Kreativ Blogger Award

Thank you to the lovely Cari Quinn, for this fun award! I need to share seven fun facts about myself and pass the award on to seven other bloggers. Of course my mind is a blank! I blame the weather. It's been so hot over the last few days it's like sitting in an oven in my office... even now, 11 at night, it's like a sauna!

OK here we go.

1. I'm allergic to perfume, scented body cream and prawns. I'm especially peeved about the prawns, since I was perfectly ok with them up until last Christmas when for some reason I started to swell up like a balloon!!

2. The best finale of a fave series was Battlestar Galactica. I know some people hated it but they are wrong, wrong wrong! It totally rocked. I loved it soooo much. Does this count as a fact about myself? I'm not sure, but since I'm still obsessed by the series I'm sticking with it.

3. While going through security at Singapore airport, my shoes set off the alarms. We didn't figure out the culprit was my shoes straight away *sigh*

4. I am still slightly obsessed with Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf. I bet that one's a big surprise!!

5. My first crush was on Les Mckeown from the Bay City Rollers. Bye, Bye, Baby!!!

6. The very first thing I noticed about my husband-to-be (from across the crowded room - ok it wasn't that crowded but it definitely was a room!) were his fabulous blue eyes. Even now I have to fight the urge to give every single one of my heroes amazing blue eyes.

7. I can no longer drink alcohol. I discovered two years ago even a couple of sips made me grumpy and sent me off to sleep, which is pretty annoying as I really love the taste of bacardi and coke. So now I'm a Chardonnay girl through and through! (yeah I'm fussy on the wine front too!!)

I pass this beautiful award on to:

Amanda Ashby

Sara Hantz

Eleni Konstantine

Mel Teshco

Suzanne Brandyn

Nell Dixon

April Vine

New Books!

Several friends had books released during this last week, so I'm giving a shout out to them here!

Enjoy!

Animal Instincts by Nell Dixon


Down-to-earth Clodagh Martin is very fond of her glamorous actress step-sister, Imogen - in small doses. So when Imogen turns up on her doorstep drunk and clutching a bottle of champage and announces that she's come to stay, Clodagh isn't exactly thrilled. It's not a great time. The animal sanctuary she runs is stony broke and the animals; a foul-mouthed parrot, two gay donkeys and a goat, aren't enough to attract the hoardes.It's not a great time for Imogen either. Let's face it, staying at Rainbow's End animal sanctuary wouldn't exactly be her first choice. Unfortunately, a combination of debt and a humiliating public scandal involving a live TV show and too much booze, has left Imogen with very little choice but to throw herself on Clodagh's mercy until things blow over.But actually, this could be a heaven-sent opportunity to get both her career and the sanctuary back on track. What could possibly go wrong?

Date Published - Thursday, March 05, 2009 Little Black Dress

Nell's Website


Leticia's Lovers by Shelley Munro

Order at: Ellora’s Cave (eBook)


Middlemarch Mates, Book Seven.

Lion shifter Leticia Huntingdon has FIV, the feline version of AIDS. For months she’s been in remission, treated by Gavin Finley, the Middlemarch feline doctor. Now the disease has returned. Her feelings for Gavin can’t go anywhere because of the FIV, so it shouldn’t hurt when Gavin turns to Charlie, the new male cop.

Gavin can’t believe how good sex is with Charlie, can’t believe he’s found a mate.

The loving is amazing and hot, but Gavin can’t forget Leticia. He wants her in his life. He wants Charlie too. Confusion and jealousy create torrid undercurrents for the trio.

Charlie McKenzie falls for Gavin quickly and can’t understand why he’s attracted to Leticia. A nightmare changes everything, drawing the three together and bringing new possibilities. A ménage a trois. Raw need and passion brings them closer. If only the disease threatening Leticia’s life didn’t loom on the horizon…

Release Date: Feb 27, 2009

Shelley's Website

Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she's the best—but she doesn't know if she's good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear—failure is not an option...even if the task is impossible. Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad. The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other…and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn't destroy her, succumbing to Raphael's seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break…

Nalini's Website

ANGELS' BLOOD BERKLEY BOOKS March 2009

Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby

Quiet, unpopular, non-cheerleading Mia is blissfully happy. Rob-super hot football god-has asked her to prom! Life couldn’t get any better. Enter Samantha -cheerleader queen and Miss Popularity-who has made it quite clear that Rob should be her prom date. Mia is desperate to make sure she doesn’t end up dumped in front of the whole school. So with prom in just a few days, she turns to Candice-her holistic, hypochondriac best friend-and decides to try a love spell to make Rob stay with her. Unfortunately, she ends up inflicting a zombie virus on her whole class instead, and she is their zombie leader! At first she loves all the attention. But when she learns from zombie hunter hottie Chase that her classmates will actually try to eat her in a few days, she’s not too thrilled. She’s sure she and Chase can figure something out, but in the meantime, she’s suggesting that no one wear white to prom, because things could get very messy.

5th March 2009 (Puffin)

Amanda's Website

Don't forget to pop back to catch Amanda's interview here on Friday!

Blue Remembered Heels - Nell Dixon

Please welcome my special guest this week, award winning author Nell Dixon, who is here chatting about her new release, Blue Remembered Heels, published by Little Black Dress. Book link - Book Depository

Nell, please tell us a little about yourself.

I was born and continue to live in a small area of the UK known as the Black Country. Happily married to the same man for over twenty years, we have three beautiful daughters, a tank of tropical fish and a cactus called Spike. During the day I work for a disabilities charity in my local community.

In my spare time I enjoy travelling with my family in our touring caravan and exploring the countryside. I have a passion for cathedral architecture and historic buildings. I also enjoy walking, gardening and art.

Ever since I can remember I’ve loved stories and books, both reading and writing them. My first poem was published by a local paper when I was thirteen, since then I’ve had several poems published and was first runner up a few years ago in a national short story competition. I’ve also had several articles published in professional journals.

Writing romance remains my first love and I write the kinds of stories that I love to read. My publishers to date include: Little Black Dress, Samhain Publishing, Moonlit Romance, By Grace, D C Thompson, and Linden Romance. I am also proud to say that I was the winner of the RNA’s Romance Prize 2007 with my book Marrying Max.

Can you tell us a little about your book, Blue Remembered Heels?

Blue Remembered Heels is about a family of con artists, Charlie, the older sister, Abbey, the heroine, and Kip their younger brother. Their mother disappeared without trace when they were small and they make their living by scamming people. Then Abbey gets hit by lightning and can’t tell lies any more. A bit of a snag in her career especially when there’s a very hunky detective hot on her trail. It gets even more complicated when she starts to suffer other side effects from the lightning strike – flashbacks to her mother’s disappearance – and then their latest scam victim decides he wants his money back and he’s not asking nicely.

How did the idea for the plot come about?

The idea for the book came about after I read a newspaper article about someone who was hit by lightning and as he recovered he began to speak fluent French - a language he's never learned. The more I looked into the after effects of lightning strikes the more interesting it became. So Abbey was born, a conwoman who made her living by telling lies who suddenly could only tell the truth. In the book the lightning has one other unforseen effect too but I don't want to spoil the plot!

I love sale stories (ok I am just nosy!!) so can you tell us about your road to publication - and your call story?

I was so excited when I heard about Little Black Dress. The books sounded like just the kind of stories that I loved to read and write. Fast paced with humour, quirky situations and full of life, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. I read quite a few and I knew I had some great story ideas in my files that I thought would be perfect for my kind of writing. I went to the Romantic Novelist’s association conference shortly after I’d started writing Blue Remembered Heels and Cat Cobain, the editor for the line was taking pitches. I pitched my book even though it wasn't finished and she asked for a partial and told me to email it straight to her. A few weeks later she emailed me and asked to see the rest – I’d only completed ten chapters so I asked if she wanted to wait till it was finished or if she wanted to see the rough draft of what I’d got so far. She asked for the rough draft. I sent it on the Monday and she offered me a two book contract on the Friday based on the partial – wow! My second book is called Animal Instincts and will be out in March.

We are all about the love here, so please share your fave books, movies, TV shows or current fantasy squeeze (it's all in the line of research!)

Oh, this is so hard! I really don't watch many films or much TV.My all time favourite film that I can watch over and over again is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - I love that film. I have dozens of favourite books, Pride and Prejudice of course, The House on the Strand by Daphne DuMaurier, Welcome to Temptation by Jenny Crusie, The Hound of Death by Agatha Christie and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Favourite fantasy squeeze is Bryan Adams, the Canadian singer.

What are you working on now?

At the moment I'm working on two books, One is called Crystal Clear and is about Crystal Therapy, fate and a heroine who thinks she knows what she wants from life but suddenly finds she may have everything all wrong.
My other project is a really challenging story that I've been wanting to write for a while and follows four different women.

How can readers keep up with your writing and books?

Visit my website or my blog or look for me on Face book or My Space.