Hawaiian Homecoming

New love. New beginnings. They’re fragile things, so easy to run from.

Kayla’s never felt as sure about anything as she does about Jay. Leaving everything else behind to be with him feels right. But going back to reality is tougher than she thought it would be. And when everyone you’ve always known and trusted has doubts, it’s even harder to ignore your own.

But how do you convince those who know you best, that sometimes, finding your home isn’t about a place?

The third and final book in the Hawaiian Heartbreak trilogy, a fun and racy contemporary romance. This book is recommended for readers over the age of 18 due to explicit sexual content.

 

Finishing this trilogy makes me feel like a mother sending her child off to college – proud to send it out to the world, but a bit sad to say goodbye.

However, it’s that time! Hawaiian Homecoming is finally available on Amazon for pre-order, when you click right here. It officially drops on Monday the first of February.

There is a wee bit more to come as well. The paperback will be released on the same day, and on the second of February, I’ll put out the edition which combines all three books into one volume.

After that, I’ll have to find a new project to amuse myself! Although, I do already have some ideas about that…

EDIT: The combined trilogy is now also live for pre-order! If you get all three at once, you do get a deal, so check it out here.

 

 

Baby, I’m Giving You Up

Do you know what’s great? Food.

I’m not really picky about it. Candy is my biggest weakness, followed swiftly by baking. Then comes the other usual suspects; pizza, anything you could serve for brunch, and all forms of caffeine.

So when I have to choose between food and my vanity, believe me, I’m torn. Because I’ve just found out that dairy is triggering the eczema that’s plagued me since I was a teenager.

Hello, beautiful.

Do you know what dairy is in? Everything delicious.

How’s it going, pretty?

And do you know how difficult it is to switch from lattes to long blacks when you’re trying to finish a book? (Great success there by the way, but more on that later.)

I miss you, my lovely.

The worst part is that dropping dairy has worked. So now I have to stick with it. Although I’ve gotta say, my skin in general is glowing. So if vanity wins, at least it wins big time.

Have you given anything up lately? Also, does anyone have good recommendations for dairy-free treats?

Cover Reveal(s)!

Hawaiian Homecoming is now almost, almost done. I can’t wait to see what you guys think of the ending – and in a couple of weeks, the wait will be over!

Which of course means that, when not putting the final touches on the book itself, I’ve been working with my cover designer. I always love seeing what she comes up with once I’ve described the mood of the book. Of course my mailing list got the first sneak peek, but now it’s your turn.

(By the way, if you want to join my mailing list, you can do that here. You’ll get a free welcome copy of Hawaiian Heartbreak, and I do giveaways of print books semi-regularly. Just saying.)

So without further ado…

 

What do you think? I absolutely love it! Seeing these two looking all happy and sexy warms my cold heart.

BUT. I promised you covers, plural. Which is because, as this is the last in the series, I’m also putting out a book that combines all three into one volume. Nothing in the writing will change, it’ll just be that much easier for those who like to binge the whole lot in one go. You know who you are.

And so, on to the unveiling of number two…

You may recognise the picture from the first in the series, but with a few tweaks. Everyone kept telling me how much they loved it, so I figured this was a great excuse to bring it back. Never argue with your readers 😉

So, what do you think?

Review: Down the Rabbit Hole

The shocking, never-before-told story of the bizarre world inside the legendary Playboy Mansion—and, finally, the secret truth about the man who holds the key—from one of the few people who truly knows: Hef’s former #1 girlfriend and star of The Girls Next Door.
A spontaneous decision at age twenty-one transformed small-town Oregon girl Holly Sue Cullen into Holly Madison, Hugh Hefner’s #1 girlfriend. But like Alice’s journey into Wonderland, after Holly plunged down the rabbit hole, what seemed like a fairytale life inside the Playboy Mansion—including A-list celebrity parties and her own #1-rated television show for four years—quickly devolved into an oppressive routine of strict rules, manipulation, and battles with ambitious, backstabbing bunnies. Life inside the notorious Mansion wasn’t a dream at all—and quickly became her nightmare. After losing her identity, her sense of self-worth, and her hope for the future, Holly found herself sitting alone in a bathtub contemplating suicide.
But instead of ending her life, Holly chose to take charge of it.

 

I admit it. I’m one of those people who watched The Girls Next Door, and was totally won over. They seemed to have such fun! Holly and Hef were so cute! Bridget and Kendra were hilarious!

Then they suddenly all went their separate ways. We were left with replacement blondes, and vague answers on what actually happened. Which I always found a bit odd.

Cut to Holly releasing a tell-all, and frankly, I’m amazed it took me this long to get to it. She doesn’t hold back, with some brutal honesty about herself, and how she felt while she was living there. Not to mention the brutal honesty about Hef and Kendra. Wow. Remind me not to get on Holly’s bad side.

I think it takes a lot of courage to lay everything bare like this. I’ve seen reviews calling her a prostitute and all sorts, and I’m not sure that’s entirely fair. Some questionable decisions, sure. But talking so frankly about how those decisions came back to haunt her can only help other women in similar situations. I’m a big fan of peeling back some of the PR gloss!

That said… there is a little bit of playing the victim. Not lots, it didn’t bother me a whole bunch, but enough. She did also “collaborate” with another writer, which is fine for a memoir, but does make you wonder how much of it was polished up for her at the end.

All in all – four stars! Check it out if you love entertaining memoirs that give you a peek behind the curtain to see all the dirt.

 

Almost…

Guess who’s almost ready to show you the cover for the third and final book in the Hawaiian Heartbreak series? This girl, that’s who!

I said almost, calm down.

While we wait, indulge me while I send a prayer of thanks to my cover designer, Carrie at cheekycovers.com. She puts up with a lot. Mostly, she puts up with my nitpicking and left field critiques.

 

“Oh I really like that one… But her elbow looks like a stray boob?”

Gotta keep an eagle eye out for those elboobs. Seriously.

Romance Isn’t Dead

I’m a sappy romantic. I’ll admit it. So unexpected from a romance author, I know! Flowers, chocolates, big gestures, sign me up. But after the flowers have wilted and the chocolates mysteriously disappeared, there’s some really weird things I find romantic.

If I get home after a long day, and the house is all clean and tidy without me ever saying a word about it, then you can bet I’m suddenly in the mood. If dinner’s made as well, then all bets are off.

And I’m not talking in the mood as in, “OK, here’s your reward”. As in I’m suddenly physically very attracted to my husband and not in the mood to wait. A clean house has somehow become a major turn on. What?

Tell me that’s not doing something for you

Which makes me feel very old fashioned! It’s not as if I’m usually responsible for all the chores or anything, we both pull our weight. The best explanation I can think of is that I’m naturally fairly lazy, and unexpectedly not having to do my share is a relief. Then, what can I say, he gets the benefit of that rush of happy hormones.

I’m still working out how I feel about this one. While I do, help a girl out! I’m not the only weird one am I? Anyone else have something odd that gets them in the mood?

 

#WCW: Interview Style with Libby Cole <3

You know what I love about blogging? That we all genuinely chat to each other and get to know each other. I’ve met some fabulous readers and writers through WordPress, and long may it continue.

One of person I’m really glad I’ve met is Jordan. Recently she asked me to do an interview for her blog, and of course I had to say yes. Check it out, I thought she had some really interesting questions!

Words. . . I Need Words. . .

Hey guys! Today I have for you a totally awesome author who just happens to be a totally awesome blogger as well! Libby Cole writes some great romance novels, Hawaiian Heartbreak and Hawaiian Healing, and the third on the way!

Libby also does some awesome posts on her blogs for reviews and even about her every day life. She is a great friend to talk to about writing and reading in general and am so happy to have gotten to get to know her last year! :]

First off, tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a former journalist who ran away from reality to be a romance writer. I loved the travel and the buzz of chasing stories for so long, then one day I woke up and realized my daily work had become really negative. I couldn’t take it anymore. I still love reading the news…

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How To Be A Skinny Mini With No Friends

Happy New Year! This is typically when people think about goals for the year ahead, and I’ll admit I fall into that trap. But I like to set the bar low for any resolutions. Really low, so I’m almost guaranteed to feel smug by December.

So, none of this losing weight, or becoming neat and tidy. I would fail. This year I’m aiming to have matching underwear more often. Cross your fingers for me, I have a terrible track record at this!

The goal to lose weight must still be a favourite though, as all of the lifestyle sites I read are currently full of tips and tricks to lose weight without trying. Which is fine, but this one nearly made me choke on my coffee. Can you imagine trying to hold a conversation with someone doing these “hard to notice” movements?!

“So anyway, Claire, then I told my boss-”

*fingers tapping on the table*

“Sorry, am I annoying you? We don’t have to talk about work.”

“No, it’s fine, please continue.”

“OK… So I told my boss-”

*eye roll*

“Seriously, what have I done?”

 

I’ll stick with the gym, I think.