I'm thrilled to announce my fabulous agent has sold my darling Roman in a two book deal to Kate Seaver at Berkley Heat!

The books are scheduled for release in 2011.

Here's the scoop from Publisher's Marketplace:

Christina Phillips's HIS FORBIDDEN PRINCESS, in which a Roman centurion leads an invasion into Cambria, and the druid princess who both defies and enthralls him, to Kate Seaver at Berkley Heat, in a two-book deal, by Emmanuelle Alspaugh at Judith Ehrlich Literary Management.

And here's a slightly longer blurb!

As Rome conquers Cymru, Centurion Maximus falls under the spell of ethereal Druid princess, Carys. Charged by his Emperor to eliminate all cursed Druids before they rise up against their new masters, Maximus is unaware of her heritage and is determined to possess her and discover where she and her kin are hiding from the might of the Eagle.

Despite knowing he's the enemy of her people, Carys is fascinated by this commanding foreign invader, a barbarian who displays unexpected honor, and willingly meets him in secret to satisfy her desire for sexual pleasures. But when Maximus captures her heart her loyalties are twisted and freedom from Rome is no longer her single-minded obsession.

As the summer solstice approaches Aeron, the High Druid and ex-lover of Carys, gathers the dark gods to crush the enemy into oblivion, the Druids into submission and Carys to his will. Maximus and Carys must defeat the encroaching devastation, overcome the prejudice of their warring gods and opposing cultures and find a way for their love to survive.

Now I just have to write book two!!!

Today I'm visiting with the lovely Kealie and ladies over at The Menagerie, where I'm chatting about drinking, thunderstorms and the last movie that made me cry (won't be going to see that one again, and I'm completely avoiding going to see My Sister's Keeper too!!!)

Please welcome my special guest today, Susan Macatee, whose novel, Erin's Rebel, was released yesterday through The Wild Rose Press!

I'm thrilled to share that on Friday night I accepted representation from Emmanuelle Alspaugh of Judith Ehrlich Literary Management for my darling Roman!!

I'm so excited. Emmanuelle has been at the top of my dream agent list ever since she read the full of my first full length paranormal romance a couple or so years ago, and made some very insightful and encouraging suggestions. I'm deep in revision mode at the moment, tightening up the manuscript after our chat on Friday but still can't quite believe it's all true!

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Oh whoops. Another week slipped by without me noticing! I'm a very bad blogger. But I've been busy writing, so I'm pleased about that and have just hit the 12k mark on my new novella. Currently the hero is misbehaving and my heroine is enjoying every moment.

I don't have a proper title for it though, which is a bit distracting since I usually need that in place before I can really get stuck into it. It does have a theme title, which isn't the same but appears to be working so I'm going with that for now. But I really want a rocking one before I sub, that sums up the story and catches the eye.


I've also now got my own group over at Coffee Time Romance. Yay! I'm a Coffee Corner Author!!! I'm so excited to have my own space over there. I haven't done much with it yet but I'm gradually moving in!

Kaye has a great post about research today, and it was very timely for me since last week I started a new story and realised there was a lot I didn't know about the period.

Anyway, for some odd reason today I gave my hero a codpiece. And the more I thought about it the more I wasn't sure he ought to have one. So I had a bit of a Google and stumbled across this most delicious site, Renaissance Dancewear which kept me enthralled with the history of this intriguing article of manly modesty.

But the bit which totally cracked me up was a snippet from Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales", when apparently men's shirts became shorter thus ensuring all their unmentionables were on public display. I've pasted it in below for your educational pleasure!!!

Alas! some of them show the very boss of the penis and the horrible pushed-out testicles that look like the malady of hernia in the wrapping of their hose, and the buttocks of such persons look like the hinder parts of a she-ape in the full of the moon. And moreover, the hateful proud members that they show by the fantastic fashion of making one leg of their hose white and the other red, make it seem that half of their privy members are flayed. And if it be that they divide their hose in other colours, as white and black, or white and blue, or black and red, and so forth, then it seems, by the variation of colour, that the half of their privy members are corrupted by the fire of Saint Anthony, or by cancer, or by other such misfortune.

Today's the final day for Red Wolverton Howling! Can't wait to find out how it all wraps up. It's been such a blast being involved in this story and I'd like to give a huge Thank You to everyone who's joined in!!

In other news, I'm chatting at the lovely Allie Boniface's blog today and if you get a moment we'd love to see you over there!

On Saturday I attended the 2009 RWA Romance Roadshow in Perth. What a fantastic day! The Roadshow Committee did a wonderful job of organising everything. We were lucky enough to have Kelly Hunter, President of the RWA and published with Harlequin Mills and Boon Modern Heat/Sexy Sensation, Keri Arthur, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Riley Jenson, Guardian series, and Denise Rossetti, erotic romance author published with Ellora's Cave and Berkley Sensation.


The day could have been tailor made for me, since Keri took workshops on world building, on how we as authors can successfully create an alternative and believable environment. I find setting a challenge and have to constantly remind myself to layer in the landscape/climate etc so this was invaluable for me.

Keri also did a question and answer session on writing urban fantasy/paranormal and all the nitty gritty bits of the publishing world which was completely fascinating!!!

Me and Keri Arthur (not that I'm name dropping here...)

Then we had the Sealed Section with Denise which
proved very popular for some reason!!! We discussed language, the differences between erotic romance, erotica and pornography and the importance of vivid sensory detail and deep emotional point of view. Her tips were invaluable.
It was also great to chat about publishing in general with authors who've experience in both e and traditional publishing marketplaces.

There were also tutorials on deep point of view, effective story dialogue and romance heroes, lots of spot prizes and goody bags!


Me with Denise Rossetti (OK I AM shamelessly name dropping!!)

It was fantastic to meet up with so many other writers, and it sure didn't feel like a whole year ago since the inaugural Roadshow when I was so inspired that I subbed Foretaste of Forever to The Wild Rose Press!

Here's a pic of me with my good mate Nikki Logan, who a few months after last year's Roadshow signed a two book contract with Harlequin Mills and Boon Romance! Her debut book is out in the New Year and I can't wait to read it!