August is amazing

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

The plane takes off, and somewhere below my husband is driving the eighty kilometres home after getting up at 0400 to get there on time. What a hero. As I look out the plane window I see banana plantations below me and to the left the sea. It’s a gorgeous winter day. A day with a difference.

I have to smile and wonder what the next few days will bring for a mother of five and a midwife from a small country town. A wish for luck would be appreciated.

My new Don’t Panic Birth Guide comes out on the 30^th August, and I’m off to Melbourne. The good news is it’s a book of the heart and no hardship to talk about my passion – the wonder of birth and the awesome women who continue to inspire me.

That’s lucky, because in the next few days I’m meeting my agent and my publisher, having lots of chats with my publicist, have two or three radio interviews most days, have already answered four Q&A’s from magazines both on line and print – which I loved, and am gearing up for my first appearance on breakfast television. Oh, and I’m waiting for a book review from journo Kate Cuthbert to be posted on Booktopia. All pretty amazing stuff.

Just thought I’d post this, shamelessly angling for your good wishes, good vibes and good humour. So keep an eye out on Tuesday at 1055am on The Circle, Channel Ten up my way, and wish me luck.

Xx Fi

http://ten.com.au/the-circle.htm

ROMANCE WRITERS OF AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE What a fabulous weekend at the Crowne Plaza Coogee. Thank you to the exec and conference committee of Romance Writers Of Australia for another fabulous conference. My nineteenth occasion and it just keeps getting better.

It starts with meeting friends at the airport (That would be me, Bronwyn Jameson(Desire author) and Anne Gracie (Berkley Regency Author) and taking them to the Crowne Plaza at Coogee. Honest, we didn’t co-ordinate our colours. Must have been feeling green.

I adore this hotel, (thank you to the awesome staff of CPC) not least because you’ll often get a sneak peak at a brand new little Aussie and proud parents in the lift as they finish their lying-in stay in a place not remotely like a hospital. There’s even a midwife on call to answer any new parent’s concern. Accommodation for dad, breakfast in bed for mum, now that’s romantic. Especially for someone partial to midwifery like me.

The other romantic event was the Romance Writers of Australia Conference, for those writing romance, women’s fiction and a healthy mix of other genres. We were all well represented by authors, editors, agents and publishers like Penguin, Random House, Allen and Unwin, and in the majority, like me, those aligned to Harlequin Mills and Boon.

Thursday night saw a swish dinner hosted by HMB for their authors overlooking Coogee beach, and the presentation of ’50 BOOK PINS’ OMG for my legendary friends Carol Marinelli and Alison Roberts. Even more incredible ’75′ book pin for Meredith Webber, who holds a very special place in my heart because she was so generous when I was ‘almost ‘ published 21 books ago.

On the Friday after the workshop by American icon Debra Dixon, of “Goal, Motivation, Conflict”, fame, came the ARRA booksigning.

The Australian Romance Readers Association held their first signing at an RWA conference and what a success it was. So professional, so warm and inviting, and such an opportunity for Australian authors to meet their readers. My heart felt thanks goes to the hard working ARRA organisers for a fabulous afternoon. You can find their website at australianromancereaders.com

The really cool thing was not only could I give away free books from HM&B thanks to Sydney office’s generosity, but I had a chance to show off my advance copy of TThe Don’t Panic Guide To Birth, and even ran into Belinda and Sara from Penguin as well.

Friday night saw the cocktail party, themed ‘Fantasy Island, and full kudos to the superb costumes. Check out the slideshow on barbarahannay.com. Brilliant Barb. I actually asked my husband what my fantasy was and he laughed. ‘ “Around the world first class, don’t you think. “Actually yes, dreaming , but that’s what a fantasy is. So thanks to Suz for this photo.

Saturday and Sunday was serious conference time and the 250 writers who attended were blown away by the depth and diversity of our speakers. If you’re a published women’s fiction author or aspiring to be, you can’t miss this professional event. Next year is Melbourne. Check out romanceaustralia.com

Saturday night is dress up time and always magnificent as we celebrate the achievments of our members and Sunday is too darn close to being over for another year.

But to friends and fabulous speakers and fellow writers I’d have to say I wouldn’t miss our annual RWA conference for the world. Even a fantasy trip couldn’t keep me from next year. So I hope to see you then, keep well, keep happy and good writing

luv Fi

The DON’T Panic Guide To Birth

Lovely to see the ebook of Don’t Panic Guide To Birth up on KOBO.

Now thats what I call instant Dont Panic. xx Fi

http://kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Dont-Panic-Guide-To/book-TDrsl6JpIEa59Hx21X1wsA/page1.html

And the print version can be ordered from

http://www.booktopia.com.au/the-don-t-panic-guide-to-birth/prod9780143204527.html

or direct from me for $15 incl postage and I’ll post it out next days mail. Just email fiona@fionamcarthur.com with Buy Book in subject line.

I’m very excited about my DON’T PANIC GUIDE TO BIRTH, because I think it will help.

A midwife for twenty five years, I’ve always been passionate about sharing the insights I’ve gained about birth with women and their families.

When a mother-to-be walks into an antenatal class she has some questions she wants to ask first. One of them is “How will I know if I’m in labour?”and there’s heaps of answers after that. This book starts there. If you want an easy to read, last minute guide to those burning questions, I can’t wait to share.

wishing you a wonderful birth

xxFi

I had a beautiful letter from one of our hospital emergency doctors who has left while his wife has their baby. I’d love to share it with you…

To Fiona

Thank you very much for the Don’t Panic Guide To Birth. It’s great!

I’d like to say I read it without putting it down, but I didn’t. The passages on the newborn girl nuzzling her mother got me quite misty eyed: must be the air conditioning here.

It’s so lovely to read of the joy of childbirth, and for a normal part of life to be presented so positively. I will heartily recommend your fabulous book.

Sandra loves your book, and found it a welcome breath of fresh air after struggling through the usual ‘big fat’ pregnancy books.

Thank you

Dean

…..

And my first Review.

From Kate Cuthbert
Editor
Booktopia Romance Buzz

Gentle Readers,
It’s a buyer’s market out there this month – especially if you like paranormals and historicals . Both sub-genres have bumper crops of top picks out this month for your reading pleasure.

This month, I’ve been focusing on a more specific area of reading for my own research – all the pregnancy books I can get my hands on. Our first child is due at the beginning of November. So what does a romance reader read when planning for her own epilogue? My favourite book – and the one both my husband and I have found the most useful and the least scary (and that’s a big deal!) – is this one from Australian midwife and Harlequin Medical Author Fiona McArthur. The Don’t Panic Guide to Birth is fantastic – written in short, 5-minute chapters with all the information and none of the judgement. It’s been a great asset in my house, and I’d recommend it for anyone looking at their own epilogue, or as a useful gift for showers.

Until next month, happy reading!
Kate Cuthbert, (new mum)

Congratulations on your new baby, Kate!!!!!!!!! Fionaxxxxx
Survivial Guide To Dating Your Boss
Don’t you just love this North American cover. And she’s actually like Tilly in my mind. We had such great fun writing this four book series, The Single Free and Fabulous in Sydney books. Carol Marinelli, me, Emily Forbes and Amy Andrews in that order. All set in Coogee with three nurses and a midwife house sharing and a bevy of handsome heroes who needed saving.

Here’s the UK cover and we made Book Of The Month over there. How cool is that.

There’s a great discussion happening at http://community.millsandboon.co.uk/forums/book-buzz/fiona-mcarthur-writing-survival-guide-dating-your-boss-single-free-and-fabulous-syd so maybe you could drop in if you have a moment.

There’s even another happening at eharlequin.com in the US at

http://harlequinblog.com/2011/09/the-single-free-and-fabulous-life-in-coogee-beach/ but you might have to cut and paste that one.

And I have a free on-line serial

starting September 12 on eharlequin.

New chapter every day for twenty

days that’s a lead in to the series.

Hope you can drop in and comment. Will post the link as soon as it’s up.

xx Fi

An Excerpt From…

Survival Guide to Dating Your Boss
by Fiona McArthur

Tilly loved Fridays. A leisurely walk down the hill from the hospital after her last shift before days off, that first salty sniff of the ocean at the end of Hill Street, and the bonus of Mrs Bennett, immaculately made up on her front porch as she waited for her girlfriends to arrive for Friday afternoon tea.

Tilly adored Mrs Bennett and her friends. Once famous sopranos in chic dresses, designer shoes and such lovely smiles, these ladies made Tilly believe in life getting better and better.

And they never mentioned men. She really liked that.

She couldn’t wait to lift her window at the back of the house and hear the soaring notes of Verdi and Puccini from the porch at the back of Mrs Bennett’s house—it always made her smile.

Tilly wondered if Mrs Bennett pulled her window shut when Tilly and her friends had their more rowdy parties.

Maybe she was strange to prefer the company of older ladies to boys her own age but risking your heart to a fickle man in the scramble to find ‘the one’ seemed much more insane to Tilly. Of course, she’d been a slow learner with two bad experiences in twelve months until Ruby had pointed out her ‘pattern of disaster’.

Older men. She’d always been attracted by the big boys in senior school while she’d been a junior, then those in university while she’d been a senior, and now those who were out of their twenties when she’d just reached them. Searching for approval from the father she’d never known perhaps? That’s what Ruby said.

Tilly sighed. Boys her age just seemed a little…insubstantial. She would just stay away from them completely.

The waft of real scones and Mrs B.’s Sydney Royal Easter Show winning marble cake dissipated the tendrils of regret and Tilly shook herself. It was Friday. Yay!

‘Afternoon, Mrs B.,’ Tilly called as she approached.

‘Matilda. lovely to see you.’

‘Is that window sticking again?’ Tilly drew level and Mrs Bennett smiled. ‘No. I think you’ve cured it this time, dear. There’s another one just starting to squeak and I’ll let you know when it gets bad.’

More practice. Excellent. Tilly’s last infatuation had been with a mature carpenter who’d turned out to be a secretly engaged control freak who liked to keep several women dancing off the end of his workman’s belt. She was determined to never need his skills again. Just like the interior decorator who’d had so many rules and

preferences on her behaviour and had then turned out to be married.

‘No problem.’ Tilly glanced up at the two bay windows, one each side of the veranda, and noted the one only a quarter pushed up. ‘Girls coming soon?’

Mrs Bennett glanced at her watch. ‘Any time now. I’ll save you a scone.’

‘Say hello for me.’ Tilly swung open her gate and mounted the tiled steps. Home. And not a man in sight. Good.

Seventy-One Hill Street stood tall and thin with a decrepit Gothic air in need of even more TLC than Mrs Bennett’s house.

Those tall eaves, all four bedrooms at the back upstairs and the main bedroom downstairs that belonged to the absent owner, could do with a good strip and paint. Tilly decided she might have a go in her holidays.

It was a real party house. The three other girls were the sisters Tilly had never had. She couldn’t imagine life without their chaos and warmth and the fun they brought to out-of-work hours.

Tilly smiled to herself as she thought more about the girls. There was Ruby, a mental health nurse who didn’t appear nearly as chaotic now she’d found Cort, a senior emergency registrar from the hospital they all worked at.

Tilly’s need to provide a willing ear, and the occasional emergency alcohol, had decreased exponentially the longer Ruby and Cort had been together.

Ellie, an orphan, spent most of the week in sterile operating theatres, but still managed to regularly fall in and out of love, searching for Mr Right to be the father of her longed-for family.

While Jess, children’s nurse at Eastern Beaches, broke her heart every time Ruby’s gorgeous brother, and incidentally their landlord, flew in from Operation New Faces with a willowy brunette or blonde on his arm.

Funny how her flatmates gave her plenty of scope for that thwarted older-sister tendency she could finally admit she had.

Then there was her job. Tilly ran up the stairs and threw her bag on the purple quilt cover on her bed. Tilly loved being a midwife.

Women were incredible, babies so instinctually amazing, and she could mother the mothers to her heart’s content while they mothered their babies.

That’s what she told Mrs Bennett later in the afternoon. They were clearing up after the girls had gone. Tilly’s singing lessons by osmosis seemed to be working and she and Mrs Bennett were trilling away in the kitchen when the conversation came around to men.

‘To sing that aria you need to be able to sing the love.’ Mrs Bennett never joked about her music.

Tilly sighed. ‘Then I’ll probably never be good at it.’

‘Of course you will.’ Mrs Bennett’s finger pointed skywards to the future. ‘One day you’ll find your man. You can’t go on forever being single.’

Tilly laughed. ‘You are. You’re happy.’

Mrs Bennett twinkled. ‘I’m certainly content. But in a different way from when I was married to the love of my life.’ She looked at Tilly. ‘You can’t miss out on that.’

Tilly shrugged. ‘I always seem to go for the wrong guys. Seriously, I’ve nothing against men as friends but after the last two I guess I’m not really geared to be answerable to a man.’

Mrs Bennett fixed her with a stern look. ‘They were too old for you, dear. And they lied.’

‘You’re right. That’s what Ruby said. But look what falling for men does to my girlfriends. Even my mother was another casualty. I’m going to stay the sensible one cruising as a single woman for a few years. Travel the world. There’s a lot I want to do and it’s much less stressful.’

‘Very wise,’ said Mrs Bennett, and she smiled.

On Sunday morning, when Tilly caught a glimpse over the fence of a tall, black-haired stranger lurking around Mrs B.’s back window, her heart jumped at the recognition of danger.

She glanced back at her own house but the other girls were out and not due back for a while.

Her hand slid up to rest on her chest, ridiculous thought he’d hear her heartbeat, but for the moment it was up to her—someone had to protect Mrs Bennett.

Dry mouthed, she glanced around for a weapon, something, anything for protection, and then she saw it. Tilly’s fingers closed around the pointed red beanie hat of the small but stalwart garden gnome at her feet and she eased him out from the damp earth under the hydrangea. The cold concrete sat heavily in her hand.

She chewed her lip. She really didn’t want to maim the man, just slow him down a bit so he couldn’t get away before the police arrived. With her other hand she flipped her phone and dialled emergency. At least she had a back-up plan.

Mrs B.’s ground-floor window screeched in protest and the material of the man’s T-shirt stretched across his broad back as he tried to ease the window up quietly. A tall, well-built man should be throwing bricks on a truck for a living, not trying to rob defenceless old ladies. Tilly refused to be distracted by the tug of nervous suggestion that flight might be a better option than fight, judging by the ripple of musculature under the thin fabric.

He was trying to get into the house and Mrs Bennett was in there. Tilly felt a swell of pure rage surge with a helpful dose of adrenalin and she heaved the gnome with a straight-arm throw over the fence towards the backs of his legs. The gnome flew horizontally like an avenging angel and took out both backs of his knees in one blow.

Because the burglar had stretched up, his legs were locked and the muscles contracted with the blow.

Tilly stifled a nervous laugh when Goliath sat awkwardly back on the wet grass on top of the gnome and swore loudly.

Great job, Tilly congratulated the gnome, and backed back around the side of her house out of sight as she flicked the damp earth off her hand. She couldn’t help the big grin on her face and the hormones rushed around her body until she fanned her face with her phone for relief.

The police call centre chattered and her hand froze as she remembered. She brought the phone to her lips and murmured quietly. ‘Yes, I’m Matilda McPherson. I’d like to report a burglar at 73 Hill Street, Coogee. Mrs Bennett’s backyard.’

‘What the hell do you think you’re doing? I’m fixing the window, not breaking in.’ Like an avenging archangel the man had found her and his dark blue eyes blazed. ‘I’m her nephew.’

He reached his long arm out, snatched the phone, threw it on the ground and for one horrible moment Tilly thought he was going to stamp on it.

Instead he drew an enormous breath, which incidentally did amazing things to the ripples under the front of his T-shirt, and glared at her with the most virulent disgust and even loathing.

Shame, that, a tiny, impressed voice whispered as Tilly quaked just a little at his ferocity.

Now she could see his face it wasn’t the face of a criminal. He was very angry but he wasn’t going to physically assault her. She didn’t know how she knew that but despite Tilly’s brain chanting ‘Good time to leave’ in an insistent whisper, and despite the thumping in her chest that agreed in rhythmic beat with her brain, she couldn’t allow him the satisfaction of thinking he intimidated her.

Before she could say anything he ground out, ‘I should sue you for assault.’

Yep. Daunting up close, especially with steam coming out of his ears, and Tilly blinked as she rallied. Maybe it was sensible to leave. ‘Assault? A little woman like me? With a gnome?’

She tossed her hair to disguise the tensing of her muscles as she prepared to fly. ‘Should look good in the local newspaper. Maybe they’ll take your picture with the weapon?’

She watched with interest as his mouth thinned— might have been a better idea to keep her smart mouth closed—and then the moment when she was about to run was lost when Mrs Bennett poked her head over the low fence. ‘Ah. Children, I see you’ve met.’

Mrs B. smiled beatifically as she came around the corner. She carried the gnome close to her chest and handed it gently, like a tiny baby, to Tilly.

‘Look who came to visit at my house,’ she said just as a siren began to wail in the distance.

Tilly glanced at the man’s face. Apparently the siren just topped off his day.

By the time the police sergeant had laughed his way back to his patrol car Marcus was considering climbing back upstairs to his bed and pulling the lavender-scented sheets over his head to start the day again.

Instead he closed his eyes. Mainly because it removed the smart-mouthed redhead from his sight before he strangled her. From the fond look on his aunt’s face the redhead was clearly a ‘favourite person’, and, to be fair, he supposed it was a good thing she looked out for Maurine.

‘I am sorry.’ The woman stood beside him on his aunt’s veranda to see the policeman off. Didn’t she have a home to go to?

He almost groaned. That’s right. She did. And it was far too close to his at the moment.

To add insult to injury, she then said, ‘Do your legs hurt?’

His lashes lifted only slightly as he glared at her. He forced the words past his teeth. ‘I’m fine, thanks. If you’ll excuse me.’

Marcus closed his eyes and sighed. If the rented flat fiasco hadn’t happened, if the closest hotel hadn’t been solidly booked for a week-long conference, if he didn’t start work on Monday, if, if…

He ground his teeth and then decided it indicated a lack of control. Marcus liked control, relished it, had seen what could happen when it was lost, and he needed control to breathe.

He wasn’t sure how he and his aunt would rub together, but if he remembered correctly from that one Christmas after his sister had died Aunt Maurine had been a safe haven in a sad world.

It would only be a week or two until he found a new flat. He’d buy one if he had to. Control. He rubbed his chin. Hmm. In fact, he liked that idea. Nobody could interfere with his plans then.

Copyright © 2000–2011 Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All Rights Reserved

Fiona McArthur

August is amazing

And I have a free on-line serial

starting September 12 on eharlequin.

New chapter every day for twenty

days that’s a lead in to the series.

An Excerpt From…

Survival Guide to Dating Your Boss by Fiona McArthur

Survival Guide to Dating Your Boss
by Fiona McArthur