The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

I love this time of year, although it must be said the winter of  2010/2011 was a trying time here on the border between England and Wales. It started snowing in December in a way it hadn't done for decades. That was lovely for the village children, but not so brilliant for commuters. We were completely snowed in for ten days, and nobody could go anywhere. Then a tractor blazed a trail through from the main road half a mile away, and we were able to get the cars out. We managed to deliver all the Christmas presents and cards to relatives on the other side of the Severn, but it started snowing again as we started for home, and we only just got back before the lanes were blocked again! That was the last time anyone left our part of the village for another couple of weeks. 

It's a good job we all get on well as a family.  A family of writers in a house with plenty of chimney corners is a lovely combination. The snow made it really romantic, too. Once or twice my husband and I tried a moonlit walk, but with temperatures down to 12 below freezing, we didn't get much further than the field gate. Hot chocolate in front of the fire tasted even better than usual after that but we were all very glad when the thaw finally set in!

We've already had a few snow showers this month, but now the schools have broken up and DD is home from university, I've stopped worrying. The weather can do what it likes. We've got plenty of supplies of everything, including writing paper and printer cartridges. Where we live it's safer not to try and travel when the weather's bad, so we just keep an eye on our neighbours and feed the birds.

I hope all your dreams come true this Christmas. Happy Holidays to Presents lovers everywhere, and here's to a peaceful, productive and passionate 2012 for us all!

December 2011 Release

The Real Rio D'Aquila by Sandra Marton

Italian by birth, this street urchin lived a life of extreme poverty until he escaped to Brazil—where he cast off his roots, took a new name and pulled himself up from the streets.


Now Rio D'Aquila is beyond wealthy, with a reputation for being uncompromising in business…and incomparable in bed! But on meeting vulnerable Isabella Orsini, he feels something deep within him stir, and he finds himself pretending to be that long-forgotten man.


Passion flares and their affair spirals, but Isabella still doesn't know that her lover has lied to her. Who is the real Rio D'Aquila?


For more information, please visit http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=24856&cid=226

A Touch of Luxury - Annie West

Have you ever craved a touch of luxury in your life? A rare treat away from the everyday world of juggling responsibilities? I think most of us have.

Personally I think a little indulgence once in a while is a wonderful thing - a memorable chance to relax and experience something completely different. I suspect it could become addictive except real life always manages to intervene. After all, real indulgence costs. I suppose it's partly the novelty that makes indulgence such fun.

I was recently in London (a huge treat in itself given the fact that I live in Australia). As well as catching up with my editor and some wonderful, wonderful British Presents authors, I also managed to fit in an extra special treat: high tea at Claridges, one of London's most prestigious hotels. I'd read about the place in books for years and wondered if it would be up to expectations. Browsing the website it looked terrific but in reality it was even better.

The red brick facade is pleasant but doesn't really give an inkling of what's inside, though the very smart and friendly doorman was a bit of a giveaway. Afternoon tea was served in a lovely, bright, elegant room. Service was impeccable and the staff were fantastic. Nothing was too much trouble. I didn't get to pour my own tea - not once in several hours, and though they were at hand and very attentive, they didn't intrude and were delightfully friendly. The food was superb, the setting fantastic and the result - sheer pleasure.

Whiling away an afternoon indulging in a quintessentially English pastime - afternoon tea, was a perfect way to spend my first afternoon in London. As well as tea there were sandwiches (of course) - Scottish salmon, cucumber, ham, etc, etc. There were perfect scones, both fruit and plain with house-made jam and clotted cream (my fave!). Then there was the tray of...I don't dare call them anything as ordinary as cakes. Yes, there was cake with rich chocolately layers. But there were tarts with fresh fruit, macaroons stacked with raspberries dusted with sugar and the most amazing tropical fruit dessert. The sad thing was that despite multiple offers, we were just too full to have seconds!

As well as being a terrific treat, the experience was perfect fodder for the author in me. Just thinking about the people who take such service in their stride as a matter of course set me thinking about new stories. As for the setting - I suspect something like it is going to appear in a future book.

In the meantime my current book THE SAVAKIS MERGER, is out now in North America as a Presents Extra release. It features a couple who've lived with luxury, though neither is exactly what they seem. I wondered when I wrote my heroine, Callie, if readers might find it hard to identify with a woman who had a wardrobe stacked full of designer gowns. I needn't have worried. So far reader feedback has been terrific. Maybe it's got something to do with the fact that those gowns come with memories she'd rather avoid, and a future she's trying to build which is as far away from A list glamour as she can get. As for Damon, he might look like he was born and bred to a tuxedo but nothing could be further from the truth. It was fun writing a story where the outward trappings of wealth hid so many secrets. Here's a taste:

From untouchable socialite...
Only hours ago she was a wickedly tempting, sexy stranger. Now Damon Savakis knows who she really is - Callie Manolis, society ice-queen and duplicitous niece of his arch enemy.
...to his unwilling mistress!
Yet when Callie's avaricious uncle loses the Manolis money, she becomes the bargaining chip in the Savakis merger. Damon is unprepared for her bravery, poise and purity in a world full of greed. Once she's paid her dues in his bed he'll make her his willing bride for free.

To find out more about the story, read an excerpt or some reviews of it, head over to my website.

In the meantime, since I've been talking about luxury indulgences, I'm wondering what your perfect luxury indulgence would be. Something big or something small? Is there a special treat you've always wanted to try?

November 2011 Releases

The Man With The Money by Lynn Harris

Notorious gambler Jack no longer gets a buzz from the risks, or the money, he takes at the card table. In fact, it bores him. Until one night he wins more than he ever bargained for.…

His prize is the stunning Cara Taylor—she might be down on her luck but she certainly doesn't need rescuing by a maverick card-shark like Jack! Now she's stuck with him and she doesn't know whether to love him or loathe him. But, cut from the same pack, playing Jack at his own game is the most fun she's ever had!

Visit http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=24668&cid=226 for more information.

The Ice Prince by Sandra Marton

Prince Draco Valenti, known as the ice prince, bears his title reluctantly, and wears his icy exterior like a suit of armor that no opponent can penetrate….

Except Anna Orsini. She isn't any ordinary adversary, she's a high-flying, straight-talking lawyer in a no-nonsense suit and killer stilettos—conflicting signals that perplex, frustrate and attract Draco all at the same time.…

While they're at odds in business, in the bedroom Draco's desire for Anna has the power to melt his defenses. The temptation to play with fire is overwhelming.…

 
Visit http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=24670&cid=226 for more information.

The Night That Changed Everything by Anne McAllister

Nicholas Savas is tall, dark and too gorgeous for anyone's good. To shield her wild-child sister from Nick's intoxicating gaze, sensible Edie steps into his eyeline instead!

Nick's fascinated by the defiant, beautiful Edie—she's a challenge, and he'll thoroughly enjoy sweeping her down-to-earth feet out of the ballroom and into his bed! But one night with Edie Tremayne is unforgettable, hot as hell—and not nearly enough…

 
Visit http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=24725&cid=226 for more information.

A Royal Engagement by Trish Morey & Caitlin Crews

The Storm Within by Trish Morey

Dr. Grace Hunter seeks an ancient text beneath the castle of Count Alessandro Volta.

The reclusive count wasn't expecting scientist Grace to be a beautiful woman who stirs his scarred soul. Outside, a media storm is brewing, but inside the count's world the heat between them is sizzling!

The Reluctant Queen by Caitlin Crews

Stolen away years ago, Princess Lara is offered an ultimatum by new King Adel. Return to her kingdom as his queen or pay back the bride price! Feisty Lara refuses, but remembers how Adel used to make her heart race.…

Visit http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=24672&cid=226 for more information.

The Savakis Merger by Annie West

Only hours ago she was a wickedly tempting, sexy stranger. Now Damon Savakis knows who she really is—Callie Manolis, society ice-queen and duplicitous niece of his arch enemy.

Yet when Callie's avaricious uncle loses the Manolis money, she becomes the bargaining chip in the Savakis merger! Damon is unprepared for her bravery, poise and purity in a world full of greed. Once she's paid her dues in his bed…he'll make her his willing bride for free!

Visit http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=24726&cid=226 for more information.

The Man with the Money - Lynn Raye Harris

I love this video! I think it's so sexy and compelling. Who doesn't want to read about those bad boy Wolfe brothers and their sister, hmm? Harlequin did an awesome job making this trailer, and I'm so thrilled to be a part of the series.

Book 5, The Man With the Money, is in stores now! Jack Wolfe is a hot renegade, a loner, a man who has cut himself off from everyone and who doesn't forgive easily. He gets his thrills by playing for high-stakes--cards, the financial market--but on the night he meets Cara Taylor, he may have bitten off more than he can chew.

When I was writing about Jack, I thought of him as being rather like Daniel Craig's James Bond. No, he doesn't look like Craig -- but he's that tough, that hard and brooding and lonely. Makes me all shivery to think of it!

This is my first continuity, my first time writing to a plot I was given rather than making up everything on my own. It was fun, and surprisingly freeing to be told what to write! I had to include certain elements, and things had to happen a certain way -- but I also had a lot of freedom to make Jack and Cara into the people they are. It was my job to take their flaws and conflicts and make them come alive.

I hope I've done that! For a fun excerpt where Jack tells Cara he wants to play strip poker with her, click here to visit my books page. RT Book Reviews magazine gave this story 4 Stars and said it has, "intense emotional turmoil, a tortured hero and toe-curling intimate encounters." Rawr!

Jack…Red-Hot. Renegade. Restless.

Notorious gambler Jack no longer gets a buzz from the risks he takes at the card table. In fact it bores him. Until one night he wins more than he ever bargained for…

His prize is stunning Cara Taylor – she might be down on her luck but she certainly doesn’t need rescuing by a card-shark like Jack! Now she’s stuck with him she doesn’t know whether to love him or loathe him.

Hope you enjoy this story!


Lynn Raye Harris is a USA Today bestselling author who writes glamorous, sexy romance for Harlequin Presents. You can learn more about Lynn and her books at http://www.lynnrayeharris.com/. You can also follow Lynn on Twitter @LynnRayeHarris or visit her author page on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/AuthorLynnRayeHarris

THE ICE PRINCE, the newest book in Sandra Marton's THE ORSINI SAGA

Hello, and welcome to the exciting world of the Orsini family!

I began writing about this Sicilian-American family two years ago, though the characters had been in my head longer than that.

A Mafioso Don. His seemingly-compliant wife. Their four sons who despise their father and have made their own ways in the world.

The characters came alive with breathtaking swiftness. I could see them, hear them; I could hardly wait to get them on paper.

I planned four books, one for each Orsini brother. Almost as an afterthought, I decided to include two sisters, mostly to give this powerful family some feminine counterpoint.

I had no plans for telling their stories—and no idea that neither Anna or Isabella would tolerate being overlooked! But as I told their brothers' stories, the sisters began to elbow their way in. And then you, my wonderful readers, took up their cause.

You e-mailed. You snail-mailed. You stopped me at conferences. You said you'd adored Rafaelle and Dante, Nicolo and Falco… and their sisters. You wanted to know their stories, too.

I know you'll understand when I tell you that Anna (and Izzy) were starting to tell me the same thing.

Well, I finally got the message.

The Ice Prince is Anna's story.

Anna's a tough, smart New York attorney. She's also a bundle of conflicting signals. She wears no-nonsense  business suits and killer stilettos. She has a healthy attitude about men and sex but she's not interested in love.

Prince Draco Valenti can't figure her out. The only thing he's sure of is that they're adversaries… and that he wants her more than he's ever imagined wanting a woman. How can that be? Draco is sexy; he's an incredible lover, but he's always been a man in tight control of emotions.

Until he meets Anna.

Their hot, tempestuous affair unfolds in Rome, surely one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world.

Draco has a villa on the Via Appia. He has a tough time convincing Anna to move in with him. He knows he's going to have a tougher time convincing her to live with him once they're back in the States. Anna's not into commitment. She's seen what happens to women when they let themselves fall in love with strong, powerful men.

Draco comes up with a plan he's certain will solve the problem.

Unfortunately, he neglects to share that plan with Anna.

And, just that quickly, their affair is over.  Or is it?

Can a fiercely independent woman and a man accustomed to running an empire find happiness together?

Find the answer in THE ICE PRINCE, available right now!

And when you have time, come visit me at http://www.sandramarton.com where you'll find news about me and all my books.

Lots of love,

Sandra
P.S. Isabella's story will be on sale next month. It's called THE REAL RIO D'AQUIA, and I think you'll find it equally exciting!

European Inspiration - Part 1

Hi, Trish Morey here, fresh from six weeks travelling around Europe and home with so much inspiration I could burst and I have no doubt that many of the locations I visited are going to become the settings for some Presents reading to come. So here's a first glimpse of a couple of the fabulous places I visited and some of the sights I saw. Maybe you might recognise some of them in a future Trish Morey story?

First stop was London. What isn't there to love about London? Here's a picture of the Liberty of London Building, a gorgeous Tudor revival building built in only 1924, but from the timbers of two old ships, so it really has a much longer and richer history.

I can imagine a heroine from a Presents novel inside, wandering through the rooms, searching for inspiration for that special piece or fabric with which to redecorate some old family pile in the country, for a reclusive and distant billionaire who is as mysterious as he is strangely compelling...

And here's the tiara she might wear on their wedding day once she's found and melted his heart, a tiara spotted in a shop window and which spoke to me.

Of course, it's been in the hero's family for generations, probably via the Austrian Princess connection (it's amazing what a little imagination can do with a shop window display:))

(And no, I didn't buy the tiara. I was actually afraid what the answer might be if I asked how much.)

Next stop was Tuscany and more fuel for the writer's imagination. The best kind of fuel...

Would this do for a hero's family home? Or maybe the home he was never invited to because he was the illegitimate son? Or maybe he was the housekeeper's child, maybe even the love child of the rich owner?

I love Tuscany (gosh, who doesn't?) I loved the misty sunrises and colourful sunsets, I

loved the local sparkling Prosecco we had with dinner on the terrace on warm autumn nights, I loved the discovery of large frozen octopuses in the supermarket freezer section and I adored the flower and plant stall in the nearby market in Fivizzano.

So much to see and this was just my first week! I will have to come back and include some more pictures in a Part 2 post soon. Meanwhile, I should get in a plug for a story I adore, The Storm Within, coming out in Presents in November (but is probably already on shelf now) in a 2-in-1 with the fabulous and talented Caitlin Crews, and called, A Royal Engagement.

The Storm Within is my first Gothic style story, albeit with a happy ending, but still with so many of those Gothic elements that we've come to expect of the genre - a crumbling castle atop a rugged cliff on a storm-tossed island, dark tunnels beneath the castle filled with ancient pirate history, and a reclusive Count, scarred both physically and mentally. Into this world comes a beautiful young conservator, whose presence on the Island is as unwanted by the Count as the discovery of the pages from the ancient book that has brought her to his isolated Island.

I had a fabulous time bringing these two characters together. I hope you enjoy reading their journey too!

With much love,

Trish

xx