Hi folks! I’m at Romancing Rakes today, kicking off their December Joyathon with an interview and giveaway of His Mistletoe Bride. It’s going to be a great month of authors and prizes, so drop on by!
And thanks so much to everyone who stopped by the Romancing The Holidays Gala yesterday at The Romance Dish. It was a fabulous time and a real success. The list of prize winners is posted on the Dish.
It’s finally here! The all-day, on-line gala with Victoria Alexander, Grace Burrowes, Theresa Romain, and moi. We’re spending the day at The Romance Dish, chatting about all the things we love to do during the holidays and, of course, talking about our holiday-themed books!
And we’re giving away prizes–lots of prizes–every hour on the hour, from 9 am to 9 pm. We’ll finish up with a live chat with Victoria Alexander and me at the end of the day, all leading up to the grand prize giveaway of an e-reader!
Zounds!!
Now, in order to be eligible for all these prizes, you do need to sign up for our contest first. It’s a very easy, one-step process. Just visit our special Romancing The Holidays website, sign up, then head over to The Romance Dish for the party. It’s going to be a great day, so get out your party hat and jingle bells and head on over!
This Friday Nov. 30th, I’ll be participating in a very special event. Along with Victoria Alexander, Grace Burrowes, and Theresa Romain, I’ll be hosting an all-day, online holiday gala at The Romance Dish. We’re all celebrating the release of our holiday-themed historical romances, and we wanted to share that celebration with our readers. We’ll be hosting a live chat, talking about favorite holiday recipes and traditions, and giving away amazing prizes every hour–all leading up to the grand prize giveaway of an e-reader. Zounds! Pretty great, eh?
And that’s not all we’ll be doing. We’re also giving away two huge gift baskets filled with books to a women’s shelter and a library, and we’ll be encouraging you to make donations to your local charities too. Won’t you join us for the festivities and to make the world a little brighter for those who need our help over the holidays? For more details and to sign up to be eligible for our contests, please visit our special Romancing The Holidays website.
Then join us on Nov. 30th at The Romance Dish!
What else am I doing this week? Tomorrow, the 27th, I’ll be visiting with Cynthia Eden to help her celebrate the release of her new paranormal romance, Angel in Chains. It’s an all-day holiday party with lots of authors visiting and giving away books, so be sure to check it out. I’ll be on at noon tomorrow if you want to stop by and see me and have a chance to win one of my books. I think it’s going to be a really fun day with lots of surprise guests.
See you at the parties!
Yes, folks, it’s that time of year again – the festive time of holiday galas! And have I got a great one for you. Along with acclaimed historical romance authors Victoria Alexander, Grace Burrowes, and Theresa Romain, I’ll be hosting an all-day online holiday gala on Nov. 30 at The Romance Dish. It’s called Romancing The Holidays, and I can promise you that it’s going to be a very special event. We’ll be hanging out at The Romance Dish all day, chatting about our favorite holiday festivities, exchanging recipes, and chatting with our readers. And we’ll be giving away prizes – lots of prizes. Just take a look at this list!
LADY LOUISA’S CHRISTMAS KNIGHT, by Grace Burrowes
HIS MISTLETOE BRIDE, by Vanessa Kelly
SEASON FOR SURRENDER, by Theresa Romain
WHAT HAPPENS AT CHRISTMAS, by Victoria Alexander
Holiday Stocking filled with all 4 books
Book + Mug + English Christmas crackers
Book + What Happens at Christmas mouse pad + White House Christmas Ornament
Book+ Southern praline candy + What Happens at Christmas mouse pad
Book + Mug + Loose-leaf tea plus tea strainer
All 4 books + Christmas Ornament + Tea Towel + English Christmas crackers
Book + Set of David Winter cottage ornaments
Grand Prize: eReader + Box of chocolate truffles + Set of David Winter cottage ornaments
Wow! That’s a pretty spectacular list of prizes, right? Staring at 9 am, we’ll be giving away one of these prize packages to event participants every hour, culminating in the grand prize of an e-reader, chocolates, and ornaments. Talk about getting into the holiday mood!
And you know what else is cool? We’ll also be giving away gift baskets to women’s shelters and libraries, and we’ll be encouraging our readers to make donations too. We really hope you’ll join us for Romancing The Holidays at The Romance Dish on November 30. For more info and to sign up for this special event, please visit our Romancing The Holidays website.
And in more holiday news, have you heard about The Year End Splash Party over at The Romance Reviews?
Over 300 hundreds authors are participating in this month long event, with more than 400 hundred prizes up for grabs. I’m taking part too, and will be appearing on December 10th, doing a Q & A and giving away books. Please join me and all the authors for this fantastic party which is already up and running. Just stop by The Romance Reviews to join the fun.
And don’t forget to visit our Romancing The Holidays website to sign up for the our special gala, too!
PS. I’m on the road today, visiting at Ramblings From This Chick and giving away a copy of His Mistletoe Bride. Come join us!
I’ve been a bit quiet here on the blog, for a very good reason. Hubby and I were away at a writer’s conference and visiting friends in New York. In fact, we had planned to spend yesterday in Manhattan. Yeah, those plans changed pretty darn quickly and we high-tailed it out of there first thing Sunday morning, well in advance of Hurricane Sandy. My thoughts and best wishes are with everyone affected by Sandy–hopefully that demon storm will blow itself out soon!
I do have lots of good things planned for the blog over the next few months. In addition to my regular guests, I’ll be doing a weekly highlight of the fabulous authors of Rock*It Reads. Rock*It Reads is the author collective I’m part of–we’re a group of traditionally published authors also branching out into indie publishing. We’re committed to producing quality, exciting books and our authors include Pamela Clare, Bonnie Vanak, Monica Burns, and Mia Marlowe. Stay turned to learn more about this talented group of women.
I’m also still celebrating the recent release of my holiday-themed historical romance, His Mistletoe Bride. To carry on with that celebration well into the holiday season, I’ve banded together with three other historical romance authors. Along with the fabulous Victoria Alexander, Theresa Romain, and Grace Burrowes, I’ll be hosting an all-day festive gala, Romancing the Holidays, on the romance blog The Romance Dish. We’ll be giving away prizes every hour, from 9 am to 9 pm ET. All four of us will be blogging throughout the day, talking about our books, the holiday season, and chatting with our readers. We’ll also be giving away some spectacular prizes throughout the day, including a grand prize basket featuring an ereader. Zounds! You do not want to miss that. Dash on over to the Romancing the Holidays website for all the details and to sign up.
Sounds like crazy fun, doesn’t it? But what’s even cooler is that we’ve included a fundraising component to the event. We’ll be giving away baskets of books to a women’s shelter and a library, and we’re also encouraging our readers to make donations too. Be sure to check out the Romancing the Holidays website for details and to sign up to participate.
See you back here on the blog!
Historical romance fans, don’t you just love a good, juicy medieval romance? I do, which is why I’m particularly delighted to be featuring one of today’s best medieval romance authors on my blog. She’s Kris Kennedy, and she writes sweeping, adventurous and very sexy historical romance.
Kris burst onto the romance writing scene when she won the prestigious Golden Heart Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her first published book was The Conqueror, put out by Kensington Publishing, which received great reviews and was a Recommended Read from the influential romance blogger, Dear Author.
Her second book, The Irish Warrior, which was her Golden Heart manuscript, came out in 2010 to a whole boatload of acclaim.
And I do mean boatload! The Irish Warrior ended up on numerous top ten lists for the year – including The Romance Dish, Wendy the Super Librarian, and The Book Binge. It was a Desert Island Keeper from All About Romance and a Fresh Pick from Fresh Fiction. Whew! I’ve read every one of Kris’ books and I can tell you that the accolades are well deserved.
Luckily for her readers, Kris has a brand new book out. It’s called Deception, and it’s awesome (yep, I got to read this one early, too!). As expected, the reviews are great and the book has already earned a coveted 4-1/2 stars from RT Book Reviews and a Top Pick from Night Owl Reviews.
Now, Deception is not just the same old thing, and that’s one of it’s many strengths. Here’s how Kris explains her new book:
Deception isn’t your typical medieval romance. It’s less about knights and chases across the countryside, and more about cons. And dirty money. And the powerful men who want it, and what they’ll do to get it.
And of course, the person who will risk everything to stop them.
Oh, and Sexytimes. Lots of that.
I can vouch for the sexy times, folks! And I loved the fact that it was a medieval caper – one with a super cool and very hot hero. Here’s the blurb for Deception:
A dashing con man
Breaking and entering to reclaim her corrupt late father’s ledger comes surprisingly easily to Sophia Darnly. But is it mere coincidence that her misdeed unexpectedly reunites her with Kier, the outlaw lover who abandoned her years ago?
A lady skilled in trickery
Time has not erased Sophia from Kier’s heart, nor tamed her fiery spirit. She boldly insinuates herself into his plans. But Kier is on a mission of revenge, and can’t allow even the woman he once loved to stop him.
A game that could get them both killed
The danger mounts as they lure the leader of a powerful consortium who needs the fabled Darnly ledger—and all its damning details about the wealthiest merchants of England— to execute his nefarious plan. Their rekindled passion burns hot, but when they discover they too are the targets of a deadly deception, the fate of their love, and of England itself, lies in the balance.
Seriously, folks. If you love intrigue, adventure, and a smart heroine and a sexy hero, this is the book for you! No one writes medieval romance quite like Kris Kennedy.
For my readers today, Kris is giving away copies of her previous books, Defiant and The Irish Warrior. Let’s talk about thrillers and capers. What’s your favorite thriller or caper TV show, movie or book? Robin Hood? Mission Impossible? Let us know for a chance to win one of Kris’ fabulous books!
And don’t forget to visit Kris’ website to read excerpts from all her books and for samples of her many reviews!
I’m so glad to have one of my good pals on the blog today. She’s Maggie Robinson, author of fabulously sexy historical romances. Maggie is on a whirlwind blog tour for her latest Kensington Brava release, Mistress by Marriage.
Maggie’s books are wonderful reads. As The Romance Dish said, “you’re always guaranteed sassy wit and sizzling sensuality when you pick up one of Maggie’s books.”
I’m going to turn the blog over to my friend now, as she gives us the inside scoop on her new book.
I had the pleasure of meeting Vanessa and her charming husband at the Romance Writers of America convention this June in New York City. They are sometime-writing partners, which absolutely flabbergasts me. I cannot imagine writing with my husband. In fact, he’s never read a word of what I’ve had published so far. (That’s a total of five novels and two novellas under my two writing names.) He’s just not at all romance-y, although he can be very thoughtful. We are total opposites when it comes to most things. He’s a jock—I only care about where the jockstrap goes. 
In fact, we’re a little like the characters in Mistress by Marriage (Brava, September 2011). I won’t say he’s as unyielding and rigid as Edward if he won’t call me flighty and temperamental like Caroline.
Marriage is a mysterious venture. It’s hard enough when the couple have similar backgrounds and goals. When you throw complete strangers at each other, there’s bound to be trouble. Because I am evil, I had my methodical, proper Baron Christie fall hopelessly in the thrall of unsuitable, improper Caroline Parker at a ball, and they’ve both paid for it for six years. When Mistress by Marriage opens, they’ve been separated for five of them. Edward has bought a house for his estranged wife on Jane Street, London’s most exclusive neighborhood for courtesans. He wants a divorce. So does Caroline.
A divorce was hard to obtain, hideously expensive and reputation-ruining in Regency times. It was far more common for people to live apart and wish each other dead, LOL. So I faced legal challenges as well as emotional ones. Once Edward discovers things were not what they appeared to be, he realizes his grounds for divorce don’t exist. His honor and heart are at stake. He wants Caro back. But does she fall into his arms? No, that would be too easy and end the book well before page 278.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, so at last Edward reads one of Caroline’s naughty novels. (Did I tell you she writes lurid gothic romances? Do you think this means I want my husband to read my books?) He alters one of her plots, expecting a happy ending. Uh, no such luck. But don’t worry, by page 278 everything is more than okay. Defrosting “Cold Christie” was one of the most fun things I’ve done as a writer. He’s baffled by love—it does not fit into his logical worldview. And even though Caroline writes romances, she doesn’t think she deserves love, but Edward is happy to prove her wrong.
I have a friend who says “There’s a lid for every pot.”
Do you believe there’s someone out there for everyone? How did you meet your partner? I have a signed copy of Mistress by Marriage for one commenter.
Vanessa, here. Be sure to check out Maggie’s website, which includes excerpts and details on all her books. And don’t forget to answer her question for a chance to win Mistress by Marriage!
Today’s guest author is Lila DiPasqua, who writes lush and sexy historical romance with a fairy tale twist. In fact, she writes “Fiery Tales,” classic fairy tales cleverly reimagined into sensual and sophisticated romances. The first in her Fiery Tales collection is Awakened by a Kiss, which retells Sleeping Beauty, Puss In Boots, and Little Red Riding Hood. This debut collection got great reviews, including a 5 star review from The Romance Dish:
“Every now and then a debut author knocks my socks off with her first novel. . . AWAKENED BY A KISS is a magnificent debut!!!! …Purchase it right now!!!” — The Romance Dish
I have to tell you, I love the idea of taking classic fairy tales from our childhood and retelling them as sensual and romantic adult tales. It’s one of those great high concepts that makes a writer think…damn, I wish I’d thought of that!
Here’s the book trailer for Awakened By A Kiss, which gives you a sense of what these stories are about.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoNZ9In935c&feature=player_embedded]
Lila’s second collection of Fiery Tales is The Princess in His Bed, which got phenomenal reviews including this one from Publishers Weekly: “Ripe with steamy affairs, these lusty stories are hot enough to warm the coldest winter night.”
Wow! Or steam things up on a hot summer night too, eh? Romance Junkies gave the collection a coveted 5 ribbon review:
“Lila DiPasqua weaves another sumptuous collection. The heroines are ladies in every way, the heroes just rakish enough to be adored… I recommend this to all adult fairytale lovers. – 5 RIBBONS!
For historical romance lovers, what could be more enticing than all those handsome princes from days gone by, coming back to life as sexy romance heroes between the pages of Lila’s books – fun!
Lila has a new book coming out in August. A Midnight Dance is a full-length historical romance, inspired by the tale of Cinderella.
Of all the fairy tales we know, Cinderella is perhaps the most romantic and just perfect for Lila’s unique talents. Here’s the blurb:
Born into wealth, Sabine Laurent and her twin sister lived a life of luxury, their father’s prestigious theater frequented by royalty and aristocracy alike. And Sabine dreamed of her own prince charming—the devastatingly handsome Jules de Moutier.
That was before the loss of her sister and her family’s fall from grace—a disaster Sabine blames on the Moutier family. Now, with her father’s death, she’s inherited his sizable debt and the responsibility of caring for his spoiled long-time mistress and her two wastrel daughters. But with the help of Sabine’s eccentric friends—the balance of her father’s acting troupe—she plans to get very close to her old infatuation, seduce the rake—and make away with a fortune.
Resisting Jules’s skillful mouth and tantalizing touch is not as easy as Sabine supposed. And soon she must decide whether her desire for vengeance is greater than her desire for her one and only prince…
Doesn’t that sound great? Jennifer Ashley, the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie would agree:
“A MIDNIGHT DANCE is a fun, spicy, historical romp that’s sure to delight! A lovely twist on the Cinderella fairy tale, with a deliciously dark hero and a heroine who’s more than a match for him.”— Jennifer Ashley, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
A Midnight Dance is available for pre-order on Amazon, and at all your favorite booksellers. You can find more info about the book, including an excerpt, on Lila’s website. And while you’re on Lila’s website, be sure to check out her amazing contest for her upcoming blog tour and party. And here’s another one of Lila’s interesting and totally fun twists – the blog party is being hosted by her husband, and will feature interviews with the husbands of romance writers, including mine! Yes, DH will be appearing on Lila’s blog on July 21. Mr. DiPasqua will also be hosting the husbands of Sophie Jordan, Kris Kennedy, Kate Noble, and Kieran Kramer, among many others. The whole thing sounds like a riot, so you’d best get yourself over to Lila’s blog and check out the details.
Lila has very graciously donated a copy of A Midnight Dance, which I will give away to one person who stops by the blog today or tomorrow morning. Just tell me what’s your favorite fairy tale, either as a child or as an adult.
I’m so excited to be hosting the wonderful Anna Campbell, who truly needs no introduction. Oh, heck. I’m going to introduce her anyway! Anna writes the most lusciously sensual, fantastically lyrical Regency-set historical romances, with brooding heroes, intelligent heroines, and tons of passion and drama. Her first book, Claiming The Courtesan, rocked the romance world. It finaled in the presigious RITA Awards, and won the Best First Historical Romance Award in the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards. Her books have finaled in or won numerous contests, and have received great critical acclaim.
Anna’s latest book is Midnight’s Wild Passion, and it’s bound to be another fantastic read! Welcome to the blog, Anna!
A Classic Is a Classic Is a Classic
As Gertrude Steinway said, tinkling away on her Mozart sonata in Paris.
Hiya Vanessa! Congratulations on all the buzz about your latest release . Gorgeous cover! Thanks so much for having me as your guest today.
When people ask me about my latest historical romance, MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION (out 26th April, yahooooooo!), I tell them it’s a classic Regency romance with Anna Campbell touches. And it is!
This book includes a whole stack of elements that have been the mainstay of Regency romances since their inception (going back to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE!). There’s an elopement. Actually there’s more than one elopement! There’s a duel. The characters join the glamorous social whirl that is the London Season. There’s an event-filled house party in Surrey. I could go on – you get the picture, I’m sure!
In fact, I went so far as to say to someone who asked me about MWP that in this particular book, my heroine gets to dress up rather than take her clothes off. Which is a bit of an exaggeration as I wrote quite a few luscious love scenes for the Marquess of Ranelaw and his heroine Antonia Smith.
You can read the blurb and an excerpt from MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION here.
In my other books, the characters operate outside society in many ways so their chances to go to parties are pretty minimal, poor dears. So I wondered where this sudden penchant for ballrooms and waltzes and brittle exchanges on the terraces of stately homes in MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION came from.
Then I remembered a significant fact, although its true significance had escaped me until now. Back about the stage I started MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION (about eighteen months ago), I had begun to re-read Georgette Heyer’s classic Regency romances published between 1921 and the mid-1970s. I devoured these books first as a girl in primary school – they’re terrifically popular down here in Australia, especially in libraries – then I re-read them as a teenager, then in my late 20s. Loved them every time, although interestingly my particular favorites changed from reading to reading.
About 18 months ago, I was asked to review DEVIL’S CUB for The Romance Dish site and I have to admit (shame on me!) that I picked up this book published in 1932 quite reluctantly. I worried that after having dined almost exclusively on modern dishes lately, this older read might have a slight whiff of being past its use-by date. And hey, I love sex scenes and I knew there weren’t going to be any of those!
But I gulped down the delicious story of wicked Lord Vidal and his stalwart heroine Mary in the space of a (very late) night. And I’ve been gradually picking up the ones I remember as favorites ever since. So far, I’ve been through THE UNKNOWN AJAX, VENETIA, THE GRAND SOPHY and FREDERICA. Every single one of them has been marvellous – sparkling and sexy and witty and beautifully written.
Georgette Heyer established the parameters of the classic Regency romance and I think one of the reasons this period continues to be so incredibly popular is that people just want to return to that world. I can see why – and it seems I’ve done an unconscious tribute to her genius in MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION.
So do you like the classic elements of a Regency romance? Do you have a particular favorite element? The parties? The rakes? The wit? The dresses? Are you a Georgette Heyer fan? Do you have a favorite?
One lucky commenter today will win a signed copy of MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION! Good luck!
I’m guest-blogging today at The Romance Dish with my fellow Kensington authors, Sally MacKenzie and Kaitlin O’Riley. We’re chatting about the release of our anthology An Invitation To Sin, coming out on February 1. Stop by and join the fun – comment to win a copy of An Invitation To Sin!
