Guest Author: Katharine Ashe & Giveaway!

I’m so happy to have the fabulous Katharine Ashe on the blog today.  Katharine writes gorgeous, critically acclaimed historical romances full of adventure and sensuality.  Her new book, In the Arms of a Marquess, will be released on August 30.  It’s already getting fantastic buzz and reviews, which doesn’t surprise me one bit!  I’ll turn the blog over to Katharine now, as she tells us about her secret cravings…

Indulging in the Exotic

I am a homebody. I love my cozy family room, my sink-into-it couch with fuzzy pillows (I bought on sale!), sun shining through the leaves of my potted palm, my pups napping on the floor. Sometimes when I write I sit at my kitchen table, coffee mug and a little plate of cookies beside me, or on the back deck where a hummingbird occasionally visits and I can hear boys playing basketball in the park through the woods. I love my quiet little street, my friendly neighborhood, my local café, the grocery store where I know everybody, and the laundromat where I chat each week with Millie about our latest romance reads.

I am a homebody.

But sometimes… I crave the exotic.

Crave.

I’ve had this craving for years. I haven’t tried to curb it. Instead, I indulge it. In the 70’s, my mother learned from a dieting guru that “humming foods” – foods you crave while dieting – can be the ruination of your diet if you don’t hum back to them, i.e. nibble them occasionally. I like this theory.

But I don’t nibble. I feast.

Usually my feast is a book, a delectable novel about some far-off place I’ve only seen in pictures and dreams… deserts where the heat rises in waves off the sand while caravans of bejeweled camels march along… glittering island seas where the water is so blue it hurts the eye with its perfection… golden pyramids that rise into the heavens… towering pinnacles on sparkling temples… fortress walls that stretch hundreds of miles across windswept mountaintops… the sumptuous sprawl of palaces built entirely for luxury and pleasure. It’s all the better if it’s a historical novel, especially a romance. When I read one of these I can sit in the comfort of my cozy house and, for a handful of hours, live a very different life. A life of fantastic adventure. It’s magical.

Sometimes, though, I answer the “humming” by writing. From the delicious comfort of Regency England, I take a step into the exotic, then another, and another into the vast, magnificent British Empire of the early nineteenth century. I don’t go for long! I adore the flirtations of London ballrooms, the witty banter of drawing rooms, romantic drives in the park and scandalous gossip around the tea table. I never stray far from those. In fact, what I love to do most is bring the exotic home to enjoy.

So that’s what I’ve done in my next book, IN THE ARMS OF A MARQUESS, coming on August 30. Sensible, shockingly honest Miss Octavia Pierce has a taste for the exotic, and the daring to go after it. Dark-eyed and delectably handsome Lord Ben Doreé, a man of mystery—raised like any English nobleman but not fully English, on the edge of society but never fully within it—has secrets Octavia is determined to discover. And he may just let her, but only if she agrees to a shocking proposition…

She had never forgotten him…

Miss Octavia Pierce is witty, well off, and shockingly unwed. Still, she is far too successful in society to remain on the shelf forever, and her family has hopes that Octavia will finally make the perfect match. What they do not know is that years earlier Octavia was scandalously tempted by the one man capable of sweeping her off her feet—the man now known as the Marquess of Doreé.

A third son, never meant to inherit, Lord Ben Doreé has abandoned his past and grown accustomed to his illustrious new position of wealth and power. But he has never forgotten Octavia, and now she desperately needs his help in a most dangerous, clandestine matter. Although she claims she has put the memories of the passion they shared behind her, Ben is determined to once again have her in his arms—and in his bed.

Vanessa, here.  Just for us, Katharine is a giving away a copy of Swept Away by a Kiss, the first book in her critically acclaimed Rogues of the Sea series.

Here’s the question she wants you to answer:  do you ever allow yourself to indulge in the exotic? Whether it’s adding a dash of cinnamon to your morning coffee or haring off on a trip around the world, how do you feed your cravings?  One reader who shares her secret craving (mine is chocolate cupcakes!) will win a copy of this marvelous book.

And don’t forget – as part of its K.I.S.S. and Teal campaign, Avon Romance is donating 25c from the sale of each copy of IN THE ARMS OF A MARQUESS (print or e-book) to support Ovarian Cancer research and support for victims and families.

105 thoughts on “Guest Author: Katharine Ashe & Giveaway!”

  1. Thank you for hosting me on your lovely blog today, Vanessa. I’m so happy to be here! Thanks too for sharing links to Avon’s K.I.S.S. and Teal campaign and helping to spread the word about the whispering signs and symptoms of Ovarian Cancer.

    Reply
  2. wow…i would love to say that my cravings for the exotic would send me to Egypt my not SO secret love of that land but alas it is not be just yet. So my only exotic indulgance for the time being has been a good book and the ocean. My family and I moved back to the resort town at the Jersey Shore and I couldn’t be happier about 2-1/2 years ago. And when I am not chasing my 4yr old around I like to sneak off to the board walk and find a quiet bench before the crowds show up that is and enjoy the breeze from the ocean and read. The smell of the sea tends to be quite relazing too…Good Morning Katherine! It’s always nice to read these blogs to get to know new (at least to me) authors. I have only gotten back into reading the past 4 months and I couldn’t be happier. 😀

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    • Tina, I’m so happy you’re back into reading! Okay, you’ve said so many wonderful things, I’m giddy. I spent my childhood summers on the Jersey shore. I learned my love of the sea there and, truly, it’s why I write books about seafaring men (and some women!). Your special reading time on the boardwalk sounds heavenly. Also, I have a passion for Egypt too. In fact, I’ve just finished writing a book (due out in 2012) with a half-Egyptian hero. See? I do tend to indulge my fantasy cravings by creating heroes from the lands I’d love to visit. 🙂 Happy reading to you!

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      • Really? Do you have a name for the new book? You giddy? I am so excited! In the last blog I was in I wrote how I was getting overwelmed with ALL the authors there are in Avon books library! My first romance in over 15 years was Miranda Nevilles The Dangerous Viscount OMG I loved it. I loved all the detail she went into everything. And now you are writing about seafaring men. All I am invisioning right now is Captain Jack or maybe even what was his name Captain Ahab (sp) grr this headache of mine today is making my brain not work. Half-Egyptian Hero. I am SO there.

        Right now i am reading Sandra Hill’s The Blue Viking…I knew I would love her books about vikings since I am SO obsessed with Vampire Eric from True Blood, but I must say I love it! It’s so different from the historical I am used to.

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      • Tina, the working title for my book with the half-Egyptian hero is SEND ME A LADY TO LOVE, but these things sometimes change. That book is due out sometime in late 2012. The hero, Jin Seton, is a character in my CAPTURED BY A ROGUE LORD. The hero of that book is an earl who moonlights as a pirate, but his lieutenant, Jin, is the real, life-long pirate. Yummy.

        And now here I am talking about a book to come out a year from now when I have two before that, LOL. But I do love seafaring heroes. I can’t seem to stop writing them!

        Sandra Hill is fabulous, funny and sexy and wonderful. (She was also lovely in supporting me by giving me quotes for my books and website about my debut novel!)

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  3. Hmmmm…. do I allow myself to indulge??? Far too often, I think! I believe in making the exotic part of every day – the lovely and unusual scarf you find for your coat, the delicious lavender scone you buy for with your tea once in a while, the vivid colour you wouldn’t have considered purchasing, etc. However, my biggest indulgence in the exotic was planning and taking a solo trip to Cambodia and Hong Kong. Best decision I ever made, and the travel bug is still with me! I can’t go every year, but I can certainly read all about the places I want to visit, and make a list of where I’m heading to next (looks like Cairo is top of the list…).

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    • Wow, Jenn, you are a woman after my own heart. Making the exotic part of the everyday is just what I love to do too. And I am insanely jealous (*insanely*) that Cairo will be your next travel stop (see my above comment to Tina about the half-Egyptian hero I just wrote!). But I’m thrilled, naturally, that you’ll be going. 🙂

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  4. I allow myself to indulge in the exotic! :D..How I wish that I too can travel the world.. If only money is not an object! But right now, the one thing that i find myself indulgent about is Rice.. I couldn’t imagine eating without it, its just not right for my taste buds. I dont care if I only a have less than a serving of food to match with more than 3 cups of rice, as long as I satisfy my stomach! They even told me that I could get Dibaetes for eating much carbohydrates, and I told them, “so what, I will die happy!” lol. really,I’m not used to eating just only meat. Its more like saying, Rice completes a meal! :D. You know, people are right when thay say “one can find joy in little things”.. 😀

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  5. I love to sit on a pier – either at the beach or on a lake, it doesn’t make much difference – and feel the sun on my face, listen to the cries of the birds, and watch boats in the distance while I dangle my legs over the side. My imagination can take me anywhere as I am calmed and soothed by the sights, sounds and smells of the water. I also love the mountains, the lush greenery, the pastoral little towns, the rural scenery where my mom grew up. I remember feeling like I was in an entirely different world the last time I was there, listening to the call of the whippoorwill, plucking plums from the trees and watching the sun descend into twilight. All the tension of the day seems to melt away when I leave the bustle and noise of suburbia behind for peaceful moments in a more natural setting. Congrats, Katharine, on your new book – I’ll be sure to look for it on Amazon. Thanks, Vanessa, for the contest!

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    • Thank you, Sandy. You’ve just described my ideals–the sea and the mountains. I’m an East coast girl these days, and have found a happy spot in the piedmont of North Carolina with old beautiful mountains to one side and the vast sparkling ocean to the other–perfect. My characters tend to love nature the way you do, as a place to gain peace and strength for the eventual return to society.

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      • So funny Katherine, my hubby wants to leave Jersey and eventually move to NC. Only thing is he wants to go to Charlotte area. I REALLY don’t know if I can handle being that FAR from the ocean lol. It’s like 4 hours I hear. YIKES!

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      • I hear you, Sandy. If I had my druthers, I’d be plunked down right where you are on the boardwalk every single day of the rest of my life. Maybe someday… For now, I must be content with a two-hour drive, sigh! 🙂

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  6. I totally allow myself indulge, occassionally. Everything in moderation or you go overboard! I occassionally indulge in chocolate (but as I’m not a great fan of it its not hard for me to do more than indulge…I know, odd for a woman), a scoop of icecream every once in a while. Now I have to be careful with popcorn…my HUGE downfall!!! I don’t keep it in the house anymore but I DO indulge when we go see a movie…sometimes I will go see ANYTHING so I can eat popcorn…LOL! Every five years or so, we travel internationall (after saving every penny during that time)y….in 2008, we went to Scotland. In 2012, we are all going on our daughter’s class trip to Europe…london, paris, amsterdam, belgium…

    books4me67 at ymail.com

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    • wow so funny wendydbooks my friend Wendy who has the same initials as you was just talking about this subject this morning! Popcorn! She loves movie theater popcorn too! LOL. We belong to a mom’s group that meets up on line to chat. And she made a thread about what movie theater snack you loved…

      Mine is popcorn too! I like to sometimes add M & M’s and Peanuts to add some sweet to it! lol

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    • Wendy, wow! What a fabulous trip you have planned. Where did you go in Scotland? I made my first trip there last fall for research (I have a Scottish hero coming up in my book coming out in February 2012), to Edinburgh and the Lothians, and FELL IN LOVE. I never understood the Scotland addiction some folks have until then. Now I’m a devotee.

      Yay you for having self control when it comes to chocolate. 😉 One of sisters is a huge popcorn fan, too, so I thoroughly understand that craving (I tend to snack with popcorn in one hand, chocolate in the other, lol).

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      • Katherine-A Scottish hero too? wow I am loving you more and more. I have got to get to the book store after I finish the 6 books after the one I am reading right now. lol 😀

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  7. I am also a indulge in my inner foodie as well and the most exotic dish I have had so far is the dish our friend Marcus made me for Mother’s Day 2 years ago. It’s an Egyptian dish his mother made him called Maa’saa. I think I have that spelled right. It’s kind of like a casserole. It has eggplant, potatoes and ground beef with cumin and garlic and after its all prepared u eat it with you finger scooping it up with pita or Naan (kind of like Pita). Its SOO good. I love trying new dishes from other countries. If I can’t visit there I might as well experience what the food it from there.

    OH yea he also made me Phool. The Breakfast of champions in Egypt as well. It has fava beans, olive oil, garlic, and you sometimes egg. Also scooped up with Pita SO good.

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    • Oh my lord, Tina, now you’ve given me a craving! I would like to meet this friend Marcus. 😉 I have a particular fondness for Egyptian food and culture (thus the half-Egyptian hero I mentioned in a comment above that I just finished writing). Oh, wow, I’m going to have to go to that Mediterranean deli down the street with all the Egyptian specialities now… where are my car keys?…

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  8. aHHHH The exotic… Well, books like yours feed that need for me! But I must say that my favorite vacation spot is the USVI Cinnamon Bay campground! And a huge thank you from me for your teaming up with Avon’s K.I.S.S. and Teal campaign !! I lost a dear friend to ovarian cancer after her battle for over 10 years! More women need to know those signs of that cancer. Bless you for this !

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    • Oh, Cate, I’m so very sorry for your loss. Ovarian Cancer is so stealthy, most women put the symptoms off to the regular sorts of discomforts we’re so accustomed to feeling monthly. I’m honored Avon asked me to take part in this campaign, and excited to be able to spread the word.

      And by the way, every K.I.S.S. and Teal book includes a few pages in the back with the signs and symptoms of Ovarian Cancer and other really helpful information.

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  9. The exotic? Well… I buy tons of romance books when I get a bit sad/depressed and feel like that I need some cheering up. That’s about it. NOT that exotic really. Other cravings: gummy bears! Can’t get enough of them… 🙂

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  10. Vanessa and Miranda, I’d like to thank you both for supporting and participating in the K.I.S.S. and TEAL campaign. My best friend died from ovarian cancer and the research and programs to educate women are desperately needed now more than ever.

    Miranda I loved Swept Away by a Kiss and have been waiting (desperately) for In the Arms of a Marquess to read Ben’s story. As soon as he appeared before I knew that his story needed to be written and that you would fail to provide it!

    I’ve found when I want to indulge myself I curl up in a comfy chair with a glass of single malt scotch on the rocks (no water needed) and a course a historical romance book to spin me in it’s web. What could be more exotic? Now if I could just get my husband to stop snoring in the chair beside me it would be perfect!

    PS: I still have managed not to let any of my friends steal my tattered copy of Swept Away by a Kiss so if you pick my name could you donate it? I’ve had to spend time in the hospital waiting for test results, etc. and a good book is always a comfort so perhaps one of you know exactly the right docter’s office or somewhere that a good romance could give comfort. Thanks.

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    • I wish I had a copyeditor for everything I do in life. For example, say the wrong sentence to your boss on the phone… wait!… rewind!… I have to get my copyeditor to fix that before you hear it. LOL. 🙂

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  11. Exotic…..oh yeah…..a big slice of Pina Colada cake, all of the bright vivid exotic Indonesian colors (think bellydancing) music…the lush mouth of a dark haired green eyed barbarian/pirate…..(big sigh) LOL!! Sounds good to me!!

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  12. With four munchkins still in school, I haven’t had the opportunity to do much exotic traveling – although I’d love to go to the Caribbean, Ireland, or Australia. But for now, I indulge in time with my family. We plan fun outings, exploring National Parks and trying new things. Each year, my hubby and I plan some “us” time for two days – usually somewhere we can go that’s quiet and relaxing, away from the noise of the city. We’ve discovered some great bed and breakfast establishments in the middle of nowhere Kansas & Missouri, too. =) When I want to escape from my everyday life, I read, read, read. I always have a novel ready! I’m going to pop out and purchase your book for my Nook today. Thank you!

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    • Thank you, Danyelle! (Don’t you love your Nook? I adore mine.) Your getaways sound perfect. And with four munchkins at home it must be fabulous to have that time with your husband every so often. In our US-trotting days (in graduate school, when we were young and very mobile), my DH and I actually collected National Park trading cards whenever we stopped at one. Of course that only fueled our desires to see more parks! 🙂

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  13. Don’t think I can chat much longer…my head is about to explode. And my phones here at work are starting to pick up woot woot. FINALLY. I look foward to reading your books Katharine as well as Vanessa’s as I have told Vanessa in the past blog, I have been forbidden by my hubby that I can NOT buy anymore books until I finish the ones I have. And since I like to buy my books instead of borrowing them I won’t be going to the library anytime soon either but I may be able to hit of the library when they have their monthy book sale. NOW that is another indulgance of mine a good BARGAIN!

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  14. My biggest indulgence was my first trip abroad in 2008. My husband and I went to Japan. We stayed in Tokyo and Kyoto, plus and a few small villages, during our 11 day stay. The highlight was our trip to the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, which was featured in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha. I ran down the rain-soaked path beneath the thousands of Torii gates that line the hillside. It was one magical, unforgettable moment!

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  15. I think it’s so great that all of us can take a really cheap (but worth every penny!) exotic vacation by buying and reading your books, Katharine!

    I would love to go to any place across the Atlantic and spend a month or two exploring- a real fantasy since I have two little ones. I’m lucky to be married to a man of the same mind; so, I know we’ll get exploring the great wide world someday. 😉

    Can’t wait to read In The Arms of The Marquess!!!

    BTW,the inspiration for Ben was featured (a picture supplied by Katharine, herself) on Twitter under the hashtag #mancandymonday.

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  16. Congrats on the upcoming release. I do like a little exotic spice in my life every now and then. It’s usually in the form of food. I’m usually pretty good at trying new cuisine.

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    • I think I would have to agree with you there on the exotic spice. I have some Garam Masala in my cabinet that I have never tried before that I have been itching to use! I hear it makes Curry dishes excellant which again I have never tried!

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  17. My exotic craving would be to visit Dubai once again and be pampered by an Arabic prince … lavished with diamonds, shopping in style, going for moonlight horseriding and staying at the royal suite and being catered to all my needs 😉

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  18. Traveling is all fine and well but I’m always rather concerned about picking up exotic parasites along the way (anyone who had to undergo intestinal parasite treatment in the past would be hesitant, too). So, I’d rather read about exotic locales and have chocolates with exotic ingredients (the bacon ones aren’t that bad).

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  19. Great campaign from your publisher. Can’t wait to read the books on the list. I enjoyed “humming foods” reference as it is a great way to describe the cravings – and giving in to cravings works for me.
    My favorite random spice is turmeric. 🙂

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  20. I like that description of Octavia “sensible & shockingly honest”. And I do like a bit of the Exotic; a bit of spice in food & life is a good thing. But I am very much of a homebody too; I have to push myself to get out sometimes. That’s where books come in, they get me out, if only in my imagination.

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  21. I may be afraid of heights and the dark but there is one thing I am not afraid of taking a wild side in and find that is food. In the summertime I like to eat fruits with rice. My favourites include mangoes or durian with rice 🙂

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  22. The most exotic place i’ve been is Saudia Arabia and i was in the Army for that so not much fun. I did get to spend 3 days on a docked cruise ship though and wear civies for 3 whole days and have fun. That was cool for as long as it lasted. At home here though i don’t get very exoctic myself. pretty basic i get my exotic locales from reading now. lol

    Lisa B

    PS this book sounds awesome. I like Ben description and brooding yup like em that way.

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  23. Yes, I endulge in the exotic.. I sometimes add some cocoa to my coffee!:) my favorite two things in the world!;P and.. My grandpa has a place on the beach is an hour away and I just go there to relax whenever I feel like it!:) ..If I win I’d like to have this book in print since I don’t really like e-books and don’t have an e-reader! Thanks!:D

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  24. My exotic craving is to travel. But, my husband hates travelling. So, we stayed home. Then, three years ago, I realized, what am I doing? Life is too short! My husband stays home and watches the kids while I go on a trip with one of my girlfriends each year. I’ve gone to Napa Valley, Las Vegas, and London, UK, so far. My husband is actually pretty happy staying home as then I am not bugging him to travel. And then I am happy too because I am seeing parts of the world that I have always wanted to see.

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    • Sharyn, that sounds like a perfect solution! And what fun, traveling around the world with your best girlfriends while your husband enjoys your trip from the comfort of his own easy chair. Perfect. 🙂

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  25. I think right now with 3 kids and little time, I find I indulge my cravings by escaping into a good book and the end of the day. When my kids are older, I plan to indulge it by traveling more..

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  26. I definitely would love to travel around the world but for now my exotic has to be limited to using various spices, trying new foods, and of course reading books set in locations around the world. The thing I tend to crave is chocolate, and unfortunately I give in way to easily. LOL

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  27. My exotic fantasy was to go to Ireland and in 2008 I was able to do that.I also love sitting on the porch in the mountains reading a good book.

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