It’s Monday! What are you Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn from Book Date, a place to share and discuss what we’ve read in the past week and what we’re in the middle of or are planning to read this week.
What I read / listened to last week:
This was a very slow week, mostly devoted to catching up with all the work that had piled up while I was on sick leave.
Hidden Scars -Book 17 of one of my favourite series and it is as good as the previous ones- Angela Marsons never disappoints!
Party Games by R.L.Stine
What I am reading/listening to now:
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn- a buddy read with Yesha!
What I’m reading /listening to next:
One of these….whichever one calls to my mood-reader heart…
Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan
The Luminaries by Susan Dennard
Dead Silence by S.A.Barnes
An enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
How did your last week go and what are you reading this week?
Love You More Julia Kent (Love You, Maine, #3) Publication date: November 10th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Colleen Luview’s love life is cursed. No—really. The small-town nurse is notorious in her touristy mountain community. After every third date she’s ever had, the guy ends up in her emergency room.
She’s untouchable now, and it’s not her fault.
Resolved to branch out and find a way to have a life with a partner, children, meaning, and free from being a love pariah in a town devoted to it, she decides to leave her beloved Love You, Maine—where every day is Valentine’s Day—to find a bigger dating pool.
And a better nickname.
Moore Mottin hates feeling like damaged goods. Married and divorced twice before thirty, he has a fourteen-year-old from a teenage pregnancy, was cheated on during his second wedding, and now even his best friend, Luke Luview, considers him the butt of every bad-luck joke when it comes to love.
When Luke’s sister, Colleen, picks him up from the airport and a freak snowstorm forces them off the road, he rescues her from an icy pond and finds an old hunting cabin for shelter and safety. Vulnerable and shaking, the two give in to long-simmering feelings for each other, but when they’re discovered in the worst way possible, what seemed like a new lease on life turns into a life-altering mess.
Can Moore and Colleen overcome all the obstacles holding them back from a love that’s been in front of their faces all this time?
If you’re looking for a story featuring two star-crossed lovers doomed by unfair reputations, featuring a smooth-talking single dad who runs a jewelry store and his best friend’s sister, set in a small town in New England, with a calico cat named Sandwich, a heroine with a dry wit and a can-do attitude, and a hero who just wants a good relationship with his estranged child and the chance to find permanent love…then this is your book.
Grab a cup of coffee or tea, and maybe some peanut butter for your burger (what? It’s a thing…), and get your happy meter ready as you read the third book (a standalone!) in the Love You, Maine series—where love isn’t just a feeling…it’s a way of life.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).
She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.
She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com
Savoring Christmas by Shanna Hatfield (Rodeo Romance, #10) Publication date: November 10th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Synopsis:
He’s a former rodeo star who gave up his career to run the family ranch.
She’s an aspiring chef with a food truck, a dream, and no interest in another man coming along to ruin her plans. Troy Lucas walked away from his winning rodeo career to run the family ranch after the death of his grandfather. Now, being a rancher, a farrier, and even team roping just for fun can’t seem to keep him satisfied. He didn’t think he’d miss his glory days in the rodeo when he came back home – in fact, there’s nowhere else he’d rather be. Still, he can’t deny the hole inside that keeps reminding him he’s longing for something . . . more.
Chef Lark Gibson has only one thing on her mind: opening a restaurant in Portland. Until that day comes, Lark will take her food truck to as many events as possible and make sure her customers are always begging for more. The last thing she expected was to find herself distracted by a knight in dusty Wranglers, until a handsome cowboy comes to her rescue and catches her off-guard.
Will the approaching Christmas season lead this hungry cowboy and ambitious chef to realize that what they think they want isn’t what they really need? Find out in Savoring Christmas, a sweet romance full of humor, heart, and holiday fun.
**Until December 24th, 10% of the proceeds from every book purchased (any Shanna Hatfield book including ebook, audio, paperback and hardback formats) will be donated to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. (Find more info here!)
Author Bio:
USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.
Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”
When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.
To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield
Seaspoken Sarah Delena White Publication date: July 19th 2022 Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance, Young Adult
An ocean consumed by rage. A challenge that demands blood. A love that defies everything.
Battle-hardened warrior Evya Atathari longs for a truce between her sea-dwelling tribe and the elven invaders. But her mother, the powerful and vengeful Seamother, will stop at nothing to see the elves destroyed.
Then the Seamother enacts a brutal rite of challenge for Evya’s hand to gain a powerful ally in the war. But even as the greatest warriors of the sea vie for her favor, her heart is captured by a man who should be her mortal enemy.
Keliveth Dalzana is a failed prophet of the elven king’s court—until a vision leads him to Evya and a chance at ending the war. Drawn to Keliveth’s idealism, Evya agrees to help him win the deadly contest for her hand and establish a peace treaty through their marriage. Together, they dare to dream of a better future.
But when their own peoples turn against them, Keliveth and Evya must find the courage to embrace their true destinies—and decide how great a price they can pay for their love.
“Do you really believe we’re doomed to fight each other?”
“Yes.” A tear trickles down my cheek as I force the word out. Anything to keep him from taking one more step into the angry sea.
The singer’s laugh rolls through the mist. “I don’t believe that. Our peoples used to be friends. Tell me from your heart—do you believe the One Who Is has destined us only for war?”
The waves dance higher as his voice passes over them, and I shudder. The ocean is listening.
The Seamother is listening.
Depths take him, he’s going to get both of us killed if he doesn’t stop talking. I slip into the water, shifting back into my sea-dwelling form as I do. With a few flicks of my lithe tail, I speed through the shallows until I reach another large rock, this one only a few yards from the singer. I crouch behind it and speak in a whisper. “Please, leave before the Seamother hears you!”
“My name is Keliveth. Keliveth Dalzana.”
The singer’s simple words send ice through my veins. A Dalzana. A prophet of the elves, too powerful and dangerous to trust. And yet … this makes his claims about the Creator plausible. My head spins as I try to sort out what I dare believe about this man, and I say the first thing that comes to mind.
“I didn’t want to know that.” I would rather have gone on thinking of him as the dream-singer. As someone who didn’t have to be my enemy.
“Why not?” His voice is so earnest, so sincere, that it makes my next words all the more bitter.
“Because someday soon I will meet you on the battlefield.” My voice quavers. “And when that happens, either you’ll die with my spear through your chest, or I’ll be turned to ash by your magic.” I pause, gulping back sudden tears. “It’s worse when you know the names of the ones you kill.”
“Well, then, I guess you shouldn’t kill me.” I can almost hear a smile in his voice, and I clench my fists. Does he think I’m joking?
“I’m leaving,” I snap. “Don’t follow. My people will spear you and shred you to pieces.” I push away from the rock, ready to swim back down to the palace and leave this absurd dream world behind.
His voice cuts through the darkness again.
“Tell me your name. Then I won’t be able to kill you either.”
A pang shoots through my heart. If only it were that simple.
A wave swells before me, rising so much higher than the rest of the breakers that the stone outcroppings that dot the shallows are buried. I grip the rock I hide behind as the water rushes over my head. All thoughts are chased away by the sight of the wave as it arcs above me and crests in glittering white foam.
The Seamother has found me.
Author Bio:
Sarah Delena White writes eclectic speculative fiction that weaves world folklore and ancient concepts into vibrant, original story worlds, with a fine balance of poetry and snark. When she’s not writing, she can be found exploring nature, creating art, and seeking to make the perfect cup of coffee.
The Wedding Laughbox Julia Kent (Shopping for a Billionaire, #3) Publication date: November 8th 2022 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
The Wedding Laughbox contains FIVE full-length novels and ONE ALL NEW NOVELLA! – from a variety of New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Julia Kent’s series.
It’s wedding season, and what’s better than a wedding in rom com style?
Julia Kent’s madcap style, that is.
How about a campground double wedding with three grooms and two brides? (What? Yep…) Or a billionaire and his betrothed escaping their own wedding to flee to Vegas? Paparazzi galore and a stubborn father of the groom ruining a CEO’s planned nuptials until he takes matters into his own hands and does love his way? A disgruntled older sister watching her sister find wedded bliss and maybe, just maybe, finding her own love with a rival billionaire?
With five different stories you get bridezillas, momzillas — even a billionaire dadzilla – with over-the-top fun and lush, luxurious settings, all wrapped up in community, connection, and loads of fun.
This boxed set includes:
Shopping for a Billionaire’s Wife
Shopping for a CEO’s Wife
It’s Always Complicated
Random Acts of Love
Hasty
And an ALL NEW novella featuring Will and Mallory from the book Fluffy, as they go on their honeymoon and discover that life is nothing but a series of coincidences as their past comes back to haunt them with hilarious results.
Sink into SIX humor-filled books that pour you into wedding planning, bachelorette and bachelor parties, give you all the wedding jitters and proud family moments, all wrapped up in a huge boxed set you can sink into and find your way to long-term love.
Note: each of these books can be read as a standalone, but they are part of larger series. All of my Laughbox boxed sets are designed to give readers a taste of my books, centered on a specific concept (in this case, weddings). Full disclosure for readers.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).
She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.
She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com
Never Gonna Happen Linda Kage Publication date: November 8th 2022 Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Peyton’s mom and my mom were best friends.
You’d think that should cover the gist of it. But, no… Oh, no.
Not even close.
You see, Mom and Aunt Donna (as I’d always called Peyton’s mother) were not simply just best friends; I’m saying they were the-same-person-inhabiting-two-different-bodies kind of best friends.
And thus, Peyton Royce had been forced on me since the moment she was born.
We were treated like twins, yet always expected to fall in love one day and get married. The only problem with that was I didn’t love Peyton. And I’m fairly certain she didn’t even like me in return.
Don’t get me wrong. I adored our moms—swear to God—but they had to let this stupid notion go, because one thing had become abundantly clear to me over the years. I would never marry Peyton Royce. I think it was my one goal in life, actually.
So… Sorry, Mom and Aunt Donna, but you two just weren’t going to get your way on this.
Aria took her turn next. When she immediately turned toward me and Peyton, my stomach dipped with dread.
“York,” she smirked snidely. “Truth or dare?”
“Uh…” Damn. I shrugged, not sure what would be worse from her. I ended up going with, “Truth,” only to hold my breath and hope she didn’t ask about why I’d really broken up with her. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings and admit that I just didn’t feel any sparks.
But she glanced calculatingly between me and Peyton instead, then asked, “You two have known each other your whole lives, right?”
I frowned in confusion. “Uh, yeah. That’s your question?”
“No. My question is if you two have ever kissed before.”
“What? No!” I frowned at her for wasting her truth question on that and then glanced toward Peyton, shaking my head to let her know my group of friends was clearly insane.
She merely blushed and shrugged back.
And Wes took his turn next in the game.
“York!” he cheered. “Truth or dare?”
“Seriously?” I threw up my hands. “Why is everyone picking on me all of the sudden?”
“Truth or dare?” Wes repeated, lifting a challenging eyebrow.
I didn’t like where Aria had been heading with her question about Peyton, so this time I said, “Dare.”
Wes looked at me with victory, letting me know I’d chosen wrong, right before he said, “I dare you to kiss Peyton.”
Author Bio:
Linda writes romance fiction from YA to adult, contemporary to fantasy. Most Kage stories lean more toward the lighter, sillier side with a couple meaningful moments thrown in. Focuses more on entertainment value and emotional impact. Published since 2010. Went through a 2-year writing correspondence class in children’s literature from The Institute of Children’s Literature. Then graduated with a Bachelors in Arts, English with an emphasis in creative fiction writing from Pittsburg State University.
Now she lives with hubby, two daughters, cat Holly, and nine cuckoo clocks in southeast Kansas, USA. Farm girl. Parents were dairy farmers. Was youngest of eight. Big family. Day job as a cataloging library assistant.
Harry Potter House Gryffindor, Patronus White Stallion, character match Hagrid. Supernatural Team Dean. Game of Thrones Team Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister. The Walking Dead Team Daryl. Outlander Team Jamie Fraser. Teen Wolf Team Stiles. Avenger Team Thor…or Hulk (can’t decide). Justice League Team Flash. Arrow Team Stephen Amell. Stranger Things obsessed. Heard Laurel, not Yanny.
Started out reading with the Baby-Sitters Club. Then moved to Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, and LaVyrle Spencer in high school. Now all over the place with her romance reading tastes.
Whiskey on Our Shoes Tonya Preece Publication date: September 16th 2022 Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Eva dodges the fans, media, and gossip that follow her supermodel mom and rock star family members by wearing disguises. After an aimless gap year, she struggles to figure out what she wants from life. She moves in with her famous guitar god brother in Austin while he recovers from a drunken stage stunt accident and tries to stay sober. When a hot Texas cowboy named Alex takes Eva by surprise, she risks her safety and security of anonymity by letting him into her unconventional life.
Alex is captivated by Eva and promises to protect her privacy. Yet he has a secret of his own—the fling he had with an older woman is fraught with scandalous potential for him and now Eva. He broke free of that mistake months ago, or so he thought. As things heat up with Eva, his old flame returns and won’t leave him alone.
Just when Alex thinks he has the reins on the situation, his ex teams up with a gossip reporter hell-bent on invading Eva’s privacy. The resulting exposé, with a sly spin on a recent encounter with his ex, is Alex’s worst nightmare, and Eva’s unsure what to believe. Can she face the world with Alex at her side or will she return into hiding?
Tonya Preece writes romance and contemporary young adult fiction and incorporates music into all her books in one way or another. She lives near Austin, TX where she’s a small business manager for a forensic engineering firm. She and her husband enjoy traveling, live music, wine, and spoiling their fur babies.
As an active SCBWI member since 2015, Tonya has volunteered for several conferences and has served as a critique group facilitator. She joined the Writer’s League of Texas and The Author’s Guild in 2021. She’s serving as the 2022 WriteOnCon Financial Administrator and Critique Boutique Coordinator.
Tonya’s 2022 debut, Whiskey on Our Shoes, was selected for the 2019 #WriteMentor program. One of her YA novels, THE MISSING MEMORIES OF CORDY O’REILLY, earned her a 2020 scholarship/mentorship with Austin SCBWI and was a finalist at the 2018 Houston SCBWI conference.
An avid consumer of written stories, Tonya reads and/or listens to an average of 75 books a year. Some of her favorite YA authors include Jeff Zentner, Julie Buxbaum, Sarah Dessen, and Robin Benway. In adult romance – Kate Clayborn, Christina Lauren, Helena Hunting, Emily Henry, and Abby Jimenez. Series she tries to keep up to date on: Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum. Recent mainstream faves are Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Five Fun Facts about Tonya that aren’t reading or writing related:
1. She volunteers at a local food pantry, where she’s enjoyed serving weekly since 2017.
2. Her travel bucket list includes Italy, Ireland, and Bora Bora. Australia would be awesome, too!
3. She loves ziplining, indoor skydiving, and rollercoasters.
4. She’s a fan of bands like With Confidence, Broadside, All Time Low, State Champs, Sleeping with Sirens, and As It Is.
5. 5. In her free time, she can be found indulging a jigsaw puzzle habit and/or binging shows like Outer Banks, Never Have I Ever, Downton Abbey, Bridgerton, Good Girls, Veronica Mars, and iZombie.
Today I’m delighted to participate in the blog tour for Poppy’s Christmas Wishes, a new gorgeous romance by Annette Hannah.
About the book:
Poppy’s Christmas Wishes
‘A heartwarming read, full of friendship and fun’ Heidi Swain
What would you wish for if you were granted three wishes?
For the first time she can remember, Poppy is dreading Christmas. Unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend after moving across the country for him, there’s nothing cheery about the festive season this year.
Dragged to a Christmas ball by best friend Layla, Poppy meets gorgeous actor Gabe, who stars as a genie in a play. When he asks her what three wishes she would make, she realises it’s quite simple: love, a job she’s happy in and, just once in her life, to do something extraordinary.
Gabe and Poppy make a pact to help each other make their dreams come true. As they tick off their wishes, their friendship blossoms… But, as they discover, sometimes, what you want for Christmas isn’t necessarily what you need…
A delicious romance to snuggle up with this festive season from the author of Wedding Bells at the Signal Box Café and The Cosy Little Cupcake Van.
Annette Hannah is a Liver Bird who relocated to leafy Hertfordshire in the 80’s and now lives near a river with her husband, two of their three grown up children and a crazy black cocker spaniel. She writes Romantic comedies in settings inspired by the beautiful countryside around her and always with a nod to her hometown.
She worked in Marketing for many years as a qualified Marketeer which she loved as it tapped into her creative side.
As an avid reader, she began to review the books she read, became a book blogger and eventually plucked up the courage to fulfil her life long dream of writing a book.
For four years she was a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s new writers’ scheme, during which time she wrote a book a year. After signing a two book deal with Orion Dash in 2020 she graduated to full member of the organisation and is also their Press Officer.
She loves long walks along the river, travelling to far flung places and spending time with her friends and family.
Happy Publication Day to Hidden Scars by Angela Marsons!
From the blurb:
While Jamie’s cold, lifeless body lay in the morgue, Detective Kim Stone stared at the empty board in the incident room and felt her anger boil. Why were there no photos, details, or lines of enquiry?
When a nineteen-year-old boy, Jamie Mills, is found hanging from a tree in a local park, his death is ruled a suicide. Detective Kim Stone’s instincts tell her something isn’t right – but it’s not her investigation and her temporary replacement is too busy waiting for the next big case to be asking the right questions.
Why would a seemingly healthy boy choose to end his life? Why does his mother show no sign of emotional distress at the loss of her son?
Still mending her broken mind and body from her last harrowing case, Kim is supposed to be easing back into work gently. But then she finds a crucial, overlooked detail: Jamie had a recent injury that would have made it impossible for him to climb the tree. He must have been murdered.
Quickly taking back charge of her team and the case, Kim visits Jamie’s parents and is shocked to hear that they had sent him to a clinic to ‘cure’ him of his sexuality. According to his mother, Jamie was introverted and prone to mood swings. Yet his friend speaks of a vibrant, outgoing boy.
The clues to smashing open this disturbing case lie behind the old Victorian walls of the clinic, run by the Gardner family. They claim that patients come of their own accord and are free to leave at any time. But why are those that attended the clinic so afraid to speak of what happens there? And where did the faded restraint marks identified on Jamie’s wrists come from?
Then the body of a young woman is found dead by suffocation and Kim makes two chilling discoveries. The victim spent time at the clinic too, and her death was also staged to look like a suicide.
Scarred from an ordeal that nearly took her life, is Kim strong enough to stop a terrifying killer from silencing the clinic’s previous patients one by one?
In this Regency rom-com, when a Duke and a reporter team up to uncover his family’s secrets, their search brings up more than they bargained for—including their feelings for each other.Diana Merriwell and Giles Sinclair only tolerate one another for the sake of their nearest and dearest. Everyone believes that the two of them are meant to be together, but Diana and Giles know that their constant pithy barbs come from a shared disdain—not a hidden attraction. Diana loves the freedom of working at the newspaper too much to give it up for marriage, and Giles is happily married to his bachelor lifestyle. But they do have one thing in common—the secrets they can’t risk escaping.
When Giles’ father, the curmudgeonly Duke of Harpenden unexpectedly turns up his toes, it’s only a matter of time before someone comes crawling out of the woodwork who knows the true circumstances of his only son’s birth. As the threat of blackmail becomes real, Giles must uncover the truth of his parentage first, or else he and all those who depend upon him will be ruined—and dogged bloodhound Diana is his best hope at sniffing out the truth. As Giles and Diana dive into his family’s past, the attraction that the two of them insisted wasn’t there proves impossible to ignore. Soon, the future of the Sinclair estate isn’t the only thing on the line…
Publication date: November 8, 2022 Publisher: St.Martin’s Griffin Purchase
My thoughts:
If you’d asked me two years ago ‘Contemporary or Regency?’ I wouldn’t have hesitated -‘Contemporary, of course!’, but then I discovered Virginia Heath and her delightful historical romcoms and learnt that they have everything a romance reader can wish for: entertaining storylines with the best tropes, funny, memorable characters, swoonworthy heroes and sassy heroines…and lots and lots of banter.
No wonder I fell hook line and sinker for Minerva Merriwell and Hugh Standish in Never Fall for Your Fiancee, the first book in the Merriwell Sisters series, and now the wait is finally over and we have the second story where Diana Merriwell and Giles Sinclair get their happily-ever-after. If you remember these hilarious secondary characters from the first book, you already know they love nothing better than a bit of verbal sparring. Now that Giles’ best friend Hugo is married to Diana’s sister, these frenemies have grown even closer, although they are still long way from admitting how much they appreciate each other’s company.
Having had a very rough start in life, Diana is proud of having become one of the most sought-after reporters. Her scathing exposes make sure helpless victims of rich scoundrels get a chance for justice. When Giles’ father suddenly passes away, the feelings of the new Duke of Harpenden aren’t that straightforward. One thing he knows for sure, he needs answers to some questions buried in the past before someone uncovers the dirty secret of his illegitimate birth and uses it to ruin him and all the good he can finally do with the money he inherited from the old miser. But who can Giles trust in this delicate situation if not the belligerent, nitpicking ‘grammarian’ aka the Truth Hound Diana Merriwell?
Yes, there’s chemistry and sizzling attraction between the main characters, but there’s so much more- trust, understanding and willingness to fight for each other’s well-being and happiness. I love nothing more than a strong, independent female protagonist who will push the envelope and defy other people’s expectations. All of this in deliciously entertaining, easy-to-read package (I love Virginia Heath’s sense of humour and her writing style) and you have me reading until the small hours., wondering why on earth I thought Regency Romance can’t be fun.
Recommended? Sure! Now I can’t wait for Virginia Heath to write the next story in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Griffin for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
Author Bio
When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Twenty-two books and two Romantic Novel of the Year Award nominations later, and it still takes her forever to fall asleep.