Digital books

I was excited to receive an email from DailyLit over the weekend – a digital publisher who emails entire books in short daily instalments - telling me that they are featuring my following three books in their list:

Bedded at his Convenience
Her Husband’s Christmas Bargain
The Rich Man’s Reluctant Mistress

These are part of a growing romance collection that DailyLit hope will help give lovers of romance a place to connect on the web. Even if you’re not into romance it’s worth taking a look at their website as they publish in many different genres.

They also let you read the first two instalments for free – so why not take a look?

Cataromance interview

I’ve been interviewed by Cataromance so why don’t you pop over and find out how I actually became a writer and what my working day is like?

Three pieces of good news today. My lounge is back in order. Zarek and Molly have finally made it into bed. And I have my car back. Guess which one I’m most excited about? Zarek and Molly? Wrong! Getting my car back.

It was on May 28th that someone ran into the back of me and I’ve been waiting all this time to have it repaired. The cost to my insurers was just over £3000 and the guy who caused the accident hasn’t even had the decency to answer any letters from them. Thank goodness it’s their problem and not mine.

Happy motoring!

What's in a name

Poor Molly and Zarek have been stuck in a time warp between getting married and their first night as man and wife. They’ve been married three days (in my time) and haven’t yet reached the bedroom door. Yesterday we repapered the walls where the old fireplace and shelving was taken out, today my daughter and baby grandson are visiting, and tomorrow we’re having a new carpet fitted. I’m trying to sneak in an hour’s writing now. But it isn’t much time for Zarek to persuade Molly that she should share his bed. She thought she was doing him a favour by marrying him and wasn’t prepared for this part of the deal.

I’m still having problems as well with Molly’s name. Sometimes if a name doesn’t suit a character the right one will jump out at me while I’m writing. It hasn’t this time which would suggest it’s the right name, yet I still have the feeling it’s too old fashioned. Maybe because I went to school with a girl named Molly and that was more years ago than I care to remember.

Does anyone have any thoughts whether Molly would suit a modern miss?

Review

The WIP is coming along nicely. I’ve reached 35,000 words and Molly and Zarek are getting closer and closer together. I’ll be writing the wedding scene today.

That’s if I can write with the noise going on in the other room. We’re having a new fireplace fitted, one that goes partly into the wall, so there’s a lot of knocking out of bricks going on. Our old fireplace, with a brick surround that wrapped around three walls, dated back to the 60’s, so it will be nice to be modern once more.

Briefly, the reason for the fireplace (not discounting the fact that we’ve never liked it, it was one we inherited when we moved in) was that we needed a new central heating/hot water boiler which has been installed in the loft. The old fire had the boiler at the back so that had to come out. Hence the fireplace, hence a new carpet because there’s now a gap all the way around the wall, hence a new shower because our other one didn’t work with the replacement boiler. Talk about one thing leading to another…

Let’s talk about pleasanter things – like a review I’ve had for THE RICH MAN’S RELUCTANT MISTRESS which is out in the US now.

Margaret Mayo’s many readers will devour in a single sitting The Rich Man’s Reluctant Mistress, a powerful tale of passion, emotion and romance that will leave them breathless! Fast-paced, intriguing, intense and riveting from start to finish, The Rich Man’s Reluctant Mistress is the latest in a long line of spellbinding contemporary romances by a terrific writer who gets better and better with every book!

You can read the full review here

Latest book

I’ve just received the advance copies of my September release The Billionaire’s Blackmail Bargain. It’s always a thrill to see the words that I have laboured over for a good part of three months actually in print, and I have a set routine once I’ve opened the parcel.

First of all I need to smell the book, I love the smell of new books. There’s something exciting about it. Here inside these pages is a story. Mmm, another sniff. Yes, a story I want to read and savour.

Then I study the cover wondering whether the embracing couple truly reflect my characters. In this instance, yes, I think they do. Auburn haired heroine, dark haired hero. He might look a little younger than I imagined, but he has a gorgeous naked torso which more than makes up!

Then I read the blurb on the back and this is what it says in this instance:

The arrogant billionaire and his convenient mistress

Simone Maxwell will do anything to save her family’s business; it’s her pride and her passion. But she certainly doesn’t expect her lifeline to be Cade Dupont, the man who broke her heart years ago…

Billionaire Cade knows Simone is in a vulnerable position – which is exactly where he wants her. She owes him big-time, and here is the perfect opportunity to settle his dues in the sweetest way possible…with Simone in his bed and at his command!

Read more here

Finally I’ll read the first page to check that I’ve made it tantalising enough for the reader to want to find out what’s going to happen. It’s a bit late if I haven’t achieved that objective, but it’s something I always automatically do. I think first pages are the most important part of the book. It’s the defining moment whether a reader purchases it or not.

The next event for me in this book’s life is to see it on the shelves of my local bookstore. What a proud feeling that is.

Vivaldi

Hardly any writing done this week, but I would like to share this.

A new block of apartments has gone up at the end of the road where a friend of mine lives, called Vivaldi Court. At first I couldn’t think why they should have named it after a famous composer, but then I realised that my friend lives in Spring Lane, other streets nearby are Autumn Close, Winter Road and Summer Avenue. The pub that was on the site before the housing development was called Four Seasons.

Clever thinking.

It particularly appealed to me because, as I’ve mentioned before, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is one of my favourites pieces of music, one I often play when I’m writing.

Half way

Half way through the book now. As usual I'm having a lot of interrupted days, nevertheless it's all going well. And today is grandson day so I doubt any writing will get done. I've had a bit of a makeover on my website as well, so do take a look.

Strange sight

I live in a village which has a few shops as well as its own doctor’s surgery so we’re pretty self sufficient – it was one reason why we chose to live here. Once a week I walk to my art group in the village hall and I have to pass the surgery on the way. Imagine my surprise this morning when I saw a farmer’s tractor parked in the car park. Even as I did a double take the farmer – or a farm worker, I’m not sure which – came out of the building and coolly drove away. It certainly brought a smile to my face.

Word count

The word count is building slowly. On good days I usually average about 2000 words. Not much by some writer’s standards, but I’m happy with that figure. So far, with this book, though, I’ve never reached it and I’ve been trying to analyse why. I’ve decided it’s because that even though, at the end of play today, I’ve reached nearly 20,000 words, which is a good chunk of the story, I’ve not really had time to immerse myself into it without any distractions. Which means that I don't have the flow that I get when I’m writing for several hours each day without interruption. It’s what comes of having workmen in to do various jobs. I’ll perhaps tell you more about that later because the project's still ongoing. Meanwhile I’m going to enjoy my weekend and I hope you enjoy yours too whatever you’re doing.

Interview

I’m being interviewed today over on the WeWriteRomance website, so for anyone who wants to take a look here is a direct link

http://www.wewriteromance.com/interviews/mayo-margaret-int-june2008.html

Despite the good news from my editor saying she loves the first three chapters of my Greek book, the writing is nevertheless going very slowly. I put it down to the fact that I’m not yet into the swing of things. Having a three week break hasn’t done me any good at all. And then yesterday, just as I’d started to write, my daughter turned up with baby Oliver. So what could I do? Cuddle him, of course. Devote all my attention to him. He’s so gorgeous. And he gives us the most beautiful smiles now.

This morning I attended my local art group, which I never miss if I can help it. And now I’m supposed to be writing but I’m doing my blog instead. Talk about procrastination...

The go ahead

I have good news from my editor. Zarek’s passed the test. He’s been sitting waiting for three weeks to see whether she likes him enough to let me write his story. And now that she has met him, now that she knows what a fantastic guy he is, she can’t wait to read the rest of his story. Actually I’ve spent so much time away from him, some days not even thinking about him (how bad is that?) that I shall need to reintroduce myself.
Zarek the Greek. He’s totally gorgeous and Molly is going to fall for him in a big way. I might even be jealous of her. On the other hand I always play the part of the heroine personally. I become that woman. Which means I’ve had dozens of fantastic lovers over the years! I wonder what Zarek will be like?

Foreign editions

I've received several foreign copies of my various books recently but the one that interested me most was this Israeli one of THE RICH MAN'S RELUCTANT MISTRESS. The absence of the hero intrigues me. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a lovely cover and I've had it sitting on my desk for days now so that I can keep looking at it.

Incidentally this same book is being released in the Presents series in July in the US and it's already for sale on Amazon.com. It's the story of Lucinda and Zane. Lucinda used to work for Zane and considered him an arrogant, womanizing playboy. Now she runs her own interior design business and is shocked to discover that her latest client is none other than her former boss. She's determined not to become another statistic, but ends up battling to resist him.

As far as my current book's concerned I'm still in limbo. The fact that we have some workmen in at the moment doesn't help either.

Contest

My May contest is now closed and my DH has chosen the winner, who is:

Christine Ince

Congratulations Christine. If you email me your address my Classic Romances 2 in 1 book will soon be winging its way to you.

Shaken not stirred

We had a lovely week with our grandson, taking him to different places – he’s such a joy to be with and we’re making the most of it because we know that when he gets a bit older (he’s going on thirteen) he won’t want to come out with us. But actually I was fortunate to be with him at all. I was on my way to pick him up, waiting to turn right, conscious when I slowed down that there was a car in the distance behind me. All of a sudden, just as the road in front was clear and I was about to turn, I felt an almighty bang on my back end. For a moment I couldn’t think what was happening. I was shunted across the road onto a grassy area and narrowly missed a tree. The driver of the car following me had applied his brakes but because the road was wet his car didn’t stop.

To say I was shaken is an understatement. But I wasn’t hurt, which is the main thing. And nor was the other driver. My car’s pretty sick but still driveable. His had to be taken away on a tow truck. This was my first ever accident in 45 years of driving. I’m just glad it wasn’t my fault.

I read an interesting article in Romance Matters (The Romantic Novelists Association quarterly magazine) about chapter endings. The aim of a chapter ending is to make the reader want to read on and in Sarah Duncan’s article she said that she loved it when people complained that one of her books had kept them awake long after they intended, so compelling was the need to read just one more chapter.

One of my nieces once said to me that she wished I’d make my chapters shorter, because she liked to finish a chapter before turning out the light. (Do we all read in bed at night?) Actually in my earlier books the chapters were longer, so I took on board what she said.

In the article Sarah Duncan also said that she never puts her novels into chapters until the final draft, which means she has to finish every scene end with a page-turner – just in case!

It’s an interesting take on chapter endings. What does anyone else think?