Ally Blake's Blog

"Love Me Tender" is free for one week only - here's how you can get your copy...  http://bit.ly/allyblake Till then, here's a little background about the book... MY FAVOURITE THINGSOne of my favourite things about being a writer is the chance to pepper my stories with personal odes.I'm like Hansel and Gretel in reverse - sprinkling before me a pathway of succulent treats that make the journey to the end of the tale just that much more fun.My footy team always wins. My heroines eat my favourite food.  Our family cars have each put in an appearance.  And I often drop in little jokes only my mum and sister would get. Here are some of my favourite things I indulged in while writing my latest story, Love Me Tender, the first book in the brand spanking newCinderella Project series:·         watching muscle cars being restored on Youtube (Mustangs all the way)·         listening to a lot of Elvis (Trouble, anyone?)·         eating M&Ms (lots and lots and lots of M&MS)·         drinking coffee from a pretty pink tea cup ('cause I can)·         playing 'spot the jacaranda tree' with my kids (we mums need car games like we need air!)·         Googling flamingo ornaments (a girl could lose herself on Etsy.com)·         enjoying a little vintage Italian cinema (Bud Spencer and Terence Hill, baby) ·         naming minor characters after people I know (ie a mix of two of my best friends from primary and high school) ·         laughing myself silly as friends told me wild stories about adventures on actual building sites (Chapter 6, for anyone reading along)And to think I could call it all research :).But the greatest treat of all is the chance to send Love Me Tender out into the world.   So, welcome to the Cinderella Project - a world of match making mayhem...old-school style (and the occasional flamingo.) Hope you enjoy the ride! AllyxXx

Today sees the release of LOVE ME TENDER the first book in my newCinderella Projectseries!
Set in an upmarket dating agency the Cinderella Project series promises dollops of warmth, sprinkles of heat, and oodles of match-making mayhem...old school-style.          

One of my books is getting a makeover and my fabulous publishers are giving you guys the chance to help choose the new cover!

Originally entitled Second Chance Honeymoon, it's a fun, romantic romp about a young woman who is accidentally booked on an over-sixties love-bird cruise.

So, which cover do you like best?

Head over to the Holiday Books Facebook page and vote!

More about the book here:  http://bit.ly/sch-amazon

A bunch of my earliest books have now come out as #ebooks and as such I'll be highlighting a new one every month.  First up...my debut book THE WEDDING WISH.

Here's a passage I recently stumbled upon which I'd deleted from the final round of copy edits.  Just for you :).

As Holly drove through the light pre-rush hour traffic, the city buildings were bathed in the golden light of a soon to be setting sun.  Her mind wandered and she imagined what Jacob’s apartment would look like.

Would his place be like the unit Ben lived in before he met Beth; all football posters and beanbags and empty pizza boxes?  Maybe he would have a manly man’s bachelor pad with a bearskin rug by the fireplace, overstuffed maroon leather couches and a deer’s head on the wall.  Or was his apartment like the St John lithograph he had told her he owned - cold, bleak, and austere?
As she pulled the car to a stop at a red light she realised this picture did not gel either.
Whichever version of Jacob was to meet her at his home tonight, she just knew she was very much looking forward to his conversation.  And his laugh.  The smile in his voice, the crinkles around his eyes, the dimple in his cheek that went with that laugh.  The graceful way he lounged his well-built frame in any chair as though he had not a care in the world.
And the way he looked at her, his hazel eyes glimmering with inscrutable thoughts when he thought she wasn’t looking.  The huskiness in his honey-over-gravel voice when he told her she was gorgeous.  And - The car behind her beeped its horn, as the light had turned green.  She waved in apology as she took off.
You can grab the ebook here today!

Hey gang!

I can't believe it's December already. That's summer down here, which means sweltering days, short shorts, hours spent in the backyard pool, frog song on the air. And of course Christmas bearing down upon us quicker than we can handle.

With three kids seven and under this is a particularly wondrous time of year. Santa's letters have been posted, the tree goes up the day after my son's birthday, and gifts are secreted away in any number of hidey holes lest inquiring minds go looking :).

As for you, my fabulous readers, I have a pre-Xmas gift up for grabs. Enter my "Holiday Escape" raffle for the chance to win three Ally Blake ebooks of your choice!!!

A trilogy perhaps? There's the St Kilda Storeys (Marriage Make-Over, How to Marry a Billionaire, A Mother For His Daughter) or The Kellys of Brisbane (Dating the Rebel Tycoon, Getting Red-Hot with the Rogue, Millionaire Dad's SOS). Or any other combo you like.

So tweet, "Like", follow, join my mailing list, enter the comp any way that you like. And I totally hope you win.

And yes I mean you. :)

love
Ally

 I'm so excited that the website for my new graphics business - ALLYOOP DESIGNS - has finally gone live! From the very beginning of my writing career I've designed my own website - wanting, needing, to know how that kind of thing worked.  (And gosh that first one was terrible!)  Since then I've built dozens of other people's websites on request, taught myself html, and Photoshop, figuring things out as I needed to know them. And today I can add...   And a slew of other design strings to my bow. I love the work, love that it uses a different part of the creative brain from writing.  I love the pretty and the colour and balance and the evolution of a design.  I love the joy in a client's voice when a project is complete. Follow my Facebook page for the latest AllyOop news, and for any design enquiries email me at allyoopdesigns@yahoo.com

The Resisting the Musician blog tour is up and away!  (Dates and links below)

Giveaways include books, a signed post card, and custom made guitar picks with the name of the book's signature song - "I Pick You" stamped upon them.

I hope you win :).

Ally
xXx

7/28 ~ Manga Maniac Cafe ~ Guest Blog
7/28 ~ Inner Goddess ~ Promo , Review
7/29 ~ desiremeonly ~ Guest Blog
7/29 ~ Book Nook Nuts ~ Promo 
7/30 ~ Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance ~ Promo 
7/30 ~ My Reading Room ~ Review
7/30 ~ deal sharing aunt ~ Promo 
7/31 ~ First Page to the Last ~ Review
7/31 ~ A Passion for Romance ~ Promo
8/1 ~ The Revolving Bookcase ~ Promo , Review
8/4 ~ The Book Bellas ~ Promo 
8/4 ~ Becky on Books ~ Promo , Review
8/5 ~ In My Humble Opinion ~ Review
8/5 ~ Kate George - Author ~ Promo 
8/6 ~ All Things Romance ~ Promo 
8/6 ~ Romantic Reads and Such ~ Promo 
8/6 ~ Babbling about books and more ~ Promo 
8/7 ~ Sleepless Nights Filled with Endless Books ~ Review
8/7 ~ She Hearts Books ~ Review
8/7 ~ Gigi's Book Blog ~ Review
8/8 ~ Talking Books Blog ~ Promo
8/8 ~ Ramblings of a Book Lunatic ~ Promo , Review

Head on over to the Harlequin Junkie where I'm chatting about SECOND CHANCE HONEYMOON!

There's a giveaway, and a fab review of the book in which Sara so graciously said, "Second Chance Honeymoon is a fast paced, light hearted, great romantic escape read."

Enter the comp and say "hi" for your chance to win a back list Ally Blake ebook!

My husband MP3 player is currently filled with Billy Joel.  I love me some Billy Joel - the man's a poet, honest to goodness.

Only I gut stuck between the kitchen and the hall yesterday when Innocent Man came on.  It's a song I adore, the music beautiful, the lyrics poignant.

But not having heard it for a good while it's the first time the lyrics meant something new to me.  When it hit me that this song is about every hero I write. About the kind of man who can see past a woman digging in her heels against love, knowing she's doing so because of past hurt, and is willing to wait it out.

INNOCENT MAN

Some people stay far away from the door
If there's a chance of it opening up
They hear a voice in the hall outside
And hope that it just passes by

Some people live with the fear of a touch
And the anger of having been a fool
They will not listen to anyone
So nobody tells them a lie

I know you're only protecting yourself
I know you're thinking of somebody else
Someone who hurt you
But I'm not above
Making up for the love
You've been denying you could ever feel
I'm not above doing anything
To restore your faith if I can
Some people see through the eyes of the old
Before they ever get a look at the young
I'm only willing to hear you cry
Because I am an innocent man
Oh yes I am

Some people say they will never believe
Another promise they hear in the dark
Because they only remember too well
They heard somebody tell them before
Some people sleep all alone every night
Instead of taking a lover to bed
Some people find that's it's easier to hate
Than to wait anymore
I know you don't want to hear what I say
I know you're gonna keep turning away
But I've been there and if I can survive
I can keep you alive
I'm not above going through it again
I'm not above being cool for a while
If you're cruel to me I'll understand

Some people run from a possible fight
Some people figure they can never win
And although this is a fight I can lose
The accused is an innocent man
Oh yes I am
An innocent man

You know you only hurt yourself out of spite
I guess you'd rather be a martyr tonight
That's your decision
But I'm not below
Anybody I know
If there's a chance of resurrecting a love
I'm not above going back to the start
To find out where the heartache began

Some people hope for a miracle cure
Some people just accept the world as it is
But I'm not willing to lay down and die
Because I am an innocent man

I am an innocent man
Oh yes I am
An innocent man
See what I mean?  An honest to goodness poet.

One of the best things about writing for a living is that everything is research; eavesdropping, navel-gazing, googling pictures of Justice Joslin…

And travel.

I’ve done a bit of travelling in my time.  Europe, North America, bits and pieces of my home country of Australia.  And every time I go anywhere new I do so with a notebook, a pen, and a wide open imagination, meaning many of the places I’ve been have ended up in books.

Paris (Steamy Surrender)Tuscany (A Mother for His Daughter)Venice (The Secret Wedding Dress)Louisiana (When Honey Got Married…)
My latest Harlequin Kiss is set in the fictional beachside town of Crescent Bay but most of the locales were based on a week I spent in Palm Cove in Far North Queensland. It’s a resort town, with local shops, gorgeous resorts, pristine white beaches, island hopper boats to schlep you out to the Great Barrier Reef as well as lots of untouched local colour.  All of which is imbedded on my brain from my holiday there years ago which I hope helped make Crescent Cove feel like a real place, a warm place, a place you’d love to visit.

Then again I don’t know.   Justice Joslin, and googling pictures of him, helped the book just fine too J.  (Check out the Pinterest board for this book and you'll know what I mean :)) Happy readingAllyxXx
HER HOTTEST SUMMER YET
out now thru #HarlequinKiss - Amazon

( THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT - book two of Those Summer Nights - by Amy Andrews is out next month!)