New title, new cover - and new WIP

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It seems incredible that I am gearing up for the release of my third book - and even more incredible that I am writing book 5!

UK cover

North American cover

I just got the artwork through for Book 3, aka and properly known as His Reluctant Cinderella. I love both of them - and as always really like the contrast between the UK and North American covers. At heart I'll always be a marketing and bookselling geek and find the different images for different markets fascinating.

I also have the epub so if any reviewers want to take a look then please get in touch with me - here, Twitter, Facebook or through my website and I'll email it through to you. Here's the blurb:

 "It's like a fairy tale…" 
Castor Rafferty, London's notorious vice-CEO of glamorous Rafferty's Stores, might have a reputation to uphold, but he's determined to protect his independence. He needs a convenient girlfriend, but his reluctant Cinderella—gorgeous single mom Clara Castleton—doesn't seem to be falling for his charms! 


Clara isn't looking for Prince Charming—only for a life where she's in control. But there's something about Raff that makes her want to open her heart…and to believe in a happy ending after all!

This is released in October and its sequel, The Heiress's Secret Baby, is in Author Amendment stage and will be out early next year. Meanwhile, I am absolutely loving writing the first part of a trilogy for next summer, it's my first collaboration with other authors and huge amounts of fun to plot.

Love, learning and laughter; RNA Conference 14

Picture the scene: it's July 2012. An eager, nervous New Writer Scheme member arrives at an agriculture college in Penrith filled with trepidation and hope. This is it! A whole weekend of writing chat, one to ones and a chance to finally meet some of the people she's been chatting to online for the last two years.

I can see me now; bright-eyed, notepad and pen in hand, ready to absorb as much from the workshops, panels and talks as I could possibly cram in. I came away exhausted, inspired, full of cake - and I knew I still had so much to learn...

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Two years later I arrived at a different agricultural college for this year's RNA Conference. I might have finally achieved my dream but I still have as much to learn as I did back in Penrith. I'm not alone - each talk and workshop was filled with writers at all stages of their careers whether brand new NWS members or multi published household names. 

There were some truly brilliant talks this year from the scientific - Nikki Logan on the Chemistry of Reading; the terrifying but essential - Claire Mackintosh on self promotion; the thought provoking - Pamela Hartshorne/Jessica Hart on the perils of two identies; and the inspirational - Janet Glover on the importance of place. I hope some people also enjoyed my own ten minute stint in the Mills & Boon workshop; I like to sum it up as 'Me, me and more about me'. The panel on the future of associations was interesting with a rousing exhortation for us to be proud of who we are and what we write. Hell, yeah!

 Other highlights included drinking prosecco on the lawn the first sunlit evening whilst chatting to the lovely Mills & Boon authors, catching up with my very first crit partner, Jane O'Reilly, and plotting a linked series with Sophie Pembroke and Scarlet Wilson. I'm really excited about this story and can't wait to get started.

Sadly Rowan Coleman had to cancel her workshop and Julie Cohen took a year off. They are known for their intelligent and exciting teaching and I can't wait for November when I will be taking full advantage of their weekend retreat to absorb as much as I can. I believe there are a couple of spaces still available so if you can I do urge you to book on. Every year the conference teaches me how much I don't know and this will be an amazing opportunity to learn from the very best...

Luca needs your help...

A few weeks ago I was asked if I would allow lovely Luca Di Tore, hero of Summer with the Millionaire, to take part in a Bachelorette style blog competing against seven other Harlequin heroes to win the heart of the lovelorn heroine.
Luca is quite dignified and rather reserved - plus far too busy for such frivolity (and I'm not sure what Minty would say about it all either) so I am sure he is most uncomfortable with this but I entered him anyway.
And he needs your votes. Simply click and comment...
To help you let me remind you that he looks like this:

 Lives here and makes this...

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He is actually pretty perfect. Don't let Brian beat him...