Leap Day—A Second Chance To Start Again...

How are you getting on with those New Year Resolutions which all started so well back on January 1st? I know, I know, I've fallen down on the job, too—but with 2016 being a Leap Year and Leap Day (29th February) falling on a Monday, it's the perfect time to wipe the slate clean and try again. Here are three tips to give you a boost—

1. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS - How often have you heard someone say “I could have anything I wanted if only I had more money/more time/a better looking partner...or any one of a hundred other excuses. We all like to indulge in a bit of wishful thinking, but dreaming doesn’t change anything.  Appreciating what we’re blessed with already and building on it is the only way to get results. For instance, if (like me) you can’t understand why it’s impossible to lose weight, get checked out by a doctor to rule out any underlying medical condition, then try keeping a food and exercise diary for a few days.  It really helps, and I speak from experience!

2. BELIEVE  - it doesn’t matter what your goal is, the important thing is that you set one. Then buckle down and channel everything you’ve got toward achieving it. “Begin with the end in mind”, Steven Covey says in his book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Make sure your mind is trained on your ultimate prize, whatever that might be. Wanting to write a book isn’t enough. You must believe with all your heart that you can do it. A solid core belief is the only thing that will get you through the hours and hours of writing, re-writing, rejection and editing it needs to reach a goal like that. Half-hearted procrastinators need not apply! 

3. DO IT NOW - whatever "it" is. By the law of unintended consequence, it’ll take twice as long tomorrow, and three times longer next month. When you keep putting off the evil moment when you must balance your budget, send that email, or break off a relationship, the harder it becomes - and all the time the dread of doing it casts a deepening shadow over your every waking minute. When you’ve got a lot of frogs to eat, the saying goes, eat the ugly frog first. Making the initial effort is always the worst part of any task. 

Whatever you want to achieve in life, you are the only one who can really make it happen. Identify what you want, go for it, and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that whatever you achieve, you’ll have given it your very best shot.

How Do You Fancy Your Very Own Irresistible Bachelor?

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The Irresistible Bachelor Collection, starring my very own Count Of Castelfino, is on offer right now for only 99 pence. Here's a taste of what you can enjoy by clicking on the advert in the right hand sidebar...

Meg Imsey is determined to start her new job in the gardens at the Villa Castelfino, although the new count disapproves.  Assuming he’ll keep well away, Meg goes off to the walled garden and loses herself in her work until Count Gianni lets himself into her sanctuary…

‘I never dreamed anyone would disturb me in here. The door was locked.  I have the only key.  How did you get in?’  she blustered, embarrassment mixed up with growing anger.

One hand in his pocket, Gianni strolled over to the old medlar tree where Meg had hung her hat and shirt.  Plucking them from the branches like particularly desirable fruit, he made his way over to her.  He took his time.  It was painfully obvious to Meg that he was making her wait for her clothes.  She wasn’t in the mood to be toyed with.  As soon as he got close enough she snatched her things from his hands and pulled them on.  He watched with something close to amusement.  Then he drew a second key from his pocket with a flourish.

‘As I said –I live here.  I have a copy of every key in the place.’

Barefoot but otherwise decent, Meg rallied.

‘That doesn’t explain why you felt the need to come in here.’

‘It wasn’t a need.  It was a want.  I wanted to see you, Megan.’

There was a haunting look in his dark eyes.  It was so delicious she could hardly meet his gaze. Nervous that he might be able to read all sorts of things from her own expression, she looked down at the coarse wiry grass at her feet.  All sorts of hope were beginning to stir deep within her… 

Copyright Harlequin Mills and Boon Limited.

I don’t use real people in my books, but that scene is based around a spectacular medlar tree in a real Tuscan garden.  It is planted directly below a terrace, which gives spectacular views of the snowy white flowers and later the strange, wide-mouthed fruit. The brownish medlars look something like giant rose hips. They are picked while still as hard as conkers and stored on flat trays until soft and wrinkled.  The overripe pulp has an odd, winy smell.  When boiled up with lemon juice and sugar, then strained it makes a glorious amber jelly to serve with cold meats and salamis.  It’s an acquired taste, somewhere between wine and cider but without the alcohol.  I’ve found a recipe for Medlar fudge, too, but that has so many other delicious ingredients (cream, brown sugar, maple syrup etc) that I suspect they mask any medlar flavour.  A pile of pancakes, some home made vanilla ice-cream and a drizzle of medlar fudge sauce sounds like a perfect pudding for those freezing spring nights when summer days in Tuscany seem a long, long way away....

The Count Of Castelfino is included in the The Irresistible Bachelor Collection, which is on special offer right now for only 99pence, so take advantage of this special offer now!

Dieting, And A Destination...

When the first of the month falls on a Monday, it’s a great time for second chances. How are you doing with your New Year resolutions? I’ve struggled with cutting down on carbs, so since Christmas, I’ve been busy losing three pounds in weight, then putting two of them back on again. It’s the little things I miss. OH brought a still-warm loaf of wholegrain bread back from our village shop one day last week. I managed to resist it for a whole day, but my willpower failed before the family managed to eat it all. Bread and Marmite has never tasted so good!

The second of February is Candlemas Day, a Christian celebration celebrated annually. It represents the Virgin Mary's purification and the presentation of Christ, and in our church all the candles for the year are blessed. Snowdrops are traditionally known as Candlemas Bells, as they flower at this time of year. When some brave daffodils were in flower at Christmas here, I thought the snowdrops would all be out and over by now, but they followed their own calendar. The photos on this blog were taken here at Tottering Towers, but if you’re anywhere near Colesbourne in Gloucestershire over the next couple of weeks, try and get to Colesbourne Gardens, where you can see them by the thousand. The gardens are signposted from the M5, and opening times for this don't-blink-or-you'll miss it event are on their website.

So You Want To Write A Book? Part Four...

1. Whatever you write, pour your heart and soul into it. If you believe in your work, then so will your readers, and you want to appeal to the widest possible audience. Read widely, join book clubs and talk to people. The more research you do into finding out what people like to read, the happier you can make them.

2. Find yourself a successful mentor, preferably by making personal contact through your membership of a good professional group, such as the Romantic Novelists' Association, or the Romance Writers Of America. You need someone you respect, who knows what they're talking about, who'll be honest about your work, and suggest ways you can improve. If you can't find any face-to-face guidance, go online and check out popular writers whose work you admire and see if they’ve produced any guides to writing that will help you.

3. Word of mouth recommendations drive the majority of book sales, so think creatively when it comes to getting your books into the hands of willing readers. If your book is good, your readers will spread the word far and wide, at no expense to you. Above all, enjoy your writing and remember—success isn’t only measured in financial terms. To have completed a book you’re proud to have written is a great achievement.

To make sure you don't miss any of my top tips, follow my blog using the sign-up form on the right hand sidebar of this page. I send out a newsletter a couple of times a year with news about my writing, country life, competitions and offers—join my mailing list here.

Looking At Pay-Day Down The Wrong End Of A Telescope...

Find out more at http://bit.ly/1GEkZkJ

There's a long wait between getting your hands on December's wages, and the day January's pay drops into your account. And still the bills keep coming! The mid-winter gloom isn't helped by the short, dark days and long, cold nights here in England.  You can try sorting out your debts over at Arianne Cassini's blog. Over here, I like to look on the bright side... 

This new year is a blank canvas. Anything can happen. The start of 2014 was so bleak and dreary, I turned my back on the bad weather and snuggled down to escape into a world of sun-drenched romance. Tucked away in my nice warm office and dreaming of an exotic foreign holiday, I realised I couldn't actually imagine taking any time off. I'm hooked on my job, that's the trouble. 

Loads of us spend all our waking moments either in the office, or stressing about work. Everybody is running at top speed and over capacity all the time, with no time to sit back and relax. I think everyone deserves an affordable escape from everyday life, whether or not they can manage to take an exotic holiday, so I switched on my computer and tapped out the words...

...which became the opening lines of His Majesty's Secret Passion, the first book in my Princes of Kharova series for The Wild Rose Press. You can read a longer extract from His Majesty's Secret Passion by clicking here. 

Writing Leo and Sara's story let me escape to a world of sunshine and spa treatments, without leaving my desk. It was the perfect antidote to the sleet and snow outside my office.

What's your top tip for escaping the January gloom? Comment below to enter a draw with the chance to win a free download of His Majesty's Secret Passion!

So You Want To Write A Book? Part Three

1. Writing only what you want to write is fine, but if you want to win over an audience, constructive criticism is invaluable. Once you are completely happy with your work, hand it over to a Beta reader you can trust to tell you the truth, whether it’s good or bad. What they didn’t like (and why) is as important as what they did like.

2. Check every fact you use, and always keep your spellchecker switched on. Keep a pad and pencil close at hand at all times to list notes and queries when you think of them. It’s so easy to forget to do it later. Like ‘tomorrow’, ‘later’ never comes. Always follow up leads and hunches—you never know when you might strike lucky. 

3. Polish your manuscript until it shines, and when you send out a query letter or email make sure you go the extra mile and find out the name of the person best placed to help you. Personally addressed correspondence shows you’ve taken special care. It may take a long time for your work to be accepted, but never give up. Fashions change, and as long as you keep reviewing your work in the light of helpful suggestions and keep sending it out, if you've got the talent, all you need is a lucky break.

To make sure you don't miss any of my top tips, follow my blog using the sign-up form on the right hand sidebar of this page. I send out a newsletter a couple of times a year with news about my writing, country life, competitions and offers—join my mailing list here.

Your Escape Route To Romance (and a whole lot more)...

The Collection's Australian Cover

Ten years ago today I was sitting in a college lecture theatre, staring out at a rain-soaked car park and daydreaming about soaking up the sun somewhere hot and exotic. Today, dreams are my job, not just my hobby, and it all began with a creative writing assignment.

These days I don't have much time to gaze out of the window (and English rain is as wet and cold as it's ever been) but my life has changed out of all recognition.

I've met amazing people—Kate Walker, and the late, great Penny Jordan to name only two—written a lot of books, and sold nearly three million copies worldwide, in all sorts of languages.

When I began writing I started small, with magazine articles illustrated with photos I took myself. Then I wrote half a dozen historical novels, before signing up for a creative writing course which gave my career the breakthrough it needed.

My Original 2007 Cover

I'd always wanted to write contemporary, feel-good fiction, so this was my chance. I wrote the first two thousand words of what became The Italian Billionaire's Virgin, which is still available as part of The Hot-Headed Virgin collection. The other students loved my homework project and told me to send it to Harlequin.

The rest, as they say, is history. I submitted The Italian Billionaire's Virgin, and it was published as a paperback in 2007. The original artwork featured a hero who looked exactly like my OH—how lucky is that?

It's been a great ten years for me. I think everyone deserves an affordable escape from everyday life. Writing does it for me, every time. It gives me even more pleasure when I hear from readers who enjoy my books. Why don't you make 2016 the year you start that book you've been meaning to write?

To keep you on track, my blogs this year will include the top tips I've picked up along the way during my career as a best-selling author. Here are the first ones. To make sure you don't miss any, follow my blog using the form on the side bar on the right. To keep up with news of offers, competitions and my work in progress, sign up to my mailing list.