Christmas around the world

It's December, and here's a roundabout of a few of my Christmas titles available around this world this year!

Gekust met kerst / Verliefd in de sneeuw

Als Lady Rose toevallig haar lookalike tegenkomt, aarzelt ze geen moment. Zo kort voor haar huwelijk met de uiterst verstandige Rupert lokt de vrijheid, dus ruilen ze voor een weekje

Harlequin, Holland

Hamupipőke tűsarkúban

Amikor Lucy rádöbben, hogy dúsgazdag vőlegénye becsapta őt és megtévesztette a közvéleményt, elhatározza, hogy leleplezi. Az üzletember biztonsági őrei azonban a nyomában vannak, és ő egy áruház karácsonyi forgatagában keres menedéket. Futás közben elveszíti a cipőjét, amelyet Nathaniel talál meg. Elhatározza, hogy megvédelmezi a halálra rémült lányt… 

Harlequin, Hungary

ALL' IMPROVVISO UN MILIONARIO

Lucy Bright si trova in un mare di guai: inseguita dagli scagnozzi del fidanzato non sa dove rifugiarsi. Il suo volto è troppo noto. Non le resta che confondersi tra la folla dei grandi magazzini più esclusivi di Londra, dove di certo nessuno guarderà una donna in cappotto rosso e con le scarpe in mano.
Nathaniel Hart è proprietario e direttore generale dei grandi magazzini Hastings & Hart. Tutto ciò che succede nei suoi locali non sfugge al suo occhio vigile, così non può fare a meno di notare il comportamento insolito di quella bellissima e misteriosa bionda. Chi è e perché si guarda intorno con aria impaurita? Ma la vera domanda è: perché dopo un solo fugace incontro lui non riesce più a togliersela dalla testa?

Harlequin, Italy

Idylle dans le désert

Ressembler trait pour trait à Lady Rose a toujours été un atout pour Lydia. Un atout qui se transforme même en conte de fées quand la princesse lui demande de passer, à sa place, une semaine de rêve dans le désert. Seulement, dès que Lydia croise le regard de jais de Kalil al-Zaki, le prince chargé de l'escorter à Bab el Sama, elle sent le trouble la gagner. Comment, dans ce décor des Mille et une Nuits, résister à cet homme fabuleux ? Comment, alors que tout son être brûle de mieux le connaître, ne pas lui révéler la femme qu'elle est vraiment ?

Harlequin, France

Lucy Bright nie wierzyła własnemu szczęściu, gdy ona – zwykła sekretarka – została narzeczoną multimilionera. Niestety okazało się, że ich związek to jedynie trick medialny. Na konferencji prasowej Lucy zrywa z „narzeczonym”, a uciekając przed dziennikarzami, wpada w ramiona przystojnego Nathaniela Harta. Kiedy Lucy znika w tłumie, Nathaniel postanawia za wszelką cenę ją odnaleźć. Czy pomoże mu w tym jej zgubiony czerwony pantofelek?

Harlequin, Poland

Lucy Gordon/Liz Fielding 

Från att ha varit modeoraklet Rupert Henshawes sekreterare är Lucy Bright nu plötsligt innefolkets favorit – och det stundande äktenskapet med honom har verkligen fört henne till himmelriket. Men då Lucy upptäcker att Ruperts intresse för henne egentligen bara är en väl genomtänkt pr-kupp inser hon att hon är grundlurad. Efter en presskonferens hon helst av allt vill glömma flyr hon förkrossad fältet, och var kan man bättre gömma sig än på ett varuhus där julhandeln pågår för fullt? Lucys hjärta är krossat, men när hon av en slump hamnar i famnen på en annan man verkar det som om det finns en chans till ett lyckligt slut ...

Harlequin, Sweden

Ein Traummann zu Weihnachten?

Lucy fühlt sich wie im Märchen. Verkleidet als Cinderella, findet sie sich plötzlich an der Seite eines reichen Geschäftsmannes wieder. Doch dann entdeckt sie: Es ist alles eine Publicity-Maßnahme, um dessen schlechten Ruf aufzupolieren. Schockiert will sie den aufdringlichen Reportern entkommen – und läuft dem attraktiven Londoner Unternehmer Nathaniel Hart in die Arme. Vom ersten Moment an lässt er ihr Herz höher schlagen. Aber kaum glaubt Lucy, endlich ihren Traummann gefunden zu haben, muss sie ausgerechnet an Weihnachten fürchten: Nathaniel sucht nur eine Affäre
… 

Harlequin, Germany

A SURPRISE CHRISTMAS PROPOSAL

Her Christmas gift came in a small velvet box...

"Isn't it strange how things turn out? A week ago I was virtually jobless, almost homeless, and had totally sworn off men--a sad way to be before Christmas, don't you think? Now I'm not only working for the most gorgeous man alive, but I'm living in his house!"

Meet sassy, smiley Sophie Harrington. Read in her own words how a much-needed job brings her up close and personal with rugged bachelor Gabriel York. Although Sophie is hardly a waif or stray, Gabriel ends up taking her in as a temporary lodger in his exclusive London home. How long before he realizes Sophie isn't just for Christmas--but for life...?

Harlequin, North America

POSTS AND A WINNER

I'm blogging at the PINK HEART SOCIETY today - talking about my Male on Monday so do pop by and see who I've chosen.

And there's an interview at HIGH HEELS AND BOOK DEALS with a chance to win a copy of MISTLETOE AND THE LOST STILETTO.

Here are a couple of recent reviews to bring joy to an authors heart!

"...a Christmas bon bon - delicious and satisfying all at the same time." ...
Dear Author

"Ms Fielding yet again delivers a beautifully written story full of emotion, with characters I will remember long after finishing it. The final scene had me closing the book with that warm glow and satisfied 'aah' that all romance readers are looking for and all aspiring romance writers wish they could achieve." ...
Mad About Romance 5 stars

And following my last post - I hope the 500 plus of you who read it couldn't wait to leave a comment, but instead rushed off buy the eBook :);  Nas gets the paper edition I have to give away. 

Nas, send your details to liz at lizfielding dot com and I'll get it in the post to you asap!

MY BOOK HAS A DICTIONARY DEFINITION!

''Fauxmance'', ''tweetheart'' and ''bigotgate'' are among the popular terms to have made it into the latest Collins English Dictionary. 

According to the Daily Telegraph, ''fauxmance'' apparently refers to ''a fictitious romance between two celebrities, concocted in order to gain press coverage''.  Unfortunately Lucy Bright, the heroine of MISTLETOE AND THE LOST STILETTO doesn't know that her great big romance is all just a PR campaign and her reaction, when she finds out, isn't well considered but comes straight from the heart.

‘LIAR!’

The only sound in the room was the clatter of motor drives as tycoon, Rupert — just-call-me-Prince-Charming — Henshawe’s press conference was hijacked by his fiancée, Lucy — I-feel-like-Cinderella — Bright as she tugged off her engagement ring and flung it at him.

‘Cheat!’

Every lens in the room zoomed in on the bright splash of blood where the huge diamond found its mark on Henshawe’s cheek.

The gathered press pack – city newsmen, financial pundits, television news teams - held their collective breath.

They’d been summoned to a full dress press conference by the Henshawe Corporation. Whatever Henshawe did was news. Good news if you were one of his shareholders. Bad news if you happened to be on the receiving end of one of his corporate raids. At least until recently.

The news now was all been about how he’d changed. How, having met his “Cinderella”, he had been redeemed by love and was no longer Mr Nasty, but had been transformed into Prince Charming.

Boring.

This was much more like it.

‘Why?’ Lucy demanded, ignoring the cameras, the mikes, dangled overhead, pushed towards her face. The larger than life-sized images of herself, wearing her own, custom-made originals of the “Lucy B” fashions, being flashed across a screen. All she could see was the man on the podium. ‘Why did you do it?’

Stupid question. It was all there in the file she’d found. The one she’d was never meant to see. All laid out in black and white.

‘Lucy! Darling…’ Rupert’s voice was deceptively soft as, using the power of the microphone in front of him, he drowned out her demand to know why her? ‘These are busy people and they’ve got deadlines to meet. They’ve come to listen to the plans I’ve been making, we’ve been making for the future of the company,’ he stressed. ‘Not a domestic tiff.’

His smile was tender, all concern for her. It was familiar, reassuring and even now it would be so easy to be sucked in…

‘I don’t know what’s upset you but it’s obvious that you’re tired. Let Gordon take you home and we’ll talk about it later, hmm?’

She had to fight the almost hypnotic softness of his voice. Her own weakness. Her longing for the fairytale that had overtaken her life, transformed her into a celebrity, to be true.

She had a “Lucy B” fan page on Facebook, half a million people following her every word on Twitter. She was a modern day Cinderella, whisked from the hearth to a palace, her rags replaced with silken gowns. But Prince Charming’s “bride ball” had been a palace-generated crowd pleaser, too. There was nothing like a royal wedding to keep the masses happy.

It was exactly the kind of stunt to appeal to some super smart PR woman with a name to make for herself.

‘Talk!’ she replied as someone obligingly stuck a microphone in front of her, giving her equal voice power. ‘I don’t want to talk to you, Rupert Henshawe! I never even want to see you again.’ She held up the file for him to see. So that he would know that there was no point in denying it. ‘I know what you’ve done. I know everything!’

Even as the words left her mouth, Lucy sensed the mood in the room change. No one was looking at the podium now. Or Rupert. She’d stolen his limelight. She’d stormed into this plush hotel, her head exploding with the discovery that her new and exciting life, their engagement, the whole shooting match, was nothing more than a brilliantly executed marketing plan. The focus was now on her as she put an end to a sham smoke-and-mirrors engagement that was as false as his “new man” change of heart.

Rupert Henshawe had no heart.

But as the attention of the room shifted to her, it belatedly occurred to Lucy that this might not have been her best move.

In the months following her whirlwind romance with her billionaire boss she become used to the press, but this was different. Until now she’d been supported every step of the way whether the interviews had been personal or about her new role as the face, the name, on his rebranded chain of fashion stores.

When she’d gate-crashed this press conference, she hadn’t had a thought in her but to confront the man who had so shamelessly used her.

Now, the focus point of every lens, every eye in the room, she suddenly felt alone, vulnerable and all she wanted to do was escape. Escape from the lies, the cameras, the microphones. Disappear. But as she stepped back, attempting to distance herself from Rupert, from everyone, she stumbled over someone’s foot.

She put out a hand to stop herself from falling, grabbing at someone’s lapel. There was the ominous sound of cloth ripping and as she turned, instinctively, to apologise, she discovered that her retreat was blocked by a wall of bodies.
And the man whose lapel she was clinging to, was now hanging onto her, pulling her towards him, shouting something into her ear as she was jostled, pushed by other newsmen trying to get closer, photographers shouting to attract her attention.
She forgot all about apologising, instead yanking her arm free. Someone tried to grab the file she was carrying. She used it to beat him off, swinging the tote she was carrying bag to clear a space, provoking a blinding series of flashes as the photographers caught the action.

Another hand made a grab for her in the scrum, catching the back of her coat. One of the buttons flew off and she nearly went down again, but the sight of two of Rupert’s bodyguards elbowing aside journalists and cameramen alike as they made their way towards her sent a shot of adrenalin surging through her veins.
Until now she’d only seen the gentle side of Rupert Henshawe, had believed that he was truly her Prince Charming. But she was carrying proof of just how ruthless the man could be in pursuit of his ends and he wasn’t going to let her leave with that.

Of course they would make it look as if they were rescuing her from the press scrum, but denouncing him in public, on camera, had put her on the other side.
She’d seen his eyes, the truth behind the soft words, the smile and she knew that he’d do whatever it took to keep her quiet.

Swinging her tote again in an attempt to batter her way through the enclosing wall of bodies she managed to make a little headway, but then someone grabbed her wrist, a camera lens caught her a sharp blow on the temple and, head spinning, she staggered back.

There was a yelp loud enough to be heard over the bedlam as her stiletto heel encountered something soft and yielding.

As the man behind her backed off, swearing creatively, apology was the furthest thing from her mind. A gap opened up and she didn’t hesitate. She dived through it. 

Dive in!  This is cutting edge stuff!

HER WISH-LIST BRIDEGROOM

One of my back list titles is having a very busy time at the moment.
HER WISH LIST BRIDEGROOM has just been reissued in the UK in September, in a 3-in-1 called Gorgeous Grooms - still available from Mills and Boon's website.
 
It's also available as a Kindle in the UK and in the US  as the three in one or as a single title.

 As if that wasn't exciting enough, it's is also going to be packaged with German Sunday newspaper Bild am Sonntag in October as a giveaway to promote Harlequin.  An incredible honour.

If anyone spots one do let me know!

I also, somewhat belatedly, updated my website for this month, with an excerpt of MISTLETOE AND THE LOST STILETTO, available this month at  eHarlequin and again, as an eBook download - just click the eBook store option when to get to the site.




This will be available in the UK next month in a lovely Christmas Cherish cover which will look perfect in a stocking for your favourite romance lover.  Or yourself!

This is the "elf" book, in which Lucy Bright hides out from her "Prince Charming" (he's behind you!) in Santa's Grotto while Nathaniel Hart tracks down the girl who's lost her hot red stiletto on his department store stairs.

Fun, fast and with all the elements of the fairy tale, there's a guaranteed happy ending, but the journey is bumpy so hang onto the seat of your sleigh!

UH-OH!



I shouldn't be here. Having sorted out a few final details for the "elf", now known as MISTLEOE & THE LOST STILETTO, I should be in the air and winging my way towards Rome for a much looked forward to holiday - and serious research for the next book.

But this happened and all flights in and out of the UK have been cancelled, so instead I'm sitting at my laptop, considering whether to cut the grass, go and buy some bananas or watch OUTNUMBERED. Well, the afternoon is young, so I may do all three. I will also spare a thought for anyone with serious travel plans. The lady who was supposed to be flying to visit her son in New Zealand today. Julie Cohen, whose parents are flying from the US tomorrow.

It's rare - probably unheard of, actually - for me to hope for rain. But that seems to be the only thing that will clear the air and while my holiday is now officially a wash-out, I hope the crisis is over quickly so that everything can get back to normal.

The one truly lovely bit of news to brighten my weekend is receipt of a 5 star Between the Pages review from Still Moments Magazine for A WEDDING AT LEOPARD TREE LODGE.

They say - "Between the Pages of this story you'll find a magnificent setting, a feisty heroine and a sexy hero - a definite page-turner...who could ask for anything more."

AUTHORS BLOG AWARDS 2010


Golly! I've been nominated for the Authors Blog Awards 2010. I have to tell you that I'm seriously excited about that. You can join in and vote here. And it there's a blog you'd like to nominate, there are prizes to be won here


It's especially lovely since I know I've been a bit lax on the blogging front lately. A heavy deadline left me in "lying down in a darkened room" mode. And now, of course, there are revisions to deald with. Nothing hideously heavy, but still requiring intense concentration. But the "elf" now has wings. And a title. I'm not entirely sure about MISTLETOE & THE LOST STILETTO - it's so far from my cherished Santa's Secret Elf that I'm taking time to get used to it. But by the time it's pub'd in October/November, I know I'll be with it.


Finally, just an excuse to post the gorgeous cover again, the BRIDES OF BELLA LUCIA - SECRETS REVEALED, is on sale about now retail, so look out for it because it is really, really pretty!