Michelle Styles:

This blog has been quiet because I was finishing my latest Viking. It is now in my editor's inbox and I can go off to the South of France with my husband without a deadline hanging over me.

I had a great time at AMBA.I stayed at Carol Townend and wore my voice out talking. It was refreshing.

The editors were in buying mood for Presents. I was so pleased that they bought Sri Pammi, Michelle Smart and my dear friend Victoria Parker. I was very lucky to read Victoria's at an early stage and it is one of the best Presents I have read in a long time. My gut told me that the editors would agree and I was so happy that I was right! Huge squeeing went on when Vicotira came over for coffee. And huge squees to both Sri and Michelle Smart as they both worked really hard.

As luck would have it, my latest Hattie Wilkinson Meets Her Match is dedicated to Victoria. She just believed in this book, even when it was giving me headaches. When I read it at the proof stage, I really liked it...

As Hattie is available on the M&B and eharlequin websites next month, I have started to organise a few giveaways of signed books. The first happens this weekend with the Naughty or Nice Giveaway through Reading Romances. There is alsoa signed copy of His Unsuitable Viscountess up for grabs.

I will be organising a Goodreads giveaway for Hattie and I have listened to various people so I will hopefully have most people's countries on the list. But this will happen after I get back next Friday.

I am back. The journey from London to Newcastle took 6 1/2 hours as there was fatality on the line.
However even that could not dampen the excitement and buzz I got from attending the Association of Mills & Boon Authors annual lunch. It is truly inspirational to see so many authors and the editors. I always come away with loads of ideas.
I have written about it on Tote Bags and so you can read my bit here. Some day I will actually remember to use my camera.

I spoke so much that I lost my voice!

Let me state at the outset that I forgot my camera. Photos are on Kate Hardy's blog and other places...

AMBA Day is one of the great occasions in any Mills and Boon author's calender. It is a lunch combined with a toast in the evening. In between times, there is coffee and afterwards supper. It is a day when I truly feel like I am an author.

The day started with a train journey down from Newcastle. It was painless and I worked on my wip. 3 hours of uninterrupted time. Funny how things go much more swiftly when one is not on the Internet...
I then met my cp --Donna Alward in the flesh for the first time. She is as every bit as lovely in person as she has been on the email. She even sounded like I imagined she would!
We then met Kate Hardy in Green Park. She had said that she would be sitting on a bench, but I didn't spot her and so telephoned. Her first question was -- are you wearing black with a red jacket. I then felt silly as she waved madly!
Lunch was lovely and all went smoothly. Hugh relief as I had helped with the planning. It was truly lovely to see old friends and make new ones. The Q&A went well. There are tons of really exciting things happening with M&B and its centenary next year. It was fantastic to hear about the marketing, PR and what is upcoming!
After the lunch, a group of us walked to Selfridge's past police tape, fireman and a broken window. Donna, Trish Wylie and Abby Green discovered that a man had jumped but had been caught. Their informant blithely said things like this were happening all the time.
Tea at Selfridges was spent laughing and talking. Trish revealed some excellent plans for the PHS -- more about these in due course, but she and the rest of the editors are really taking the PHS places.
The Oriental Club was chosen because M&B are about to launch in India in a big way. The Oriental Club was, of course, founded by members of the East India Company and others with connections to India, including the Duke of Wellington. I stayed on the orange juice, but the champagne FLOWED. Some people are blaming a certain waiter...The canapes were very good, in particular the samosas.
Pam Brooks and Mary Nichols both received their 25 book pins and Kate Walker received her 50th pin. The bracelet Kate sported was to die for.
I also saw my lovely editors. All of whom looked amazing. Julie Cohen was her usual stylish self.
After the toast, a group of us went to Brown's for dinner. It became rather silly and I think there are a variety of pictures about...My only defence is the company was excellent. And the dinner should become legendary. All I can say is that Kate Walker is certainly a Queen of Romance.
We then retired back to Biddy's flat and Donna and I talked and talked and talked. The cover for The Soldier's Homecoming is gorgeous and the back cover blurb is guaranteed to wring your heart. I am so looking forward to reading the finished version. Donna has her own news, but you will have to look to her blog.

The next morning, my voice hurt from all the talking. And I half-slept and half-worked on the way back up.
This week is going to be busy, busy, busy as my deadline looms.

It is that time of the year. The end of September and that means the annual AMBA day approaches. It is the day when the authors of Mills and Boon get together for lunch with a speaker or two and also have a lovely reception in the evening.
This year is going to be especially fun because I actually get to meet one of my lovely cp --Donna Alward in person. She is flying over for the event and will be have a whirlwind week of it.
There will be photos on my blog so if people want to live vicariously...It is one of those times that I feel like an author.
Back in September 2005, I felt a little intimidated because I arrived late and so many authors whom I read were there. Luckily Trish Wylie and Natasha Oakley discovered me looking lost. And the rest is history as one might say. However by the end, I did really feel like I was an author.
But before then, my week is full. I finished the first draft and am now polishing. At times, I think my muse is a broken record. Over and over and over on the same point. Hopefully I will catch most of these and then, it will be off to my editors next week.
In the meantime, I still have to take the honey off the bees. It has been such a lovely Indian Summer and the autumn flowers were very late that I have been reluctant BUT the days are getting cooler, so I shall have to brave the hives, put on the Porter bee escapes and take the honey off. Also the log man just called. The load of logs I ordered is arriving today. Why do I think my children will be less than overjoyed with this news? And I have just had to deal with a man from the electricity board on whether or not they should replace the electric pole in my garden.Answer -- no as it is not rotten. Ah, such is the life of the glamorous author.

Unusual Historicals has had a revamp. Carrie Lofty has done a fantastic job and keeps various authors in line. Anyway, lots of things are planned and November in particular is going to be a giveaway bonanza. So if you enjoy unusual settings and time periods in your historicals, do stop by.

For my part this week sped much quicker than anticipated and my wip is not yet finished. It will get there.
Luckily my lovely editors were lovely about it and said that I was not to kill myself and to get it in by the actual deadline, rather than my planned smug deadline of next Thursday evening. Next Friday is the annual Association of Mills and Boon Author day (pictures and full account will be here) and I wanted to be secure in the knowledge that I had turned it in, but my editors would not have had time to read it. I suspect I will be working on it on the train. I am very much looking forward to the day -- it is one of those days that I feel like I am really a Romance author.
I have found out that Taming the Debutante (the title will be changed) is tentatively scheduled for August 08. This is a linked story to A Christmas Wedding Wager and was written because my daughter begged and pleaded for Lottie Charlton to have her own story. The problem with having a daughter who reads romance and who likes your stories is that she knows all the right ways to ask...She also has kept on and on at me about the third Viking. I have another Regency to write before then. You may talk about whip cracking editors all you like, whip cracking daughters take the whole thing to another level.