Author Spotlight - Maya Blake

Today we have our very own Minx Maya Blake in the Spotlight. Maya's second Harlequin Presents novel, The Sinful Art of Revenge, is on sale at all Harlequin Mills & Boon stockists. Buy links for the eBook version are below.

Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.

I live in Southeast England, I’m married with two kids and I’ve been reading for far longer than I can remember doing anything else. I write for Modern/Harlequin Presents for Harlequin Mills & Boon and Romantic Suspense for Entangled Publishing.

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

200 – ha, I wish! This is No.2 with Harlequin Presents and it’s a story I was itching to write even before I sold. I’d always wanted to write a full or half Japanese hero/heroine and Reiko was just the perfect heroine for this story.

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

The reality of deadlines means I have no choice in the matter, which is a huge relief to a procrastinator like me, lol. That said, I’m finding out that writing a little, often, or if you’re lucky, a lot, often, really makes the words flow much faster and easier, so even when I’m not on deadline I like to practice a bit of bichok whenever I can! Of course, once the words are down, the credit card goes wild on those online shoe shops!

What is your top promo tip for other authors?

I have no hard and fast rule for promo. I firmly believe putting yourself in a position where you can interact generally with as many authors and readers as possible is the best way to promote yourself and your book. To that end, I maintain a Twitter, Facebook and blog through which I try to reach as many people as possible.

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

Unfortunately, I’m not yet in a position to fit my day around writing as I still have a full-time day job. I have a non-rigid routine where I write after my kids are in bed until about midnight (or the word count has been achieved, whichever comes first).

Do you write every day?

I really wish I could say yes, but when I’m not on deadline, I allow myself the freedom of writing in big chunks three or four times a week. When I’m on a deadline, however, I have no choice but to set myself a daily word count and stick to it.

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

This will sound like a cop-out but I’m always dying to write my next book! I have several characters clamouring for their story and sometimes they don’t want to wait till the current book is finished, lol!

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?

To summarise it in a few words, the pressure is 100% more intense but the rewards are so very worth it!

Just for fun, a year from the end of the book, where would your couple go on holiday?

I’d love Reiko and Damion to return to Kyoto. It was a scene of a lot of angst for them but also a place where they each saw a different side to the other – for instance, Damion learned what a great dancer Reiko is when they went clubbing, so I’d love them to go dancing even as they laid a few ghosts to rest. I’m also sure Reiko would love to show her adopted and new child their very first cherry blossom season.

Have you written a hero you’d be happy to run off with?

Gosh, yes! I fall in love with each hero I write. But if I had to choose one I’d run off with, it’d have to be Rafael de Cervantes, the hero of my fourth book, who’s very impatiently awaiting his verdict on my editor’s desk. He’s cheeky, completely irreverent but with a wounded soul that makes me want to forgive him just about anything!

Book Blurb

Taking what is rightfully his

Endless tabloid coverage has left Reiko Kagawa with way too much information about art dealer Damion Fortier's legendary playboy exploits—everyone knows he's renowned for leaving a wake of broken hearts across Europe's most glamorous destinations!

Damion isn't used to beautiful women scorning his advances, so it's definitely time to turn his lethal charm up one last notch to ensure he gets exactly what he wants….

Reiko knows she has two things Damion wants: the first, a priceless painting and Fortier heirloom. The second, her seriously off-limits body! And she has no intention of giving him access to either.


The Sinful Art of Revenge is available now from Amazon and Amazon UK, and direct from Harlequin and Mills & Boon.

You can chat to Maya on her blog, via Pinterest or Twitter.

Review: The Price of Success

The advantage of belonging to a critique group as large as the Minxes, is that when life gets hectic and one of your CPs needs their manuscript read, there's always someone else able to stepin and you're not under pressure to do a critique.

Which is how I managed to read Maya's The Price of Success completely fresh, just as a reader, and without having to think of things like sentence structure or character inconsistencies.

As a reader, I loved this book. As I said in my previous post, it's set in the world of motor racing (my favourite sport), with a truly strong, feisty heroine (my favourite kind of heroine), and a hero I could easily fall in love with (and did).

This story has all the intensity and passion that is Maya's trademark, and she manages to keep the sensuality levels high and constant with surprisingly few actual love scenes. From cover to cover the chemistry sizzles.

As a writer, I'm very aware of saggy middles in a book, perhaps because it's the part I struggle most with. This book doesn't sag at all. The pace is unrelenting, the story and characters so gripping, that I kept turning the pages and never once felt an urge to put the book down. No wonder Maya's been getting such great reviews and made the Top 10 books of 2012 list on Harlequin Junkies.

But my biggest, number one reason for loving The Price of Success? The references to The Vampire Diaries. Read the book and see if you can spot them!

So what's next from Maya? Happily, there will be many more Maya Blake novels for you to enjoy.  Her next book, The Sinful Art of Revenge, will be available in both the UK and North America in April 2013. This is Damon and Reiko's story and features another unconventional heroine. I can't wait to get my hands on it!

The Price of Success should still be available in all brick-and-mortar stores that stock Harlequins, as well as on the Mills & Boon site, from Harlequin, Amazon and Amazon UK in both paperback and Kindle versions. However you plan to spend this holiday season, treat yourself with this read.

But don't take my word for it. Read this book and post your own review. Or leave us a comment letting us know how much you enjoyed Maya's debut novel.

Chicken soup and the Price of Success

Our very own Maya Blake was supposed to be here on the blog this week talking up her debut Harlequin Presents novel, The Price of Success. However Maya is laid up in bed with really terrible flu, so I thought I’d step in instead.

Since I’m scheduled to post about this book next week, I’m not going to talk about this story (with its strong, smart, unconventional heroine, and very Alpha, very irresistible hero). I’m going to talk about Maya instead.

Maya is every bit as strong and sassy as the heroines she writes.
She’s a Superwoman. She has a demanding, high-powered day job, two kids, and a husband in an equally demanding day job which occasionally takes him away from home. Maya not only manages all this (like many of the other Superwomen we know) but she still makes time to write intense, emotional and very sexy romances. And I know, as I’ve been privileged to read quite a few Maya Blake stories. (You’re just going to have to be satisfied with The Price of Success and her Blaze story for now, but I promise you won’t have to wait long. There’s more Maya Blake goodness coming your way soon).

Maya is a not a woman who messes around. She’s been known to pull all-nighters to write when she’s inspired (or on a deadline) and you know that anyone who goes to a hectic day job after writing all night is seriously crazy dedicated.

She also doesn’t let any of us Minxes mess around either. Maya is the wielder of the Big Minxy Stick. The Stick may be virtual but it’s still scary, and it’s been known to whip at least one Minxy butt back into line. If any of us is suffering from a case of Acute Procrastination, Maya’s Big Stick is the wonder cure.

Maya is also our staunchest defender, ready to leap in with that Big Stick in our hour of need. Have any Crows of Doubt, dodgy exes, or pesky cold callers you need dealing with? Just call Maya.
So now, in her time of need, I’m going to ask all our Minxy friends and blog readers to join me in creating a wonder cure for Maya’s flu.

We’re going to make her feel better by telling her how much we love her book. If you haven’t read it yet (and why not? It’s been on sale in stores and e-stores everywhere for at least a week!) then tell us why you loved the blurb and/or cover so much that you just have to read it.

I’m going to start by saying that I love The Price of Success because it’s set against a motor racing background and like Maya I’m a massive fan of Formula One motor racing. My fanship was guaranteed before I even opened my copy and read the dedication!

So why do you love The Price of Success? And remember that every comment is a virtual bowl of chicken soup, so keep them coming.

And don't forget - The Price of Success is available direct from Mills & Boon, Amazon and Amazon UK.

Milestones & Counting Blessings

I really wanted to come up with something hugely profound and awe-inspiring for my last post before I turn, ahem, "21". Over the last couple of weeks I've wracked my (according to my daughter) ever-dwindling brain cells for earth-moving subjects.

In the end, I've decided to keep it simple. As I move into another decade, I'm reminded how transient life can be and with that in mind, I thought what better way to say goodbye to the old decade and hello to the new than by counting blessings?

So here are a simple (writerly) five:

1. I'm thankful for my lovely CPs who bolster me and whoop for me and are always there with "you can do this". I treasure them without measure.

2. The lovely people I've met throughout my writing journey. Writing is such a solitary craft but the knowledge that I can reach out to my wonderful writer friends is priceless to me.

3. I'm thankful for the equally wonderful books out there that make me want to become a better writer just by the magic they produce. There's nothing more inspiring IMO than reading a book that gets you so jazzed up you can't wait to get writing yourself.

4.  Twitter! I never thought I'd say this about any social media, but I love this medium so much for the inspiration and camaraderie I get when I log on, I can't not mention it. Twitter Rocks!!

5. Chocolate - enough said.

So there you have it folks. And to make the chocolate lovers out there really jealous, I thought I'd cheekily post a replica pic of the cake I intend to have tomorrow (mine's being decorated). It's a chocolate curly wurly cake from Konditor & Cook and each slice tastes like a little piece of heaven...

Please feel free to share what you're thankful for. We'd love to know.

The Hot Pink Typewriter

Today we welcome our friend Olivia Miles (debut Harlequin Special Edition author) to the Minxes blog to chat up her new blog venture.

* * *

First off, a very big thank you to my Minx friends for inviting me to post today and spread the word about the new group blog The Hot Pink Typewriter: A Romance Writing Sisterhood.

As some people in the romance writing community know, Natalie Charles and I have been best friends since we were 14 years old, and we knew each other long before then from our annual stints at a local children’s theatre camp. We’ve been reading and critiquing each other’s work for years, and it wasn’t until about a year ago that we discovered just how tight knit and supportive the romance writing community is. As writers, we spend so much time living in our own heads, sitting alone at a computer, and it inspired us to see so many writers reaching out and encouraging one another on a shared dream.

We decided to create Hot Pink for this exact reason--as an outlet for aspiring writers, and a gathering place for all members and fans of the romance genre. We pulled on board Victoria James, a close friend that I actually met through the Harlequin community boards, and began brainstorming ideas for the “sisterhood.” It was important to us that we brought together a group of writers who are not only talented, but who also represent different sub-genres of romance: Natalie writes romantic suspense, Lindsay Pryor writes paranormal, etc. We wanted a well-balanced group that will bring unique insight to the table: some of us are new authors, others are in the submission stage, some have agents, and all of us are passionate about our craft.

We’re hoping that by starting The Hot Pink Typewriter, we’re giving back to the community that so greatly inspired us, lifted us up, and cheered us along the way. We hope to do the same for other romance authors out there, not just by promoting within our own group, but also by extending ourselves to all the wonderfully welcoming individuals we continue to meet on this journey.

* * *

You can find Hot Pink Typewriter here.

And please also check out our very own Maya Minx's blog for the account of her recent trip to the hallowed M&B halls in Richmond.

Keep Dreaming...

You know that saying – "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"? That has never been more true or real to me than in the last two weeks. As some of you may know, (sorry if you're hearing this one too many times!) I sold to Harlequin M&B recently. But amid the euphoria of realising my dream, it occurred to me how easily all this could’ve come to nothing if I'd given up, given in or let myself be discouraged along the way.

Believe me, I've certainly come close in the past. Just before and after my second full rejection, I had several weeks of "what's the point?-ness", where my motivation was reduced to nil. It would've been so easy to throw the towel in and just give up.

Luckily, I have very supportive group of people around me who would ask, "So, how's the writing going? or, "Have you written anything lately? Tell me about it." My CPs also helped loads, often times indirectly. Sometimes just by being around someone who is excited about their own writing can give you the kick up the backside you need. If you don't have this background support, reading your favourite writer's latest book can induce envy, yes, but it can also get your juices flowing in ways nothing else can.

The moral of this story is, if I'd given up when the road seemed too tough, or the rejections too heart-breaking, I wouldn’t have sold. It's that simple.

So by all means, cry about those setbacks, moan, gorge on chocolate and cookies, use your laptop to watch endless YouTube clips of stunning, successful people while eating more cookies. But do it with the firm proviso that you're taking a break, recharging the batteries.

What you must not do is give up! Remember how many rejections JK Rowling received before she sold her first Harry Potter?

Exactly!

Keep Dreaming!

Keep writing!

Because it does happen.

And the odds are way better than winning the lottery, although that would be nice, too, lol.

We got The Call!

Do you hear all that cheering around Blogland, and the popping of champagne corks? It's because Maya Minx has sold to Harlequin Presents!!

We are all so proud of her, and we know the rest of the world is going to love Maya's stories just as much as we Minxes do. We promise, you're in for a treat.

Come join in the celebrations! There's a party on the new eHarlequin community boards, and you can read Maya's Call Story in full on her blog. Please leave comments to show your love, and for every comment you're entitled to one free glass of virtual chocolate. (Yes, you read that right).

Congratulations, Maya!

Book Review: Once A Ferrara Wife by Sarah Morgan

Before I knuckle down to review this book I must warn you that I have a serious girl-crush on this author. Her writing makes me want to track her down and tackle-hug her just for being so, so, soooo brilliant!! Ahem.

Once A Ferrara Wife is a reunion/marriage-in-trouble story with a neat twist that will have you on the edge of your seat, or like me, feverishly reading but secretly hoping the story goes on and on and on…!

Cristiano Ferrara and Laurel were married for only short while before incredibly horrible circumstances drove her to leave. Now she’s back in Sicily to attend the wedding of her best friend, who also happens to be Cristiano’s sister. From the very first page sparks fly between these two. Laurel doesn’t want to be there because of heart-wrenching memories, and Cristiano’s seriously ticked off because she walked away from their marriage.

But what makes this book stand out, I hear you ask. From the very first page, it’s Cristiano who is pouring out his feelings, risking his heart and fighting desperately for the marriage to work. Laurel on the other hand is a completely closed book. Circumstances in her past have made her untrustworthy and she would rather skin herself alive than reveal even an ounce of feeling. To say this neat twist was seriously sexy is an understatement. Hearing an alpha male say, “I’m crazy about you. I’ve always been crazy about you,” (paraphrasing) in the first few scenes makes for a completely different kind of hero, in my opinion.

Laurel’s journey was equally awe-inspiring. The pain of losing her child and the difficult journey of learning to trust the husband she thought had betrayed her in the cruellest possible way made my heart melt for her. I couldn’t even bring myself to hate her when I found out she was a fitness instructor with a body to die for, lol.

Seriously, this is a must-buy and definitely a must-keep. And a little bird told me (well, it was Sarah herself via the Harlequin Blog) that Cristiano’s hot brother, Santino’s getting his own story! All I can say it, I can’t wait for The Forbidden Ferrara to come out in May! In the scenes where he featured in his brother's story, my heart missed a few beats for him too ;)

Now for the even brilliant bit. I have a copy of Once A Ferrara Wife to give away to one lucky non-Minx commenter.

Just tell me the best book you read in 2011 for a chance to win, and good luck!

Everyone Needs a "Kalinda"

First off, if you don’t watch The Good Wife, then you’ll probably not know what I’m talking about.

Secondly, if you don’t watch it, why on earth not??! The Good Wife is like, the best show on earth, for goodness’ sake! Ahem…*reins self back in*

To give a thumbnail sketch, The Good Wife is a drama series set in a Chicago law firm of Lockheart Gardner, and Kalinda Sharma is an investigator for the firm. But she is oh-so-much-more than just an investigator. Kalinda’s stock phrase, “I’ll take care of it”, is usually uttered in a little more than a whisper. And boy does she!
From discovering that one of the consultant’s ex-wives who’s looking to run for the senate seat used to sleep with Osama’s cousin (cue supersized hilarity), to rescuing the daughter of The Good Wife, Alicia Florrick, from a baptism her parents didn’t approve, Kalinda is a must-have-would-give-an-arm-and-a-leg-for accessory in everyone’s life.

Especially as we hurtle towards Christmas (less than a week away, ack!) I find myself wishing I had my own personal Kalinda. Believe me, this is the time of year when it seems everything that can go wrong, does. In the past week, I’ve had to deal with a work appraisal, organising an almost 10-year old birthday party, organise a family trip for next summer (had to do it or lose out on a good deal), deal with extended family issues whilst organising care packages for said family, attend school Christmas plays (note the plural), and take extra care of my mother-in-law who was missing her son as much as I was missing my DH who was away on a business trip.

Believe me, there were days I didn’t want to get out of bed, let alone take care of my kids and get myself to the day job and back again. As for the writing, it didn’t even get a look in.

So I’m here, at the day job, wishing the work would magically take care of itself, all the shopping get done by itself, the turkey magically appear in my freezer… But especially that my Kalinda would managed to get the eds to respond to my CPs who've been waiting for answers from various editors for months and months, and in one case a *year* on a partial...

Ah, what the hell… *closes eyes and makes a wish for very own Kalinda*

In case Santa’s too late with my Kalinda and I get buried under my rubble of insaneness, I just want to wish you love and a peaceful holiday season. If you have a moment though, I’d love to know what you would do with your own personal Kalinda?

You Know You're A Writer When...

One question that has been asked and will probably be asked of every writer at some point in their career is: where you do get your inspiration? Over the years friends and family have asked me when/how/why I write. Here are some of my (sometimes tongue-in-cheek) answers.

You know you’re writer when:

1. You're in the supermarket check out line and you overhear a conversation and you think, "Wow, that would make a fabulous story"!

2. You meet a beautiful, intelligent woman and think what a fabulous heroine she’d make and what your hero would think of her (this happens to me. A LOT!).

3. You wake up in the middle of the night with your heart literally pounding because your subconscious has suddenly given you a breakthrough on that tough piece of plotting you’ve been puzzling over for day/weeks and you can't get to a pen and paper fast enough.

4. You resent the sight of your family, even when they’re bringing you cake, because you need to take your fingers off the keyboard to accept said cake, and spend at least TWO SECONDS thanking them. Ugh!!

5. You meet a hot guy and …. (apply theory number two).

6. You read an excellent book and immediately start researching organ donation because you would gladly give away an organ to be able to write as well as X,Y & Z writer. Yep people, the green-eyed monster is alive and well, even amongst writers!

7. Your boss/colleague annoys the hell out of you and you spend AT LEAST one great hour plotting gruesome shenanigans for them in your current wip. I'm told this is a common trait.

8. Your diary shows you have a party/wedding/Bar Mitzvah/PTA meeting and you immediately grumble about how it will take away from your precious writing time. And don’t even get me started on my kids’ social calendar!

9. And last but not least, you know you’re a writer when no matter what’s happening in your life, you feel physically sick if, for any reason, you’re unable to get words down for long periods of time.

I’m sure there are hundreds more little traits that affirms your writer status. Feel free to share…

Storytelling Through Dance

Yep, once again I’m here to confess another obsession!

So You Think You Can Dance (US Version)

I’ve known about this series for a while (it’s in its 8th Season) but nothing really drew me to it until a few folks on Twitter tweeted about it. On a whim I tracked down a few YouTube clips and OMG, I fell in love!

Let’s just say I’ve seen “most” of the series and like the dedicated writer that I am, have totally fallen in love with the art of story telling through dance.

In case you start to think I’ve totally gone bonkers and need to be carted off by the men in white coats, in the recent Emmy announcements, SYTYCD got five out of eight nominations for its choreography alone and the show’s host, our very own Brit-grown Cat Deeley, was also nominated for best reality show host. So, really, it’s a great show…and I’m not crazy…just sayin’!

Anyway, I wanted to share with you a few clips that shows what I’m talking about.

My personal favourite and very effective in channelling the black moment: the “infidelity/heartbreak” routine.



This one is entitled (paraphrasing) "the ups and downs of falling in love"



Then the's the friends to lovers routine that gave me goosebumps when I first saw it...



Then to finish with my family’s favourite, the “girl power” routine. Watch out for Lady Gaga’s shoe at the end. My husband googled the band after watching it and now knows everything about District 78!



By the time this post goes out, I’ll know this year’s winner. Personally, I wish I could give two awards as I can't choose between Sasha and Melanie, but then again, I love Marko too so whoever wins I would make me extremely happy too.

Enjoy!

Happy Dancing!

Congratulations to our very own Maya Minx who has won the chance to pitch to Angela James of Carina Press over on eHarlequin. We're all snoopy dancing for you, Maya.

While we're celebrating, this seems like a great opportunity to give a round of applause and a huge thank you to all the editors at Harlequin. They have been busy this year! Aside from the Medical Fast Track and New Voices contest, they've signed seven debut authors this year - and the year isn't even over yet.

Congratulations to the following new authors:

• Elaine Golden - who sold to Historical Undone in June
• Natasha Tate - who sold to Modern
• New Zealander Soraya Lane - who sold to Romance/Cherish in August (better known to regulars on eHarlequin as Soraya Nicholas)
• Cat Schield - who sold to Desire in September
• Wendy Marcus - a follower of this blog (squee!!) who recently sold to the Medical Line
• Leonie Knight - also a recent sale to the Medical Line
• And last but not least, Amy Strnad, who has only just announced her happy news. Congratulations on selling to Modern Heat/Riva, Amy, and thanks for the lovely comments you left on some of the Minxes' New Voices entries. We love you too! Amy is taking the pen name Aimee Carson.

Ladies - we're hoping to host every one of you in our Author Spotlights when your books are released!

If there's anyone I've left out of this love fest, my apologies - and please drop us a line to introduce yourself.  And help yourselves to a glass of bubbly.

Wimbledon – A Writer’s Perspective by Minx Maya

This was supposed to be a post to introduce myself *properly*as a Minx. But frankly, I didn’t think the blog world would find me that interesting. I mean, you don’t want to hear me prattle on about my, er, chest-to-chest meeting with Vernon Kay when I literally bumped into him (we were rounding the same corner) three years ago, do you? If the answer is yes, then let me add quickly that his eyes are that sexy and yes, his chest was all manly and hard – my chest felt it!

If the answer’s no, then let’s move on.

As an armchair sports enthusiast, of course I’d secured my place for the Wimbledon Final this year (I needed something to focus on after England’s triumph at the World Cup). Even before the tennis match started, I knew I’d be supporting the underdog, Tomas Berdych. This previously little known player who seems to have come out of nowhere and *gasp* beaten Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic was definitely one to watch.

Before long though, his uphill battle against a frankly superior Rafael Nadal was reminding me a little too vividly of how tough it is for new writers (see what I’ve done here?) and in my heart I knew he’d lose despite his fearless fight.

What sustained me through the match and made me root for him even harder was the knowledge that he, like every writer with a dream of being published, had learned pick himself up after every set back. He kept hitting the ball after every game and set lost in the hope that maybe, just maybe, all his hard work would pay off.

As writers we have to do the same thing – we pick ourselves up after every form rejection, rejected partial, rejected revisions, and (the toughest of all) rejected fulls, in the hope that eventually the right book will land on the right desk, the right editor will send it up the chain, resulting in the ultimate prize that is The Call.

My first call came via email a little over a year ago and while I treasure it immensely, I yearn for the other Call, The Big One, the life changing one that every writer dreams of.

The Wimbledon Final also reminded me that hard work pays. I have no doubt Berdych will come back stronger – he’s too determined not to. He won’t give up and neither should any writer out there who dreams of the winning the magic prize.

And just to make this even remotely a get-to-know-Maya post, I’ll repeat what my late grandmother used to tell me whenever I had a setback – everything in life happens for a reason. Take it as a lesson and learn from it.

I took that advice to heart and practiced what to say to Gary Barlow from Take That the next time I took his call about the leak in his bathroom. Alas, I left that property management job over 10 years ago so the chances of reliving that moment are nil! But I did pluck up the courage to say hello to Gordon Ramsay when he turned up at my office last week. I hope that made my grandmother smile…

Happy writing!