NaNoWriMo

The following Minxes have signed up to do the madness that is NaNoWriMo this year. Here's wishing you ladies all the best of luck.

• Sally
• Joanne C
• Joanne P
• Romy

We'd also like to send best wishes to Lacey for her last two weeks of exams.

You go girls!

I don't have any wise words for anyone who's entering except that I managed to write 51,000 words in 30 days last year. In addition to a day job and young children - so it can be done. And YOU can do it!

In case you're still debating the merits of NaNo, Sarah Duncan points out the pros and cons on her blog.

Let us know if you're also doing NaNo this year, so we can all hold hands together.

PS: If you haven't already voted for your Ultimate Romantic Hero (right sidebar), please do. We need to break that deadlock!

The Ultimate Romantic Hero

As promised, here is the Minxy version of the poll to see which male celebrity is the Ultimate Romantic Hero. Please vote in the poll section on the right sidebar. The poll will stay up for a full week, so feel free to send your friends over to cast their votes.

To assist you in your choice, the Minxes have kindly assembled the reasons why we think each man is a worthy candidate. (Or in other words, here's the eye candy, dear blog readers).

Jo C's choice is Gilles Marini. I've decided to play it safe with this picture, but feel free to google 'Gilles Marini shower' and enjoy the view.

Jo P's choice is Josh Holloway, in his role as the delectable Sawyer.

Lacey's choice is Orlando Bloom (yum!)

Lorraine's choice is James Bond himself: Daniel Craig.

Maya's choice (no, for a change it's not Henry Cavill!) is Joe Flanigan of Stargate Atlantis fame.

Romy's choice is Aussie, Simon Baker. (And I must tell you, it was a tough choice. There are a lot of wonderful contenders out there).

Sally's choice is yet another Aussie, Hugh Jackman (and she insisted he had to be wearing nothing but a towel!)

And last, but most certainly not least, Suzanne's choice is Colin Firth, preferably as the wet-shirted Darcy.

Don't forget to check back here next week to see who the winner is.

Author Spotlight - Ally Blake

Today we are very pleased to have minx favorite Ally Blake here answering minxy questions. I was lucky enough to attend a 'writing romance' workshop given by Ally in a library in the foothills of the Dandenong Mountains, about an hours drive from Melbourne in 2009. The group of Australian writers were friendly and great fun, and Ally's teaching was fantastic. Here are the questions, and Ally's answers.

Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?

Five years ago I'd had five books published. Today I am working on my twenty-first. If you'd have told me that five years ago I would have laughed myself silly!

Where did you get the idea from for this particular book?

I get ideas from anywhere and everywhere. Song lyrics, overheard conversations, news articles, my imagination. My husband - whose idea of advice is for me to add aliens or a kidnapping or a car chase - even gave me the idea for one of my favourite stories! The book I've just written is set in Tasmania, the triangular island bobbing beneath the bottom right hand corner of Australia. Hubby and I holidayed their once years ago and it is the most stunning, varied, magical place. I wrote the first scene of this book then. No more. The characters didn't find their story until a decade later. that same scenario has happened to me enough times to know that even the tiniest idea has to be written down. You never know when it might come in handy!

Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?

In five years my kids will all be at school so I'll have more time to devote to the career I love. As to what I'll be writing? I feel like I was made to write fun, fresh, flirty romance novels. They are such a good fit for my voice I love what I do. That said, never say never. I'd be interested to know what I'm working on in five years myself!

Which was the last book you read that you wish you'd written?

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - along with her two follow-ups - by Stieg Larsson. Just adored them! Even though they are a mile from what I write. The fact that he managed to make really difficult subject matter palatable was one brilliant move. Add characters and places unapologetically Norwegian meaning readers not from that corner of the world simply have to keep up or fall away. And lead characters who are so unique, so well-rounded, so real, and soooo likeable despite their flaws and you have a trilogy for the ages.

Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?

John Christopher was my favourite author as a kid. He wrote the Tripod trilogy as one of my favourite stories still, the Sword of the Spirits trilogy. My favourite author as I grew beyond young adult tales was Dick Francis. When I think about it I believe my heroes all have echoes of the lead men both those authors created. Something about the integrity and humour and realness beneath the bigger than life heroism.

Do you find writing love scenes giggle-worthy or cringe-worthy?

Neither. Not a bit. Writing romances I find love scenes simply come as a natural progression of a love story. They are no harder, or easier for that matter;), to write than the all important first meeting, the moments the hero and heroine realise how deeply they've fallen, or their darkest moments when you believe there's no hope. All need finesse and originality and truth to work. All can draw a reader right out of a story if they don't work. As an author I can only hope that readers don't find my love scenes giggle-worthy or cringe-worthy!

What's the most romantic moment of your life so far?

My kind of romance is about the small things. The everyday things that my husband does that show me how much he cares. The things he does not in an intricately thought out grand gesture, but the things he does out of love without even thinking about it. Making dinner every night. Putting the dishes in the dishwasher. Making me sleep in when he sees how much I need it. A quiet hug from behind as we watch our gorgeous young daughters playing together, and realise how lucky we are. I'm so thoroughly taken care of I'm practically spoilt. I wouldn't give that up for all the roses in the world.

What do you wish you'd known about being an author before you were pubbed?

Nothing! I'm quite glad that I was ignorant to the fact that deadlines pile up, that ideas don't always flow, that one can't afford to wait for the muse to strike once you become published. I went into it for fun, for the love of writing, when my first book sold it was a complete shock. And I feel very blessed that the the one thing I always did happily for myself, without being paid or read by a soul, is now my profession. That my books have sold over two million copies around the world, that I get the most lovely letters from happy readers from the other side of the globe, that I've made such great friends within the romance writing community is all a beautiful surprise.

What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?

"You can fix a bad page, you can't fix a blank page," as once said by the legendary Nora Roberts. I truly believe it is absolutely better to write something horrible that you can fix later than to become more and more intimidated by the fact that you've written nothing as those awful spots inevitably lead you somewhere you never expected, and often somewhere magical.

Tell us about your latest release.

Come January and February I have two books being re-released in triple packs in the United Kingdom alongside books by other wonderful Harlequin Mills and Boon authors. First is my first ever Presents/Modern Heat, GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS in a collection called BOARDROOM HOT-SHOTS: REAL MEN COLLECTION. You can pre-order the book here and get 25% off the cover price! And in February comes my debut Harlequin Romance novel, THE WEDDING WISH. I am constantly asked by readers where they can track these stories down so I'm so excited everyone will once again have that chance. Outside of the UK you'll be able to grab copies through brilliant Book Depository website. I use that website so regaularly it should be considered an addiction. They ship books worldwide with FREE POSTAGE! If you can't wait til then ;), the Book Depository has a handful of my backlist available, as do eHarlequin on eBook.

What's next for you?

I am revising my next Modern Heat/Presents Extra now. It's been one of those joyous books that was a pleasure to write. Though the fact that I wrote all of it at my favourite local cafe who do a great line in raspberry and white chocolate muffins. Mmmm... Watch my website to find out release dates and title!

Find out more about Ally and read her news at her website: http://www.allyblake.com/

"MILLIONAIRE DAD'S SOS" out now! UK Apr 2010, Sweet Romance Aus/NZ May 2010

Available from  The Book Depository and other resellers.

And here's a preview of the cover of Ally's first January release, Getting Down To Business, which is re-released in a collection with two other Mills and Boon Authors in the Boardroom Hotshots: Real Men Collection.

Thank you for joining us today, Ally!

Minxes' Favourite Childhood Books - Part 3

Childhood reads? Where to start...the beginning is probably as good a place as any. And it all started with Dr Seuss. The Cat In The Hat to be exact. It's a lovely book - has limited vocabulary (all the better to read it yourself), tons of quirky illustrations and the story is told in rhyme, so you can sing it if the mood hits you. I adore Dr Seuss even now - although my favourite these days has to be 'Oh the places you'll go...' - every word is true and it gets better with every page you turn, warning of troubles and worries that might lie ahead for the unsuspecting reader. The tale is told with wit and warmth and all accompanied, of course, by Dr Seuss's distinctive illustrations.

Like other Minxes, my childhood home library shelves groaned under the weight of Enid Blyton's works - many had belonged to my dad when he was a child. I spent hours in the company of the Famous Five and the Secret Seven (although, the boy in the Secret Seven who liked to dress up did annoy me greatly). The Naughtiest Girl In The School, Mallory Towers and St Clair's books were also great favourites.



And then, ghost stories. A gentle introduction, when I was nine, with A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I loved that book and reread it frequently - even when it wasn't Christmastime. After a while, I moved on to horror - James Herbert was a particular favourite and his books were eagerly shared between my group of friends (The Rats, The Fog, The Dark...). And science fiction - I was lucky enough to be taught by a wonderful and inspiring English teacher, Miss Ferguson, who introduced us to Daniel Keyes (Flowers for Algernon) and John Wyndham (The Chrysalids, Trouble With Lichen, The Kraken Wakes and others). This, of course, led naturally on to The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, written by the frighteningly clever and sadly missed Douglas Adams.

Now I'm going to push it a bit here, because my last choice isn't a book - but I read it every single week between the ages of 10 and 15. Some of you will realise I'm talking about Jackie magazine. Fashion advice, health columns, problem pages - Jackie had it all. And fiction - it was Jackie's fiction pages that inspired my first short stories. Although these attempts were hand written, cringe-worthy and never submitted.

And what about romance? When did that make an appearance on my shelves? Well, romance has a story all it's own. And, if you're very, very good, one day I might tell you all about it.

Friday News & A Poll

You know that show So You Think You Can Dance? Ever thought of attempting it? No? Me neither! But, for every writer out there, there’s another challenge - So You Think You Can Write? For most of us the answer is...yes, or maybe.

Whatever your response is, the lovely people at Harlequin are setting us all a challenge. In their words…

Does your imagination run wild with vivid characters? Have you ever dreamed of becoming a USA TODAY bestselling author? Well, our editors want to make those dreams come true. We are hungry to find talented new writers for Harlequin Books. Through podcasts, blogs, and discussions with our expert editors and current authors, we’re going to help you understand the appeal of the romance genre. And there’s a special daily challenge with feedback that will give some great insights into crafting the perfect story. So for the next week, come by to hone your skills and get started on the path to publication. So you think you can write? Here’s your chance to show us!

Seriously, this a truly spectacular chance to show what you can do. And, pssst! We’ve heard one of the podcasts is by friend of the Minxes, Maisey Yates! We've also heard she's got the cutest accent so do check it out!

So, sharpen your pencil, or pens, or keyboards (hmm, maybe not the last one) and prepare for this awesome event. For more details click on the link below

http://harlequinblog.com/so-you-think-you-can-write/

In other news, I wanted to chat about pitches. In case you haven’t heard (yet), I did an online pitch on Wednesday for Carina Press and I truly wanted to encourage anyone who's ever been too intimidated or (like me) too scared out their wits, to attempt one. Yes, it's scary, yes you'll shake like a leaf in an autumn wind, but believe me, it’s so worth it just for the experience. I know some people prefer face-to-face pitches where you can tell the other person’s body language, see their smile of encouragement, or hear the nuances in their voice, but for me, letting my fingers do the work was enough for me. Of course, sitting in my jogging pants and covered in biscuit crumbs also gave me comfort like nothing else, lol.

What also helps is the pitchee. In my case, Executive Editor Angela James was so lovely and put me at ease immediately. According to Rae of eHarlequin, they hold pitches for various lines every few months, so if you’ve never thought of it, I can attest that it’s a great way to get your work in front of an editor. So go for it! And if you have awesome cheerleaders on your side or an Unstoppable Force aka a pom pom waving sister high on sisterly love like Jodie’s sister Nini, do bring her along!

Romy's addendum:

What our Modest Minx Maya has neglected to mention above is that she got a FULL REQUEST from Angela James in that pitch. Way to go, Maya!

In other news, Lorraine Minx brought to our attention that Mills&Boon recently ran a survey among readers looking for the celebrity who makes the best Ultimate Romantic Hero.
The winner was an interesting choice: Simon Cowell.

However, we Minxes know who we'd prefer. (Hint: here he is!).

We're pretty sure all our blog readers have an opinion on their Ultimate Romantic Hero, so check back here next Friday for the Minxy version of this poll.