Sunday Smooch with Alison Stuart!

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!

Today we have a smooch from Alison Stuart but first 

... the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is Sharlene!

Can you please contact barb (at) barbaradeleo (dot) com to receive your e-copy of Barbara De Leo's LAST CHANCE PROPOSAL

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Claiming the Rebel's Heart....

Herefordshire, England 1643

As the English Civil War divides England and tears families apart, Kinton Lacey castle is one of the brave few loyal to the roundhead cause.

With her father away, Deliverance Felton will do whatever it takes to defend her family home against the royalist forces ranged against it. She can shoot and wield a sword as well as any man and anything she needs to know about siege warfare she has learned from a book...but no book can prepare her for what is to come.

Captain Luke Collyer, soldier of fortune and a man with his own reasons for loyalty to the parliamentary cause, is sent to relieve the castle. Everything he knows about siege warfare in general and women in particular he has learned from experience, but when it comes to Deliverance Felton has he met his match?

Deliverance will not give up her command lightly and Luke will have to face a challenge to his authority as fierce as the cavalier foe outside the walls. He will do whatever it takes to win Deliverance’s trust but will he run the risk of losing his own, well guarded, heart?

Scene Set Up:

Imagine trying to find a few moments privacy in a small castle with a resident garrison of 100 people and 300 angry royalists outside trying to get in. For Luke and Deliverance finding a quiet place for a bit of unbridled passion is going to be a challenge. How about the chapel? It may be filled to the rafters with barrels of gunpowder but at least they will be alone… or so they might think…

Smooch  

In the gloom, (Luke’s) face caught the light from a sliver of the painted glass window, showering it with coloured flecks as he drew her toward him, his other hand slipping around her waist.

“I thought this might be one place we could be alone and undisturbed for a little.” His voice held an unfamiliar husky tone. 

(Deliverance) laughed, suddenly nervous. This moment had occupied her thoughts for days and all she could say was, “A strange place for a lover's tryst, Captain Collyer.”

“I'm sure there may have been stranger but none I can think of.” He tilted her face up to look at him. “You have a smudge of dirt on your cheek, Deliverance. No, don't rub it off, it looks rather endearing.”

“This pretence is killing me,” she murmured leaning her head against his chest as he gathered her into his arms.

Even beneath the thickness of his wool jacket, his heart beat steadily against her cheek, and she wound her arms around his neck, pulling his face down so their foreheads and their noses touched. She closed her eyes, feeling Luke's lips on hers. His arms tightened around her and they sank to the dusty floor, locked together.

Deliverance shut her eyes, surrendering to her other senses. The cold, hard flagstones beneath her, the warm smell of man, the rasp of his stubbled cheek against her, the sweet salty taste of his mouth on her lips and the sound of their own desire, mingled in the strange silence of a room filled with gunpowder.

She meshed her fingers in his hair, gasping as his hand cupped her breast. Even through her bodice, her nipples responded, aching for his touch. She began tugging at the laces of her bodice, loosening them enough to allow his questing fingers to find the sensitive nubs. She thought she would scream as a shudder of longing ran through her body. She wanted him to touch her there...and there...

She arched her back, her hips grinding into his. “Luke,” she cried out, remembering at the last minute to lower her voice. 

Luke paused and his body stiffened. Deliverance moaned with frustration. He laid a finger against her mouth and she opened her eyes.

His concentration seemed to have moved from her. He poised above her, like a dog that had picked up another, more interesting scent.

“Ssh,” he said. “Can you hear something?”

‘Only the beating of my heart’, she longed to say. He released her, rolling off her to lie on his stomach on the floor beside her, his head turned to look at her and his ear pressed to the stonework.

“Listen.”

Reluctantly she rolled over and copied his actions. Her eyes widened as she heard the unmistakable sound of metal striking rock.

“What...?” she began.

“They're mining,” he interrupted. “The bastards are mining.”

Deliverance sat up, hastily retying her bodice laces and trying to restore some order to her hair as Luke continued to listen to the sound rising through the rock that lay beneath the castle's own foundations.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

In one movement he was on his feet, brushing the dust from his clothes. He put out a hand and pulled her to her feet, rearranging her collar and brushing dead leaves from her hair. His hands rested on her shoulders and he looked into her eyes.

"It means they are digging a tunnel beneath the chapel, Deliverance. They must know the powder is being stored here. What they will do is lay explosives in the tunnel and set them off. That will in turn cause a massive explosion within the castle. We will be lucky to survive. I need to alert the others."

******** 

Here's a gorgeous pic of Alison relaxing with her smooch cat, Oliver Kat!


Alison is giving away an e-copy of CLAIMING THE REBEL'S HEART to a randomly chosen lucky commenter!


Alison's website is   www.alisonstuart.com

or you can find her on:
Twitter:  @AlisonStuart14
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/AlisonStuartWriter
Blog: www.alisonstuart.blogspot.com

Claiming the Rebel's Heart is available from 
Kindle
Smashwords

Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced and a smooch from Forbidden Affair by Amy Andrews will be posted!

Smooch Graphic by WebWeaver

Winners of Two Huge Prize Packs Announced!



This week the LoveCats hosted a party to welcome our newest LoveCat DownUnder: Claire Baxter. Thanks to those of you who dropped by and joined the fun!

As promised, we've drawn two winners from amongst those who left a comment and they've each won a terrific collection of gifts. They are:

GINGER ROBERTS

and

MARISKA

Congratulations, ladies! Here is what you've won:

Ginger will receive:
'From Duty to Daddy' from Sue Mackay,
A cosmetic bag from Yvonne Lindsay,
'Last Chance Proposal' from Barbara DeLeo,
A surprise gift from Louisa George,
A signed book of the winner's choice from Annie West,
'The Redemption of Rico D'Angelo' from Michelle Douglas,
A book of the winner's choice from Sharon Archer,
An ebook of 'Taming the Tycoon' by Amy Andrews,
An ebook of 'Flirting with Danger' from Claire Baxter (Amazon or Kobo),
A book of the winner's choice from Rachel Bailey,
Something sweet from Bronwyn Jameson,
A backlist book from Helen Lacey, and
An ebook of 'The Billionaire's Pursuit of Love' from Jennifer St George.

One of Claire's hand made necklaces

Mariska will receive:'How to Resist a Heartbreaker' by Louisa George,
A book of the winner's choice from Rachel Bailey,
An ebook of 'The Billionaire's Pursuit of Love' from Jennifer St George,
A backlist book from Helen Lacey,
A surprise gift from Barbara DeLeo,
A signed book of the winner's choice by Annie West,
A manicure set in a kitty-cat case from Michelle Douglas,
'From Duty to Daddy' from Sue Mackay,
A book of the winner's choice from Yvonne Lindsay,
Harlequin Australia's Valentine's Day Collection from Bronwyn Jameson,
A book of the winner's choice from Sharon Archer,
A personally-made charm necklace from Claire Baxter, and
An ebook of 'Holding Out for a Hero' from Amy Andrews.

To claim your prizes, just email Annie West, our party coordinator, at annie(at)annie-west(dot)com and tell her your postal address and, where the prize includes a book of your choice by an author, the name of the book you choose (you can find them listed on the author websites).

Hero woes...

Just before I headed off on our annual camping trip (where I am sitting writing this post to the sound of waves lapping the shore) I finished the first draft of my new book. As I closed down the computer a nagging thought came into my head- my hero's not heroic enough….

Not sure what I meant by that- but I felt that something's wrong. I decided to think on it for a few days- get my rest and relaxation (and hold down the tent when Cyclone June hit)… and address it when I got home.

So, I read some books. But my head kept turning back to the problem of my hero. What is one? What do they do? Who are they? What do I want from a hero? The popularity of 50 Shades and a domineering manipulator has got me second guessing the kind of man that appeals to a lot of women. Am I in the minority?

The first book I read on my hols had a very 'locked-in' sort of logic driven hero (hero A)- he was yummy and sexy and clever and funny but would never let his heart rule any decision making. I loved him all the way through the book as he tried to do the right thing for everyone concerned…finally, as the heroine left he realized he'd spent his life ticking pros and cons boxes- and that if he wanted to keep her he had to lead with his heart. *sigh*  But my hero, whilst being logical, is not locked-in.

The second book (which nearly hit the wall more than a couple of times) had the most self centered, irritating, manipulating hero I've ever read. But, like hero A,  he was very determined and highly motivated. He used everyone around him to try to win back the girl whose heart he broke years ago- I'm sure some would say that was very heroic. But as far as I could see every act was infused with his need, not hers. Even lovemaking was a battle to prove how much better he was than any of her exes…. at the end he did change, realized his mistakes…almost becoming worthy of her. My hero is definitely not manipulative or needy.

He's his own guy- determined and successful, funny and charming, a player and a winner. Damaged by parental rejection he doesn't give love easily. I like him. I just don't love him yet… I will. I think I've worked out what he needs to do- and that's to act like a hero, to be the guy instead of thinking about it. (I tend to over-internalise in my books)-and so I'll make him do just that.  Once I'm back from the holiday!

Just for eye candy, here's my super sexy hero from The Last Doctor She Should Ever Date- HOT!

So- given your choice of any qualities- and let's dream a little here… what qualities do you think are important for a hero? Growth? Change? Alpha, beta or a mix? Should they be immovable and strong or have the ability to flex and move? I know I would run a mile from Mr UberAlpha (I find them very sexy, but couldn't live with one!!)- and am more drawn towards a softer beta. If I could I'd like my man to be emotionally strong and yet keep me and my family at his heart. Funny. Sexy…definitely sexy- and…my list goes on. What do you like?

(NB I may be a little late answering comments- as internet is not so great here)...

Welcome Party for New LoveCat Claire Baxter!

Today the LoveCats DownUnder are in party mode as we welcome the lovely Claire Baxter to our group. Yay! Claire is a firm favourite both with the LoveCats and with other lovers of romance fiction and we’re so excited she’s agreed to join us. To celebrate we’re posting an exclusive interview with Claire and giving away some wonderful party prizes.

Claire’s novels have been translated into 20 languages and have finalled in the Romance Writers of Australia's Romantic Book of the Year Award, the Booksellers' Best Awards, the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Awards and the CataRomance Reviewers' Choice Awards. She has also branched out into novellas and her short stories have been published in commercial women's magazines around the world. First published by Harlequin (Mills and Boon Romance), her publishers now include Entangled (Bliss and soon Ignite as well with an upcoming romantic suspense) and Random House Australia. She’s one busy lady! If you want to find out more about her you can visit her website but in the meantime here’s Claire, answering some ‘getting to know you’ questions:

Monty and Phoebe

Does anyone with fur, feathers or scales share your life now, or have you had a pet in the past? If so, tell us a bit about them. 

We had two gorgeous dogs who were a huge part of our lives for sixteen years, Monty and Phoebe. Monty was a Rhodesian Ridgeback cross and a big boy who thought he should be a lap dog, a sweet, gentle giant. Phoebe was a Gordon Setter cross and was always on the go, keeping the garden free of pigeons, and generally being busy. We lost Monty over a year ago, and Phoebe a year before that, but I still look for them when I come home. It will take a long time for the memory to fade. 

 

Our garden has now been claimed by the neighbours’ cat. She spends the whole day in our garden and I have no idea why she prefers it to her own. She stands on the outdoor table watching me work in my office.
 

Where Claire spends a lot of her summer!

Even though you're now a Cat, if you could be any mythological creature, which one would you be? Why?

 

 Well, I did once go to a fancy dress party as Medusa with my hair full of (jelly) snakes and that was fun. Not sure that I’d fancy the whole turning-people-to-stone thing, though.

What was the first category book you read?
 

The first one I remember reading is A Bride At Birralee by Barbara Hannay. I loved it, and it made me want to write sweet category romance.

 

What do you like about writing category stories?

 

It’s the romance, the whole romance, and nothing but the romance. There’s no room for distractions and sub-plots that take the focus away from the developing relationship.

 

What's something we wouldn't know about you?

 

 Hmm...I had to think about this question. I guess not many people know that I used to drive trucks around France. Not big trucks. I worked for a hire company and delivered the vehicles to customers. That was only part of the job, but it was the fun part.
 



Claire's newest book

 Can you share one goal for 2014 with us?
 

That’s easy. I intend to be more productive and stop spending so much time on the internet when I should be writing. I WILL be more productive in 2014.

To celebrate having Claire join us at the LoveCats  we're giving away to fantastic prize packages. To be in the draw just leave a comment on this post. To get you started Claire's asking:

 Do you see the new year as a chance to wipe the slate clean and start again with new goals? Or do you avoid setting goals in January, preferring to set them at different times throughout the year?

Check back at the end of the week when we'll post the names of the two winners. Here's a list of the 'Sweet Somethings' on offer, donated by the LoveCats. 

One winner will receive:

'From Duty to Daddy' from Sue Mackay,
A cosmetic bag from Yvonne Lindsay,
'Last Chance Proposal' from Barbara DeLeo,
A surprise gift from Louisa George,
A signed book of the winner's choice from Annie West,
'The Redemption of Rico D'Angelo' from Michelle Douglas,
A book of the winner's choice from Sharon Archer,
An ebook of 'Taming the Tycoon' by Amy Andrews,
An ebook of 'Flirting with Danger' from Claire Baxter (Amazon or Kobo),
A book of the winner's choice from Rachel Bailey,
Something sweet from Bronwyn Jameson,
A backlist book from Helen Lacey, and
An ebook of 'The Billionaire's Pursuit of Love' from Jennifer St George.

One of Claire's hand made necklaces

A second winner will receive:

'How to Resist a Heartbreaker' by Louisa George,
A book of the winner's choice from Rachel Bailey,
An ebook of 'The Billionaire's Pursuit of Love' from Jennifer St George,
A backlist book from Helen Lacey,
A surprise gift from Barbara DeLeo,
A signed book of the winner's choice by Annie West,
A manicure set in a kitty-cat case from Michelle Douglas,
'From Duty to Daddy' from Sue Mackay,
A book of the winner's choice from Yvonne Lindsay,
Harlequin Australia's Valentine's Day Collection from Bronwyn Jameson,
A book of the winner's choice from Sharon Archer,
A personally-made charm necklace from Claire Baxter, and
An ebook of 'Holding Out for a Hero' from Amy Andrews.

What's your passion?

By Helen Lacey

A couple of years ago my husband said he wanted to buy a car. This wasn't your average everyday driver though. This was a 1979 Holden Torana...bright yellow, hatch, V8...and as I discovered when he bought it and brought it home on a trailer...in a thousand pieces. Okay, maybe not a thousand pieces...but lots of pieces much of which was in boxes. Fast forward to present day and the car was put back together and last weekend I accompanied him to my first ever interstate car show.

I wasn't sure what to expect...cars, certainly. But I guess I had a preconceived idea about who would be there and the people it would attract. I quickly discovered it attracted all kinds of people as I observed these enthusiasts ohh-ing and ahh-ing about the cars on display. What really struck me though was the mix of models and brands. There were Holden's and Fords and Chrysler's and Chevrolet's and it actually reminded me of a writer's conference where authors from different genres merge together to celebrate/talk/share stories about the craft. And this was no different. The car enthusiasts were sharing and talking regardless of make and model and clearly there was a strong sense of community amongst  them.

And it was fun...just like a writer's conference. So, sitting in my spot under a tent with a laptop on my knees (I was on a deadline at the time) I starting thinking about passion (not the steamy kind) and what drives us to to do things like attend conferences, or train for our favourite sport, or sit in the hot sun under a tent and watch as other people walk by and admire your car. it was passion that made these car owners travel interstate and get their vehicle's into the best condition they could be in and then proudly show them off. No different perhaps to the passion it takes an author to strive for publication or an actor to yearn for the lead in a Hollywood movie.

So, what's your passion? Climbing mountains? Reading? Writing? Fast cars? Cooking? What do you love to to? And more importantly, what makes you happy?

At The Movies

After watching the Golden Globes ceremony on Monday, I was inspired to go to the movies yesterday. Since only one of the multi-nominated films was showing at my cinema at the right time, I didn't even have to make a choice of what to see.

August: Osage County.  Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, with a side of Ewen McGregor and Benedict Cumberbatch and Dermot Mulrooney.  How could I go wrong?

Sigh.

Well, okay, in all fairness I didn't fall asleep. (Hard to with all the shouting.)  I didn't walk out.  (I needed to know how it would end.)  The acting performances were full-on amazing (if sometimes I little TOO full-on.) But I had expectations and those high expectations were not met.

1.  I go to the movies seeking entertainment.  That doesn't have to include laughs, doesn't have to be action driven, doesn't have to feature romance and pretty people.  In fact, my preference is for character-driven drama.  This story should have fit like a glove, yet I didn't leave the theatre feeling entertained.

2.  I left the theatre feeling disappointed -- no, that word is not strong enough.  I felt disillusioned, down, borderline depressed.  The ending is...ambiguous.  I guess it could have suggested that one character was making the right choice and heading in the right direction, but I could not see a satisfying ending for any of these deeply flawed people.

3.  The one sister (Ivy) who seemed to be forging a happy future had that rug pulled from under her in a late plot twist which was...wow.  Just wow.  (Did I nod off momentarily and miss the foreshadowing?)

4.  I won't be watching again to see if I missed the subtleties that foreshadowed some of the late big reveals, although I suspect I did.  The thing is, there didn't appear to be much subtlety in the dialogue or the performances.  There wasn't much in the way of quiet moments.  There was very little light shining through the gloom.  There were moments of LOL dark humour -- I think those are all in the trailer! -- but I am truly baffled by the Golden Globes categorising this as a comedy.  I mean REALLY??????

5.  Biggest expectation not met: this is not a comedy.

6.  The screenplay is, I gather, a faithful adaptation of a play (same writer) and it showed.  It was all about the words, the speechifying, the story unfolding dramatic revelation by shouty dramatic revelation.

7.  But when it comes down to it, I just didn't like these people.  Even as I came to understand the motivation, the backstory, I still didn't like them...except for Ivy who deserved a better deal. And in my entertainment, in stories I watch or read, I do want to like somebody and to see people get the ending they deserve.

So, has anyone else seen August: Osage County?  Perhaps you can present the positives and sell this as a must-see movie deserving of the award nominations it is garnering.  Perhaps you can even convince me to see it again to catch the subtleties I missed.

If not this A:OC, have you seen another movie over the holidays that you can recommend?  (I loved Catching Fire, BTW, and enjoyed About Time, which are the only other two I've seen this summer.)

New Year, New Book and a few New Nominations

Happy New Year!!!

ARRA Awards

The year is still shiny and new and already exciting things are happening.  

A couple of our lovely Cats have been nominated in the Favourite Short Category Romance category of the 2013 Australian Romance Readers Awards. Amy Andrews features twice with Driving Her Crazy and The Girl Least Likely to Marry. Also nominated are Annie West’s Imprisoned by a Vow and Michelle Douglas’ The Redemption of Rico D’Angelo. And it was a huge shock and absolute delight that I discovered The Love Deception is also nominated. Just to be in a finals list with such incredible authors is an unbelievable thrill.

 

Amy also blitzed other categories including a nomination for Holding Out for a Hero in Favourite Contemporary Romance. Amy’s fabulous hero Jake Prince from Holding Out for a Hero is nominated in The Sexiest Hero category and Amy’s also up for Favourite Australian Romance Author 2013. So wonderful, Amy!

The Billionaire’s Pursuit of Love

My new release, The Billionaire’s Pursuit of Love, is out this week. I love this story and cried a couple of time while writing it, so I hope I’ve been able to capture that emotion on the page.  The story features wildlife warrior Sarah Walker and international technology guru Blake Huntington-Fiennes. The premise is…

When Sarah Walker's beloved wildlife sanctuary is threatened with closure, she heads for London and goes straight to the top to find out why. But the man responsible is the one man she's never forgotten, and the only person who can destroy all her happiness.

Billionaire CEO Blake Huntington-Fiennes can't believe that the girl he's spent years searching for has just marched into his boardroom. And this time, he's willing to resort to any means necessary to keep her. But Sarah has a secret she must protect at all costs or risk losing something even more precious than the sanctuary…

Excerpt

Blake and Sarah have just finished dinner at the luxury Dorchester restaurant in London. They’re seated at a special private table, surrounded by an oval wall of lights. Sarah has a secret and she has to escape Blake’s charms to keep it...

‘Blake . . .’ He took his name from her lips with a kiss. She softened under his touch. She wanted this, too. God, he had to have her.

She dragged her lips from his. ‘People will see.’

‘I don’t give a damn.’ He found her mouth again. She tasted of chocolate and strawberries. Of hot passion and erotic promise.

‘Let’s get out of here.’ He pulled her towards the wall of light. He’d book the penthouse suite.

‘No.’ She wrenched herself from his grip and slipped through the luminous curtain.

He flung the lights aside and strode after her.

‘Put this on my tab,’ Blake ordered the maître d’ and followed her out onto the street. Sarah stood hailing a cab.

‘Running again?’ he said.

‘You were the one who ran. Disappeared. Vanished from the face of the earth.’ Her red-hot anger hit him with surprising force.

‘I think we’ve established that I didn’t.’

‘No. You denied it. That doesn’t make it true.’

A black cab pulled up and Sarah opened the door. ‘I have to go. Goodbye, Blake.’

Hell, were those tears in her eyes? The cartilage between his ribs felt as though it had fused solid. He grabbed the door of the taxi. ‘Stay with me.’ The passion in his voice scared him. He cared too much.

‘Blake, that time is gone. I can’t . . . Please . . .’

The tone of her voice told him everything. She’d known that passion, deep enough to transport you to a place so heavenly that without it, life was forever grey and lifeless and desolate.

He caught her about the waist and drew her hard against his body. His pulse flared and smashed away every rational thought. He slid his other hand up the back of her neck and claimed her mouth. Her lips were as warm and lush as a tropical afternoon. He kissed her, hoping all the words he wanted to say were there in his kiss. All the time they had wasted could be washed away. They could relive their hot passion. He wanted her. Now. Now. Now.

She slid her hands onto his chest and pushed.

‘No, Blake. We can’t . . .’

‘Why the hell not?’ He hadn’t meant to sound so callous.

‘Because . . . Because . . .’

She yanked free, climbed into the taxi and slammed the door shut.

The cab pulled into the traffic. Sarah turned and watched him until the taxi rounded the corner.

Blake stared at the spot where the cab had disappeared. His blood pumped hot and fast. Sarah had no idea who she was dealing with if she imagined she could just evaporate.

I hope you enjoyed the excerpt. The Billionaire’s Pursuit of Love is available now from Amazon, iTunes, Google, Destiny Romance and Penguin.