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 - Two New Cats!

Louisa George

The LoveCats are in party mode! Grab a cup of catnip punch, get comfy in the groovy chairs and settle in to the strains of ABBA (being played by Cat Michelle – don’t worry, we’ll get Elvis going when we can wrestle the remote away). 

Everyone ready? It’s time to give a great big Cat cheer to *two* new Cats! We’re beside ourselves with glee to be welcoming Louisa George and Barbara DeLeo into the pride. Paws in the air! 

Barbara DeLeo

Louisa writes for Harlequin Medical, and Barbara writes for Entangled’s Indulgence. Both are from New Zealand, are gorgeous and two of the loveliest people you’ll meet (I should know – I’ve met them both for early breakfasts where I was barely awake or able to form coherent sentences, and they were *still* lovely). 

More details, I hear you ask? Well, let me oblige! I’ve asked some very pertinent questions to help you get to know them a little better. 

Who is your Catwalk Candidate? 

Barbara: That would be Cosmo the black Miniature Schnauzer. Well, she's not really black, she's gold plated on account of the number of visits to the vet she's had. It's not that she's had puppy illnesses or that we're over protective, it's that Cosmo will eat anything. This includes: two blocks of Lindt dark chocolate (one mint flavoured, one passionfruit and including the foil and cardboard packaging), two rubber lizards and a sewing needle which made the journey all the way through her with the cotton still attached. 

Louisa: How could I choose between my two? 

Behold, Tana- Master of The Universe. Named after one of the best rugby players of all time, All Black Tana Umanga. 

I, All-black cat Tana rule the roost- the neighbourhood, indeed, the Universe. I am beautiful. I am stupendous. I am purrfect. See- I can even walk on water. I am also mysterious and elusive. (And love playing hard to get- hence the distance shot…I don’t do close-ups). 

And Spencer- Mum says I’m seriously lacking in smarts. But I think smarts are overrated! I mean- I play all day, and do a lot of sleeping, she works hard and gives me food- who’s the smarter one now? My favourite activity? Licking my daddy’s head. 

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

Louisa's Tana

Barbara: Definitely a unicorn. Apart from the fact that they always remind me of romance and handsome princes, when I was young I had a grey pony called Denny and I could have sworn there was a spot on his forehead where a horn used to be... 

Louisa: I asked my son (who actually wants to be a mythologist when he grows up) and his immediate reaction was Medusa (yep- feeling the love there!). There’s something particularly discomforting when your 14 year old son thinks you’re like an evil snake-headed witch who can turn you to stone with a stare. 

Louisa's Spencer

Personally, I’d prefer to think of myself as something more ethereal or beneficent, and just a little bit nicer than Medusa. So I would be Pegasus, the flying horse. Pegasus was Poseidon and Medusa’s offspring- and amongst other things he was the horse of the muses –wherever he struck a hoof an inspiring well would spring up. (My muse can do with all the help she can get!) 

What was the first category book you read? 

Barb's Cosmo

Barbara: It was a Liz Fielding. I've forgotten the name of it but the heroine was a dog walker and the hero was sick in bed. I fell in love with everything about category romance from the first page. I was a new mum and the bliss of being transported into a world of romance was indescribable. 

Louisa: Earthquake Baby by Amy Andrews. It blew me away. I’d never read a category romance until 6 years ago and then I discovered a whole new fabulous world. 

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

Barbara: At the moment I'm reading The Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst. Jennifer's had phenomenal success with this book and it's easy to see why. 

Louisa: The Nurse’s Not So Secret Scandal by Wendy S Marcus. A totally different, boundary breaking Medical Romance. 

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

Barbara: I had four children in two and a half years - identical twin girls followed by fraternal twin boys. Those first few years were a haze of nappies and feeding and hot, blind panic, but now that those four are aged 11 and 8 things are slightly more "normal"! 

Louisa: I studied ballet for 17 years. Not that you’d believe it if you saw me hunched over a computer keyboard for 8 hours a day. :)

To celebrate, we’re giving away two fabulous prize packs of books and all you have to do is leave a comment to be in the draw! 

Prize Pack 1 

Bachelor Dad, Girl Next Door, Sharon Archer

Girl in the Bedouin Tent, Annie West 

Made for Marriage, Helen Lacey 

One Month To Become A Mum, Louisa George
Secrets and Speed Dating, Leah Ashton 

Strictly Temporary, Robyn Grady 

The Dangers of Dating Your Boss, Sue Mackay 

The Secretary's Secret, Michelle Douglas 

What Happens in Charleston, Rachel Bailey 

Prize Pack 2 

Bachelor Dad, Girl Next Door, Sharon Archer

Girl in the Bedouin Tent, Annie West 

Made for Marriage, Helen Lacey 

One Month To Become A Mum, Louisa George
Secrets and Speed Dating, Leah Ashton 

Strictly Temporary, Robyn Grady 

The Dangers of Dating Your Boss, Sue Mackay 

The Man Who Saw Her Beauty, Michelle Douglas 

What Happens in Charleston, Rachel Bailey 

Okay, over to you. Take another glass of catnip punch, see if you can drag Cat Michelle away from the music controls, and, if you'd like, tell us the answer to one of the questions the new Cats answered. We'd love to know more about you too!

With a little Help from my Friends

Tracie's Cat Stats
Reading: Lover Avenged by J.R Ward
Listening to: Glenn Miller (would you believe - no heavy Metal)
Watching: nothing - deadline looming
Making me smile: This Blog and the people responding

Friends make the world go round. Some drift into your life for only a short time, while other stay much longer and some forever.

When I was younger I had lots of friends. The fact they were only 3 inches high, dressed in bright clothing and no one but me could see them didn’t really matter. Don’t get me wrong, I did have human friends and four legged friends too, but sometime I preferred the company of my little folk more. I would talk to them for hours, teach them things and tell them stories. Of course they all adored me and did whatever I asked them to. Looking back, I guess the writer in me was beginning to bud, though it would not fully bloom many years later.

And when my writing desire blossomed, I met two of the LoveCats—Rachel and Mel. We all belonged to the Clayton Critters group which sprung up out of the 2005 RWAus Clayton’s online conference. From the first words I read of both Rachel’s and Mel’s stories, I was in awe. These girls
could write.

Now I’m blogging here with these 6 awesome cat pals:

• Zana I don’t know much—well not yet—she’s a new friend.
• Emily I’ve met as several conference including a spectacular Nationals in San Francisco when she was nominated for 2 Rubys and I was a finalist in the Golden Heart
• Sharon and her lovely Mr Archer have been at every conference I’ve been to except last year and they were sorely missed. Their smiling faces are always a joy. When Sharon sold – I was overjoyed and we shared several celebratory emails.
• Nikki I know a little better. I can’t remember when we met. It feels like I have known her for ages. I actually screamed out loud and danced when I heard she was going to be a Harlequin Romance author. I am very impressed.
• Mel, Rachel and I have bit more history. We’ve shared good news and bad; we’ve laughed and cheered; we’ve vented and cried. We told each other the truth when it needed to be said, and supported each other if one of us was down. We used to dream and say “one day when we are all published... blah blah blah”. And now here we are, together. Old friends are a comfort and a joy. It was almost felt like selling again myself when each of them made their first sales.

What is it that you value in your friendships? Or do you have a special friend who has touched your life in a profound way?

Today's Book Giveways to one lucky commentor: The Earl’s Dilemma, Emily May (in Fate & Fortune, with A Country Miss In Hanover Square, by Anne Herries) Quills / Regency Single Father: Wife & Mother Wanted, Sharon Archer Medical Duo of Marriage Reunited: Baby on the Way, Sharon Archer, with Lucy Clark’s Bride on the Children’s Ward Medical Claiming His Bought Bride, Rachel Bailey Desire The Blackmailed Bride’s Secret Child, Rachel Bailey Desire Tonight, My Love, Tracie Sommers Spice Briefs His Housekeeper Bride, Melissa James Harlequin Romance / Sweet Tycoon’s One Night Revenge, Bronwyn Jameson Desire Prince Incognito, Linda Goodnight, including a novella, The Homecoming, Melissa James Harlequin Romance / Sweet Stone Cold Lover, Mel Teshco Ellora's Cave

Prizes!

Welcome to our Launch Week! Every day for 7 days, when one of the LoveCats posts, we'll be giving away 10 books. Yep, that's 10 books *every* day.

Then at the end of our launch festivities, we'll be giving away our Grand Prize to one commenter from the week - 19 books!

Every time you comment during the week, you'll be entered into the draw for the Grand Prize. If you comment once every day of the 7 days, you'll be entered 7 times.

A huge thanks to all the authors who've donated books for the Grand Prize and for the daily prizes (you can see them on the sidebar).

The winner of the Grand Prize, plus a round up of all the other prizes, will be announced on Monday 18th Jan.

Good luck!