THE SECRET LIFE OF LADY GABRIELLA

A protest from Ellie March....

Well there it is. There’s no hiding it now. Everyone will know exactly what I did, but honestly, Liz, that title is just so unfair!

Go on, just read the book and tell me – no, tell her – just how unfair it is!

That title will make everyone believe that I did it deliberately. That I set out to live a double life when it was all just a great big ... accident.

No, really!

If it hadn’t been for the howls of mirth at my Writers’ Circle at the very idea of me writing a column for Milady magazine it would never have happened. Okay. If it hadn’t been for that particularly pitying look from Diana Sutton, the Hon Sec, it would never have happened. I was getting really tired of being pitied.

All right. I admit that I should have stopped when I had that letter from the editor inviting me to go and see her. I’d proved my point. But, honestly, when would I ever get another chance like that? And who knew that I was exactly what Milady were looking for? Well, not me, obviously. They don’t take on cleaners as columnists at Milady magazine. That’s why I called it “Lady Gabriella’s Diary”. Ladies-who-lunch weren’t likely to be interested in anything written by plain old Ellie March, cleaner, waitress, house-sitter now, were they?

I still can’t believe I got away with it. That I have a contract...

But now, of course, I can’t tell anyone in case that scary editor finds out I’m a complete fraud. Not even my Mum, who’d tell her best friend, which would be like taking out an ad in the Courier. So Diana Sutton is still giving me pitying looks. And my Dad still gives me the regular lecture about going back to teaching so that I’ll get a pension.

A pension!

Life is too short, too fragile to waste on being careful; planning for a future that may never happen. You have to grab your chances when they come and always, always take the balloon ride...

MORE PURE PASSION from the north-west library service. Check out the links in the sidebar for more information.

STARDUST by Neil Gaiman



This is a delightful fantasy which takes you back to childhood fairy stories and transports you into other worldliness.

Read it in the belief that fallen stars can be found and dreams can come true, thought there might be unexpected twists in the tale.


MOUNTING DESIRE by Nina Killham

As one of the nation’s favourite romantic novelists, Jack Carter knows romance only too well. But what he really wants now, after his traumatic divorce, is romance in his personal life.

Little Black Dress publish stylish, short romantic fiction written with the modern girl in mind.


A STEP IN THE DARK by Judith Lennox

A family drama set in India and Scotland, from 1915 to the 1960s. Young Bess Ravenhart, recently widowed, leaves her baby son Frazer with her mother-in-law, Cora, while she sails from India to Britain to set up home.

An emotional drama for those who love to get involved with family histories.



HOME TRUTHS by Freya North

The McCake sisters assumed their mid-thirties would be a time of happiness and stability. But at Uncle Django’s 75th birthday party, secrets are revealed that will change how the three sisters view their family forever.

LIZ HAS LEFT THE BUILDING...

Not permanently!

Liz is working hard on her next book with deadlines looming and she's asked me to drop in and remind you that there are only a few days left to go to enter her Boardroom Bridegrooms competition.

Who am I?

Sorry, I should have introduced myself. I'm Jordan Farraday and I got picked for the assignment because Liz loved the artwork on the book she wrote about how this sorry individual got his comeuppance for planning to take revenge out of the hide of ... Ouch! Make that the soft, glowing skin of the lovely India Claibourne.

Okay, okay... I'll get on with it. Good grief, India is a bossy woman. But then she is the boss. And I'm not complaining...

Just to remind you of the competition. The questions are:

(a) Which book in the Boardroom Bridegroom trilogy was nominated for a Rita?
(b) Name the hero and heroine of that book.

Email your answer, with Boardroom Bridegrooms Competition in the subject line by 31 March -- there's a link on the website if you don't know the addy.

The prize is a signed copy of Liz's May release, THE SECRET LIFE OF LADY GABRIELLA (and one of Lady G's fluffy yellow dusters), a full month before its release.

Why isn't she giving away a copy of our books? Good question. I asked. She didn't even have a copy herself last month (disappeared in the post apparently). Now she has. Next month she'll give away one of those, so stay tuned.

MORE PURE PASSION

Here are the next three books in the north-west libraries exciting Pure Passion initiative. The librarians, all enthusiastic supporters of romance fiction, have put together a selection of books that cover just about every kind of relationship novel; not just the historical, chick-lit, shorter genre romance that you’d expect to find, but fantasy, gay romance as well as introducing the exciting new genre of African-American romance. Here are three more to tempt you.

UNDEAD & UNWED by Mary Janice Davidson

Betsy Taylor wakes in a coffin dressed in an ugly pink suit and her wicked stepmother’s throw away shoes.

This funny and inventive book manages to pay homage to both Chick Lit and vampire novels in one fell swoop.



GOING DUTCH by Kate Fforde

Jo and Dora may not know much about boats but they are determined to make the best of things. Follow their story in this 13th novel from one of the UK’s most popular and successful romantic writers, in which boats feature strongly.



MY LOVER, MY FRIEND by Shirley Hailstock


Dr Rosamund Albright could never stand by and watch someone in pain without helping. Evan Harper had been her best friend and now the man was hurting.

Kimani Romance books are sexy, entertaining love stories that keep it real with true-to-life African-American characters who turn up the heat and sizzle with passion.

PURE PASSION!

Here are three of the books that are part of the Pure Passion librarypromotion in the north-west of England. There are more to come!

EMOTIONAL GEOLOGY by Linda Gillard


Set on the beautiful island of North Uist. The stories of artist Rose and Calum the poet are woven against a backcloth drawn from
mountains, poetry, colour and fabric.

From the Transita series of love stories for mature contemporary women.







THE SCARLET LION by Elizabeth Chadwick


To open the pages of any Elizabeth Chadwick novel is to step instantly into the living, breathing medieval world.

A sumptuous, accurately rendered, feast of a book that you wish could go on forever.



SOMEDAY, SOMEWHERE by Eileen Ramsay




A story of love, passion and betrayal spanning two generations. Holly Noble believed she was the most important person in hr Aunt Tony’s life: summers spent as a child with the reclusive painter are some of her most precious memories.

What she finds in her Aunt’s attic changes her life forever.

BEAUTY


I was sorting through my daughter’s bookshelves a few weeks ago, putting together her school and university text books to find a new home for them, when I came across a copy of Beauty by Susan Wilson.

My daughter had clearly bought it in a charity shop to read on the train and had left it behind after one of her visits.

The cover, a yellow rose on a red background, did not inspire. And although it was published in 1996, I had never heard of the book or the author, but the “A Modern Day Beauty & the Beast” strap line caught my eye and I put it to one side and, finally picked it up and started to read it.

Some books draw you in from the first line and this is one of those books. The lovely artist, Alix Miller, receives a commission to paint the portrait of Lee Crompton, a member of a wealthy New England family. It is a tradition that has gone back through generations; his family have always commissioned her family to paint their portraits. This, however, is a portrait that will never be seen. The sitter suffers from a genetic disfiguring illness and lives as a recluse.

“I tripped over a buried root and pitched headlong down the steep slope. Stunned, I lay painting and didn’t hear anyone approach until a gloved hand reached down to me... I took the proffered hand and was pulled to my feet to look into the most grotesque face I had ever seen...”

As Alix begins work, however, she finds herself seeing beneath her subject’s face and the friendship develops, almost imperceptibly, into a magnetic sexual attraction.

Susan Wilson writes a tender and beguiling love story, bringing the Beauty and the Beast story credibly to life -- although it's the Beast who has to find his own internal beauty in this story since there is no possibility of transformation -- and her writing is wonderful.

A word of warning. If you’re lucky enough to find a copy, keep the tissues handy.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!


Primroses and violets were the traditional gift, along with a simnel cake, from girls in "service" who were allowed home to visit their mother's on the fourth Sunday in Lent -- known as Mothering Sunday; the day in the UK that we still celebrate as Mother's Day.

These primroses are flowering now in my garden and I'm posting them here with my love.

Have a lovely day!

PURE FICTION

Libraries in the North West of England are promoting romantic fiction.

How great is that?

In partnership with the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and sponsored by Bertrams, their PURE PASSION initiative, aims to bring to the attention of readers in the North West of England “some of the best contemporary Romantic Fiction available to borrow from your public library”.


Authors being promoted include Elizabeth Chadwick, Neil Gaiman, Linda Gillard, Shirley Hailstock, Kate Harrison, Erica James, Annie Proulx, Eileen Ramsay and, um, Liz Fielding. I’ll be visiting the north-west later this year for an author event – don’t worry, I’ll give you all plenty of notice -- but meantime for anyone close enough to take part, I’m flagging up the Wigan Words Festival on Monday 16th April. If you’re within striking distance, please give it your support.

For details of this initative or, if you’d like to recommend your own favourite romantic read to others, follow the link to Pure Passion on Time to Read

I'll be featuring all the books on the list in my blog over the next week or two.

And now for my "Library Champion" soapbox bit:

Books in libraries are a shrinking resource. If the demand isn’t there, the service with wither and die, so --

USE YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY!

TELL YOUR LIBRARIAN ABOUT BOOKS YOU’VE LOVED SO THAT THEY CAN PASS ON THE WORD!

IF YOU DON’T SEE YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR’S BOOKS ON THE STACKS, ASK YOUR LIBRARIAN TO FIND YOU A COPY!

FIFTY BOOKS!

Finally, at last, after what seems like a marathon, Sheikh Zahir has a story. It’s taken the best part of six months to get there and, in Diana Metcalfe, he met a totally unsuitable bride. But sometimes that’s the only one that will do.

I was filling in my log – the one in which I write titles, first publication date, character names when I realised that I’d reached an incredible milestone.

THE SHEIKH’S UNSUITABLE BRIDE is my fiftieth book.

Not my fiftieth book for Mills & Boon; I still have to reach that milestone, but fifty books in total.

Wow.

I feel I have to do something special to mark the occasion. To thank all those readers who’ve bought the books, or borrowed them from libraries (you’ll find me on the I Love Libraries website). Who read them and wrote to tell me that you loved them.

The book will be published early in 2008, so I have a little while to think about it, but I’ll definitely be doing something BIG, so stick around!

In the meantime here’s my MARCH COMPETITION...

This month M&B are republishing my BOARDROOM BRIDEGROOMS trilogy in the UK (it’s available at Amazon.ca for those of you in North America).

One of the books in that trilogy was shortlisted for a Rita.

THE QUESTIONS:

Which book?
What are the names of the hero and heroine of that book?

(Hint – you’ll find the answers on my blog!)

Email the answers to me with “Boardroom Bridegrooms Competition” in the subject line and your name will go into the draw on 31 March (if you don’t know the address, there’s a link on my website).

THE PRIZE:

A signed copy of THE SECRET LIFE OF LADY GABRIELLA, (May 2007) a full month before it’s available retail, together with one of Lady G’s fluffy yellow dusters.

Oh, and if you’d like me to email you the first chapter of Lady Gabriella, just put “First Chapter” under your answer.

BOARDROOM BRIDEGROOMS

Power struggles and romantic tussles ...

Three Farraday cousins meet their match when they take on the Claibourne sisters in a boardroom battle for control of London’s most prestigious department store.

Back in 2002 I’d just won a RITA for The Best Man & the Bridesmaid and I was looking for new ways to stretch myself. The obvious choice seemed to be a trilogy and with my editor onside, I set to work. The big difference about a trilogy is that you need an ongoing plot/problem that will run the course of three books, while at the same time writing a story that is whole in itself. Not as simple as you might think. All the most obvious devices -- the “crucible” -- to keep the characters locked together seemed to have been tackled and I needed something new.

I finally came up with the idea of using a classy, upmarket London department store as the backdrop – believe me, the research was fabulous! – and set to work. And I do mean work. The schedule is a killer as the books have to be published in consecutive months – and my editor tossed in a novella half way through book one, just to keep me on my toes.

So, Creighton & Farraday rose from the pavements of Knightsbridge. It had a touch of Fortnum & Mason, for the history – and the history was important; the look of Liberty’s for the Art Deco glamour; and for the sheer size of the place I spent an awful lot of time in Harrods. (Did you know that Harrods employ 3000 people?)

Then for the characters. Three half-sisters – same father, different mothers gave me the chance to vary colouring and character – for my heroines Three male cousins for the dynamic tycoons hell bent on displacing them in the boardroom. I had thought to use brothers, but realised that having three sets of characters with the same surnames would confuse me, let alone the reader!

Then I set the Creightons, Romana, Flora and India, and the Farradays, Niall McCaulay, Bram Gifford and Jordan Farraday, in a battle for control of the store. The story that would run through the entire trilogy. And to keep them together, I had India, in a time-delaying tactic, throw down a challenge to the men. Come and see how good we are at this, shadow us for a month, see if you could do better, nwittingly playing right into Jordan Farraday’s hands.

I was half way through the second book when my editor emailed me to say that I couldn’t use the name “Creighton” as there was, apparently, already a family series with that name. You cannot believe how difficult it was to find another name, something that fit in with all the other names. It took me a week, but oddly, the minute I’d finished all the global search and replace stuff, I liked it better.

Then there was the dawning realisation that three books set in a department store might just be, well, a bit samey.

Romana, the PR princess, rose to the challenge and in THE CORPORATE BRIDEGROOM leads banker, Niall McCauley, a merry dance as organiser of a week long charity event. They get off to a very bad start, but he quickly learns that writing her off as a “dumb blonde” is not a smart move, especially when she’s running a charity auction. Beneath that cute haircut the brain is razor sharp, Beneath those lovely curves beats a heart warm enough to defrost his grief-stricken body and bring it back to life. But it’s not all one-way. Romana has her own pain to work through and with Niall’s help she finds an unexpected truth. A future she never expected.

Jewellery designer and academic, Flora Claibourne is less than enthusiastic about getting involved in this power play and in THE MARRIAGE MERGER she attempts to avoid a month in the company of international corporate lawyer, Bram Gifford, by accepting an invitation to explore the newly discovered treasures on the tropical island of Saraminda. It’s out of the frying pan and into the fire for Flora as Bram outflanks her escape bid and she finds herself sharing a beach-front cottage with this playboy. Her least favourite kind of man. Not that prickly blue-stockings come high on the list of women with whom he’d most like to share a tropical paradise. But there’s a mystery and since Flora seems hell-bent on getting herself into trouble, Bram has no option but stay very close.

While to her sisters, Claibourne & Farraday is important, for India Claibourne, this elegant department store is her life and she’ll do anything it takes to defeat THE TYCOON’S TAKEOVER plans. She’s certain that arrogant venture capitalist, Jordan Farraday just wants to sell the store to the first big chain that makes him offer, and she’s right. That, she discovers, too late, is the least of her worries. Jordan is looking to settle old scores. To redress a terrible wrong. He doesn’t just want her department store, he wants India Claibourne. At his feet. On her knees.

For excerpts click here.

To buy online at Mills & Boon click here.

To buy online at Amazon click here.

Reviews in template

Here’s what ROMANTIC TIMES had to say about these books:

THE CORPORATE BRIDEGROOM (4.5) is a page-turning, feel-good read sure to put a smile on your face all day.

THE MARRIAGE MERGER (4) will keep you on the edge of your seat with an adventurous story about two characters who can really strike up a spark.

Everything about THE TYCOON’S TAKEOVER (4) was simply wonderful, from the intensity of the way that the characters react to each other to the fabulous story that won't let you put the book down.

And All About Romance, not noted for their love of my books said –

…her character is well-drawn for the short space of the book. What I found particularly intriguing about her was the way her corporate attitude clashed with Jordan's. They both had different ways of looking at business practices and ethics, and both were in keeping with their past jobs and experience. Her love for her business and her desire to hold onto it was very believable, and author Fielding sneaks in some fun details about the store into the book.

THE TYCOON’S TAKEOVER was also nominated for a RITA®

SO WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

I have a counter on this website -- just to make sure that someone is listening! -- and every once in a while I go and check out my stats. It tells me where visitors have come from and it will even tell me what they’re looking for. So just for those of you who have been searching for stuff that I know you couldn’t have found:


For the visitor from Germany who wanted an excerpt of The Bridesmaid’s Reward, email me and I’ll email Chapter One to you. The same offer applies to anyone who's interested; I’m a firm believer in the “try before you buy” theory.

For the visitor from North Carolina who was looking for Romance Tips for Husbands (I guess that would be a man?), my tip is go out and buy a pile of Harlequin Romances – you’ll learn a lot about what men do that makes a woman happy.

For the visitors looking for online reads – that’s a popular one! – there’s a link to The Cinderella Valentine, my latest, on the sidebar of my blog. Enjoy.

For the visitor from Minnesota looking for writing tips, you’ll find some here, on my website.

For the visitor from Cheshire who wanted to know more about the Bella Brides series, she’ll find everything she wants to know here, at the The Brides of Bella Lucia blog here.

And for all of you who wanted an update on the Women’s Weekly/Mills & Boon story competition – I believe that the winners will be announced next month. As soon as I know for sure, I’ll post it here.

I'VE GONE DUTCH!

The Marriage Miracle has reached The Netherlands! To buy this edition of the book that won a RITA, and has now been nominated for a Romantic Times
Reviewers' Choice Award, all you have to do is click here







Or if you speak Spanish and being swept away to a world of luxury in a lost garden by a Sheikh is your thing, then click here for The Sheikh's Guarded Heart!

CATAROMANCE REVIEWERS CHOICE NOMINATIONS


The Cataromance Reviewers Choice
nominations are in and I'm pretty
much over the moon that
The Sheikh's Guarded Heart
is on the list!

For a complete list of nominations, including Ally Blake, Trish Wiley, Kate Walker, Fiona Harper, Kate Hardy (four times!), Lucy Monroe and Judy Christenberry click here

THE GRAND-DOGS


I promised you more pictures of the dogs and here they are. Following on from Flynn’s starring role as the centre-fold pin-up in an animals lover’s magazine, Bob – the sorry six-month old rescue pup has been picked as a model for a dog food advertisement – what a poser!
















Kees – the old guy -- has had his own column in a magazine since he was a pup and is so not impressed.



Milo, as you can see, would much rather just be having fun and chilling out with the guys (that's Flynn providing him with a pillow), but I have a feeling his time will come!

A ST VALENTINE DAY'S TALE...

This is my famous -- make that infamous -- first date with the dh. Obviously I haven't spoiled a good story by telling the truth, but I didn't make it all up, either!


Liz was late. She very nearly hadn’t come at all. Despite the fact that the annual Cinema Club Ball was the social highlight of the year, a blind-date was always a risk. But the manner of the invitation had been intriguing; a double ticket to the Ball, torn in half, and one half delivered to her by messenger suggested a man with imagination, passion.

A man of mystery.

And she was a sucker for a mystery.

She glanced again at the torn card she was holding, the part that said, “The St Valentine’s...”

Someone had written “9 pm” in bold script across the corner. You could tell a lot about a man from his handwriting. This said ... strong, purposeful, determined.

But who was he?

She’d spent all week trying to figure out who could possibly have sent it. Who had the other half? The piece that said, “...Day Massacre Ball”?

She paused in the entrance to the Ballroom. The only lighting came from the strobe effect of the film projected against the walls, giving momentary glimpses of faces, features flattened out by monotone images making them hard to recognise. And the clothes didn’t help.

Everyone had taken the 1920s Chicago theme to heart. The girls were shimmying to the Charleston in their beaded flapper dresses, the men were anonymous, almost unrecognisable in gangster-era suits, their faces shaded by wide-brimmed hats.

Touching the band around her own forehead a little self-consciously, she peered into the flickering darkness.

She still had time to cut and run, but even as she took an uncertain step back, a man’s arm reached out of the darkness, placing the matching piece of the ticket against the one she was holding. The hand that had written “9 pm”, matched the script. Strong...

‘I knew you’d come, doll,’ a voice, pure Humphrey Bogart, drawled out of the gloom, breaking into the thought and she looked up.

For a moment she didn’t recognise the figure in the pinstriped suit, fedora pulled down at a rakish angle. Then the light caught his face. It was vaguely familiar. She’d noticed him at a recent club meeting. John something....

Despite the pitch-perfect Bogie impression and darkly, handsome looks, her date didn’t quite match the actor’s dangerous aura. But then who could? And heck, it could have been a whole lot worse.

He could have been Edward G Robinson.

HAPPY ST VALENTINE'S DAY!

THE FRACTURED FAMILY


I'm chatting all this week on the eHarlequin Message Board on the subject of The Fractured Family and it's place in fiction -- especially in reference to the Bella Brides series. If you've got a story, got an opinion, or just want to hang out, click here. I'll be thrilled to talk!

THERE GO THE GROOMS...

Liz has loaned me her blog so that I can personally announce the winners of the There Go The Grooms... prize draw.

Theo's winner (Anne's blog) is Jennifer Yates
Domenico's Winner (Kate's blog) is Mona Mohamed Ahmed Hassan
and my winner (Liz' blog) is Debra Guyette

The books are in the post.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to seek out the answers. You are all stars!

I'm off to find the lovely Louise now, so I'll hand you back to Liz.

Thanks, Max. And thank you, all of you, who've taken part in both the Brides and Grooms contests.

Come back on Wednesday and I'll tell you a little tale about my first date with the dh!

I'M ELECTRONIC!

Online browsing can be an interesting experience. This morning I discovered that I'm available in eBook format. Or at least THE VALENTINE BRIDE is available. On it's own, or in a Brides and Babies Bundle with the fabulous Raye Morgan and Lucy Gordon.

And my online story (online no more) is now
available as a .99c download to your phone.
At least I think that's what it is.
(I'm an electronic dummy!)

I feel all ... smiley.

Add to that the fact that I'm talking about The Valentine Bride and the joys and pitfalls of writing a continuity series at The Pink Heart Society Blogspot today and, well, I'm bouncing just like the little pink heart himself!

ONLINE AT eHARLEQUIN IN AUSTRALIA



The Valentine Bride is now available online herein Australia and New Zealand.

And I've had to add in the Amazon link to the sidebar because it's SOLD OUT at eHarleuqin in the US, unless you want the LP edition!

If you want to know why, well you may link to check out my website for an excerpt and the scad of fine reviews it's garnered! (I'll ignore the one at All About Romance -- they haven't like one of my books yet; maybe if I promise to stop sending them review copies, they'll promise to stop reading them!)

Oh, and I just heard...

THE MARRIAGE MIRACLE

Had been nominated by Romantic Times for a Reviewer's Choice Award! Check out the RT review here

HERE COME THE BRIDES!

First thank you to so many readers for taking the time to answer the questions and enter our HERE COME THE BRIDES contest.

Clearly there are a lot of you out there who know a good thing when they see it and you entered in droves. There can, however, be only three winners and
they are --


Drawn on my website -- Crystal Broyles
Drawn on Anne's website -- Laurie Bertram
and
Drawn on Kate's website -- Stanislava Ivanova

Congratulations to all of you. The books will be reaching you in the next week or so.

But the game isn't over yet. There is still the diabolical quiz devised by the GROOMS and you have until 10th February to seek out the answer and win nine books (yes that's nine books each!) And, as with the BRIDES, you get three chances to win -- one on each of the blogs: mine, (Anne’s), and (Kate's).

There are nine questions – three from each Groom. That’s just one for each book you can win, which seems reasonable to me. Some of them have two parts, so make sure you’ve got all the answers before you send them in. For nine books you’re going to have to work harder! The answers can all be found on the blogs– or by using the sidebar links.


When you’ve got all the answers, email them to us on our websites (there’s a sidebar link to mine on the blog) or, in the case of Anne's you can just click on the "Contact Anne" tab on her blog and then send the email from there. Don’t forget to put GROOMS CONTEST in the subject.

So, go for it. You have three chances to WIN a pile of great books. From me you'll get a collection of “Groom” books: A Suitable Groom (it wasn’t issued retail in the States and these are my last copies); Her Wish-List Bridegroom (which was shortlisted for an RT Reviewers Choice award) and, Her Corporate Bridegroom.

Anne has chipped in with a three-in-one book containing three complete novels: The Cowboy's Code, containing Cowboys Don't Quit, Cowboys Don't Stay and The Cowboy and the Kid (Romantic Times's Best Series Novel of the Year) PLUS a copy of Theo Savakis's book by the author whose name you have to figure out.

From Kate each winner will get her best-selling Alcolar Family trilogy: The Twelve-Month Mistress, The Spaniard's Inconvenient Wife and Bound by Blackmail.

Here are the Groom's questions: --


FROM THEO:


1) Which book, also being published in February has a hero called Theo Savakis (who is NOT ME because he is going to marry Miranda Weston and I am going to marry MARTHA!) and who is the author of that book?

2) My (Theo's) sister was the heroine of an earlier McAllister book. What's the name of the book -- and the full name of my sister?

3) McAllister says there is "another hero" in The Santorini Bride (which isn't true, by the way). What breed of dog is Ted?


DOMENICO’S QUESTIONS:

1 Where did Kate celebrate a book launch party this month and which famous novelist did she meet there?

2. What award did Kate's February release - The Italian's Forced Bride win?

3. If the winner of The Brides Contest has already read The Italian's Forced Bride, Kate will give away a copy of her March M&B Modern release which also had Bride in the title. What is the name of this book – and what is the name of it’s hero?


AND MAX'S QUESTIONS:


1) St Valentine’s Day is a worldwide phenomenon, but Liz lives in Wales and they have their own special day for lovers in January. What’s the date? And what is the name of the saint involved?

2) The Valentine Bride (the book that Louise and I share), is the last one in a mini series. What was the series called? Name another author who wrote a book in that series (you've got seven to choose from!)

3) Liz wrote a special online story The Cinderella Valentine to set up this series. What are the full names of the two characters who met and fell in love in my Chelsea restaurant?

That's it. Go to it!