Welcome to the Pastures New Online Launch Party

Thank you for dropping by to say hello, however you've found me it's nice to see you here, and if you've bought the book, I'll love you forever.

As it's the festive season, do help yourself to a mince pie

and imbibe some traditional mulled wine.

And while you're here you can chat to the other guests, enter my competition, take a shot at a Root Shoot and Marry with a difference, and even buy a copy of the book if you so wish. For those who feel inclined I've left you some room to post a review (five star naturally) - I will accept duff ones, unless they are abominably rude in which case I reserve the right to eject you from this blog forthwith!

Other then that, hope you have fun here, and take it in the spirit it's intended. Thanks to all who have bought the book so far, and hope you all have a fine and festive Christmas.

My thanks go to my many wonderful friends in the Romantic Novelist's Association who continue to be such a great support. For those interested, the RNA's longlist for their major award has just been announced at: http://www.rna-uk.org/index.php?page=rnoty_award - do go and check it out!

And especial thanks to the Dream Team at Avon and my wonderful agent for making my dream come true!

It's competition time!!

I have two signed copies of Pastures New to give away.

And a very simple competition.

In my writing I often take things that have actually happened to me and use them in the story. Regular readers of my blog may remember, I had a never to be forgotten experience involving an over active imagination and a shillelagh, which reinvented itself in Pastures New with Saffron wielding a shillelagh to ward off an unwelcome intruder. A true life incident involving my husband's wedding ring which he lost in his mother's garden, and which consequently reappeared some months later on a leaf, as been utilized I hope to suitably romantic effect.

So my question to you is this. If you were writing a novel (you may well be), what incident in your own life would you fictionalise and who would you do it?

The best two answers will get sent a copy. Mad Twin, you are allowed to enter, but as you're family you can't possibly be allowed to win!

email your answers to: jccwilliams@btinternet.com or post them here!

Root Shoot and Marry - The Balloon Game version

As this is a party, and it's Christmas, we need to play a drinking game. I pinched the Root Shoot and Marry game from my antipodean blogging friend Bec at Becandcall before, and she's kindly letting me use it again. However, this time there's a slight twist.

Given that I write romantic fiction I thought I'd have a heroes and heroines RSM, except that, of course I have FAR TOO MANY HEROES. So I couldn't choose three.

I hereby introduce to you Root Shoot and Marry (or Wed, Bed and Dead if you prefer) - The Balloon Game Version.


Below you will see pictured five of my top heroes, plus their leading ladies.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to decide which three heroes and which three heroines get to stay in the balloon. Then you can get on with the rootin' shootin' business.

Well of course... I had to start with the good Doctor...

Followed in no particular order by very yummy Clive Owen doing his Arthur bit.




And no self respecting female romantic worth her salt could fail to include the glorious superior and utterly wonderful Mr Johnny Depp in her list of top totty.


And Daniel Craig makes it here, thanks to "that" shower scene in James Bond. Though I have to fess up and say dammit he's gorgeous, but not especially photogenic. I was hard pushed to get a decent pic I can tell you.



And last but by no means least, the only good thing in the execrable Robin Hood - the fabulous, the smouldering, the wonderfully sexy Mr Richard Armitage. (Down girl, down!)






And for the gentleman we have, of course, the best Doctor's Assitant, ever, Rose Tyler aka Billie Piper. I'm sorry boys, I couldn't find a picture of her as Belle du Jour...



Nor for that matter could I find one of Keira dressed in blue and very little else as the most feisty Guinevere I've ever come across. Makes a change from all that pratting about with Lancelot anyway.


By rights she's in the wrong film, but hey, she was Johnny's leading lady in Edward Scissorhands, and jolly fine she was too, which is how Winona makes it into the heroines list. (Hopefully without a big bag of goodies snaffled from an American department store).





And as Mrs Coulter to Daniel Craig's Lord Asrael (I haven't seen it yet so please don't disappoint me and tell me it's crap), Nicole Kidman also makes the grade.




And finally - she's only here cos Guy of Gisborne fancies her - you've got Marian. They've dropped the Maid presumably because she's spent time shacked up with Robin in Sherwood Forest. Personally, I think she has pouty lips and I cannot imagine what she sees in wet old Robin when she could have Guy any day of the week (although on Saturday she did look as though she might be coming to her senses), but it takes all sorts, I suppose.

So that's your lot. Who will you save? Who will you lose? And more importantly which one of these red hot lovers is going to light your fire?

Buying Pastures New

Ok so this is a blatant plug. Sorry about that....

But. Should you perchance, not happened to have got hold of your copy of Pastures New yet, you can find it here:

http://www.tesco.com/books/product.aspx?R=9781847560087

and here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pastures-New-Julia-Williams/dp/1847560083

I will be donating a percentage of profits to my favourite charity Tadworth Court Children's Trust, and if I can set it up will be sorting out a JustGiving page.

Reviews

If you would like to review Pastures New you can email me via: juliacwilliams@btinternet.com and I will post them here. You are welcome to send a review even if you didn't like the book, so long as the comments you leave are constructive. Anything rude, aggressive or defamatory won't be put here!