Eva Scott's Blog

Ann B Harrison needs very little introduction to anyone who loves Australian Romance. She's the best selling Australian indie author who has taken the Amazon charts by storm. 

Her latest release Outback In Stilettos is poised to follow up her earlier success. Let's find out what makes Ann B Harrison tick.

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What were the elements that triggered the storyline of OUTBACK IN STILETTOS?

It’s no surprise that I love the Outback and think everyone should sample it at least once in their lifetime. I often wonder how a city girl would cope if she was thrown in the deep end with no mod cons and decided it was time to find out.

 What’s your favourite scene in the book?

I laughed when I was writing the scene about Delilah helping feed the lambs for the first time. I remember what that is like! They are such powerful little creatures when they see their bottles coming and nothing stands in their way. I used to have a flock of coloured sheep and had more than a few orphans in our time so it brought back memories for me.

The characters from OUTBACK IN STILETTOS are coming for dinner – what would you cook for them?

Lamb roast for sure with all the trimmings and lashings of rich dark gravy. No point giving a guy from the bush a plate with very little on it bar frilly lettuce and pencil thin slithers of raw beef. He’ll let you know what he thinks of that kind of food.

Do you have a writing routine or a special place you like to create your novels?

I’m lucky enough to have my own office which is fantastic. I write on an antique desk a dear friend gave me too. Its huge and has room for me to spread out. I find the best time for me to get into my characters is in the morning although I’ve been known to spend all day in there.

If you were shipwrecked on a deserted island which character would you want with you and why?

Bluey. I love his razor sharp wit, makes me laugh and he can do anything. A real MacGyver kind of guy.

 Was there a point where you realised yes, I am a writer!?

I don’t think I really believed it until my second contract, Mistress for Magnus was signed. Then I knew it wasn’t a fluke.

You’re in a bar and they’ve called your name for karaoke – what song do you sing?

Um, actually, I’m the one sneaking off out the door. I loathe karaoke with a passion. I’ll pass the drinks around instead.

What does your ideal Sunday morning look like?

Cup of tea in bed (I get that everyday but on Sundays it might stretch to two with toast) and a nice long uninterrupted read while DH watches the news.

Finish this statement: People often underestimate the power of...

...romance novels. It’s amazing how you can get a feel good moment from a book that can lift your whole day. I love that I write romance.

Finish this statement: I feel most magical when...

...my plots all come together. It can be a challenge.

While the ink on OUTBACK IN STILETTOS is barely dry – do you have another story for us in the pipeline? Please spill the beans!

I sure do! I’m halfway through the second book in the Deadly Heritage series where Scarlett finally finds out who Casa Reeves really is. Exciting stuff!

Sassie is the second book in my Outback Heritage series and is ready for release beginning of March and I’m also dying to write the next book, Finn and Audrey which is all but plotted.

Thanks so much for having me Eva, it’s been great sharing my news with you.

The most popular soap on television hangs in the balance because Delilah Connors has lost her mojo. Her agent decides she needs a break.

Delilah disagrees but when her agent says jump, she jumps! She heads for the outback on a bus tour from hell.

The coach smells, her seating partner is an octopus and the road leads nowhere she wants to go. It’s all too much. She grabs her bags and hits the track. The trouble is the track leads nowhere she’s ever been before – no taxis, no cappuccinos, no five star hotels just a dusty outback station, two small children and a widowed farmer.

When all else fails call your agent – but she’s not interested. Out of sight out of mind. Stranded, high and dry in a pair of six inch lemon stilettos and a matching pencil skirt she accepts a temporary job.

The kids are cute but not cute enough to compensate for an archaic kitchen, filthy flies, and more creepy crawlies than she can poke a manicured fingernail at. But what’s a girl to do? A job’s a job when you haven’t even got a roof over your head.

The widowed farmer is another matter. Blake Richards triggers sensations that are too delicious to ignore. Just when she’s getting the hang of the outback, the flies and that sexy farmer she’s summoned back to the big smoke.

Blake makes a last ditch attempt to plead his case but amongst the glitter and glamour of the Sydney film elite, he is way out of his depth.

For More Ann B Harrison 

  www.annbharrisonromance.com

FaceBook: Ann-B-Harrison-Author

WINNING THE HEIRESS’ HEART

by Susanne Bellamy

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I love Hawaii. Been there a bunch of times including the time I scored a house sit for a few weeks. Heaven! I've explored the islands, written articles about them, immersed myself in the laid back open hearted culture and find myself drawn back there again and again. So imagine my delight when I heard my dear friend Susanne Bellamy has written a book set on Oahu. Brilliant news. I've grabbed the details to share with you but I also wanted you to get to know Susanne better too because she's lovely. You're going to want to read all her books by the time you're finished this interview. Here we go!

What were the elements that triggered the storyline of WINNING THE HEIRESS’ HEART?

Aside from those required by the nature of the series, I think Elvis Presley’s Hawaiian movies, “Tales from the South Pacific” by James Michener, “South Pacific”, the musical, wartime anecdotes, bad-boy bikers in movies, and something of a fascination with flying.

What’s your favourite scene in the book?

Several, but I’m going with The Pineapple Queen Festival. It was a light-hearted scene , which allowed me to show Luc’s growing awareness of the fun side of Eva.

The characters from WINNING THE HEIRESS’ HEART are coming for dinner – what would you cook for them? 

Luc’s favourite dish – roast pork with all the trimmings. And for dessert, a special Aussie dessert of pineapple and berry-filled pavlova that I suspect Eva might want to add to her pineapple cookbook!

Do you have a writing routine or a special place you like to create your novels? 

I spend early morning on social media and marketing related work, before I move on to actual story writing. Occasionally, if a scene is on fire for me, I get up early and get that down. My favourite writing spaces are my verandas, but I have been known to curl up under the doona in winter!

If you were shipwrecked on a deserted island which character would you want with you and why?

Luc Martineau. He is resourceful, clever, a man of action and strong. And did I mention sexy? You’ve got to cover all hours of the day...and night! ;)

Was there a point where you realised yes, I am a writer!?

More of a dawning realisation that I was doing exactly what I wanted to be doing, and making most of those who read my work, happy. Writing comes from passion for creating wonderful stories that engage readers and which allows them to lose themselves in other lives and places, to live vicariously. I accept I can’t please everyone but believe I have achieved a pleasurable experience for the majority of my readers. 

You’re in a bar and they’ve called your name for karaoke – what song do you sing?

Given my lifelong love of musicals and that I don’t have a big vocal range: “I’m Gonna Wash that Man right outta my hair”. I can ham that up!

What does your ideal Sunday morning look like?

Brekkie in bed or an al fresco brunch when the weather is beautiful.

Finish this statement: People often underestimate the power of...

Challenging themselves to do what they fear.

Finish this statement: I feel most magical when...

I’m dancing!

While the ink on WINNING THE HEIRESS’ HEART is barely dry – do you have another story for us in the pipeline?Please spill the beans!

Nepal is next on my list – another romantic suspense set mainly on the trail to Mt Everest and tentatively titled ‘Her Mountain Man’. It’s the first of a protector series with a difference. I love travel and we tend to go off the beaten track. This story comes out of our trip to Nepal, with additional material from my husband’s subsequent treks and climbs there.

Blurb:

Eva Abbott sells her inheritance in England, Bellerose Manor, to provide for the care of her nephew. She buys a pineapple plantation in Hawaii but discovers her neighbour, Luc Martineau, will do anything to take it from her.

When Eva discovers a diary, which may solve their financial problems, villains follow her to Hawaii and attempt to force her to reveal the whereabouts of the heirloom emerald necklace.

Is Luc an ally or an enemy? Is he after Eva or her land?

Extract: 

Luc has offered to teach Eva how to shoot her father’s service pistol

Luc walked back from the target he’d set up ten yards away. He took up a position behind Eva and repeated the instructions. “Okay, release the safety catch, use two hands to steady your aim, sight and squeeze the trigger.”

She tensed, shut her eyes and jerked the trigger. The explosion set off a cacophony of squawking in the trees and a flight of parrots took wing above their heads. Unprepared for the kick, she lurched backward into Luc’s solid chest. His warm hands caught her elbows and he chuckled. “You won’t hit anything if you close your eyes, Eva. And you need to squeeze the trigger, not jerk it. Like this.”

He fitted his length against hers. Heat blazed down her spine as his body shaped hers, surrounding her. Every nerve sought closer contact with him until she was unsure where she ended and he began. The rasp of his stubbled chin against her cheek sent goose bumps down her right side and his warm breath fanned across her skin as he repeated his instructions in her ear. His hands closed over hers on the pistol.

Her head was cushioned against his shoulder and she nestled against the tanned column of his neck. A fraction of a turn of her head and her nose bumped into his chin. She closed her eyes and inhaled the most intoxicating scent she’d ever smelled. Old Spice aftershave mingled with clean, male sweat and images drawn from the pages of Josephine’s diary. Heat rushed to that place between her thighs, moist and insistent and wanting, and her breath became choppy.

“You have to look at the target. Eva?”

She opened her eyes and tipped her head up. Mere inches from hers, his lips shaped her name. Such beautiful lips. The urge built within to trace their outline with her finger, her tongue, to taste them.

“Eva?”

She eased one hand from their joint hold on the gun and touched his cheek. Stubble scraped her fingers and a muscle jumped beneath her hand. He lowered the pistol and flicked on the safety catch before sliding it into its holster. In one smooth twist she turned into his arms and slipped hers around his neck.

He lowered his head and their mouths met in a kiss soft as spring rain. Her body trembled, heat zinged through her veins and pooled low in her belly. All their verbal sparring, their unexpected and heady attraction had been a prelude to this kiss. Prepared for fight or flight, her body chose close quarter action.

Buy here 

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About Susanne

Susanne is an Australian author of contemporary and suspense romances, and several novellas, set in exciting and often exotic locations. Her heroes have to be pretty special to live up to the real life one she married. He saved her life then married her!

For more Susanne:

Facebook 

Twitter 

Website 

Pinterest 

Goodreads 

Today I have the amazingly talented Elizabeth Ellen Carter, historic novelist, talking about her latest release WARRIOR'S SURRENDER and other things that make her tick.

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What were the elements that triggered the storyline of WARRIOR’S SURRENDER?

There were a couple of different things. The first was the concept of someone returning to their home feeling like a foreigner in their own lands and another theme which resonated with me was having a heroine whose life had been completely up ended and having been stretched physically and emotionally to almost breaking point but discovering the strength and resources she never knew she had.

What’s your favourite scene in the book?

Just one? I think one of my favourites is the trial by combat scene which is at the climax of the book. We experience the physicality of combat between our hero Sebastian and the villain Drefan, and we feel the emotional connection between our heroine Alfreya and Sebastian

The characters from WARRIOR’S SURRENDER are coming for dinner – what would you cook for them?

It would have to be a full banquet! The denizens of Tyrswick Keep are used to eating well.

I think a poached eel soup for starters, game pie for mains and sambocade cheesecake for dessert, washed down with some delicious apple cider.

Do you have a writing routine or a special place you like to create your novels?

I work full time, so I have to budget my time carefully. If I can get 5000-7000 words down a week when I’m in full writing mode I’m happy. All I need with me is a comfy seat and a cup of tea.

If you were shipwrecked on a deserted island which character would you want with you and why?

Definitely Sebastian, very strong, very capable and with a great sense of humour.

Was there a point where you realised yes, I am a writer!?

It was when I got my first by-line as a journalist but as a novelist, it was seeing the first review.

You’re in a bar and they’ve called your name for karaoke – what song do you sing?

You’ve never heard me sing... If I could sing it would be Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves

What does your ideal Sunday morning look like?

A leisurely breakfast, then off to church, then a leisurely lunch with friends which may turn into dinner.

Finish this statement: People often underestimate the power of...

Words.

As a writer I enjoy creating universes inhabited by real characters. I write romance because I love happily ever afters. Words have the power to create and to destroy and you don’t have to be a writer to experience it.

Finish this statement: I feel most magical when...

... the scenes just pour themselves out on paper

While the ink on WARRIOR’S SURRENDER is barely dry– do you have another story for us in the pipeline? Please spill the beans!

Goodness yes! A short story anthology has just come out. A Season To Remember with some great south-east Queensland authors including yourself Eva! We join Noelle Clark and Susanne Bellamy to create four lovely original Christmas stories that are free to download.

My third full length novel Moonstone Conspiracy, which is a full sequel to my first Moonstone Obsession is being edited right now and I’m currently writing a short story, also in the Moonstone universe called Moonstone Promise, where one of my favourite supporting characters gets his own happily ever after.

Buy WARRIOR'S SURRENDER here

• Etopia Press Bookstore

• Amazon

• Barnes and Noble

• All Romance Ebooks

• Kobo

For more information on Elizabeth Ellen Carter:

Web: www.eecarter.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ElizabethEllenCarter

Twitter: www.twitter.com/EECarterAuthor

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/eecarterauthor/

Google+: //plus.google.com/+ElizabethEllenCarter/posts

Blurb:

A shared secret from their past could destroy their future…

Northumbria, 1077. In the years following William the Conqueror’s harrying of the North, Lady Alfreya of Tyrswick returns to her family home after seven years in exile. But instead of returning victorious as her dead father had promised, she returns defeated by Baron Sebastian de la Croix, the Norman who rules her lands.

To save her gravely ill brother’s life, Alfreya offers herself hostage to her enemy. As Alfreya gets to know her new husband, she finds he’s not the monster she feared, and their marriage of convenience soon becomes a bond of passion. But Sebastian is a man with a secret—one that could destroy him.

As a series of brutal murders haunt their nights, the man who betrayed Alfreya’s father returns claiming to be her betrothed. He has learned Sebastian’s secret and will use it to further his own ambition—using Sebastian’s own family—which will destroy Sebastian and mark him a traitor, and plunge an unprepared England into war with the Scots…

Extract:

By the light of the fire she could see the abandoned chair. To see the second chair Frey must peer around the door.

It too was empty.

Frey frowned. Did she doze and Sebastian slipped past her unseen? She took a further step or two into the room and looked.

The bed was…

Before Frey could complete the thought, she was grabbed roughly from behind and held firmly against a man’s broad chest. A large hand covered her mouth and suppressed an involuntary scream.

The man recognised her and relaxed but did not remove his hand.

“You picked the wrong night to slit my throat while I slept, princess.”

Sebastian’s whispered voice filled her ear. He held her still for long moments before speaking.

“Are you recovered? You will not scream?”

Frey nodded and shook her head in answer to each question and she was released, her heart pumping furiously.

“Do you suggest I pick some other night then?” she said, wiping her mouth to rid the sensation of his hand.

Sebastian ignored her barb and poured a small measure of spiced wine into his goblet. He handed it to her and watched as she drank.

“Why do you assume the worst of me?” she asked.

“Habit,” he answered, arms folded across his chest. “Now tell me what you’re doing in my chambers while others sleep.”

“I have to speak to you.”

Sebastian’s eyebrows rose in surprise. It might have been scepticism, but Frey couldn’t be sure.

“And it couldn’t wait until morning?”

All of a sudden Frey’s courage left her and she wondered if her senses had taken leave of her too.

She was an unmarried woman, alone, late at night in the bed chamber of a man whose mere presence made her feel powerful sensations that she struggled to understand. What on earth was she doing?

She shook her head softly.

“This was a mistake.”

As she turned to leave, Sebastian grabbed her wrist.

“It’s a mistake to not finish what you start.”

I am so delighted to have Noelle Clark on my blog to help celebrate her latest release, Honor's Debt. Noell is a writing buddy of mine and has such a lovely way of putting words together. She's also grandma to new twins who have just joined her ever expanding family. Let's find out more about Noell and Honor's Debt.

What were the elements that triggered the storyline of HONOR’S DEBT?

I originally was going to write about a girl who attended the annual Matchmaking Festival which has been held in a tiny village called Lisdoonvarna for more than 150 years. It draws crowds of over 20,000 each year, and the original weekend has now been extended to a month long celebration of Irish music, dancing, drinking, and was originally the only opportunity for farmers to meet eligible girls.

I was cajoled into attending the event with two other friends a couple of years ago. All, ahem, mature-aged women, we weren’t interested in finding the love of our life, but we went for the craic – the fun – and we all love traditional Irish music.

The first draft of Honor’s Debt had Honor going to the festival. But then I scrapped that idea and went with the plot I ended up with. But…my two friends who attended Lisdoonvarna festival with me can’t rest easily just yet…I plan to one day write about our adventures, or rather misadventures, at the Matchmaking Festival.

What’s your favourite scene in the book?

Gosh. I have several favourites. The last chapter still makes me cry every time I read it. Can you believe that? It’s definitely a Happy Ever After, but it’s sweet. So that one is probably my favourite, although I think the scene with the Bucks and Hens parties takes the cake for being fun.

The characters from HONOR’S DEBT are coming for dinner – what would you cook for them?

The men of Robinhill Farm are big eaters. They love wholesome food, especially lamb roasts. I’d do a roast dinner with all the trimmings, jugs of gravy, lashings of crispy roast vegetables, and definitely a dessert or pudding to follow.

 Do you have a writing routine or a special place you like to create your novels? 

Yes, I have a desk in my office that overlooks a lovely bushy part of my garden. Right now the shrub I call ‘Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow’ is in bloom. Smells gorgeous. Don’t know the botanical name though. Here’s a photo.

If you were shipwrecked on a deserted island which character would you want with you and why?

Oh dear. There are several drop-dead gorgeous men on Robinhill Farm, and the neighbouring farm called An Mullach. They all have very different personalities. I think Sean would be my pick.

Was there a point where you realised yes, I am a writer!? 

This is my fifth published book, with an Anthology coming out very shortly, plus I’m contracted for books two and three of the Robinhill Series. I do consider myself an author/writer now, but only when I’m mingling with my other writer friends. People in the ‘real’ world don’t seem to realise how much hard work and dedication it takes to write a book, and then see it through the long process of publication.

You’re in a bar and they’ve called your name for karaoke – what song do you sing?

I’ve had this happen to me. I sang ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane.’ I chose that because I’m a Sagittarian and I have a very healthy dose of wanderlust. 

What does your ideal Sunday morning look like?

My ideal Sunday starts with a coffee, sipped slowly on the front patio while I glance through the Sunday paper. Then a friend or family phones and says, let’s go out for brekky. There’s a nice little place not far from home where you can eat breakfast overlooking the water. After that, a stroll through the art and craft shops, book stores, and a walk with my dogs, pretty much is the perfect day.

Finish this statement: People often underestimate the power of...

…positive affirmation. Negativity and low expectations help no one.

Finish this statement: I feel most magical when...

…I read a scene that I wrote some time ago, and it surprises me with its beauty.

While the ink on HONOR’S DEBT is barely dry – do you have another story for us in the pipeline? Please spill the beans!

Most definitely. Book two in the Robinhill Series is already on its way. It’s called Honor’s Promise. That may change before publication, but that’s the working title. It will be out in March. Book three is called Honor’s Legacy and will be released in July.

To top that off, I’ve written a short Christmas story for inclusion in the anthology called A Season to Remember. This is a collaborative effort with three other author friends – Susanne Bellamy, Elizabeth Ellen Carter, and yourself, Eva. We’ve had a ball putting this project together and will gift it to our readers as a free download from 28th November.

Blurb:

On a quest to make amends for a long-ago indiscretion, Honor unexpectedly discovers the one thing she’s been missing in her life.

Honor Quirk arrives in Ireland excited—and a bit anxious—about meeting up with the estranged family of her late great-grandmother. The welcome from the residents of Robinhill Farm, Dermot and Bryan, is confusing and far from comforting. One is warm, the other aggressive. The outwardly antagonistic Bryan makes it very clear he doesn't want her there, branding her a gold digger.

Dermot, on the other hand, is delighted to meet her.

But Honor is no pushover and stands up to Bryan, letting him know that his bad attitude and trail of baggage have nothing to do with her. Despite their confrontational and hostile relationship, an undeniable attraction to each other creeps insidiously into the house on Robinhill Farm. They both desperately try to stifle the sparks, but living under the same roof makes it impossible. Unable to cope with the turmoil of living with Bryan, Honor runs away, straight into the arms of a charming newfound friend, Sean, who offers her a home—and love.

Shattered, Bryan finally takes control of his irrational belief that all women are evil, and fights to bring back the woman he loves. But is it too late?

Extract

The sound of a noisy vehicle coming to an abrupt stop outside made them both look up.

“That’ll be himself now.” Dermot stood, the smile that seemed to so easily grace his face suddenly gone. He went to refill the kettle then, as if on impulse, turned back to look at her. “Now, don’t you go worryin’ about Bryan, okay?”

The kitchen door opened and a shadow fell into the room. Honor glanced up to see the doorway totally filled by the silhouette of a tall, muscular man wearing dark clothing. His features were impossible to see, but a shiver rippled its way up her spine as the hulking figure oozed bad vibes in her direction. He didn’t move, just stood there.

The room seemed to tremble as his deep, resonant voice entered the small space of the kitchen.

“So, if it isn’t the crazy English tourist who can’t drive. I take it you’re lost now, and asking for directions.” He paused and his dark gaze flicked from Dermot’s to hers, obviously taking in the scene before him. “Well, if this isn’t a picture of perfect domesticity. Bacon and eggs?” His mocking tone stung and he stood, still blocking the doorway.

She glanced at Dermot whose face showed no trace of the relaxed, affable man of a few minutes ago. Instead, he looked at her for a second then over at the man in the doorway.

“Oh won’t ye come in now Bryan. Come and meet Honor.” Dermot reached over and picked up another cup and saucer from the sideboard behind him and placed it on the table. His voice was somehow different. “There’s still another cup in the pot.” He picked up the teapot and swilled its contents around, then poured it into the empty cup. The air in the kitchen had suddenly got very cold.

Slowly, the hulk in the doorway moved and entered the room. She gasped as she recognized him. The jet-black, short-cropped hair and beard, the strong jawline, those black eyes…now she understood what he meant about the mad English woman. A shiver ran through her as she realized that things had, all of a sudden, taken a turn for the worse. Ill-humor darkened his face, his eyes smouldered with disdain, and his countenance was most unfriendly. She took a deep breath and, even though her knuckles under the table were white from squeezing, her voice came out strong.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you at last, Bryan.” She extracted one hand and held it out to him, hoping he wouldn’t notice the slight tremor of her fingers. A flash of uncertainty showed in his eyes, ever so slightly. Good, he’s not as tough as he’d like to think.

His large paw reached out and took hers to give it an almighty squeeze. She couldn’t tell if the pain was meant to be a punishment, or whether he always shook hands like that. Whatever it was, it was certainly a different welcome from the warmth and affection she’d received from Dermot. She stared at his long fingers, the dusting of black hairs on the back of his hand and his olive skin.

“Here, Bryan.” Dermot handed him the cup and saucer. Bryan released her hand and wrapped it delicately around the fine china. The man’s a litany of opposites, she thought, vacillating from harsh to gentle in a heartbeat.

“Can I cook you some breakfast?” Dermot’s friendly smile was back. Honor breathed a sigh of relief and took a sip of tea.

Bryan pulled out a chair and sat down opposite her, staring at her with a mixture of loathing, curiosity and familiarity. Dermot busied himself at the gas range and the sound and aroma of bacon sizzling on a hot pan once again filled the small kitchen.

“Honor.” His voice, deep, almost a growl, sounded like it came from way down in his boots. “I’m truly sorry about your car. I’ll pay to have it fixed.” There was no doubting the sincerity of his words. Relief swept through her. She glanced at Dermot who, although curious, seemed obviously pleased that Bryan was now being sociable.

Her shoulders relaxed slightly. “Those narrow roads are really something, aren’t they?” She held his black eyes with hers, never blinking. “I appreciate your apology, but I think the insurance will cover it.”

A deep frown transformed his face. Did she imagine it, or did he glower at her now? Maybe he’s not used to women standing up to him, she thought.

Dermot broke the awkward silence as he placed a plate, piled high with shiny, steaming bacon rashers and fried eggs, in front of Bryan. “I’ll make ye some toast.”

Bryan’s eyes held hers as he responded. “Thanks, Derm. I could eat a horse.” A small sigh escaped his lips and he broke the intense gaze and turned his eyes to the meal before him. He grabbed the knife and fork and attacked the food.

The kettle on the gas hob began to whistle, the toaster popped, and the telephone rang. Honor, breaking her fixated stare at this brutish man, snapped into action. She grabbed the teapot, whisked off its woollen jacket and took it over to the kettle. While she busied herself adding tea leaves and filling it with boiling water, she glanced back over her shoulder. Bryan shovelled food into his mouth as though he hadn’t eaten in weeks. Dermot chatted on the phone, something about a delivery of lucerne bales. She placed the now filled teapot on the table, grabbed the toast and placed it next to Bryan.

He looked up at her and again their eyes held. This time, though, she noticed that some of the fire had gone out. In fact, he appeared tired. Exhausted. There were fine lines etched at the corners, near the place where his thick, dark brows ended and his beard began.

“Your eyes. You have Dermot’s eyes.”

She stared, unblinking, as his deep voice resonated in her ears. It was as though he had two personalities, she mused. For some strange reason, she felt a surge of tenderness for this aggressive, bad-tempered, beast of a man.

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About Noelle Clark

Noelle Clark is an Australian author of contemporary romance and historical novels. Her books weave romance, intrigue, and adventure into colourful and often exotic locations around the world. Widely travelled, Noelle uses real life experience of places, culture, and people, as a backdrop to her stories, giving the reader an authentic taste of the location. Her novels feature strong, mature, heroines and heroes, who—often without knowing it—are ready for new beginnings.

 She lives close to the sea and shares her home with two cats and two dogs. She has two grown up children, and five very small grandchildren. When Noelle's not writing and travelling, she plays guitar, tends her vegetable garden, enjoys the company of family and friends, and—of course—reading.

Contact Links

• Website www.noelleclark.net

• Facebook www.facebook.com/NoelleClark.Author

• Twitter @noelle_clark

• Amazon www.amazon.com/Noelle-Clark/e/B00CENUDLC

• Goodreads www.goodreads.com/author/show/7046284.Noelle_Clark

Buy Links

Available for pre-order now from Secret Cravings Publishing online store and Amazon.

Available from all other online retailers November 13th, 2014.

Come with us to celebrate the release of our free Christmas Anthology –

A Season To Remember 

Released 28th November 2014

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4-November 2014

Noelle Clark’s Christmas Memory with Susanne Bellamy

11-November 2014

Eva Scott’s Christmas Memory with Susanne Bellamy

18-November 2014

Elizabeth Ellen Carter’s Christmas Memory with Susanne Bellamy

20-November 2014

From The Chair with Annie Seaton

21-November 2014

Isabella Hargreaves’ Spotlight On…

25-November 2014

Susanne Bellamy’s Christmas Memory

27-November 2014

Shehanne Moore

28-November 2014

Susana’s Morning Room

28-November 2014

Dani-Lyn Alexander

2-December 2014

Sharon Struth

2-December 2014

Tea with Elsa Winckler (or wine)

3-December 2014

Susie Medwell

4-December 2014

Tea Cooper

5-December 2014

Eve Devon

10-December 2014

Pretty Feet with Jane Linfoot

19-December 2014

First Fight Friday with Lori Connolly

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Remember the delicious Jared from Eve Devon's Her Best Laid Plans? Now get to know his sister Nora a whole lot better as she learns to open her heart in The Love List (HarperCollins).

Welcome Nora. Tell us a little about yourself?

Hi, I’m Nora King and I’m the CEO of KPC (the King Property Corporation). KPC is going through a bit of a transition at the moment. But I’m handling it. That’s what I do. Handle things. At least I used to be able to. These days everything feels a little harder than it used to. Natural under the circumstances, I guess. My father was my business mentor and I miss him terribly since his death. It helps that I love my job. It’s everything I ever wanted. It’s all I ever wanted. I think.

Tell us a little about the time you were born?

Contemporary times. Growing up on the forty acre estate in Heathstead twenty miles outside of London with my brother Jared and my sister Sephy was idyllic. We had everything we could ever ask for, except, maybe, our father’s time because so much of it was taken up with his beloved KPC. It took Jared turning his back on KPC when he was twenty-one for everything to change…

Where do you live? What is it about that area that drew you?

Now I live in London in an uber modern apartment overlooking the Thames. I love living in the city. Love the hustle and bustle. Love being so close to the business.

What’s your favorite music?

Well I’m certainly no longer a fan of classical music. I thought it was supposed to soothe and relax a person, but I listened to it the whole drive from London to Heathstead to try and stop myself getting riled up over having to tell my sister of Ethan’s plans and it didn’t help at all!

Will we be seeing more of you or are you stepping out of the lime light after this novel?

I first turned up in Her Best Laid Plans when I persuaded my brother Jared King to come back to London with me and help me save the family business and repair his relationship with our father while there was still time. I’m also in Heart Couture (my sister Sephy’s story which comes out next year). I don’t mind telling you that after all the advice about ‘not burying myself in work’ and ‘having a little fun’ that Sephy deals out to me in The Love List, it was nice to get to poke my nose into her love life in her book!

What do you do to relax?

Am I allowed to say work? No? Hmm. It used to be that I would take out my brother’s motorbike that I’ve restored, and ride until all the knots inside me unravelled and all that was left was this feeling of being free. I haven’t been out on the bike for a while. It’s complicated! So now I buy shoes! I love shoes. In the right shoes I feel confident, sexy and totally in control—just how I need to feel in order to feel relaxed!

Tell us about Ethan Love, what drew you to him?

Ethan Love owns a chain of leisure facilities called Love Leisure. But that’s not his passion. He has a trusted team who run his company so that he can volunteer as a rapid response team member for a disaster relief charity. When I meet him, he’s just got back from northern Italy where he was helping in the immediate aftermath of an earthquake.

Something happened to him there, I think. He hides it well but there’s an infinitesimal tightening of the shoulders whenever he is asked to talk about it. His ability to appear so laid-back intrigues me. I wish I could have a little of that!

He’s in town to ask me for a major favour regarding his brother Ryan Love who just happens to be my sister Sephy’s ex and her daughter’s father

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If I disregard Ethan’s insanely annoying hero-complex—because one thing I definitely don’t need is to be rescued—he does have this slow, sexy lift to his grin that I find…compelling. And he has this presence! I mean, yes, he is a great big tree of a man and that does make me feel feminine and kind of protected but it’s something more than his physicality. He isn’t fazed at all by my struggle to keep my grief compartmentalised. I’ve never met a man who sees so quickly beneath the surface and insists on me showing him what’s going on underneath. It’s scary. And exciting.

What’s your biggest turn on?

The way Ethan looks at me in a pair of high heels.

What is your favorite food?

Coffee!

What will interest readers about your story?

Have you ever wished for something so bad and when you get it you’re not sure it’s what you want? How do you face up to that? And what do you do then?

Also, I think readers will recognise the roles we take on in families and identify with how, as adults, we need to bend and flex within those roles in order to grow.

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Falling in love is just not on Nora King’s To Do List…

Neither is accidentally super-gluing her shoe to her hand right before the biggest presentation of her life! With all the hard work she’d put into securing the family business after her father’s death, Nora has no choice but to accept help from a knight in shining armour.

Disaster relief worker Ethan Love is still haunted by his last deployment, and desperate for distraction. He’s in town to ask Nora for a major favour, and swooping in to save her presentation is a sure way to get her on side.

As Ethan sticks around and helps Nora through her grief, her barriers tumble down…but will she dare to swap her To Do lists for a How to Fall in Love list?

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ALL ABOUT EVE

I’m Eve Devon and I write sexy heroes, sassy heroines and happy ever afters…

I kind of secretly believe it’s not too late for me to train as a professional dancer, MMA expert, or get asked to be Angelina Jolie’s body-double. I know. This is why writing fiction is for me!

Growing up in locations like Botswana and Venezuela gave me quite the taste for adventure and my love for romances began when my mother shoved one into my hands in a desperate attempt to keep me quiet during TV coverage of the Wimbledon tennis finals.

When I wasn’t consuming books by the bucketload, I could be found pretending to be a damsel in distress or running around solving mysteries and writing down my adventures. As a teenager, I wrote countless episodes of TV detective dramas so the hero and heroine would end up together every week. As an adult, I worked in a library to conveniently continue consuming books by the bucketload, until realising I was destined to write contemporary romance and romantic suspense myself. I live in leafy Surrey in the UK, a book-devouring, slightly melodramatic, romance-writing sassy heroine with my very own sexy hero husband!

You can find me here:

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Today marks the last character interview to celebrate the upcoming Christmas anthology - A Season To Remember. (November 2014)

We are chatting with Molly from All That Glitters, a Cinderella-inspired story about families, boundaries and finding true love. 

Tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a surgical nurse and the cuckoo in my family nest. I’m not like the women in my family. They’re all glitz and glamour and I’m well, practical I guess.

Tell us a little about the time you were born?

Contemporary times. With all the challenges of the modern world – communications, traffic jams, crazy schedules and demanding families.

Where do you live? What is it about that area that drew you?

I live in Brisbane, Queensland. What drew me to that city was #1 work and #2 it was far enough away from my family to be unmolested but close enough to get home to the Gold Coast if they needed me.

What’s your favorite music?

I’m fairly eclectic but I like Cold Play, Powderfinger (now defunct of course) and a bit of Jack Johnson when I’m feeling mellow.

Will we be seeing more of you or are you stepping out of the lime light after this novel?

No! This is my one and only appearance. Thank goodness. It’s been rather stressful and intense.

What do you do to relax?

I like to hit the beach whenever I can. Maybe go for a run. Read a good book with an equally good glass of wine.

Tell us about Connor Rathmore, what drew you to him?

Apart from being probably the most handsome man I’d ever seen? His steadfastness and loyalty. Knowing he had my back made a huge difference in my life.

What’s your biggest turn on?

A man in a kilt. And I am not ashamed to say it.

What is your favorite food?

It changes all the time. At the moment I’m really into Japanese food and have been trying my hand at cooking some at home.

What will interest readers about your story?

I think readers will relate to the fact families aren’t perfect and sometimes you can be put under pressure to do certain things for your family you’d rather not do. Sometimes you need to set the boundaries and stand up for yourself.

Téa Cooper tagged me in this new blog tour for authors - something a little different and fun.  This tour is about introducing the writer who tagged you, answering a few questions about yourself and your writing, and tagging more authors to keep the train going. Here's Téa's blog . Let's take a look at what makes Téa tick.

Téa Cooper

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Téa always knew one day she would write a novel. It probably started with a rather risqué story in the back of an exercise book at boarding school featuring the long suffering school gardener - not really the stuff romantic heroes were made of but it was before she knew any better.

Life and few heroes of her own showed her the error of her ways and with a baby under one arm, a husband and a half built house she entered a Mills and Boon competition. To her absolute earth shattering amazement she won second place – the prize was a bottle of perfume! Next time she determined she would do better.

Writing remained the stuff of fantasy. Her family, a herd of alpacas, a protea farm and teaching intervened until one day she decided it was time to do or die. No more procrastination. The characters and plots that had lived in her head for so long were clamoring to escape.

In August 2011 she joined Romance Writers Australia, entered the Harlequin Mills & Boon New Voices competition and to her horror wasn't discovered. Not even a bottle of perfume this time but in reality she had won. Procrastination was conquered and determination set in. It was time to get serious.

Since then she has published several contemporary and historical romance novels and is currently working on a series entitled The Adventures of Miss Abygail Wynter and an Australian regency novella.

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JAZZ BABY - AVAILABLE NOW!

In the gritty underbelly of 1920s Sydney, a fresh-faced country girl is about to arrive in the big, dark city – and risk everything in the pursuit of her dreams.

www.teacooperauthor.com/

Q&A SESSION TIME - ALL ABOUT ME!

1) If you were beginning your writing career today, what would you do differently?

 Read more craft books about technique and plotting rather than learn all my lessons the hard way!

2) What’s the one thing about you that might surprise readers?

I used to work at a radio station and did voice overs for ads from time to time.

3) Tell us a little about your main character in your latest book.

All That Glitters is a short story appearing in a Christmas anthology, A Season To Remember, which is out late November. Molly Morgan is a surgical nurse - practical and earthy. She's not at all like her half-sister, Aimee, or her step-mother Maria. Both are Gold Coast glamazons of the highest order.

Molly is roped in to help when her sister snags an elderly husband with more money than Croeseus. While Molly loves her disfunctional family she has a moral issue about the wedding. Is it love? Or has Aimee turned into a gold digger?

Of course there's a hunky hero in Connor Rathmore to help her discover the truth.

4) What are some of your favourites?

Colour - Red

Food - anything Italian or Middle Eastern

Place - the coast of anywhere

Shameless self promotion...

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A Season To Remember, Christmas anthology, releases late November 2014 and its free!

TAGGING THE NEXT PARTICIPANTS FOR THIS BLOG TOUR

Here are the people I am tagging. Please upload your post within a month if you'd like to participate and tag others to join in.

G.W. Gibson  Elizabeth Ellen Carter     Nikki Dee Houston  Susanne Bellamy

I am so proud to be able to reveal the cover of a Christmas anthology I've been working on with three of the most delightful writers you could ever hope to meet - Noelle Clark, Elizabeth Ellen Carter and Susanne Bellamy.

A Season To Remember contains four delicious stories celebrating ships and the sea - its our gift to you to celebrate a wonderful year of reading and writing. 

Out November 2014.

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Today we meet author #3  Elizabeth Ellen Carter, who has written the delightful Three Ships, part of our upcoming Christmas anthology A Season To Remember. 

Three Ships is an evocative historical tale set in South-west Britain. You are going to love the hero - delicious! - but for now lets meet Miss Laura Winter, our heroine.

Tell us a little about yourself?

Oh my goodness! An interview! My name is Laura Winter, I'm eighteen years old and a school mistress in training.

Tell us a little about the time you were born?

I was born in the late 1700s. Now it's the early 1800s and England is at war with the French (nothing new there I suppose), this time our brave men are fighting Napoleon's forces.

Where do you live? What is it about that area that drew you?

I live at the St Joseph's Rock lighthouse with my father, Peter and a complete menagerie of animals. St Joseph's Rock is a tidal island – that means we're cut off during high tide and storm surges.

During low tide there is an old causeway that connects the Rock to Ashton-On-Sea, a fishing village that has become quite popular with visitors from all over England since that poet William Blake wrote that poem Did Those Feet In Ancient Times.

You see, according to legend, St Joseph's Rock is where Joseph of Arimathea is said to have travelled from the Holy Land to England accompanied by Jesus. Now with the poem becoming popular, people come here all the time – we have quite the tourist trade!

What’s your favorite music?

I love the works of Handel, but people only think of him for Christmas because of Messiah – which our church choir is performing this year, my father is one of the tenors!

I adore Water Music, I guess because of of living by the sea, and also Music for Royal Fireworks. I would love to have that played at my wedding.

Will we be seeing more of you or are you stepping out of the lime light after this novel?

After the excitement over the brigands on the Rock this November – talk about fireworks! – I think I'm quite ready to step out of the limelight.

What do you do to relax?

My father has taught me quite a bit of meteorology – how to read barometers and the weather signs in the sky, things like that, so I like to keep my own records. I love reading and also exploring some of the rocks and cliffs around Ashton-On-Sea.

Tell us about Lieutenant Michael Renten, what drew you to him?

::Blushes:: Well, he is very handsome. But more than that, he's brave and resourceful too. We didn't meet under the best circumstances. He had been tossed overboard during a storm with his hands tied behind his back. It was a wonder he wasn't drowned. I had to rescue him from the rocks.

I don't know what it is like in the 21st Century but it was important to me that my father liked Michael too. My father had never been the same since mother died but when lieutenant came and we had to fight off those blackguards, my father seemed ten years younger!

What’s your biggest turn on?

I'm not sure what a 'turn on' is, but I assume you mean, the things I consider virtues? Courtesy and honour most certainly, duty and responsibility and a sense of community where everyone works together for good.

What is your favorite food?

Freshly caught fish from the markets at Ashton-On-Sea.

What will interest readers about your story?

It's a great adventure with romance, pirates and a few unexpected surprises. I can't wait to introduce you to the animals on The Rock – Admiral and Whisky the cats, Milly the Goat, King the Rooster, Acorn the horse. They all play an important role in story.

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Let's learn a little bit more aobut Elizabeth Ellen Carter...

A future with words was always on the book for Elizabeth Ellen Carter who started writing her own stories when she ran out of Nancy Drew mysteries to read when she was 10.

Using her mother's Olivetti type writer with the italic keyboard, she spent endless school holidays making up her own stories and then using the Dewey Decimal System to arrange and categories her bookshelf.

Somewhere around the age of 13 she determined to become a journalist and at 17 was awarded a cadetship to the Gold Coast Bulletin.

She covered news, council, education, health but had the most fun as the paper's entertainment and features reporter covering film, TV and music.

Best of all she met her husband there and together they started a small award-winning media, marketing and advertising agency and now she works as marketing manager for an international organic skin care company.

In 2012, Elizabeth also returned to the keyboard to write stories (and laptops are so much better than manual typewriters).

You can visit Elizabeth Ellen Carter here: http:/eecarter.com/