Sunday 18 November 2007

Waiting over and Heidi's In Happy Land

Heard from my editor on Friday and the nightmare that was Book Three has turned into a dream. It's going to be published in July 08 in the Uk and Ireland as The Tycoon's Very Personal Assistant and she has 'high hopes' for a US release too. Plus I've been offered a new three-book deal! Whoopee! So good to know all the work and copious amounts of angst were worth it.

When I was informing the MX authors loop my wonderful colleague Robyn Grady (author of the thoroughly hot Dream Job, Hot Boss) told me I'd had a great review for The Mile High Club on cataromance. You can check it out here, but highlights include 'sexy, sparkling, sophisticated and wonderfully romantic' and 'a mesmerising romantic tale you will find impossible to put down' and 'Heidi Rice's second Mills and Boon Modern Extra cements her position as one of contemporary romance's fastest rising stars'. I'm blushing here. A big thank you to Julie Bonello who wrote the review. I promise, no chocolate changed hands in the writing of this review.

Okay, that's more than enough bragging for now, time to knuckle down to Book Four, which I've recklessly promised (split infinitive intended) to have ready by mid-February! What was I thinking.... Arghhh.

Friday 16 November 2007

The Waiting Game... Argggh

So, I'm still waiting for word from my editor on the progress of Book Three... It's been two weeks now and not a sausage.... I've done my tax accounts, started Book Four, filed all my film reviews, cleaned out the hamsters, sorted out the boys birthday parties for December (they have their b'days on consecutive days, so we have Groundhog Day Birthday Hell every year!)... and I can't think of anything else to do to keep me occupied and not fraught with worry.

What if she hates the second revisions? What if she's read it already and can't bring herself to call me and tell me they're rejecting it? What if....? This bit never gets any easier, like I've discovered with all the rest of it. Writing the rough draft, getting the okay on the proposal, revising, revisions, the long wait till you get an answer. It's all hell...

So why the hell am I doing it?

Oh, yeah, I love romance and romances, and dreaming up hunky guys and spunky heroines and putting them together and watching them go from spark to slow burn to combustible!

On that note, I'm blogging on The Pink Heart Society today about a wonderful little movie called Dear Frankie starring the hunky Gerard Butler and the spunky Emily Mortimer (piccie here). Check it out here, and if you've got any sense, go rent the movie. I'm going to watch it again tonight to stop me from biting my nails anymore.

Tuesday 6 November 2007

All's Well in Heidi Land...

I returned from a fabulous two-week trip to California with my best mate Catri (piccies below, for all other America junkies, travel lovers and fit surfer afficionados) at the end of October to discover that The Mile High Club, my second Mod Ex, has hit the shelves in the UK.

I still get such a huge buzz from seeing my book in the local Borders and I don't guess that will ever change. What a thrill. Almost as much of a thrill in fact as spotting a bear in Yosemite National Park (from the comfort of our Chrysler Cruiser I'm glad to add).

The trip to California was such a success in fact, that I didn't even mind having second revisions on my nightmare Book Three (working title: The Thrill of the Chase) waiting for me. In fact, I was so enthused I even managed to polish them off in a week, and have now emailed what I sincerely hope is the very final, final version of the story to my ed at Mills and Boon. I can now admit that all the pain was worth it because I'm really proud of this book now, think it might even be my best so far. Will keep you posted on whether my ed agrees with me. Fingers crossed the book's a goer and I can finally get stuck into Book Four (current working title: The Black Sheep Billionaire's Baby) which I had a lot of time to dream up scenes for while swaning round Death Valley, Big Sur, Yosemite, etc.

I do love America, and Americana! Now all I have to do is keep writing and selling so I can persuade hubby and kids to let me swan off again in two years time. A little plan me and Catri hatched on the plane home which I haven't quite got round to mentioning to my guys just yet.