Excerpt – Falling for her Italian Billionaire by Annie Claydon

First impressions matter, but often a heroine has to wait before she hears what a hero really thinks of her.  But I decided to ring the changes a little in this book, which is the first of my ‘London Heroes’ duet.

Gabriel DeMarco wakes up in hospital with a beautiful woman by his bedside.  The after-effects of the drugs that were slipped into his drink last night mean that he’s not able to stop himself from voicing exactly what’s on his mind…  

 

 

 

 

Chapter One

Gabriel DeMarco opened his eyes. That seemed to be quite enough work for today, so he closed them again.

‘How are you feeling?’ A woman’s voice flowed over him like warm honey. It was a nice voice, quiet yet firm. The kind of voice that any man should take notice of.

‘I could go back to sleep.’ The words slipped out before he had a chance to tell himself that sleeping probably wasn’t what the voice wanted him to do. And at the moment it seemed like a siren’s call, which couldn’t be resisted. ‘Or…I could wake up.’

It sounded as if the voice was smiling. ‘Why don’t you wake up? You’re in hospital.’

Really? The thought didn’t bother him as much as it should. He was comfortable and relaxed, as if lying on a cloud. He tried opening his eyes and light seared through his brain, making his head hurt. He’d just have to keep them closed for a while…

‘Which hospital?’ Not that it mattered particularly. But talking might convince the voice that he’d complied with her request.

‘The Royal Westminster. You’re in the private wing.’

That made sense. Someone must know who he was, and that the son of Leo DeMarco, head of one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in Europe, could stand the cost of a night’s stay in hospital. Or maybe he’d been here longer than just one night. Gabriel couldn’t remember.

He flexed his fingers, running his hand across his chest and then moving his legs. Everything appeared to be working. No pain. Whatever he was in here for was probably very minor…

‘Open your eyes.’

No… He didn’t want to. Maybe he said as much, without knowing it, or maybe the voice just read his mind, because he felt the touch of a hand against the side of his face.

‘Come on. Open your eyes.’

He couldn’t resist. This time the pain wasn’t so bad, because the hand was shading his face. When he turned his head in the direction of the voice, a mass of red-blonde curls and a pair of blue eyes snapped suddenly into focus. What had happened to him suddenly came a very poor second in importance to who she was.

‘What’s your name? Are you a nurse?’ Stupid question. She wore a dark blue sleeveless summer dress, which seemed to be held together by a few buttons and a belt around her waist. Clearly not a nurse unless they’d changed the uniform from sensible to sexy.

‘My name’s Clara Holt. I’m not a nurse, although I’m medically trained. Your father sent me.’

His father? Since when had he started sending women to sit at Gabriel’s bedside? The thought occurred to him that maybe his father had, for once, made a marvellous choice. She was perfezione…molto bella… Porcelain skin and shining gold hair. Right now, making the gorgeous Clara happy was all he wanted to do…

‘Grazie.’ Her lips curved into a slight smile. He’d missed out her lips, and that was unforgivable…

‘You speak Italian?’

‘Only a few words.’

She knew the ones that mattered. Every woman should understand the words a man said when he called her beautiful.

Wait. How many of his thoughts had sprung to his lips by mistake, and what language had he voiced them in? The feeling that this wasn’t right was beginning to nag at the edge of his consciousness. If he thought a woman beautiful, he usually had the manners to wait, and make quite sure it was the kind of compliment she wanted to hear.

Gabriel shook his head, trying to clear it, and struggled to sit up. Pain shot across his temples and he suddenly felt very nauseous. The wonderful Clara reached out, gently pushing him back down onto the pillows.

‘You’ll feel better in a moment, just take it slowly.’

She was an angel. Clara could take him up to her cloud any day of the week and…

No! He still wasn’t thinking straight. He fought to locate a sensible question in his head, and came up with only one.

‘What’s the matter with me?’

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New Releases

It’s June and we have brand spanking new releases for all of you! Including the debut book of our newest Medical Romance Author Deanne Anders!

 

Falling for her Italian Billionaire by Annie Claydon

Hired to protect him…

Now she’s falling for him!

In this London Heroes story, protecting Dr. Gabriel DeMarco from a threat against his family is no-nonsense bodyguard Clara Holt’s most challenging assignment yet. The Italian billionaire is distractingly gorgeous anddetermined to put his patients before his own safety! Clara vowed never again to risk mixing her career with romance — only while she’s busy protecting him, Gabriel’s busy breaking down the walls around her heart…

 

 

From Midwife to Mommy by Deanne Anders

The family she’s always wanted…

With the man she doesn’t expect!

Midwife Lana Sanders is about to adopt little Maggie, and gain the family she never thought she’d have, when pediatrician Trent Montgomery arrives claiming to be Maggie’s uncle! Lana won’t give up without a fight, but resisting the tempting Texan is her greatest battle. They work well together in the delivery room and sparks fly in the bedroom, but can Lana trust Trent with her heart?

 

 

Her Secret Miracle by Dianne Drake

Can their miracle baby…

…bind them — forever?

Dr. Michi Sato will never forget the night of incredible passion she shared with lone-wolf billionaire and surgeon Eric Hart. Especially as it resulted in the baby she never thought she’d have. Her son’s heart condition has meant Michi’s always put him first, but now she must fly him to New York for treatment…and tell guarded bachelor Eric that he’s a father!

 

 

Pregnant with Her Best Friend’s Baby by Alison Roberts

From friends with benefits…

To parents!

Paramedic dream team Maggie and Joe aren’t just crewmates in the Aratika Rescue Service, they’re also best friends. Until a particularly perilous, adrenaline-fueled rescue leads to one hot night in the shower! But Maggie discovers their unexpected and intensely passionate encounter had life-changing consequences. Now with a baby on the way, she can’t help but wonder, can she and Joe ever be more than just good friends…?

 

 

Second Chance with the Single Mom by Annie Claydon

Can their unexpected reunion…

…become a longed-for family?

In this London Heroes story, Dr. Alistair Duvall’s stunned when ex-wife Raina Elliot walks back into his life, needing help for her amputee daughter. After the heartbreak of losing their own baby, Alistair’s not prepared for the adorable little girl to capture his heart. And seeing Raina again rekindles a spark that never quite died… Can Raina convince him he can be the husband and father he wants to be?

 

 

The Surgeon’s Surprise Baby by Tina Beckett

He doesn’t believe in second chances…

Until one knocks on his door!

When neurologist Luca Venezio’s romance with surgeon Elyse Tenner ended as passionately as it began, he returned to Italy little knowing he’d left part of himself behind… Until Elyse arrives from America with their baby daughter and upends his world! Luca’s rocked by the bond with his little girl and how much he’s missed Elyse. Can they overcome the distance between them that’s more than merely miles?

 

Happy Reading! xo

A Summer of Mills & Boon Love

Spring has most definitely sprung here in the UK. We’ve had April showers, an Easter heatwave and now May is upon us there is sun. There’s no mistaking that we’re heading full speed into summer. A time when love (and hay fever!) are in the air! And while a British summer wouldn’t be complete without the threat of rain, here at True Love Towers we know that can only be a good thing… Because true love can’t shine until it’s weathered at least one storm!

The arrival of summer this year brings about a whole new collection of Medical Romance pairings. As usual our heroes and heroines are finding their very own HEAs, but we also have four brand-new duets. From the classic to the unique. Homages to British summertime and escapes to far flung exotic locations. All that’s left now is for you to decide which ones you want on your ‘Must Read’ list this year…

In June:

London Heroes by Annie Claydon
Doctors Gabriel DeMarco and Alistair Duvall founded The Watchlight Trust to help people get their lives back on track after they’ve been through life-changing trauma. And they work tirelessly to ensure their research can reach out to as many people as possible! But when their own lives are knocked off course, they find themselves in need of a little help of their own…

Summer sun level – 6/10
London can be rather unpredictable at this time of year, but Gabriel’s story does include a trip to sun-drenched Italy…

In July:

SOS Docs by Louisa George and Sue MacKay
Chase Barrington and Ethan Reid share a tragic past. Now working tirelessly to save as many lives as they can, these heroic docs are thrown together on their latest humanitarian mission. But this time, they won’t only be helping others… As Chase and Ethan meet and fall for two very different women, could this trip be their chance to find their own opportunity to heal?

Summer sun level – 8/10
These two stories are set on a ship offering medical treatment to refugees, located in the Mediterranean Sea. With stops in the UK, Marseilles and Naples you’re bound to see some European sun.

In August:

Cinderellas to Royal Brides by Ann McIntosh and Amy Ruttan
With the King taking a step back, the island Kingdom of Kalyana in the Indian Ocean needs Princes Farhan and Maazin to do their duty. But it won’t be an easy ride for these skilled royal medics. Especially when they meet the two women who will shape their country’s legacy, and their own futures!

Summer sun level – 9/10
Fictional kingdom Kalyana is right in the middle on the Indian Ocean and boasts a sunny climate all year around. With highs of 30 degrees and without a cloud in sight, you’re guaranteed to top up your tan.

In September:

The Good Luck Hospital by Scarlet Wilson
The May Mắn Hospital is the heart of Hanoi, offering humanitarian care to those who need it most – and healing even the most broken of hearts that walk through its doors. May Mắn means good luck, and while many of the hospital’s dedicated lifesavers might have been unlucky in love, their fortunes are about to change…

Summer sun level – 7/10
This duet’s setting is enchanting and exotic Vietnam, but beware, in September all that wonderful heat comes with a lot of rain!

 

We’d love to hear from you! What are you favourite summer story locations to read about?

Happy summer reading!
The Mills & Boon Medical Romance Editors

First and Last – A celebration of Harlequin’s 70 years in publishing!

This year marks the 70th year in publishing for Harlequin – if you haven’t seen the celebration posts on the Harlequin blog yet, here’s the link.  For cover lovers everywhere, check out their Cover Art Retrospective.

And what better way to help celebrate than with our own covers.  We’ve all seen them change over the years and we’ve gathered a few firsts together from our Medical Romance authors, along with some later releases to compare them with.

Emily Forbes:  A first cover from 2004 (time flies!), and Emily’s latest release.  Aren’t they beautiful!

 

Susan Carlisle:  Susan’s first and most recent covers are very different but both tug at the heartstrings.

 

Two firsts from Lynne Marshall and Annie O’Neil.  Who can resist Lynne’s gorgeous Dad and Baby, and Annie’s wonderful snow kiss?

 

Annie Claydon:  The couple featured in Annie’s first cover made a welcome reappearance in her 9th, but the covers are very different!

 

Amy Ruttan:  Two more similar images, but very different covers!  Which do you like best?

 

Traci Douglass:  Traci’s first and most recent covers show subtle changes in design, but it’s difficult to stop looking at either of them.

Things I’ve been learning

Since I last blogged, a couple of months ago, I’ve been on a bit of a learning curve. A month before Christmas, a slight on and off ache in my back, became an insistent scream. I rested up, did all the things that generally worked for me and… nothing did. So, with a book to finish and Christmas to organise, I did what any responsible person would do. I panicked.

And, of course, the book was finished (due mainly to a great deal of support and patience from the Eds), and Christmas happened (much as it does every year). And my back still hurt.

As they always do, friends stepped in. After meeting up for tea, Kate (Hardy) and Annie (O’Neil) practically broke the internet with a blizzard of supportive emails. I embarked on yet another mission to find out exactly what the problem was, and found myself prodded, scanned and asked to stand on one leg rather a lot. And then the verdict came back. I didn’t have a bad back at all. I wasn’t slowing down due to an accumulation of birthdays, or stiffening up because of hours spent typing. It’s all due to an old injury to my hip.

Because this had been going on for years, there were quite a few other things, which had developed so slowly that I simply hadn’t noticed them. I was genuinely surprised to find that I can’t walk in a straight line (despite being stone cold sober 🙂 ) Little things, which happen over time to many people, but hearing them all in the space of five minutes was a bit of a shock to the system.

The good news is that it can all be fixed. It’ll take a while, but that’s okay, because the hope is that I won’t just be back to normal, I’ll be a lot better than normal. So I’m looking forward to being able to do a Wonder Woman twirl by next Christmas!

And what have I learned? The first lesson is thankfulness – I’m so lucky that medical expertise and science has done its best for me, and that all this is reversible. I’ve learned, yet again, to be grateful for the support of family and friends. I’ve learned how much I love writing (and in the pursuit of that, that not all office chairs are the same…). And I’ve learned that sometimes the best thing it’s possible to do, is just to stop. Look again at what you’ve been told, and what you thought you knew. Learn.

Is there something you’ve learned lately? I have a feeling that we never really run out of things to learn, and that comes as something of a relief to me 🙂 Or perhaps, like me, you have something to be thankful for. I’d love to hear about it!

Maple Island (Excerpt)

I’m posting an excerpt today from my latest release, Resisting her English Doc.  As this is the second book, of a four book series, I’ve chosen two short passages from the middle of the book, which mentions the heroes and heroines from the three other books in the Maple Island quartet.

So – just to set the scene – everyone on Maple Island has gathered together for the Fright Night, in the Library, which has been organised by Pamela Vandenberg, the librarian, and Fleur Miller, the heroine of my book.  She’s taken Dr Rick Fleming and his daughter Ellie along, and they get a chance to rub shoulders with Alex and Maggie (Annie O’Neil’s hero and heroine, from Book 1), Rafael and Summer (Karin Baine’s hero and heroine, from Book 3) and Cody (Susan Carlisle’s hero from Book 4).  Annie, Karin and Susan all chose their characters’ costumes for the event.

We also meet Salty Harrington – who was the hero of the hour when he helped save two children from a stranded ferry.  He’s the Clinic’s most awkward patient, and his story runs through all four of the books.

Next week we’ll be blogging again about Maple Island, so please drop in again, to have a chance to win one or more of the books in this four book series!  But in the meantime, please meet the Maple Island cast and crew.

 

Salty Harrington was parked in one corner in his wheelchair, in charge of storytelling, and Ellie had run off to join the circle of children around him. A cocked hat, an eye patch and a wicked-looking cutlass were all that Salty needed to look exactly like a pirate. Fleur had left Rick’s side, to speak with a mummy who he guessed was Pamela, although it was difficult to tell under all those bandages. A taller mummy, who arrived with drinks for them both, and pressed his bandaged mouth against Pamela’s bandaged cheek, must be her husband.

The clinic staff were out in force, along with a few of the patients. Summer Ryan, the daycare assistant, was dressed as a white witch, complete with a basket of fragrant herbs. And the new spinal surgeon, Dr. Rafael Valdez, wore an immaculate dark suit and top hat, his face painted to resemble a skull, with intricate traceries of black and red on his cheeks and forehead. His little daughter Gracie was clinging to his hand, dressed as a fairy princess. Rick smiled. If Ellie was anything to go by, three-year-old girls rarely wanted to dress as anything else.

Wondering what Salty was filling the children’s heads with, he wandered over. Ellie was sitting cross-legged on the floor with a dozen others, drinking in the story.

“Are there trolls on the ship, Uncle Salty?” One of two identically dressed trolls, with pointed hats and patchwork jerkins over colored leggings and boots, piped up.

“Every ship has trolls, little ’un.Two trolls together is especially lucky.” The two little girls squealed with delight, and Rick saw Cody’s head turn at the sound of his daughters’ voices. It seemed that Cody’s imagination had been exhausted by finding costumes for his girls, and he’d come in a surgical mask and gown, looking exactly the same as he did most days at the clinic.

“No doctors in fancy weskits, though…” Rick jumped as Salty singled him out for comment and grinned, moving away. Clearly Salty had had his fill of doctors today.

Fleur was still talking to Pamela and Rick made his way over to the drinks table, accepting a fizzing purple concoction from a red-haired Bigfoot in a leather jacket. Tonight was going to be an interesting night.

*****

“Where’s Pamela?” Rick looked around.

“She was dreadfully nervous about this evening and ended up downing one too many of those purple cocktails. Her husband’s taken her off for a lie-down in the family pyramid.”

“She needn’t have worried. Tonight was amazing.” The library looked even spookier now that it was empty. Long, dark shadows, one of which seemed to be moving…

“Hey, you two. Take it home…” Fleur called out laughingly, and when Rick focused more carefully, he could make out two figures. Zombie superheroes, the tallest of whom had his cloak wrapped around the smaller one’s shoulders, were busy smudging each other’s face paint.

“Fabulous party, Fleur. Goodnight.” Maggie’s voice emanated from the smaller zombie, as she led Alex from the shadows. Rick and Alex exchanged a gruff “See you at work” and Fleur closed the library doors behind them.

“I’ll just check there’s no one else here and lock up.” Fleur flipped on the overhead lights, and suddenly the artistry of the decorations became apparent. Floating cobwebs, a few torn and painted sheets and cleverly placed lighting were all that she’d needed to turn the library into a place of shadows.

January New Releases

Happy New Year to all our lovely readers! We hope your break was restful and that you’re ready for a whole new year of fabulous medical romances.

6 bright and sparkly books for January AND a discount code to use on the Harlequin website for today, Jan 4th. Did you know you can buy digital copies direct from the Harlequin website as well as print? (If you click on the image below it will take you directly to the medical romance page!)

A Nurse to Heal His Heart by Louisa George

She makes him feel alive again

But can he heal her heart too?

Single dad GP Joe Thompson’s priorities are his daughter and his patients. It might’ve earned him a brooding reputation, but since losing his wife romance has been off-limits…until he meets locum nurse Rose McIntyre! Her warm smile and live-for-the-moment attitude soothe a pain Joe believed would never fade. But can Joe stop Rose running from her own secrets…and find comfort in his arms?

Resisting Her English Doc by Annie Claydon (Single Dad Docs)

Running from her past…

Towards a future together?

In this Single Dad Docs story, recovering from career-ending injuries, dancer Fleur Miller is impatient to get off Maple Island. But handsome new arrival, English doctor Rick Fleming seems determined to push her buttons! The island Fleur once called home now only holds painful memories, but her intense connection with single dad Rick soon challenges Fleur to reimagine life on the island — with a family of her own.

Tempted By Her Single Dad Boss by Annie O’Neil (Single Dad Docs)

Her off-limits boss…

Is worth breaking the rules for!

In this Single Dad Docs story, physiotherapist Maggie Green’s instant attraction to her buttoned-up new boss Dr. Alex Kirkland might be against the rules, but since becoming an amputee she’s determined to live life to the fullest—including embarking on a fling! As their chemistry intensifies, Alex and his adorable son’s acceptance of Maggie for who she is makes her long for something she never thought possible: a family.

The Surgeon’s One Night to Forever by Ann McIntosh

He’ll settle for nothing less

After years of watching her mother’s gullible heart drive her from one man to the next, Laurel has decided to marry for sensible reasons. She doesn’t believe in fairy tales, knights in shining armour or happy endings.

So, when her ‘safe’ fiancée breaks up with her on the night of their engagement party, she’s surprised to be rescued by her own knight, Reece Harrington. Laurel has always avoided the attraction between her and Reece. He wants way more than Laurel can give—total possession…!

Twins On Her Doorstep by Alison Roberts

A knock at the door…

Will change her life!

After the heartbreak of losing her husband and baby, GP Sophie Bradford donated her eggs hoping to bring happiness to another couple, instead. Then Dr. Finn Connelly arrives on her doorstep with his orphaned nieces — and her biological twin girls! Sophie had vowed never to risk creating another family, but Finn and her adorable little daughters start to melt the ice around her heart…

Their Unexpected Babies by Louisa Heaton

From irresistible attraction…

To ready-made family!

After her best friend agrees to be her surrogate, Dr. Leah Hudson’s dream of being a mom is finally coming true! But throwing caution to the wind for one night with sexy Dr. Ben Willoughby has shocking consequences…Leah’s pregnant! Now, with two babies depending on her, Leah must push her feelings for committed bachelor Ben aside, unless he proves that Leah and the babies can depend on him.