MY COVER!!!!

Well what to say...
The cover for No such thing...as immortality was officially revealed yesterday - and here it is!

And how beautiful does it look?  I am totally and utterly THRILLED with it!

You may note a ‘Twilight-esque’ feel to the design - which is for good reason. No such thing as…immortality is to be promoted as Choc Lit’s Twilight.

• As told entirely from the hero’s perspective ― this is vampire, Nathaniel Gray’s story
• British
• For grown women

Controversial? Quite possibly, but these days, any powerful first person love story featuring a vampire is likely to attract comparisons with Twilight, no matter the plot or the characters. We therefore decided to embrace such comparisions, particularly as the white rose on the cover couldn’t be more perfect for Nate’s story.

So Choc Lit, the home of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s, 2012 Romantic Novel of the Year and best New Comer awards (well done again Jane and Evonne!) will now be home to a grown-up and very British, Twilight.

Thank you Choc Lit for having the faith in me and the book to market it this way. And thank you Berni Stevens for the perfect cover. How excited and squealy am I?  And look! That’s my name on there…*squeeeeeeel*

I'M A RISING STAR!!!

'Who will be the bestselling UK romantic fiction authors of tomorrow? Romantic Fiction Online's unique list of ten of the upcoming stars of UK romantic fiction and gives you the low down on who they are, where they come from and what makes them tick...'

Shocking I know but there it is!  A huge thank you to Romantic Fiction Online for the accolade.   

Certainly beats being a falling star (not going to think about that one) ― or indeed a shooting star.  Again best not to contemplate ― particularly as I still have edits ahead of me and Lord knows what that process will do to the psyche.   For now ― I am more than delighted to relish in the rising star label.  And how good is it to see Liz and Henri ― fellow Choc Lit writers, on the list? 

With Choc Lit’s FABULOUS clean sweep wins at the Romantic Novelists Association Awards on Thursday (best newcomer ― Evonne Wareham and Romantic Novel of the Year ― Jane Lovering) ― I rather think Choc Lit deserves the Rising Star accolade too. 

The full piece can be seen here. 

First posting on Choc Lit Author's Blog!

And there I am!  Wooohoooo!

My first ever post on the Choc Lit Authors's Blog has appeared - and thank you to everyone who has taken the time to visit and post. 

I'm not going to pretend that the exercise wasn't just a little bit scary :) - because it seriously was - but it was sooo exciting too! I believe I may have lost the plot slightly as I talked about squealing - and revealed my hankering for a knitted Will, but did get through the necessary introductions:)

And of course - I talked about the book some!

The post can be viewed HERE . 

Haha! Excited - Me?

Haha! 
I believe the following link to the latest news in Book Trade is cause enough for a little excitement :)
booktrade.info - Book Trade Announcements - Choc Lit Signs Sarah Tranter's Vampire Trilogy

The Lucky 7 MEME award!

Thank you Lucie Wheeler for awarding me ‘The Lucky 7 Meme’. I'm loving the opportunity of taking part in this challenge. Lucie blogs over here and if you follow the link you will see her own extract from her own WIP, Head over Heart.

The rules for this challenge:

1. Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences, or paragraphs, and post them as they’re written.
4. Tag 7 authors
5. Let them know

The following extract is from No such thing as...immortality.  I am beyond delighted to say that this MS has been accepted by Choc Lit and will be published in 2013.  It is still very much a work in progress, however.  Edits have yet to take place and with this being a debut novel, I fear they are going to be rather extensive :)  

*****

 

A particularly worrying thought intruded into my mind, despite its turmoil. ‘Elizabeth, Frederick…’ I said slowly, struggling to get my words out. ‘This is very important.  We really need to keep... this incident…away from James.’

‘No can do, bruv,’ Frederick said, with feigned regret.  ‘We called him when we were all in a panic, and he and Mads parked up down the road, just in time for the matinee.  Can’t you hear their thoughts?’

Dear God!  How could this get any worse?  Now I focussed away from Rowan’s turmoil ― and my own ― I could.  With a great deal of effort, I silently spoke, ‘James ― bugger off!  That is the last time you ― no, any of us — will ever see her naked!’

‘Will, mate - Congratulations!  Who would have thought you’d have progressed matters so quickly?  And that wasn’t bloodlust you felt ― was it?’

And then I heard his laughter.  Not through his thoughts.  I could hear it from two-hundred metres down the road.  

God help me!  

*****

And here are the 7 lovely people I am passing the award onto:

Hywela Lyn

Sue Fortin

Donna Trinder

Sarah Callejo

Phillipa Ashley

Emily Harvale

Rachael Dove

 

There is absolutely no obligation to take part so please don’t worry if you do not have the time to participate or if you just simply want to give it a miss :)

 

Thank you again Lucie! 

An exciting time to be joining Choc Lit and hey hey for the mantra!

This week saw two of my fellow Choc Lit authors scooping prestigious Ronas (Romantic Novelists Association Awards). Christina Courtenay won best historical with Highland Storms and Jane Lovering, best comedy romance for Please Don’t Stop the Music.  Kate Johnson narrowly missed out, after being shortlisted for best contemporary for The Untied Kingdom. 

The publishing media is chocka full of Choc Lit’s success.  Not that anyone who has read their books should be remotely surprised at that.

Christina (Pia) and Jane now join Katie Fford (contemporary, Arrow), Rosie Thomas (epic, Harper Collins) and Caroline Green (young adult, Picadilly Press) on the shortlist for the ultimate accolade, Best Romantic Novel of the Year.  The result will be announced in May and for the next month everyone can vote here 

So please get voting!  

I am so excited for Pia and Jane (and disappointed for Kate. The Untied Kingdom is a great book). 

I confess to feeling rather daunted too.  Afterall, I am the newest member of the Choc Lit family which comprises high-calibre, award-winning authors!  I challenge any debut novelist not to feel daunted by that.

But I am relieved to say, after much mantra-chanting, determination has got the upper hand.  Determination to do the Choc Lit family proud.

Hey hey for the mantra!

No such thing as....immortality will be published by Choc Lit in 2013.  

I've signed with Choc Lit!

I’ve signed with Choc Lit!   Arrrggghhhhhhhhhh!  Yep, a few weeks after the event but I am still on cloud 9zillion.  Choc Lit have signed my debut novel, No such thing as…immortality ― the first in the No such thing... paranormal romance series. 

It seriously doesn’t get any better than this.  Choc Lit were my number one choice of publisher and I still can’t believe they ― and their readers ― loved it!  Thank you guys. 

For anyone not familiar with Choc Lit ― start reading their books now!  I read a lot. Make that an awful lot.  And I can safely say their books are exceptional, standing above and beyond so much of the competition.  This year, three of their books have been nominated for the prestigious Romantic Novelists Association awards.  Jane Lovering for best Romantic Comedy, Christina Courtenay for best Historical and Kate Johnson for best Contemporary Romance. 

I didn’t for one moment think they would take me on.  They were something to aspire to.  But they did!  And I feel so incredibly privileged. 

So there you have it.  My news.  I’ll be on here providing updates as No such thing as…immortality progresses further along the road to publication.  No doubt I’ll be on here with my ramblings too.  I have a feeling that now I’ve started, there will be no stopping me.  In the meantime, good luck to Jane, Christina and Kate for Monday!