Mona's Blog

Rome: Day One

2009-11-07T05:13:00.030-05:00

We landed in Rome early in the morning and were supposed to be taken straight to the ship to start our Mediterranean cruise.

The handsome young man who greeted us—too bad I didn’t have my camera available—had dark curly hair framing his face, attractive features la Roger Federrer and a cheerful smile. He apologized for the fact that we wouldn’t be able to board the ship before noon. To compensate for the inconvenience, Princess Cruise had arranged for us and other early birds a complementary guided tour of Rome while our luggage was transferred directly to the ship. Who could ask for a better deal? I forgot the lack of sleep, uncomfortable plane seat and exhaustion of the long trip.

Here are some of my pictures of Rome taken between 9:00 and 10:00 am from the so-comfortable tour bus before driving to Civitavecchia, the closest port to Rome.

Vittorio-Emmanuele Monument.

The Forum.

The famous Piazza d'Hispania with the unending steps and the church on the top. We didn't stop to look at the gorgeous view.

Here approaching St. Peter's Square.

As the bus circled around St Peter's Cathedral, I noticed there was a Sunday Mass celebrated on the piazza. Two large screens on each side allowed the congregation to view every detail.

The Pope would step on the third balcony from the right to give his blessing every Sunday at 10:30 am.

I thought I had a picture of the Colliseum but apparently my camera didn't click fast enough as the bus toured around the famous arena.

Out on Vacation

2009-10-23T21:43:00.009-04:00

I am leaving tomorrow morning for a vacation in Greece. My great-grandparents came from Salonica. I have been to Greece three times but never to Salonica. I am not even sure we will have time to stop there.

Salonica (officially Thessaloníki), Greece's second largest city and capital of Greek Macedonia, lies at the head of the Thermaic Gulf (Gulf of Salonica), the most northwesterly gulf in the Aegean.

In 1430 the town was captured by Sultan Murad II, and it remained Turkish for almost 500 years, until 1912, under the name of Selanik. The Turks expelled many of the Greek inhabitants and turned most of the churches into mosques. It was finally liberated in 1912. Some of the town's many Christian churches were converted into mosques and later were used by the Jews as synagogues. As the power of the Ottoman Empire declined Turkish rule in the Balkans, and particularly in Macedonia, grew steadily harsher, and the inhabitants of Salonica, suffering ever greater hardship and privation, several times rose in revolt.

I plan to take a lot of pictures and carefully report all I see.

As I mentioned in my last email, I have been extremely busy, babysitting my grandchildren but also creating a newsletter I hope to send as soon as I come back.

My new book, Rx for Trust, is part of a three-book series, Doctor's Order. It will be released by The Wild Rose Press on December 4, 2009. The second is Rx in Russian, and third is Rx in French.

See you on November 8 or earlier if I can manage to connect to the Internet while abroad.

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. Meet the spirited heroines and the alpha heroes who share irresistible chemistry.

Please sign the mailing list-white box on the right- to receive my newsletter, if you haven't already done that in the past.

Recent news

2009-10-19T22:47:00.024-04:00

Signing my books at Romanticon. My bear dressed as General Sergei, the hero of To Love A Hero, attracted a lot of attention.

I havent't post in the last three days as I was still recovering from my recent trip to Akron for Romanticon. It just occured to me that during this month I have been packing a suitcase while still unpacking another from the previous trip.

I went to visit my daughter and take care of the girls while their mother rested in bed after surgery-by now you probably know that my three granddaughters and only grandson are the pupil of my eye. So I left to Virginia on a Friday, came back on a Monday, unpacked and packed , left again on Friday, came back from Akron on Monday. I am still unpacking and packing to leave on Saturday. Are you able to follow that!!! Never mind. I am jumping on a plane... again...

But I can never afford the luxury of wasting time packing at a leisurely pace. Not when I enjoy the comapany of my two granddaughters who came from VA to spend ten days. Their mommy is partially recovered from her surgery and already back to work and on a business trip. The girls insist on helping me pack. Try to imagine the mess and fun around my place as discipline is totally ignored and the only rule is to have fun and laugh. Too bad if Mommy and Daddy can't understand that.

Today we walked to the pharmacy, picked up flowers from neat parterres and had a blast at the pharmacy trying to choose Halloween cards and stickers to decorate the cards. The girls insisted on stuffing their cards in the wrong envelopes and spoiled a few in the process. I had to buy a bunch of useless cards to make every one happy, including the pharmacy manager who was about to throw us out.

I hope I will be able to send my first newsletter during this week. I may announce a contest to celebrate my new book that will be released on December 4th, a story of psychiatrists who don't practice in their lives the good priciples they preach to their patients, a story based on this theme:

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”-- Walter Scott.

Here is for the first time the blurb of Rx For Trust:

Successful physician and loving mother, Olivia Crane fiercely believes youthful mistakes should be kept secret and skeletons are better left in closets.

Unfortunately, Dr. Luc George, the French psychiatrist, she loved ten years ago, detests secrets and has a professional tendency to dig into people’s minds.

Can Luc help her conquer her inner fears or will he get burned by the past too? Will Olivia grab her second chance and finally find happiness with the love of her life?

My heroine is an all-American career woman and my hero is a French doctor coming to a mid-western hospital as visiting physician.

Please sign the mailing list-white box on the right- to receive my newsletter, if you haven't already done that in the past.

Romanticon: Sunday

2009-10-14T21:16:00.016-04:00

Breakfast in the covered pool area.

Ellora's Cave man pulling a winning ticket for the raffle at the Booksigning

Mona and her General Sergei bear from To Love A Hero

Betty Hanawa and her bear

Afton And Brooke London

Joanna Waugh

Cindy Pape and Hailey Steele

Romanticon: Saturday

2009-10-13T13:39:00.035-04:00

Saturday started with a delicious leisurely buffet breakfast around the indoor swimming pool. When I say leisurely, I mean it. I was there from 8:00 am to 9:30 am chatting, signing programs for various people and asking authors to sign my program. This was one of the neat ideas the EC organizers came up with. There were several pages with authors and models' names followed by a couple of lines for each author to write a friendly word and sign it. A great keepsake of the Romanticon and a nice way to remember our fellow authors.

I am posing here with my editor Helen Woodall who came all the way from Australia.

Around noon we attended the Author Mania. Readers brought their own books and asked the authors to sign them. Betty Hanawa and I brought our bears to show them around. My bear is dressed like a Russian general, General Sergei, the hero of TO LOVE A HERO. It was given to me by my friends at Writers at Play when I signed my first contract. Betty's bear wore glasses and played on his guitar.

Editor Helen Wodall invited her froggies to an Australian lunch of vegemite served on bread and butter. We had Tim-Tam for dessert.

Helen and Tracie, an author from Down Under, sang the Aussie national anthem at the end of the lunch and Helen distributed little gifts, kaola bears and others. Thank you, Helen, for a lovely time.

Did I mention that our videos trailers were playing non-stop in a dark room called Voyer for the occasion? I sat there for a few hours watching many trailers. A big round of applause to my friend Fran Lee who created several of these trailers including the one for my FRENCH PERIL. Before dinner many of us gathered at the bar to chat, drink or munch on snacks and salad.

During each event, Ellora's Cave models pulled raffle tickets for baskets and incredible gifts, and personally delivered them with a smile and a kiss. Those guys were awsome, handsome, fun, and so helpful. Too bad we were not allowed to take one home.

Saturday night's big event was the appreciation dinner. You should have seen the pretty outfits displayed there. Joysann was sitting at my table and took a picture of our group that you can see on Publishers Weekly with her own report.

After a delicious dinner, EC publisher Raelene Gorlinski handed a star trophee-Rising Star-to new authors who published their first books in 2009 and to authors -Super Star-who thrived in a special field. (example Best Matchmaker in a book) ... Later, the authors recognized the fantastic staff of Ellora's Cave with special gifts. Here is Betty Hanawa showing her Rising Star.

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...and introduce you to yummy hunks.

Romanticon: Friday Evening

2009-10-12T22:23:00.023-04:00

Romanticon Day 1 started on Friday at 5:00 am with a strident alarm from my digital clock. After hiding my head under the pillows for a moment, I shook myself and walked groggily to the shower. I really didn’t want to miss my early flight. I read and napped during the flight, changed planes in Charleston, NC, and arrived around 1:30 pm in Cleveland.

At the baggage claim, I collected my suitcase and donned my heavy jacket, while wondering if I would be able to locate my pre-reserved limousine’s driver. Just then I saw a man in suit walking by with a sign that said Romanticon. Before I could say anything he asked if I was Mona Risk. God bless him. My first worry vanished when he informed me that two friends were waiting for me outside. I hugged Judith Rochelle and recognized Rita Thedford. Big hugs again. Our driver Greg was the perfect gentleman and promised to be on time to pick us up on Monday morning for the return flight.

I checked in and unpacked. My roommate Betty Hanawa hadn’t arrived yet. I went to register and met my wonderful editor Helen Woodall who flew all the way from Melbourne, Australia, for the conference. Helen was as lovely and nice as her emails suggested. Of course, her nails were painted in green and she wore a frog ring. She handed me my Romanticon bag loaded with books from Ellora’s Cave and Cerridwen Press books, and a special gift from The Lotus Club. Martha Punches who was handling the registration with Helen received my special hug.

If you have never attended a workshop by Raelene Gorlinsky you’ve missed the crème de la crème. She had the chairs arranged as a big rectangle so that the attendees could all face each other and actively participate in the workshop. The first one I attended was: Act It Out, where she had volunteers act some weird scenes from rejected manuscripts to show what was wrong with the writing. During another workshop, So You Want to Be An Author? published authors were asked to share their experience and advise aspiring authors. In Tell Us what You Think? Readers told authors what genre they like to read. Another interesting workshop was Promo Items by Marianne Stevens, Anny Cook and Judy Atkin.

A Reviewers Panel, Joysann (Publishers Weekly), Chrissy Dionne (Romance Junkies) Sheila Gallagher (Two Lips Reviews), Mimi Tremont (IMRR), and Moderator EC Editor Helen Woodall. The reviewers told us how they review a book and how the review should be received (never take it personally).

About 200 people, women and a few brave husbands dressed in their best 60 and 70ish outfits for a fun soiree of music and dance with the Cavemen ( Ellors’s Cave models).

Kelly Kirch,
Anny Cook,
Joanna Waugh,
Helen Woodall

Mona Risk,
Betty Hanawa

Marianne Stevens

Stay tune for more on Romanticon: Saturday on tomorrow’s blog.

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.

Romanticon

2009-10-08T22:33:00.007-04:00

I am leaving early tomorrow morning for Akron, OH, to attend Romanticon, the first convention of Ellora's Cave/ Cerridwen Press. My first two books To Love A Hero and French Peril are published by Cerridwen Press. I am so excited because I will meet fellow authors, some I already know and some I will see for the first time, many readers and my editor who is coming all the way from Australia.

I will be back on Monday. My next post will be about the conventionn with a lot of pictures.

If you will be in Akron, look me up. I would love to meet you.

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.

FRENCH PERIL on Barbara Vey’s Publishers Weekly

2009-10-07T21:53:00.013-04:00

I had the most lovely surprise last Thursday when a friend mentioned that my romantice suspense published bt Cerridwen Press was on Barbara Veil's blog with a great review.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/880000288.html

Cheryl doesn't know who to trust, especially the dangerously handsome Francois, who definitely has more than just a statue on his mind. 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.

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.

This Week's 5 Heart Sweetheart...

2009-09-21T20:01:00.008-04:00

TO LOVE A HERO, a review from The Romance Studio

To Love A Hero won This Week's 5 Heart Sweetheart...

"Mona Risk has built an exceptional story of romance with a hopeful tale of what can be accomplished when people on both sides of the ocean work together to make the world a better place. The fly in the ointment is Colonel Roussov, a truly evil man who only wants power for himself. He doesn’t seem to care about his country or fellow human beings."

"Both Sergei and Cecile are well deserving of the roles as hero and heroine of the story. As a war hero Sergei has earned the respect of his country that allows him to work as hard for peace and the future of his country as he did during war. Cecile doesn’t let fear stand in her way as she finds a route around the problems to get what she wants if people stand in her way. She’s admirable in her inventive solutions when confronted by a male dominated society."

"This is a fast moving story full of colorful characters who enhance our enjoyment of the country and its people. Ms. Risk is one of those authors who puts together a tale that’s captivates from first page to last. I’ll have to look for more of her work in the future." - Dee Dailey

The Ultimate Diet

2009-09-18T21:09:00.014-04:00

Sitting at the computer for hours at a time, during the last five years, had helped me write seven books and publish four, but it definitely damaged my waistline and loaded pounds of fat on my hips and belly.

I tried to lose the extra weight on my own through Weight Watchers and South Beach Diet. I followed the diets for three to four weeks and give up at the first crisis.

Last year my daughter and husband encouraged me to seek help from a personal trainer and exercise. I did. Faithfully. For four months. Four times a week. One to two hours every day. I lost ten pounds of fat. Only of fat. The fat got converted to muscles. I felt good about myself and my health improved. But my clothes didn’t fit because overall, my weight and measurements remained the same. And my moral didn’t improve much. At the first crisis, I munched a lot, overate again and piled a few more pounds. Fat or muscles, who cared. The pounds stuck to my body determined to stay. I tried to ignore them.

Two days ago, I reached a record high on the scale. My heart sank as the damn arrow kept moving up and stabilized on a number I never reached even when nine-month- pregnant. Tears welled in my eyes. I had to do something. I remembered the phone number a friend gave me three months ago. I called the Quick Weight Loss Center. They told me to come right away.

The meeting was interesting but I was not convinced. Their diet excluded cheese, nuts, yogurt, mango, avocado,… all my favorite food. The manager took me to an office and asked me to sit across from her desk, in a chair positioned in front of a mirror. Every time I glanced up, I saw myself in the mirror and immediately asked more questions about the diet. Before I knew what I was doing I handed my credit card. Later I thought I should hire this manager to be my publicist. She sure knew how to convince a client to buy their services and product. That day I went home and indulged on all the food I love, the way people used to do on Fat Tuesday before starting Lent. But that diet looked much worse than Lent!!!

I started my diet yesterday. Phase one: I have to drink ten glasses of water a day, eat only protein and GREEN vegetables, raw or steamed. No salt or sugar. I was allowed 1/8 of a cantaloupe a day. It’s not a big piece, believe me. By 6 pm at the end of the first day I was dizzy, suffered an incredible headache and stomach cramps. I was hardly able to drive home and collapsed on my bed. I slept straight till the morning. Today was better. It seems that my body is adjusting to the lack of carbohydrates and the incredible volume of water I sip.

By next Wednesday, I will start phase two. They will give me herbs and vitamins to swallow. I can add some fruits and dark bread. I will receive as special treat packets of pudding and cappuccino. I hope they taste good but anyway after starving for a week, any remotely sweet food will be delicious.

They will monitor me for a year. Still I am not too optimistic considering my last year fiasco at the gym.

Am I crazy? To spend so much money to starve myself.

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.

Tennis Championships

2009-09-16T21:56:00.017-04:00

How many of you regularly watch the tennis tournaments?

My husband doesn’t take his eyes off the TV for the two weeks of each of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US open. I glance from time to the TV screen to cheer a good point.

At the Wimbledon, we cheered Roger Federer, my all–time favorite tennis player. The papers describe him as the most elegant champion and a true gentleman. With his sixth Wimbledon win, he became tennis's greatest men's champion, watched by a legion of champions. He also set a record with his 15th Grand Slam title, overhauling the total of Pete Sampras who was in the Royal Box along with fellow legends Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver.

Was Federer really unbeatable?

The US Open presented an incredible match that lasted more than four hours. Federer almost won but his opponent Argentinean Juan Martin Del Potro managed to come back and win the unbeatable Federer. The women’s final followed a similar path as Kim Clijsters defeated the famous Serena Williams.

Today I found myself establishing a parallel between tennis and writing.

I compared Federer and Serena Williams to the New York Bestselling authors, well-established, basking in fame for years and unbeatable.

And yet, there are a lot of Del Potro and Kim Clijsters in Romance Writing. New authors with charming voices and fabulous imagination. With perseverance and hard work, they CAN reach the unreachable goal, they can be the new champions, the new bestselling authors.

Remember that the biggest champions and the most famous authors were once beginners too.

Dream your dream
Set your goal
Work hard
Listen to your coach
Go for it
Develop a tough skin
PERSEVERE

You are almost there. One more hit is all it takes sometimes.

The Magic Knot by Helen Scott-Taylor, my critique partner, was voted among the ten best books of the year.

Through the Fire by Beth Trissel was a finalist in the Golden Heart.

Babies in the Bargain, by Mona Risk (yours truly) was voted Best Book of the Week by The Long and Short Reviews

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.

Ottawa: a neat capital

2009-09-13T22:14:00.027-04:00

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

The second part of my trip to Canada included a twenty-four hour visit to Ottawa. We drove for a bout two hours from Montreal to the capital of Canada. The weather was gorgeous and a glorious sunshine brightened our trip. While my husband drove I munched on candied almonds, read the instructions and played navigator. I am proud to say we didn’t get lost in spite of my ususl poor sense of orientation.

The moment we stepped into our hotel room, the phone rang. It was one of my two high-school friends who live in Ottawa and was impatient to meet. They both joined us in the lobby. My husband smiled to his ears while watching our hugs and screams of joy. It was my fifth reunion with one of them and my third with the other since that far away graduation day.

We invited them to dinner in a restaurant of their choice on the canal. Later they gave us a tour of downtown Ottawa by night. We ambled through streets of cafes and restaurants in a lively city.

In the morning, my husband and I strolled in downtown and stopped at the Byward Market for a delicious breakfast at the very famous Moulin de Provence Bakery in Ottawa.

Look at the pictures and you will recognize President Obama who indulged his sweet tooth at this place. A video of the president ‘s visit played continuously and a special counter offered Obama cookies.

"I understand you've got some Canadian cookies … in the shape of a maple leaf," the president said during his surprise walkabout in the market last Thursday.
The baker, Claude Bonnet, obliged with maple-leaf-shaped sugar cookies with red and white icing.
"I figured, I'd get some points from my daughters," Obama said.

[CNN]

Since then the bakery is selling the Obama cookies all over United States and Europe.

One of my friends met us after breakfast and gave us a tour of the city.

We passed in front of the Parliament.

And visited the splendid Cathedral of Our Lady.

Notice the steel spider-shaped structure across from the cathedral.

We toured the Museum of Civilization. The front of the building looks like a face. Later we stopped by my other friend's house for lunch: salmon smoked in Ottawa.

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.

Quebec: a quaint old city

2009-09-06T20:41:00.042-04:00

The pictures posted here are all from Quebec City. Would you like to take an armchair trip to Quebec with me? Relax and enjoy.

I just came back from a week vacation in Canada. We flew to Montreal, spent a night there at my cousin's, drove to Trois Rivières, a little French Canadian town, where we tasted delicious Napoleons--mille-feuilles in French-- and drank Cappuccino to warm up, before getting dressed to attend the wedding of my husband's best friend's son.

We ran to the cathedral, across the street from the hotel, under pouring rain. The reception was a lot of fun and we danced till two a.m.

The next day we drove for two hours to the former capital of Canada, the lovely old city of Quebec. For two days we walked through parcs, lingered in historical streets, negotiated steps and bought a few souvenirs.

Quebec is the only city in the American continent that still has a city wall or part of a wall remaining.

The statue of Champlain who discovered Canada dominates the main place of the old city, facing the St. Laurent river.

We had brunch in the rotating restorant of our hotel and enjoyed a magnificent view of the city and river.

The Cathedral reminded me of the Ghotic cathedrals of France and Germany with a lot of columns, elaborate paintings and golden statues.

Here is the most famous chateau of Quebec seen from close. It's decorated with bronze statues in alcoves framing the windows.

This gorgeous fountain was offered by France to the city of Quebec. It's located in front of the Chateau.

Notice the Indian sculpture called INUKSUK, which means Indian/Canadian. They used to build a human statue with a series of stones.

The inscription is written in English and Inuksuk writing.

We rode a fenicular to go down to the lower part of Quebec City near the St. Laurent banks.

After strolling for another hour, we climbed ten stories of steps to reach the top of a hill and walked to a cafe. My friend claimed it to be the most famous ice cream place in Canada. I was so out of breath I kept wondering if the ice cream was worth my effort. Believe me it was!!!

My friend eating the most scrumptious ice cream dipped in chocolate at the Cafe European, across the River.

Sunset on the River.

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.

Pierce Brosnan, my favorite actor and inspiration.

2009-08-26T22:17:00.017-04:00

I can't describe a hero without a clear picture of him in front of me.

While writing my work in progress, a medical romance set in Belarus, Prescription in Russian, I placed Pierce Brosnan’s picture next to my computer. It stays there for three months squinting at me.

I asked Pierce to lend his heart-stopping smile and suave charm to my hero, Dr. Fyodor Vassilov. Can you understand now why the heroine, Dr. Jillian Burton, an American physician on a mission to Belarus, loses her heart to the gorgeous doctor in spite of her life-long pledge never to fall in love? Can you resist a Pierce Brosnan’s look-alike? I couldn’t. By the time I typed the END to my manuscript I was head over heels in love with my hero—whether his name was Fyodor or Pierce.

Pierce Brosnan was born in Ireland in a catholic family, but his father abandoned his mother. Pierce was raised by his mother and grandparents. He left Ireland at 10 and moved to England with his mother. He planed to be a painter but studied drama. As a little boy, Pierce was a great fan of James Bond, and was offered his first James Bond role in 1986. Critics claimed he was a better Bond than his predecessor, Roger Moore. He starred in six Bond movies.

I personally love him in The Thomas Crown Affair, a light suspense comedy he played with Rene Russo about a billionaire playboy who challenges himself at stealing art work from the Louvre Museum until a lovely detective decides to put an end to his infuriating hobby.

Laws of Attraction was even better. He starred with Julianne Moore in the story of two divorce attorneys who don’t believe in love and compete against each other in court but become attracted to each other.

And recently have you seen him singing in Mamma Mia? According to an interview with Reader’s Digest, Pierce said he’d accepted the role as soon as his agent said, 'Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!' And he was trained by two singers from the Sweedish pop group ABBA who created the musical Mamma Mia.

From painter to actor and director, Pierce Brosnan can do anything he sets his heart at.

Don’t you just love him!!!

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My blog

2009-08-24T00:53:00.012-04:00

How do you like my new format?

Are the colors attractive?

The writing easy to read? Dark enough against the background? Any typos?

How about the heading? The picture is an island in Fiji. Is it romantic or out of place here?

Do I have too much 'blue'? I love the ocean but not everyone does.

Any suggestions for improvement?

I did the changes by myself without begging for my DH's help. So I am
pretty pleased with the results. But I need your opinion, suggestions...
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An Interview with Emma Lai

2009-08-20T18:09:00.010-04:00

Emma Lai, I just finished reading His Ship, Her Fantasy and enjoyed it so much. What a great imagination you have to dream such a lovely story. I like the touch of humor and the fast pace, the mix of modern technology and lively fantasy, the subtle sensuality and warm feelings. Even the villain ends up to be a man of honor.

How did you get the idea of this story?
I had this scene stuck in my head of a woman arguing with her spaceship. I started with that and it evolved from there. It actually took a slightly different path then I originally pictured, but who am I to argue with my characters?

Where do you get ideas for your books?
Most of the time, I literally dream them up. Sometimes, I get inspired by a history book or a science article.

Are you a pantser or a plotter?
All of my stories to date have been written via the seat of my pants. I planted my bottom in my chair and typed out the scenes that I dreamed up and let the characters have their heads. After delving into the Mates of the Guardians series, I discovered the value in plotting. I'm not saying that I'm going to be a dedicated plotter, but I'm carefully finishing up the Mates of the Guardians series with the knowledge that it will affect a book that I'm working on.

Do you get support from your family? from your friends?
Definitely. My mother-in-law is the one who encouraged me to submit, and my husband bugged me until I did. The rest of my family and friends think I'm brave for sticking my neck out there even though they don't necessarily read romance.

Blurb for His Ship, Her Fantasy:

Ellie Woods is in love…with a ship. When an argument with the ship results in a bump on the head, she finds herself in the strong arms of Alastair. But, who is he, and where did he come from?Alastair has loved Ellie from afar for years, but duty has kept him from revealing himself to her. When a grave threat reveals his true identity, he hopes that Ellie will choose reality over fantasy.

Excerpt:

She fought to stay aware by focusing her gaze on the intriguing cleft in her rescuer’s chin. After a few moments, she tried to tilt her head back to get a look at the rest of his face, but the action made her dizzy once again. She gave up with a sigh and relaxed against his firm, broad chest.

She shrugged. Chances were she would not recognize him anyway. Over two hundred people served on the ship. She knew the dozen or so engineers who worked the first and third rotations and maybe another dozen crewmates by sight, others who worked the same rotation and happened to eat their meals in solitary silence at the same time she did. She would guess from the fact that he had to ask her name that he was not any of those two dozen individuals.

Maybe she should not have told him her real name. At least that way, when he talked about finding a woman helpless in the bowels of the ship, no one would have known who it was. Yeah, right, whom was she trying to fool? She was the sole person assigned duty to this area during fourth rotation. Her breath caught, and she stiffened in his arms. Who was he, and what was he doing in a restricted area?

“Relax,” he said.

“Who are you?” She tried to sit up in his arms, determined to get a look at him and an answer to her question.

He lifted her higher in his arms, which wedged her head between his head and shoulder and prevented her from getting a good look at his face. “Alastair.” His warm breath fluttered against her forehead and cheek.

Third Review

2009-08-19T22:38:00.005-04:00

Babies in the Bargain by Mona Risk on eHarlequin site.

http://community.eharlequin.com/review/highly-emotional-look-neonatologistâs-life

Format: eBook
Series: Other
5 Hearts

The Wild Rose Press, Pages 204

“Babies in the Bargain” Displays Three Areas of Excellence:

1. Very Strong Emotional writing.

2. All pervasive centrality of the romantic relationship.

3. A high level of medical expertise essential to the plot.

In short “Babies in the Bargain” has everything I like to see in a medical romance. The author, Mona Risk, has a Ph.D. in Chemistry and a daughter who is a Neonatologist. The medical elements are very realistic and essential to the plot. (I don’t like it when medical terminology is used simply because the story is a medical romance.)

I also appreciate the fact that the romantic relationship between the hero/doctor and heroine/doctor is as pervasive as I’ve ever seen in a romance. When the hero and heroine are not interacting, they are still thinking about each other. If you like the romantic part of a romance, then “Babies in the Bargain” is ideal.

“Babies in the Bargain” could serve as an object lesson on how to ‘show’ and not ‘tell’ a story. You always know exactly what the characters are feeling, indeed, for the most part you 'feel' along with them. It’s a great read.

The heroine is a doctor who is working to get board certified in neonatology. The hero is a respected anesthesiologist who had an affair with the heroine seven years earlier. When a family emergency took the hero away to Puerto Rico he seemed to have abandoned her. She has always loved him and now seven years later he has come back into her life by moving back to town. His brother and sister-in-law are soon killed leaving a premature baby that the hero must raise. Of course he is in need of a mother and thinks the heroine is the perfect candidate. The heroine has ideas of her own.

Excellent Story.
Vince

Book of the Week

2009-08-17T08:20:00.010-04:00

At the Long & Short Reviews,

BABIES IN THE BARGAIN was voted

"Best Book of the Week".

Babies in the Bargain by Mona Risk

Thank you to the writers, friends, readers and fans who voted for me.

Babies in the Bargain: at TWRP
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/babies-in-the-bargain-p-1298.html

At Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Babies-Bargain-Mona-Risk/dp/1601545142/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246659781&sr=1-1

At Barnes and Noble:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Babies-In-The-Bargain/Mona-Risk/e/9781601545145/?itm=1

AND THE WINNER IS...

2009-08-16T22:31:00.020-04:00

Here are the correct answers to my questions:

1- In To Love A Hero: what is the name of the colonel who is Sergei's close friend? Nicolai
2- What is the name of the American contract director who travels with Cecile? John Gordon
3-In French Peril: what is the name of the Chateau's butler? Bernard
4- What is the name of François' former French girlfriend? Edith Blaise
5-In Babies in the Bargain, what is the baby's name? Paulito
6- What is Marc's brother's name? Carlos

The winners of my month-long contest are:

Babyblue22: Winner of a bracelet and an antique car brooch from Spain.

Jane: Winner of a silver pharaonic pendant from Egypt

Sharon: A bracelet in painted copper from Tunisia.

Jaclyn: autographed book by Golden Heart winner Beth Andrews

CONGRATULATIONS. Thank you for participating in my blog.

Tomorrow I will know the results of the Long & Short Reviews Best Book of The week and will post them here.

Dear Readers I love having you on my blog. I hope you enjoy this blog as much as I do.

During this coming week I will post the pictures I took in Sydney, Australia, last month.

On Thursday, I will interview TWRP author Emma Lai.

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.

Another great review

2009-08-14T13:58:00.022-04:00

Another great review came at the time I badly needed some good news to cheer me up.

http://lo ngandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/babies-in-bargain-by-mona-risk.html

Babies in the Bargain by Mona Risk

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Genre: Contemporary, Medical

Length: FullHeat: Sensual

Rating: 5 Books

Reviewed by Violet

With only one year left to complete her medical training in Neonatology, Dr. Holly Collier vows not to let anyone mess up her sacrosanct schedule. Especially not the drop-dead gorgeous Dr. Marc Suarez who broke her heart seven years ago.When a tragic accident transforms the carefree playboy into a dedicated but novice father to his nephew, Holly gives in to her maternal instincts and turns her structured life upside down for the orphaned preemie. But can she learn to trust Marc again and believe in true love?

For seven years Holly Collier has tried to protect her heart because of the one man with whom she had fallen in love. Now that Marc Suarez is back in the picture, it is taking Holly every bit of self control to keep the ice around her heart. She has put her all into her medical training in Neonatology leaving little time for socialization. There is no way she will let anyone tamper with her plans for the future, not even Marc Suarez. Just when she thinks she has everything under control, an accident occurs that changes both of their lives. Marc is faced with the fact that he is now a father to his nephew and looks to Holly for help. Can Marc and Holly make it past the crisis to find one another once again? 

Babies in the Bargain was just amazing! It started out very dramatic and got my attention from the first paragraph. The intense feelings of grief that Marc felt really got to me. My heart cried out for him. I felt very connected to the characters and loved every moment that I spent with them. Marc's character is a fiercely loyal man that takes his obligations to his family and work very seriously. Seven years earlier, he called off his relationship with Holly without telling her why and it's killing him that he can't get close to her once again. Holly's character was a strong woman with a strong work ethic but the feelings she feels when Marc comes around take her breath away.

Watching these two characters try to stay away from each other was very amusing. It took everything they had to keep each other at arms length. I thought Marc was so incredibly sweet when he did whatever it took to make sure that Holly felt comfortable. I couldn't help but picture Marc Consuelos (of Kelly Ripa and Marc Consuelos) as the character of Marc in Babies in the Bargain!

Ms. Risk has done an outstanding job with Babies in the Bargain and is a very talented writer who gives the reader what they are after. The plot line was amazing and I found the entire book to be spot on with the medical terminology and procedures. Ms. Risk was able to evoke raw emotion from me throughout the book and I found it to be a most exciting and thrilling read. I highly recommend this book to those who love Medical Romances. This one will keep you on your toes and make you beg for more. I can't wait to read more of Ms. Risk's work in the future.

Isn't it a lovely review?

BABIES IN THE BARGAIN is up for Best Book of the Week at The Long & Short.

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/LASR/recentrev.htm

The voting start on Saturday, August 15, 2209, and last during the weekend. I would appreciate your vote.

We have a first winner for our main contest. Get your answers in please. You acn post them here.

Here are my questions:

1- In To Love A Hero: what is the name of the colonel who is Sergei's close friend?

2- What is the name of the American contract director who travels with Cecile?

3-In French Peril: what is the name of the Chateau's butler?

4- What is the name of François' former French girlfriend?

5-In Babies in the Bargain, what is the baby's name.

6- What is Marc's brother's name?

We need only 4 answers or 3 if you can't answer 4.

Tomorrow is August 15, and I will announce the winners.

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.

Unfortunately

2009-08-12T22:41:00.007-04:00

I have been unable to blog for the last few days. My mom is back at the hospital.

You won't believe what happened. My mom doesn't walk. She moves by wheelchair from her bed to her recliner to the bathroom. On Sunday morning a phone call woke me at 6:30 am. A nurse from the assisted living telling me Mom fell in the bathroom but is okay.

We rushed there right away and asked questions. How could she fall when she doesn't walk and is never alone? Apparently the aid made her walk to the bathroom, dressed her and then let her brush her teeth and comb her hair while standing at the sink. The aid was next to her, not holding her or standing behind her. Mom lost her balance and tumbled backward. The whole staff knew she can't walk, haven't walked in five months and has no balance. And they told me she's fine!!!

The aid said she caught her as she was falling while Mom said she hit her shoulder on the shower step. They brought the x-rays machine to her apartment. I just found out she has a fractured tibia in her right leg. They decided to send her to the in-hospital. Mom hates it. I said no. Only out-patient service to put a cast if necessary. Poor Mom doesn't complain and accepts everything. I am so mad, so depressed. My poor Mom has suffered so much.

Now they are telling me she needs a 24 hour nurse with her. They can put a whole staff!!! If they are as incompetent or negligent or unscrupulous as the one she had with her, what's the use. Trying hard to keep my sanity, but yesterday was a lousy day and we ended up at the in-hospital.

Today was better as the hospital staff was really good. The orthopedic surgeon decided Mom doesn't need surgery but only a cast. I am starting to breathe better.

I hope to be back on the blog soon.

Babyeblue, Terry, Skye I will send your your prize as soon as I have a minute.

Meanwhile don't forget our manin contest.

Here are my questions:

1- In To Love A Hero: what is the name of the colonel who is Sergei's close friend?

2- What is the name of the American contract director who travels with Cecile?

3-In French Peril: what is the name of the Chateau's butler?

4- What is the name of François' former French girlfriend?

5-In Babies in the Bargain, what is the baby's name.

6- What is Marc's brother's name?

Are you ready to play?I will post this until the end of August 15 to give you the time to find the answers. We will have a winner and three runners up.

The prizes are: A bracelet in painted copper from Tunisia.A bracelet and antique car brooch from Spain.A silver pharaonic pendant from EgyptA Golden Heart winner's autographed book by Beth Andrews.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO SIGN MY MAILING LIST (the white box on the left of the blog) if you haven't done so already. To make it easier, now I need an answer to four of the six questions.

Links to buy my books: Click on the sites.
TO LOVE A HERO: At Jasmine Jade and At Amazon.com
FRENCH PERIL: At Jasmine Jade and At Amazon.com
BABIES IN THE BARGAIN is Bestseller #2 in its category Champagne Roses (long contemporary) at The Wild Rose Press.

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.

A Lovely Review

2009-08-07T20:10:00.019-04:00

Babies in the Bargain's First Review

Author: Mona Risk

Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Release Date: July 3, 2009

Blue Ribbon Rating: 5

Format: EBOOK/PRINT

BABIES IN THE BARGAIN is one novel that pulls you into the story and holds you captive to the last page. My heart broke for Marc and the touching way little Paulito comes into his life. At the same time, the baby forces Holly to acknowledge her feelings for Marc – feelings she’s been trying hard to ignore. Mona Risk delves into the intense life and death situation babies in the NICU face and tempers that overwhelming emotion with a high intensity romance in a storyline that will truly touch the reader’s heart.

BABIES IN THE BARGAIN, sweet and spicy, in the genre of ER and Gray's Anatomy: New release at The Wild Rose Press. Paperback sold at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.

Our main contest is still on. Have you read my books?

Please start sending the answers.

Here are my questions:

1- In To Love A Hero: what is the name of the colonel who is Sergei's close friend?
2- What is the name of the American contract director who travels with Cecile?
3-In French Peril: what is the name of the Chateau's butler?
4- What is the name of François' former French girlfriend?
5-In Babies in the Bargain, what is the baby's name.
6- What is Marc's brother's name?

Are you ready to play?I will post this until the end of August 15 to give you the time to find the answers. I need all the answers for a winner and three runners up.
The prizes are: A bracelet in painted copper from Tunisia.A bracelet and antique car brooch from Spain.A silver pharaonic pendant from EgyptA Golden Heart winner's autographed book by Beth Andrews.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO SIGN MY MAILING LIST (the white box on the left of the blog) if you haven't done so already. To make it easier, now I need an answer to four of the six questions.

Links to buy my books: Click on the sites.

TO LOVE A HERO: At Jasmine Jade and At Amazon.com

FRENCH PERIL: At Jasmine Jade and At Amazon.com

BABIES IN THE BARGAIN is Bestseller #2 in its category Champagne Roses (long contemporary) at The Wild Rose Press.

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.

FIJI ISLANDS

2009-08-05T21:46:00.034-04:00

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

You were right my friends. It's Fiji.

We stopped in the beautiful Fiji Islands on our way to Australia. Here are some pictures from this paradise.

After spending two days in Nadi the capital, we explored the other islands on the way back from Sydney.

Our exploration consisted in boarding a catamarane. After about an hour it dropped us at a lovely tiny island. Don't ask me the name.

We moved to a submarine to discover the corals and multicolored fishes.

Full of energy, my husband and I rented a kayak and rawed for half an hour. We were not brave enough to go far.

I prefered the more sedate exercise of buying jewelry from the locals. Rings in mother-of-pearl, bracelet made of tiny pieces of pink, red and green coral. I wore the bracelet right away. It was so pretty.

Unfortunately I fell flat on my stomach when my flip-flop got caught in the sidewalk in the marina. I was lucky I only twistwed my right wrist, pulled the ligament of myleft leg, and bruised my knees. The bracelet broke and bruised my palm.

After ten days I feel much better.

At noon we were offered a scrumptuous lunch under the trees while musicians and dancers entertained our group.

At two oclock we boarded the catamaran and spent two hours at sea going from island to island. It was lovely.

Notice the cottages built on pillars over the water. I was told they have a glass bottom floor in the living room to see the ocean life.

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

Sharon ( Trailer) and Afshan (Babyeblue) You each will receive a mother-of-pearl ring from Fiji.

CONGRATULATIONS.

Our main contest is still on. Have you read my books?

Please start sending the answers.

Here are my questions:1- In To Love A Hero: what is the name of the colonel who is Sergei's close friend?

2- What is the name of the American contract director who travels with Cecile?

3-In French Peril: what is the name of the Chateau's butler?

4- What is the name of François' former French girlfriend?

5-In Babies in the Bargain, what is the baby's name.

6- What is Marc's brother's name?

Are you ready to play?I will post this until the end of August 15 to give you the time to find the answers. I need all the answers for a winner and three runners up.

The prizes are: A bracelet in painted copper from Tunisia.
A bracelet and antique car brooch from Spain.
A silver pharaonic pendant from Egypt
A Golden Heart winner's autographed book by Beth Andrews.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO SIGN MY MAILING LIST (the white box on the left of the blog) if you haven't done so already.
If I can't connect, then we will meet again at the end of the month and pull winners for the above contest.
To make it easier, now you need to answer I need an answer four of the six questions.

Links to buy my books:

To Love A Hero:

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

At Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Hero-Mona-Risk/dp/1419958100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246660182&sr=1-1

FRENCH PERIL:

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

At Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=French+Peril+by+mona+risk&x=16&y=20

Babies in the Bargain:

at TWRP http://www.thewildrosepress.com/babies-in-the-bargain-p-1298.html

At Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Babies-Bargain-Mona-Risk/dp/1601545142/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246659781&sr=1-1

At Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Babies-In-The-Bargain/Mona-Risk/e/9781601545145/?itm=1

BABIES IN THE BARGAIN is Bestseller #2 in its category Champagne Roses (long contemporary) at The Wild Rose Press.

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.

Name the Island

2009-07-29T00:46:00.032-04:00

I have been back for three days now and I still walk like a zombie, nap for four hours in the middle of the day and perk up at midnight. Briefly, I am still on Australian time, fourteen hours ahead of Florida. When I am awake I am not hungry. My stomach protests it's on Australian night time and refuses to absorb anything but water. I may lose the five pounds I loaded on during my trip. Wouldn't that be a nice side effect!!

I loved Sydney but we will talk about it in a few days. To reach Sydney, we traveled to Los Angelos (5 hours), spent ten hours waiting for our next flight, a huge 747 plane with an upper floor for the cockpit and first class.

My husband always books two seats next to the emergency door. That way we have as much leg room as if we were in business class and no close-by passengers.

So we traveled from Los Angelos to an Island

(YOU WILL HAVE TO GUESS THE

NAME OF THAT ISLAND TO WIN THE

MOTHER-OF-PEARL RING I BOUGHT IN THE ISLAND

FOR A LUCKY WINNER).

The flight took eleven hours. When we arrived to the Island (or rather islandS) we were sixteen hours ahead of eastern USA time and in the Southern hemisphere, which means it was winter there, avery mild winter with temperatures ranging from 60-80 F.

The flight attendants taught us two words. Bulah= hello and Vinaka=thank you.

We landed in the capital, Nadi. I never heard of it before but maybe those of you in California have already guessed the name of the Island.The food was scrumptious at the hotel. We spent only two days and two nights, slept on lounge chairs on the beach, read or walked. The water was not clear in that main island and nobody swam in the ocean.

When I related my disappointment about being unable to swim to my Australian relatives, they said we didn't go to the right place and should take a local cruise to explore the little islands.

I will tell you about our day cruise in my next post.

Meanwhile try to gues the name of the ISLAND for the chance to win a mother-of-pearl ring.

We will go back to the main contest in a few posts.

More about Monet

2009-07-10T20:50:00.029-04:00

I am glad many readers had a chance to stop and enjoy the pictures of the site that inspired one of the greatest painters of all time.

Giverny is such an artistic mess of flowers, ponds, and bridges. One would think, it's a natural unspoiled place. But it's not natural. The garden was designed and planted the way it is by Claude Monet.

Inside his house, he has an incredible collection of blue and white porcelain from Japan, China, Holland and Russia.

In 1900, he wrote his own embelished biography for a newspaper and helped build his own fame. We should take a lesson in PR, promote your own work.

"I am not a great painter, great poet. I just know that I do what I can to express what I feel in front of nature." --Claude Monet

I promised you an extravaganza contest. Here are my questions:

1- In To Love A Hero: what is the name of the colonel who is Sergei's close friend?
2- What is the name of the American contract director who travels with Cecile?

3-In French Peril: what is the name of the Chateau's butler?
4- What is the name of François' former French girlfriend?

5-In Babies in the Bargain, what is the baby's name
6- What is Marc's brother's name?

Are you ready to play?I will post this until the end of July to give you the time to find the answers. I need all the answers for a winner and three runners up.

The prizes are: A bracelet in painted copper from Tunisia.

A bracelet and antique car brooch from Spain.

A silver pharaonic pendant from Egypt

A Golden Heart winner's autographed book by Beth Andrews.

I will be leaving on a long trip for two weeks. Although I am taking my laptop I may or may not have Internet connection.

Please stop by my blog and enter my contest. AND PLEASE REMEMBER TO SIGN MY MAILING LIST (the white box on the left of the blog) if you haven't done so already.

If I can't connect, then we will meet again at the end of the month and pull winners for the above contest.

I need an answer for the six questions.

Links to buy my books:

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

At Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Hero-Mona-Risk/dp/1419958100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246660182&sr=1-1

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

At Amazon.com

Babies in the Bargain: at TWRP
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/babies-in-the-bargain-p-1298.html

At Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Babies-Bargain-Mona-Risk/dp/1601545142/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246659781&sr=1-1

At Barnes and Noble:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Babies-In-The-Bargain/Mona-Risk/e/9781601545145/?itm=1

BABIES IN THE BARGAIN is Bestseller #1 in its category Champagne Roses (long contemporary) at The Wild Rose Press.

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.