Winter is coming...

Winter is coming, the clocks have gone back and now the nights are longer I have a yearning for a new hobby. Something to get excited about.

I used to sew but my eyes really aren’t good enough these days and I do sometimes get out the knitting needles but I have arthritis in my thumbs and I can’t keep it up for long. I know – I’m falling to bits.

I do read. A lot. Sometimes obsessively when I’m glomming a new author, but it’s a bit antisocial.

It’s all the dh’s fault. We went to the Tank Museum at Bovingdon back in the summer – it’s huge, they even loaned tanks to the makers of the film Fury — and now he’s having the best fun imaginable building model tanks and then turning them into rusty wrecks for his battle dioramas. Or maybe it’s the browsing on the internet for a gazillion shades of paint, 1:35 scale barbed wire, flora and the thousand and one bits of essential stuff that I envy.

If I had a hobby I could do that…

So I’m looking for ideas, inspiration. How do you fill the long winter evenings when the television is rubbish? I want a hobby that I can seriously shop for!

Meanwhile, here’s what I can do for you. If you’re looking for something free to download to your ebook, Old Desires is free at Smashwords – where you can download for any device, including the Kindle — iBooks, Barnes and  Noble and Amazon will catch up in a few days.

And this basket of goodies including three books of the winners choice, a must-have Rosie tote bag, a pair of snowflake socks to keep your toes warm while you’re reading, a Lindt chocolate Santa sleigh, an ice cream cosmetic bag, an ice lolly keyring and a tartan heart to hang on the tree will be going to one of my newsletter subscribers at the end of November. You have to be in it to win it so if you’re not already signed up to my newsletter do it now on my website

A gift for my readers...

This month is very special for me. December 2012 is the 20th anniversary of the publication of my first book by Harlequin Mills and Boon, An Image of You.

Sadly, I don't have an online version of that first book to give away to mark the occasion - Harlequin haven't yet issued it as a digital book and won't release it so that I can do it myself.

The good news is that  I have just republished another "vintage"Liz Fielding -  OLD DESIRES- and as a gift to all my readers, I'm giving it away free this week (from 9th-13th December) at Amazon.

I've linked to Amazon US, but you'll find it on whichever Amazon you use - US, UK, France, Germany... the list goes on. (Sorry Nook, Kobo and Sony users - but I'll do a voucher when it goes online at other stores in February.)

To give you a little more incentive to click and download, here's a little taste.

Holly 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.

Fill you boots, tell your friends - it's a party!

Happy holidays!

With gratitude for all the support, friendship and fun -

Liz xxx

Cover art

For twenty years – ever since my first book, An Image of You, was published — I’ve been obsessing about cover art. That first cover was so pleasing that it would have been difficult for any of those that followed to match it.

The hero was suitably mature, the heroine had the right colour hair and the African backdrop was perfect.

Since then, covers have been a bit of a roller-coaster. One or two have brought tears to my eyes — and not of joy.

Now, with three of my early books reverted to me, I’ve been on a cover image hunt of my own and suddenly I’m feeling a lot more sympathetic for those guys in Toronto who have to produce 50+ every month. It’s a bit like a car assembly line; you don’t want to be the last one of the day.

The three books I’m working on were a mixed bag. Old Desires was pretty enough, although the hero was too young. Dangerous Flirtation was cute and got everything right. A Stranger’s Kiss was a disaster with a heroine so hard-faced that any man would have run a mile and the hero wasn't wearing one of those ridiculous collars and I was really looking forward to giving that one a makeover.

Replacing them with something that truly appeals to me has not, however, been the piece of cake I fondly imagined it would be. Flirting and kissing are just about nailed, but Old Desires? How on earth can I demonstrate that in a cover appealing enough, sexy enough to have the reader hitting the one-click!

Any suggestions gratefully received – and downloads of Eloping With Emmy for those that inspire me, or make me laugh!