Fiona Lowe's Blog, page 20

Last week was a busy week for books. I spent the early part of March revising two different books, one a medical romance and the other my second single title.  Two very different books but the revisions garnered the same outcome. They both sold. YAY! For those of you now on Facebook or Twitter here is the information I posted there last week.

Newborn Baby For Christmas is my 18th medical romance that I've written for Mills and Boon. I can't quite believe that! I had a LOT of fun writing this modern Christmas story and it will be out in the UK in November and on shelf in Australia in December, just in time to be the perfect stocking stuffer I set this book on the south coast of Victoria with its rolling surf and fabulous temperate rainforest and revisited many childhood beach holidays in the process!

My second single title contemporary romance novel with the working title, Saved By The Bride, has been bought by Carina Press. The title will change and the release date isn't confirmed yet, but will be sometime in 2013.

The exciting news about this is that it will be the first book in a series of three so I hope you fall in love with the small town of Whitetail, Wisconsin, with its cast of quirky inhabitants  as much as I have.  Right now I am staring on the second book and the collage is here on the right. I am having a bit of trouble sorting out my gorgeous farmer, Luke but I have hopes he will jump onto the page and be the perfect foil for my heroine.

Meanwhile, it's only a week until Sydney Harbour Hospital: Tom's Redemption is out in the UK and the USA. For a sneak peak, head over to my website .  This story is the fourth book in the Sydney Harbour Hospital series and a big departure from my usual small town books.

I'll be back on Monday telling you all about it and meanwhile if you wish to subscribe to my newsletter drop me a line at [email protected] as the next one is going out next week!

Enjoy the last week of March!

Fiona x

And the winner is……

Laura!  

Congratulations,  Laura, you've won a copy of Joan Kilby's Gentlemen Prefer Nerds.   Joan will make contact with you soon. I hope you enjoy it, but please remember, Fabian is all mine

Thanks everyone who called by for a fun day of Nerds and Glamazons!

Cheers

Fiona

Today I'm thrilled to have Carina Press and Harlequin Superromance author, Joan Kilby chatting here today. The first time I met Joan, she had just sold her first Superromance novel and I was still a 'wannabe'  author so that was a few years ago now!

Joan is a well established Superromance authour but she yearned to write a different style of book and she's here today to talk about the very funny, action-packed romp, Gentlemen Prefer Nerds.  I LOVE the title and I loved the book.  I have to say right now that we need to forget all about Maddie – the plucky heroine in the book- because Fabian is mine, all mine!

*Welcome, Joan! Congratulations on Gentlemen Prefer Nerds.

Thanks, Fiona, it's great to be here.

*Joan,  contemporary romance has struggled in the last decade against the rise of the paranormal romance fantasy romance. What do you love about the genre?

I prefer reality-based stories but that doesn't mean the characters can't be larger-than-life. There's an element of OTT fantasy in Gentlemen Prefer Nerds. Real life with a huge dollop of adventure and excitement.

*Where were you when the idea for GPN hit you?

I was visiting my family in Canada prior to attending the Romance Writers of America conference in Dallas in 2007. Yes, that long ago! I wanted to pitch a story to editors and agents about an ordinary woman who is plucked out of her ordinary life by an extraordinary man and taken on the wildest adventure of her life. What I came up with was Nerds, a story became about a gemologist, a jewel thief and a James Bond-type hero.

*You're a 'Print-first' author with your Harlequin Superromances. Has the process of getting 'Gentlemen Prefer Nerds' to purchase point with Carina Press been any different from your usual publishing experience?

Editorially-wise, not hugely different. Carina Press has been great to work with, just like Superromance.  In both cases, I go through a rigorous process of revisions, line edits, copy edits, etc. There are a couple of differences. With Carina, I was sent my cover for approval. Plus Carina conducts a online promotion campaign for each book involving blogging, Twitter and Facebook and the author is expected to participate.

It's hard to isolate a line and quote it out of context. The passage below occurs just after Maddie has had her makeover. Her brown hair has been dyed red and she's wearing blue contact lenses. I like this scene because it shows the moment of Maddie's transformation from nerd to glamazon, how she feels about herself, and how Fabian reacts to the new her, yet still sees and likes the persons she is inside.

"Who am I?" she whispered to her startled reflection.

Fabian met her gaze in the glass. Despite the makeup and hair color, he could still see the true  Maddie looking back at him—smart, feisty, funny.

Sexy. How could she not see herself? "There are many sides to all of us. This is just one of yours."

 "No, I'm a nerd." She nodded at herself in the mirror. "She's a role I'm playing. I'm not that woman."

 "Would it be so bad if you were? You may enjoy wearing a different mask. It can be liberating."

 "I don't need liberating, thank you very much. I'm perfectly good as I am. Was. Whatever."

 "You're right, of course. But you can be this woman, too. You really are lovely."

 He ran his gaze over her slowly, stroking up her legs, embracing her hips, slip-sliding around the contours of her waist and lavishly caressing her breasts. She softened visibly, as if he'd physically touched every inch of her.     

"Stop that."  Nervously, she pushed at a lock of hair. "Being a sex goddess is scary, like having a superpower I can't control."

  Fabian wasn't entirely in control, either. If she was soft, he was hard. He needed to stop undressing her with his eyes. "Time to go shopping."

*Joan, the ending to GPN kind of hints at a sequel? Do you have any plans for other books?

Gentlemen Prefer Nerds can stand on its own. But I originally planned to write a five book series based on these characters. Each new book would feature a different fabulous gemstone that would be stolen by the Chameleon (jewel thief) and have to be retrieved by Fabian and Maddie. I planned a whole story arc and subplots that would run through the series to culminate in a final, satisfying conclusion. Someday I hope to write the rest of the books in the series.

*Did you carefully plan your books or write into the mist?

I'm definitely a planner and a plotter. Before I begin writing, I write character sketches and backstory and outline the story in detail. As I go along I'm constantly tweaking and re-plotting. In this way I can structure the books better and I have less re-working to do when I come to the end.

*Where do you write?

I have a home office, planned as part of our house design when we built. It wasn't always the case–I've worked in cramped nooks and crannies–so I really appreciate having my own dedicated work space. As I'm working on a book it gets messier and messier. It's not too bad at the moment because I've just sent off a manuscript and cleaned up a little. J

*Humour is a big part of your stories. Is it a big part of your everyday life?

I wish I could say I laugh all day long! That would be fun. But most of the time, I'm on my own, writing away, being serious and professional. I do get the odd chuckle out of my own jokes. J In the evening, when the family is around, I get a kick out of the things my hubby and kids say. They can be quite funny; sometimes even intentionally. I also like to read books with humour in them. I guess the answer is yes, humour is a part of my everyday life.

*You live in the southern Australia. Is your town famous for anything?

Funny you should ask! The town I live in is thinly-disguised as  the village of Summerside, the setting for my Superromance series, Summerside Stories. It's world-famous for that! Otherwise, no not really, but it's a lovely part of the world.

I'm giving away a copy of Gentlemen Prefer Nerds. Just comment to be in with a chance to win. The question I'm posing is: Are you a nerd or a glamazon, or a bit of both?

Thanks, Joan for visiting and for your give-away. Okay, folks, here is the goss on the story which takes you from Melbourne to the luxurious Hamilton Island with the gorgeous Fabian!

Self-professed nerd Maddie Maloney is an expert on  jewels. Jewel thieves are another matter entirely! So  when a mysterious Englishman warns her that a thief  known as The Chameleon is after the rare pink  diamond on display in her aunt's shop, she tells herself  it's just a joke. Even if she can't get Mr. Tall, Dark  and Handsome out of her mind…

  But Fabian Montgomery doesn't give up easily. He's  everywhere she goes, convinced the thief will strike.  And when the diamond does go missing—and Maddie  is suspected of stealing it—he whisks her away from  the police and together they pursue The Chameleon.   Fabian plunges her into a glamorous world far from  her humble workshop and transforms geeky Maddie  into a sophisticated siren capable of espionage. Her  mission: to seduce The Chameleon and steal back the  diamond.   

But Fabian isn't telling her everything—like who he  works for, and why he's so interested in The  Chameleon…

Joan Kilby is the award-winning author of over twenty Harlequin books. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and three children.    For more information check out her website . Follow Joan on Twitter and Facebook or look for her on GoodReads  

Buy Gentlemen Prefer Nerds at  at: Carina Press, Amazon or Barnes and Noble

Buy Summerside Series at Amazon Harlequin Barnes and Noble

The postman came today and brought books! Books from Denmark and Finland.

I looked at the Danish cover and wondered which book of mine had a princess on the beach? Ah, none. Mind you, Prince Frederick is married to 'our' Princess Mary from Tasmania. This book is set in Tasmania where Mary Donaldson grew up so maybe that is why my Dr Elly has a tiara. This is the Danish edition of  'Single Dad, Triple Trouble' and here is the Finnish cover.  Foreign editions are such fun!

I love autumn! The crisp, cool mornings, the clear-sky days of warm but not hot temperatures and after the heat of summer it energises me somewhat despite the signs from the garden that things are slowing down. This weekend we took a mini-break and visited a retired teacher who has moved to one of my favourite parts of the state. The North East. Ringed by blue mountains and dotted with the knarly but beautiful redgums,  it really is God's Own Country and the weather was perfect.

We tramped the boundary of the farm, weighed cattle, and we ate and drank sensational food and wine. We  rode our bikes 30km along country roads, through stands of gums and wattles, and were deafened by the raucous cry of white cockatoos, laughed at by kookaburras and heartened by the sweet song of the magpies. We watched the lazy rolling gait of an echidna following his nose for ants and slept to the glump-glump sound of frogs.

Here are some pictures to give you an peek.

One day I got a sore neck. Nothing had changed. Not the position of my chair, or my computer screen or my ergonomic keyboard. I was at the myotherapist fortnightly and the only thing happening was the neck was getting worse and the therapist was buying a car.

Then I had one of those 3a.m. revelations. The sore neck started soon after I got my new glasses. I confess I need to wear glasses all the time these days. I can't fudge things because even though I am over 40-something and agedly long sighted, the distance is out of focus as well as the close up!  So if I have to have frames on my face eighteen hours a day,  I want them to look good, right? And they do but I realized I am tilting my neck up to find the mid-range distance part of the lens and that is giving me the neck pain.

I rang the Optometrist who said, 'You need computer glasses.' Do what now? says I.  'Computer glasses. Come on down.'  So I did. For $39 I have cheap, plastic glasses that look awful and twice now I've have been halfway down the street before realising that nothing is in focus. Of course those are the days I invariably run into people I know although granted, they're fuzzy. The glasses kinda match the daggy trackkie pants I am occasionally seen out in close to a deadline. I fear I am getting a reputation as that 'dishevelled woman who just got a cat.'

But, the good news is,  I no longer have a sore neck!

It's February 29th, the leap day that occurs every four years.  According to folk lore dating back to Saint Patrick, Leap day is the one day that women can propose marriage to men.  This got me thinking about my heroines. Many of my heroines are the ones facing down the hero in the black moment and  putting their heart and soul on the line, asking the men to take a chance on love.

Of course when the woman suggests committment, the hero at that point hasn't realised that this remarkable woman in front of him is THE best thing that has ever happened to him. That comes a little later and the hero goes cap in hand,  down on bended knee, begs forgiveness and proposes.

So how does it happen in real life in 2012?  THE AGE newspaper reports, "Australian men with long-term girlfriends be warned, 20 per cent of women support the tradition which says they can propose during a leap year. And, today could be the day they pop the big question.  If a woman proposes on Feb 29th, folklore suggests any man who refuses her owes his lady a silk gown and a kiss.

If you're thinking of proposing to your man, here is a list of the most romantic places to pop the question.

My take is that generation X and Y women will be proposing more than any other generation because they have moved in with their bloke, lived with them for five years and are starting to think about children.

What's your take? Do you know any women who have proposed?

For those of you following Pekoe the kitten, she's 7 months old now and on the weekend, DH and Boy Wonder built her 'cat heaven.' She is the indoor cat with the outdoor enclosure, complete with a high tunnel and tower where she can survey her domain and feel the air on her face.  Here she is enjoying the sights and sounds and the breeze.

Big thanks to MJ Scott for all her cat tips!

On Saturday,  I shot up to Sydney for the ARRA Awards dinner and what a fun and fabulous night it was  The best part was catching up with readers and other authors and it was all helped along with champagne, delicious food and of course, chocolates!

I think Rachael Johns travelled the furthest to attend, flying in from Perth, although Helene Young and Melissa Craig came from Cairns which is also a fair effort!

The Cello Restaurant at the Castlereagh Hotel was a gorgeous setting, beautifully renovated to its full 1920′s glory. I could just imagine the string quartet playing next to the potted palms on the balcony.

I enjoyed the Tandoori chicken entrée, the eye fillet steak and the totally divine passionfruit meringue tart with lemon gelato. YUM! Oh and the handmade chocolates at the end of the night were also delish. Yes, I ate Sharon Archer's, but she said I could.

Paula Roe gave an excellent speech about her life as a reader with lots of entertaining tales and I wished I'd had a Paula at my school reading books out loud at lunchtime!

The nine awards where announced in groups of three. Congratulations to Nalini Singh, Anna  Campbell, Denise Rossetti, Kelly Hunter, Helene Young, & Julie James.

Carina Press sponsored the Sci Fi/Fantasy category and I apologise for my appalling photography but here is Shannon Curtis and Rachael Johns announcing the winner who was Nalini Singh.

With lots  of chatter and laughter it all came to an end far too quickly. Many thanks to the ARRA committee for all their hard work.

Wishing all my wonderful readers, friends and family a lovely Valentine's Day!

 The winner of my the super-cute pink heart ice blocks and an eBook edition of Boomerang Bride Valentine's Day competition is ……… Drum roll…..

Chey!

 Pekoe the kitten and I pulled her name out of a box. Actually Pekoe sat in the box and Chey's name stuck to her fur.

 When I went back to look at the comment Chey left she'd said,

My favourite part of Valentines Day is the chocolate!

Chey, I have to agree!

Like any holiday,  we can have unmet expectations so my advice so you enjoy the day? Stage manage it! Make sure you arrange to do what you want to do and that way there's no disappointment. For me, with DH out of state, I am going to hit the couch tonight after the boys have gone to bed and watch a fave romance movie and eat chocolate

Thanks to Natalie at Reading Romances for the Valentine's Day Hop! I loved meeting everyone who called by over the last week.