Years back I wrote what was to be the first novel in a mystery series. It featured a amateur sleuth by accident that didn’t fit the parameters of a cozy, detective, legal/medical, police procedural, romance or suspense. None totally. Nada.

The manuscript won awards and was debated over by agents for the better part of a year. Nothing came of it. Nobody’s take on it was the same, nor where the suggestions for rewrites. Even hiring an editor to give an in-depth look gave me a solution that differed. So I shelved it.

But I could never get it out of my mind. I wrote romances for two houses and enjoyed it. But my life took a curve along the way and I began to struggle. For the first time in my life I couldn’t write a sentence. A sentence! It was painful. Humiliating.

As I battled major writers block, I remembered when I sat down to originally pen the mystery I was only interested in pleasing me and I half way succeeded. Face it, I had been an unpublished novice trying to break in to this wondrous world of publishing. And I did it. My own way with the help of an amazing group of writers I love to this day, and an incredible editor who believed in me.

After a long draught I broke the dreaded writers curse and got a novel published. And when it was done I sat down to update this novel that wouldn’t leave my mind. I changed names, places, and location to reflect what I was shooting for the first time but didn’t quite make it. My heroine had grown up during that hiatus and now I knew she secretly hoped to find out what happened to her mother and learn the identity of her father. Then some mistakes she made along the way come back to haunt her. Big time. Shit happens. And the series begins.

So from now until I finish this work, I’ll think about who and where to send it or self-pub which I’m totally ignorant about. Yes, I’ll admit it. I cringe thinking of all I would have to learn in able to do this great publishing thing and freeze, which I don’t want to do. Ever again.

In the meantime, I’ll slowly get other committed works out there, enjoy life with my husband in the country, and write on with the mystery.

The number three holds much significance in our world. Stop by today and read my experience with #3 at Tote Bags ‘n Blogs. I’m giving away one of my backlist titles to one commenter — winner’s chioice!

12 July 2014
Bound by the Italian’s Contract by Janette Kenny

Reviewed by Desere

Caprice Tregore is physiotherapist extraordinaire, she helps heal those that cannot find another way to get over the sudden loss of change in their lives. But her company needs a state of the art makeover if she’s going to make it amongst the bigger names in the industry.

So she steels herself and finds every single bit of courage she can to face the one man that can help her make her dream a reality, she knows Luciano will want something in return, what she has no idea but what has to be done has to be done! And besides she is no longer the naive innocent he once knew.

Luciano Duchelini has the perfect plan to help his brother reach a speedy recovery. Caprice will do her physiotherapy magic and he will finance her company makeover, as easy as sliding down a ski slope, right ? But the two months in her company proves that the overwhelming always there attraction for Caprice has not died, and this time he will satisfy his every desire, regardless of the cost.

I have been a fan of this author’s work ever since the first time I picked up a copy of Proud revenge, passionate wedlock, a few years ago. The intensity of her characters has amazed and have entranced me every since.

In this her latest read she has once again shown why she is one of the best international author’s to ever grace the world with her beautiful stories, stunning memorable characters and romance magic, that is guaranteed to capture your attention again and again and again each and every time!

The character of Luciano fascinated me from the very start of this read, he’s colder than ice one minute and hot flames the next. I could not wait to get inside his mind and discover just why he hides his pain and anger. I loved him for trying to be always trying to be the stronger party in everything he does in life, it showed him as I recon a lot of us are for the most part. We hurt badly, but instead of allowing others to see our pain and suffering we hide it, and tell ourselves we deserve to suffer because of what our actions caused. I adored that the author let’s Caprice slowly be the one to draw Luciano out from the world of suffering he has sentenced himself to, the author showed that there is always someone that will show us we simply cannot be strong on our own, a little helping hand goes a long way.

The character of Caprice was awesome! I loved this heroine. She has been through hell and back , fallen more times than she can remember but has always gotten back up stronger than before and ready to fight back. My heart shattered at the thought of what she has gone through and I shed more than a few tears, major tissue alert! Much like Luciano she also hides the hurt , but instead of letting herself live in a hell whole of regrets she gets up and does what needs to be done to get over the issue. This showed her of course as the complete opposite of Luciano but it also reminded me that some of us are able to hit a low spot in our lives and still manage to get back up and move on, it makes us stronger than others but it does not make us any better, the key is to let that overflow of positive energy flow to others and help them to build the same level of courage we have been able to find, and this Caprice does beautifully!

Caprice building Luciano up to a man any person would be proud of and showing him that there is always a way to rebuild our lives after we have fallen from the top, was exquisite! I am taking away so many wonderful messages from this read but the one that stood out and will for certain remain with me for the rest of my life is that when we fall we need to get back up, we might fall again and have to get up yet again, but in the end we will know that we tried our very best and it will never be said we stayed down. And the love of the right person can heal any kind of hurt, all we need to do is let the person in on the deal.

I highly recommend this read for all fans of romance reads! Janette Kenny crafted the perfect escape to romance, love conquers all story with remarkable characters, a brilliant plot and a gripping all the way through till the end read!

5/5 star review
” He wants her and this time he will have her, but will she fall at his feet again or will she be the one to run this time?”

Drumroll!

We have a winner! Carol W of Boonton, NJ is the name drawn randomly for an autographed copy of Bound by the Italian’s Contract. Congrats! I’ll get your novel in the mail soon.

Thanks to all who entered.

Thanks so much reviewer Debbie Haupt! You made me smile. 🙂

RT BOOK REVIEW

BOUND BY THE ITALIAN’S CONTRACT
by Janette Kenny

Genre: Series, Harlequin Presents, Current Series Imprints

**** RT Rating

BOUND BY THE ITALIAN’S CONTRACT (4) by Janette Kenny: Ski therapist Caprice Tregore seeks out her once idol, former coach and past crush for financial help to realize her Denver dream. The trouble is he’s awakened long-dead emotions. Former ski champ Luciano Duchelini needs Caprice’s help to heal his brother, and for this he’ll finance her lodge restoration. What he doesn’t need is the feelings she’s rousing, feelings he thought died with his wife. Kenny’s romance in the Alps is tragic and hopeful, complete with over-the-top opulence, a hero who’s scarred inside and out and a heroine with a vicious ghost in her past.

Reviewed By: Debbie Haupt