Do you remember the lovely, sweet Regency romances that were popularized by Georgette Heyer…and Barbara Cartland? The ones that featured the witty repartee between an original young miss and the handsome rogue or rake? The ones that might have featured a kiss or a caress but that closed the bedroom door before the action really got started?

Well, this year’s finalists for the RWA RITA® Best Regency Historical romance aren’t THOSE! These books are by some of the best known romance authors of the day and by some new and not-so-known authors, too. And they aren’t shy about sharing  the physical part of the romantic relationship with their readers!

The finalists are: Surrender of a Siren by Tessa Dare, Scandal by Carolyn Jewel, Tempting Fate by Alissa Johnson, A View To A Kiss by Caroline Linden, Revealed by Kate Noble, What Happens in London… by Julia Quinn and Lord Braybrook’s Penniless Bride by Elizabeth Rolls. This group is a cross-section of Regency writers today — from the extremely-well-known Julia Quinn to the strongly-established Carolyn Jewel, Alissa Johnson and Caroline Linden to relative newcomers Kate Noble and Tessa Dare and the categoryhistorical romance favorite Elizabeth Rolls.

I confess — I read a lot of Regency-set historical romances and have most of these (if not all!) in my prodigious TBR pile…er….closet! I love the stories set in the polite, or not-so-polite, society of early 19th century England. I love watching dukes be dukes, earls be earls, ‘originals’ be ‘originals’  and watching as love conquers them all! I think that opening this subgenre up to steamier love scenes is a difficult thing for a writer to balance, but the writers mentioned above have no difficulty in finding that balance and their nominations speak to their abilities to recreate that long-ago world of manners and society and royalty and nobility and the consequences of flaunting society’s rules and mores.

So — who is your favorite Regency romance author? Your favorite Regency romance? Are they nominated this year? Have you read any of the authors or books named as finalists? Tell us about them and I’ll choose 2 commenters to receive a copy of their choice of one of the finalists along with a copy of my July book – THE MERCENARY’S BRIDE. Post away!

BTW — congrats and best wishes to all the finalists in the RWA RITA® contest this year. The results will be posted all through the evening of Saturday, July 31 as the winners are announced at the RWA Conference in Disney World. Check out the list of all the finalists in all 12 categories at www.rwa.org.  Huzzah!

Terri will be attending the RWA Conference and cheering for all the nominees. Anyone in the Orlando area is invited to the HUUUUUUUGE Booksigning for Literacy event to meet Terri and many of the finalists on Wednesday, July 28 from 5:30-7:30pm at the Dolphin Hotel (of the Swan and Dolphin Resort!).  And since many of you know that WDW is one of Terri’s most favorite places to visit, it shouldn’t surprise you that she’s staying on for a few days extra to visit the House of The Mouse and to see if those Celtic musicians wear their biker shorts under their kilts in the heat of the summer…!Oh MY! Stop over at her website for more info about her current and upcoming releases… www.terribrisbin.com

Perhaps some of you have heard (since I’ve been shouting it from the rooftops) but I recently won an award. Well, not so much me, but my book, Seduce Me. It took the honors of the RomCon Readers Crown for Best Short Historical and I couldn’t be more proud. Or excited! This is the second award for Seduce Me, and it’s so validating because my Legend Hunters series is very near and dear to my heart. I love this series and it’s nice to know that readers love it too.

And the Readers Crown came with some great prizes. One of which will have a special display in every Borders bookstore, so be sure to look for Seduce Me and the other winners in mid-August. And I’ll be a featured author at the RomCon conference in Denver next year. I can’t wait!

So to celebrate, I’m sharing an excerpt from the book.

The stiff chair was exceedingly uncomfortable and so large, her feet dangled several inches above the floor. She ignored the fact that she felt more like a girl than a woman. Gently, she retrieved the box and set it on her lap.
Pandora’s box!
Esme stifled a giggle, again feeling very much the young girl with a new toy. Every time she looked upon it, the carvings became more and more beautiful. She ran her fingers across the gold reveling in the feel of it. Then she heard it – a whispering. Just the faintest of sounds. Like a voice being carried on a wind. She whipped around behind her, but found no one there. Straining to listen to the voice, she was unable to decipher any of the words.
“Hello? Anyone there?” she asked. Yet there was nowhere in the room for someone to hide, and there was only the door in which she’d entered.
She shook her head and looked at the box. Again she heard an unmistakable whisper. It was a sound filled with yearning, with the promise of unfulfilled longing. Suddenly she was overtaken with the sweetest yearning. With a sense of hope and the possibility of joy. Although the words were still undecipherable, she could have sworn she’d heard her name. But that was impossible.
She continued stroking the box, tracing each engraving, noting each detail. Something pricked her finger and she drew it back; a tiny cut bubbled with a fleck of blood. Strange considering the gold was perfectly smooth. She lifted the box for a closer inspection and noticed a slight abrasion in the metal near the etching that matched her pendant.
Her heart quickened. It was as if the box was asking her to open it, no begging. One little peek wouldn’t hurt. For so many years she’d longed for it, how could she now deny herself this moment?
She had the opportunity, she had the key.
She scanned the room once more before removing her necklace. Carefully she lined her pendant piece up with the carving, then took a deep breath before pushing it into place. She heard something give way within. Slowly she exhaled.
In one swift movement she opened the lid and squeezed her eyes shut. She waited for a swarm of locusts or screaming, something. Nothing happened.
One eye popped open to inspect inside the box, then she opened the other.
Empty.
There was nothing inside the box. She waited a moment to see if she felt different, to see if some invisible power had settled over her. But she felt nothing.
Disappointment poured through her and she was about to close the lid when she noticed something at the bottom of the box. It looked as if it, too, might open, so she slipped her hand inside. Something touched her. She pulled back. A shimmering gold bangle bracelet dangled from her wrist. It was beautiful. Thin and unadorned, the band was simple and elegant.
Excitement fluttered in her belly. Perhaps this was it – Pandora’s charm. Was it possible that by her simply wearing the band that men would want her? That she could finally know what it was like to walk into a room and have all men’s eyes turn to her?
A giggle erupted within her. It was a mythical box, not a miracle box. She ought not get too encouraged. Perhaps it would assist her in the ways of womanly charms, but the chances of her becoming an irresistible siren were slim.
She held her arm up in the air, moving her wrist about. The light played against the sliver of gold. Something caught her attention and she held the bracelet up to the light to admire it and noticed an engraving. A closer look proved the impression to be ancient Greek; a language she could read, but not one she was proficient in. Luckily for her the text to decipher was short, only one word. She read the word and thought on it a moment, unsure if she’d interpreted correctly. Another glance and she was certain. Lust.
With her other hand she attempted to remove the gold band, to put it back in the box, but it would not budge. No matter how much she tugged, the bracelet would not move past her thumb.
Splendid.
Her heart raced to a wild beating and her breaths came in short surges. This changed everything.
This wasn’t a charm.
This was a curse.

So how do you like to celebrate when you have something nice happen to you? I’m a fan of champagne and having a nice dinner out. Or spending time with friends and family. To celebrate I’m giving away 2 copies of Desire Me, the second book in the Legend Hunters series (in stores now!). Just comment and you might win!

Fiction writers, it seems certain, are blessed (cursed?) with unusually active imaginations. This is a good thing, considering what we do. But sometimes…sometimes it’s a bit of a burden.

Take, for example, what my doctor calls my medical student’s syndrome. “Kristan, you’re such an idiot,” he’ll say fondly as I detail my symptoms. “Sounds like you drank too much coffee to me.” Still, I can’t seem to stop the runaway train of doom. Freckle? I have skin cancer. Headache? Brain tumor. I can already envision the creepy black blob on my MRI. Foot cramp? Clearly I have Lou Gehrig’s disease. He is, after all, my favorite baseball player of all time! How ironic that I (probably) have his disease! No, I’m positive it’s ALS, not just a foot cramp resulting from six hours in those trashy shoes of mine…the four-inch heeled gray suede pumps with the flower on the toe (so cute!). Immediately, I envision myself at Yankee Stadium, giving my version of the Luckiest Man speech…tears start leaking as I picture my poor babies, bidding farewell to their dear mama. What will happen to Digger, my beloved dog? Will he crawl into my casket the way he climbs into the trunk of my car when I’m going to the airport? I should mention this to McIrish, just to make sure our dog isn’t buried alive…

Another time it really sucks to have an imagination is while swimming in the ocean. Peter Benchley, Steven Spielberg—damn you! Sebastian Junger, you’re not off the hook, either, young man. Rogue waves, dorsal fins…oh, wait, I can’t forget Jules Verne, because even if I don’t see a dorsal fin or a 100-foot tower of water, there may well be a giant squid about to grab my leg. Thanks, boys. Thanks for ruining the beach for me forevermore.

As a firefighter’s wife, I’m quite used to picturing McIrish’s death…if he’s twenty minutes late getting home, I’ve already lived through an imaginary visit from his chief and lieutenant bearing the bad news. “Hi, sweetie,” I’ll say when he inevitably comes through the door. “Sorry there’s no dinner, I was writing your eulogy. Feel like cooking?” It’s our norm.

Disaster preparation is another forté of mine, since I have already planned for tidal waves (rare in my landlocked town)…terrorist attacks (sure, the only thing worth attacking in our town is the ice cream stand, but I have a hidey hole prepared for the four of us just in case)…alien invasion (okay, that one’s trickier, since I’m not sure if they’ll be vanquished by a glass of water, like they were in Signs, or if I need to write a computer virus, like they did in Independence Day, but I have both, just in case). Oh, let’s see what else…I have practiced taking the kids down cellar in case of tornado (again…rare in Connecticut, but you never know). I’ve read up on performing an emergency tracheotomy with a sharp knife and a straw (don’t laugh, it’s doable). When the kids were tiny, I used to play a game where I was a grizzly bear and they had to play dead as I pawed and sniffed them. You know. Just in case.

Listen. It’s not just me…my characters do this stuff, too. In fact, Callie from All I Ever Wanted envisions disaster during a certain notable scene in her bathroom. So go ahead—tell me when you’ve imagined a ridiculously impossible scenario but scared yourself silly nonetheless. Let me know I’m not alone!

As you know, this month, we’ve been highlighting the 2010 Rita nominees. One of the most popular categories is Paranormal Romance. The competition in this category is hot! The descriptions I’ve posted are from BN.com.

First up, Laurie Brown with What Would Jane Austen Do? Laurie is a fellow Sourcebooks author.
When a modern woman goes back to Jane Austen’s time, she needs to know how to tell a villain from a rake. Otherwise, she could fall into a most shocking scandal…

Kresley Cole is a double finalist with Untouchable and Kiss of a Demon King.

In Untouchable, Kresley Cole brings us the story of Murdoch Wroth, a brutal vampire soldier who will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden—the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in 300 years. But Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can only be touched by her own kind.

Here’s the synopsis for Kiss of a Demon King. From New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole comes this spellbinding story of a demon king trapped by an enchantress for her wanton purposes—and the scorching aftermath that follows when he turns the tables and claims her as his captive.

Carolyn Jewel is a nominee for her novel My Forbidden Desire.

TORN BETWEEN…
Alexandrine Marit is a witch in mortal danger. An evil mage craves the powerful, mysterious talisman that supplies her magic, and the only person who can keep her safe is a dark and dangerous fiend called Xia. With his fierce animosity toward witches, he’s hardly the ideal bodyguard. Yet as days turn into nights, she can’t deny the white-hot passion between them.

DESIRE AND TEMPTATION
Xia hates witches. They enslave and mercilessly kill his kind. But he’s been ordered to protect Alexandrine, who, to his surprise, has a spirit he admires and a body he longs to possess. With the mage and his henchmen closing in, Alexandrine and her protector must trust the passion that can unite them…or risk losing everything to the enemies who can destroy them both.

Marjorie M. Liu is nominated for her novel The Fire King.

The world has yet to learn the power of the tortured Chimera shape-shifter prince-and the scarred yet brilliant Soria has yet to know his love.

Former Jaunty Quill, Anne Mallory is a nominee for her novel For the Earl’s Pleasure.

Beneath every scornful smile . . .

They were once cherished childhood companions, until a scandalous secret tore them apart. Now Valerian Rainewood and Abigail Smart are the fiercest of enemies. To Abigail, Rainewood is a notorious rake, hell-bent on mischief and not fit for polite society. So what if it seems as if he can seduce her with nothing but his eyes? She will not succumb. But when the earl is viciously attacked, Abigail’s distress tells her that something still binds her to the wild Rainewood.

Lies an unquenchable desire . . .

Though the ton believes there is nothing between them, Rainewood knows the truth. Abigail tempts him the way no other woman has. Wanton lust overwhelms him whenever she is near. But keeping her too close may put her precious life in danger. He must destroy his enemies—so that with every touch he may prove to Abigail that though their past was filled with trouble, their future will be nothing but pleasure.

Darkness Unknown by Alexis Morgan is the next nominee. Alexis Morgan’s seductive Paladin series continues with a red-hot romance between a powerful warrior sworn to secrecy and the irresistible woman who makes him lose control….

Gwen Mosely’s life changes forever when she stumbles across a handsome stranger, bleeding and left for dead in the woods behind her farm. But the real shock is how his wounds heal overnight — a trait he shares with Gwen’s teenaged half-brother Chase.

Jarvis Donahue can’t keep his eyes — or his hands — off the sexy redhead who rescued him. Gwen’s warm smile and lust-filled eyes are impossible to resist…but Jarvis immediately recognizes Chase as a fellow Paladin, a warrior born to defend mankind in the relentless battle against the Others. Although Gwen may hate Jarvis for it, he is dutybound to introduce Chase to the Paladins’ dangerous lifestyle.

As the barrier between the two worlds weakens, the threat grows perilously close to Gwen’s farm. Jarvis is determined to protect his lover — but if he reveals his identity, he not only betrays his people’s secret, he risks losing her forever….


J.R. Ward is once again a nominee with Covet. Redemption isn’t a word Jim Heron knows much about — his specialty is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charged with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. And failure is not an option.

Vin diPietro has surrendered himself to his business—until fate intervenes in the form of a tough-talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior, and a woman who makes him question his destiny. With an ancient evil ready to claim him, Vin has to work with a fallen angel not only to win his beloved over…but to redeem his very soul.

And lastly, but only because I’m highlighting these in alphabetical order, is Eileen Wilks with Mortal Sins.

FBI Agent Lily Yu and her werewolf lover are embroiled in a series of murders, each linked to a form of dangerous “death magic.”

Any of your favorite authors nominated this year? Who are you hoping takes home that coveted Rita?

Susan was delighted to randomly select the following commenters to win a free copy of her debut novel, MONEY, HONEY!

Carrie Spencer
Catslady
eap
Gail C.
Kris

Congratulations, winners! Send your snail mail address to Susan at susan@susansey.com.

Here she is….no, it’s not Miss America…it’s THE RITA

As you’ve probably heard, if you’ve read other JQ blogs this week, the purpose of the RITA® contest is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding published romance novels and novellas.

Today, we’re focusing on the Inspirational RITA finalists. If you’ve never read an inspirational romance, you may have a picture in your mind of sweet-as-pie books that don’t have anything to do with the real world and the issues we all face. Nothing could be further from the truth.

This is a large category with eight finalists. Today, we’re going to focus on three who were so kind to send me a brief blurb about their book.

An Eye for an Eye by Irene Hannon
Baker Publishing Group, Revell Books

Here’s what Irene had to say about this book:
Psychologist Emily Lawson loves her private practice, her weekly teen
radio show, chocolate chip frappuccinos, and a routine, predictable life
she can control. Uh oh.

I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely intrigued. And what a fabulous cover!

Breach of Trust by Diann Mills
Tyndale House Publishers

What did DiAnn say about her book when I asked?
Librarian Paige Rogers had more exciting days dodging bullets in Africa, until she made a decision to bring a corrupt politician to justice.

Yes, she’s got a librarian heroine, but I’ve read this book and Paige is anything but sweet-as-pie.

The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper by Kathleen Y’Barbo
Random House Publishing, WaterBrook Multnomah

In twenty-five-words-or-less here’s what Kathleen told me about Miss Eugenia Cooper’s confidential life:
Buckskins and boots or diamonds and Worth gowns? With New York socialite Eugenia Cooper, it depends on the day. Then there are the
dime novels…”

This weekend, I’d like to know what characteristic you like to see in a heroine…or what characteristic turns you off. On Sunday night, I’ll draw one name from everyone who has commented this weekend and that person will win a copy of Kathleen Y’Barbo’s RITA finalist book: The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper

Thank you, Kathleen for your generous donation!

So, congratulate these finalists and comment for a chance to win. Then check back on Sunday night to see if you’re a winner!

Welcome to the Money, Honey Blog tour, in which author Susan Sey celebrates the July 6 release of her debut novel by counting down the Top Ten Most Common Reactions an ill-groomed stay at home mom receives when confessing her secret career as a romance novelist. 

Hello, Jaunty Quills!  And thank you, Kristan, for inviting me!  I’m so excited to be here today.  I’ve been dying for a chance to chat with you guys about Response #2 on my list:  “Where do you get your ideas?”

(If you’re all aflutter to hear about the other nine responses on my list, feel free to check out http://www.susansey.com/pages.php?ID=5.)

You know what I love about this one?  What it means totally depends on who’s asking.

Most of the time, the asker is completely sincere.  You make stuff up for a living & they want to know how you do it.  Answering this one is fun, because let’s face it.  What author doesn’t love to talk about their writing?

But there’s another type of person who asks the “where do you get your ideas” question—a person with whom the author has A History.  It could be your mother, your sister, your best friend, your ex-boyfriend who somehow became Just A Friend.  But it’s always somebody you know well enough to blackmail if you wanted to.   And that’s the key.  Because when this person says, “Where do you get your ideas?” what they really mean is, “Am I in your book?”

And the answer, dear reader, is no. 

And yes.

See, I’m a big fan of escapist fiction.  Which, on the surface, is weird.  Because my life’s pretty awesome.  I’m married to the world’s greatest guy (no offense to your husbands; I’m sure they’re wonderful), we have two adorable, brilliant children and an income that stretches just far enough for me to stay home with them.  What on earth do I need to escape from?

Laundry, that’s what.  Bickering.  Cooking.  (Let me tell you, putting decent, healthful food on the table three times a day for people who express their appreciation with gagging noises is exhausting.)  Then there’s the ensuing pile up of dirty dishes.  And don’t forget the sleepless nights spent wondering if the kids are going to wind up in therapy because their mother is a heartless shrew with a Facebook addiction….

My point is, sometimes I need a little escape.  I need a little larger-than-life.  I need things to start at point A, end up at point B & make some sort of sense in between.  I need to see worthy people defeat a villain, have great sex & fall in love.  In other words, I need a fix of anti-reality.  So why would I look to reality for inspiration?

Quick answer:  I don’t.  My debut novel Money, Honey features an ex-jewel thief-turned-crime-novelist falling in love with a cult-survivor-turned-hard-nosed-FBI-agent who’s stalking a revenge-crazed, knife-wielding counterfeiter.  Got to admit, I don’t personally know anybody with even one of those qualifications on the old resume.  Which is a good thing, right? 

My decided lack of nefarious acquaintances, however, means I often have to make a few phone calls in the name of writerly research.  It doesn’t always go well, & Money, Honey was particularly interesting.  The Secret Service is in charge of counterfeiting (who knew?) and as it turns out, they call it the SECRET service for a reason.  It’s very secret.  It’s possible I’m on a few watch lists now.  I don’t know.  That’s probably a story for another day. 

The point I’m trying to make is, if you know me, you can rest easy.  I didn’t fudge your name & put you in my story.  Not on purpose, anyway.  But real life has a way of creeping in when you’re not looking.

For example, when I was writing Money, Honey, my now-seven-year-old was two & a half.  And this, if you haven’t been around a 2.5 yo in a while, is a hilarious age.  They have just enough language to engage with strangers, all the ego in the world & absolutely no self-consciousness that might check it.  They’re tiny, merciless little truth machines, pelting you daily with facts everybody knows but polite people refrain from yelling at top volume across the grocery store.  In short, they’re insanely cute but extremely uncomfortable. 

So of course I put one in my story.   Liz & Patrick are two of the most closed, wounded people I’ve ever written.  They have secrets on top of secrets, & defenses on top of walls on top of barbed wire.  Something needed to bust these people out of their comfort zones long enough to fall in love, especially Patrick.  So I gave him a niece.  An adorable, formidable, nuclear bomb of a child with an unstoppable mouth and energy to burn.  A little girl who loves him & demands love in return, even when she’s just peed on his favorite wool sweater.

So how about you?  Do you draw on real life when you write (or read), or do you just make stuff up?  How far would you go to research a book?  (I’ve always wanted to do one of those FBI citizen academies myself.)  Don’t be shy—fess up!  Up to five lucky commenter will win a copy of Money, Honey for their very own!

Thank you to Kristan Higgins and the rest of the Jaunty Quill sisters for allowing me to guest post today!

I came upon this lovely group blog because I adore the novels of Kristan Higgins, and she was gracious enough to invite me to write a guest post to coincide with the release of my debut novel, Free to a Good Home. There is something about a group blog, especially one called a “sisterhood,” that is so inviting to a new author, especially when one of its members is as warm and nurturing as Kristan. (Note from Kristan: I hope everyone’s listening!) What surprised me, though, when I first came for a visit is that The Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills featured so many romance authors. It got me thinking about what draws us to romance as a genre. Because lately I find it difficult to finish a book if there is not at least the possibility it will reward me with a subplot involving matters of the heart.

In one of my favorite romantic movies, Before Sunrise, the character Celine says (to the adorable Ethan Hawke): “Isn’t everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?” I think that’s so true. Love is what makes us get up in the morning. It’s what gets us through the day. It’s what keeps us sane as we stare at the photocopier or the computer screen, or as we wait in line at the DMV or take abuse from a customer at the deli. Everything we do, it seems, is for the benefit of someone we love or to make ourselves worthy of being loved.

My debut novel is about a woman named Noelle who is trying to find love, but comes up short because she searches in the wrong places or sabotages her own efforts at happiness. Throughout the course of the novel, she experiences many kinds of love: she loves her ex-husband even though he no longer loves her back; she loves her Great Dane, Zeke, who loves her back unconditionally; she loves her family although they exasperate her to near insanity; she learns to love a woman whom she thought she hated; and she tries to love a new man even though her heart is still broken from the last. Every one of her mistakes and misjudgments, her triumphs and tragedies, emerges from this pursuit of love.

But she won’t be truly happy until she learns to love herself, and this is sometimes the most elusive kind of love to attain. In another of my favorite movies, Shirley Valentine, the main character leaves her oppressive life and lackluster marriage in London for a vacation in the Greek Isles. When her husband accuses her via telephone of having a sordid mid-life affair, she says, “The only holiday romance I’ve had is with myself. And I’ve come to like myself, really. I think I’m all right.” What better revelation can we ask for in life than the moment when we finally learn to accept ourselves after all the years of insecurity, heartache, and self-doubt, the moment when we stop trying so hard and embrace who we are—warts, bad habits, cellulite, and all—because underneath all those flaws, we find a person with strength and resilience, compassion and integrity, someone who is, after all, “alright.” Ironically, this is usually the moment when we become the most lovable.

That’s essentially what Free to a Good Home is about—coming home from that long and lonely journey of self-discovery and realizing that you do have a place where you belong, you do have people who love you, and despite all the struggle and grief, you have ultimately become the hero of your own life.

In your own life, what was the moment when you finally learned to accept yourself? Share your story in a comment below. Also, be sure to check out my website for a chance to win a free copy of Free to a Good Home or a book club package that includes eight signed copies and a Skype call-in to your book club. www.evemariemont.com The deadline to enter is July 18.

Jane Porter has graciously donated two copies of  Duty, Desire and the Desert King, so we have four books to give away. 

Congrats to winners — runner10, Chey, Crystal B, and eap!!!  You’ve all won one of the  2010 RITA nominated series contemporary romance novels: Duty, Desire and the Desert King by Jane Porter, The Christmas Love-Child by Jennie Lucas, One Night Mistress Convenient Wife by Anne McAllister.  Please send your choice of books: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice, to JanetteKenny AT gmail DOT com.  Also please include your mailing address. 

People often ask me why I write romance and to tell you the truth I usually say its because its what I love to read. But to be honest with you its also what I know.

At the heart of romance its about family and community and the bonds that a couple form as they start to build their own family. And of course I love love….who doesn’t!

So here’s my story…
After a surprising and a little bitter divorce I never thought I’d find love again. Who does when your heart is breaking and your dreams are shattered. But then I met Rob. He lived in another country and we’d been friends for a long time. But as we started talking to each other for hours every day we realized that at the core of our beings we belonged together.

I didn’t know if we would ever be anything more than friends and after a few months of chatting I flew to London to meet him. And at the moment our eyes met I know he was the one for me. I’ve written about that moment so many times but to be honest had never experienced before then. Every moment we spent together that week just confirmed what I already knew in my heart…Rob and I were soul mates.

We slowly melded our lives together with Rob moving to the States and our kids meeting each other and now on Friday July 16 three years after I flew to meet him, we are getting married.

Its going to be a small intimate wedding sharing our love for each other with our closest friends and family. Much like the weddings I write about at the end of my books.

Now when people ask me why I write romance I will simply tell them that I write about what I know and want everyone to get their own happy endings!

Love and laughter to you all!
Katherine