You lookin’ at me? — and News!

Feb 14, 2013 | Books, Life, Writing

The more I write for a living, the more I seem to have to do. Anyone who thinks because someone is lucky enough to work from home, that it's NOT work, is deluded. Really. I work from the moment I get up until almost the moment I go to bed. Yes, I do other things in between, and the beauty of it is that I can decide to do something else in the middle of the day for a few hours, but I put in a full day's work every day. In some aspect or other, I'm writing, keeping up with social media, planning books, updating my calender, thinking of stories, researching, etc.

It never ends. And this is not a complaint, btw. I love that I get to do this for a living! 🙂

In fact, I just gave a speech to a group of ladies yesterday who are not writers, and it was a great time to get to talk with them about what I do. I always go for the inspirational moment, the “If I can do this and live my dream, you can live your dream too so long as it's not being an Olympic gymnast when you're 50” kind of thing. I love giving that speech.

Because how many people think they can no longer do a thing because they're too old or whatever? Not true. Just look at Susan Boyle if you don't believe me. She was 48 when she walked out on that stage and wowed Simon Cowell, so it can be done.

Just want you to know, if you're feeling down or whatever (and Valentine's Day can be that kind of day for some people), that you don't have to give up on dreams. Focus on the goal and on what you need to do to make it happen!

Speaking of Valentine's Day — I'm a strange romance author in that I don't celebrate it. I think Mr. Harris should show his love and appreciation all year long (and vice versa) so I don't expect flowers or candy or a card from him today. If he thinks of it and wants to, that's fine. But he's not in trouble if he forgets.

And now, news! ::drumroll:: The latest Harlequin, aka Drago di Navarra and Holly Craig's story, has been accepted! You can expect to read all about it in December (no title yet) where you will also get a bonus book: UNNOTICED AND UNTOUCHED will be published with Drago & Holly's story for free! One price, two books! You can't beat that.

Finally, I leave you with Nimitz, my crazy cat from Honolulu. I talk about Miss Pitty Pat all the time because she's sick and she's my baby, but we also have Nim. He's a giant (colossal) pain in the behind, he's not sweet at all, and he regularly exasperates me. But I love him anyway and he makes me laugh. So here he is, wanting to know what's so interesting.

Happy day, y'all!

Are we still here?

Dec 21, 2012 | Books, Fun, Inspiration, Links

Well, today is the Mayan Apocalypse. I haven't put a lot of stock in that idea, ever, but I know some people have. I'm encouraged by the fact that Australia is still there and it's tomorrow already. Surely that counts for something, right? 😉

But if today is not the last day, and you still need to buy Christmas presents, I have a website specifically for the billionaire in your life. At The Billionaire Shop, you can buy such things as a private island, a yacht, a million dollar watch, jets, and pricey New York views.

I have quite a few billionaires in my life, but fortunately they are all my creations. They should be giving me gifts, right? 😉 My latest billionaire will be hitting store shelves in a little over a week. Sheikh Malik Al Dhakir is sexy as hell–and a bit uncertain when it comes to expressing his feelings. In fact, he's downright tongue-tied. You can read more about Sheikh Malik here.

I hope your weekend is lovely, and your Christmas preparations are going smoothly! Happy Holidays!

Cover Reveal

Dec 17, 2012 | Books

I have a new cover to share with y'all! A GAME WITH ONE WINNER is coming in April 2013, and I just love this cover. Here's what the story is about:

Proud heiress on a losing streak?

Paparazzi darling Caroline Sullivan is hiding a secret behind her dazzling-yet-inscrutable smile. Her ex-flame, Russian businessman Roman Kazarov, is back on the scene-is he seeking revenge for her humiliating rejection or just to take possession of her troubled business?

Sources confirm that the cutthroat Kazarov is seriously ruffling the pristine feathers of the normally cautious Caro…. Rumors of scorching-hot secret trysts are flying, but only one thing is certain-in this supreme game of wills only one person can win, and Roman believes he holds the ace….

A Game With One Winner

“What do you want from me, Roman?” Her voice sounded strained to her own ears. If he noticed, he didn’t comment.

“You know what I want. What I came here for.”

She turned to look at him and barely stopped herself from sucking in her breath at the sight of him all dark and moody beside her. After five years, was she still supposed to be this affected by his dark male beauty?

“You’re wasting your time. Sullivan’s isn’t for sale at any price.”

There was silence between them for a long moment. And then he burst into laughter. His voice was rich, deep and sexy, and a curl of heat wound through her at the sound.

“You will sell, Caroline. You will do it because you can’t bear to see it cease to exist. Be stubborn—and watch when your suppliers cut off your line of credit, one by one. Watch as you have to close one store, and then another, and still you cannot fill your orders or keep your stores supplied with goods. Sullivan’s is known for quality, for luxury. Will you cease to order the best and settle for second best? Will you tell your customers they can no longer have the Russian caviar, the finest smoked salmon, the specialty cakes from Josette’s, the designer handbags from Italy or the custom suits in the men’s haberdashery?”

A shiver traveled up her spine, vibrated across her shoulder blades. Her stomach clenched hard. Yes, it was that bad. Yes, she’d been studying the list of her suppliers and wondering how she could cut corners and still keep the quality for which Sullivan’s was known. The specialty food shop was hugely expensive—and yes, she’d thought of downsizing that department, of eliminating it in some markets.

She’d wanted to ask her father. She’d wanted to sit at his feet and ask him what he thought, just as she’d wanted to turn to Jon and ask him for his opinion. But they were unavailable, and she would not choke. She would make the hard choices. For Ryan. She would do it for Ryan.

Family was everything. It was all she had.

“I won’t discuss this with you, Roman,” she said, her voice as hard as she could make it. “You don’t own Sullivan’s yet. If I have anything to say about it, you won’t ever get that chance.”

“This is the thing you fail to understand, solnyshko. You have no say. It is as inevitable as a sunset.”

“Nothing is inevitable. Not while I have my wits. I intend to fight you with everything I have. You will not win.”

His smile was lethally cold. And dangerously attractive if the spike in her temperature was any indication.

“Ah, but I will. This time, Caroline, I get my way.”

Her heart thumped. “And what’s that supposed to mean? Surely you aren’t still brooding over our brief affair. You can’t mean to acquire Sullivan’s simply to get revenge for past slights.”

She said the words as if they were nothing, as if the mere idea were ridiculous, though her pulse skittered wildly in her wrists, her throat.

The corners of his mouth tightened, and her insides squeezed into a tight ball.

“Brooding? Hardly that, my dear. I’ve realized since that night that my…” He paused. “…feelings…were not quite what I thought they were.” His gaze dropped over her body, back up again. “I was enamored with you, this is true. But love? No.”

It should not hurt to hear him say such a thing, but it did. She’d loved him so much, and she’d believed that he had loved her in return.

And now he was telling her he never had. That it was all an illusion. The knowledge hurt far more than she’d have thought possible five years after the fact.

“Then why are you here?” she asked tightly. “Why does Sullivan’s matter to you? You own far more impressive department stores. You don’t need mine.”

His laugh was soft, mocking. “No, I don’t need them.” He leaned toward her suddenly, his eyes gleaming in the light from the traffic. Her stomach clenched in reaction, though she hardly knew what she was reacting to.

“I want them,” he growled. “And I want you.”

You can preorder today at these links:

Amazon
Kindle
Barnes & Noble
Nook

The Girl Nobody Wanted is available now!

Nov 1, 2012 | Books

It's official: THE GIRL NOBODY WANTED is now in stores and also available from all your favorite digital outlets. Thanks to you, it hit #28 on Bookscan this week! That makes me very happy. 🙂

Pippa, the adorable editorial assistant over in the UK office, sent me this lovely widget to share with you. You can read the first chapter, share the widget, or go straight to eHarlequin and buy the book. (You can also buy from all the usual online stores as well.) I hope you enjoy!

P.S. For even more fun, check out what Scandal Magazine has to say about Leo and Anna!

Blog Widget

Books that should not be forgotten

Oct 25, 2012 | Books | 2 comments

Last night on Twitter, I was joking around with some fellow writers about pushing the envelope. I believe, in a line like Presents that has been around since before I was born, it's rather silly to think you are the FIRST AUTHOR EVER to write something. Really, you probably are not, no matter what you think. It's all been done before.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be looking to twist what you know, to throw in a new spin on an old tale. For instance, my book Strangers in the Desert came about when I got the bright idea I wanted a secret baby book — but it was the heroine who didn't know she had a baby. Surely I am not the first author to think of that idea (and I would never say I was!), but it was most definitely a challenge and fun. I've had a lot of reader mail about that book and I'm so glad it worked for so many readers.

But, in the quest to think up new and different ideas, there was some silly stuff thrown out. One of those things was a pole-dancing billionaire hero, courtesy of new Presents author Maya Blake. While I've never seen a pole-dancing billionaire hero in a Presents, I *have* seen a pole-dancing hero before!

I read this book when it first came out in 1998 and loved it. Now the author has the rights back and is selling it for $2.99! The book is Absolute Trouble by Michele Albert. It features a pole-dancing sexy as hell Cajun stripper hero named Julien Langlois and an ex-cop heroine named Dulcie Quinn.

Sounds intriguing, right? Michele Albert pulls that story off too, let me tell you. I was totally in love with Julien from the moment he showed up in his tiny g-string. He pulls off alpha masculine while wearing next to nothing. It's awesome.

I don't know Michele Albert and I'm not hawking her book as a favor. I've just never forgotten it, so when I saw it was on Amazon, I had to tell you about it. The Kindle rank on this story should be way higher than it is, in my opinion.

Michele has four six* books she's republishing for $2.99 (and a host of others still with publishers). My next favorite in the $2.99 books is Her Bodyguard. I'm not as big a fan of the other two, but that's just because the stories are very different from what I usually like. HER BODYGUARD features shoes, and one pair of shoes in particular: a historic pair that belonged to a gangster's girlfriend and holds the key to a secret.

*(Another favorite, now that I see it's six books and not four, is Getting Her Man.)

With all the inexpensive self-published books out there today, it can be hard to make a decision where to spend your money. But I highly recommend ABSOLUTE TROUBLE. And if you like that one, give HER BODYGUARD a try. These books should not be forgotten!

Now tell me what books you recommend, especially the older ones that might be lost in the shuffle….

P.S. The books are also available on B&N….