and Pamela Clare (if you don’t know her, you should definitely check her out, especially her I-Team series which I adore). The best part of being involved in the romance writing community is that there are always new books to read. The worst part is that there just aren’t enough hours in the day to ready everything, right?

When regular life gets too crazy, there’s one place our family escapes to, and that’s the Fleurieu Peninsula on South Australia’s south coast. It’s the place that inspired “Nobody But Him” and it’s beautiful. It’s the perfect place for walks on the beach, whale watching in the winter, body boarding in the summer, beach cricket and champagne on the beach at sunset with awesome friends.

Thanks for having me Rachael! I hope your readers will all join me for a trip to the beach and a little romance this summer.

Victoria

Thanks so much for sharing Victoria – I’m so glad to know that other writers are just as busy as I am Now, readers… Victoria has generously offered to do a giveaway of her GORGEOUS book (see the blurb below). To go in the draw to win, simply comment on the blog with your answer to this question:

Q) Describe you best childhood memory of a summer at the beach.

Contest closes midnight Sunday (West Australian time) and I’ll announce the winner next week on my Facebook page and in the comments section of this blog post.

Nobody But Him by Victoria Purman

She didn’t expect to run into her first love… or to fall back in love with him!

At eighteen, Julia Jones left for the city with a head full of grand plans for an exciting life that certainly didn’t include her hometown of Middle Point – a main street with a pub – or Ryan Blackburn.

But fifteen years – and a lifetime later – she’s forced to put her big city life on hold when she heads home to finalise her mother’s estate. Which is where she runs smack bang into the town’s new champion… the same Ryan Blackburn.

The sensible thing to do? Stay the hell away from him and head back to Melbourne as fast as her stilettos can carry her. But Julia finds his offer of a helping hand and a hot body too delicious to refuse and dives into a reckless, one-time fling.

What she doesn’t realise is that tomorrow has a way of sneaking up, and that saying goodbye to her home town – and to Ryan – is much harder the second time around.

Doesn’t that sound fantastic!! You can grab a copy on Kindle, Google Play, iBooks, Kobo, from Booktopia, Harlequin Books, Dymocks or any of the major chain stores

And you can find Victoria online at her website, on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Happy Release Day To Me

So if the subject of this blog didn’t give it away… today is the official release day of OUTBACK DREAMS, published by Harlequin Australia. I’m not sure why but it often seems the book actually releases a few days earlier than the official date, so yesterday my boys and I went to Perth and went visiting my books!!

The above two pics are from Dymocks Midland!! I was too scared to ask if they wanted me to sign some books (yes, some of you will be surprised that I’m actually quite shy) but I did leave some bookmarks, so if you buy a book from here, be sure to make sure you get one!

This photo is from Kmart Midland! My youngest (in the blue) always wants to move my books to a better spot whenever he sees them. Unfortunately they were already in a pretty good spot here and he wasn’t best pleased that his shelf rearranging skills weren’t needed!

We also checked out Big W and Target Midland and both of them seemed to have already sold out as there were spots for them but no actual books, so if you haven’t got a copy yet.. what are you waiting for!?

More details about OUTBACK DREAMS can be found on my website here, including an excerpt and to-buy links

My Secret Life with Rachel Brimble

Am very excited today to have another Rachel (although she spells it wrong but don’t hold that against her) on the blog! I met the lovely Rachel on Twitter and can’t wait to get my hands on one of her books!! Rachel lives in the UK and writes for Harlequin Superromance and also writes Victorian romances for Kensignton. Busy lady!! I asked Rachel what she gets up to when she’s not sitting down at the computer and penning delicious prose. Here’s what she said…

(Rachel and her spunky Mr Brimble)

What I do when I’m not writing…

So happy to be here with Rachael today – we met online through our mutual love of procrastinating on Twitter rather than writing, and I’m so glad we did! Rachael has asked to know a little about what I do when I’m not writing. This was a struggle because writing takes up pretty much every minute of my time, lol!

I have been married to my wonderful husband for fifteen years and we’re mum and dad to two daughters (14 & 12), as well as our beloved black Lab, Max. I am lucky enough to stay at home so I treat my writing as a job and when the kids are at school, I have a very disciplined schedule of writing from 8.30am to 3.30pm…with a break for a dog walk in between.

Once the kids are home, it’s a case of grabbing moments when I can until 7pm – then it’s strictly ‘family time’ – which also translates to slumping on the couch in front of the TV, with or without the kids. LOL!

My most favorite thing to do in my free time is walk – I live in South West England with the famous Georgian city of Bath just thirty miles drive in one direction. and the gorgeous array of Cotswold villages about an hour in the other. In between, I have access to acres and acres of woodland, fields and famous historic sites like Avebury and the White Horse at Cherhill where dogs are welcome. I could walk for miles!

Other than walking, I am either happy at home knitting or reading – OR I like nothing more than getting together with family or a big group of friends at a local pub and eating and drinking until they throw us out. I don’t seem to have the grasped the idea of living in moderation. It’s home bird or party peacock!!

In a nutshell, I work and play hard – my writing is pretty much my life and I would love to work 24/7 but if I were to do that I’d likely have a breakdown or my family would abandon me, lol! So there you go, that’s me. I’d love to know more about you!

I’m a big walker too Rachel and I so relate to wanting to be able to write 24/7! Or read!!

Rachel’s latest release, the second in her ongoing Templeton Cove series, is available now from Harlequin Superromance. Here are the blurb and buy links for A Man Like Him…

Changing her life…again

After two years in hiding, Angela Taylor knows her independence is worth it. As long as she can escape her past, she has everything under control. Until a flash flood hits the park where she works, and hot Chris Forrester shows up the exact moment she needs a hero.

Chris proves he can save lives-and weaken a girl’s knees. But how can she make him understand that she’s off-limits, that getting close to her will endanger his life? Her happiness or his safety: it shouldn’t even be a choice.

Because when you love someone, you protect them, no matter the cost. At least, that’s what Angela keeps telling herself….

That sounds fab Rachel and what a GORGEOUS cover. I’m off to buy it in just a moment. And if you’d like to do so as well people, the links are below: 

*Amazon

*Barnes and Noble

*Amazon UK

You can find Rachel on the web in the following places – her Website, her Blog, on Twitter and on Facebook!