Lovin’ me some Series

Reading: Risky Engagement by Merline Lovelace
Watching: Chuck
Listening to: The Best of Lisa Gerrard
Making me smile: the gifts hubby gave me for my birthday

Well, all my fellow LoveCats are off to have a fabulous time at the RWAus Conference…just little ole me to hold the fort. To keep myself busy (and not wishing I was at conference too) I’m going to do a little reading.

One thing I’ve always loved about category books are the linked series and continuities. You can keep revisiting a place or characters you love many times. You can follow families, watch a couple fall in love, watch kids grow up and then get their own happily-ever-afters.

The eHarlequin site has recently been revamped. A new feature I absolutely love is the easy way to find books that belong to featured miniseries. All the imprints have some great series to check out.

Using this new feature, I was thrilled to discover a series I have loved for many years had a new book out in June that I had missed. I’ve mentioned my love for the romantic suspense series CODE NAME: DANGER before. It’s by Merline Lovelace and the new installment is called Risky Engagement. I’m definitely downloading to my Kindle! If you love action, adventure and romance, then check out the series.

The Aussie Mills and Boon site doesn’t have the miniseries feature but under certain books, it will list what series the books belong to. If you check out LoveCat Nikki’s book, you’ll see its part of the series Outback Baby Tales.

If anyone has any other category series they love, then let me know. I need to keep very busy reading this weekend!

Catwalk Wednesday

Name: Simba (my slaves didn’t call me that, it was given to me by the RSPCA.

Abode: Usually the slaves’ bed or one of the small tail-puller’s beds.

Human Slave: Craig, the man who thinks my woman (Rachael) is his woman.

Likes: Exiting the house via the bathroom window at 3am in the morning.

Dislikes: The Human Slaves’ big boisterous Old English Sheepdog who finds pleasure in licking me for long minutes at a time. Also the three small tail-pullers that live with us.

Ambition: To get rid of all other males in the house so I have my woman all to myself.

Sociable or Aloof: Socialable if it suits me. I’m always up for a cuddle when Rachael lies down in bed to read a good book.

Favourite Pastime: Sleeping of course.

Best Friend: My woman.

What do you like to sharpen your claws on: The carpet, the furniture, the chair, anything to wake up Craig, who’ll then let me out of the window.

Girly-Girl Delights

by Michelle Douglas

I've never been much of a girly-girl. I grew up more of a tomboy. I preferred riding my bike and making cubby houses with my little sister than playing with dolls (oh and reading. I did a LOT of reading).

I was late coming to clothes and make-up too. As a cash-strapped uni student, I wore a lot of black (hey, it could take a girl from day to night without too much hassle) and I preferred to spend my money on books (and food!) than on lipstick and eye shadow or long sessions at the hairdresser's.

I have to say that books and food are still higher on m

y lists of priorities than clothes, make-up and trips to the hairdresser. However, I have just made the girliest of girly-girl discoveries:

PEDICURES!

Before now pedicures haven't figured as even a blip on my radar, and left to my own devices I wouldn't have ventured forth to even test run one - it wouldn't have occurred to me. Oh, but what have I been missing!

Let me set the scene.

The Reason: To celebrate a friend's birthday. Four of us trekked into the salon, fresh with good cheer after a most congenial breakfast. (Frankly, if you are getting together with several friends for a few hours you are already guaranteed a fun time).

The Process: Ladies, choose your colours. We were led to a display of nail polishes. Oh my, and I do mean a display. Every colour of the rainbow and beyond beckoned to us - pinks and purples, blues and greens, bronze, silver and gold, scarlet and black... in matte or glitter. Okay, cue salivating because colour is promise. What do I want to be today - a vamp, the girl next door, a princess? I chose orange because it's fun and the best colour in the world. The others chose a seductive red, a flirty purple and a soft tantalising caramel. Sigh.

Next: We sat in a row of chairs that promptly set about massaging us as we soaked out feet in warm, scented water (we groaned our pleasure). Then the spa jets were turned on. Cue more groans. The rest of the pedicure passed in a haze of pleasure. Nails were trimmed, scrubs were used (actually, we had to hold each other's hands when the loofahs were brought to the party. Ticklish - much laughter, lots of fun), lotion liberally slathered on for foot and calf massages. Yes, it really is as good as it sounds. And then our nails were painted.

Afterwards: This is the picture we took.

Don't our feet look fabulous? My feet felt incredibly soft and smooth for days afterwards. And the flash of colour from my toenails makes me grin every time I take my shoes off! Seriously, the only thing missing from the whole experience was champagne, but we know better for next time.

Ooh yes, there will be a next time. This has to become a regular part of my life. Totally indulgent, totally impractical and totally fun. So do you have any other indulgent tips for this reformed-tomboy, girly-girl-in-the making? I'm starting to wonder what else I've been missing?

LoveCat on a Hot Tin Roof!

by Sharon Archer


Reading: My revisions!

Listening: Cher

Watching: New Tricks DVD

Making Me Smile: Seven Sleeps to go!







Seven sleeps and I’ll be off to the Romance Writers of Australia conference! I can’t wait to catch up with friends at Coogee! It’s going to be huge and there’s going to be a LOT of talking! And I’ll get to meet my fellow LoveCats – some of them for the very first time... well, face-to-face first time because we’re already firm e-friends!

AND I’m taking part in my very first book signing! The Australian Romance Readers Association is organising an event to coincide with the conference in Sydney. I’m really excited about this and more than a bit nervous too! I belatedly thought it might be a good idea to Google for tips!

I found some terrific sites – including one by Larry James. I’ve promised myself I’ll go back to study this well before I do another book signing!

Of course, I’ve left it way too late to take advantage of some of the suggestions – like promo materials. Fortunately, other clever LoveCats have thought of this so we have these LoveCat DownUnder postcards to give away. Very cool!

One of Larry’s tips – his most important - was to HAVE FUN! So I’m going to be sure to follow that one!

And because it’s all so beautifully organised by the ARRA, I don’t need to do things like make sure there’ll be somewhere for me to sit, or posters, or announcements. Another really great thing about this event is that I won’t be doing it all alone! There are more than 40 other authors – including fellow LoveCats - and I know the ARRA will have us all very well catered for.

But some other tips I found on the web were nice little extras like have a nice pen, lots of water handy and a camera!

So do you have any other tips for me? If you do, I’d love to hear them! And I’d love to see you at the signing too!


PS I also came across this fun and very clever You-Tube clip by Parnell Hall which I thought I’d share with you... I'll be going out to buy one of his books after this! Sadly, I can't sing for peanuts so I won't be able to turn my book signing experience into a You-Tube ballad - for which you should all be profoundly grateful! ;)

Blame it on the Moonlight winner

thanks to Random.org Suzi is the winner of the copy of Blame it on the Moonlight .
Suzi if you can send an email to Tracie @ traciesommers . Com (without spaces) I will arrange to get it to you.

Catwalk Wednesday

Name: Officially my pedigree name is ‘PC Rowan’, name usually used is ‘Rodger.’

Abode: Wherever my human slaves are. I’m not fussy about bricks and mortar but take away my best friend and I’m mess.

Human Slave: Craig... ahh... Now there’s a good bloke.

Likes: Cheese – I have a knack of being able to hear the fridge being opened and the cheese being taken out even if I’m miles away. Also like hanging out under the smallest slave’s high chair for whatever he drops. Another good bloke.

Dislikes: When Mum makes stand up to get groomed.

Ambition: To sleep on the bed with the human slaves. I’m not actually allowed on the carpet but have managed to get into the slaves’ bedroom at night and sleep on the carpet next to their bed. One step at a time.

Sociable or Aloof: I’m as social as they come. Mum says I’m a little bit TOO social and that when you’re almost as big as a horse, it’s not polite to jump up on visitors.

Favourite Pastime: Trying to torment the cats next door because my cat just whacks me if I try anything.

Best Friend: Toss up between the male human slave and the cat. Although with the cat, I think it’s a one-sided love affair.

Most embarrassing moment: Knocking over a whole pot of cheese fondue just as Mum’s visitors were arriving. Whoops.

The eyes have it.

by Nikki Logan

images www.thearmitagearmy.co.uk

This week I finally managed to find a face to fit my latest hero.

I finished watching the BBC filming of Catherine Gaskill’s ‘North and South’ and knew that my Nathan was going to be Richard Armitage.

Now, as a rule I steer away from using famous people for my inspirations because either they’re horribly cliché or they come loaded with too many preconceptions (and in the case of Armitage I was sure I’d have trouble evicting Sir Guy of Gisborne in all his leather-clad glory from my subconscious).

But…my Nathan’s so very battle-scarred from his difficult upbringing and so completely closed off to the good things in life and—page after page—something keeps coming up for him; his blazing, intense eyes.

So really… Why didn’t I think of Armitage earlier?  

Look up smouldering in the thesaurus and you’ll find brooding; sultry; Armitage. Okay, no you won’t, but perhaps in a future edition.

I’ve always considered myself a back-and-shoulders girl but I think I’ve matured into an appreciator of a good pair of peepers. There’s nothing a good simmering gaze can’t offset. In Armitage’s case he has a wonderful jawline but his lips are a little too thin and his nose a little too long to be called classically ‘handsome’. But those amazing eyes blow everything else out of the room the moment he steps into it.

 

Now, I’m not entirely sure I’d want to live with all that intensity (imagine facing that when you’re bickering over the remote-control) and—quite apart from anything else—every time he’d throw that molten glance my way I’d be crawling into his lap and then nothing would ever get done.

 
But…sigh…I do love it on a page.


For me it’s more than just windows of the soul stuff. Expressive eyes are like having a second character on the page. He can be doing one thing, saying one thing but his eyes will be doing something completely different. Adding layers to the complexity of a good character. Lying. Keeping secrets. Burning to share. Closing down. Glittering with desire. Darkening with lust. Creasing with amusement. Flaring with awareness. Bleeding with betrayal. They can be hooded, heavy-lidded, blazing, begging. Or, awfully… chilling, flat, lifeless.

ppffwoar!

For me… I’ll take ‘give me the remote or take me to bed’ eyes, any day.

Who does the best smoulder in your opinion? What fabulous potential brooders-through-time am I missing? Or are you totally over 'darkening eyes' and 'hooded gazes'?