Teaser Tuesday!

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Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the series where I share snippets from new and past releases, and works-in-progress and twist the arms of author buddies to do the same.

Ah, it’s always a joy to have historical romance author Anna Campbell on the blog. I adore her books and I know you do too, and she always chooses cool excerpts to share. Today is no exception, with a sneak peek at her gorgeous Christmas story Mistletoe and the Major. Love this cover. It’s so bright and seasonal!

If you read on, you’ll discover that Christmas could come early if you win Anna’s giveaway.

Hi Cathryn!

I love visiting your blog and sharing news of my latest releases with your readers. Thanks so much for having me as your guest today to talk about my Christmas story this year.

And doesn’t that blow your mind? That we’re already talking about Christmas??!!

Anyway, back to Mistletoe and the Major. I seem to be dwelling on military gentlemen returning from the wars at the moment – my last release Catching Captain Nash was about a naval officer coming back from the dead to reunite with his loving wife.

Actually I wrote MATM a year ago for an anthology called Under the Kissing Bough which was available for a limited period last Christmas. I’m now releasing this story of love lost and found as a standalone for anyone who missed picking up the anthology.

Mistletoe and the Major is about Major Lord Canforth who returns from fighting Napoleon to reunite with the wife he loves. Sounds like he should be overjoyed, doesn’t it? Well, he would be if he thought Felicity loved him back. Unfortunately, he doesn’t. And their awkward, uncomfortable honeymoon eight years ago has preyed on his mind since he left his new bride to join his regiment.

When he gets back to Otway Hall on Christmas Eve in 1815, he has a lot of ground to make up with his wife, and no real idea how he can do that. This scene takes place just after he’s arrived. He and Felicity are alone in the great hall of his rambling manor house, and he’s noticed the elaborate kissing bough that has hung from the ceiling since the staff Christmas party a few days earlier.

Otway Hall, Shropshire, Christmas Eve, 1815

Canforth’s lips quirked. “At least give me until dinnertime to feel like I’m back to stay.”

Felicity made herself smile again, although she remained closer to weeping than laughter. “Before you know it, you’ll be ordering me around and demanding your claret and tobacco and slippers like a real lord of the manor.”

“First, we have unfinished business here under the mistletoe. I’ve waited a devil of a long time to kiss my wife.”

The sudden purpose in his expression sent sensual awareness rippling along her spine. Her lips burned from the brief kiss, however chaste, she’d given him. She was blushing again. Blast this odd situation. She was both wife of eight years and bride of a couple of weeks. There was no solid ground beneath her feet.

When gentle fingers tilted her chin up, she caught her breath. He brushed his lips across hers in a kiss that was over almost before it began. She’d braced for something more passionate, which was absurd when he’d never shown her anything but the most delicate handling. The few times he’d used her body, he’d treated her as if the slightest roughness would damage her.

It hadn’t been enough then. It certainly wouldn’t be enough now. She was eight years older than that naïve girl. After Canforth left, she’d learned the meaning of longing.

The kiss was like a whisper. But even such brief contact turned her knees to water. Instinctively she reached toward him, to bring him closer.

Before she could touch him, he stepped away, leaving her floundering. “That was a fine welcome,” he murmured and gave her a brief bow, as if they’d only just met.

She remained poised under the mistletoe, lips tingling, although it was clear there would be no more kisses. “I’m so glad you’re home, Canforth.”

You can read a longer excerpt and the blurb on my website.

Mistletoe and the Major is only 99 cents on Amazon.com!

Here are the buy links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iTunes

One of my favourite scenes in Mistletoe and the Major occurs when Lord Canforth is reunited with his aged dog Digby. It always brings a tear to my eye when I read it. So I’d love to know about your favorite pet. Mine was a collie dog called Astro – smarter than most humans I’ve met, and that’s not being rude about the humans!

GIVEAWAY!

I’ve got a Kindle download of Mistletoe and the Major for someone who comments today. No geographical restrictions.

Good luck in the draw!

Please Note: Giveaway closes midnight Friday AEST, 22^nd September 2017. Open internationally.

My favourite pet, Anna? Oh, that’s easy! My first horse Mysty. She was such a character and I adored her. I still remember the day she walked through the front door to say hello.

What was yours? Share and Christmas could come early for you thanks to Anna!

If you’d like to learn more about Anna and her books, please visit her website. You can also connect via Facebook and Twitter using @AnnaCampbelloz.

Teaser Tuesday!

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Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the blog series where I share snippets from new and past releases, and works-in-progress and sometimes hustle writing buddies into doing the same.

As I think I’ve mentioned, I’m in the middle of a new story and have finally hit what I call the “obsessive” stage. This is the point where I can’t stop thinking about the characters. And I mean can’t stop.

Think of a movie that runs endlessly but with the scenes played out of order and changing constantly. They screen as I go to sleep, as I rise in the morning, as I shower and eat breakfast, as I zone out in front of the telly or exercise or shop or cook dinner. The buggers are even with me when I play golf, which is no doubt one of the reasons why I’m so bad at it.

That’s what goes on in my head when I hit this stage and I’ll now stay like this until I finish the book. That probably sounds weird and boring to a non-writer, but I love it. It’s exciting, and I adore testing different conflicts and dramas, and thinking up new ways to torture the hero and heroine and toy with their emotions. Nicely, of course.

So it seems only fitting that I celebrate reaching this point with a little taste of what I’ve been writing. No formal title for this one yet – it’s a secret. Not really, but the working title I have will probably end up changed and I’d rather not confuse the issue.

The hero of this one is Jack and he’s very much the strong silent type, while our hairdresser heroine is Elsa and she’s… not!

‘Perhaps I can tempt you into a shave too?’ Elsa took another breath and beamed her most tempting smile. ‘A proper cut-throat razor one. It doesn’t take long.’

Which wasn’t quite the truth. The deluxe version, which was a gloried man-facial, could take a good hour.

Jack’s gaze scanned her face, flicking from her mouth to her eyes and back again. The buzz she’d been experiencing since his arrival turned electric.

‘I’m trained. And I promise I’m not even remotely psychotic. No Demon Barber of Fleet Street here. That’s a film, by the way. Sweeny Todd, starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter…’ God, now she was babbling.

The corner of his mouth lifted in what Elsa was beginning to suspect was Jack’s version of a smile. ‘Not sure I have time.’

‘Somewhere better to be?’

If you’re wondering what my next release will be, The Country Girl hits shelves December 18^th, just in time for Christmas but you can secure your copy today from these retailers.

amazon.com | amazon.com.au | amazon.co.uk

iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

Booktopia | Angus & Robertson Bookworld

Don’t miss out. Order today!

Favourite Reads of August 2017

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Welcome to the booky goodness that is My Favourite Reads.

Not so many on my reading list this month, mainly due to the (wonderful) distraction that was the Romance Writers of Australia conference.

I’m having a hard time choosing my favourite read of August. They were all terrific and all very different, but I think I’ll have to go with…

And Fire Came Down by Emma Viskic

I loved Emma’s debut Resurrection Bay which featured hearing impaired private investigator Caleb Zelic. It was twisty and surprising, and a total page-turner. And Fire Came Down is book two in what I hope will become a long-running series.

Caleb is such an engaging character. He’s proud – too proud sometimes – and refuses to let his deafness dictate his life. He’s also loyal, clever, and very brave. And he loves fiercely. It’s no wonder I adore him.

Small town Resurrection Bay features again in this complex and often moving crime story about drugs, racism, family and much more, and it’s so well drawn that it’s its own character. As for the other players, they were brilliant too.

Highly recommended.

Executed by RR Hayward

Book 2 in the Extracted trilogy. My thoughts on book 1, Extracted, here.

Another rollicking read that I enjoyed hugely. There’s a lot of humour here, along the fighting, swearing, violence and technology we saw in the first book. To be honest, it does go a bit over the top, but that’s also what made me love it.

I find I’m becoming increasingly partial to these slightly bonkers books. They’re just so entertaining!

Hurry up book 3.

The Desert King’s Captive Bride by Annie West

Ooh, Annie really outdid herself with hero Huseyn. What a man! So rugged, so strong, so rugged… Okay, so I like them a bit rough around the edges but Huseyn is a man of many talents, and this desert warrior knows not only how to ride and fight, he also knows how to work a suit. And take over a kingdom. Fortunately, our heroine Princess Ghizlan is more than a match for him.

I cried in this one. Always a sign of a good romance.

Annie’s new release His Majesty’s Temporary Bride is on my to-be-read pile. Can’t wait!

Sherlock Holmes and the Labyrinth of Death by James Lovegrove

Regular readers will know that I’m a big Sherlock Holmes fan and have read not only all the originals multiple times, but many of the new ones that are out. So far, my favouites have been Anthony Horowitz’s The House of Silk and Moriarty, but James Lovegrove’s story was an excellent addition to the range, with the riddles and twists you’d expect from a good Sherlock mystery.

It seems the publisher Titan Books has published a whole lot of Sherlock stories. I’ll have to check them out.

Friend Request by Laura Marshall

Domestic thrillers are all the rage currently and I’m a sucker for them too. This one had a great premise – our protagonist Louise receives a Facebook friend request from old school friend Maria. So far, so normal. Happens to all of us. Except Maria is dead, or so everyone believes. But if Maria is alive…

What follows is a high-stakes drama as Louise desperately tries to keep her past secret, her family safe, and her friendships intact, and all while uncovering the mystery of how a dead girl could seemingly come back to life.

Might make you think twice about accepting that next friend request!

What were your favourite reads of August?

Teaser Tuesday!

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Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the series where I share snippets from new and past releases and works-in-progress and occasionally con author buddies into doing the same.

I spent the weekend in gorgeous Newcastle, a city that will always hold a special place in my heart, not least because of the wonderful friends I’ve made there.

It’s also a place we’re likely to move back to, and sooner rather than later. That means I’ll be once again close to one of my favourite regions – the Hunter Valley.

If you’ve never been to the Hunter, I highly recommend it as a place to visit. The landscape is glorious, ranging from lush river flats to rugged ranges, and while mines also scar the area, they’re tempered with magnificent thoroughbred studs, dairy and beef farms and, of course, vineyards.

Oh, and it’s also home to some excellent golf courses. Very important.

I love the place so much I wrote a kind of extended love letter to it with my second release, Heart of the Valley. I’d always planned to set more books in the Valley but with Rocking Horse Hill and the advent of the Levenham Love Stories, I haven’t had the chance.

Somehow, when we move back, I suspect I’ll remedy that. No guarantees, but I can already feel myself mulling over ideas. Perhaps a Heart of the Valley sequel? With Brooke’s amiable older brother Angus as the hero? Never say never!

Now, while I’m on the subject of the Hunter, I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be appearing at the Scone Writers Festival – “The small rural writers festival with big names and big ideas” – on Sunday November 12^th, on a panel called This Rural Life: Rural and regional stories from around Australia.

The festival runs over the whole weekend, from Friday 10^th November until Sunday 12^th. For the full program and tickets visit the Scone Writers Festival website.

Hope to see you there!

I’ve also just had new supplies of Heart of the Valley arrive, and they look super pretty. If you’d like to order a personally signed print copy of this book for yourself or as a gift, simply email me at cathryn@cathrynhein.com or contact me via the Contact page of this website and we’ll work out the details.

And that all leads, in a roundabout way, to this week’s Teaser Tuesday snippet which is, of course, from Heart of the Valley.

This book… oh this book!

There I was happily flicking through it looking for a suitable passage and next minute I’m reading and getting all emotional about Lachie and Brooke and all the things that happen, and all I want to do plunge back into their world and stay there. Which makes it very hard to choose a passage because I love them all.

But after much mulling (and drooling over Lachie) I’ve selected this one. Enjoy!

With the horse saddled, bridled and booted, Brooke led her toward the ménage, mind drifting to Lachlan, her skin prickling with heat as she recalled how close she’d come to exposing herself. The moment when she’d almost kissed him.

One more breath and she would have reached up on tiptoe, slid her arms around his neck, pressed her body against his and tilted her mouth for a kiss like a drunk, desperate spinster. What a fine reward that would have been for him after all he’d done. Lachlan had shown her nothing but kindness, and all she seemed capable of was embarrassing him and humiliating herself.

Except . . .

Brooke halted and touched her lips, remembering the way he’d cupped her face and run his thumbs gently under her eyes, across her mouth. The swirls of green-gold in his beautiful hazel eyes as they’d gazed at her. For a heartbeat she thought . . .

If you want to know what Brooke thought you’ll have to read the book!

Purchase your ebook or paperback copy now from:

Amazon.com | Amazon.au | Amazon.uk

iBooks

Kobo

Google Play

Nook

Bookdepository

Booktopia

As mentioned above, personally signed print copies are also available for purchase direct from me. Email me at cathryn@cathrynhein.com or via the contact form on this website for details.

Learn the story behind how I came to write Heart of the Valley in A Story from the Heart, or read another excerpt on its book page.

Teaser Tuesday!

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Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the series where I share snippets from new and past releases, and works-in-progress and invite author buddies to play along too.

After making way for Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy’s release and fun 6 Secret Things post last week, we’re back to normal programming.

I’m in the middle of writing a new book and, for various reasons, it’s been giving me a bit of grief. I’ve managed to wrestle it back on track now but it had me worried for a while. Some books are like that though. They refuse to come easy, with every sentence taking forever to write. Others pour out like word fountains.

April’s Rainbow was a book like that. I had the first draft down in thirteen writing days and that still remains a record for me. It also one of the reasons why I continue to be besotted with the story. Another being that my crush on its hero Tristan has never dimmed. That man… *deep sigh*

It’s been a while since I shared a sample from April’s Rainbow, so today I’m going to make up for it with this lovely scene between Tristan and April.

She turned her head away and stared toward the horizon. ‘You should try to find a nice local girl.’

I dropped the axe head to the ground and leaned on the shaft, staring at her. When April refused to look at me I let the axe go and crouched in front of her and took her hands. She regarded me with eyes filling with tears.

‘Love hurts, Tristan. Really hurts.’

‘Not mine.’

She bit her lip and shook her head. ‘You’re too much.’

‘I’m not enough.’

She laughed at that. ‘Oh, you’re enough, Tristan, believe me.’

I frowned, not understanding.

She cupped a hand around my jaw. ‘Do you ever look in the mirror?’

I did, most days when I shaved, but I guess that’s not what she meant.

Wonder spread across her face. ‘You really have no idea. Tristan,’ she said, this time cupping both palms around my cheeks, ‘you’re a babe.’

April’s Rainbow is available in print and ebook from these stores. Grab your copy today!

Amazon.com | Amazon.au | Amazon.uk

iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Nook

Bookdepository

Booktopia

Angus & Robertson Bookworld

Personally signed print copies are also available for purchase direct from me. Email me at cathryn@cathrynhein.com or via the contact form on this website for details.

Learn the story behind how I came to write April’s Rainbow in Of Daydreams, Cairns and Rainbows’ Ends. You can also discover its theme song and more in 6 Secret Things About April’s Rainbow.

Want another excerpt? Visit April’s Rainbow’s book page on this site or download a free sample from your favourite ebook retailer and enjoy.

It’s Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy Release Day!

Crack the fizz and break out the choccies because it’s release day for CHRISSY AND THE BURROUGHS BOY.

Yes, my lovelies, it’s Numbnuts Nick’s turn. We were first introduced to Nick in Santa and the Saddler. He was so cocky in that book it was if he was winking at me from the page, daring me to write his romance. Now it’s here. Rah!

I know I say this with most of my books but this story was a blast to write. Nick was ridiculously cute with his antics, while Chrissy and her friends Alice and Paige were a delight. And it was fun to sneak in news about Levenham locals you’ve met in previous stories.

Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy. This release day post is going live early morning in Australia, and for those elsewhere it might take a while for your books to filter through the time zones and land on your e-readers or apps. But hang in there, they’re a-coming.

I hope you enjoy this new Levenham Love Story and fall as much in love with Chrissy and Nick as I did.

Now, as has become tradition on release day, here are some secret revelations about Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy.

Enjoy!

6 SECRET THINGS ABOUT CHRISSY AND THE BURROUGHS BOY

1/. Chrissy is called Chrissy because my first thought was to make this another Christmas themed novella like Santa and the Saddler, but it didn’t turn out that way.

Blame the Australian Rules Football season. It had just begun when I started writing, and with Nick being a footballer it was much more interesting to set Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy during the season of the boot than the season to be jolly.

Why more interesting, you ask? Because that means it’s also netball season and Nick likes netballers. They’re sporty, like him, and wear tight lycra uniforms with short skirts that show off their legs.

And guess who just happens to play netball?

2/. The original plot was an upside-down version of the one you read today. I had planned that it was Nick who had the crush on Chrissy at school, and Chrissy was the one who had to do a bunch of dumb stuff to win him over. But the more I thought about it the more I realised that was unlikely to work.

Which was a good thing because torturing Nick was soooooo much more fun.

3/. Regular readers of these “secret things” posts will know that each book typically has a theme song. Sometimes they have several. Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy has one central song, with a couple of others for variety and inspiration.

The main theme song is I Am Yours by The Makemakes and was Austria’s entry in the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest. Each time I hear it I picture Nick doing something daft and embarrassing in an effort to charm Chrissy, like singing the song in front of his footy team or in the pub. He does neither of those things in the book but I kinda wish he had. Maybe I’ll save those for another character.

Other songs I listened to while writing was Together in Electric Dreams by Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder, Nature’s Law by Embrace, She’s The One by Robbie Williams and another Eurovision song, Autumn Leaves by Daniel Kajmakoski.

4/. I had no plans to include much-loved Levenham character Audrey Wallace – known to many as Granny B – in the book but she insisted on a part (as only Granny B can), so I wrote her a cameo.

5/. One of the things Chrissy tells Nick she did at school to get his attention was parade up and down in front of him in her favourite jeans. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I once pulled the same stunt, although at primary school instead of high school.

Did it work for me? Nope. I’m pretty sure that, like Nick, the object of my affections never noticed a thing.

As Chrissy says in the book, teenage crushes suck.

6/. Alice and Paige are Chrissy’s best friends, both of whom will get their own stories down the track. Alice’s will be Eddie and the Show Queen, the Eddie in question being Eddie Argyle, younger brother of Harry from Summer and the Groomsman (currently available for free across major ebook platforms).

The title of Paige’s is yet to be decided but thanks to a couple of lovely country librarians I know I have a fun plot already worked out. On a side note, Paige was originally named Molly but I had too many names ending in a Y sound and Molly had to go.

How was that for a bit of fun? I hope it’s put you in the mood for this delightful small-town romance.

If you’d like to read an excerpt, you’ll find one on Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy’s book page. For a longer sample, grab a preview from your favourite ebook retailer.

Or better still, simply purchase the whole book, available now from these stores.

amazon.com

amazon.com.au

amazon.co.uk

Kobo

iBooks

Google Play

Nook

Booktopia

Angus and Robertson Bookworld

Bookdepository

If you’d like to purchase a signed paperback copy direct from me, please email me at cathryn@cathrynhein.com or via the contact page on this website.

The price is $AUD15 including delivery to your Australian postal address, with payment via Paypal. International fans, email me and I’ll sort a quote for you.

Thanks to everyone who has helped get Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy onto shelves, including my editor Alex Nahlous from Alexandra Nahlous Editing Services, cover designer Kellie at Book Cover By Design, and my good buddies who make this writing life such a joy. Last but never, ever least, my darling Jim, the man who all heroes should be measured by.

It’s a bit early for champagne and I need to write, so I guess it’s a cuppa and the keyboard for me.

*eyes fridge*

Surely a little glass wouldn’t hurt?

Teaser Tuesday!

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Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the series where you get sneak peeks at new and past releases, and works-in-progress from me and my writing buddies.

Today I’m chuffed to host on the blog two-time romantic book of the year (Ruby) finalist Juanita Kees. You may remember Juanita from her previous visit, when we had a lovely excerpt from her Ruby finalist rural romance Home to Bindarra Creek.

Today, Juanita is back with her new release Secrets at Wongan Creek. If you follow the amazon charts, this book has been whupping some serious butt lately. And no wonder. Readers fell in love with the first of the Wongan Creek Stories with Whispers at Wongan Creek and can’t wait for more. And SECRETS! Gotta love a book with secrets.

If you’re a fan of rural romance – and who isn’t? – then these books are for you. Here’s Juanita to tell you more.

Hi Cathryn 😊, thanks for having me on Teaser Tuesday. Hello readers.

Today I’d like to introduce you to two very special characters, Harley and Tameka. Oh, and Loki, the Catahoula Leopard Dog, who launched his way into the story unexpectedly, and became a hero in his own right.

When I started writing this book, I knew exactly who my hero would be, but the heroine remained a bit of a mystery until she was ready to tell her story. Soon it became clear that still waters really do run deep in Wongan Creek.

Tameka is a young woman struggling to hold onto her heritage while she battles archaic farming methods and a father who rules with an iron fist. Torn from Harley’s arms following a clash between their families, she’s had to learn to love him from afar. For his safety and her own.

When spray drift from Tameka’s herbicides ruins his crop, Harley has no choice but to confront the woman he’s loved his whole life and can’t have. She’s unreachable, distant, withdrawn … until an unexpected chain of events throws everything she’s ever known into question: her past, her family, her life. She and Harley have one small chance to seize happiness … if they are able to rise from the ashes and claim it.

Secrets at Wongan Creek follows on from Whispers at Wongan Creek, but can be read as a standalone story.

Harley pushed through the open gate in the fence between their farms. A pang of regret nudged Tameka’s heart. She missed the days when he’d come through that gate for reasons that didn’t cause a scowl on his face. When they’d been on speaking terms—on kissing terms—except on Derby Day. Back in the years when the competition between her and Harley had been about who could climb the highest in the old gum tree down by the creek or who could sow a row faster.

The only purpose the gate served these days was when Loki nosed it open to chase the birds out of the trees around the dam, or like today, kill and bury his rope for resurrection later.

‘I’ll come down and weld that bloody gate shut.’ He stopped with his boots inches from hers, and she could smell the remnants of his shower soap and toothpaste as he called, ‘Loki, heel!’

Loki obeyed, his ice-blue gaze full of apology as he leant against Harley’s leg and begged for an ear scratch.

A pang of regret filled her heart at the way Harley stood so close, his body heat warming her personal space. There’d been a time when she could reach out and tug at his beanie or steal his scarf. Or lean up against him and kiss the spots of colour the cold morning put in his cheeks.

‘Might be best.’ She raised her eyes from his mouth to his face and caught the grim expression there, her heart sinking at the annoyance in his eyes. ‘Who stole your sunshine and rainbows this morning? I’m the one with the churned-up field.’

He whipped off his beanie, shoved it in his jacket pocket and blew out a warm, angry breath that tickled her face.

‘That’d be you, Tameka.’ He reached inside his puffer jacket, his arm brushing across her chest, and pulled out a cutting with wilted leaves. ‘Looks like we’re even over Loki’s mess because your infernal preference for phenoxies has destroyed almost my entire crop on this side of the fence line.’

Wasn’t that fab? A must-read and with lovely dogs! Grab your copy of Secrets at Wongan Creek today from:

amazon.com | amazon.com.au | amazon.co.uk

Kobo | iBooks | Google Play | Nook

If you’d like to learn more about Juanita and her gorgeous books, please visit her website. You can also connect via Facebook and Twitter using @JuanitaKees

Teaser Tuesday!

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Welcome to another sizzling instalment of Teaser Tuesday, the series where I share snippets from new and past releases and works-in-progress, and occasionally con author buddies into doing the same.

(If you get the feeling you’ve read this post before, that might be the case. Some silly person accidentally hit “publish”on it a week early. I unpublished straight away but subscribers would have still received the email.)

The countdown to Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy release is ON!

Yes, only two weeks remain until Nick’s and Chrissy’s cute and funny romance hits shelves, and I’m so damn excited I keep squeaking. I also keep shoving my print proof of Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy in Jim’s face and saying, “Look… LOOK!” while he calmly (if wearily) replies, “Yes, I’ve seen it.”

That poor man, he suffers so for my art. Maybe we should get a dog so I have someone new to harass with my book releases.

Anywayyy…

This week is also conference week. I’ll be winging my way to Brisbane tomorrow for five days of hanging with my tribe at the annual Romance Writers of Australia conference. I can’t wait. The RWA conference is one of my favourite events and this year it’s even more special because Santa and the Saddler is up for a Romantic Book of the Year Award (Ruby). Winners will be announced at the conference dinner on Saturday night. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Right. On to today’s teaser from Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy in which Nick is about to embarrass himself in front of Chrissy, her friends and the entire back bar of Levenham’s Australian Arms Hotel.

Nick stood in the shadows of the hall leading to the rear exit, watching Chrissy with her friends and wishing his stomach would stop reacting to the smell of chips that kept wafting from the pub’s kitchen. He’d been late out at the farm and it’d been hours since afternoon tea, but he’d been too nervous to eat more than a couple of dry biscuits since arriving home.

Chrissy was perched on one of the vinyl-covered stools the publican kept scattered in front of the fire, along with a couple of low tables, to make the area more relaxed and lounge-like. Her body was angled towards the door leading to the front bar, and every now and then she’d glance at it before looking quickly away. Nick prayed it was him she was searching for and not some other bloke. That’d really ruin his plan.

Whatever she and her friends were talking about, it was making them animated, with waving hands and laughter and plenty of drinking. From the almost empty bottle of red wine on the coffee table, they’d been at it for a while, too. Wine had stained Chrissy’s lips a kissable red and her face was deeply flushed. She bent forward to say something and leaned back with a grin and a wink that shot straight to Nick’s stomach and made him forget all about food.

This stunt was going to make him look like a peanut, but what the hell, Chrissy was worth it. Besides, looking like a peanut was the whole point.

Want to know what stunt Nick pulls to impress Chrissy? You’ll have to read the book!

Secure your copy of Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy today with a pre-order from:

amazon.com | amazon.com.au |amazon.co.uk

Kobo | iBooks | Nook| Google Play

Signed print copies will be available for purchase direct from me after August 22nd. Details on how to order will be in the release day newsletter. Normal print copies will be available in online stores soon.

STOP PRESS!

Print copies are available for pre-order right now from:

Booktopia

Angus and Robertson Bookworld

Bookdepository

Go get ’em!

THE COUNTRY GIRL Cover Reveal

I’m thrilled to bits to show off the GORGEOUS new cover and blurb for The Country Girl, hitting stores December 18th.

I’d love to hear what you think. I adore it. It’s so bright and happy, just like the book’s heroine Tash.

After landing a major cookbook deal, star food blogger Tash Ranger swaps city life for the family farm. But Tash’s homecoming is bittersweet, for now she can no longer avoid seeing her best friend Maddie, who was severely injured in a riding accident and unable to communicate. No one knows that Maddie and Tash had a deep falling out and with every visit Tash must pretend to be the friend everyone believes her to be.

Patrick Lawson, Maddie’s fiancé, battles despair and hope daily as Maddie lies imprisoned in her body, gradually losing his faith in her recovery. When Tash returns to Castlereagh Road with her joy and boundless appetite for life, he realises finally what his loved ones have been trying to tell him for months – that Maddie wouldn’t want him to throw his life away. It’s time to move on. But letting go is no easy feat, especially if moving on means Tash. He’s a country boy and she is a star on the rise with ambitions that could propel her out of reach.

Can these two friends step out of the shadow of Maddie’s tragic life and accept love, or is the past forever destined to dictate their future?

Pre-order your copy today from:

amazon.com

amazon.com.au

amazon.co.uk

iBooks

Kobo

Google Play

Booktopia

Angus & Robertson Bookworld

I can’t wait to tell you more about it. You are going to LOVE this book!

Favourite Reads of July 2017

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Welcome to the July instalment of My Favourite Reads.

Another excellent reading month with every book keeping me enthralled. I had a lovely Anna Campbell binge, catching up on her Dashing Widows series, and caved in to my young adult fantasy series obsession which made me very happy and wanting more. But there was also crime, horror and a terrific rural romance.

As to my favourite read… sooooo hard! Kylie Scott’s new release Trust was brilliant and I really enjoyed book 2 in Alwyn Hamilton’s Rebel of the Sands series, but I just LOVED…

Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine

Book 3 in the Great Library series.

I thought the first two books in this series were awesome (find my thoughts on those two here) but this one… wow. I devoured this story.

I love how Rachel manages to make everything go from bad to diabolical but still hooks me with a glimmer of hope that things might work out. That hope comes from the characters, who are compelling, clever, brave and, in the case of Jess, totally swoonworthy. It might be cradle-snatching on my behalf but I don’t care. He is my bookboyfriend. I love him.

This series makes me want to read everything Rachel Caine has written but if I did that I’d never have the time to catch up with my other bookloves, like…

Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton

Ah, this series, I do adore it so. Magic and myth, vivid landscapes, monsters (both human and fantastical), trickery and warcraft, and a brave band of friends fighting for freedom.

There’s action a-plenty, along with a lovely dose of romance. But now I’ve succumbed and read book 2 instead of waiting like I’d planned, I must wait MONTHS until book 3 hits shelves. Gah!

If you’re interested in this young adult fantasy series, you’ll find what I said about book one, Rebel of the Sands, here.

Pursuing Lord Pascal, Charming Sir Charles and Catching Captain Nash by Anna Campbell

Somehow I managed to get behind in my Anna Campbell reading (nothing to do with my YA fantasy obsession… much) but last month I made up for it by catching up on books 4-6 in her terrific Dashing Widows series.

Anna’s wonderfully romantic historicals always leave me feeling warm-hearted (and occasionally teary, but in a nice way) and it was great to catch up on how other characters from previous books are faring, too. Lovely reads and only 99 cents each.

Actually, if you’re quick, you can grab The Seduction of Lord Stone, Dashing Widows Book 1, for FREE at amazon.com, Kobo, iBooks and Barnes and Noble. Hurry though, limited time only.

The Horseman by Charlotte Nash

I was lucky enough to win a signed copy of this book at the Australian Romance Readers Convention back in February and I’m so pleased I did. This was a wonderful, wonderful story. Beautiful setting, great characters and a suspenseful and romantic plot that will keep you riveted.

As for the horseman of the title, Craig Monroe … oh yeah!

Highly recommended.

Webcam by Jack Kilborn (JA Konrath)

Another superfast-paced techno-thriller horror from Kilborn, featuring Tom Mankowski who I first encountered in The List (which I talked about in this My Favourite Reads) and Haunted House (more in this My Favourite Reads).

I think I’ve already mentioned how brilliantly bonkers these books are. Yeah, they may not be everyone’s idea of fun – they’re pretty gory – but they’re sure mine!

Trust by Kylie Scott

My second favourite read of the month. I dare you start this young adult romance and not get hooked.

The opening is tense, frightening and had me whizzing through the pages, but it’s the aftermath and how the characters deal with it, along with the friendships and family relationships, that stays with me.

The heroine and voice of the story is Edie and I fell in love with her from the beginning. She’s smart, attractive and plagued with not only the usual teenage hangups, but by the trauma she experienced in the book’s opening. It’s how she handles that which makes her special.

Loved it.

Crimson Lake by Candice Fox

Regular readers will know how much I raved about Fox’s Hades series (find my thoughts on Fall here) so picking up Crimson Lake was a no-brainer.

Talk about an interesting hero. Detective Ted Conkaffey is accused of the rape of a young girl, spends months in prison on remand, but is ultimately never convicted. His career and marriage over, his existence in Sydney untenable, Ted escapes to the tropics and Crimson Lake where falls into working with private investigator, and equally damaged soul, Amanda Pharrell.

A claustrophobic setting, with excellent characters, plenty of intrigue and the kind of menace that I’ve come to expect from a Candice Fox book, and what looks like an ongoing mystery to be solved. Hopefully the start of a new series!

What were your favourite reads of July?