Max Seventeen: Firebrand

So...

There's going to be a sequel to Max Seventeen. And it's going to be called Firebrand. And it's going to be out in July.

 

  You're welcome.

 Sequel to Rona award winning Max Seventeen: Firebrand continues Max and Riley's story...

 Max has always eaten life in very small bites. Now it's coming at her in great big mouthfuls.

 Riley used to have very short horizons. Now the future stretches out further than he can see.

 They've made the starship Eurydice their home and forged a family out of the strange and dangerous crew, but when the past comes calling it threatens to drive a wedge between them all and shatter the bonds they've made.

 With the crew of the Eurydice scattered and an unknown menace stalking them across the universe, Max and Riley are faced with the ultimate question of trust and an enemy neither of them quite knows how to fight.

 Max Seventeen, available from Amazon, was the first book to win the Romantic Novelists Association’s Paranormal Romantic Novel of the Year.

You can pre-order Max Seventeen: Firebrand from Amazon.

Max Seventeen is the Paranormal Romantic Novel of the Year!

I only went and bloody won it, didn't I?

The trophy has my name on it. It doesn't even say Moonlight or anything.

Yes, Max triumphed at the RoNAs, winning the inaugural Paranormal award and also being the first ever self-published book to win a RoNA!

I'm still in something of a daze, and can't really remember an awful lot of the evening (I thought I was okay until I sat down and tried to text my dad and realised my hands were shaking). I hope I thanked the right people. I really hope I didn't say 'fuck' in front of Prue Leith.

In case I didn't thank all the right people, I'll do it here.

Thanks so much to the Naughty Kitchen for so much love and support and overall, so much fun: Immi Howson, Alison May, Lisa Hill, Rhoda Baxter Ruth Long and of course fellow RoNA winner Janet Gover. You're all brilliant and I couldn't have done any of it without you.

Extra thanks for Rhoda Baxter who proofread Max (and was cruelly cheated of her own RoNA on the night!) and Ruth Long who edited the book and came all the way over from Dublin to be there on the night.

Congratulations to my fellow nominees Christina Courtenay, Hywela Lyn and especially Jan Jones, who is probably wishing she hadn't encouraged me to publish Max in the first place.

The RNA, a truly remarkable organisation of really amazing women (and a few men) who are never less than wonderfully supportive, encouraging, and friendly. And who have an awards panel of exceptionally good taste.

My friends, family, first grade teacher, teddy bear...(yeah, that's a lie, of course I had a cat).

I think I may have mentioned something about how proud I was that a self-published book about a mixed-race, bisexual, ex-prostitute space pirate won a RoNA. But honestly I could have been talking utter bollocks for three minutes. Hard to say. Do hope no one filmed it.

Now. I think I might just have a small glass of something bubbly...

Did I mention my trophy?

So, last weekend was the Romantic Novelists Association annual conference, which is always one of my favourite events of the year. This year it was in Sheffield, land of my forefathers, up in the Frozen North. Except, confusingly, it was quite the opposite of frozen, which is why so many pictures of us all are a bit...shiny. 

The Choc-Liteers glammed up for the Saturday gala dinner, including our lovely two new recruits, Rhoda Baxter & Alison May (front right).

As ever, it was a fab mix of informative and useful talks (thanks especially to Julie Cohen & Fiona Harper who helped me figure out a few things about my Wip, and Janet Gover who told me what not to do in radio interviews), and lots of socialising. Maybe a bit too much socialising. No...you're right. There can't be too much. 

Of course, on the Saturday night, the Elizabeth Goudge trophy was presented. This is open to all conference attendees, regardless of published status, and is entirely anonymous, which is really lovely. This year, the entry was the first chapter of a novel on the theme of ice. I wrote mine in about five minutes and raced for the last post, then forgot about it.

Then it won. 

No, look, it won! I won a trophy! Did I mention my trophy?

After the conference I needed to sleep for a week, but instead went on to Derbyshire for a few days holiday in the Peak District. It's quite astonishingly pretty up there, although I might have wished for slightly cooler weather--still, it's a wonderful excuse for a pint of cold lager in the afternoon!

Back to work now (well, maybe on Monday) with plenty of ideas for a new, improved Wip. Strengthen the theme, improve the structure, and don't forget to describe the heat oppression in those summer scenes.

Now, did I mention my trophy?

Romantic Novel of the Year

Tomorrow, I'm off to London for the RoNAs, or the Romantic Novel of the year Awards. Yes, that's right, I'm taking Eve and Harker to the fanciest of fancy hotels for a champagne reception, because The Untied Kingdom is short listed for the Contemporary RoNA. Eve will enjoy it, Harker will hate it, and I'll, well... I'll have fabulous shoes.

Wish us luck!

And the nomination goes to...

...me!

That's right, me! I'm delighted to announce that The Untied Kingdom has been shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists Association's Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year Award!

On 5th March I shall be attending the very swanky awards ceremony where I shall pit the might of a former popstar and a man who thinks combs are for nancies against... oh my giddy aunt. Have you SEEN who else is on the shortlist?

Contemporary category: - shortlist of SIX:

Chances, Freya North, (Harper Collins)

Christmas at Tiffany’s, Karen Swan, (Pan Macmillan)

It Started with a Kiss, Miranda Dickinson, (Avon (Harper Collins))

Summer of Love, Katie Fforde, (Arrow (Random House))

The Untied Kingdom, Kate Johnson, (Choc Lit)

To the Moon and Back, Jill Mansell, (Headline Review)

Ooh boy. Come on Harker, we're going to need the big guns here...

Meanwhile, back in the real world

It's fairly safe to say I haven't really been keeping up with what's in the newspapers--I've been away more than I've been at home over the last month or so, and what with conferences and jetlag I'm so tired I'm beginning to forget my own name.

So when Bernardine Kennedy mentioned that she'd seen Kate Johnson's I, Spy? in the Mail on Sunday's Top Ten Ebook Downloads, I thought, hey, I've heard of that book...

Mail on Sunday "Live" magazine 10 Jul 2011

Does this mean I can call myself a bestseller? Eh? Eh?

An ACTUAL trophy!

This is so cool:

My EPIC Award for Mad, Bad & Dangerous

Epic Award Finalist

Ooh, this was nice to wake up to:

Not as nice as, say Richard Armitage, but still quite nice, nonetheless. I'd almost forgotten I'd entered Mad, Bad & Dangerous for this. Since it was formerly known as The Book That's Going To Kill Me, this is a nice bit of validation.

 

Even if it's absolutely the last time I write a violent belligerent heroine and a feckless psychopath hero.

Well, maybe.

Submissions, vampires, awards and other random thoughts

A few thoughts in a bundle, since tomorrow is my birthday and I intend to spend as much of it as possible not working in any way.

Firstly, today the Pure Passion Awards are being held in London by the Romantic Novelists Association, and I wish I was there because two of my lovely chaptermates are shortlisted for the Love Story of the Year award! So, it's fingers crossed for Jan Jones and Louise Allen, and I'm only sorry they can't both win! If you want to follow awards news on Twitter, the hashtag that seems to be in use is #RNAAwards.

Secondly, I've been wondering about Sophie. Yes, she's been a bit quiet recently, since her last story came out in paperback a year ago and the sequel to that was rejected by Samhain in January 2009, apparently on the grounds of bad sales. I've actually received a surprising amount of feedback about the Sophie books, often asking me when the next one will be released, and my answer is always the same: probably never. But since sales have picked up a bit recently, I wonder if it's worth resubmitting? Or, since the sales that have picked up were only for the first book, have people bought it and decided not to get the rest? And, since I've had lots of questions about the fifth book but very few sales for the first four, how exactly are people reading those books? Is this another case for Jack Sparrow?

Thirdly, I've been thinking about vampires, what with Hardest of Hearts releasing this week. A little while ago I caught the end of a BBC documentary called Vampires: Why They Bite (and I can't find it on iPlayer to catch up on what I missed!). Part of the case for the appeal of vampires was their close link with sexuality, and society's views thereof. Dracula, for instance, was totally evil, and had to be vanquished with strong Christian belief, which paralleled the Victorian attitude to sexuality at the time. Anne Rice's vampires, by contrast, came along in the 1970s when sex was much more acceptable, and even played around with homoerotica. Then we had Buffy, and the emphasis shifted from vampire to slayer. How to defeat the evil of teenage boys/vile seducers--oops, I mean vampires? Be a strong, witty, intelligent woman who's not afraid to stand up for herself and learn from her mistakes. And understand that vampires are capable of redemption.

Now of course the vampire is a romantic hero. A dark one, usually (and most effectively. If you're not going to make your monsters monstrous, then what's the point?). And who's the most famous vampire of the last few years? I'd say Edward Cullen. And what does that say? That we're over the whole sex is bad/gay sex is bad/weak women are bad thing (because honestly? To my generation, most of those things are so obvious we rarely feel the need to make the point). Now perhaps our concerns have shifted to the topic of teenagers and sex.

So where do my vampires fall? Not in the teenage category, that's for sure, and not (often) in the gay category. Weirdly, with Hardest of Hearts, I found myself thinking about the old trope of the vampire vs the crucifix. Why a crucifix? Does it have to be a Christian symbol, even if you're not Christian? Would a Star of David work if you're Jewish? Is it, in fact, not the crucifix but what it stands for that's key? And if that's the case, does it only work if you actually do believe?

And from there I started to wonder. What if you do believe, and then you become a vampire?

I was only partway through writing the character of Aidan in Hardest of Hearts when this occurred to me. I think it was a throwaway line about swearing and blasphemy that triggered it. What if my vampire was the one who believed in God? And not just believed, but had already devoted his life to the Almighty? Since I'd already decided he was a 19th century Irishman, this wasn't hard to build in. And it gave him an extra layer of conflict: between his nature as a devout, moral man, and the demon inside him who thirsted for blood and sex and mayhem and death. How to vanquish the demon? With prayer. But if you're an unholy creature of the night, you can't pray. You can, however, prey.

Hardest of Hearts is released in ebook format from Changeling Press, 19th March 2010. Erotic paranormal romance.

LRC nominations: vote now!

To vote! Email Dawn Roberto with "LRC's Best of 2009 Awards" in subject line. This is important because anything else will get deleted. Tell her you want to vote for Cat Marsters "Empire: Dawn Rising" in the Best Paranormal category. I mean, if you want to.

You might also like to vote for Dawn Rising as the Best Cover. Just sayin'.

In the interests of fairness, here is the complete list of nominations for LoveRomancesCafe's Best of 2009 Awards. But you already know who you want to vote for, right?

Best Fantasy Book 2009
First Lord’s Fury (Jim Butcher-Ace)
Storykeeper (Jade Buchanan-AMP)
Lycan Tides (Renee Wildes-Samhain)
The Betrayal (Patti Nagle- Del Ray)
The Oath: Bound (Adrianne Brennan-Freya’s Bower)
The Apostle of Asphodel (Celina Summers-AMP)
Spying the Alcove (Laura Tolomei-Extasy)
Dragon Slayer (Fiona Jayde-Noble Romance)
Strange Fortune (Josh Lanyon-Blind Eye Books)
The Scroll Thief (RF Long-Samhain)
Dark Lady’s Chosen (Gail Z. Martin)

***
Best Paranormal Book 2009
Silent Night, Haunted Night (Teri Garrey-Avon)
Wild Blue Under (Judi Fennell-Sourcebooks)
The Egyptian’s Demon Keeper (Ciar Cullen-Samhain)
Demons Are Forever (Wynn Hayworth-Samhain)
Destined for an Early Grave (Jeaniene Frost-Avon)
Songbird (Maya Banks-Samhain)
Don’t Tempt the Phoenix (CJ England-Samhain)
Dark Elves 6: Awakening (Jet Mykles-Loose Id)
Damien’s Destiny (Jean Hart Stewart-Cerridwen Press)
Call of the Wylde (Cynnara Tregarth-AMP)
Lover Avenged (JR Ward-NAL)
Hemovore (Jordan Castillo Price-Samhain)
Surviving the Darkness (Shiela Stewart-Breathless Press)
Bad Moon Rising (Sherrilyn Kenyon-)
Empire-Dawn Rising (Cat Marsters-Changeling)
Elfin Blood (Gracen Miller-Noble Romance)
Wassail Woes (Diane Taylor-SFP)

***
Best Sci Fi/ Futuristic Book-2009
Dominion (Michael Barnette-Loose Id)
Swordbrothers 2-Four Winds (Michael Barnette & Auburnimp-Shadowfire press)
Surrender Love (Kayelle Allen-Loose Id)
Solar Skies (Dawn Montgomery-LSB)
Warflesh (Kim Knox-EC)
More than Robotics (Lynn Crain-Extasy)
Safe Sex (Eve Summers-Red Rose)
Naughty Nights: Enslaved (Kate Hill-Changeling)
Wolf Hunt 2: Forest Wolf (Marie Treanor-Changeling)
When The Condor Returns (Icy Snow Blackstone-Lyrical Press)
Dawn of the Seraphs (Adrianne Brennan-)
The Edge of Desperation (Jason Edding and James Buchanan-MLR)
Cosmic Chaos (Kara Griffin-AMP)
Day 94 (D. M. Slate-EP)

***
Best Book Cover 2009
High Country (Loose Id; Artist: April Martinez)
Blood & Magic (AMP; Artist: Celia Kyle)
Hedda’s Sword (Samhain; Artist: Anne Cain)
Surrender Love (Loose Id; Artist: Anne Cain)
Damien’s Destiny (Cerridwen Press; Artist: Unknown)
Devon Falls 4: Haunting Magic (AMP; Artist: Syneca)
Apostle of Asphodel (AMP; Artist: Renee George)
Bittersweet (AMP; Artist: Unknown)
Horsefall: As the Crow Flies (Changeling; Artist: Bryan Keller)
Empire-Dawn Rising (Changeling; Artist: Sahara Kelly)
Earth Enchanted (Lyrical Press; Artist: Renee Rocco)

***
Best Erotic Book 2009
Djinn & Tonic (Ashlyn Chase-EC)
Dark Elves 6: Awakening (Jet Mykles-Loose Id)
Gaven (JC Owens-Loose Id)
Rescuing Clarice (Anny Cook-EC)
Isabella Ignites (Sloane Taylor-AMP)
Kaydana & the Crown of the Worlds (Nyki Blatchley-Lyrical Press)
The Reluctant Dom (Tymber Dalton-Lyrical Press)
Hotter Than Hell (L. Shannon-LSB)
Blood & Fire (Mychael Black-Changeling)
Fireproof (Tina Holland-LSB)
A Magical Story (Shayne Carmichael-Phaze)
Spank Me Twice (Anthology-Noble Romance)
***
Best Paranormal Author 2009
JR Ward
Jessica Andersen
Selena Illyria
Jeaniene Frost
Adrianne Brennan
Dawn Montgomery
Ciar Cullen
Anny Cook
Kari Thomas
Terri Garrey
CE Murphy
Shiela Stewart
Lisa Shearin
Patricia Briggs

***
Best E-Publisher 2009
Champagne Books
Amber Quill
Aspen Mountain Press
Extasy Books
Phaze Books
Changeling Press
Liquid Silver Books
Loose Id
Noble Romance
Manlove Romance Press
Shadowfire Press
Samhain Publishing
Breathless Press
Dreamspinner Books
Eternal Press

***
Best Shape shifter book 2009
Seducing the Moon (Sherrill Quinn-Brava Kensington)
High Country (Michael Barnette-Loose Id)
Instinct (Jessica Freely-Loose Id)
Haunting Magic (Raine Delight-AMP)
Under a Shifter’s Moon (Kari Thomas-Black Lyon)
Bad Moon Rising by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Pub. ?)
Cursed to Death by LA Banks (Pub.-?)
Horsefall: As the Crow Fly (Jade Buchanan-Changeling)
Shadow of the Wolf (Dana Marie Bell-LSB)
Just a Taste of Me (Stormy Glenn-Siren-Bookstrand)
Highland Heat (Tilly Greene-EC)
Sanctuary’s Price (Moira Rogers-Samhain)
Fire Season (Lex Valentine-PPB)
The Marksman (Mary Winters-PPB)

***
Best GBLT author 2009
AJ Llewellyn
James Buchanan
Laura Baumbach
Jet Mykles
Jason Eddings
Angela Fiddler
Jordan Castillo Price
Clare London
JM Snyder
ZA Maxfield
Andrew Grey
Michael Barnette
Beth Wylde
Kayelle Allen
Mychael Black
Laura Tolomei
Wiliam Maltese
Ethan Day
Rick R. Reed
Laura Baumbach

***
Best Book all around 2009
Island Bois (AJ Llewellyn-Extasy)
EPistols at Dawn (ZA Maxfield-Samhain)
Surrender Love (Kayelle Allen-Loose Id)
Cocked & Loaded (Desiree Holt-Wild Rose Press)
Storykeeper (Jade Buchanan-AMP)
Master of the Mountain (Cherise Sinclair-Loose Id)
Apostle of Ashodel (Celina Summers-AMP)
Shadow Walker (Esther Mitchell-AMP)
Kindred in Death (JD Robb-GP Putnam)
Walking Dead (CE Murphy-Luna/Harlequin)
Her Heart, His Soul (Kari Thomas-Siren)
Passion Unbound (Larissa Ione-)
Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins-)
Finding the Lost (Shannon Butcher-)
The Shadow Queen (Bertrice Small-Luna)

***
Best Vampire Book 2009
Last Vampire Standing (Nancy Haddock)
Dominion (Michael Barnette-Loose Id)
Diamond in the Shade (DJ Manley-Liquid Silver)
Blood Curse (Mychael Black-Changeling)
Samael (Dawn McClure-LSB)
Lyric’s Gift (Trina M. Lee-LSB)
Killer Queen (Heather McAlendin-EP)
The Boys of Bite Anthology (Ravenous Romance)
The Bite of Silence (Mary Hughes-Samhain)
Forbidden: The Ascension (Samantha Sommersby-Samhain)

***
Best GBLT book 2009
Island Bois (AJ Llewellyn-Extasy)
EPistols at Dawn (ZA Maxfield-Samhain)
Cowboy (JM Snyder-eXcessica Publishing)
Blood & Fire (Mychael Black-Changeling)
Bittersweet (Maura Anderson-AMP)
The Best Revenge (Andrew Grey-Dreamspinner)
Spying the Alcove (Laura Tolomei-Extasy)
L.A. Bonyard (PA Brown-MLR Press)
Dream Mate (Stormy Glenn-Siren-Bookstrand)
The Dickens with Love (Josh Lanyon-Samhain)
I Kissed a Boy (Anthology-Ravenous Romance)
***
Best Contemporary Book 2009
True Colors (Clare London-Dreamspinner)
Gaylife.com (Neil Plakey-MLR)
Bed of roses (Nora Roberts-Berkley)
Barely legal (Lizzie T. Leaf-AMP)
The Best Revenge (Andrew Gray-Dreamspinner)
Life, Liberty & Pursuit of a Honeybun (Sam Cheever)
To seduce a soul mate (Laura Tolomei-Extasy)
Switched (Desiree Holt-EC)
If I Were a Lady (Bryl R. Tyne-Noble Romance)
Within His Embrace (Denise Agnew-LSB)
Julia’s Knight (Stormy Glenn-Siren-Bookstrand)
Conquest (SJ Frost—MLR)
Melting the slopes (W. Maltese, Ethan Day and Jason Edding-MLR)
Heat Waves (Amber Skyze-AMP)
Kentucky Bride (Jan Scarbrough-Resplendance)
Rip Cord (Jeanne St. James-Phaze)
Selling Forever (Kimber Chin-Champagne)


***
Best Historical Book 2009
A Knight’s Temptation (Catherine Kean-Medallion)
The Bargain Bride (Barbara Metzger-Signet Eclipse)
Days of Gold (Jude Deveraux-Atria Books)
Sparta Rose (Ginger Simpson-Eternal Press)
Caribbean Splendor (Tracy L. Ranson-Siren)
Lessons in Temptation (Charlie Cochrane-Samhain)
Captain’s Surrender (Alex Beecroft-Samhain)
Harley Street (Lynne Connolly-Samhain)
A Treasure for Sara (Allison Knight-Champagne)
Love comes blindly (Phyllis Campbell-Champagne)

***
Best Mystery/Suspense 2009
*includes Romantic Suspense, thriller*

Blind Consent (Michael Davis-Champagne)
Kindred in Death (JD Robb-GP Putnam)
Waking Nightmare (Kylie Brant-Berkley Sensation)
Breaking Free (Cherise Sinclair-Loose Id)
Dreamfever (Karen Marie Moning-Delacorte)
L.A. Heat (PA Brown-MLR)
Personal Demons (James Buchanan-MLR)
Thanet Blake’s Memorial Day (Wayne Greenough-AMP)
Somebody Killed His Editor (Josh Lanyon-Samhain)
Cover Me (LB Gregg-AMP)
Because of you (Mari Carr-Samhain)
Betraying Chase (Donica Covey-Champagne)


Best Series 2009

Dark Hunters (Sherrilyn Kenyon)
Black Dagger Brotherhood (JR Ward)
Tales of the Otherworld (Kelley Armstrong)
Otherworld Series (Yasmine Galenorn)
Sons of the Zodiac (Vicki Pettersson)
Night tracker series (Cheyenne McCray)
Blood series (LA Banks)
Dark Elves (Jet Mykles-Loose Id)
Club Shadowlands (Cherise Sinclair-Loose Id)
Hetra Series (Bertrice Small-Luna)
Dawg Town (Multi-author, Changeling)
Demon Hunters (Cynthia Vespia-AMP)
Traditional Stories (GJ Woodrum-Shadowfire Press)
Swordbrothers Series (Auburnimp & Michael Barnette- SFP)
Si ‘Ludo Prophecy Series (CR Moss-Divine Destinies)
Riley Jenson Series (Kari Arthur)


I'm up against Sherrilyn Kenyon, people. And JR Ward. They've both got a considerably bigger fanbases than me. Like, several million more. Do you see what I'm up against? Just one or two little votes would be nice...

Bits and pieces

So, after a week of house-sitting during which I made great progress on Hardest of Hearts, I've come home to an email from my editor asking when it will be finished, to the Demon Puppy, to snow-and-hail blizzards, to cats who actually seem to have missed me, to a PC that has just crashed, and to builders drilling and hammering on the wall outside my office. I have headphones on and Florence & The Machine playing as loud as my eardrums can stand it, but unfortunately I loaned my noise-cancelling headphones to my brother when he flew to New York and haven't got them back yet, so the Machine backing Florence is currently a very loud and atonal drill. Fun times.

However a few things happened while I was away. First up, a five-star review for Empire: Dawn Rising from JERR, who gave the first Empire book a Gold Star Award.

Dawn Rising: Empire 4 is a truly imaginative and wonderful way to end an empire! I’ve enjoyed this entire series, not only for the great story but the amazing characters, the methodical way the puzzle pieces went together until their stories were revealed and all the incredible ménage sex scenes along the way. Dawn Rising is my favorite book of the series, mostly because it finally is Edward’s story.

I admit I really looked forward to writing Edward's story. He kind of lurked his way into my subconscious as a character I hadn't even intended to write in, and became one of the most complex and dark characters I've written (No, Striker in the Realms books doesn't count. He's dark, but he's not very complex: he's just insane).

Then Dawn Rising was also nominated for Paranormal Book of the Year by Love Romances Cafe. I'm pretty chuffed to be on this list, since the name right above mine is Sherrilyn Kenyon, and she's like a proper author and everything.

Also, the wonderful cover for Dawn Rising was nominated for Best Cover. Congratulations to Sahara Kelly, who created it!

Also in the Awards category, I'm really pleased to pass on the news that two of my lovely chaptermates from the Cambridge chapter of the RNA have been shortlisted for the Love Story of the Year Award. This will be announced March 16th at the very glitzy Awards Luncheon in Kensington. Congratulations to Jan Jones and Louise Allen! The only problem now is that they can't both win...

I've been nominated

For best book of the week, by those nice people at Whipped Cream, following their review of Spaceport: Incognito.

Would anyone like to vote for me?

Red Carpet party

No, it's not to do with the Oscars or the Baftas (I do love a good 'what the hell was she wearing' session after those, though), but with the romance novel awards season, unsurprisingly timed to coincide with Valentine's Day.


To come to the Changeling party and read excerpts from the nominated books, just join the Changeling Press readers loop.

The Overtures

So last night we went to a 50th birthday party. The birthday boy is the other half of the duo my brother plays in--his daughters joke he's their adopted brother. Anyway, we get there and they're going on about the Overtures, and how fabulous it is to book them, and can you believe they're playing here? And my mum and I exchange confused glances. The who? (Incidentally, The Who really is one of the best band names ever, isn't it?).

The Overtures, my dad says. They played at Elton John's wedding. Paul McCartney said they played the Beatles songs better than the Beatles did. They're the best 60s tribute band in the country. I'd have thought a 50th birthday party was a slight step down, unless it's, you know, Sarah Ferguson's or something, but what do I know?

So, there you go: that's what I have in common with Paul and Elton. The band really were fantastic. Apparently when my brother saw them last they were just a good tribute band. Now they have roadies. Roadies in band t-shirts. That's progress.

Anyway, none of this has anything to do with anything, I just thought I'd mention it. Other news for today includes: being reminded about the CAPA awards, which are the only reason I'm getting out of bed on Thursday; and a letter to tell me I didn't get the job at the animal shelter. Probably they were afraid I'd start stealing cats. Which is ridiculous. I'd probably only steal kittens.

Christmas came early

(and no, no James Bond jokes, thank you)

I got a TRS CAPA nomination! Woot! It's for Get Lucky, which I'm so pleased about because I love that little book, it's bright and sparky and fun and has not one but two very hot incubi. Unfortunately, no one actually bought it (the exact same thing happened with Naked Eyes, no one bought it but it still got a nomination from eCata).

Also nominated is the cover art for A is for Apple, which I'm so pleased about because I love, love love the covers for these books! Scott Carpenter created them, and I'm hoping he's going to be working on the next one, for Still Waters (for which I was filling out a cover request last night).

And I spotted a nomination for my good friend Amelia Elias's Chosen, which I'm so happy about because it's a fantastic book, and I just adore the hero, Gareth. He's a big bad vampire who runs his whole clan and contends with various kinds of nasties...and also take vampire tours around New Orleans. I love a guy with a sense of humour!

Anyway, I'm about to be late to go pick up my best friend for lunch (we always do this on Christmas Eve: go for lunch, laugh at all the harrassed last-minute shoppers, panic when we realise we've forgotten to get something vital, then go and see something suitable festive or cheerful at the cinema. Then it's off down the pub when I get home. Nice way to start Christmas). So, in case I don't catch you all before--or if you live in Australia or somewhere else Christmas has already started--let me wish you a very merry Christmas and a wonderful new year, and I hope both of them are filled with everything that you both want and need.

I've been nominated!

For a Night Owl Romance Award, for my first ever book, She Who Dares. If you're so inclined, please vote for me!

Oh yes, and I forgot

Look what I've got!

Passionate Plume

Great googamooga. I won. Look, it says so here and everything.

I read a list of final placements on an email via my mobile phone on Saturday, on the way to Clovelly, feeling mildly carsick because me + reading + cars are unmixy things, but Cornwall's version of a main road was the only place I could get mobile signal. And no, I wasn't driving.

I didn't really believe it though until I read Vivi Anna's blog. I'm still astonished she didn't win it: seriously, when I saw she'd finalled in the same category, I just went, "Oh hell, I'll never beat her."

Apparently there's a prize, but I can't remember what it is. I think all the other winners--and most of the finalists--were with big New York print houses. Little ol' e-published me is still blown away!

Congratulations to Saskia, Jade, Anna and Mackenzie for their wins in the other categories. And hats off to Vivi, Melany, Lara, and Jory for being very worthy competitors!

Thursday Thirteen: Things about my Sundown series

Thirteen things about my Sundown series 1. When I started the first book, She Who Dares, I didn't intend it to be a series. Just a one-off story about a really snarky vampire living in London who fancied the guy she was supposed to be assassinating. 2. Then I gave her an agency (Sundown, Inc.) and a secretary who was a suit-and-pearls-wearing werewolf single mother, and just HAD to write about her. That became book two, Blue Moon. 3. I based Blue Moon's hero on Orlando Bloom, pretty much as he looks in Kingdom of Heaven. Hamana. Hamana. Hamana! 4. When I wrote What Wizards Want I spent ages researching Jamaican slang for the heroine. Then I cut most of it out, because I remembered how much I hate it when I read books about Scottish characters who say things like, "Dinnae fash yerself, lassie." I've lived in the UK all my life and never ever heard a Scottish person say any of those words. 5. Baby Sham Faery Love is the silliest book I've ever written but I was really nervous about it, because while I'd written a menage scene before, I didn't know if I could base a whole book and a whole relationship on these three people happily shacking up together. 6. The title and cover ideas for Baby Sham Faery Love came to me while listening to Gwen Stefani. I can't imagine why. 7. I've long believed that one of my biggest strengths as a writer is dialogue. I like writing it and I think it comes off well. To this end, I'm still not entirely sure what possessed me to write Never Leave Me, about a man who doesn't much like conversation and a girl with no voice. Still, it seemed to work okay; the book won an award and everything. 8. After watching too much Doctor Who and falling madly in love with David Tennant, I wanted to write about a time-traveller. But my editor told me time-travel stories sell really badly and advised me to write about werewolves some more. So I wrote Duty and the Beast, which features a werewolf heroine who doesn't believe in the paranormal, and an elf who bears a striking resemblance to a certain Timelord... 9. Writing DATB also allowed me to fantasise about ripping David Tennant's clothes off. Tough job I have. 10. Unholy Trinity was my shameless attempt at mixing in everything that seems to be popular with erotica readers in a bid to become financially solvent. Vampires? Check. Interracial? Check. Menage? Check, check, check. It was also the first time I allowed myself to write a hero called Jamie, which is one of my hands-down favourite names. 11. I still have no idea what possessed me to write a book about a siren in Las Vegas. But keen readers may note that the lion who makes a brief appearance in Maneater is a) white, b) very affectionate and c) called Spike. I should have given him a dippy sister called Sugar, but I felt I'd already rambled on about cats too much by then. 12. It took me a shamefully long time to come up with the title for East Side Story. I mean, come on. It's set in Manhattan (well, mostly), has lovers from two factions who hate each other, and the heroine is a Latina woman called Maria. And yet it took Bryan Adams's song of the same name to jolt me into the realisation that I really needed to use that title! 13. The next book will probably be about a faery changeling and an Australian werewolf called Adam. Or it might be about an incubus. I'm not really sure!

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Ohmygod ohmygod

Best Books of the Year 2006

I was looking on the RRT main site and saw all these awesome books had been awarded Best Book of the Year, and didn't think to check RRTErotic. And then I did, and I'm there. Twice. (I actually missed the second one first time around. I'm having a blond moment. No, month!) Never Leave Me won Best Erotic Novella and Almost Human won Best Erotic Fantasy Romance.

And you know what? I JUST sent out my newsletter, and then I JUST sent out an addendum because I forgot to include something, and this is the biggest news I have! D'oh!