Do I Hear One Dollar? by Anna Randol

In my new release, Sins of a Virgin, my heroine is in a bit of a quandary. She’s just spent the last decade working as a spy for the British Foreign Office, but after the war with Napoleon ends, she’s dismissed with little more than a pat on the head. Rather than spend the rest of her life in genteel poverty, Madeline decides to hold an auction.

Now, many unique things are auctioned in this world. Today alone I found these treasures on eBay (Yes, on the day I wrote this blog…):

·         A man will support the political candidate of the winning bidder’s choice and get tattoo of that candidate’s name.

·         A real gargoyle skull.

·         Glasses that will let you see people’s auras.

·         A magical demon pendant that will make anyone fall in love with you.

·         A potato shaped like a sea turtle (A bargain at $2.99.)

Thankfully the auction Madeline decides to hold isn’t so much strange as it is…personal. Wicked, even. She strolls into White’s, strips down to her unmentionables, and offers up the one thing no one believes the famed courtesan still possesses…her virginity.

After all, while a potato turtle might be interesting, being scandalous is far more fun.

So readers, what’s the one item in your house you wish you could auction away? One lucky commenter will receive a copy of Sins of a Virgin. Void where prohibited.

Bio: Anna Randol writes sultry, adventurous Regency romances for Avon. RT Book Reviews gave her new novel, Sins of a Virgin, four and a half stars and called it, “Smart, sassy, sexy, original and tinged with mystery…” When she’s not plotting wild storylines, Anna’s usually eating dark chocolate, having wild dance parties with her kids in the living room, or remodeling her house one ill-planned project at a time.

***Anna's winner is girlygirlhoosier52!  Please email your mailing info to totebag@authorsoundrelations.com***

Seven Nights A-Go-Go!

by Anna Campbell

Wow, I haven't had a new book out since May 2011 so you can imagine how desperately I'm waiting on 25th September when SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE'S BED from Grand Central Publishing hits the stands in North America (1st October here in Australia where I'm still with Avon HarperCollins).

SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE'S BED is a gothic take on Beauty and the Beast and it's the first book in my very first series, "Sons of Sin". Here's the blurb:

Will a week of seduction...

Desperate to save her sister's life, Sidonie Forsythe has agreed to submit herself to a terrible fate: Beyond the foreboding walls of Castle Craven, a notorious, hideously scarred scoundrel will take her virtue over the course of seven sinful nights. Yet instead of a monster, she encounters a man like no other. And during this week, she comes to care for Jonas Merrick in ways that defy all logic-even as a dark secret she carries threatens them both.

...Spark a lifetime of passionate surrender?

Ruthless loner Jonas knows exactly who he is. Should he forget, even for a moment, the curse he bears, a mere glance in the mirror serves as an agonizing reminder. So when the lovely Sidonie turns up on his doorstep, her seduction is an even more delicious prospect than he originally planned. But the hardened outcast is soon moved by her innocent beauty, sharp wit, and surprising courage. Now as dangerous enemies gather at the gate to destroy them, can their new, fragile love survive?

You can read an excerpt on my website here: http://annacampbell.info/rogue.html

You can preorder Rogue. Right now at the Book Depository, there's a 15% discount - and seeing the book's at a special introductory price anyway, this makes it great value, even if I say so myself! Or perhaps you prefer Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Nights-Rogues-Bed-Sons/dp/1455512079/ref=la_B002NKV1HQ_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1338928157&sr=1-2

Otherwise, it's available in print or as an e-book at all good retailers!

Something different for SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE'S BED is that it's available as an audiobook (never had one of those before) from Tantor Audio. Isn't that a great cover? Here's the link: http://www.tantor.com/BookDetail.asp?Product=B0888_SevenNights If you get a chance, click on the sound bite - wow, that's one sexy voice!

I'll be doing a huge blog tour and giving Rogue away all over the place closer to release date. In the meantime, I'm giving away FIVE (5) copies through my current website contest. http://annacampbell.info/contest.html Just email me on anna @ annacampbell.info (no spaces) with your answer to the easy question to be in the draw.

STOP PRESS! Because there was a hiccup with the host of the Romance Bandits site where I did a launch for SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE'S BED yesterday, I've extended the giveaway there for another 24 hours. We're playing a fun game (read the comments - they're hilarious!) and there's THREE copies of 7 Nights up for grabs! Good luck! http://romancebandits.com/15-nights-until-7-nights/

I hope you all have fun meeting my Jonas and Sidonie!  

So let's talk about heroes. Jonas Merrick, the hero of Rogue, is, you guessed it, a rogue (well, he really tries to be!). Do you prefer the bad boy hero or do you prefer the knight in shining armor hero? Or are they all equally delicious?

Between the (clean) sheets - by Kandy Shepherd

Can pegging sheets out on the clothesline be counted as a pleasure or a chore?  Yesterday, I came down on the side of pleasure.

The joy of sunshine-dried sheets!

 After a wet, cold winter in my particular part of “Down Under”, with the tumble dryer doing overtime, a glorious spring day presented a perfect opportunity to peg my washing out to dry naturally in the sun and blue sky. In no time at all, my sheets were crisp, fresh, and scented with fresh air and sunshine.

As I folded my clean sheets into my laundry basket, I remembered how much I missed my Australian clothesline—and Australian sunshine—when I lived in central London some years ago. I adored every second of living in England, but I didn’t like that my sheets always had to be dried in the tumble dryer or draped over radiators. Maybe that’s why I rejoice in this simple pleasure.

Toby just grazes around the laundry, helping me mow the grass

 You may think I sound like a fanatic housewife—far from the truth. I lean more to the slovenly end of the scale and frequently bemoan how much I hate housework. I would carry the dishwasher on my back if forced to evacuate my house. When I speculate (as one does) what I would do if I won the lottery, high on my wish list, along with the tropical island vacations, is a housekeeper.

 But I do get a kick from fresh, line-dried laundry. And when my spring garden blooms, I’ll drape my sheets over my lavender bushes so they smell even better!

How apt! I found this on Facebook

Laundry—and other forms of housework—are inescapable for many of us. Such mundane chores rarely make it onto the pages of the books I write. And yet, when I created a heroine cast away on a tropical island paradise alone with a gorgeous, sexy hero in The Castaway Bride , I couldn’t resist having her worry about how she would wash and dry her only garments—the torn remnants of her wedding gown and some lacy thong panties. Oh well, they say you reveal something of yourself in everything you write…

What about you? Is there an aspect of housework you love or loathe? An appliance you couldn't live without? I'd love to hear it!

Please leave a comment to be in the draw to win a Home Is Where the Bark Is tote bag (fabulous to keep clothes pegs in!) Be sure to leave your email address with your comment if you want to be in the draw.

Kandy Shepherd writes fun, feel-good fiction. Her books include The Castaway Bride, Something About Joe, Love is a Four-Legged Word and Home Is Where the Bark Is –reading one is a great way to escape the housework!

Visit Kandy at her website

www.kandyshepherd.com

Does Downton Abbey have a Ghost? By Alison Stuart

I’m thrilled to introduce author, Alison Stuart. Lawyer by day, writer by night, a fantastic volunteer at all other times, and a woman with a penchant for men in uniform, she loves losing herself in the world of historical romance.  She’s here today to talk about her latest novel, Gather the Bones which is a fantastic story about a house, a ghost and two people trying to rebuild their lives.

  

Hello! A huge thank you to Lee and the girls of Tote Bags n Blogs for inviting me to blog this Sunday.

I’m not Fiona Lowe (for those that were expecting her) but she is a very dear friend of mine and I had all the excitement of being her ‘date’ at the RITAs in Anaheim. The mad Australian screaming like a teenager at a Bieber concert when Fiona’s name was announced...yes, that was me (the photo is of Fiona Lowe (left)  and myself at the RITAs). If you haven’t read BOOMERANG BRIDE yet, do yourself a favour. It’s a lovely read. 

I was recently tidying my bookshelves (actually it is still a major work in progress) and as I started to sort my books into categories, I noticed that the “ghosts” pile was looking alarmingly high. I had no idea I had accumulated so many “real life” ghost stories. From York in England to New Orleans, I have tramped the dark streets of many an old town behind someone in costume carrying a lantern and while I haven’t, to my knowledge, ever encountered a ghost face to face (as it were), I have been in places where I have felt extremely uncomfortable. Nothing, but nothing, will induce me back into the dungeons of Warwick Castle and the arches in Edinburgh was a dark, evil place.

My interest in ghosts probably stems from one of my mother’s stories. As a young woman she toured the Youth Hostels of Wales by bicyle. In one old castle she was woken in the night by the sensation of someone brushing her cheek. She opened her eyes in time to see, quite clearly, a woman vanish through the wall next to her bed. Now my mother is not a superstitious woman (as long as you don’t have peacock feathers in the house, spill salt on the table or wear an opal), at least certainly not given to flights of fancy.

I have worked in two very well documented haunted buildings.  Both buildings had originally been fine 19^th century homes but had been occupied by the Australian Army for many, many years. “Esmerelda” the ghost of Grosvenor, reputedly the ghost of an unhappy servant girl murdered by the butler, wafted around the corridors of Brigade Headquarters. Her nightly prowling had reduced the Brigade Regimental Sergeant Major (a grizzled British Army veteran who had seen active service in Northern Ireland) to the point where nothing would induce him to spend a night in the building. She satisfied herself by keeping my little office permanently cold and switching my computer on and off.  My offsider (a man of no imagination who certainly was not acquainted with her story)  is the only person who actually saw Esmerelda-- to the fury of the regular staff who had been secretly hanging out for a sighting.

My own little town is one of the oldest settled sites in Victoria and in its day was a rough port area. Convicts were housed in rotting hulks off the point and laboured in the blue stone quarry. The ghost of the cruel overseer murdered by the convicts is often sensed by visitors on our own Lantern Ghost Tours (which I have yet to go on!).  Every pub (and in its heyday there were hundreds of them) has its own ghost story and, according to my friend who runs the Lantern Tours, not all of them are Casper the friendly ghost.  I often think it is quite a good thing that I’ve never actually seen a ghost!

I have also lived in Singapore and in the Chinese tradition August is Hungry Ghost Month. During this month, it is believed the king of hell opens the gates of hell to allow ghosts to visit the living world. It is the only time of year that ghosts are released to freely roam the Earth. They have to pacified with offerings and during that month, the scent of burning incense papers hangs over the island like a pall. Not surprisingly, even for a tiny island, Singapore has enough ghost stories to fill several books with a few local vampires (the bomoh) thrown in for good measure!

There is something about the story surrounding the unrequited spirit that cannot find rest that really appeals to the writer in me. I have published a couple of short stories but never tried a full length novel and the first seed of Gather the Bones was sown. I already had the setting, a wonderful old medieval moated manor house called Baddesley Clinton  (in Warwickshire) and I invested it with its spectral inhabitants (although I’m sure it has plenty of its own). 

The terrible impact of the Great War gave me the time period and although my story was written long before Downton Abbey hit the screens, there are resonances of the fading glory of the British Empire. I deliberately set it in 1923, just on the cusp of change when the “bright young things” (of which my grandmother was one) changed English society forever. 

So  we have GATHER THE BONES - a “Downtonesque” novel with ghosts, romance and a mystery to be solved... 

I have a giveaway of one of my earlier books, the award winning BY THE SWORD . To be in with a chance to win, tell me about a  ghostly experience or, if you prefer, talk about your favourite fictional ghosts.

To read one of my short stories THE PROMISE (and it is only short) click HERE. 

Alison Stuart is an award winning Australian writer of historicals with heart.  Whether duelling with dashing cavaliers or wayward ghosts, her books provide a reader with a meaty plot and characters who strive against adversity to find their happy-ever-after. 

Alison is a lapsed lawyer who has worked in the military and fire service, which may explain a predisposition to soldier heroes.  She lives with her own personal hero and two needy cats and likes nothing more than a stiff gin and tonic and a walk along the sea front of her home town.  She loves to hear from her readers and can be found at her website, facebook, twitter and Goodreads.  Gather The Bones (Lyrical Press) is available now at Amazon, Nook and all other eBook retailers. 

The Journey’s Friends : : Anne McAllister

One of the best things about being a writer is not sitting in my office staring at my computer screen all alone for hours on end. It’s about the people I’ve met as a result of writing books.

One of them – a friend from the early early days of my writing journey until now – is Maddy Hunter. 

I first knew Maddy when she was someone else entirely (well, not entirely, but she had a different ‘nom de plume.’)  Back in the day she was Mary Mayer Holmes, author of some of the most lovely, warm, charming, passionate – and occasionally blindsidingly funny -- historical romances you would ever want to read. 

The WInd-Rose, Savage Tides, The White Raven and, my all-time favorite, The Irish Bride are on my keeper shelf to this day.

But for a number of years, Maddy didn’t write. 

And then, all of a sudden, her brain was taken over by aliens. I mean, Iowans. A tour group full of senior citizen Iowans to be exact – and long-suffering Emily Andrew who, shanghaied by her grandmother into accompanying the group, ended up solving a murder in Switzerland – and Maddy’s new Passport to Peril mystery series was born.

To say I was surprised that lurking inside Maddy was a laugh-out-loud mystery writer along with a score of obstreperous Iowans wouldn’t be wrong. Maddy – as Mary – always had a delightful sense of humor (I recall several coffee-snorting moments in The Irish Bride).  But in Alpine For You, the first book about Emily and her Iowans, I heard a whole new voice.  It was delightful.

Since our first Passport to Peril jaunt to Switzerland, Emily has hauled me and the Iowans to Italy, Australia, Norway, Ireland, Hawaii, and most recently, to the Netherlands this past February in Dutch Me Deadly. Along the way she attracted the attention of Interpol investigator Etienne Micelli. And, being a romance junkie, he attracted me!

Emily and Etienne married when Maddy thought the series was going to end (she’s a sucker for a happy ending, too).

But then, happily, reader demand brought Emily and the gang back – with a new publisher and a new lease on life (not to mention a new husband!). 

We’re scheduled for a trip to Scotland next February in Bonnie of Evidence.  I hear Etienne gets to go along on that one.  I can hardly wait.

The Iowans have a treat in store for them after that, too, because Maddy and her real-life spouse took a river cruise in France this summer.

Of course the virtual Iowans stowed away on the trip to check out the potential for a little mayhem and murder in the French countryside (not that they’d be perpetrating it, of course! They all look so innocent.)

It’s been such a treat to follow Maddy and her new mystery books on their way around the world. I wonder where she’ll go next.  I’m trying to talk her into Venice (and I want to go along on the research part of that trip!)

Every time I think that looking at pictures of Hugh Jackman and calling it work is a pretty good job, I remember that Maddy can take her virtual Iowans anywhere she wants and write them into a book. That’s not a bad job, either.

Best of all, though, even better than the books is the friendship I’ve enjoyed with her for so many years.  She’s brightened my life, put up with my kids and my dogs. Yes, even my dogs.  One of them, Jake, and I were at the veterinary hospital where she lives (a good distance from where I live) one winter day when the ice came down.  And down. There was no driving home for me.  So Mary invited us to stay. Her lovely husband came home – on his bike in the ice! --  saw the wholly unexpected but very grateful Jake lying under the kitchen table of their dogless house and said, “Well, hell really did freeze over.” 

Like I said, she’s a very good friend.  And so is her husband. 

Writing has brought me many joys over the years, but the greatest is the friends I've made. Maddy is one of the best. 

I can hardly wait to go to Scotland with her and the gang in February. If you’re hankering for a fun trip, join us – and catch up on Maddy’s backlist before we go. It’s a hoot!

And by the way, please join me in saying, “Happy Birthday, Maddy!” to a very special person.

Carolyn Jewel: The Man On The Page

Recently, I had the bizarre experience of reading a book that I ended up loving even though the dynamic between the hero and heroine was not (as I soon realized) what I like best in a story. (Charlotte Stein’s Control.) It’s erotic romance, by the way, with some, er, issues about control. The hero of that story is a submissive man.

Almost as recently, I was at the hairdresser getting my hair beautified. There was one gentleman and six women in the salon and, as it turned out, all but one of us had read 50 Shades of Gray. The gentleman laughed politely when I suggested he should read it so he could be in the in-crowd. By completely unscientific polling, I determined that readers who liked Twilight tended to also like 50 Shades— of course.

I have a similar theory about readers who are Team Edward or Team Jacob (from Twilight) predicting whether one is likely to be Team Bill or Team Eric (from True Blood.) Me: Jacob and Eric.

                                           

These experiences got me thinking about the kind of Romances I like best. I have to say, I really, really, like the Alpha male. When a story is about power dynamics between a couple, it seems I prefer the hero to be the strong, silent type. The alpha-hole as some call a hero who behaves in ways that would get him arrested in real life, does not work for me, by the way. But mostly, speaking as a writer here, I feel that’s because the Alphahole is most often the result of weak writing.  The writer failed to see and resolve the issues of that extreme hero.

 

At the end of this post, I have a giveaway and a question for you.

Why, Yes! I Do Have a Book to Promote!

Actually, I have two.

Midnight Scandals is a historical romance anthology with stories by me, Courtney Milan and Sherry Thomas. We self-published this, by the way. My novella is One Starlit Night and it’s about former lovers who might still be in love. You can read more about the anthology, read sample chapters, and find buy links to your favorite vendors, at my website: MidnightScandals

One reviewer has said about this anthology: “pretty close to perfection.”

Not Proper Enough is another  historical romance, book two in my Seducing the Scoundrels series for Berkley. I describe the story like this: He’s loved her from the moment he saw her: she’s always hated him. You can read more about Not Proper Enough at my website: NotProper Enough

One reviewer said: “OH MY GOODNESS! What an awesome book! I loved every minute of it. “

What’s your favorite type of Romance hero? Are you like me, and the Alpha hero really works for you? Sound off in the comments.   I have five print copies of Not Proper Enough to give away.

Carolyn Jewel was born on a moonless night. That darkness was seared into her soul and she became an award winning author of historical and paranormal romance. She has a very dusty car and a Master’s degree in English that proves useful at the oddest times. An avid fan of fine chocolate, finer heroines, Bollywood films, and heroism in all forms, she has three cats and a dog. Also a son. One of the cats is his.

***Carolyn's winner is Jennie Coleen561!  Congratulations!  Please email your mailing information to totebag@authorsoundrelations.com.***

When I Grow Up. . . .

. . . I want to learn how to pack well!   

    With all the traveling I've been doing, especially over the last several years, you would think I'd learned by now! But, each new trip begins the terrible, horrible process once more...

     I've watched demonstrations of what to pack and how to pack it, yet I still don't learn. I've spoken to professional packers (aka former flight attendants) to learn their secrets. I've rolled clothes, flattened them, stuffed them into vacuum bags and pumped the air out - all to no avail.  I've written lists based on each day's planned events and wardrobe needs and then selected clothing and accessories to fill those needs -- and completely forgot certain 'unmentionables'!

    Then, just this past July, when traveling to the RWA conference in Anaheim, I really messed up! I needed to pack partly-sightseeing clothes and partly-business clothes for the split trip.  When I got there and was in the thick of the conference, I realized I'd actually only brought about half the clothes I needed!

 So, as I approach a very special trip this month -- my hubby and I are celebrating our recent 35th wedding anniversary by going to HAWAII! -- my quandary begins anew -- what and how to pack!?

   OH -- the one thing I never have trouble with is what reading material to take along! LOL! The first thing I do (even my kids know this!) is to assemble the collection of romance novels I plan to read. On a 'good' trip, I can average a book a day, but I'm thinking there will be some quality, dedicated beach reading time on this trip! The pile is growing quickly as I contemplate more than a week away with nothing to do....

   I would love some packing suggestions from all of you -- what works for you? BIG suitcase? Stuffing as much in as possible and sitting on it to get it zippered? Planning? Professional packing consultant? What? What secrets can you share or tips can you offer?  BTW -- my one packing talent? I can tell the weight of a packed bag when I lift it! I cannot lift 50 lbs, so if I can lift it, it's under the weight limit.

    I'll choose three commentors and send them each a book I picked up at the RWA conference, along with a copy of one of my books! You have until end of day on Saturday to post before I choose a winner....and you'll have my undying gratitude for your help! 

 
Terri is head-down on a binge of deadline-mania writing right now, but she's thrilled that her new Harlequin Historical MACLERIE CLAN series begins with The Highlander's Stolen Touch and it's available now! For more info about Terri's books and events, visit her website....
  

    

To Market, To Market, French Style - Annie West

 

My upcoming release, DEFYING HER DESERT DUTY, was partly inspired by a recent trip to France. Yes, yes, I know, the title sounds like the story is all about hot desert nights and that certainly features at the end of the book. Plus there's a rather mouthwatering sheikh to enjoy along the way. But most of the story is set in Europe as my heroine tries desperately to put off the day she must return to the man she's promised to marry. And along the way she mades the mistake of falling for the man who's been sent to protect and bring her home. Sigh. I love the tug of war between love and duty in this one.

Anyway...thinking about this story made me think of wonderful places I'd visited while researching, some of which are places Soraya visits too. I thought I'd share a few of them with you. Top of my list was rural France.

One of my favourite experiences was visiting French street markets. This one in Le Bugue in the Dordogne region was typical. Lots and lots of fresh produce as you can see. And what would a french market be without ropes of garlic? This stall was actually the smallest of the garlic stalls I found. Another find was a stall specialising in saffron, those tiny threads each picked by hand from low growing crocus flowers. I'm happy to use it in my cooking but so glad I don't have to harvest it! This was at the beginning of the market and I thought it was only the size of the small town square. Little did I know! It went on and on down a long street filled with everything from home made salamis to olives of every shape, variety and seasoning imaginable to...well, to most things edible.

What a terrific way to spend a few hours.

If garlic seems an obvious ingredient in a French food market, how about cheese? I was stunned by the cheese stalls. Some were refrigerated behind glass, like the deli counters at home, full of small pieces of all sorts of creamy cheeses. This one was rather more down to earth, with enormous wheels of cheese coming straight from the farm by the look of them. This stall seemed unattended but I'm sure someone would have arrived if we'd started helping ourselves. I did wonder though if they'd sell their produce in tiny 100gram lots or whether it had to be by the kilo!

Another fascinating stall, especially after the colour and earthy scent of the stalls laden with fresh veges, was this one that specialised in teas. Not plain old black or green tea but unusual combinations and flavours of tea and tea to help with all sorts of ailments. Tea for health not just tea for enjoyment or to quench thirst and each type apparently hand blended. The stall was much, much larger than this. This was just a small shelf out the front with interesting herbs and dried leaves. They did a roaring trade too, mainly with locals I think. The scents from that stall were fascinating too, and I spent ages investigating what was on offer.

Surprisingly (as we were inland after all) one of the last stalls was a massive seafood tent. They had all sorts of fresh seafood on ice from fish to massive prawns, crabs and shellfish. In addition, and much more appealing to passing tourists, were the massive steaming trays of paella (or so it looked to me) and other hot seafood dishes. That's them at the front of the stall - the round containers.

I visit my local farmers' markets at home from time to time and enjoy getting food direct from the grower, knowing it's fresh and tasty. It's always a fun experience. But I have to say there was something especially enjoyable about sampling a French food market. The sun was shining and some of the items on sale were fascinatingly exotic, to me at least. Add to that the fact that purchases were made in French and I didn't have to stagger home with a week's supplies, just enough to supply a delicious outdoor picnic, and it was a wonderful carefree experience. One I can recommend to anyone!

Do you shop at markets? What are the local specialities you enjoy most? Or are there foods you'd love to find on sale that never appear where you shop?


Next month I'll indulge myself with more market pictures but no food this time. I hope you'll join me then too for a little more marketing in sunny France.

If you want to read more about DEFYING HER DESERT DUTY (out in the UK in October), you can visit my website for an excerpt or order it from The Book Depository now (free postage anywhere in the world and a discount if you order before October).

Oh, and if you're in Australia or New Zealand, my bestselling book THE GREEK TYCOON'S UNEXPECTED WIFE is out this month in a gorgeous anthology called 'GREEK AFFAIRS: TEMPTED BY THE TYCOON'.

Brenda Novak: When We Touch - A Whiskey Creek Novella

It was 1996 when I attended my first RWA’s national conference. I’d just finished an 800-page behemoth of a manuscript that didn’t really fit the market and was five months pregnant with my fifth child, but it didn’t matter that my novel needed to be completely rewritten because I felt as if I’d struck gold. I’d been toiling away in every stolen moment I could manage while my husband worked and my kids napped but I didn’t know how to market what I’d written once I typed “The End”—until I found RWA.

A friend of a friend told me about the organization and their annual conference and insisted I attend, and I owe that woman a great deal of gratitude because finding RWA made all the difference. In Dallas, I attended every publisher spotlight I could fit into my schedule, gave my very first pitch to an editor and an agent, learned of the Golden Heart, a national contest which helped launch my career the following summer, and connected with the Sacramento chapter, which could offer support at home. After almost a week, I returned to my family absolutely buzzing with excitement. I could hardly think straight for the next month! I’d found all the information and contacts I needed in order to get published. Now I could see a way to make my dreams come true.

That was sixteen years ago. Since then I’ve written more than forty books, hit the USA Today as well as The New York Times, and gone to national every year except one. Thankfully, it still holds the same magic for me. What I do while I’m there has changed a bit. I’m now too busy meeting with other authors and my agent and editor to attend the fabulous workshops they provide (except the ones I give myself), but I still come home completely enthused about my career and books in general.

This year was especially fun because my editor and I were preparing for the launch of my new Whiskey Creek series and we’d just gotten a glowing review on the first book, WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES, from Publisher’s Weekly:

Gail and Simon’s heartwarming romance develops slowly and sweetly. The sex is fantastic, but the best part is how Simon and Gail tease and laugh as they grow closer.

We were also preparing for the release a 150-page digital novella, a prequel, called WHEN WE TOUCH, which is currently FREE at all e-trailers. You can download it HERE.

Many of my readers want to know if these books signal a permanent change in genre—but they don’t. I’m still writing suspense. As a matter of fact, I’m currently working on the first book in a new very chilling (pun intended ) series set in Alaska. Visit my web site for more details at brendanovak.com.

A WHISKEY CREEK NOVELLA

FREE!

Olivia Arnold is arranging the festivities — and it's the hardest thing she's ever done. Because she should've been marrying Kyle Houseman. They were together for two years. . . But her jealous sister, Noelle, purposely stole him away — and now she's pregnant.
All their friends in Whiskey Creek know as well as Olivia does that Kyle's making a mistake. His stepbrother, Brandon, knows it, too. But Kyle's determined to go through with it, for his child's sake.
Olivia's still devastated but surprisingly, Brandon, the black sheep of the family, is there to provide comfort and consolation. The intensity between them, both physical and emotional, shows Olivia that maybe Kyle wasn't the right man for her. . .But is Brandon?

Download your FREE copy here: Amazon.com | BN.com | Website

Gail DeMarco left Whiskey Creek, California, to make a name for herself in Los Angeles. Her PR firm has accumulated a roster of A-list clients, including the biggest box office hit of all—sexy and unpredictable Simon O’Neal. But Simon, who’s just been through a turbulent divorce, is so busy self-destructing he won’t listen to anything she says. She drops him from her list—and he retaliates by taking the rest of her clients with him.

WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES is now available on.

Preorder your copy here: Amazon.com | BN.com

Giveaway

One lucky commenter will receive a signed copy of WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES.  Contest ends September 10th!!

Come Join My Fan Club

Visit my website at www.brendanovak.com and join my Fan Club. You will soon have the opportunity to purchase items related to the Whiskey Creek series--like a fabulous Black Gold Coffee mug and an Amos Auto Body T-shirt. There will be a town tour, a blog and much more! The fan club is open through November 8. How do you join? Simply buy WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES or WHEN SNOW FALLS and — by November 8 — email the receipt to Danita.Moon@comcast.net, or snail mail the receipt to: Danita Moon 3825 Little Rock Drive Apt 88 Antelope, CA 95843. In return, Danita will send you a pack of autographed trading cards (the first I've ever done!), featuring SIX of the main characters in my Whiskey Creek series. This offer available to NEW members only. (However, anyone can purchase these beautiful cards for a nominal price from our Whiskey Creek Store.)


***Brenda's winner is Michele L!  Congrats, Michele.  Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your details.  Thanks!***

Happy New Year and a Giveaway - with Kate Walker

Happy New Year

No, I’m not completely crazy – or forgetful. I do know what date it is. It’s September – Sunday September 2^nd to be precise. And that’s why I‘m posting here  today.

 I know too that  ‘New Year’ is traditionally, and more usually, on January 1^st but for me that never quite works.  It’s too cold, too dark. The Christmas decorations are still up, there are still parties going on. There is always still too much temptation  in the way of food. drink and  other goodies left over from the festivities to make being  restrained or disciplined at all possible. Which makes new plans and projects – and resolutions  seem like a real trial and  SO much  effort.

So I’ve always preferred the  ‘back to school’ /New term/New school year feeling of September –  early Autumn – for  ‘resolutions’  in the form of new plans and projects, things I want to achieve before the winter really sets in and we get to the  serious celebrating of the holiday period.  The heat has gone out of the summer - well, it would have done  if we’d had any summer. But we have had so much rain  that summer was a bit of a washout this time. Still, today the sun is shining, the  sky is blue and that really helps my resolve  I can tell you. But it’s also not too warm to do anything – the crisp feel to the day has made me want to get busy and get on to do what my mother always called ‘redding up’ – getting things ready for the new season.

This has been quite a year. We have had upheaval and mess, as a result of  building an extension and  completely revamping the kitchen. We also put in a new bathroom. Five months of dirt, noise and chaos. But, oh it was worth it. I’ve spent so much of the summer sitting in the new garden room and  watching the cats pretend they’re out in the jungle, seeing the flowers grow and blossom, and the birds come to the feeders and the bird table. I haven’t even minded if it rained! But the chaos did mean that for some time  it was very very difficult to get any writing done. Add in some health problems – mine,  members of my family, two very dear friends fighting cancer and my time was even more tightly stretched.   Teaching  commitments – much as I love  running classes, and the conference season, travelling to Fishguard for the Writing  Weekends, Caerleon for Writers’ Holiday, Cumbria for the RNA Conference, has taken another chunk out of my working time. And that’s before I head for London and the annual meeting of the Association of Mills & Boon Authors.

So, personally, I’m pretty much ready for a New Year. Right here, right now. I’ve spent the day  cleaning, tidying and sorting out my office, getting emails sent, organising parcels, cards and letters that need to go in the mail tomorrow. I need to update my web site - that's w-a-y overdue!  And I am so looking forward to settling down at my desk in the peace and quiet – the lovely clean, dust free quiet  - and really getting back to work properly.  I sent in a new book to my editor a couple of weeks ago – the first  in an age! – and I have revisions to tackle  - believe me, I’m even looking forward to that as it makes me feel that life is back on track after too long of being mixed up,  messed up and muddled.

So – to celebrate the New Year   and to mark this change in the seasons, I thought I’d do a quick tidy up of some of my book boxes as well and I’m offering a giveaway  - the choice of one of my backlist books  The Devil and Miss Jones, or perhaps  The Konstantos Marriage Demand or The Return of the Stranger . . . your choice ( or if you’ve got all these, then I’m sure I can find something else!) . Just tell me which book you’d like – and what your  Autumn/Fall new year  resolution will be  - what are your plans for the changing season? What do you hope to  do before we’re all caught up in Christmas?

Just post in the comments as usual and once I can get Charlie the Maine Coon in from the jungle – the garden – I’ll get him to pick a winner.  Meanwhile I’m going back to getting myself organised ready for the new year!

And Happy New Year!

And the winners (bcause Charlie always grabs 2 cat treats at once!) are - Jo's Daughter and Erin
Please send me your home mailing address to kate AT kate-walker.com  
Jo's Daughter I have The Devil and Miss Jones for you - Erin can you also let me know your choice of book?

 

Yvonne Lindsay – A Silken Seduction

I’m thrilled to be here and blogging about my latest release, A SILKEN SEDUCTION. Book 3 in The Highest Bidder continuity, A SILKEN SEDUCTION is set against a backdrop of mystery, scandal and intrigue of a venerable New York auction house. I adored my characters, Avery (think young Gwyneth Paltrow) and Marcus (think Paul Walker- yum!)

When an author is working on a continuity it brings new challenges, ones you don’t necessarily face when working on stand alone or series books of your own. Firstly, all the authors involved in the continuity are given a story bible, this gives an overview of the continuity with all the angles and intrigues and overall story arc. Also included are short outlines for each book in the continuity and brief character descriptions for those stories. Basically, I see my job as fleshing out that skeleton and making the story allocated to me my own. Of course the authors stay in touch with one another to ensure that continuity elements remain consistent throughout the whole process.

In A SILKEN SEDUCTION I loved getting to know Avery and Marcus. Avery is a sheltered “poor little rich girl”, perhaps a little on the naïve side, but with a backbone that is strong and a heart that is aching to love and be loved. Marcus is the guy from a blue collar background whose grandfather, his guardian, made a huge sacrifice to give Marcus every opportunity in live to be a success. Marcus is determined to repay his grandfather for his devotion and equally determined to reach his own personal goals of what he defines as success. Together they have a pretty steep learning curve about give and take, truth and honesty and, of course, love.

To give you a taste of what’s to come, here’s the back-cover blurb:

The Fine Art of Temptation…London-based artist Avery Cullen refuses to sell her late father’s art collection. But bold, brash Marcus Price will try everything to get her to reconsider. He even launches an all-out sexual siege on the lonely heiress in the gilded cage.

Securing the collection would be a coup for his auction house, but for Marcus, it would settle a lifelong score. He’s managed to keep his true motives hidden along with his family’s skeletons…and now he’s so close, he can taste success in Avery’s kiss. But after their torrid night of passion, is Marcus prepared for the outcome?

Clearly Marcus is one heck of a determined kind of guy and it got me to wondering just how far a person would be prepared to go for something they really, really wanted? I tend to be singled minded when I want something (as my husband, poor fellow, will attest.) I put what I call my man-brain on, and go at my goal with that in mind and that only. Are you like that? How important would something have to be to you to make you do whatever it took to get what you wanted? Or do you know of someone else who stopped at nothing to achieve their goal?

Out of everyone who comments, three people will be chosen to win a signed copy of A SILKEN SEDUCTION!

***Yvonne's winners are Laurie G., Yadkny, Kaelee!  Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing info!***