Man of the Month Poll: Welshmen

Firstly, an important announcement: The winner of our first Minxy Man of the Month poll is...

The very lovely Jonathan Rhys Meyers, with a very impressive 66% of the votes.

Now, I'm way too old to be a fangirl, but if I was going to adorn my bedroom walls with any man, it would be Jonathan. I freely admit I think him so beautiful, just looking at him makes me want to cry. Here's a reminder just how beautiful (as if you need one):

Watch out for a special post soon, entirely dedicated to him. Sigh.



And now, Welshmen: Wales is a tiny country - only 160 miles long by 60 miles wide and with a population barely above 3 million. You wouldn't expect a lot to be going on, but Wales does have more than it's fair share of buff young men. For this month's hot man poll, the Minxes have cast all other duties to one side (well, all other duties apart from dealing with proofs and work requested by editors) and bravely trawled through countless photographs of the fittest males to hail from this principality, to bring you five to chose from:

First, a duo of Jones boys:

Steve and Gethin

(Sadly no relation to myself, so I can't promise to introduce any of you.)

Actors, Ioan Gruffudd and
Owain Yeoman

And for those of us who prefer our men to be of a certain age, the man I'd most like to see in a bare chested fight with Daniel Craig for the title of Best Bond: Timothy Dalton

Vote for your favourite and we'll let you know the results soon.

Suddenly I feel very homesick for Wales.

PS Here's a photo of Tom Jones - especially for LilyS (see comments):

I'm saying nothing.

And, after a special request from my lovely friend, Judy Jarvie, here's Shakin Stevens;

My mother always said Shaky was better looking than Elvis Presley. I'm not sure about that, but he was rather easy on the eye in his younger days.











And, for Sue:

Michael Sheen                                                           and    Gareth David Lloyd

As Sue pointed out, Gareth was Ianto in Torchwood. How could I have forgotten him? And with me calling myself Welsh and a John Barrowman fan, too.

Finally, for Chris:

Mike Phillips                                              

and another lovely Jones boy, Kelly:

Author Spotlight - Rebecca Royce

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

I wasn’t writing yet. Five years ago, I was thinking about writing and I was home taking care of my first son, not sleeping very much.

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

Alpha Wolf is the latest installment of the Westervelt Wolves series. Each of the brothers were introduced in Her Wolf, the first book. I knew who each of the men were at the beginning of the series and their individual stories opened up in my mind as we went along.

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

Still writing. It's hard for me to imagine exactly what that will look like.

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

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning (But who doesn’t wish they’d written that series?) and anything by Nalini Singh. Also, I loved, loved, loved Everlong by Hailey Edwards.

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

I discovered Christine Feehan and Paranormal Romance when I was on the beach in the American Virgin Islands. Reading Feehan made me want to write and then I just started devouring all Paranormal Romance I could get my hands on.

6. Do you find writing love scenes giggle-worthy or cringe-worthy – or neither?

Neither anymore. In the beginning they were definitely cringe worthy but now I’m so invested in the books and the

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

Ralph and I took a trip to Paris and we ate at this really wonderful restaurant called Guy Savoy. Unbelievable food. The best in my entire life. The whole evening was just amazingly special. The atmosphere, my husband, the food, being in Paris…It stands out as the most romantic of my life.

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

How much time I would spend having to do ‘non-writing’ things.

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

I advised a friend of a friend to join a critique group. Don’t even consider publishing until you have.

10. Tell us about your latest release.

My latest release is called Alpha Wolf and it is the fifth Westervelt Wolves book. It is Michael Kane’s story.

Here is the blurb:

In search of his sister in New Orleans, Michael finds his mate instead. But Scarlett is broken, nearly destroyed. With doom around the corner, Michael Kane has no time to lose. If he can save his mate, perhaps there will be a chance for all of them. Or maybe it’s already too late.

Left with no other choice, Michael will have to teach the wolves in the New Orleans pack how real Alpha shifters behave, while showing his mate he is a man of his word.

Buy Link: http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/alphawolf.htm

11. What’s next for you?

Up next is something of a change for me. I have written a Young Adult Urban Fantasy novel, the first in a series, called Initiation. I’m really, really excited about it - and it releases today!

For information on all my work, you can check out my website www.rebeccaroyce.com or my blog http://www.rebeccaroyce.blogspot.com/. I also post at Paranormal Romantics on Tuesdays.

An awakening - part two

Two weeks ago I raved about the great job done by the screen writers of The Vampire Diaries. (Perhaps this is a good moment to say that all the opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect in any way upon the other Minxes).

Today I'd like to share with you my deep disappointment in the books. I mean no disrespect to Lisa Jane Smith, author of the original books, who obviously writes well enough to be multi-published and to have a massive following (which is certainly more than I've achieved!) but I had the misfortune of reading the first two books after watching the TV series, and there is simply no comparison.

Having spent two years at film school, and worked for a while in film and television, I know better than most that film is a collaborative process and it's easy to bring added value when you have a whole team of experts working together on something. But the vast difference in depth and scope between the books and the TV series highlighted an issue that is very personal to me.

Mediocrity.

The TV show is stellar. The books are good. There's a difference. Ignoring the thousand and one things the film-makers changed, including setting, whole characters added or removed, an entire new back story created, there are two major differences between the book and TV versions.

1. Depth. As I said in my last blog post, there is a sense in the TV series that each and every character is a well-rounded and very real individual, with an entire background and motivation whether it's revealed or not.
Sadly, the book does not achieve this. Most of the minor characters, even the heroine's closest friends come across as one-dimensional. This is unusual in a book adapation as books are usually able to dig so much deeper in films. Just think of all those Jane Austen adaptations that have to leave out great chunks of story to fit the screen time. Not to mention that the camera cannot go places where the author's imagination can reach.

2. Likeability. This is something else I touched on in my previous post. No matter what a character does, or why, you get the sense in the TV show that there is something redeemable about them. Not just with Damon, who is the obvious example, but with minor characters like Logan Fell or Tyler Lockwood.
The book does not achieve this. Maybe, if I read further than Book Two, I'll find something redeemable in those characters. But I don't think I'm going to persevere that far. And I won't even get started on how unlikeable the heroine is. Maybe that's a blog post on its own. I could not relate to someone who thinks of herself as The Queen Bee, and as a result I never really cared about her as I did about the Elena of the TV series. Or for Bella in Twilight, for that matter.

So what does any of this have to do with mediocrity?

Reading these books brought my deepest fear to the surface. What if my writing is only mediocre? What if my novels have as little impact on the reader as The Vampire Diaries books had on me? What if my characters don't hook the reader, and have no depth? What if it would take a whole team of experts to turn my books into something special?

I could shut down my laptop and go and hide under my duvet and never write another word. That would certainly save me from writing anything mediocre.

But you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to write. And write. And polish. And I'm going to make sure that the next time I send out a submission it sparkles as brightly as one of Stephenie Meyer's vampires.

Or in the words of the editors from Mills & Boon: Innovate, don't Imitate.

Next week, I'll be talking about Motivation.

Minxes Monthly book recommendations

On the last Friday of every month, some of the Minxes are going to share with you a book they have recently read that has impressed them enough to find a place on their keeper shelf. We hope our lovely blog readers will return the favour and recommend some books to add to our TBR piles :-)

From Lorraine:

Being limited to audiobooks following a brain injury has had one positive effect - I've tried new authors I might not otherwise have picked. And at last some Mills and Boon books are available to download from the UK audible site (until recently they were only available in the US). My tastes have always been 'heat' rather than 'sweet' but I decided to listen to Jessica Hart's "Cinderella's Wedding Wish" and absolutely loved it. The heroine prefers dogs to men and her dream is to renovate an old cottage in the middle of nowhere and live in isolation which does sound, um, a little familiar (I have three dogs and recently renovated an old, isolated croft house in the Highlands :-) I loved it not just because the heroine struck a chord but because it was warm, witty and a lovely escapist read/listen! It's always nice to discover a 'new' author to add to your list of favourites and although she most certainly won't be new to most of you, Jessica Hart has definitely made it onto mine.

From Romy:

Late last year I picked up the first of Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld novel because I loved the cover. How shallow is that?!

The Darkest Night hooked me so thoroughly that I rushed out to buy the next three books in the series, and so far not one has disappointed. The stories are darkly sensuous, and the pace is so unremitting the pages practically turn themselves. These books should come with a health warning: explicit, not for the squeamish, and highly addictive.


From Sally:

My pick came out a couple of years ago, but I've been revisiting it, as I had a Mills & Boon editor recommend it to me recently, as a very good example of how to do internal conflict really well. It came out in June, 2009, and isn't currently available on the Mills & Boon site except as a very reasonable (99p!) ebook. It can also be snapped up as a paperback on Amazon for 20p!.
The book, Hot-Shot Tycoon, Indecent Proposal (Mills & Boon Modern Heat) by Heidi Rice does in fact deal with the character's conflicts extremely well. The heroine, Daisy Dean, is bright, sparky, likeable and individualistic. Her hero, Connor Brodie, is totally gorgeous, but scarred, both inside and out.

What Heidi manages to do so well in Hot-Shot Tycoon, Indecent Proposal is draw a very compelling picture of a hero who is living in the now, and yet has unresolved issues that he is carrying around with him, that affect his relationships. There was much discussion in blogland when Riva launched, stating how difficult it could be to write a fun, flirty story, with characters who had real deep internal issues there needed to overcome. In this book, Heidi really nails how to do this, by having Connor's issues very firmly in the past, but the consequences of them very definitely in the present.



From Jo C:

A Doctor, A Nurse: A Christmas Baby by Amy Andrews won a Ruby from the Romance Writers of Australia for this book and when I read it I could certainly see why.

The heroine, Maggie, is considerably older than the hero who is a confirmed bachelor with his eye on his career so he can fulfill a promise he made to his dying sister.

I really enjoyed the vulnerabilities that Maggie had because of her age and her past. Nash is the most delicious hero as he makes Maggie forget all of her concerns and allows her to relax.

This is an incredibly hot read, think Modern Heat passion mixed with the sweetness of family life in a Romance. Absolutely the best of both worlds and this book has made Amy Andrews an auto buy for me. In fact, I'm busy adding back titles to my iPhone as fast as I can read them!

Author Spotlight - Natalie Anderson

Today the Minxes are excited to welcome USA TODAY bestselling author Natalie Anderson!


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

I’d just sent off my first submission to Mills & Boon at Christmas. I’d only started writing in the six months prior to that having found the NANOWRIMO book, NO PLOT NO PROBLEM – it kick started my old dream. I was very lucky. M&B got back to me in April asking for the full, asked for revisions in September and bought it in October – so Oct 2011 will be my 5-years-since-selling anniversary. It’s scary how fast it’s gone.

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

The idea for the opening scene was triggered by my own combing-hair-while-driving incident. I was at a red light and my foot slipped while I was vigorously trying to sort my wet, tangled hair and I remember thinking thank goodness there wasn’t a car or pedestrian in front of me when I accidentally slid forward… hmmmmm. Bingo!

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

I’d love to be doing what I’m doing now – writing and selling! I love writing for Harlequin Mills & Boon, it is a dream come true and an honour. I really, really, really want to get my 25-book-pin (HMB celebrate milestone book numbers, 25 is the first biggie). So that’s within my 5-year plan! I’m looking forward to the next five years – my youngest two start school in October so my writing routine is going to change somewhat as I get day time to write. I’m going to cry my eyes out on their first day at school, but it is an exciting time as well.

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

That’s just an impossible question!!! Honestly, there are so many books I just adore and think damn, wish I could write like that! I think Susan Elizabeth Phillips is fantastic – love her humour and tone.

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

None particularly leap out as being the one to make me want to be a writer. I’ve just always wanted to since as far back as I can remember. I’ve always had an active imagination and making up stories has always been part of what I’ve done. Both my parents were journalists (before both changed careers) and I married a journalist. Writing for a living is very normal in my world.

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

Oh! There are a couple of incidents I couldn’t share… but I remember a week or so before my gorgeous-one proposed, we had a long weekend in Rome. That entire weekend was deliciously romantic. There were so many special moments. I remember sitting at a bar in the lovely autumnal afternoon sun, eating some divine antipasto with a glass of wine… and just being with him. It was perfect. It’s our 11th anniversary next week. I’m thinking that sometime (when the kids are old enough to abandon), he and I are going to have to recreate that weekend in Rome – only this time, perhaps make it a month :)

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

Everyone says that some things get harder not easier once you’re published. It’s true. You definitely feel more pressure – and you have to learn to cope with that. Plus there are those reviews and sales figures and all kinds of things out of your control. I recommend ignoring all those things and just focus on loving writing! It is a rollercoaster – but what a ride!

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

Just do it. I like the ‘do it every day’ requirement. You have to be disciplined if you want to succeed. And it has to come from within you – no one else is going to make you do it. So it’s all up to you.

9. What does the new Riva imprint mean for you.

I think it’s an exciting time. I love writing very contemporary, city set stories – with a fair amount of sensational sex and fun… with an edge. I’ve been having some real fun with my heroines recently – and then finding the very strong, confident guys capable of matching them! I think Riva is great because it’s giving us a chance to push those edgier characters and themes.

10. Tell us about your Riva launch release.

Well, mine is a February release – but you can get it online already – and from that gorgeous pop-up shop in Selfridges if you happen to be in London! It’s a tale about two non-conformists – he’s a champion snowboarder who’s happiest literally up in the air, and she’s an IT geek person who hides behind crazy hair and coloured contacts. They have an accident – well, a couple of them actually – and then have to deal with it. It’s February’s Book of the Month in the UK and here’s the editorial comment on the M&B website:

"With edgy, opposites-attract characters plus electric chemistry that will make your skin tingle, this book brings an original twist to the classic pregnancy story – a fabulous read! "

11. What’s next for you?

It’s gearing up to be a busy year – I’ve got REBEL WITH A CAUSE out in the US in February, while WALK ON THE WILD SIDE is in the US in April.

My first M&B, ALL NIGHT WITH THE BOSS is being reprinted in a 3-in-1 in March in the UK – titled: MY TALL, SEXY, HANDSOME BOSS.

After that I’ve a couple more Riva’s coming:

THE END OF FAKING IT– out April UK - and yes, in part we’re talking about her faking that!

And

DATING AND OTHER DANGERS – in July UK – which is a total Girl vs. Boy story involving a dating reputation website and a dare!

I’m currently revising another story and brainstorming the next. I love brainstorming – so many possibilities!

Thanks so much for having me along today!

* * *

Natalie’s debut RIVA is available now at Mills & Boon and will be available in the US in April and in Australia and New Zealand in March.

You can find out more about Natalie on her website.

Thanks so much for blogging with us today Natalie!