2015 Favourites with Michelle Douglas

Seriously, can you believe we’re in December already? I mean, really? It only seems a few weeks ago that we were packing away the Christmas decorations and cheering in the New Year. I know you’re all nodding your heads in agreement, and I could continue along in this vein for paragraphs…but I shan’t sport with your intelligence by reiterating what we all already know (bonus points if you know what that line is from :-) ).

Because the year is drawing to a close, I thought I’d look back on some of my favourite things from 2015. And there are a lot of them. :)

First on the list, of course, are books:

Favourite Category Romance: this is a hotly contested category, but Vettori’s Damsel In Distress by Liz Fielding wins it by a whisker. This story perfectly captures what falling in love feels like. The hero is drool-worthy the heroine is plucky, the setting is romantic, plus there’s a kitten. What more could you want?

Favourite Single Title Romance: A Single Kiss by Grace Burrowes. A single mom and a single dad, two determined little girls, and a whole lot of secrets. Gorgeous stuff.

 
Favourite non-romance: Jessica Anderson’s Tirra Lirra By The River—an Australian classic. The back blurb doesn’t sound interesting: an old lady returns from London to her hometown of Brisbane. The book, however, is wonderful.

Favourite non-fiction read: I could say Modern Genre Theory, but I’d be lying. While I’ve read some fab non-fiction (Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert being one of them) the winner is Village Vets by Anthony Bennett and James Carroll. Man, I love these guys and I just hoovered back their vet exploits.

Favourite song: This is an oldie that I rediscovered just a couple of months ago—Nobody Does it Better by Carly Simon. It became the theme song for Christmas Wishes, New Year Kisses (my novella that’s in the Hot Christmas Nights box set). It’s been played a lot at my house recently.

Favourite Movie: I only made it to the movies once this year, but The Dressmaker was definitely worth the trip. Besides the fact that Liam Hemsworth is rather, um…lovely, and that are were stellar performances from Kate Winslet, Judy Davis and Hugo Weaving, the story itself is compelling. The main character’s arc is very satisfying. Also, the frocks!

Favourite TV Series: Again, this is a few years old now but I only discovered it this year—The Bridge. The Scandinavian version. Moody, edge of your seat stuff with some seriously interesting characterisations.

Favourite piece of materialistic nonsense: My handbag!

Other highlights:
* Six glorious nights at the beach in February. Oh, happy sighs.
* The ARRA conference in March. I took part in a fabulous panel with Rachel Bailey, Melanie Milburne and Kandy Shepherd.
* The RWA conference in August. It was extra special as I was sitting with Annie West when she won her muchly deserved RUBY! Yay!
* Branching out into the exhilarating self-publishing waters with six of the other LoveCats here to create our own box set of novellas.
* 20th anniversary of the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice. I never tire of watching this!
* Two new Harlequin releases. The Millionaire and the Maid in April, and Reunited By a Baby Secret in September.
* And, of course, getting to spend time with my gorgeous family and friends (including my on-line friends).


What about you? What have been your favourite things from 2015? Is there a book I should add to my to-be-read list, a must-see movie, or a song I should trial for my latest playlist? There's always room for more favourites. :-)

Hot Christmas Nights is available now. Only $0.99 at Amazon.

A No-Gift Christmas

by Bronwyn Jameson

My family has decided to try a no-gift Christmas this year and the concept didn't sit comfortably for a while.  I confess: I do like to shop and shopping at Christmas is a special delight.  I love the store displays, the decorations, choosing the gift-wrapping, even the challenge of finding the perfect gift for those I love.  

I admit that this "perfect gift" for my very grown-up and citified sons has become increasingly difficult and, okay, expensive to find.  Last year our youngest mooted the idea of a gift-free Christmas but I couldn't pull it off.  We knew it would be Mum's last Christmas and the extended family all came home, even my brother for the first time in yonks.  There were many small people (Mum's great-grands) and how could there not be gifts under the tree?

Courtesy of Faith Family America's Facebook page

This year will be a quite different Christmas.  Our eldest is moving to London after New Years and is in the midst of decluttering and packing.  The youngest is focussed on moving in the New Year.  I've just finished packing up Mum's house and the process has inspired me to declutter.  I admit that I am something of a pack-rat but how did I manage to accumulate so much unnecessary stuff?

When the first "So, Mum, what do you want for Christmas?" call came through I was in the mood to reply, "Honestly? I don't need anything."  Which isn't quite the truth.  What I need is my family around me, loads of laughter, long meals and comfortable conversations.  I need time to reflect, to remind myself of the true meaning of Christmas, and if I feel compelled to shop, then it should be for those who truly need a gift this Christmas.  There are many charities who will help with this.

In the end, my sons and I are content with our decision not to gift each other.   I can only hope that my husband will not go renegade on Christmas Eve, as is his way, and spoil the experiment.  I will let you know how that goes.  

Have you tried a gift-free Christmas?  Did you -- or would you -- miss the pile of presents under the tree Christmas morning?  Or do you believe the true gift of Christmas is found somewhere else?

It's bloomin' springtime!

I never understood the joy people seemed to get from their gardens. When I was younger I didn't appreciate the time and effort it takes to create a space that you and your family can relax in.

We've been in our current place for more than 10 years now and although we've put a lot of time into renovations inside lately, our outside has been giving us so much pleasure this spring. It's particularly dry in this part of the world for this time of year so I'm having to keep up the watering but it's paying off with lots of colour and lush growth. I know a lot of you are heading into winter so I thought a few pics of my garden might help you to look forward to your next spring. Happy holidays to those who are celebrating at the moment and happy gardening to those of us downunder.

Flowering cherries are one of my favourite trees. I have a few dotted around our half acre.

When we first moved here with four preschoolers I thought I'd pull out some of the seventy five rose bushes. My lovely father-in-law convinced me not to and said he'd help with the upkeep. I'm so glad we still have them!

I planted five new roses this year and this was one of them -"Integrity". 

I love having flowers inside.

I also love my veges. That's my worm farm in the black bucket!

The bees and I love the wisteria. I think I might grab a chair and my Lovecats  Downunder "Hot Christmas Nights" set and get reading under here.

What's hapening in your garden at the moment?

Winners of A PIRATE FOR CHRISTMAS!

I'm absolutely thrilled to announce the lucky winners of Anna Campbell's A PIRATE FOR CHRISTMAS!   


So... :::: DRUMROLL PLEASE :::::


Congratulations to 


Louise Jackson

and 

Iris Mattioli



Could you please contact Anna with your email addresses so she can organise your free downloads of the Kindle editions?  Her email address is anna (at) annacampbell (dot) info.

.

A Pirate to the Manor Born - with Anna Campbell

I'm so delighted to have lovely Anna Campbell to visit us on the LoveCats DownUnder!  She has a rollicking good Christmas story, A Pirate for Christmas, just released and she's generously giving away a Kindle download to one luck commenter!

Over to you, Anna!

Hi Love Cats! Thank you for having me as your guest today. I hope you won’t mind if I have a brief meander down Memory Lane before I get to my latest release, A Pirate for Christmas: A Regency Novella. 

Although my family was staunchly Australian, there was one part of the house was forever England.
 
The TV set.
 
I grew up on a steady diet of classic UK TV shows. Period drama like Upstairs Downstairs; The Pallisers; Raffles; I, Claudius; literary adaptations like Pride and Prejudice and Anna Karenina.
 
And British comedy. Lots and lots of British comedy.
 
Family conversation was littered with references and jokes from shows like The Two Ronnies (Piggy Malone featured strongly), Yes Minister, The Vicar of Dibley, The Good Life, Open All Hours, and Fawlty Towers. Personally I had a liking for the slightly more surreal stuff like the Goon Show and Monty Python, but they weren’t part of the mainstream family diet.
 

One of our all-time favourites was To the Manor Born, starring Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles, which was originally broadcast between 1979 and 1981, and which is still playing on Pay TV. Clearly everybody else loved this show too. By the way, if you’d like some background on the program, there’s a nice Wikipedia article here.
 
Audrey fforbes-Hamilton’s family has lived in the manor for 400 years, but unfortunately the money has run out and after her husband’s death, she’s forced to sell to nouveau riche supermarket millionaire Richard DeVere. Worse, DeVere is actually Czechoslovakian so this bastion of English heritage has fallen into foreign, and as far as Audrey’s concerned, completely inadequate hands.
 

A romance reader can tell right now where this story is going – and 20 episodes later, that’s just where it did go, with Audrey and Richard in love, marrying, and moving into the manor together. On the way, there are some beautifully observed characters, some lovely comedy, and a very nicely done romance. It’s lovely seeing Audrey gradually overcoming her blind prejudice and even lovelier to see Richard teasing her along the way – he knows pretty much from the start that she’s the one for him. Sigh.
 
Years ago, I saw an interview with the writer Peter Spence, and when he was asked why the show had such universal appeal, he said, “It’s a romance.” And you know, he absolutely nailed it.
 

Why am I spending so much time talking about old-fashioned sitcoms? There is Manor in my Madness. I’ve always wanted to write something inspired by TTMB and this year’s Christmas novella is it. My heroine Bess Farrar, the vicar’s daughter who is the de facto head of the village of Penton Wyck, is considerably younger and less managing than Audrey, but she shares a managing manner with her inspiration. Scottish Rory Beaton, the new Earl of Channing, is a cuckoo in the nest in this sleepy Northumberland village – and like Richard, he is subject to much wild and unfounded gossip about his past.
 
Just to clear something up straightaway, he’s NOT a pirate, but everybody thinks he is and nothing he does shifts the public perception. And to be honest, he has quite a bit of fun teasing Bess about his supposedly lawless background before he fesses up to being a gallant naval captain.
 
I hope you’ll have fun with this story too.
 
Here’s the blurb:
 
Pursued by the pirate…
 
Bess Farrar might be an innocent village miss, but she knows enough about the world to doubt Lord Channing’s motives when he kisses her the very day they meet. After all, local gossip insists that before this dashing rake became an earl, he sailed the Seven Seas as a ruthless pirate.
 
Bewitched by the vicar’s daughter…
Until he unexpectedly inherits a title, staunchly honourable Scotsman Rory Beaton has devoted his adventurous life to the Royal Navy. But he sets his course for tempestuous new waters when he meets lovely, sparkling Bess Farrar. Now this daring mariner will do whatever it takes to convince the spirited lassie to launch herself into his arms and set sail into the sunset.
 
A Christmas marked by mayhem.
 
Wooing his vivacious lady, the new Earl of Channing finds himself embroiled with matchmaking villagers, an eccentric vicar, mistaken identities, a snowstorm, scandal, and a rascally donkey. Life at sea was never this exciting. The gallant naval captain’s first landlocked Christmas promises hijinks, danger, and passion – and a breathtaking chance to win the love of a lifetime.
 
You can read an excerpt of A Pirate for Christmas on my website here. 

You can buy A Pirate for Christmas at a bargain price from:
 
Amazon
Smashwords
Barnes and Noble

So do you have a favourite British comedy? There’s plenty of great ones to pick from! 

I’ve got a Kindle download of A Pirate for Christmas (international) for one person who comments today. Good luck!

Christmas Book Recommendations

So, we're a whisper away from the start of December and I'm in the mood for a Christmas story. I've already read and loved the stories in the LoveCats box set, Hot Christmas Nights, and now I need some recommendations!

In exchange, I offer two suggestions from me - an old favourite and a brand new story.

Jennifer Crusie's Hot Toy was originally in a print anthology with two other authors, but this year they've released an eBook version of just her story. It's fast paced, sexy, and laugh out loud funny.

From the back cover: Mayhem ensues under the mistletoe as a determined shopper grabs the very last hot toy action figure off the shelf, only to find herself plunged into the middle of a real-life spy game–in the arms of a sexy secret agent. . .


A new for me story this year will be Anna Campbell's A Pirate For Christmas and I can't wait for December to hit so I can dive into this one.

How much fun does this back cover sound?

There’s a pirate in the manor house!

What is vicar’s daughter Bess Farrar to do when the dashing new earl, the man gossip paints as a ruthless pirate, kisses her the day they meet? Why, kiss him right back, of course! Now Lord Channing vows to claim the lovely firebrand, despite interfering villagers, a snowstorm, scandal, and a rascally donkey. The gallant naval captain’s first landlocked Christmas promises mayhem – and a lifetime of breathtaking passion. 



So over to you. I'd love some recommendations for Christmas reading!

Sunday Smooch with Louisa George

Today we have a smooch from  Louisa George but first 


... the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is  

Lynlinwill Williams!


Can you please contact  yvonne (at) yvonnelindsey (dot) com  to receive your copy of LONE STAR HOLIDAY PROPOSAL.

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Louisa George! (Available for pre-order from Amazon)

BABY IT'S HOT OUTSIDE

When rugged cop Daniel Wade agrees to help organize his friend's Christmas wedding it brings him face-to-face with the bridesmaid, his estranged wife. Emma is determined that divorce is on the cards, but sometimes all it takes is another chance to get things right..

Kiss scene: Set up: After a very frosty start to their awkward reunion Daniel and Emma are leading a pre-wedding kayak trip for the wedding guests. An argument has led to Emma pushing Daniel into the sea...

Emma quickly steered into a deserted sheltered bay, jumped out of the kayak and dragged it up the shore, over tiny pebbles and shells that stung her feet. Then she took shelter in the far corner of the bay underneath an ancient gnarled pohutukawa tree -their tree- and stood on a carpet of tiny fallen crimson stamens. Shivering. Panicking. 

            But it was a delicious panic bubbling in her stomach, something she hadn't felt in a long time. She hadn't expected that. Or simple fun, straight after an argument. Just like the good old days; forgiving and forgetting; erasing the bad times with a laugh. And a kiss.

            Danny wasn't far behind, ripping up the waves, then standing shoulder deep, striding out of the sea like Poseidon, with a smile on his lips, a curse in his mouth. He had menace in his eyes.

            And sex was glittering there too.

            The air around her seemed to electrify at the thought. For them the sex had never been the problem. It was everything else.

            "Danny! Finally! Guess you worked it out, then?" Breathless. Bracing herself for his words. Shaking as the water dried on her skin leaving her cold on the outside. Inside, she was burning a fever.  "Good to see all that training put to some use."

            But he said nothing, only fixed her in his sights and strode towards her. Each step making her heart thunder in her chest. As he closed in he unzipped his lifejacket, flung it to the sand leaving his chest bare, his exquisite body rock hard and slick with water. His shorts sticking to his thighs, outlining the strength of his legs. And more.

            She remembered the countless times they'd paddled here at dusk and made love by the light of a campfire. How she'd clung to him and believed that what they had could never be broken, that it would last forever. She remembered the way they'd laugh at something, at everything, that goofing around had been their default. That serious was something they'd tried to hold back because being a doctor and a cop had enough serious without putting it between them. 

She remembered that they would kiss away each other's fears. That she couldn't imagine being anywhere else other than in his arms, held tight and safe and warm. A lifeline from the thrashing sea of life.

            And she wondered how that anchor had slipped so far away from their grasp and whether it was still there, bobbing just out of reach. Maybe some effort. A stretch. A leap of faith?

            When he reached her he was breathing hard and fast, his arm muscles pumped, water dripping from his eyelashes like diamonds. He stopped in front of her. Close. Close enough to touch. Which he did, reaching out a hand to her cheek. His thumb made slow strokes over her skin, stoking an unbearable heat in her gut.

            His gaze locked on to hers as he wiped the droplets from her face, ran a trail to her lip with his fingertips. In his dark mocha eyes a fire burnt, hot and hungry. And she didn't know whether to run or stay. 

            When she bit down on his thumb pad he leaned in and groaned in her ear, "Do that again and you'll be in big trouble, lady."

            "Promise or threat?" Another game they'd played so many, many times.

            But she didn't have time to find out his answer because his mouth slammed over hers, all promise, all threat. The taste of salt and elemental man swamped her. She wanted him. Had never stopped wanting him. Would never, ever stop wanting him.

            She wound her hands around his neck, angling her mouth against his, pulling him tight against her. His skin was cold as she moved her fingers over his shoulders, down his back- his muscles tightening in response. Slowly, she relearnt the feel of him, the taste. The empty, frigid two year gap bridged by sensation and searing heat, by need and touch.

            His hands cupped her cheeks, fingers spiking her hair, innocent almost. A new beginning, belied by his erection pressing hard against her. But when he groaned her name there was nothing innocent about the raw need winding through her, blurring her edges. Her breath stuttered, the ache in her core flared to life. So good to know how much she could still turn him on.

            "God, I've missed you," she managed between kisses, surprised at how much she meant it. But she had missed him. Missed this. Missed this Danny. She knew the other paddlers would be here soon and she didn't rightly care. Couldn't think about anything other than melting into him again. She pulled him to the ground, out of view from the shore, her hand sweeping across his sculpted chest. Beneath her fingers was the steady heartbeat of a man she'd known soul deep. A man she'd loved with every fibre of her being. 

            Her body was on fire anticipating his touch, heat swirled in her tummy, lower. Her nipples peaked as he crushed her ever tighter, deepening the kiss. His heat and his scent familiar, yet new. Powerful and strong, yielding and giving. And she responded the only way she knew how- by giving herself back to him. 

Baby, It's Hot Outside is one of the novellas from the Love Cats Boxset, Hot Christmas Nights available from 1st December or on pre-order NOW from Amazon

Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced - and more smooches from the boxset will be posted!

Louisa is giving away an e-book copy of her book to one lucky commenter!  So her question to you is:

Who would you like to be stranded on a desert island with, and why?