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Let's welcome Helen Lacey with MADE FOR MARRIAGE Giveaway!

Please help me welcome Australian author Helen Lacey as she shares a bit about her debut release MADE FOR MARRIAGE!

Helen Lacey grew up reading Black Beauty, Anne of Green Gables and Little House on The Prairie. These childhood classics inspired her to write her first book when she was seven years old, a story about a girl and her horse. Although, it wasn’t until the age of eleven when she read her first Mills & Boon, that she knew writing romances was what she wanted to do with her life. Her parents’ love of travel meant she saw much of the world in those early years and she feels fortunate to have had a diverse and interesting education over several continents.

She continued to write into her teens and twenties with the dream of one day being a published author. A few years and careers later, including motel operator, florist, strapper, dog washer, and retail manager, she got the call from Harlequin Special Edition. She loves writing about tortured heroes, both cowboys and CEO’s, and heroines who finally get the love of the man of their dreams. She now works part time in her sister’s bridal shop, where she gets to meet fascinating people, some of whom might one day end up being in one of her books.

From Welsh parents and a large family, she lives on the east coast of Australia in a small seaside town at the southern most point of The Great Barrier Reef, with her wonderfully supportive husband, many horses and three spoiled dogs.

 Helen Lacey on the web:

 Website     Facebook     Twitter     Blog           Helen's Page at RomanceWiki

 For full itinerary on Helen's Celebration tour check out Helen Lacey- Author Page.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Made For Marriage


1/ I came up with the idea for Made For Marriage at two o’clock in the morning. I got up and wrote the first ten pages in about an hour.


2/ When I first wrote this book I entered it into the Romance Writers Of Australia’s Emerald Award (for best unpublished manuscript) But the first round of this contest only required the first three chapters. So I entered, and then when I got into the second round I had two weeks to get the full MS back to the contest coordinator. Only thing was, I had only half the book written. I spent the next week writing 30k, and then editing, before I printed out the copies and sent it off. I was stunned that it managed to get into the top three, and overwhelmed when it won!



3/ This is the first book I’d written that had a heroine who was an equestrian (and this was my nineteenth written manuscript) It seems strange to me now because horses have been part of my life since I was a young girl. I think it’s one of the reasons why the book wrote itself so easily – I was writing about something I knew, and something I loved.



4/ Made For Marriage went through several transformations and I worked with a freelance editor for over twelve months to get it in the best shape I could. During this time I’d had a full request from my now editor after a contest win, and the book went back to the freelance editor once again when revisions were requested.



5/ The book was called Made For Marriage right from the moment of my 2am epiphany – I was delighted that I got to keep the title.



6/ The fictional town of Crystal Point where the book is set, and the following books in the series, is a lot like the small town where I live.



7/ The heroine’s horse, Indiana, was named after a horse I owned when I was teenager.



8/ As I wrote Made For Marriage I began plotting book two and book three. I’d planned for my heroine in book two to fall in love with a character not introduced in the first book. But to my surprise, a secondary character turned up in Made For Marriage who I knew would be perfect for her.



9/ When my agent called me on the 23rd November 2010 to say Harlequin Special Edition wanted to buy Made For Marriage, it was 23 years earlier, almost to the day, that I had posted my very first manuscript to Mills & Boon in London.



10/  I have eight books planned for this series so far – but who knows what might happen as more character’s turn up. I’m happy to say that book two will be released in November 2012, and book three in early 2013.





Equestrian Callie Jones was used to difficult parents at her riding school. But Noah Preston took the cake.

How dare he question her teaching abilities, after his headstrong daughter paid no heed to rules—her teacher's or her father's?

Single dad Noah was ready to apologize for overreacting. But he wasn't sorry for the way the stunning American riding instructor made him feel. And he soon learned that there was more to Callie than her smarts, sass and fire: a shattered heart that threatened to splinter even further. Could he make her see that he—and his family—were for keeps?





Buy Links:

Harlequin   Amazon        Amazon UK      Book Depository



One lucky commenter will get a copy of MADE FOR MARRIAGE and all commenter's go into the draw to win a $50.00 Amazon voucher and for those who like a little bling, a fabulous silver Pandora bracelet.


44 comments:

  1. I wondered how many times books changed titles. I would love a chance to win! Thanks!

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  2. Wow! 10 pages in one hour? 30,000 words in two weeks? Your 19th completed manuscript? I am astounded by your productivity! I already have Made for Marriage on my Kindle. Now all I need to to find the time to read it!

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  3. Hi Shelley B - thanks for dropping by today. Book titles get changed all the time, I was just lucky to keep the title of my first release. And you're in the draw to win, good luck!

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  4. Hi Wendy - I don't usually write
    15k in a week LOL. about 1k a day is my normal output. Hope you enjoy the book :)

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  5. Egad Helen! You are one busy lady. I wish I could write ten pages in an hour. My problem is, I always edit as I go. I need to stop that!

    This book looks wonderful. I would love the chance to win it. *waving*

    Great post Nas!

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  6. Helen, that's amazing about writing 30k in 2 weeks! A similar thing happened to me after writing for years. I had a short deadline to rewrite pretty much an entire story and that story sold. My thinking is that there's no time for anything other than your true voice and crisp characterisation to shine through. There were a couple of fab CPs helping me too!
    Congrats again!!

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  7. Nice to meet you, Helen. I love when ideas come like that :)

    Thanks for hosting, Nas.

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  8. Hi Helen,

    Congratulations on the release of your Made for Marriage! It is a wonderful story and I love it! I loved the single dad with kids premise!

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  9. Congrats on your release and the upcoming releases!

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  10. How wonderful that you got to keep the title!
    And wow, thanks for sharing the background of your story - sometimes I feel like my journey's taking a while, but in real terms, it's only been a few years, and I've got three complete MSs!

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  11. Yay for an Aussie author! I thought it was funny you had less than two weeks to write 30k of your novel and it still won. Impressive.

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  12. I've been following most of your blog tour posts and find the story of your path to publication inspiring.

    I enjoy stories of people leaving the past behind and finding love and healing in a special relationship. The message of hope is wonderful. We need more of that in the world.

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  13. Hi Robyn C - thanks for dropping by. I to edit as I go, so writing that 30k was a real push in discipline for me. Not sure I'd want to go through it again though. And you're in the draw - good luck :)

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  14. Hi Robbie - yes, I think that when pushed, sometimes the best comes out. Thanks for dropping by today.

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  15. Hi Carol - nice to meet you too! Thanks for dropping by - it's always great to hang out with Nas :)

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  16. Your #2 made me smile, but I bet it was hard writing 30k words so quickly.

    An equestrian heroine sounds a little different. I like different. I also enjoy series. All the best with your new release!

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  17. Hi Romance Reader - I'm so glad you liked Made For Marriage. The single dad hero is one of my favourites. Thanks for stopping by.

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  18. Hi Chey - thanks for dropping by Romance Book Paradise.

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  19. Hi Deniz - lovely to see you here. Congratulations of having finished 3 manuscripts.

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  20. I love the title! And wow, what an impressive start - I didn't know you could even write that much in an hour! Congrats, Helen.

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  21. Hi Lynda - thanks for dropping by. I was gob-smacked when Made For Marriage won the Emerald - delighted too, of course.

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  22. Hi Maria - lovely to see you here. Yes, I also like stories where the characters have to overcome a painful past. Thanks for stopping by today :)

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  23. Hello Helen,

    Your journey to publication is truly awe-inspiring!

    Congratulations on the release of Made For Marriage!

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  24. Hi Shelley - thanks for stopping by. And yes, 30k in two weeks was hard going - not something I'd recommend :)Thanks again.

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  25. Hi there Talli! (I love your name and might just use it one day in a book :)) Thanks for stopping by.

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  26. I love, love, love this book. Noah epitomizes everything we love about hunky Aussie men: drop-dead-sexy one minute and wrangling a brood of children the next. I loved Callie's vulnerability and the scorching sexual tension between them. A must-read book!

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  27. Hi Romance Book Haven - thank you for your kind words and congratulations. Great to see you here :)

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  28. Callie and Noah's story sounds great (and I love their names). Good luck with it, Lacey!

    Hi Nas!

    -Vicki

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  29. Oops, I meant Helen (hiding red face in shame).

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  30. Hi Louise - thank you for your kind words about Made For Marriage, I'm so pleased you enjoyed Noah and Callie's story Thanks for dropping by.

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  31. Hi Vicki - thanks for stopping by Romance Book Paradise today. :)

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  32. Horses and romance - what a great combination, Helen. I'm awed by your output, both over time and in the crunch.

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  33. Hello LP - horses and romance are two of my very favourite things. Thanks for stopping by today :)

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  34. Very cool interview! This would be a fun read. I love a sassy MC.

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  35. I've seen this book mentioned in other blog posts and it always struck me as a wonderful story. I'd love to read it!

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  36. Hi Emily - Thanks for stopping by. I love sassy heroine's too. I think it stems from reading Pride & Prejudice when I was young - I like my girls to all have a little Lizzie Bennett in them. :)

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  37. Hi Shelley - great to see you here. Thank you for your kind words about Made For Marriage.

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  38. That was amazing news about the series and I like how you started the book--it's fantastic when an idea grips you. Thank you for a chance to win this.

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  39. Hi Medeia - thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment.

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  40. Great to see another downunder SSE author, too - one of my fav lines.

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  41. Hi Jo - thanks for stopping by. ALways great to meet another Special Edition fan - it really is a great Harlequin line. Thanks again :)

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  42. Random.org picked out Helen Lacey's winner!

    Drum...roll.... Shelley Sly!

    Congratulations Shelley!

    Thanks to all my lovely friends for coming around celebrating with Helen! Helen is with another giveaway at http://romancereader-riya.blogspot.com/

    Drop by and say Hi! You may win if you missed a chance to win this fabulous book so far!

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  43. Thank you so much, Nas! I can't wait to read this book!! I will email you with my info.

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