Archive for the ‘All Work and No Play’ Category
June 20, 2008 | All Work and No Play, contests
Box up your hats everyone and brush the sand from all your delicate places, we have a winner!
Ellen, she of the frog hat, has won a signed copy of All Work and No Play…
Ellen, email me using the contact button on right with your address and I’ll pop it in the post.
Tags: contests
June 19, 2008 | All Work and No Play, contests
So welcome to Day Two of my party!
In her comment below, Nicola Marsh painted such a lovely picture of working on a beach with gorgeous cabana boys offering massages, that I decided to move the whole blog party to a beach today. We can stretch out on the sand, take a dip in the warm sea, and drink cocktails a-plenty.
Then I found out that it’s Lady Day at Ascot today. And while I’ve never been to Ascot races, I used to work in Ascot and I love looking at the hats. Look at this one, for example. It totally makes you look like you have awesome alien antennae!!
So I’ve decided that today, we’re partying on a beach, wearing couture hats. You gotta shade your face from the sun, after all, right?
Put on your hat, grab a cocktail of your choice (I’m beginning with a bucket of margaritas) and enjoy!
Today my signed book giveaway is a copy of my Mills & Boon Modern Heat romance, All Work and No Play…
This story, about mistaken identity and hot sex with a male model, was published in North America in April, hitting the Waldenbooks bestseller list as Mistress in Private.
It’s not wholly inappropriate that the name of the book was changed, because the hero of the book sometimes goes under a pseudonym himself. As a computer geek and all-round nice guy, he’s known as Jonny Cole. As a stunningly gorgeous, sexy, alpha male model, he’s known as Jay Richard. And lucky Jane Miller, the heroine, gets to know both of these men…though at first, she doesn’t know they’re one and the same.
To win a signed copy, and to join in the party, leave a comment telling me what would you call yourself, if you got the chance to change your name?
Or just describe your hat and what you’re doing with it on the beach…
Tags: All Work and No Play, blog party, contests, Mistress in Private
June 8, 2008 | All Work and No Play
Kate tagged me, and then untagged me because of my grandmother, but I can’t think of a better way to get back to business as usual than doing as I am told. Therefore, six random facts about me:
1. I am getting my website redesigned and it is so exciting! It’s going to be very light and airy, though still green and orange.
2. I spilled a glass of water on my keyboard and now it won’t type n, unless you type m, when it types mnmnmnmnnnmmnnnnnnn. So I am using my Alphasmart Dana as a keyboard. I guess I need to get a new keyboard.
3. I have never owned a PC, only Macs. Anna thinks I am a Mac fascist but I’m not, I just like them because they are cute and sweet.
4. Of my four best friends in high school, three of us live abroad (England, Bolivia and Hong Kong) and three of us are writers (two romance writers and a journalist).
5. I bought a pair of red sandals yesterday, to replace the pair of red sandals I wore a hole in.
6. I have an absolute passion for Diet Coke. I had to give it (and all caffeine) up for ages, for health reasons and then because of the Fecklet, but I now ration myself to one or two a week. I don’t like regular Coke, or Diet Pepsi: just Diet Coke, plain or with lemon or cherry flavour. I get all excited when I get one, like a kid with a giant candy bar.
I tag…YOU! If you haven’t done this lately, go ahead, and leave a comment below so I can check you out.
By the way…is everyone seeing my blog all squashed up and weird like I am?
April 29, 2008 | All Work and No Play, about me
I’ve sort of finished my first draft. And tomorrow morning I’m flying to the US to see a family member who is ill.
I’ll be back next week–see you then.
Meanwhile, here is a link to really excellent review of Mistress In Private (aka All Work and No Play…) in French. It’s out there next month as Une Passione Anglaise.
Thanks to Callixta and to Marnie!
April 24, 2008 | All Work and No Play
Oh and the thing I wanted to say while I was locked out of my website…?
Mistress in Private has been in the Waldenbooks top ten bestselling series romance novels for the past two weeks.
Yippee!!
March 14, 2008 | All Work and No Play, free book
Hey, to celebrate the launch of Harlequin Presents Extra, today the good people at Harlequin are giving away 20 free copies of book number one in the series, which, er, happens to be mine!
All you have to do is visit I (Heart) Presents, at http://www.iheartpresents.com/, and send them an email saying why you should get an advance copy of the book. And if you are one of the first twenty people to respond, you’ll get a copy of Mistress in Private, which is out in the US next month.
How extremely cool is that? I didn’t even notice the little number 1 on the cover until I saw the contest.
I’m sorry, my European and antipodean friends, this contest is only open to residents of North America.
March 11, 2008 | All Work and No Play
This is actually very cool…you can browse the first chapter of my book online, and though it’s not out in the USA until next month, it’s already for sale on eHarlequin.
February 13, 2008 | All Work and No Play
I was Googling around for my book titles (as you do, especially when you should be writing) and I came up with this interesting blog, written by a male writer who enjoys a bit of erotica. According to his post, he has spent years mocking Mills & Boon novels, without ever having read one himself. Finally, one of his friends challenged him to read one. It happened, by chance, to be my novel, All Work and No Play…
He says:
You can imagine that my spirit rebelled at this. For a man to read Mills & Boon … well, it’s just not done, is it? It’s certainly not the sort of thing you’d admit to the chaps down at the rugby club.
But he did read it. And what’s more, before he read it, he examined his own expectations. And after he read it, he re-examined them. He concludes, in part:
All that this book demands of its reader is that the eyes scan the words and absorb them for a few moments, and that the hands keep turning the pages. I read it in the bath and in my bed and I have to admit that it was a relaxing read. It carried me along as easily as the wind carries a kite (though with less of an unfortunate effect on the hair). And at the end, when true love comes to fruition, when it becomes – for however short a time – “happy ever after”, there’s a certain sense of satisfaction.
It doesn’t shake our world. It doesn’t make us contemplate the meaning of life (let alone of the universe or everything). It doesn’t throw new light on our existence and make us see things through fresh eyes. But there’s more to life, surely, than philosophy and the search for meaning?
The friend who challenged me says she reads these books as an escape, a chance to leave the world and all its troubles behind for a while, to relax and unwind. She can lose herself in the flow of the tale, however briefly, and in that sense they are definitely good books. They ease her spirit and make life that little bit easier.
I have to say that, on the basis of this one book, the genre succeeds in meeting that basic need.
I don’t wholly agree with everything he said–if you read the comments to the post you’ll see I mention quite how much thought and effort has to go into creating a book that is apparently “unchallenging”. I also think that romances actually require emotional identification and investment from the reader–the reader has to be an imaginary participant in the relationship, rather than the passive consumer that Ro describes. The reader enjoys this emotional charge, as well as the relaxation. Ro isn’t a romance reader in general, so maybe he’s not looking for this effect from the books he reads.
But I was impressed that this reader took the time to read and think about the genre before expressing his opinions. Those of us who read and write romance know far too well that many, many people don’t.
Anyway, have a read of the whole post. What do you think?
June 30, 2007 | All Work and No Play, reviews
Just got an awesome review for All Work and No Play… from Fallen Angel Reviews. Five stars, recommended read, and the verdict Wow! Ms. Cohen is a delight to read. Her characters are realistic and funny and fantastic to get to know.
June 21, 2007 | All Work and No Play, friends
I’m helping Kate Walker celebrate her 50th book by joining the party on her blog.
Visit to congratulate Kate, read her excellent guest blogs and for a chance to win lots of goodies (including my All Work and No Play…)!
June 20, 2007 | All Work and No Play, reviews
I’ve had two new reviews for All Work and No Play…
The first is 4.5 stars from Cataromance and I’m going to post the whole thing because I love how it describes my book:
Julie Cohen is back with a brand new Modern Romance Extra that blends the style and sassiness of chick lit with the intensity and drama of romance. Fast-paced, sophisticated and sizzling, All Work and No Play… is another fabulous page turner by romantic fiction’s fastest-rising star!
Five days ago, Jane Miller had it all – a fantastic job, a gorgeous fiancé and great shoes. However, when her fiancé announces that he’s leaving her for a waitress (who sports the most hideous pair of shoes Jane has ever clapped eyes on!), Jane decides to throw herself completely into her work and to forget about men, marriage and commitment. Luckily, she has her old friend Jonny, a self-confessed computer geek, who is always on hand with his witty e-mails and cheerful instant messages to cheer her up and even though she hasn’t clapped eyes on Jonny since she was a child, she feels as if she’s the only friend she’s got in a world which seems to have turned against her.
But things soon begin to look up for Jane when her job demands that she has to look after the most gorgeous male model in the world – Jay is tall, blue-eyed and sexy as hell! Good girl Jane finds herself embracing her wild side as she finds herself having sex with Jay a few hours after meeting him. However, Jane is in for a massive shock when Jay tells her that he is in fact her good friend Jonny and that he is madly in love with her!
What is Jane going to do? Is she going to return to being the good girl? Or will she throw caution to the wind and embrace her inner vixen?
All Work and No Play… is the summer’s hottest romance! Julie Cohen never disappoints and her latest scintillating tale is so sexy that it should be read next to an air conditioner with a tall glass of iced water to keep you cool.
Vibrant, sassy and wonderfully feel-good, if you haven’t Julie Cohen – what are you waiting for?
I also got 4 cups from Coffee Time Romance, and this nifty button: 
All Work and No Play… is still in shops for another week! Go, run, go get it, fast!! 
May 23, 2007 | All Work and No Play, contests, reviews, six-word novel
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!!!)
