Followers

Friday, May 17, 2013

New Release

Ellie's Gentleman is officially released.
Here are a few of the links.

http://www.amazon.com/Ellies-Gentleman-ebook/dp/B00CS517AW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1368797685&sr=1-1&keywords=ellie%27s+gentleman

http://steamereads.com.au/product/ellies-gentleman/

And to celebrate- here is something I wrote today!
I have decided to give Ellie's father a story!


Working title: William’s lady.


Chapter 1.
William sat in his library and watched the minute hand on the clock tick past the three. Oh God, he was far past bored.
Ellie had been married for almost a year and he missed her dreadfully. He had even lost enough weight to require new clothes. His belly was gone.
Without Ellie around to nag him to eat and tempt him with cook’s best desserts, he was just not interested.
“Excuse me, my lord.”
William sat up straighter in his chair and called to the butler.
“Come in Jenkins.”
The butler walked forward and handed William a letter.
“A letter from Miss Ellie, Sir.”
William snatched at the letter without meaning to and gave the butler an apologetic smile.
“Thank you Jenkins.”
The butler bowed and William tore open the letter.
Ellie wrote weekly, yet it never diminished the pleasure he got from seeing them.

Dear Father,
I am writing, once again to invite you to visit our home. I know that you believe Robert and I need time to establish ourselves, however I now have happy news to share.
I am expecting a baby and it will be here in the next month.

William gasped. “You didn’t tell me!” He continued reading.

I have been told it is unladylike to write about such things but as a married woman without her mother I am requesting the presence of my father for the birth of his first grandchild.

William stood up and finished reading as he began walking out and into the hall.

I expect you soon.
My husband sends his regards and I send my love
Your daughter
Ellie Blakely.

William smiled as he tucked her letter into his jacket pocket. Ellie loved her new name and was so proud to be married to William’s own best friend.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Ellie's Gentleman Excerpt

Ellie's Gentleman comes out this week!!!!
Fingers crossed on the 15th of May.
Here is a peek into the sweet Regency short story that Steam eReads is publishing.


“I will wander about your village Miss Sommers and come back a little later.”
He turned to walk out of the shop when she called him back.
“No Mister Blakely, please. I need your opinion.”
He stopped himself from groaning aloud as he turned around and walked further into the shop.
“How can I be of assistance Miss Sommers? I am an old man and know little of fashions.”
He grimaced at his own word choice. He wasn’t an old man, but he needed to keep reminding them both of their considerable age difference.
Not to mention  the fact he had decided never to remarry. Why did he keep forgetting that fact?
“But you are a man, Sir.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him and gazed up with her innocent brown eyes.
He clenched his teeth and half bowed at her to hide it.
“I am at your service, Miss Sommers.”
Ellie smiled and disappeared into another room with the dressmaker.
Robert waited, then stood up. After a while he turned to pacing up and down for what seemed like forever. Whatever could they be doing?
The dress maker came bustling out.
“Please, sit down Sir.”
Robert sat, his ankle crossed over his knee.
His jaw fell open when Ellie walked out in a ball dress of pale pink. She picked it up and stepped up onto the round step in front of the mirrors.
“I’m not sure about the colour. Robert?”
He slammed his mouth shut when she turned to look at him, her eyebrows raised in question.
“No, the colour is lovely.” He cleared his throat. Was that his voice?
“I’m worried about the neckline also.”
Ellie flushed a lovely shade of pink to match her dress and Robert shifted in his chair. Hunger was growing inside of him and he knew it would be hard to hide in his face. He looked down at his nails to disguise it.
“You aren’t a new debutante, Miss Sommers. You can get away with a slightly lower neck line.”
He risked a look up to see her face smiling in approval.
The next hours were a torment of the worst kind.
Time after time he had to watch Ellie prance around beautiful dresses, gloves, even look at stockings and pelisses. She asked him for his opinion on colours, textures, even on appropriate neck lines.
He was sweating by the time she had finished. She had followed every piece of advice he had given her, even ordered in a special version of purple fabric because he had said he liked it. He had never felt more special.
“Thank you so much, Mrs. Essex.”
Ellie kissed the elderly dress maker on the cheek and held her gloves in her hand, not putting them on.
Robert looked at the white gloves.
“Do you want to put them on, and we can perhaps go for a short walk before heading home.”
Ellie smiled and tucked them into a pocket in her day dress.
“No, I have recently learnt the pleasure of not wearing gloves.”
She waited for him and he offered her his hand. His naked, glove less hand. Hell.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

submitted

I finished and submitted my contemporary romance 'England or bust' to Entangled publishing last night.
Wish me luck!
It was for a submission call, and I am not 100% sure I got the theme right, but it's a nice story
and I hope they like it!
Fingers crossed!
Would you like a short excerpt?
(I love excerpt's)


“I’m Robert McLennan. Rob.”
The gorgeous man, who was probably in his mid thirties, held his hand out to her across the table.
Michelle eyed it for a moment before placing her hand in his. Hot awareness tingled along her palm.
“Michelle Rowan.”
Rob smiled and called to one of the waiters. “Could I get a menu please?”
The waiter walked back to his computer, picked up a menu and put it down in front of Rob on his way to attend another customer.
“Not the healthiest selection in the world. What did you order?” Rob looked up, his expression clear, his eyes bright and happy.
Michelle felt tendrils of light filter through her. She had been so unhappy this past week. She had revelled in the blackness of her despair. Now, just looking at the man in front of her, that unhappiness was breaking apart. She mourned its loss.
“A burger and a bottle of wine.”
Just as she spoke a waitress arrived with her bottle of wine and two glasses. “One glass or two ma’am?”
Michelle shrugged and looked over at the interloper opposite her. “Would you like to join me?”
Rob nodded and the waitress began pouring their drinks. “Why not. I’ll buy the next one.”
A rough laugh erupted out of Michelle’s throat. She coughed, the feeling and sound of it, foreign.
“Next bottle? You really think we’ll be getting through two bottles?”
Rob lifted his glass in the air and smiled that smile. The one that made her belly clench tight. Michelle picked up her glass in a hurry.
“Well, what else is there to do while we wait for the storm to pass?” 

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Monique McDonell's new release!



1. You described this book as Chick Lit- could you tell me, a newbie- exactly what that means?
Chick lit falls under the umbrella of women’s fiction. It tends to be slightly quirky and humorous and tells the stories of women struggling with the day to day challenges of work, family and love. It has romantic elements but romance isn’t always the main storyline issue. These are often books set in contemporary urban settings and the stories are frequently told in the firsts person, from the main character’s point of view all of which is true for Alphabet  Dating.
 
2. Tell me how you came up with such an awesome idea as to date a man who's name starts with every letter on the alphabet?
The character of Serena appeared to me, as my main characters in my books often do, and when I saw her she was being hassled by all her friends who wanted to set her up and help her find love. Serena thought that was a terrible idea but her friends (and my imagination) got carried away and came up with the Alphabet Dating Plan. At the time I had several single friends and there were stories in the media about how women should ask their friends to set them up because our friends and relatives know us better than a website would and I guess it got me thinking.
 
3. This is your third book released. How is this story different to the others and what did you enjoy most about writing this one?
This book is different from the others because it is set in New York, as opposed to Australia where the other two were set, but main character is Australian. I think this book is really about friendship as much as anything and while my other novels feature that, I think it’s probably a more dominant thread in this book. I hope what this book has in common with the others is that it is light and fun and makes the reader smile.
 
4. What's next for you? Are you working on a new ms, or do you already have something else in the pipeline?
I have manuscript for a romantic comedy that I am in the editing process with right now. It’s called Building Attraction and it should be out in July 2013. I’m also working on the sequel to my first novel Mr Right and Other Mongrels, including a research trip to L.A in June.
 
Buy links please :)
 
Alphabet Dating
 
Hearts Afire
 
Mr Right and Other Mongrels
 

Friday, May 3, 2013

What I'm up to :)

Hello everyone...
Well, I'm currently editing The Ruined Marquis, Archie's story.
When I wrote it, I don't understand much about writing mechanics and now I have to cut
out a lot of the 'bad stuff' sigh...
I'm waiting on edit's for Ellie's gentleman because it comes out in 12 days
and I'm writing a new contemporary romance.
It's for a submission call out out for Entangled publishing.

I loved the concept and have written 9000 words on the new short story called
'England or Bust' though i may need to change the title at some stage :)