And the countdown begins

I have a date. I have a cover. I have a blurb.

So maybe, just maybe, it’s time to share 🙂

A Love Worth Saving, the third installment in my Nights at St Mary’s series will be available from your favourite e-store on…

22 JULY

It’s gonna look like this:

And here’s a hint of the story:

Have you taken a night shift at St Mary’s yet?

Ana Reed has been offered her perfect job – managing a new portable diagnostic sleep service. The only problem: it means working with Dr Brad Lewis, the only man she’s ever loved, and the one man she can never keep.

Brad has always loved Ana, but when he’s around her, he’s constantly reminded of a past he desperately needs to forget. However, he knows Ana is good at her job, and he refuses to stand in the way of her passions. So he will put aside the past, so that she can have her future. After all, they are both professionals, both adults, and their patients have to come first. Surely they can work together without their shared history

Mark the date guys, and get the tissues ready for Brad & Ana’s emotional roller coaster is about to begin.

I watched Fifty Shades of Grey and I LIKED it

WARNING: This blog contains spoilers. Read at your own peril.

I watched Fifty Shades of Grey and I LIKED it.

Seriously!

I haven’t laughed that hard since 21 Jump Street (and that movie had me ROFL)!

Fifty Shades was a comedy, right? A parody of the novel, perhaps?

The reason I ask is because, well, I don’t remember laughing so much when I read the book. Granted, I didn’t manage to finish it, but I do understand why it was such a worldwide phenomenon.

The chemistry between the characters E L James created was incredible. Astronomical. On par with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Mr & Mrs Smith.

The chemistry between Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson? Sadly lacking.

I actually liked Anastasia far more in the movie than I did in the book. She had a lot of sass – when she wasn’t breathing heavily or biting her lip, that is. Every time Christian turned up al-a-stalking (and I will say, Jamie Dornan channeled a serial killer very well), she jumped out of her skin and said something akin to “what the f#*k?!”

LIKE A NORMAL PERSON WOULD.

Whether it was the serial-killer shopping at the hardware store, turning up in her apartment with wine after she breaks up with him, or making her car vanish – her initial reactions were all normal.

Of course, when she would then allow him to do all sorts of nasties to her, it was me saying “what the f#*k?!”

Some of the movie was truly humorous, though, and extremely enjoyable. The contract negotiation scene was superb, and I still get the giggles remembering Anastasia’s introduction to the Red Room – X-box anyone?

But large parts of the movie were so bad, the only thing you could do was laugh.

How anyone could fall in love with the uber-controlling Christian Grey the movie portrays is beyond me. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like Anastasia did fall for him. After all, she walked away in the end.

Just like I’ll be walking away from the movies that follow. Hopefully you will too.

Of course, if you prefer your romance with sizzling chemistry between #realwomen and #niceguys you should come on over and check my series out right here.

Nothing like some shameless self-promotion, right?

XX Amanda

Australia Day Sale

Super stoked that A Heart Worth Mending has been included in Amazon Aus’s Australia Day Sale.

You can find out more about the Nights at St Mary’s series here or go straight to the purchase site here for the US or here for Australia

Happy reading!

XX Amanda

Are you doing it right?

Yes, I’m going there. And I’m sorry in advance, but I have to have a bit of a rant because the universe seems to be beating me over the head at the moment with a concept that just doesn’t sit right.

Apparently, apparently¸ life ends after marriage. Or, more specifically, a couple’s sex life ends once they have children and settle into the routine of raising them.

Really?

Truly?!

Noooo!!! Say it isn’t so!

But it must be true. The movie makers say it’s so. And the authors agree. Nobody has time for sex once they have kids. That’s why sexy internet chat rooms have become so popular and the divorce rate is so high.

There’s even scientific evidence to support pop culture’s theories. A quick Google search shows many psychological studies and surveys that point to the same conclusion. Parents with young children have less sex than before they had children. And even worse, parents of teenagers have even less sex.

Aaarggh! We’re all doomed. Turns out you don’t need condoms once you have kids, they are contraception enough.

But hang on, that can’t quite be right. Otherwise, how do people have more than one kid? Is everyone having immaculate conceptions? Or maybe they are so supremely fertile once they’ve popped one out that just a hint of sperm once a year is enough to fertilise an egg?

Or maybe, just maybe, pop culture is wrong.

Maybe even some of these scientists are wrong.

See, there’s a myth I’ve heard lately. A rumour circulating amongst some marrieds that flies in the face of this prevailing pop culture belief.

I’ve actually heard it said that life after children is better.

No! It can’t be true, you say.

But they do.

Oh, they must be talking about the experience of parenthood.

But they’re not.

There’s no doubting that the experience of parenthood expands your life exponentially, but these rumours I hear aren’t about that. These rumours I hear are about sex. Specifically, that sex can get better after kids.

Shock! Gasp!

Seriously.

Seriously?

Children = better sex.

But think about it. Relationships often deepen when two people share the experience of parenthood (and I’m not talking solely about biological parenthood – the same concept applies to step-parenthood). A natural part of that deepening relationship is going to be expressed during sex. And although you can’t have sex anytime you want anymore, because, well, there are kids around; that can actually add to the experience.

Pretend for a moment that you are on a diet. Say you have restricted your chocolate intake to one treat at night time. How much do you look forward to that treat? How much do you think about it during the day? And just how good is it once you finally sink your teeth into all that sugary confection?

That is what sex after kids is like.

If it’s not… well, maybe you’re not doing it right.

XX Amanda

If you enjoyed the read, feel free to share with your friends. If you’ve got any thoughts on the matter, I’d love to hear them in the comments below.

Amanda Canham writes romance and speculative fiction. You can find out more about her light, heart-warming medical romance series here.

Does size matter?

I’m sure there are some ladies out there yelling “hell, yes!” and more than a few gentlemen saying “ahem, it’s the way it’s used, not the size that matters.”

But before we all go getting too excited, let me explain. I’m referring to the size of a book, not a… well, you know.

Forgetting about that other size issue, let’s focus on books.

There seems to be a huge push towards smaller size books lately. Or maybe it’s that I’m only becoming aware that we seem to be entering the age of the novella. Although there is no consensus about how long a novella must be, they generally seem to range between 10 000 and 40 000 words (i.e. from about 25 to 100 pages). Some books that are for sale on Amazon are even shorter (such as one dinosaur porn book I recently came across – don’t ask how I found it, and no, I’m not linking to it. It’s already sold way better than my sweet medical romances lol).

For me, personally, I don’t see the appeal (of either dinosaur porn or the novella). If I’m going to invest time and money in a book, I want to get at least twenty-four hours out of a story. I accidentally bought a novella once, only realising what I’d done when I found myself three-quarters of the way through the story in less than two hours.

I felt jipped.

But that’s just me. I grew up on chunky historical romances and epic fantasy series. I read Margaret Mitchell’s thousand-page Gone With The Wind novel when I was eleven years old (and yes, I do like to brag about that).

Maybe I’m an anomaly, though.

After all, more and more publishing houses are creating imprints for the short novels and novella length stories. The theory behind it is that in this technological age our attention spans are much smaller, the time we can commit to reading less than in previous generations.

Although that makes a certain kind of sense, I’d still much rather spend my limited book budget on novels I can sink my teeth into.

What about you? Is bigger better? Or do you like your stories short and sweet?

Amanda

Amanda Canham is a sleep scientist by trade, a mother by heart, and blogs for fun. She has published a series of sensual sleep medicine romance novels that you can check out here.

The Sleep Files: What is Sexsomnia?

Hey, you, get your mind out of the gutter. That is absolutely not what I’m-

Nope, actually, keep your mind right where it is.

Sexsomnia is exactly what you are thinking.

It’s a medical condition that causes a sufferer to perform sex acts while they are sleeping. Whilst that might sound like a fun way to get off, it actually isn’t.

In its mildest form, it involves a little bit of unconscious self-pleasuring that can cause undue embarrassment for the sufferer and their bed partner. On the more serious end of the scale, it can lead to rape and charges of sexual assault with the perpetrator having no recollection of performing the act.

When I first heard about this relatively new sleep disorder, I assumed it was related to REM Sleep Disordered Behaviour (RSDB). For those of you that don’t know a lot about sleep medicine, let me explain my thinking:

RSDB involves acting out one’s dreams and
During REM sleep, both the male and female genitalia can become engorged.

I think its only natural to assume that the act of sexsomnia would occur when these two physiological actions are combined.

But, and I’m not too proud to admit it:

I WAS WRONG.

Sexsomnia does not usually occur in REM sleep as an extension of RSDB. It is, in fact, classified as an arousal disorder that falls under the parasomnia branch of sleep disorders.

Okay, yes, you can laugh at me now. The name is a bit of a giveaway – sexsomnia, parasomnia, clearly it was labeled as a “somnia”.Have you had your fun?

Good, because now it’s time to get down to the nuts and bolts of the disorder.

Sexsomnia occurs when one section of your brain wakes up before the other areas of your brain do. It primarily occurs towards the end of your slow wave sleep period (your deepest sleep), often in the first or second sleep cycle of the night. It occurs in the same way sleep walking, sleep eating and sleep talking occurs.

However, just because someone sleep walks, it does not mean they will sleep sex. Conversely, though, sexsomnia primarily occurs in patients with a history of parasomnias or other sleep disorders. As I mentioned before, it is a relatively newly discovered disorder and a lot more research is still needed to determine the causes (and possible cures) for this behaviour.

If you think you may suffer from this sleeping disorder you should talk to your G.P. and get a referral to Sleep Physician.

You can find further information on sexsomnia here.

XX Amanda

Amanda Canham is a sleep scientist by trade, a mother by heart, and blogs for fun. She has published a series of sensual sleep medicine romance novels that you can check out here.

A brand new blog style

Ooh, I’m just a little excited to let you all know that I’m starting a brand new blog series tonight. In fact, this week (if all goes to plan) I will be launching three, yes three new blog series this week. My aim (possibly overly ambitious but there’s nothing like aiming high) is to blog three times a week, one for each series.

Wanna know what the blogs are all about?

Series 1: The Sleep Files.

In this set of blogs, I’ll talk all things sleep related – from different sleep disorders, treatments, elements and functions of different stages of sleep and so forth. If you have any burning sleep related questions, or a topic you’d like me to cover, send them through.

Series 2: The Book Files.

In this set of blogs, I’ll be talking about all things book related. This will include any issues I encounter from a writer’s perspective or a reader’s perspective, and of course (because any good book blog needs to) I’ll chat about my favourite authors and recommend the books that keep me up all night.

Don’t swing by looking for any nasty or low scoring reviews, though. As a writer, I know how painful they can be. If I don’t like a book, I won’t be mentioning it here.

Series 3: The Personal Files

This series will be similar in style to the blogs I’ve been doing to date. Rather than focusing solely on issues related to romance, I’ll be touching on any and every topic that comes to mind with the same quirky wit you’ve come to love 😉

Alright, I better wrap this up so I can load up the very first Sleep File!

Don’t forget to hit the follow button if you like the sound of these series, so you can be notified each time I blog.

XX Amanda

Amanda Canham is a sleep scientist by trade, a mother by heart, and blogs for fun. She has published a series of sensual sleep medicine romance novels that you can check out here.

Five ways ‘Night’s at St Mary’s’ will keep you hot under the collar

The Escapades

by Amanda Canham

The Night’s at St Mary’s series is a set of sweet, sensual, sleep medicine romance novels about modern women and the delicious doctors that steal their hearts. These dedicated professionals have deeply emotional journeys – but they don’t forget to have a little fun along the way.

They talk about arousals. A Lot.

Cortical arousals, not tumescent. (… unless you’re coming in for a nocturnal penile tumescent study (NPT), but that’s a whole other story.)

They can do it anywhere, any time.

In the lab; on the ward; on someone else’s ward; in your home(…of course, I’m talking about polysomnographic (PSG) studies, where they’ll monitor your cortical and respiratory functions throughout the night.)

You can’t breathe without them

If you suffer from sleep apnoea you stop breathing and need their treatments to keep your airways open during the night. (… and if you’re lucky, they could…

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7 Seriously Sweet Medical Romances

So it will probably come as no surprise that I’ve been a long-time fan of medical drama/comedy series. After all, I currently write my very own medical romances, with a wicked combination of emotional drama, laugh out loud moments, super sweet couples and sizzling sexual tension.

I have to get my inspiration from somewhere, and one of the most fruitful sources, I find, are the shows I enjoy. I watch, am touched and want to touch in return. It’s a wonderful creative cycle, and I wanted to share some of my all-time favourite couples with you.

Fair warning: I ❤ Grey’s Anatomy & there are just so many couples in that show to pick from that they’ve dominated this list. Feel free to add your faves in the comments below. I’d love to know who’s touched your memory banks.

Meredith & Derek – Grey’s Anatomy – Seasons 1-11
I couldn’t really start anywhere else, could I? So many moments, so many elevator rides.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J-mt26FiOU

Luka & Abby – ER – Seasons 6-15

Not the most conventional of love stories, but man, I just wanted these two to finally make it work!

He was the epitome of the brooding hero, but her life wasn’t the easiest either and the tension between them was incredible.

Carla & Turk – Scrubs – Seasons 1-10

Funny, real, stable, long-suffering – these guys were half the show and it was great to watch them grow from their first date through to marriage and children.

Callie & Arizona – Grey’s Anatomy – Seasons 5-11

OMG! I ❤ these two! The chemistry between them is awesome and they are two of the nicest, coolest characters you’ll ever meet. They’ve been through a lot, so I really hope they work it out (and please, no spoilers as I haven’t seen season 11 yet).

Alex & Jo – Grey’s Anatomy – Seasons 9-11

Okay, so this is a relatively new relationship, but Alex has been one of my long-time favourite characters. He had a tough life as a kid, and his love life hasn’t been much better throughout the show. Jo is the first love interest to get him, to understand where he comes from and it’s great to see things finally working out for him.

Izzy & Denny – Grey’s Anatomy – Season 2

It was the shortest of loves, but there aren’t many that are more powerful or emotionally compelling. I dare you to watch this clip and not cry.

Nina & Patrick – Offspring – Seasons 3-4 (& a ghost in season 5)

When I checked the seasons these two were together, I couldn’t believe it was only two years. This couple enamoured an entire nation (Australia) in a very short time with their love and their engaging personalities. It was a modern love story that ended in a tragedy that sent the entire country into mourning. RIP Patrick.

I can only hope only hope that my characters touch people’s hearts as much as these characters touched mine. Click here if you want to find out more about Cam & Stacey and Kelli & Travis.

Amanda

7 Seriously Sweet Medical Romances

Meredith & Derek – Grey’s Anatomy – Seasons 1-11
I couldn’t really start anywhere else, could I? So many moments, so many elevator rides.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J-mt26FiOU

Luka & Abby – ER – Seasons 6-15

Not the most conventional of love stories, but man, I just wanted these two to finally make it work!

He was the epitome of the brooding hero, but her life wasn’t the easiest either and the tension between them was incredible.

Carla & Turk – Scrubs – Seasons 1-10

Funny, real, stable, long-suffering – these guys were half the show and it was great to watch them grow from their first date through to marriage and children.

Callie & Arizona – Grey’s Anatomy – Seasons 5-11

Alex & Jo – Grey’s Anatomy – Seasons 9-11

Izzy & Denny – Grey’s Anatomy – Season 2

It was the shortest of loves, but there aren’t many that are more powerful or emotionally compelling. I dare you to watch this clip and not cry.

Nina & Patrick – Offspring – Seasons 3-4 (& a ghost in season 5)

I can only hope only hope that my characters touch people’s hearts as much as these characters touched mine.

Amanda