LIZ FIELDING

CHOCOLATE, DIY, READING AND VIEWING...

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! I was good. Honestly. No eggs, no bunnies, but I did make a chocolate mousse cake with 100% Venezuelan Black chocolate courtesy of my daughter (who sent the chocolate) and the slightly batty Willie and his Wonky Chocolate Factory (who grew it on his estate and gave us the recipe). Seriously, seriously good stuff!

We had a slight hiatus in the DIYing over the holiday weekend. We’d got as far as we could until the new wardrobe was fitted. It was finished today and tomorrow we’ll be back on the paintbrushes – there should be a law against skirting board in cupboards! After that it’s the floor, the curtains (which need shortening, mumble, mumble) and the removal of industrial quantities of dust that have seeped into every other part of the house. I’ve done my best to stay on top of it, but until we’ve finished it’s like Canute trying to stop the tide coming in.

I spent a little of my spare time reading – there’s a surprise. One of the fun things about having a reprint in an anthology is reading the other two books. I’d never read a Lindsay Armstrong and really loved her contribution, When Enemies Marry. Her ingénue heroine was just a hoot, especially when she handcuffed a youthful tearaway to the table leg. I enjoyed The Hasty Marriage by Betty Neels, too. The slightly grim Dutch doctor, the jolly decent heroine and her frightful family were classic BN fare; much the same pleasure as reading one of my aunt’s Sunday School prize books when I was a little girl. (Has anyone else read “Molly Rufus”?)

Television hasn’t been terrific lately, but The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency is pure delight. And last night I watched a film I’d recorded, Raising Helen. Worth it just for Helen Mirren. But then there was Pastor Dan…

And finally, in case you missed it, Harlequin is getting some serious coverage on the networks these days. Here’s what ABC had to say yesterday.

There’s an interview with Donna Hayes, Harlequin’s CEO and some readings from a range of books (sensible, sincere, no dreadful music); Harlequin Romance author Michelle Douglas had Martin Bashear reading from her book The Aristocrat and the Mom.