I’m over at Pink Fuzzy Slippers on Monday, talking about inspiration for settings… a particularly big deal for Dangerous Lies.  Come on over and comment to win!

And remember, sign up to my newsletter (there’s a box in the sidebar of my homepage) for a chance to win a goody bag with Dangerous Lies, Moroccan Rose lotions from The Body Shop and more…  Don’t worry, I don’t send many newsletters – I’ve sent, I think, four in two years!

[EDIT - It's up now!] 

Join me at Melanie Atkins’ blog tomorrow, where I’m talking about Growing Your Own…

And you can win a copy of Dangerous Lies!

See you there! 

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.

You know there are good reviews, and really, REALLY good reviews.  And I’m chuffed out of my tiny mind with this one. 

All About Romance have reviewed Dangerous Lies, given it an A, and called is a Desert Isle Keeper!

I think I’m in shock.  *g*

You can go here for the full review, but I’ll show you the two bits that made me happy dance in my office, and then pour myself a margarita…

“How can I describe all that went right in this book? (And isn’t that a pleasure for a change?) Suffice to say that Ms. Lucia doesn’t make a single mistake. The settings, ranging from Rabat to the Sahara to Cornwall, demonstrate either extensive research or personal experience, and either way are absolutely impeccable. “*

I have a thing about settings feeling right – so, so glad to know I got this one right, even though I’ve never been to the Sahara in person.  I relied on the stories my Dad told to know that place, and I’ll be blogging about that a bit more on my Blog Tour.

“Marianne and Alan both change a lot over the course of the book, with such equality of give-and-take and mutual influence that I marvel at the balance Ms. Lucia was able to strike. Marianne is one of the most successful modern innocents I’ve read because her personal and circumstantial histories are so credible; by the end she has come into her own, and it’s terrific to read about. “*

Hooray!  I wrote Dangerous Lies at a time when if your heroine wasn’t a kick ass heroine, she wasn’t going to make it.  It was a real gamble to write a heroine who starts the book unsure of pretty much everything.  But it was important to me to write Marianne as… well, as Marianne!  I’m so glad that worked for this reviewer. 

Being a writer’s a privelege and a joy.  There are many margarita moments on the journey.  But the ones where you can go, “Yes!  I pulled it off!” are precious and rare.  I’m beaming.  And it’s not just the tequila…

*Jean Wan, All About Romance

Well then.  That was a long absence, wasn’t it?  I won’t apologise – sometimes there are things in your life you just need to prioritise above blogging, no?  I was nervous about getting back on here and talking to you again, but actually, I’m rather enjoying it.  There’s nothing like a captive audience you can just blather on to…. 

But now I’m getting back into the swing of things, helped by the timely arrival of my box of author copies of DANGEROUS LIES!  Ain’t they puuuuuuuuuurdy?

Since haaving the cats assist with book celebration is something of a tradition in this household, I called Chrissy in from the garden to offer her blessing on the new arrivals…. she approved!

 And just in time, too: between  27th May and  22nd June, I’ll be on a quick blog tour, giving away signed copies.  I’ll also be having another Grand Giveaway on my own blog, here, with signed copies, some local specialities, and some really decadently lovely Moroccan Rose lotions from The Body Shop, to celebrate DANGEROUS LIES’ evocative setting.

I’ll post details soon. 

And now I think I’m going to go and visit some blogs I haven’t been to in ages.  Top of my list are:-

Julie Cohen
Beth Ciotta
Shannon Stacey
Jaci Burton
Romance Bandits
Magical Musings
Pink Fuzzy Slippers, and
IMHO – TJ Bennett’s blog.

What’s top of your blog list??