Happy 2013

Wishing all my readers a happy, healthy New Year.

Personally I will be happy to see the back of 2012 - this year I've lost one family member and come close to losing others. Workwise in my day job we've been going flat out all year and exciting as our challenges are it's taken a toll on the health of all of our team. Pacing will have to be our keywords this New Year I think - hard when we are all so passionate about what we do.

Writing wise it's been exciting - new books out and more to come. It's lovely to know so many more people are reading my stories and enjoying them. I have big things planned for this year!

Dates for your calendar

Jan 1st - Be My Hero is released in large print - ask your library to get a copy!

Jan 3rd - Lights, Camera, Poltergeist is released from Astraea Press. This is a fun, spooky romantic suspense set in Scotland.

Jan 17th - Headline are releasing Crystal Clear and Just Look at Me Now in e book format! - Huzzah! finally! I know lots of you have been asking about this for ages.

March 2013 - This is the biggie - Radio Gaga - my new single title is releasing in e book under my Brierley Rose Press label and Paperback is following in September. I'm really excited about this!

Other things I have planned for this year include a new series of books set in a hotel, a follow up to Passionate Harvest telling Dominic's brothers story. Another couple of short novella's and my next single title book - provisionally called The Happiness Project.

This year will be one of challenge and change but also growth and hopefully a positive year. I have good feelings about this year. I hope you have too.

Passionate Harvest - FREE!

For 2 days only!

AMAZON US and AMAZON UK

Merry Christmas from our house to yours

Wishing all of my readers a very Merry Christmas - may Santa bring you everything you hoped for!

Love and hugs from Nell, Mr Nell and the belles.

Lights, Camera, Poltergeist!

Releasing January 3rd!As the presenter for Ghost Uk, the leading TV show investigating paranormal activity, Fae thought she’d seen it all. Until a Valentine’s Eve live show from Scotland’s Fingelly Manor upsets both her preconceptions and her love life.

To read more about Fae and Ghost Uk - Check out Cue Me In

Fae Heath wants to be on TV, but not just any show. She wants to be on Ghost UK. She intends to win the contest to find the next presenter. Tall, slim and blonde and access to a haunted Welsh Castle on Halloween – how can she fail?

Rushing towards Christmas

I'm so topsy-turvy this year. My cards are written but not posted. My presents are bought and wrapped but the house looks like a bomb went off and I haven't done any of the cleaning and tidying that needs to be done before the tree can go up.

Life has been so busy - lots to do at the day job, lots to do on the writing front. My middle belle is having college interviews, youngest has some medical appointments, eldest has arrived home from college and filled the house with her stuff. Plus, of course they are still swapping and sorting out rooms - except they seem to be waiting for me to do all the work!

There has also been lots of serious health issues in my wider family. The end result is lots of half done things and chaos all round.

Today though I'm escaping for a little space for Christmas lunch with Phillipa Ashley and Elizabeth Hanbury - aka the Coffee Crew. We've all had an amazing year writing wise and plans need to be hatched for next year.

In the meantime why not check out our latest releases? From me, The Cinderella Substitute and the New Bay box set. Phillipa Ashley has the fantastic Miranda's Mount and Liz has The Cinderella Debutante. All available from good e tailers for your nook, kindle or kobo.

Guest Blogger - Laura Hamby

I'm thrilled to have Laura as my guest blogger today. She is a dear friend, one of my go to beta readers having been my former editor at Moonlit Romance and she is a wonderful writer. Her latest release is Footprints in the Snow

Footprints in the Snow...A heartwarming collection of three historical romance Christmas novellas.

In Unexpected Christmas Gift, Rita Andrews awaits Vincent Lewis’s return from serving in the Pacific during the long years of World War II.

The Greatest Gift of All brings Jeptha, ‘Jep,’ Cullen and Abigail Hardwick together in a rough mining town in the territory of Colorado at Christmastime 1865. Both have left their lives behind and now unexpectedly find themselves facing their hard existence together.

Hannah Kelsey, now orphaned by the War Between the States, waits patiently for news of her lone, surviving brother. A life that has been anything but easy is made more complicated by the Yankee soldier she finds lying in front of her cabin a few days before Christmas, 1864. Together, Hannah and her soldier, Jeff Steffend, each find a little bit of Christmas Grace.

Here's a little taster from The Greatest Gift of All

Chapter One Snow fell softly over the sleepy little town tucked into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Where no horse-pulled wagons slogged through the mud, the snow created a pristine blanket of sparkling white that spread from the upper elevations clear to the valley floor. Most folks had the sense to stay home. A few who lacked the brains God had bestowed on a barnyard pig stubbornly insisted upon guzzling the proceeds of their latest mining ventures, content to stay in the drafty old saloon, drinking themselves warm with rot-gut whiskey. Others were just passing through the bar, on their way elsewhere, using the place as a shield from the unrelenting wind that blew the snow horizontally.

Winter of eighteen hundred and sixty-five promised to be a cold, miserable affair, and it was just getting started. Christmas wasn’t too far off, not that many in this rough-and-tumble Colorado mountain town would observe it or even acknowledge the day.

It had been too long since Christmas had visited an unfractured United States of America, and while the War Between the States had officially ended, the schism separating ideologies still ran wide, deeply felt. The pain still resonated in Cullen family, so much so, Jeptha elected the wilderness of Colorado Territory, rather than hearth and home the Tennessee mountains. Here, in this tiny Colorado boomtown improbably named Falling Gold, he at least had the familiarity of mountains around, even if they were the wrong mountains. The watered down whiskey served in the Hangman’s Noose Saloon eased his pain, if only just a little.

“We don’t serve wimmens in this here establishment, missy. You don’t belong to be here when you should likely be home tendin’ your young and caterin’ to your husband.”

The audible click of a gun being readied echoed off the thin and weathered slabs that pretended to be walls. “I believe I ordered a damned glass of whiskey, and not from the watered down bottle. I want you to open a new bottle, right here before my very eyes.”

“You ain’t got no call to pull your gun on me. What kind of young lady are you?” Oily sweat glistened on the beanpole bartender’s forehead as his nasal voice pitched higher in his dismay.

“I ain’t no young lady, your mistake thinking I am. Where the hell is my drink?”

“I don’t care if you shoot me right between the eyes, missy. I don’t serve no wimmens, no hows, no ways. Now scoot on home. Bet yer man is looking for ya, and if he has a lick of sense, he’ll wallop some manners into ya.”

Jep hid his grin at the rash of off-color words that streamed from the filthy munchkin’s mouth that brought a look of aghast horror to Beanpole’s face.

“Here now, there ain’t no call for such language, even in this sorry gin-soaked joint. I got standards.”

“Barkeep.” Jep’s quiet baritone gained him the nervous bartender’s attention. “Pour me three fingers of whiskey in two glasses, would you?”

Absentmindedly, the barkeep did just that. Jep relished the look of sheer consternation on the man’s face when he stabbed a finger in the woman’s direction, then crooked it in the age-old order to “come here.”

“She with you?” Beanpole demanded after he’d picked his jaw up from the dirty plank floor. “If she ain’t with you, I’m takin’ that second drink back.

“She’s with me,” Jep confirmed. He handed the filthy glass to her when she came to stand at his side.

“What’s ‘er name, if she’s with you?” Suspicious, the bartender fixed hostile, bloodshot eyes on them.

Jep shrugged one shoulder with a negligence he’d learned to display during the time he’d spent fighting his kinfolk during the War. “Picked her up on the trail. Call her ‘Girl.’ She answers to it, don’t need any better than that.”

Unconvinced, Beanpole wiped the sticky counter top with a rag that had once been white. “What’s ‘is name, missy?”

She slapped the glass to the counter. “Major. His rank in the Army. Got a problem with that?”

Beanpole grunted. “Huh. Guess you is capable of showin’ a bit of respect. Now you’re done, I’d be obliged if you both left. And don’t come back none. I don’t need your kind here, missy. Business ain’t so bad I have to tolerate the likes of you. Sorry, mister. Maybe it would be worth it to you to keep a tighter line on her, eh?” She tried to shrug Jep’s hand off her shoulder when he clasped it through the meager coat she wore against the cold. That only encouraged him to push his other hand against the small of her back to urge her out of the dubious protection of the saloon, into the storm.

“You can let go of me now. Thanks for the drink.” She dug into her pocket and found a nickel. Perhaps she shouldn’t have wasted that nickel on the whiskey that now sat sourly in her stomach, but damned if she’d craved the liquor more than food. It at least gave her the illusion of being warm, if only for a few mean seconds.

“Keep it, keep going, before he notices we left without paying.”

“Oh, ho!” The wind snatched her words almost before she’d uttered them.“Look, I’m real grateful and all for the drink, you running interference with ol’ Sourpuss back there in the saloon, but my gratitude has limits.”

They walked silently for quite a while, through a night too cold to snow. Part of what would’ve been a full moon had the clouds cleared enough, beamed through some thinning clouds. Up and up they went. The trees grew tall and thick, sentinels that loomed overhead in silence. At last, Jep stopped before a cabin well-nestled into the towering trees.

“It’s not much, but for now, it’s home,” he told her. The room they entered was dark until Jep lit the candle. A tiny potbellied stove stood in the corner, colder than the ice that coated the inside of the window.

(C) Laura Hamby 2012 You can get Footprints in the Snow from AMAZON or Smashwords

Catch up with Laura at Her website where you'll find a free read or stop by Her blog

Laura also provides free promo for fellow authors Check it out

A little early Christmas gift

A little short story gift from me to you Thank you to all my lovely readers for all your support this year. Happy Reading!

Guest Blogger - Keira Kroft

A warm welcome to my guest Keira Kroft.

Here is Keira's bio - Keira carries a vet assistance degree. Her love for animals is as great as her love of people. She gives a percentage of her personal book sale profits to the animal welfare league. Residing in a quiet suburb in the outskirts Chicago with her husband and daughter she spends any spare time she has working with her cats Scamper and Sawyer, to achieve total world domination, one shared Twinkie at a time. Her passions include Reading, Writing, Football, Comic Books and Family.

Here's the blurb for her latest release - Glow in the Dark

Women melt around smokin’ hot Chicago fire fighter Jake Gilroy like butter in a hot pan, getting him dubbed the clichéd and rather false moniker…“the ladies man”. Yet, he never had an interest in anyone, until he meets Corey. She’s different and doesn’t seem to be turning into a pool of goo around him. He wants her and must have her. But she is already taken so he can’t have her…can he?

At first Corey Nolan is resistant to Jake’s advances until a series of events proves that the love between her and her dead beat boyfriend have dissipated a long time ago. It’s then that she begins to think that she and Jake just might have a chance at something real. Until—it becomes clear that someone is stalking her and killing off the people she loves and that her need for Jake may be more than desire—it may be a matter of life and death...

An an excerpt!

Jake slid his fingers down her arm and across her wrist. A spark lit through her. She gasped and her gaze locked with his. She made no attempt to draw away. Corey couldn’t…she didn’t want to.

“How is it?” He glanced at her scraped and bruised elbow.

Coming out of the trance, she lifted her arm and showed him the slight injury. “Oh, it’s fine.”

“I would have been over sooner, but the other guys got you, and I didn’t want you to be overwhelmed.”

Corey couldn’t conjure up a response. What he said, and how he said it, turned her knees to jelly. She felt like the high school girl who was just noticed by the popular jock. She couldn’t stop staring at his soft, dark brown eyes, even though a sensible voice in her head told her to just walk away and forget him.

“I’m very sorry. But I really have to go.” She peeked around his massive chest to the men beyond. “It was so nice meeting you guys,” she called over, waving. She turned to pick up her bike, then pushed it along and hopped on.

“Stop by anytime,” she heard Jake yell behind her.

She smiled but didn’t turn around. Glancing at her watch, she’d realized she was supposed to have started her first day of work eight minutes ago. Fear made her pedal faster.

She hoped she hadn’t lost the job already. But what if she did? How would she pay rent? How would she feed Molly?

Glow in the dark is available from: Amazon.com as e book and also as a paperback. Perfect for Christmas for the keen romance reader!

Keira loves to hear from readers and you can find her here:

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Thanksgiving Bloghop

Along with some of my lovely colleagues at Astraea Press I'm taking part in this Thanksgiving Bloghop. There are lots of prizes on offer and some great authors to be discovered, and, although I'm obviously not American I think we should all take time to be thankful for the special people in our lives.

*Five things I'm thankful for.

1. My faith - I rarely speak about my faith or the part it plays in my life but I am thankful.

2. My family - Mr Nell and the belles and my wider family. I am so very lucky and blessed.

3. My Friends - I have fantastic friends - some I've known for many years, some I've never met in person but who are dear to me.

4. Books - Without books the world would be a darker, narrower place. Many times a book has helped me through a difficult time in my life.

5. Life - With all it's ups, downs, bad times, great times and challenges I'm thankful that I am me and I live now with people I love.

Finally, last but certainly not least I'm thankful for the people who buy my books, read my stories and who let me know that they are enjoying them. I appreciate all of you very much.

Leave me a comment and your name will go into a draw for a chance to win a pdf of The Cinderella Substitute - drawing will be at the end of the hop on November 23rd.

Here’s the blurb! In the two years since the tragic car crash that killed his fiancée, Nathanial (Nate) Mayer has successfully avoided another relationship. His family and especially his twin sister Nathalie are worried. Jennifer (Jenni) Blake is Nate’s personal assistant. Hired after the accident, she has her own problems to deal with, including the deaths of her adoptive parents and the debts incurred by their nursing care. But those difficulties pale into insignificance when Jenni finally traces her birth mother…

Now the next important bit! The next stop on the Blog Hop is to WENDY Go take a look and enter her contest - Happy Hopping and Happy Thanksgiving!

Passionate Harvest - FREE! this weekend!

Yes, you read it right. Passionate Harvest is FREE this weekend - a special gift from the fabby E-Scape Press to coincide with The Festival of Romance!

Please be aware Passionate Harvest is NOT one of my sweet reads! Nursery nurse Lucy Morgan, unexpectedly inherits half a Somerset vineyard with conditions and a co-owner attached.

Unwilling co-owner Dominic LeFevre, doesn’t want or need a new business partner, especially one who knows nothing about wine.

With Lucy having left behind her old life, and love in Tenerife, she has twelve months to convince Dominic that she’s exactly what both he, and the business, need.

Here’s an excerpt!

Dominic waited until he was on an open stretch of road before cranking up the volume on the CD player and belting out his favourite rock band. He couldn’t believe he’d come so close to kissing Lucy. God, how stupid would that have been? He rubbed a tired hand at the back of his neck in an attempt to ease the tension in the muscles there.

She’d looked so sad and tired with her borrowed tee shirt sliding off one slim shoulder revealing more of the tan on her soft skin. He hadn’t done a great job at convincing her to take up her inheritance. A five mile route march in blatantly unsuitable shoes and allowing his dog to maul her and ruin her clothes maybe wasn’t the best way to commence a business partnership.

“Way to go, Dom.” He muttered to himself. Mutley gave a small whine of agreement from the back of the car.

“And some help you were too.” Dom shook his head.

His mobile phone vibrated in the back pocket of his jeans as he pulled the car to a stop outside his cottage. He glanced at the screen and let the call go to voice mail. The vultures had started circling as soon as Nick’s death announcement had appeared in the press. A couple of them had even approached him about a partnership whilst he’d been at the funeral trying to commend themselves to him.

It had been partly why he’d been so angry with Lucy when she’d arrived late. At the time, not knowing the full story of her connection with Nick, he’d assumed she was yet another one of those waiting to pounce on the business. Mr Fullwood had hinted to him that Nick had left Lucy an interest in the vineyard. He hadn’t known it would be the entire fifty per cent of the holding. At the time he’d assumed it would be simply a couple of shares.

© Nell Dixon 2012 Available FREE Amazon.com and here at AMAZON UK

Guest Blogger - Iris Blobel

A warm welcome to Iris Blobel, a fellow Astraea author to talk about her fabulous new release - Innocent Tears.

Becoming a parent can be daunting at the best of times, but for Flynn, a business lawyer in Melbourne, it almost pulls the feet from right underneath him. He’s become a father to six-year-old Nadine literally overnight! He had no idea about her existence, and the news throws him into chaos, even more so when he is asked to take over custody. With the help of Emma, an employee at the hotel where Nadine and her grandparents are staying, and his parents, Flynn tries to do the right thing. Yet, the right thing in his eyes differs from his parents’, and Emma is voicing her opinion as well. And right in the middle is little Nadine, still grieving the loss of her mother and finding a wonderful friend in Emma. There’s no doubt she’s afraid where and with whom she will settle. But in the end, it’s a letter Flynn receives that helps him figuring out what to do.

Here's an excerpt!

“My Mum is dead.” Somewhat startled by this statement, Emma peeked over the reception desk into beautiful green eyes that belonged to a cute little girl with brown curly hair and a freckled button nose. She couldn’t help but smile. There was something in the girl’s eyes that held a hint of mischief and curiosity, as well as some sadness, and Emma was drawn to her instantly.

“Nadine!” The stern voice of an elderly woman approaching the reception caused Emma to nearly jump out of her skin. The girl stiffened with eyes wide open. “My apologies for that,” the woman said to Emma, though her expression didn’t actually reveal any signs of apologies. The woman’s face reflected a life of bitterness, the lines appearing deep and weathered.

Emma smiled. “No need to.”

An elderly man joined them, and after a brief nod of acknowledgment she asked, “May I help you?”

“Yes. We would like to check in. Gibbs. William and Teresa Gibbs,” the woman replied.

Emma typed the name on the keyboard, and while she waited for the details, she smiled at the girl, and asked, “Holidays?”

Nadine’s face spread into a small smile, but it was enough to show she had her two top teeth missing. “And I see the tooth fairy has been to see you recently.”

“Excuse me–” Mrs. Gibbs glanced at Emma’s name badge. “–Emma. Can we proceed with the check-in please?”

“My apologies, ma’am.” Emma read the details on the screen, made a few notes and turned around to activate the automated door card in the back office. All the while, she felt Mrs. Gibbs’ glare on her and instinctively pulled on her navy uniform skirt feeling slightly uncomfortable. Emma sighed inwardly.

In her early twenties and she still lacked confidence in what other people thought of her. Tucking a lock of her curly, tawny hair behind her ear, she tried to keep a positive attitude because, after all, she loved working at the “All Stars” Hotel in Melbourne. It was something she always wanted to do – to greet people to this beautiful city, and make their stay as comfortable as possible. And she was often told how popular she was with staff and guests alike for her positive attitude, her generous heart and kind spirit.

“Ma’am, that’d be room five-o-two. If you go to the right over there, take the lift to the fifth floor and follow the hall to the near end, you will find room five-o-two on your right.”

Teresa Gibbs took the card from Emma and turned it in her hands.

“Ma’am, you slide that into the door instead of a key. I’m happy to ask someone to come with you and show–”

“I’ll be fine thank you.” And Mrs. Gibbs turned to go.

Emma leaned across the counter and smiled at Nadine. “Enjoy your holidays,” she said and winked. “And come see me sometime to tell me about the tooth fairy.”

“We’re not on a holiday,” the girl said in almost a whisper. “We’re here to meet my dad.” Then she hopped off after Mr. And Mrs. Gibbs, who Emma assumed were the little girl’s grandparents. Emma wondered about that remark and then remembered what the girl had said about her mother. She watched as Mrs. Gibbs rushed her husband and Nadine into the lift, and the door slid shut.

A familiar voice startled her. “Emma! Come on, stop dreaming.”

Emma turned around and saw her colleague Jack standing next to her. She smiled. “Jack! Where’ve you been?”

He lifted one side of his mouth. “Morning tea.”

“Are you for real? You’ve been gone for an hour.”

Grinning, he ruffled her hair. “Another bad hair day?”

She gently pushed him away and rolled her eyes. “You’re avoiding the subject!”

With raised eyebrows he asked, “Which subject?”

She poked her tongue out at him. Why should I care if he gets into trouble!

“Miss Gallagher!” The familiar authoritative voice came from behind them.

Emma startled and with heat creeping up her cheeks she slowly turned, only to see her boss standing behind her. “My apologies, Mr. Morgan,” she said with a tilt of her head. Deep inside she cursed Jack. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him attending to a guest. Typical of him to leave her to vices. Leo Morgan’s square jaw tensed visibly. A man in his midforties, he was still handsome with his olive skin. Even though the hair showing the first signs of grey around his temples, it suited him well and emphasised his blue eyes. He took a deep breath and stepped slightly closer. “Listen Emma,” he whispered. “I only hear good things about you. People like you and you have a good–” he paused seemingly trying to find the right word, “–let’s call it repute. But there’s a certain standard here, and I need you to uphold that. Are we understood?”

She nodded. “Yes, sir”

“Good. Now, go and do your job and whatever it is between you two, keep it outside the hotel.”

She stood straight. “But there is nothing–”

“Miss Gallagher!”

“Yes, sir. Understood.”

Emma turned around and checked-in the next few guests. It was only after she had finished her shift that she was able to talk to Jack.

“Thanks for getting me into trouble again.”

Jack placed his arm around her, and gave her a kiss on her forehead. “Sorry for that. But you seem to attract this guy.”

“Yes, and it’s exactly every time when I muck up, his focus seems to land on me.”

“You’ll be right. How about dinner at my place?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Jerk!”

He grinned, and held his arms up in defence. “What?”

Where you can buy “Innocent Tears” Amazon Amazon UK Barnes & Noble Where you can find Iris Blobel online: Official Blog: http://www.iris-b.blogspot.com Twitter @_iris_b: Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4067254 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/irisblobel

Guest Blogger - Lisa Greer

Thanks for having me as your guest today, Nell!

Just by way of introduction, I'm Lisa Greer, and I write gothic romance and romance. On occasion, I also write sweet romance as Lorraine James. This coming year, I’m doing something different—a Kickstarter project. I really enjoy writing serials, and I like rolling them out as serials were meant to be done: in quick succession. These are mini-stories with cliffhangers at the end. They compose a larger tale—in this case, a spooky one set in the mid-1800s that follows the inhabitants of the Sorrowmoor estate. I love to include all kinds of gothic romance tropes in my work like secret chambers, diaries, curses, ghosts, spooky graveyards, family secrets, heroines in distress, Byronic heroes, and more. If that's your speed, I think you'll enjoy these serials.

The goal I’ve set for funding for the project is where it needs to be to cover the rewards, cover art, editing, formatting and other expenses. And it is pretty reasonable for a Kickstarter project goal from what I can tell. I want to have enough money to complete the project in a way I’m happy with and in a timely manner, and most importantly, to give value to readers. That isn’t always possible unless as an author, I have control over the publishing process. That’s where my project, Sorrowmoor, comes in. I’m planning at least twenty historical gothic romance serials over the course of 2013. My motto is under-promise and over-deliver in terms of what I’ve outlined for the serials. So, it’s likely I’ll have more than twenty serials or that they’ll be lengthier than the minimum of 2000 words each. These will land in backers’ inboxes (unless backers don’t want them in that format), and I’ll also put the serials in a combined e-book edition with a fabulous cover and a print edition that looks equally great. I’m planning lots of other cool stuff, too!

So, how can you get some good reads and back the project? If you have a dollar, that’s a start. There are all sorts of levels to back Sorrowmoor, so please take a look. If you don’t like gothic romance (which is romantic suspense, just with paranormal elements), you can support the project and gift your rewards to a friend who will enjoy these serials. It’s like a year-round Christmas gift.

I appreciate the backing I have so far, and I’m really excited about this project! Check it out if you have a minute, and tell a friend who might enjoy reading these stories. You can see the video about Sorrowmoor and learn more here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1394602435/sorrowmoor-historical-gothic-romance-in-serial-for#project-faqs

Thank you all for reading and supporting my endeavors as a working writer!

The Cinderella Substitute is out!

Here’s the blurb! In the two years since the tragic car crash that killed his fiancée, Nathanial (Nate) Mayer has successfully avoided another relationship. His family and especially his twin sister Nathalie are worried. Jennifer (Jenni) Blake is Nate’s personal assistant. Hired after the accident, she has her own problems to deal with, including the deaths of her adoptive parents and the debts incurred by their nursing care. But those difficulties pale into insignificance when Jenni finally traces her birth mother… Available from all good etailers including: AMAZON UK and AMAZON.COM

I ain't afraid of no ghosts!

Did ya miss me?

Phew, it's been a busy old time. Last week was our halfterm week here. Everywhere else in the country it's this week but no matter. We went to Devon in our touring caravan for our last break of the season. It was a lovely restful week. I finally got to go to Agatha Christie's house - Greenways! So inspirational. We had lunch in our favourite places - a big shout out to the gorgeous Shoreline in Paignton Go Here to friend them and of course the ancient and haunted Pizza Express opposite the cathedral in Exeter. We also dropped in to see our friends at Fables bookstore - a fabulous little shop in Babbacombe at the top near the church Read about them here They have a few signed copies of my books so if you call in tell them Nell sent you! Then it was time to come home. This week is crazy as we have so much on! My middle belle is auditioning for Britains Got Talent, my youngest is having more orthodontic work. We've colleges to view, parents evenings, Halloween, a new bed to be delivered and I've got a novella to polish and submit. Not to mention we seem to have a fieldmouse hanging out in the house again. I also have this book coming out on Thursday!

In the two years since the tragic car crash that killed his fiancée, Nathanial (Nate) Mayer has successfully avoided another relationship. His family and especially his twin sister Nathalie are worried. Jennifer (Jenni) Blake is Nate’s personal assistant. Hired after the accident, she has her own problems to deal with, including the deaths of her adoptive parents and the debts incurred by their nursing care. But those difficulties pale into insignificance when Jenni finally traces her birth mother…

Guest Blogger - Adelle Laudan

All throughout history there has been remarkable Woman of Strength.

Mother Teresa spent 30 yrs of her life helping others before anyone even knew who she was. In 1979 she won the Nobel Peace Prize. One of my favorite quotes of hers is “If you can’t feed one hundred people, then feed just the one.”

Joan of Arc—at a time when a woman on the battlefield was unheard of she eventually led her army to victory, fearlessly fighting and eventually dying to defend her country. She said, “Stand up for what you believe in.” A quote used over and over again, even today.

There are far too many women to list here today. Princess Diana, Oprah Winfrey, Rosa Parks, the list is endless.

Woman of Strength come from all walks of life. I believe my mother was one. She moved to Canada with my father, leaving a son out of wedlock to be raised by her parents. She didn't know a word of English when she moved here, and went on to work in a factory every day and raised four children.

My new series Women of Strength, I hope to showcase the women of our generation who rise above adversity, hardships, illness, abuse, etc  No, these women will not receive a Nobel Peace Prize, but maybe, just maybe they will give someone the strength or hope needed to make it through their own personal challenges.

I have kicked off this series with three previously published stories of mine.  Juliana is the first story I had published a couple/few years ago. Each month I will add a new story of a Woman of Strength. I hope you will enjoy this ongoing series.

Thank you Nell for having me.  Please leave a comment and I will randomly pick one winner to receive  this calendar magnet for 2013 and this lovely steampunk pewter symbol for woman charm. All names will go in a draw to win your choice of one of these three stories. Please feel free to visit me on the next stop of my blog tour. You will find the schedule HERE

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Surfacing briefly!

I'm sorry I've been missing so much lately. Life has been crazy. My eldest belle has left home for university and she's swapping bedrooms with the youngest belle so the house is in chaos. Throw in a pressing deadline - I still have at least 6k to write before November 15th and we're away for a week without any net/computer access - and health issues for older members of my family and it's been a bit mad. I've also been working longer hours at my day job too as we've got a massive new workstream and a major new project on top of our usual busy workload. It's safe to say I'm feeling more than a bit frazzled around the edges. Hopefully when I've met my deadline and had a break to recover my health a bit I can regroup. Famous last words. I think I've been promising you all I'll slow down since 2004. I've had some nice news from my lovely publisher - Astraea Press - which I can't share yet but it's going to be a bit of a Christmas treat for readers. There's also the release of The Cinderella Substitute on November 1st to look forward to!

I love this cover and it goes so well with the other two books in this set, don't you think?

Guest Blogger - I do not 'heart' writing systems - Phillipa Ashley

Why I do not heart writing ‘systems’ Something weird happened when I was writing my latest novel, Miranda’s Mount. No, I didn’t have an out of body experience, nor did Johnny Depp leap out of the manuscript and carry me off to a desert island. It was much weirder than all of those things: this book gave me virtually no trouble to write.

Now, I preface this post by stating categorically: No Book Is ‘Easy’ to Write. The novel still took me nine months of daily writing to produce 90,000 words, edit them and then rewrite some of them. Yet for once, I enjoyed every moment of the process, had several offers for the book and not too much in the way of edits from my agent or editor.

Before you think I’m a smug git, I will happily admit to most of my books giving me a great deal of trouble and for a couple to have had a *lot* of rewriting and then some. One or two hurt even to think about but not Miranda, and I’ve asked myself why. Did I discover a magical new writing system to help me create the plot and develop the characters? The Post-It method? Card files? Character wheels? Zodiac signs? Unfortunately not: which means I probably won’t be able to replicate that glorious feeling again.

I’d describe myself as a ‘pantster’ rather than a ‘plotter’ and to be honest, I’m not a lover of writing methods and systems. Now, the unkind might say that shows in my novels but the truth is that I find ‘systems’ stifling to my creativity and to my strange way of thinking, they relegate writing to a slog rather than pleasure. Worst, they drag me outside my story and remind me that it’s not, actually, true. That’s not to say that many writers find a system or method that works for them. It’s probably just me... maybe chaos is my process.

Or perhaps, this being my sixth novel, I’ve finally learned a few things. I’ve learned to spot when I’m heading down a blind alley and to ask sooner: why? Because in essence, isn’t that three letter word is the key to all stories? Asking why a character has acted or is acting or will act in a certain way is the essence of the plot of a romance novel. If people’s motivations aren’t clear or credible, the story just won’t work for the reader. If you ask ‘why’ often enough, it may lead you down a completely different route to the one you’d plotted. It’s hard to let go of a plan or worse, to delete thousands of words, but sometimes you have to do it.

With Miranda’s Mount, the inspirational part came when I got the idea, which came out of the blue on a car journey. Immediately, I knew the setting and the main reasons why my hero and heroine would be in conflict externally and their internal conflicts developed along the way. I really tried to make sure I had those motivations at the front of my mind at every stage of the novel. As a result, the characters spoke to me from the first page to the end, with very few silences in between.

Or maybe I just got lucky this time... I’d love to know if you’ve found any writing processes that worked well for you.

Miranda’s Mount When Miranda finds herself fighting for her home, her job and her heart, sleeping with the enemy may not be the best tactic… With no family of her own, Miranda Marshall has developed a healthy respect – some would say obsession – with other people’s histories. As property manager of a spectacular island castle in Cornwall, she’s made St Merryn’s Mount one of the UK’s most popular heritage attractions. While she may have the castle running like clockwork, Miranda hasn’t bargained on its sexy owner returning to claim his birthright. Dark, handsome and with a rakish reputation, Jago St Merryn not only looks like a pirate but is intent on flogging the Mount to a soulless leisure corporation. Miranda faces the battle of her life as she tries to persuade him to face up to his past and continue the St Merryn dynasty. But Jago has his own reasons for jumping ship and when he throws down the gauntlet to Miranda, she’s forced to delve into painful memories she’d much rather keep hidden… Amazon US Amazon UK AmazonUK

www.phillipa-ashley.com

Twitter @PhillipaAshley

Coming soon - The Cinderella Substitute

Here's the cover for The Cinderella Substitute releasing as e book on November 1st from Astraea press. Also available as audio book from Audiolark.

Behind the scenes of Be My Hero

I'm guesting and giving away more copies of Be My Hero today over at FLY HIGH as a guest of the lovely Maria. There is quite a story behind Be My Hero - one that is very personal to me and my family. Pop over and take a look.