Friday, December 30, 2011
Goals for 2012
Goals MUST be something that are within my control. I want to make a million dollars with my debut release is NOT within my control and probably not realistic either - lol!! But writing another book by the end of May is hopefully something I can achieve.
So here goes... my goals for 2012 for you to hold me accountable:
1) Finish rewriting Hollywood Heartbreak and sub to Carina Press.
2) Finish my new Single Title - Man Drought - edit and sub.
3) Write the second in my Hollywood series (hopefully by the time I start, I'll know whether the first has been sold).
4) Write a novella - this is something that has always terrified me, so I'm going to read lots of them before attempting one. It'll either be a themed seasonal novella or one linked to Man Drought that can maybe be a free promo.
5) Read more (it's ALWAYS on my list).
6) Re-do my website.
7) Publish my non-fiction book BREASTFEEDERS ANONYMOUS on Amazon.
8) Start a new ST to finish in 2013 :)
So, what are some of your goals for the New Year? If you've written a goal blog post, please do let me know in the comments section of this blog and I'll pop over and check yours out.
And HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all!!!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Books Read in 2011!
Here's the 52 books I read in 2011 (with an * next to the ones that truly captivated me from start to finish):
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
2011 - the year that WAS!!!
Below are the goals I set for 2011 and the result in bold!!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Training the perfect man! And Merry Christmas!
Anyway this year, I sent him with three helpers and told him that our middle son (cyberly known as Trouble) would know what to get me. Whenever I've been shopping with Trouble I'm astounded by his fabulous taste. Well, he's only five but he won the prize for best pressie this year. Hubby let all three of them choose something. From High Maintenance I got a lovely pair of earrings (bit dressy to wear everyday though) and from His Lordship I got five romantic comedy DVDs (think Hubby chose these)! But from Trouble I got possibly the funkiest and most beautiful necklace I've ever laid eyes on. It has words inscribed on the silver ovals - Passion, Serenity, Success, Energy, Patience and Love.
I actually CRIED!! And then I looked at my gorgeous five year old boy and thought, some day, he's gonna make one special girl a VERY happy lady!
I hope you all had lovely Christmas' with people you hold near and dear and got some pretty special presents too.
Remember if anyone got a new e-reader and needs books, ONE PERFECT NIGHT is available at Carina Press and Amazon :)
Friday, December 23, 2011
Don’t Snitch the Sprinkles with Jen Tucker
Thursday, December 22, 2011
A Christmas Present From Stacey Kennedy
And now we have the hugely talented Stacey Kennedy, with an extract that will leave you hot and wanting more of her fabulous prose.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Laura Browning talks Christmas Presents
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Writing Santa's Elf with Paige Tyler
But first I'm very excited to announce the WINNER of Kelly Hunter's WISH - congrats to Catherine!! Please contact Kelly through her website to claim your prize!
http://youtu.be/oEz-Rlqp0G4
http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=622&zenid=bfe7e3fcc71ed5a58a86c82d95c01468
Monday, December 19, 2011
The Gift of Giving with Scarlett Bailey
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Guess what I'm doing tonight folks?
I want to take this chance to thank my gorgeous hubby and my wonderful Mum for being so supportive as I traveled this road to publication. Thank you for listening, for cleaning, for babysitting and for simply putting up with me when my mind was elsewhere lost in a book. Without you guys, I couldn't do it!
Thanks to my three little heroes in training for putting up with me too.
Also thanks to my fabulous CPs and writing friends who actually come to quite a massive number.
To Bec, Jackie, Melissa, Janette, Cathryn and Joanne - who have been CPs and friends to me almost from the beginning of me pursuing this road and joining RWA Oz.
To Leah Ashton from Perth who absolutely rocks and talks almost as fast as me. Thanks also for your support.
To Fiona Lowe who actually read this book in its entirety between revisions and re-subbing to Carina Press. Without you, I might not have done it!
To Suz, Julie-Anne, Rosalie and Tracey who really were with me from the beginning. We may not crit or chat much anymore but you guys are all fabulous too!!
To Scarlet Wilson a recent addition to my plethora of writing friends - thanks for your enthusiasm and support.
To the Sassy Sisters for taking me on recently and accepting me as one of your own :)
And to Rachel Bailey, Anna Cleary, Nikki Logan and Robyn Grady who have all at some stage or another read some of my chaps and offered wise advice.
And also to Helen Lacey, Lacey Devlin, Anita Joy and Coleen Kwan who've been happy to help in the release celebrations.
See there was NO WAY I could thank you all in the actual book, so I refrained from mentioning anyone in particular, but you are all special to me and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me get to where I am today.
XOX
On this special day, I'm also blogging on three other fabulous blogs and at each one there's an opportunity to win a copy of One Perfect Night. For details follow the links below (some of the links may not go live till US time):
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Family Festivities with Monica McInerney
But first, the WINNER of Liia-Ann White's HER FIRST WHITE CHRISTMAS is TINA!! Huge congrats Tina - please contact Liia-Ann on liia@liia-ann.com to claim your prize.
And now for Monica...
As the big day draws closer and Lola's personal family dramas threaten to unravel her plans, she discovers that at a special time of year, magic can happen in every family – especially your own.
From the bestselling author of At Home with the Templetons comes a funny, sad and moving novel about memories and moments and the very meaning of life
Friday, December 16, 2011
Contrasting Christmas' with Serenity Woods
Today I have the very busy Serenity Woods who has not one but TWO Christmas romances out this year... And she's here with a giveaway too!
Thank you so much for having me on your blog today. I’m here to talk about two Christmassy romances I have out this December.
The two stories couldn’t be further apart in terms of location! White-Hot Christmas from Samhain Publishing is set in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand. When we first landed in New Zealand on 7th December six years ago, it was 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Everyone was dressed in shorts and jandals (flip-flops to the rest of the world), the shops selling beachwear had windows decorated with holly and snowmen, and we spent Christmas Eve paddling in the Pacific. It was incredibly surreal, but we're getting used to it!
In White-Hot Christmas, Merle is from the UK, and she’s come to New Zealand to visit her sister, Bree, and Bree’s new husband, Jake. They introduce Merle to Jake’s cousin Neon (short for Napoleon, only don’t tell him I told you or he’ll kill me) and their attraction to one another is instant and electric. Merle and Neon have a very hot Christmas, in all senses of the word :) But when it’s time for her to go, they realise they’re in deeper than they thought, and there’s no solution that won’t break someone’s heart.
In contrast, Holly’s First Noel from Entangled Publishing is set on the shore of Loch Ness in Scotland during a very snowy Christmas. Noel’s wife died on Christmas Eve from breast cancer three years ago. He’s spent the previous two Christmases alone watching mindless action movies and getting drunk. He’s done more than his share of grieving, and deep down he’s ready for love, but the lingering guilt at the notion of betraying his wife won’t go away. Noel’s young and passionate—he misses sex and companionship and he wants children. But he’s also loyal and devoted. How is he supposed to move on?
Enter Holly, who doesn’t fit the traditional perfect Christmas image either. At the beginning of the story, her partner breaks up with her, leaving her with a tonne of Christmas food and a long holiday void of love and happiness. So when Noel suggests she join him on his retreat, she takes, oh, all of five seconds to say yes. Together they watch action movies, wait for the Loch Ness Monster, and eat beans on toast for Christmas dinner, determined not to conform to society’s idea of the perfect day, and yet somehow the time is more special than any Holly’s ever spent before.
I have a thing about Christmas romances—you may have noticed ;)
Anyway, thanks for having me here, Rachael. I have a free copy of White-Hot Christmas to give away to a lucky reader. Tell me what the weather’s like in your part of the world and be in to win :)
Website: www.serenitywoodsromance.com
Twitter: @FayeRobertsonNZ, @Serenity_Woods
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/serenitywoodsromance
Thursday, December 15, 2011
When Christmas Comes Early with Kelly Hunter
This year I wrote a Christmas novella called Wish, and in it single mother Billie Temple wants to give her son, Cal, a puppy for Christmas. A dog to replace a borrowed Blue Cattle Dog that the hero might someday want back. A dog a boy could call his own:
‘Which one’s the puppy?’ asked Cal.
‘The one standing in the middle of the yard Si’s trying to drive those s
The puppy in question was looking their way.heep into,’ said Adam with a smile - a genuine Kincaid grin that widened when Cal smiled back. ‘Play your cards right, kid, and Si’ll pay you to take that fool pup away.’
‘What’s his name?’ asked Cal as he clambered out of the cab behind Adam.
‘Henry.’
Billie joined them by the side of the ute just as Cal put his hands to his knees and called the pup’s name and then sweet and leggy Henry was at Cal’s feet with the speed of a bullet, all legs and too-big ears as he planted his butt in the dirt and then tried to wriggle closer, and closer, until finally he was sitting on Cal’s shoe before collapsing in a squirming mass of ecstasy when Cal bent down to pat him.
‘What? You don’t pat your dogs around here?’ she murmured.
‘Of course we do,’ said Adam as Blue dog looked down on both pup and boy from the lofty height of the tray of the ute and barked a short sharp reprimand at the boy, the pup, or both – at which point Henry promptly peed himself.
‘This isn’t a done deal,’ she said.
I can think of a few other Christmas gifts that might come early for one reason or another. Big things. Breathing things. A loved one back from yonder.
And congratulations Rach! on your Carina Christmas release and your latest new sale!
I've read Kelly's gorgeous novella and it's worth leaving a comment!!