amanda quick

Guest Author: Manda Collins & Giveaway!

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I’m thrilled to have my good friend and talented historical romance author Manda Collins on the blog today.  Mandy writes witty and charming Regency-set historical romance with a dash of mystery. Her first book, How to Dance With a Duke, debuted to great reviews and spent several weeks on the Bookscan bestseller list.  Let’s have a chat with Manda, and see what she’s up to with her latest book, How To Romance A Rake.

Your series is called The Ugly Ducklings. Can you tell us a little bit about it and what inspired the premise?

The concept of three cousins who are considered ugly compared to their glamorous mothers grew out of a story I read somewhere about the famous Gunning Sisters. They were real life Regency characters who came from no-one knows where and took the ton by storm with their beauty and married very, very well. I did a “what if” and wondered what it would be like to be the daughter of such a famed beauty–especially a daughter who suffers by comparison. I came up with the Fabulous Featherstone sisters and out of that grew their daughters, the Ugly Ducklings.

The heroine of How to Romance a Rake, a tremendously appealing character, is not your conventional Regency miss. Can you tell us a little bit about her?

Juliet Shelby is the daughter of Rose, Viscountess Shelby, who is, unfortunately, the vainest of the Featherstone sisters. And when Juliet suffers a disfiguring accident in her teens, Rose thinks not of how awful it must be for Juliet, instead she thinks of how having a daughter who is less than perfect will reflect upon her. So she does her best to make sure that Juliet gets very little notice from the ton. Along with her cousins, Cecily and Maddie, Juliet spends a lot of time sitting out dances with the other wallflowers. But despite her mother’s restrictions, Juliet has managed to become an accomplished pianist. And when her music teacher goes missing Juliet joins forces with swoony Lord Deveril to search for her.

Your stories often revolve around a mystery element. What do you like about combining mystery and romance?

I really like having a strong external conflict for my hero and heroine to work together to solve. My favorite romances are the ones where there is teamwork between the main couple, and what better way to put them to work than in solving a mystery in which the stakes are high for one or both of them?

You’ve recently ventured into the realm of indie publishing. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

In May, I self-published a contemporary novella called LEGALLY YOURS. It’s a reunited lovers story about two former law school classmates who meet again years later. One is a corporate lawyer and the other, who didn’t finish law school is working as a paralegal. Sparks fly, and one thing leads to another and…well, you get the idea. I hope to publish a follow up story in the coming months but it depends on my historical writing schedule. I’ll keep you posted!

What’s up next for Manda?

In January, the third and final Ugly Ducklings story, HOW TO ENTICE AN EARL will be released. It’s Maddie and Monteith’s story and I think readers are really going to love seeing these two together. I know I had a lot of fun writing them!

Thanks so much for being with us today, girlfriend! And here’s the blurb for How to Romance a Rake:

Dancing with Danger

What’s a nice girl like Miss Juliet Shelby doing in a place like Lord Deveril’s ballroom? With her shy demeanor, she’s a total stranger to the dance floor and a source of mockery for the ton. So imagine her surprise when Deveril gallantly comes to her defense—and offers to teach her to dance! Juliet can hardly believe the most handsome bachelor in London would notice her, until he takes her in his arms and sets her heart ablaze…

Playing with Fire

Lord Alec Deveril has never felt such a spark of attraction for an unmarried lady before. Unlike the “fashionable” women he’s accustomed to, Juliet possesses a generous spirit, a fiery intelligence—and an explosive secret. Deep in the London underworld, a dear friend has vanished, and Juliet fears the worst. Deveril insists on helping, escorting her through the darkest alleys in town. But he too is hiding a shocking secret—and the only way he can defeat the devil in his past is to seduce the angel in his arms …

Sounds great, doesn’t it?  I had the good fortune to read this book in advance, and I can tell you it’s a tremendously charming and heartfelt book.  If you enjoy Amanda Quick’s historical mysteries, you’ll love Manda’s books.  And for my readers today, Manda is giving away a copy of her first book, How to Dance With a Duke to one person who comments.  Just tell us about one of your favorite mystery or suspense books for a chance to win.

And don’t forget to check out Manda’s website for excerpts and more interesting stuff!


 

 

Guest Author: Lena Diaz & Giveaway!

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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?

 

Guest Author: Kieran Kramer & Giveaway!

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I’m so thrilled to have a special guest on my blog today—the fabulous author of humorous Regency romances, Kieran Kramer!  Kieran’s debut novel, When Harry Met Molly, was a breakout hit on the romance writing scene.  It’s the first book in her Impossible Bachelors series, and it garnered rave—and I do mean rave—reviews, including starred reviews from both the Library Journal and Booklist.


It also received this Top Pick Review from RT Book Reviews:

“You’ll smile and even laugh out loud reading Kramer’s delectable debut—even the title’s nod to the famous film elicits a grin. With her perfect sense of pacing, comic timing, poignancy and marvelous characterization, this utterly enchanting new voice will have you eager for more.”

Books two and three in the series are Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right and Cloudy With a Chance of Marriage.  Besides having FABULOUS titles, they also received great acclaim, including more Top Picks and starred reviews.  And no wonder—I can assure you that Kieran’s books are delightful, romantic reads.  If you haven’t read the first books in the Impossible Bachelors series, you really must!

Kieran has a new book coming out in November—If You Give a Girl a Viscount—and it promises to be just as much fun as her earlier books.

Kieran is here today for a fun little interview, giving us a glimpse into her writing life.  Please welcome the wonderful Kieran Kramer to the blog!

Hi Kieran!  It’s so great to have you here with us.  I have a question I’ve been dying to ask—who are some of your favorite Regency rakes, real or fictional?

Oh, my goodness, I have *one* huge Regency crush–who else but Mr. Darcy? But I also fall madly in love with Mary Balogh’s heroes!

When you’re writing a book, do you avoid reading other Regency historical romances?  What genres do you like to read instead?

When I decided to get published, I thought, “I should do what the successful people do, and maybe I’ll be successful, too.” And so I listened to every word that came out of Debbie Macomber’s mouth. One thing she said was that she reads outside her genre when she writes (which is why she loves Regencies, LOL!). Anyway, that habit really resonated with me. So I have missed out on lots of great Regencies. I’m dying to read Sarah MacLean’s ELEVEN book, Julia Quinn’s ALMOST LIKE HEAVEN, and loads of other Regencies.

To be honest, when I got published, I wasn’t reading a whole lot of Regency historicals other than Julia Quinn and Mary Balogh’s. I had read a huge stack of Signet Regencies in college, but then I moved away from historical romance in general for a long time. Mary Balogh, Amanda Quick, and Julia Quinn brought me back, not that others couldn’t have done the same, but I had lots of other reading interests to indulge, too, all those years. During that more “contemporary “era,” I was reading lots of Jennifer Crusie, Jayne Anne Krentz, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I also fell in love with Janet Evanovich and Sue Grafton. I also read a lot of non-fiction and re-read some classics, including children’s classics with my kids.

Does music help you write? Do you put together play lists for each book? If not music, what other creative techniques do you use to spark your imagination?

Yes, music helps me a lot when I write. But I’d say 50% of the time I write in total silence. It depends what is required in the scene and what my brain needs to get creative. The closer I get to deadline, the more I listen to music. I don’t come up with playlists book by book–I tend to stick with the songs that inspire me all the time. This list I came up with on my Spinsters Club blog covers some of the basic tunes that rev my Muse.  Music, movies, going on a walk with my dog, hanging out and listening to stories from family and friends, reading the newspaper, surfing the Net…those are my indulgences that grease the rusty cogs of my imagination.

Thanks so much for being with us today, Kieran!  Just for my readers, Kieran will be giving away an extra special treat–a Regency-inspired porcelain tea bag rest along with some “tea time” goodies and a signed copy of Cloudy With a Chance of Marriage.  (Kieran’s cat Joon is not part of the giveaway!)

 

Kieran and I thought it would be fun to talk about books—what have you read recently that really knocked your socks off?  And if you have any questions for Kieran, feel free to ask!

DECEMBER CONTEST

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There’s a wonderful prize pack filled with fabulous historical novels up for grabs this month!

One winner will receive a MY FAVORITE COUNTESS tote bag and t-shirt along with the following TEN novels. What better way to pamper yourself during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

Books included are:

SINFUL SURRENDER by Beverley Kendall (signed by the author)
HOW TO SEDUCE A DUKE by Kathryn Caskie (signed by the author)
DEVIL OF THE HIGHLANDS by Lynsay Sands
THE CONFESSIONS OF A DUCHESS by Nicola Cornick
THE SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION by Pam Rosenthal
MY LADY NOTORIOUS by Jo Beverley
DON’T BARGAIN WITH THE DEVIL by Sabrina Jeffries
THE PERFECT POISON by Amanda Quick
WICKED BECOMES YOU by Meredith Duran
THE RECKLESS BRIDE by Stephanie Laurens

To enter the contest simply send an email to vanessakellyauthor@gmail.com with the subject line DECEMBER CONTEST. Please include your full name and mailing address.

The contest ends December 31.

One winner will be chosen at random from all entries.

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