The Brenda Novak Annual On-Line Auction!!

BN auction

Every year, the fabulous Brenda Novak runs an on-line auction to raise funds for diabetes research.  There’s an amazing number of cool items up for bid, including fantastic gift baskets, vacations, jewelry, and even lunch with your favorite author!  You can check out all the different categories here.

There are also specially designated categories for readers and aspiring writers, offering things like book baskets and author critiques.  As in the past, I’m happy to offer a critique of a manuscript – but this year I’m doing something different.  I’m teaming up with my critique partner, bestselling contemporary romance writer Debbie Mason, to offer a critique of the first 30 pages of a romance manuscript.  The person with the winning bid will get two critiques for the price of one!

So, all you aspiring writers, check it out!  You can also look at all the other critiques offered by a dazzling array of authors, editors, and agents.  It’s a really cool way to get feedback on your manuscript and donate to a good cause, too!


What I’m Reading This Week

For some bizarre yet wonderful reason, I’ve actually been able to carve out some reading time the last few weeks.  Historical romance has really been on my radar and I’ve been reading some darn good ones.

The first is Meredith Duran’s latest release, At Your Pleasure.  One word – phenomenal.  Duran’s books are always beautifully crafted, with gorgeous prose, fascinating characters, and cool settings.  And her men are to die for.  The hero of At Your Pleasure, Lord Rivenham, is dark, dangerous, and sexy.  Smart, too – way smart.  It’s a killer combination.  And two thumbs up for the setting, which is the early Georgian period.  It was a dramatic, intriguing, and dangerous time, and I wish we’d see more historical romances set in this era.

Shifting now to the American West and the books of Jo Goodman.  I used to read cowboy romances quite a bit when I was younger, but I’d drifted away from them to the Regency period.  Well, Goodman could pull anyone back to cowboy country in no time flat.  The Last Renegade is a character driven romance with a particularly engaging hero and heroine. Goodman has a way of taking old tropes and making them fresh, and writing strong, fairly silent heroes who are very masculine but always smart and thoughtful (again with the smart heroes!).

The beauty of Goodman’s writing is often best realized in the quiet moments between the hero and heroine, and The Last Renegade dishes up plenty of those moments.  A very romantic, lovely book with great dialogue and even a bit of a mystery plot.

My third pick this week is The Dragon and the Pearl, by Jeannie Lin.  Set during the Tang Dynasty in China, this book sucked me in from page one.  I was riveted by the setting and the history, and how Lin made it such an integral part of the story. The Dragon and the Pearl was the opposite of a wallpaper historical and, as a writer, I was blown away by Lin’s skill and level of craft.  The Dragon and the Pearl is a beautifully written story with deep, heart-wrenching emotion and a spectacular hero and heroine.  One of the best books I’ve read in 2012.

Obviously the last few weeks have provided me with some great reading, but how about you?  I’d like to continue my streak – any books that you’d particularly recommend?  And if you’d like more of my book recommendations, please join me on goodreads!

 


ARC Giveaway of Season For Surrender!

I’m doing something really fun today – an excerpt and ARC exchange with my fellow Kensington Zebra author, Theresa Romain.  You see, we both write Regency-set historical romance and we both have Christmas-themed books coming out on Oct. 2.  So we thought it would be fun to post some exclusive excerpts and also give our readers a chance to win Advanced Reader Copies of our books.  Just think, you have the chance to read either His Mistletoe Bride or Season for Surrender two months before anyone else!

And now for the good stuff – an excerpt from Theresa’s truly lovely book, Season for Surrender.

When Alexander, Lord Xavier, hosts a country house party, he never expects his own reputation will come into question. For years, the ton has known him as a scandalous rogue, always up for a naughty wager. So what could possibly go wrong?

Well. His cousin forces a wager that Xavier can’t get a proper bluestocking, Louisa, to stay for the length of the house party. Louisa has every reason to hate Xavier, but she’s intrigued by his home’s fine library—and by the chance to mix with the impolite sector of the polite world.

In this early scene, Louisa has begun to suspect that her host’s reputation is a façade. What does it hide, though? When he finds her in the library, she’s willing to forge a truce so she can find out more.

*          *          *

 “Are you suggesting I’ve been difficult?” Again, the expression of elaborate shock.

Louisa mirrored his posture, folding her arms. “Come now, my lord. I’ve promised not to be shrewish with you, so you can’t expect me to pick up that thread of conversation. I’m only asking you to treat me with the same respect you would one of your male associates.”

Gray eyes met hers. “They rarely wear such fetching frocks, Miss Oliver. I would find the pretense difficult to sustain.”

She shook her head. “Honesty, please, my lord. You don’t have to say things like fetching to me. I’m not going to leave if I’m not complimented every two minutes. In fact, I’d much rather receive no compliment at all than an insincere one.”

She gestured at her patterned muslin day dress. “This is clothing, my lord. It covers my body. It doesn’t have anything to do with my real self.”

When he studied her without replying, she made an impatient gesture and laid the play on the nearest shelf. “Excuse me, please.”

She crouched again, intending to continue her survey of this long-neglected collection of books. Determined to ignore the tall man lurking behind her, she scrutinized the bindings for some clue as to where to begin. The old, cord-banded spines on this shelf were not marked. Anything could be here, waiting to surprise her.

Xavier loomed over her, and the hair at the nape of her neck stirred in the eddy of his slight movements. Then he sank to the floor, leaning against the very shelf she was looking at, and stretched out his long legs.

“You’re wrong, Miss Oliver. When you choose your clothing, you do reveal something about yourself.”

He looked at her aslant. “Your gown is simple, yet it follows fashion. This shows that you care about practicality but do not wish to do yourself a disservice by appearing a frump. In the same way, your hair is coiled back from your face, yet its twists have been carefully arranged. In your every choice, you balance the demands of the world with the demands of your own self.”

Louisa sank from her crouch to a seat on the floor, an arm’s length away. “Oh.” She stopped; shook her head. “Thank you?”

She smoothed her skirt, wondering at all he’d read into the floral-patterned fabric. One hand reached up to touch her hair, as though it had altered when spoken of. “I’d never thought of it all that way. You surprise me, my lord.”

He lifted his chin and looked at her directly. “Likewise. Please, Miss Oliver, don’t assume that every compliment I give is insincere. I might candy my words, but they do have real substance.” His expression turned wry. “Well, sometimes they do.”

A knot of something tense between her shoulders began to relax. “That’s more than many in the ton could say. Certainly more than most would admit.”

She leaned against the shelf next to him, feeling an odd tug of companionship. It came from the informality, maybe; sitting not on furniture with her back straight as a yardstick, but on the floor, her legs folded up like a child’s.

There was nothing improper, exactly, about sitting like this, yet she felt as though she’d left propriety behind her at long last. She sat close enough to the infamous Lord Xavier to breathe in his clean scents of starch and spice; close enough to judge the span of his biceps beneath his coat. Would her two hands meet around it? She felt an almost irresistible urge to try, to wrap her fingers around some part of him and clutch this moment close.

HONOR AMONG ROGUES
Alexander Edgware, Lord Xavier, has quite a reputation—for daring, wagering, and wickedness in all its delightful forms. But the wager before him is hardly his preferred sport: Xavier must persuade a proper young lady to attend his famously naughty Christmas house party—and stay the full, ruinous two weeks. Worse, the lady is Louisa Oliver, a doe-eyed bookworm Xavier finds quite charming. Yet to refuse the challenge is impossible—he will simply have to appoint himself Miss Oliver’s protector…

MISCHIEF AMONG MISSES
Louisa knows her chance for a husband has passed. But she has no desire to retire into spinsterhood without enjoying a few grand adventures first. When Lord Xavier’s invitation arrives, Louisa is more intrigued than insulted. And once inside the rogues’ gallery, she just may have a thing or two to teach her gentlemen friends about daring…

Pre-order: amazonbarnes & noble • book depositorybooks-a-millionchapters indigo indiebound • powell’s

Pre-order e-book: kindlenook

Vanessa, here.  Didn’t that excerpt whet your appetite?  I had the pleasure of reading Season for Surrender a few weeks ago and I just loved it.  It’s witty and warm, with a wonderful hero and a smart and appealing heroine.  Theresa is a very talented writer and the person who wins this ARC will be very lucky!  So, for a chance to win the ARC Season for Surrender, just leave me a comment about something you really look forward to during the holiday season.  Yeah, it’s the middle of summer, but let’s spread a little holiday cheer a few months early!

The ARC contest on my blog will be open until August 8.  And don’t forget to check out Theresa’s blog and her website for the excerpt from my book, His Mistletoe Bride, and for a chance to win the ARC!

 


Launching Rock*It Reads!!

It’s here!  The launch day of Rock*It Reads, the exciting new project I’ve been working on with a group of fabulous writers whose names you will surely recognize.  Here’s the scoop:

Rock*It Reads is a group of New York-published authors who are also self-publishing romance.  We’re not a publisher—more like a coop or a brand, and we’ve made a commitment to put out only high-quality self-published works.  No second best at Rock*It Reads!  Our RIR logo, featured at the top of this post, will appear on the covers of all our self-published books.  It’s our ‘seal of quality’  and our commitment to readers that we care as much about writing great stories as you do about reading them.

My Rock*It Read partners are:  Pamela Clare, Cheryl Holt, Elisabeth Naughton, Monica Burns, Kris Kennedy, Margo Maguire, Lila DiPasqua, Sharon Page, Joan Swan, and Mia Marlowe.  What a lineup of talent, eh?  I’m thrilled and honored to be included in this group.

For all the details and a list of our books, please stop by our beautiful new Rock*It Reads website.  We’ve got gorgeous covers and some of the best-indie published romance on the market.  I know you won’t be disappointed with the fantastic selection of books we’ve already got listed.

In fact, I’ve got a new book up this week, all bright and shiny for the RIR launch.  It’s called Hot Number, and it’s another one of the sexy contemporary romances I write with my hubby under the pen name of VK Sykes.

In Hot Number, a geeky math professor determined to have a wild week in Las Vegas soon runs into trouble with a hard-nosed but very sexy casino security chief.  The ensuing mayhem leads to a whole lot of fun and romance.  I love this book, and my husband and I had a great time writing it.  For more details, check out my VK Sykes website.

But, wait!  There’s more news.  The Rock*It Reads gang will also be doing a twice-a-month column with Barnes & Noble, which will spotlight indie-published romance.  We’ll help you sort through the tidal wave of books to find the quality reads that really stand out.  The column is called Love Rocks and it launches April 23, 2012, at Barnes & Noble Review.com.

Now you know the scoop, so drop on by the Rock*It Reads website and let us fill up your Nook, Kindle, cellphone, or e-reader with all the best in indie romance.  I guarantee you won’t regret it!

And for my visitors to the blog today, I’ll be giving away three copies of Hot Number to celebrate its release.  Just tell me what books you’re looking forward to reading this month – three people who comment will win a copy of my new book!


Guest Author: Lena Diaz & Giveaway!

Talented romantic suspense author (and truly wonderful friend) Lena Diaz is visiting with us once more.  She’s going to tell us all about her latest book from Avon.  Take it away, Lena!

Vanessa, thank you so much for hosting me on your awesome blog. As you know, I’m a contemporary romantic suspense author. But like so many romance readers, I love many genres, including – of course – historical romance. Since your blog is focused toward historical romance, I wanted to talk about some of my favorite historical romance novels and authors today.

I just recently read Vanessa’s latest release, My Favorite Countess, and LOVED it. (You can read my review on Amazon.) I’ve got Sex and the Single Earl on my TBR list, and am looking forward to whatever else Vanessa serves up in the future. (Vanessa, here.  I told you that Lena was awesome!)

You might be surprised to hear that I only started reading contemporary romances in the past few years. Before that, I ONLY read historical romance. We’re talking hundreds, probably thousands, of historical romances that I’ve read in my lifetime. The first ones that I can remember were those classic gothic romances by Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney. Oh my gosh, talk about atmosphere. I loved the darkness, the creepy castles on desolate cliffs, the danger . . . hey wait, maybe I can see a connection here. Those sound like elements in my romantic suspense novels – minus the castles of course.

Setting is so important in historical romance, and it’s important in my latest novel as well. Simon Says Die is set in Savannah, Georgia, a town I love to visit and that has such incredible atmosphere and history. Naturally my heroine lives in the historic district, in an old house with secret passageways. And I couldn’t resist writing a scene set in one of the old cemeteries as well. Creepy cool!

But I digress.

Back to my favorite historical romances and authors. After Holt and Whitney, I moved on to sexy historicals by Rosemary Rogers. Who can forget Sweet Savage Love? And then I discovered the Queen of Romance, Kathleen Woodiwiss. Oh. My. Gosh. I own every one of her books – in hardback. My favorites include The Flame and the Flower, Shanna, A Rose in Winter, and my all-time favorite historical EVER – Ashes in the Wind. Woodiwiss built the historical romance genre from the ground up. So many authors were able to follow along and develop this amazing genre, only because she paved the way first.

Those purple-prose novels of the eighties gave way to a newer style of writing which was cleaner, leaner, and in many cases – humorous. Even though I love my romantic suspense to be dark and gritty, when I read historicals I often pick up ones with a light, funny bent. Julia Quinn is one of the best authors at making me laugh. I love the way she can turn a phrase, and her dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny. My favorite? How to Marry a Marquis. When I first read that book, I laughed so hard there were tears rolling down my face. I say FIRST read, because I own all of Julia Quinn’s novels and frequently re-read them. Yes, they are THAT good.

Another favorite historical author of mine is Amanda Quick, pseudonym for the amazing Jayne Ann Krentz. The Quick novels include all that delicious historical atmosphere and the settings we love so much, along with a smart, accomplished heroine. Which leads me back to Vanessa Kelly as my newest favorite historical romance author.

When I read My Favorite Countess, it literally blew me away. The dialogue is witty. The characters are complex and intelligent. And the situations in this novel are unique and so real I felt like I was back in the Regency era truly experiencing the ‘real’ life of these lords and ladies.

Kelly doesn’t dress up the gritty reality of how hard life really was back then. She shows it like it is (or was). To me, she’s a maverick in the historical romance genre. Using a turn of phrase from the regency era, Vanessa Kelly is a true original.

So what about you, reader? Do you have some author or book recommendations you can share with me? I’m always looking for a great new romance to read, in any genre.

Thanks again for hosting me Vanessa!

Vanessa, here.  Lena, you are supposed to be talking about your own book, not mine!  Thank you so much for your kind words.  And readers, it’s clearly up to me to tell you how wonderful Lena’s books are.  If you like romantic suspense, you will LOVE her.  Check out the blurb for Simon Says Die below, and also hop over to Lena’s website for her news and excerpts.  

Lena is giving away one e-book copy of Simon Says Die to one of the commenters in a random drawing (via either B&N or Amazon – reader’s choice).  Just tell us what your favorite setting is for a creepy suspense book or movie for a chance to win her book.  Do you like isolated settings like a scary manor house on a windswept coast, or do you go things like gritty urban settings, a la Law and Order?

Here’s the blurb for Simon Says Die.  Readers can read the prologue and first chapter on Lena’s website.

Simon says: I’m watching. Simon says: I’m coming. Simon says: Die.

Madison McKinley knows someone is stalking her. The police tell her she’s imagining things, and they’re too busy trying to find the “Simon Says” killer to investigate. But day by day, hour by hour, Madison’s terror grows stronger, and not even the return of FBI Special Agent Pierce Buchanan into her life can calm her fears. Besides, how can she ask Pierce for his help after the way she ended things between them?

Pierce still wants Madison’s love, and his drive to protect her is more powerful than ever. He believes she’s in danger, even if the cops don’t. Finally, as more people start dying and the evidence mounts, the police turn their attention to Madison—as a suspect. Was Pierce a fool to trust her again, or are they both caught in a complex game that neither will survive?

 


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