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Thursday, January 04, 2007

Anna Campbell's Contest News and Favorite Reads of 2006




Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2007 brings you everything you hope for.

Firstly, I'd like to let you know that I'm running a contest until 31st January for an advance review copy of my first book, CLAIMING THE COURTESAN, on my website: www.annacampbell.info/contest - all you need to do is read the excerpt and answer a very simple question. Eazy-peazy.

It's that time of year again when we make resolutions and look back on the year just gone. I'm not very good at resolutions but a question on another loop made me think of my 10 favorite reads of 2006. I'd like to share them with you:

Dark Lover by JR Ward
Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward
Hot Dish by Connie Brockway
The Perfect Stranger by Anne Gracie
A Mistress for the Taking by Annie West
Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Lord Greville's Captive by Nicola Cornick
Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
The Devil to Pay by Liz Carlyle
Passion by Lisa Valdez

I don't usually read a lot of paranormals, but the J.R. Wards and Nalini's book are extraordinarily good. As a long-time fan of Connie Brockway's historicals, I was disappointed when she announced her next story would be a contemporary. But Hot Dish is fantastic - sexy, funny, romantic and just so true. Anne Gracie writes heart-wrenching romance so well and The Perfect Stranger is wonderful. I dare you not to cry. Annie West's debut novel is everything I want a Presents to be - sexy, exmotional, dramatic and with a lovely Cinderella theme that worked a treat. Match Me If You Can is just so enjoyable, with a marvellous secondary romance that threatens to steal the thunder from the hero and heroine, it's so good. Nicola Cornick is always an auto-buy for me but this English Civil War story is something special. The Devil to Pay features one of my favorite heroes of last year - no wonder it won the RITA for best long historical. Passion radically divides readers - people either love it or hate it. I loved it because it manages to combine a really erotic story with a searing emotional journey for the hero and heroine.

What were your favorite reads for the last year?

Best wishes.

Anna
www.annacampbell.info






8 comments:

Annie West said...

Hi Anna and Happy New Year!

I'm thrilled that you listed my 'Mistress for the Taking' on your top ten reads for 2006. Wow!

I've read Anne Gracie's 'The Perfect Stranger' and loved it - a really satisfying story with a terrific hero. And I've just finished 'Match Me If You Can' which was a perfect holiday read. I couldn't attempt to list my favourites for the whole of last year, but coincidentally I've got Nalini Singh's latest and Connie Brockway's on my reading list. All I need now is LOTS more time to read.

Unknown said...

Hey, congrats on the new book!

Hm...the top 10 books...it is hard for me to decide. I think I loved most of the books I read last year and cant decide now which one were the top 10.

But from your top 10 list, I also read "Match me if you can" and though it was hilarious. I found it funny how the heroine (Annabelle Granger) managed to trick the hero (Heath Champion) on the 1st blind date she arranged for him. she had her best married friend pretend to be a 'sex-therapist' to keep the hero interested in keeping the heroine as a match maker. He apparently wanted a wife within a certain time period and had signed a contract with the top match-making agency but didnt had any luck until our crazy heroine from a less-well known agency came along.

And I found it particularly funny, the blue mask face scene between Portia (the owner of the top well-know match making agency) and Heath. She had some massage/exfoliating thing done to her face that turned her skin blue color. Instead of hiding in her apartment she went to talk to Heath to help him get back with Annabelle. I think this scene starts with Heath feeling miserable and drinking in his apartment. He refuses to open the door to Portia and eventually she manage to come in through balcony. But 1st she wanted him to come out, but he refuses saying "he had seen/read Stephen King" (it was dark outside)then she agrees to come in only if he turn around and doesnt look at her (remember her blue skin).
I think she comes in and then she ask him is he is looking at her, and he somehow respond saying "Of course" and something else.
---you have to read this part to completely know why I found it hilarious--- It was just so funny the way he said it and reacted.

I dont think I am very good at explaining this, but will tried to find the pages and post it back here later.

As to the rest of your the top list Anna, I am gonna take a look at the back of the books blurbs and will probably add them to my TBR pile.

Wow, a neat way to start the new year, with more books to read. Hehe, all I need like Annie says is also more time to read LOTS and LOTS more.

=) Liz

Anna Campbell said...

Annie, you're most welcome. It really is a splendiferous read - and I'm a Presents fan from way back.

Liz, so glad you loved Match Me If You Can. I actually think some of my favorite scenes in that book involved Portia. She could so easily have become a caricature but she emerged as such a real character and I loved the secondary romance that SEP gave her. It was so sweet and unusual and unexpected. I love lists of recommendations - as you say, always great to have more good books to read.

diva said...

Anna, I can't wait to read you book. I got a goodie bag from Lee's goodie room and your cover flat got me totally intrigued. I'm looking forward to the story now!

JR Ward is one of my all-time favorite authors (again thanks to Lee - she got me hooked on the books). I've got HOT DISH in my tbr and also Annie West's book. I've heard such great things about Nalini Singh's book, and am definitely going to read it soon. Lord knows I've got plenty of time to read considering the number of hours I spend commuting to work!
I've never read SEP's books so that's another author on my to-try list. :)
Love this blog!

Anna Campbell said...

Hi Diva! Get pictures of Maria Callas when I write that! Congratulations on winning the goodie bag. So glad you like my coverflat - it's a pretty drool-worthy picture, isn't it? Not long now till the book comes out which is exciting. I can't wait for the next JR Ward. The emotional intensity of those books is just unbelievable. The only thing I've got against them is that my real life goes on hold the minute I pick one up. I just have to finish it in one sitting or I go nutty. It's been a good reading year and already 2007 is shaping up to be even better.

Jennifer Y. said...

I read so many good books that it would be hard to choose just a few to list. I was lucky and didn't read any bad ones.

I am so looking forward to your book's release!

Anna Campbell said...

Thanks, Jennifer. I'm pretty excited about it too (nice bit of Aussie understatement there). Happy reading (and it sounds like that's what you're getting!).

ChristyJan said...

I just got Annie's MISTRESS FOR THE TAKING and I'm looking forward to reading it.