Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Happy New Year

I love the days between Christmas and New Year - the whole cooking frenzy and present buying frenzy are behind us, and everyone can settle down with a pile of presents and piles of leftover food and relax. I like to ignore all things work related, and take time to reflect over the year that has gone, and ready myself for diving headlong into another year.

This year I was diverted momentarily from my plan of doing absolutely nothing by the release day yesterday of book number 12: Under the Hood is a flirt from entangled publishing and available everywhere now. The good news is that it is currently on sale too, for 99c.

I hope everyone manages to see or talk to those that they love this New Year's eve, and wish every one of the minxes readers a very, very, happy New Year.


When sexy mechanic Alice Starr mistakenly believes attorney Mark Jameson needs her help, he discovers he likes being rescued for a change. Smitten by her confidence, he hides his expertise so he has an excuse to see her again.
Starting their new all-female garage, Under the Hood, is keeping Alice and her friends busy. She doesn't have time for a man. But with one kiss, she and Mark have advanced into water so deep she's in danger of drowning. So why hasn't he called?
Mark wants to tell Alice the truth so they can pursue a relationship. But he's got even bigger problems at his office when his bitter aunt threatens Alice’s livelihood. He needs a plan, fast, or else Under the Hood and his chances with Alice could both be ruined.

Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk B&N

And everywhere else you buy ebooks.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

All she wants for Christmas...


Right now I'm a very happy Minx. I'm in Switzerland working on my next Chalet Girl novella and the icing on the Christmas log is that for the first time ever I'm spending Christmas and New Year here too!

I'll be visiting the Christmas markets down on the lakeshore at Montreux, walking in the snow, relaxing in the Thermal Baths and drinking lots of chocolat chaud. In other words I'm lucky in that I already have everything I want.

The heroine in my Christmas novella 'Revenge of a Chalet Girl' (OUT TODAY!) is a different case however. All she wants for Christmas is revenge... At least she thinks she does.



Revenge of a Chalet Girl by Lorraine Wilson
Publication date: 19/12/2013
All she wants for Christmas is…revenge.

When chalet girl Amy Wright finds her ex’s name on Chalet Repos’ guest list she sees her chance to get back at him – Josh Carter, the guy who broke her heart. Getting revenge without losing her job will be tricky but luckily the other chalet girls are on hand to offer their support. Pretty soon she’s in too deep and realises she doesn’t want to hurt him anymore. She wants him back.

There’s just one teeny complication…

Buy from Amazon - http://smarturl.it/chaletrevenge
Buy from other retailers - http://www.harperimpulseromance.com/books/revenge-of-a-chalet-girl

Keep up to date with new releases in the Chalet Girl Series - www.facebook.com/LorraineWilsonWriter

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Author Spotlight - Mia Hoddell

Welcome Mia! Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.

Well, I’m the author of Deadly to Love (Elemental Killers 1). I love reading and writing and that’s what I spend most of my time doing now I have a year off before university. I took A-levels in History, Drama & Theatre Studies, Photography and English language (much to the dismay of my teachers who wanted me to major in science and maths).

I love anything paranormal, which is mainly the genre I write in besides romance and I have an overactive imagination that taunts me in the night when I’ve read or watched something scary. Until you get to know me, I’m quite shy but none of my closest friends or family would agree with that statement. Other than that I love escaping to new worlds either in books, movies or the little worlds inside my head!

What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)

Deadly to Love is the first book in the Elemental Killers series however, it is the third novel I have completed. The sequel is coming out within the next month though and I have a few more waiting to be edited.

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?

I just love creating worlds and stories and that passion helps me sit down to write everyday. For me writing the book isn’t the hard part, it’s everything that comes after it I have trouble keeping up with. Editing, marketing, copywriting, the list goes on. For me that’s what I find hardest, getting the story down is easy for me after I’ve planned it.

I think the main thing that keeps me going besides my love of it is discipline. I’ve got myself into a routine where I’m writing, editing, reading and promoting everyday so now it’s just natural to me. I think being disciplined is a big part of being able to finish a book. Ideas come to me all the time, but without discipline I’d never sit down to write them.

What is your top promo tip for other authors?

I’d say it would be to keep an active online presence. Nowadays there are so many authors out there that if you stop promoting for even a day you fall off the radar and have to work your way back up. I try and spend at least two hours a day doing some kind of promotional activity for my books.

How does writing fit into your day? Or does your day fit in around your writing?

I have recently taken a year out from education to focus on my writing. Instead of going off to university, I deferred my application (much to the annoyance of my careers advisors in college) and therefore I have nothing that gets in the way of it. My writing takes priority over most things and I work on it every day. I will admit the time I spend writing can vary as it depends on my mood. One day I will write 15,000 words while the next day I may only do 3,000 (which is my minimum for any day). I’m trying to make the most of this year while I have it as I know not everyone gets a chance like this. My plan is to write as many books as I can and get a minimum of six book released by this time next year!

Is there a book you haven't written yet that you're dying to? What genre?

I think if I started listing books I want to write I would never stop! I have three note pads and countless documents with ideas and plans on them. It seems every time I start a new book I get a few new ideas that I can’t wait to start. I have nine books planned and ready to write at the moment but there are probably two main ideas at the top of my pile. The first is the fourth and final book in the Elemental Killers series. I’m releasing the second soon and am editing the third so I’m excited (and a bit sad) to start the final one.

The second book is one I’ve just started to write recently. It’s going to be different from anything I’ve written before as I’ve decided to limit the romance and focus on action. I haven’t revealed much about it yet but it has an urban setting, a paranormal twist and plenty of action. It also has a very strong female lead who is turning out to be a lot of fun to create. She has a temper and it’s fun to work with. J

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?

I try…honestly I do. However, most of the time I end up running in my head. I think and know I should go but my body doesn’t get out the front door – especially in the winter and UK’s rain. My mind continues running around my country lanes but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t have any benefits ;) I do exercise at least a few times a week but I’m thinking I should get a treadmill so I can combine reading and exercise to push me to do more!

At what point in your career did you actually start to feel like you were a writer?

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember and still have a book of poems I wrote when I was four. They make me laugh! I got my first poem published at the age of twelve and then two more after that at fourteen and sixteen. However, it wasn’t until I released my first novel that I felt like I had accomplished anything that made me a writer. Before that it was just a hobby and now although it is something I enjoy I’m trying to make a career out of it rather than thinking it’s just for fun. I suppose when my books started selling was when I felt like an author because it meant I had created something people wanted and I could see the results.

Do you write to music, or with the TV on in the background, or do you need complete silence?

Music is a big must when I’m writing as I find it traps me inside my own little writing bubble and focuses me. I have to have the right music playing to fit the atmosphere of the scene I am writing though because otherwise it’s just a hindrance. Mostly I use film scores as they are perfect for creating moods – it’s what they were designed to do after all – so fit great with images in my head. They also have no lyrics that can distract me by making me sing along (badly) which is a bonus.

Do you have any tips, tricks or sacrificial rituals you do when you hit a story roadblock?

Personally I’m all about prevention. I’ve never suffered from writer’s block and the only time I get stuck is in the planning stages (which is to be expected when figuring out your plot).  When writing I will never stop at the end of a chapter but rather continue on into the middle of the next one. I find this helps as I don’t lose my train of thought when I come back to the book the next day and it isn’t as hard to get into. Also, I have to have detailed, character profiles, setting information and a chapter by chapter break down before I start writing. I may deviate from it slightly at times but the book always returns to it and I find it helps me keep track of everything and allows me to just write rather than have to think about where I want the book to go each time I sit down at my desk.

Deadly to Love (Elemental Killers #1)
by Mia Hoddell

YA/Romance/Paranormal/Fantasy

The world is dangerous – but love will kill you.

Little did Serena Jackson know that one simple, flirty remark to an anonymous guy online would lead to her world being changed forever.

She doesn’t know him, but inexplicably, is drawn. She knows it is wrong but she agrees to meet.

His real name is Kai. He is beautiful. And immediately Serena feels herself blindly falling for him even though she senses a lie. She knows he is hiding something and it terrifies her.

What she doesn’t realise is that her entire life has been built on secrets and lies. The people she loved left her in the dark for a reason.

She trusted them. She trusts Kai. But as he pulls her straight into the heart of the danger the lies and deadly secrets are revealed. They overwhelm her, and the person she once was no longer exists as she is thrown into a ruthless world of elemental forces. The price of truth is her life—and now the world wants her dead.

Buy Links: Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Paperback) | Lulu
For a limited time only, Deadly to Love is 99c / 77p on Kindle!

About the Author
Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading and loves anything paranormal. Mia always had a love of writing but never reading. She was more interested in sports and hated sitting still - despite getting three poems published before the age of sixteen. Finally though, she found some novels that captured her interest and developed a love of reading which is now one of her favourite hobbies.

Mia began with poems before moving on to short stories. Although she enjoyed this, Mia found she had too much to tell with too little space, so later on she created her first series 'The Wanderer Trilogy' and from there other ideas have emerged. With a total of nine books planned at this moment, she is busy working on her second series 'Elemental Killers' before moving onto the next idea on her ever growing list.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Monday, December 9, 2013

I'm a romance writer and writing love scenes is hard for me.

I'm a romance writer and writing love scenes is hard for me. There, I've said it. Cue the doom music of my writing career.

*Shuffles feet, turns in romance writer card and walks out of the club and looks forlornly behind her.*


Ok, let me clarify this.

I love writing love scenes..ahem...I love how they reveal the characters, how it could move the story forward or set it back to square one or even, just plain screw things up...

What I find hard, and I am realizing it gets harder each time, is that I have to really find the dynamic that works for that particular couple in that particular situation. Are they desperate, angry with each other, is it forbidden, do they hate themselves for giving in...so on, so on..

So every time I come to that first love scene in each wip, I come to a shuddering halt. I write just the logistics first, where they are, where is the slot, is the tab covered....things like that...

At this point, it feels like I'm writing notes for a biology class and it scares the hell out of me. I can't stop thinking about that scene and being an annoyingly linear writer, I can't move forward.

So I wonder how I'll find the emotion, the dynamic, the sizzle between them and so far in each of the books I have written, I think I have found it.

How about you? Writing love scenes - is it hard or easy for you?

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Author Spotlight - Olivia Miles

Today we have the lovely Olivia Miles in our hot seat. We first met Olivia through Mills & Boon's New Voices contest and  we've since gotten to know her better as one of the contributors to the blog Hot Pink Typewriter. (If you haven't subscribed to HPT yet, you should!)

We are so excited to be presenting Olivia's debut novel to you now. It's been a long wait for this highly anticipated debut but we have no doubt it was worth the wait!

PS: Olivia will be running a give-away at the bottom of this post, so keep reading!


1. Olivia, tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
I live just outside Chicago with my husband, daughter, and two little dogs. I write for Harlequin Special Edition, and I also have a single-title series releasing from Grand Central/Forever in 2014 and 2015. I grew up in New England, and tend to set my stories there, and I am thrilled to be living my dream as a professional writer.

2. What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
I am pleased to say that ‘TWAS THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS is my debut.

3. Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?
I think part of being a professional writer is writing whether you want to or not. There are days when I really just feel like turning off my computer, but when you hit your word count goal or the end of that chapter, no matter how much you really didn’t want to push through it, you always end up happier that you did.

4. What is your top promo tip for other authors?
I think everyone has different strategies and levels of personal comfort when it comes to social media. I try to be strategic with my promotion, planning interviews and newsworthy blog posts, but I also like to engage with readers and let them see me as a real person.

5. How does writing fit into your day? Or does your day fit in around your writing?
I’d say a little bit of both. I have a young child and she’s only in school for a limited number of hours per day, and only a set number of days per week. I make sure to do everything else outside of that window so that I can drop her off, race home, and work for a couple of hours. As my work load has increased, I have started working a second shift after my daughter has gone to bed, even though I am sometimes drinking coffee at nine at night.

6. Do you write every day?
I actually don’t write every day and I never really have, other than when deadlines are pressing. I almost always write 5 days a week, based on time availability with my current schedule. It’s a challenge for me to squeeze writing into weekend time at the moment, so I have to really buckle down on the days I do write.

7. Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?
Does walking my dogs count? There are only so many hours in a day and something has to give, and this would be it. If I am going to write or work out, I am going to write. I really can’t see fitting a trip to the gym into my schedule, but I am a fan of the home workout video...here and there 

8. In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
Well, I admit I imagined my life might be a bit more like Mary Fisher’s. I envisioned a mansion behind iron gates, black-tie events, the works. Now, I did have slightly more realistic expectations later into things when I was older. I don’t expect to be strutting around with my crystal champagne flute or silk dressing gown, but sometimes, when I am hunched over the computer in day-old pajamas, bedraggled hair, and a forgotten mug of coffee on the desk, listening to the dogs bark and my child run wild while I am trying to hurry up and pound out a final sentence, I can’t help but think how entirely unglamorous my life is.

9. Which of your characters would you like to be?
Hmm, I might say I’d like to be a bit more like Holly, actually. She’s fairly easygoing and calm, and I can be a bit more impulsive and emotional. There are a few other characters in upcoming books that are more similar to me, or at least highlight different sides of me. But Holly handles life in stride, she’s a bit stoic, and I admire those qualities.

10. At what point in your career did you actually start to feel like you were a writer?
I actually had a recent conversation with a fellow professional writer about this exact topic. I remember thinking I would feel like a real writer when I sold my first book. Then it was, well, when I sell my second. Then it was, when I get into single-title. Now...I keep setting more and more goals, waiting to feel like a “real” writer.

BLURB

A storm is about to shake up Holly Tate’s quaint lifestyle, and the Nor’easter scheduled to hit the small town of Maple Woods, Connecticut will have nothing on the upheaval real estate tycoon Max Hamilton creates during his week-long stay at The White Barn Inn. Since inheriting her grandmother’s house five years ago, Holly has poured her heart and soul into transforming the old mansion into a successful inn, hoping to be able to save enough to buy the property when the ninety-nine year lease expires on Christmas Day. Unbeknownst to Holly, Max has a different plan. But as attraction builds and emotions stir, will Holly’s contagious Christmas spirit have him changing his mind? Or will Holly be forced to start the new year with no home or business, but instead, only a broken heart?

'Twas the Week Before Christmas is available from Amazon, Amazon UK and Barnes & Noble.

You can connect with Olivia on her blog, on Facebook and on Twitter. Leave a comment to win a copy of 'Twas the Week before Christmas.


Monday, December 2, 2013

RELEASE DAY AKA SEQUEL TIME!!!

I’ve been dying for this book to be released ever since I wrote what became my debut book for Harlequin Mills & Boon, THE PRICE OF SUCCESS.

It's sequel, HIS ULTIMATE PRIZE was a joy to write. I know most writers say that but the truth is some books are tough, and some books, like this one, just FLOW. I know in most part it was because Rafael had been waiting a while to have his story told, and boy did that man have a lot to say!

Anyway, he got his wish and his official outing today.

And the good news is, not only do you get to read how Rafael wins Raven's heart, his brother Marco and his lovely heroine Sasha, have somehow also managed to slip in there! So my dear blog friends and readers, you’re getting what my US friends like to call a Twofer and we on this side of the Pond refer to as a BOGOF!!

If you looooove bad boys as much as I do, then this is the book for you. If you haven’t read Marco’s story (why not?!) and would love to read my debut Harlequin, then this is the book for you, too. Really, it’s a win win!

Here’s the blurb for both. 

HIS ULTIMATE PRIZE:

Winning is everything 
Rafael de Cervantes was a devil behind the wheel and in the bedroom until his near-fatal crash. To mask his pain? He'll seduce his beautiful physio, Raven Blass! 
Knowing she's responsible for his scars, will Raven risk discovery for one glorious night in Rafael's bed? 

THE PRICE OF SUCCESS:

Owner of the Espiritu racing team, tycoon Marco de Cervantes thinks he knows exactly what's going on inside Sasha Fleming's pretty little head...She's clearly not above using her wide-eyed beauty and tempting curves to become Espiritu's first female racing driver. The infuriating thing is - she's the best driver around! Marco's willing to reap any rewards...on and off the track...but he couldn't be more wrong about Sasha. Unlike the socialites that flock round him she has no interest in being a billionaire's trophy wife - and she wills her body to prove this to him. But success always comes at a price! 

Having held the book in my hand, I can assure you it’s the perfect weight for a Christmas stocking ;) So go on, get it out – your Christmas stocking, not your, er….never mind.

Get it out and get stuffing :) And if you leave me a lovely comment, one of you will win a signed copy of your very own to stuff your stocking with!

Good Luck & Happy Reading.

Maya

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