RNA Conference: my first ever editor pitch

Back home now safe and sound after an excellent weekend in sun-soaked Sheffield at the Romantic Novelists' Association Annual Conference.

I had booked a 1 to 1 slot with a Mills & Boon editor beforehand, but as the dreaded hour grew closer I was more and more panicked by what I'd done.

On the morning of my pitch I felt more nervous than when visiting the dentist. I couldn't eat any breakfast (now that's really nervous for me). I'd rehearsed my pitch until I was word perfect. I knew my theme and I knew my character arcs. But all that angst was for naught. Pippa Roscoe, Acting Assistant Editor for Mills and Boon Modern, was delightful and immediately put me at my ease. My pitch was unnecessary and she plunged straight into telling me what she thought about my 1st chapter and synopsis.

The good news is my chapter wasn't awful and I wasn't publicly humiliated and thrown out of the conference. So thank you Pippa for being so kind and it was lovely to meet you.

Book Review: One Night with the Enemy

One Night with the Enemy
by Abby Green

Published: August 2012 by Harlequin Mills & Boon
Format: Paperback & ebook
ISBN-13: 9780263891010

Summary

In Argentina’s breathtaking vineyards … Nicolás de Rojas and Madalena Vasquez had a stolen affair amongst the Mendozan vineyards – until Maddie discovered a devastating secret about Nic, and left without another word. He will have her once again! Now Maddie is back, having inherited her family’s struggling vineyard, and she’s at Nic’s mercy – right where he wants her. He’s one of Argentina’s most successful vintners, and Maddie desperately needs Nic’s help. But will she agree to his condition? One exquisite night with him … to finish what they started eight years ago …

Review
One of my favourite stories of all time is Romeo and Juliet, and this novel gives a modern twist to Shakespeare's play.

The de Rojas and Vasquez families have been feuding for so long that no one is quite sure how it all started. Eight years previously, Nic and Maddie's relationship was forbidden and the consequences of it left them both badly hurt. Now Maddie has returned home to Argentina to try and rescue the family vineyard that has been neglected by her late father. But Nic will do everything he can to get rid of her and get her out of his life before she can hurt him again like she did all those years before.

I really enjoyed this story and Ms Green wrings out every ounce of emotion throughout the book. Plus she throws in some interesting little details about wine making (my field of expertise is more on the drinking side).

Rating
I couldn't put this book down once I'd started it. I can see why it was M&B's Book of the Month and give it 5 out of 5.

Book Review: Princess in the Iron Mask

Princess in the Iron Mask
by Victoria Parker

Published: May 2013 by Harlequin Mills & Boon
Format: Paperback & ebook
ISBN-13: 9780263900187

Summary
A princess in hiding.
Dispatched by the king to retrieve his headstrong, errant daughter, Lucas Garcia thought this was just another day at the office. That's before he meets Princess Claudine Verbault, who's adamant that returning to the kingdom that banished her as a child is never going to happen.

A barely concealed attraction!

Hidden from the spotlight, the now-independent Claudia has learned the art of being the anti-perfect princess. But Lucas does not look like the kind of man to accept insubordination! If only she could bargain with this frustratingly immovable man....… and give him something to distract him from his duty!

Review
It's always exciting to read debut books by new Mills and Boon authors and this book did not disappoint.

Claudia is a highly intelligent woman and brilliant scientist who just needs a little more time and more funding to come up with a cure for the condition that plagued her childhood. She was packed off to a hospital in England as a child and has never forgiven  her parents for abandoning her. Lucas is the man responsible for restoring order to her parent's kingdom and the man her father sends to bring her home. Only trouble is Claudia has no intention of going with him, but Lucas won't take no for an answer.

Lucas is a gorgeous hero, sexy as hell, but with a traumatic past. Claudia is a great heroine - vulnerable but with lots of determination and inner strength, and they make a perfect couple. I loved the ballroom scenes which showed how far Claudia had come from the woman she was at the start of the story.

Rating
A great debut novel and I give it 4 out of 5.

Book Review: Her Man in Manhattan

Her Man in Manhattan
Trish Wylie
Published: April 2013 by Harlequin Kiss
Format: paperback
ISBN: 9780373207114

Summary:
Up close and personal—with her bodyguard!

It seems mayor's daughter Miranda Kravitz has scored herself a new and very dreamy bodyguard! Apparently the fireworks between them are scorching, but will this tabloid darling really be willing to give up her newfound taste for freedom—no matter how gorgeous Tyler Brannigan is?

Rumor has it Brannigan hates playing by the rules and has used up all his strikes with the NYPD vice squad. So now this cop's paying his dues with a temporary assignment as babysitter. If anyone can keep this Manhattan princess in check, surely it's this tough-guy detective? Hopefully handcuffs won't be necessary!

Review:
I came to this series late, in fact I didn't even realise it was a series until after I'd finished this book. This is the third book about the Brannigan family. The first is Olivia Brannigan's story in The Inconvenient Laws of Attraction (duh! I'd even got this one on my TBR pile and still didn't click that it was connected). The second book is Daniel Brannigan's story in New York's Finest Rebel. Having met and fallen in love with Tyler in this story I will definitely be checking out the rest of the Brannigan family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. A tortured hero and a heroine who is so much more than the pampered princess she seems. What's not to like?

Rating:
I loved this book and give it 5 out of 5.

Book Review: Mistletoe and the Lost Stiletto

Mistletoe and the Lost Stiletto
Liz Fielding

Published: November 2010 by Mills & Boon
Format: Paperback
ISBN-10: 0263888479
ISBN-13: 978-0263888478

Summary:
Lucy Bright can't believe it when she's plucked from secretarial obscurity and transformed into the pampered fiancée of a slick retail guru. But then she discovers it was all a publicity stunt! Rushing away from the media frenzy, she bumps - literally - into delicious tycoon Nathaniel Hart...

Spooked by their instantaneous chemistry, Lucy flees - but Nathaniel is determined to find his barefoot beauty. Though all he has is one very expensive red designer stiletto to help him!
[Goodreads]

Review:
Ms Fielding gives the Cinderella story a fun, modern twist with a social networking heroine.

Lucy Bright has everything. She thinks she's met her Prince Charming and after a whirlwind romance is planning a fairytale wedding. But a chance discovery exposes her Prince for the frog he really is and her new world comes crashing down.

She makes her escape into a large department store but loses one of her Christian Louboutin stilettos along the way and bumps into retail magnate Nathaniel Hart. She disappears again and hides out in his store, but neither of them can ignore the instant attraction they feel.

I love Lucy B - she's fresh, vulnerable and says what she thinks even though she knows she probably shouldn't. Nathaniel is a gorgeous tortured hero punishing himself for something that happened in his past. Together they are perfect - each one rescuing the other.

Ms Fielding yet again delivers a beautifully written story full of emotion, with characters I will remember long after finishing it. The final scene had me closing the book with that warm glow and satisfied 'aah' that all romance readers are looking for and all aspiring romance writers wish they could achieve. Frankly, I am in awe!

Thank you Ms Fielding for such an enjoyable unputdownable read and for a masterclass in how a romance novel should be written.

Rating:
I give this book 5 out of 5. It is one of my favourites this year and now firmly on my keeper shelf. I recommend it to all romance fans who want a feel-good Christmassy read.

Thanks Liz for being kind enough to send me a copy of this book.

Free Books!

Who doesn't love free stuff?

Mills and Boon are giving away 11 (soon to be 12) free ebooks over at everyonesreading.com  It's a great opportunity to read titles from series you may not have tried before, plus there's a competition to win a Sony eReader.

I Must Be Mad!

After two weeks of shall I or shan't I, I've finally gone and done it. *Drumroll* I've entered the Mills and Boon New Voices competition.

Now I'm sitting here feeling sick and absolutely terrified. I know just how those poor people on X Factor feel waiting for the verdict from the judges. I only hope I don't end up on the receiving end of some Simon Cowell type criticism.

If you want to take a look at my story, it's in the  paranormal category and you can find it here. The title is Be Careful What You Wish For.

All constructive criticism is very welcome (and votes even more so). But just a warning about the rose voting system. You only get the chance to click once - so make sure your mouse is in the right place. If you click in the centre of the rose it only awards half a rose. You have to click right over on the right hand side to award a full rose. I have noticed some very good stories have been rated quite low and I think it's due to people not realising that each rose counts for 20 percent.

Good luck to everyone else who has entered the competition and I raise a congratulatory glass of bubbly to you.

Anyway, thanks for listening to my panicky ramblings and now I'll go back to hitting the refresh button on the New Voices website.

(PS: thanks to Lacey Devlin for my spangly New Voices entry badge. Isn't it purdy?)