UNBOUND with April Vine

When my first novella was published a few years ago, I met up with a wonderful group of authors who all debuted round about the same time as I did. I'm absolutely delighted to showcase one of those lovely ladies on my blog today, as she celebrates the release of her debut novella from Ellora's Cave.

And what's more, today is also her birthday! Happy Birthday, April!!! And congratulations on the release of UNBOUND!! I've just read this book and it's a real scorcher :-)

Here is April's bio in her own words...

 April Vine writes erotic romance by night and is a professional dreamer by day. She has two precious sons who keep her sharp and one very tolerant husband who chivalrously and bravely defends her honour daily.

UNBOUND BY APRIL VINE

BLURB:

Staid and straitlaced Michelle Stein has two thoughts fueling her mind…

1. Floor the first man to walk into her antique shop.

2. Throttle her three witch-practicing aunts.

They promised her a tiny spell to fix her ridiculous inhibitions, but instead mischievously delivered a full-blown, sanity-squashing lust spell. The temporary curse apparently has no boundaries either…since the first man who walks through her door is the same man who broke her heart ten years ago. Despite Michelle’s vociferous resistance, Sebastian becomes the only man who can appease her unending physical hunger.

Thirty, heirless and restless, Sebastian Gray is drawn back home to Cape Town to claim the only girl he ever loved. What he finds in her place is a hotly bewitched erotic seductress. Now with the reparation spell her aunts cast gone awry, Sebastian might be on the losing end of a futile battle against a strength-ascending hex, no matter how hard he tries to keep Michelle satiated, alive…or even just human.

Excerpt 

Chapter One

Michelle leaped from the floral-embossed Victorian chair, gripped the edge of the walnut desk and dropped her chin to her chest. Labored breaths somersaulted from her mouth. Her heart beat with swift speed. Her skin screamed under a raging fire.

She was having an attack.

Not a panic attack.

A sex attack.

Oh how she vowed to strangle her aunts, wring their collective witches’ necks and put them on a diet of cabbage for as long as they lived. She thought they’d agreed with her terms and stipulations.

Obviously not, since they’d turned her into a raging sex fiend who without any hesitation would attack the first man who walked through the door of her antiquities shop. Not by her own doing, because how could she, twenty-six-year-old, staid, even-headed and collected Michelle Stein, sign up for such reckless sexual abandonment? Not ever.

She resisted the urge to squeeze her scorching nipples and the temptation to bunch up her cotton panties and pull them taut against her clit. She couldn’t give in. Not while her door remained opened for business.

She wobbled out of her office to the entrance of the store. Pressing her legs together, she chewed her lip in agony as the slightest movement ricocheted spasms of pleasure through her body. Her eyes fixed on the gold-plated sign hanging on the inside of the glass door meters away from her. Her mission to flip it around and keep out any possible victims until the crazy her aunts bestowed upon her evaporated.

Too late.

The door swung open. Eighteenth-century chimes hanging from the paneled ceiling danced in the afternoon breeze. Their former melodious jingle a sex-alert siren in her ear now.

She zeroed in on a musky scent mingled with the clean, self-assured aroma of pure red-blooded male. Her senses hummed. She licked her lips then swerved to a dead halt.

Bedeviled with the worst kind of heat known to any man, woman or animal for that matter, and who chose to walk into her ordinarily sedate but presently doggoned world?

Sebastian Gray.

He who broke her heart in two.

“Glitterbug.” His gravel-and-silk voice spiked and inebriated her nerves. She tore her gaze away from his killer smile and stared into his wicked green-tinged blue eyes, which teased her the same way they did ten years ago.

Only one thought shot through her mind.

Oh dear, I’m going to molest Sebastian Gray.

WEB DETAILS:

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Available from Ellora’s Cave:

Available from Amazon:

Proud Grandma Alert!

I've been a bit distracted lately and for a very good reason - I'm thrilled to show off my darling little grandson, Vincent Alexander, who was born on 14th April! He is completely adorable and I could cuddle him all day!

Vincent enjoying his first bath at home with my daughter and her partner- six month old Theo found the proceedings fascinating!!

So it's now official - I am an erotic writing Grandma!!

New Christina Ashcroft Website is now Live

I've been building a new website for Christina Ashcroft over the last month or so, and having great fun with it (fun being relative, if you call pulling out your hair and screaming at the computer fun!!!) My clever (and very patient) husband sorted out the last few hiccups this afternoon and I'm very happy to unveil the new Christina Ashcroft website!

I'd love to know what you think of it!

And yes, since I obviously delight in torturing myself the next project on my To-Do list is rebuilding my Christina Phillips website! Watch this space...

Friday 13th - Download some Dark Demon Lovin'!

It's Friday 13th! What better day to have a little promo for my Touch of the Demon novella? The hero is a bad ass dark angel, the heroine a reluctant assassin and when their paths cross the lust that sizzles between them quickly escalates into a full blown firestorm of passion!

Review:

"Rafe is hot,passionate and deadly. He's on a mission to destroy a woman of mixed celestial parentage because her descendants will create havoc. What he doesn't expect is to fall in love with Celeste. Phillips writes the most erotic love scenes I have read. What I especially love is her dialogue. The feistiness of the heroine matches her hero, leaving the reader really wanting them to get together, but how they will do that is elusive right until the end."  5 Stars.  Cathleen Ross, award winning author

Touch of the Demon is available from Smashwords and Amazon for only $0.99. A perfect coffee break read!

Sophie's Mixed-Up Magic Goodreads Giveaway

My good friend and CP, Penguin author Amanda Ashby, is holding a Goodreads giveaway this month for the first book in her new MG series, Sophie's Mixed-Up Magic: Wishful Thinking out next month! Lucky me as I've read the three books and they are all sorts of awesome and the covers are so true to the books it's uncanny!

So here's the skinny culled direct from Amanda's blog - just hop on over and enter to be in with a chance to win!

My very last arc of Sophie’s Mixed-Up Magic: Wishful Thinking is up for grabs over on Goodreads. Well, go on, off you go and enter!!!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Wishful Thinking

by Amanda Ashby

Giveaway ends April 30, 2012.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Cover Stories with Forbidden

If you've ever wondered what goes on behind-the-scenes between the author, agent, editor and marketing when it comes to creating that perfect cover, then pop on over to the Barnes & Noble Community where the lovely Melissa Walker has featured the Cover Story of my debut novel, Forbidden.

Reading through the post again it's brought back all the excitement of that amazing week, and the absolute thrill I experienced when I finally saw the finished cover for the very first time. Even two years later I haven't got tired of looking at Maximus in his Roman regalia and Carys in her gorgeous gown!

He was a master of seduction - but no match for the magical allure of the woman he wanted most...

"Set in the time of the Roman Empire, Phillips' wonderful story of the romance between a Roman soldier and a Celt is more than entertaining"

 

Romantic Times BOOK Reviews, 4 Stars

"I dare you to put down Forbidden until you reach the last page. Compelling, passionate and fascinating."

 

Anna Campbell, Award Winning Author

An Author's Life... Double Trouble

Today I'm over at fellow Berkley author Kylie Griffin's blog where she grills me on An Author's Life. Actually both Christina Phillips and Christina Ashcroft were invited which was pretty cool! If you want to find out the down and dirty on my double life then pop on over and say hi!

A Year of Firsts

Today I'm over at Tote Bags 'n' Blogs chatting about my exciting rollercoaster Year of Firsts. Pop over and join me and share your memorable "first" - or a fave story about a kitty or canine! Yes I couldn't resist, there's an adorable photo of kitty Theo up there, when he was just a couple of days old!

Touch of the Demon - Rises from the Ashes!

I've dipped my toe in the self-publishing pool, and have released my dark erotic futuristic/fantasy Touch of the Demon through Smashwords (I'll also be uploading to Amazon Kindle very soon). It's been an eye-opening experience reformatting the book for e-publication and I'm sure I would never have made it without the help of the amazing, award winning author Cathleen Ross who cyber held my hand throughout the whole Smashwords Meatgrinder process!

Touch of the Demon is the first in my upcoming Sensual Seduction Series of erotic shorts that I intend to self-publish and is just $0.99. Check out the new trailer below!

This 10k word short story was first published in 2009 with The Wild Rose Press.

Dark angel Rafe travels back in time to destroy the woman who is fated to bring untold chaos to the cosmos. Instead he finds Celeste, a child of the Earth Goddess, who is sworn to protect the one Rafe seeks. He mistakes her for his quarry, but an irresistible attraction prevents him from taking her soul. And although Celeste holds the one weapon capable of banishing Rafe from Earth forever, she's unable to deny the overwhelming desire to possess this creature from hell. They come together in a frenzy of passion, each believing they are changing destiny by their actions. But when the Earth Goddess appears they discover her plans are more far reaching than either had  imagined.

Party Time!

Join me today over at The Romance Reviews where there's a chance to win a copy of Captive - and  heaps of other mega cool prizes are also up for grabs! Before you play the game you need to be registered and logged into TRR - it's free and easy so hope to see you there!

March Madness

It's been a crazy month so far. I finished my second Archangel book and sent the proposal to my agent (who loved it - yay!) So now we wait and see what the verdict is from my editor on that one. Since then I've been madly polishing and editing my Highland Warrior. I have no idea why but this book came in at 105k so I've been slashing and burning to bring it down to a more manageable word count. Am slowly getting there!

On Wednesday I'm over at The Romance Reviews to help celebrate their first birthday anniversary. And there's a giveaway of Captive up for grabs! Just answer a simple question (the answer is found on my Christina Phillips website) and you're in with a chance. I'll put more details up tomorrow as the link for my Q&A doesn't go live until Wednesday.

And on Saturday 17th March I'm over at Totebags chatting about all sorts of new beginnings - will post more details later in the week!

ARCHANGEL OF MERCY - Cover Love!

I'm thrilled to show off the cover of my next release with Berkley Heat - Archangel of Mercy. The more I look at this cover, the more in awe I am of the art department. They took into account just about every request I suggested - including having both Gabriel and Aurora on the front in a romantic-but-with-a-touch-of-possessiveness pose, the blond hero and the forest background. Even the wings are perfect and in the larger version the individual feathers are awesome. My editor and I discussed whether or not wings should be on the cover, because in the book Gabriel's were destroyed millennia ago. However, we both decided a mystical hint of what he'd once possessed would be good. I'm also in love with the gorgeous little wings in the title! And OMG. His face!!! If you can enlarge the cover and zoom into his face let me know what you think, because I reckon he is to die for!!!

Friday Feast - Bottoms Up!

Today I'm a guest over at my good friend Cathryn Hein's blog where I'm talking about one of my favourite things - wine!!! Well actually I'm chatting more about the beautiful Margaret River wine region and cheeky kookaburras and there's a chance to win a special goodie just for leaving a comment on my post. I also share some shocking tidbits I picked up while researching for my Roman/Druid romances!!

Cathryn writes the most gorgeous Aussie rural romances for Penguin Australia, and I was captivated by her debut, Promises. I'm so looking forward to reading her upcoming release, Heart of the Valley!

Hope to see you over at Cathryn's so we can party. It's Friday, after all!!!

One of our stops on our wine tour of the beautiful Margaret River region in Western Australia

Sunday Swag

The lovely ladies over at Riverina Romantics are having a Sunday Swag giveaway today. Just hop over and leave a comment for the chance to win a gorgeous Forbidden/Captive bookmark! How easy is that!

Cover Art & Goals Update

I had a wonderful surprise in my inbox yesterday - a sneak preview of the cover for Archangel of Mercy! Berkley Art have excelled themselves once again. The cover is romantic, sexy and mystical - absolutely gorgeous and incorporates all the elements I suggested to my editor last year. I can't wait until I can show it off!

As it's now February I thought I'd better give an update on how my goals are coming along. I'm very happy that I managed to finish and send off the revisions the day before deadline and polished and edited my Highland Warrior book. I'm now back writing book two of my Archangels but my hero and heroine aren't cooperating. Obviously they're not impressed that I left them dangling for two months!

A Naughty Little Bite of Forbidden

Today I'm over at the Dark Side DownUnder blog giving a naughty little bite of Forbidden for your reading pleasure!! I love this snippet as it shows how both Maximus and Carys are used to being in control of a situation, and how, despite this tough Roman's belief, it is actually Carys who's keeping them safe during their illicit encounter.

He was a master of seduction - but no match for the magical allure of the woman he wanted most...

Congratulations Kylie Griffin!

A big congratulations to my good friend, Kylie Griffin, on the release of her debut novel from Berkley Sensation today! Kylie is having a party over at her blog if you want to pop on over and join in the fun!

VENGEANCE BORN: A Novel of the Light Blade
There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not pure bred is virtually powerless. Until an unlikely champion is born…

Annika, half-blood daughter of the Na’Reish King, longs for more than her tormented life among her father’s people. Conceived in hatred and bred as a tool of retribution, she’s gifted with a special talent that can heal as well as destroy.

With the Na’Reish vastly outnumbering them, Kalan, a Light Blade warrior, knows the future of humankind depends on him alone. Incursions into human territory and raids for blood-slaves by the Na’Reish Horde have increased. As Chosen-leader, he faces the task of stopping the demons—and convincing the Council of aging Light Blade warriors that change is necessary for survival.

When Annika learns Kalan is a prisoner in her father’s dungeon, her dream of escape seems within reach. She agrees to free him in exchange for his protection once they reach human territory. Now, marked for death for helping him, Annika must learn to trust Kalan as they face not only the perilous journey to the border but enemies within the Council—and discover a shocking truth that could throw the human race into civil war…

Lightning Strikes

In case you thought I'd fallen off the edge of the planet... it certainly felt like it to me! Two weeks ago in the early hours of the morning we were hit by the worst storm I can ever remember. At one point the thunder was so terrific it sounded as if our roof had exploded. The back garden flooded and we later discovered our laptops and air con were fried. This during the hottest heat wave for something like 40 years!!! I'm talking temps hitting the high 90s (that's about 40 degrees I think!) And that lasted for a good 10 days without respite.

We're still without internet access, so thank goodness for whoever invented the dongle! (although who makes up these names?!)

The only good news was just the previous weekend I'd done a massive back up of all my photos and docs (actually that's a bit of a lie, my husband very cleverly managed to save the lot to a stick. I seriously believe he has the gift!) Unfortunately it did wipe off my website program and I'm still struggling to get that back online. So please accept my apologies for the outdated info on the home page of Christina Phillips (I haven't attempted the Christina Ashcroft one yet!). For some reason, although I've managed to reinstall everything on my new laptop, my updates aren't uploading to the server. If any wonderfully techie minded person has an idea why that might be please let me know!!!

Welcome to Christina Ashcroft!

I'm very excited to share some news on the writing front. As well as my historical romances published as Christina Phillips, I'm also now writing hot paranormal romance for Berkley Heat under the pen name Christina Ashcroft. The first of my Fallen Archangel books, Archangel of Mercy, is scheduled for release in December 2012. This is the sizzling story of Gabriel and I'm in the middle of revisions for this book at the moment.

My new website is here.

I've added the blurb below - I hope you enjoy!

Between an angel and a desperate woman comes salvation-
and a raw passion that challenges them at every turn...

When Aurora Robinson attempts to open a rift between dimensions to embrace her true heritage, an arrogant Archangel is the only one who can save her from the jaws of hell. And while she owes Gabriel her life, she's determined not to fall at his feet-despite the desire she feels whenever they're together.

After his wings were brutally destroyed millennia ago, Gabriel has no compassion for humans like those who ruined him and betrayed the ones he loved. But when he inexplicably finds himself defying ancient protocols to rescue a woman from a fate worse than death, he is shocked by the searing attraction he feels for a mortal.

As the ancient forces that seek to punish Aurora for her actions close in, Gabriel offers the tempting woman protection at his private sanctuary. But as they both succumb to their desires, they discover an even deeper connection-one that threatens to consume them.

Cover Art Magic

I always love reading about what goes on behind the scenes at publishing, and one of my favourite things is learning about the cover art process. The fantastic ladies over at Riverina Romantics have just interviewed the awesome Tony Mauro, the cover artist for Captive (which won the Romance Writers of Australia's 20 Years of Romance Covers for best Historical last year). Tony has done everything from posters for the movie Pirates of the Caribbean to Stephen King's novel Under the Dome and also has a stunning calendar out!

DarkSiders Reading Challenge 2012

Hope everyone had a very merry New Year and didn't feel too dreadful the morning after the night before!!!

Eleni Konstantine, the star behind the Dark Side DownUnder blog, has come up with a brilliant reading challenge for 2012. If you enjoy reading paranormal, fantasy, UF and/or steampunk romances then you might find some fantastic new books to add to your wish lists from the Dark Side DownUnder authors.

There are three levels to the challenge:

Light Side Challenge - 6 books

DarkSider Challenge - 12 books

Down Under Challenge - 24 books

I'm putting my name down for the 12 book challenge - any more takers? You can find a list of the DSDU authors here!

Happy New Year!

It hardly seems possible but yet another year has flown by! I'm looking forward to 2012 and although I don't make resolutions I do like to reassess where I am and what I hope to achieve in the coming twelve months. So, urged on by fabulous Carina Press author Rachael Johns, I'm making a list of my goals. The reasoning behind this is if they're out there, then I'm accountable!

So here we go:

Finish the revisions on the first book in my new Berkley series (I have an end of January deadline for this one)

Edit and polish my Highland Warrior book

Finish writing book 2 in my new series (I have about 25k left to go on this one)

Finish writing book 3 in the Forbidden series (I've only written 30k on this one, so have a long way to go!!)

Either - start the second book in my Highland Warrior series ~or~ start book 3 in my new series. 

Keep the mess on my desk under control. Not at ALL sure about this goal, sounds like an impossible ask! Because once I start on my desk it shows up how untidy my bookshelves are, which in turn makes me realise how cluttered the entire floor is as well!!!

Now for the dreams, because we all need to have our dreams!

Would love to make the Gold Coast conference in 2012 *keeping every available digit crossed* I couldn't make the conference this year, although it was huge fun texting with the gorgeous Alli Sinclair from Novel Adventurers on Awards Night!

Attend a weekend writers retreat with my awesome CPs, Amanda Ashby and Sara Hantz.. I'm not convinced we'd get a great deal of writing done but we'd certainly knock back a lot of bubbly and... brainstorm! (because that sounds more writerly than gossiping, heh heh)

What are your goals/resolutions and/or dreams for 2012?

New Look for the New Year

I know I'm a couple of weeks early for celebrating the arrival of 2012 but I thought I'd do a bit of spring cleaning on my blog (despite it being summer here in Oz and winter in my mind!) I'd had the old template for a while and thought it was time for a change.

And I'm so happy that two of my writer friends have releases this week! First of all congrats to fellow West Australian, Rachael Johns, whose debut romance from Carina Press, One Perfect Night is out now!

 
Here's the blurb!

Peppa Grant's fellow employees may call their new CEO Mr. McSexy, but she's also heard that he's aloof and distant. Cameron McCormac certainly seems cold toward Christmas when she meets him at the company's annual party...but he's also the sexiest man Peppa has ever seen. And when he offers to forgive the damage she accidentally caused to his expensive car in exchange for accompanying him to his family's holiday get-together, she agrees.

Cameron needs a date to the family party to get his matchmaking relatives off his back. Their chemistry is instant and undeniable, leading to an incredible one-night stand. But Peppa wants love and family, while Cameron's only interested in temporary pleasure. When their relationship takes an unexpectedly serious turn, will he run the other way—or will he give love a second chance?

And also big congrats to Kaye Manro who has a Medieval Christmas story out with Red Rose Publishing!

Here's the blurb!

A fortnight ago she left him.

Marcus of Windom stood alone in an empty castle without Lady Liana by his side. The frigid winds brought forth by the Yule Season pressed upon him. He pulled the parchment from whence he carried it and read her chilling parting words once again. I can no longer live as your lady-wife… If ever she returned would her sensual warmth be enough to melt the ice she had caused to form around his broken heart?

Deep in the Revision Cave

Things have been a tad frantic here over the last few weeks, and show no sign of letting up anytime soon - and I'm not complaining!!! It's all good and I hope to be able to share soon :-)

The revisions for my next book landed over the weekend and all I can say is my editor is a goddess. She pointed out things that had completely escaped me but which are vital to understanding the world. All I can put forward in my defense is that I've lived in this world, to a greater and lesser degree, for almost five years and what seemed clear to me in my head absolutely wasn't once it hit the screen. The revs are pretty intense and will keep me well and truly glued to the computer for the next month but I know they're going to make the book so much stronger. I'll be able to share more details about this book very soon, so stay tuned!!!

Behind the Scenes Insights & Giveaways!!

Today I'm over at Magical Musings with my good friend, historical author Michelle Diener. Michelle is another ex-pat Brit who lives in WA and when deadlines and school terms and the planets align we love meeting up for a lovely gossipy lunch!!

Michelle and I are discussing scenes from our books where our heroine first admits her deep attraction to her hero. I chose a scene from Captive and Michelle picked at scene from her paranormal short story, BREAKING OUT, which is included in the charity anthology, Entangled, for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. There are giveaways!! Love to see you over there!!

YES! Party on Now!

Don't forget to pop over to the Romance Reviews and join in the fabulous Year End Splash (YES) party! Today there's a copy of Forbidden up for grabs. All you have to do to enter the contest is answer a simple question - the answer can be found on my website the world of Forbidden (that was an extra clue right there!!)

Good luck!

A Kitty-fest of Cuteness

 Theo is two weeks old today, so I thought I'd share some new photos of him. Last Wednesday he started to open his eyes and by Friday they were fully open and he looked so adorable!

Here he is with mum Ava. She'd just washed him (again! Seriously, she is a very dedicated mama when it comes to cleanliness!) and was giving him a cuddle as he nodded off to sleep.

 Ava doing her top model pose and Theo doing his very best... ah... adorable pose!

I took a quick pic while Ava was prowling. I'd love to get a photo of Theo with his eyes wide open but I'm afraid of the flash damaging him! Paranoid grandma here or what, ha ha! He is truly distracting and I have to say my writing output has plummeted over the last couple of weeks. But then again I'm not on a deadline at the moment and he's growing so fast it would be a shame to miss anything!

Dark Siders First Birthday & Massive Halloween Bash!

An update on the fantastical Halloween party being held over on the Dark Side Downunder blog tomorrow! Here's the full list of fabulous giveaways on offer, taken directly from the blog (because it's awesome just the way it is!!!)

The DarkSiders have gathered and have got a

scarily amazing grand prize, followed by a couple of runner up prizes.

Spookily Fantastic Grand Prize....

• A copy of Rogue Gadda AND a t-shirt by Nicole Murphy
• A copy of Captive AND a bookmark by Christina Phillips 
• Either a print copy of The Goblin King or an e-copy from backlist by Shona Husk
• Love Bites Anthology volumes 2 AND 3 featuring Alexis Fleming
• How Do I Love Thee? edited by Valerie Parv (featuring Alexis Fleming)
• Emerald Ice by Alexis Fleming
• Scent of A Man (ebook) by Maree Anderson
• Vengeance Born tote bag from Kylie Griffin 
• A choice of one ebook by  Cathleen Ross
• A copy of the King Rolen's Kin Trilogy by Rowena Cory Daniells
• Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator AND South of Salem (ebooks) by Janni Nell
• Darkness Rising AND Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur
• Death’s Sweet Embrace by Tracey O’Hara
• Winged and Dangerous series (three ebooks) by Mel Teshco
• A Song and Fire and Ice calendar from Eleni Konstantine

Runner ups....

One

Heart & Craft includes chapters by Alexis Fleming and Kelly Ethan. 

The Crystal Warrior by Maree Anderson

Guilty as Sin by Denise Rossetti

Project Man by Alexis Fleming

A bookmark from Christina Phillips

Who's Your Daddy? anthology featuring Alexis Fleming

Two

Heart & Craft includes chapters by Alexis Fleming and Kelly Ethan

Poisoned Kiss AND Blood Cursed by Erica Hayes.

Passionate Peridot anthology featuring Alexis Fleming

A bookmark from Christina Phillips

Three Wishes (ebook) by Jenny Schwartz

What do you have to do to win?

Come along and comment during our blog bash during 

Monday October 31st, and answer the question.

Food for the Muse

I was talking about hero inspiration with my CP Amanda Ashby the other day, as my editor wanted ideas for the cover conference for my next book *cue much excitement my end!* I've always thought Henri Castelli was a great model for the hero of that book because of his absolutely mesmerizing eyes (OK the rest of him isn't half bad either!!) I've had a bit of a crush on Henri for a few years now (in between my long time crush on Clive Owen!) and totally blame the lovely Cari Quinn for introducing me to his gorgeousness! As it's been a while since I showcased the perfection that is Henri I thought I'd remedy that today, seeing as it's a public holiday here in WA due to the Queen being in Perth!

Sophie's Magical Covers!

My good friend and CP, Amanda Ashby, has just unveiled the covers for her upcoming MG series, Sophie's Mixed-Up Magic - and they totally rock!!! The model is exactly how we imagined Sophie looks and the little details on each cover, that tie in with each book, are just super cool.

The first two books, Wishful Thinking and Under a Spell are out in June 2012 and the third book, Out of Sight will be out a few months later.

And here is the unofficial blurb (culled directly from Amanda's blog!!)

The day before sixth grade Sophie Campbell accidentally gets turned into a djinn and then has to learn how to control her powers and hide it all from her mom (who is still super stressed since Sophie's dad walked out on them four years earlier). She also has to stop her new, recently-deceased djinn guide, Malik from ruining her life. Let's just say that chaos ensues!

Behind the Scenes of Creating a Cover

If you've ever wondered about the process that goes on behind the scenes to create a book cover, then hop on over to fellow Berkley author Kylie Griffin's blog. Not only is she showcasing the stunning new cover for the second book in her forthcoming Light Blade series, Alliance Forged, but she also has Part One of a fascinating interview with the artist who created both covers.

And here's the captivating lowdown on book 2!

(Book #2 in the Light Blade series)

Berkley Sensation

Release date JULY 2012

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not purebred is virtually powerless. Until a blind priestess lays claim to a half-breed warrior, body and soul…

Hunted and marked for death by Na’Reish demons for their half-blood heritage, the Na’Chi are searching for a new home—something an alliance offered by the human leader could provide. With both races divided by prejudice, when Light Blade rebels brutally attack the Na’Chi, the alliance seems doomed to fail.

Varian, leader of the Na’Chi, a hybrid race of gifted warriors, is cursed with the darker impulses of his demon heritage. Controlling the part of himself that craves the high of the battle is a struggle he’s afraid he’ll lose—until he meets Kymora Tayn, a priestess driven to serve her deity. While he’s unwilling to trust anyone outside his people, he finds himself drawn to Kymora’s strength and passionate nature, and discovers she has the power to calm the darkness inside him.

When the Na’Reish raid human territory for blood-slaves and kickstart a war, the key to the survival of both races—Na’Chi and human— is an alliance. However, when Kymora is kidnapped, pitting human against human, Varian realizes he must embrace his darker half, not only to save the alliance…but also the woman he loves.

Welcome to the world!

On Tuesday our gorgeous Ava gave birth to her kittens! There were some complications and we had to rush her to the vet's for an emergency Caeserean. Luckily they managed to save two of her four kittens, and here she is with her two little sons, Theodore and Bartimaeus.








Theodore is the darker one, and spends all his time either nursing or sleeping. Bartimaeus, on the other hand, spends half his time on his back waving his legs around and somehow manages to maneuver himself all over the box using this method! He also makes a lot of noise and I think he might well live up to his mischievous namesake!!!

Halloween Birthday Bash

The fabulous Dark Side Downunder blog is one year old on 31st October! And to celebrate we're having a Halloween party and birthday bash with giveaways! There's a grand prize plus prizes for two other lucky people.

Some of the giveaways on offer include:

Dark Angels books 1 and 2 by Keri Arthur

Scent of a Man by Maree Anderson

King Rolen's Kin trilogy by Rowena Cory Daniells

Rogue by Nicole Murphy


Captive by Christina Phillips

... and more!

Going to be heaps of fun - more details nearer the time!!

Super Amazon Sale on Forbidden & Captive

Just did a fly-by at Amazon and discovered that both Forbidden and Captive are on sale at bargain prices! Forbidden is only $2.53 or buy both books together for just $8.37. And the Kindle edition is only $2.40!

Yes! A Splash Party is on the Horizon!

It's hard to believe, but the end of 2011 is rapidly approaching. And to help with the celebrations The Romance Review is holding a mega party throughout the month of November. It's going to be huge and fabulous with lots of games and masses of prizes, including a copy of Forbidden up for grabs! So don't forget to mark your diaries (but don't worry I'll remind you nearer the time!!)

Hot Romans, Magical Druids & a Paranoid Emperor

Today I'm blogging over at Historical Hearts on What is an Ancient Historical Romance, Anyway? There's a little bit of background to the world that my Roman/Druid books are set in and I also explain how the Emperor Claudius's paranoia when it came to Druids dovetailed so beautifully with my plot for Forbidden!

Spot the Difference

I had to share this funny that I stumbled across this morning. It's on USA Today bestselling author Jo Goodman's site and concerns the cover for her book Kissing Comfort. She has the ARC cover and the final cover up on display and I challenge you to spot the difference between them! Look at the covers before you read the explanation underneath. Trust me, if you have a naughty sense of humour it's well worth your time!!!

Fab Interview with Jeannie Lin

Oops, I've been a very bad blogger again. In my defence I have been busy over at the Historical Hearts launch party. It was a terrific week and I'd like to thank everybody who took the time to pop over join in the fun! The list of winners will be going up on the HH blog later this week, so don't forget to pop back and have a look!

There's a really fascinating interview with historical author Jeannie Lin over on the Historical Hearts today. Jeannie writes historical romance for Harlequin set during the Tang Dynasty and she is generously offering a giveaway of her latest release The Dragon and the Pearl to one lucky commenter who answers her question.

Isn't this a gorgeous cover?

Party Time with the Historical Hearts!

Join me today over at the Historical Hearts blog as we continue our week long launch party! There are lots more gorgeous gifts to be won, including a copy of Captive (and I'll pop some extra goodies in the envelope too!) All you have to do is hop over to HH and leave a comment and you're in the draw!

And if you tell me who your fantasy warrior is (over at the HH blog) then you will make me very happy!!!

Blog Bite Guinea Pig

Today I'm over at the Romance Writers of Australia's blog where I'm in the Blog Bite hot seat! You can discover all sorts of odd things about me but mainly we're having a discussion of the 80s - what's your fave *anything* from that era? I'd love to know!

Friday LOLKitty

How cute is this kitty! Thanks again to Eleni for the gorgeous pic!!!

I now have the date when I'll be blogging over at Historical Hearts - Tuesday 13th September. There will be a giveaway so don't forget to pop over and say hi!

I'm also doing a 30k in 30 day challenge, organized by Carina Press author, Rachael Johns  We're being held accountable over at Twitter with the hashtag #30kinSept so that should be fun. My aim is to hit at least 60k on my current book - hopefully will be nearer 70k.

I'll let you know how that goes!

Gearing Up for the Historical Hearts Launch Party

Oh yes, doesn't the sight of the delicious Henry in Immortals warm the cockles of your heart? And now I have your attention with a bit of gratuitous gorgeousness I'm going to announce some exciting news!

A group of Australian and New Zealand authors who write historical romance have got together, and we're launching a new blog next week - Historical Hearts We write across the spectrum, from ancient Roman times (that would me!), through to Scottish Highlanders, Regency, Victorian and up to World War II. Sizzling, sweet, fantasy and paranormal, there's something for everyone! There's going to be lots of fabulous giveaways throughout next week, so don't forget to pop on over and say hello!

Cathryn Hein - Promises

Huge congratulations to my good friend Cathryn Hein, whose debut with Penguin Australia hits the shelves today! Isn't that a beautiful cover? I've known Cathryn for a few years but we only met for real at the RWA conference last year. Fingers crossed we'll get to meet up again next year!

And here's the enticing blurb:

A father with something to hide, a jockey with a taste for blackmail, a man with an agonising secret... and a young woman in love, defying them all.

Sophie Dixon is determined to leave her tragic past behind and forge a bright future on her beloved farm. While looking to buy a new horse, she is drawn into her neighbour Aaron Laidlaw’s orbit, despite the bad blood between their families. As the racing season unfolds, Sophie and Aaron’s feelings for each other deepen. But Aaron is torn, haunted by a dark secret he fears can never be forgiven – especially by Sophie.

Sophie believes herself strong, but the truth behind her mother’s death will test her strength, and her love, to the limit. She’s been broken once. No one wants to see her broken again. Least of all the man who has grown to love her.

Captive - 20 Years of Romance Covers

I haven't forgotten today is Friday, but am going to put off the LOL kitty until after the weekend because today I received my certificate from the Romance Writers of Australia for the 20 Years of Romance Covers. Isn't it completely gorgeous! I've put the frame up in the dining room so everyone can admire it!!!

Huge thank you to the organizers of the contest and to everyone who voted and I'm just really sorry that I wasn't there at the conference to collect this in person.

If you love the Captive cover then you might want to check out other work by the artist, Tony Mauro. Totally awesome!

LOL-Oops

Yes, I managed to forget the Friday LOLcats after only three weeks. Oops! I only remembered last night so without further flaffing about, here is this week's adorable kitty (with thanks as always to the talented Eleni!!)

OMG how cute is this? Look at that little face!

Captive Ties 1st Place in the Romance Writers of Australia's 20 Years of Romance Covers!

On Saturday night I logged into Twitter so I could follow the award ceremony for the Romance Writers of Australia's 20th conference. And nearly fell off my chair when I saw that the cover of Captive tied for first place in the Historical Section along with my lovely writing friend Tamara Gill's A Captain's Order, A Duke's Command! Thank you to everyone who voted :-)

Stunning covers!! The full line up of finalists can be found here and details of the winners of the RWA 2011 Awards Night can be found here along with a couple of pics.

LOLCATS Friday #3

It's the 20th annual Romance Writers of Australia's conference this weekend, being held in Melbourne - and I'm not there!! I feel like Cinderella only this time there's no glass slipper or fairy godmother. *sigh* However, I have to say HM&B author Nikki Logan is doing an amazing job over at Twitter giving us the highlights and sound bites of Bob Mayer's Warrior Writer workshop, so big thanks Nikki!

And here is the adorable kitty for today. What a very lovely dream!!!

Doctor Who?

 I'm a bit of a David Tennant as Doctor Who fan, so had to post this YouTube of him with Catherine Tate. It's for Comic Relief Red Nose Day and is a few years old now, but I've only just discovered it and it's hilarious!

Enjoy!

Writerly Update

It's been a while since I did an update-on-my-writing post, so here goes!!

I heard back from my agent over the weekend and she loves the last book I handed in *phew* what a relief. It's like a weight off my mind. Now everything's crossed that my editor likes the revised version too :-)

I'm 15k into my next book, and the hero and heroine can hardly keep their hands off each other. I've already split them up once just as they were enjoying themselves, so I guess I'd better let them have some fun soon before I tear their world apart!

Boomerang Bride

Very excited for my good friend Fiona Lowe, multi-pubbed Mills and Boon author in their Medical line, who's celebrating the release of her debut single title from Carina Press today - Boomerang Bride! Huge congrats, Fiona :-)

And here's the tantalizing blurb!

Matilda Geoffrey risked it all for love. She left Australia to be with Barry—the man who had swept her off her virtual feet. Now, wearing a wedding dress, she's alone on Main Street in small-town Wisconsin, and things aren't working out exactly as planned...

In town for his annual family visit, Marc Olsen had never seen a bride quite like Matilda—staring into a storefront window, holding a tottering wedding cake, and looking desperately in need of a groom. He may not have any warm feelings for his hometown,but meeting Matilda just as she discovers she's been scammed by her online "fiancé" stirs something in him.

Matilda is not the kind of woman Marc imagined himself with, and Marc is anything but the romantic hero that Matilda has always dreamed of. But as unlikely circumstances throw them together, can they let go of their misconceptions and risk their hearts for love?

LOLPUPPY Friday

Here's the second LOLCATS Friday. But because we're all about equal opportunity here, we can't leave out the adorable puppies! So with thanks to Eleni, here's the first LOLPUPPY (hope you enjoy this one, Cathryn!!)

The answer to this question is... ummm, no not yet...

DarkSiders Unleashed

 Check out these sizzling covers on fellow DarkSide Down Under authors whose books are releasing this week! Super hotness guaranteed!!!

Enter the fierce, fantastical world of the Shadowfae, where blood is a drug, magic is a crime, and love is the most dangerous weapon of all...

 
To a vampire, nothing is sweeter than bloodfairy essence -- and Ember is the most sought-after fairy on the underworld circuit. Selling her blood to the highest bidder -- and robbing her clients in the process -- Ember has unwittingly become a target of dark and dangerous forces. Her enemies are everywhere. And if she hopes to survive, she needs protection...

Diamond is a glassfairy who, for better or worse, knows his way around the vampire underworld. Smooth as silk and tougher than trolls, Diamond is Ember’s only chance to keep her magical blood inside her body, where it belongs. But he also poses a threat to Ember, a strange kind of danger she’s never experienced before: She’s falling in love with him... 

Michael’s bad, bad, bad—all the way to the bone. A single heated encounter with the master thief and level-headed Liseriel the Gray has never been so furious—so intrigued—in her life. Neither has Michael. Danger’s always been his drug of choice.   

With his huge bronze wings and sweet, serious smile, Daxariel the Burnished is everything the thief is not—a generous shining spirit, an honest loving soul—and a virgin.

   It's going to take two Aetherii to catch a thief. Lise and Dax are both so godsbedamned good, Michael can’t wait to debauch and defile, to make his Aetherii beg for dark erotic pleasures. It’s the only way he knows to win—and win he must, because there’s something about wings and tails and trust freely given that has him reeling.

   Exquisitely trapped between Michael’s intoxicating wickedness and Dax’s steadfast love, everything Lise believes about duty is dust on the wind. How can she crave both these men, different as night and day?

Every fairy tale has to have some basis in fact, right? That's what Eliza thought as she made a desperate plea to the legendary Goblin King. If he could grant her wish, she'd finally be safe. He would protect her. But what would he ask in return...?

Enjoy this short prequel and a sneak peek of The Goblin King, the first of a highly imaginative new paranormal series by Shona Husk.

Kat Meyer sleepwalks–buck naked sleepwalking, just to make it even more humiliating–and she goes to great lengths to lock herself in her house at night so she doesn’t inadvertently entertain the neighbors. She’s been there, done that, and she’s never quite gotten over it! Adding to the stress, her lazy cat, Cupcake, seems bound and determined to be a cat-burglar extraordinaire. But instead of just leaving “gifts” like house keys and trinkets on her pillow, Kat’s pet has now gravitated to stealing rings. Specifically, Jace Burton’s ring. And Jace just happens to be the big-shot architect she’s vying with the other designers to work with.

When Jace wakes in the middle of the night to find a naked and highly distraught Kat in his living room, he’s inclined to believe her bizarre tale of sleepwalking and cat-burglars-of-the-feline-persuasion. He is a red-blooded male, after all. And did he mention she was gorgeous? And naked? As an added bonus, he’s beyond grateful to learn that Kat’s found his grandfather’s missing ring.

Jace is appalled to think of what harm might have befallen Kat while she prowled the streets naked at night. She’s gotten right under his skin and all his protective instincts kick in with a vengeance. It’s sure no hardship to escort her safely home–nor to offer to help her find out how’n the heck she’s getting out of her deadlocked house at night. But Kat’s the unwitting victim of a zodiac curse, and when the unbelievable truth smacks him right between the eyes, Jace doesn’t know what the hell to think. Should he hide what he’s seen from the woman he’s fallen head over heels in love with? Or should he tell her the truth and risk losing her forever?

LOLCATS Friday

When I was a member of the editorial team for the Romance Writers of Australia's monthly newsletter, the very wonderful Eleni Konstantine use to send me the best lolcats to add to my page of writerly snippets. I loved those pics so much! I really miss not using them. And since I have a few spare I thought I'd post them over the next few Fridays. Just so everyone can see how clever Eleni is!!!