Coleen Kwan

Can't believe that summer is more than halfway over. We spent a week with family at a beach house with incredible views over the ocean. Lots of yummy food, swimming in the sea, and beautiful sunsets made for a relaxing break. I read some great books, including Uprooted by Naomi Novik and The Shameless Hour by Sarina Bowen, one of my favourite authors.

Now I'm back at home and gearing up for two big releases. First is Unexpectedly Yours, released under the Entangled Bliss line, and next is Best Friends with the Billionaire, an Entangled Indulgence release. My publisher's publicity department is fantastic, which is great for me because I'm not very good at blowing my own horn. I'm also working on a couple of proposals with the help of my editors.

DS goes back to school on Thursday, while DD starts her game art and animation course next week. I can't help feeling anxious for them, which they both hate, of course, but that's the price of parenthood.

Looking forward to sharing the covers of my upcoming releases :)

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.