Shades Of Midnight by Lara Adrian

In a frozen wilderness steeped in darkness, the lines between good and evil, lover and enemy, are never black or white but drawn in Shades of Midnight.

Something inhuman is stalking the frigid Alaskan wilds, leaving unspeakable carnage in its wake. For bush pilot Alexandra Maguire, the killings stir memories of a horrific event she witnessed as a child and evoke in her the inexplicable sense of otherness she has long felt within herself but never fully understood . . . until a darkly seductive stranger with secrets of his own enters her world.

Sent from Boston on a mission to investigate the savage attacks and stop the slaughter, vampire warrior Kade has his own reasons for returning to the frigid, forbidding place of his birth. Haunted by a secret shame, Kade soon realizes the stunning truth of the threat he faces–a threat that will jeopardize the fragile bond he has formed with the courageous, determined young woman who arouses his deepest passions and most primal hungers. But in bringing Alex into his world of blood and darkness, Kade must confront both his own personal demons and the even greater evil that could destroy all he holds dear.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

SHADES OF MIDNIGHT

In the end, it’s all about coming home.

Yesterday the seventh book in my Midnight Breed vampire series officially hit stores in the United States. Looking back on the stories that have come before and the ones still in development, I realize that despite all of the paranormal intrigue, the steamy sex, and action plotlines that have taken the series from Boston to Berlin, the Czech Republic, Montreal, and various points in between, there is a unifying theme that each of the books share–the theme of coming home, of finding acceptance and one’s true place of belonging.

Perhaps none of the books demonstrates this concept quite as literally as my newest release, SHADES OF MIDNIGHT. For this book, Kade’s story, a mission for the Order in Boston sends this prodigal son home to Alaska, where his life began and where his darkest demons still await him, still beckon to him like a siren’s call. Home, for Kade, is a dangerous place, one made all the more so when he finds himself falling for Alexandra Maguire, a young bush pilot whose report of a bloody slaughter in the remote interior threatens to expose the existence of the Breed to humankind.

Both Kade and Alex have been hiding from their pasts for years, both assuming that if they ran away from the truth of their beginnings–if they ran far enough–they might eventually find peace. But life doesn’t work that way, not in reality, for the most part, and definitely not in any of my novels (*g*). Sooner or later, you have to face those things that terrify you the most, the things that you are certain will destroy you, but in the end are the very things–perhaps the only things–standing between you and genuine happiness.

If you happen to pick up SHADES OF MIDNIGHT, I hope you enjoy Kade and Alex’s journey toward making their own home together. In the meantime, I wish you the happiest of holidays and a new year full of romance. Thanks for reading!

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Many thanks to Lara for being out guest today. For more infomation on this book and the others in this series, check out her website here. Also, don’t forget to leave a comment for this post as the winner picked on Sunday will get an authographed copy of SHADES OF MIDNIGHT. Good Luck! 🙂

Read Full Post »

Scotland & Donna Grant

First in a breathtaking new series, the bold and passionate Lucan MacLeod—one of three brothers cursed by dark magic for eternity—is driven by desire for the one woman he dare not let himself possess…

A DANGEROUS MAN…

He is magnificently strong—and dangerously seductive. One of the fiercest of his clan, Lucan MacLeod is a legend among warriors, inspiring fear in man and woman alike. For three hundred years, he has locked himself away from the world, hiding the vengeful god imprisoned in his soul. But then, a young lass caught in a raging storm awakens his deepest impulses…and darkest desires.

A DANGEROUS PASSION…

Cara doesn’t believe the rumors about MacLeod castle—until the majestic Highland warrior appears like a fiery vision in the storm, pulling her into his powerful arms, and into his world of magic and Druids. An epic war between good and evil is brewing. And Lucan must battle his all-consuming attraction for Cara—or surrender to the flames of a reckless, impossible love that threatens to destroy them both…

 

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Scotland

Maybe it’s because I write historical, but one of the most asked questions I get is “would you travel back in time and to where?”

It’s an easy answer for me.  Yes, I would travel back in time, and I’d go to Medieval Scotland.  It would take some getting used to, especially the lack of plumbing, toothbrushes, caffeine, and pasta.

I have no doubt life would be more than difficult.  After all, we’re used to remote control TV, information easily – and quickly – accessible through computers, not to mention cell phones and iPods. We’re the information age with instant gratification.

Our world is so drastically different than Medieval Scotland.  In a few short hundred years, lives went from basic living off the land and seeing people daily to hectic days, buying food from grocery stores, and going months, if not years, without seeing or speaking to your neighbor, much less speaking to people you pass on the street or the mall.

Could we survive in medieval times?  Putting aside the leap in physical hygiene over the ages, life was much simpler back then.  If you had a problem with someone, you faced them instead of texting or emailing them.  If you wanted to call off an affair, there was no hiding behind technology.  You stood before them and said your piece.

There’s a debate in whether medieval life was more violent.  At least in medieval times, you saw your opponent attack and you had time to retaliate or hide.  Now, with bombs that can cross oceans, that silent, almost constant worry hangs over our head.

Still, knowing all of this, I would love to see Medieval Scotland.  I’ve always been drawn to Scotland.  Maybe that’s why I centered my new Dark Sword series there.  The first book in the series, DANGEROUS HIGHLANDER, releases today, and I hope you pick up the book to be transported back to another time and place.

I’ll be giving away a signed copy of either MUTUAL DESIRE or THE PLEASURE OF HIS BED to a commenter.  Happy Reading! 

To find out more about me or the Dark Sword series, please visit my website at www.donnagrant.com.

hugs,

D

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Donna — thanks for being our guest today! Happy Release Day! 🙂

Read Full Post »

Beth Williamson says It’s about the Romance Ya’ll

Betrayed By Her Own Heart

Sarah Spalding has learned to forge her own way and never to trust anyone—least of all a Yankee. But when her companion abandons her while on a train to Colorado, Sarah begrudgingly accepts the help of Whitman Kendrick—a Yankee, yes, but one with the most bewitching green eyes. Allowing Whit to be her traveling escort is one thing, taking him as a lover is another—even though she’s tempted beyond reason…

Whit Kendrick isn’t quite sure what to make of the sharp-tongued, sassy woman sharing his train compartment. All he knows is that Sarah is refreshingly different from most women—and his urgent, primal attraction for her is unlike any he’s experienced. Breaking down Sarah’s wall of defense won’t be easy. But Whit is determined to prove to Sarah that they’re more alike than different—and loving each other is all they need…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Before I’m a writer, I’m a reader. I love a good romance, curling up on the couch with a book, to dive into another place and time, another life. It’s what drew me into reading romance novels in the first place. Being a writer, I found when I create a new story the most important thing is the emotions. If I don’t feel the story, I don’t enjoy it.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love a comedy as much as the next person but I read a romance for the emotion and the love.  I want to fall for the hero and for my heart to pound right along with the heroine’s.

So when I was writing The Stranger’s Secrets, the third in a trilogy for Kensington Brava, I started with my heroine. She’s Sarah Spalding, sister of Micah in The Redemption of Micah. Sarah has had a rough life for the last twelve years – a war, near starvation, and a crippling injury to her leg by a Yankee soldier. She’s a tough chick though, hard as nails with what most men would call brass balls.

The one thing she’s not is soft and feminine. It just wasn’t her. When she meets up with Whitman Kendrick, our hero, she finds herself remembering what it means to be a woman. She has hidden her heart for so long, falling for Whit is unexpected and unwanted. She doesn’t want to have feelings for him—he’s a Yankee, whose Army was the very reason she is crippled.

But it’s about the romance, y’all. It’s the unexpected that makes a romance what it is. In this case, it’s two people putting aside their ingrained behaviors and prejudices to see what’s right in front of them. I don’t know if I’d be strong enough, but Sarah sure is. Funny, I never realized that until I wrote that. LOL.

I fell in love with Whit even though I was just as pissed at him as Sarah because inside is what’s important. It’s the love he has for Sarah, the idea he’s willing to simply change the course of his life because of what he feels for her. Oh yeah, it’s about the romance y’all. And I love it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Many thanks to Beth for being our guest today. For more info on Beth and what she has coming out in 2010, visit her website here. Don’t forget to leave a comment for the chance to win a copy of THE REDEMPTION OF MICAH. Good Luck!

Read Full Post »

Newest Winners!

Congrats to the following winners!

Rebekah E.

Cherie J.

Willa

Each won a copy of DEADLY SECRETS by Leeann Burke.

April S.

Won a copy of ROYAL’S BRIDE by Kat Martin.

Winners have 48 hours to email me their addresses at mad @ romancereaderatheart.com (without the spaces) to claim their book prizes or new names will be chosen.

Read Full Post »

Kat Martin talks about the Brides trilogy

Though he is a titled nobleman,Royal Dewar is singulary unlucky… forced to choose between his soul mate… and his salvation.

After years abroad, Royal has returned to Bransford Castle to find his father dying and the family treasury nearly empty. Then the old duke wrests a final promise from his guilt-ridden son: that Royal will marry heiress Jocelyn Caulfield and restore the estate to its former glory. However, it is not his fiancee who quickens Royal’s pulse, but rather her beautiful cousin Lily Moran.

Penniless Lily knows that nothing can come of their undeniable attraction―but there is a way she can help Royal. Enlisting some questionable characters from her past, Lily concocts an elaborate ruse to recover some of the Bransford fortune from a notorious confidence artist. As the dangerous scheme unfolds, Lily and Royal are thrown together in pursuit of the very thing―money―that keeps them part…

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

I’ve always wanted to write a bride series.  Something romantic with orchids and white lace.  For years, I toyed with an idea for a sort of Cinderella story about a duke who accidentally falls in love with the wrong woman.  Not his betrothed, the woman he has promised to marry, but his fiancée’s poor relations, a cousin hardly suited to become the wife of a duke.  Royal’s Bride was the result.

From conception, it was a book that involved three brothers, which gave me two more hunky Dewar men in need of the perfect bride.  In Reese’s Bride, the middle brother, Reese, is the kind of dark, brooding hero I love to write.  He is home from the war, retired from the cavalry and forced to live the sedentary life of a country gentleman, the last thing he wants to do.  Worse yet, Reese’s next door neighbor is the woman he once loved, a woman who betrayed him by marrying another man.

Elizabeth is now a widow, a forbidden temptation even more powerful than before.  Reese definitely has his problems, but so does his younger brother, Rule.

In Rule’s Bride, the handsomest, most rakish Dewar brother is shocked to find the young bride he wed in an arranged marriage three years earlier all grown up and sitting in his London living room.  Violet Dewar has matured into a delectable little morsel Rule can’t wait to seduce into his bed.

Unfortunately, all Violet wants from Rule is an annulment.

I had great fun writing this series, though the weddings were not all orchids and lace as the ladies and this writer expected.  Still, true love is worth the perils the characters must endure.  I hope you’ll watch for the Brides’ Trilogy.  Royal’s Bride is currently available.  Reese’s Bride will be out the end of December, and Rule’s Bride will follow the end of April.

Hope you enjoy and very best wishes, Kat

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Thank you for visiting, Ms Martin!

Leave a comment to enter the drawing for a copy of Royal’s Bride, the first title in the trilogy.

Read Full Post »

Leeann Burke Giving Back

My name is Leeann Burke and DEADLY SECRETS is my first published book. It was released December 2009. I’d love to say I sold to a publisher right away, but that would be a lie. It took me quite a few years before I found a home for it.

As I waited to hold a copy in my hands I decided I wanted more. Here I was about to get my creative dream come true while there were women out there who weren’t as lucky. That’s when I decided to donate my royalties to a charity. It had to be one close to my heart, Breast Cancer. Why? When I was barely 15 my own mother found a lump in her breast. We were lucky it was benign, but not everyone is as lucky. Since then I have lost one friend and had countless friends like fellow LBF Books author A B Wallace, who have battled and won their fight against breast cancer.

When I told the owner of my publisher, Carole Spencer, of my intentions she decided she would also donate proceeds to the cause. Together we approached the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the American Breast Cancer Foundation to be one of their sponsors. We were thrilled when the American Breast Cancer Foundation accepted and we became their first Canadian sponsor.

My goal is to sell enough copies of DEADLY SECRETS to donate $1,000 USD to the American Breast Cancer Foundation and $1,000 CAD to a Canadian organization that does research to find a cure for breast cancer. At the moment I am about ¼ of the way. I’m not giving up.

Here is a bit about DEADLY SECRETS my Romantic Suspense

Philippe Lafrance is a well known reclusive writer whose life is suddenly thrown upside down when the grandfather he never knew existed, dies.  He investigates the reason and learns that his family has kept secrets from him. Deep, ugly secrets. Worse, a killer is murdering the men in his family. He discovers that his father, then his grandfather, were murdered by someone desperate to keep secrets buried.

Bereft, Roxanne St-Clair is left to manage a restaurant when the only person who ever mattered to her, her foster parent and mentor, is murdered. She puts her life on hold to find his killer and bring him to justice. Thrown together by circumstance and a mutual goal, Philippe and Roxanne fight their attraction and team up to find the killer, bring him to justice and unearth the truth. To stay alive, they must keep one step ahead of the assassin in order to prevent him from killing his next target, Philippe.Will they succeed in bringing to justice this killer before Philippe becomes his next victim? Will they be able to deal with the truth behind the deadly secrets?  

Please help me reach my goal by purchasing a copy of my book at the following locations LBF Books, ARe, Bookstrand, Fictionwise, Amazon or get your library to carry a copy.

I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Many thanks to Leeann for being our guest today! Remember to leave a comment for the chance to win a copy of  DEADLY SECRETS. Three winners will be announced on Sunday. Good Luck!

Read Full Post »

Latest Winners!

Congrats to all the winners!!

Steph Shamroski

Wins a copy of MISTRESS BY MISTAKE by Susan Gee Heino.
 

flchen1

Wins a download of COWBOY SANDWICH by Reece Butler. (Let me know what format you want when you email me.)

Julie

Wins a copy of WHERE DREAMS ARE MADE by Ann Hope.
 

Winners have 48 hours to email me their addresses at mad @ romancereaderatheart.com (without the spaces) to claim their book prizes or new names will be chosen.

Read Full Post »

Anne Hope makes a confession

Breaking his heart may be the only way to save his life.

A woman running from the past…

Jenny Logan is alone, penniless, and indebted to a ruthless man who will stop at nothing to own her. All she wants is a chance to pursue her dreams and make a fresh start, but the past refuses to release her.

A man hiding from the future…

Daniel Frost, a scarred, reclusive toymaker, is trying to escape his memories. Burdened by guilt over a violent car accident that destroyed his family, he believes loneliness is the only way to atone for his sins.

Sometimes, today is all that matters…

One magical Christmas, Daniel’s meddlesome grandfather secretly hires Jenny to act as his grandson’s assistant, starting them both on the road to recovery. On a remote island where miles of sea meet miles of sky, two lonely people learn that love can heal even the deepest scars—but it comes at a price.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I have a confession to make. My name is Anne Hope and I’m a romance author. Yes, my books have elements of suspense, sometimes intricate plots and occasionally, a sprinkle of magic. But at their very core, they’re all romance novels with a common theme: love overcomes all odds, heals all wounds.

I’ve gone through many phases in my life—the starry-eyed teenager dreaming of the handsome prince who would ride in on his white steed and sweep her off her feet, the young wife imagining a home filled with laughter and bright-eyed children, the mother struggling to survive these bright-eyed children and hold on to her sanity in an increasingly hectic world. My reality has changed significantly over the years, but one thing has remained a constant: my love for romance novels. No matter what’s going on in my life, these timeless books of love and triumph get me through my darkest hours.

Romance novels are about hope, growth, the ability to rise above our weaknesses and become a better person. They inspire, even as they allow us to live vicariously through characters we’ve come to love. It is that emotional connection that makes these books so powerful. We care what happens to these characters. We cry with them, fall in love with them, rejoice with them. We feel their angst when their world falls apart, root for them when all appears lost. When they grow stronger, so do we. When they finally find their happiness, we sigh along with them.

When I write a book, I’m in control. I can reward the just and punish the evil. I can make miracles happen. I can even take a real life account and give it a happy ending. For instance, Daniel—the hero in Where Dreams Are Made—was inspired by a story my mother told me when I was young. At the time, she was working with a woman who shared something very personal with her. The woman confided that when she was five, her parents asked her and her eight-year-old sister what they wanted to do for the day. The older sister wanted to go to the movies, but the younger sister insisted that they go to the amusement park instead. Seeing as she was the youngest, the parents went with her suggestion. On the way there, however, there was an accident and the older sister was killed. This unfortunate event forever altered the five-year-old girl’s life. Her relationship with her mother was never again the same because her mother held her responsible for her sister’s death. Decades later, guilt still ate away at her.

This story marked me, and when I was developing the character of Daniel it came back to me. I thought it would be interesting to write about someone who had been through a similar experience and who bore not only the emotional scars of it, but the physical ones—a daily reminder of the guilt he carried. And because this is a romance novel, Daniel would find love, and that love would incite him to heal.

So for me, romance novels are not only about escapism but about fighting back, controlling life’s outcomes, giving everyone the happy ending they deserve. For a short while, the world actually makes sense. By giving others hope, I find hope. By watching others overcome insurmountable odds, I find strength. But most importantly, romance novels remind me that love—despite all its ups and downs—is the greatest gift of all.

Where Dreams Are Made is available from Samhain Publishing and at all major bookstores, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Chapters. For more information, please visit me at www.annehope.com.

Happy Holidays everyone!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Many thanks to Anne for being our guest today. Leave a comment for the chance to win a copy of WHERE DREAMS ARE MADE. Good luck!

Read Full Post »

Please Welcome Reece Butler

Determined to take charge of her life, Candy abandons her inhibitions and heads West. Adam and Bryan, co-owners of a remote Montana cattle ranch, are eager for luscious female heat after three cold months in the saddle. Candy’s first step toward freedom is one glorious night of wild sex. The men prove what four hands, two mouths and hard driving muscles can do in a few determined hours.

But meeting her deep, dark fantasies requires more time. They invite her back to the Double R, promising games of Virgin and Pirates, Harem Girl and Sheiks. With hard working days and deliciously wicked nights, the last few weeks of the winter pass quickly.

Ranch life, and her men, are everything Candy wants. But she can’t live a fantasy forever, hoping they’ll ask her to stay. Unless they return her love, she must claim her independence and escape before her heart breaks.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I’m proud to read, and write erotic romance!

My name is Reece Butler and I not only read hot and erotic romance, I write it. There, I said it.

Did the earth shatter? Sky fall down?

Since I’m still typing, I guess not. But admitting it took some time.

You see, reading erotic romance is easily kept quiet, especially if you download electronic books over the Internet. No one needs to know except you and your credit card.

But if you’re an author, people need to know about it. That means going public (insert whimper and cringe here).

After writing for five years, I’m no longer worried about telling (most) people that I’m proud to write hot and erotic romance. My second royalty check of five figures didn’t hurt (okay, I admit two of those figures were the seventy-five cents to the right of the decimal place).

But when the big boss asked me the title of my first publication a few months ago, I froze. Then I took a deep breath, looked him in the eye (not too difficult since we’re the same height) and said, “COWBOY SANDWICH”.

He looked at me blankly for a moment.

“Um, she’s the filling,” I explained.

He blinked. Eyes glazed over. “So, how are your children?” he said in a hearty way-too-fake voice.

“Fine,” I said, smiling just as blankly. “And yours?”

Obviously the explanation about the filling was too much for him. So I didn’t mention how my heroine, Candy, eager to abandon her inhibitions after her divorce, heads to Montana with her cowboy fantasies. She attends a Mardi Gras party at a swinger’s club on single’s night.

Adam and Bryan, co-owners of a remote cattle ranch, are eager for luscious female heat after three cold months in the saddle. Candy’s first step toward freedom is one glorious night of wild sex. The three of them, uh, help each other meet their needs.

The details as to how that happens are way too hot to describe here.

Now I’ve been told (mostly by men) that erotic romance is bad for relationships because it gives women false expectations.

I say, fantasy is wonderful!

There are no toilets to clean, dirty socks (and worse!) to pick up or children to feed. We already know what are partners are like. No, mine is not six foot five with perfect musculature (that’s my younger brother), but after thirty years, he’s still mine. That doesn’t stop me from fantasizing about delicious heroes. Many women find reading about sex makes them hot, just as men are into pictures. So, reading erotic romance helps a women create the mood.

Therefore, writing erotic romance is a helping profession. In some ways, we authors are inexpensive sex therapists. Readers (and their partners) can learn what fingers, tongues and other body parts can do, and how it might feel to both give and receive.

Yep. Erotic romance can help men and women (in any combination) expand their comfort zones, all in the security of their own homes. All you need is the ability to read, or have someone read to you. Even better, act it out!

Instead of your partner(s) sitting in the easy chair aiming the remote, what if you find a favorite scene and say, ‘honey, read chapter six and I’ll meet you in the kitchen’?

Why the kitchen? Do you know how many ‘pervertables’ can be found in such a mundane place? These are items which can be converted to a use for which they were not originally designed (ahem!).

Things to provide texture (a new plastic scrub pad scratched over a back), to lightly spank (rubber spatula) or surprise (ice cubes!). I won’t get into food, but we all know (or fantasize) about whipped cream and chocolate sauce!

And the countertop and/or table may be the perfect height to…ah, I’ll let you give your fantasies full reign.

Now you know what to say when asked what you want as a present.

Chocolate is good, wine is fine, but erotic romance makes it all sublime!

COWBOY SANDWICH by Reece Butler is published by Siren Publishing. It  received 4.5 Cherries by Whipped Cream Romance Reviews. “… a hot yet romantic tale of three people falling in love with arousing sex scenes that left me looking for ice water…I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys cowboy antics”.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Many thanks to Ms. Butler for being our guest today. For more infomation on Reece and her books, check out her page here and make sure you leave a comment for the chance to win a download of COWBOY SANDWICH. Good luck!

Read Full Post »

Susan Gee Heino talks about the first time.

England, 1816.

ViscountRandolph Dashford isn’t a bad person; he’s simply pretending to be one to avoid matrimony.

Heiress Evaline Pinchley isn’t usually a sotted wanton; she’s merely celebrating her birthday.

One full moon and one empty Madeira bottle later, Evaline wakes to find herself in Dashford’s bed!

While Evaline tries to salvage what dignity she can from this colossal blunder, family secrets and would-be fiancés run rampant around her. Just when it seems she might find a way out of the mess she’s made, Evaline realizes things are worse than imagined.

She’s lost her heart to Dashford, and that could be the biggest mistake of them all.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

“You’re giggling,” he stated.
“I am,” she agreed, and the sound she made then sounded unfortunately more like a snort than a giggle. “But please don’t take it personally.”

“Would you care to share the joke?”

“I was just thinking—” She paused to consider. What had she been thinking? Oh yes, about his godlike shoulders and how she might wish to succumb to them.

“I guess I was wrong,” she amended with another giggle. “I suppose you could have every reason to take it personally. Oh, but don’t be offended. It had to do with your wonderful shoulders and how I wish you weren’t wearing so many clothes.”

Now he made an odd sound. “Funny, I was having rather a similar thought.”

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

I just love Evaline and Dashford, the heroine and hero of my December release, Mistress by Mistake. I love them partly because they’re just so fun and so witty and have to work so darn hard to get things together, but also I love them because they are my First. Yes, the hero and heroine in my first published novel.

Evaline arrived in my brain way back in January of 2007. She was kind of pathetic; alone in the world, unloved, and horribly mistreated by everyone. I thought the poor gal deserved a good stiff drink, and that’s what sparked my opening scene when Dashford discovers her a bit tipsy in his garden. I figured since her life had been rather dismal I’d be kind and give her a seriously drool-worthy hero. And I’d make sure the two of them had plenty of laughs—although I don’t think she appreciated all of them right at first.

Now finally my little Mistress and her dashing hero have made their way out into the world. I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to share Evaline and Dashford’s love story with readers. At this point I’ve got another book written that will be out next summer, plus I’m working on my next project, too, getting to know those characters and loving them. But there will never be another Dashford and Evaline.

We all have lots of firsts in our lives; first day of school, first true love, firstborn child, first day out of the house after fighting the flu, etc. In many of these cases we remember that “first” with a special warmth in our hearts. That’s how my Mistress will always be for me. I hope if you get a chance to meet her, some little piece of her will stick in your heart and you’ll remember her fondly, too.

So, tell me about one of your favorite firsts. What was your first car? The first romance novel you ever read? Your first pet? Your first pair of designer jeans in the size you’d been dying to get into? At the end of the week, I’ll select one random winner to receive a copy of Mistress by Mistake. I’ll even send it to you First Class!

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Thank you for visiting with us at Novel Thoughts, Ms Gee Heino!

Read Full Post »