Crack that French champagne and break open the good chocolate because it’s Eddie and the Show Queen’s release day. Rah!

Oh, I hope you fall in love with Eddie and Alice the way I have. These two are adorable and deserve to be happy. Not so easy to achieve given their painful past and made even harder by them being in competition for the inaugural Levenham Wine Show Crown, but Eddie is determined to win back the heart of the girl he never stopped loving.

Nothing like a man on a mission!

Anyway, who wants an easy to achieve happy-ever-after? All the reading fun comes from watching characters struggle and suffer. ‘Tis one of the great joys of romance.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who pre-ordered a copy of Eddie and the Show Queen. For those who love the thrill of the release day one-click, it’s time for you to exercise your finger. Click-swipe-tap now to secure your copy from any of these retailers.

amazon.com | amazon.com.au | amazon.co.uk

iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Barnes & Noble

Booktopia | Angus & Robertson | Bookdepository

I have a limited number of Eddie and the Show Queen paperbacks available for direct purchase. If you’d like one of these personally signed editions, order now using this form. Strictly first in, first served. Orders also include a special Eddie and the Show Queen bookmark.

Now, as has come tradition on release day, here are some secret things about the book.

Five Secret Things About Eddie and the Show Queen

1/. Eddie was originally…

an Edward but we had a plumber come to our house who was an Edmond. He was such a lovely (and rather dishy) country lad that I decided to pinch his name.

2/. Regular ‘Secret Things’ followers will know…

that most of my books have a theme song, sometimes several theme songs. Eddie and the Show Queen’s is ‘I’m Not Over’ by Swedish-American alternative rock band Carolina Liar.

It fits Eddie’s feelings perfectly.

Also on the playlist was ‘Wildest Dreams’ by Taylor Swift, ‘Still Loving You’ by the Scorpions, ‘Just Give Me a Reason (featuring Nate Ruess)’ by Pink, ‘Keep Me Coming Back’ by Casey Barnes, and ‘Never Ever (featuring Sarah)’ by the Rubens (explicit lyrics). Oh, and the German version of ‘Mamy Blue’ by Ricky Shayne for no other reason than I love it.

3/. This book holds the record for…

taking the longest amount of time to write. I should have had the first draft done in six weeks, instead it took me thirteen months. There were two main reasons for this. One, it was meant to be a novella but the story took more words to tell than I anticipated and, two, 2018 (and most of 2019) turned out to be a total annus horribilis. I spent a fair whack of it in hospital sorting out a serious medical issue, and writing proved a major challenge. On the road to recovery now, so all good!

4/. I originally wanted to…

call the story Eddie and the Showgirl because it was to be about a fierce battle for the country showgirl title at the Levenham Agricultural and Horticultural Society annual show. I had to bin it though. The definition of showgirl varies around the world, and I didn’t want readers thinking Alice was an adult dancer when what I was aiming for was a representative for the local A&H Society.

5/. Eddie and the Show Queen features…

several favourite characters such as Granny B (who somehow manages to push her way into most Levenham Love Story releases), Chrissy James (Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy), Eddie’s brother Harry (Summer and the Groomsman, Wayward Heart) and Danny and Nick Burroughs (Santa and the Saddler, Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy).

It also introduces some lovely new characters for at least three of whom I have story ideas – Paige, Tiffany and Scarlett. Yep, the Levenham Love Story series has more to come, starting with Scarlett and the Model Man which I’m working on right now. Keep an eye out for that on in 2020.

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I hope you enjoyed these insights into Eddie and the Show Queen. Remember, you can discover even more about how I came to write Alice and Eddie’s romance in Country Shows and Title Woes – The Story Behind Eddie and the Show Queen.

If you’d like to read an excerpt, you’ll find one on Eddie and the Show Queen’s book page. For a longer sample, grab a preview from your favourite ebook retailer.

Here are those buy links again:

amazon.com | amazon.com.au | amazon.co.uk

iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Barnes & Noble

Booktopia | Angus & Robertson | Bookdepository

Or purchase a personally signed print copy direct from me via this form.

Thanks to everyone who has helped get Eddie and the Show Queen onto virtual shelves and your hot little hands, including my editor Alex Nahlous from Alexandra Nahlous Editing Services, cover designer Kellie at Book Cover By Design, and the good buddies who make this writing life such a joy, in particular Annie West, Michelle Douglas and Jaye Ford (aka Janette Paul) who were a huge support during my health woes. Friends who bring picnics and big smiles to your hospital bed are special. Last but never, ever least, my darling Jim. The man who is my rock.

Happy reading everyone!

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