GETTING BACK TO NORMAL...

We've been decorating. Since the middle of January.

Obviously this hasn't been just a slap of paint and freshen up job. We've had new patio doors put into both the rooms looking over the garden, new windows upstairs.

We've built a brand new en suite bathroom and added fitted wardrobes in the bedroom and generally thrown out more accumulated rubbish than you can believe two ordinary people could accumulate in the nearly seventeen year we've been in this house -- we moved in just before my first book was published.

There's just the new bedroom floor to be fitted (Les is coming on Tuesday to do that), the new curtains to be hung, and trip out to choose a blind for the bathroom and some rugs for the toes to step onto first thing in the morning, which we'll hopefully manage today.

All I have to do now is catch up on the dust, make one last run to the tip to dispose of the detritus and hopefully that will be that. There's a certain amount of pressure to get that all done this week since the dd and s-i-l are coming for the Bank Holiday and at the moment we're in the guest room. I'm praying for good weather since the s-i-l has never seen Wales other than soaked in precipitation and when the sun shines there is no prettier place on earth.

I did take a break from the painting to meet up with the Carmarthen Chapter of the RNA on a brilliantly warm and sunny spring day last week. It wasn't a "glamorous author day", but a casual meeting of writers, some of who'd travelled a long way to join us. We met at an ancient thatched pub and talked writing and ate a great lunch. We're a mixture of pub'd and unpub'd and provide a support group for one another.

The post man (the incomparable Steve) brought me a package containing my author copies of the Large Print reprint of Gentlemen Prefer...Brunettes yesterday.

This is one of my earlier books that never had a LP Library edition -- I'm working through these. His Little Girl was published earlier this year and Dangerous Flirtation, An Image of You and Eloping With Emmy will be available to borrow from the library (worldwide) in LP format within the next nine months.

Here's the background --

Nick Jefferson can't resist a challenge, or a blonde, so when the latest platinum-haired woman to cross his path challenges him to cook her a romantic dinner, he accepts. Cooking can't be that hard, can it? Women do it.

Big mistake.

TV chef Cassie Cornwell is not Nick's type -- she's a cuddly brunette -- and he's certainly not hers. She's allergic to sweet-talking playboys. But she needs him as much as he needs her and a deal is struck. It should have been plain sailing, but Nick discovers that he's much rather be in the kitchen with the cook than seducing the blondes.

To whet your appetite, here's where they meet.

Veronica, the blonde, who plays a lively role in this book has her own story in A Suitable Groom, by the way, which Mills & Boon published in LP several years ago.

Finally, just a reminder of the Mother's Day contest over at Anne McAllister's website. Drop in on her blog, too, to see pictures of her new grandson, Henry. He is gorgeous.

THE GREAT ADVENT GIVEAWAY

DAY TWENTY

DECEMBER 20th

Christmas is getting closer. I bought the last of my gifts today, along with a copy of debut "Romance" author Michelle Douglas's book, HIS CHRISTMAS ANGEL. Have to keep up with what these new young things are doing! Actually we have so many young authors writing for "Romance" and that's brilliant. It keeps the series fresh and vibrant.

More news, too, on Miranda's story. There's still a little work to be done, but it's going to be called WEDDED IN A WHIRLWIND and will be published next November.

Now back to the Calendar; Claritta in Little Rock was the lucky winner of GENTLEMEN PREFER ... BRUNETTES. I'm holding off posting anything now until after the holiday, but it'll be on its way as soon as the last mince pie has been eaten.


For Day 20, I've got another oldie-but-goodie, PRISONER OF THE HEART.

This is the one where Sophie Nash, driven to desperate measures to get a photograph of elusive celebrity Chay Buchanan, finds herself his very reluctant house guest.

Why does she need the photograph? Why is he so desperate to keep himself out of the gossip mags?

If you want to find out, email me at liz @lizfielding.com with Day Twenty in the subject line, your name and address in the body of the text and this time I want to know what name you'd give a hero.

THE GREAT ADVENT CALENDAR GIVEAWAY

DAY NINETEEN

December 19th

Diana and Zahir have a lot to think about so I'm leaving them in peace for a while. But here's another picture of Zahir because we all need something good to look at!

The award I was thinking of for day seventeen, was the RNA Betty Neels Trophy (there's a picture of me with it on my biography page on the website), but you all found a load of other stuff, the CAPA, a couple of RT awards amongst them and they were fine, too. The name out of the hat for GENTLEMEN PREFER ... BRUNETTES was Tammy in Utah and the book is on it's way. I seem to be keeping the post office going single-handedly in my neck of the woods!


Today's book is another sheikh. My first, HIS DESERT ROSE. Prince Hassan al Rashid, a rebel, an outsider, a man who would do anything to keep his country in safe hands. Even if that means kidnapping international journalist Rose Fenton to stop her being used by a corrupt government. But Rose isn't your average woman; she's exactly where she wants to be and Hassan quickly finds his hands full in more ways than one.

If you want a chance to win a copy of HIS DESERT ROSE, sent me an email at liz @lizfielding.com, with Day Nineteen in the subject line, your name and address in the body of the mail and the answer to this question: How old is Sophie Harrington? You'll find the answer in the excerpt link to Bride for Christmas on my website.

And on Wednesday, we're having a post party at eHarlequin with a chance to win copies of Harlequin "Romance" novels. Just click here.

Finally, the long list for the Romantic Novel of the Year Award has just been announced and there are some great names it. Check it out here.

THE GREAT ADVENT CALENDAR GIVEAWAY

DAY EIGHTEEN

December 18th

It's getting closer isn't it? Can you feel the excitement building?

I spent the weekend cleaning the house, putting up the decorations, including giving the pigs that guard our gateposts (I know most people go for eagles or lions or pineapples, but we're a "pig" family) their festive scarves. This one is Duchess.
Thank you all for the beautiful "heroine" names you sent. I'll put them all into my name database and next time I'm struggling I'll enjoy picking and choosing from among them.

Naming characters is such a big deal, although on occasion I have been caught out when writing the story of a minor character, wishing I'd given her a different name. I'm very careful these what I call all my characters these days because you just never know!

Like so many of you, I prefer simple, proper names. Ones that are easy to pronounce, easy to read (don't want the eye stumbling every time it encounters a difficult word). Coming up this year, there's Sylvie in THE BRIDE'S BABY, Violet in CHOSEN AS THE SHEIKH'S WIFE and Miranda, in the as yet unnamed followed up to Reunited: Marriage in a Million (always assuming it gets editorial approval).

I'm also supposed to write a short story within the next couple of weeks and I'd love it to be Sadie's (Diana's boss) story. Her name is actually Mercedes and she originally appeared in THE BABY PLAN as a stroppy teen.

We'll see.

Anyway I put all the lovely names in a hat and the best-beloved drew out Eva from Finland (whose name was "Whitney" by the way). The book is in the post, Eva, but it's the busiest week of the year for the Royal Mail so it's unlikely to arrive in time for the festivities.

Today, behind the door is GENTLEMEN PREFER ... BRUNETTES. Nick, a playboy tycoon with an eye for tall blondes, bribes Cassie, a dark-haired pocket venus of a cook, into preparing a seduction dinner for a glamorous colleague. (He told the glamorous blonde that he could cook -- he lied.) Actually, by the time he's getting to the good part, his heart just isn't in it. And as for the blonde, well, that's another story (I refer you to my previous statement about minor characters!)

If you'd like the chance to win this book, email me at liz @lizfielding.com, Day Eighteen in the subject line, your name and address in the body of the text and the colour of the ribbons on the gift that Sheikh Zahir is carrying when Diana picks him up from the airport. It's in the excerpt on the website.