Well, I’m home from holidays but there’s still cause for celebration in the Brooke household: THE GREATEST LOVER EVER is in stores now!

I’m thrilled that my long-term readers are saying this is my best book yet. It’s had a nice review in Publisher’s Weekly and received a Top Pick from RT Magazine.

For me, January releases always come in a blaze of summer glory. I’m usually at the beach when my book comes out. This year the release of THE GREATEST LOVER EVER saw me smearing the keys of my laptop with sunscreen as I chatted to everyone about Marcus, Earl of Beckenham’s second chance at love with the fiery Georgie Black… in between trips to the beach with my husband and two sons.

We had a heat wave while I was away and also some windy weather that made going to the beach unsuitable, but we managed to clock a lot of hours in the surf.

When we swim in the ocean, we always make sure we check the blackboard the Lifesavers put out to tell us whether there are any hidden dangers, rips, strong currents, etc. in the water.

This year, there weren’t any bluebottles (nasty little stingers) but there were massive jellyfish beached here and there. They looked exactly like what comes out of those old-fashioned jelly moulds your gran used to have. I doubt they taste as nice, though!

When the weather was too wild for the surf to be an option, we went to Australia Zoo, the Go-Kart track and the waterslide. My husband took the boys fishing while I had a blissful couple of hours at the hairdresser. I’d been looking a little witchy after being horribly sick first with flu then with chicken pox for over a month before Christmas–while on deadline, I might add!

So, I’m home again, shaking the sand out of my keyboard and crossing fingers my tan doesn’t fade too soon. I hope that wherever you are, whether in the freezing zone of the north or in some hot hot hot climate like me, you have a healthy, happy and successful New Year!