About Me

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Queensland, Australia
I'm an Australian author of Contemporary Romance, Romantic Action/Adventure, and Historical fiction. I live in Queensland, Australia. www.noelleclark.net
Showing posts with label Secret Cravings Publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Secret Cravings Publishing. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Honor's Promise - Liam's Journey :::: now up for pre-order

Yes that's right folks. You can pre-order your copy of Honor's Promise - Liam's Journey now. It's
Book 2 of the Robinhill Farm Series, a deliciously warm, funny, and poignant series set in rural Ireland.

Click here to pre-order, and have the book delivered to your device on June 30th.

Blurb


Loyalty and love define Liam. But will obligations to family and farm get in the way of him finding true happiness?

Loyalty is high on Liam Cullen’s agenda, but lately he’s been feeling restless. He wants to run away from the endless routines of life on the family farm. He contemplates busting free of the sometimes suffocating confines of the close-knit family. He’d like to see the world. Maybe meet a few girls.

Riddled with guilt that he could even consider such a thing, the final blow comes when Liam’s abilities as a first rate farmer are questioned. He sees red and his quick temper is sorely stretched. He struggles inner demons and attempts to fight the inevitable – until he meets the girl with the blue-green eyes and the copper-colored hair.


Without knowing it, Aislin O’Neill sweeps Liam off his feet, and transports him to a place he’s only ever dreamed of. It’s soon apparent that Aislin has her own inner battles. Will she break her self-imposed vow to never get involved with anyone again?


Excerpt

“Liam. It’s time for the tea and the chats.”
That was how his mam always prefaced a ‘talk’. It had always been like that, ever since he was little.
He sat opposite her as she poured a cup of tea in the kitchen at An Mullach and pushed a plate of freshly baked scones and butter closer to him.
“Tell me how you are, lad.”
He sipped the tea. It was the best tea in the world, as usual. “I’m grand, Mam. You know that.”
“I don’t want to pry, son, but I don’t want you getting hurt either. I’m wondering if our Ash is planning on staying, you know, forever.”
Liam ran a hand through his hair. “Mam, if I knew the answer to that, I’d have taken out a full page ad in the Tipp Times by now.”
“But she loves you?”
He felt his face turn pink. “Yes, Mam. She does love me. It’s just that…she’s been through a lot, you know that, and let’s face it, our family is a force to be reckoned with. She’s an only child, her parents didn’t give a hoot about her, she’s grown up being independent and resourceful and, well, she’s not ready to relinquish all that just yet.”
“Now, Liam, that’s crap and you know it. Yes, I know Ash has got her plans. But they’re all coming to fruition here at our farm. What happens when she’s achieved all her goals? What then? Will she make a new set of plans and move on? Or will she be content to enjoy life here with us?”
Liam lifted his head and held his mother’s gaze. “Mam, I’m prepared to wait. But there’s something else you should know.” He paused, then continued. “I’m also prepared to follow Ash to the ends of the earth to be with her.”
His mam’s gaze never wavered. “That’s what I would expect from a man with your conviction, Liam.” Her eyes shone, and she looked away. “Lord knows, I’d hate you to leave, but…”
He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. “Mam, I…”
She lifted her gaze to his, her eyes now welling. “My Stan left his family in Durrow to come and work on An Mullach, to be with me. We couldn’t live apart, you see. He moved into a one-room shack at the back of the dairy, and we made love there every chance we got. We couldn’t breathe when we were apart. Our lives only really mattered when we were together. But because my mam was so ill, well, I had to look after Da and the boys. That’s why I didn’t get much schooling. Because I had to cook and clean for seven brothers. So I couldn’t leave.” A tear spilled over and ran down her cheek, landing with a soft plop on the seersucker checkered tablecloth. “So Stan followed me here. And we were madly in love for over thirty years, until the good Lord took him from me.”
Liam felt the sting of salty tears in the back of his eyes. He remembered how affectionate his mam and da had been, doing big passionate kisses in the kitchen as Cherry and the boys were trying to eat dinner, and them groaning and saying how bad it was that their parents nearly made them feel sick. He remembered them dancing together at all the family gatherings, only having eyes for each other, and how every Sunday morning Da would go out into the fields early and pick a bunch of wild flowers and put them in a little vase on the breakfast table right in front of where his mam sat.
He cleared his throat. “I’ll be a good husband, Mam, just like Da was. And one day, I hope to be a good father too. But nothing would make me happier than to raise my family here at An Mullach, and I say prayers every night that the good Lord will make that possible. But either way, Ash will be my wife. I know it.”


Available now. www.noelleclark.net

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Exhilarating Research: The Rock of Cashel

The Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary.


I loved visiting this ancient mount in the gorgeous village of Cashel. In my book, Honor's Debt, my
hero and heroine - Bryan and Honor - take a walk around the rock. Here's a small extract:

They walked along Moor Lane in silence. When they reached the intersection with Rock Lane she saw the imposing edifice of the Rock of Cashel, surrounded by high rock walls, ahead of her, high on a hill, and stopped to take in the view.

“Oh, it’s fabulous!” She let go of his hand and reached into her bag for her phone and took some photos.

“The round tower is ninety feet tall. All constructed without mortar. The craftsmen of the time fitted the stones perfectly together.”

“What was the tower for? It looks like a grain silo.”

“Wait till you get to the top of the hill and you’ll see. From up there, you get a 360 panoramic view of all of Tipperary. Back in 1101, they built this tower because of the invading Vikings.”

“Gosh 1101. For an Aussie, that seems incredibly old.”

“The rock was originally built on, way back in the fourth century, but there’s nothing left of that. Everything you see now was built around the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Apart from the round tower, and Cormac’s Chapel, which you can’t see from here—they’re older.”

They continued along the narrow lane, passing quaint little houses with slate tiled roofs splotched here and there with bright green moss. The early morning air was still brisk, making the steep walk up to the Rock exhilarating. The chill made her cheeks sting and the light breeze blew her hair gently.

She sighed, sensing that Bryan was going to be all right now. Yes, he seemed content to put their…awkward…moment from last night behind him.

They reached the entry to the Brian Boru Heritage Center and went inside, spending an hour or two exploring the fascinating history of the man who ruled Ireland as the High King of Munster from this very spot for twenty-four years, when he was crowned here in 990. ...

When they emerged into the grounds within the walls, the sun was shining brightly, making the already bright green grass dazzle, residual drops of dew causing it to sparkle. They wandered slowly through the ancient, grey headstones and Irish high crosses, unable to read the long ago worn-off epitaphs of those whose remains lay buried there.


Bryan proved to be a knowledgeable guide, his interesting commentary better than any guide book.

“What was it you called it last night? Something about Saint Patrick?”

“Yes, Carraig Phádraig. It’s said that this was the place that—way back in 450—Saint Patrick himself converted one of the pagan Kings of Munster. Apparently it was a big deal at the time.”

They explored Cormac’s Chapel and the grounds at length. The most stunning thing for Honor, was the magnificent view from the wall. As far as the eye could see, green fields, dotted here and there with houses, ruins of old churches, stone walls, and small villages, spread out before her like a painting. It was a surreal place, full of history and beauty.

Honor's Debt   :::   Book 1 of the Robinhill Farm Series   


Buy Honor's Debt here:

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
Amazon AUS
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Secret Cravings Publishing

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Meet Honor Quirk

Honor Quirk is the heroine of my soon-to-be-released book, Honor's Debt.

This is the first book in the Robinhill Farm series, set in Ireland.

Join the O'Dohertys and the Cullens on Robinhill Farm. Their lives, loves, hopes and disappointments all come to life in this new Contemporary Romance series.



Honor is a strong twenty-seven year old, but she's had to face sadness in her short life. However, it's
the uncertain future of a hereditary disease in her blood line that is causing her the most grief.

Despite her worries, she always is upbeat and presents a positive and happy personality. So, when Bryan O'Doherty off loads his own baggage onto her, she gets her back up and gives back as good as she gets.

Tension, conflict, hurt, and harsh words add to the mix of being close quarters with a brute of a man who openly admits he thinks women are the root of all evil.

But Honor digs deep, really deep. Her promise to her great-grandmother is much more important to her than having to tread on eggshells whenever Bryan O'Doherty is in the room.


Out in November from Secret Cravings Publishing



On a quest to make amends for a long-ago indiscretion, Honor unexpectedly discovers the one thing she’s been missing in her life.


Honor Quirk arrives in Ireland excited—and a bit anxious—about meeting up with the estranged family of her late great-grandmother. 
The welcome from the residents of Robinhill Farm, Dermot and Bryan, is confusing and far from comforting. One is warm, the other aggressive. The outwardly antagonistic Bryan makes it very clear he doesn't want her there, branding her a gold digger.

Dermot, on the other hand, is delighted to meet her.

But Honor is no pushover and stands up to Bryan, letting him know that his bad attitude and trail of baggage have nothing to do with her. Despite their confrontational and hostile relationship, an undeniable attraction to each other creeps insidiously into the house on Robinhill Farm. They both desperately try to stifle the sparks, but living under the same roof makes it impossible. Unable to cope with the turmoil of living with Bryan, Honor runs away, straight into the arms of a charming newfound friend, Sean, who offers her a home—and love.


Shattered, Bryan finally takes control of his irrational belief that all women are evil, and fights to bring back the woman he loves. But is it too late?


Honor's Debt - available for pre-order now 
from Secret Cravings Publishing and Amazon


Saturday, November 8, 2014

Meet the men of Robinhill Farm




Who will Honor Quirk fall in love with?

Bryan O'Doherty  





Bryan O'Doherty


Dermot O'Doherty

Dermot O'Doherty
Sean Driscoll




Sean Driscoll




On a quest to make amends for a long-ago indiscretion, Honor unexpectedly discovers the one thing she’s been missing in her life.


Honor Quirk arrives in Ireland excited—and a bit anxious—about meeting up with the estranged family of her late great-grandmother. The welcome from her cousins, Dermot and Bryan, is confusing and far from comforting. One is warm, the other aggressive. The outwardly antagonistic Bryan makes it very clear he doesn't want her there, branding her a gold digger.

Dermot, on the other hand, is delighted to meet her.

But Honor is no pushover and stands up to Bryan, letting him know that his bad attitude and trail of baggage have nothing to do with her. Despite their confrontational and hostile relationship, an undeniable attraction to each other creeps insidiously into the house on Robinhill Farm. They both desperately try to stifle the sparks, but living under the same roof makes it impossible. Unable to cope with the turmoil of living with Bryan, Honor runs away, straight into the arms of a charming newfound friend, Sean, who offers her a home—and love.


Shattered, Bryan finally takes control of his irrational belief that all women are evil, and fights to bring back the woman he loves. But is it too late?


Honor's Debt - available for pre-order now from Secret Cravings Publishing and Amazon

Out November 13th from Secret Cravings Publishing
and from all ebook retailers

Sunday, September 28, 2014

A Novel Approach to Marriage - meet Eva Scott & G.W. Gibson

One of the perks of being an author is that one can hide behind a nom de plume, or author/pen name, with almost total anonymity. For many authors, it gives them freedom to write what they want without fear of their personal lives being judged. I read somewhere recently that writers of erotic romance often get asked by people – usually family – “do you really do that in bed?” One savvy author replies, “If I was a crime writer, do you think I’d murder people?”

And so, history shows that many writers have hidden behind assumed names. Take Henry Handel Richardson, for example. Author of the acclaimed classic, The Getting of Wisdom. Henry’s real name was Ethel.

Or Aussie classic author, Miles Franklin, author of My Brilliant Career, whose real name was Stella Maria Miles Franklin.

But what about husband and wife authors?


There have been many couples who share their love of writing, either as separate entities or in collaboration. Here are a few examples:

• The script for the 2009 movie – Away We Go – was written by husband and wife duo Vendela Vida and Dave Eggers. (Dave Eggers, by the way, was a keynote speaker at this year’s Brisbane Writers’ Festival.)
• The dynamic duo behind many outstanding movies and books are husband and wife team, Nora Ephron and Nicholas Pileggi.
• Who knew that Stephen King’s wife, Tabitha King, is also an author? Add to that, their two sons are also authors.
• Want more? Frankenstein author, Mary Shelley was married to poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and her parents just happened to be Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin.
• Famous novelists in their own right, husband and wife Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne were both regulars in the New York Times bestseller lists.
• What about those catchy songs from the movie, Frozen? Yep, husband and wife team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and husband Robert Lopez penned those.

Eva Scott


And so now, living in a little slice of heaven in bayside Brisbane, I can reveal a husband and wife author team who are set to make a huge mark in the world.

Eva Scott is a romance author, focussing on both contemporary and historical, and her other half, G.W. Gibson, has just signed his first contract with Secret Cravings Publishing. His contemporary romance book, Queen of Speed, was released on Friday 26 September.
G.W. (Guy) Gibson













Eva and Guy, welcome to my blog!

Q. Eva, how do you feel having another writer living under your roof?

I love it! We spend hours talking about each other’s plots and characters. Our house is populated with imaginary friends. And it’s great having another person in the room who gets why an Oxford comma can be so important.

Q. Guy, your life is full of big machinery, open-cut mining, teaching, and your beloved Harley motorcycle. How did you end up being a romance writer?

Nothing Eva writes leaves without my eyes having visited it at least twice. I would jot down story lines for her to consider. Instead she encouraged me to try my hand and the rest as they say is history.

Q. Guy, tell me about the inspiration for your female motorcycle racer, Penny McIntyre.


There is no single inspiration for Penny. Rather she is a blend of traits from different women who I know, worked with and admire for their strength, professionalism and determination.

Q. You know, my sister (I won’t say her age but she’s in her sixth decade on this planet), rides a 600cc bike all over Australia. She loves it. Do you think Queen of Speed will appeal to both female and male readers, for both the romance element and also the motorcycle storyline?

Gee I hope so. It was important for me to blend enough romance and enough action to appeal to both sides of the fence. I think that part of the brief was met.

Q. Eva, do you find having such a kindred spirit right there with you helps the muse to kick in?

When I get stuck on plot or something just doesn’t feel right I have someone there who can suggest a dozen different ways to handle it. He’s as invested in the outcome as I am. As a result I rarely ever get the dreaded writer’s block.


Q. Eva, you write very successfully as both a contemporary romance, and a historical romance author. Which do you prefer to write?

Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat,Pray,Love) once said ideas for books were like birds which alight on you. They choose you. If you don’t nurture them and bring them to life they leave you for someone else. My books are like that. A story arrives and I write it. I don’t think of myself as being a historical romance or contemporary romance author – I just think of myself as being a writer.

Q. Here’s one for both of you: When are we going to see a collaborative book coming out?

We are in talks right now. Something different.

Q. If it’s on the drawing board, what would a likely topic, genre, or storyline be?

Maybe a Young Adult, futuristic, post-apocalyptic thriller. Stay tuned.

Q. Guy, do your mates know about your book?

You mean, do my hairy biker mates know I write romance novels? Yes. It’s important to be true to yourself first. If my mates/work colleagues dis me for it, then they are probably not the kind of people I need in my life. The truth of it is, everybody has been really supportive and few a more than a little surprised.

Q. Guy again – do you read other romance authors, apart from Eva?

I try to read anybody who is at the top of their game – it just takes me a while. Eva is a really good source of recommendations, especially when she devours a book at a rate of four to my one. I did sneak preview three other marvellous local authors not too long ago.

Q. Now that Queen of Speed is released, what can we expect to see from G.W. Gibson? What’s the new WIP?

There are two currently in the pipeline. Both are spinoffs from the Queen of Speed and will more likely sit in the romantic elements category. To Kill a Brother is about two people, who have relocated and changed their names to escape being sucked in the vortex of their bikie families, drawn together as a result of a murder investigation.

Q. And you, Eva. What’s next in store for your readers?

For the first time ever I’ve written a story for a collaborative anthology, A Season To Remember. My little tale is a Cinderella-trope set on the Gold Coast, Queensland. It’s a Christmas freebie out in late November.
In the meantime, I have a rural/outback romance, Red Dust Dreaming, out in April 2015 with Harlequin Escape. I am currently working on another one called Red Dust and Sequins which is about a professional dancer who decides to try her hand at farming.

Thank you both very much for chatting with me today. Good luck with the new release, Guy.

And Eva, best of luck with your forthcoming Anthology release with three *ah hem* other wonderful writers. (Please note the humility here). A Season to Remember is an anthology of short stories by Eva Scott, Susanne Bellamy, Elizabeth Ellen Carter, and myself. Out on November 28th.

Okay. That was the “shameless plug”. It’s been a real pleasure having you here. Good luck to you both.

Blurbs:

Queen of Speed by G.W. Gibson - Penny MacIntyre races motorcycles and runs her own clothing import business. Her world is shattered when a lifelong friend is hospitalised with debilitating injuries. In desperation she turns to a long lost childhood acquaintance with a dubious past.   OUT NOW!!







Barbarian Bride by Eva Scott - On the bloody ground of the Colosseum, she fights to save her life. In the treacherous boxes above, he fights to save their love.

Though Klara didn't love the man who was to be her husband, she didn't want him murdered, and she vows to track down the man who committed the crime. Sickened that she'd been attracted to the mysterious Roman, Klara tracks Lucius Aurelius to the fringes of the Roman Empire, only to find that they've both been trapped in a clever plot to overthrow Klara's father, the Chief of the Huns.


Klara is separated from Lucius, captured by slavers and sold to a gladiator school. She is the only one who can save herself, by fighting for her freedom. Lucius can ensure her battle is easier, but only by sacrificing himself. How much is he willing to give up for the fiery woman he's come to love?

The Last Gladiatrix by Eva Scott - In the dust and death of the Colosseum, a slave fights for freedom, a soldier fights for his life, and they both fight for the love that has been forbidden.

Captured and enslaved by a Roman legion, Xanthe never expects to end up training for the Colosseum floor, but every night after the day’s march, she is put through her paces by a Roman solider who challenges her, tests her, and excites her.

Titus is drawn to Xanthe, her fire and her spirit, so he breaks one of his rules and brings notice on himself, offering to train her as a gladiatrix to spare her a courtesan’s role. But training her, working with her, soon becomes too much. Titus knows the penalty for taking property that does not belong to him, but how
long can he resist?



Other books by Eva Scott:

• The Marriage Makeover
• The Reluctant Wedding Planner
• T'was The Night Before Christmas

Contact the authors:

http://gwgibsonauthor.weebly.com/
http://www.evascottromance.com/





Eva - http://amzn.to/1CHGYBK

Guy - http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Queen of Speed - from G.W. Gibson - chicks on bikes


Queen of Speed by G.W. Gibson.

Published by Secret Cravings Publishing.


Last thing girl racer Penny McIntyre needs is bad boy Bryce Huntington bringing trouble to her door. But she needs him – and he needs her.

It’s not easy being a girl in an all-male world. Penny McIntyre has to fight every day to hold her place on the race track. Her lifelong dream of sponsorship is realised when she is offered the chance to ride as part of a Justin Byrne’s 600cc motorcycle team. At long last her dreams are in reach.
Her world is turned into upside down when her mechanic is injured and she discovers Bryce Huntington, her childhood sweetheart, is back in town. Even though he shattered her heart ten years ago she has no other choice but to enlist Bryce’s help in the pit. What she hasn’t counted on is the animosity between Justin and Bryce which threatens to throw her world into chaos. Everything she has worked for is in danger of disappearing.
She has to choose who to trust, who to protect and who to let go.