Yay, my first four star review! 
Pat Cooper, reviewer for Romantic Times, had this to say about my June release JEALOUSY & A JEWELLED PROPOSITION (book 6 in the Diamonds Down Under Continuity):
Matt Hammond finally has what he needs to bring down the mighty Blackstones and get back what they stole from his family, but first he has to squelch the rumors that his young son really belongs to the man he suspects of being his late wife’s lover. Nanny Rachel Kincaid has been in love with Matt since she was a teenager and now, living with him to care for his son, she sees the changes years of bitterness have caused. Yvonne Lindsay wraps up the Diamonds Down Under series with Jealousy and a Jewelled Proposition (4), which has a tight plot and a surprise ending.
We have a Q&A with Diana Ventimiglia and led by Jan Colley on the Diamonds Down Under blog this week. All commenters will go in the draw to win either a critique by Diana for their work or, if you’re a reader rather than a writer, a gift pack of books from the DDU authors.
Remember too, the critique from Senior Editor for Silhouette Desire, Melissa Jeglinksi, is still up for grabs. Make sure you you comment on that blog to be in to win.
The road of true love is never smooth. Seeking distraction today, from a poor page count of my own, I surfed others love stories and happened across this one.
To be totally honest with you, I love what he came up with, but what a crying shame that he couldn’t hold onto the string just that little bit longer!
What would you do in his loved one’s place? The same as she has done or would you forgive and forget and say “yes” anyway?
I’m inclined to think that perhaps the bride-to-be is not as harsh as has been depicted in this item, however, if she really is then perhaps the groom-to-be should be rethinking who he wants to spend the rest of his life with!
Just a reminder to everyone that the Diamonds Down Under blog is offering great prizes for people who comment, i.e.:
1. On the Q&A with Melissa Jeglinski (Senior Editor for Silhouette Desire) there’s a critique to be drawn 15 June. If you haven’t commented yet on this board, and you’re keen to get some editorial feedback on your work, do so you can enter the draw!
2. There will be a Q&A coming up with Diana Ventimiglia (Associate Editor for Silhouette Desire) on 20 April, with a critique to be drawn 27 April; and
3. This week we are featuring a blog with Robyn Grady, one of Silhouette Desire’s newest authors who also writes for Mills & Boon Modern Extra (soon to be called Modern Heat). Anyone who comments on her blogpost will go into the draw for an agent critique with Jennifer Schober of the Spencerhill Agency (if you’re an aspiring writer) or a copy of one of Robbie’s recent titles (if you’re a reader.)
You’ve got to be in to win! And don’t forget that each month clues are posted for our treasure hunt prize. The beautiful diamond puff heart pendant bearing a total carat weight of diamonds in all their sparkling glory! The clues are up for January, February and March.
Saw this news item in an online newspaper today. Lesson to be learned, don’t leave your partner sleeping at the movies!
UPDATE TO THE ABOVE NEWS ITEM: Check out this link. Seems the course of true love doesn’t run smooth…
Best thing that happened to me this week? Getting my author copies for the Australia/New Zealand edition of Tycoon’s Valentine Vendetta. To see the down under cover treatment, or to order from eharlequin australia click here.
Best book I’ve read recently? Odd Mom Out by Jane Porter. Great story!
Best movie I’ve seen recently? Assault on Precinct 13. Seen it before and I’ll see it again. Excellent character portrayals. Sometimes I like to watch a movie with the sound off just to observe the body language. Did this with Monster-In-Law a couple of years ago and it was amazing how many cues you got just from the body language.
What’s up in your world?
Being involved in the Diamonds Down Under continuity it has had the effect of making me even more aware (if that was possible) of advertising and news stories connected to my favourite sparkling stones, but colour me amazed when I stumbled across this website.
As strange as it is, the concept is quite stunning. These specially created gems are certified high quality diamonds created from…wait for it…the carbon of your deceased loved one. And you’re not confined to the carbon of a deceased person, there is an option for pets too.
While this is a very interesting concept, I’m not sure that I would either (a) wear a diamond formed from the carbon of a deceased loved one, or (b) want my family to wear me once I’m gone.
What about you? Would you do it/wear it?
If you’ve been visiting the Diamonds Down Under website you’ll have no doubt discovered the contest page… but if you haven’t been there recently, you might not know about the treasure hunt. If you’re a fan of treasure hunts and you love to read continuities, stay tuned from the beginning of next month for the first clues! The contest will run over six months and the winner will be drawn in July 2008 from the emails sent in by midnight on 14 July (EDT) with all twelve questions correctly answered. You’ve got to be in to win, so bookmark the Diamonds Down Under Blog and check, as each book in the continuity is released from January through to June 2008, for the two questions for each month’s treasure hunt! If you like diamonds and hearts and all things precious and pretty, you’ll love the treasure hunt prize.
I know at this time of the year we often look forward to our goals for the coming year, but I think it’s important that we also take the time to look back and appreciate the year we’ve just lived. With this in mind I’ve decided that my blog visitors should also be able to enjoy something as a Happy New Year gift and I have a 2008 New Zealand Firefighters’ Calendar (a percentage of sales of which support the New Zealand Child Cancer Foundation) for a randomly selected blog visitor who’d like to share the best thing that has happened to them in the past year. For myself, one of the best things that happened to me was seeing some of my books released into other countries. If you’ve been visiting my blog regularly you’ll know how excited I was when I learned of these releases. Take the jump to becoming a full time writer was both exciting and a little bit scary for me, this time last year, but it’s been a great year and those extra translations of my books are just the icing on the cake 
. I’ll keep this mini-contest open until Sunday 30 December at 3.00 p.m. (PST). I look forward to reading your happy memories!
Hi! If any of you are keen on targetting Silhouette Desire and have a manuscript or partial you’d love to have critiqued, or if you would just like the chance to go into the draw to win a telephone chat with Melissa Jeglinski, Senior Editor of Silhouette Desire, then comment on the Diamonds Down Under Q&A with MJ over on our DDU blog! All comments (barring the ones made by the DDU authors, of course) will go into a draw later next year for the chance to have a partial or full manuscript critiqued, or, if you’re not a writer you can still get the chance to win a telephone chat with a Senior Editor to discuss whatever takes your fancy.
I hope to see you over on the Diamonds Down Under Blog!
I always knew the Diamonds Down Under continuity would be good and I’ve always loved how Bronwyn Jameson writes but when I read an advance copy of VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM (out Jan 08 USA, Feb 08 Aus/NZ), even knowing what the book was about, I was thrilled to still find myself transported into the world of the Blackstones and the Hammonds and the scandals and twists that set up their tale.
Cover art copyright © by Harlequin Enterprises Limited ® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher
I have to say it was a real thrill to see my character, Matt Hammond (Book #6 in the continuity), portrayed so vividly and just as I’d imagined him–and timely too, as I was doing line edits on Book #6 at the same time–but it was even better to see so many other characters, from the months we put into planning and discussing the continuity, come to life.
Here’s the back cover blurb for VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM:
HIS LOVER OF TEN MONTHS (supposed to be ten weeks, but who’s counting ). HIS WIFE OF TEN DAYS. HIS EX OF TEN YEARS.
Ric Perrini, chairman of Blackstone Diamonds and Sydney’s sexiest bachelor, still had one elusive prize to catch…Kimberley Blackstone. Luring her back to her estranged father’s company, back to her birthright, would be Ric’s toughest job ever. Luring her back into his arms, his most pleasurable. Ric had laid claim to part of Kim before; this time he’d accept nothing but her total surrender…
I’m really looking forward to the next book in the continuity, Tessa Radley’s PRIDE & A PREGNANCY SECRET.
