MORE SHEIKHS, MORE SHEIKHS...

When I was in Matera a couple of years ago, doing a book signing in starlit square with my lovely Italian editor, Stephano, at my side, he kept whispering in my ear, "More sheikhs, Liz. More sheikhs."

Well HER DESERT DREAM is for you, Stephano!

Those of you who've read CHRISTMAS ANGEL FOR THE BILLIONAIRE will know that Lydia Young, who does "look alike" gigs as the "people's angel", has traded places with Lady Roseanne Napier to give her a break from the media.

The tricky part is getting past the press cordon at the entrance to the hotel where they do the swap, but after that it's going to easy. A week of luxury in the private Ramal Hamrah holiday villa of Princess Lucy al-Khatib (The Sheikh's Guarded Heart) where no one has ever met Lady Rose. All she has to do is take a daily walk along the beach to give the paps a target for their ever present cameras.

The best laid plans...

Princess Lucy has another friend who needs her help and she seizes the chance to infiltrate Kalil al Zaki into the royal household under the guise of a bodyguard for "Lady Rose".

From the first moment Lydia and Kal set eyes on one another the temperature rises but falling in love with a national treasure will do his cause no good. And Lydia knows that next week she'll be back on the supermarket checkout.

Here's the moment they meet: --

It was like some dream-come-true fairytale, Lydia thought. Check out girl to princess. Pure Cinderella.

All she needed was a pair of glass slippers and a fairy godmother to provide her with someone tall, dark and handsome to play Prince Charming.

She wouldn’t even have to flee when the clock struck twelve. She had a whole week before she turned back into Lydia Young, whose job as on the supermarket checkout was occasionally enlivened by a look-alike gig.

She automatically reached for the door to the VIP departure lounge, but it opened as she approached; a “Lady”, with a capital L, did not open doors for herself. She was so intent of covering her mistake by adjusting the veil on her hat that she missed the fact that her escort had stopped at the door.

‘Mr al-Zaki will take care of you from here, madam.’

Who?

She thought the word, but never voiced it.

All sound seemed to fade away as she looked up. She was tall, but the knee-meltingly gorgeous man waiting to “take care” of her was half a head taller and as his eyes, dark and intense, locked with hers, she felt the jolt of it to her knees. And yes, no doubt about it, her knees melted as he lowered his head briefly, said, ‘Kalil al-Zaki, Lady Rose,’ introducing himself with the utmost formality. ‘Princess Lucy has asked me to ensure that your holiday is all that you wish.’

Graceful, beautiful, contained power rippling beneath exquisite tailoring, he was, she thought, crazily, the embodiment of Bagheera, the bold, reckless panther from her childhood favourite Jungle Book. She’d made her father read over and over the description of his coat like watered silk, his voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree.

Her own, as she struggled for a suitable response, was non-existent.

Kalil al-Zaki might favour well-cut British tailoring over a fancy Ruritanian uniform but he was as close to her own Prince Charming fantasy as she was ever likely to come and she had to resist the temptation to look around for the old lady with wings and a wand who’d been listening in on her thoughts.

‘You’re coming with me to Bab el Sama?’ she managed, finally, knowing that she should be horrified by this turn of events. The frisson of excitement rippling through her suggested that she was anything but.

Here's what Romantic Times said:

"Complex characters with powerful chemistry, a compelling conflict and plenty of humour highlight this memorable story. A keeper." 4.5 stars.

To read the entire first chapter, click on the UK cover --

As you'll see from this, lucky UK readers will also get the fabulous Lucy Gordon's THE BRIDE WORE RED as part of the new 2-in-1 format. Lucy's book is part of the "Escape Around the World" series and is set in China. Lucy is a trooper. Nothing is too much for her fans and she went to China twice to research the book. :) She's captured the country so beautifully that you'll think you've been there yourself. The romance is great, too!

SNIFFLE, SNUFFLE, SNEEZE...

Yes, everyone, I have a cold. One bad enough to keep me at home mainlining Lemsip while my colleagues were out partying at the launch of LOVES ME, LOVES ME NOT.

Here they are --



The anthology, filled with stories by authors such an Joanna Trollope, Katie Fforde, Christina Jones, Sophie Weston, Joanna Maitland, Nicola Cornick, Rita Bradshaw, Anna Jacobs, Jan Jones, Carole Matthews -- this could take some time because there are 43 of them! -- and of course me.

Frankly, I'd pay the price for the luminous story, The Censor, by RNA President, Diane Pearson. There's a link on the sidebar if you want to add it to a friend's Christmas stocking -- and of course The Book Depository will deliver, postage free, to anywhere in the world.

One cheery note, is the following review received for CHRISTMAS ANGEL FOR THE BILLIONAIRE from Cataromance

"In her enchanting new Harlequin Romance, Christmas Angel for the Billionaire, the fantastic Liz Fielding proves once again that she is one of the finest voices in romantic fiction today. Poignant, tender, funny and riveting from start to finish, in Christmas Angel for the Billionaire, Liz Fielding has created a fantastic heroine who will steal your heart and a terrific hero whom you just cannot help but love.

"A wonderfully romantic tale of redemption, renewal and uplifting possibilities, Christmas Angel for the Billionaire should be on every woman’s must-buy list this festive season!"

I will now crawl back to my keyboard and do a little work on May and Adam's story.

Don't forget that the second part of the "Trading Places" duet, HER DESERT DREAM is now available online from both Mills & Boon and eHarlequin. Oh, and I've just received author copies of the Large Print edition ELOPING WITH EMMY which will be at a libary near you very soon!

SANTA'S SECRET ELF

Not much to report this week. Outside the weather has deteriorated to something pretty nasty in the way of rain and wind, which is keeping the painter at home beside the fire. (Maybe I should just mention that CHRISTMAS ANGEL FOR THE BILLIONAIRE is now retail in the States and available online from Mills & Boon in Australia since I imagine that it's book news that most of you are looking for!)

The "elf" hit a snag which has kept the brain in a bit of a turmoil to match the weather, although I'm finally coming out at the far side with a faint promise of plot "light" and I'm now having a lot of fun gathering "Christmas" pictures .

I also made an early batch of mince pies -- purely as inspiration, you understand. :)

Sadly, the forecast suggests the weather is not going to let up -- annoying as I'm travelling to London this week for the launch of LOVES ME, LOVES ME NOT and already the trains have been disrupted, no doubt by flooding in one of the tunnels we have to go through.

Fingers crossed that by Wednesday the rain will have eased off since I've blown all my airmiles on a gorgeous hotel in the Covent Garden area of London and have pre-booked tickets for the Montezuma exhibition at the British Museum. (Who knows, I might get inspired to write a hot South American hero!)

In an effort to get the stalled plot wheels spinning, I read non-stop this week. Sara Craven's THE COUNT'S BLACKMAIL BARGAIN, was terrific, as was Julie Cohen's GIRL FROM MARS (5* read). I also started Brian Freemantle's THE NAMEDROPPER, but dropped it after the first line when he used "disinterested" instead of "uninterested". (We all make gaffs that make us blush, but where was his editor? His copyeditor?) But I have Kate Hardy's latest posh doc -- FALLING FOR THE PLAYBOY MILLIONAIRE (a new Penhally Bay story) -- to keep me thrilled.

I'll be back next week to report on my trip (assuming I get through the tunnel). Meanwhile, it's just me and the elf and a large number of "whys" yet to be answered. Watch this space :)

MORE GRAND-PETS

This is Bernard. He is a rescue cat and so cannot leave any opportunity for food to go untaken. This week he has been very, very bad. While the dd's back was turned, he ate half the broccoli soup.

When the dd told me, my first reaction was not "bad Bernard!", but "broccoli soup?" Who would choose to eat broccoli soup? What can I say, I loathe all things brassica. Anyway, Bernard, (bad boy Bernard!), ate half the broccoli soup.



This is Nigel. Another rescue cat. While Bernard has the look of a rogue about him, Nigel looks as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, doesn't he? Appearances can be deceptive -- especially where cats are concerned. Whilst the dd was chasing off Bernard, Nigel took his chance and polished off the rest of the soup.



These are two very disturbed cats. :)

FREEBIE FRIDAY

And don't forget that today is Freebie Friday at eHarlequin. Buy any two books today and you get Nina Harrington's debut Harlequin Romance - ALWAYS THE BRIDESMAID - absolutely free.

Just click here to check it out.

CHRISTMAS BOOKS

It's time to stock up on Christmas reads -- the ones that smooth out the aches after shopping, baking, decorating the house! -- and Harlequin have put their whole collection onto one handy page for you to take your pick this year.

Just click here to see all those gorgeous covers!


THE GRAND-PETS

We don't have any animals of our own now and enjoy the vicarious pleasure of the grand-pets -- four dogs, two cats and an assortment of other small creatures.

Here's the oldest of them all, Kees, a ten year old black Labrador who these days has a grey muzzle but still manages to keep the three youngsters to keep in line.

Every morning they all get taken to the Biesbosch for a run. This photograph was taken yesterday by the first born, who shares the passion for photography with his father.



AND ANOTHER SHEIKH

The second of the TRADING PLACES duet, HER DESERT DREAM, is now available online at eHarlequin

Romantic Times gave this second book the same stellar 4.5 stars as Christmas Angel for the Billionaire.

This is what they said about it:

"Complex characters with powerful chemistry, a compelling conflict and plenty of humour highlight this memorable story. A keeper."

And a reader, on the eHarlequin community said:

"Double WOW! This is a companion book to last month’s story about Lady Rose--Christmas Angel for the Billionaire by Liz Fielding, HR Nov09 #4131, Trading Places--and it is a lush, fascinating tale of a celebrity double’s life. Fielding is a skilled storyteller and she delivers yet again."

It's all a bit thrilling to be honest and you can read the entire first chapter here, courtesy of Mills and Boon (This is the UK cover and since it's a 2-in-1, you get two books for a bargain price of £4.99 -- I'm sharing this one with the fabulous Lucy Gordon and her Escape Around the World title, The Bride Wore Red, which is set in China.

BRIEF POST...

...to wish you all a wonderful and safe Bonfire Night. I'll be chained to my laptop because having delivered The Bachelor's Baby Proposal (working title) on Monday, I started SANTA'S SECRET ELF on Tuesday, which has to be in eds hand by mid January so that you can read it next December.

Heroine Lucy Bright
Hero -- uh-uh. He hasn't appeared on page yet and I'm still struggling for his name -- need to check brilliant suggestions offered by you all earlier in the year.

Setting -- a fabulous London department store in the run up to, you've guessed it, Christmas. (Second Christmas book in a row. I must be mellowing in my old age -- and you still have time to win a copy of Christmas Angel for the Billionaire, so scroll down to the previous post and check it out.)

LISTENING TO: Nothing. I had to set up my computer after major problems and somehow the leads from the speakers didn't get attached and I am so not going under the desk. But singing Jingle Bells a lot to get me in the mood.

READING: Just finished Heaven Can Wait by Cally Taylor -- cried through the entire last chapter. In middle of Girl From Mars by Julie Cohen, which is making me laugh a lot, but has a deep sadness, too. In awe of her writing. Just broken down and ordered the hard back of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

WATCHING: Garrow's Law, Spooks, Muriel's Wedding.

SINGING A DUET…

Or rather writing one, since even the people who love me beg me not to sing. :)

It was nearly two years ago – another November – when I had a breakfast meeting with my editors at the plush Churchill Hotel in the west end of London to discuss what I’d write in the year ahead.

I had all kind of ideas floating around in my head but the eds had only one. A duet. They wanted a duet for November/December and please, please, please could one of them be a Christmas book.


I resisted. My worst experience with a book was a Christmas title. It had a gorgeous cover, one of my prettiest, but the truth of the matter is that you can’t sell a Christmas title when the hero and heroine are standing under a palm tree wearing nothing but swimsuits – even if the palm tree is strung with tiny Christmas lights. And, let’s face it, when it comes to scheduling, not just for its first outing, but for those important foreign sales, there are only two months of the year when a Christmas title will fit the bill.

But the last time I did a Christmas duet – unintentionally, I wrote consecutive books about friends – it was, apparently, a big hit and RomanceHQ wanted a repeat.

The really big problem about writing a duet is that it’s really hard work. They have to be delivered promptly, close enough together to be scheduled in consecutive months. And Christmas won’t wait. But what can a starving writer, caught in a pincer movement between her editor and the series editor, say? With her crispy bacon and scrambled eggs rapidly cooling in front of her there is only one answer. "If I say “yes”, can I eat?"

At which point we come to the second problem with writing a duet. They have to be linked in some way. One story twisted around the other. You have to think of two books at the same time and they have to overlap in some way. Which leads to other problems. Set up a scene in one book and you have to deliver it in the next. Easier said than done!

But the books were written, the duet was given a name “Trading Places” and the strap line written –

Annie wanted anonymity -
Lydia wanted the spotlight -
They both found love.

So here we are. It’s November and first up is Annie’s story, Christmas Angel for the Billionaire. Having been in the media spotlight all her life, she’s desperate for the chance to just walk down a street, stop at Starbucks for a coffee, check out the latest High St fashions without being pursued by the paparazzi. What she needs is a place holder, someone for the media – and her over-protective grandfather’s bodyguards -- to watch while she disappears for a while. And then she comes face to face with her “look alike”, Lydia Young. The open road beckons and things are going swimmingly until she misses her turning and ends up in the Saxon’s kitchen being played off in a battle of wills by George Saxon and his teenage daughter.

As for Lydia, she’s having a ball until she discovers that she, too, is caught in the middle of a struggle between a divided family. More about that next month. For now I have a 2-in-1 UK edition of CHRISTMAS ANGEL FOR THE BILLIONAIRE, twinned with Jessica Hart’s sparkling, funny and emotional Under the Boss’s Mistletoe to give away.

For a chance to win, tell me who you’d like to trade places with and why. I’ll pick the winner on Friday.

In the meantime, here's the first chapter...

And there is another excerpt on my website

(I'm also running this competition on the Harlequin Romance Authors blog at eHarlequin here if you want to have two goes -- with two different "Trading Places" stories!)