Author Spotlight - Ali McNamara

Today we have British author Ali McNamara in our spotlight. We're talking about Ali's debut novel, From Notting Hill with Love... Actually, and we're also giving you a sneak peak at her next book, Breakfast at Darcy's, which is coming out in November.

Ali also has a really fascinating story about how she became a writer - you can read it here.

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

I was just coming up with the idea for From Notting Hill with Love… Actually

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

From Notting Hill with Love...Actually came to me when I was watching one of those countdowns on the music channels – ‘100 greatest Movie theme tunes.’
As each of the songs came on to the screen I realised the movies were so well known I knew exactly what was going on in each plot even without dialogue, and I thought it would be wonderful if I could get all those great movies into one story, and that’s how the idea began to take shape.

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

I’d like to still be writing books that people enjoy reading, and would love for a few of those books to have been adapted into movies…

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

That’s never happened to me. I think each author has their own voice and no-one can ever tell a story quite the same as the person who’s inventing it in the first place.

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

I loved Enid Blyton as child, and devoured everything she wrote.

6. Do you find writing love scenes giggle-worthy or cringe-worthy – or neither?
Much easier to do for real than to write down on a page!

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

I hope I haven’t had it yet…

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

How much fun it would be getting feedback from readers who have enjoyed your books!

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

Published authors are the ones that don’t give up.

10. Tell us about your latest release.

Breakfast at Darcy’s
When Darcy McCall loses her beloved Aunt Molly, she doesn't expect any sort of inheritance - let alone a small island. Located off the west coast of Ireland, Tara hasn't been lived on for years, but according to Molly's will Darcy must stay there for twelve months in order to fully inherit, and she needs to persuade a village full of people to settle there, too. Darcy has to leave behind her independent city life and swap stylish heels for muddy wellies. Between sorting everything from the plumbing to the pub, Darcy meets confident Conor and ever-grumpy Dermot - but who will make her feel really at home?

Breakfast at Darcy’s was inspired after a visit to a real island - Great Blasket, off the west coast of Ireland. It’s published in November 2011

11. What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on a sequel to From Notting Hill with Love… Actually and I’m very excited to be jetting off to New York next week on a research trip!

From Notting Hill, With Love ... Actually is available from Amazon and Amazon UK.

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The last give-away in our Minxy Birthday Bash is a copy of our very own Sally Minx's Catch Me a Catch. This novel, set in Ireland, and published by The Wild Rose Press, was a contender for the RNA's Joan Hessayon Award. To enter, just leave a comment below. The winner will be announced on the weekend.

What’s the word? Win the bag that won Mills & Boon’s comp

The first prize this week is an exclusive giveaway: the wonderful Riva bag made by Lorraine Minx, which won the M&B bag contest recently!

Here’s a picture:

This week’s competition question is:

How many minxes are there in the Minxes of Romance?

Leave your answer in the comments box, and we’ll pick a winner on Friday!

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In this post, I’d like to share one of my ‘secret weapons’ called Visual Thesaurus. I’m a very visual person, I like to mindmap stories, and find straightforward thesauruses sort of dull, so when I discovered this one, I was in heaven!

You type in the word you overuse and want an alternative of, and this is what you get…

A box comes up over all the dots and words when you hover over them, and you can click on another word and it will create a lovely expanded word map to see even more alternatives.

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Check in on Wednesday to see our second weekly prize!

Winners and the Grand Prize Contest

The winners of last week's prizes are:

• Winner of the scarf from The RainForest Site is Scarlet Wilson.
• Winner of an ebook from Maya Minx is Karen.

Ladies, please email us on minxesofromance@yahoo.co.uk to claim your prizes.

Grand Prix Contest

As part of our First Birthday Bash, we are running an amazing Grand Prix contest. In order to enter, you'll need to be a follower of this Blog, and the question you need to answer is simple: How old is Minxes of Romance?

The first prize includes:

• A signed copy of Sally Clements' Bound to Love
• A "Careful or you'll end up in my novel" t-shirt
• A personalised Minxy notebook courtesy of Minx Jo P
• An Amazon gift voucher valued at $10 courtesy of Minx Sri

One runner-up will also win the following:

• Claire Robyns' historical novel Betrayed
• An Amazon gift voucher valued at $10 courtesy of Minx Maya

This contest closes on Sunday 29th May, and the winners will be announced on Monday 30th May.

Party Minxes

There's nothing more appropriate in our birthday month than a party and the RNA were happy to oblige us by throwing their summer party on Wednesday evening. And what party would be complete without paparazzi? While Sally Minx might not have come away with the Hessayon trophy she did get papped by the Daily Mail so keep your eyes peeled...
I was in reporter mode and snapped away while Sally schmoozed with some of the Minxes' favourite authors. I even managed to pap the papper and got a very surprised look from him in return! Then I got in on the action and had my photo taken with Sally Minx who is a bit of a rising star at the moment - she's just had her fourth sale and we are all immensely proud of her.  Click here to see (and buy!) her books.

Author Spotlight - Jan Jones

Jan is a leading light in the RNA (Romantic Novelists Association) and we are honoured to have her here with us today.

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

I was already a published writer of short stories and my debut romantic comedy novel Stage by Stage had been published the year before and had won the RNA Joan Hessayon Award. Since then, the publisher has discontinued the imprint, so I’ve moved into Regency territory. I have continued to write short stories for women’s magazines.

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

Fortunate Wager came from the character of my nearest town, Newmarket, in Regency times, and from Caroline, who was a secondary character in Fair Deception but who wanted a book of her own! She is the daughter of a gentleman trainer, who would like to train racehorses herself. Unfortunately, this is not allowed in 1817 Newmarket.

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

Still writing. Still being published. I’d like to move into contemporary-with-laughs territory

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

I recently re-read Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones. I wish I’d written most of her books, but this one most of all as it is my favourite

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

I don’t think so. I always knew I was a storyteller.

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

Neither. I love them. When they are right for the moment in the story, I find the right words.

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

That first kiss. That’s always the most romantic moment.

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

Nothing, really. I went into it without preconceptions.

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

To go with my own voice. My own advice would be to never give up.

10. Tell us about your latest release.

The Kydd Inheritance is the prequel to my Newmarket Regencies. It stars Nell Kydd, desperate to hold together the family estate in the light of her brother’s disappearance and her evil uncle’s machinations. When Hugo Derringer shows up, she would like him to be friend rather than foe, but she is unsure what his motivation is for helping her.

11. What’s next for you?

I’m currently writing the third of my Penny Plain gentle mystery serials for People’s Friend, I’m also writing an atmospheric serial for Woman’s Weekly and the 4th Regency. Also polishing up a contemporary. And I have a sheaf of short stories waiting for a moment to write them. I’m sure there used to be more hours in the day…

The Fortunate Wager and The Kydd Inheritance are both published by Robert Hale. You can find Jan at her website and on her blog, where there are links to all her books, and you can follow her on Twitter.

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Today's Minxy book give-away comes courtesy of Minx Maya. To stand a chance to win, just leave a comment on this blog post. The winner will be announced at the end of the week.