Heart of Iron is kicking goals

NEWS

It's been one of those months where everything seems to be going right. I want more of these months. That's top of my Santa list this year!

Heart of Iron is kicking goals at the moment and I'm ever so excited to announce that it has been nominated as Best Steampunk Romance by RT Reviews for 2013!

It's amongst some great company, as I have the highest respect for Karina Cooper, Delilah S. Dawson, Kate Locke / Kate Cross (a double nominee!) and Beth Ciotta. They write fantastic steampunk worlds that I highly recommend.

Also, Library Journal have announced their Best Books of Romance 2013 and Heart of Iron is on the list! Along with names like Sherry Thomas, Anne Gracie, Robyn Carr, Mary Balogh etc. Pinch me, I'm dreaming!

I love their reasoning for choosing these books:

‘Strong heroines are a must in most of today’s romances, and, with few exceptions, brave, goal-oriented, resourceful heroines are the norm for this year’s Best Romances of 2013. Although they display different strengths and use them in a variety of ways, these women have one thing in common: they achieve their goals and find love at the same time. Naturally!'

I love my heroes, don't get me wrong, but crafting a realistic heroine (and I use that term deliberately, as I love creating someone with flaws and all) and the journey that she goes on is a large part of writing for me.

Lena Todd was a very complex person to write, and appeals to the part of me that was her at that age; wondering what her path in life is, and determinedly searching for it.   She makes some mistakes along the way and gets in over her head, but ultimately she doesn't waver from her course. She grows over the course of the novel and her HEA is as much to do with the hero as it has to do with finding herself and her chosen path in life.

So a huge thank you to all of my readers and all of the judges who have cheered Heart of Iron on its way! I am hugely indebted to you all and can't wait to share more exciting stories in the London Steampunk series with you all in the future!