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.

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! 

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.

Party Time! Welcoming New Love Cat, Bronwyn Jameson!

It's party time here at the LoveCats DownUnder and what a party! It's our absolute thrill to welcome our newest LoveCat: the multi-talented, great-with-animals, gifted author, BRONWYN JAMESON.

 

Yay! There's great excitement here as we welcome Bronwyn, one of the stars of Harlequin Desire, to our group. We're celebrating with some fantastic give aways, but more about those soon.

Bronwyn is a personal heroine of mine. She's a triple RITA finalist and nominee for the Romantic Times Series Storyteller of the year. She's a bestseller whose books are loved worldwide. If you don't know her stories and want to find out more, here's a link to her website. Her support of other writers resulted in her recently being awarded life membership of Romance Writers of Australia.

 

As you can see, we've taken the opportunity of Bronwyn's welcome party to launch our new look website. Isn't it lovely? We're so pleased with the results and of course, welcome your thoughts on how well it works for you. We're also launching a LoveCats DownUnder FaceBook page.

 

But in the meantime, let's get this party on the road by interviewing our newest LoveCat. Bronwyn took time out to answer a few questions. Here she is:

 

1) Does anyone with fur, feathers or scales share your life now, or in the past?

 

I live on a farm so am surrounded by fur, feathers, scales and particularly wool.  I'm a bit of a horse nut.  Currently we have eight with another (baby) due in a few weeks time.  Mum's name is Jenna and right now her baby bump is huge.  I have a Jack Russell, imaginatively named Jack, who is rather talkative and boisterous and all those other fabulous JR traits.  He believes it is his duty to keep the "scales" population down in summer, which is REALLY stressful given the venomous strike of the eastern brown snake.  L

 

Horse baby (Floo)

 

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

 

Pegasus.  A horse.  That flies.  How cool would that be?

 

3) What was the first category book you read?

 

Not the first category book – I devoured the serialised Mills & Boons in my mum's English Woman's Weeklys from a tender age – but the first Desire I read was Private Reasons by Justine Davis.  It featured an uptight hero with dark secrets, a strong free-spirited heroine, a troubled teenager and a totally cool black horse.  Also hay, jeans and hot attraction.  I loved this book in the 90s and, in a recent re-read, loved it all over again.

 

4) What was the last category book you read that you loved?

 

I've just finished Driving Her Crazy by Amy Andrews, a fun and funny road trip starring a cranky photographer and a smart-mouthed journalist (she drives him more than a little crazy.)  But beneath the banter there are real issues, which give the story depth and strength.  Loved it. 

 

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

 

Hmm.  Did you know I was on Wheel of Fortune (twice) and won a car?   

 

6) We all know you as a wonderful Harlequin Desire author. In honour of your arrival the other LoveCats are giving away some fantastic ‘Items of Desire’ as prizes today. Can you share with us your own favourite Item of Desire?

 

Not so much an item, but one of my favourite things is travel and I wish I could travel like my Desire characters, with private jets and limousines and five-star hotels and concierges at my beck and call.  First class travel is the object of my desire.

Thanks, Bronwyn. Wow, you must have had nerves of steel to make it onto Wheel of Fortune twice! That's so impressive. It's wonderful to have you on board as a LoveCat. We know you're going to fit right in.


Bronwyn at recent Fremantle Booksigning

To celebrate the LoveCats are banding together to offer some great prizes which will be given to 2 winners drawn by our newest Cat, Bronwyn. Here's what's on offer:

One winner will receive:

A miniature Art Deco clock from Bronwyn Jameson
‘The War Hero’s Locked Away Heart’ by Louisa George
Some nice stationery from Jennifer St George
A backlist book from Sharon Archer
A desirable gift from Yvonne Lindsay
‘The Man Who Saw Her Beauty’ by Michelle Douglas
Luscious hand dream from Barbara DeLeo
An e-copy of ‘Taming the Tycoon’ by Amy Andrews
A scented, desirable gift from Helen Lacey
‘Countering His Claim’ by Rachel Bailey
Turkish delight and gourmet chocolate from Annie West
‘The Gift of a Child’ by Sue MacKay

 The other winner will receive:

‘The Diamond Collection’ by Bronwyn Jameson

A desirable gift from Rachel Bailey
‘An Enticing Debt to Pay’ by Annie West
A pretty crystal necklace from Michelle Douglas
‘A Date With Destiny’ by Helen Lacey
A desirable gift from Sue MacKay
‘One Secret Night’ by Yvonne Lindsay
A desirable gift from Amy Andrews
An e-copy of ‘Dishing Up Desire’ by Barbara DeLeo
A desirable gift from Sharon Archer
An e-copy of ‘The Love Deception’ by Jennifer St George
A pohutakawa coin purse from Louisa George

To get the ball rolling, here's a question from Bronwyn: What is your favourite object of desire?
Just leave a comment to be in the prize draw. Winners' names will be posted on site just before our next Sunday Smooch so don't forget to come back and check for news.

BLOG PARTY with PRIZES and FUN!

Meet Our New LoveCat!

 

There's a new LoveCat on the prowl!  We're absolutely thrilled to announce that lovely Helen Lacey is joining us.  So today we're having a party and you're all invited to celebrate with us! And we're giving away a prize pack of LoveCat books to one of our commenters!

So come on in, grab a glass of cyber-champers, pull up a comfy chair and read the scoop on Helen!


We sent Helen a list of probing questions just for fun!

Helen, over to you!

Favourite animal

I’m a horse girl! The first book I wrote when I was seven years old was about a horse – and they still turn up in my books. In my January release, Made For Marriage, my heroine is a horse riding instructor, so I’m never really far from writing about what I love. I got my first horse when I was twelve and they have been a part of my life ever since. Now days, my DH and I own eight horses of varying sizes and ages and I love the time I spend with them every afternoon. It’s my down time away from the computer, where I get to relax and be outside. But I adore dogs too! As well as the horses I have three dogs, three birds and a house cow named Ginger.

Favourite mythical animal

Pegasus! When I was a kid I had dreams of riding amongst the clouds. Although I do own an 18hh Thoroughbred called Zeb, so my head does get fairly high up when I ride him.

Your own Catwalk candidate

This is Barney – my two year old Dogue De Bordeaux (Remember Turner and Hooch?) He’s 70kgs and adorable. He has juicy jowls and a big smile and loves riding in the car.

First category book you read

There were two category books. I was twelve years old when I read Rosalind Brett’s Winds Of Enchantment and Robyn Donald’s Bride At Whangatapu. I read them in the same day and got swept away. When I was done I knew that I wanted to write romance. I can’t tell you what a thrill it was actually meeting Robyn many years later.

Last great category book you read

I recently read When One Night Isn’t Enough by Wendy S Marcus and it was fabulous.

Something we wouldn't know about you?

I’m a Trekkie. I’ve watched the latest Star Trek movie 11 times. And I think Jean Luc Picard is one of the sexiest heroes ever.



Helen's debut book, Made For marriage, is a Harlequin Special Edition and is out in January 2012


So today we're asking, what animal do you relate to most? 


And to celebrate Helen joining us on the blog, we've got a book prize pack for one of our commentors!

LoveCats Book pack includes...

Michelle Douglas - The Secretary's Secret
Anna Hackett - One Night with the Wolf - ebook
Nikki Logan - Maybe Baby omnibus with Nikki, Michelle Douglas & Melissa James     
Sharon Archer - The Man Behind The Badge
Emily May - Beauty and the Scarred Hero
Rachel Bailey - Return of the Secret Heir
Sue Mackay - Surgeon in a Wedding Dress
Zana Bell's - Risk Worth Taking, in a duo with Her Best Friend's Wedding by Abby Gaines
Leah Ashton - Mills and Boon Loves anthology (via The Book Depository)
Robyn Grady - Fearless Maverick & Millonaire Playboy, Maverick Heiress
Natalie Anderson - Dating and Other Dangers

BLOG PARTY with PRIZES and FUN!

The LoveCats are excited to announce we have a NewCat joining us!

Please help us welcome  
Leah Ashton!!


Leah worked with an editor after winning the Harlequin Mills & Boon New Voices Competition in November 2010, and was offered a contract on February 25th, 2011. Her first book, Secrets & Speed Dating, will be published as Mills & Boon Riva/Sweet/Romance and will be released in the UK in October this year, and in the US and Australia in 2012.

Before we got to down to business, we asked Leah our fun NewCat questions!

Leah's Pointer, Stella

Favourite animal?
Horses. I was a horse mad kid that grew up to be a horse mad adult. Sadly I had to sell my horse in 2005 as I just didn't have the time to commit to riding and competing any longer.

Favourite mythical animal?
Unicorn (see above :) ).

First category book you read?
The first one I remember absolutely adoring was Gina Wilkin's "A Stroke of Genius" that I bought secondhand as a teenager and kept hidden at the back of my bookcase. It went missing when I moved out of home and I'm still searching for a replacement copy.

Last great category book you read?
Anything by Sarah Mayberry or Nikki Logan - although I also really enjoyed Mira Lyn Kelly's Front Page Affair.

Something we wouldn't know about you?
That I'm getting married in less than four weeks!

Thank you for giving that peek, Leah, and CONGRATULATIONS! We send you a great big LoveCat hug to you and your hero for a purrrfect happiness! And now on a more serious note... can you tell us a bit about your journey through the New Voices program with Harlequin and on to the exciting moment that you were offered a contract.

Leah's cat, Luna

The New Voices competition was such an amazing opportunity that I absolutely had to enter - despite the nausea inducing reality that The Whole World would be able to read my entry. With this competition, there was nowhere to hide!

I purposefully entered something completely new to New Voices, so I wouldn't be too attached to it when it (inevitably) crashed and burned. When it didn't, and I made the Top Ten, it was such a shock! It also made the next two rounds just that little bit harder, as I had absolutely no idea what would happen next.

But with lots of help from my lovely mentors - editor Meg Lewis and author Jessica Hart - as well as my writing friends (a particularly huge thank you to Lovecat Nikki Logan) I made it through Round Two (Chapter Two) and then my final round entry of a pivotal moment from my book won the competition. Winning the competition was one of the most amazing things to have ever happened to me, and I am so grateful for every single person who entered the competition, and everyone who voted.

Stella in action!

New Voices itself was a huge amount of pressure and stress, but it utterly paled in comparison to writing the rest of my book. The full story is on my blog (trust me, it's long!). The short version is that I threw out my half finished book - twice - before I finally got it right. My editor, Meg, was incredible, and kept her faith in me, even when privately, I wasn't so sure.

Leah writing her New Voices entry in Croatia

What I learnt was that I have to listen to my gut when I write, and I have to write the story that resonates with me. Consequently you'll see that the New Voices version of Secrets & Speed Dating is very different to the finished book - but a much better book for it, I think. Once I let go of trying to write the rest of the New Voices entry, and instead decided to just write Sophie and Dan's story, it all (finally!) fell into place.

Thank you for sharing that, Leah! We asked Leah what question she'd like to ask our commenters and she's come up with a fabulous and very pertinent one...

What is your best advice for a bride to be?

We've put together a LoveCats Book Pack to send to one of our party guests! Just leave a comment and you'll be in the draw!

In the LoveCats Book Pack....

• Robyn Grady - Amnesia Ex: Unforgettable Vows
• Sharon Archer - TBA
• Zana Bell - Tempting the Negotiator
• Michelle Douglas - Christmas at Candlebark Farm
• Emily May - Beauty and the Scarred Hero
• Nikki Logan - Friends to Forever
• Sue Mackay - Playboy Doctor to Doting Dad
• Natalie Anderson - Walk on the Wild Side
• Rachel Bailey - Million-Dollar Amnesia Scandal
• Mel Teshco - Moon Thrall (ebook)
  

Breaking News: A New Cat on the Blog!

Welcome Michelle Douglas!

Today we’re thrilled to announce that we’re being joined by a new lovecat – Michelle Douglas, who writes fantabulous romances for Mills and Boon Sweet / Romance. Yay!

She has very good lovecat credibility, since she recently wrote a series with our other Sweet Lovecat, Nikki Logan (and the lovely Melissa James) and she has a Siamese Fighting Fish called Fernando (looking forward to meeting him on the catwalk, Michelle!).

To celebrate our new Lovecat, we’re giving away a pack of books, including Michelle’s latest three books:

The Cattleman, The Baby and Me,

Bachelor Dad on Her Doorstep, and

The Aristocrat and the Single Mum.

Plus the redraw of CC Coburn’s latest American Romance, The Sheriff And the Baby,

And both of my Desire books, Claiming His Bought Bride, and The Blackmailed Bride's Secret Child.

All you need to do is help Michelle feel at home by telling us about a time when you joined something new – a new family you married into, a new office you worked for, a new sporting team, etc.

Welcome, Michelle!