My First Kiss!

No not THAT first kiss!! You don't want to hear about braces on teeth, school discos and red-haired Stewart Simpson who was a couple of inches shorter than me.

 

I'm talking about my first Harlequin KISS!

Known to those who followed this blog for the latter part of last year as The Book From Hell, it has since been renamed with the gorgeous title 'All Bets Are On'. And I am skipping around the house in excitement because release week has finally come around.

I got to read and approve the final edited version of All Bets Are On early this year, and to my utter amazement somewhere amidst all the angsting and crashing of head on table, the story somehow redeemed itself into being funny, sweet, engaging and (I think) the best thing I've written for Harlequin/M&B so far. For this I must thank my fabulous editorial team and also my family who put up with my whining and even threw ideas into the brainstorming mix (Lib I'm looking at you!) instead of forcing me to move out and live in the shed, I really wouldn't have blamed them.

So without further ado:

THE BLURB:

The stakes are high, but the prize is worth it!

Ask Alice Ford to shine in the boardroom and it's a done deal. Ask her to go on a first date, however, and she's a quivering mess! So, when she discovers that she's the target of an office bet—to get her into bed—it's her professional nightmare!

Office legend Harry Stephens is her unlikely saviour. He even volunteers to teach her just how to avoid a heartbreaker. After all, it takes one to know one….

But what is Harry really after? And when his kisses throw a curveball into the situation, is Alice ready to gamble  everything for love?

THE EXCERPT:

     'If you're thinking about dating again, maybe you'd like to go for a drink,' he said.

     'With you?'

     The question exploded from her lips in the form of a laugh. Because it was laughable, wasn't it? That after her past experiences she would look twice at someone like him?

     'Your amusement could be construed as an insult, you know,' he said mildly.

     'I can't,' she said. 'Sorry.'

     In Harry Stephens's world, of course, no meant maybe. He realised it was a simple matter of finding the right approach. Start small. And most important of all, offer some kind of incentive. Make her think he could be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

     'Just hear me out,' he said. 'I've got a proposition for you.'

     'What kind of proposition?'

     The upset tone had slipped from her voice. He could almost hear the ticking over of her mind. Her attention had been raised because he'd given his question a detached work-style tone.

     'I'm exactly what you need,' he said. 'To help you get back out there.'

THE LINKS:

UK Amazon: http://amzn.to/18XYDbx
US Amazon: http://amzn.to/1bC70Ji
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/15xeOqQ
The Book Depository: http://bit.ly/1bC7gIb

I'll be back soon with an update on the second in my Do Not Disturb trilogy, working title Room Service, featuring hot tennis player hero. I am currently racing against time (school breaks up imminently and the small one will be back in control) to get it subbed.

Happy summer all! xx

The Tasty Summer Reads Blog Hop!

 I’m taking part in the Tasty Summer Reads Blog Hop with my current release Your Room Or Mine? (see sidebar for buy links)

Follow the links on the hop to get lots of lovely inspiration for summer reads - all authors taking part will be discussing their current summer release or WIP and also offering up a tasty recipe that ties into it! Mine doesn't even involve any cooking - what's not to like!?

 

HOP QUESTIONS...

1)When writing are you a snacker? If so, sweet or salty?

I am a terrible snacker and my snack of choice is biscuits. I choose Rich Tea Fingers, not because they are the yummiest of biscuits (they’re not) but because they are about 22 calories per biscuit and I can kid myself that even after I’ve eaten ten or so, the calorie count isn’t desperate!

2) Are you an outliner or someone who flies by the seat of their pants? Are they real pants or jammies?

I am an outliner. I have a scene list, with brief notes on what takes place, for my entire story before I start writing. Writing by the seat of my pants/jammies fills me with terror.

3) When cooking or baking, do you follow the recipe exactly or wing it?

I follow the recipe exactly and if I don’t have one of the ingredients I worry constantly while it cooks that it will be ruined. I am not a confident cook. I wish I was one of those people who could just throw the contents of the fridge in a wok and come out with a masterpiece. Hmm, noticing a pattern here with my writing and my cooking. Apparently I'm not a pantser when it comes to the kitchen either!

4) What is next for you after this book?

I am currently writing the next book in the trilogy, another standalone fun and sexy romance but with the same backdrop as Your Room Or Mine? – an exclusive boutique hotel in London. This time around my hero is a gorgeous pro tennis player with a playboy lifestyle and my heroine is the Guest Services assistant who for her own reasons, loathes all things celebrity. See my Pinterest board (button at sidebar) for some of my inspiration.

5) Last Question...on a level of one being slightly naughty to ten being whoo whoo steamy, where does your book land?

I would say a 7. It’s pretty hot and explicit but there’s nothing weird in there! I would call it romantica– the language used is definitely more contemporary romance than erotica.
 

And here is my summer recipe! In Your Room Or Mine? Izzy and Oliver are a bit too wrapped up in each other to eat much of the time, but their story takes place in summer, and there's a particular steamy scene involving a spoon (enough said). Eton Mess would definitely be one recipe you could eat with one!

Can’t-Go-Wrong Eton Mess

Buy the following:

1 pack of 8 meringue nests

500 g strawberries

400ml double cream

Serves 4

Wash, hull and halve the strawberries, then take a handful and squash with a fork into mush. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Put the strawberries, cream and strawberry mush into a bowl and roughly crumble the meringue nests in. Fold the whole lot together without overmixing. Spoon into serving glasses and voila! Serve immediately.

 For more stops on the tour, and more fabulous summer reads and summer recipes, check out the very lovely Angela Campbell and Rae Rivers

My First KISS and a Giveaway!!

My first book for Harlequin KISS, All Bets Are On, is released 23rd July! This is my third book for Harlequin/Mills & Boon, but it is the first one to see a North American release so I am jump-up-and-down excited! My previous two titles were available only via the UK Direct to Consumer programme. (Although do watch this space as I have hopes they may get a bit more of an airing fairly soon!)

 

To celebrate I am having a Goodreads Giveaway - my first one ever. It will run throughout July, and all you need to do is click on the sidebar button and sign up to be in with a chance of winning a paperback copy of All Bets Are On!
 

The stakes are high but the prize is worth it!

Ask Alice Ford to shine in the boardroom and it's a done deal. Ask her to go on a first date, however, and she's a quivering mess! So, discovering that she's the target of an office bet...to get her into bed - it's her professional nightmare!

Office legend Harry Stephens is her unlikely saviour. He even volunteers to teach her just how to avoid a heartbreaker. After all, it takes one to know one...

But what is Harry really after? And when his kisses throw a curved ball into the situation, is Alice ready to gamble everything for love?

 

 If you fancy an office romance with a fun twist set in lovely Autumnal London, head on over to Goodreads now!!