Heartiest of greetings to all of you at this festive time of year.
An especially warm welcome to new VIPs from the recent inaugural Book Fair Australia!
It was a thrill to meet so many avid readers of all ages, including librarians, and to witness the thriving interest in real and tangible paperbacks. Maybe like vinyl records, paperbacks and hard cover books are back in vogue, or maybe they never went out of style!
My stall featured a romantic picnic tableau, chocolate hearts, ARRA “I read romance” buttons, roses, my House of Jewels series and a somewhat wrinkled sunset!
Here I am with compere extraordinaire, Annie McCann of popular book blog Readers Review. Note Annie’s perfectly pink jacket!
It was great to connect with 20 or so other romance writers at the Sydney Showground event, as well as almost 100 other authors and affiliated artists and booklovers.
I particularly enjoyed the “love letters” panel. Annie interviewed Amy J Edwards, Keighley Bradford and popular and honest author Nicole Flockton, whose Australian rural romance and other works are particularly popular in the US. (I mistakenly thought Nicole was an actual New York Times bestselling author and she corrected me! Apologies for this wrong attribution. Thanks to Nicole for setting the record straight! In fact, she is a USA Today best selling author.)
All three authors radiated the passion and joy their vocation brings, and, like them, I’m glad to create stories which entertain, amuse, inspire and heal.
“Romance means ‘hope’,” said Nicole. “There’s joy out there. You can find it in the most unexpected places.” They talked tropes and inspiration and so much more.
Many writers at the fair were from diverse backgrounds. In a panel exploring diversity, these writers spoke of how their own backgrounds were rarely if ever reflected in the books they read.
Three cheers for these writers who are closing that gap for so many Aussie readers and broadening all our imaginations. After all, writing has always been about inviting readers into different worlds.
Five stars
It is always gratifying to receive a five-star review. This one, from Readers’ Favorite in the US, qualifies House of Diamonds for a five-star sticker! Here’s an excerpt…
House of Diamonds by Amber Jakeman is a contemporary happily-ever-after romance. I really enjoyed House of Diamonds and found it impossible not to cheer on Stella despite all the obstacles that kept getting in her way. James was the handsome rich guy that was easy to be attracted to.
The plot was quick-paced with ups and downs, happiness and sadness, and twists and turns which made it hard to put down. The book has anger, friendship, family ties, money problems, and more as they come to terms with their feelings, and both struggle to find answers.
House of Diamonds is book number one and I am so excited to see where Amber Jakeman takes the rest of the series and to hopefully find out what the future holds for Stella and James.
I believe that House of Diamonds has all the makings for a perfect Hallmark or made-for-TV movie. House of Diamonds is a winner.
I’m always grateful when readers who enjoy my work share reviews or recommend my work. Thank you!
House of Jewels series in the news
My thanks, also, to the Australian Romance Readers’ Association (ARRA) for featuring my recent House of Jewels launch in their November newsletter and thanks again to so many of you who were able to attend!
Romance as a progressive genre
Courtesy ARRA, you might enjoy this recent article on the dynamic and response nature of the romance writing industry.
Sweet reads for the season
You might enjoy browsing through these sweet e-reads as Christmas approaches.
This mix of sweet reads invites readers to Judge a Book by its Cover.
If you’re on the lookout for a new series to enjoy, this promo features First in Series wholesome reads.
And here are some books to Warm your heart at Christmas!
Come and meet me!
I look forward to meeting fellow authors and readers and signing my paperbacks at the Australian Romance Readers Association Romantic Rendezvous in Sydney on Sunday 12 February 2023 from 10am to 4pm at Sydney Boulevard, 90 William Street.
The event will be repeated in Melbourne on Saturday 18 February 2023 from 10am to 4pm, at the Novotel on Collins, 270 Collins Street. View details and book tickets.
Road tours may also be on the cards. Please email me if you or your local bookshop would be interested in hosting an author Q & A and signing session with me.
Share the love!
Still celebrating the recent House of Jewels series launch, I’m delighted to share the love by keeping the first e-book in the series, House of Diamonds, free for your friends and family.
Please invite them to click this link. You can forward this blog to them so they can download their own free copy.
Every best wish for the festive season!
In Australia, it is the season of mangos and gardenias, and I am full of gratitude. Where ever you may be in the world, may you enjoy time with family and friends, celebrate, rest and rejoice.