One Year On…

Happy April Fools Day everyone (is that what you say?) and welcome to the first blog on my new blog site. I hope you've come on over from the old one and changed any links you had to this one.

Or maybe you've clicked the 'blog'  link on my brand new website, created by the amazing Paula Roe (who also writes terrific romance for Harlequin Desire). I'm so happy with the image Paula has designed for me. I wanted to a look that combined the two types of books I write – small-town Aussie romance for Harlequin Australia and also shorter, more urban romances for Carina Press – and I think the look is just perfect!

There's exactly TWO months until the release of my BIG book – JILTED (Mira, Harlequin Australia) and there's an extract here to whet your appetite until then. I'd love for you to check it out. And also, if you're on GoodReads, it would be fab if you could add Jilted as to-read – consider it a new blog present to me

Now… as the title of this blog suggests, a year ago today, I received 'The Email' from Angela James at Carina Press offering to buy ONE PERFECT NIGHT. After fourteen years of pursuing the dream of publication, in 2011 it finally came true. Not long after THAT email I got another one from Haylee Kerans at Harlequin Australia offering to buy JILTED. And only last month, I sold my third novel, which will be released early 2013.

It's been a SERIOUSLY amazing journey so far.

I've had a number of first – first edits, first blurb, first cover, first book on Amazon, first conference with the "published author" colour on my badge – and in a few weeks, I should be able to add holding my first book in my hands (I cannot wait)! But it hasn't always been an easy year. There've been tears when I've been asked to do what seemed like an impossible rewrite, there've been not so glowing reviews, there've been a LOT of doubts and feelings about being a fraud, but I think it's ALL worth the thrill of a good review and the thrill of seeing a cover the first time.

So please, if you're still pursuing this writing gig, dreaming of the day you receive a call or email saying your dream publisher wants to buy your book, then keep dreaming big and KEEP WRITING – that really IS the key!

PS. The fabulous Paula has imported all the articles over from my own blog, but some of them still need a bit of formatting, so please excuse any mistakes if you happen to go trawling. I'll get to them soon