Archive for April, 2007

April 30, 2007 | 4 Comments

Well, the cases are bulging and I’m almost ready to head off on holiday. I’m used to family self-catering holidays so my cases are usually packed with Alpen, tea bags and Fairy Liquid (just in case you can’t buy it). Believe it or not, my daughter and I manage to cram in two snorkelling sets, a gigantic pair of fins, a shorty wetsuit and a buoyancy aid. Plus lashings of clothes, and lots of shoes, half of which we never wear. Mr Bennet has to make do with a spare pair of boxers, his tennis racket and a smile.

It seems really appropriate that Wish You Were Here is about a holiday-romance and is set in the travel industry. Even the cover has a heroine with bulging suitcases - I love the hopeful way she has her hand raised to hail a cab and start off on her new adventure…

When I get back I’ll have details of a competition to win a signed hard cover edition of Wish You Were Here - it really is so gorgeous ‘in the flesh’. The prize will also include a signed paperback edition of More Than Love Letters , an exciting new mainstream novel by my friend and fellow Headline author, Rosy Thornton. Her book has already had great reviews in the Daily Telegraph, Trashionista and OK!

We thought that these two books would make a lovely holiday reading package for the winner so please do drop by this website in a week or two to find out more.

I hesitate to mention this as it keeps changing and I wonder if it is a glitch but… the hardback seems to be on offer on Amazon today at £10.79 instead of £17.99. If this has altered while I’m away, I apologise but I had to flag it up!

Finally, there’s a new extract from WYWH on my Books page. Hope you enjoy it and see you all soon.

P x

April 27, 2007 | 2 Comments

Huge Congrats to my friend, Nell Dixon, who has won the RNA Romance Prize today with her book Marrying Max. We had lunch on Saturday - I told you, you would do it, Nell. I’m over the moon for you.

April 26, 2007 | 5 Comments

What is the difference between Romance and Chick Lit? Is there a difference? Should we make a distinction?

I cam across this very um… thought-provoking interview with the mega-best-selling Sophie Kinsella in Time magazine.

One of the differences, muses Sophie, is that “everybody’s a lot more wry or ironic or will crack a joke rather than have their bosom heave.”

What do romance readers and writers think?

(BTW, it took me ages to find a picture of a heaving bosom. The above picture was the closest I could get. Not heaving, not a bosom - but in the general area)

April 24, 2007 | 3 Comments

Ohh… what a lovely surprise. I just found out that Decent Exposure is one of the books featured on the North West Libraries Reader Development Partnership’s Pure Passion promotion.

I like the idea of Pure Passion v much. There is a story I would so love to tell you but I just can’t. However let’s just say that I once had the distinction of being banned for being too rude.

April 23, 2007 | 2 Comments

Who likes Monday Morning? Not me, usually, but I don’t mind today. On the rollercoaster ride of my writing life, the past few days have been one of the peaks. On Saturday, I met Nell and Allison for lunch and I don’t think we drew breath. We talked non-stop about projects, books etc and Nell, who has a wealth of experience, was very reassuring and informative as ever.

Last Thursday, I discovered that not only can you get your Little Black Dress books from Tesco, but they are also in WH Smith. I think they are BOGOF in both stores right now. If you visit the LBD site you also just have time to enter the competition to win 4 months supply of Galaxy chocolate.

I am going away next week for a special trip. Mr Bennet and I are celebrating our 20th anniversary with our first ever ‘exotic’ holiday, island hopping between Grenada and St Lucia (see above). I know they have gorgeous beaches, wildlife and scenery - I just hope they don’t have too many mosquitoes as I am a mozzie’s favourite snack. I heard that eating Marmite puts off mozzies… and also everyone within a five-mile radius. This is supposed to be a romantic holiday too!

Last year, we had a family holiday in Corsica and on that note…when I come back, I’m going to run my first contest to win one of the limited edition hardbacks of Wish You Were Here which are available from June 14th. I hope someone enters…