Handbags at dawn

Up to now I have always taken the view that if a man doesn't come easily he really isn't mine. I have never stooped to fighting with my own sex over one. But all that is about to change. Trish Wylie is stealing my boy.

She's busy creating a new hero and would have you believe this is Luca Moretti.

Hmmmm, I don't think so.

I know my hero when I see him. That's His Highness Prince Rashid Al Baha and he's mine!

Her defence will claim the hair length makes a difference. She can have him with short hair and I can have him with long. ANYONE out there prepared to accept that???

Rashid Al Baha is fully formed. He's a smidge over 6ft 2", blue eyes, tall, dark, handsome and most at home in the wide open spaces of his desert home.

Talking of wide open spaces you might like to look in on Liz Fenwick's blog which has some great pictures of Oman on it. Lovely. Borrowing all of those for my pinboard.

He is not an Italian wafting around Ireland, whatever the hair length. At least not until I say so. :)

Oh and for those of you who want to conduct your own research on this particular hero inspiration - HE MOVES!

Soundtrack

I seem to have been working on my current wip for the longest time. I swear it's not my fault. 2007 was the worst year I've lived yet and I'm now in that miserable limbo time while we wait for scan results to see how successful my husband's chemo has been.

But what does seem to have happened recently is the shock of having my blessed life unravel rather spectacularly has receeded. It just 'is'. Considering I'm a natural 'fixer' it's a little strange to be in a position where there's absolutely nothing I can do to make anything better.

And with acceptance has come the head space to get writing. So many people have said I must find it helpful to be able to disappear into a fictional world. Well, I'm here to tell you I think it depends how pressing real life is. This year there have been times when I've been so physically and emotionally shattered I've had nothing left to give to my fictional world.

But, now, yes. Disappearing into a world I'm controlling is delightful. Long may it last!

One of the negatives about writing a book over a long period is it can feel stale. So for the first time I've really bought into the collage idea. I'm surrounded by fantastic pictures that click me into the mood with a look. Yesterday, Trish gave me a present of my very own soundtrack - and do you know it works!

I'm a little amazed because I love quiet. There's something about this soundtrack which is working for me. Best not question it, eh!

So ........ here's what I'm listening to! Or part of it, anyway. The whole thing is 50 minutes long.



'Amazing' is kind of directional. It's where I'm headed. 'High' is more of a mood piece I think.



Picture me now with my headphones on looking a complete twit!!

Trish is back - and other good news

Whilst it's lovely to have her at the other end of MSN - the best thesaurus in the business - it does mean my fun on her blog is over. And I'd found the most perfect research trip for her. Such a shame.

But here it is! The spa town of Lisdoonvarna in County Clare, Ireland, hold an annual matchmaking festival. There has to be a book in that. She ought to go, don't you think!

I've had some lovely news. My contribution to the Niroli series, 'The Tycoon's Princess Bride', has been nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award. The full listing is HERE.

Fellow Pink Heart Society pals Trish and Ally are nominated in the Harlequin Romance category. I'm over in Harlequin Presents - which is kind of fun. It's a particularly nice award to be up for because you don't have to do anything to enter. The shortlist just appears. And, like Trish, it's my third year running. It's just the most lovely feeling.

Trish's blog

I still have control of Trish's blog. Hee. And it's Boxing Day so my feelings of festive goodwill have largely evaporated.

I'm having fun. Go see.

Now it's back to work on my book. I do wish I'd been able to take a research trip to the middle east. My dad spent a huge chunk of his working life there so that's helping - but there's nothing quite like walking the ground for yourself.

Hey ho!

I'm going to live!

Well, the world is still fuzzy but I'm now upright. Still can't drive - which I suppose has a few advantages. Can't get to the supermarket, can't do the school run .....

I've just put the phone down on Trish Wylie who is without an internet connection at the moment. She wondered if I'd like to post an update on her blog for her ....

Hee!!!

Well I have. Go see.

Now I have absolutely no time to update my own. I'm so irritated at having lost a week on my book. You know, it's when you can't write you really understand how important it is that you do it!!!

Can't talk now. Have a sheikh to sort.

Here's my boy ...

It's an ill wind ..

that blows nobody any good. Isn't that how the saying goes??????

This week's Guardian piece on Mills & Boon has proved the truth of that. I've had lots of fun. First off, I discovered a really amusing blog on the subject which you can find here.

And a beautifully reasoned response here.

Then I got to listen to Trish argue 'our' case on BBC Radio Ulster. Now you've got to really picture what was going on to get the full enjoyment out of that situation. She's ill. Bird flu she says. (Obviously that's not funny.) And she's had a bit of a fight with the dentist and he won! (Again, not immediately amusing.) But follow it all through. There she is dosed up to the eyeballs, new plate in pocket so there's some possibility of speaking clearly ...

Let's pause for a moment and appreciate the glamour of that!

Then she's forced to read something from one of her books. Ha!

Now I like reading aloud. It returns to me my first love and, even though I say it myself, I do it well. But I do not like reading from my own books. It's so embarrassing. Add in to that the fact Trish was asked to read from her next release - which is a Modern Heat. Read any of those recently??????

I must be a really horrible person because I thoroughly enjoyed that. Very difficult, apparently, to find something suitable for late tea-time consumption.

And then there was the interview itself. My absolute favourite bit was the part where Finola Meredith said that she 'liked romance', books like 'Jane Eyre' for example.

What a gift!!!
















Even with Toby Stephens as Rochester I do feel there's a need to suspend disbelief just a tad. Rochester????? Is she serious?

Now stand up and be counted all women who fantasise about falling for a potential bigamist. Let's be clear about this, that's a man who is lying to you.

Back to the typeface. I have steam coming off the keyboard ....

Oh - and I'm blogging over at the Pink Heart Society. Come see.

It's all Trish's fault

Again. There was I happily writing up a storm. Hero behaving himself reasonably well when that orange light starts blinking at the bottom of my screen to say that Trish wishes to talk - despite the fact I'm still showing as 'away'. That woman knows me too well!

On her blog today - click here - you will see she's replied to my Dear Trish letter. It's very funny. But I do feel she doesn't fully appreciate my Richard Armitage addiction. So rather than clog up her comments box anymore I'm going to post some 'hero inspiration' here.

Now, that's quite enough of that. Coffee break is over and I have a book to write.

Oh, and tomorrow I'm blogging over at the Pink Heart Society. Come play.

Yipidee Do Dah!

It's been a long time since I did this. I'm nearly back. Promise. Just the small matter of a book to finish before I'm allowed to! (Editors are sooo demanding.)

Meanwhile, I've had some good news.

I came home yesterday to find a message on my answerphone saying that 'Accepting The Boss's Proposal' is a finalist for the Holt Medallion Award.

Such a nice message to come home to!! And I've not deleted it yet so can play it over and over. I know the English accent does all kinds of funny things to American ears but it's entirely mutual. How *do* you make 'category' take that long to say????

'Accepting The Boss's Proposal' is turning out to be a very 'lucky' book as it's also finalled in the Romantic Novelists' Association Romance Prize. On the whole I'd say my first year of competition entering is going quite well!

Writing buddy Trish Wylie has also finalled in the HOLT with her wonderful 'Project: Parenthood'. BTW do pop over to her revamped and beautifully shiny website. She's between books and has been very ... er ... helpfully putting together a hero database. Not that I'm looking, of course, I've got a book to finish ....

Oh and do go read all about the preparations for the Romantic Novelists' Association Award Lunch at the Savoy over at eHarlequin. I'm blogging there soon but have really got to keep my nose to the grindstone and catch up on my writing proper.

I'll be back as soon as I've written this hero of mine into shape!