Amazement!!

 A couple of weeks ago we went to Narooma for a quick overnight visit with relatives. When we returned I had a phone message from the RWA R*BY manager saying please call her. I assumed it would be some RWA committee business or maybe about the Little Gems Anthology because we're involved in both but no, my book Instant Family had finalled in the Long Romance section of the Romantic Book of the Year. Wow!!!

Then I went to check the pile of emails before I rushed off to Sunday afternoon tennis. There sat an email from the Manager of the Phoenix Desert Rose Golden Quill Contest telling me Instant Family had won the Traditional romance category and my other entry The Tangled Web had finalled. I couldn't believe it!

Instant Family is set in my hometown of Canberra so I'm doubly pleased to be waving the flag not only for my publisher Avalon but for homegrown sweet Aussie romance! If you happen to be one of the readers who read and judged Instant Family as worthy--thank-you very much!!

War and Peace is finally over

I finished War and Peace! Last night was the end of a 964 page marathon which lasted many years. I've forgotten when I started but it must be at least 5 years ago because the book was a new paperback and now the paper is yellowing round the edges.

There are two Epilogues in which Tolstoy follows his characters into a future where the surviving couples are happily married with children underfoot and life is peaceful for a while. Of course with hindsight we know that those aristocrat lifestyles didn't last. Tolstoy finished W&P in 1869, fifty years after the Napoleonic  invasion of Russia and nearly fifty years before the 1917 revolution.

One thing stood out to me throughout the book and that was how little seems to have changed with the warmongers of our society. Tolstoy gives detailed accounts of the way campaigns are bungled and battles lost or won by stupid mistakes, and misunderstood instructions given by inept, lazy or preoccupied commanders with their own agendas.

I'm pleased I read the whole book and am ready to tackle another classic author now. Not sure what yet.

The Wedding Party

I'm really happy with the cover of my next book, it's so pretty and so romantic, exactly as a wedding themed book cover should be. The Wedding Party was inspired by niece's wedding in beautiful Narooma one summer day several year's ago. Her groom had two Best Men which was rather unusual and the celebrant made it a very personal and loving ceremony.

I was so impressed by the way she spoke I asked her afterwards was she a friend of the couple. She said, "No, I do all my weddings that way. I interview the couple and get them to fill out a questionnaire, secretly, about the other person. It makes it very personal and a surprise for everyone." This girl clearly loved weddings---I had my heroine.

At the reception one of the two Best Men declared he was the last of the trio of best friends to remain single and had no intention of following his mates down that aisle. He crewed on a charter yacht in the Med and loved his unfettered lifestyle. I had my hero.

To find out how I managed to wrangle these two into submission, overcome their totally opposite views on marriage and fall in love forever, snap up a copy of The Wedding Party when it comes out in June.

Keep an eye on my website and blog for a chance to win a copy because closer to the release date I'll be doing a giveaway.

Missing Christmas

We're heading off to Egypt via one night in Bangkok ( :) ) next week. My husband has always wanted to see the Pyramids and do a Nile cruise so we're finally fulfilling that dream. Alexandria and Istanbul have been on my list for a long time too so they're in there as well. Can't go all that way and be so close and not do Petra and float in the Dead Sea, of course. It's all very exciting.

BUT for the first time since 1975 and 1976 we're missing Christmas with the family.

At first it seemed like a good plan and we didn't mind because our families are close and we see everyone throughout the year on a regular basis, plus we promised exotic gifts from foreign climes when we return. First a friend issued invitations to his 50th birthday for the week after Christmas Then even worse a nephew announced he and his partner were getting married on Christmas Day to take advantage of the fact the family will be together and her mother and sister will be visiting from Europe. Waaahhh. Then last week a young friend invited us to his wedding in Melbourne just after the New Year.

So we're missing 2 weddings and a 50th birthday. Our only consolation is we'll be drifting down the Nile.

Seasons greetings to all

New site for book lovers

I've just signed up to this site along with many of your favourite authors. It looks pretty good if a little overwhelming at first. I spent half the morning entering my books into their database.
Check it out. They have author pages, a chat lounge, giveaways, reviews and probably more stuff which I haven't found yet. The link is on the right

New Reviews

Review time can be almost as nervewracking for an author as sending the new baby off to the editor for approval so it was a relief to read some lovely words about my latest book Instant Family from Coffee Time Romance. 4 Cups!

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/instantfamilybyelisabethrose.html

Fun in Coogee

Check out my website for photos from the RWAustralia conference in beautiful Coogee, Sydney.
http://www.elisabethrose.com.au