Out of Touch

So it seems that the sudden demise of my ancient computer is just a tip of the communications-nightmare iceberg here (those Titanic images just won't go away, will they?) Thanks to everyone who left comments here about my email issues: I checked my website yesterday and realised that it was down too. Apparently it's something to do with the server, so now I've let them know it should be sorted soon, (yeah, right!) but big apologies to anyone who emailed and hasn't had a response. For once it's not just because I'm a lazy old slacker!

Of course, the other reason for my lack of communication is that, in the aftermath of finishing the book I think I've just run out of words. My head is filled with echoing empty spaces where sentences should be. I'm guiltily aware that the deadline panic meant I didn't properly celebrate the release of Alejandro's book (At the Argentinean Billionaire's Bidding) with the usual contest and giveaways and background information and stuff. Is it all too late now? If there's anything anyone wants to know more about please shout up. In the meantime (and since I'm now actually boring myself with my extreme lack of anything worthwhile to say) let's just quietly contemplate Alejandro's gorgeousness, shall we...? (via the medium of his real life body double, Argentine polo ace Nacho Figueras)

Hmmm. That was nice. Think I might go and research my next hero now. He's South American. And Royal. And very naughty. Am sure I can just about rouse myself for that kind of challenge...

Some serious post-match analysis

The Six Nations rugby tournament started on Saturday, which means that I don't have to look very far for entertainment or romantic inspiration for the next few weekends. It also means that He and I are for once in happy agreement about what makes for a great afternoon, although obviously for rather different reasons: this Saturday He was thrilled because England won, and I was thrilled because they were playing Italy. I started watching convinced that Italy boasted the best looking team in the tournament by far, but having also watched France (against Ireland) and then Wales (playing Scotland) I'm actually pretty impressed by the competition. I'm clearly going to need to conduct an more in-depth study over the coming weeks.

One major disappointment was that the new French coach has inexplicably dropped last year's Number 10 from the 2009 line up. David Skrela gave France a massive boost in the sexiness stakes, and was also the player I used for inspiration when I was writing Alejandro from At the Argentinean Billionaire's Bidding (surely both good, solid reasons for keeping him in the First XV?) Argentine polo player Nacho Figueras was the face of Alejandro, but Skrela provided the raw rugby passion, and specifically the sexy-as-sin bleeding lip which Alejandro suffers in the opening chapter of the book-- a look modelled by Skrela in the France-Wales game of last year's Six Nations. I can't find a picture of the actual incident (although I've really enjoyed looking) but here's one for you to enjoy without the cut lip.

Anyway, back in the real world last week's snow has now dissolved into khaki-coloured slush, but the three very oddly shaped snowmen made by the daughters remain bizarrely unmelted. Very sinister, and with their black, staring eyes and gaping mouths definitely more Stephen King than Raymond Briggs. Annoyingly, more snow is forecast for later on today and tonight, so I'm going to be spending the next 24 hours looking anxiously out of the window and wondering whether I'm going to make it to the RNA Awards Lunch tomorrow. It's all in the lap of God, the Met Office and Virgin trains, but believe me, I won't miss out on a lipstick-and-heels occasion for anything less than Arctic armageddon.

Talking of which, I'm blogging later on today at iheartpresents about the underrated romance of ice and snow. Please come over and visit!

Going Large

It's been that kind of week. Everything has just been bigger than usual. Like, for example...

1. My smile (and Orlando Winterton's head, probably) when I found out that Mistress: Hired for the Billionaire's Pleasure had won a Cataromance Reviewer's Choice Award.

2. The cover of At the Argentinean Billionaire's Bidding which, along with that of Sarah Morgan's The Prince's Waitress Wife, was blown up to larger-than-life proportions in Borders in Oxford Street at the launch of the International Billionaires series on Tuesday.

(Felicia Field is the girl with the ball. She's the partner of England flanker James Haskell, and the gorgeous face of Mills & Boon's partnership with the RFU.) (Thank goodness.)

3. My sense of gratitude and good fortune to be doing what I'm doing after an evening/late night spent with fellow Presents authors Susan Stephens, Sarah Morgan, Carole Mortimer and Abby Green at the rugby launch party (and afterwards in the hotel bar...) Intelligent, interesting and talented to a woman, these girls know how to laugh and drink champagne in exceptional style. (The hotel barman couldn't stay the distance and went to bed long before we'd finished. )

4. My hangover the next day.

5. My status in the Birthday Cake-Creation division of the Domestic Goddess Stakes , thanks to the impromptu construction of Krispy Kreme doughnuts bought as I hurried back from London on Daughter #3's birthday on Wednesday. In all my years of sobbing and swearing over elaborate crinoline Barbie confections and fairy castles painstakingly engineered from ice cream cones and swiss rolls, none of my efforts have ever been greeted with such delight as this one, or eaten with such speed and relish.

I'm sure there's a lesson in there somewhere...

More Rugby Talk...

...This time at 8.30 in the morning on Radio London. The daughters thought this was a huge laugh as it meant the school run was postponed by 15 minutes and they were allowed to watch morning TV while I talked gumshields and glamour and tried to stack the dishwasher very quietly. Also being interviewed was Felicia Field, uber-gorgeous partner of England flanker James Haskell who also happens to be a Mills & Boon fan. What a girl, and what a fab ambassador for our readers. If you want to hear her inside view of real life with a rugby hero, listen here. (It’s about 2.35 into the programme...)

And (thanks so much to Marilyn for reminding me!) here’s the full line up of the books in the International Billionaire’s series, which starts next month.

The Prince’s Waitress Wife – Sarah Morgan (February)
At the Argentinean Billionaire’s Bidding – India Grey (March)
The French Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress – Abby Green (April)
The Ruthless Billionaire’s Virgin – Susan Stephens (May)
The Italian Count’s Defiant Bride – Catherine George (June)
The Sheikh’s Love-Child – Kate Hewitt (July)
Blackmailed into the Greek Tycoon’s Bed – Carol Marinelli (August)
The Virgin Secretary’s Impossible Boss – Carole Mortimer (September)

They’re all first and foremost stonking passionate and emotional romances by a bunch of totally fabulous writers (and me too) but all of them have a connection with one of the sexiest sports on the planet. Heaven in eight volumes.

I shouldn't be here, but...

...Before I disappear into deep hibernation with only my laptop and my secret stash of Christmas chocolate to try and get this blooming book written, there are a few things I really should mention. Firstly that I have a book out this month, which seems quite amazing given that I never seem to actually get around to doing any writing at the moment. Taken for Revenge, Bedded for Pleasure which is the one that gave me countless sleepless nights and a few panic attacks this time last year is now available in the shops, at Mills & Boon’s website and on Amazon. Check out my lovely cover....


Secondly (squeaking with barely suppressed excitement here) I can finally reveal after a couple of months of maintaining an agonising and most uncharacteristically discreet silence that Mistress: Hired for the Billionaire’s Pleasure has been (squeak) shortlisted for the RNA Romance Prize.

This is utterly fantastic news, and even though I found out a while ago my first reaction when I saw this last night was to let out a shriek and run for the fridge to see if there was anything fizzy and celebratory left lurking amongst the sad remnants of Christmas cheese and wilting parsnips. It was only later, when I looked again to check that I hadn’t dreamt it, that I experienced a thud of horror at the realisation that the lovely RNA people have kindly provided a link to my website... which, because I am a techno-dullard with personal organisation/ time management issues and a Phd in Procrastination, isn't there. So instead people are being directed here, and now I feel like someone who has drunkenly invited everyone they know round for a party and then forgotten all about it, so is caught out lying on the sofa in pyjamas eating Cheerios from the packet when guests start arriving. (If you have, by any chance, come here hoping for information about the nominated book, please accept my most embarrassed apologies. I blogged at length about it here and here and here and here if that’s any help at all...?)

As you can see, the other shortlisted books are utterly brilliant and by authors I adore. (With proper websites.) For this reason He and I made sure we celebrated the fact that I’m included in such talented company back in November when I first heard, so I won’t feel that I’ve missed out on a champagne opportunity when the results are announced at the awards ceremony on 10th February.

Orlando and Rachel seem to be having a bit of a moment just now, because I also found out last week from lovely Michelle Styles that Mistress: Hired for the Billionaire’s Pleasure had made the Romantic Times Top Pick for this month. I don’t subscribe so I haven’t seen it myself but Abby Green sent over the review for me...

MISTRESS: HIRED FOR THE BILLIONAIRE'S PLEASURE (4.5) by India Grey: On the run from a forced wedding, pianist Rachel Campion lands on Orlando Winterton's doorstep -- ironic, because it was a prior chance meeting with him that gave her the courage to bolt. A former pilot, Orlando is living in seclusion because he's losing his sight -- information he doesn't share with Rachel, even after they become lovers. Orlando tries to send Rachel away for her own sake, not realizing her happiness is already linked with his. Vividly detailed characters, an intense conflict and a high level of sensuality make this a fabulous read. This is one for the keeper shelf. —Catherine Witmer

Final snippet of news is that this morning The Guardian newspaper is carrying a piece on its front page about a new M&B continuity series which has been written in association with the RFU and ties in with the Six Nations rugby tournament. This begins in February with Sarah Morgan’s delicious ‘The Prince's Waitress Wife'. My book At the Argentinean Billionaire’s Bidding is second in the series—it’s the one about lovely Alejandro D'Arienzo; ex-England international rugby player who returns to his native Argentina to take up polo and forget about the woman he thinks betrayed him. It involved lots of glorious rugby ‘research’ which I can’t wait to fill you in on-- as soon as I can justify writing anything that isn’t the book I’m supposed to be working on right now...

Blimey. I think that's it... I'm now off to look up my horoscope for this week. Bet it says; ‘The first 6 days of 2009 will be filled with so much excitement your head might explode. However, absolutely nothing interesting is going to happen to you in the following 359 days, although the full moon in the second week of July will lead you to discover a new brand of fabric conditioner and weird planetary alignments at the end of October may mean that a trip to the post office to renew your car tax will yield surprising results.’ Or something.

Still not here

With the Argentinean finished and accepted (and titled At the Argentinean Billionaire's Bidding, which I'm loving...) I’m taking a few days off to visit Abby Green in Dublin. Will be back at the end of the week with a full report of all the sophisticated, cultural things we’ve been up to.

(falls off chair laughing...)

And then I’m going to update my website.