Live Chat and Big Contest

For US readers — I'm going to be doing a live Spreecast video chat chat with fellow historical romance authors - Madeline Hunter, Julia London, Jennifer Ashley/Allyson James, and Juliana Gray. It takes place on Wednesday, February 27th at noon EST (that's USA time -- 4 am in Australia)

The chat will launch a special contest with a $250 gift card to an on-line bookstore of the winner's choice and 5 bundles of books containing a past title from each of the authors concerned. For legal reasons this competition is open only to US readers only, sorry.  You can check out the details and sign up for the chat here.

Click on the little blue RSVP button in the top right-hand of the screen and you'll get a reminder.

For details of how to enter the contest, go here.

The Valentine's Grinch

I'm a Valentine's grinch. We didn't celebrate Valentine's Day  when I was growing up -- it was a custom I read about in old books — maybe Anne of Green Gables — I think it mentioned Valentines, didn't it? Nobody I knew gave or received Valentines. It's a relatively recent thing here in Australia, and getting bigger every year, and we grinchly types see it as something wished on us by US TV shows and cynical commercial forces who try to guilt people into spending money...

I don't like obligatory demonstrations of love. I think they should come naturally, spontaneously and unexpectedly, and not according to the calendar. I subscribe to the "Love Actually" theory of love — that it's everywhere at all times, in different forms, and I'll celebrate it whenever I come across it.

Red roses are beautiful, but the beautiful red roses that proliferate on Valentine's Day usually have no scent, and to me, that's symbolic. A rose without scent is worse than no rose at all. Give me a blowsy, tattered, bug-nibbled rose that smells glorious instead of a pristine, tightly furled perfect scentless rose any day. One is real, the other is all for show.

That said, if you're feeling truly romantic this Valentine's day — go for it. Just don't do the romantic thing because you feel it's expected of you. Genuine or nothing.

A small taste of the Autumn Bride

Excerpt from The Autumn Bride:

“I’ll take the very best care of you, as if you were indeed my beloved aunt. We all will.”

“I believe you child. You’ve already done me a power of good.”

Abby was puzzled. “In what way?”

“I was so bored before you came along! Now I have gels in breeches climbing through my window at all hours of the night, bringing me soup and conversation and plotting to sack my butler. And gels bringing me cats and kittens, and who knows what else? For the first time in…oh, forever, I want to see what the next day brings.”

Abby looked at her in astonishment, then found herself grinning. “It’s going to be an adventure for all of us, isn’t it?”

“It is, dear gel, it is,” Lady Beatrice said. “And I can’t wait.”

* * * * *

US Edition
Barnes&Noble
Amazon.com
IndieBound
The Book DepositoryUK
ISBN—13 (USA): 978—0425259252

Australian edition
Booktopia
Fishpond.com.au

ISBN (Australia) 978-1921901409

The Autumn Bride — blog tour

My new book, THE AUTUMN BRIDE comes out on 5th Feb, and I'm launching it with a small blog tour. At almost every blog, I'm giving away a book to someone who leaves a comment.
I hope you'll join me.

31 Jan  Fresh Fiction — winner Sharon D (California)

1st Feb  Romance At Random  — winner Diane (MO)

Also on Feb 1st Mary Jo Putney interviews me about my book on the Word Wenches    

2 Feb  LoveRomancePassion

4 Feb  Romance Dish  — winner Donna  (New Jersey)

5th Feb  The Book Binge

7th Feb Tote Bags 'n Blogs

8th Feb Word Wenches

10th Feb  Bookworm 2 Bookworm

Also on 10th Feb Risky Regencies — winner, Crystal (KY)

12th Feb Happily Ever After

Also on 12th Feb SOS Aloha

13th Feb The Jaunty Quills

14th Feb  Interview with the wonderful Kate Forsyth, who also reviewed my book.

Also on 14th Feb — if you live in Melbourne, I'm taking a class on writing at the Northcote Library. (Booked out)

14th Feb  Live Writers Space chat at 9:00 PM ET in the USA (Australia Friday 15th 1pm)

SPECIAL HISTORICAL WRITERS VIDEO EVENT

Feb 27 at 12.00 noon (ET USA) -- (in Australia 4 am on Feb 28)  Special video chat event with Jennifer Ashley, Madeline Hunter, Julia London, Juliana Gray and me. Stay tuned for further details.