When you meet that special someone, you talk about falling in love.  Sometimes, you meet some special people and fall in friends.

It was a bit like that at the recent RNA Conference at fabulous Greenwich.  Something in the air?  A wonderful coincidence of perfectly suited people?  Quite a lot (really, QUITE a lot) of wine?

Who knows?  Whatever the cause, I have now taken a step of commitment I never thought I would – I am a group blogger!

Join me, along with friends old and new Susanna Kearsley, Julie Cohen, Brigid Coady, Liz Fenwick and Christina Courtenay at The Heroine Addicts.  We’ll be blogging roughly Thursdays and Sundays, and since we all write very different types of books, it’s going to be a fascinating mix, I think.  Read us, follow us, stalk us – you know the drill!

Today I’m musing on the nature of time…. posting about finding time for writing, in the big ways and the small ones.

And yes, I STILL know I need to update this site.  I’m working on it, I swear. WordPress help files scare me…..

The lovely Jean Wan at All About Romance gave DANGEROUS LIES an honourable mention in the Reviewer’s Choice column here.  I’m chuffed!

She says:-  “Runner-up & Buried Treasure: Dangerous Lies by Anna Louise Lucia.  I was extremely impressed with the author’s control of both character and plot, in a situation that could easily have gotten out of hand, and I am looking forward to this author’s future books.”

*wiggle*  Thank you Jean! 

I have a horrible winter bug at the moment, and this is just the pick-me-up I needed.

I’ve been planing a refresh of the site design for a while – ever since I saw the cover for DANGEROUS LIES.  I wanted something that worked with my ‘desert book’ and continued my theme of the harsh but beautiful in the landscapes around us….  Stonecreek Media worked their usual deft magic, and here we are.

So, how’d you like it?  Have a look around.  I’ve dropped a couple of new photos into the gallery and I’m fiddling about here and there, so have a browse and let me know what you think.

Well, here it is.    The schedule for the Great Dangerous Lies Blog Tour!  I’ll be giving away a signed book at each stop, so don’t forget to visit and comment for your chance to win.

PLUS, I’ll be giving away a special prize for newsletter subsribers only, with a signed copy of Dangerous Lies, some bookmarks and post-its etc, and a gift set of the wonderful Moroccan Rose lotions from The Body Shop.  You never know, I might have more Moroccan Rose things to give away, too, since I’ll certainly be going shopping for some for me, anyway!  I’ll be doing the drawing for the Newsletter Prize on the 24th June.

So here are the dates and links:-
27th May 2009 – Melanie Atkins
1st June 2009 – Pink Fuzzy Slippers
4th June 2009 – Magical Musings
8th June 2009 – Writers at Play
16th June 2009 – Writer Unboxed
22nd June 2009 – Romance Bandits

ALL of these blogs are worth a visit at any time – a real wealth of fun and thoughtful for readers and writers alike.

I’ll post reminders the day before, here on my blog.

I love treasure hunts, don’t you?

I’d love to write a really edge-of-your-seat, mysterious, rip-roaring treasure hunt book (and in fact I’ve got an idea for a good ‘un on the back burner), and I’m a sucker for great films with the same theme.

So I was delighted to be asked to particpate in Night Owl Romance’s March Web Hunt!

Click the graphic above to go to Night Owl Romance’s Web Hunt page and find out more.  There are loads of prizes to be won, including signed copies of Run Among Thorns and books from Catherine Stang, Dani Harper,  Vanessa Kelly, Desiree Holt, Jacquie Rogers, Mary Eason, Charlotte Featherstone, Susan Crandall, Emily Bryan and the fabulous Vicki Lewis Thompson!  Sourcebooks Casablanca are also sponsoring the Hunt!

So click and get hunting to win fabulous prizes!

Well, I wasn’t expecting reviews for Dangerous Lies so early, but I’m chuffed and double chuffed with what I have!  I’ve been updating my Books page, so I’ve posted snippets and links to the full reviews there, but here, just for a taster:-

 This fast paced mystery kept me interested from the first page until the last…. I highly recommend this book to any reader that likes some romance with their mysteries or ones that like some mystery with their romance.   (4.5 out of 5, and a Reviewer’s Top Pick from Terri at Night Owl Romance)

The author does a great job sharing the wonders of the desert as well as the growth of these two people with us.  This is a well crafted tale that takes us places we may never go on our own.  (5 hearts out of 5 – !!! – from Dee Dailey at The Romance Studio)

DANGEROUS LIES… is a passionate, dangerous journey that makes for an exciting read.  (4.5 out of 5 Pixies, from Becky Gaede at Dark Angel Reviews)

Since I’ve got my head deep into Danger: Deep Water at the moment, it’s strange to jump back into Alan and Marianne’s world again.  Strange but wonderful.  Remind me to tell you the story of this book’s birth one day…

Oooh look!  The wonderful Romantic Novelists Association are going to release an anthology of short stories, showcasing the best of their story-writing talent.  Frankly, the line up of authors is drool-inducing.  I’m going to be getting me at least one of the hardbacks in autumn, and then probably a stack of paperbacks as gifts….

And isn’t the cover lovely?