COVER ART

I'm waiting for cover art. Waiting to see how my lovely Sheikh Zahir and Diana have been portrayed on the cover of The Sheikh's Unsuitable Bride. I'm just being impatient. It won't be on sale retail until January, but an author worries about these things.

I did check on the art sheet details filled in by my editor and it seems likely that Diana will be in her chauffeur uniform. This could be fun, or it could be disastrous. Chewing my nails to the quick here, especially as while checking out the sheikh I looked over the cover "vision" for The Bride's Baby, my "spring bride" book.

Do you remember the purple shoes? Satin, embroidered, beaded, sparkly purple shoes that the lovely Anne McAllister spent valuable distraction time hunting down on the 'net for me?

Well, maybe my sweet ed was in a hurry because in the cover art form she wrote that the "bride is wearing purple...." Not the exquisitely described heavy cream silk dress and coat, appliqued and beaded and embroided to match to the shoes.

Gulp.

That would be The Bride of Dracula's Baby, then...

HEROES

I’m not exactly enthusiastic about the honours system but once in a while someone gets a gong that makes me want to stand up and cheer to the rafters and this weekend the news that Ian Botham has finally been honoured, put the biggest smile on my face.

The man was always a do-or-die school-boy sporting hero, but he’s a lot more than that. He visited a hospital, saw children suffering with leukaemia and decided to do something to help and since then he's raised more than £10 million for research with his "walks".

Sir Ian Botham is a hero to his backbone and I wish there were more like him.


THE PURPLE SHOE BOOK

The “purple shoe” book revisions are in and I can exclusively reveal that it’s going to be called THE BRIDE’S BABY and will be in a store near you sometime next spring.


KATE’S 50TH BOOK

Kate Walker is celebrating her 50th book with a blog party. There are guest bloggers galore – I’ll be turning up there sooner or later – and each visitor is offering a chance to win a book. All you have to do is drop by, answer a question – nothing to tax the brain, honestly -- and who knows, it could be you.

BREAKFAST AT GIOVANNI'S

Somehow, in the mad rush of finishing one book, starting another and dealing with revisions for the "purple shoes" book -- pretty much what I expected (I know, I know, so why didn't I do it the first time...) -- I've managed to squeeze in a "treat" read. BREAKFAST AT GIOVANNI'S is by the delightful Kate Hardy.

It has just about everything -- but for me the Italian food was a big turn-on! I'm not sure why Kate is writing for Modern Extra. She has that wonderful tender touch which makes her a shoe-in for "Romance". But then, of course, she does do true sensuality so very well.

Our loss it their gain...

THE BOOK HAS LEFT THE BUILDING...

It's been tough, this one. Nose to the grindstone stuff, and it's going to be that way all year if I'm going to fit in everything I'm contracted to do. But the purple shoe book was finally delivered to the waiting arms of my editor at around four o'clock yesterday afternoon. Since when I've been curled up in a huddled gibbering mass in the corner. (I really shouldn't have taken on the eHarlequin blog -- lesson learned. The books come first!)

I have to thank Ellie and Ben for holding the fort in my absence. I've just waved them off on their long promised trip to Italy (Laura is pet-sitting while they're away). Now it's time to introduce you to Sylvie and Tom, whose story has given me such a lot of bother in the last couple of months.

They've both come through some rough times, made successes of their lives, but are lacking that special ingredient that makes the world a bright and shiny place. Someone to share it with. Tom thought it had found exactly what he was looking for. When the book opens, it's all gone pear-shaped. His bride to be has taken to the hills with the wedding planner's assistant. And the wedding planner gets the full force of his ... irritation.

I don't have a title yet, but as soon as my editor has read the book, and I've ducked the flying revisions, I'll let you know what she comes up with. I can tell you that it will have a "Spring Wedding" or maybe "Spring Bride" flash -- so somewhere out there authors are battling with "Summer", "Autumn" and "Winter" -- and it'll be in the bookshops next April or May.

I should be able to put my feet up and take the day off -- you need time to wind down from a tight deadline -- but I have a journalist from the South West Evening Post arriving just after ten to ask me about "commitment" post the HEA, so I have to race around doing all the housework that's been neglected during the last week.

Then there are my accounts. And on Monday, I have to start actually writing The Sheikh novella. Not planning -- I don't have time to plan; there is no thinking time. I have to actually writing if I'm going to make the deadline for the next one. So, short of a visit from the plot fairy, if there's anyone out there who's ever asked me where I get my ideas from -- now would be a good time to remind me what I said.

SORRY...

I'm sorry if you've been visiting the blog and hoping to find some sparkling words of wisdom. I'm just a bit stretched at the moment. The book -- the one with the purple shoes that I had to suggest titles for this week, despite the fact that it's not finished -- Three Weddings and a Baby? -- is due instantly. And I've also been blogging over at eharlequin during May. In fact I've got a couple of competitions going over there, so you might want to check that out!

Meanwhile, I'm posting a first glimpse of my August US cover of Reunited: Marriage in a Million. I'll be blogging about that soon.

THE GROOMS ARE BACK!


Theo, Dom (yes, we can call him Dom now than Alice has soothed the savage beast) and Max are all back from their honeymoons (some with more baggage than others!), and they had so much fun messing with our blogs last time that they want to do it again.


Over on Anne McAllister's blog, they've drummed up a new competition. Three simple questions, for three fabulous books.


This is just a single hander (Kate is busy organising celebrations for her 50th M&B and I have the purple shoe book to deliver), so just send your answers to Anne and she'll tell us who to send the books to. (I'm offering a copy of Ellie's book, or something from my backlist if -- bless you -- you've already bought THE SECRET LIFE OF LADY GABRIELLA.)