More Winners!

 

Congrats to all the new winners!

Valere

Wins a download of Beth Williamson’s Devils In Horseback series. Email me the preferred format you’d like to get the ebooks in, please.

Scorpio M.

Wins a copy of My Reckless Surrender by Anna Campbell.

Chey

Wins a copy of MASKED BY MOONLIGHT by Nancy Gideon.

Mary Preston

Wins a copy of A Knight’s Persuasion by Catherine Kean.

Email me your address (except for Valere *g*) at mad @ romancereaderatheart.com (without the spaces) within 48 hours or a new name will be chosen.

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Writing a Series: The Inside Scoop on A KNIGHT’S PERSUASION by Catherine Kean

When Edouard de Lanceau, son of Moydenshire’s great lord Geoffrey de Lanceau, finds an unconscious wounded woman lying in a river, he’s shocked to recognize Lady Juliana de Greyne, to whom he was once almost betrothed.  Years ago, his bet with a friend to win her kiss went awry, and the betrothal never went forward.  But Edouard has never forgotten Juliana.  Taking her in his arms, he vows to find out who would want her dead, and why, while he rides on to an important meeting on behalf of his ill father.

Lord Geoffrey’s enemies, Veronique Desjardin and her grown son Tye, have returned to Moydenshire to destroy him.  Alerted to Edouard’s mission, they take him prisoner and chain him in a tower.  Now a hostage, he must fight not only for his life, but for Juliana’s as well.

When Juliana wakes, she has no memory of who she is or what has happened to her.  All she knows is she’s captive in a chamber along with a man in chains insisting he knows her and begging her to set him free.  For reasons unknown, her feelings for this stranger run strong.  Were they once lovers—or is he really a cold-blooded killer?  Determined to regain her memories and know the truth, Lady Juliana discovers an inner strength she’s never known and the power of A Knight’s Persuasion.

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When I wrote my historical romance A Knight’s Vengeance, published in paperback by Medallion Press in September 2006, I didn’t intend for it to be the first book in a series.  However, the more I thought about creating follow on stories, the more enthralled I became.  Why not spend more time with the dynamic characters I’d grown to love through the writing of this novel, my first attempt at a medieval romance that was so much the “book of my heart?”  Also, I had a fabulous cast of secondary male characters who deserved to be heroes of their own books and find their lady loves.  My publisher supported the idea of follow-on novels, and so, my award-winning Knight’s Series was born.

A Knight’s Persuasion, released earlier this month, is the latest installment and takes place in the fictional county of Moydenshire, England, in the early 13^th century.  While it’s the fourth title in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone.  So can all of the other novels.

Twenty-year-old Edouard de Lanceau is the bold, handsome hero of A Knight’s Persuasion.  A trained knight who lives his life by the code of chivalry, he is familiar to my readers as the son and heir of Lord Geoffrey de Lanceau from A Knight’s Vengeance.  Also returning are the ravishing but bloodthirsty villainess, Veronique (one of my favorite characters, because she’s SO incredibly wicked!), and her illegitimate son, Tye.  He last appeared as a fussy toddler in A Knight’s Temptation (Book 3), but he’s now a grown warrior, raised by his mother to one day kill the man she claims is Tye’s father but who refuses to accept him as his child without proof: Geoffrey.

What binds these bitter enemies together is the heroine, Lady Juliana de Greyne, to whom Edouard was almost betrothed.  Their relationship, full of potential, ended badly because of a foolish bet between Edouard and a friend.  Edouard soon found himself tricked into a betrothal to Juliana’s sister, even though he desired only Juliana.  Months later, while on an important mission on behalf of his father, he’s shocked to find Juliana lying in a river, unconscious from a brutal head wound.  She was obviously left for dead.  He vows to find out why.

Still harboring strong feelings for her, Edouard takes her to the nearest castle where she was said to be living, to be tended by a healer.  Not expecting an ambush, he is overpowered and taken prisoner by Veronique and Tye, who will use him to lure Geoffrey into a murderous trap.  Once his lordship is dead, they will kill Edouard and lay claim to Moydenshire.

Edouard is chained in a cold tower, with Juliana as his cellmate.  Convinced she knows something important, which is which is why she was left for dead, he asks Juliana to tell him what happened to her, but she can’t remember.  She can’t even recall her own name, or ever meeting him.  It’s a terrifying situation for her that I felt deeply myself.  Fighting his love for her, Edouard tries to win her trust, coax back her memories, and help him escape—before Veronique and Tye fulfill their ambitions.

The unraveling story is packed with danger, adventure, simmering passion, and excitement—hallmarks, I am told, of my previous Knight’s Series books.  As with my other novels, I leave enough threads to weave into a follow-on novel, if I’m destined to write one.  While I don’t want to reveal exactly how things end up between Edouard and Juliana, I will say that when it comes to true love, there’s no denying A Knight’s Persuasion.

 

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Many thanks to Catherine for being our guest today. For more information on Catherine’s medieval historical romances, and to read an excerpt from A Knight’s Persuasion, please visit her website here. Leave a comment for the chance to win a signed copy of A Knight’s Persuasion. Good Luck!

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Paranormal . . . with a Little Something Extra by Nancy Gideon

IN THIS STUNNING FIRST BOOK FROM NANCY GIDEON’S SIZZLING NEW SERIES, A TENACIOUS COP AND HER SHAPE-SHIFTING ENEMY SACRIFICE EVERYTHING FOR FORBIDDEN DESIRE.

ALL SHE WANTS IS REVENGE.

New Orleans homicide detective Charlotte Caissie is dedicated to bringing down the crime boss responsible for her father’s murder. Using Jimmy Legere’s mysterious and irresistible right-hand man is a dangerous gamble, and not only due to his reputation as more monster than man. Because her feelings for Max Savoie are . . . complicated.

THEN HE RISKS HIS LIFE TO SAVE HERS.

Rescued from the swamps as a child, Max exists silently in Legere’s shadow, heeding only his voice—until Charlotte Caissie awakens his emotions and tests his loyalties. Stepping outside his cautious rules threatens more than just his heart. He could expose his darkest secret.

NOW THEY’RE BOTH IN OVER THEIR HEADS.

Testing boundaries they weren’t meant to cross means facing the truth about who and what they are—and what they need from each other. If Max is the murderer she seeks, Charlotte could be his next victim. She can’t afford to trust any man. Good thing Max isn’t one.

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“MASKED BY MOONLIGHT is more than a scary werewolf tale.  It is a steamy romance; a whodunit; a story of intrigue and power.” Romance Reader at Heart Top Pick review

 

I like to get a little something extra, a little lagniappe, as they say in New Orleans, where I recently spent a week immersed in research.  It’s that extra that makes you feel special, like you got an unexpected bonus. 

When I pick up a paranormal, I know what I’m getting.  A hot-hot-hot Alpha male with preternatural tendencies.  A cool-headed kick butt heroine who can hold her own against anything but her hormones where the hero is concerned.  A world that defies reality but inspires belief while you devour the pages like movie theatre popcorn.  And best of all, despite all odds, overcoming impossible difficulties, the happily-ever-after ending.

My new MOONLIGHT dark paranormal series for Pocket Books has all those things…and more.

I purposefully chose a broad canvas on which to paint my characters.  I gave Max Savoie and Charlotte Caissie huge, insurmountable obstacles:  He’s an enforcer for a crime boss.  She’s a police detective.  She’s hunting down the man responsible for her father’s murder.  He’ll protect that man even if it means his life. She’s determined to destroy the only security he’s ever known and yet he risks everything to save her.

Okay, so far, so good. A taut romantic suspense thriller surrounding two reluctant lovers on opposite sides of mysterious murders—until you throw in the something extra:  She can’t afford to trust any man…and he isn’t one.

I’m of the School of Tortured Characters.  Confront them with the most horrible, devastating situation…and then raise the stakes.  If it weren’t bad enough to have them troubled by secrets, torn by loyalties and tormented by the attraction they can’t resist in the natural world, toss in an unnatural world belonging to a clan of shadowy shape-shifters searching for their prophesied leader.  And Max Savoie, who was rescued by his mob boss mentor as a child and has no idea who…or what he is, fills the bill.

I call it Beauty and the Beast Meets the Sopranos in the Big Easy.

Sometimes mixing in something extra increases the volume of a project beyond the projected page numbers.  Make that three more books beyond.  With life and death conflicts, rollercoaster action, and so much character baggage it would cost more than chartering a private jet to check it through, I let Max and Charlotte’s romantic adventure develop over the course of four out of six books in my series (six so far), with their relationship evolving even as the plot line unfolds. Books five and six will have them as strong secondaries but will feature new hero and heroines, some introduced in earlier books, some surprises.

Another extra treat.  MASKED BY MOONLIGHT is on the stands now.  And you won’t have to wait for installments two and three.  CHASED BY MOONLIGHT and CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT follow at the ends of June and July consecutively.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

 

To learn more about me and for excerpts from my MOONLIGHT series visit:  www.nancygideon.com

And in the meantime, enjoy a little taste of MASKED BY MOONLIGHT . . .

Do you like your paranormals with a little something extra or straight up?  What kind of spice do you like added to the otherworldly mix? 

A winner for an autographed copy of MASKED BY MOONLIGHT will be picked at random from those who comment.

Nancy Gideon is the author of over fifty romance novels ranging from historicals to paranormal and romantic suspense.  She’s a “Career Achievement for Historical Adventure” award winner and has a screen play credit on an indie horror film.  She works full time as a legal assistant.

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Unwearied by the World-Weary Rake! By Anna Campbell

Headlong into sin . . .

A well-practiced rake, weary of easy conquests and empty pleasures, Tarquin Vale, Earl of Ashcroft, knows women—and his every instinct warns him to beware of this one. Diana Carrick’s brazen overtures have thrown the haunted, sinfully handsome lord completely off his guard. Why, the exquisite temptress stated outright that she wishes to be his lover. But it is neither Diana’s boldness nor her beauty that intrigues him so—it is the innocence he senses behind her worldly mask.

Intent upon the seduction that will finally free her, Diana has set her sights on the notorious Ashcroft—never dreaming that there is much more to the enigmatic rogue than sin and deviltry. His kiss is bewitching, his caress intoxicating—and even the dangerous secret Diana must protect cannot shield her from Ashcroft’s dark allure.

Unwittingly yet most willingly, they are playing with fire. Now the fuse has been lit and there is no escape . . . except surrender.

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Hello, Romance Readers at Heart! Hello, Fatin! Thank you so much for inviting me here today to talk about my new release MY RECKLESS SURRENDER which hit the bookshops yesterday.

Sorry, just pausing for a very authorly squee there! It’s always an exciting moment when I have a new book out!

I thought I might share some musings about a favourite element in historical romance. If you read a lot of Regencies (and let’s face it, we ALL do!), you can’t avoid the ubiquitous Regency Rake (henceforward to be referred to as RR – hmm, that could be RRRRRRRR! Which I think is a great acronym for a man who sets female hearts aflutter with excitement!).

RRs are sitting fairly high in my consciousness because MY RECKLESS SURRENDER features one and the book I’m writing right now, which will be out next year, features another (this guy is even more rakish than Tarquin Vale, the hero of MRS!).

The RR has been fascinating to romance readers at least since the days of Georgette Heyer. I recently re-read DEVIL’S CUB which features a terrifically rakish (and terrific) RR in Vidal. He shoots people at the drop of a hat and thinks nothing of kidnapping a respectable girl if she takes his fancy. He should by rights be the villain of the story, yet he’s unquestionably the hero and we fall in love with him right along with Mary.

Why?

I wonder if part of it is that we admire a man who thumbs his nose at society and goes his own way. There’s a dash and sparkle about the RR that gets us all in. We also love to watch this self-confident master of all he surveys falling hard for the one woman who will keep him captivated for the rest of his life. I love seeing a jaded, world-weary rake recapturing his zest for life under the heroine’s influence.

Watching a RR fall in love is especially fun if the woman gives him a great runaround. Which is certainly the case when Tarquin falls in love with the mysterious Diana Carrick. Or if the woman is the last woman this particular rake ever thought he’d find beguiling – which is what happens in the book I’m writing now (no official title yet so sorry for sounding so coy!).

Oh, and I think we all like the idea of a man who, ahem, knows his way around! And we’re guaranteed that with a RR!

You can check out my latest Regency Rake in an excerpt of MY RECKLESS SURRENDER on my website:

http://www.annacampbell.info/recklesssurrender.html

So let’s talk rakes! Who is your favourite rake in romance? What do you think makes him so attractive? What do you think makes ANY RR attractive? My favorite comment means a signed copy of MY RECKLESS SURRENDER! Good luck!

 

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Beth Williamson’s Ode to the Hero

When anger and tenacity collide, sparks are inevitable.

Devils on Horseback, Book 4

The Civil War took more than Lee Blackwood’s arm. It took his confidence, his pride…and hope that any woman will see him as more than half a man. His friendships helped keep the demons at bay—until now. As each Devil has found happiness, Lee is left alone to cope with the darkness that claws at his soul.

Genevieve Blanchard has only one thing going for her: her no-good late husband’s run-down farm. That, and a fancy name no one can spell might get her a cup full of dirt in Tanger. Room, board and seamstress skills aren’t much, but it’s all she can offer any man willing to help her bring in her wheat crop.

Reluctantly Lee takes on the job, the widow’s smart-mouthed daughter and his growing attraction to a woman who stubbornly refuses to see him as anything less than whole. Slowly, his bitterness begins to fade under the light of their blooming love.

Warning: Y’all will fall in love with this stubborn cowboy, cheer for his strong woman, and get caught up in plenty of fightin’, lots of makin’ up, bone-meltin’ sex and forever kinda romance.

 

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Today marks the release of Devils on Horseback: Lee in ebook from Samhain. *confetti* Not only is it the fourth in a five book series, but it is unusual because my hero has one arm.

Writing unusual heroes and heroines is not unusual for me. 🙂 I tend to feature those you might not otherwise see, such as a homeless heroine, a hero suffering from PTSD, a disabled heroine with a misshapen leg or even a hero afflicted with OCD. Lee surpassed all of those amazing, strong people and became my first hero to struggle with a lost limb.

I struggled right along with him, both emotionally and as a writer. I cried for him when he couldn’t and with him when he could. Of all the devils, he’s the most damaged and I held onto him tight, letting him know it would be okay.

To be honest, it’s also challenging to remember to say “arm” and not “arms” or “hand” and not “hands”. Then there’s the physical description of action – he can only fight, farm, eat, make love, etc. with one arm or hand. Lee hung in there and waiting (im)patiently for me to figure it all out.

Lee is angry, not only because he lost his arm but because he struggles with what it means to be a man. He’s tough, strong, and well built (of course), yet he cannot reconcile who he is with who he wants to be. Men tend to want to be the best at everything, but that isn’t a fairy tale and it sure as hell isn’t easy.

Genny, as his heroine and a survivor in her own right, sees beyond all the crap he throws up to block everyone’s view of him. She finds the man beneath the fury and realizes he is who she’s been looking for. She’s by no means perfect and has her own self-esteem issues, but her love for Lee bypasses it all.

I think what sets this romance apart, aside from the fact my hero has one arm, is that the reader gets to experience what it means to be him. The frustration, the anger, the fear – it’s all there along with the happily ever after. I still tear up when I read the last two pages – when I know it’s all going to be all right, when it doesn’t matter if the hero has one arm or seven, when there is love, everything is possible.

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Many thanks to Beth for being our guest today! For more information on Beth and what she has coming up next, visit her website here. Also, don’t forget to leave a comment because the winner of Beth’s post will get all four books in Beth’s Devils on Horseback series. That’s right, you have the chance to win downloads of NATE, JAKE, ZEKE & LEE. Good Luck!

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Love my FedEx man!

While I was away, my FedEx guy delivered my newest Bravas.

I’m currently reading Shelly Laurenston’s books under her G.A. Aiken name. I finished Dragon Actually and Flames & Chains last night. Flames & Chains is the short story of the parents of the hero in Dragon Actually. Today I started the short story in Everlasting Bad Boys anthology. “Can’t Get Enough” is the story about Ailean and Shalin, the parents of Bercerek, who is the hero in Flames & Chains. Once I finish this story, I’m going to start About A Dragon, about Briec The Mighty, another son of Bercerek & Queen Rhiannon.

What’re you all reading these days?

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Nicola Marsh’s Book Winner!

 

So sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of Nicola’s post. My girls and I went on a road trip to TN last week and I never had a chance to get near a PC to make the announcement. We got back early Thursday morning but have been catching up on the sleep I didn’t get while visiting my family. Loved those few days with my sisters and Mom. Wish we all lived closer so we can see each other more often. 🙂

Without further ado, the winner of Nicola’s post is…..

KarynG!!

 

Congrats Karyn! Email me your address at mad @ romancereaderatheart.com (without the spaces) so we can get the book out to you.

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Mary Balogh Fans!

Enter for the chance to win a copy of First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh at Random House.

Against the scandal and seduction of Regency England, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh introduces an extraordinary family — the fiery, sensual Huxtables. Vanessa is the second daughter, proud and daring, a young widow who has her own reason for pursuing the most eligible bachelor in London. One that has nothing to do with love. Or does it?

The arrival of Elliott Wallace, the irresistibly eligible Viscount Lyngate, has thrown the country village of Throckbridge into a tizzy. Desperate to rescue her eldest sister from a loveless union, Vanessa Huxtable Dew offers herself instead. In need of a wife, Elliott takes the audacious widow up on her unconventional proposal while he pursues an urgent mission of his own. But a strange thing happens on the way to the wedding night. Two strangers with absolutely nothing in common can’t keep their hands off each other. Now, as intrigue swirls around a past secret — one with a stunning connection to the Huxtables — Elliott and Vanessa are uncovering the glorious pleasures of the marriage bed…and discovering that when it comes to wedded bliss, love can’t be far behind.

 

 ****ETA: This is not a giveaway through Novel Thoughts. You have to click the link above to go sign up for the contest at Random House.

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Book Trailer: TEMPTING THE ENEMY by Dee Tenorio

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Cover Goodness: THE PERFECT PLAY by Jaci Burton

How amazing is this cover? I’m in love with it! Jaci’s THE PERFECT PLAY comes out February 2011.

Football pro Mick Riley is an all-star, both on the field and in the bedroom. But a sexy, determinedly single mom just might be the one to throw him off his game…

For years Mick has been taking full advantage of the life available to a pro athlete: fame, fortune, and a different girl in every city.  But when he meets and beds confident, beautiful event planner Tara Lincoln, he wants much more than the typical one-night stand. Too bad Tara’s not interested in getting to know football’s most notorious playboy any better.

As the single mother of a teenage son, the last thing Tara needs is the jet-set lifestyle of Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand was unforgettable.  Tara’s life is complicated enough without being thrust into the spotlight as Mick’s latest girl du jour. Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn’t intend to put herself out there again, especially with a heartbreaker like Mick.

But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind.

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