Archived 2007 News Pieces
News for December 2007
**Competition Update**
Thanks so much to everyone who entered my competition, I'm pleased to announce that Rachel won first prize, and Chris and Sharon won calendars and some goodies...hope you're all having a lovely start to December. I'll be back with more news soon!
News for November 2007
Hello there. I woke to find frost on my car the other morning, winter has arrived. Brrr. I hope you're not all heading into winter, some, like my friend Annie West down under are heading into summer - lucky things. But I have to say, I like the crisp cold days. It's just the rain that makes things dismal!
It's been a while since I posted news so a bit to catch up on. At the end of September I went to London to see the Queen. Well no, not exactly, the next best thing though, I went to the annual Mills and Boon day where we had an authors lunch, followed by a champagne reception thrown by Mills and Boon in celebration their authors. I can't emphasise how exciting this day is. If I'm lucky enough to be writing for another twenty years or so perhaps I'll become a little blasé about it, but I think not. You see, all the Editors are fearsomely bright, young and gorgeous. And lovely. Including my own, Meg Sleightholme, who is pictured here with myself and the lovely Michelle Styles.
Abby & Michelle Styles
At the champagne reception it was also a great treat to see Kate Walker pick up her commemorative 50th book pin with dignity and grace, as is befitting a legendary author.
The night before that Kate Walker and Michelle Reid organised a dinner for a few of us Modern Authors, such a nice treat before the mayhem, here's Kate, India Grey and Christina Hollis.
Kate Walker, India Grey & Christina Hollis
I also met Margaret Mayo, a longtime favourite author of mine, Sarah Morgan, Carol Marinelli, Natasha Oakely, Jackie Baird, Michelle Reid, Fiona Harper, Donna Alward, Julie Cohen, the inimitable Trish Wylie who is currently writing about five books before christmas, after her own whirlwind tour of America earlier this year. And loads of other lovelies. It's a great opportunity to talk, and talk, and talk…and talk.
Trish Wylie & Fiona Harper
In October Kate Walker and her rather handsome husband Steve Wade, AKA the babe magnet, 
came to Dublin as he was doing research for a book. We had a lovely time doing tours around town, Sandymount, Ardmore Studios, The bar of the Shelbourne Hotel, the bars of Grafton St, my house…it was great to see them again so soon and to be able to pick Ms Walker's brains for advice. Which every new author needs.
I got news that my fifth book is to be released in July 2008 in the UK entitled, The Mediterranean Billionaire's Blackmail Bargain. And my fourth, Bought for the Frenchman's Pleasure will be released in the US in April 2008 which I'm very excited about.
I'm currently putting the finishing touches to number six. It has to go into my editor next week so I hope I don't have an epiphany over the next few days and realise it's all wrong!
**NB: Competition Time!**
I'm receiving the hardbacks of Bought for the Frenchman's Pleasure any day now and I also have some christmas goodies to give away like some lovely Irish calendars for 2008. So, a really really really easy question: What is the name of my book due out in the UK next March?
The first correct answer will get the hardback of the actual book. And a calendar. The next two correct answers will get calendars and some more goodies…how can you resist?
That's about it for now, I'll post an update with the winners in the first few days of December…can't believe we're so close to Christmas.
Bye for now,
News for August/September 2007
Hello everyone. Well I'd like to say that the rain stopped here in lovely green and fertile Ireland but no. It stopped and started again and stopped and started again and - well you get the picture. But luckily I've had the chance to travel a bit which has broken up the bad weather.
I went to a Greek island called Skiathos for a week which was gorgeous and a brilliant source of inspiration. I made two new Greek friends, sisters (Georgina and Daniela) who are devoted Harlequin fans and who buy about twenty titles every couple of months, and I thought I was bad!
Unfortunately being of the more freckly skin extraction, my body went into shock mode under the intense sun but it was worth it, even if I was slathered in factor 30 every day.
I also went to beautiful Achill island (which is linked to the main land by a bridge) in the west of Ireland for a couple of days for work. Here are some pictures of Keem Beach on the island, isn't it gorgeous? On a day like that it could well compete with the South of France or even Greece. But minutes after these pics were taken, the clouds rolled in and the rain poured…again!
Keem Beach
Then I went to Geneva, here is Lake Léman with its plume of water. And from there I went to a stunningly beautiful village high in the French alps called Aréche. It's where I would have pictured Heidi living, here are a few pics…so all of this has definitely made up for the incessant rain.
Lac Leman
Aréche Village
I can't believe it's nearly the end of summer, in the next couple of weeks the roads are going to be choc-a-bloc again with kiddies going back to school and people returning to work. But that's kind of nice isn't it? Almost like a new start to the year all over again…
September is going to be an exciting month too because I'm going to London to the annual Association of Mills and Boon Authors lunch, which will be followed by the annual drinks that Mills and Boon throw for their authors. It's a chance to emerge blinking into the daylight after weeks of solitary confinement and talk to fellow authors and meet up with the Editors.
And some really great news, I've just sold my fifth book to Mills & Boon/Harlequin Presents, it doesn't have a title yet but it features an autocratic Italian called Dante D'Aquanni and a passionate heroine called Alicia…their story should be out around July 2008. I'll post the title and confirm the date when I get it.
I'm going to leave you with a picture of my lovely god-daughter Lola just because she's such a little cutie…eating her croissant.
Lovely Lola
Keep well everyone and have a happy end of August and start to September…
News for July/August 2007
Welcome to my very first 'news'! As I write this in rainy Dublin it seems as if summer is never going to arrive, so I hope wherever you are that you're enjoying fine weather, along with fine food, wine and company.
This year has been a bit of a roller coaster since January when I had my first book out on the shelves and celebrated with a book launch here in Dublin. I was extremely fortunate to have such luminous guests as Kate Walker, Susan Stephens, Trish Wylie and the lovely and serene Maeve Binchy who is a very dear and old friend of my mother's. And also six gorgeous gazelle-like editors all the way from Mills and Boon in Richmond.
I've since met Kate Walker, Susan and Trish again in Lincoln at Kate's celebration for her fiftieth book which was in June. (Only another…forty five books or so to go for me…!) And while I can't take part this year, some of them will be meeting up again at the RNA's summer conference in Leicester.
Also at Kate's do there was the very lovely Jacqueline Baird, Michelle Reid (I kissed her feet), Julie Cohen, Anna Lucia, Biddy Coady (we have decided that we were separated at birth), and the gorgeously talented India Grey who has her very first Mills and Boon modern romance, 'The Italian's Defiant Mistress' out this July in the UK.
I guess my point is that since January, and since being bought in March 2006, my life has changed and now I'm part of a huge network of people, and friends, some I've met only over the internet so far, and some I've met in person. It's a brave new world! And I'm so thrilled to be a part of it.
I have spoken to my good friend Annie West, another Mills and Boon Modern Romance/Harlequin Presents author on the phone. Since she's in Australia I think we're both waiting for phone bills with bated breath. And I've some very exciting news about her current Presents release: 'The Sheikh's Ransomed Bride' has already been on the Waldenbooks bestseller list for 2 weeks! Not surprising as it's a stunning read and watch out for her next one which is a linked book, 'For the Sheikh's Pleasure' which is out in August in the US.
Ok, news news news. Well, I'm staying put in Dublin for the time being, trying to juggle the day job and writing. I will let you know if the sun makes a break for it across Irish skies in the meantime.
On the 11th/12th August you can find me on Jane Porter's amazing bulletin board which you can get to via her website, www.janeporter.com, so if you're looking for somewhere to chat, that's where to come, and in the meantime it's worth checking out as she has guest writers in all the time.
If you're here thank you so much for having a little read and a look. I'd love to hear from anyone at all. The farther afield the better! And to celebrate the launch of the website I'm going to send a goodie bag/parcel full of all sorts of fabulous things to the first person who contacts me via the contact email.
Happy reading and writing and living and whatever it is you may be doing!
