OH LA LA!

I've come over all French.

Or is it that the French have come over all Liz Fielding, this summer?

There are three specials on sale in France this summer, starting with Le bebe du boss (please forgive the lack of accents I can't work out how to do those on Blogger) an anthology of novellas including A Perfect Proposal.

This is the one where a plain Jane secretary proposes to her gorgeous boss and he says yes. Unfortunately a perfect secretary does not necessarily make the perfect wife. Or does she?

Then comesPassion au soleil, another anthology with a reprint of my first ever book, An Image of You -- or as they say in France, Idylle in Kenya -- where a women's lib heroine finds herself working hand in glove with photographer Karel Lukas on a sexy calendar shoot in Kenya. They have history. She's hoping he doesn't remember.

And finally, Coupe de foudre au bureau, in an Azur reprint of three novellas written especially for Strictly Business with Penny Jordan and Hannah Barnard, which includes The Temp & the Tycoon. Workaholic boss and a secretary who can never ignore anyone in trouble take a trip to New York where she makes it her mission to reawaken the wonder in his soul.

Both A Perfect Proposal and The Temp & the Tycoon, were issued as a Mills & Boon 100th Anniversary editions last year.

The Temp & the Tycoon is still available in the UK in print and eBook formats

A NEW "ROMANCE" AUTHOR

It's a very special day for the Nina Harrington, the newest "Romance" author in the world.

Her first book, Always a Bridesmaid, has been published today. Go to her blog and congratulate her.

Better still, click on the link and read an excerpt. I know that once you've done that you'll want to rush out and buy the book! Or if you can't wait, you can download it, as I did!

AND A NEW BLOG

Can I draw everyone's attention to a new blog link on my side bar for the Romantic Novelists' Associaton?

This new blog will give details of new books published by RNA members each month, craft articles, updates on the conference and pretty much anything else of interest to the romancer reader and writer.

There's also a Twitter link on the blog so if you're tweeting, do "follow". Members will be tweeting from the conference at #RNA09

MY CLUSTR MAP

Writing is a lonely business. I sit here in the Welsh countryside with only the occasional cow passing the office window while I pound away at the keyboard and, once in a while getting out to have lunch with the far flung authors in the Romantic Novelists' Association Carmarthen group. We did that yesterday. A glorious sunny day, delicious crab salad and great conversation.

Mostly, though, it just me and the clustr map to let me know where my blog visitors are coming from. To remind me that the books don't just disappear into cyber space, but are out there, being read by people all over the world.

All those red dots are a comfort but I've just had an email warning me it's time to archive my red dots and start over with a clean sheet so I took time out to look at where you all are.

Chile? I'm not sure I've had visitors from Chile before -- I'm rather excited by the fact that I seem to be making more of an impression in South America generally. I suspect you all prefer the rather hotter romances, but I have another sheikh on the way for you. And a hot kitchen scene that I'm hoping Phillipa Ashley will add to her "whew" scene in Her Wish List Bridegrrom.

But back to the dots. I notice that there's one on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe right by the Victoria Falls. Ah, memories, memories.

The dh took me there for our first date -- a very long time ago. We flew from Lusaka to Livingstone for the day, looked at the Falls and I stood right where that photograph was taken on the Zambian side of the border. I had long, very dark hair and was thin. :)

We took a trip on the Zambezi, drove through the local game park and checked out a tribal village.

I've had lots of new visitors from India and Pakistan this year following the opening of Mills & Boon's local office on the sub continent -- and more from South East Asia, too, maybe as a result of that.

There are a couple of dots in Israel which may indicate that I've finally had a translation there; it was a sudden rash of dots in Germany that gave me the heads up that I was getting a load of reprints there early this year, as well as a couple of new translations.

And I'm really curious to know who is out there in Kyrgyzstan, Albania and Nepal reading my blog.

NEW COVERS

The new Mills & Boon "Romance" covers have now been revealed on Amazon here in the UK.

From August the books will be sold as 2-in-1s in the UK -- still the same four books only cheaper for the reader £4.99 for each volume instead of £6.38 for two single titles. I know it's not going to suit everyone, but it is a terrific bargain.

You can pre-order them now on Amazon, or buy online direct at Mills & Boon in July when they'll also be available to download as eBooks. There will also be two more single titles available at £3.19 each.

Normally changes come in baby steps so that the readers don't lose sight of a series. This new look is a giant leap.

So what do you think? Are the new covers an improvement? Modern and fresh? Or, like me, are you wondering why the Mills & Boon logo is larger than either the titles or the authors' names?

Do you buy the brand or the author? Or do you have your own ideas of an ideal cover for a romance? Which romance cover made you reach out and grab it?

Do share.

Mills & Boon teamed up with Woman's Weekly in July last year to launch a short story competition. They had some fantastic submissions and the winning story was Letting Go by Karen Martyn who receives a laptop worth £800, a consultation with a Mills & Boon editor and a year's subscription to the Mills & Boon "Romance" series.

"I am still reeling from the news of my win and did not truly believe it until the letter arrived! Thank you so much, Woman's Weekly, for giving me this opportunity to pursue my writing career. I fully intend to make the most of it."

Congratulations also go to three runners-up who all won a year's subscription to the Mills & Boon "Romance" series.

'Change of Plan', by Mrs C Jacobsen from Macclesfield
'Back For Good', by Mrs R Harris from Barnstaple, Devon
'The Love of Her Life', by Miss E Kerr from East Keswick, West Yorkshire

To read all these stories, click here

AND NOW FOR THIS YEAR'S COMPETITION!



Have you always dreamed of writing for Mills & Boon Modern? Do you feel you have a passionate story to tell, with characters that leap off the page, and emotional conflicts, drama and excitement that will keep the reader turning the pages? Then we have the perfect competition for you!

This July bite the bullet and see if you've got what it takes! For all the competition details visit Mills & Boon competition page in July.

SUNSHINE , LOLLIPOPS…

I’ve had a lovely weekend with the first born and his fiancée visiting from mainland Europe. The sun shone and it was warm enough for lollipops (those big chocolate covered Magnum ice creams!), sightseeing and lolling about being lazy in the garden. Perfect.


One special trip was to one of the churches in the Living Churchyard Projects where wildlife and wild flowers are encouraged to do their thing by managing the environment so that all manner of insects and birds can thrive undisturbed.






AND READING

I finished THE TENTH CASE by Joseph Teller in a couldn’t-put-it-down-rush last week. This is the beginning of series of books featuring Jaywalker, a maverick, alcoholic lawyer who’s about to have his licence pulled. Not because he’d a bad lawyer, but because he’s pulled one too many stunts getting his clients acquitted. But first he has to clear up ten outstanding cases. He achieves nine acquittals. His tenth client is on trial for murder. And even he believes she’s guilty.

Jaywalker is a really engaging, involving character and I was with him every step of the way. It was obvious from early on that there was going to be twist in the tale, but what I really loved about this book, this writer, was that it wasn’t a flash, bang, punch you in the eye twist. It was quiet and subtle and because of that, utterly believable.

I’m really looking forward to Bronx Justice, which is coming next year.

FINALLY

Because I was tempted by Kate Hardy, I went to here and turned myself into a comic book heroine.

They didn’t do a short, tubby option but in the interests of probity, I avoided the glamorous butterfly wings and went for the “wise, old heroine’ look.

And I managed to resist the arsenal of super hero weapons and instead armed myself with a hazel twig, which seemed fitting since there is an old Welsh legend that involves the hero cutting a hazel twig from a hedge alongside the road that runs through our village.

AND FINALLY, FINALLY

You'll find a great post by Susan Meier based on her workshop-- "Can This Manuscript Be Saved" -- at Harlequin Romance Authors

Don't miss it!

Reading: An ARC of The Tenth Case by Joseph Teller; great so far. I know there's going to be a twist. I'm trying to work out what it's going to be.
Listening: Dolly Parton
Watching: Kingdom

GIVING AWAY BOOKS


I've been giving away a ton of my books this week. French, Greek, Spanish and a whole hussle of various language translations to a library.

The request for an Indonesian one was frustrating -- I have editions out there, my latest royalty statement showed some new ones, but I haven't had my copies. They may turn up. I've kept a note.

And that's not all. Every month I give away a book at The Romance Studio in their Book a Day giveaway. This month it was The Secret Life of Lady Gabriella which is on its way to Mildred this week.

Someone is giving away a book every day, there so do drop by and take part at Book a Day.

Next month I'll be giving away a copy of my first ever sheikh romance, HIS DESERT ROSE, so look out for that one.

And don't forget that I draw a name from my list of Newsletter subscribers each month and the lucky winner gets the book of her choice from my backlist.

And if you're already downloaded The Bride's Baby for free and wondered if there was a backstory for architect Mark Hilliard, the answer is yes. His story is The Perfect Proposal -- a marriage of convenience that doesn't turn out quite the way he expected. As his new bride puts it, far from peace and tranquility, he'd got Bob the dog, mud all over the kitchen. And no dinner.