Archive for May, 2007

May 31, 2007

Sun Sun Sun

Okay, so my lovely editor has returned from her holidays and I’ve found out what happened with The Sun. Apparently there was some warehousing mix-up.

ANYWAY it’s going ahead this weekend, which I think means this Saturday 2 June there will be a free copy of Spirit Willing, Flesh Weak for every reader of The Sun!

Thank you everyone who bought The Sun, especially if you normally don’t. I hope you enjoyed it so much that you’ll rush right out and buy another one this weekend!

new writers’ award

Phillipa won for Decent Exposure! Go to her blog and congratulate her!

May 29, 2007

London tomorrow

In other news, I’m off to London tomorrow to go to the RNA Summer party. The Joan Hessayon New Writer’s Award is going to be presented, and my dear dear friend and critique partner Anna Louise Lucia is one of the finalists with her fab novel Run Among Thorns, to be released just about one year from now in June 2008 from Medallion Press.

I have to admit to being shamelessly prejudiced because Anna is one of my favourite writers as well as one of my favourite people. She writes like an angel with a very twisted imagination. But there are some other friends and line-mates among the nominees:

Phillipa Ashley, for her Little Black Dress Decent Exposure, which is a really fun read, set in the Lake District
Judy Jarvie, for Taking the Leap, published by Moonlit Romance–I haven’t read this but I did read an earlier ms of Judy’s and it was charming and full of life
Jessica Raymond, for Haunted Hearts, published by Moonlit Romance–her heroine is a paranormal investigator. So cool.
(Both Jude and Jess are too pregnant to go to the party so I shall have to drink for them!)
Heidi Rice, a fellow Modern Extra writer, for Bedded by the Bad Boy (what a title!)–this is on my TBR shelf
Jean Fullerton, for Cutlasses and Caresses, published by Triskelion–I haven’t read this either but man, I’m telling you: pirate romance, what’s there not to like??

There are some other contenders who I don’t know personally–you can see the whole list here–whose books are bound to be fantastic, too…but a blog is all about blatantly promoting your mates, right?

I haven’t bought a new dress, mostly because I’ve been on unpaid maternity leave for the past three weeks. However I did buy some new shoes for ten quid at Primark: blue shiny vinyl with faux-cork platforms and faux-stacked heels. Fab.

I’ll be seeing my agent and my LBD editor, and I’ll be saying the same thing to both of them: Oh, my revisions? Going great, of course! Noooooo problemo! Hey, do you like my shoes?

contest winners

Well, after the popular vote, I’m happy to annouce that there was a tie, and therefore there are two winners for my six-word novel contest:

Valerie Parv and Ruth!

Hooray!

Valerie, I’ll send you your book as soon as I get your address, and Ruth…well, I’ll give it to you on Thursday so your daughter can stuff it in her mouth.

May 27, 2007

contest finalists

Well there were twenty-nine awesome entries for my six-word novel competition, and after much deliberation, I’ve narrowed it down to (appropriately) six.

Here are the six finalists. Two romance, two thrillers, one women’s fiction, and one…well, I’m not sure–science fiction chick lit?

1. Sheikh wins bachelorette auction, ‘prize’ absconds.
Valerie Parv

2. Kiss gone astray, hell to pay.
Michelle Styles

3. We thought the gun wasn’t loaded.
Mary Beth

4. One gun, two shots, three dead.
Marcy

5. After she died, he came alive.
Rebecca James

6. My husband is invisible. No, really.
Ruth

Hmmm. I’m going to have trouble deciding between these. What’s your vote?

Put the number of your choice below, and I’ll tally up the votes and cast my own, and announce the winner on Tuesday.

PS At this very moment, All Work and No Play… is number 11 on the bestselling Mills & Boon list on Amazon.co.uk. What, me, obsessive??

May 26, 2007

psych

Not in the Sun.

Drat.

May 25, 2007

Sun tomorrow!

Sun tomorrow, Sun tomorrow, Sun tomorrow!!!!!

Whoo-hooooo!!!!!

(P.S. Love the six-word novels. It’s going to be hard to choose a winner. Please keep them coming!)

May 23, 2007

reviews and contest

I’ve had the first reviews back on my June Modern Extra release, All Work and No Play…

And here’s what people have had to say.

Whoah!! This is one seriously HOT book!…the most sizzling Modern Extra that I have read to date. But with Jay/Jonny as the hero how could it not be..? (5 roses)
Romance Reviewed

Julie Cohen pens a delectably sexy story about overcoming inner demons and finding out what matters most in life. Jane’s insecurities immediately endear her to you, and Jonny’s caring and obvious love for her will melt your heart. The sparks practically fly off the page when the two characters cross paths for the first time, and the heat never lessens for the rest of the book. ALL WORK AND NO PLAY will liven up anyone’s dull day.
Romance Junkies

This is my last Modern Extra for this year so I’m glad it’s getting good reviews so far.

And in celebration, I’ll run a contest, for a copy of All Work and No Play…:

Write a six-word novel: an entire story in exactly six words. It can be any kind of story you like. My example is below but here’s one by Ernest Hemingway:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

Post your entry in the comments to this post (or email it to me, and I’ll post it).

(PS Don’t forget to buy The Sun on Saturday to get my book FREE! You know you want to!!!)

check out the sex talk

Modern Extra author Natalie Anderson (whose first book, All Night With the Boss, is out now) has a good discussion about the level of sensuality in Modern Extras on her blog.

May 22, 2007

cup and revisions

Well, today we found a cup that the Fecklet drank from (eagerly and greedily), and immediately went out and bought two more just like it. Hopefully it’ll work tomorrow at the childminder’s.

In other news, I said I would blog about writing. While my husband took the Fecklet out for a long walk this afternoon, I went out in the garden and started my revisions on One Night Stand. My editor has pushed back the release date for this book (to October hardback and January 08 paperback) so I have time to do the revisions properly, which I appreciate, given the Fecklet and the day job. I think these revisions are going to be serious fun to do; they involve deepening character, strengthening plot and broadening setting. In other words: making more stuff up. Hooray!

In two hours, I worked on about forty pages and got a sunburn on one arm. It doesn’t seem like a lot to have achieved but perhaps it will get faster.

Tomorrow…reviews.

May 21, 2007

first day

All went well, except that I was so eager to see my little boy by the end of the day that I had to restrain myself from bolting out the door and breaking all speed limits driving to the childminder’s.

Also, Fecklet refused to drink milk out of a bottle or a cup (we’ve got the plastic handled sippy-cup that the health visitor gives as a first cup). Maybe this is because he wasn’t hungry/thirsty enough; maybe it’s because he doesn’t know how; maybe it’s because he only wants warm human flesh. Anyway I’m worried that this could become a problem–especially after all my frantic pumping of milk!–so if anyone has dealt with this problem, I would love any and all advice.

Tomorrow, I’ll actually do some blogging about being a writer rather than being a mommy. Including (in case you missed it) the fact that The Sun is giving away copies of my book SPIRIT WILLING, FLESH WEAK on Saturday!!!

May 20, 2007

work crows

I go back to work tomorrow.

And I thought I had crows of doubt about writing.

I have an excellent childminder, quite a well-adjusted baby, and a job I’m good at and can step back into without overwhelming worry or effort.

Please, please, please let me sleep tonight.