Reviews and Happy Christmas.

Reviews have just come in for WITHOUT REPROACH. Here's a couple of snippets from them.
****
Romance Reader at Heart. Review Rating: Top Pick!

Without Reproach is about redemption. It’s about learning to love and trust again when life destroys everything you’ve ever known. Without Reproach is about three strong, wonderful woman and their ability to learn how to love life and each other. Thrown in along the way is some great romance that adds a little something extra to the book. Janet Woods is always a must read for me and this book proves once again how phenomenal a writer she is!
Kristal Gorman


Woods gives her fans a well-written contemporary romance full of her trademark endearing characters, ensuring that fans of her historical romances will feel right at home. Booklist.
*****
This will probably be my last blog before Christmas, unless something exciting happens. Christmas is always tiring, always expensive, and this year it's even more so with the worry about the recession affecting us all. To all the mums and dads, grans and granddads, teenagers and kids of all ages. It's the thought that counts. Love costs nothing to give and receive. All best wishes.I hope you enjoy Christmas, and that 2009 is a wonderful year.

A TIGER TALE

A Tiger's Tale!

The port town of Fremantle here in Western Australia is normally a friendly town. It's small, pretty. It has a fishing harbour where you can get a wonderful fish meal with the fish almost leaping straight from the ocean into the pan. We have an old town hall with a spire and a flag on top. It's smack dab in the centre of the town, so if you do happened to be directionally challenged, as am I, all you need to is to head straight for it and you're back into the thick of things again. At the beginning of this week it became even more friendlier for me.

I was Christmas gift shopping, when I saw a rather large stuffed tiger with a curling plastic tongue and fearsome teeth. By large I mean five foot from its front paws to the lip of its tail, or about 152 centimetres for you newer folk (I think). But never mind. It was big!

I just had to buy it for one of my granddaughters. I was already dragging a loaded trolley behind me and had a couple of dangling bags. The tiger was too big to fit in a bag, so I tucked it under my dangling bag arm, face to the front so it could see where we were going, its tail hanging down at the back and lashing at my ankle. We set off confidently to find my husband, who would relieve me of my packages, since he had the keys to the car and I still had more shopping to do. That took some time, since he'd gone to ground somewhere.

Like I said, Fremantle is normally a friendly town, but with the addition of my tiger it became even more friendly. Tiger seemed to be endowed with special powers of attraction. Everyone who set eyes on him smiled, others made remarks as they passed like, like 'Oye, can I pull your tail?' or 'Does he bite?' or 'Do you know you've got a tiger under your arm?' Duh!

Some people growled or roared. It all seemed a rather normal reaction and interaction with complete strangers under the circumstances. When I sat to rest I was approached by several old ladies who stopped to admire the beast. Kids came up with their mums and dads to stroke him or touch his teeth, while I made insane growling noises. Even a tired toddler stopped his tantrum long enough to gaze open-mouthed at him. I have never held so many conversations with strangers, or been so popular. It struck me that people wanted to talk, and the tiger acted as a legitimate excuse to do so.

When we got it home I laid Tiger along the back of the couch, where he looked quite relaxed and at home for two days. He was rather difficult to wrap because his tail kept springing out through the paper, but now he's mummified in wrapping paper covered in flying angels, so he looks more like a gaudy sphinx guarding the Christmas tree. I can't wait to see my granddaughter's face when she sets eyes on him!

The moral of this tale is - whatever your age - if you want to be a magnetic chick, or even a magnetic cockerel come to that (though they're in short supply at Christmas) get yourself a big tiger and walk around town.

AS DARKNESS FALLS Review

AS DARKNESS FALLS - Bronwyn Parry - Hatchette.

I’ve heard people state that they only buy books written by authors whose work they know. What a shame that those short-sighted people are missing out on novels from new talent, like Australian writer Bronwyn Parry, whose first book was published this year.

AS DARKNESS FALLS is a romantic suspense that sits squarely within its genre, in that the romance is equally balanced by the story line. Two detectives, both wearied by the demands of their job - one to the point of being burned out - join forces to find a missing child before she is killed. The girl is one of three victims. Also a victim is Isabelle O’Connell the female police officer who was badly injured by the occupants of the small Australian country town she grew up in - when she single-handedly, and without success, tried to defend an innocent suspect from the town’s wrath. Along comes DCI Alec Goddard. Far from being a white knight, the battle weary city cop needs Isabelle to help him solve the case, and he plays on her conscience until he gets his way. Alec then finds himself becoming her protector as the deadly cat and mouse game with the criminal begins to unfold.

This is a story high in tension. There is the inner turmoil of the main characters, then the fact that the villain is always one step ahead, which that makes him an insider. There is the need to protect the female lead from danger, and from that the love story flows. But the instincts and needs of love are hard fought. These are two intelligent people who have had their fingers burned before, and the involvement is reluctant. The motivation of the main characters is well set up, consistent and clear, which gives the reader empathy with those characters. The book has a good visual scenic sense and is high in adventure. To my mind it would make an excellent tele movie.

AS DARKNESS FALLS is a gritty, well-written novel with a high sense of human drama and tension. It dishes up exactly what the cover suggests - a meaty and satisfying meal between the crusts.

Janet Woods.

Dropping in.

I'm just dropping in to report that the book I wrote about two blogs ago called, HEARTS OF GOLD - a historical romance that begins in the gold fields of Western Australia - has now been accepted by Severn House UK and will be released in April 09. In my usual fashion, I imagine the cover, though my visualization has never ever become a reality. For this book I see a golden heart diffused under water with ripples coming from it. My second slice of news is that audio right to 'Without Reproach' have been sold to ISIS Soundings.

Many thanks to Naval Langa and Eric for your comments.

I really haven't got much to blog about at the moment. I'm nearing the end of a novel and the characters have got such a strong grip on me that I just have to keep going , so my bum is glued to the chair. I love it when this happens, though whether it's entirely enjoyable is a moot point. Sure, when I really meld with the characters, so the story just happens, keeping going is irresistible. But sitting at the computer to the point of fatigue isn't healthy. I keep having to remind myself that the story will still be there tomorrow. I'm juggling four main characters, their stories with their plot conflicts, and the stories of the people around them and their plot conflicts, plus the main plot conflict. It's all going on in my brain as I head for the point of convergence.

My sister just rang me from New Zealand to ask me if I was okay, because she hadn't heard from me. No wonder. I've written two books in eight months without a break in between. Usually, I stop to clean my office between novels. This time I didn't. Three more chapters and the first draft will be finished. Then I must start the rewrite before I edit the manuscript for typos, of which there will be many. There always is when I write a book fast. Then I will take a rest...well, maybe...I've just sent a proposal to my agent for the next book.

All the best. Now....back to the fray!

Without Reproach

WITHOUT REPROACH
Romantic suspense
Severn House - Oct 1st 2008
ISBN 9780727867049

Charlie Parker dies in a car accident. As the fabric of his deceit is uncovered, the lives of three women involved with him are changed for ever. His mother meets the granddaughter she never knew she had. Kate Parker is a young woman already traumatised by an assault that's resulted in an unwanted pregnancy. Lauren Parker discovers that her marriage was not what it seemed. The tragedy draws the woman together, and they decide to move in together, in an isolated cottage in Dorset, where they'll be out of the glare of the media. Relations are strained as they learn to get on and support each other. To complicate matters, Lauren and DI Theo Ransom - who is investigating Charlie's affairs - fall in love. This complicates matters when a huge drugs haul is involved, and Lauren and Kate's lives are placed in mortal danger.

Stray Parcel and Christmas

Life has settled down after the romance writers conference. After all the work the dedicated RWAustralia conference committee did to come up with a dazzling weekend, it now feels as though it never happened. So it's back behind the desk for me. I've finished the book I was working on pre-conference, and have sent it on to my agent in London, so it's finger-crossing time. I've also picked up a book I'd written six chapters of and have started on the next six. This is the bit-and-pieces book I write when I haven't got a book to write.

The end of the year is getting close again. This was brought home to me by requests to speak at two libraries in Feb. 09. It served to remind me that I should do something about Christmas, seeing as my family grows larger by the year. So far I've bought a packet of ten greeting cards, which won't go far. Even though it's the hottest time of year here in Australia, I always buy cards with sparkle, snow, Santa and robins on etc. (it must be my English background). And I've noticed that stamps have gone up in time for the festive season. Good timing!

Talking of post offices, let me tell you a tale about a little postal tube containing a rolled up book jacket. It was posted in England on 4th April 2002 in London. It arrived on my doorstep on Tuesday 15th September 2008. The original labels are a yellowed, and the plastic ends of the tube have gathered a bit of dust, but I'm wondering where this parcel tube has been for six years. You see, to deepen the mystery, the tube has a recent label on it - an Australian one. It was reposted the day before I received it, at a cost of AU$4.20 at a post office only a couple of miles from where I live! The book jacket is in excellent condition, by the way.

Going back to Christmas (one can't escape it), I'm well known amongst my daughters for being hard to buy gifts for. I think it's because I have everything I need - which is a happy and loving extended family. So, my lovely daughters, in case you read this, here is my Christmas wish list. (1) A box of 'Paper One' premium paper. I've just finished the box I got last year. (2) Damien Leith's latest CD. 'Catch the Wind' (3) Sharon Kay Penman's latest book 'Devil's Brood.'

Oh yes, for those who like to gift books for Christmas, you my like to try my book WITHOUT REPROACH, which is a romantic suspense hardcover. It's released on October 1st and available from online book sellers or directly from the publisher, Severn House. I'll post further details as soon as its released.

You've gotta laugh!

I’ve never yet been to a romance writers conference where we haven’t been laughing our heads off over something for most of the time. The 2008 Romance Writers of Australia conference in Melbourne in August was no exception. Over 200 romance writers, large and small, old and young, published and unpublished, and from all over Australia - met at the Langham Hotel for three days of business, workshops, networking and socialising. There were raffles to raise money for breast cancer. Door prizes. Cocktail parties. Book stalls and a surfeit of food.

Add to that a book launch at Dymocks for Bronwyn Parry’s first book, “As Darkness Falls”, which is published by Hatchette Livre. There was a side trip to a historical costume private museum, a dinner for those of us on the writers E list, and a trip to a chocolate factory. And that was on the Thursday before the conference! Unfortunately, for some reason unknown to the passengers, my plane - which had been booked and paid for since the previous April, and which had had the flight time changed three times in the months since - was, on the day, changed from a direct flight to Melbourne to one diverted to Melbourne via Sydney. (Hmmn, I think I blogged about late transport once before!) So I missed the historical costume tour, which I was really looking forward to.

Friday was devoted to an all day workshop. Saturday and Sunday was more of the same, plus eat drink and be merry with a dress up cocktail party. See photograph of me with my granddaughter sitting on my shoulder - and we weren’t the only witches there. We could have raised a coven. Sunday evening was the awards dinner. We ate very small, very delicious meals on very big plates and cheered on those of our fellow writers who had scaled the dizzy heights of winning awards by entering the various competitions hosted by the RWA.

On the whole romance writers are happy people. Perhaps it’s because we love writing about love - about people falling in love - being in love and doing the love thing. We love love.
Laughter is infectious, and the laughing disease was certainly caught by all of us over the weekend. The place was full of smiles, and there was not a grumpy face in sight.

Going back to Western Australia, the transport system worked to perfection. The plane took off right on the minute. There were no bumpy clouds to make the passengers nervous. The wheels and wings stayed on and we landed smoothly. My husband wasn’t there to meet me. He’d expected me the following day. You’ve gotta laugh!