Leaving 2009, Starting 2010

I haven’t been posting on my blog since last year. More accurately since the middle of December. Holidays, Christmas preparation, cooking, gifts buying and wrapping, children and grandchildren’s visit, elaborate dinners and playing with the little ones... Is it any wonder I didn’t find a moment to come to my blog? But I didn’t forget my friends and readers.

If I evaluate 2009 with a critical eye, I have to admit it was a good year. BABIES IN THE BARGAIN was published in July and Rx FOR TRUST in December.
BABIES IN THE BARGAIN received eight stellar reviews and was a bestseller for several months on The Wild Rose Press and won Book of The Week at The Long ad the Short Reviews.


French Peril, my Cerridwen Press romantic suspense, received an impressive review at Barbara Vey’s Publishers Weekly: Who wouldn't want to lose themselves in Mona Risk's French Peril? Traveling to the beautiful French countryside, staying in a marvelous, ornate chateau, eating fine food and drinking the chateau's wine, and let's not forget the charming and handsome host. Sign me up, Ms Risk, I'll be looking for your next foreign escape.

TO LOVE A HERO won Sweetheart of the Week at Romantic Studio.

On the health front, I kept my pledge of exercising with a trainer. She exhausted me four times a week for two hours each time but I didn't shed a single pound. I just converted the fat to muscles. As a result, I stopped going to the gym. By September I was so disgusted with myself, I paid a visit-- and a lot of money-- to Quick Weight Loss to learn to eat the proper way and give up all the delicious treats I love. To my utter amazement, it worked, although I cheated once in a while. I finally lost weight and managed to fit in my clothes again. I still have five pounds to drop.


Unfortunately, my mother fell several times, spent many days at the hospital, and can’t walk anymore. Another blow hit me in summer when my daughter and adorable grandchildren moved away to Virginia. But I survived and enjoyed fun trips, to Australia to visit my in-laws, in a Mediterranean cruise and to Canada for a wedding and sightseeing.

2010 seems to start on the right foot. On New Year day I received the first two reviews, both lovely reviews, for Rx FOR TRUST from Night Owl Romance and Got Romance! Reviews.

Night Owl Romance, Rx FOR TRUST was a fantastic read. The plot was very well thought out and the pacing on target.
Got Romance! Reviews, Mona Risk writes a charming story, keeping the reader entertained with the twists and turns in the plot.



And today my editor emailed me a contract for, Rx IN RUSSIAN, my second book in the Doctor’s Order series, a sweet and spicy romance between an American pediatrician on a mission to Belarus and a Russian surgeon.

Not bad at all so far with four days into 2010.





By the way my romantic suspenses, TO LOVE A HERO and FRENCH PERIL are on sale at the publisher, Jasmine Jade.
Down from $14.99 to $5.5 for the papercover books. Here are the links:

To Love A Hero: At Jasmine Jade
http://www.jasminejade.com/p-6651-to-love-a-hero.aspx?skinid=13

FRENCH PERIL: At Jasmine Jade ISBN:
http://www.jasminejade.com/pc-7354-35-french-peril.aspx



If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. I will take you around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with heat.