Monday, August 14, 2006

THE SHEIKH’S GUARDED HEART

September is going to be a very special month. Both Harlequin “Romance” and Mills & Boon “Romance” have a new look and I’m thrilled to have a book in the launch month.

I’ll blog about the new line next week. Right now, because as regulars will know September books are available online in the US and UK at the eHarlequin and Mills & Boon websites a month in advance (that’s NOW! -- there are links on the sidebar), I want to tell you about THE SHEIKH'S GUARDED HEART. (Read, mark and inwardly digest. I will be asking questions!)

Some authors specialize in “sheikh” books, my friends Alexandra Sellers and Penny Jordan among them. Despite the fact that I spent more than five years living in the deserts of Arabia, this is only my second. But what a story! Danger, betrayal, tragedy with, as always, a touch of laughter to leaven the mix.

There’s the traditional horseback snatch of the heroine. A palace surrounded by a hidden garden. There’s a grieving man, a lonely child, a betrayed woman who has never felt the tenderness of a loving heart. Stock up on the tissues. You are going to cry.

This is what my editor put on the back on the book:


Saved from certain death in the unforgiving desert of Ramal Hamrah, Lucy Forrester is transported to a world of luxury by her rescuer, Sheikh Hanif. The tender care he offers her is more than Lucy has ever experienced in her loveless life, and she finds herself drawn to the proud Arabian Prince, despite his tortured soul. And, as he helps Lucy recover from her injuries, she wonders if she can help heal his own wounds, break down the barriers that guard his heart...”

Mmmm… Cover blurbs never truly satisfy the author, but here’s a taste of the real thing.


Ignoring Lucy’s protestations Hanif laid her on the sofa, propping her up with pillows at her back before kneeling beside her to unfasten and discard the ankle splint and its soggy lining. Then, having eased off her ruined sandals, he unwound his keffiyeh and carefully wiped the worst of the mud from her feet, her ankles, before tossing that, too, aside.

Only then did he sit back on his haunches, look at her and on the point of scolding him for ruining the cushions, she held her tongue. Without the sun at his back, she could see how gaunt and hollow-eyed he looked, as if he hadn’t slept or eaten in days.

Her fault, she knew and, without thinking, she reached out, wanting to comfort him, tell him how sorry she was, as he would have comforted her. For everything.

He caught her wrist before she could touch his face, held it in a grip of steel.

“For what seemed like a year he held her there, an inch away from him. It was not enough. Heat fried the air between them, sucked Lucy’s breath from her body, licked along her limbs, reducing to ash all the hellfire lectures she’d been read about what happened to girls who succumbed to their wanton desires.

There was no defence against the power of such feelings, no barrier made that was strong enough to withstand this yearning to be held, kissed, possessed.
She felt her mouth soften, her lips part as his hand loosened its grip on her wrist, slid down the length of her arm until his fingers reached her hair, pulled loose the pin that held it back from her face, slid his hand beneath her neck to hold her, his willing prisoner.

The moment stretched endlessly as he lowered his mouth to hers then, as he brushed his lips against hers, she felt something deep inside her dissolve, melt.

All pain was forgotten as he leaned into the kiss, deepening it as a thirsty man might drink at a well and Lucy, blown away, matched his need with a passion that was a revelation to her, a desperate need beyond her wildest imaginings and she rose to meet him, wanting to feel the heat, the strength of his body against hers.

As if he knew, felt it too, he caught her at the waist, lifting her, holding her to him as if she were the last woman on earth, while his mouth, hard, almost desperate, obliterated everything but the sensory seduction of his body; the silky sweep of his hair against her cheek, the touch of his fingers at her nape, the salty, dusty taste of his skin.

And, finally, she understood the force that drove men and women to cross continents, conquer nations, give up their lives.

So here’s the competition.


I’m not offering signed books, because I want you to rush out and buy a copy (in the UK they’re at a special offer price of £1.99) and make me look good with my publishers! What I’m going to do is put the name of everyone who leaves a comment on this post in a draw – you have until the end of August -- and the winner will have an Amazon token ($US25 or equivalent) to spend just as she likes. (What? Oh, you expected a question? Gotcha!




24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oooh, can't wait to read this, Liz!
Nell - at work and having to be anonymous - stupid computer

Anonymous said...

Had to just say publicly what I have already told you privately - this book is a winner! A thorougly delightful read, I loved it!

Love,
Mags

Donna Alward said...

Ooooh....I just love kisses that CONSUME!

I'm pretty excited about this book, Liz, especially as I just finished Valerie's Sheikh book! I think I'm going to have to up my book buying allowance....

Susan Rix said...

Oh my goodness! I promised myself last weekend (when another pile of gorgeous books arrived from HMB), that I would catch up with my TBRs before buying any more.
Then I read your extract and it blew my resolution right out the water - I have got to have it!
Sue :-)

Anonymous said...

Fantastic excerpt, Liz! Oh my gosh, this is going to be a great book! Looking forward to reading it.

All the best,
Gail from Canada

Anonymous said...

Many congratulations and best wishes with the book

Jennifer Y. said...

OOOH...sounds so good!!!! I will definitely be on the lookout for it!

Maureen said...

Looks good.

Carol M said...

I love books that make me cry! This sounds really good!

Anonymous said...

Ah, the mysteries of the sand! And whew, what a hot HOT excerpt!!

Estella said...

Sounds like a great read.

Anonymous said...

Glad someone is writing about the shieks. There's a bit of Valentino in all readers, I think. A tall, dark, elusive man one wants to get to know better. Ahhhh the possibilites!

Jodi said...

Sounds like a good read. Can't wait to find it in the stores!

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to read The Sheikh's Guarded Heart.

Sue Child

Anonymous said...

Congratulation. Looking forward to reading the book.

Ally Blake said...

omsreIt sounds sooo great and we can't get it here in Aus for another month! Waaahhh!

And super congrats on the Cataromance nomination Liz. Much deserved!!!

Ally

Susan Rix said...

Mega congrats Liz for winning the award from Cataromance!
Sue :-D

OCRewiews said...

Yes I'd noticed that the M&B books have been £1.99 for the past couple of months. I've been avoiding Whsmith's because of it. Now you've made me go in there again.

Michelle Styles said...

Congrats Liz for winning the Cataromance reviewer's Choice Award

Anonymous said...

Posting to get in the comp! I need to buy all of September's new titles.

Janet Ch.

Unknown said...

Sounds really interesting, definitely a must read.

Liz Fielding said...

Madukwriter, M&B nearly always do a special promo in the summer for their books. The relaunch of Romance with new covers is also one of the reasons for the special price. Please don't worry that the authors lose out -- they don't! Just fill your boots with books at a really special price.

And everyone, thank you so much for the congratulations. I have the warm fuzzies to go with the pink fizzy I raised to everyone last night. :)

Anonymous said...

I love to be consummed by kisses, and with a Sheikh, can life get better?
Sahndre- eharlequin

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed reading your Blog today.