LIZ FIELDING

CELEBRATING 50 BOOKS...

Yes, I'm still doing that, despite the fact that I've just embarked on # 54 for Harlequin. There are still lots of wonderful authors in the "guest" line up from across the range of romance.

This week I'm delighted to welcome Linda Goodnight to spend a little time with us and tell us about her writing.

I first "met" Linda, when we joined forces with six other authors to write a series called The Brides of Bella Lucia which brought together Silhouette and Harlequin Romance authors when the two series combined at the beginning of 2007. I read her book Married Under the Mistletoe and immediately fell in love with her writing and I'm not alone.

Linda began her career as an RWA Golden Heart finalist in 1999, and has since written more than 25 books. Among her current awards are the Booksellers’ Best, ACFW Book of the Year, and a Reviewers’ Choice Award from Romantic Times Magazine and this year she is a RITA finalist with her "Love Inspired" title A TOUCH OF GRACE.

But here's Linda herself to tell you about her writing.

THE TRUTH IN MY FICTION

People often asked how much of myself I put into my books. There are two answers to that. The first answer is all of myself, though that’s meant in a metaphorical way. On the other hand, I am frequently stirred to creativity by a real incident or a circumstance that happens in my life or in the lives of those around me.

‘Write what you know’ and ‘art imitates life’ are two common bits of writer-speak that I completely agree with. Take for instance, the Brothers’ Bond series from Love Inspired, one of which is nominated for a RITA this year. (Yea!) Although the books are fiction in every sense of the word, all three sprang from a five minute incident at the elementary school where I taught for many years.

So when five brilliant authors, who also happened to be email buddies, ask me to join them in developing a series-now known as “The Wedding Planners”-I searched around inside my head for a bit of fact that could become fiction. At the time, one of my sons was completing his medical residency in surgery. As you may be aware, many young physicians incur incredible debt during this time. Being a typical mother I worried about this, thinking that if something happened to my son, his little family would have a very difficult time. Being a typical writer, I turned that worry into a story.

My heroine, Natalie Thompson, became the struggling widow of such a physician. Since I love to bake and tend to do so when under stress, Natalie became the Wedding Planners’ cake designer. Toss in a diabetic condition for irony, a mischievous set of twins for trouble, and the deceased husband’s greatest competitor for a hero, and the story was off and running.

Below is an excerpt of Natalie and the handsome doctor she does not want to fall in love with. I hope you enjoy it!

WINNING THE SINGLE MOM’S HEART

“This is fun, Cooper,” Natalie said, her breath puffing out in warm clouds as the train chugged slowly into the rows of towering pine and fir. “The girls love it.”

“What about their mom?” Funny how important that was to him. The girls were impressed. He wanted Natalie to be as well. “Does she love it, too?”

“It’s great. Truly. I appreciate it.”

Her lips curved into a beautiful smile that caused his belly to flip-flop. Before he could stop his thoughts, they had gone off in the wrong direction again. She had the most kissable mouth in Massachusetts. Maybe in the world. Just one kiss. That’s all he wanted. To see if she tasted as sweet as her cake icing.

With the self-control that made him a super surgeon, Cooper forced his gaze away from her mouth. But staring off into the dark shadowy tree field didn’t erase the images in his head. The woman touched him from shoulder to ankle. She smelled like sugar cookies and summertime. He could see those tiny puffs of white breath as she laughed and exclaimed over the whimsical decorations hidden here and there in the tree grove. She was real, she was alive, she was maddening.

She was Justin’s widow.

How was a man supposed to concentrate?

Deep inside the huge field, the train sputtered to a stop. Cooper faced the inevitable disembarking with both relief and regret. But when everyone scattered up and down the rows to find the perfect tree, he didn’t resist taking Natalie’s hand again as they strolled. No big deal. Just friends finding a Christmas tree.

Then why did he notice the way her eyes sparkled brighter beneath the lights? And why did his stomach dip every time she laughed that magical, tinkling laugh? The wild urge to kiss her was back.

“Cooper?” Natalie’s voice was hushed.

He gazed down at her, standing small and snow-kissed at his side. “Yeah?”

“You have a funny look. Is something wrong?”

He smiled and stepped closer. Yes, something was wrong. He would die if he didn’t kiss her.

Natalie tilted her head, eyes questioning. A tiny pulse beat at the base of her throat. From somewhere up ahead, the twins’ voices carried on the wind.

He tugged on Natalie’s hand, drawing her closer. Give him a sign, any sign that she wouldn’t slap his face.

The tiny pulse picked up pace.

“Cooper?” she said again but didn’t resist. When their bodies’ were aligned, he slid both arms around her and waited for her reaction. For a second, she stiffened but just as quickly relaxed. She wasn’t fighting him. Maybe she was even inviting him.

Oh, man. He was dying.

The night air was cold and still and pungent with evergreen. The pulse in her throat had somehow moved into his chest.

He was losing his mind, but he had to kiss her.

Visit The Wedding Planners for more about the books in this series.

Or click on the title to buy Winning the Single Mum's Heart

in the UK. Or here in the US.

And to win a copy of WINNING THE SINGLE MOM'S HEART Linda wants to know what book you're reading now and would you recommend it to your friends?