SANDRA PAUL and DOMESTICATING LUC

I'm feeling rather desperate about Sandra Paul.

I wanted to bring you a taster of all the RITA shortlisted books this year -- the very last in which there will be a Traditional Category -- and thought it would be a piece of cake.

I actually know four of the shortlisted authors so all I had to was put out a call for excerpts. No problem. But Sandra hasn't shown up on any of my extended networks so I searched further. I posted pleas on all my loops, on the eHarlequin message board. Nothing.

She doesn't have a internet footprint. No photographs. No interviews. No blurbs. So all I can give you is the cover of DOMESTICATING LUC -- it's great isn't it? -- and give you a link to Amazon, US so that you can check it out for yourself -- and maybe buy a copy so that you can find out for yourself what gives it that extra sparkle. Give you a link to her page at Fantastic Fiction

And if anyone out there can tell me more, then send me an email and I'll put up more tomorrow. In the meantime, since I can't get hold of Sandra, I'm going to set you a question myself -- and the prize will be a copy of my August release, REUNITED: MARRIAGE IN A MILLION.

"Luc" is one of those seriously sexy hero names. If you could name a hero, what would you call him, and why?

Don't forget! Keep commenting on all the Rita finalist posts until Monday.

And finally, we now have news of the categories for next year's Rita and Golden heart series fiction. Gone are Traditional, Short Contemporary and Long Contemporary and they are to be replaced with the following.

New Contemporary Series Golden Heart and RITA Categories

• Contemporary Series Romance

Definition: Series romance novels that focus primarily on the romantic relationship.

Judging guidelines: In this category, the love story is the main focus of the novel, and the end of the book is emotionally satisfying and optimistic.

• Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure

Definition: Series romance novels which focus primarily on the romantic relationship but may have more complex suspense/adventure subplots.

Judging guidelines: In this category, the love story is the main focus of the novel, and the end of the book is emotionally satisfying and optimistic.

"Rationale pertaining to both of the above categories: With the shrinking word counts at Harlequin/Silhouette, there is no longer an appreciable difference between the length of individual lines. Therefore, these two categories were created to focus on content rather than word count. "


So there you have it. But tonight we have the award ceremony -- it's online, live, at the RWA website

I'll be back tomorrow with news of the winner!

MARION LENNOX did it twice!

I met Marion Lennox at the Romance Writers of America Conference in New York.

We were both nominated for a RITA that year (Debbie Macomber took the prize!) and had flown many a jet-lagging mile to be there, not that we let a little thing like that slow us down. I don't remember much about the conference, but New York was fabulous, the parties were fabulous... You get the picture!

Marion has been nominated, or double nominated for a RITA every year for as long as I can remember. She has two of the golden ladies at home already, proving just what a stellar writer she is in both Harlequin Romance and Medical Romance series. My first impression on meeting her is that is so tall! In fact I think my first words were, "You're so tall..." which wasn't exactly sparkling conversation, but honestly, we're talking super-model here...) My second was that she was fun. Oh, and charming. Just lovely. Like her wonderful books. I wish I was in Dallas so that I could visit with her again and celebrate her achievements because this year she's done the double again, with two books nominated for a Rita. The first is --

THE DOCTOR'S PROPOSAL

HOW did you knock on the front door of a medieval castle? And what was such a castle doing in a remote Australian fishing community?

Dr Kirsty McMahon was worried and tired and it was starting to rain. The castle doors looked as if they'd take a battering ram to open them, and using the incongruous intercom-thing produced nothing. Her tentative knock sounded ridiculous. She knocked harder and gave a hopeful shout but there was no response.

Enough. She'd been stupid to come. Susie was complaining of cramp. She and her twin would find a hotel in Dolphin Bay and broach the castle walls in the morning. If she could get Susie back here.

Then she paused as a sudden flurry of barking sounded on the other side of the gates. Was someone coming?

The vast timber doors opened an inch, and then wider. A lanky brown dog of indiscriminate parentage nosed its way out. A hand gripped its collar. A man's hand.

She took a step back. This place seemed straight out of a Gothic novel. The castle was set high on the cliffs above the sea, with purple-hazed mountains ringing the rear. In the mist of early evening, Kirsty was almost expecting to be met by a pack of ancient hunting dogs, anchored to armoured warriors with battle-axes.

"Boris, if you jump up on anyone you'll be toast." She blinked. The owner of the voice didn't sound like an axe-toting warrior. The voice sounded...nice?

The doors swung wider and she decided the adjective nice wasn't strong enough.

Her warrior was gorgeous.

Six feet two. Mid-thirties maybe? Aran sweater, faded jeans and battered boots. Deep brown, crinkly hair, ruffled just the way she liked it in her men.

Her men? Robert? The thought almost made her smile and she had no difficulty at all turning her attention back to her warrior.

What else? He had a craggy face, strongly boned and weathered. His eyes smiled at the edges even when he wasn't smiling. His body was...excellent.

Oh, for heaven's sake, she was standing outside a ridiculous Australian castle thinking lustful thoughts about a strange man's body?All her life she'd fought to stay in control, and now, when everything was teetering, the last thing she needed was the complication of a male. Back home she was dating nice, safe Robert, who'd stay being nice and safe for as long as she wanted. She was in control. She was married to medicine.

But her warrior was definitely gorgeous.

And the second --

THE SURGEON'S FAMILY MIRACLE

"ISN'T Kapua where Lily Cyprano lives?"

Ben was running to a tight schedule, and he sighed as Sam Hopper joined him. Sam was a skilled surgeon but he talked too much. The first Chinook was leaving in an hour. Normally the adrenalin was kicking in by now, making him move with lightning speed, but lately, Hell, what did it mean when preparation for disaster seemed routine?

"What?" he asked without looking up, and Sam poured himself coffee and hiked his frame onto the bench where Ben was sorting drugs.

"Lily,'he repeated patiently. "Cute as a button. Half islander, half French. We all thought she looked like Audrey Hepburn, only curvier. Sexiest thing on two legs. She went through med school, then went home to work on the little island where she'd been raised. Wasn't that Kapua?" He paused, sorting old memories. "Hey, weren't you two an item? I was a couple of years above you but I seem to remember, I'm right, aren't I?"

Ben's hands stilled. For a moment—just for a moment—a surge of remembered pain washed through him. Lily.

Then he regrouped. "We're talking about seven years ago,' he snapped. "The trivia you keep in that tiny mind of yours, "

"But Kapua is Lily's island?' "Yeah," Ben said, remembering. He'd been so caught up in the urgency of the job that until now he hadn't thought of the link between Kapua and Lily. But, yes, Kapua was definitely the place Lily called home.

"Is she still there?'

"How would I know? I haven't heard from her for years."

"It'd be a joke if she was among the insurgents."

"A great joke," he said dryly, starting to pack again.

Marion's latest, HIS MIRACLE BRIDE is on sale in the UK and US in August. You can check out an excerpt at her website.

And to win a signed copy, just tell us what it is about doctors that make them such great heroes.

Marion won't be drawing the prize until she gets back from the States, so, as with all the other finalists, you have until Monday to leave your comment.

It's day three in the great Traditional Category RITA giveaway and it's a huge pleasure to introduce the stellar new talent --

FIONA HARPER and BLIND DATE MARRIAGE

Fiona Harper's Blind Date Marriage is a bit of phenomenon.

Her first book, it scooped the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writer's Prize in 2006 and now has a double Rita nomination as Best First Book and Best Traditional Romance.

We are, as you can imagine, in awe and wondering just what Fiona is going to do next.

Here's what she has to say about her book.

BLIND-DATE MARRIAGE is about Serendipity Dove's quest for a little normality in her unconventional life. All she needs is a nice husband to provide her with two-point-four children and she'll be in heaven. But finding the perfect man is harder than she anticipated! However, on a blind date she meets Jake, and intelligent, attractive accountant, and he ticks all the right boxes. Well, almost all of them. She's too busy falling in love to notice that, down in the small print, the ready-for-commitment box is glaringly empty.

And here's an excerpt...

Jake walked into Maison Blanc ten minutes early. Being there first gave him the edge. When Serena arrived he’d be calmly seated at one of the little square tables with its crisp linen table cloth. He’d make sure he had a good view of the entrance and scrutinize every female who glided through glass door.

Maison Blanc was his kind of place. The decor was white and clean, full of straight lines. No fuss. No frills. The best feature by far was that he knew how big the bathroom window was. He’d fit though it, no problem.

He walked past the bar into the main part of the restaurant and scanned the entire room from left to right—then did a double take.

It was her!

The mystery woman. Here. Now.

He very nearly swore.

The woman he’d spent most of last night trying to forget, while he punched his pillow and ordered himself to sleep, was sitting at a table in the centre of the room, sipping a drink.

Suddenly he didn’t know what to do with his hands.

She looked stunning. Her silky, brown hair was swept up into a braided ponytail. Her large, almond-shaped eyes were accentuated with smoky make-up and she wore a soft, moss-green cardigan open at the throat. He swallowed. Never had a cardigan looked so sexy.

She was warm and vibrant, a perfect contrast to the sterile surroundings. And something about her seemed indefinably exotic. He wondered if she had gypsy blood coursing through her veins.

She started to turn her head in his direction, so he dived behind a pillar and stayed there for a few breathless seconds. Then, when he was sure she wasn’t looking his direction, he slunk over to the bar and ordered something. He sat there, hunched over his glass, hoping to heaven she hadn’t noticed him. But that didn’t seem possible. He was sure every molecule in his body was screaming, “Look at me!” and waving its arms in her direction.

He risked another glance.

She was looking at the menu. He was safe, for now.

An enigmatic smile curled her lips, like she was remembering a secret joke. In fact, it looked very much like she was trying not to laugh.

Coming in August from Fiona...

BREAK UP TO MAKE UP

A rustic farmhouse, the warmth of a crackling fire, and breathtaking views of the countryside make the perfect setting for the most romantic evenings...

For Nick and Adele Hughes this idyllic evening for two is the last place either of them wants to be. Their marriage over, they never believed they could find their way back to each other. But, stranded in this picturesque cottage, Nick and Adele find they cannot resist the spark that has always fizzed between them.

As the twinkling firelight begins to work its magic, this couple discover the wonderful thing about breaking up is making up...

And finally, for a chance to win a signed book from Fiona, what two things did Jake know about his blind-date before he met her?

We won't be drawing any of the winners until everyone's home from Dallas, so keep those answers coming on all the fainlist posts this week!

BARBARA HANNAY and CLAIMING HIS FAMILY

I first met Barbara Hannay at the Romance Writers of America conference in New York. Since then we've shared a meal in London and maybe, one day, we'll get together in Australia.

Here's what she has to say about her Rita nominated book CLAIMING HIS FAMILY...

A marriage renewal…

Many of my stories have ended with happy marriages in the Outback, but in Claiming His Family, I asked, what if, this time, one of my characters simply cannot face the unrelenting isolation, the hardship and danger in remote Australia?

Erin Riley, a born-in-the-womb New Yorker, has agreed to take her little boy to the Outback to meet his father – her ex-husband – whom she hasn’t seen for five years.

Seeing Luke again, Erin’s not sure how she’s supposed to act around the man she once loved so deeply.

The memories of their marriage come flooding back… the happy times, and the problems that tore them apart. Now Luke is determined for her to stay. But Erin knows their problems have not disappeared, so how can she give their marriage a second chance – and let them become a family again…?


Here's an excerpt ...

“There’s no point in my coming to the airport,” Erin said, keeping her gaze no higher than Luke’s broad shoulder. “I’ll say goodbye here.”

She knelt beside Joey and gave him a hug and a kiss and then another hug. Joey clung to her and she could feel his little body trembling with excitement and just a little fear. “Daddy’s going to take good care of you,” she whispered. Then she said more brightly, “You can call me when you get to Warrapinya. I’ll expect to hear all about your adventures.”

The boy nodded against her shoulder, and she gave him one more kiss, a final hug.

“I love you,” she whispered and then she stood. Her eyes met Luke’s and she forced a smile. “I packed a photo album in with Joey’s things. It’s for you. I had copies made of all the best ones. Of Joey. You know. All the milestones.”

“Thanks.” His voice sounded rough around the edges.

“You’d better get going,” she said, keeping her chin bravely high.

“Indeed.” With two fingers he snagged Joey’s suitcase.

Erin opened the door. “Have a great trip now.”

The man and the boy passed through the doorway.

“Bye, Mom.”

“Bye, Joey-boy.” Erin swallowed to push away the sharp lump in her throat.
Luke was still watching her closely, and then he set down the suitcase. “I’d better say goodbye, too.”

Before she had time to understand what was happening, his hands were at her waist and he was kissing her.

Her heart took a leap. She felt a hot rush of excitement as he drew her against him. Within seconds she was trembling beneath the unexpected warmth of his lips.
She had tried so hard to forget what Luke’s kiss was like. She’d blocked from her mind the physical desire she’d always felt for him. But now her senses sprang to life. The taste of Luke Manning sent her skin aflame. Her heart was a flower bursting into bloom.

“No!” Joey’s voice shouted beside them. “No, Dad, stop it. Mommy doesn’t want you to kiss her. She told me.”

With a sharp groan, Luke lifted his head. His arms released her as quickly as he’d embraced her and he stepped away.

Stunned, flushed and breathless, Erin sagged against the door frame.

“Are you all right, Mommy?” Joey looked worried and he touched her hand.

She took a quick breath and nodded and she squeezed his fingers to reassure him. “Yes, sweetheart, of course I’m okay. I’m fine.”

Her eyes sought Luke’s, but he was already bending to retrieve the suitcase. When he straightened, she saw that his face was flushed and his eyes were burning beneath stern brows. He stood very stiffly and gave her a curt nod, and then turned to the boy. “Are you ready, Joey?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ve been ready for ages.”

“Then we’d better be on our way.”

Now they were heading down the hall and Joey flashed Erin one last, searching glance over his shoulder.

She waved and smiled fiercely to show him she was fine.

“I don’t know why Mom doesn’t want you to kiss her, do you, Dad?” she heard Joey ask, and she knew that Luke said something in reply but she couldn’t hear his answer.
It must have been flippant, because as she watched, Joey laughed and then he gave a little skip and he took his father’s hand and then they turned the corner and disappeared.

More from Barbara...

And finally....

When Liz Fielding first asked me to join her in writing a trilogy with Jackie Braun, I didn’t hesitate – not even for a split second. And what a wonderful journey we’ve been on together, from the early discussions through all stages of the writing process.

In much the same way, our three heroines, Belle, Simone and Claire support each other when they return home from the Himalayas to face the challenges of their pasts. For Simone, revealing the truth about her own past is terrifying, but she’s plunged into even deeper turmoil when she loses her private dairy and compromises the shared secrets of her two friends.

Simone never expects to find that very special man, someone she can trust with the truth about her past and her hopes for the future. She has no idea that Mr. Right is just around the corner. Fpr more information, check out Barbara's website

Coming in September from Barbara Hannay…

Needed: Her Mr. Right, the second book in the SECRETS WE KEEP trilogy…

And for a chance to win a signed book from Barbara's backlist, why don't you tell us what it is that you love about stories set in the Outback?

Draws for the prizes won't take back until after the weekend when the travellers have returned from conference.

TRADITIONAL ROMANCE

Since this seems likely to be the last year that Traditional Romance will stand alone as a category in Romance Writers’ of America annual RITA awards for excellence in romantic fiction, I wanted to celebrate the wonderful authors and books who have been short-listed this year. This is who they are

Jackie Braun

Barbara Hannay

Fiona Harper

Marion Lennox

Sandra Paul

It’s Fiona’s first RWA conference, she’s up for Best First Book as well as Best Traditional Romance. Marion is flying in from Australia, too. Already a double Rita winner and a RWA veteran, I imagine that they’ll need stewards at the book-signng keep her fans in line, but it’s a long trip from both England and Australia and if you can make the book-signing – the money from all the books sold goes to the cause of Literacy -- please so make a point of stopping by to say hello.

During the week of the conference, Tuesday to Saturday, I will be featuring the five authors in the line-up. They have each been kind enough to donate a signed book – for the chance to win, all you’ll have to do is answer a simple question.

I’m taking the finalists in alphabetical order and the first up is

JACKIE BRAUN talking about A WOMAN WORTH LOVING

I loved writing this story. It's a powerful tale of redemption and not just for the heroine but for the hero. I have to say, I was a little surprised that my editor climbed on board when I pitched this book to her, and as the first book in a trilogy no less. This is a very different kind of story for a traditional romance. My heroine, Audra, was thrice-married and a failed actress. My hero, Seth, was a photojournalist who turns to a career as a tabloid photographer to pursue Audra, whom he blames for the accident that killed his family. It's my hope that readers enjoy Audra and Seth's journey to forgiveness and love as much as enjoyed writing it.

Here's the story in a nutshell --

Audra Conlan has always been flirtatious, flamboyant and wild, until fate gives her a second chance she vows not to waste. This time she'll repent her mistakes, face her estranged family and avoid men like photographer Seth Ridley, whose sexy smile and welcoming ways tempt her to fall for him hard and fast. But when the past threatens her new life, will Audra dare to forgive the woman she once was and embrace the woman she was meant to be ... a woman worth loving?

And here's an excerpt --

It was easy to have regrets about the way she’d lived her life when a man’s hands were wrapped around her throat, thumbs pressing insistently on her windpipe to cut off her oxygen supply. In truth, though, the excuses Audra had made for her bad behavior hadn’t seemed valid for a while now.
It’s not fair.

That thought registered even as her vision began to dim.

After all, she had been changing her ways -- discreetly, which perhaps explained why the tabloids’ most recent headlines had still labeled her a gold digger.

Audra didn’t like the moniker, although she supposed she had been called far worse. Still, she had married for love and, after that, for emotional security. Wealth hadn’t been the quality that had attracted her to any of her husbands, including the late Henry Dayton Winfield III. He’d been kind, undemanding. He’d been ... safe. And she had been determined that this marriage would work despite the gap in their ages. She had been determined that this time she would not fail. Marriage number three would not end in divorce like the previous two had, leaving her disillusioned and her heart a gouged out husk.
“Lying, manipulative witch,” spat the man squeezing her throat.

Audra was incapable of disputing his words. How ironic that when she had been capable of speaking out in her own defense, she hadn’t bothered.

In general, she hadn’t cared what other people thought about her or what adjectives they used to describe her, as long as they'd spelled her name right. She’d known her soul wasn’t completely black even if the rag-reading public thought differently. Since her most recent marriage in particular, she’d taken steps to restructure her lifestyle and realign the egocentric pattern into which she had fallen since coming to Hollywood. She was no Mother Teresa, but she had found great satisfaction and personal fulfillment becoming involved with children’s charities in recent years, working quietly behind the scenes lest someone accuse her of exploiting the already exploited in an attempt to salvage her flagging acting career.

While the tabloids might call her a gold digger -- and the man trying to kill her clearly saw her that way -- she had in fact made an appointment with her lawyer that very afternoon to rework her late husband’s will so that his rightful heirs would inherit the vast estate.

She didn’t need the money, nor did she feel entitled to it. She had amassed a fair bit of wealth on her own thanks to a few smart investments. Still, she could understand why some people who didn’t know her, and who only read tabloid stories about her, would see her as a candidate for stoning.

As she floated near the edge of consciousness the past thirty years played through her mind like some poorly acted made-for-television movie. That was galling, but apropos. She’d never made much of a name for herself in Hollywood, at least not the kind that could be repeated in polite company.

She’d caused her share of trouble and heartache, bitterness and outright rage, which, she thought with the brutal honesty of the dying, was exactly how she found herself in her current predicament. She’d pushed the envelope too far, thumbed her nose at convention one time too many.

At one point she’d felt she’d had good reasons for being a wild child, a rebellious teenager and then an adult who’d lived scandalously enough to become weekly tabloid fodder. Those reasons had ceased to matter, perhaps because Audra had finally realized they didn’t absolve her from responsibility or translate into happy endings.

You reap what you sow. How often had she heard that advice while growing up? Yet it had taken her all this time to understand and accept the truth of those simple words.
And now it was too late to complete her metamorphosis.
As the saying went, the chickens had come home to roost, and the head cock now had his big hands encircling her neck. With each passing second his grip grew tighter.

And tighter.

And tighter.

I’m not ready to die.

Even as that panicky thought registered anew she prepared for the inevitable, praying for forgiveness from the God she’d only recently become re-acquainted with and wishing she could seek the same from the many people she had wronged over the years. Her sister topped the list.

I’m so sorry.

The words whispered through her mind, unable to make it past her gasping lips. Surrendering to the blackness rimming her vision, Audra accepted that her apology was too little and, like her bid for self-respect, had come too late.

For a chance to win a signed book from Jackie's backlist, tell her what special qualities make a heroine memorable for you.

And come back tomorrow for a glimpse at Barbara Hannay's shortlisted book.

PS Draws for the books won't be done until after the weekend, when the travellers have returned from conference!

REUNITED: MARRIAGE IN A MILLION

Those of you with sharp eyes will have noticed a new “slider”; Reunited: Marriage in a Million is now for sale online at Mills & Boon and eHarlequin (there are links under the slider). There’s a link to an excerpt, too. But here’s a taster, the prologue...

‘The car is here. Your paparazzi army are forming their usual guard of honour.’

Ivo was waiting, his face expressionless. Waiting for her to back down, tell him that she wouldn’t go and Belle had to fight back the treacherous sting of tears.

She didn’t cry, ever.

Why couldn’t he understand? Why couldn’t he see that she hadn’t chosen to spend ten days cycling over the Himalayas on some whim!

This was important to her. Something she needed to do.

By demanding she drop out at a moment’s notice to play hostess at one of his power-broking weekends at his country house in Norfolk, he was making it plain that nothing, not her career, certainly not some charity stunt, was as important as being his wife.

That he had first call on her.

If only she could have told him, explained. But if she’d done that, he wouldn’t want her to stay...

‘I have to go,’ she said.

For a moment she thought he was going to say something, but instead he nodded, picked up the heavy rucksack that contained everything she would need for the next three weeks and reached for the door handle.

By the time it was open, Belle was wearing a smile for the cameras. She paused briefly on the step with Ivo at her side, then they made their way to the car.

The chauffeur took the rucksack and while he was stowing it, Ivo took her hand, looked down at her with grave eyes that never betrayed what he was thinking.

‘Look after yourself.’

‘Ivo...’ She stopped herself from begging him to come to the airport with her. ‘I’ll be passing through Hong Kong on my way home. If you happened to find you had some business there, maybe we could take a few days...’

He made no comment, he never made promises he could not keep, but simply kissed her cheek, helped her into the car, repeating his directive to “take care” before closing the door. She turned as the car pulled away, but he had already turned away, was striding up the steps to the house, wanting to get back to work.

The chauffeur stopped at the drop-off point, loaded her bag onto a trolley, wished her good luck and then she was alone. Not alone, as a woman with a loving husband waiting at home might feel.

Just ... alone.


The reviews are coming in and so far they’ve been good. Since both Barbara Hannayand Jackie Braun invested a lot of trust in me, as well as their starry talents, to make this trilogy a success, I’m relieved about that. Here are some quotes – with links if you want to read the whole thing.


"Liz Fielding begins Secrets We Keep with Reunited: Marriage in a Million a moving yet frequently amusing tale. Highlighted by truly great characterizations, it's one of the author's best." Romantic Times 4½ stars

“When you pick up any Liz Fielding novel, you’re guaranteed a well-written, altogether moving experience and Reunited: Marriage in a Million is no exception...” McCreativity, Romance Reviewed 5 roses.

Liz Fielding gives us a story in which we can experience someone else’s angst and in which we can relate to her experiences. Her vivid descriptions make us feel as though we are part of the story.
Contemporary Romance Writers Rating “9”

Liz Felding creates lovable characters that grow on the reader. They have faults, weaknesses, and at times, are even strong-willed, but throughout it all they stick together. This smooth flowing read is like a breath of fresh air and one I will not forget
Coffee Time Romance “4 cups”

The book will be on sale retail in August.

Oh, and for a chance to win a copy of the book, drop by Coffee Time Romance!

CELEBRATING HALF A CENTURY OF BOOKS WITH KATE WALKER


I'm helping Kate Walker celebrate her 50th Presents Romance today, by giving away a copy of Reunited: Marriage in a Million.

Do drop by, answer the question and who knows, you could be the lucky winner.

And don't forget that Kate Hardy is having a party, too!

KATE HARDY'S BLOG PARTY

Kate is having problems with Bravenet and has switched her blog here!

THE SECRET OF POPPY KAVANAGH

I had an email this week from a reader who has collected all my “Melchester” books, but couldn’t find Poppy Kavanagh’s story.


Poppy, for those of you who have been with me for a while – we’re talking 1998 here – was the glamorous, older sister of Dora Kavanagh, the heroine of HIS LITTLE GIRL, my first RITA nominated book and Fergus Kavanagh, hero of A SUITABLE GROOM (he married Veronica Grant, who first appeared in GENTLEMEN PREFER ... BRUNETTES). Are you with me so far?

Poppy and her husband Richard make a fairly brief, but important appearance, in HIS LITTLE GIRL, but it’s obvious that they have “a story”. So obvious that ever since this book appeared not just readers, but foreign offices of Harlequin have been emailing me wanting to know the title of Poppy’s story.

It happened again today -- nearly ten years on, people still want Poppy’s story – and, like the heroines in SECRETS WE KEEP, I’m going to finally share the secret of Poppy Kavanagh.

Back in 1997 I wrote a trilogy of books for the Scarlet imprint. The Beaumont Brides – Wild Justice, Wild Lady and Wild Fire. I was about a hundred pages into Wild Fire – Melanie Beaumont’s story -- when I realised that short of a research trip to the Balkans, I was never going to make 100,000 words with this one, so I shelved it, started again and three months later delivered the 100,000 words that became Wild Fire to Scarlet’s Kensington offices. Lunch with editor. Meeting at Society of Authors. Busy day.

So far, so good.

When I got home there was an appeal for ELOPING WITH EMMY by the end of the month – seven chapters, three weeks; I worked so much faster then! Then I wrote GENTLEMEN PREFER ... BRUNETTES. When I’d finished that I flicked through my ideas file – nothing grabbed me – and then I took out the 100 pages of mss that started life as WILD FIRE.

It had a really great opening

“Something woke Melanie. One minute she was sleeping, the next wide awake, her ears straining through all the familiar night noises of the countryside for the out-of-place sound that had woken her....”

There’s a break in. A hero on the run from the law. A sick child. It was a little edgy for Harlequin Romance, it was true, but hey, I like to live dangerously – and before I could stop myself I’d got out my blue editing pencil and set to work.

First I had to change the names. Melanie Beaumont became Dora Kavanagh, not an actress, but a wealthy young woman who’d been running aid convoys to the Balkans. Her actress half-sister Claudia became Poppy, a supermodel and the “face” of a cosmetic company and Claudia’s new husband Mac, became Richard (both of them in the security business – no point in making work!)

It all worked beautifully and before I knew it I’d finished HIS LITTLE GIRL. So you see, Poppy and Richard do have a book, which is presumably why they feel like such “real” characters, but not as Poppy and Richard. You’ll find them as Claudia Beaumont and Gabriel McIntyre in WILD LADY.

Oh, and if you’ve ever read WILD FIRE and wanted to find out what happened to Heather Archer Beaumont after she climbed down out of the trees, then you’ll find her masquerading as Nyssa Blake in HIS PERSONAL AGENDA – which was supposed to be WILD & DANGEROUS, my fourth Scarlet novel -- the one that was never published. But that’s another story.

So, for those of you who enjoy competitions, I’m offering a copy of HIS LITTLE GIRL (which didn’t get retail distribution the States so is harder to come by than later books) and a copy of WILD LADY (my last spare copy and its not new, I’m afraid) to those of you who can tell me the name of the new trilogy I’ve written with Barbara Hannay and Jackie Braun. And the name of all three books.

Email me with POPPY’S SECRET in the subject line and your answers and snail mail addy in the body of the email.

You’ve got until 10 July.

REVIEWING "DIANA"

When Sarah Bradford, an expert on Princess Diana, was asked to review Tina Brown's new book on the princess for the Spectator, they refused to print it. The Guardian, however, were delighted to.

I've heard Tina Brown (pictured here) in innumerable interview over the last couple of weeks and in each one she dwells on the Princess's addiction to the novels of her step-grandmother, Barbara Cartland. Brain-rot fiction, are the words she uses. Well, Tina can do fine "brain rot" herself. In fact she writes the kind of purple prose that would make a Mills & Boon editor blush. Here's a taste from Sarah Bradford's review: --

"Tina Brown's uncertainty about her project is highlighted by her writing, which slides between self-consciously pacey modern schlock and sentimental drivel. Diana's mother, Frances, "looks flawlessly put together and crisp in her coiffed blond ripples. She wears a pale blue suit and hat, a string of fat, creamy pearls and gazes down with a proud smile into the big blue eyes of the gurgling baby Diana." Cut to Diana's pretty nannies. In America, Brown comments irrelevantly, "a Kennedy would be sleeping with help that looked as good as this". Eighteenth-century Spencer ladies used the picture gallery at Althorp for "morning power walks". You can take the girl out of the magazine, but you can't take the magazine out of the girl."

Read more here

GUEST BLOGGING!

Today, Wednesday 26th July, I'm helping Kate Hardy celebrate the publication of her 25th book, BREAKFAST AT GIOVANNI'S. This is such a lovely book, full of warmth, fabulous food, gorgeous Italians, but then Kate herself is full of warmth, always there to buck you up when you're feeling down.

Kate, I congratulate you on your Silver Book Anniversary, and at the rate you write, I'm looking for to raising the roof for your Golden Anniversary, five years from now!

And everyone -- check out the blog every day for the next 25 days -- there are books to be won!

TITLES & COVERS


Covers can be heaven or hell for an author. Sometimes we scream blue murder and our friends and family clearly thing we’re nuts. To them it appears perfectly okay. Only another author can ever understand that this cover that had been appended to a book that is like a baby to us, is ALL WRONG. That it does not fit our “vision” of what the characters are like. Sometimes has nothing to do with the story we wrote.

Titles can be like that, too.

THE SECRET LIFE OF LADY GABRIELLA, for instance, was a “marketing experiment”. Harlequin, aware of the snickers of derision that titles such as “The Gazillionaire Boss’s Virgin Mistress” (I just made that up!) evoke from people who just don’t “get it”, have been trying to ease back on those “hooky” titles.

It was a nice try.

To be honest I think it sounds more like an historical romance (and I’ve had half dozen titles of my own shot down for that very reason). Obviously that’s not going to be problem for anyone who sees the book on the shelf. But I do wonder about people who just see the title online and think “Okay, Liz has written an historical, I’ll come back when she’s thinking straight...”

I’d have called it THE SECRET LIFE OF ELLIE MARCH, which does all of the above, but is truer to the book, since Lady Gabriella is the “fantasy” – the secret life. But marketing, bless them, unable to quite let go, tried to sneak in the “princess”, just in case. It’s that wanting it all, thing. Innovative, new, fresh – but let’s stick in an aristocrat, just in case in all goes pear-shaped.

It was a kind thought, but it doesn’t work. As any Mills & Boon heroine could tell them, you have to be fearless. You may take a tumble – and in this case it’s the author that pays; no one sacks the marketing guy if the book doesn’t sell – but you have to be brave.

The reviews were great, everyone who read the book and wrote to me, loved it. But the jury is still out on sales figures and I’m afraid that the readers might just have been plain confused. The one thing that the great Charlotte Lamb taught me, is that you have to keep it simple. Let the reader know what’s going on. And that goes for the title, too. At least with “The Gazllionaire Boss’s Virgin Mistress” you can have absolutely no doubts!

But while titles are a continuing problem for both authors and marketing, there’s really no excuse for getting the heroines mixed up. Coming up in August is the Secrets We Keep trilogy I wrote with Barbara Hannay and Jackie Braun. I’ve already mentioned my confusion over the fact that my heroine, Belle Davenport, appears on my cover with long brown hair when, in fact, she starts out as a “bombshell” blonde and then has her hair cut and re-coloured to something more along the lines of “tawny”. Cut. So that would be short tawny.

Well, Jackie’s just received her October book. She was delighted with the cover – all three are very pretty -- except she couldn’t understand why her heroine has short, um, tawny hair. Probably only us authors will notice that somehow – in the art department – our heroines have switched places.

BLOG PARTIES

And in case you’re not already tuned into the fact that both Kate Walker and Kate Hardy are throwing blog parties (with prizes!) to celebrate the publication of their 50th and 25th book, respectively, do check them out.

AND FINALLY...

ROME. Are you watching this? I’m loving it, but my enjoyment is being sadly undermined by the dh, who just sits there saying “No. This is wrong. It didn’t happen like this...” Honestly. As if. This is blood, sex and feuding females. Dallas (or do I mean Dynasty?) BC. On Wednesday he gets sent to bed early with Seneca.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO...

Last night the dd and I were having one of those long, end of day chats. We talked about pot roast, the fact that Subliminal Girls are getting "air time" on Radio One, and books. We always talk about books. We also talked about the difficulties of both music and publishing business. How tough it is. And I suddenly remembered Stevie Morgan who, back at the beginning of this new century, wrote a book called
FLY AWAY PETER about love, and loss and moving on that I loved so much that after borrowing it from the library, I bought my own copy. In hardback. How often does an author move you like that?

I went in search of Stevie this morning. There were just three books (all of them a pleasure a to read) and a short story. Nothing since 2002, no website and Google threw up no articles, no photograph.

I recall Katie Fforde telling me once that Stevie's publisher just hadn't got behind her and as a result sales had not been good. Okay, not everyone can get on Richard & Judy and sometimes word of mouth just doesn't take off and these days you have one, maybe two chances before a publisher decides you're not a commercial proposition. But it makes me sad when someone who gave me such pleasure to read just disappears.

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...

I'M IN THE LOCAL PAPER!

Once upon a time, an article in the local paper would be read by those people who picked it up at the end of the day. Maybe.

Now, by the wonders of modern communications, it can be read worldwide by clicking here.

They even included an excerpt from THE SECRET LIFE OF LADY GABRIELLA -- bless them -- which is presently on sale in Australia and New Zealand.

BURNING KOKO

This is nothing to do with my books, anyone's books, or even me. My dd's partner is a member of the group SUBLIMINAL GIRLS (the name is ironic -- they're all very much blokes -- note the hairy legs!).

The GIRLS are a rock band and today they're launching their first single, BURNING KOKO, on a major label (and no, I can't remember what it is but that MySpace link will tell you everything you need to know and even let you listen to the record I think -- I only have dial-up, so it's a treat I have to forgo :).

We all know just how tough any kind of creative business is, so I'm wishing them every success.

THE SHEIKH AS HERO

Today is the day when I have to do all the things I've been putting off. My accounts are top of the list -- oh, joy.

Think of me when you're all out having fun!

I also have to order flowers for two lots of birthdays. (June is the busiest month in our family -- we have four big birthdays!) I've been online to do this at least three times and it's still not done.

Today.

No excuses.

Then I have to get to grips with the sheikh novella I have to deliver by the end of August -- except I haven't got that long because the book after that is due at the end of October.

The good news is that the plot fairy visited yesterday in the unexpected guise of the dh. He doesn't usually take much interest, but he's always more interested in the sheikhs since he's trodden the ground, so to speak, and at one time spoke Arabic very well. It's been a long time since he's had any practice but he came up with a terrific idea for a plot -- once I'd managed to get him off the crashed helicopter scenario. And his "crashed car" opening was so similar to the one I used in THE SHEIKH'S GUARDED HEART, that I could almost believe he'd been reading it. But how likely is that?

Once we'd got the transport out of the way and he began seriously putting his mind to the task he came up with something really excellent. Now I just have to get it out of the realms of Tomb Raider and into the guise of a "Romance". And find suitable names for both sheikh and heroine -- which can take days. It's so much easier when you a character from a previous book, which is what happened with THE SHEIKH'S UNSUITABLE BRIDE -- out in January.

In the meantime, I've posted my article, THE SHEIKH AS HERO, that I wrote for a German magazine, here.

NEW WRITER AWARD


Phillipa Ashley has won the RNA's David Hessayon New Writer Award with her first book, DECENT EXPOSURE.

Am I thrilled? Do ducks swim?

Is she thrilled? See for yourself at her blog

Briefly, on another subject -- I can't access My Space to do anything other than add friends -- it says something unintelligible about add-ons and then shuts down my browser. So for everyone who left comments there in the last couple of days, THANK YOU!

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.

CHATTING WITH BEN

Liz has still got her head down (it's a holiday today, don't writers ever take a day off?) getting things right for Sylvie and Tom, and since Ellie is cooking up a storm (you can take that literally) for her sister's birthday, I'm been nominated to come and keep you up to date with what's going on.

Apart from the book, Liz has been talking to Leighton Jones about Ellie and me over on Swansea Sound, her local radio station. He is her new hero, apparently. No soppy music, no breathy voice overs, just a great chat -- and he mentioned the name of the book three times without prompting. Sounds like a really nice bloke.

And this week she has a journalist coming from the South West Evening Post, ditto. Except she wants to talk about "commitment" after the HEA. Liz is muttering something about being "committed", but I suspect she has a totally different meaning in mind.

Liz's main news is that she apparently has two books out in Germany this month -- the aecond one arrived in the post as a complete surprise. For those of you who remember The Temp & the Tycoon (published until the title Strictly Business), this is Talie and Jude's story -- except he's now Jason. And you'll find it here.

Oh, and Chrissie Sue and Papaya are prize winners over at her guest blog at eHarlequin.

Er ... I think I can smell something burning...

"Ellie!"

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.

Hi everyone

Yes, it me again – Ellie – since Liz is still head down, battling with the final scenes of her latest book. Something unexpected came up that changed everything, as it does in books – believe me, this is something I know about first hand – which has meant going back and sorting out some stuff. She’s also blogging over at eHarlequin this month – she thought it was going to be for a week! – and so she’s asked me to tell you her news. Okay, here goes...

Remember this?

“...he caught her at the waist, lifting her, holding her to him as if she were the last woman on earth, while his mouth, hard, almost desperate, obliterated everything but the sensory seduction of his body; the silky sweep of his hair against her cheek, the touch of his fingers at her nape, the salty, dusty taste of his skin.

“And, finally, she understood the force that drove men and women to cross continents, conquer nations, give up their lives.”

It’s from THE SHEIKH’S GUARDED HEART and the really good news is that it’s on sale in Germany at the moment. There’s also a review and, possibly, an article Liz wrote on “The Sheikh” as hero for the German Loveletter Magazin. She’ll post it on her website at the end May when it’s updated, so that those of us who are a little rusty in German, can read it for ourselves.

The bad news -- and I’m in total agreement with Liz on this -- is the cover.

Gentle, reserved Lucy would never be seen dead in a dress like that. Liz was visiting with her recently when Han’s cousin Zahir was getting himself into a bit of bother – she’s going to be a real friend to Diana (THE SHEIKH’S UNSUITABLE BRIDE) – and believe me, she was not amused! Of course Han didn’t appear in a tux, either. But a tux is such a universally gorgeous item of clothing that it doesn’t matter. That dress, however, is something else...

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.)

NEW COVERS

Hi, it’s Ellie here again. Liz is totally up to her eyes with a looming deadline – and she’s blogging over at eHarlquin.com, too, about writing my story, so she’s asked me to drop by and tell you about the lovely new look that Mills & Boon series titles are getting in the UK and Australia this June. Just so you’ll know what to look out for, here’s a preview.

This is my very own Australian cover (that is so cool!) on sale down under in June – or now on the internet; there’s a link on the sidebar.

And this is Ally Blake’s totally gorgeous June UK cover for BILLIONAIRE ON HER DOORSTEP.

Oh, and Liz says if any of you want the recipe that I very nearly messed up, then drop her an email with RECIPE in the subject line and she’ll send it to you. The way she makes it, it’s fabulous, I promise you.

Just a quickie -- I'm blogging at eHarlequin this month on writing romantic comedy, as well as digging in to meet my mid-May deadline. But, in the meantime, here's an interview at Once Upon A Romance

THE SECRETS OF WRITING ROMCOM, POSSIBLY...

Just a quick note to let you know that I'm blogging over at eHarlequin this month on the secrets of writing romcom, although any and all kinds of secrets are grist to the mill. But we'll start with Lady Gabriella and see where it takes us.