Welcome Party for Clare Connelly (with giveaways)!

Today is a special day for the LoveCats DownUnder. First we need to bid a very fond adieu to dear Melanie Milburne, who has been such an active LoveCat. Melanie, thank you for being such a big part of the group. We'll miss you, but we're so glad you'll be popping back from time to time even though now you're technically 'In the Wild'! We wish you everything good.

Today also marks the arrival of our newest LoveCat, Clare Connelly. Welcome Clare! That means it's party time, so relax, pour yourself a glass of bubbly or a cup of tea or whatever takes your fancy and help us celebrate.

Clare grew up in an Australian country town where she says stories and story telling were a huge part of her childhood. She styles herself a romance devotee, reading everything from Jane Austen to Georgette Heyer, and from Mills and Boon to the Fifty Shades trilogy. She wrote her first romance at the age of fifteen! More recently she's become a highly successful category romance author with 43 self published titles and seven anthologies published since 2014. Clare has recently signed a contract with Harlequin Mills and Boon (you can buy her first book now!) and will be busy writing for Harlequin while continuing her indie career. And we're all exhausted just thinking of so many books published in such a short space of time! 

Clare kindly participated in an interview so you can get to know her better:

Can you recall the first category romance you read? Is there a book (romance or otherwise) that made you want to become a writer?

I read Harlequin Series voraciously growing up, and a lot of them were older ones. My mum is an antique dealer and, as children, my sisters and I were trotted around to all the antique markets and garage sales and charity shops, and we would spend the time it took her to browse out treasures selecting books. I was always drawn to Mills & Boons, and particularly loved the powerful stories of the eighties and nineties. I was, and remain, a devoted reader of Emma Darcy, Penny Jordan, Sarah Morgan, Valerie Parv, amongst about a billion others! In terms of wanting to write, it wasn't a conscious decision, so much as an ever-present desire to meddle in the worlds of the characters' that I was reading about. I suppose I have that control-freak gene that likes to take hold of the narrative and move it in the direction I want! I began writing romance novels at thirteen, and finished my first full manuscript at fifteen. I found then, and still find now, that I am never happier than when diving into the world of my people, layering a story onto their lives, and steering them towards their happily ever after.

Do you have a favourite romance trope?

I love sexy contemporary romance novels, and read almost all tropes. I need well-drawn characters and convincing motivation, and am a sucker for a really, really 'how the hell are they going to work this out?' angsty conflict. I think second-chance-at-love books are very compelling because there can be such a strong history of hurt and pain which brings the tension into it right from the first page. I love marriage of convenience books too, and who doesn't love a secret baby!?

What do you most enjoy about writing category books? What’s the hardest part?

Writing category is an art form. There's a huge emotional journey to pack into a relatively modest word count, and romance readers are discerning! They want to know their characters, to get their motivations, to be moved by their story. I love the pace of a category – there's no room for fluff. You need to tell a great story without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail. I also love the guaranteed happily ever after. Life, real life, can be such a dark and gloomy place at times. There is always happiness to be found in the pages of a category romance – it's my favourite part about writing these stories.

What category romance are you hoping to read next?

I buy most of the Mills & Boon Sexy titles each month and am really looking forward to the current selection, in particularly Michelle Conder's THE ITALIAN'S VIRGIN ACQUISITION. The cover is so pretty!

Do you share your life with anyone furred, feathered or scaled? If so we’d love to hear about them.

My husband wouldn't really appreciate the description but, speaking of furry, he is sporting a phenomenal beard at the moment! He's growing it to raise funds for SHAVE-FREE FOR CALVING, a charitable initiative started by our Kiwi farming family, who raise funds each year for the NZ Rural Farming Trust – which helps farmers dealing with the hardships of life on the land during the really tough times (including with much-needed psychological support). I know that's not what you meant but I'm so proud of the good work my Kiwi family is doing... and they have about two hundred cows. I'd love to get a Labrador one day, but my little human puppies take up most of my spare time at present. Full-time school for both next year and then we'll see!

Finally, can you share one fact about yourself we might not already know?

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was twenty six years old. My husband and I had been travelling through Europe and both picked up a really nasty virus. The theory is that my immune system fought the virus off and then attacked the beta cells in my pancreas, meaning I don’t make insulin of my own. I now wear an insulin pump 24/7 which does a fairly decent job of simulating the real deal. It’s far more common to develop the disease when you’re under ten years old, so I think I was pretty lucky to make it so far into my twenties ‘unscathed’. Although I’m on insulin, I still try to make the disease easier to manage by sticking to a relatively healthy diet – though wine and chocolate are two of my vices I always have to guard against!

Also, I’m completely Christmas mad. I love it. I start listening to carols around September, and we put our tree up on the 1st of November each year, so that we get about six weeks of it in the lounge. BUT I have to pull it straight down on Boxing day or it depresses me too much. The kids and I make gingerbread houses together each year – as they’ve got older they’ve had more interest in the creative process which has resulted in some, interesting, constructions, but it’s always good fun!

Thanks so much, Clare! How terrific to end with a photo of Santa's helpers with the gingerbread!

Now for our traditional mega-giveaway to celebrate the arrival of a new LoveCat.

Just leave a comment on this post and you will be entered in the prize draws. Winners will be announced in our Sunday Smooch post on Sunday 1 October.

ONE WINNER will receive a fabulous bundle of Mills and Boon paperbacks direct from Mills and Boon Australia!  Note, this prize is for delivery in Australia. Please mention in your comment if you're in Australia so you can go in this draw.

TWO WINNERS (from anywhere in the world!) will EACH receive from:

• Michelle Douglas, a signed copy of ‘Sarah and the Secret Sheikh’

• Shannon Curtis, a signed copy of ‘Warrior Untamed’

• Bronwyn Jameson, a London Love Cats Treat 

• Stefanie London, a signed copiy of ‘Mr Dangerously Sexy’ 

• Rachel Bailey. an ecopy of ‘The Finn Factor’ 

• Amy Andrews, a signed copy of ‘A Christmas Miracle’ 

Clare's newest title!

• Annie West, a signed copy of ‘His Majesty’s Temporary Bride’ 

• Kandy Shepherd, a signed copy of ‘Conveniently Wed to the Greek’

• Helen Lacey, a signed copy of ‘The Rancher’s Unexpected Family’ 

• Ally Blake, an ecopy of ‘Kiss Me Quick’

• Sue Mackay, a signed copy of ‘Falling For Her Fake Fiancee’ 

• Jennifer St George, an ecopy of 'Wild for You'.

So, here's to our newest LoveCat! And good luck to all of you in our giveaways. Don't forget to come back on Sunday to find out who won.

Sunday Smooch - Melanie Milburne

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!

Today we have a smooch from Melanie Milburne but first 


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


Can you please contact amy(at)amyandrews(dot)com(dot)au to receive your copy of Swept Away by the Seductive Stranger.


And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Unwrapping His Convenient Fiancée.

The perfect lie… 

Violet Drummond can't face another office Christmas party as a singleton, but charismatic family friend Cameron McKinnon seems like the perfectly platonic "plus one" for the festive season. Until he reveals his plan to make Violet his convenient fiancée!

Wealthy architect Cameron sees this charade as the perfect escape hatch from the unwelcome attention of an important client's wife, but soon fake feelings shift to real attraction…

There's only one thing Cameron wants to unwrap on Christmas morning—the staid suit from Violet's lush body—and he's willing to push the boundaries of their agreement to accommodate his growing desire…

Introduction

Thanks so much for inviting me to blog about my next release. So lovely to be with you again!  

A few months ago I was asked by my editor to write a Christmas story. After writing over 70 books I can’t believe I hadn’t done one until now, especially when I love everything about Christmas. Sorry for mentioning the C word in October! But I have already seen Christmas decorations in the shops and I am in the process of making my pudding and cake. I know, I know, I know. Way too organised. Don’t hate me too much. J

I decided on a friends-to-lovers plot and Violet and Cameron were the perfect candidates. Violet is dreading attending her office Christmas party because of an incident at a party when she was a student in her first year of university. Cameron is desperate to shake off the unwelcome attention of an important client’s wife so offers to be Violet’s ‘date’. But a mischievous tweet about them being ‘engaged’ on Twitter goes viral and Violet and Cam have to pretend to their families (just so everyone’s Christmas isn’t spoilt) that they are officially a couple.

Here’s their first kiss just after Cam offers to take her to the office party…

Smooch  -

Violet took a step backwards to enter the building but stumbled over the first step and would have fallen if it wasn’t for Cam’s hand shooting out to steady her.  

‘You okay?’ he asked with a concerned frown.

 Violet looked at his stubble-surrounded mouth that just moments ago had been against the smooth skin of her cheek. Had he felt that same sensation ricochet through his body? Had he wondered in that infinitesimal moment what it would feel like to press his lips to hers? Not in a brotherly kiss, but a proper man-wants-a-woman kiss? She sent the point of her tongue over the surface of her lips, her breath hitching when he tracked every millimetre of movement. Keep it light. ‘For a moment there I thought you were going to kiss me,’ Violet said with a little laugh.

The navy-blue of his gaze turned three shades darker before glancing at her mouth and back again. But then his hand dropped from her arm as if her skin had scorched him. ‘Let’s not go there.’

 But I want to go there. I want to. I want to. I want to. Violet kept her smile in place even though it felt like it was stitched to her mouth. ‘Yes, that would be taking things too far. I mean, not that I don’t find you attractive or anything, but us kissing? Not such a great idea.’

  There was the sound of heels click-clacking behind her and Violet turned to see Lorna coming back. ‘Silly me. I forgot my phone,’ Lorna said and with a sly smile at Cam added, ‘Aren’t you going to kiss her and let her get back to work?’

  Violet sneaked a glance at Cam but instead of looking annoyed at Lorna’s comment he smiled an easy smile and reached for Violet’s hand and drew her against his side. ‘I was just getting to that,’ he said.

  Violet assumed he would wait until Lorna had gone back into the building before releasing her but Lorna didn’t go back into the building. She stood three steps up from them with that annoying smirk on her mouth as if daring Cam to follow through. Cam turned his back to Lorna and slipped a hand under Violet’s hair, cupping the nape of her neck, making every nerve beneath her skin pirouette.

  ‘You don’t have to do this…’ Violet whispered.

  Cam brought his mouth down to within a whisker of hers. ‘Yes, I do.’

  And then he did.

   Cam pressed his lips to Violet’s mouth and a bomb went off in his head, scattering his common sense like flying shrapnel. What are you doing? But he didn’t want to listen to his conscience. He had wanted to kiss her from the moment he’d walked into that café earlier and now her annoying workmate had given him the perfect excuse to do so. Violet’s mouth tasted like a combination of milk and honey, her lips soft and pliable beneath his. He drew her ballerina-like body even closer, his body responding with a fierce rush of blood to his groin. Her small breasts were pressed against his chest, her slim hips against his, her hands gripping the front of his jacket as if she couldn’t stand upright without his support. Hell, he was having trouble keeping upright himself, apart from one part of his anatomy.

  It’s time to stop. You should stop. You need to stop.

 

I hope you enjoy my first Christmas story. I have a signed copy (all regions) for a reader who answers the following question: Apart from world peace, what do you want most for Christmas this year?

 Happy reading,

Melanie xx

Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced and a smooch from Kandy Shepherd will be posted!

In the meantime, if you'd like to order a copy of Unwrapping His Convenient Fiancée, you can do so here.

Smooch Graphic by WebWeaver

Back in the Saddle

I love going to new places and trying new things. Yesterday I didn’t so much try something new, but revive something old. When I was younger, I used to ride my bike to university. While flying along by the Brisbane River, I would relish that my own energy could get me to where I wanted go. 

That was then and this is now.

I haven’t ridden a bike properly for about fifteen years.  That all changed yesterday morning. My super-fit friends (a Commonwealth gold medal cyclist among them) ride all the time over the hills and dales and beaches of Byron. So with a cycle trip around the SA vineyards looming, I thought I should get my butt back into the saddle.

It was glorious. Although it was raining (!) and I ended up covered in mud and sand, it was so much

Jen on her bike

fun bouncing over the trails and riding home along the beach. I was a bit nervous about crashing but I only fell over when I was at a stand still and no-one saw, so that doesn’t count.

I’m now committed to keeping up (well trying!) with my friends and finding my old cycling groove.

Is there anything you used to do that you’ve taken up again later in life? I’d love to hear.

New Cats… Lots of Prizes

Ally Blake

Melanie Milburne

Oh and don’t forget to meet (if you haven’t already) our new Cats – Melanie Milburne and Ally Blake. 

Ally and Melanie joined Lovecats DownUnder on Friday and we held a huge welcome party. 

Pop over, read all about them and leave a comment to be in the running to win our fabulous prize packs.

HUGE Welcome Party for Two New Love Cats!

There have been some recent changes within the Love Cats. Two members have decided, for personal reasons, to become Cats in the Wild. Sharon Archer and Barbara De Leo have been lovely and long-standing members of the group and we're sorry to see them go. But we're looking forward to hearing about their adventures in the wild and to welcoming them back whenever they want to share their experiences.

With two Love Cats leaving that means two new Cats joining us here. We're absolutely delighted and chuffed to welcome Ally Blake and Melanie Milburne, both talented writers and lovely women! 

As you know, new Cats means it's time to PARTY! So get comfy and prepare to join us with the tipple of your choice (mine is champagne!) to celebrate Melanie and Ally's arrival. There are four stupendous prizes to be won (I'm not exaggerating) but first, let's get to know our newest Cats who are kindly sharing some tidbits with us.  

Welcome, Ally Blake!

Ally, do you remember the first category romance you read? Is there a book (romance or otherwise) that made you want to become a writer?

Not the first but my first favourite.  “Enemy in Camp” by Janet Dailey.  Feisty blue-blood heroine, laconic blue-collar hero, lots of fun secondary characters (including a meddling little sister - very Philadelphia Story) and a lovely, rich, wry, heart-tugging romance.

It was such a stand out to me I still have the original copy.  The spine is falling apart; the pages are yellowed and brittle, and I often wonder if that hero helped shaped the heroes I write today.

There’s something warm and wonderful about the 30c price tag and store stamp from the ‘Book Swap’ shop where it was bought.  But I especially love that I discovered it amongst the trillion Mills and Boons my grandmother always kept under her spare bed.   For me writing category romance was meant to be – it was in my blood.

Is there a category romance you’ve read so far this year that that stands out for you?

Amy Andrews’ “Some Girls Do” (the free first book in her Outback Heat series) was an absolute blast.  Fun, fast and super sexy.   I also powered through a slew of Stefanie London’s fantastic romances.  I’ve been saving her bestselling “Pretend Its Love” for one of those rainy days when you NEED to curl up under a warm blanket and read something yummy.

What part of the writing process do you enjoy most?

Oh the blissful possibility of that perfect blank first page – when the story is a shining gem inside your mind; unblemished by human error, untwisted by characters who don’t act how you want them to, the purity as yet unveiled to the world.  The moment you write the very first word…it’s not longer yours.

Do you share your life with anyone furred, feathered or scaled? If so we’d love to hear about them.

You bet I do!  First a disclaimer. One of the many strings to my husband’s bow is professional snake catcher.  He’s also a licensed breeder of reptiles and has been since he was a kid.  So it’s no surprise that we live in a veritable menagerie.

In the past we’ve had black-headed pythons, blue tongued lizards, shingle backs and more.  The current state of affairs is relatively tame!

We have…a cat (Friday), a penny turtle (Cupcake), a half dozen chooks, and five aviaries filed with Kakariks (the sweetest, friendliest, chattiest little parrots that my husband breeds). And last Christmas holidays our lucky kids got their first dog.  Cookie is a Brittany Spaniel – a vivacious, adorable creature who wants nothing more on this earth than to snuggle, cuddle, sit on us, lick us, and love us.  Oh and cheese.  She reeeeally loves cheese.

Finally, can you share one fact about yourself we might not already know?

Ooooh.  Okay.  How about my favourite movie in the whole wide world?

Aliens.

I loved it so much when I was in my teens I sat down and wrote out EVERY WORD OF THE SCREENPLAY (and then discovered you can actually buy copies of the things – sigh). And it’s not all action and awesome one liners.  It’s romantic too.  It is!  The extended edition when Ripley is heading off to fight the big bad alien mumma, unsure if she’ll ever see badly injured (and terribly handsome) Hicks again and they share their first names for the first time…

Ripley: See you, Hicks.

Corporal Hicks: Dwayne. It's Dwayne.

Ripley: ...Ellen.

Corporal Hicks: [smiles weakly] Don't be gone long, Ellen.

Oh, how the heart flutters!

Thanks for that, Ally. And a big welcome too, to Melanie Milburne!

Melanie, do you remember the first category romance you read? I read Kay Thorpe’s An Apple In Eden when I was seventeen and was totally hooked on category romance from that moment.

 Is there a book (romance or otherwise) that made you want to become a writer?

 I had always wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl, even before I began to read, as I loved stories so much. But it was reading Mary Stewart’s Nine Coaches Waiting (romantic suspense) when I was in my late teens that really made me dream of being a romance writer.

Is there a category romance you’ve read so far this year that that stands out for you?

This is going to sound really strange but I haven’t read a category romance in its entirety this year. I find it distracting to read category when I am on such a busy writing schedule (five to six books a year). I am always afraid of inadvertently borrowing phrases or being influenced by other author’s stories. I feel more comfortable reading other sub-genres of romance or crime or thriller and memoir and biography instead. But having said that, I do keep up to date with current trends in category romance and what the market wants.

What part of the writing process do you enjoy most?

 I love typing The End! I also love starting a new novel where the story idea is fresh and I’m in love with my characters and they haven’t yet started to annoy me by being difficult. But the whole process is wonderful. I love how things appear on the page as I’m typing that I hadn’t expected. It’s truly magical.

Do you share your life with anyone furred, feathered or scaled? If so we’d love to hear about them.

I have three miniature poodles: Polly, Lily and Gonzo. They are my writing and walking companions.  They do about twenty tricks now and I really enjoy teaching them new ones. I also have two cats: Matias and Mango. I am basically their butler! Matias is an Australian Long Hair and has the most placid personality. He and Gonzo adore each other. I have never seen a dog and cat have such a close and playful relationship.

 

Finally, can you share one fact about yourself we might not already know?

I used to school and break in horses when I was a teenager and young adult. And I have the aches and pains to prove it!

Thank you, Melanie!

And now for the final part of our celebration. Prizes! A party isn't complete without goodies, is it? We Love Cats have got together with Harlequin Mills and Boon to organise some fabulous prizes to share with you. All you need to do is comment on this post to go in the draw. Then, come back on Saturday 15th October to check out who has won.

2 winners (international) will each receive:

·         Amy Andrew’s ‘Holiday Swap’ duo with Emily Forbes

·         Rachel Bailey’s ‘ The Finn Factor’ (ebook)

·         Michelle Douglas’s ‘An Unlikely Bride for the Billionaire’

·         Louisa George’s ‘Something Borrowed’ (ebook)

·         A note book and bookmark from Bronwyn Jameson

·         Helen Lacey’s ‘The Cowgirl’s Forever Family’

·         Yvonne Lindsay’s ‘One Heir…Or Two?’ (in advance of its November release)

·         Stefanie London’s ‘A Dangerously Sexy Christmas’

·         Sue MacKay’s ‘Dr White’s Baby Wish’

·         Kandy Shepherd’s ‘The Bridesmaid’s Baby Bump’

·         Annie West’s ‘The Desert King’s Secret Heir’ (in advance of its December release)

We're delighted to announce that Mills and Boon Australia has also generously promised some fantastic prizes. So 2 other winners (must be located in Australia) will each receive:

·         A $50 book bundle from Mills and Boon Australia and

·         Jennifer St George’s ‘Wild for You’ (ebook).

If you're in Australia, don't forget to mention it in your comment so we know to include you in the draw for the book bundles.

So come and join the party and welcome our two newest LoveCats! 

Reading Update: My Favourite Five, January-June

by Bronwyn Jameson

I closed my eyes for just a minute, I swear, and opened them to find half the year gone. How did that happen? Why does it happen every year?

Way back in January, before I closed my eyes, I pondered the merits—and methods—of recording my reading. And I did start a spreadsheet. And I have kept it up to date. So now I can report on my reading for the first six months of the year without needing to scan my Kindle library and my (increasingly faulty) memory.

The statistics:

• 52 books read...which staggers me a little. I would have guessed around 50 a year, but perhaps I was propelled to read more by the recording exercise. I can't imagine getting to 100 before year's end. We'll see.
• 2 audio, 48 digital, 0 paper...again, surprised. I usually read SOME actual hold-in-hands books.
• 3 non-fiction, 49 fiction (no surprise!)
• 6 novellas, 20 category length, 23 single title (I didn’t count the non-fiction.)
• 1 historical, 48 contemporary – this is quite a departure for me; although I’ve still been buying historicals, I’ve not been in the mood to read them. 
• 8 mystery/thrillers/suspense
• 6 womens fiction/chick-lit
• 1 new adult
• 3 erotic
• 31 straight contemporary romance (including category romance.)

Enough with the numbers, which I wanted to record here for comparison purposes at a later date, and on to the best part of my spreadsheet. I rated each read on a 0-5 scale and wrote a (very) brief précis of why I liked or didn’t enjoy each book. And here are my top five 5-star reads from January-June and the reasons why I loved each to bits: (Note that most of my reading isn’t of brand new releases; I tend to buy and stockpile and scan through the library for what I feel like reading at the time.)

FAITHFUL PLACE, Tana French

Irish mystery/crime; Dublin Murder Squad Book 3

This is a dark, grim story about a cold-case disappearance that shaped our hero/anti-hero detective Frank Mackey and which brings him back home 20 years later. It’s brilliantly crafted and intensely compelling—not just the mystery but the family dynamics, the secrets of Faithful Place, and how French uses the two timelines.

  

BROKEDOWN COWBOY, Maisey Yates

Contemporary romance, Copper Creek 3

This is ALL my catnip: snappy banter, loads of emotion, unrequited love, forced proximity, friends to lovers, supporting cast of family and small-town community, western/cowboy...with a barn-raising! It could have been written especially for me.

INVISIBLE INK, Brian McDonald

Non-fiction, writing how-to

Sub-titled A Practical Guide to Building Stories that Resonate, which is a pretty good “plot” summary. I bought it on the recommendation of Anne McAllister. McDonald is a screenwriter and the title is a reference to the craft behind the words (the visible ink). The focus is storytelling structure and I found it highly readable, succinct and on point, and peppered with excellent movie examples. Bonus: it really helped me sort some WIP issues.

THE MOST SCANDALOUS RAVENSDALE, Melanie Milburne

HM&B Sexy/Presents, The Scandalous Ravensdales 4

My favourite kind of category romance, with fun banter and internal musing, believable conflict, a heroine who is no pushover and a hero who deserves her; I felt their connection, I got their attraction, I believed their happy ending. Bonus points for the use of setting (wet London) and the relatable dog and cat characters.

PURSUED BY THE ROGUE, Kelly Hunter

Contemporary romance novella, The Fairy Tales of New York 1

For a novella, this punches far above its weight in emotion and character development. It’s also hot and superbly well written and researched. I loved the contemporary NYC setting and the fairy-tale tie-in (The Ugly Duckling) and the characters’ occupations: she’s a genetic researcher; he’s a violinist. This has gone on my Recommend To Everyone list.

Let’s talk reading...

How has your reading year been thus far? Have you been reading more or less than usual? Have you been "off" a certain type of reading—as I've been with historical romance? Have you been glomming a certain genre or sub-genre or author recently?