Author Spotlight - Christina Hollis

Today we're delighted to welcome lovely Mills & Boon author Christina Hollis to the Minxes blog. Christina has very generously offered to pick two winners from the commenters to receive copies of her latest release, so if you'd like to be in - please leave a comment in the comment box! As always, all commenting Minxes will not be eligible to enter - the pick will close on Friday at five o'clock, and winners will be announced on our Monday blog post. Now, without further ado, on to the minxy questions!

1. Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?

I was half-way through a creative writing course run by the respected poet Paul Groves. After a spell of writing non-fiction articles for magazines and newspapers, I decided to change tack and really concentrate on my fiction work. Paul encouraged me to write from my heart, and it worked.

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

I've always loved the idea of doing up a rambling old country house. In The Italian's Blushing Gardener (which will be called The Master of Bella Terra in the US) my hero Stefano wants to live my dream, but heroine Kira got there first! She doesn't want her rich new neighbour intruding on her little patch of paradise.

3. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?

My main goal is to be an established writer of Modern Romance/Classic Presents novels, but more importantly I'd love to be able to say I'm writing books that people love to read.

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

Any of the 'Falco' books by Lindsey Davis. Her research and eye for detail are perfect. The university module I studied on Ancient Rome a few years ago would have come to life if I'd had those books to leaven the study texts.

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

I've been writing for as long as I've been reading, so it's tricky to single out any one author although nature writing in all its forms was a real spur. T.H White and H.E. Bates were early favourites, along with Henry Williamson. I still get a lump in my throat when I think of the final scenes of Tarka the Otter!

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

Neither - they are integral parts of my stories, so I enjoy crafting them as much as I enjoy working on all my other scenes.

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

My husband is so romantic, it's hard to choose! Each time he brings me breakfast in bed or surprises me by stopping off to buy a bunch of flowers on his way home from work, it's wonderful.

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

How much support the romance community gives to everyone - readers, writers (published and unpublished) are a mine of useful information and encouragement - all you have to do is ask, and everyone is so friendly! I'd got used to a solitary existence scribbling non-fiction day after day. Fiction is much more fun, both the work and the social side.

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

Everything is copy. Keep a diary, always carry a notebook with you and write every day. You never know when something will spark an idea, and it keeps your brain active. Oh, and of course the one phrase that should be engraved on every surface in a writer's home: Never give up. Never, Never, never!

10. Tell us about your latest release.

The Italian's Blushing Gardener is released in November in the UK and in January 2011 in the US as a Harlequin Presents Extra title, The Master of Bella Terra.

Stefano Albani is a notorious charmer, but he meets a stubborn opponent in Kira. She thinks he'll wreck the valley she loves by developing the villa he's just bought. It's only when Stefano realises how brilliant she is at her job that he begins to think there's something missing from his life. But before Kira can supply the missing piece of the jigsaw, he nearly loses her forever...

11. What’s next for you?

There's the January 2011 release of The Master of Bella Terra, of course, and then my next Modern Romance for Harlequin Mills and Boon, which will be released in the summer. At the moment its working title is Love and Loyalty, although that's certain to change between now and publication. A collection of my short stories is in production, although that project has had to take a bit of a back seat as last week I got a sudden inspiration for a new romance. At the moment this new project, Fire and Ice, is taking up most of my time.

Find our more about Christina at her website: http://www.christinahollis.com

Tweet to Christina at her twitter: http://www.twitter/com/christinabooks
Or facebook to Christina at her facebook: http://bit.ly/9rv4df

While The Italian's Blushing Gardener/The Master of Bella Terra will be available as both ebooks and regular books from:

Mills and Boon (uk) here

http://www.eharlequin.com/ (in the US)

and

Amazon.co.uk (In the UK)

http://www.amazon.com/ (in the US)

I've read The Italian's Blushing Gardener, and it's a fabulous read, full of seductive imagery and intense romance, just what we need to keep us going through the cold winter! Thank you so much for the interview, Christina!

Friday News: The Wild Rose Press

The Wild Rose Press has put out the following submission call to its authors, which I quote here with permission from editor-in-chief Rhonda Penders:

Holiday Stories

Holiday stories are rolling out and we've lowered our prices to help with sales of our older holiday releases as well.  If you ever had a holiday story in your head and wanted to get one released start working on it now.  March is our deadline for submissions across all the lines.  A quick tip - holiday short stories always sell much better and faster than a full length novel.  If you are a writer who can't write unless you are in the "mood" now is the time to get that holiday story penned for the 2011 season. 

Of course its never too early to start working on those hot summer reads either - what better way to warm up during the cold months than to pen a beach read!

Series and Call for Submissions

We have several series starting up in early 2011 - we'll put out a call for submissions once we get through the holidays.  A sneak peek is a new series coming to Yellow Rose which will involved a local honky tonk and the couples who meet there.  The Historical team is putting the finishing touches on a series that will involved Love Letters and I've heard rumors of a few more across the other lines.  The Flower Basket - still going strong in Sweetheart Rose could use some submissions and if you were thinking of writing that Class of '85 reunion story you better get moving as submissions will close soon on that line. 

Short Story Needs

Our quest continues to find and publish good solid short stories.  Scarlet Rose is the only line right now that has a good supply.  Tell your fellow writers that we are seriously looking for some great short stories.  I know some of you think you can't write short, but trust me, you can.  Take that full length that isn't going anywhere and rip it apart and shorten it up.  I know you can do it, you are after all TWRP Roses which means you are good.  

You can find out more about TWRP's submission guidelines here.

Author Spotlight - Sarah Morgan

Today the Minxes are super excited to welcome Mills & Boon Modern & Medical author Sarah Morgan into our author spotlight. Sarah's latest book, The Twelve Nights of Christmas, got a whopping 4.5 stars from Romantic Times Book Reviews!

1. Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?

I’d just given up my part time job and started writing full time, which was very exciting. I loved having the freedom to plan my own time (and not just because suddenly I could go and watch my kids play sport without having to ask permission from the boss….). Yes, it meant working all hours to keep up with a packed schedule because I was writing for two lines, Harlequin Presents and Medical, but I loved being the one in control.

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

I love writing Christmas stories and I’ve done one, sometimes two, for medicals every year for the past seven years. Last Christmas I decided I wanted to use a festive theme in a Harlequin Presents. One of my favourite seasonal reads is A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. I’ve always enjoyed following Ebenezer Scrooge's progress from 'Bah! Humbug' to hope and love, so when I started writing a Christmas story for HP I knew wanted my hero to have a difficult past to overcome. I wanted him to be someone who, like Scrooge, doesn't enjoy Christmas; someone whose emotional journey is challenging. Instead of giving him a trio of ghosts to deal with, I gave him my heroine, Evie, a Christmas loving girl who forces him to face everything he finds difficult. I loved the idea of pairing a damaged hero who has no good feelings about Christmas with a heroine who adores everything about the festive season. The result was The Twelve Nights of Christmas.

3. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?

I hope to be writing in my luxury beach house, with a palm tree shading my laptop and my toes curled into soft white sand as white frothy waves lap at the shore………

Fortunately I’m a great believer in having a backup plan, so if the whole beach house idea fails to materialize I hope I’ll still be writing stories about characters I love. Maybe I’ll have to imagine the exotic beach, but that’s part of the fun of being a writer. You can take yourself anywhere you like and still be back in time for the school run.

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

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. I bought it for my son and ended up reading it myself. It’s original, fresh, clever and completely engrossing. There is tension and conflict on every line and I couldn’t stop reading.

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

I wanted to be a writer from a very early age so I suppose I must have been influenced in some way, although I can’t pinpoint a particular book. I did read avidly as a child. I loved historical novels and read everything I could lay my hands on, particularly stories about the Tudors, Borgias and the Medicis (all gore, sex and drama).

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

Neither. Love scenes are part of the developing relationship so they should feel like a natural progression in the story. The most important aspect of a love scene is to convey how the characters are feeling at that particular point. Like every other scene in the book, the love scene should move the story forward in some way – nothing should remain static. Every scene should either advance the plot or the conflict. It’s also important to remember to build the sexual tension so that when you reach the love scene it’s believable.

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

It involves champagne and a great hotel in Paris. The rest is private 

Seriously, I’ve had lots of romantic moments, but I often find the small gestures as romantic as the big ones. Showing someone you love them is romantic.

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

I wish I’d known how important it was to develop a website as early as possible. Once I was published I was so busy writing, working part time in a job and juggling a young family there just wasn’t time for ‘extras’ like thinking about the content of a website. No matter who does the design for you, it’s still a huge time demand on the author. And when I gave up my part time job and became an author full time the writing demands still took priority over a website. By the time I eventually developed one it was a very complex job to collate the number of books I’d written and work out the best way of showing them on the site in a way that it was easily navigable for readers.

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

Write every day and give yourself a minimum word count. Writing is a discipline. If you decide you’re only going to write when you’re in the mood then as soon as you hit a patch in the book that doesn’t flow well, you’ll walk away from the keyboard. It’s frighteningly easy to find excuses not to write (even cleaning the kitchen floor can become an excuse). I discovered early on that answers usually come to me while I’m working, even if it feels like a huge struggle. Yes, inspiration sometimes hits while I’m walking or lying in the bath, but more often than not I have the ‘lightbulb’ moment while I’m sitting at the computer working away. So now I write whether I feel like writing or not.

10. Tell us about your latest release

The Twelve Nights of Christmas is out now in Harlequin Presents Extra and it’s a feel-good, festive romance. My hero Rio has a very dark past and Christmas isn’t a good time for him. Evie loves Christmas, but this year she can’t get home to her grandfather because she’s working in one of London’s top hotels as a housekeeper. Rio is about to close the most important deal of his life but he needs to stay whiter than snow over the Christmas season. But then he finds Evie in his bedroom and his ruthlessly ordered life starts to fall apart………

The first chapter is up on my website and you can also find it at Amazon

I also have a Medical romance released this Christmas, Dr Zinetti’s Snowkissed Bride.

11. What’s next for you?

I’m in the middle of a new project for Harlequin Presents and after that I have an exciting idea that I’m keen to explore. Life gets a little crazy towards December and I’m typing and cooking turkey and wondering why I always do this to myself. I know other writers who give themselves the whole of December off, whereas the only thing I give myself is a nervous breakdown. Only kidding – I love everything about the festive season and writing is part of the routine for me. I’m never going to complain about spending my days living in a glittering jet set world alongside a sexy Presents hero.

Thanks to all the Minxes for having me here and a Happy Christmas to all!

Getting an editor's attention in a lift

Imagine yourself stuck in a lift with the editor of your dreams. You don’t want to pitch to her, after all, being confined in close quarters with a writer has got to be every editor’s nightmare.

But you’re clutching your manuscript.
She leans closer, taps it with a long red fingernail, and asks:
“So, what’s it about?”
You got in on floor 4, and when you reach G, the chance is gone.
Have you got a snappy one liner prepared? If not, check out these movie taglines for inspiration. All of them encapsulate the movie that spawned them. See if you can identify the movie from the tagline, and if not, I’ve put the answers in at the bottom. Enjoy!

The Taglines:
1. Love means never having to say you are sorry.

2. The following three are all for the same movie:
Collide with Destiny
A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets
Nothing On Earth Could Come Between Them.

3. For anyone who’s ever been set up, stood up or felt up.

4. The most magnificent picture ever!

5. It’s all about love, actually.

6. Here comes the bribe

7. "What if someone you never met, someone you never saw, someone you never knew was the only someone for you?"

8. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…

9. "In space, no one can hear you scream."

10. Sometimes what you’re looking for is right where you left it.

Answers:
1. Love Story, 2.Titanic, 3.Bridget Jones’ Diary, 4. Gone with the Wind, 5. Love Actually, 6. The Proposal, 7. Sleepless in Seattle. 8. Jaws 2, 9. Alien, 10.  Sweet Home Alabama.

The Friday Roundup

So, the New Voices Competition is over, and first order of business must be to congratulate the winner! Leah Ashton's wonderful story Secrets & Speed Dating will be published by Mills and Boon as part of her prize, and we're all dying to read Sophie and Dan's story! Many congratulations, Leah!

In Harlequin, the So you think you can write week is on its final day, do pop over if you haven't already to read the advice and articles before they're gone.

We got news from Ian Skillicorn (thank you, Ian!) about the Short Story Radio Romance Award, 2011 - details are below...

Now in its second year, this writing competition offers romantic fiction writers the chance to have their work recorded and broadcast, as well as to receive a cash prize. We are looking for an engaging and entertaining romance story, told in no more than 4,000 words, similar to the type of romance story you will find in a women's magazine.

The winning story will be recorded and broadcast on the Short Story Radio website and podcast. The winner will also receive a cash prize of £50 (approx. 78 USD or 57 EURO) and the title of winner of the Short Story Radio Romance Award 2011. The short-list judge is Pat Richardson, former Fiction Editor at Best magazine (UK) and the founder of Perfectly Worded Writing and Editing Consultancy.

We are now accepting entries for this competition. The deadline is November 15th 2010 and the winning story will be broadcast from February 14th 2011. Enter now at http://www.shortstoryradio.com/short_story_competitions_romance.htm

Hear last year's winning story All Good Things by Linda Mitchelmore at: http://www.shortstoryradio.com/player/stories/all_good_things/player.htm

And Stylist Magazine are running a microfiction competion - and there are only a few days left on this one, so check it out quick...Here's the info:

If your manuscript is still a long way off completion, why not wax lyrical in just 100 words or under? That's the maximum you need to pen to be in with a chance of winning our microfiction competition. As well as being published on stylist.co.uk, you'll win a creative writing course at the London School of Journalism to set you on the path to the bestseller charts

Microfiction - or flash fiction, sudden fiction or the short, short story as it's also known by the literati - is the art of telling a story, complete with gripping plot and jump-off-the-page characters in as few words as possible.

We've set the limit at 100 words per story for our series of daily microfiction competitions, the first of which will run from 10am - 5pm on Wednesday 3 November.

We'll be looking for creative flair, surprising twists, razor sharp observations and a fresh voice. If you're up for the challenge, check it out!

Find out more here : http://www.stylist.co.uk/people/article/350/tell-us-a-gripping-story-in-100-words

And last, but by no means least, the lovely Gilles Marini is the winner of the Ultimate Romantic Hero Poll!

And he certainly looks happy to hear it...