In The Wheel Tracks of An Everyday Hero

by Sharon Archer

We’re on the road at the moment... so before I go any further, it’s time for a picture of the stunning scenery we’re being treated to...

Spectacular Porcupine Gorge, QLD, Australia

Anyway, anyway... one of the highlights of our trip is the amazing people we’ve met along the way.  All ages, walks of life,  so many varied and wonderful stories to tell!

This is about one of these people.  Igor Bilek.  We met Igor in Outback Queensland at the Julia Creek park when we stopped for lunch. He’s taken a year off to explore Australia... by bicycle!



We got talking about his unusual bicycle and his adventures, places he’s stopped and work that he’s found at those places.  The distances he’s travelled are huge!  No support vehicle so he needs to carry everything he needs – tent, sleeping bag, food, water, clothes.  He said the solitude on the road, just him and the bike, is like a meditation.

All set up for the night!

He’d been on the road for a few months when he decided he could use his trip to fundraise for a charity.  And the one he chose is perfect for the mode of transport he’s using – Bikes for Humanity.



It’s a terrific organisation, volunteers and groups collect unwanted bicycles and refurbish them for distribution in countries where a bicycle can be a life-changing asset. Recycling with a difference!

The bicycles are affordable and maintainable with basic tools and parts. They provide transport, greater carrying capacity and business opportunities.

As a writer of medical romance stories, I was particularly excited to see that one of the groups to benefit were healthcare workers.

Having a bicycle to do their rounds means these caring people can carry more supplies, see the people who need them more often and for a longer visit!  At a pinch they can transport a patient to a doctor or clinic by carrying them on the handle bars or carrier rack.  As I was browsing through the different websites, I even saw a bicycle ambulance where a trailer was used to transport the patient.


So would you be tempted to tackle a trip like Igor’s?   Have you been on a long bicycle trip?  Actually, I suppose the very first question should be – do you like bike riding!

PS you can read more about Igor and his adventure on his blog .

Winner of Emmie's giveaway

Last week Emmie offered copies of Cassie's Grand Plan and In His Eyes for one lucky commenter.

           

And the winner is: 

Marybelle! 

Congratulations Marybelle! Send your mailing details to emmie(at)emmiedark.com to claim your prize!

Winter Deadlines with Sue MacKay

Yippee. August arrives on Wednesday. Then winter will be on a deadline.
One more month and it's banished, replaced by spring. The rain, frosts, and cold wind will magically disappear and the daffodils and lambs will appear. I'm a dreamer, I know. But I'll soon be able to get my bike out and pump up the tyres - and put it back in the shed because I don't feel like stretching those dormant muscles. I tend to stay off the roads throughout winter as they're slippery, and I'm not keen on crashing.

August also means I get to start a  new story. And this time I'm writing a duet with Louisa George. We're both quite excited about this. Well, we will be once we've ironed out some plot issues. It's going to be interesting working together but we know each other's writing well.

I have just sent in my 8th book to my editor for a 31st July deadline so I'm free for a week or two to do all the other things that have been piling up - in corners, under the desk and outside in the garden.

Best of all about August is that it's conference time. I'm heading over the ditch to Surfer's Paradise for the Australian Romance Writers' conference where I hope to catch up with many writing friends. This is always a big, vibrant conference with so much going on it's hard to keep up. Then there's the cocktail party and the awards dinner where we all get glammed up.

Then the following week I'm off to Auckland for the New Zealand Romance Writers' conference. I'll be exhausted by the time I get back home. Conferences are important to writers. It's where we get to meet other like-minded people who spend so much time working alone.
We also get to talk so much it's a wonder any of us have a voice left by Sunday night.

Photo - Louisa George and myself at the Harlequin dinner last year in Melbourne where Louisa won the singing chicken. One of those little quirky things that happens at these events.

Has anyone else got exciting things to look forward to in the coming month? I'd love to hear from you and put your name in a drawer for a copy of Every Boy's Dream Dad.

Sunday Smooch with Sue Mackay .......

Welcome to another Sunday Smooch .....

This week we have a fabulous smooch from Every Boy's Dream Dad by Sue Mackay .....

But first, the winner of last weeks smooch is Marybelle! Congratulations Marybelle - please contact Cathryn Hein on cathrynhein (at) gmail (dot) com and she will send you a copy of Heart of the Valley!

And now, Every Boy's Dream Dad by Sue Mackay .....

Two years ago my DB and I went to a wedding in Rarotonga and had a fabulous time. As a place that many couples go for their weddings I knew I had to write a story set there. Hence Every Boy's Dream Dad.

Here's a picture of 'Wilson', the coconut that accompanied our group on all our outings.

Premise: Since her husband's death in a dangerous police raid, another hero is the last thing Dr Rachel Simmonds wants...until she meets gorgeous local cop Ben Armstrong. He's the father figure her adorable little boy Rily desperately needs-and the lover she yearns for. Can Rachel's fragile heart withstand getting close to another man who does danger for a living?

Lead in: Rachel and Ben have been dancing around each other for days,trying desperately to ignore the fierce attraction for each other. Today Rachel's held her first well health clinic for the local women, and discovered what she suspects is a cancer in one of the women. Ben suggests that since her son is with friends they go into town for a drink and a meal, adult time.

'You're asking me out?' Rachel swallowed, 'Oh, okay.'

Ben chuckled, low and sexily. 'Should I take that as a yes, then?'

'I'll change into something more appropriate.' A knee-length skirt and a sleeveless shirt that barely touched her midriff was fine for sitting on her deck but not for a date. A date. With Ben. What was that word? Wow. That's it. Wow.

'No need. This is Rarotanga, capital of casual.'

'I'll close up the house.' Before I come up with a hundred reasons why this could be a mistake.

Ben leaned in and placed his lips on hers. 'What's the sudden hurry?' he murmured into her mouth. Then before she could think of anything to say his hands took her shoulders to gently bring her closer to his body. His lips pressed harder against hers, and his tongue sought entrance to her mouth.

Rachel swayed into his kiss and embrace, and she kissed him back with all the intensity of the need for this man that had been building up since that first night when she'd opened her front door to find him standing there. She'd been denying her need for ages, and now she couldn't pretend she didn't want him. Heck, he tasted good. And could he kiss. A kiss that made every nerve ending spark alive, every sensory fibre in her body beg for more. A kiss that hopefully would never end.
Greedily she pushed even closer. All the better to feel as many as possible of his well-developed muscles against her. His chest was hard against her breasts. His arms now tight around her back, holding her to him, holding her upright. Sliding her hands under his shirt, her fingers spread over his skin - feeling, enjoying, teasing that silken texture. Every one of her fingertops sent desire screaming back to her body, demanding more of Ben.

Slowy Ben's mouth left hers, his lips pulling away as though afraid to break contact. He didn't have to stop, damn it. Why had he? Reluctantly she looked up into his eyes, locked heated gazes. Her tongue slid across her bottom lip, and his eyes followed the movement. She stretched up onto her toes, intent on returning to kissing him.

A quick flick of his head and he stepped back one tiny step. 'Time to head into town. Let's not rush things. We've got all night ahead of us.'

All night? As in more kisses? As in making love? Rachel swallowed hard. She could do that. Now that she'd finally shared a kiss with Ben she most definitely did not want to stop at kissing.But he was right. They had all night.


Please leave a comment to go into the draw to win a copy of Every Boy's Dream Dad. And come back next Sunday for a smooch from Bargain In Bronze by Natalie Anderson.

Bring on the Show!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock these last few weeks, you’ll be aware the Olympic Games start this weekend in London. There are ads and signs and references everywhere and even though we’re on the other side of the world from the action (in New Zealand), the excitement is beginning to mount. People are stocking up on caffeine and vitamins so they can watch the events all night and stagger through work during the day.

But we actually don’t have a telly in our house. Well, we do have a telly but it’s not plugged in to any kind of aerial or anything. We only use it to watch DVDs. There are a number of reasons for this—mainly, we don’t have time to get hooked into series TV. Also I can’t stand ads. Embarrassingly as well, I’ve been known to get stupidly addicted to soaps. I’d rather the kids spent their screen-time in a more interactive way (all hail the mighty computer) – or, even better, read a book or played some crazy imaginative game round the house (‘Magic Unicorns’ is the new fave for the twins. ‘War’ is the choice of the older two).

"Television" by Salvatore Vuono
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

Now I know there are so amazing shows out there that I don’t see. Occasionally we do go through an entire series of something by renting it from the DVD store (if I’ve heard really good things about it). It means we can watch without ads and without having to wait a whole week for the next episode. But mostly we watch movies. We’re the most regular customers at our local Blockbuster I think—hubs and I watch a few a week at least. I love movies—like to have the whole story told in a couple of hours. And the kids don’t miss out completely so aren’t socially ostracised ;), they watch DVDs too. All those fave shows are available and yay—no ads! But basically we’re really happy living in our TV-free zone

But of course, it’s the Olympics now and these really are pretty special. All my children are at primary school and they’re all doing projects on it. And given we do swimming and running and soccer etc, I think it’s great for the kids to see the elite in these sports. And they’re fun. So I said to the hubs, “we really need to be able to watch some of the Games” – and lovely hubs replied, “I’ll happily watch any of it but PLEASE don’t make me watch the (mumble mumble) Opening Ceremony!”

Now here is one of the few points on which Hubs and I are not aligned in perfect harmony ;)

"Clown in Parade" by Debspoons
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

I am a parades girl. If there’s a Santa Parade, a Spring Parade, any kind of Carnival, I’m there. Marching bands, clowns, pomp, circumstance, I want it all.

Hubster? Not so keen. Really not. Gets bored. Wants to move. Wants to do Something Else.

Can you believe that?! And it’s in London this year—we all know how well the Brits do Pomp and Ceremony!!! They’re the home of pageantry!!!! I so totally can’t wait to watch every minute of that opening ceremony!

And so it is that we’re off round the road to my mum-in-laws at some early hour on Saturday so we can see it on her ‘bells and whistles’ pay-TV scheme. That’s the kids and me. Think Hubs might go for a run.

I can’t wait to see what kinds of special effect things they do, how they get us through the loooooong parade of athletes, how they’re going to make the whole place come alive. And how will the Olympic Flame bowl-thing light up? Will there be some fab trick to it?! It’s all such great, traditional stuff!!! A must see, in my book!

As for the sports themselves, some of those are must see too. Personally I’m really looking forward to the men’s diving. And the men’s gym. And the rowing. There’s some very good inspiration to be found at the Games! ;)

So tell me, are you going to be watching the opening ceremony on Friday/Saturday?! Are you going to be glued 24/7 for the next few weeks??!!

A month of celebration

This is me with my Blush version
of Cassie's Grand Plan in Big W!

July has been a big month for me! Please excuse me taking a moment to review all the amazing things that have been going on, but I feel like celebrating! And to help make the celebrations even better, I've got a book giveaway too -- so read on!

1. The first exciting thing for July was that my first SuperRomance, "Cassie's Grand Plan" came out this month in Australia under the "Blush" imprint.

It first appeared in North America in March, and I was lucky enough to be in the US then and I got to see my book on the shelves there. But there's something quite special about seeing your book on the shelves in your home town. I can't explain what the difference is. Maybe it's not a different feeling at all, just a new kind of excitement at seeing your book is really real.

2. I received the advance author copies of my second SuperRomance "In His Eyes" which is out in North America in August and Australia in September. (And having just gone to Amazon to find that link, I've just discovered it's number 5 on the SuperRomance best sellers list -- yippee!) I am absolutely in love with this cover -- it's so atmospheric and dramatic.

I worked so hard on this book and I can't even tell you how many boxes of tissues I went through when I was writing it. I'm hoping that effort and emotional energy comes through to readers. I've already had someone "complain" about me making them cry! I guess authors are kind of unique in taking that sort of thing as a compliment...

The book has obviously been blessed by the cover fairies, because I've also received the cover of the Blush release of "In His Eyes" when it comes out in September -- isn't it gorgeous? I'm thinking the art department at Mills and Boon Australia decided to take the title of the book literally and went to find a cover model with the most amazing eyes ever. I think they succeeded!

3. Last, but certainly not least, I sold book number three to SuperRomance! It's untitled as yet, but for the moment it's going by the name of "Dean and Jess's story". I can give you a very sneaky previeiw and say that it involves weddings, dogs, vampires, Twitter, muscle cars and comic books. Intrigued? I hope so.

The rest of my July is going to be filled with writing as I get stuck into Dean and Jess and get their story ready to submit. It's exciting to have a deadline. I wonder if authors are unique in liking deadlines, too?

I hope July has been an exciting month for you. Please leave me a comment to let me know about anything fun or exciting that's happened for you this month. I'll choose a commenter at random to receive signed copies of both the Blush version of Cassie's Grand Plan and an advance copy of In His Eyes.

Breaking News!

by Nikki Logan

...and I wanted to share it with our loyal LoveCats readers first. In August, I’ll be releasing a romantic suspense with Entangled Publishing’s Dead Sexy line of category rom-sus with my Africa-set book, ‘Wild Encounter’.



Used with license
from iStockPhoto

‘Wild Encounter’ is Born Free meets the Bourne Identity - it pairs up a dedicated conservation worker (in Africa shipping a truckload of endangered African wild dogs to safer habitat in the north) with a bad guy with way too much military poise and stealth and general gorgeousness to be truly bad. You know…deep down inside. Because God knows he's gorgeous on the outside!

I love this book. It is the closest thing to the book of my heart that I have. It is the first full-length novel I ever wrote and I wrote it over four glorious months of indulgence and research and fantastical imagining back before I knew much about anything writing-wise. But Entangled’s focussed editors have worked with me to make it really fit squarely into their newest line and I just had the *best* time beating up my characters - literally.

There is a scene in the first part of the book (where the heroine makes an escape bid from an old farmhouse she’s being held in)… I dreamed the entire scene, long before conceiving the book, and it hung with me for weeks before I finally built a framework of wild mystery around it.

I don’t have a cover to show you just yet, nor an excerpt until closer to shelf-date. Hopefully I’ll be able to bring you all those things in my next blog at the end of August, but in the meantime, watch Entangled Publishing around mid-August for its release.

Yes, I’ll still be writing the books you love for Harlequin. Absolutely I will. But now I also have a place where I can tell those grittier, grungier stories that are just begging to get out, and...you know...if I want to beat somebody up :)