Coleen Kwan

Well, it's the last day of the month and the last day of the year!

Christmas is done and dusted for another twelve months. I went to various family events three days in a row, so it was a bit of a social marathon for me. The weather was perfect, and the food was delicious. I have to say that I love a good pavlova or trifle at Christmas time!

DD has her learner's licence now, so it's white knuckle time for me. Within the first half hour of her driving, she managed to bump the car into a wall, so now I'm leaving it to DP to teach her. I find it's actually quite hard explaining how to drive since it's something that most drivers just do automatically. Thinking about it actually makes it more difficult to do. Here in NSW learner drivers have to log 120 hours of driving before they can apply for their provisional licence, so there's still a long way for her to go.

On the writing front I'm busy editing my secret project and making mock ups of the cover. I love using canva for this, as it offers lots of great fonts. I only wish it was easier to align text. Also sent a proposal to my editor, which she liked, thank heaven. Hopefully I'll learn more about that in the new year.

This is also the time of year when new year's resolutions are made. I've drawn up a rather ambitious writing plan for 2016. I figured I should set my targets on the high side in the hope that this will make me stretch myself. I know there are many things I could do better; maybe 2016 will be the year to achieve them.

Hope you're enjoying the holidays, and perhaps you'll even have time to read a book or two :)

An early Christmas present!

HIS MILLIONAIRE MAID is only 99 cents for the month of December. If you haven't got a copy, you can pick one up at any of the following stores:

In Sydney nothing heralds the coming of summer more than the jacaranda trees coming into bloom. Mauve blooms carpet the streets, and sweet scents attract bees. An avenue of jacarandas in full bloom really lifts the spirits.

It's been a month of busy edits on several books, including those coming in 2016. My secret project is developing nicely. The second draft of book 1 is finished, and I plan to write the first draft of book 2 during this month, using Nanowrimo as inspiration. All these different books on the go sometimes gets me muddled. I am not a great multi-tasker when it comes to writing. I like to concentrate on one book at a time, but sometimes that's not possible.

It's also been a month of weekly visits to the hospital for my son's broken hand. He's been seeing the physio each week, and I'm impressed by the level of care he's received. Our public health care system might not be perfect, but we're lucky to have it. My son's hand healed in time for him not to have to wear the awkward splint to his Year 10 formal. It was quite something to see him dressed up in a spiffy suit looking tall and handsome (he would hate me saying this, but I doubt very much he reads my blog!). Where did the time go? It seems like only yesterday when he was a three-year-old running around in his Batman pajamas.

Some limited time specials:

To celebrate their 10th anniversary, Samhain Publishing is taking 20% off their books. You can pick up COURTING THE COP or DARKE LONDON.

For this week only all Entangled Bliss books are 99 cents only. You can pick up my Real Men books: REAL MEN DON'T BREAK HEARTS, REAL MEN DON'T QUIT, and ONE REAL MAN.

We're not even midway through spring and already we're facing a 4 day heatwave here in Sydney. I'm hauling out my shorts and T-shirts, and thinking of getting a hair cut so I can cope with the hot weather. I don't know how I'd survive summer without our air conditioners! When I checked our last electricity bill, I was surprised to see that we use less power during summer than winter, so I won't feel so guilty this year when I reach for the switch.

My son somehow managed to break a bone in his hand (sixteen-year-old teenager, that's how) which meant a 5 hour trip to the emergency department plus several more follow up visits. I was expecting he'd get a plaster cast, but these days thermoplastic splints are all the go. He can take it off to clean his hand and to do his physiotherapy exercises. Of course breaking his hand gave him the perfect excuse for postponing his school assignments and not doing his share of housework!

Our neighbours are selling their house, and their backyard looks so Home Beautiful I feel I'm letting them down with our straggly collection of tired plants. The rosemary plant that looked like it had died, decided to throw out a few green shoots, so it's saved from the garbage bin for now. I'm hoping to get down to the garden centre and pick up a few new plants. Come spring, I always get a rush of optimism that this year I'll finally turn into a good gardener, but my brown thumb always seems to get the upper hand.

I've started work on a third Rochester book for the Entangled Indulgence line. Book 1 was published last year (Undercover in the CEO's Bed), and Book 2 is currently going through editing (Best Friends with the Billionaire). Book 3 features a type of hero I haven't written before, so I'm hoping I can do him justice.

I'm also working on edits for two other books. One is due for release in January called Love, Dogs, and Other Catastrophes, and hopefully I'll be able to show off its cover soon. The other book, which hasn't yet got a title, is due for release in March 2016. So there's plenty of work keeping me busy!

Hope you're enjoying spring or autumn wherever you are.

Spring is in the air. I've packed away the thermals and the extra blanket. Spring is lovely in Sydney before the summer humidity sweeps in. My son's soccer season is done and dusted for another year, and he survived his first school trip to the snow without injuring himself (which was a relief, seeing as two other kids ended up in hospital, one with a broken ankle).

In the past month I've knuckled down to my writing and managed to finish the first draft of my secret writing project. I'm quite excited about this new genre I'm experimenting in!


And now for some book promotion news. Entangled Publishing is putting all their Indulgence titles on sale at the special price of 99 cents from August 31 to September 6, and this includes my two titles, Baiting the Boss and Undercover in the CEO's Bed. So grab a book or two while they're on sale :)

(Note: Sale is for US digital format only. Please confirm pricing with retailer before purchasing.)

Today it's my pleasure to host Kitty Buchotz, my writing buddy and author of superhero urban fantasy and romantic comedy. Take it away, Kitty!

Falling in Love for the Last Time

One of my favorite parts of books and movies is that first meeting between a man and woman where the sparks fly. That electric moment is closely followed by the first kiss. You can only have a first kiss once, so it’s got to be good! Or at least be a good terrible story to tell later.

For instance, my first kiss with my husband of twenty-five years started out as a DISASTER in all caps. I was nineteen and John had recently turned twenty, so I can’t say we were terribly mature young adults. It was 1988 and I’d come of age in the “Me Generation.” My reasoning when I’d asked him out a few days earlier was, I’m a modern 80s woman, I’ll ask him out and so I’ll pay for the movie and dessert.

The date started about as badly as a date can, and it only got worse. By the end of the evening, I was determined to get my kiss and go home (i.e., walk back to the dorms). After all, I was a modern woman, I’d done all the right things, and if men can demand a kiss at the end of a date they paid for, I could, too!

Would you believe me if I told you getting that kiss was about the most work I’ve ever had on a date? I don’t know what John was thinking, but he was playing hard-to-get like his life depended on it! When I finally planted one on his lips, he didn’t react for what seemed like forever. I was pretty mad by then, and I decided I wasn’t sticking around. I was done with him.

But as I started to pull away, he finally moved. In my surprise, I stopped pulling away. Then his hand was cupping the back of my head, and his lips were doing delicious things to mine. The ice cream cookie we’d shared after the movie had nothing on this sweet treat. In fact, I decided maybe I’d give him another chance. :)

That was my last first kiss. Two and a half years later, we were married in the Presbyterian Church of Traverse City in Northern Michigan. If you’ve never been to Traverse City, you’ve got to look it up. It might end up being your next vacation destination. It’s a beautiful area situated on a pair of bays off Lake Michigan. Cherry trees bloom in the late spring, skiing and snowmobiling are popular winter activities, and the food and wine are great all year long.

I fell in love in Traverse City, so it was no surprise to find myself writing my first romance novel set in that beautiful town. My superhero series is located in “Double Bay, Michigan” – remember I told you Traverse City has two bays? In fact, all of my stories so far are set in that area. But in Little Miss Lovesick, I wanted to highlight the character and atmosphere of the real town I love so I used names of real places, including restaurants. (If you go, you must try the cinnamon rolls at The Omelette Shoppe!)

In this excerpt from the middle of Chapter One of Little Miss Lovesick, Sydney Riley runs into the new fishing guide, Matt Engel, on a girls-only fly-fishing vacation in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Sparks fly, and not the good kind! But like my own romance, love wins out in the end.

If you like the excerpt, the book is free on Amazon in all countries through Saturday, August 22. And if you’re now thinking about your own romance, whether a summer fling or your last first kiss, tell us about it in the comments. It’ll be fun!

Excerpt from Little Miss Lovesick

Everyone followed Patty into the store. Everyone but me. I waved Emily off, deciding I needed to breathe in some soothing, wilderness air. The sugar blues that follow a sugar buzz wasn’t helping my roller coaster of emotions. I decided to self-medicate. I opened another candy bar and a can of Sprite from our stash.

Starting today, I would force my broken heart to heal if it was the last thing I did. Then maybe I’d lock it away someplace safe.

Don’t say that, said Little Miss Lovesick. Love is the most wonderful thing in the world. You just need to find true love.

True love. That’s what I wanted, but if I thought I had it once and I was wrong, how was I ever going to know how to find it for real?

I walked through the grass, trying unsuccessfully not to tread on the flowers. Closing my eyes, I savored the feel of the breeze on my face. Ahh, heaven. Feeling calmer, I folded the empty candy wrapper and stuck it in my pocket. I took a swallow of ice cold Sprite as I climbed the porch steps—

And ran smack into an opening screen door. Which wouldn’t have been so bad except the body moving through the door was moving in my direction and crashed into me. Cold Sprite sloshed down my shirt, making me gasp.

“Damn! Are you all right?” A hand cupped my cheek and moved the screen door away from my face. Cold Sprite dripped all down my front. I took a step backward in an awkward attempt to get away. I felt my balance wobble. The hand firmly gripped my elbow, moving me away from the danger of the stairs.

Sputtering from the pop up my nose and in one eye, I wiped at my eyes and squinted to see what had just happened.

It’s The Diet Coke Man, Little Miss Lovesick choked out.

I know I watch too many YouTube videos, but Lovesick may have been right. The Diet Coke Man from the “11:30” commercials was standing right in front of me. A flash of the commercial where the office women ogle the construction worker across the street blew through my brain. Dark hair and piercing eyes, built like a Viking. The way his black T-shirt outlined his muscular form did nothing to remind me that Heartbreak was the reason I had to get away.

Luscious, said Lovesick.

Holy… I tried to squeegee the liquid from my eye. Yeah, he looked equally fabulous with both eyes open. He stared at me in a concerned way that made my stomach flutter. I kind of liked men who looked at a woman this way. Like all you had to do was say the word and they’d fix whatever was broken.

The Diet Coke Man brushed drops of Sprite from my cheek and chin and I immediately sprang back, which only caused him to grasp my elbow tighter as I fell onto a lower step. Theoretically, I liked that kind of man. Realistically, I needed to keep my distance.

“Excuse me!” I found my footing and backed out of reach. He let go when I grabbed the handrail on the stairs.

“Sorry, sorry.” He wiped his damp hand on his jeans, and had the grace to look embarrassed. “Are you all right?” He was dangerously appealing standing there trying to help, looking both embarrassed and amused.

I shook my wet right hand, not really wanting to wipe it on my shorts (like a guy), and wiped my face with my left hand. My cold chest caught my gaze and I gasped, pulling the fabric away from my body.

“Fine!” Did I look fine? My shirt was white and wet. My bra was black and lacey. I glared at him so he knew I was lying about being fine. He couldn’t have noticed my glare, however, because he was staring at—

Look for a ring, Lovesick murmured.

You’re not looking for a wedding ring on a stranger who knocked you down and is now ogling your breasts, declared Sergeant Pride.

“Uh, wait right here,” said The Diet Coke Man, and he rushed back inside. As he opened the door, my eyes followed his left hand — but accidentally. Didn’t matter. Couldn’t tell. A moment later he was back, ripping a wad of napkins from a plastic package.

I swear, if he started dabbing at my chest with them like Hugh Grant did to Julia Roberts in Notting Hill, I’d pour the rest of my pop over his head.

“Here, I’ll trade you,” he said as he took the can and handed me the napkins.

“Thanks.” I tried to blot my shirt without making a peep show out of the black lace. I turned slightly to my right for a bit of privacy. Why did I wear this on a camping trip?

I glanced up to see if he was watching. He smiled. My hand paused while blotting my shirt. This man’s smile was so — so gorgeous. His eyes were an amazing shade of blue. I wanted to offer him the smallest of smiles back. After all, he did look fairly innocent and embarrassed. Instead, I stopped giving him the evil eye. That was as accommodating as I was willing to be.

A Rescuing Hero if I ever saw one, sighed Lovesick.

I tried to think of something to say, something funny to diffuse the tension. Something smart so I wouldn’t look like such a dork.

“I, uh…”

“I’m really sorry,” he said. He took my damp napkins and handed me back my pop can. With his left hand.

No ring! Lovesick squealed.

“Let me buy you another shirt,” he said, nodding at my wet chest. He was trying to pretend he wasn’t still staring. Rather gentlemanly for the backwoods.

He was already halfway through the door when I mumbled something that was supposed to be, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll get a fresh one from my suitcase,” but came out as, “No, I-I…”

A moment later he pressed a blue plaid button-down flannel shirt into my hands. I stared at it trying to remember a time I had ever worn a flannel shirt. Before I could think about it further, he grabbed it, ripped the tag off with his teeth, and handed the shirt back to me.

I blinked at him. He was so not Dirk. I liked that about him.

“Sorry again,” he said. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get a few things done before we get started.” He trotted off the porch to a nearby pickup (which he’d left unlocked in a decidedly small town way) and started rummaging around.

Before we what? I stood there staring stupidly after him, a flannel shirt in one hand and a forgotten pop can in the other. A fly buzzed past my nose and I snapped out of my trance.

You could go over and talk to him, suggested Lovesick.

Of all the things I might do on this trip, I was not going to flirt with some handsome stranger. No freaking way. My plan was to get over men, not rebound like a basketball.

About Kitty Bucholtz

Kitty Bucholtz writes superhero urban fantasy and romantic comedy, often with an inspirational element woven in. Her stories feature women whose sense of humor and nervous gutsy-ness get them into and out of all kinds of trouble.

Married to her college sweetheart, their romantic romps have included a scolding at Parliament House in Belfast for canoodling, and two trips Down Under while her handsome hubby made a movie penguin named Mumble dance. Meanwhile, she’s (sort of) fighting an addiction to all things Monsters, Inc. Only God knows where they’ll wind up next, but it’s sure to be another adventure filled with romance and laughter!

The last month of winter, and magnolia trees are coming into bud. Am I the only one who likes winter? I find the cool weather refreshing after many months of Sydney humidity.



Last month started off with the release of His Millionaire Maid, which was very exciting. I had a whirlwind blog tour and gave away some giftcards. The reviews have been very heartening! I like to think I've grown a thick skin about bad reviews, but the truth is they still hurt, so it's great to read the good ones. Most of the rest of the month was spent working on my new writing project, which is a departure from my romance writing. I still have a lot to do before it's presentable, but I'm having a lot of fun with it.

July in our house has become synonymous with the Tour de France and many a late night watching men in lycra riding past ancient castles and magnificent scenery. Not to mention Gabriel Gate and all that delicious French food! I love it when he visits those small local farmers and tastes gorgeous cheeses. So yum.

Both of my Serendipity romance novellas are now available at major ebook retailers.

My Serendipity romance novella, ALL WORK AND NO PLAY, is free on Amazon from July 3 to 5!


Anna Reynolds is stuck with the infuriating Giles St Clair. If she wants to meet her project deadline, she needs the highly sought after consultant’s help. But everything about Giles annoys Anna, from his posh English accent to the way every woman swoons at his feet.

And the worst thing about Giles? She can’t help being attracted to him. Not that she’ll ever act on that attraction. A messy office affair would stall her career, and she’s not interested in being another notch on Giles’s bedpost.

When a close encounter with Giles in a stationery cupboard forces the truth out, Anna forgets all her own rules. She and Giles need a circuit-breaker, and one steamy summer night together might be just what they both need.

But is one night enough?

My latest book HIS MILLIONAIRE MAID from Entangled Publishing releases July 7!

Here's the blurb:

As far as Nina Beaumont is concerned, money ruins everything. Leave it to her wealthy family to screw up her professional life and her personal life. When she crashes and her car sinks, sending her identification and all her belongings spiraling into the watery abyss, Nina sees her chance to escape.

And stumbles into a job with the hottest man she’s ever met…as his maid.

Between running an inn, caring for his grandmother, and trying to keep the dirty-dealing Beaumont Corporation from stealing his land, Joe Farina's plate is full. He doesn't have time for romantic entanglements—especially not with the suspiciously bad maid he just hired, no matter how much he needs her…both in and out of his bed.

Screwing with her life is one thing, but Nina’s not about to let her family screw with Joe. That is, if she doesn’t lose him when he finds out who she really is.

Entangled Publishing is running a Goodreads giveaway of 1 print copy. Please click here for details.

And here's my gorgeous cover:

Winter has officially arrived here in Sydney. We've had some really cold nights already. Winter means the Tour de France is just around the corner, which means lots of late nights.

My son will be going on a school skiing trip soon. This is the first time anyone in our family will be skiing, and I didn't realise it would involve so much equipment. Sydney winters don't get cold enough for snow so we don't have much use for thermal underwear. I'm predicting this ski trip will be very exhausting for my son. Wake up call is at 6 am and the first ski lessons start at 8:15 am. This is going to be hell on a teenager who usually only rolls out of bed at 8 and needs half an hour to wake up!

My daughter has sucked me into watching Dexter. She's a bad influence on me. First it was illegal drugs (Breaking Bad), and now it's serial killers. Dexter is such a weird, twisted character but I have to admit he's growing on me. We've only finished season three, so there's lots more binge watching in store for us.

This past month I've spent finishing the edits on two books, reading copy edits, writing blurbs and cover descriptions. I have the covers for both my books now and they are both wonderful in different ways. Can't wait to show them off soon. His Millionaire Maid will be releasing in July (Entangled Publishing), while Courting the Cop hits the virtual shelves in October (Samhain Publishing).

22 May is the International Day for Biodiversity (with a special focus on marine environments) and 23 May is World Turtle Day.

The only time I've seen a turtle in the wild was many years ago in the Whitsundays when my partner and I went bare-boating for a week. The scenery and weather were spectacular, and we had a great time even though we managed to run the yacht aground on our first night! (Hint: the tidal range in the Whitsundays can be huge. Luckily, we got stuck in the mangroves and not on coral reefs.) We saw the turtle as we were sailing towards Turtle Bay on Whitsunday Island, appropriately enough.

Let's hope both turtles and the Great Barrier Reef are protected for many generations to come.


Photo credit: "Total internal reflection of Chelonia mydas" by Brocken Inaglory - Own work. Licensed under GFDL via Wikimedia Commons

Just after Easter I managed to get away to the country for a few days with the family. The weather was perfect, and the bush was green and peaceful.




I somehow had two sets of edits for different books land in my inbox at the same time, so I've been buried in editing for most of the month. I'm really pleased how these two books are shaping up. One is due for release in July and the other in October.

The Sydney weather has been crazy lately. First, we had three days of torrential rain, then we were hit by a massive hailstorm that pulverized our garden. Some of the ice still hadn't melted by the next morning. All this rain is playing havoc with my son's soccer games, which I don't mind at all because it leaves me more time for reading!

And finally, I've lost a few kilos since starting the CSIRO diet. Not a huge amount, but I feel a lot better and I have fewer cravings. I didn't follow the diet slavishly but I am eating a lot more vegetables now, and I feel it's a nutrition plan I can follow long-term, which is far better than yo-yo dieting.

Well, that's all the news for this month. :)

My second Serendipity romance is now available:

In an attempt to keep this blog interesting, I thought I might try a monthly update of what I’ve been doing. So here is my first!

The beginning of this year has just zoomed by, and I can’t believe three months have already passed and the first school term is ending this week. This past month has been very busy writing-wise. I released Fireworks At Midnight, a contemporary novella, which I have chosen to enrol in KDP Select (meaning it is also available to Kindle Unlimited subscribers). This is the first time I’ve used KDP Select, and I hope to learn more about their special promotions, etc. I need to be in KDP Select for at least 3 months; after that I’ll review my options. I also need to get a move on and write the second novella in the series. I’m hoping to start that next week maybe.

This month I’ve also been hard at work doing edits for my first Entangled Lovestruck romance. I’m really excited about this book. The story has changed a number of times, but I think it’s getting there. I don’t know about other writers, but I tend to get stagefright when I receive that first editorial letter from my editor. At first the changes/suggestions seem so enormous and frightening! So I usually let the letter percolate in my brain for a couple of days before I jot down in point form everything that needs doing. With a plan at hand, it’s a bit easier to jump in and start the edits.

Some good news: Samhain Publishing has bought a contemporary romance of mine! It’s about a sexy (of course) cop and a girl who runs a yarn store. I had a lot of fun brainstorming this one. I even created a Pinterest board, which I may make public later on. I’m looking forward to publishing this story. Don’t have a release date yet, but hopefully it’s later this year.

On a more personal note, I’ve been trying to follow the CSIRO diet for the past three weeks. I’m not exactly overweight, but I do have some middle-age spread around the waist and a hereditary risk of developing type 2 diabetes, so I thought it was time to start eating better food. The first week I lost 1.4kg much to my surprise, but since then my weight hasn’t budged. I do think my diet’s improved, though. Lots of salads and far less rice and pasta (my favourite carbs). With Easter looming ahead, I’m hoping to resist the lure of chocolate easter eggs and hot cross buns!

By Ikonact via Wikimedia Commons

This year I'm planning to publish some shorter works under the series name Serendipity. These will be short, breezy romances that blossom seemingly out of nowhere. Initially they will only be available on Amazon (free on Kindle Unlimited), but will be available on other platforms later on.

My first Serendipity romance is:

ONE REAL MAN concludes my Real Men series. I've had a great time writing these books and have worked with some wonderful editors, especially Stacy Abrams. Each book has had its own challenges. This is the first series I've written, and it hasn't always been plain sailing. I don't know what it is, but writing a series doesn't come naturally to me like it seems to with other writers. I've loved spending time with my characters, and I hope some of my readers have too!

The other books in the series are:

I'm taking part in this year's Australian Women Writers Challenge, and I think I chose the Stella level, which is to read 4 and review 3. So this is my first review for the year!



She thinks he's stuffy. He thinks she's spoilt. Then the gloves come off and so do their clothes!