by Abby Green, author of The French Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress
This book is the third in the series ‘International Billionaires’ that have been done with the game of Rugby as the backdrop to the story, and even more importantly – and I’ll get to why in a moment – with the annual Six Nations tournament as a central uniting event around which some of our stories are told.
This was the first time I’d taken part in such a series. My editor gave me the bones of the plot, told me who my heroine and hero were and let me do the rest. It was challenging in a totally different way to having to make up a story from scratch!
Rugby in Europe and around the world is huge and I defy anyone to watch the game and say that it doesn’t have all the hallmarks of an intensely passionate Harlequin Presents. Especially the game between Wales and Ireland on the 21st March – phew!
My hero is a French man, Pascal Leveque. He is an international financier and renowned playboy. My heroine is Irish, Alana Cusack, a tv sports reporter in Dublin who has a tragic past and more defences than the tower of London.
Needless to say when they meet, and Pascal is intent on seducing this buttoned-up natural beauty, sparks fly and emotions run high. He is a sophisticated seducer and she just wants to hide away and be left alone.
Will Pascal be able to seduce Alana? And if he does, how will they handle the cataclysmic consequences of one careless moment? You’ll just have to read it to find out!
Just one other thing that has to be mentioned before I go, as I said earlier, the plot of my story revolves around the Six Nations tournament, which is played out each year at this time between Italy, France, England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland.
Every year each team vies for the coveted Grand Slam win, which would mean that they’ve beaten everyone they’ve played against in the tournament. Ireland last won a Grand Slam in 1948. Sixty one years ago. And on the 21st March 2009, to coincide beautifully (ahem) with my own book coming out, we won the Grand Slam!!!!!!
In the spirit of celebration of two happy events, I’ll send a signed copy of my book to the first person who emails me @ abbygreen3[at]yahoo.co.uk and says: Ireland are the Grand Slam winners!!!!!
Happy reading everyone and if you pick up the book I hope you enjoy Alana and Pascal’s story.
Wow sixty-one years! Isn’t that fantastic! I love the sound of Alana and Pascal, can’t wait to get my hands on it
Abby – Congratulatons on the publication of The French Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress. I loved this book and it was a special treat for me that – as with other books of yours – part of it was set in Dublin which has such great memories for me both of my childhood visits there and later rediscovering it with you more recently. I plan on coming back again soon.
And with my Irish ancestry, like you I was celebrating wildly when Ireland won the Grand Slam – did you arrange for that to happen just to publicise your book?
Hi Lacey and Kate, that Grand Slam win was seriously the most exciting match I’ve ever seen. If I hadn’t been glued to the screen I would have loved to be out in the streets just to hear the roar when we did win, it was truly amazing.
! Very obliging.
Kate, I had a word with the boys you know, and just said, anything they could do to help publicize the book would be welcome – and so they won
x Abby
Abby, I grabbed The French Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress off the bookshop shelves the minute it arrived. Am so looking forward to reading it. Very clever of you to have got the Irish to win the Grand Slam just for you. How theatrical of you!
This book was incredible!
It truly was the most exciting and thrilling game I’ve seen for a long, long time– right up until the second the final whistle went. Very similar to Abby’s book in fact!
I totally urge everyone to read The French Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress,’ not just for the thrilling rugby background, or the trademark Abby Green sparky story, but to discover two characters who really will stay with you for a long time. Pascale is a hero with such honour and heart that you’ll fall deeply in love with him, and the story has a simmering undercurrent of sensuality that will carry you along, but make you wish it wouldn’t end. I’ve already read it twice…
It’s another winner, Abby congratulations!
And how neat to get the boys in green to make it a double celebration…
Thanks Marilyn, India and Christina! And Anne don’t you know by know it’s all about the theatrics!
x Abby
Abby, yay! At last I managed to log on. You know how much I loved this story of yours. Pascale is a hero and a half! It was great to see how he focused on what he wanted at the beginning of the book and then worked through the obstables to get her.
Congratulations on the win. Obviously the Irish team succeeded just for you!
Annie
After 28 years of marriage, my husband didn’t want me anymore. He made that plain. We divorced. I gave up on romance. I used to read three Harlequin Books a night ( he worked nights all of our married life). I shouldn’t have been surprised when he said he didn’t love me. Harlequin had been pointing out true love to me for years. My mother died last year, but when we girls needed to know about the facts of life, she sent us to a movie. It wasn’t enough. I tried to know what I needed to know, but failed it away. I remarried and a few years ago my former husband died. It was hard to believe in love after that, but slowly, I began to. So it took some time before I could pick up a Harlequin and read it again. I want to thank Abby Green for writing The French Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress. I even read some of it to my new husband. At the end I started crying with joy. How can you explain that? Thank you.