dunked

So I have to preface this story with some background.

Every morning when Toddler Girl awakes, her first words are "pool", "Daddy, "kick", "ball", "bubbles", with accompanying actions. Everytime she sits down to draw a picture, it has to be of her and Daddy in the pool. Needless to say she looooves her swimming lessons she has weekly with her dad. Every time she sees the sea, a lake, a rock pool on TV, in a book, in a picture she points and says "pool" with a hopeful note in her voice.

Yesterday she was sitting on the loungeroom floor playing with her Little Mermaid doll. "Pool" she said, as in my office I have two framed pictures from the movie - which I adore - with Ariel and friends frolicking in the ocean. Then off she went to play elsewhere in the house.

It got really quiet. You know one of those too quiet quiets. I headed towards the bathroom, fearing she'd made for the toilet paper again, only to find her sitting on the floor of the toilet, covered in water, the feet of her Little Mermaid doll clasped in her fist and drenched from the neck up. She'd taken the thing for a swim.

After laughing myself silly, I stripped and scrubbed them both. But while Boo came up a treat, I fear, like many of my own Barbies growing up, Ariel's beautiful silky hair will never be the same.

The kid's not even 17 months old. How can they get so clever so quick???!!!

out now in germany!

MILLIONAIRE TO THE RESCUE is out from today in Germany. This is one of those magical books that has a line in it towards the end that makes me cry everytime I read it. Soppy, moi?

MILLIONAIRE TO THE RESCUE was nominated for the Booksellers Best Award in the best traditional romance section, and was a RomanticTimes BOOKclub Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best Harlequin Romance. But she did come up trumps as the BEST HARLEQUIN ROMANCE as voted by the lovely reviewers at Cataromance.

You can read all about the book on my website, and pick up a copy throughout Germany in store, or online here.

out now in france & holland

THE MAGNATE'S INDECENT PROPOSAL is out this April in France under the fabulous sounding title: Un Brûlant Rendez-vous. How gorgeous is this cover? So evocative.

This is my fairy dust book. A hero I adored, a heroine I could so be friends with, and the kind of steamy hot love scenes that had my mum flicking ahead a dozen pages every so often ;).

It won the Reviewers' Choice Award through Romantic Times for Best Harlequin Presents of 2008. You can read all about the book on my website.

It's available throughout France online early, so grab yourself a copy here today! You can also graba copy online in the Netherlands under the title Ondeugend Voorstel.

i'm free!... for now

Having sent off the revisions on my latest Harlequin Romance RUSH (working title) this morning somewhere around the very blurrrrry time of 1:30am I'm extremely hopeful that my editor loves what she reads!

This is the third book I have written about the Kelly family, the first of which comes out this July. And having known Meg Kelly through all three books, and adoring Zach Jones to bits for the past couple of months I do so hope they get their day in the sun.

My calendar is blissfully devoid of notes. Well it was ;). Now I'm heading off to dinner and movies tonight with three girlfriends to see Just Not That Into You. How civilised is that? Especially for a creautre who has been tied to her computer for the past...forever. Then this weekend my godmother and her hubby are coming down to Melbourne to see out the first game of the footy season with us. Go Pies!!!

As to the rest of my life, my toddler is walking like a champ, talking like an outdoor motor (she practically repeats back every word we say, and is sooo excited to learn what everything is called, over and over and over ;). Is it just me or are they amazing at 16 months??? My baby belly is huuuge and I'd very much like to lie down for the next 2 months and be fed grapes by... well, anyone who'se up for the job really!

Hope everyone else out there is super well, and reading up a storm. I plan on diving into my To Be Read pile before diving into my next Kelly book, a Modern Heat I've called STRIPPED. Aaah, Ronan and Pippa, you have no idea the deliciousness I have in store for you ;).

Now Boo's just woken up - I can hear her yabbering "Pool...Dadddy...Kick...Ball...Bubbles" so have to now go try to explain, again, that it's another 6 days before we get to go swimming again. Wish me luck!

50% off mills and boon books!

Mills and Boon in the UK are doing a fabulous deal - 50% off all books and eBooks for seven days!

Check out their website for more.

*Terms and Conditions
1.Valid until 26th March 2009. 2. Must be presented at time of purchase. 3. Discount excludes delivery charge. 4. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. 5. Subject to availability. 6. No cash alternative will be offered. 7. Please see http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/ for full terms and conditions

come one, come all!

A big happy hello to those of you who have already signed up for my Romance Writing Workshop at the Montrose Library come March 17th. Especially to the lovely Sally who is coming all the way from Ireland to attend! (Okay so she'll be here on hols at just the right time, but I can dream right?)

There are still a tiny handful of places left, so if you are thinking about coming along please give the library a buzz. It's going to be fun, full-on, and catered for YOU. Bring pen, paper, an open mind and LOTS of writing related questions as I love nothing better than getting to the crux of what YOU'd like to know.

Bookings:

(03) 9728 4224

Cost:

$10

Time:

Tuesday March 17th, 12:30 to 4:30

Location:

Montrose Library, Melbourne

Corner Mt. Dandenong Tourist Road & Swansea Road

Melways Ref: 52 D7

i need a hero :: part 2

So I'm the search for a hero. Description here.

And you lovelies have been MOST helpful in giving me some fabbbbulous ideas. Including clever Joanne who picked Colin Farrell who was my original choice. These are some of the clever suggestions so far: Patrick Dempsey, Eddie Cahill, James Marsden, David Gandy (ah, yum!!!), Jake Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell

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I'm impressed! There are some great casting choices here. I'm just not yet sure that my new hero has been tagged. It's an odd thing choosing hero inspiration. Every box might be ticked, but in the end it always comes down to a twinkle in the eye, a sadness in the smile, a certain something in the expression that just makes you go THAT'S HIM!!

Some are too smiley, or too young, or they don't smile enough, or are too soft, or too cute, or I've used them already in casting other books, or just not my particular cup of tea. My guy is dark, brooding, and unbelievanbly sexy. Maybe that's the problem. He only exists in my head;).

But keep 'em coming just in case!

i need a hero

Having sent off book number 20 to my editor last night - squeeee!!! - I am now in search of my next Modern Heat hero.

I've had one in mind for quite a while (as he's a part of a series of linked books) but now that I am about to dive into his story, I'm not completely convinced he matches the man in my head.

Here's my man: Brooding, dark hair, blue eyes, outdoorsy, movie star good looks, a couple of tats wouldn't be out of the question. Can cahrm the knees out from under any woman he meets. Bad boy turned good, but the bad boy still lurks not all that deep beneath the surface.

Here's what I need: Art. Any names of guys out there who might help me pin him down would be much appreicated. Give me a name and I can google to my heart's content. A name. Something strong and sexy.

Anyone with anytime to help google pictures of tall, dark handsome men, feel free to join in and give me a hand!!!

what i've been doing of late

Back from a week's holiday visiting family. Was looovely catching up with all, especially for the toddler to play with her little cousins. Though she did come home with the words "turtle", "six", and "eight", here's hoping they didn't teach each other any bad habits! (Apologies to Suze for stealing Rory's leftover Rogan Josh)

Here's my gorgeous toddler toddling around the airport. You can't wait for the day they can walk then the minute they realise they know how, there's just no stopping them! I reckon she'd have walked home while we caught the plane if she'd had the choice! (Apologies to anyone she accosted at any airport we visited)

Now every spare moment she sleeps I am madly finishing a book due like now. Meg and Zach are lovely. But in usual Ally Blake fashion their story is refusing to be told in less than a trillion words. (Apologies to ed who'll be receiving this opus any day!)

I'm also mentally making notes on the Romance Writing Course I'm doing at Montrose Library on the 17th. Do check out my website to find out how to book a spot. I promise if you've wanted to write a romance and never knew where to start, or you've written one and don't know what to do next, I've got you covered!

So final apologies for being so absent and here's a heads up it'll be continuing a tad longer. Til then, happy reading!!!