A Tribute to Diana Wynne Jones

by Emily May

There are a few authors whose books I absolutely love, whose books I collect and reread and reread. Georgette Heyer -- of course! -- and Jenny Crusie, Lois McMaster Bujold and Diana Wynne Jones. Alas, this week came the sad news that Diana Wynne Jones has died.

Jones wrote both young adult (which are my favourites) and adult novels. Her writing is beautiful, quirky, whimsical, and her young adult books are a brilliant mixture of magic and everyday life, menace and humour.

If you haven't read any of Jones' young adult books, you've missed something! If you'd like to discover the magic of her writing for yourself, here are some of my favourites. These are the ones I reread every year:


The Magicians of Caprona -- this is my number one favourite! Set in an alternate Victorian Italy that is awash with magic. It's one of Jones' young adult Chrestomanci series.





Witch Week -- another Chrestomanci book, this time set in a boarding school for witch orphans in a world strangely like our own...






Howl's Moving Castle -- a fabulous book about a perambulatory castle, an (apparently) evil wizard, and a (definitely) evil witch who turns a young girl into an old woman.





The Lives of Christopher Chant -- the story of the young nine-lived magician who will become Chrestomanci (in an alternate Victorian England) -- if he doesn't stop losing his lives...





Charmed Life -- the tale of the young (orphaned) magician who'll be the next Chrestomanci -- but his lives are vanishing too! Is someone else using them up?





Of course, there are other fabulous ones. The Power of Three is one of the first books by Diana Wynne Jones that I ever read, and is at the top of my pile to be read again this year.





And I must reread Conrad's Fate, a Chrestomanci book that went into storage not long after I bought it and has only had one reading!






It's always a joy to read a book by Diana Wynne Jones. Sadly, there will be no more of them; but she has left a marvellous legacy for us to enjoy.

Rest In Peace, Diana Wynne Jones -- you'll be missed.

If you've never read any of Jones' books, do give one a try! And if you've already discovered her, please share your favourites with us.

Sunday Smooch

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!


Today we have a smooch from The End of Faking It by Natalie Anderson, but first ...


the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is -- Kaelee!


Congratulations, Kaelee! Can you please contact Sue MacKay at

sue (dot) mackay56 (at) yahoo (dot) com

and she'll send you a signed copy of Playboy Doctor to Doting Dad.

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from The End of Faking It by Natalie Anderson

Everyone fakes it. Don’t they?
A teenage romance-turned-nightmare has taught Penny Fairburn that faking it is the only way to go. It’s not until she meets gorgeous Carter Dodds and his bullet-proof ego that she realises how wrong she’s been!
Carter can have any woman on a plate, and likes the smorgasbord approach! But after some scorching nights with Penny, ‘no-strings’ Carter has changed his tune – Penny’s not faking anything in his bed, but getting her to admit her true feelings for him out in the real world is a whole new challenge…



Penny’s nerves tightened to one notch the other side of screaming. His lashes lowered and his smile faded. She looked down too. Now her silk shirt was wet it was both skin colour and skin tight and she might as well not be wearing anything. Even worse, she was aching… and horrified to realise it was completely obvious.

“You’re cold,” he said softly.

Yeah, completely obvious.

“The water in the jug was from the cooler.”

“So that’s the reason...”

All she could do was brazen this out. She tossed her head and met his eyes direct. “What other reason could there be?”

His lips curved. In his tanned face, his teeth were white and straight and perfect. Actually everything in his face was perfect. And in the dark tee-shirt and dark trousers he looked pretty-boy pirate, especially with the slightly too-long hair. The intensity of his scrutiny was devastating and now he’d fixed on one thing – her mouth.

She saw his intention. She felt it in her lips already – the yearning for touch. But even for her that would be insane. She didn’t like the way her pulse was zigzagging all over the place. She didn’t like the way her body was so willingly bracing for impact.

“Don’t add another insult to the list,” she said, trying to regain control over both of them. But the words didn’t come out as forcefully as she’d intended. Instead they whispered on barely a breath – because she could barely move enough to breathe.

“How can appreciating beauty be an insult?”

Penny’s pulse thundered. She was used to confident men. They were the kind she liked – pretty much bullet proof. But this was more than just superficial brashness, this was innate, absolute arrogance. He stood even closer, filling all her senses. Her blood rushed to all her secret places, and left her brain starving of all ability to operate.

His smile suddenly flashed brighter – like the way the flame flared on a gas hob when you accidentally twisted the knob the wrong way. His hand lifted and he brushed her lips with a finger. She shivered.

Shock. She was in shock. That was the problem. That was why she wasn’t resisting…

His expression heated up all the more. “You okay?”

“Mmm.”

His traversing finger muffled the words she couldn’t speak anyway. She was too busy pressing her lips more firmly together to stop herself from opening up and inviting him in. But somehow he got that invite anyway because he lifted his finger and swiftly replaced it with his mouth.

Oh.

It was light. A warm, gentle, coaxing kiss that promised so much more than it gave. But what it did give was good. He moved closer, not threatening, but with a hint of masculine spice and just enough pressure to make her accept him. To make her want more. Surprised that it wasn’t a full throttle brazen burst of passion, she relaxed. Her eyes automatically closed as her body focused on the exquisite sweetness trickling into her. It had been a long time since she’d felt anything so nice – a subtle magic that melted her resistance, and saw her start to strain for what she knew he was holding at bay.

Her lips parted – she couldn’t deny herself. His response came immediate, and powerful. She heard his sound of satisfaction and his hands moved from the steel behind to her soft body. She trembled top to toe as he swiftly shaped her curves, pulling her against him. She had to grab hold of his shoulders or she was going to tumble backwards. The kiss deepened again as she felt the wide, flat planes and hard strength of him. Her neck arched back as he stroked into her mouth. She lifted her hand, sliding her fingers into his thick hair. He showed no mercy then – bending her back all the more as he sought full access – kissing her jaw and neck and back up again to claim her mouth – this time with confident, carnal authority.

She shuddered at the impact, felt him press closer still. Sandwiched between him and the cabinet, she was trapped between forces as unyielding and demanding as each other. Yet she had no desire to escape, not now.

The arrogance of him was breathtaking. But not anywhere as breathtaking as the way he kissed. It was like he was determined to maximise pleasure for them both and the control she usually held so tight started to slide as her own desire mounted.

He was silk-wrapped steel and she wanted to feel all of him against her, slicing into her. She wanted him. Wanted like she hadn’t wanted anyone in a long, long time. Okay, ever. Hungry for his strength and passion, she kissed him back – melting against his body, delving into his mouth with her tongue, so keen to explore more.

And he knew. He lifted his hand from her waist to her breast and oh so lightly stroked his fingers across her violently taut nipple.

She felt the touch as if her skin was bare. And it burned too hot.

She jerked back, ripping her mouth free from his. Their eyes met, faces inches apart. A flare of something dangerous kindled in his – different to the earlier fury but just as frightening for Penny. She pushed as far back against the cool metal cabinet as she could, breathing hard. She shook her head, the only method of communication she could manage. While he stood, rock hard, and stared right back at her.


The End of Faking It is out in the UK in April; Australia & New Zealand in May; and the US in July. Of course, you can get it online as an e-book from Mills & Boon now!
http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/books/riva/the-end-of-faking-it.htm

To be in the draw to win a signed copy of The End of Faking It, tell Natalie in the comments below, do you think it’s ever okay to fake it?


Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced -- and a smooch from Shipwrecked With Mr Wrong by Nikki Logan will be posted!

How's The Serenity?

So, y'all might know that I went away with Nikki Logan, Sharon Archer and a friend of ours to a lighthouse keeper's cottage (the middle cottage in the picture on the left) recently for a writing retreat. Happy sigh.

And since I've been home, I've been thinking about the serenity (and now thinking of the movie The Castle because that's such a great quote!).

I moved out from Brisbane a few years ago, so my life already has less noise than some others', but there's still the garbage truck, the planes overhead, the neighbour's cars on the road and dogs barking down the street. And from inside the house, there's the internet. I love the internet, I truly do. But after being away without it for a week, I'm more aware than ever about how much it  affects my serenity.

So, I'm thinking that I need one week writing retreat away from the noises of the world every month. Which probably isn't going to happen. ;) But I do need to bring more serenity back into my life. Perhaps I need to find a nice spot around here - on the side of a mountain, maybe - and visit it once a month. I used to meditate regularly, but since I've become too busy... you guessed it, I let the meditation drop off.

Is there somewhere you go to get a dose of serenity? Something you do? I'd love to hear some of your ideas!

Catwalk Wednesday

My name is Chicken and I am queen of the garden.

I have my own house outside with a pen, but the gate is always open. Personally, I think I should live in the house with my human slave, Cathleen Ross. Sometimes when she leaves the door open, I rush inside and sit on her desk, next to her computer.

I love food, any food. First, I go and sit outside the back door with Peasant-the-dog and Fatso-the-cat, then when I’ve eaten all of their food, I rush around to the front and eat with my friend, Poppy-the-rabbit. Other wild animals come and join us because the food is so good. Cathleen has finally worked it out that I like to have my food served properly so I have my own tray. Beautiful, isn’t it?

My favourite food is top quality mince. It’s quite pathetic because my slave expects me to take turns with Peasant and Fatso. I never take turns if I can help it and I have even been known to attack Peasant if Cathleen shows her favour over me. I love to crow in the morning right next to Cathleen’s bedroom so she gets up and feeds me. Cathleen tried to explain to me that she didn’t know that chickens crow. She even used a statue of a rooster to explain that a rooster looks different from me. Personally, when I heard that a rooster doesn’t lay eggs, I thought that’s the life for me. Cathleen said she’s very disappointed in me because I won’t lay anymore. Why should I? They hurt when they come out and if she thinks I’m contributing to that egg basket, she’s kidding herself!

My human slave has some strange ideas about chickens. She thinks when there’s a heat wave that it’s okay to dress in her swimmers, grab me and put me in the swimming pool. It is never okay to do this to me. I don’t like swimming. Now when I see her in a costume, I run and hide. Cathleen’s so embarrassing sometimes.

Don't forget about my slave's latest book release, LOVE, LUST AND LIES

Random, unprovoked self-promo

A blog post in two parts
by Nikki Logan

Part the Firste

A very special book hits shelves in the UK next week—the first category romance I ever wrote. This book won me the attention of Harlequin Mills & Boon editor, Kimberly Young, who went on to become my first editor after she selected my manuscript as winner in a competition. This book boosted me over the 'slush pile' and onto her desk although, as it happened, she went with my second as my debut and I did revisions on this one to make it suit the Romance line.

So for me it’s very special. Honor and Rob falling in love will always be my first-Harlequin-love and I really, really liked them as ‘people’.

Not sure when this will come out in the US or Downunder (RIVAs launch in the UK first) but I’ll be sure to let you know. AVAILABLE IN E-BOOK or PRINT right now from www.millsandboon.co.uk

---

Part the Seconde

Pretend for a moment that we’re having this conversation in early January instead of late March J  I’m someone who believes that Christmas is a time for family and for putting yourself first and, as such, I really don’t like to be on a book-deadline over that time.  But I also don’t like to just stop and lose momentum and so over the Chrissy break just gone I set myself a new challenge—to make a book trailer.

Now I will put up my hand to say that I’m not really a fan of the book trailer as a sales tool for the actual book. And I think a poorly constructed trailer actually undoes all the work of the perfectly constructed book. But—with a decade of experience in the ad trade in a past life—I’m totally for them as author awareness/branding tool. I also didn’t want to have to make a trailer for every one of my books because who has that kind of time!!

So, I decided to make a trailer that could just tick along behind the scenes and slowly get around. I wanted it to say ‘Nikki Logan’, I wanted it to be professional and I wanted it to reflect my nature-based focus.

Here’s the end result. I hope you guys like it.

 

PS: My book trailer goals are to make one as clever, brilliant and memorable as the one on YouTube for Sense & Sensibility and Seamonsters. (Go ahead, google it. You absolutely won’t regret it J) Let me know if you know of a trailer as worthy, I love to watch the good ones.

Sunday Smooch

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!


Today we have a smooch from Playboy Doctor to Doting Dad by Sue MacKay, but first ...


the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is -- TashNZ!


Congratulations, TashNZ! Can you please contact Liz Fielding at

liz (at) lizfielding (dot) com

and she'll send you a copy of Chosen as the Sheikh's Wife.

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Playboy Doctor to Doting Dad by Sue MacKay, a Mills & Boon Medical Romance which will be released Downunder in April!


A&E doctor Kieran Flynn with his delicious Irish charm has always called the shots – until now!

Arriving in Nelson to run the A&E department for two months, Kieran is greeted with not one but three life-changing bombshells:

1) He’ll be working with nurse Abby Brown – he hasn’t seen her since their magical night together two years ago…
2) He’s now daddy to a bouncing tot called Seamus!
3) His buried feelings for Abby make this hospital’s new playboy want to swap all-night parties for reading bedtime stories to the son he can’t imagine being without…



So he intended staying here for the evening. Then she’d make the most of having him around. Maybe even get a bit further ahead with integrating him into the children’s lives. ‘How’re your bathing skills?’

‘I’m very capable of taking a bath, though I do prefer a shower.’ His smile widened into a grin.

Heat flushed her cheeks as an unbidden picture of a naked Kieran in the shower winged through her mind. Of course he’d be naked. How else did anyone have a shower? Naked. It had been hard enough seeing him in his swimming shorts at the beach. That broad expanse of chest, those firm muscles that rippled every time he moved. She swallowed. A flutter of excitement tripped across her skin.

‘It sounds perfect.’ Then it dawned on her what she’d said. ‘I mean, the wine and dinner, not the -.’ Shower. Getting in deeper here. She drew air into her lungs. Held it, counted to ten, twenty. Felt Kieran standing beside her. Breathed out, and turned to look at him. And immediately wished she hadn’t. Similar emotions reflected back at her.

His finger lifted her chin up until their gazes caught, held. ‘It does, doesn’t it?’

His mouth came closer to hers, and closer, until slowly, tenderly, his lips brushed over hers, came back and covered her mouth. The kiss was long and slow, and filled with promise, igniting the tiny flame of need that had mostly sat curled in the pit of her stomach since the day Kieran had arrived, so that now it flared through her body, making her tremble and reach her arms up and around him. To hold him, to feel his lean body against hers, to taste his mouth on hers - bliss. She gave herself up to the moment, to Kieran, knowing full well this was as good as it was ever going to get.

‘Abby, are you kissing Uncle Kieran?’

Olivia’s high voice screeched across her senses, slamming her back into reality. Jerking away from Kieran she stared down at her niece as though for the first time ever.

Kieran saved her from having to answer. ‘No, Olivia, Uncle Kieran was kissing Abby.’ Then he looked at her, his eyes the colour of the sky on a hot summer’s day. ‘Guess we’ll have to finish this later. Which am I doing first? Bathing?’ He grinned. ‘Or shopping?’



To be in the draw to win a signed copy of Playboy Doctor to Doting Dad, answer the following question:

In this book Abby loves Kieran’s Irish lilt. Does it have the same effect on you?


Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced -- and a smooch from The End of Faking It by Natalie Anderson will be posted!

Food in stories - do you find it stimulating?

Reading: “Story” by Robert McKee and a selection of glossy magazines
Listening to: Lionel Ritchie & Guy Sebastian, All Night Long 2011 release for the Chch Earthquake & QLD Flood relief (get it from iTunes)
Making me smile: The cutest little 8 month old we have staying with us for a couple of days!

Two great passions in my life are reading and food – although I must admit my cooking has sometimes been ruined by my reading! And I think you'd be hard pressed to find a book that doesn't reference food or eating at some point! From kids books on, food features - remember in all the Famous Fives how the kids ate something every other page – ginger beer, and sandwiches and lashings of whipped cream; Noddy had his jammy buns; Harry Potter and the others have fabulous feasts at Hogwarts. Food, or recipes, have been used to structure novels (like a ‘recipe at the start of each chapter’ style) and  favourite characters' food choices have spawned crazes for certain foods!

Image by Ambro. www.freedigitalphotos.net

And of course in romances so often we have the hero and heroine dining together – it’s a pretty popular thing to do on a date after all! And I confess to loving it when the hero cooks for the heroine (wish fulfillment anyone?!). It can be such a great way to show caring and the development of a relationship. And it can be a very sensual experience too – the sating of one kind of hunger while tempting another... Often authors even have recipes up on their websites for the dishes referred to in certain books – which can be so fabulous and fun.

But sometimes, I must admit to struggling with what the hero and heroine are actually eating. Now, it probably makes a difference in that I’ve been vegetarian for twenty years and am currently vegan  - so yes, detailed descriptions of lamb racks or lobster don’t really do it for me! And yes, it’s going to rule out a lot of recipes that other people would be melting over. So when I’m reading and hit scenes where I’m not so fussed on the menu, I mentally swap the dish for one of my own choosing...

When my first book came out, all my friends tried to tell me the heroine was actually, truly me because she liked all my favourite foods (in particular pineapple and raspberries). So, indignantly, (because that heroine was absolutely  not me) in my second book I made the heroine a total carnivore! Since then my characters have had lots of meals that might or mightn’t be meaty – like soup or pizza – and left it for the reader to put on their own topping  say – but one of my favourite things to have my characters indulge in is, of course, dessert. I figure most people enjoy pudding!  Then there's - ahem - breakfast, which to my mind is the best meal of the day! ;)

And then of course, there’s that other great passion that you can link in with food -  in the book I just sent in, my heroine decides to do some wicked things with her bottle of maple syrup...


In WALK ON THE WILD SIDE – out now in Australia/NZ and in April in the US, there’s a phase where Jack turns up at Kelsi’s door every night and cooks her dinner – using the excuse that his kitchen is undergoing repairs, but really, it’s because it’s the one way he can spend some time with her. She knows the inoperable kitchen thing is an excuse, but she believes he’s only cooking for her because he’s concerned for their unborn baby... intentions, motivations, subtext... are really so much more important than what’s actually on the table ;)

But, let’s talk about it anyway – does it bother you at all when you’re reading a book and the characters are eating something you don’t fancy? Do you like reading detailed descriptions of what they’re eating or do you not notice so much? Have you ever read about a meal in a book and wished you had the recipe - even gone to an author’s online home to find such a recipe? 
Is is possible for fun foodie scenes to stimulate your senses as much as some of those other scenes might?

Now, there aren't any recipes at my website yet sorry, but do head to my Facebook page  - occasionally I talk about the wicked things you can do with fruit leather ;)