AND I'M NOT GOING TO BE AT ...

...the Romance Writers of America Conference, either.

I'm sad about that. I won't get the chance to meet up with friends I've made across the globe, not just writers but readers, too.

But I can't miss this opportunity to those authors who have been shortlisted for the RITA this year, especially dear friends, Anne McAlister, with her One Night Mistress... Convenient Wife. Jennie Lucas with The Christmas Love Child. Linda Goodnight nominated for The Snow Kissed Bride, Jane Porter for Duty, Desire and the Desert King all in the Short Contemporary Category.

There's Elizabeth Rolls, too, with her Regency Historical, Lord Braybrooke's Penniless Bride.

And a huge shout out in the category for mainstream women's books with a romance element - The Lost Recipe for Happiness by Barbara O'Neal, which was one of my favourite reads of last year.

Good luck to them and everyone who had a book shortlisted. They are the best of best published books last year and you can see the entire list of books and authors here

VALENTINE RELEASES!

What a busy month! Not only is Secret Baby, Surprise Parents released into British libraries in its hardback edition this month -- it'll be online at Mills & Boon and Harlequin next month -- but all over the world there are releases of Liz Fielding books and short stories. Here are some of them.

Promoted: Secretary To Bride! by Jennie Adams

What was I thinking? As if a new dress and a pair of borrowed hopes-and-dreams shoes were going to get me noticed by my scrummy boss! After all, he has barely looked at me in the last three years, so why should he now? But last night, after Jarrod drove me home from that posh work party, things seemed different, and for one crazy moment I felt sure he was going to kiss me! Oh, well, it will be back to business on Monday, and everything will go back to normal... But Molly's boss has other things on his agenda!

I know that Jennie Adams' name on the cover is enough to make you rush out and buy the book, but as a bonus, you'll also find THE SECRET WEDDING, a 10,000 word Liz Fielding "extra" tucked inside the covers. (It's pure coincidence that my heroine is also called Molly!)

It begins:

Begin your story at a moment of crisis, a point in time when your character's life is about to change for ever. Molly Blake's Writing Workshop Notes.

Romantic novelist, Molly Blake, has been booked to give a weekend workshop in a country hotel. Crime novelist, Tom Garrick, has been ordered by his publisher to go along and get in touch with his feminine side (women, he's told, buy more books than men). They are both late, there's only one parking place and when Molly discovers that it's her rat of a husband who's put a dent in her adored publisher's Porsche, things go downhill fast..

This is a February release from Harlequin, Australia and it's available now online here. Or at Dymock's if you'd rather have a eBook version.

And while you're checking that out, you'll find that
100 ARABIAN NIGHTS
has finally made it downunder here

If you click on the tag you'll find excerpts and stuff.









Oh, and just so that UK readers don't feel left out, you can find
THE SECRET WEDDING teamed with Betty Neels' in this Tender Extra.



And if you're in France, well, the same story is in a special Valentine Day anthology with Jane Porter and a load of other great authors. You'll find it here


And THE BRIDE'S BABY is on sale on 4th February in Germany -- or online here. (Or don't forget you can download it in English for free -- there's a link on the sidebar!)

TRAUMHOCHZEIT IM SCHLOSS?
von: LIZ FIELDING
Erscheinungstag: Mittwoch, 4. Februar 2009
Bandnummer: 1773
Bestellnummer: 0801091773
2,40 EUR
inkl. 7 % MwSt.

Die perfekte Traumhochzeit? Auf einem Schloss in Südengland organisiert die Hochzeitsplanerin Sylvie eine glamouröse Wohltätigkeitsveranstaltung. Sie selbst soll dabei die glückliche Braut spielen, die zu ihrer Jugendliebe Jeremy zurückgekehrt ist. Alles läuft nach Plan. Bis überraschend der attraktive Milliardär Tom MacFarlaine auftaucht. Er ist der neue Besitzer von Longbourne Court – und der Mann, dessen Baby Sylvie seit einer leidenschaftlichen Nacht unter dem Herzen trägt. Wie gern würde sie Tom das Jawort geben! Doch er glaubt, sie sei mit Jeremy verlobt …

And in this anthology, which includes stories by Sandra Martin and Margaret Moore you'll find The Cinderella Bride on sale in
Japan

Or you could click on the "free Liz story" link on the sidebar and read it online at eHarlequin in English.

Happy Valentine's reading!

MEETING LILIAN DARCY

After my last post, Lilian emailed me to remind me that we first met at Jane Porter's tea party at Brown's Hotel in Denver and I knew I had a photograph of that brilliant afternoon, so I looked it out. So here we have Jane Porter, C J Carmichael, me and Barbara Dunlop. Guess who's holding the camera!





But when I was looking for the first photograph, I found this. A year later, here we are all having tea with Jane at the Plaza in New York where, cleverly, Jane had the waiter take photographs. So here you have Jane, me, CJ, Barbara, Lilian and Susan Stephens.

Champagne, really good tea, food to die for and good friends. Absolutely perfect.

So, now we've got that sorted, carry on down and read all about CAFE DU JOUR, Lilian's fabulous new MIRA single title -- mine is in the post and I can't wait! -- and maybe win yourself a signed copy and Cafe du Jour t-shirt.