My guest this week is fellow Downunder Desirabelle, Paula Roe, here to chat about her books, her writing, her website designing and her awesome self. Make her feel welcome, feel free to ask questions, I know she will be checking back to say "G'day" during the week.

Hi, Paula and welcome to Bronz Blog. Let's start with a quick overview: who is Paula Roe?

Paula: Ahhh, me LOL. Former secretary/office manager/computer trainer/aerobics instructor. Now full-time single mom/writer/website designer/tutor. I tend to end up with lots of "/" Must be my Gemini trait (or the fact that I get bored very easily...)

Yep, I suspect the Gemini has something to do with it (not that *cough* I would understand.) So, were you always targetting Desire? Tell us about your road to publication?

P: The first thing I ever wrote (way back when I was 16) was a terrible cliche of my favorite 80s historical romances. Then when I started writing for publication (a strangely optimistic pursuit for a glass-half-empty gal), I targeted Temptation. Surprise! My raw story didn't fit the guidelines, but that didn't deter me. I found Romance Writers of Australia, pored over the articles, entered a squillion contests (Bron: she's not kidding folks, check out her website for verification!) and read, read, read. Then, of course, life intervened, I had a few years travelling, then working to pay off those travels, then a marriage, a baby, a divorce. When my son was about three, I really got back into my writing again, determined to make a go of it now I was a full time mom. So after three rejections (targeting Presents, Special Edition, Intimate Moments) and 86 contest entries (and some wins), I got The Call on 6th September 2006.

That "call" was for the book published a year later as Forgotten Marriage, and it really is a cracker. Many, many people agree, as evidenced by: Borders/Waldenbooks bestseller, RT Reviewers' Choice finalist, CoRW Award of Excellence finalist... What was the most exciting part of your debut?

P: :::blush:::: Thank you! Actually, this is the most exciting part - having people say they loved the story. I never get tired of it. Oh, and getting the covers. I'm like a kid in a toy shop when those covers arrive (I actually thought about copying them a thousand times, chucking them on my bed then rolling around, but the ink would get into places that's hard to scrub off...) And there's also the rush of seeing your book on an actual shelf. You just want to run around the store yelling, "That's my book! That's my book!" But with all these wonderful little bits of icing on the cake, no-one can get as excited as your writing buddies when you share your good news. They know exactly what it feels like.

Yes, we do. *g* The timing of your first sale could not have been better, in that you arrived in time to join the Diamonds Down Under continuity. How did that come about? What did you enjoy most about being part of the project?

P: Well, I was blithely going about my normal day, when Yvonne Lindsay emails to ask if I want to join this author-led continuity they had going. Seeing as it involved writers I already knew personally (except Jan, whom I'm now delighted to say is a wonderfully warm, hilarious person as well as a great writer!) I jumped at the chance. The offer actually came at a significant time, too, because it meant I'd have to write on demand, and to a set deadline. No more playing around, fiddling with words... I was actually getting paid for this! I also wondered if I could write quicker than one book every... hmmm... about 5 years or so. To my relief, I not only wrote that book in six months but the readers seem to love it, which is really where the proof lies.

That book is Boardrooms & A Billionaire Heir out right now in America. What will readers love about this story?

P: Well, I can tell you what I loved about it. First and foremost, it's the characters, always the characters. One reviewer said I write 'complex characters' which is one massive compliment for me. And I really enjoyed Jake's huge conflict he carries around, the gorgeous love story that evolves between him and Holly, and of course, the dialog. I loooove writing dialog! I think readers will also get a thrill from the reappearance of the previous books' characters in the series. As a reader, I always love reading about that - it's like getting a phone call from an old friend you haven't seen in a while.

Yes! That's exactly how I feel about linked books, too. Well said, Paula. Back to Boardrooms & A Billionaire Heir... It's set in your hometown of Sydney, right?

P: Yep. I love Sydney - although didn't love it so much when I had to commute five days a week ;-) It's much better wandering around like a tourist, discovering all the places that you only breeze by on a workday. I was such a city girl LOL! Now, the city has changed so much since the Olympics, with new improved roads and shopping areas, plus a cool monorail system to take you around. I also love the water, especially near Darling Harbour, so I gave Jake an apartment in the new Sydney Wharf complex they're building just a stone's throw away. Holly got an apartment in the nicer area of Surrey Hills, and Blackstones' head office has the honor of actually being where the real-life Sydney Hilton is.

I know you had a ball coming up with those location details and I got to the use the Blackstones' office in my book as well which was cool beans. I have a feeling that this love you have of design might be a factor, both in your writing research and in your other part-time pursuit of website design (Paula does brilliant websites, folks. Check out her own site as well as Diamonds Down Under.) How did you get started in website design and is that something you will continue now your deadlines are coming fast and furious?

P: It's the frustrated interior designer in me ;-) I loved art at school and loved the visual impact of color and shapes, but wasn't that great an artist. And with web design, I don't have to actually draw stuff, rather just shuffle things around until I like it (and my client likes it!). As to continuing it... I love the distraction of web design, it's like a mental break from writing. But I have to work it around my writing deadlines because I tend to say yes to lots of things without stopping to 'protect the work' (as Jenny Crusie advises). :-) I just redesigned Trish Morey's site and added a blog, plus am working on a Down Under Desirabelles blog in between deadlines...

About those deadlines... What new stories do you have in the works?

P: Heaps - I'm a Gemini! At this moment, I'm on a 30 June deadline for my next Desire, a lovers reunited/MOC (tentatively titled The Bad Boy Billionaire), plus a possible second book involving the hero's half-brother. Then I'll be getting stuck into an exciting Aussie Desire project which is the works for 2009 (but that one's top secret for now!) As if that's not enough, I'm toying with an erotic fantasy novella, and have planned out a Desire trilogy about three Gold Coast billionaires. Oh, and I still have those Temptations and Special Editions waiting their turn to shine... not to mention a couple of websites to design...

I'm tired just *thinking* about all that work, so I might just take a short nap (I may be a Gemini but I am so NOT the energiser bunny variety.) Meantime, a few short and snappy questions for Paula....

Desire is... all about the romance - keep it short, fast and tight!

I can't write without... procrastinating first.

On my desk you will always find... a weird black hole that attracts every scrap of paper I need to file but never do.

The perfect man is... an urban myth ;-)

My favourite books are... ones that keep me reading waaaay past my bedtime.

I'm looking forward to... the day I can waltz into a real estate office and pay cash for my dream place.

To be in the draw to win a surprise collection of books (I'm hoping this will be one of the book packs I'm bidding on in the Brenda Novak auction), tell us about your favourite books. What do they have in common? How does a book earn a spot on your keeper shelf? (NB: Comments will remain open until prize draw on May 31.)

Labels: Diamonds Down Under, giveaway, Guest blogger, Paula Roe

This weekend I have drawn the winners of last weeks' giveaways. Congratulations to:

* Joanne, winner of Trish Morey's THE BOSS'S CHRISTMAS BABY.
* Kerri Williams who won Maxine Sullivan's AUSTRALIAN MILLIONAIRES trilogy.

Email me with your address and we will get the books in the mail. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say Hi to my guest bloggers. Twas fun!

Labels: giveaway, Guest blogger, winner

Mistress and a Million Dollars is in stores now in America and available at your favourite on-line store (incl Amazon and eHarlequin) as a print or eBook. Tell us what you think of the pictures of Jarrod and Briana that Maxine sent to the art department and you're in the draw to win a book from Maxine's Australian Millionaire trilogy. (Prize drawn March 8.)

Labels: Diamonds Down Under, giveaway, Guest blogger, Silhouette Desire

Presents week continues with another of my favourite people and writers, the mega-talented Trish Morey who is a three-time #1 Waldenbooks Bestseller AND a winner of RWA's prestigious Romantic Book of the Year award (affectionately known as the RuBY.) Trish is popping in to chat about her 11th Harlequin Presents title, The Sheikh's Convenient Virgin.

I first heard the storyline for this book while walking along a Victorian beach last March. Trish and I were part of a group of authors at a writing retreat and on that morning walk, Trish was nutting out some details of her book-in-progress and I just knew by her passion for the story and her vivid descriptions of characters and setting that it would be another classic Trish Morey. The Sheikh's Convenient Virgin is a March release in America and already a Waldenbooks #3 bestseller, so I've invited Trish in to chat about sheikhs and linked books and the appeal that makes Presents the world's bestselling category series.

Mea culpa, Trish, I haven't read your latest sheikh. Can I make it up to you by offering to share this bottle of Dom Perignon?

Trish: Only one? LOL! Thanks Bron, for the warm welcome, it's lovely to be here!

I loved your Stolen by the Sheikh (half of a closely linked duo with The Mancini Marriage Bargain.) The Sheikh's Convenient Virgin is also part of a duo--with last December's hugely entertaining The Boss's Christmas Baby--so I'm looking forward to another fab read. Let's start by talking about that link. My guess is you planned this as a duo from the start?

Trish: I did! Like most people, I've always been fascinated by sister swap stories like The Parent Trap--or even identical cousin stories (showing my age here, but who else remembers The Patty Duke Show?) (Bron: me, oh yes, I do.) So I started out with twin sisters, Morgan and Tegan, and took it from there. The first story is a sister swap story and was a lot of fun. The second, The Sheikh's Convenient Virgin, sees the second sister find her own HEA, but it really doesn't matter what order you read them, as they're both stand alone titles.

Morgan and Tegan... Those names sound vaguely familiar...

Trish: Funny about that... I wanted the sisters' names to be close, and as luck would have it, a very wonderful mutual friend of ours has girls with those names and because they were so perfect, I asked if they'd mind if I borrowed them. They were thrilled and The Boss's Christmas Baby is dedicated to them both. (I had to dedicate The Sheikh's Convenient Virgin to my own girls, who were demanding equal time.)

As they should. Now, about that sheikh... This is your second (no longer a sheikh-virgin, hehe) -- what do you love about writing and reading the sheikh hero?

Trish: I love how there's a timeless appeal about sheikh stories--did you know it's almost a century since EM Hull penned her classic "The Sheik" and still there's this fascination with the desert prince, something forbidden about this untamed man in an untamed, exotic wilderness. I love all our Presents heroes, but I really think sheikhs represent the quintessential, alpha male, maybe more educated than a century ago but still so much a product of their isolated and harsh desert kingdoms.

Oh, yes, the untamed alpha in his own exotic kingdom. That taps into quite a few fantasies, doesn't it? You mentioned loving the Presents hero in all his guises -- is he the key to the Presents worldwide popularity?

Trish: Oh yes! Presents offers readers the ultimate get-away fantasies with the ultimate alpha heroes, the most wonderful heroes who get turned inside out by the love of one very special woman, because for all his wealth, power and status, it's that woman, and only that woman, who can make him whole. It's wonderful to see these rich, powerful men brought to their knees by love. Just wonderful!

Love your alphas, Trish, because they're always masterful and determined to have their way and a tad wicked (which is sexy as all get-out.) What do you love in a fantasy hero?

Trish: Thanks Bron! I love a hero who is all those things and who I can fall in love with myself. He's strong, passionate and a wonderful lover. And while he's forceful and powerfully motivated and gives the heroine no end of grief as she in turn is rattling his chain, at his core he's a man of integrity. Compelling masculine good looks and a lean hard-wired bod don't go amiss either.:-)

A couple of fun one-liners to finish:

What I love most about writing romance is...
making up gorgeous men all day and calling it work

My favourite books are...
by Candice Proctor and Tom Sharpe.

I can't write without...
checking what's in the pantry. Regularly. Even though I know what's in there down to the barcodes (so, so sad...)

I'm looking forward to...
my next reader letter. Just love getting those.

In my next life, I want to come back as...
a well-loved cat

My next release (book) is...
The Italian Boss's Mistress of Revenge, out Aug US/Sept UK and Oct Downunder.

The Sheikh's Convenient Virgin is in stores now in America and available at your favourite on-line store (incl Amazon and eHarlequin) as a print or eBook. Tell Trish and I what you like best about sheikh heroes and romances and you're in the draw to win a signed copy of The Boss's Christmas Baby. (Prize drawn March 8.)

Labels: giveaway, Guest blogger, Harlequin Presents

Ever since I first heard that the brilliant and prolific and funny Carol Marinelli was writing linked books about a pair of dark, dangerous, sexy Russians, I've been hanging out for the first of the Kolovskys. Expecting His Love-Child did not disappoint and nor did Levander. He is my favourite kind of alpha, with so many layers and levels due to the shadows of his past. And did I mention sexy? I believe he may have just usurped Hunter-with-the-scissors (Contracted: Wife for the Bedroom) as my favourite Marinelli hero. And Millie, the heroine, is just a delight...as is this whole emotionally rich book.

So, I've invited Carol along to chat about herself, her books--she's written an amazing 40 and is a 3-time finalist in the Australian Romantic Book of the Year--and her Russians. Welcome, Carol. I'm so chuffed you've agreed to be my guest here at Bronz Blog. I've opened a lovely bottle of red so sit, relax, share.

Carol: How did you know I liked red wine! (Bron: I had a hunch.) Thanks for reading them and saying such nice things!

That's not the wine talking, Carol, I can assure you. So, let's start with the CM backstory. When and how did you start writing romance?

Carol: I started trying when I was in my late teens. When I say trying, it was more a hobby that went along with the usual angst filled poems teenagers write. Over the years, at different times, I would pull out this story. Eventually it was rejected, as were another two before The Outback Nurse was accepted in 2000.

(Bron: and she's now up to 40, whilst also working the wards and raising a family, hence my earlier use of brilliant and prolific adjectives!!!)

Do you have a fabulous first sale "call" story?

Carol: It was a great moment but, I can honestly say, my proudest writing moment was ringing my sister in the UK when I actually sent off my first full manuscript. For so many years I'd been saying I would do it and it was just a thrill to post my first full off. I knew the lady who worked in the Post Office and she used to say good luck to me when I sent them off (though she wouldn't kiss the envelope--I did ask!)

Bah humbug. So, after some 20 medicals for Mills and Boon you started writing for Modern/Presents as well. How did that happen?

Carol: With difficulty. Getting my first Modern/Presents accepted was just as hard and just as rewarding as getting my first Medical accepted.

And now you write for both lines equally?

Carol: I write between 4-6 books a year. Generally I alternate, and that works really well for me. By the time I've finished a Presents I can't wait to get started on a Medical and vice versa. Because they are so different it's a total change of scene for my brain.

What do you enjoy most about writing for each line?

Carol: I love hospitals, medical shows etc and all the drama that comes with a busy hospital setting. There is so much room for emotion in Medicals because you are often dealing with people/families when they are at their most raw, so there's lots of room for emotional writing.

With Moderns/Presents, I love the layers of the Alpha male and really trying to get inside his head. I find writing them very intense, especially as it so much more just the hero and heroine on the page.

The Russians are a cross-line series, right? Levander for Modern, then Iosef for Medical? Is this the first time you've linked books this way and did that present any difficulties?

<= This is Carol's collage for her Russians, BTW.

Carol: No, I've never tried to link between two lines. My first Presents started life as a Medical (it turned out a completely different book) and it didn't work for either line so I've steered well away from even attempting it.

I don't plot, not in the slightest. A story just appears. When Levander (I didn't know his name then!) appeared he had to be Russian. I had no intention of linking two books at that stage. Even when I wrote Iosef in as a doctor it wasn't knowingly my intention to use him in a Medical--his profession proved a point about the family (page 105)--then I fell further in love with this family and spoke to my Editor about doing a Medical with Iosef as the hero.

One of the joys about not plotting (I have found) are those brilliant moments when you work out the twist or have your aha moment and then realize that you've actually already set up for it--that it must have been in your head all along. I had that moment times ten with the Medical because that line on page 105 actually proved a very pivotal part of Iosef's character.

(I am going to have to get my hands on that book, stat! )

What is it you love about your Russians? What makes them unique?

Carol: I love them because they are to me just beautiful, complicated men...oh, and incredibly sexy too. I have especially enjoyed writing about one family and exploring the different angles from the different siblings' points of view.

Levander is just the most recent in a long line of scrumptious Marinelli heroes so tell us, what do you think makes a yummy man.

Carol: That something that brings out the worst and best in the heroine and she in turn brings out the worst and best in him.

Love that answer, Carol, and that's something I really enjoy in your books--the way you push that worst, that flaw, to bring them to their best.

Now, just for fun, I asked Carol to finish these sentences:

What I love most about writing romance is...
being paid to think about gorgeous men.

My favourite books are...
at the moment, by Ian Rankin.

I can't write without...
internet/ emails--love to have a break every 30mins or so and check my emails and perezhilton.com or horoscopes.

I'm looking forward to...
going away with a few wonderful writing friends.

In my next life, I want to come back as...
a thinner, more organized version of myself.

My next release (book) is...
Iosef Kolovsky's story, Billionaire Doctor Ordinary Nurse, May UK, June Australia.

In the meantime, don't miss Expecting His Love-Child, a February 08 Harlequin Presents available in print and eBook forms from eHarlequin.com, Amazon, or your on-line store of choice. Come say hello to Carol and talk to us about your favourite exotic brand of hero (whether Russian or Argentinean or Irish or an outback Aussie you picture as Hugh Jackman) and next weekend I'll draw a winner from the comments to score a copy of Contracted: A Wife for the Bedroom.

Labels: Guest blogger, Harlequin Presents

posted by Bronwyn Jameson @ 9:58 AM 16 comments

This past month I've done quite a few guest blogs, spotlights and interviews talking about the Diamonds Down Under series. Today's guest spot is at Fresh Fiction where I talk about collaborating with friends, but instead of making it all about Diamonds, again, I asked another group of friends who've collaborated for their thoughts on writing with friends.

The group: the awesome foursome who concocted the Crocodile Creek series for M&B Medicals. Alison Roberts, Marion Lennox, Meredith Webber and Lilian Darcy have published hundreds of books between them, collected RITA and R*BY nominations by the truckload, while remaining fast friends and all-round top people. At present they've sold three four-book series under the CC banner and, who knows, if the readers keep pleading there may be more to come. :-)

Alison Roberts was the first to respond to my request for a quote about writing with friends, and she answered so expansively and eloquently that I had a hard time choosing one grab for the Fresh Fiction article. I asked if she minded me using the whole response as a special guest blog here. Alison, as I mentioned, is an all-round champion person and so she said feel free and Marion, Meredith and Lilian added their responses and here it is: a very special guest blog about writing with friends by the fabulous Croc Creekers.

Bron: How did the Crocodile Creek collaboration come about?

Alison: This series came about due to the first ever writer's retreat I went on, which was just me and Marion having a few days on South Stradbroke Island before the first Gold Coast conference. [Romance Writers of Australia conf, 2003.] We roped in Meredith once we got to the conference and got Lilian on board via telephone conferencing and there was this buzz even talking about it. We missed all the scheduled conference things we were going to do and sat round bouncing ideas and making notes and it was really exciting!

I think Harlequin was a bit gobsmacked at being given an author-generated idea for a series and it actually took a long time and quite a bit of modification before we got the green light, but then we started work on the first series and it was amazing. As Marion ( I think) put it at one point, "It's like having three extra brains". Emails flew back and forth as we discussed characters, backgrounds and plots.

I think the first series was easier because we worked more in sequence so had the book prior to ours to work from (or I did, anyway) but later -- especially this last series -- we were working at the same time which made timelines and things trickier. Also, we linked each set of four books with a story arc so we had to write a book that would stand alone but also fit into the overall story line.

To sum it up, I'd say it's challenging but fabulous. And so much fun, working in little bits and pieces of the other books, like snatches of conversations overheard or even just the expression on someone's face. For example, I have a wedding scene for my characters but two characters from the next book were having a snog in a side room. My characters can't go out the main door because the cyclone is ripping slates off the roof. They go to go out the side door and hey, there's this couple locked in a passionate embrace.

Marion: It was indeed fun. It felt a bit like a free book cos there were four plotters rather than one. I think the fact that we totally respected each other as writers and we knew each other's characters would be treated sympathetically was the key.

Meredith: What I loved was the intricacy of it. Yes, it was like a free book because we'd plotted together but weaving the stories together so bits of one fitted seamlessly with bits of another was the best fun. We even wrote little passages for each other's books so the stories melded. This might not have happened if we'd known each other less well or not been friends -- don't know -- but it worked well for us.

Bron: any words of wisdom to writers thinking of working with friends in some form of collaboration?

Alison: I'd say don't do it unless you have the utmost respect for each other's work and a solid base of friendship where ego is put aside. Ours was a collaboration in more than just a professional sense and we tried to write the best books we could because we wanted them to be as good as we knew the others would be. The "x" factor that came from our friendship gave these books an edge that made them special.

Lilian: We did make the initial mistake with our first continuity idea of trying to put too many eggs in our basket -- tons of murder and suspense and international intrigue as well as medicine and romance -- way too many bells and whistles. Various editors hosed us down with blasts of cold water and cured us of all that.

I think we all felt that the second of our three sets of four books flowed the most smoothly (interestingly and rarely, not one of the four of us had any revision requests on those books) and I think that's because a) we were experienced at working together by that stage and b) we came up with an idea that was outwardly simple yet allowed for a whole lot of complexity and emotion within each individual story. We could basically sum it up in three words "weddings and cyclone," and the juxtaposition of the romance of the weddings and the drama of the cyclone gave us the basis for everything that the Medical Romance line thrives on.

This would be my advice to anyone attempting an author-generated continuity: give yourselves a simple over-arching continuity thread that hits the centre of your line's promise to the reader so that the complexity and uniqueness can develop within each story without you all getting tangled up and treading on each other's toes.

Series two of Crocodile Creek -- the "weddings and cyclone" one -- was out in late 2007 in the UK and Australia and in Nth America through eHarlequin.

The titles in this series:
The Playboy Doctor's Proposal, Alison Roberts
The Nurse He's Been Waiting For, Meredith Webber
Their Lost-and-Found Family, Marion Lennox
Long-Lost Son: Brand-New Family, Lilian Darcy

My February giveaway: comment on any blog post this month and you'll be entered in the draw to receive a four-pack of books by some of my favourite Aussie authors, including the fab Croc Creekers.

Labels: giveaway, Guest blogger, writing tips

Twelve months ago I joined a group of down-under authors for a writing retreat. We didn't only write, we talked (a lot), we walked, we ate, we drank, we brainstormed, we laughed, and we swapped reading recommendations. Some of those books were by authors in our group, and one of the hottest must-reads of the week was Kelly Hunter's PRICELESS.

That was the title in the UK and Australia, but this month it is in North American shops (finally!) under the title of BEDDED FOR DIAMONDS. With diamonds very much my flavour of the month(s), I invited Kelly to come chat about the priceless witty characters with which she populates her books. I'm not alone in that opinion -- her first book, WIFE FOR A WEEK, was the Cataromance Book of the Year in 2006 and a Waldenbooks
and Bookscan big bestseller.

Hi, Kelly. Welcome to Bronz Blog. No pressure to be priceless and witty despite the introduction.

Kelly: Appreciated.

First question on behalf of the American readers -- why the long wait?

Kelly: Ah, yes. The long wait. The short answer is that my books are published as a subset of Modern (Presents) Romance in the UK, a subset that has its own editorial guidelines with a slightly younger, lighter feel than Presents proper. These books needed to succeed in the UK and other markets before being given the go ahead for America. Fortunately for me, they got the green flag towards the end of last year.

At the moment, books from this editorial are marketed as 'Presents Collections' in America, Sexy Sensation in Australia, and Modern Heat in the UK. Intiem in Holland, Desire in Greece, Harmony Collezione Sensual in Italy, Passions in France... Too much information, right?

Not at all. I'm WAY impressed that you've found your books under all those different labels! Speaking of different labels, which title do you prefer, PRICELESS or BEDDED FOR DIAMONDS?

Kelly: Hell, I called it Bodyguard For A Week but that one didn't fly. :-) (B: Shame; it fits perfectly.)

I liked Priceless. I think the word was taken from a line in the book when the heroine tells the hero that the parrot is in love with him (don't ask). (B: I love the parrot!) Or perhaps it was a tie in with the priceless nature of gemstones? I like to think it was because the relationship they forged was beyond compare but that's probably just me being wishful.

As for Bedded For Diamonds... Right. He does give her diamonds in the end. A fistful of uncut Kimberley diamonds to be precise. She's a jeweller, she'll know what to do with them... I love the word diamond in the title. It conjures up all sorts of rich and luxurious thoughts. I can't wait to see what you Diamonds Down Under ladies have been up to.

So, now you've intrigued us with a talking parrot and the handful of diamonds and a tale of priceless love, what is the story about? Feel free to use the back cover blurb (or jump right in and rework it.)

Kelly: You mean I get to rewrite the back page blurb? Have you any idea how many authors long to do this? And how few of them get the chance? Outta my way, I'm on a mission...

Wanted: brooding bodyguard

Erin Sinclair needs a bodyguard for her gem buying trip through inland Australia, and soul weary Tristan Bennett, with his protective ways and closely guarded heart, is perfect for the job. It makes no difference that he can melt her with a glance. She's immune to his type and with very good reason.

They should have been the perfect travelling companions...

So it's a roadtrip story? Is that something you set out to write, or did it just work out that way?

Kelly: I confess. I did indeed set out to write a roadtrip story. There's something about a journey into the unknown... About just setting out with no fixed destination in mind that's exhilarating, don't you think? Falling in love is like that. People set out on that particular journey with no idea where it'll lead, just a blind hope that maybe they'll get there. You could, at a stretch, use a road trip as a metaphor for falling in love.

We met Tristan in WIFE FOR A WEEK, your wonderfully successful debut which is still selling like the proverbial hotcakes (and why do hotcakes sell so well, do you think? Kelly: Because they're hot and sweet and sometimes you really don't want to eat another plate of meat and veggies?), and he captured a lot of readers' attention. I imagine he was a tough character to mould into a romance hero...

Kelly: It's easy to make a secondary character all dark and wounded and a bad relationship bet when you plan never to write about them again. That's what happened with Tristan. I never thought I'd write his story. And then you do...

He never spoke. It drove me nuts, because somehow I had to crack this man open and he simply wasn't cooperating. I had to give him a pet parrot to talk to and a nightmare or two just so the reader, and the heroine, could see what he was about. He was a beautiful, honourable wounded warrior who'd walked in the darkness just a little too long. I ended up giving him a heroine who just kept chipping away at him until finally he could see the sun.

There, that is what I'm talking about! Sigh. An alpha good-guy, with all the qualities AND wit to burn. So, what of the other Bennett brothers -- shall we see their stories?

Kelly: I tell Pilot Pete Bennett's story in TAKEN BY THE BAD BOY, a March 08 release in the UK. He's a rogue and a playboy, he's flying tourist helicopters around little Greek islands, and he does meet his match. He was another wounded warrior although he wasn't as difficult to write as Tristan. He actually talked. To people.

Talking helps. And the Greek Islands, huh? WIFE FOR A WEEK was set largely in Hong Kong. Your third book, SLEEPING PARTNER, in Penang. This one is in Australia, but not the usual or popular locations...

Kelly: Setting is such a valuable writing tool.

In WIFE FOR A WEEK the plot demanded a fish-out-of-water setting and Hong Kong proved perfect. Glamorous enough to comply with the Presents promise and foreign enough to add to the confusion.

I set SLEEPING PARTNER in Penang during the Chinese Festival of the Hungry Ghosts because both the hero and heroine had unresolved issues with dead people. They had to deal with those issues, and each other, at a time and in a place where everyone around them was honouring their ancestors.

In BEDDED FOR DIAMONDS I take my hero and heroine on a road trip through some of Australia's more eccentric outback towns. Lightning Ridge where they mine opals, Glenn Innes where they mine sapphires. There is such a strong sense of place and character about these towns (and if you've ever set foot in Lightning Ridge you'll know what I mean), such a sense of identity. The towns were a good foil for a hero who had lost touch with who he was and what he wanted to be.

The right setting can add such depth to a story. It's part of my job as an author to find one that fits.

Setting is just one of the things Kelly Hunter does very, very well. Check out her distinctive style by reading an excerpt of BEDDED WITH DIAMONDS, a February release in Nth America. Readers in the UK and Australia will need to wait a little longer for their next Kelly fix, with TAKEN BY THE BAD BOY due in March (UK) and May (Aust.)

For a chance to win Kelly's wonderful SLEEPING PARTNER (UK edition), tell us what you think about exotic settings. Does the idea of a romance set in Hong Kong or Penang or the Greek Islands grab your attention? Do you have a favourite book on your keeper shelf that is set somewhere very different; somewhere you don't see in many romance novels? (Winner drawn Feb 6.)

Labels: giveaway, Guest blogger, Kelly Hunter

This month sees the debut of newest Desire author Robyn Grady whose Magnate's Marriage Demand jumped straight into this week's Borders/Waldenbooks Series Bestsellers' List in North America. Robbie happens to be one of the nicest people you could meet as well as a wonderful writer, and I've invited her along to chat about her brilliant debut year which has seen the release of her first Modern Extra, her first on-line read for eHarlequin, her first Desire and her first bestseller.

Bron: Hi, Robbie. I'm so chuffed to welcome you as a guest blogger. To segue from the opener about firsts, can you remember the first romance you read?

Robyn: Hi, Bron and thanks for the invitation. First romance.... When I was fifteen, I borrowed The Love Machine from my aunty's keeper-shelf. I still love that book, particularly the hero. All these years later, I understand that Robin Stone (the love machine) is an alpha, the leader of his pack, yet "unattainable", and for very good reason. From that book on, I was hooked. In my late teens, when I caught the city train to work, I would be so involved in whichever romance I was reading, I was worried that some day I'd miss my stop!

Bron: LOL. I read my first Desire ever (Private Reasons by Justine Davis) on a train and I had exactly the same concern. When did you decide to try writing a romance?

Robyn: When I left my television career, I enrolled in a uni degree and received great feedback and marks for English Lit. That teacher gave me the confidence to begin my journey toward Harlequin publication. The first book I wrote was Foolish Impulse, which sold to a small Australian publisher. I wrote nine more before selling to Desire.

Bron: I love that you didn't give up and pursued your dream of selling to Harlequin...and I know readers in their thousands will also thank you. How and when did you receive The Call?

Robyn: 5th December 2006. It's my anniversary month! But I didn't receive "The Call". I woke up to an email...in fact, three emails from my agent, who had taken me on the month before. The first said that London was interested in Dream Job, and New York were interested in Magnate. The next said we could expect an offer soon. The final message said that Melissa Jeglinski wanted to buy my book!

I fell off my chair, scrambled back up and shot off some emails. Then the phone began to ring, but from 11am the day was taken up with "final week of school" events. At 11.30pm I finally landed back at my computer and was greeted by an avalanche of congratulatory messages. That was just as wonderful as receiving The Email. I've saved every one.

Bron: What a day! Apart from that one, do any other moments in the last year stand out more than others?

Robyn: I'll never forget the moment Melissa Jeglinski said she loved the revisions to my first book. I was petrified I couldn't do them well enough and that she would realize she'd made a mistake. Which leads into another milestone: MAGNATE making the Waldenbooks Bestseller list this month! Something I'll treasure forever.

Can I have three milestones?

Bron: You're a bestseller; you can have as many as you want. *g*

Robyn: Coz another would be my first reader's letter. This woman had been educated at Oxford, worked in Nigeria as an International Project Finance Lawyer, and had picked up my book while holidaying in London. She said she'd been reading romance since she was 13 and had never contacted an author before, but there were few books she'd enjoyed more than Dream Job. After the initial rush, I wondered if someone was having me on! So I did a google search and, thank heaven, that law firm and lady were real.

Bron: Well, I'm not surprised to hear that you're getting international fan-mail. Dream Job, Hot Boss! has been released in the UK and Australia -- any news of an American release?

Robyn: Dream Job, Hot Boss! re-titled HIRED FOR THE BOSS'S BED, will be released in the States in March. Modern Extras (soon to be known as Modern Heats) are being released in the States under the Presents banner, and let me just say, my fellow MH authors are eating up the bestsellers lists!

Bron: I noticed and am thrilled for the authors and for the line. How are you finding writing for two lines? Are they very different?

Robyn: Perhaps the main differences between Desire and MX, in my humble opinion, are tone and handling of classic hooks. For instance, I love to weave a thread of humor through my MXs that won't be so noticeable in a Desire. MX hooks, such as "marriage of convenience" or "in bed with the boss", are developed in a manner that portray characterization and conflict in an ultra contemporary way, which will hopefully entice a new generation of readers as well as satisfy those who already enjoy HM&B romances. The relationship between a Desire couple, on the other hand, has a slightly more traditional slant. That's not to say that Desires aren't contemporary reads, or that the hero and heroine aren't equally matched. It's more about the unique promise of each line. I sometimes think of it as Pretty Woman versus An Officer and a Gentleman. Thank goodness we don't have to choose.

Bron: Ooh, my two favourite romance movies! I could ask if you're a Richard Gere fan, but that would be digressing. *g* Instead I'll ask about Magnate's Marriage Demand and the delicious Armand...

Robyn: Magnate is a story of revenge...revenge over past hurts, time lost and unspeakable regret. However, Armand De Luca prides himself on always being in control; he refuses to be manipulated, particularly by his own feelings. When he loses the brother he had barely known, he sees a union with the woman who carries his brother's unborn child as a realistic solution for everyone concerned. However, Tamara Kendle needs to be convinced. This quest, for many reasons, becomes Armand's greatest challenge.

Bron: How gorgeous is that golden cover...?

Robyn: When Desire emailed through the cover, I held my breath and shut my eyes. But when the image opened up, I was blown away! Not only was the cover beautiful, there'd been so much thought given to detail...the ruby rings...her cross necklace...even the halter-neck dress. To me, the couple on the cover are Tamara and Armand. HM&B in Australia used the same picture but have enlarged it slightly and draped their new crimson and sparkle banner across the lower edge. Just gorgeous!

Bron: What do you see as the essential elements of Desire?

Robyn: If I were to sum up what Desire means to me in just three words, they would be: Intense...but real. Expanding on that: Intense conflict, powerful characterization, sizzling passion and compelling drama, all delivered in a convincing, involving style. One of the best pieces of advice I received from an editor was, "Find the heart of your story then bring it out." I think that's especially true for Desire.

Bron: And the Desire hero...?

Robyn: A Desire hero is the man everyone turns to see walk into a room. He is commanding and powerful, but not merely because of his wealth and status. His true force lies in a natural ability to lead, and lead well. He protects those he cares for -- others depend on his intelligence and quick reflexes. But there is so much more hidden beneath the authority and effortless charm of a Desire hero. It's a worthy heroine who can ultimately bring out the very best in the man she comes to love.

Bron: You've also written an on-line romance for eHarlequin...

Robyn: I was thrilled when MJ put my name forward for an on-line read. At first I wondered if I could do it! I'd never written "short" before. I truly admire writers who can do it well. The first challenge was finding a premise that was appropriate yet slightly different. I pitched my idea to the eHQ editor, she loved it, and I was off!

These past weeks, I've had the best time joining in the MEDICI'S PREGNANT MISTRESS discussion. It's fantastic to meet and talk with people who are enjoying each chapter. I've made new like-minded friends, so in many ways the online read has been the pinnacle to a fabulous first year.

Bron: What's coming next from Robyn Grady?

Robyn: MAGNATE will be on the Australian and NZ shelves February 08. My second Desire, FOR BLACKMAIL...OR PLEASURE will be out in the States in March, as will HIRED FOR THE BOSS'S BED. My second MX/Presents will be released in the States in July.

Last month, I was offered a two book deal with Desire. The first, BABY BEQUEST, will be out late 08 and form part of the "Billionaires and Babies" series. This job just keeps getting better. *g*

Bron: Knowing how busy you are, I'm extra thrilled you found the time to visit and to chat about your books (and Armand.) Readers, do yourself a favour and check out Robyn's accessible and engaging characters (intense and real, does sum up the tone!) and the fabulous Sydney settings in Magnate's Marriage Demand which is in stores now in North America.

I have a copy of Dream Job, Hot Boss, Robyn's Sexy Sensation release from Australia, to give away to one lucky reader. Just tell us what you like to see in a (Desire) hero in the comments and I'll draw a winner next Wednesday. But wait, there's more...

Robbie also has a signed copy of Magnate's Marriage Demand to give away , so I'll be drawing two winners on Dec 19.

Labels: giveaway, Guest blogger, Modern Heat, Robyn Grady, Silhouette Desire