May Kisses...

If you haven't picked up the May Harlequin Kiss releases, please do so!
They're fab!

Dangerous Flirtation

I'm thrilled to welcome Liz Fielding to my blog again.
Her books are fabulous!
And she's giving away Dangerous Flirtation FREE right now!
Liz, over to you...

Dangerous Flirtation is vintage Liz Fielding. One of my earlier books, I've given it a light brush up and a fabulous new cover and it's yours to download free from 28 December to 1 January.

Here's the blurb -

Rose has her life all mapped out. A job she loves, a thoughtful, reliable fiancé. Everything is just perfect until a stranger with laughing blue eyes and a roguish grin bursts into her life and turns her life upside down with a birthday kiss. Jack Drayton offers romance, excitement and passion – and he challenges her to accept. Dare she?

And an excerpt

Reluctantly she lowered her window. ‘Why are you still here?’ she demanded. ‘Didn’t Anthony pay you enough to move on?’ It was hateful, but she couldn’t help herself.

       ‘There isn’t enough money in the world for that, Rosie.’ He smiled, apparently relishing the memory. ‘I told him he’d better put it back in his piggy bank and save up until he can afford to buy you a ring.’

       She stifled a groan. Behind them someone hooted politely. Jack ignored the hint and leaned on the roof of the car, staring down at her. ‘Where’s he taking you for your birthday treat? A burger bar?’

       ‘A concert and then dinner at Michel’s,’ she said, a little smugly.

       He let out an ironic whistle. ‘Just as well I wouldn’t take his cash. Which concert? The Jay Livingstone Trio is playing at the jazz club, or perhaps that isn’t quite his cup of tea?’

       She stifled a groan. She had wanted to go. It wasn’t often these days that such a group could be tempted into Melchester, but Anthony loathed jazz and she hadn’t even dared suggest it. ‘It’s not my jazz club,’ she retorted, disappointment lending a sharpness to her voice. ‘If you must know, we’re going to the Guildhall, The Shostakovich Cello Concerto.’

       ‘Wouldn’t you rather come and listen to Jay?’ he asked.

       ‘You have tickets?’ she asked, surprised. They had not been cheap.

       ‘No need. Jay’s an old friend.’ He bent down beside her window, examining her face under the lamplight. ‘What do you say?’    

       Her heartbeat began to accelerate again. ‘I...’ She tore her eyes away from his. ‘No. Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous.’

       ‘I wasn’t being ridiculous, Rosie. You’d much rather come with me. Admit it.’

       ‘I’ll admit nothing of the kind.’ She put the car into gear and glared at him. Laughing, he stood up.

       ‘Better run along, then. You mustn’t be late. I’ll see you later, cheer your soul with a little blues.’ He glanced at the instrument case in his hand.

       She stared, horrified. ‘You wouldn’t?’ 

       His eyes gleamed wickedly in the subdued light. ‘I think you know that I would.’

       ‘Haven’t you caused enough trouble for one day?’ she demanded.

       His eyes teased her. ‘Rosie, my darling,’ he drawled. ‘I haven’t even begun.’ And with that he stepped back, leaving her free to drive away, but she couldn’t. Not before he told her why he was tormenting her.   

       ‘What do you want from me?’ she demanded.

       ‘Use your imagination,’ he said, roughly.

       She gasped then. She wasn’t going to use her imagination. It was a dangerous thing, the imagination. It conjured up strong hands and warm kisses to torment her.

      ‘What do you want?’ she demanded again. He didn’t elaborate, refusing to make it easy for her, but it was there in the raw challenge in his eyes and she felt as if a trap were closing around her.

     The knowledge that she had sprung it herself offered precious little comfort. She only knew that if she stayed another moment she would lose everything she wanted. Peace, contentment, security. Precious things. All Jack Drayton could offer was momentary passion, a transitory, crazy sort of excitement that would destroy her peace of mind and when it was over, leave nothing but the misery and humiliation her mother had suffered when her father had walked out on them both.

She was going to marry Anthony and she didn’t know what she was doing even talking to this man.

       The person behind had clearly had enough and an impatient horn galvanised her into action. She eased off the handbrake and stepped on the accelerator. The car shot forward and abruptly stalled. She grabbed at the ignition key, but the car wouldn’t start and the irritation from behind had suddenly become a chorus of people eager to get home. ‘Idiot!’ she said, furious with herself. Why on earth had she even spoken to the man? She was going to be late and Anthony hated to be kept waiting. There were tears pricking at her eyelids when the door opened beside her.

       He took one look at her face and swore volubly, then put an ice cold hand on hers, stopping the desperate churning of the engine. ‘Move over, Rosie. You’re in no fit state to drive,’ he said, very gently.

       ‘And whose fault is that?’ she demanded, angrily.

       ‘That’s open to debate. You didn’t have to stop.’ He threw the saxophone onto the back seat and waited and conscious of the queue of cars behind her, she moved over. He pushed the driving seat back as far as it would go and climbed behind the wheel. The car, infuriatingly, started at the first touch. Everything would start at his touch, she thought, hopelessly. Even her. Especially her.

Here are some links, but it's available in English at Amazon worldwide; download it with my warmest wishes and tell all your friends!

Amazon US 
Amazon UK 
Amazon Germany

Old Desires

Liz Fielding is one of my favourite authors and she has just released a new indie-book (a re-release of one of her fabulous Harlequin Romances.)

Over to you Liz...

Thanks so much for inviting me onto your blog, Nicola! I’m having a bit of a fan girl moment here. Having read Crazy Love, I can’t wait for more stories about the inhabitants of the town called Love!

Okay, I’ll keep this short; I know how busy you all are at this time of year – but I’m celebrating the twentieth anniversary of my first book – An Image of You - hitting the shelves. I’ve just re-released one of my early romances, OLD DESIRES, as an eBook. 

To whet your appetite, here’s a little taster:

‘Holly?’

His voice grated against her spine and she stopped and turned slowly back to face him.  He hadn’t moved.

‘Yes?’ she asked, from the safe distance of her porch.

‘There was something else.’

‘Can’t it wait?’ She fumbled desperately in her pocket for her keys.

‘I don’t believe it can.’ Her margin of safety proved illusory as in a stride he was beside her, his eyes smoky dark as he searched her face. It was a look that seemed to touch her, stroke her, burn her up until she thought she would cry out. After a moment, or it might have been an age in which she felt as if she was suspended at the top of a roller-coaster, waiting for that dizzy freefall plunge, he spoke. ‘I don’t believe it can wait another moment.’

She closed her eyes in an effort to blot out the desire in his eyes, not quite trusting it, but knowing that it was far too late for her to fight the echoing response he must all too clearly see in hers. Knowing that she was helpless to resist.

He took her face between his hands, tilting her face upwards cradling it in his long fingers until she could bear it no longer. ‘Please…’ The word, barely more than a sigh, escaped her lips, but whether she was begging for release or capture she scarcely knew. Until he kissed her and by then it was too late.

Old Desires is available from Amazon UK and Amazon US (and from all other Amazon sites if you’re an expat).

NEW RELEASE: Bombshell for the Boss

BOMBSHELL FOR THE BOSS is a special release anthology featuring 3 full length category romances. And you guessed it by the cover, all feature a pregnancy theme.

Liz Fielding's THE BRIDE'S BABY, Jackie Braun's BOARDROOM BABY SURPRISE and my EXECUTIVE MOTHER-TO-BE.

Kristen Lewis is the oldest heroine I've written (35) and married to her career. I loved seeing how she developed emotionally when handling a very unexpected pregnancy!

What was also fun about this book...it starts with a one night stand in Singapore. And yeah, it's a Harlequin Romance!
Was nice to push the boundaries a little.

If you're in the UK you can grab this book off shelves now or buy online for the bargain price of AU$10.69 with free postage worldwide (for 3 books!)

Bombshell for the Boss

I'm a fan girl of Liz Fielding so always have a huge squee when I see my name in an anthology next to hers!

I've been lucky enough to have been paired with her twice before and third times a charm, along with the fabulous Jackie Braun.

BOMBSHELL FOR THE BOSS, releasing this June, features my Harlequin Romance EXECUTIVE MOTHER-TO-BE (where a 35 year old TV exec married to her career falls pregnant to a brooding widower following a one night stand in Singapore.)

The pre-release price is fab at the Book Depository (free worldwide postage!)

AU$7.97 for 3 full length category romances, bargain!

Buy here

WEEKEND BOOK CLUB: Flirting with Italian

I'm a huge fan of Liz Fielding's heart-warming Harlequin Romances and have to say the title of this one intrigued. Snappy and sexy!
Much like this wonderful book.

Here's the blurb:

Bag: packed. Flight: booked. Soon I'll be in Rome and experiencing life in a foreign language! Watch this space.
Newly single Sarah Gratton is determined to enjoy her holiday—could a just-for-fun romance with dark-eyed Matteo di Serrone be the answer? This Italian count is ideal flirting material—if Sarah's brave enough to make a move! Well, she might not be—but luckily Matteo is!
Matteo decides to keep this mysterious woman close—no hardship at all, given their spine-tingling awareness of each other. It's like something out of a fairy tale—until Sarah realizes she's made the most rookie mistake of all: falling in love with her holiday fling.

 I adore Italy and reading this book made me want to jump on a plane and revisit!


This book is lush with flavours and aromas and poignancy.

The emotional connection between Sarah and Matteo is natural yet sizzling, a riveting combination.

Liz Fielding has penned a beautiful romance, rich and evocative and sigh-worthy.

What are you reading this weekend?

WEEKEND BOOK CLUB: Liz Fielding's Little Book of Romance Writing

Welcome Liz Fielding to give us a brief insight into her brand new writing reference book, LIZ FIELDING'S LITTLE BOOK OF WRITING ROMANCE.

Begin your story at a moment of crisis, a point in time when your character’s life is about to change for ever.



— Mollie Blake’s Writing Workshop Notes from Secret Wedding by Liz Fielding

Mollie Blake is a woman who knows what’s she’s talking about. Well, obviously, I created her back in 2000 for my novella, The Secret Wedding.

How I wish I’d had someone like her around when I was starting out on my writing career. Someone to take me by the hand and ease me through the process of getting the story in my head onto paper. Explain about conflict, the importance of emotion, creating characters that the reader will care about. Alas, twenty years ago there were few “how-to” books to turn to in the UK, the internet had not been invented and I’d never heard the words “critique partner”. I didn’t actually know anyone else who was writing. I was on my own.

I learned by doing, by writing, being rejected, reading the writers I wanted to emulate. It was a long, slow and very steep learning curve but the one thing you need if you want to be a writer is single-minded determination. My fourth submission, An Image of You, was published in 1992 and, since then, I’ve had a wonderful career with more than sixty books in print.

My Little Book of Writing Romance is a straightforward writing romance primer. It’s the book I wish I’d had when I was fumbling through my first attempts at writing fiction and I launched into the world this week as a hand in the dark to new writers struggling with the stuff it took me years to learn. And when you make it into print, email me to share the joy.


Liz Fielding’s Little Book of Writing Romance is available from


PS – Molly Blake’s story, The Secret Wedding, is available as a free online read or you can download it for .99c from Amazon.

This is the kind of book I wish had been around when I first started writing ten years ago and was totally clueless!

As I turned the pages I found myself nodding often, as Liz provides excellent tips and examples for:
-dialogue
-deep emotion
-POV
-conflict
-grabbing the reader on the first page
-creating a four-dimensional world
-a satisfying ending.

This is a great writing resource, highly recommend.

Buy at Amazon US & Amazon UK

I have Liz's latest FLIRTING WITH ITALIAN lined up to read next on my TBR pile.
What are you reading this week?

An Ordinary Girl & a Sheikh

Release day for AN ORDINARY GIRL AND A SHEIKH, a reprint of my sole sheikh, THE DESERT PRINCE'S PROPOSAL.

The fact I'm in an anthology with Liz Fielding and Barbara McMahon?  Cue fangirl moment!

You can grab this By Request anthology here.

WEEKEND BOOK CLUB: Wild Justice

I've been snowed under with revisions so for the first time in a long time, haven't read a book to review this week.

Instead, I'm thrilled to discuss Liz Fielding's WILD JUSTICE.

Liz Fielding is a fellow Harlequin Riva/Romance author who writes fabulous books.
Her RITA winning Marriage Miracle is my all time fave of hers (wheelchair bound heroine.)

Along with her award winning Harlequin Romances, Liz has self published a trilogy of contemporary romances (check out the cover!!)

Here's the blurb:

Felicity Beaumont, a very private young woman who, having fallen at the first hurdle in her film career has devoted herself to the commercial radio station that is her life. When her sponsor goes bankrupt overnight, leaving her with a huge financial hole in her budget, she turns to the new man on the scene, Luke Devlin, hoping he will pick up sponsorship deal. His offer to bail her out has strings attached and her instincts tell her not to trust him. Worse, with enough electricity to light the national grid sparking between them, she does not trust herself.

WILD JUSTICE is the first book in the Beaumont Brides trilogy and is available to download free from Amazon UK, Nook and Smashwords.

That's right, FREE! Go grab it now!

WILD LADY and WILD FIRE are available for $2.99 everywhere.

What are you reading this weekend?

20 year anniversary blog party!

The lovely, talented Liz Fielding is celebrating 20 years in this business and I'm thrilled to be a part of her celebrations.

Later today, the fab Anna Campbell, Jessica Hart and moi are partying with Liz here.

And I'm giving away a signed copy of my current release, GIRL IN A VINTAGE DRESS.

So put on your best frock, grab the champers and come party!

(if you don't win my current release with Liz, you can still do so by entering my 7 book giveaway, running until the end of this week!)

Stranded with your fantasy

Today, I'm guest blogging with fellow Riva author Liz Fielding and giving away a copy of DESERTED ISLAND, DREAMY EX.

To be in the running, head on over and leave a comment, revealing who you'd like to be stranded on a deserted island with (and no, NOT your other half, this is fantasy land, remember?)

Armchair travels

This month in the UK, I'm thrilled to be partnered with Liz Fielding in our Harlequin Romance duo.

Liz's story, A WEDDING AT LEOPARD TREE LODGE, is fabulous!

Part of the HR 'Escape Around the World' miniseries, Gideon and Josie meet in Botswana, while Josie is overseeing the celebrity wedding of the year.

The sparks flying between these two delightful characters kept me rapidly turning pages, and left me wanting to know more about them at the end (a sure sign of a great book!)

As for Gideon...he is truly droolworthy!

The setting, the characters and the snappy plot make this story a definite winner.

Go check out more on Liz's blog.

For those who can't wait...

For those who can't wait until my double release hits the shelves May in the UK and June in North America, both my upcoming releases are available NOW!

For Harlequin Romance, THREE TIMES A BRIDESMAID, here.

For Harlequin Modern Heat, OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED, here.

I'm waiting rather impatiently myself for my UK copies to arrive because I can't wait to gobble up Liz Fielding's latest. I adore Liz's books so to be paired with her is beyond exciting!

Fan girl moments

Occasionally on Twitter, I have giggly fan girl moments when my Tweet appears above or below Nathan Fillion or Harlan Coben or Hugh Jackman.

(I know, small things amuse me!)

Now I'm having another fan girl moment.


The moment I knew my upcoming Romance THREE TIMES A BRIDESMAID... was appearing in the same volume as Liz Fielding's latest, A WEDDING AT LEOPARD TREE LODGE, I shot off an email to Liz in great excitement!

I love Liz's books and to be paired with her...yep, having another distinct fan girl moment!!!