Musing of the Romantics

Interview with Janelle Denison

Interview with Guest Author - Janelle Denison

I just finished reading Wild For Him – and let me tell you, you’re in for a great read! I’ll be posting a review of it in June – but just a heads up, Janelle knows how to write chemistry! Wild For Him, like all her books, has a tangible spark between a hero and heroine you just want to know more about.

Today we’re giving away a copy of Wild For Him to one lucky random poster! So after you read the interview – feel free to ask Janelle a question.

RNTV: Welcome Janelle, to Romance Novel TV. This is your first time here, and we’re excited to have you visit. Congratulations on your latest release – Wild for Him. Wild for Him is the first spin-off book from the Wilde Series, can you tell us a little bit about the book and why you decided to do a spin off?

Janelle Denison: Thank you for having me at Romance Novel TV. I'm thrilled to be here!

The whole popularity of the Wilde family really took me by surprise. I think the main reason why I decided to do spin-off stories is because readers wanted them. Throughout writing the Wilde family stories, Joel Wilde was introduced, along with his ex-Marine buddies and the guys he works with at Elite Security Specialists. It was a natural progression to write those guy's stories, too. I had such a great time writing Ben's story in Wild For Him, and the nice thing for readers is that they will get a few glimpses of the other Wilde characters and what they're up to.

RNTV: Your hero and heroine – Ben Cabrera and Christy Delacroix, couldn’t be more opposite in upbringing and lifestyle. Was it fun writing these two opposites and watching the ‘sparks’ fly? (And the sparks do fly – they have such amazing chemistry both emotionally and sexually).

You know what they say about how opposites attract! I think to some extent that applies here. At least socially. Christy is a high society girl and Ben is a small town boy - - and Ben is very aware of those differences, despite his intense attraction to her. Yet what makes them perfect for one another is the honesty between them, their emotional connection, and the way they come to understand one another in ways that no one else ever has.

I loved writing Ben and Christine's story. And as for that amazing chemistry, I love to write hot sexual tension between my characters; it's something that comes very natural for me. The emotional connection between my hero and heroine is so important, not only to me, but for my readers. They want to see the sensual sparks fly between my characters, but they also expect emotional growth, too. I can't imagine a happily-ever-after for my characters without that very important element!

RNTV: Your heroines are independent and strong women. For you as an author, what are the essential elements your heroines must have?

Janelle Denison: I think you nailed it -- my heroines must be independent, strong women. That doesn't mean that they don't have moments of vulnerability or insecurity (they are women, after all, LOL!), but it's that deep, inner core strength that is so admirable. Equally important, I want the hero of their story to complete who they are and add to that independence and strength, not take away from it.

RNTV: I find your plots intriguing and exciting, your characters 3 dimensional and provocative. What comes first for you, the plot or the characters? Who drives the train?

Janelle Denison: The main core of my books are character driven. It's their story, their emotions and connection that drives the story for me. I've never been much of a "plotter" in terms of having a suspenseful plotline or mystery carrying the book. I think being a category writer first (I wrote for Harlequin Temptation & Blaze) strengthened my characterization skills, because those books just didn't have a whole lot of room for a deep, involving plot.

Now that I'm writing single titles, it's necessary to have a strong suspense or some kind of mystery plot. As I said, that's not my forte. Luckily, I have a critique group (Carly Phillips, Julie Leto, and Leslie Kelly) who help me flesh out those plots and give my stories that dimension they need to sustain 400 pages of story. I honestly and truly couldn't write a single title book without their help!

RNTV: When you’re writing do you ever draw from your own life experiences? If so, can you give us an example?

No, I've never drawn from my own life experiences for any of my books. I truly lead a very boring life, LOL!

On a personal note:

1. What are your favorite things to do on a day off?

I enjoy spending time with my girlfriends - - a lunch or movie date, or just shopping or a pedicure. But I also don't mind spending those days "off" by myself, either -- reading or taking a long nap. I'm very low maintenance that way, LOL.

2. What’s your idea of a romantic night out?

Romance, for me, is packaged in many ways, and it doesn't necessarily entail going out somewhere. I just love being with my husband, who is also my very best friend. Staying at home with him and grilling some steaks and watching a DVD together is my idea of romance.

3. If someone were to write a romance novel of your life – what sub-genre of romance would it be – and what part would you play?

Wow, that's a tough one. I guess it would be more of a women's fiction novel than straight romance that would show my life and my relationships with family and friends. Nothing too exciting, though. There are people I know that have led bigger-than-life kind of stories that would make a great book, but my own personal life has been pretty straight-forward without a whole lot of surprises along the way.

RNTV: Janelle, thanks so much for joining us today. I’m going to open the floor to questions from our viewers.

Janelle Denison: Thank you for the chance to interact with your viewers!  I always enjoy the chance to meet new readers!

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Guest Author - Brenda Novak

Brenda Novak writes contemporary romance, and since her first sale to Harper Collins in 1998 she’s published over 22 books. She’s joining us today to talk about her brand new trilogy as well as her annual on-line auction for Juvenile Diabetes.

Today, Brenda will be giving away an autographed copy of Trust Me and Dead Right to two random posters!

And with out further ado – here’s Brenda:

As a writer, I always get asked whether I write from personal experience. In ways, I do, and the new series I’m kicking off this summer is a perfect example of that. TRUST ME, which was just released two days ago, STOP ME (to be released June 24^th) and WATCH ME (to be released July 29^th) are based on a fictional victim’s charity in Sacramento called The Last Stand. The three heroines met at a victim’s support group after each one experienced a different kind of violence. They’re determined to heal, to fight back and to help others do the same, which is why they decide to start The Last Stand.

In TRUST ME, Skye Kellerman was attacked in her own bed. She managed to fend off her knife-wielding assailant, but now her would-be rapist is getting out of prison. Early. And Skye knows that Dr. Oliver Burke hasn’t forgotten what her testimony cost him.

In STOP ME, widower Romain Fornier lost his reason for living the day his daughter was kidnapped and murdered. When the killer got off on a technicality, he used a gun to mete out his own justice. Now that he’s out of prison and free to return to his Cajun roots, the last thing he wants to learn is that he might've killed the wrong man. But that’s exactly what Jasmine Stratford of The Last Stand has come all the way from California to tell him.

In WATCH ME, Sheridan Kohl was just a teenager parked at the lake with a boy named Jason when a stranger wearing a ski mask shot them both. Sheridan lived, but Jason died—and the stranger was never caught. Twelve years later,Sheridan has learned a thing or two about investigating crime. She returns to her hometown, intent on achieving answers at last. But someone doesn’t want the truth to come out. Someone who is willing to resort to murder. Again.  

While my fictional charity is geared toward violent crime because I write romantic suspense and thought it would be fascinating to see these women tackle some very interesting and difficult cases, the concept of using personal passion to motivate came from my own desire to make a difference to those struggling with diabetes.

Six years ago, when my youngest son was diagnosed with Type 1, I felt hurt and wanted to fight back, too. Desperately. I just didn’t know how. I had five kids at home and some very tight book deadlines. But then I attended a silent auction at the local elementary school and realized that I could do a similar event on my Web site where I could utilize the traffic I’d already established.

In my first three auctions, I managed to raise a combined total of $250,000, and the 2008 auction looks as if it will at least match that amount. A shopper’s paradise, it has plenty of items to fit every budget from a drumhead signed by a whole slew of famous music artists (Michael Jackson, Ringo Starr, Bruce Springstein, and far too many others to list) to a treasure trove of miscellaneous items donated by author Lauren Hawkeye. And that’s not all. For those who are aspiring to become a novelist or to advance their writing career, there are AMAZING opportunities. Many of the most powerful agents and editors in the business have donated evaluations—some with the promise of a 24-hour response (which is unheard of in the publishing industry).

How does it all work? Just like E-Bay, except this auction is running at www.brendanovak.com and ends May 31^st. Visit that URL to register. When the bidding is over, you can pay with Paypal, credit card or personal check/money order. In most instances the donor even picks up the shipping. And the person who places the highest number of bids over all, even if that person doesn’t win a single item, will receive a fabulous prize package including a brand new camcorder (worth over $1,000), Your Name in My Next Book, an autographed copy of TRUST ME, and chocolate (lots of chocolate!).

Check out the auction, and while you’re at my Web site, enter to win a spectacular trip to Port Orchard and Bainbridge Island (sponsored by Allison Brennan, Debbie Macomber, Susan Wiggs and myself), and receive a $10 gift certificate you can use toward your auction purchases.

What cool items have you won in past charity auctions? Do you prefer on-line shopping to brick & mortar shopping? Do you think this “wave of the future” will eventually overtake traditional fundraising?

Here's to making a difference!

Brenda Novak

 

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Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward

Reviewed by Marisa O’Neill

5 out of 5 stars

Ok, so I finished reading Lover Enshrined.  I had to sit on the floor and read it - because I kept falling out of my chair!  It’s amazing, wonderful, thoughtful, provoking and takes you on an unknown journey that keeps you turning the pages until the last page; finally, incredibly satisfied and breathlessly wanting to know more. If I wasn’t falling out of my chair I was reaching for the tissue box because there were just as many moments that were extremely poignant and heart wrenching.  It’s the kind of book that ruins you for other books for many days after because the characters are still playing around inside your head. The kind of book you’ll know you’ll be re-reading – and not only this book – but you know one week this summer you’re going to do a J.R. Ward marathon and re-read them all.  For those of you who have read the series – Lover Enshrined is epic in its scope, and unlike the other books in the  Black Dagger Brotherhood series, it doesn’t just expound on the culture and world already created, it takes the world building and the characters to a whole ‘nother level. For those of you who have not read the series, what are you waiting for? Its summertime and this may be a good time to start a J.R. Ward Marathon. You can still enjoy Lover Enshrined if you have not read the previous five books, but it’s a much richer experience if you’ve read them.

There were so many moments in Lover Enshrined that made me stop and go ‘WTF’, or ‘shut up’ and I’m talking from the first two pages.  Alright – very short run down – Lover Enshrined is the sixth book in J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series – this book is Phury’s book. Phury is the tortured twin brother of Zsadist, he’s also a vampire, a virgin and has the added title of Primale. In other words he is the ‘male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood’s bloodlines alive’. Phury’s duty is to mate with all the Chosen  (that means all the females who are of the chosen aristocracy and can ‘propagate their class’ – thereby creating more Warriors to fight the vampire’s enemies). Whew, follow that?

But! Lover Enshrined is so much more – which is why I find it hard to give you a brief synopsis. Yes the book is about Phury and his ‘heroine’ Cormia, and yes it is a book about how they come together. And – however - it is also about Phury and his relationship with his brother Z, his relationship to the Brotherhood, his relationship with the individual brothers and his relationship with himself; especially with himself. It’s about self-discovery, traditions, change, and sacrifice. One of the elements I love most in this series and in this book in particular, are the relationships between the males. There is a sense of camaraderie and, well, I’ll say it, brotherhood, that is deep and abiding; and for me, in many ways, the true ‘romance’ of the book. I was particularly drawn into the ying yang/ push pull of Phury’s relationship with his twin brother Z – talk about heart wrenching. But here’s the thing about that, the harder the fight to save and/or create a relationship the deeper the reward.

On almost every page of this book - everything is of consequence and anything can change in a moment. J.R Ward isn’t following a formula; she doesn’t give Phury a nice neat little book – in a way the book is much larger than Phury’s story and becomes a vehicle to take us to the next level of the Brother’s world, preparing us for the next chapter – building to the end.For me, Lover Enshrined is all about change – from what has been ‘enshrined’ to the point of near extinction, to revolutionary change in order to survive; weather that’s changing the system, or changing your beliefs, or changing your habits. And let’s face it, change is hard – and in LE Ward doesn’t back down from it – she makes you confront it. Phury’s story isn’t tied up in a neat little package, she makes Phury work for everything; and in turn she makes us experience it. I have to say, Ward took Phury on a journey I did not want to go on – it was hard, but the pay off is huge.   

I’d say most people don’t readily embrace change.  Even when something isn’t working, sticking to the old is comfortable and in many ways comforting. Lover Enshrined blows it all out of the water – it’s all about embracing your fears, facing them, making hard decisions and living with them, even if you’re not ready. It is eloquent, poignant

Ward brings back some characters we haven’t seen in a book or two, as well as introduces new ones; and there are some major characters whose stories unfold right along with Phury’s. Each character in the series is a part of the larger whole, and each character has their role to play.  No wasted words – everything contributes to where the series is taking us. Ward’s introduction of characters is seamless and woven into the fabric creating a rich tapestry that is yet to be completed. The process of watching it being made, sentence by sentence, page by page, book by book, is phenomenal. The Brotherhood’s mission - keeping their race alive, their culture in tact while embracing the new, the here and now – is a journey I’m captivated by. It’s a journey I’m glad to be on. It’s a world that makes me want to invest my time.  It’s a world unlike any other.

In J.R. Ward’s Lover Enshrined – relationships are pivotal, they propel the story forward. They happen between men and women, brothers, friends, quasi enemies – it made me wonder, what are the requirements/elements for a relationship between two people? What makes you fight to keep them alive?

 

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Today's Guest Author - The One and Only - Loretta Chase

RNTV: Hi Loretta, it’s so good to have you back with us on Romance Novel TV. Your Scandalous Ways has everyone talking – what a fabulous book! For those readers who still have YSW on their TBR pile would you mind giving us a brief synopsis of your latest release?

Loretta Chase: Thank you! I’m delighted to be back--I had so much fun with Mystery Author. This is a fabulous group. OK, enough shameless flattery of my hosts. Let’s see. Your Scandalous Ways in a nutshell. I’m terrible at In-a-Nutshell, but here’s one way of looking at it. James Cordier is my 007 of 1820 (only hotter, IMO--I mean, he’s half Italian). He’s fed up with the spy business. But before he can go back to England and try to have a normal life, His Majesty’s top secret agent gets one last mission: He must relieve Europe’s most expensive and exclusive courtesan of a packet of letters. It’s an insulting assignment--getting some letters from a girl. Any beginner secret agent man could do it, he thinks. But Francesca Bonnard isn’t just any girl. She’s smart, sexy, and brilliant at manipulating men. The jewels adorning her beautiful body announce that she, too, is #1 in her profession. In short, James meets his match, and the world’s lamest assignment turns into the toughest and trickiest of his career.

RNTV: Your Scandalous Ways gives us such a wonderful sense of Regency Venice – did you get to take a research trip before writing the book? In my mind, I see you sitting along a canal looking at the sunset as Francesca and James formed in your mind. How off base am I?

Loretta Chase: Don’t I wish I’d had been on that research trip you envision! But my exploration of Venice happened via books, DVDs, and cyberspace--the same approach I took with Egypt for MR IMPOSSIBLE. In some ways, not visiting offers advantages. Just as sometimes it’s hard to envision Regency-era Londonwhen you’re in present-day London, I know it would be tricky to get a proper sense of the Venetian atmosphere Lord Byron would have experienced. For example, he knew a much quieter place--no engines of any kind--and the quiet plays an important part in my story. Venice had tourists in his day, but nothing like the mobs that descend now. The only way to get to Venice from the mainland in the time of my story is in a boat. So there’s a stronger sense of being in a separate world. I created my Venice from Lord Byron’s letters and journals, from the journals of his friend John Cam Hobhouse (later Lord Broughton), numerous 19th Century travelers’ accounts, and some gigantic picture books. I used DVDs & YouTube as well. I found video clips of the bells of the Campanile ringing, and I watched people’s expressions, to find out how painful it is to be right under those bells. When readers get to one scene in the story, they’ll understand why I did this.

RNTV: Let’s talk Francesca, the courtesan heroine of Your Scandalous Ways.As Anna Campbell put it so brilliantly in her review – she’s a “strong self-confident survivor”. What are some of the most important characteristics your heroines must have and why?

Loretta Chase: Romance demands a powerful, larger-than-life hero. The challenge for me is to create women who can stand up to such men. So I make the heroines intelligent, savvy, determined, resilient, and so on. This often means they need to have experiences or abilities that the average lady of the time might not have. Or--as in Francesca’s case--they have to survive and triumph over the kind of personal catastrophe that would destroy other women. Or they fight back--overtly or via manipulation--in situations where other women became victims. When I first started writing romances, this was a conscious decision: I wanted to replace the passive or victimized women of the Victorian novels I loved with women who took charge of their lives and would not let the male-dominated culture rule them. With Your Scandalous Ways, and my other Fallen Women books, I’m responding to the Victorians’ (and later works’) tragic ends for less-than-pure women.

RNTV: Let’s move on to James – an aristocratic James Bond (not the Sean Connery James Bond, the Daniel Craig James Bond) in Regency Venice. Wow! Hot, suave, determined, brilliant and cunning. That’s it, no question, just an observation – but feel free to tell us how you feel about James.

Loretta Chase: Oh, I love him. A lot. How can I not? He’s handsome, sexy, passionate, and romantic. And, as I pointed out above, he’s half-Italian. That’s part of his soul. He has a distinctive continental sophistication. But he’s English, too. As Francesca sees him, “At one moment he was indisputably Italian; in the next, incurably English.” I love this tension between the two aspects of his nature, and the way Francesca really brings out the Italian in him and drives the super-cool British secret agent crazy.

RNTV: What areas of Regency history are you most interested in, and how do you go about incorporating them into your novels?

Loretta Chase: I don’t really have a preference, except for something I haven’t explored before. This explains why a book ends up in Egypt or Venice or Albania or the laundry room or dairy of a great country estate. I’m always looking for some aspect of the early 19th I haven’t already done. If it feels new and interesting to me, there’s a good chance that the freshness and enthusiasm will come through in the story. Of course, that sounds more rational than the actual process. My writing gods operate on the Monty Python principle: “And now for something completely different.”

RNTV: If you lived in the Regency period what are the things you would miss the most? What are some of the things you’d be glad to leave behind in 21st Century America?

Loretta Chase: I’d miss women’s rights most of all. I’m not sure I’d have the stomach to be a writer, for one thing. There’s a reason so many women novelists wrote under male pseudonyms or anonymously. Women authors were savaged to an astounding degree, often merely for having the audacity to write! The misogyny of the times is truly amazing--and infuriating. One thing I’d be glad to leave behind is 21st C noise: the ubiquitous TV and music. And traffic. The trouble is, for every 21st C annoyance, I can produce a Regency era one. The Regency era I’d like to travel to is the imaginary one of my stories, where I airbrush out most of the nasty bits.

On A Personal Note:
1. What are your favorite things to do on a day off?

 Shop. I know it’s shallow, but that’s how I am.

 2. What’s your idea of a romantic night out?

 Ooh, I just had one of those. A milestone wedding anniversary. Dinner at Lemaire at the Hotel Jefferson in Richmond,VA, where DH & I had spent our wedding night. We told our friends and family we were returning to the scene of the crime. For me, romantic nights out involve sublime food, washed down with champagne, and impeccable service. No kidding, I really am shallow.

3. If someone were to write a romance novel of your life – what sub-genre of romance would it be? And which character would you play?

It would be chick lit of some kind I suppose, a kind of picaresque journey through a series of jobs and friends and boyfriends. I think I’d have to play the heroine (though it would involve time travel to restore my youthful looks and extreme lack of perspective and general miscomprehension of everything) because who else is dumb enough?.

RNTV: Loretta, thanks so much for taking the time to visit with us today – it is truly a joy and a pleasure! Alright - the ‘floor’ is open and Loretta is available to answer you questions - so ask away!

(Make sure and check out Anna Campbell’s review of Your Scandalous Ways)

Loretta Chase holds a B.A. from Clark University, where she majored in English and minored unofficially in visual art. Her past lives include clerical, administrative, and part-time teaching at Clark and a Dickensian six-month experience as a meter maid. In the course of moonlighting as a corporate video scriptwriter, she fell under the spell of a producer who lured her into writing novels...and marrying him. The union has resulted in more than a dozen books and a number of awards, including the Romance Writers of America’s Rita award. You can talk to Loretta via her email address Author@LorettaChase.com, visit her website, and blog with her and six other authors at WordWenches.

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Humorous Heroines and Smoking Hot Heroes- Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson

Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson

Reviewed By Kati Dancy

When I open a Rachel Gibson novel, I know what I'm getting, fun, breezy romances with intelligent, humorous heroines and smoking hot heroes. Not Another Bad Date is a perfect example.

Devon Hamilton-Zemaitis is having a very bad day. You see, she's just been killed by a garbage truck, and when she finally gets a chance to see someone about her situation, she is told that while she's not being sent straight to hell, she's also not being sent to heaven. Instead, she'll have to go to a kind of purgatory, where she'll need to do some good in order to earn her way into heaven. She is outraged! Wasn't she a model mother? Sure, she was maybe a little self-absorbed, and sure, maybe when they were in college she trapped her husband, Zach into marriage by getting pregnant, but it all turned out didn't it? Needless to say, the powers that be aren't convinced.

Devon must do some good or remain in purgatory (in which she is the greeter at a Wal-Mart type of store) forever. She sets her sights on righting the wrong she did to her husband, Zach.

Zach Zemaitis is a retired professional football player. After a successful career with the Denver Broncos, he's come back to Cedar Creek,Texas to raise his teenage daughter and coach high school football. If this isn't exactly where he thought his life would end up, he's content enough, and the important part is that his daughter, Tiffany, hasn't been uprooted since her mother died. Zach and Devon's marriage had never been a happy one, he living in Denver, and she living in Cedar Creek, where she could be a "big fish in a small pond." In fact, the day that Devon died, Zach had presented her with divorce papers. But he and Tiffany are now living happily in Cedar Creek, and are getting along just fine.

Adele Harris is not happy to be back in Cedar Creek. She grew up here and now is only back because her sister Sherri is going through a painful divorce and is suffering through a high risk pregnancy at the same time. Adele has come to help Sheri take care of her teenaged daughter, Kendra. Poor Kendra is trying to fit into a new high school and make the dance squad while dealing with her parents divorce. Adele wants to help out, but she's been thrust unwillingly into the role of stand-in mother of a niece she doesn't really know that well. On top of that, it feels like she's back in high school again herself, dealing with women who were popular then and who remain not very nice. And to top it all off, now she sees that Zach Zemaitis is in town. Adele had fallen long and hard for Zach when they were in college. She had given him her love and affection for ten glorious weeks and then he abruptly ended things when his ex-girlfriend Devon had told him she was pregnant. Zach and

Devon were married a few weeks later, and Adele was left to lick her wounds. Needless to say, Adele is NOT happy to see Zach again, and is even less pleased that his daughter and her niece have hit it off. Zach, on the other hand, finds himself as drawn to Adele's looks and her acerbic wit as he was in college. After only a few hours together, Zach is determined that he has to be with Adele, and he begins courting her -- which completely distracts her and weakens her resolve not to be with him -- a charming Texas man is a lethal Texas man.

One of my favorite things about Rachel Gibson's books is that she builds wonderful sexual tension between her heroes and heroines. Zach and Adele have a couple of incredibly hot encounters long before they ever consummate their relationship. It makes it all the more satisfying when they finally do get together. The book features all of the fun hallmarks of a Gibson book -- witty one-liners and interesting secondary characters who enhance the relationship of the hero and heroine. Although the ending felt just slightly rushed to me, I think that might just be my greed for Rachel's writing. Not Another Bad Date is a fun and sassy romance with a wonderful cast of characters. I'd recommend it as another great addition to Rachel Gibson's work.

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Discovering A New Romance Author

Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves

Reviewed by PJ Ausdenmore

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I love discovering new authors, especially when they arrive on my doorstep with a backlist just waiting to be glommed. I was not familiar with Jane Graves so when I picked up a copy of her latest contemporary romance, TALL TALES AND WEDDING VEILS, I wondered if it was a debut book. Imagine my surprise, and delight, to discover that it is actually the 16^th book published by this six-time RITA finalist.

Heather Montgomery is 29, attractive in an understated way, responsible, a successful accountant and, to her mother’s ever-growing despair, single. Here she is, approaching her 30^th birthday without a single prospect in sight, suffering through yet another ugly dress fitting, this time as the obligatory family bridesmaid to snooty, rich cousin Regina, and dreading the weekend bridesmaid trip to Vegas with the slim, gorgeous bride and her other four equally gorgeous sorority sister bridesmaids. 

Tony McCaffrey is a man who knows how to have a good time. With his movie star looks, bone-melting smile and Texas charm, he’s a favorite with the ladies…many ladies. He likes them tall, slim, blonde, beautiful and not too intelligent. He’s about to realize his dream of buying his favorite watering hole, McMillan’s when his loan falls through. Out of options and, with the closing on Monday, Tony has no choice but to fly to Vegas for the weekend and try to win the money he needs to make his dream come true.

In the lobby of her Vegas hotel, Heather is shocked to find herself standing next to Tony McCaffrey, the man she secretly fantasizes about during her regular visits to McMillan’s Bar and Grill back home but knows she could never attract. Tony, of course, doesn’t remember ever seeing Heather before but when her good luck charm wins him the $20,000 he needs to fulfill his dream he whisks her off in a limo for a champagne celebration, never intending more than one night of fun. Conservative, by-the-book, Heather and laid-back, playboy Tony are both equally horrified to awaken the next morning in bed together with a marriage certificate on the dresser. They’re a little fuzzy about the prior evening’s champagne-induced events however, since they’re both still dressed they know the marriage hasn’t been consummated and are relieved to agree to a simple, uncomplicated annulment…until the fateful moment when Heather remembers that post-wedding phone call to her mother.

While on the surface this particular storyline would appear to be light and predictable, in reality Graveshas created a rich, complex story of emotional growth, acceptance and forgiveness. Tony and Heather are imbued with layers that are not readily apparent and their journey of self-discovery and growth is funny, poignant, steamy and ultimately satisfying. Add in a terrific cast of secondary characters and you have a great book to toss in your beach bag for summer reading pleasure.

Have you discovered any new authors lately? What books would you put in your beach bag this summer?

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5 Ways to Meet Your Prince - Guest Author Susanna Carr

While writing Red-Hot and Royal, I realized it's very unusual for ordinary, modern-day women to meet royal princes. Not only is His Highness living in an exclusive world but he's also surrounded by security detail and protective assistants. What's a girl to do? Well, until these princes realize they are missing out and let down the drawbridge, learn from five commoners who successfully found their princes: 

1. Friends and Family. Diana Spencer first met Prince Charles when he was dating her older sister. Sisters can be useful? Who knew?
2. Play Hard to Get. Despite the fact that he had a long list of potential and suitable brides, Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan proposed marriage to Masako Owada several times before she accepted. I love the strategy of making the guy grovel and beg. Of course, the trick is knowing when to stop saying no.
3. Get Nearly Naked. Rumor has it that Kate Middleton caught Prince William's eye while modeling underwear at a college fashion show. Only attempt this if you have the body of a Victoria's Secret model.
4. Be a Star. Sure, it's a lot of work, but then you can have your pick of princes. Grace Kelly was a     Hollywood star when Prince Rainier of Monaco pursued her. Considering how famous she was, you'd think she would have held out for a country that was larger than New York's Central Park!
5. Buy him a drink. If all else fails, you can always rely on a little bit of luck. Australian commoner    Mary Donaldson met Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in a bar.

If you think about it, a few of these princesses met their man the same way we do. Through family, social gatherings, or while wearing as little as possible. Did you already find your Prince Charming? How did you meet him?

 

Red-Hot and Royal
by Susanna Carr
Signet Eclipse Trade Paperback Original; June 3, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-451-22399-9; $14.00

Notify the royal guard…
three everyday women are about to break through the gates, take on the palace and turn on the princes.

Kylee, Lauren, and Shayla are modern-day ordinary women who would never meet the requirements for fabled princesses. Damsels in distress? Definitely not. Fairest in the land? They wish. Pure as snow? Not even close. Now, these three women are about to get to know the wild side of royalty—and inspire three princes to cast the crown aside and bare it all. Their encounters are royally erotic—and the happily ever after they reach is not exactly the fairytale ending you’d expect. It’s much, much hotter. One thing's for sure: These princes never had it so good…

 
You can learn more about Susanna on her web site susannacarr.com

 

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Romance Novels On Your Cell Phone??

Color me surprised! Maria and I were surfing the net when we came across an article that said you can now download romance novels on your cell phone. Hello? Can you hear me now? I’m of 2 minds

On One Hand:
Yeah, I’ve gotten spoiled and I want my information now! If I have to wait more than 4 seconds for an email to download, well, I’m hitting delete. If I have to watch TV with commercials instead of fast forwarding through TiVo, well, I’m changing the channel. If I call a phone number and I get a busy signal, I’m, WTH, these people should join the 21^st Century already. So yeah, I’m all about Right Now!

I’m never one to travel without a book. I mean, no book? What if I find myself waiting on a long line, or stuck in a subway car. I’ve been known to pull out a book and read walking down the street. So when Sony came out with their e-reader I was delighted, especially when it comes to hard back books and e-books.

BUT

On The Other Hand:
I’m also of the mind that things are moving way to fast. Reading for me, for the most part, is a pleasure, something I want to savor. And that means sitting down in my favorite chair, sipping a coke or a glass of Pinot Grigio, watching the sunset, or sitting in front of a roaring fire, devouring each and every word and being transported to places I’ve never been with people I’m happy to go on a journey with. So reading very tiny print on my very tiny cell phone would not be conducive to a relaxing evening in the bubble bath with my latest favorite book.

Cell phones are great, I use mine to make calls and receive calls. When I’m traveling I often use mine as an alarm clock. But, I don’t think I’ll be down loading romance novels on my cell phone. But hey, some one call me when they teach cell phones how to do laundry. Hello? Can you hear me now?

What about you? You up for reading about your favorite hero and heroine doing the deed – on your cell phone? How far into technology are you?

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The Loner by Geralyn Dawson

Reviewed by PJ Ausdenmore

Logan Grey is a man who is haunted by the tragedies of his past. Though newspapers have dubbed him the “luckiest man in Texas” because of his mysterious ability to sense, and ward off trouble before it occurs, Logan knows his luck is anything but good. At the age of five he lost his entire family in a flash flood and was raised in an orphaned children’s home. As a range detective, Logan has survived over 30 gunfights and brought many notorious outlaws to justice but he hasn’t always worn the white hat and he hasn’t always been lucky. He did things in his youth that he sorely regrets, things for which innocents paid the price, things that have shaped the solitary man he’s become. Tall, dark and good looking he’s a favorite of the ladies but is careful to avoid attachments to any of them. There is mysterious heartbreak in Logan’s past that he’s not looking to repeat.

Caroline Kilpatrick fell in love with Logan Grey the first time she saw him at the tender age of 8. He was the first boy to kiss her and nine years later he was the 18 year old louse who married her, bedded her and rode away the next morning without looking back. Unbeknownst to Caroline, he’d been hired by her father to marry his daughter in a fake ceremony in order to give her father access to Caroline’s inheritance. 

Fifteen years later…Logan finds himself in the middle of a bank robbery. He’s frantically trying to figure out a plan to foil the three bank robbers and save the hostages when a gorgeous woman rushes to him, throws herself into his arms and starts fiddling with his belt. She slips him a gun then proceeds to help him stop the robbery. Truth be told, she actually does most of the work herself.

Logan is stunned, mystified and totally captivated by this beautiful stranger but when he turns to thank her after the robbers have been subdued, she has disappeared. Caroline Kilpatrick is furious! After traveling to Fort Worth with one goal in mind, to find Logan Grey, the last man in the world she wants to see, and convince him to help her rescue her beloved foster father from the outlaw infested Black Shadow Canyon then helping him foil the bank robbery, the “lying, rotten, no-good, low-life, snake-breath, dirt-eating, overstuffed, ignorant, heartless, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed, dog” didn’t even recognize her! For reasons only he knows,

Logan has purposely avoided thinking about that part of his life. He has no idea that Caroline’s father died two months after the “wedding”, leaving her homeless and destitute. He doesn’t know that he left Caroline pregnant and is the father of her son, Will, and he sure as shootin’ has no idea that the marriage was, in fact, legal and the smart, feisty, gorgeous woman who helped him foil the bank robbery is his wife!

So begins another fast-paced, action-packed, emotionally satisfying, historical Texas romance from the incomparable Geralyn Dawson, who has delighted readers with her many wonderful stories. In this first book of her new “The Good Luck Grooms” series, Dawson leads Caroline and Logan on a tumultuous journey that risks their lives and tests their resolve as they face down killer tornadoes and killer outlaws while searching for their missing loved ones. Even more perilous, perhaps, is their intensely emotional journey of the heart as they rediscover the special, but tenuous bond that has always been between them and that eventually grows into a deep and abiding love. But is love enough for Logan to overcome his fears and stay with his newly found family or will he once again turn his back on Caroline and Will to live the life of the Loner?

After first meeting Logan Grey in HER OUTLAW, Emma McBride and Dair MacRae’s book from the “Bad Luck Brides” series, I couldn’t wait for his story to be released. I’m delighted to say that THE LONER not only met all of my expectations, it far exceeded them. As an added bonus, I got to revisit the McBride menaces and their husbands as well as Holt and Cade, Dair and Logan’s “brothers” from the children’s home and the heroes of the next two books in this series.

4 ½ Stars

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All New Guest Authors - All Summer Long on Romance Novel TV

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May and June are just the beginning of an incredible line up of Guest Authors on Romance Novel TV. From J.R. Ward to Janelle Denison and from Jessica Andersen to Loretta Chase. Romance Authors are visiting Romance Novel TV all summer long. So drop my and chat with some of your favorite romance authors.