Wow! What a fantastic start to 2013. The Australian Romance Readers Association have posted the short list for their 2012 awards.
Bronwyn Parry’s DEAD HEAT, Shannon Curtis’s GUARDING JESS, and BURNING LIES, the final book in my Border Watch series, have all made the final cut for Favourite Romantic Suspense. We’re delighted to be amongst such wonderful writers. Fingers crossed for the announcement at the ARRC13 Gala Dinner in Brisbane on Saturday 2nd March.
The complete list can be found on the ARRA Blog. Congratulations to all the other finalist. It’s wonderful to see such a celebration of Australia talent amongst the short list.
Bronwyn Parry is also in the running for the Booktopia Favourite Australian Novelist. We’d love her to win so please pop over to the Booktopia Blog and post your vote!
Happy reading:-)
Helene
Congratulations to Helene Young on the release this week of her third book, Burning Lies. I have my copy already – I took it out of the shelf-stacker’s hands at Big W on Monday! – and can’t wait for the weekend and a chance to read it!
Here’s the blurb:
Kaitlyn Scott is searching for the truth about her husband’s death, even if that means revisiting the most painful day of her life. But what she uncovers is a criminal willing to stop at nothing to keep his secret.
Ryan O’Donnell, an enigmatic undercover cop, is investigating arson attacks when he is drawn into Kaitlyn’s world. He tries to fight his attraction for her, hoping the case might put his own demons to rest, but it only threatens to push him over the edge.
With Kaitlyn and Ryan on a collision course, the arsonist seizes the chance to settle some old scores. As the Atherton Tableland burns, the three of them are caught in a fiery dance of danger and desire, and not everyone will come out alive.
Burning Lies should be available in all good bookstores in Australia, and the major ebook retailers. You can read the first chapter here.
In conjunction with the wonderful Australian Romance Readers Association, we’re running a Christmas Giveaway for ARRA members. If you’re not a member of ARRA, we’re sorry that you’re not eligible for this contest – but do consider joining! ARRA is a great organisation, and the $20 membership fee comes with a heap of benefits, including an informative and entertaining newsletter every month.
The prize for the one lucky winner of our ARRA Christmas giveaway is:
- A signed copy of Fatal Flaw by Sandy Curtis; and
- A signed copy of Dark Country by Bronwyn Parry; and
- A signed copy of Shattered Sky by Helene Young
To enter, all you have to do is answer three easy questions. The answers can be found in our book excerpts which are on this website (click the book title links above) and our individual websites, or you can download the Australian Romantic Suspense Sampler, which contains excerpts from two books from each of us, as an .epub file, or a .mobi file (suitable for Kindles).
Once you have the answers to the questions, enter using the contact form below. (Can’t see the form? You may need to click on the title of this post to get the contact form to show.)
The competition closes at midnight 22nd December (Australian Eastern Summer Time) and the winner will be announced on the 23rd December.
Here are the questions. We hope you enjoy finding the answers!
In Bronwyn Parry’s book, DARK COUNTRY, Kris Matthews finds herself stranded on the side of the road, forced to accept the help of a surly stranger. What is she carrying in the back of her police patrol car that she needs to ensure stays dry?
In the opening scene of Sandy Curtis’s new release, FATAL FLAW, a child is in jeopardy, a knife pressed to his throat by a killer. What is the child’s name?
Helene Young’s book, SHATTERED SKY, opens with a Category Five Cyclone bearing down on the North Queensland coast. What is the name of the cyclone Lauren is forced to fly through to rescue a dismasted yacht?
(Note: although the entry form requires your email address, please note that we respect your privacy and will only use your email address to notify the outcome of the giveaway.)
Christmas is almost upon us and I don’t know about you, but I find it incredibly hard to knuckle down and be productive at this time of year. I blog, I Face Book, I twitter dementedly and sadly my manuscripts languish. I’d like to think it’s because I get swept away in the joy of Christmas, but I suspect the truth is by December I’m ready for a break.
It’s been a busy couple of months for all three of us here on Australian Romantic Suspense. Sandy has released her latest book Fatal Flaw through Clandestine Press. It’s also available as an e-book and has been getting rave reviews. I’m still waiting for my copy to arrive but I’m looking forward to reading it!
Bronwyn, as well as gaining a new black and white member of her household called Skye, has been hard at work finishing her latest novel, Dead Heat. It will be released by Hachette Australia in April, along with a re-release of Dark Country.
I’ve been working with my new editor from Penguin Australia to finish my third novel, Burning Lies. You’ll have to wait until July to read the last book in the loosely linked Border Watch series. Shattered Sky will also be re-released by Hachette as a mass market paperback early in 2012.
During December we’re running a giveaway competition for members of Australian Romance Readers of Australia. If you love reading romance and can’t get enough of the home grown Australian variety then this wonderful organisation will help you discover new authors as well as connect you with other passionate romance readers. Check out their December Newsletter for competition details.
Happy reading and writing to you all. I’m off to find another form of procrastination 
Ciao for now!
Love a bit of crime in your reading? Whether you like hard-boiled, gritty crime, or a bit of fun with the bad guys, or a love story wound through a thriller, then you’ll enjoy the SheKilda Australian Women Crime Writers’ Convention which is on in Melbourne in just a few weeks – from Friday 7th October to Sunday 9th October.
Do go and visit the SheKilda website and see how much fun this ONCE IN A DECADE event will be. There will be nearly 70 women crime writers and specialists gathered together in one place just to entertain you – and it’s only the second-ever women’s crime writing convention in the world, so we encourage you to come and be part of something special!
The convention will involve all leading Australian women crime novelists and international guests together with true-crime writers, screen-writers, producers, booksellers, publishers, lawyers, judges, police, forensic specialists, librarians, academics, critics and (mostly) readers and viewers. It will discuss and analyse books, film and television shows, law and justice issues, new trends and critical issues of the genre.
There’s a great range of panels and workshops. Sandy, Helene and I will be on a panel on ‘crimance’ – as our Sisters in Crime refer to romantic suspense – and Sandy and I will be giving a workshop on crimance as well.
On Saturday night, the Davitt Awards will be announced for the best crime writing in Australia, and Helene’s Wings of Fear is one of the nominees.
If you’re planning on going to SheKilda, let us know!
Posted in Book News, Events, Uncategorized | 
crimance, Davitt Awards, events, Helene Young, Sisters in Crime
