We all need heroes, whether they’re real, or imaginary. From the unsuspecting tourist who ignores his own safety to pull a man from a wrecked car, to the men and women who are on the front line risking their lives every day to keep us safe. Stories always need a hero and everybody loves a story. News stories, dramas and books, we can’t get enough of them. James Bond would never have become the man he is today if we didn’t all need, just for a few moments of our lives, to believe in a hero. Someone to make us feel that everything will be okay and that good will always overcome.

And that is why, with the help of my friends, I will be introducing you to heroes from all walks of life. Good deeds to nourish your soul, heroes to swoon after and new stories to explore. I hope you enjoy this journey with me and you find for yourselves a new hero to worship.

So I'm going to kick things off with our army men and women, out protecting us on the frontline and all around the world. Putting their lives on the line, risking their mental health facing hideous atrocities, and with the ever-present danger of serious injury. Even if you don't believe in the politics that put them there, and some people won't, you have to respect their courage, dedication and sacrifice.

Which brings me nicely on to my book. The Songbird and the Soldier is out in print this week - Woo-hoo! Now you can get your hands on a paperback copy of my first novel and experience a little of this for yourself.

http://www.harperimpulseromance.com/books/the-songbird-and-the-soldier

And if you've failed to appreciate any of that, you can't have overlooked the taut, firm, muscular bodies that can be rugged and covered in dirt and sweat, or clean from the shower in spotless uniform, just crying out that they'll protect you and hold you and ravage you to within an inch of your life... *fans herself* Yes, they're pretty hot too!

Today I am welcoming the lovely author, Eve Devon, on to my blog and she is in the birthday mood. Take it away, Eve...

Firsts…
So The Waiting Game turns one year old today and as it was my debut book it got me thinking about all the firsts I experienced with its publication.
This year has flown by, but I can still remember the flutter in my heart when I first saw ‘copyright by’ and the copyright symbol next to my name.
And seeing my cover for the first time? I can admit that it took me a while to realize Big Ben was in the background—I was distracted by something in the foreground. Abs can say so much, don’t you think?!
Then there was seeing my book appear on all the bookseller sites that I usually purchased books from. Typing in my name and having my book pop up to buy—yep, total rush!
But as I raise my glass in celebration of The Waiting Game being out a year, the absolute icing on the cake was the first time a reader took the time to contact me and tell me how much they enjoyed my book.
I think that’s why all the firsts surrounding the release of your debut book are so special. The fact that people are prepared to take a chance on a new voice and without any pre-judging dive right in for an adventure, well, it’s the greatest of compliments. It is also why writers write—to share a story.
If you’ve been looking for the next adventure to dive right into, then consider the wait over! Here are all the details you need to immerse yourself in The Waiting Game:

Blurb:
Five years ago a madman stalked her. Kidnapped her. Tattooed her.
When security expert Cameron Dexter—the man Brooke Bennett once loved—appears unexpectedly at her door with terrifying news, the former musician discovers she can no longer hide from her past. After five years, her vicious kidnapper is out of prison and on the hunt—for Brooke.
Now he’s returned to complete his art.
Cam failed to protect Brooke once before. Now he’d rather die than let her be captured. With her life at stake, Cam vows to keep her hidden and safe. Brooke, however, is done with running. Unlike Cam, she wants to stand and fight. Emotions both old and new roil between them, but addressing their heated past must wait. Together they set a trap in London to catch a killer. But they soon discover the enemy wears many faces...
And waiting is no longer an option.

Buy links: Amazon  Barnes and Noble  iTunes  KOBO

Bio: Growing up in locations like Botswana and Venezuela gave me quite the taste for adventure and my love for romances began when my mother shoved one into my hands in a desperate attempt to keep me quiet during TV coverage of the Wimbledon tennis finals! When I wasn’t consuming books by the bucket load, I could be found pretending to be a damsel in distress or running around solving mysteries and writing down my adventures. As a teenager, I wrote countless episodes of TV detective dramas so the hero and heroine would end up together every week. As an adult, I worked in a library to conveniently continue consuming books by the bucket load, until realising I was destined to write contemporary romance and romantic suspense myself. I live in leafy Surrey in the UK, a book-devouring, slightly melodramatic, romance-writing sassy heroine with my very own sexy hero husband!

Where you can find me: WEBSITE  TWITTER  FACEBOOK

Joining me today is Holly, guest reviewer for the fabulous www.girlslovetoread.com run by Leah and the fantastic http://thischickreads.weebly.com run by Tay. Hi, Holly, you're looking glamorous today. Pull up a chair. I need to ask you a question; an important, globally significant question... Who would be you ideal man? :-)

Hmm, this has really got me thinking! I’d be happy with tall, dark and handsome looks-wise, but of course personality is JUST as important.

 There are a few necessities though – he must be an animal lover (my dogs and I are a package) and also not have a problem with me constantly buying shoes and books...

Okay, how about... him?

So talk dark and handsome and a soft touch, that's what you're looking for. How about when you were younger though?

When I was a teenager I had a different crush every week (...nothing changes!)
The crush that dominated the majority of my teenage years was for Nigel Harman (he played Dennis Rickman in Eastenders about ten years ago & has been in the latest series of Downton Abbey) I still think he is pretty gorgeous actually. I miss him winning Sexiest Male at the Soap Awards now he’s longer in Eastenders...

Oh yes. I can see why you liked him.

What did you want to do with your life back then, Holly?

I think I was certain I was going to be an author, the next Jacqueline Wilson... I’d spend all my spare time writing little stories about twins and animals on the laptop my Dad used to bring home from work. I also remember playing ‘libraries’ when I was much younger and using the TV remote control to stamp books...ironic as I now do in fact work in a library (only we don’t stamp books anymore!)

So in a way, you got your childhood dream. And also, ironically I don't ever remember playing doctors and nurses! ;-)  I bet you get some good tips on what to read from the people you meet at work, don't you? What sort of books did the younger you like to read?

As a teenager I was a huge fan of the Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging series by Louise Rennison and I couldn’t get enough of Jacqueline Wilson, I loved Tracy Beaker & Double Act as a child & then progressed on to the Girls in Love series as a teenager. I also remember loving the Two of Kind books with Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen and the Animal Ark books by Lucy Daniels.
I re-read Charlotte’s Web lots of times after a teacher read it in class. I fell in love with the story & remember waiting behind to ask the teacher where she ‘bought Charlotte’s Web from...’

Well that was great fun, thanks Holly. Now we've discussed all the important things in life we'd better get back to Fictionland and all those wonderful heroes waiting to be discovered.
Look out for Holly on the blogs above and you can find reach the woman herself on Twitter: @BookaholicHolly

Well, Geppetto, seems I'm a real author.

I was invited to attend HarperCollins in London last week for HarperImpulse's 1 Year celebration. Being a country mouse, I was grateful to team up with a friend and fellow colleague, Georgia Hill, and we headed off together.

We met at Hereford station and took the train to Birmingham, where we changed for a train to Euston and I was immediately corrupted by the production of two little bottles of bubbly. Blame her! By one o'clock, having failed to eat any breakfast, I could no longer feel my face, but by two o'clock, I was sober again, and we took a taxi through the city.

Georgia and I were virtually blown into the very fancy HarperCollins front door, the wind was so strong but we were given a warm welcome and escorted up to the board room.

So there we were, with a sea of faces looking at us, and it was lovely. It was great to finally meet everyone you spend so much time interacting with on the internet, putting a real face, and a voice, to the names.

We had talks on social media and the company's achievements so far and about what they hoped to achieve in the future - cue more bubbly!

After a little Q&A we adjourned downstairs to head off to the pub. (Should I mention that by now, the tuna sandwich I had brought with me on the train, that had been rejected because it smelled so bad, was still languishing in my bag, pungent and uneaten?) So I decided, having only had a few biscuits and one cupcake all day, not to partake of any more alcohol.

We walked down the road to the pub, but Georgia and I couldn't stay very long and running a bit late, we decided to opt for the tube - on a Friday evening, jostling about between hot sweaty bodies. The train back to Birmingham was little better. There were no windows that could be opened and no aircon flowing. Hot, close and crowded, we were rocked back and forth for another hour and a bit, by which time my head was killing me and I was feeling pretty ill.

We changed at Birmingham for Hereford and fresh air revived me. The last train was open and cool and by the time we arrived back home, I was human again.

And now I am back to the rolling green fields and views of the countryside. It was great to be there; to feel part of the team; to see yourself as something other than wife and mother for a while, but it's also good to be home.

My fishing line is tugging. I seem to have nabbed another fab author from across the pond. Sun Chara, welcome. https://facebook.com/suncharaauthorpage

Sun is a romance author from sunny LA! Wow, thanks for dropping by, Sun. I hope you've brought the weather with you.

Now I like to start out with an ice breaker called 'Who would be your ideal man?' What do you think, Sun? Who would yours be?

He'd have to be sexy, smart, good on the eye…and makes me laugh!

I see. They're getting wise to me now. Not even a clue to send me scampering around the internet fishing for pickies? Well then you had better come up with a great teenage crush to keep me happy! Come on Sun, spill. Who did you have on your walls when you were younger?

Davy Jones of The Monkeys.

The Monkeys? I LOVED them! I used to watch them every weekend on TV. I have a CD of thiers in the car too, much to my children's disgust. ;-) Oh, there he is - what pointy shoes!

I feel like bursting into song!

Thinking back to careers then. With a name like yours you'd have been a fab weather girl. What did you want to do with your life?

Go go dancer!

No! :-o

Ok, I was very naïve at that time…even applied in a racy club, but told them I wanted to wear my own costume… that didn’t go over too well, so I hit the pavement looking for work. Oh wait! That doesn’t sound so good either!? I mean I was looking for work not necessarily my ideal job by then, but like in an office, restaurant, library… something fun but legit.

LOL. I tell you: you, Dani-Lyn and I should get together; we could be the first dancing romance authors. :-) And writing about fictional men IS definitely fun. And we'll get on to your writing in just a second, but I'm curious to know which books captured your imagination back then.

Nancy Drew Mysteries, Trixie Belden Mysteries, and tons of Harlequin Romances.

So the signs were there from an early age. On to your writing now. You had great success with Manhattan Millionaire's Cinderella http://tinyurl.com/kv5f5ok
 http://tinyurl.com/mwrc5t5         
and now you've got All Wrapped Up In You out there too. This girl's on a roll!
US http://tinyurl.com/kvwfds9
UK http://tinyurl.com/kahxdg8 

Thanks for dropping by, Sun. Good luck with your books and feel free to pop in next time you're over this way.
http://www.harperimpulseromance.com/authors?title=s#sthash.JoJ6VbfL.dpuf
And you can find Sun on Facebook, using the link at the start, or twitter: https://twitter.com/sunchara3