Sister Pact

By Ali Ahearn & Ros Baxter

What a rare treat it is to open up a new book and to be hooked on the story within the first few paragraphs. Sister Pact by Ali Ahearn & Ros Baxter is one of those books. It took me just two days to finish the entire 375 pages and I found it a true joy to read. It is a beautifully written story embodying human frailties and vulnerabilities, and the hope and healing that love can ignite in even the most wounded of us. It combines a hilarious comic undercurrent with a deep heartfelt message of love and the effect that our betrayals can have on our most precious relationships.

Imagine this: you are estranged from your sister and you both share a dark secret that tore your sisterhood apart seven years ago. You are then forced, by the hand of your deceased grandmother, to both enter an arduous reality TV program set on a remote tropical island on the other side of the world. This task requires a defiant and fierce determination to conquer each challenge put before you in order to reach the finale and receive an inheritance of 1 million pounds each – an inheritance that if obtained, would change both of your troubled lives forever. This is the story of Joni and Frances.

The authors did a wonderful job of making the characters come alive on the pages. Joni and Frances, who are polar opposites, have their own unique way of interpreting both the world itself as well as where they believe their place is within it. With raw, transparent flaws combined with their own individual strengths, both of the characters are immediately likeable. As their strained relationship is brought to the fore upon being forced back together by their inheritance proposition, the reader is taken on a journey of sibling rivalry that is at times hilarious and at other times extremely sad – even tragic.

I was impressed by the way the authors combined the adventures of being on a reality TV show on a remote island, faced with bizarre and gruelling challenges, with not only the sisters’ relationship ups and downs, but also the way they related to the other contestants and the film and crew involved. I really felt like I was on that island with them, that some of them could easily be friends of mine, while others, I would easily despise. In all honesty, there were many times that I forgot that I was reading a fictional story and was so convinced by both the authenticity of the storyline and the characters, that it easily could have been a true story.

There is a key message to this story that I loved and which rang true to me – that no person or relationship is perfect, forgiveness heals broken hearts and that in facing your own mistakes and downfalls, you can emerge a better version of the person you thought you were.  I absolutely loved this book and I highly recommend it.

Here’s some great news for those of you who didn’t have a chance to submit to HarperCollins’ new e-book anthology about love in the digital age—submissions have re-opened!

We all love a hot romance… and what could be more relevant to the way we live now than a love story involving text messages, online dating, emails or tweets?

Our target audience is digitally savvy women aged 25–40 who enjoy a cleverly written romp. They like reading on their iPads or Kindles, and might be currently signed up to RSVP or e-harmony, or engaged in a little email flirtation at work.

Writers whose stories are selected will receive a part share of the royalties of 25% of publisher’s net receipts (the part share is dependent on the number of successful submissions included in the Work) and a HarperCollins book pack to the value of $50.

Submissions are now open and will close at 5pm on 25 May 2012 Writers should send their completed manuscript to loveonline@harpercollins.com.au.

Any queries can be sent to loveonline@harpercollins.com.au with ‘query’ in the subject line. Media enquiries should be addressed to loveonline@harpercollins.com.au with ‘media’ in the subject line.

Please note:
• Submissions should be between 800–3000 words long. Please submit a double-spaced Word document (using Times New Roman font) as an attachment. The subject heading should be the title of your work. Include your name, postal address and email address in the body of the email.
• We are particularly looking for strength of ‘voice’ and creativity in the submissions.
• HarperCollins is unable to give personalized feedback as to why a submission isn’t selected for this anthology.
• Eligibility for the anthology is at HarperCollins’ discretion.

Terms and Conditions
By submitting your Work, you agree to the following terms and conditions:
• You are the owner of copyright and the material has not previously been licenced to any other party.
• We will only accept stories up to 3,000 words (use word count) and will consider any Work over 800 words in length.
• You hereby grant us the exclusive worldwide right to use your submission in the Work for five years, including in relation to all marketing, advertising and promotion of the Work. You agree to that we may edit and do any act that would otherwise be a breach of your moral rights in the work as defined under the Copyright Act. We reserve the right to alter, delete or amend your work at our sole discretion. We will identify you as the author of your submission in the Work in accordance with our normal practice.
• The royalty is a part share of 25% of publisher’s net receipts (the part share is dependant on the number of successful submissions included in the Work).
• Submissions should be made via the following email address: loveonline@harpercollins.com.au
• The subject of the email must say ‘Submission’ followed by your name.
• You should send your Work as an attachment in Microsoft Word format.
• Include in body of email:
~ Your real full name
~ Author name (only if you want to use a pseudonym)
~ Email address
~ Postal address
~ Phone number
~ Manuscript title
• Submissions should be double spaced; 12 point font preferred, Times New Roman (if your Work requires multiple or specific fonts please make this clear).
• Your Work should be completely ready to print, properly formatted with no typos, grammar or syntax issues. We suggest having someone proofread your work prior to submitting.
• You will receive an e-mail confirming receipt of the submission.
• Please note that we receive a very large number of submissions and failure to adhere to these submission guidelines will limit the chances of your submission being viewed.

Scatterbrained animal lover Joni tends to snog first, ask questions later (including ‘so what is your name anyway?’). Polished charity queen Frances saved herself for her one true love, an urbane city lawyer who promised her everything and delivered none of it.

It’s no wonder they haven’t spoken for seven years.

But that’s just the beginning of their problems. 

Add financial disaster, a dead grandmother, and a deal-with-the-devil that takes them to other side of the world to compete on a Survivor-style reality TV show and it’s clear that romance is the last thing on either of their minds. But Cupid has other plans …

My sister Ali and I knew it was going to take a little romance to shake these sisters up and bring them back together. But not just any romance. Cue Nick and Lex.

Nick is just Joni’s type – a square-jawed, rugged alpha male who can shear a sheep, slay a dragon and kiss the pants off a willing woman. But it’s uptight Frances he has his eyes on.

Lex is just the kind of man Frances adores – an accomplished Shakespearean director with an impressive pedigree. But it’s in Joni that he sees a kindred spirit to help him slay some demons of his own.

Ali and I loved writing this book about two sisters who – like us – are as vital to each other as they are different. For us, writing a tandem novel was just like talking to each other – funny, occasionally chaotic and full of unexpected tangents and surprising twists. We hope you love Joni and Frances (and their path to both romance and back to each other) as much as we loved creating them.

Ali and Ros

Our thanks for this guest post to Ali Ahearn and Ros Baxter, sisters and co-authors of Sister Pact, which is published today in print and ebook. Ali also writes medical romance novels as Amy Andrews. Visit their website at http://www.sisterlit.com/ and check them out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SisterLit.

In the best escapist tradition of Lunch in Paris, a woman runs away to one of the most romantic cities in the world,  but with a little extra baggage …

After years of living vicariously for years through her romantic heroines, bestselling novelist Eloisa James takes a leap that most of us can only daydream about. She sells her house, leaves her job as a Shakespeare professor behind, and packs her husband and two protesting children off to the city of her dreams.

Grand plans are abandoned as she falls under the spell of daily life as a Parisienne — exquisite food, long walks by the Seine, reading in bed, displays of effortless chic around every corner and being reminded of what really matters in a place where people seem to kiss all the time.

An irresistable love letter to a city that will make you want to run away, Paris in Love is also a joyful testament to the pleasures of savouring life.

‘I never did learn to live in the moment, but I did learn how to waste them. It was a glorious lesson.’

‘What a beautiful and delightful tasting menu of a book: the kids, the plump dog, the Italian husband. Reading this memoir was like wandering through a Parisian patisserie in a dream. I absolutely loved it.’ – Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love

Read a sample chapter now.

Submissions are open from 9 April 2012 and will close at 5pm on 23 April 2012. Writers should send their completed manuscript to loveonline@harpercollins.com.au.
Any queries can be sent to loveonline@harpercollins.com.au with ‘query’ in the subject line.
Media enquiries should be addressed to loveonline@harpercollins.com.au with ‘media’ in the subject line.

Please note:
• Submissions should be between 800–3000 words long. Please submit a double-spaced Word document (using Times New Roman font) as an attachment. The subject heading should be the title of your work. Include your name, postal address and email address in the body of the email.
• We are particularly looking for strength of ‘voice’ and creativity in the submissions.
• HarperCollins is unable to give personalized feedback as to why a submission isn’t selected for this anthology.
• Eligibility for the anthology is at HarperCollins’ discretion.

Terms and Conditions
By submitting your Work, you agree to the following terms and conditions:
• You are the owner of copyright and the material has not previously been licenced to any other party.
• We will only accept stories up to 3,000 words (use word count) and will consider any Work over 800 words in length.
• You hereby grant us the exclusive worldwide right to use your submission in the Work for five years, including in relation to all marketing, advertising and promotion of the Work. You agree to that we may edit and do any act that would otherwise be a breach of your moral rights in the work as defined under the Copyright Act. We reserve the right to alter, delete or amend your work at our sole discretion. We will identify you as the author of your submission in the Work in accordance with our normal practice.
• The royalty is a part share of 25% of publisher’s net receipts (the part share is dependant on the number of successful submissions included in the Work).
• Submissions should be made via the following email address: loveonline@harpercollins.com.au  
• The subject of the email must say ‘Submission’ followed by your name.
• You should send your Work as an attachment in Microsoft Word format.
• Include in body of email:
 ~ Your real full name
 ~ Author name (only if you want to use a pseudonym)
 ~ Email address
 ~ Postal address
 ~ Phone number
 ~ Manuscript title
• Submissions should be double spaced; 12 point font preferred, Times New Roman (if your Work requires multiple or specific fonts please make this clear).
• Your Work should be completely ready to print, properly formatted with no typos, grammar or syntax issues. We suggest having someone proofread your work prior to submitting.
• You will receive an e-mail confirming receipt of the submission.
• Please note that we receive a very large number of submissions and failure to adhere to these submission guidelines will limit the chances of your submission being viewed.

Happy Easter, everyone. May the Bunny bring you much chocolate!

Congratulations to Eloisa James, Gillian Bagwell, Tessa Dare, Caroline Linden, Nalini Singh, Barbara Hannay, Fiona Lowe, Christina Brooke and Trish Morey! (Plus everyone else nominated, of course!)

As usual there’s a great selection of books up for each award and the winners will be announced on 28 July 2012. We’d love to hear which are your favourites.