Penhally Bay - writing a continuity - Margaret McDonagh

As part of the celebrations to mark Mills & Boon's centenary year, I was lucky enough to be asked to take part in the Brides of Penhally Bay continuity. This series, set in beautiful north Cornwall, is running one book a month throughout 2008 in Medical Romance and includes titles by some well-loved and respected authors. My books are numbers 8 and 12 in the series and are published in July and November.

First up for me is Virgin Midwife, Playboy Doctor, out now in paperback, which tells the story of the deliciously wicked and lovely new GP, Dr Oliver Fawkner, and dedicated midwife Chloe MacKinnon who has dark secrets in her past. I had some threads to pick up that have run through the previous seven books, including those beautifully set up for me by Melanie Milburne whose Single Dad Seeks A Wife was book 7 and out in June.

Writing is a solitary occupation, leaving you alone with your doubts and uncertainties, not to mention the worry about meeting that deadline that is looming, so it was a novel experience to take part in my first ever continuity series. Still being something of a newbie myself, it was a daunting prospect to face working with authors whose books I had long admired and I was very nervous. I didn't want to let anyone down. I also had no idea how a continuity series worked and it was fascinating to find out.

The editorial team worked incredibly hard to bring the whole series together, planning out how each individual book would fit in with the rest and yet stand alone, and then how the central thread running though each book would unfold as the series went on. I think they did a terrific job and thank them all for making this such a great experience and for asking me to be part of it.

The first unusual thing for me was to be given my characters and the basic plot outline rather than devising them myself. I had never worked in that way before and I did have a moment's pause, wondering if I could pull it off. But as I read through the notes and the outline, all sorts of ideas began to take shape and, more importantly, Oliver and Chloe grew in my mind and became real to me. I loved them! They were fantastic to work with and I swiftly became absorbed in them and their story, finding I was able to make it my own. Then it was getting to grips with weaving the continuity element into the book – the thread relating to the senior partner at the surgery, Dr Nick Tremayne, and his friend and colleague, Kate Althorp.

It was a challenging and enjoyable experience and I learned an awful lot doing it. I also made some good friends amongst my fellow writers who were generous and fun to work with. We exchanged ideas and thrashed out any parts that over-lapped. We also had fun contributing ideas for secondary characters and villagers who would bring the whole Penhally community together and make it come alive.

I very much hope that readers will feel we have succeeded and will enjoy reading all about the folk of Penhally Bay at least as much as we loved writing about them. Oliver and Chloe in Virgin Midwife, Playboy Doctor are particularly close to my heart and I hope you will enjoy the story of how these two special people find love and happiness.

Oliver Fawkner is a dedicated, drop-dead gorgeous GP. Confident, wicked and fun, Oliver also has some surprising insecurities. He needs a special kind of woman, one who will see past the playboy image to the real man inside. I just adore Oliver. I love his compassion and his gentleness. I love his patience with Chloe, his understanding of her. I love his humour and his sexiness and his wicked side! I also love that he's vulnerable, that inside he is not at all the devil-may-care playboy some people expect him to be. True, he loves surfing and jet-skiing, and life has been kind to him not only in looks but in brains and family circumstances. He's not had to struggle for anything – apart from being accepted for the person he really is beyond the outer image.

Devoted to her mums-to-be, midwife Chloe MacKinnon is kind and serene, a popular colleague and a loyal friend. But issues from her past constrain her and she believes there is no place in her life for a man. I love how Chloe has battled to overcome her past, how she's made so much of her life, and how much she has accomplished on her own. And I love how she blossoms under Oliver's care, how she faces the very things she fears the most and opens herself up to things she never believed she could know and then embraces them.

I think Oliver and Chloe are perfect for each other. They complete each other. Alone they are both strong and caring and independent – together they could be so much more. Can Oliver teach Chloe what it means to be a woman in the fullest sense of the word? And is Chloe the one to help Oliver find the love he deserves? You'll have to read the book to find out!

I was also lucky enough to write book 12 in the Brides of Penhally Bay series, Dr Devereux's Proposal, which is out in November. I will come back then and introduce you to charming and sexy French doctor, Gabriel Devereux and the sparks that ignite when he and Penhally's physiotherapist, Lauren Nightingale meet! For now I hand the reins over to Caroline Anderson for her second book in the series, book 9, Their Miracle Baby, out in August.

I hope you will enjoy this special series – we all worked so hard to make it come together and for Penhally Bay to become a place we would all love to visit in real life. I also hope you enjoy the ongoing party atmosphere and special events and releases marking Mills & Boon's 100^th year! Here's to another century of the world's favourite romance novels.

Apologies if the covers mislead anyone – they are beautiful and I love them – but they have somehow ended up showing a dark blonde heroine on book 8 and a black-haired heroine on book 12 instead of the other way around. I can reassure you that there has been no wife-swapping happening in Penhally Bay!!

A copy of Virgin Midwife, Playboy Doctor will go to the person whose name is pulled out of the hat from all those who leave comments this week. Thanks so much for visiting.

Love,

Margaret

www.margaretmcdonagh.com

BRIDES OF PENHALLY BAY – book order:-

Christmas Eve Baby – Caroline Anderson

The Italian's New-Year Marriage Wish – Sarah Morgan

The Doctor's Bride By Sunrise – Josie Metcalfe

The Surgeon's Fatherhood Surprise – Jennifer Taylor

The Doctor's Royal Love-Child – Kate Hardy

Nurse Bride, Bayside Wedding – Gill Sanderson

Single Dad Seeks A Wife – Melanie Milburne

Virgin Midwife, Playboy Doctor – Margaret McDonagh

Their Miracle Baby – Caroline Anderson

Sheikh Surgeon Claims His Bride – Josie Metcalfe

A Baby For Eve – Maggie Kingsley

Dr Devereux's Proposal – Margaret McDonagh

All Things Romance, All Things Woman

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar

This week’s blog started as an ode to All Things Conference. Not surprising since the mere thought of heading over to San Francisco for the 2008 Romance Writers of America conference, set to open with a bang on July 30, is currently sustaining me through many a cold, wintry South Australian morning.

Then I started thinking about exactly WHY I can’t wait. Is it the workshops? The chance to explore a gorgeous city and sample all it has to offer? The few days breathing space in the whirl-wind West Coast trip I’ll be on with my husband and two sons?

Yes and yes and yes. All those things, but most of all, it’s a great, gleaming, glittery chance to be immersed in a world that celebrates all things woman.

Sure, romance writing doesn’t preclude males. Most romance fiction relies on the inclusion of at least one worthy man as a main character (the hero, if we’re being technical). But let’s face it, modern romance fiction is all about the gals: strong, sassy and smart. Flawed, funny and fab. Big, bright and beautiful. Independent, inspiring and In Love. That’s our heroines and by gad, that’s us as well!

So what I'm most looking forward to is being among a group of inspiring, intelligent and articulate women who know what they want and set about achieving it. And who happen also to be brimful of the desire to create and/or read fabulous stories celebrating women. In other words, a wonderful posse of women who are suspiciously like the women we love writing and reading about.

And I’m sticking my neck out to say I’m expecting more than just the comfortable feeling of being in a crowd with work in common, because romance fiction is more than work. For those of us who love it, live it and breathe it, it's a whole world-view. We know fantasy is not anathema to being strong and independent and that escaping to a world of happy-ever-afters isn’t mutually exclusive with healthy self-belief.

We know indulging in dreaming and stories doesn’t negate who we are as women. We know we can wear ridiculous heels and frivolous party frocks without our IQs sliding South.

So being at the conference means we can voice our passion for the romance genre without needing to defend it in the next breath. For four wonderful days, we can focus on celebrating both what we do and the unabashed wonderfulness of being women.

Which brings me back to the title of this post: I am woman, hear me roar. I’m anticipating A LOT of roaring from the over 2000 readers, writers, editors and other industry professionals at the conference. A highlight for me will be meeting up with (at last count) the six Harlequin M&B Medical Romance authors attending (cue impressive lioness roars, accompanied by the sound of champagne corks popping). It will be the first time some of us have met outside of cyberspace but the sense of connectedness we share through our writing is something special. The conference gives us a forum and an opportunity to celebrate that.

A definite diary date for me is the “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing session at the San Francisco Marriott. From 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm. Members of the public can purchase books and hundreds of authors will be on hand for signings. Along with me, Emily Forbes, other medical authors will include Amy Andrews, Fiona Macarthur, Molly Evans, Lynne Marshall and Laura Iding. There’s even a good cause: funds raised go to charity to promote reading to improve literacy levels.

I’ll be signing copies of my July 2008 release “Emergency: Wife Needed.” Set in the bushfire prone hills surrounding my hometown of Adelaide its hero, Max, is a gorgeous fireman, who falls in love with Phoebe, a paramedic with a bruised and battered heart. My editor fell in love with Max, and he’s my favourite hero so far, too. I'd love to hear what it is about romance writing conferences that gets you rushing for your suitcases and I'll draw a response out of the proverbial hat to win a signed copy of "Emergency: Wife Needed" so let's get talking.

All us medical romance gals would love to meet you at the signing session. Either way, I hope that, wherever you are, you are loving the fabulous stories from the Medical Romances authors. For those of us going to the conference, here’s cheers to four fabulous days of frolicking, fun, friendship and everything female.

Emily Forbes

xoxo

PS Emily Forbes is actually two sisters writing together. Unfortunately, one sister will be at home changing nappies (but roaring internally). The sister who is going to be in Frisco has promised to pretend she had a terrible time.

PPS Apologies to those men also immersed in the romance sphere. References to women should be taken as inclusive of anyone with like-minded sensibilities concerning the romance genre!

12 More Sleeps

Just popping in to thank everyone for blogging with me. As I write this I have only 12 more sleeps til California. Pretty soon it'll be down to single digits!! Can you imagine what it's going to be like when there's only 1 more sleep? I'll be like a kid on Xmas Eve!

I've put everyone's names in a hat and the winner is kimmyl.
Congrats, Kimmyl. If you'd like to have a look around my website and email me with which book you'd like that'd be great. My email addy -
amy at amyandrews dot com dot au (but, you know, the proper short-hand version).

Amy Andrews

Cheri2628 - You're the lucky winner of my book. If you'll visit my website at www.lauraiding.com and send me your snail mail address, I'd be happy to send you a copy of my book.
Thanks for stopping by,

Laura Iding

DID THE EARTH MOVE FOR YOU TOO? by Amy Andrews

This topic is going to be great because it very aptly covers two great subjects. The first is sex – fictional sex - and the second is the fact that it’s only 19 more sleeps until I hit California.
So, hands up if you don’t get the correlation between the two?

Hmm yes, you over there – hmm, there’s always one.

There’s a criticism out there, of romance novels, that we promote unrealistic ideals of sex and relationships. (Because we all know women are stupid, vacuous creatures who can’t separate fiction from real life – right?) It’s thought that women, poor dim-witted dollies that we are, will read them and be forever disappointed in their lot because so often sex doesn’t end with a big romance-novel bang. The earth doesn’t move every time - all night, every night - and rarely are stars seen let alone a fireworks display that would outshine Disneyland.

Did I mention only 19 sleeps til California?

This has been weighing on my mind a bit lately as I’m currently writing a heroine whose sex life has been about as interesting as elevator music. And I’ve just written her a hero who is going to take her to the stars and back. I mean that gal is gonna be singing the hallelujah chorus - all night, every night. But I guess us romance writers are a little more sensitive to criticism than most (I can't imagine why) and I have voices in my head saying - but wait, how realistic is it?

So, I’ve been speaking to my sister about it. My sister’s an academic. She has a PhD as well as three other degrees and works in government policy. She’s smart – obviously - but she’s also sexy, funny, sassy and a really, really yummy mummy. Sorry, I digress. Can you tell I think she’s amazing? Oh and have I said already it’s only 19 sleeps till California?

Anyway, so I was telling her my dilemma and she instantly shot it down. No, no, no, she said. She wants stupendous sex; earth-moving, glass-shattering, multiple orgasms; a hero with god-like stamina, a map of the female anatomy committed to memory and a bag of tricks to make a women weep. She wants the absolute fantasy. Because if it doesn’t exist in reality she certainly wants to read about it. She wants the fantasy and she wants to believe that somewhere out there is a MMP (a Man of Magical Powers) for all of us, who can push all our buttons - all night, every night - who can stop time and space and fling us into the stratosphere.

And then do it all over again.

And she can get that in a romance novel.

Hal–le–lu-jah.
Hal-le-lu-jah.

So, I don’t know if any of you know this but in 19 more sleeps, I get on a plane and head to California. I’m hoping there won’t be any earth moving while I’m there. I’m going to be at the RWA National in San Francisco but prior to that my family and I are stopping off in LA, Anaheim and Las Vegas and then taking a little road trip to SF via Death Valley and Yosemite. I’m getting sooooooooooo excited. Cal-i-fornia – here I come!

Keep your eye out for me. I'll be the jaw-dropped Aussie saying crikey a lot. Probably somewhere close to the bar.

What about you, as readers? Do you roll your eyes at the bedroom antics of the hero and heroine? Does the seemingly impossible irritate you? Do you throw the book against the wall and say – yeah right, as if? Or do you, too, want the fantasy to be the ultimate. The best it can be? For a chance to win a signed copy of any of my books (your choice) let me know what you think. Oh and if you have any travel tips for me, I’ll take those too.
If anyone else is heading to SF as well please, please, please come up and say hi. I’d love to meet you.

Amy's latest book The Outback Doctor's Surprise Bride is out now in all the usual stores and can also be bought on line from e-harlequin.

Hunky Hero!

Hello. My name is Laura Iding and I write medical romances for Harlequin Mills and Boon. Like most writers I’ve spent my entire life reading books, especially romances and there is nothing that draws me into a story like a real-life, flawed yet sympathetic hero!

Married or not, in a serious relationship or not, I suspect many women still enjoy the fantasy of a hero coming to save the day. With a little help from the heroine, of course.

So taking off from Fiona Lowe’s blog and Fiona McArthur’s blog, I thought I’d review some really awesome hunky hero covers.

I’ve noticed there seems to be a trend lately with romantic covers that show off a hero’s tender side.

Then of course we have Sheik and Mediterranean hero’s.

Now as much as I love all the Medical Romance covers, there are a few from the Blaze series that are particularly hot. If steamy is your style, then you may enjoy these.

Some of my absolute favorite, though are those hunky men holding babies. Doesn’t the image of a strong man enthralled by a baby just make your heart melt? At least mine does.

And of course, last but not least, my Firefighter cover also has the hero holding a baby. This book, The Firefighter And The Single Mum is available now on eHarlequin.com.

I think you can see from just the few covers I’ve been able to show you here, that there is a book with the perfect hero out there for you.

So jump in and comment on your favorite hero – real life or fantasy! One lucky winner will receive a free copy of my latest book.

Thanks for stopping by,

Laura

More Babies By Fiona McArthur

Hi. I’m Fiona McArthur and I’m a medical author who writes with a lot of midwifery in the background. You may have noticed.

I’ve written sixteen books and every one has a birth in it. I actually tried to have one without, to be different, I tried really hard, but just couldn’t do it.

I’m hopeless.

That was in Dangerous Assignment and my New Guinea doctors weren’t obstetric trained but they ended with a baby in the jungle anyway.

I’m a midwife. What can I say? Birth affects all of us and is a miracle of life.

In my biased opinion, being able to help someone achieve the best birth experience possible is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world, along with writing and teaching, and there is no doubt midwives are a very skilled but aging profession. Come on you sweet young things, think of being a midwife.

The early years of my nurse’s training taught me about life and death, responsibility and work ethics and what was important in friends. Midwifery taught me to mother the mothers.
When I first started middy our local hospital delivered three hundred and sixty five babies a year. That’s one birth a day. For those from a city hospital that’s an amazingly small number. But for me it’s perfect. One midwife for one woman- from antenatal, to labour, to birth, then learn about your baby, and then home. See you next baby.
Awesome. I love it.

That and young mums, who do it tough but are on the whole the most brilliant mothers, and often don’t have family who can be there for them, and that’s what I do too. I have some amazing friends.

And most of the time that’s what I put in my books. Joined to that irresistible attraction and romance between two strong characters, there’s small towns, individuals, the strength in women that continues to astound me, the joys and occasionally the despair. I like the way my heroine midwives can help steer the ship while new parents find their breath and work beside my skilled hero doctors who don’t have hordes of backup or sophisticated equipment.

I also like to convey the concept that birth is natural not an illness, what we women are designed to do, and pretty darned amazing too. But that doesn’t mean I take the care women deserve lightly. If something unexpected happens a midwife can’t go home and forget about it, you rely on those around you as they rely on you. This makes for lifelong friendships and great respect and joy at the end of the day. So why wouldn’t I write about it? I hope you love my books as much as I love writing them.

My new book, THE MIDWIFE’S BABY is out now in the UK and July in the US.

You'll find my website at fionamcarthur.com (sorry I can’t make it link)

Warmest regards

Fi