A WRITER'S LIFE WITH LIZ FIELDING

Six Sentence Sunday

2012-02-18T14:26:00.000Z

It's been a few weeks since I've played Six Sentence Sunday so this week I thought I'd share a few lines from my eBook, WILD FIRE. This is the third of the Beaumont Brides trilogy - you can download the first book, WILD JUSTICE, for free. It's Melanie Brett Beaumont's story and, having been caught up in the dramas of her new family for the last few months, she is desperate to reclaim her sense

HERE COME THE GROOMS!

2012-02-18T11:20:00.001Z

Since it's the weekend and, hopefully, you'll have a little time to enjoy your favourite book blogs, I'm introducing the three books featured in this year's HERE COME THE GROOMS contest. First, Kate Walker's - " THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES Kate's groom is Carlos Diablo Ortega - who, as he tells Martha - made his fortune in 'horses and wine' - is a championship polo player and owns a hugely

2012-02-16T21:14:00.000Z

Hi, I’m Matteo di Serrone and apparently I’m one of the Grooms in a competition that Liz and her friends, Kate and Anne run each year. Liz asked me to drop by and introduce myself. Roman - we've had a palazzo in the city for more than seven generations - Italian, a botanist, wine maker, the head of the Serrone family, with all that entails. That's it - I hate talking about myself and anyway the

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!.

2012-02-13T21:04:00.001Z

I hope you’ll be spending the day with your loved one, quietly, madly, doing whatever floats your boat. It doesn’t have to be about expensive, out of season roses, or chocolate or champagne. “I love you” written in lipstick on the bathroom mirror, or in the steamed up windows of the bus, or a heart drawn in the snow says it all. It’s about taking the time to remember all the good things you

HERE COME THE GROOMS!

2012-02-12T08:24:00.000Z

It’s Leap Year, in case you hadn’t noticed and that means that Sadie Hawkins day is coming around. Have you heard of it? It’s the day that the women get to take things into their own hands and grab the man of their choice – if they can catch him. It began – well, it probably all began in the dark reaches of history – but for our intents and purposes, it began on November 15, 1937 when

THE RoNA ROSE AWARD

2012-02-10T17:28:00.000Z

I’ve been sitting on some big news for weeks but today I can announce that Flirting With Italian has been short-listed by the Romantic Novelists’ Association for the RoNA “Rose”, their annual award for short romantic fiction. Some of my favourite writing colleagues have also been nominated, so whichever name is in the envelope on the big day – 5th March – it will be a celebration. On the day I’ll

SADIE HAWKINS DAY IS COMING"

2012-02-09T08:12:00.000Z

Have you heard of Sadie Hawkins? Check out Anne McAllister's post at Tote Bags and Blogs today! And then come back next week to join in the fun!

So What Do You Think of This Cover?

2012-02-08T07:05:00.001Z

I spotted a surprise new release of Chosen As the Sheikh's Wife at Amazon this week. Authors are never informed of special or re-releases. We either pick them up on the internet or a couple of copies arrive (eventually) in the post. This is a novella, originally released in an anthology called 100 Arabian Nights for Mills and Boon's centenary. It's part of a new series called Mills and Boon "

THANKS FOR THE VOTES!

2012-02-07T17:07:00.002Z

A Writer's Life has been voted #2 Writing Blog on eCollegeFinder! Wow... Thank yoiu all so much for the votes - your fingers must be red hot! Here's the official word. Thanks again for your effotts. I'm feeling all loved up! Congratulations to Miss Snark's First Victim who too khe top spot and to Unwritten who came third.

DESERT ISLE KEEPER

2012-01-31T06:54:00.001Z

Reviews, as we all know, are subjective. One person's taste on one day. Some people won't review a book they don't like (I won't myself). Over the years I've had a lot of wonderful reviews, including one of the now defunct Gold Medals from Romantic Times. I've had some snorters, too, including those from people who are unfamiliar with some of the English English words I use and assume I made a

MORE ON MEASUREMENT

2012-01-26T17:31:00.000Z

First of all, thanks to everyone who offered suggestions to get me out of the “six inch” bind. There were lots of great ideas and I really appreciate you all taking the time and trouble to help out. I’m really glad I posted this because I discovered that it’s not quite such a problem as I had imagined. The first hint that “inches” might not be a dead word in UK English came from those of you

Feet and inches...

2012-01-23T17:34:00.000Z

Aaargh! I am so frustrated. Today I was writing a scene with my heroine with head in a freezer, skirt up to her knickers, and discovering, too late, that she’s being observed by some bloke she’s never met. How do I describe the length of her skirt? My natural inclination is to describe it as six inches above her knee, but then I went to school before decimalisation. No British woman under the age

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY

2012-01-22T01:46:00.001Z

It's been a few weeks since I've played Six Sentence Sunday and I've missed it, so here's a clip on the subject of character from my new book for writers. To come alive on the page, your hero and heroine must be more than two-dimensional cardboard cut-outs that you move around the stage. You should not be asking yourself “what can I make them do next”. If your characters are blood-and-bones,

CHARACTER BUILDING

2012-01-20T13:05:00.002Z

To write their story you will have to know your characters intimately. For this, you need to do more than fill out a character worksheet with all their physical characteristics, their birth sign, their place in the family hierarchy, the names of their siblings. — from Liz Fielding’s Little Book of Writing Romance When most people talk about “character building” they mean doing hard stuff that

Liz Fielding's Little Book of Writing Romance

2012-01-17T20:55:00.000Z

It's on sale now! It seems to have taken forever to launch my latest project, but it's finally available on Kindle and will be appearing on other platforms in the next day or two. I'm just about managing to contain my excitement long enough to tell you that this little book is a primer - an entry level aid for the writer who has a story to tell, but is struggling to get it out of her head and

Reading, Writing, Nominated and a Review!

2012-01-10T01:04:00.021Z

This was a lovely surprise: This blog has been nominated for the Top Writing Blogs Award by ECollegeFinder.com ! I've been catching up with some reading over the last week or two. An extraordinary detective story - The Interpretation of a Murder is set in New York in the first decade of the twentieth century. A young woman is brutally murdered, another attacked, and a psychoanalyst and a

Liz Fielding's Little Book of Writing Romance

2012-01-08T13:45:00.001Z

Some of you may have noticed the "Coming Soon" title on the sidebar of my blog. Not quite as "soon" as I'd hoped, alas.I was planning to launch Liz Fielding's Little Book of Writing Romance as the New Year dawned - to go with all those New Year resolutions - but I'm beginning to discover the frustrations of being a publisher. It's not all done once the author has written The End.It is, however,

WHAT I DID ON MY HOLIDAYS...

2012-01-04T06:37:00.000Z

Didn't you just dread that first week back at school when you had to write an essay on what you did on your holidays? It was such fun doing it, but having to write about it... duh... Well, this is my report on my holidays. The first great thing that happened was that there was no snow. I'd always sworn I'd never travel on public holidays and especially at Christmas (vivid memories of my

2012-01-02T08:11:00.000Z

I expected to be here writing a cheery New Year message full of last year's mistakes and deterination to do better this year. Instead, my heart is full of memories of the lovely Penny Jordan who died yesterday. I first met Penny in Washington at an RWA conference ten years ago. She was so sweet, so shy - one of the best known authors in the room at the Harlequin party, but I doubt if there

2011-12-31T10:29:00.000Z

To all my friends, fellow bloggers, readers and visitors! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

THANK YOU!

2011-12-21T14:22:00.001Z

The Norway tree - an annual gift from Norway to the people of London - symbolises the spirit of Christmas. Friendship, supportand love across boundaries and continents. My thanks to all of you who visit from around the world,a part of the great romance reading and writing community. Thanks for the comments, the reviews, for buying the books,but most of all for the friendship. All my best wishes

COVER GIRL!

2011-12-20T14:06:00.001Z

This is the first - and almost certainly the last - time I have ever been a cover girl! Thank you RNA. :) Thanks to the best beloved for making me look so good!

FOR LOVE OR MONEY

2011-12-16T12:49:00.006Z

It's always a pleasure to introduce a new academic work that seeks to reveal the true nature of romantic fiction. It's been nearly fourteen years since jay Dixon's seminal work,The Romantic Fiction of Mills and Boon, 1909-90s was published, but now Laura Vivanco - familiar to many of us through her Teach Me Tonight blog - has published her new scholarly look at the genre with For Love and Money:

NEGLECT...

2011-12-13T07:37:00.000Z

I'm so sorry - I've been shamefully neglecting my blog. I know I don't need to explain. I'm sure you're all racing around doing "stuff", too. Getting those cards written (especially to the unexpected people who send you beautiful cards!) Finding presents for people who are impossible.. I do have prizes for those of you who so kindly offered suggestions for the aunt - I went with the hamper in

2011-12-08T12:27:00.000Z

I had a lovely day yesterday. First I met up with writerly friend, Toni Sands, who lives very near me. We actually bumped into one another near Ammanford library and popped in there first, discussing who we’d been reading. Toni had been reading the lovely Jill Mansell. I’d been reading a crime novel by a new-to-me writer that I expected to enjoy but didn’t. The author, who I won’t mention,

CHRISTMAS PARTY

2011-12-03T08:37:00.000Z

Sorry, I've been a bit behind with my blog in the last week or two - lots going on, both in writing and the family. The Harlequin Romance Authors have combined their blog and website and given the whole thing a make-over. We launched it this week with a whole bunch of book giveaways (including Flirting With Italian) and holiday recipes so do drop in, click the link to subscribe by feed or email

BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD

2011-11-28T01:34:00.000Z

I’ve had the most fun following the run-up to the publication of Nicola Marsh’s single title BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD and, as a member of her street team, I had the pleasure of receiving an ARC. BUSTED begins with a big fat lie – always a great place for a romcom to begin. Shari Jones — in a very dark place and jobless after splitting with her cheating ex — goes to Mumbai in place of her best friend

BLACK FRIDAY BOOK FUN!

2011-11-25T08:28:00.004Z

Being British I was unfamiliar with the term Black Friday, but this year it's been everywhere and suddenly the meaning clicked. Never one to miss out on a fun idea, I'm pitching in with a giveaway to celebrate the day. WILD JUSTICE is already a free download on Kindle, but I'm offering a free download of WILD LADY and WILD FIRE - the second and third books in the trilogy as a prize. To be

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T07:35:00.000Z

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY

2011-11-19T13:41:00.026Z

And for this week's Six Sentence Sunday we return to Isola del Serrone with Sarah Gratton and Matteo di Serrone, who are spending the weekend at the vineyard at the start of harvest. 'I’ve been wanting to do this,’ he said as he backed her into a bay housing one of the barrels and kissed her, sliding his hands inside her t-shirt to unclasp her bra. She leaned back over the gentle curve,

COINCIDENCES…

2011-11-14T13:39:00.000Z

A gift arrived unexpectedly in the post this week from my lovely cousin, Lucinda Ganderton (the incredibly talented lady who designed and made all the lovely things in the Liberty Sewing Book that I featured a week or two ago). It’s a handbag dangly and was designed by Livia Firth (yes, Colin’s wife) for the Helping Handbags charity founded to support vulnerable children in Bulgarian care homes.

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY

2011-11-12T21:23:00.001Z

Welcome back to Six Sentence Sunday! Today I'm snipping my six sentences from WILD FIRE, the third in my Beaumont Brides trilogy. TV soap queen and West End star, Melanie Beaumont has accepted a bet from an old friend that she can't do an ordinary job for a month - take the Cinderella role and work as a cleaner. She's just mad enough at everyone to give it a go. Her first job, cleaning up

ITALIAN FOOD

2011-11-11T21:31:00.000Z

I promised you food to go with my Italian book and here Sarah and Matteo share lunch, starting with one of my favourites - antipasto. Most cuisines have this lovely pick and mix starter - I had some wonderful mezza when I lived in the Middle East. But wonderful spicy meats, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives and creamy cheese served with fresh ciabatta on a shady terrace - perfect

MONDAY MASH-UP

2011-11-10T08:28:00.000Z

Time for another round up of great links I've visited in the past week. Are There Really Rules for Writing from Sarah Duncan's blog. Special Christmas Releases from Harlequin. Jody Hedlund on marketing your own book. Social Media Snuggle from Kristen Lamb. Brigid Coady at the Pink Heart Society on the joys of owning a Kindle.

WRITING ITALY

2011-11-06T08:34:00.000Z

I've been so busy the last couple of weeks, mentoring my New Voices finalist, putting the final finishing touches to THE LAST WOMAN HE'D EVER DATE and getting stuck into a non-fic project I'm working on. More of that later. But I have new book on the blocks. FLIRTING WITH ITALIAN is now available online from Mills and Boon (you can read the first chapter here) and from Harlequin in paper and

PIVOTAL MOMENT!

2011-11-01T01:01:00.002Z

TIME TO VOTE! Voting for the final four "pivotal moments" of the New Voices 2011 competition begins on 1st November at 9 am. You have three days to make your choice; here's the lovely Charlotte Phillip's moment of change for Anna and Jack in her entry, Honeymoon With a Stranger. Do go and support her and the other three writers who have worked so hard over the past week. And if you entered a

SMALL BLOG, BIG GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

2011-10-31T08:42:00.001Z

Just a very quick blog - I'm away from base - with the list of winners of the Small Blog, Big Giveaway competition. Check it out here - winners Thanks for everyone for taking part, following me on Twitter and following the blog!

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY

2011-10-29T21:37:00.000+01:00

It's Sunday - and time for six sentences. This week from my new release, FLIRTING WITH ITALIAN. Italy is all about food, about pleasure and when Sarah is invited to lunch with Matteo de Serrone, all that English restraint just melts away. Vivid colour, the scent of herbs and the sun-baked earth. The touch of a man’s lips for the first time in months. Languorous in

BIG GIVEAWAY

2011-10-22T05:29:00.005+01:00

STOP PRESS! My lovely author, Charlotte Phillips, is through to the last four in the NEW VOICES competition! All four hereRomance Is Not Dead Voting in the Mills and Boon NEW VOICES competition ends tomorrow! If you haven't already voted, Chapter Two of my mentor author Charlotte Phillips, HONEYMOON WITH A STRANGER is on the website. I'm practically chewing my nails to the knuckles!

FLIRTING WITH ITALIAN

2011-10-20T19:03:00.001+01:00

A four star review from Romantic Times BOOKclub for FLIRTING WITH ITALIAN! After a difficult breakup, teacher Sarah Gratton takes a sabbatical in Rome and travels to a rural village to find the woman who sheltered her grandfather during World War II and with whom he had fallen in love, though he returned to his English wife. While searching for this mystery woman, Sarah meets businessman and

NEW VOICES FINALIST

2011-10-19T07:42:00.001+01:00

It's been an amazing week for my finalist, Charlotte Phillips, who made the Top 21 in Mills & Boon's NEW VOICES competition It's been an amazing week for me, too, as we've worked together on Chapter Two of HONEYMOON WITH A STRANGER (love that title!) Her heroine is hurting, but she's not lying down and taking it. And her hero doesn't know what hit him! By tomorrow, the second chapters will all

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY

2011-10-16T19:10:00.007+01:00

It's that time of the week again - Six Sentence Sunday - and this week I've chosen six sentences from the third of my Beaumont Brides trilogy - WILD FIRE. His touch was like summer lightning, wild fire that ran between them and as he continued to hold onto her hand, his eyes too seemed to heat from within. They were not, as she had first thought, a steely grey, but were flecked with warm gold

WHAT'S ON MY BOOKSHELF?

2011-10-12T19:11:00.000+01:00

With the book finished and awaiting my editor's verdict, I've had a little time catch up on my reading in the last week. First, up is the delightful Haunting Jasmine by Anajali Banerjee. Jasmine, struggling after a painful divorce, has been asked to spend a month taking care of her aunt's bookstore on a west coast island off Seattle. The bookstore is full of old books that seem to be telling

MASHUP

2011-10-10T18:10:00.000+01:00

A few brilliant links for you to check out... Pitch and win a critique of the first 5 pages of your manuscript by LIZ PELLETIER, senior editor ENTANGLED PUBLISHING at NICOLA MARSH'S BLOG KRISTEN LAMB on Structure - Plot Problems: Falcor & the Luck Dragon and The Purple Tornado SARAH DUNCAN on the eternal question - how much money will I make if I get published. ROMANTIC NOVELISTS'

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-10-08T18:30:00.001+01:00

For this week's SSS - for more details about that see here - I've taken this little snip from the second book of my BEAUMONT BRIDES trilogy, WILD LADY. When I wrote WILD JUSTICE, I had no notion of writing a trilogy but when my editor read it she said, "Three girls, three books and can I have the first chapter of the second one this week so that I can use it as a teaser in the back of the first

I'M DONE!

2011-10-06T06:13:00.001+01:00

I'm done! The book has left the building - although, as always, I woke up realising that I'd missed out something I meant to put in at the end. Never mind, once my editor has read it, there will be revisions. Between now and then I'll be making little notes about all the things that always occur the minute I have to stop concentrating totally. I have been struggling - as always - with

2011-10-03T20:35:00.002+01:00

The nights are drawing in, there's a nip in the air so obviously it's time to get out the knitting that's lain abandoned in a basket in a corner of the sitting room since the clocks went forward at the end of March. I hadn't knitted in years. Who had? But then I kept seeing books with knitting heroines and I remembered the pleasure of it. I used to love knitting. But still I didn't actually hunt

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY

2011-10-01T21:00:00.001+01:00

For this week's SSS - for more details see here, I've dipped into the first of my BEAUMONT BRIDES trilogy, WILD JUSTICE. It has a revenge plot, old secrets, new secrets and a heroine determined to take back control of her life from the man whose mission in life is to destroy it. Fizz. God, but how it suited her. Best kept chilled - inclined to erupt when shaken. The thought of

A BUSMAN'S HOLIDAY

2011-09-29T21:00:00.000+01:00

What do writer's do when they take a day off? Go on a writing course, what else? I am very fortunate in that I live close to the amazing crime writer, Sally Spedding - stories to raise the hair on the back on your neck - and she recently ran a three day course on Writing Crime with a Difference at the lovely on Huguenot mansion, Glynhir, which is a couple of miles down the road. Why crime?

SECRETS UNCOVERED

2011-09-29T16:40:00.001+01:00

Here's something special from Mills and Boon for writers entering the New Voices competition, or just wanting to write for them. It's a little eBook to download for free containing advice, tips and the inside scoop from editors. You don't need a Kindle - you can download it to your PC. You can also download for your eReader here You'll find advice from editors, fabulous author Donna Alward and

IT'S A FAMILY THING...

2011-09-28T06:57:00.032+01:00

We are not a one author family. The son and heir's book is at the "Spooks" end of the market, I - as you all know! -write romance and our lovely cousin Lucinda Ganderton makes the most beautiful things and writes craft books so that you can make them, too. My granddaughter is lucky enough to have an heirloom patchwork quilt made by her. Her latest book written for Liberty's is out on the 5th

BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD

2011-09-26T23:00:00.007+01:00

Today is the day of the big cover reveal for BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD a fabulous new book by my colleague, USA Today bestselling author, Nicola Marsh Shari Jones needs to get a life. Preferably someone else’s. Single, homeless and jobless, Indo-American Shari agrees to her best friend’s whacky scheme: travel to Mumbai, pose as Amrita, and ditch the fiancé her traditional Indian parents have

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY

2011-09-24T18:02:00.005+01:00

Welcome to my very first SSS - and if you don't know what that is, click here. Here are six sentences from my upcoming Riva/Romance, FLIRTING WITH ITALIAN... Her brain was apparently engaged, busy dealing with a bombardment of signals. The sun hot on her arms, her throat, her breasts. The sensuous sweep of the mouth hovering above her own, the scent of warm skin, leather…The world seemed to

DOUBLE THE FUN...

2011-09-18T09:47:00.003+01:00

This month, in the UK, Mills and Boon have republished a three-in-one called AN ORDINARY GIRL AND A SHEIKH, featuring books by myself, Barbara McMahon and Nicola Marsha. If you're not in the UK, The Book Depository - link on the sidebar - will send it anywhere in the world post free (which is fabulous), although it will also be available as an eBook. By sheer coincidence, all three of us

NEW VOICES IS LIVE!

2011-09-13T13:25:00.002+01:00

NEW VOICES went live today - you can register here and upload your entry. Or read what the early birds have posted and leave comments, too. And here's the lovely Flo Nicholl introducing four of the NV mentors. It's been agony keeping the secret that I'll be working with one of the twenty writers who get through the first round, but the list went up today. I'm so thrilled and excited!

NEW VOICES UPDATE

2011-09-02T12:29:00.001+01:00

Many thanks to Bethan for supplying this photograph of my New Voices workshop at Pontardawe Library this week. It was a lovely afternoon and over-subscribed sadly, so some people missed out. If you'd like a copy of the handouts I prepared, please do email me at liz at lizfielding dot com - it doesn't matter where in the world you are! New Voices is getting closer! Have you registered here yet?

2011-08-29T07:29:00.003+01:00

NEW VOICES WORKSHOP Just a reminder that I'll be holding a New Voices Workshop this week. Here are the deets - Pontardawe Library Holly Street PONTARDAWE Wednesday 31 August 2 - 3.30 pm Tel: 01792 862261 to book a place And I was on the radio this morning - Jamie and Louise on BBC Radio Wales - here's a link to the - listen again I was on just after the 11 o'clock news, which is about two

An Ordinary Girl and a Sheikh

2011-08-27T07:40:00.002+01:00

It's always a pleasure to see a book getting a second outing, especially when it's in such good company - a treble treat with Barbara McMahon and Nicola Marsh THE SHEIKH'S UNSUITABLE BRIDE was my 50th Mills and Boon romance and we had an enormous amount of fun when it was published. I left its heroine, Diana, in charge of the year-long party and to introduce the guests who dropped by to make

cafe du jour

2011-08-20T08:22:00.001+01:00

Today I'm celebrating the Kindle publication of CAFE DU JOUR, a book that I featured on my blog a couple of years ago. It was originally published by Mira's Australian office and the paper version didn't make it to the US or UK, which considering Lillian hasn't written more than 100 books and has a world-wide fan base, seems a little short-sighted. (I had my copy sent from Australia!) Now,

Ooops...

2011-08-17T19:26:00.002+01:00

I can't believe it's been a whole week since my last post. That's mainly because my book is gathering pace and I'm also spending a lot of my spare time on the Mills and Boon New Voices Facebook page. If you haven't checked this out, it's a terrific place to ask any questions you might have about the competition. (I hope you're all working on that first chapter!) Not only are there posts from

NEW VOICES UPDATE

2011-08-10T07:40:00.002+01:00

My talk will be at Pontardawe Library on the 31 August between 2 and 3.30. Call the library to book places on 01792 862261. I can't wait! Meanwhile, Mills and Boon have set up a New Voices page on Facebook where established authors are ready and willing to answer all your questions. Does the hero have to be a billionaire? Is a best friend essential or a no-no. What happens when your middle

NEW VOICES

2011-08-04T12:41:00.001+01:00

On September 13th 2011 Mills and Boon launch their second global search for fresh writing talent to join Mills & Boon’s galaxy of romantic fiction stars. A celebration of romantic fiction and romance, New Voices will put entrants through their romantic fiction paces – and the Mills & Boon readership will have their say every step of the way!The winner of the competition will win some fantastic

ROYAL WEDDING

2011-07-31T14:10:00.003+01:00

There is nothing like a wedding to add a little sparkle to the day. Yesterday Zara Phillips, world champion three-day eventer, granddaughter of the HM Queen and daughter of the Princess Royal, married England rugby star Mike Tindall in a private ceremony in Scotland. Here are some photographs of a lovely day.

BLOG PARTY - THE RECOVERY!

2011-07-23T07:47:00.005+01:00

Good morning! How are you all feeling! I don't know about you but I need a long glass of orange juice to pick me up after a week of partying. There's still some fun to be had - and the butlers are all still on hand to cater to your every whim, so do keep them busy! Meanwhile, I'll say a huge thank to all the friends who dropped by to help me celebrate this week. You have all been stars.

BLOG PARTY DAY 5

2011-07-22T07:27:00.000+01:00

Welcome to day 5 of my party and the last of my very special guests. I have a whole shelf of Kate Hardy's books. Romantic, emotional, she can always touch the heart strings and make you cry. She's a hugging friend, one I'm always thrilled to see at a conference, or author lunch. And she's another of those authors who has won the RNA Romance Prize. There are only six in the shortlist each

PARTY DAY 4!

2011-07-21T01:00:00.001+01:00

Day 4 - I'm starting to feel a little giddy! Maybe it's time for a sit down in the shade while the guys fire up the barbie and we sip on a cool drink. Colin looks eager to serve. And just to catch up, winners of books have been announced in the comments column, so do check to make sure you've followed up on that. I will do a round up of all winners on Saturday, just to be sure you don't miss

BLOG PARTY DAY 3!

2011-07-19T12:01:00.000+01:00

Are you keeping up? Maybe a little camomile tea to settle the nerves after all this stimulation. A cucumber sandwich to keep your strength up. A little strawberry tart? A big fat prawn or two? What's your favourite party food? Just say the word and one of our lovely butlers will be at your elbow with a tray. :) We've still got lots of partying to do, so call over one of the butlers to

PARTY DAY 2!

2011-07-19T01:01:00.015+01:00

I can't have a celebration without a little cake. Just a mouthful. Can someone tip Reynaldo out of that hammock and get him to pass them round? Kate Walker ... just the woman for the job. I'll leave you to handle that while I introduce today's guests. So, today I have great pleasure in welcoming one of Harlequin's newest authors to the party. Soraya Lane is a woman made of the right

PARTY TIME!

2011-07-18T05:47:00.002+01:00

Welcome! Choose the cocktail of your choice from the barman, draw up a lap and sit down, we're about to party! It's been twenty years since the day I signed my first contract with Mills and Boon for a book called AN IMAGE OF YOU - and two other titles. An awful lot has happened in that time. We've built a house. The kids grew up, went to university, flew the nest. My daughter got married and

Twenty years!

2011-07-17T10:30:00.000+01:00

Six day BLOG PARTY starting here tomorrow! Lots of guests and fabulous books to win. Come and join the fun - bring your friends - bring your pets.

More from the conference

2011-07-16T08:25:00.000+01:00

Beginning to catch up with life after last week's conference and I've finally dug out some pictures. This is Sandra Mackness (Toni Sands), me and Sue Smith (Jennifer Taylor) enjoying the Saturday night banquet. I think the atmosphere could best be described as "lively"; these conference venues are always stunned by just how lively 150 romantic writers can be. I fear they all believe that we

Impressions from Conference...

2011-07-10T06:08:00.004+01:00

I'm typing this blog sitting in bed at 5 o'clock in the morning on Sunday morning. It's light enough to see the furniture in my room here in Caerleon, but not quite light enough to see the keys of my netbook, which is making typing a rather slow process. I'm a touch typist, but the keyboard is not very familiar - a bit small - and using the mouse on the quilt is a new experience. What am I

Conference

2011-07-07T20:06:00.000+01:00

I'm off to the Romantic Novelists' Association conference in Caerleon tomorrow, so I've been a busy preparing - I'm speaking on Humour and Emotion - and packing. I'll be back next week supercharged after a weekend spent with colleagues, and filled with talks and workshops. I'll try and remember to take some pictures. :)

SAVE THE WEEK...

2011-07-04T07:51:00.000+01:00

Okay, we're going to have a blog party. And the wonderful thing about a party on the blog is that the food has no calories, you won't fall over in the street no matter how much cyber pink champagne you drink and the "butlers in the buff" can be whoever you want them to be; pre-order your own hottie! They'll be authors dropping by to chat, all of them offering their own books as door prizes. And

19 JULY...

2011-06-28T19:40:00.002+01:00

The 19th July is a big day. It will be the twentieth anniversary of the day I signed my first publishing contract with Mills and Boon. And FLIRTING WITH ITALIAN, published in December, will be my sixtieth story for them. (The Wilds were with another company!) Clearly I'm going to have to celebrate it some way. Dinner with the Best Beloved? Certainly.. A trip? Maybe. But there'll have to be

ASK AN AUTHOR 3

2011-06-23T17:50:00.000+01:00