The Valentine Bride

Liz Fielding writes the most wonderful books. They are funny and moving and emotional and droll and absolutely charming. I love them.

And I can hardly wait for The Valentine Bride to be released so I can get my "fix" of Liz's wonderful romantic storytelling. If I could enter the Here Come The Brides contest myself, I would. I can't (conflict of interest, bribing Gunnar, that sort of thing). But believe me, I'm going to be right there at my local bookstore as soon as it hits the shelves.

To whet your appetite, here's the blurb.

THE VALENTINE BRIDE

“Dammit, Louise,” he said, “you haven’t changed one bit –”

“Dammit, Max, neither have you!” She was on her feet, in his face. “You’re still the same arrogant, over-bearing, despotic, pig-headed idiot you always were!”

Working with Max was never going to be easy. There’s always been something between them – something they’ve done their best to ignore. Family loyalty wins, but Louise extorts a very personal price from Max for her co-operation and sparks fly from the start.

I don't know about you, but I definitely want to know what happens next!

Liz's The Valentine Bride is the final book in the Harlequin Romance series about "THE BRIDES OF BELLA LUCIA" . This series of books tells the story of the Valentine family, their luxurious Italian restaurants, their feuds, their secrets and their loves.

Here is what Liz has to say about her February book:

Louise has just discovered that she was adopted and that everything she believed about herself was a lie. But angry as she is, she knows how much she owes her family and she'll use her PR skills to help launch the Bella Lucia restaurants into a new era before she walks away to a new life with her half-sister in Australia. Unfortunately that means working with Max. And the last time they worked together, he sacked her very publicly, in front of a restaurant full of diners. Right after she threw a fully loaded vase at his head. Their relationship has always been ... explosive. She'll work with him. But it's going to cost him. And she's going to name her own price.

And she added that she had a picture of Christian Bale who was her inspiration for Max over on the Brides of Bella Lucia Blog. But I thought I'd give you this one here because I like this picture of CB. (Actually I like most pictures of Christian Bale!). If you want more info about the Bella Lucia series and all the books that lead up to Max and Louise's story, you'll find it there. You will also get lots of info about the whole series and the authors who have written books for it.

If you want a head start, read an extract from The Valentine Bride on Liz's web site here.

Following Max and Louise's story, Liz has The Secret Life of Lady Gabriella coming out in May 2007. This one sounds like it will be just as much a winner as The Valentine Bride!

Liz says that in The Secret Life of Lady Gabriella, Ellie March, drop-out English teacher, is living a double life. In her "day job", she's plain Ellie , an emotionally unattached and much in demand cleaning lady, waitress and house-sitter. In her secret life -- the one she's made up -- she's the aristocratic Lady Gabriella March, wife, mother of three perfect children and an entire menagerie of well bred pets, the "lifestyle" columnist for MILADY magazine. Oh, and in her spare time she's writing an historical novel.

Both these lives are going incredibly well -- apart from the novel -- until Dr Benedict Faulkner, the owner of the house she's "sitting" -- without his knowledge -- turns up unexpectedly! The editor of "Milady" gets more demanding, the menagerie becomes a reality and one of the neighbours starts shooting at her.

Ellie is nothing if not resourceful. And she could have coped with all of it, if she hadn't made the really big mistake of falling in love with Ben, a man who just wants her gone from his life...

Does this sound like fun? Oh, yes. But it will be more than fun because, knowing Liz, I'm sure there will be a deep emotional core at the heart of Lady Gabriella. I heard from Kate that this one made Liz's editor weep. Laughter and tears -- the best bits of a Liz Fielding book. Watch out for this one!

And of course, because Liz works very hard, she's already focused on another book -- The Sheikh and the Chauffeur.

Anyone who has read The Sheikh's Guarded Heart will remember Zahir. He was a man who clearly deserved his own book. And now he's going to get it.

According to Liz, Zahir has spent the last few years turning a miserable little desert tour operation into a major company. There's only one thing missing from his portfolio. A wife.

No problem. He doesn't have to take time out of his busy schedule to find a suitable bride. In his culture marriages are arranged. His bride will be virtuous, charming and from one of the best families in Ramal Hamrah. His mother will see to that! It's the way things have been done for centuries and it works.

Then he meets Diana Metcalf, -- a very unsuitable woman, whose only ambition in life, apparently, is to drive a London Taxi - a pink one and be her own boss. A woman, who has a figure made for sin and a smile that warms him to his heart.

And that one, too, sounds like a winner, Liz!

So, there you have it -- a rundown on what Liz has been doing and is currently working on. All I can say is: Aren't we lucky, those of us who get to read her wonderful books?

If you haven't entered the Here Come The Brides contest, you still have time. Just go to my website, Kate's and Liz's and tell us the full names of our three February brides. The contest closes on February 1st. If you enter on all three sites, you have three chances to win these brand-new books.

And check back here and on Liz's and Kate's blogs as the month goes on.

I keep getting text messages and radio signals from far out at sea. The word "contest?" seems to come up but the rest is garbled. You don't suppose Theo wants to enter, do you?