Diana Quincy Romance

Latest Romance Book Deals

2012-02-27T22:11:00.000-05:00

NYT bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries's next three Regency novels, linking to the Hellions of Halstead Hall series, to Micki Nuding at Pocket, in a major deal, by Pam Ahearn of Ahearn Agency.

Tina Wainscott writing as Jaime Rush's new series, THE HIDDEN, where walking the edge between the glamour of Miami and the Hidden, a place filled with dark magick, deity descendants must fight the seductive lure of their magick, their bloodlust, and hold fast to what makes them human, to Alex Logan at Grand Central, in a nice deal, in a three-book deal, for publication in November 2012, by Nicole Resciniti at The Seymour Agency.

RITA award-winning author Beth Pattillo's THE HEDGEROW PRINCESS, in which a London dandy must transform a wild mountain child into a princess to save a kingdom, plus reissues of PRINCESS CHARMING and HER PERFECT EARL (written as Bethany Brooks), to Debra Dixon at Bell Bridge Books, in a nice deal, by Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency.

Lammy-award winning editor Sacchi Green's GIRL FEVER: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex for Lesbians, a collection of fresh lesbian quickies by premier erotica writers, to Brenda Knight at Cleis Press, in a nice deal, for publication in June 2012.

Lesbian blogger Sinclair Sexsmith's SAY PLEASE: Lesbian BDSM Erotica, to Brenda Knight at Cleis Press, in a nice deal, for publication in April 2012.

Gina Welborn's novella ALL YE FAITHFUL, to be included in A CASCADES CHRISTMAS, in which an heiress is pursued by a man deemed unsuitable by her father -- but will his devotion remain when awful rumors about her rip through the town, revealing the shameful truth she's trying to hide, to Rebecca Germany at Barbour, in a nice deal, by Tamela Hancock Murray at the Steve Laube Agency.

Charlotte Featherstone's WICKED TEMPTATION, in which a shy heiress from a scandalous family is courted by a charming rogue, to Susan Swinwood at HQN, in a four-book deal, by Jessica Alvarez at BookEnds.

Annie Jones's COWBOY AT THE CROSS POINT, featuring a loner lawman and a feisty diner waitress drawn together by an abandoned baby, to Emily Rodmell at Harlequin Love Inspired, by Melissa Jeglinski at The Knight Agency.

Marilyn Pappano's next two titles in the author's ongoing Copper Lake Secrets series, to Shana Smith at Harlequin Romantic Suspense, by Melissa Jeglinski at The Knight Agency.

Sarah Anderson's THE RANCHER'S VALENTINE, in which a woman's job depends on convincing a superstar-turned-rancher to take the comeback role of a lifetime, but when a snowstorm traps them together, she'll be forced to decide what's more important -- her career, or her heart, to Stacy Boyd at Harlequin Desire, by Jill Marsal at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Tanya Anne Crosby's untitled romantic suspense, about three sisters, heiresses to a newspaper dynasty, who reunite at their mother's funeral, and resolve to solve the decades-old mystery of their youngest brother's disappearance - a loss that fractured their family and from which they've never recovered, to Alicia Condon at Kensington, for publication in 2013, by Helen Breitwieser of Cornerstone Literary.

Former Essence editor-in-chief, Angela Burt-Murray's new set of thrillers, the DIVA Mystery series, based on her insider's knowledge of the glamorous worlds of celebrity and media, that follow a tenacious entertainment journalist as she races to solve crimes, climb the masthead and juggle complicated romantic relationships, to Kelli Martin at Montlake, in a three-book deal, by Kimberly Whalen at Trident Media Group.

Kim Groom's SPOTLIGHT, in which a videographer hiding from a past scandal falls for America's golden boy, the man currently the focus of the country's attention, to Kelli Martin at Montlake Romance, by Jill Marsal at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Golden Heart finalist Cindy Nord's NO GREATER GLORY, about a Union cavalry colonel who commandeers a Virginia plantation for his regiment's winter encampment, never suspecting the defiant widow determined to defend her once-grand home will instead conscript his cynical heart, to Tera Kleinfelter at Samhain, by Louise Fury at L. Perkins Agency.

Hitting it Big After Years of Rejections: An E-Pub Success Story

2012-02-20T07:51:00.000-05:00

While the current "Wild West" world of publishing means authors have alternate ways of finding success, many still pursue the ultimate dream of publication with one of the highly-respected traditional publishers.

Author Theresa Ragan certainly did. The six-time Golden Heart finalist pursued that dream for almost 20 years.

As she tells Joyce Lamb in her USA Today "Happily Ever After" column, "I worked with two agents and a few editors. I joined critique groups and brainstorming groups. I attended writer conferences all over the U.S. I judged contests."

Ragan says she wrote every day and in many genres, hoping to attract the attention of an editor. But she never received that coveted offer from one of the big traditional publishers.

So, faced with having to find a real job when her youngest daughter headed off to college, Ragan decided to self-publish.

"With nothing to lose, I self-published Return of the Rose and A Knight in Central Park. Instead of selling 10 books, I sold thousands! After nearly two decades of working hard to get published, I felt like an overnight success," she tells Lamb in the HEA interview.

According to Ragan, she's sold more than 160,000 books in just 10 months.

She has published six ebooks. Five of them are available in print, using templates she used through CreateSpace.

Click here to read Theresa Ragan's full interview with Joyce Lamb in USA Today's Happily Ever After column.

Latest Romance Book Deals

2012-02-15T18:45:00.000-05:00

NYT bestselling author Lori Wilde's new series THE CUPID CHRONICLES, which follows four young woman from Cupid, Texas who join a group of matchmaking volunteers to respond to letters seeking romantic advice from Cupid, even though none of them have ever been in love themselves, to Lucia Macro at Avon, in a significant deal, in a four-book deal, by Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency.

NYT bestselling author Sandra Hill's three new Viking romances, to Lucia Macro at Avon, in a good deal, by Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency.

Author of Going Cowboy Crazy and Make Mine a Bad Boy Katie Lane's HUNK OF THE HOLIDAYS, which begins a new series, to Alex Logan at Grand Central, in a nice deal, for publication in 2012, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

SCRAPBOOK OF SHADOWS author Mollie Cox Bryan's SAFFRON NIGHTS, a new food-inspired women's romance series, the tale of an intrepid food journalist traveling around the world with her handsome photographer colleague on the trail of an ancient aphrodisiac with amazing powers, to Martin Biro at Kensington, in a three-book deal, for publication in Spring 2013, by Sharon Bowers at Miller Bowers Griffin.

RITA Award finalist Carla Cassidy's untitled romantic suspense for a 4-book continuity series VENGEANCE, TEXAS, to Patience Bloom at Harlequin Romantic Suspense, by Laura Blake Peterson.

Jennifer Haymore's next historical romance series, introducing a brooding duke and his eccentric family as they join together to discover the truth behind the disappearance of their mother, to Selina McLemore at Grand Central, for three books, by Barbara Poelle at Irene Goodman Agency.

Mia Marlowe's A DUKE FOR ALL SEASONS, in which a duke has a hard and fast rule to never keep a mistress than a turn of the season, but he's never met a woman as tempting as the one he meets, to John Lauer at Ten Talents Press, by Natasha Kern at Natasha Kern Literary Agency.

Bonnie Vanak's next three novels in the SHADOW OF THE WOLF series, about the Draicon wolves, their rivalries and their loves, to Ann Leslie Tuttle at Harlequin Nocturne, by Natasha Kern at Natasha Kern Literary Agency.

RITA Award-winning author Diane Gaston's untitled Regency, in which a half-Irish marquess falls in love with a governess whose parentage is even more scandalous than his own, to Carly Byrne of Mills & Boon, in a four-book deal, by Helen Breitwieser of Cornerstone Literary.

Regina Hart's next two books, to Mercedes Fernandez at Dafina, by Roberta Brown of the Brown Literary Agency.

Lynette Sowell's A SIMPLE SEASON, A PATH MADE PLAIN, and A WEDDING IN PINECRAFT, starting with an Amish widower vacationing at Christmas in the winter haven of Pinecraft, Florida, and the charming woman he meets who contemplates running away from her job with the Ringling Bros. Circus to join the Amish, to Ramona Richards of Abingdon Press, for publication in 2013 and 2014, by Sandra Bishop of MacGregor Literary.

Author of HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE Manda Collins's new historical romance trilogy, pitched as a Regency I Know What You Did Last Summer, in which three widows conspire to hide the truth about the death of a duke and find love in the process, to Holly Blanck at St. Martin's, by Holly Root at Waxman Literary Agency.

Mia Marlowe and Connie Mason's WAKING UP WITH A RAKE, ROMANCING A RAKE, and BETWEEN A RAKE AND A HARD PLACE, to Leah Hultenschmidt at Sourcebooks, by Natasha Kern at Natasha Kern Literary Agency.

Cheryl Bolen's LOVE WITH A PROPER EARL, in which a loveless marriage between a bluestocking and a powerful peer turns out to be anything but, to Tina James at Harlequin Love Inspired, by Natasha Kern at Natasha Kern Literary Agency.

Historical Parlor Games

2012-02-13T07:58:00.000-05:00

Are you wondering what these people are up to?

I'm blogging about historical parlor games over at The Dashing Duchesses today. Pop over by clicking here.

Amazon Plans to Open Retail Book Store

2012-02-07T11:24:00.000-05:00

The king of innovative e-tailing is about to tackle traditional retailing.

Good E Reader reports Amazon plans to open a retail store in Seattle within the next few months. Amazon’s main headquarters is based in Seattle.

The store is seen as a test to gauge whether a chain of Amazon stores would be profitable.

The plan is to go with a small boutique setup which emphasizes books from Amazon's growing line of titles as well as its e-readers and tablets.

Amazon recently started its own publishing division. However, competitors such as Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million have already said they will not carry Amazon titles in their stores.

An Amazon retail store provides customers with a way to physically buy books published by Amazon.

According to Good E Reader, Amazon hopes to open the new store in the fall, in time to capitalize on the lucrative holiday season.

How Much Can Self-Published Authors Earn

2012-02-02T15:17:00.001-05:00

Author Brenda Hiatt is showing us the money again.

On her blog, Hiatt lays out her initial findings as to how much "indie" or self-published authors are earning.

So, far, she says she's collected data from 82 books, 33 of them are backlist titles. The rest are original self-published works.

The titles have been available as ebooks an average of seven months.The average price of the titles is about $3. About one-third have been discounted or offered for free for anywhere from a few days to months.

The earnings per title ranged from a few dollars to a current maximum of nearly $140,000.

For backlist titles, the average total amount earned over a book’s "e-lifetime" (as Hiatt refers to it) is $7,915. The median earned is $4,134.

The "average" usually refers to adding up all the numbers and dividing that sum by the number of numbers. The "median" is the middle number or the average of the two middle numbers.

When it comes to original titles, which have been available an average of 6 months, the total earnings to date averaged $12,548. The median was $5,150.

Hiatt reports the single highest-earning title in her survey was an indie original by a previously unpublished writer.

For the complete results of Hiatt's survey, click here to visit her blog.

Experts Estimate Amazon Sold 6 Million Kindle Fires

2012-01-30T11:41:00.000-05:00

Publishers Weekly reports Amazon sold about 6 million Kindle Fires in the fourth quarter of the year - that's the three-month period that ended Dec. 31, 2011.

Stifel Nicolaus analyst Jordan Rohan credits Amazon's competitive pricing for the success of the Android-based tablet.

The Kindle Fire sells for $199. The least expensive Apple iPad 2 costs about $499.

"Kindle Fire has staked out an important market position due to its loyal Amazon customer base and attractive device pricing," said Rohan.

The Kindle Fire remains the top-seller in Amazon's electronics category.

Latest Romance Book Deals

2012-01-25T16:46:00.000-05:00

NYT bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries's next three Regency novels, linking to the Hellions of Halstead Hall series, to Micki Nuding at Pocket, in a major deal, by Pam Ahearn of Ahearn Agency.

Tina Wainscott writing as Jaime Rush's new series, THE HIDDEN, where walking the edge between the glamour of Miami and the Hidden, a place filled with dark magic, deity descendants must hold fast to what makes them human, to Alex Logan at Grand Central, in a nice deal, in a three-book deal, for publication in November 2012, by Nicole Resciniti at The Seymour Agency.

RITA award-winning author Beth Pattillo's THE HEDGEROW PRINCESS, in which a London dandy must transform a wild mountain child into a princess to save a kingdom, plus reissues of PRINCESS CHARMING and HER PERFECT EARL (written as Bethany Brooks), to Debra Dixon at Bell Bridge Books, in a nice deal, by Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency.

Lammy-award winning editor Sacchi Green's GIRL FEVER: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex for Lesbians, a collection of fresh lesbian quickies by premier erotica writers, to Brenda Knight at Cleis Press, in a nice deal, for publication in June 2012.

Lesbian blogger Sinclair Sexsmith's SAY PLEASE: Lesbian BDSM Erotica, to Brenda Knight at Cleis Press, in a nice deal, for publication in April 2012.

Gina Welborn's novella ALL YE FAITHFUL, to be included in A CASCADES CHRISTMAS, in which an heiress is pursued by a man deemed unsuitable by her father -- but will his devotion remain when awful rumors about her rip through the town, revealing the shameful truth she's trying to hide, to Rebecca Germany at Barbour, in a nice deal, by Tamela Hancock Murray at the Steve Laube Agency.

Charlotte Featherstone's WICKED TEMPTATION, in which a shy heiress from a scandalous family is courted by a charming rogue, to Susan Swinwood at HQN, in a four-book deal, by Jessica Alvarez at BookEnds.

Annie Jones's COWBOY AT THE CROSS POINT, featuring a loner lawman and a feisty diner waitress drawn together by an abandoned baby, to Emily Rodmell at Harlequin Love Inspired, by Melissa Jeglinski at The Knight Agency.

Marilyn Pappano's next two titles in the author's ongoing Copper Lake Secrets series, to Shana Smith at Harlequin Romantic Suspense, by Melissa Jeglinski at The Knight Agency.

Sarah Anderson's THE RANCHER'S VALENTINE, in which a woman's job depends on convincing a superstar-turned-rancher to take the comeback role of a lifetime, but when a snowstorm traps them together, she'll be forced to decide what's more important -- her career, or her heart, to Stacy Boyd at Harlequin Desire, by Jill Marsal at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Tanya Anne Crosby's untitled romantic suspense, about three sisters, heiresses to a newspaper dynasty, who reunite at their mother's funeral, and resolve to solve the decades-old mystery of their youngest brother's disappearance - a loss that fractured their family and from which they've never recovered, to Alicia Condon at Kensington, for publication in 2013, by Helen Breitwieser of Cornerstone Literary.

Former Essence editor-in-chief, Angela Burt-Murray's new set of thrillers, the DIVA Mystery series, based on her insider's knowledge of the glamorous worlds of celebrity and media, that follow a tenacious entertainment journalist as she races to solve crimes, climb the masthead and juggle complicated romantic relationships, to Kelli Martin at Montlake, in a three-book deal, by Kimberly Whalen at Trident Media Group.

Kim Groom's SPOTLIGHT, in which a videographer hiding from a past scandal falls for America's golden boy, the man currently the focus of the country's attention, to Kelli Martin at Montlake Romance, by Jill Marsal at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Golden Heart finalist Cindy Nord's NO GREATER GLORY, about a Union cavalry colonel who commandeers a Virginia plantation for his regiment's winter encampment, never suspecting the defiant widow determined to defend her once-grand home will instead conscript his cynical heart, to Tera Kleinfelter at Samhain, by Louise Fury at L. Perkins Agency.

Best Book of 2011: The Black Hawk

2012-01-21T10:59:00.002-05:00

Followers of this blog know I've already posted my Top 10ish romances for 2011.

The ish is because there were still so many 2011 titles in my TBR pile that I couldn't come up with a comprehensive list.

Much less my favorite book of the year.

But now I have. One hundred percent. Hands down.

I don't have to read anything else to know The Blawk Hawk by Joanna Bourne is the best book of 2011 for me.

Bourne is a new-to-me author. I'd seen her name on best-of lists and decided to give The Black Hawk a try. Boy, am I glad I did.

The Black Hawk is not only the best romance I've read this year, it's the best book I've read - in any genre - in quite a while.

Why? For so many reasons. But let's start with the fact that it's a complex, intelligent read with the most memorable heroine I've encountered in some time. And everyone would want to be the object of the complicated hero's single-minded affection.

So much is going on in this spy story, that I had to slow down at times to savor it all. To let it sink in.

I usually hate stories that go back and forth in time. In this case, it worked beautifully. Not only did I not mind it, I loved the way it heightened the intensity of the writing.

I checked The Black Hawk out from the library, but I plan to buy it because I want it for my keeper shelf. I know I'll be reading it again.

It's a masterful work. If you haven't already read The Black Hawk, you should.

Self-Published Author Earns $100,000 in January

2012-01-16T20:33:00.000-05:00

Self-published author J.A. Konrath claims he's raked in $100,000 over the past three weeks.

That's revenue from his self-published titles on Amazon.

According to his blog post, Konrath's "The List" - a book publishers rejected - has been in the top 100 for two months and is currently ranked #71.

"I am soooo glad I had so many books rejected,” Konrath blogs.

GateBookNewser reports Konrath is averaging well over $3,500 a day for January, even though the holiday season is over.

"The List" sells for $3.99 on Amazon and Prime members can read it for free right now.

Latest Romance Book Deals

2012-01-12T17:37:00.000-05:00

NYT and USA Today bestselling author Laura Griffin's next three books in her Tracers Series, about a crime lab where an elite group of forensic scientists known as Tracers work with detectives to crack their toughest cases, again to Abby Zidle at Pocket, in a good deal, in a three-book deal, for publication in for publication in 2013-14, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Jamie Brenner's THE GIN LOVERS, pitched as Boardwalk Empire set in New York, the story of a naive young woman who discovers the high society family she married into holds both seductive and dangerous secrets, to Dan Weiss at St. Martin's, with Vicki Lame editing, for publication in Fall 2012, by Adam Chromy at Movable Type Management.

Shana Galen's TRUE SPIES, the story of a secret operative who has kept his job from his beautiful, bored housewife for years but is forced to reveal his identity when they are both kidnapped by a diabolical villain, to Deb Werksman at Sourcebooks, in a nice deal, by Joanna MacKenzie at Browne & Miller Literary Associates.

NYT bestselling author Brenda Jackson's three contemporary single-title romances, to Valerie Gray at Mira, a nice deal, in a three-book deal, for publication beginning in 2013, by Pattie Steele-Perkins at Steele-Perkins Literary Agency.

Melissa Cutler's STRIKE DOWN, in which an unlucky cop must rely on the one man she despises after a daring escape from a vicious cartel leaves them on the run in Mexico, to Shana Smith at Harlequin Romantic Suspense, for publication in December 2012, by Jessica Alvarez at BookEnds.

Melissa Cutler's debut THE TROUBLE WITH COWBOYS trilogy, in which a celebrity chef falls for the sexy cattle rancher next door when she returns to her small hometown to open a restaurant with her two sisters, to Megan Records at Zebra, in a three-book deal, for publication in October 2012, by Jessica Alvarez of BookEnds.

Emily McKay's next two untitled Silhouette Desire novel, to Charles Griemsman at Harlequin, by Jessica Faust at BookEnds.

Melinda Leigh's DARK DESIRE, in which a desperate tabloid photographer's search for a reclusive artist is hampered by a bizarre attack and her suspicions about the mysterious, sexy carpenter who rescues her, to Kelli Martin at Montlake Romance, by Jill Marsal at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

The Danger of Romance Novels

2012-01-08T19:16:00.000-05:00

In a recent Huffington Post essay, author Maya Rodale makes an intriguing case for why romance novels are often ridiculed - most often by people who've never read one.

Rodale, who has university degrees in women and fiction, presents a compelling argument that romance novels have been historically derided by society because they empower women.

Writing romance novels, she says, brought women into the marketplace in a powerful way, both as sellers and buyers. Romance novels encourage women to get out of the house, to seek adventure, to demand true love.

Romance is derided, Rodale says, because it inspires and empowers "women to live and love to a higher standard. And because that's a threat to the status quo, we're taught to ridicule those who embrace that literature, that message, that vision of a life well lived and loved."

Check out the quick, thought-provoking video above.

E-book Sales Up 81% in October

2012-01-04T19:16:00.000-05:00

The rising ascendancy of ebooks continued in October 2011, with sales jumping 81.2 percent to $72.8 million, according to Publishers Weekly.

Those figures come from the 20 publishers who reveal their ebook sales numbers to the Association of American Publishers.

Publishers Weekly reports the 81-percent hike marked the first time in 2011 that ebook sales did not double over the same month in 2010.

Overall, for the first 10 months of the year, ebook sales were up 131 percent.

Mass market paperbacks took a hit, with sales falling 37.6 percent.Trade paperback sales were down almost 17 percent, while adult hardcover fell almost 8 percent.

The one high point in print is that religious sales were up more than 12 percent in October.

My Top 10(ish) Romances of 2011

2011-12-31T10:36:00.001-05:00

When I sat down to compile my personal top 10 historical romances for 2011, I quickly realized it wasn't really possible to come up with a comprehensive list.

After all, my TBR pile is stacked high with releases from both well-loved and new-to-me authors. One of my favorites for 2011 could be among them, waiting to be discovered. Only I won't know it until well into 2012.

So, instead, I've settled for a Top 10ish List. Below are my favorite books of 2011...so far.

Notorious Pleasures by Elizabeth Hoyt
In which our rakish hero tempts his brother's betrothed

Midnight's Wild Passion by Anna Campbell

Impulse buy at Target turned me onto this must-read author

Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase

Smart and sexy with a clever working-class heroine

Waking Up With the Duke by Lorraine Heath
Hero does his incapacitated best friend the favor
of impregnating his wife. Need I say more?

Captured by a Highlander by Julianne MacLean

Fierce warrior + stolen bride = one of the books I

enjoyed reading most this year

A Wedding Wager by Jane Feather

2011 was the year I discovered Jane Feather

and I spent a good part of the year devouring her backlist

The Guardian by Margaret Mallory
Loved Mallory's medieval Knight series and
her foray into Scottish historicals doesn't disappoint

What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long
Revenge turns to romance with Long's signature singular characterizations

Secrets of a Proper Countess by Lecia Cornwall ...
A sexy, heartfelt debut which gets off to a shockingly sensual start

An Unlikely Countess by Jo Beverley

Because, really, this talented author isn't capable of writing a bad book

Did you have favorites this year that I totally missed? Let me know what's on your personal top 10. I'm always looking for great new titles to add to my TBR list!

USA Today's Top 10 Books of 2011

2011-12-28T18:03:00.000-05:00

USA Today's book critics have named the top 10 books they enjoyed reading the most this year. Deirdre Donahue, Jocelyn McClurg, Carol Memmott, Bob Minzesheimer and Craig Wilson selected a diverse group of titles for their list.

One of them, Death Comes to Pemberley, is already on my TBR list. This is one book I want in the paper version to add to my library. I love the cover design and the title. Below is a complete list of the USA Today top 10.

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

To Be Sung Underwater by Tom McNeal

Bossypants by Tina Fey

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie

A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard

Just My Type: A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga

Tempting Bella Takes 1st in 2011 Hot Prospects Contest

2011-12-26T09:38:00.000-05:00

I've got some happy news to share going into the new year.

I received an email from Linda Andrews, coordinator of the Valley of the Sun Romance Writers' "Hot Prospects" contest, informing me that my manuscript, Tempting Bella, won the historical category in the 2011 contest.

Both published and unpublished writers vied for the top spots in this contest. Katharine Pelz, of the Berkley Publishing Group, was the final round judge in my category.

My thanks to coordinator Linda Andrews and all of the judges for a well-run, professional contest. Congratulations to all of the finalists!

Below are the complete contest results:

2011 Hot Prospects Contest Winners

Historical
1st Tempting Bella Diana Quincy **
2nd Paths of Desire Shannon Donnelly
3rd The Caged Heart Carla Swafford

Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal
1st Last Time Sharon Forret **
tie 2nd Return to Celio Polly Cain
tie 2nd Edge Walkers Shannon Dee

Romantic Suspense
1st Forever Alicia Lienhart
2nd Redemption Diane Garner **
tie 3rd Night Hush Leslie Jones
tie 3rd The Cell Diane Garner

Contemporary Single Title
1st Legally Mastered Sarah Castille **
2nd How to Say No and Mean It Abby Gaines**
3rd Perfect Summer Katie Graykowski
4th Man Overboard Carrie C Spencer

Contemporary Series
1st His Forgotten Wife Susanna Rogers **
2nd Snow Job Kelly Fitzpatrick
3rd Hitting the High Note Karen Rock

Grand Prize Winner: Legally Mastered by Sarah Castille

**More of the manuscript was requested by a final judge

Avon E-Books for Just $1.99

2011-12-22T18:33:00.000-05:00

Avon has a great sale going on right now. Several titles by some of its biggest authors are on sale for $1.99. Titles by Julia Quinn, Stephanie Laurens, Lorraine Heath, Cathy Maxwell and many others are included. It's a great opportunity to try some new-to-you authors.

Here are some of the titles:

Amazon's Bestselling Books of 2011

2011-12-18T12:08:00.000-05:00

Amazon's bestselling books list for 2011 is out.

The online retailer looks at both print and ebook sales to see which titles measure up for this list.

The top 10 include titles from the big six publishers, as well as two titles from Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform: The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan and The Abbey by Chris Culver.

Amazon’s Top 10 Bestselling Books for 2011

1. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
2. Bossypants by Tina Fey
3. A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard
4. The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan
5. In the Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larson
6. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
7. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
8. The Litigators by John Grisham
9. The Abbey by Chris Culver
10. Inheritance (The Inheritance Cycle) by Christopher Paolini

Samhain Gives Old Romance Novels New Life

2011-12-14T19:22:00.000-05:00

Excited by the explosion of ebooks, many published authors are rushing to release digital copies of their backlists.

Samhain Publishing just launched a new ebook imprint that can help them with that.

According to GalleyCat, Retro Romance will publish previously out-of-print romance novels from the past 30 years. The line kicked off this week with old/new titles from Sharon DeVita, Kate Donvan, Patricia Hagan, Karen Kay and Debra Mullins.

"For authors who have older titles and want to release them digitally, but don’t care to act as their own cover artist, production assistant, editor, or distributor, Samhain’s Retro Romance line is an ideal solution," said Samhain editorial director Heather Osborn in a blog posting. "We take on the work of scanning print books into digital files, copy editing, formatting into all of the various digital formats, creating beautiful cover art, advertising and promotion – and supply authors with a robust built-in distribution. It’s a win-win.”

Self-Published Author Markets Her Way to Bestseller List

2011-12-10T19:29:00.000-05:00

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a fascinating article outlining how author Darcie Chan's marketing efforts catapulted her book, "The Mill River Recluse," onto bestseller lists.

Chan has sold more than 400,000 copies of her book, in large part thanks to paid reviews and banner ads on well-known websites.

According to the the newspaper, Chan spent $1,000 on marketing. She bought banner ads on blogs and websites devoted to Kindle readers. She also paid for a promotional spot on goodreads.com, which has more than six million members.

Once she learned self-published authors can pay to get their books reviewed, Chan paid $35 for a review from Indiereader.com and $575 for a review from Kirkis Reviews, a book review journal and website.

"The Mill River Recluse" is the story of a wealthy reclusive widow who leaves her fortune to the townspeople who barely knew her. More than 100 agents and a dozen publishers rejected it.

Chan, a 37-year-old lawyer for the United States Senate, priced her ebook at $.99, hoping to draw a few readers and some helpful feedback.

Now she's dealing with offers from foreign publishers and movie studios.

According to the Journal, Chan has made about $130,000 before taxes and continues to receive royalties every month.

Read the full article by reporter Alexandra Alter.

Justice Dept. Investigates Ebook Pricing

2011-12-07T15:36:00.000-05:00

The Wall Street Journal reports the U.S. Justice Department is investigating the pricing of ebooks to see whether there was "improper collusion" between publishers and Apple Inc. to prevent discounting.

Apple’s role in the investigation involves deals that pushed the so-called agency model, which allows publishers to set ebook prices instead of retailers.

There were also agreements blocking publishers from selling their titles at a cheaper price through other ebook stores.

A similar investigation is ongoing in Europe.

The EU's antitrust watchdog said Tuesday that it was investigating whether Apple helped five major publishing houses illegally raise prices for ebooks when Apple launched its iPad tablet and iBookstore in 2010, according to the Associated Press.

Digital Lending Skyrockets at Libraries

2011-12-04T09:55:00.000-05:00

USA Today reports libraries across the United States are ramping up digital lending in a big way, looking to move more strongly into tablets and smart phones.

Digital lending picked up momentum when Amazon enabled lending for its Kindle at 11,000 local libraries, bringing in a wave of new ebook library users.

Developers are now working with the libraries to develop an app which allows people to borrow ebooks on their smartphones.

Douglas County Libraries in Colorado - where ebook lending has grown about 1,200 percent since February 2010 - is developing its own app which releases this month. The app is supposed to allow patrons to browse, check out and read books.

The ebook lending evolution is hampered by the ongoing concerns of publishers who worry library digital distribution could hurt their bottom line. Ebooks are the fastest-growing segment of their business.

Some major publishers, such as Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and Hatchette, refuse to sell ebooks to libraries.

Meanwhile, readers can't get enough of ebook lending. Library Journal reports public libraries increased their offerings by 185 percent this year.

According to USA Today, the New York Public Library has quadrupled its ebook budget since 2009 and plans to spend $1 million this year, while the Seattle Public Library's ebook circulation grew by 92 percent in 2010.

B&N Anticipates Bright Digital Future

2011-11-30T09:19:00.000-05:00

Barnes & Noble has super-high hopes for the future of the digital side of its business.

Publishers Weekly reports the retailer expects its sales of ebooks to skyrocket from about $250 million in 2010 to over $2 billion in 2015.

That's according to CEO William Lynch, who spoke at a meeting for investors earlier this month.

And while ebook sales are expected to keep climbing, B&N anticipates print book sales will head in the opposite direction - dropping from about $3.6 billion in 2010 to about $2.8 billion in 2015.

The silver lining in that sober news is that B&N believes its share of the print book market will grow from an estimated 17 percent in 2010 to 20 percent in 2015. That's due to the closing of Borders.

The book retailer also expects to see sales gains when it comes to its Nook devices and content, such as ebooks, magazines and apps.

Latest Romance Book Deals

2011-11-28T10:02:00.000-05:00

Roni Loren's third and fourth contemporary erotic romance novels in her Loving on the Edge series, following the upcoming CRASH INTO YOU, to Kate Seaver at Berkley Heat, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in 2013, by Sara Megibow at Nelson Literary Agency.

Polly Williams's THE ANGEL AT NO. 33, in which a vivacious young wife and mother dies in an accident, but stays behind to watch over her grieving husband, who is unaware of his new eligible status in the neighborhood, and her best friend, who neglects her own approaching wedding as she gets closer to him and unearths long-buried secrets, to Jackie Cantor at Berkley, by Allison Hunter at Inkwell Management, on behalf of Lizzy Kremer at David Higham Associates in the UK.

Author of His Darkest Salvation, Juliana Stone's NEVER SAY GOODBYE, following the devastating death of a close friend, Crystal Lake's most notorious prodigal son returns to reconnect with his roots only to find all the things he never knew he wanted - including love, to Leah Hultenschmidt at Sourcebooks, in a three-book deal, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

Andrea Laurence's MORE THAN HE EXPECTED, in which an avowed bachelor seeks out a past lover and quickly learns to expect the unexpected -- she's pregnant, sexier than ever, and he wants more than a holiday fling, to Shana Smith at Harlequin Desire, for publication in July 2012, by Jessica Alvarez at BookEnds.

Yahrah St. John's novella to be included in a continuity series, to Glenda Howard at Kimani, for publication in 2013, by Christine Witthohn at Book Cents Literary Agency.

Lauren Hawkeye's AT HER SERVICE, taking place at a gladiator school in Ancient Rome, to Chelsey Emmelhainz at Avon Impulse, for publication in April 2012, by JL Stermer at N.S. Bienstock.

Laura Navarre's untitled book, set on the turbulent shores of Anglo-Saxon England, the story of a strong-willed and devious noblewoman who must choose between the devil's minion and a would-be bishop to save the English throne, to Angela James at Carina Press, by JD DeWitt at The View Talent Agency.

Cathy Bennett's THE TROUBLE WITH CHARLIE, to Stephanie Taylor at Astraea Press, by Denise Barone at Barone Literary Agency.

Library Journal's Top 10 Romances in 2011

2011-11-18T17:27:00.000-05:00

Library Journal has put out its list of the top 10 romance novels for 2011. One of them, Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase, also made Amazon's top 10 list. Another of my favorite authors, Mary Balogh, made the LJ top 10. Check out the entire list below.

The Secret Mistress by Mary Balogh
A fun-loving, outrageous heroine and a staid, serious hero find love against all odds. This distinctive story is a prequel to Balogh’s earlier “Mistress” books and a rare delight.

The Black Hawk by Joanna Bourne
An assassin’s blade reunites a pair of star-crossed spies in this beautifully written, skillfully plotted suspenseful romance that has links to The Forbidden Rose, answers a number of questions, and will tempt new readers into checking out Bourne’s earlier books.

Silk Is for Seduction by Loretta Chase

A fashion designer sets out to convince a duke that her fledgling establishment should be chosen to dress his future bride. An outrageous, seductive relationship sparks between them in the process. A lush, alluring romance from one of the masters of the genre.

No Proper Lady by Isabel Cooper
A fierce warrior maiden from a violent, demon-plagued future and a Victorian nobleman with an agenda of his own fall unexpectedly in love and save the future in this highly charged, sexy, funny, and infinitely refreshing twist on an old-time travel theme.

A Place Called Home by Jo Goodman
An unlikely pair find they have far more in common than they expected when they become the guardians of their late friends’ three children in this sensual, insightful, heart-tugging story from a writer who is well known for her popular historicals.

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James
A supposedly pregnant heroine and a seemingly impotent hero are thrown together in this funny, offbeat, deliciously sensual story that takes the famed fairy tale to a new level with its vivid description and exquisite writing.

The Dragon and the Pearl by Jeannie Lin
The beautiful consort of the late Emperor and a powerful warlord are attracted in spite of mutual distrust. This vivid, politically rich romance follows Butterfly Swords and is set during the Tang Dynasty in China.

To Seduce an Angel by Kate Moore
Blackmail, vengeance, and old hatreds keep the action moving in this captivating story that brings an exceptional trilogy to a conclusion and will inspire readers to seek out the previous volumes.

Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
A town’s favorite son and an unconventional, outspoken “screw-up” find unexpected romance in this funny, insightful romance from one of the genre’s best. With links to several of Phillips’s earlier romances. (LJ 12/10)

Nowhere Near Respectable by Mary Jo Putney
A fearless half-Hindi warrior princess and a disreputable bastard gaming club owner thwart a plot against the crown in this realistic, action-packed adventure that charms and challenges readers. Another winner from the always popular Putney.

Latest Romance Book Deals

2011-11-14T15:22:00.000-05:00

Sharon Ashwood's DEADLY INHERITANCE and DEADLY PROPOSAL, about a mercenary and vampire, who protects a grieving young woman who has inherited a diamond-studded wedding dress, only to be caught up in an ancient feud that is taking its toll in both the human and supernatural worlds, to Tara Gavin at Harlequin Nocturne, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, by Sally Harding at The Cooke Agency.

Donna Alward's next three romances, again to Sally Williamson at Harlequin Romance, in a nice deal, by Jennifer Schober at Spencerhill Associates.

Charlotte Featherstone's untitled winter-themed historical novella, to Susan Swinwood at HQN, in a nice deal, for publication in November 2012, by Jessica Alvarez at BookEnds.

NYT and USA Today bestselling author Carly Phillips's the next three books in the SERENDIPITY Series, to Cindy Hwang at Berkley, by Kimberly Witherspoon and David Forrer at Inkwell Management.

Author of HEARTSTRINGS AND DIAMOND RINGS Jane Graves's two books featuring a veterinarian who never left town and the champion bullrider who finds himself stuck in the one place he never wanted to see again: home, again to Michele Bidelspach at Grand Central, by Stephanie Rostan at Levine Greenberg Literary Agency.

Joseph Monninger's MARGARET FROM MAINE, the star-crossed love story of a rural farm wife of a veteran whose sacrifices on the battlefield leave him clinging to life; and the diplomat called to honor her family on the national stage; and a second novel that tells the story of a woman who owns an apple orchard and her chance encounter with a stranger with a shadowy past, to Denise Roy for Plume, by Andrea Cirillo at Jane Rotrosen Agency.

Kate Bridges's next novel, about two women heading West as mail-order brides after surviving the Great Chicago Fire, the first accepting a surprise offer from a man she once battled with when she was engaged to his cousin, but now living in Napa Valley, California and struggling to prove himself to the town, to Carly Corcoran at Harlequin, in a two-book deal, by Erica Spellman Silverman at Trident Media Group.

Donna Grant's next four novels in her DARK WARRIORS paranormal romance series, as well as three original e-books in the same series, again to Monique Patterson at St. Martin's, by Amy Moore-Benson of AMB Literary Management.

Yahrah St. John's next two books, to Glenda Howard at Kimani Romance, for publication in 2013, by Christine Witthohn at Book Cents Literary Agency

Carole Di Camillo's MOONLIT DESIRE, abducted on her wedding night by a man who has sworn vengeance against her husband, a woman meets every challenge save one: the attraction that holds them both hostage, to Catherine Treadgold at Camel Press, by Dawn Dowdle at Blue Ridge Literary Agency.

Vonnie Davis's MONA LISA'S ROOM, two weeks in Paris: the trip of a lifetime leads to a lifetime of love, to Johanna Melaragno at Crimson Rose of The Wild Rose Press, by Dawn Dowdle at Blue Ridge Literary Agency.

Interactive Book Cover of the Future

2011-11-11T19:11:00.003-05:00

Wow. This is kinda cool. Check out what could very well be the book cover of the future. Only this is happening now.

Drag your mouse over the image above and watch it move with you.

According to GalleyCat, British Publisher Walker Books just unveiled this cover for Daylight Savings, a young adult thriller by Edward Hogan.

GalleyCat reports literary agent Jonny Geller was impressed, tweeting: “Better than a book trailer?”

I'm not sure if this is an example of the cover of the future, but it is creating a buzz for this author and his book. So, at the very least, it seems to be an effective marketing ploy.

This kind of book cover does bring all sorts of opportunities for romance book covers to mind; the hero's muscles could actually ripple. As to heaving bosoms...

Amazon's Top 10 Romances of 2011

2011-11-10T05:52:00.001-05:00

The editors at Amazon have selected the Top 10 Romances of 2011.

Topping the list is one of the books I enjoyed most this year, Loretta Chase's Silk is for Seduction.

Another of my keepers from 2011, What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long, also made the top 10.

Here's the complete list:

Silk is for Seduction Loretta Chase

Archangel's Blade Nalini Singh

Seduction of a Highland Lass Maya Banks

Dragon Bound Thea Harrison

What I Did for a Duke Julie Anne Long

Breaking Point Pamela Clare

Dreams of a Dark Warrior Kresley Cole

The Next Always Nora Roberts

Heart of Steel Meljean Brook

Unveiled Courtney Milan

Amazon also has a list of Top 10 Romance Kindle books. The list is exactly the same as its Top 10 Romances of 2011.

B&N Unveils $249 Tablet, $199 NookColor

2011-11-07T22:40:00.000-05:00

Barnes & Noble is releasing its own tablet, a 7-inch reading and multimedia device which will cost $249, according to Publishers Weekly.

The Nook Tablet weighs 14.1 ounces and has a battery life of nine hours of video watching and 11 hours of reading.

The device will be available on Nov. 17.

The bookseller is also releasing updated versions of the NookColor and Nook Simple Touch for lower prices. The NookColor will be priced at $199 while the Nook Simple Touch is $99.

Current NookColor owners will receive a software upgrade before the holidays, which will add some of the functionality of the new Nook Tablet. B&N says the Nook Simple Touch will also receive a software update to make the type sharper, boost the life of the battery and enable faster page-turns.

New Nook Color Price Could Beat Kindle Fire

2011-11-05T11:53:00.000-04:00

Barnes & Noble is holding a media event in New York on Monday, and there's speculation the bookseller will announce it is lowering the price of its Nook Color to compete with the $199 Amazon Kindle.

According to computerworld.com, analysts believe Barnes & Noble won't want to get their price beaten by Amazon. Their 7-inch Nook Color currently sells for $249.

The Kindle Fire tablet will be out on Nov. 15, just a few days after the B&N announcment.

According to computerworld.com, the bookseller might also announce a cheaper black-and-white e-reader to compete with the lower-cost Kindle e-readers Amazon announced in September.

2011 Launching a Star Finalists

2011-11-04T06:03:00.000-04:00

The Space Coast Authors of Romance (STARS Florida) have announced the finalists in the 2011 Launching A Star Contest. Organizers say they received almost 200 entries. Winners will be announced by mid December.

Single Title
A Year To Remember – Shelly Bell
Love Shack – Elaine Meece
Pride, Prejudice and Second Chances – Virginia Munoz
Shades of Denial – Jennifer Gracen
Trust Me – Kimberle Swaak

General Paranormal
Dancing with the Devil – Jean Newlin
Demon Venture – Celeste Nist
Precious Jewels – Mary A. Behre
Soul Bound – Anne Papadacos
Take Me Tonight – Robin Bielman

Series Contemporary
A Future for Abby – Rebecca Sampson
Cruising for Love – Masha Levinson
Hard Copy – Anita Calhoun as Amity Grays
Healing Hearts – Pat Dengate
Lover’s Leap – Kimberly Hayes

Historical
Behind the Courtesan – Bronwyn Stuart
In the Arms of an Earl – Anna Small
King of Swords – Anne Kenny
Lady Catherine’s Secret – Sheidan J. Edmonson
The Lion Rampant – Carolyn Heinemann

Futuristic/Fantasy
Bloodstone – Helen C. Johannes
Haven – Anne Francis
Project Pyramid – Laurie A. Green
The Dragon’s Bidding – Christina Westcott
The Star Stone – Sabrina Jarema

Romantic Suspense
An Eye for Danger – Christine M. Fairchild
Peril in Paradise – Kamila Kay
Protecting Rose – Cheryl Yeko
Sniper Shots – Kathy Lane
Sterile Field – Margaret Berkhousen

Inspirational
God Whisperer – Kim Hernandez
Love in Bitterroot Valley – Jessica Keller Koschnitzky
Of Courage Beyond – J’Nell Ciesielski
The Madonna of Pisano – Mary Ann Diorio
When Sparrows Fly – Heidi Luchterhand

Young Adult
Lifer – Rebecca Sampson
Switch – Candi Wall as K. R. Lawson
The Fourth – Jennifer McAndrews
The Picture of Dulce Gardia – Alana Albertson
Veiled Iron – Michelle Sinclair

Romance Book Deals 11/2/2011

2011-11-02T06:59:00.000-04:00

2011 Carol Award winner Lyn Cote's WILDERNESS BRIDE's trilogy, three stories of love and redemption set after the Civil War in a burgeoning Mississippi River town of Pepin, Wisconsin, birthplace of Laura Ingalls Wilder, to Tina James at Harlequin Love Inspired Historical, in a nice deal, by Danielle Egan-Miller at Browne & Miller Literary Associates.

Zoe Archer's NEMESIS, UNLIMITED, a three-book Victorian era romance series, about a shadowy and ruthless group of men and women, all of them former spies, thieves and military, who are dedicated to gaining retribution at any cost for the downtrodden and voiceless, to Holly Blanck at St. Martin's, in a three-book deal, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency (World).

Jennifer Harrington writing as Jennifer Delamere's inspirational historical romance, in which a woman masquerades as a missing heiress and falls in love with the one man now forbidden to her, to Lauren Plude at Grand Central Forever, in a three-book deal, for publication in November 2012, by Jessica Alvarez at BookEnds (World).

Jo Davis's SUGARLAND BLUE, a spin-off of her FIREFIGHTERS OF STATION FIVE series, about the heroes of the Sugarland, Tennessee police department, their close-knit partnerships, families, the women they love, and the dangers they face, to Tracy Bernstein at NAL, in a two-book deal, by Roberta Brown of the Brown Literary Agency.

RITA finalist Elle Kennedy's new romantic suspense miniseries THE HUNTED, to Keyren Gerlach at Harlequin, in a three-book deal, by Don Fehr at Trident Media Group.

RITA-nominated author Emily McKay's untitled book, to Charles Griemsman at Harlequin Silhouette Desire, in a two-book deal, for publication in 2012, by Jessica Faust at BookEnds.

Krista Davis's next three books in the Diva Mystery, to Sandy Harding at Berkley, in a three-book deal, by Jessica Faust at BookEnds (NA).

Kate Douglas's two untitled Chanku romance, featuring the second generation of shapeshifting Chanku, first introduced in the Wolf Tales series, to Audrey LaFehr at Kensington, by Jessica Faust at BookEnds.

Erin Kellison's untitled Shadow novellas 1-4, to Alicia Condon at Kensington, by Jessica Faust.

Laura Bradford's untitled book, in which a woman with MS tries to overcome her feelings about her illness to find true love, to Kathleen Scheibling at Harlequin American, by Jessica Faust at BookEnds (world).

Jennifer Probst's THE MARRIAGE BARGAIN, in which a woman needs money to save her family home and a millionaire needs a wife to save his company but the bargain is more than either expected, to Liz Pelletier at Indulgence, in a three-book deal, for publication in Spring 2012 (World).

Golden Palm Finalists Announced

2011-10-31T18:47:00.000-04:00

The Florida Romance Writers have announced

the 2011 Golden Palm Finalists.

The final winners will be notified in January.

Historical Category
The Winds of Fate - Elizabeth Bysiek
Heart of the Phoenix - Barbara Huddleston
The Courtesan Duchess - Joanna Shupe

Mainstream with Romantic Elements Category
Forever - Alicia Leinhart
Walking Backward Off a Cliff - Linda Avellar
Seperated, Acting Badly - Barbara Flores

Paranormal/Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Time Travel Category
Dream of My Soul - Debra Rodensky
Medusa, a Love Story - Sasha Summers
Dancing with the Devil - Jean B. Newlin

Short/Long Contemporary Category
A Night at the Rosemont - Mary Oldham
Uncover Father - June Love
Home at Last - Janet Jones Bann

Single Title Category
Missing You - Tracy Roper w/a Brogan
Bid on Me - Micha Summers
Small Town Storm - Elise K Ackers

Romance Rolicks Through Recession

2011-10-30T08:06:00.000-04:00

Romance is flourishing despite the recession, according to top-list editors who attended this month's New Jersey Romance Writers PYHIAB conference.

Editors panel at the 2011 New Jersey RWA PYHIAB Conference

"Even in the recession, our romance genre is thriving," said Latoya Smith, assistant editor at Grand Central Publishing. "We were doing two- to-three titles a month, but now we're up to four titles a month. We're always looking for new romance authors."

Grand Central Publishing authors include Elizabeth Hoyt, Margaret Mallory and Amanda Scott.

Margaret Marbury, editorial director at Harlequin, says the rise of digital books has helped romance thrive. According to Marbury, who oversees MIRA Books, HQN, LUNA, Spice and Harlequin Teen, business is up, especially when you combine the print and digital sides of the business.

"We've always had strong distribution where women shop, so those are areas where we're pushing really hard to maintain that space," Marbury said. "And the backlist has been the real winner in terms of digital. It's been a real boon to have access to those backlist titles."

According to the Book Industry Study Group, today’s ebook power buyer is a 44-year-old lover of romance who buys at least one ebook a week and spends more on books today than she has in the past.

"Romance books translate to ebooks faster than any other genre," said Aubrey Poole, assistant editor at Sourcebooks, which publishes authors such as Grace Burrowes and Shana Galen. "People who read ebooks actually read more books."

Poole adds that the easy access of ebooks, via online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, is a key reason people are buying more books.

Books-A-Million to Open 41 New Stores

2011-10-28T08:47:00.000-04:00

Despite the demise of Borders, the news is not all bad for brick-and-mortar bookstores. Books-A-Million plans to open 41 new stores, and one of them is near me!

I'm waiting to see if BAM is taking over the space where my old Borders used to be. Every time we drive by there, my kids wonder when they are going to change the name, "Borders Plaza." Maybe it's going to be Books-A-Million Plaza?

According to Publishers Weekly, beginning October 28 and continuing through mid-November, BAM plans to open 41 new stores.

BAM has been acquiring some of the old Borders spaces . Publishers Weekly reports some of those lease were acquired through auction process while the majority involved signed deals with a landlord.

Here's a list of where the new stores will be, according to PW:

Ames, IA

Auburn, ME

Bangor, ME

Barboursville, WV

Butler, PA

Charleston, WV

Columbia, MD

Concord, NH

Cumberland, MD

Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Davenport, IA

Dubuque, IA

Dulles, VA

Eau Claire, WI

Edwardsville, IL

Exton, PA

Hanover, PA

Harrisburg, PA

Merrillville, IN

Monaca, PA

Monroe, MI

N. Canton, OH

N. Conway, NH

Niles, OH

Pennsdale, PA

Rapid City, SD

Salina, KS

Sandusky, OH

Scranton, PA

Selinsgrove, PA

South Portland, ME

Southern Pines, NC

St. Clairsville, OH

Traverse City, MI

Valley Stream, NY

Vineland, NJ

Waldorf, MD

Waterford, CT

West Lebanon, NH

Westminster, MD

York, PA

2011 Molly Contest Winners Announced

2011-10-27T09:05:00.002-04:00

The winners of the 2011 Molly Contest, sponsored by the Heart of Denver Romance Writers, have been announced. Here's the complete list:

Contemporary: final round judge; Susan Litman, Harlequin, Special Edition
Cindy Brannam, Mount Juliet, TN, Raising the Bar
Robin Covington, Hollywood, MD, Southern Comfort   Winner ** full requested
Caro LaFever, Englewood, CO, Baby by Accident

Historical:   final round judge; Katherine Pelz, Penguin Group
Eileen Emerson, Ambler, PA A Whisper to the Wild
Jennifer McQuiston, Decater, GA A Private Affair     Winner   ** full requested
Bronwyn Stuart, Niame South Australia, Behind the Courtesan

Romantic Suspense: final round judge; Whitney Ross, Tor Books
Anne-Marie Carroll, Tampa, FL Deadly Dilemma
Jan Gurney, Conifer, CO Bears Witness   + HODRW member
Robin Weaver, Concord, NC Styrofoam Corpse
Ann Fischer & Linda Baxter, San Jose & Monte Sereno, CA Deadly Secret   Winner ** full requested

Single Title: final round judge; Rebecca Strauss, McIntosh & Otis, Inc
Faye Hughes, Camden, NY, A Little Bit Crazy Winner ** full requested
Gayle Shlafer w/a Abigail Sharpe, Gainesville, FL, Who Wants to Marry A Cowboy? ** full requested
Sonali Mayadev Thatte, Naperville, IL, The Bollywood Bride
Ryann Uden, Rolling Meadows, IL, Picture Me

Paranormal/TimeTravel/Futuristic: final round judge, Meredith Giordan, Berkley Publishing Group
Marni Donnelly-Folsom, Port Orchard, WA Flannigan’s Grace
Janet Nickoles, Aurora, CO, Mark of the Moon   + HODRW member Winner
Peta Crake, Inglewood, Western Australia, Harbinger

Young Adult: final round judge; Elizabeth Bistrow, NAL
Romily Bernard, Fayetteville, GA, Ashes
Cecily Cornelius-White, Springfield, MO, Angel Academy
Natasha Hacaga, Rochelle, IL Awaken Winner ** full requested
Paula Sharon w/a PJ Sharon, Tolland, MD, Heaven is for Heroes

Tempting Bella is a 2011 Hot Prospects Finalist

2011-10-25T08:13:00.000-04:00

The finalists for the 2011 Hot Prospects Contest have been announced and I'm excited that Tempting Bella is among them!

The contest, sponsored by the Sun Valley Romance Writers, is a little different from other RWA chapter contests because unpublished writers compete alongside published writers.

Here's the complete list:

Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal
Last Time, Sharon Forret
Return to Celio, Polly Cain
Edge Walkers, Shannon Donnelly

Historical
Tempting Bella, Diana Quincy
The Caged Heart, Carla Swafford
Paths of Desire, Shannon Donnelly

Romantic Suspense
Redemption, Diane Garner
Night Hush, Leslie R Jones
The Cell, Diane M. Garner
Forever, Alicia Lienhart

Contemporary Single Title
Man Overboard, Carrie C Spencer
How to Say No and Mean It, Abby Gaines
Legally Mastered, Sarah Rose Ahmad
Perfect Summer, Katie Graykowski

Contemporary Series
His Forgotten Wife, Susanna Rogers
Hitting the High Note, Karen Rock
Snow Job, Kelly Fitzpatrick

Tempting Bella Takes First Place in 2011 PYHIAB Contest

2011-10-23T18:35:00.001-04:00

Me (top left) with my fellow finalists

I'm just back from the New Jersey Romance Writers PYHIAB conference and I have to say it turned out to be a very lucky weekend for me.

Not only did my manuscript, Tempting Bella, place first in the unpublished historical category but I also won two gift baskets during raffles held at breakfast and lunch!

One of the highlights of the conference was meeting and spending time with fellow writers. I also attended several workshops including one given by the funny, smart and insightful Eloisa James.

All in all, it proved to be a spectacular weekend. Thanks to all of the organizers who treated us all to yet another stellar NJRW PYHIAB conference.

Here's a full rundown of the 2011 PYHIAB winners:

Short Contemporary:
Judith Wherett, RUNNING FOR HER LIFE
Single Title Contemporary:
Jeanell Bolton, PASSION
Historical:
Diana Quincy, TEMPTING BELLA
Paranormal:
Dawn Groszek, ROSE OF HOPE
Romantic Elements:
D. B. Schuster, BREACH OF CONTRACT

Berkley/NAL Plans E-book Imprint

2011-10-20T07:41:00.001-04:00

Penguin's mass market paperback division, Berkley/NAL, plans to launch an ebook imprint in January.

According to Publishers Weekly, the new imprint, to be called InterMix, will operate like a mass market paperback publisher.

Focusing on romance, mystery/thriller and science fiction/fantasy, InterMix will release both reprints and titles from new authors.

Eleven Nora Roberts titles will be among InterMix's first ebook offerings when it kicks off in January.

In February, InterMix will resurrect the dormant mass market line, Signet Regency, releasing six of those titles as ebooks for the first time. After that, InterMix plans to release three Regency romances monthly in 2012.

While Berkley/NAL plans to publish new authors under the InterMix imprint, no new authors were announced. However, Leslie Gelbman, president of Berkley Publishing, says any titles from its original ebook authors could also be available in print format.

Behind the Scenes: Making of a Romance Cover

2011-10-18T19:25:00.001-04:00

Ever wonder how they come up with those passionate covers for romance novels? Wonder no more!

Here's a fun video of the making of the cover of Elizabeth Hoyt's latest book, Scandalous Desires, which came out today.

Amazon Tries to Woo Top Authors Away from Traditional Publishers

2011-10-17T09:44:00.000-04:00

Amazon is aggressively trying to woo some top authors away from their publishing houses, chipping away at services that publishers and agents currently provide, according to an article in The New York Times.

Amazon plans to publish 122 books this fall, according to the article by David Streitfeld, putting the online retailer in direct competition with the New York publishers that are also its biggest suppliers.

Amazon is apparently willing to pay big advances to secure certain titles. It recently announced it will publish a memoir by actress and director Penny Marshall. Amazon reportedly paid $800,000 for the deal.

Richard Curtis, a veteran agent who is also an e-book publisher, tells The New York Times:

“Everyone’s afraid of Amazon. If you’re a bookstore, Amazon has been in competition with you for some time. If you’re a publisher, one day you wake up and Amazon is competing with you too. And if you’re an agent, Amazon may be stealing your lunch because it is offering authors the opportunity to publish directly and cut you out."

Read the full article here.

Avon Wants a Soldier's Story

2011-10-13T07:28:00.000-04:00

Impulse, Avon's digital imprint, has put out a call for submissions about soldiers returning from war.

Here is the substance of the posting by editor Erika Tsang on the Avon Romance blog:

Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon
She wore it in the springtime
In the merry month of May
And if you ask her why the heck she wore it
She wore it for her soldier who was far far away

Calling all writers! Avon Impulse is looking for manuscript submissions for a collection of Yellow Ribbon romance. Just as the song indicates, we’re looking for stories where a soldier is returning home from war. Who is waiting for him/her? What was left unsaid? Where do they go from here?
If you’ve got a story (up to 25k words), we want to read it. Be creative. Be sexy. Ready. Set. Go!

Latest Romance Book Deals

2011-10-09T11:33:00.000-04:00

NYT bestselling author of 34 novels Karen Robards's next two romantic suspense novels, to Lauren McKenna at Gallery, in a major deal, by Robert Gottlieb at Trident Media Group.

NYT and USA Today bestselling Maya Banks's COLTERS' LEGACY series, a mass market novella to be released simultaneously with the digital version, as well as the fourth full length novel in the series, moving to Cindy Hwang at Berkley, in a significant deal, by Kimberly Whalen at Trident Media Group.

Ann Leary's OUT OF MIND, a portrait of alcoholism and denial, in which a 60-year-old real estate broker struggles to stay sober, and be the good neighbor, mother and grandmother she presents herself to be, to Brenda Copeland at St. Martin's, in a pre-empt, for publication in 2012, by Maria Massie at Lippincott Massie McQuilkin.

Lecia Cornwall's DEVIL TO PAY, when the death of a young woman's father leaves her penniless she faces the prospect of working as a governess to support her family until a Duke's proposal for her sister may just save the day, but the bride to be flees rather than marry the infamous groom, leaving her sister to take her place, to Tessa Woodward at Avon, in a two-book deal, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

NYT bestselling author Brenda Jackson's new novel in the Westmoreland family series, to Stacy Boyd at Harlequin Desire, in a very nice deal, in a nine-book deal, by Pattie Steele-Perkins at Steele-Perkins Literary Agency.

Caridad Pineiro's novella, in which a hiker trapped and lost in a blizzard is injured by a wolf who later shifts into the handsome stranger who ultimately saves her and they share several nights in an isolated cabin while they wait out the storm, to Stacy Boyd at Harlequin Nocturne, in a three-book deal, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Sarah Anderson's THE LAST HONEST LAWYER, in which an attorney takes on a case of judicial corruption, only to find himself falling for his secret witness, a woman whose past could derail his case and future career, to Stacy Boyd at Harlequin Desire, in a two-book deal, by Jill Marsal at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan's I'LL BE SEEING YOU, a story of unexpected friendship told through letters shared between two American women on the home front during World War II, to Erika Imranyi at Mira, in a two-book deal, by Anne Bohner at Pen & Ink Literary and Joanna Volpe at Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation.

Alison Atlee's THE TYPE-WRITER GIRL, in which an independent young woman in 1890s London goes to work in a new seaside resort where she struggles to prove herself and avoid falling in love with the enigmatic builder whose ambitions do not align with hers, to Abby Zidle at Gallery, at auction, by Emmanuelle Morgen at Judith Ehrlich Literary Management.

NYT bestselling author Barbara Samuel's THE SLEEPING NIGHT, in a small Texas town; when an African-American soldier returns from the war he confronts racism and bitter memories of his father's lynching, but also his secret love for a white childhood friend, to Deborah Smith at Bell Bridge Books, in a nice deal, for publication in Augut 2012.

Daphne du Maurier winner and author of HE KILLS ME, HE KILLS ME NOT, Lena Diaz's HER RELUCTANT PROTECTOR, fearing for her life after her identity is leaked, a woman in Witness Protection goes on the run with a US Marshall, to Allison Lyons at Harlequin Intrigue, by Nalini Akolekar at Spencerhill Associates.

How Much Do Romance Writers Earn?

2011-10-05T17:38:00.002-04:00

How much can romance writers earn?

According to a recent post, "Show Me the Money!" by author Brenda Hiatt, it all depends on who you sign with.

According to Hiatt, advances range anywhere from zero (Wild Rose Press) to $2,050 (Sourcebooks) to $80,000 (MIRA).

Among the big publishers, here's the rundown of the average advances, in most cases, for the first book:

Pocket
$10,400

Ballantine
$40,000

Bantam/Dell
$17,000

Berkley/Jove
$8,100

Dutton/Signet/NAL
$9,400

Grand Central Publishing
$7,100

HQN
$22,700

St. Martin’s Press
$18,500

For more numbers and details, check out Hiatt's blog by clicking here.

2011 Maggie Winners Announced

2011-10-03T15:22:00.000-04:00

Here is a list of winners of the 2011 Maggie awards, sponsored by the Georgia Romance Writers.

CONTEMPORARY SERIES ROMANCE UNPUBLISHED:
honorable mention, Elaine Miller, Vanished
honorable mention, Susan May, Doctors New Found Family
3rd place, Terry Poca, Breaking The Rules
2nd place, Rebecca Sampson, A Future for Abby
Maggie winner is Ruth Homrighaus, Companion Wanted

HISTORICAL ROMANCE UNPUBILSHED
honorable mention, Carol Hayes, Lady Unbound
honorable mention, Meredith Simmons, Shadow Dancer
3rd place, Meredith Simmons, Chameleon
2nd place, Dora Mekouar (w/a Diana Quincy), Tempting Bella
Maggie winner is Jennifer McQuiston A Private Affair

INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE UNPUBLISHED
honorable mention, Katy Lee, Baffled
honorable mention, Stacy, Monson, Living Peace
3rd place, Dianna Shuford, Charmed Deception
2nd place, Katy Lee, Real Virtue
Maggie winner is Walt Mussell, The Samurai's Heart

PARANORMAL/FANTASY UNPUBLISHED
honorable mention, Sherry McNabb, Homecoming
honorable mention, Pat Eckhoff, Prince of the Four Seas
3rd place, Wendy Anderson, A Pack of Two
2nd place, Heather Molloy, Murphys Law
Maggie winner is Rebecca Skrabl, The Devil Of Whitechapel

YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE UNPUBLISHED
honorable mention, Terry Poca, Timeless Love
honorable mention, Paula Keller, Out the Backdoor
honorable mention, Natasha Hacaga, Awaken
3rd place, Bonnie Staring, Camp Awakening
2nd place, Romily Bernard, Ashes
Maggie winner is Romily Bernard, Wired

SINGLE TITLE ROMANCE UNPUBLISHED
honorable mention, Laura Templeton, The Waters and the Wild
honorable mention, Sandra Tilley, Honeysuckle Wine
honorable mention, Gloria Richard, Color My World
3rd place, Sharon Wray, Juliet's Rogue
2nd place, Petrina Aubol, Yeehaw Paisano
Maggie winner is Heather Nickodem, Red Sky At Night

******

PUBLISHED CONTEMPORARY SERIES
Rita Herron, Unbreakable Bond
Kimberly Lang, What Happens In Vegas – Receives Maggie Medallion
Kathy Lyons, Taking Care of Business
Kathy Lyons, Under His Spell
Trish Milburn, Elly: Cowgirl Bride

PUBLISHED HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Caroline Fyffe, Montana Dawn
Vanessa Kelly, Sex and the Single Earl - Receives Maggie Medallion
Margaret Mallory, Knight of Passion

PUBLISHED INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE
Leanna Ellis, Facelift - Receives Maggie Medallion
Deeanne Gist, Maid to Match
Anne Greene, Masquerade Marriage
Trish Perry, The Perfect Blend
Virginia Smith, Third Times a Charm

PUBLISHED PARANORMAL/FANTASY ROMANCE
D. Renee Bagby, Eris
Patti O'Shea, In the Darkest Night
Robin D. Owens, Heart Journey
Kalayna Price, Grave Witch - Receives Maggie Medallion
Helen Scott Taylor, The Phoenix Charm

PUBLISHED YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE
Melanie Dickerson, The Healer's Apprentice
Traci Hall, Wiccan Cool
Maureen Hardegree, Haint Misbehavin
Tricia Mills, Winter Longing - Receives Maggie Medallion
Gillian Summers, Shadows of the Redwood

PUBLISHED SINGLE TITLE ROMANCE
Deeanne Gist & J. Mark Bertrand, Beguiled
Lorelle Marinello, Salting Roses
Laura Moore, Remember Me - Receives Maggie Medallion
Wendy Wax, Magnolia Wednesdays
Karen White, On Folly Beach

Second Place in the 2011 Maggies

2011-10-02T10:10:00.006-04:00

My Regency romance, Tempting Bella, placed second in the 2011 Maggie awards which were presented by the Georgia Romance Writers last night in Decatur.

Tempting Bella took second place in the historical unpublished category. Author Jennifer McQuiston took first place for her manuscript, A Private Affair. Jennifer and I share an agent - so at least we sort of kept it all in the family!

Here's the complete rundown in the historical unpublished category:

honorable mention	Carol	Hayes	Lady Unbound
honorable mention	Meredith	Simmons	Shadow Dancer
3rd place	Meredith	Simmons	Chameleon
2nd place	Diana	Quincy	Tempting Bella
Maggie winner is	Jennifer	McQuiston	A Private Affair

There's no official list yet, but here's what I've been able to learn so far in the other categories:

Vanessa Kelly placed first in the historical published category for her book, Sex and the Single Earl.

Trish Mills was the first place winner for Winter Longing in the young adult published category.

Trish Milburn took first place in the contemporary published category for Elly: Cowgirl Bride.

Rebecca Skrable was first for The Devil of Whitechapel for unpublished paranormal/ fantasy.

Kalayna Price wins top honors for Grave Witch in the published paranormal category.

I'll post a complete list of the 2011 Maggie winners as soon as I can.

100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or Less

2011-10-01T10:08:00.001-04:00

Amazon has put 100 ebooks on sale for $3.99 or less for the month of October.

It's part of an ongoing promotion, where a new selection of 100 ebooks goes on sale each month. The discounts last until the last day of the month.

Many of the titles of priced under $3.99. I purchased The Girl in the Gatehouse for $2.99 and Iris Johansen's This Fierce Splendor is $1.99.

Here are some of the Kindle books now priced at $3.99 or less:


"Girl in the Gatehouse"	$2.99


"The Silent Governess" $2.99


"This Fierce Splendor" $1.99

"Don't Say a Word" $1.99

Click here for the full list.

Kindle Fire Blazes onto Market for Just $199

2011-09-28T15:27:00.000-04:00

Kindle Fire

With the unveiling of its new Kindle tablet, Amazon isn't just catching up to its competitors, it's upping the ante.

As expected, the Kindle Fire is a seven-inch, full-color, touchscreen tablet. What wasn't expected is the price point.

At $199, Kindle's tablet is much cheaper than its presumed competitor - the iPad.

Amazon also introduced three new Kindle devices. The most basic Kindle - a non-touch - is just $79. A Kindle for under $100. Wow.

$79 non-touch Kindle

The other Kindles include a 3G black-and-white touch for $149. The same model with wifi - but without 3G - is $99.

Kindle Fire starts shipping on November 15.

It makes me wonder whether Apple will react to Amazon's latest move by lowering prices on the iPad.

Regency Fashion Up Close & Personal

2011-09-27T09:16:00.000-04:00

Here's the closest we'll ever get to an authentic Regency fashion show.

This video of actual garments of early 19th century clothing gives us a close-up view of the high styles of the day.

The high-waisted gowns, which were fashionable during the Regency period of the early 1800s, were known as the Empire look. You'll see a lot of white, which was a sign of social status since white had to be cleaned more often.

I particularly love the yellow cape and the detailing on some of the evening dresses is gorgeous.

If you'd like to see even more, check out this earlier post on Regency fashion.

Publisher Offers Books on Demand

2011-09-23T10:45:00.000-04:00

Major publisher HarperCollins is launching an on-demand book service which will allow customers to print out and buy unstocked or backlist trade paperback titles in a matter of minutes.

The new on-demand service will be made available through the Espresso Book Machine.

According to a HarperCollins press release, books can be printed, bound and trimmed to a bookstore-quality paperback with a full-color cover, in minutes with the push of a button.

"Even as digital book sales grow, bookstores continue to be an important place for customers to shop for physical books. The goal of this initiative is to give the local bookseller the capability to provide customers with a greater selection of HarperCollins titles in a physical environment,” said Brian Murray, president and chief executive officer of HarperCollins Publishers. "For authors this is a win; titles will be more broadly available, which increases sales with full print royalties. Depending on the size of the store, 25%-80% of our backlist titles are not stocked due to physical space limitations. DPR technology means the books will be there for the consumer at small and large bookshops."

HarperCollins trade paperback books, including adult and children's titles, will be available on Espresso Book Machines starting in November.

Kindle Library Lending Gets Off to Bumpy Start

2011-09-22T18:46:00.001-04:00

Kindle's library-lending program sparked a wave of confusion when it launched nationwide this week.

Amazon said customers would be able to borrow Kindle books from more than 11,000 local libraries across the country.

However, according to Publishers Lunch, library ebook service provider OverDrive didn't have all of its library customers activated at the start of Monday's rollout.

On its blog, the company said it was "quickly updating all US public and school library partner websites to support Kindle compatibility and will complete this update as soon as possible."

Meantime, some publishers have questions about how Kindle's library lending program will impact them. They told Publishers Lunch that they were not asked to consent to the Kindle library program when it was announced in April.

Up until now, OverDrive has lent library ebooks using their own servers, however, Kindle lending will operate through Amazon's servers.

Kindle Books Now Available at Local Libraries

2011-09-21T09:32:00.000-04:00

Starting today, Kindle and Kindle app customers can borrow Kindle books from more than 11,000 libraries in the United States. That's the word today from the Kindle folks.

According to Kindle, the following features will be available:

-    Whispersync automatically syncs your margin notes, highlights and bookmarks – even once you return a Kindle book to your library, we’re going to back up your notes and bookmarks, so the next time you check out the book (or if you decide you want to buy the Kindle book) your notes and bookmarks will be there, waiting for you.
-    Read Everywhere – when you check out a Kindle book from your local library, you can read it on your Kindles and your free Kindle apps for the most popular devices and platforms.
-    Real Page Numbers – our page numbers match the page numbers in print books, so you can easily reference and cite passages and read alongside others in your book club or class.
-    Facebook and Twitter Integration – Share meaningful passages with friends and family with built-in Twitter and Facebook integration.
-    Wireless delivery – Your Kindle library books can be delivered via Wi-Fi, so there’s no need to transfer books to your Kindle via USB

Here's how it works:

You can borrow Kindle books from your local library's website and, with the click of a button, have them delivered to your Kindle device or free reading app.

Visit the website of a U.S. library that offers digital services from OverDrive.

Check out a Kindle book (using a valid library card).

Click on "Get for Kindle" and then sign in to your Amazon.com account to have the book delivered to your Kindle device or reading app.

Latest Romance Book Deals

2011-09-20T18:43:00.000-04:00

USA Today bestselling author Kieran Kramer's new series THE HOUSE OF BRADY, following the six aristocratic adult siblings of a blended marriage who carve out their own paths to true love, to Jennifer Enderlin at St. Martin's, in a significant deal, in a six-book deal, by Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency.

Author of Precious and Fragile Things, Megan Hart's next 3 women's fiction titles, again to Susan Swinwood at Mira, in a very nice deal, for publication beginning in Spring 2013, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

Carrie Lofty's WRAP YOUR TROUBLES IN DREAMS, in which a British civilian pilot who's already lost one man to the war falls for one of the few women, US paratrooper medics on the verge of D-Day, to Lauren McKenna at Pocket, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Starr Ambrose's novella in the Barringer Pass Resort series, where only a family crisis could bring one of the Barringer boys back to their small hometown in the Rockies, but a pretty no-nonsense horse trainer who is leery of city boys just might convince him to stay, to Abby Zidle at Pocket, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

NYT bestselling author Sandra Hill's A DIXIE CHRISTMAS, two Christmas-romance novellas, to Deborah Smith of Bell Bridge Books, for publication in December 2011.

Judith Merkle Riley's THE ORACLE GLASS and THE MASTER OF ALL DESIRES, which combine researched history with magic and humor and feature Nostradamus, Catherine de Medici, and Louis XIV, to Shana Drehs at Sourcebooks, for re-issue, by Jennifer Weltz of Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency.

Cindi Myers's WITH THE WEST WIND and THE HANDSOMEST PRINCE, to Celina Summers at ABC-Clio, in a nice deal, for publication in October 2011.

Amazon's New Kindle Will be $250 Color, Touch-screen Tablet

2011-09-18T07:48:00.000-04:00

Amazon jumps into the tablet wars this November, when it releases its newest version of the Kindle, a $250 touch-screen, color, 7-inch tablet, according to ReadWriteWeb.

At $250, Amazon's Kindle tablet costs about half of what you'd pay for an iPad. It's pretty much the same price as Barnes & Noble’s Nook Color. Both are color, backlit, have 7-inch screens and run on Android.

Techcrunch's M.G. Siegler, who apparently had a chance to check out the new device, says the home screen is a carousel that looks like Cover Flow in iTunes. It displays the content you have on your device, including books, apps and movies.

Amazon has made no public comment about its new Kindle Tablet, but that hasn't stopped the analysts from predicting the retailer could sell five million units of the device in the fourth quarter.

The Kindle tablet is expected to debut in late November, just in time for the holiday buying season.

E-Book Deals!

2011-09-15T20:29:00.001-04:00

I just finished reading Isabella by Loretta Chase. It's only $.99 right now on Nook and Kindle. The cover isn't great and I noticed the formatting is a little off, but the story is classic Chase - an excellent read.

I haven't read this yet, but I just downloaded Vanquished by Hope Tarr. It's free on Nook and Kindle.

Hearts Aflame by Johanna Lindsey is $.99 on Nook and Kindle. It's also on my to-read list.

Another title on my to-read list is Conor's Way by Laura Lee Guhrke. It's $.99 on Nook and Kindle.

Heart of a Knight by Barbara Samuel, which won the 1998 Rita for Best Historical Romance (short category), is now $.99 on Nook and Kindle.

Amazon Explores Netflix-like Ebook Lending Service

2011-09-12T14:26:00.001-04:00

Amazon is thinking about launching a "Netflix" for digital books, which would allow readers to pay an annual fee to read ebooks without actually buying them.

However, it appears the plan would limit how many ebooks subscribers could read each month.

According to a report in the The Wall Street Journal, publishers aren't thrilled with the idea because they worry it could devalue books, as well as hurt the publishers' relationships with other retailers.

Amazon has reportedly told publishing executives the ebook library would feature older titles.

According to the Journal article, the ebook content would be made available to customers of Amazon Prime, who pay $79 a year for two-day shipping and for access to a digital library of films and television shows.

The publishers would receive a substantial fee for participating in the program, but it is unclear whether any of them have agreed to participate.

According to Publishers Weekly, Amazon intends to launch the new service in time for the holiday season.

There's also a question as to how far-reaching the service would be. Publishers Weekly reports Amazon is telling publishers that fewer than 10 percent of its Prime customers own a Kindle.

I'm guessing quite a few more will sign on, if and when an ebook reading feature is added.

2011 Golden Gateway Finalist

2011-09-09T17:47:00.001-04:00

I just got word that two of my Regency manuscripts, Tempting Bella and Compromising Willa, are finalists in the From the Heart Romance Writers' Golden Gateway contest.

A double finalist! What a great way to kick off the weekend.

FTHRW is an internet-wide, online chapter of the Romance Writers of America.

The contest judges the first 50 pages of the manuscript along with a five-page synopsis. The final round judge in the historical category is editor Deb Werksman with Sourcebooks.

The final placements will be announced at the end of October.

Latest Romance Book Deals

2011-09-07T18:29:00.000-04:00

Bestselling author and Rita Award Winner Lauren Willig's standalone novel ASHFORD PARK, in which a modern woman stumbles upon a family secret hidden for decades that sweeps her from the drawing rooms of Edwardian England to the wild plains of Kenya as she seeks to untangle her family's past and her own future, to Jennifer Weis at St. Martin's, in a significant deal, in a two-book deal, by Joe Veltre at Gersh Agency.

NYT and USA Today bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks's LOVE AT STAKE Series, to Erika Tsang at Avon, in a significant deal, by Michelle Grajkowski at 3 Seas Literary Agency.

Violet Blue's ONE NIGHT ONLY: Erotic Encounters, to Brenda Knight at Cleis Press, in a nice deal, for publication in January 2012.

Violet Blue's BEST WOMEN'S EROTICA 2012, to Brenda Knight at Cleis Press, in a nice deal, for publication in December 2011.

Trish Milburn's OUT OF THE NIGHT, to Johanna Raisanen at Harlequin, in a nice deal, for publication in Early 2013, by Michelle Grajkowski at 3 Seas Literary Agency.

Laura Marie Altom's Navy SEAL OPERATION FAMILY series, based on Navy SEALS and the women who love them, to Johanna Raisanen at Harlequin American, in a nice deal, in a three-book deal, by Michelle Grajkowski at 3 Seas Literary Agency.

Pam Meyers's LOVE FINDS YOU IN LAKE GENEVA, WISCONSIN, to Rachel Meisel at Summerside Press, in a nice deal, for publication in June 2012, by Terry Burns at Hartline Literary Agency.

Author of Going Too Far and Forget You, Jennifer Echols's adult contemporary romance debut, to Lauren McKenna at Pocket, in a two-book deal, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

NYT bestselling author Katie MacAlister's IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME, to Kate Seaver at NAL, by Michelle Grajkowski at 3 Seas Literary Agency.

Alexis Morgan's HIS LADY MAGE, in which, with dark magic threatening her world, a lady risks everything to call forth the Damned from their sleep, finding both salvation and love in the arms of an ancient warrior, avatar of the gods, to Laura Cifelli and Kerry Donovan at NAL, by Michelle Grajkowski at 3 Seas Literary Agency.

NEARLY A LADY author Alissa Johnson's PRACTICALLY WICKED, about a notorious but guarded demimondaine and the devilish marquess who tries to warm up to her, to Kate Seaver at Berkley, by Emmanuelle Morgen at Judith Ehrlich Literary Management.

Daphne du Maurier winner and author of HE KILLS ME, HE KILLS ME NOT Lena Diaz's follow up to THE WIDOW'S HUSBAND, in which a young widow's belief that she's being stalked by her dead husband reunites her with an FBI Special Agent, to Esi Sogah at Avon Impulse, by Nalini Akolekar at Spencerhill Associates.

USA Today bestselling author Sharon De Vita's THE ESTROGEN POSSE, about the development of a woman after a shattering divorce into a strong, indepedent powerhouse -- all with a little help from her quirky friends, and THE DITSY CHIX, to Celina Summers at Terpsichore.

Regency Fashion Show

2011-09-03T12:13:00.000-04:00

Here's a terrific up-close look at some authentic gowns and accessories worn during the Regency period. I love the embroidery detail. The video includes some interesting factoids, too. For example, I didn't know Indian shawls were popular during this time as much-needed protection against those drafty manor homes.

Profits Spike at Random House

2011-08-31T12:02:00.000-04:00

The nation's largest trade book publisher reports that its earnings, before interest and taxes, surged 72.5 percent in the first half of 2011.

Random House attributes the increase in profits to a strong performance by its bestsellers and to large ebook gains. The publisher experienced 200 percent growth in ebook sales, according to a letter Random House chairman Markus Dohle sent to employees.

Digital sales so far in 2011, have already surpassed sales for all of 2010. They account for more than 20 percent of revenue.

However, tree books remain important to the company. In his letter, Dohle said strong print sales “reminds us that the print side of our business is an indispensable contributor to our greater publishing success.”

Read the full Publishers Weekly article here.

Latest Romance Book Deals

2011-08-29T08:26:00.000-04:00

NYT bestselling author Lori Foster's next contemporary series, to Tara Parsons and Margo Lipshultz at HQN, in a major deal, by Karen Solem at Spencerhill Associates.

Leslie Gould's COURTING CATE, the first of THE COURTSHIPS OF LANCASTER COUNTY series that combine Amish fiction with Shakespearean stories, Cate's Amish father has decreed that his other daughters may not court until his eldest daughter marries, to Dave Long at Bethany House, in a good deal, by Chip MacGregor at MacGregor Literary.

NYT bestselling author Susan Mallery's continuing women's fiction series featuring the residents of Blackberry Island, to Tara Parsons for Mira, in a two-book deal, by Annelise Robey at Jane Rotrosen Agency.

USA Today bestselling author Victoria Dahl's newest sexy, contemporary romance trilogy, to Tara Parsons at HQN, by Amy Moore-Benson at AMB Literary Management.

Lisa Child's new novella in the VACATION WITH A VAMPIRE collection, to Tara Gavin at Harlequin Nocturne, by Melissa Jeglinski at The Knight Agency.

Cindy Thomson's GRACE'S PICTURES, in which a young Irish immigrant tries out her new "Brownie" camera and accidentally takes photos of a crime being committed, to Stephanie Broene at Tyndale, in a nice deal, in a three-book deal, by Chip MacGregor at MacGregor Literary.

Kristina Wright's BEST EROTIC ROMANCE, a collection of erotic romance, to Brenda Knight at Cleis Press, in a nice deal, for publication in January 2012.

Rachel Kramer Bussel's BEST BONDAGE EROTICA 2012, a collection of erotic romance, to Brenda Knight at Cleis Press, in a nice deal, for publication in January 2012.

Susan Meissner's BLUE HEART BLESSED, to soothe her broken heart after being left standing at the altar, a woman opens a second-hand bridal gown store, to Ron Benrey at Greenbrier Books, by Chip MacGregor at MacGregor Literary.

Kaye Dacus's THE GREAT EXHIBITION, during Prince Albert's Great Exhibition of 1851, a visiting American is torn between the poor man she loves and the Viscount who offers the wealth and stability that can save her family, to Julie Gwinn at B&H Fiction, in a three-book deal, by Chip MacGregor at MacGregor Literary.

Cat Schield's novel in THE HIGHEST BIDDER series, where a billionaire playboy is being investigated by the FBI for dealing in stolen antiquities hires the one woman immune to his charm to play the part of his adoring fiance, to Charles Griemsman at Harlequin Desire, for publication in November 2012, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Kendra Leigh Castle's novella in which a vampire king reluctantly takes a vacation and finds himself drawn to a free spirited vampire hunter, to be included in the Nocturne Summer with a Vampire Anthology, to Ann Leslie Tuttle at Harlequin Nocturne, for publication in Summer 2012, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Janelle Taylor's VALLEY OF FIRE, a romantic suspense reprint from this multiple bestselling romance author, to Deborah Smith at Bell Bridge Books, in a four-novella deal, for publication in 2012.

'Temping Bella' is a 2011 PYHIAB Finalist!

2011-08-25T17:58:00.000-04:00

This is turning out to be an excellent day.

I received a phone call from Shirley Hailstock, president of the New Jersey Romance Writers, who informed me that my Regency manuscript, Tempting Bella, is a finalist in the 2011 NJRW's "Put Your Heart in a Book" contest.

I am thrilled! The NJRW's group is pretty special to me. I won in this category last year with my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, and another of my manuscripts, Compromising Willa, placed second.

I think their judges get me!

The final judges, who will choose the winner, include Avon editor Tessa Woodward, bestselling author Cathy Maxwell (I'm a huge fan of her books) and agent Ethan Ellenberg.

The final winners will be announced at the NJRW's October conference. I plan to be there. I went last year and it was a fantastic, inspiring experience.

The workshops and panels featured bestselling authors and top editors. I came back super-motivated. It's rare when an experience exceeds expectations, but that was definitely the case last year.

Maybe it will be so again this year!

Traditional Publisher Strikes Deal With Self E-publishing Phenom

2011-08-22T12:46:00.001-04:00

Simon and Schuster has closed a distribution deal with author John Locke, the first self-epublished author to sell a million copies of his books through Amazon's Kindle Store.

It's the latest sign that the publishing world is adapting to the rapidly-changing landscape brought about by ebooks.

Under the deal, the publisher will handle sales and distribution for the print editions of the author's titles.The arrangement gets print editions of Locke's books out to traditional book sellers, making them more widely available.

Simon and Schuster will distribute eight of Locke's Donovan Creed novels. The titles are expected to be on sale by February 2012. The publisher says more books will follow under the deal.

Locke retains the rights to edit and publish his titles.

The publisher says the arrangement is a standard distribution agreement, similar to the deals distributors regularly strike with small publishers.

The deal was negotiated by literary agent Jane Dystel.

How Much Do Book Editors Make?

2011-08-19T09:07:00.001-04:00

It's none of our business but we're all kind of curious about how much moola people in the publishing industry are earning.

You know from some of my previous posts that most published romance authors can't quit their day job. But for New York book editors, editing IS their day job.

According to GalleyCat, the average salary for any editor in the New York area is $53,500 a year.

At Penguin, average salaries range from $40,000 to 75,000 a year. An associate editor makes about $41,654, while a senior editor draws anywhere from $54,000 to 93,000 a year.

At Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, editors can make from $32,000 to 77,000 annually. Senior editor salaries range from $38,000 to $75,000 a year. A supervising editor's salary can range from $59,000 to 90,000.

Random House associate editors make between $42,000 and $45,000 a year. Production editors salaries range from $42,000 to $62,000 a year.

Galleycat got these figures from the anonymous job site Glassdoor, and all of the figures are taken from the website's anonymous users.

Victorian-Era Film Tackles Women's Pleasure

2011-08-17T08:19:00.000-04:00

Now this is something I have yet to read about in any historical romance novel.

"Hysteria," a new movie starring Maggie Gyllenhaall and Hugh Dancy, is based on the true Victorian-era story of the invention of the vibrator.

Check out this hilarious - and somewhat shocking - trailer:

Amazon Jumps into the Tablet Business

2011-08-13T23:44:00.000-04:00

Apple's iPad 2

Look out Apple, Amazon plans to introduce a tablet computer this fall.

The device could challenge the iPad. It is expected to have a nine-inch screen and will run on Google's Android operating system.

Amazon customers will be able to watch videos, read ebooks and listen to music purchased or rented from Amazon. It is not expected to have a camera.

The new tablet will intensify the competition between Amazon and Apple, both of which are fighting for customers for their own digital books, music and movies.

Amazon is also releasing two new versions of the Kindle. One will have a touch-screen, the other will not. It will be an updated, cheaper version of the current Kindle model.

You can read more about it in this article from The Wall Street Journal.

Ebooks, Young Adult Fiction Help Spark Book Resurgence

2011-08-10T17:25:00.000-04:00

Despite the closing of Borders, it looks like things are not quite so gloomy for the book industry after all.

Ebooks, along with juvenile and adult fiction, are driving a resurgence of the book industry.

Instead of shrinking, the publishing industry has expanded in the last three years, according to BookStats, which is published by the Association of American Publishers and the Book Industry Study Group.

BookStats looks at net sales revenue and unit data reported by almost 2,000 U.S. publishers. It tracks sales and units by format and category.

Publishers sold 5.6 percent more books in 2010 than they did in 2008, according to the report. More than 2.5 billion books were sold in all formats in 2010. That's a 4 percent hike over 2008.

Americans of all ages are actively reading in all print and digital formats. Juvenile and adult fiction have made some big annual gains.

Fiction aimed at children, teens and young adults rose 7 percent over the three years in net sales revenue and 12 percent in net unit sales.

“The BookStats study indicates that the publishing industry is healthy and growing during a time of unprecedented change,” says Dominique Raccah, founder and CEO of Sourcebooks, who chairs the BookStats committee.

And the numbers are likely to grow. The BookStats report does not include sales from 2011, which has seen a surge in ebook sales.

Check out more details of the report here.

'Tempting Bella' is a 2011 Maggie Finalist!

2011-08-06T08:26:00.003-04:00

I received a pretty great call just after dinner last night.

It was Dianna Shuford, from the Georgia Romance Writers, calling to tell me that my latest work in progress, "Tempting Bella," is a finalist in the 2011 Maggie Contest for unpublished writers.

This is Bella's first contest final. About 30 pages of the manuscript - plus a synopsis - were judged by two published authors.

It's always encouraging to receive validation for my work - a little something that tells me I'm on the right track. Especially from two professionals in the field.

"Tempting Bella" is my third completed manuscript.

It is the story of Mirabella, who is married off as a child to settle her father's gaming debt. After the hasty marriage, she does not see her husband again for almost a decade. She grows to resent the stranger she assumes married her for her fortune and promptly forgot she existed. When they do meet again, neither knows who the other is, but the attraction (of course!) is immediate. You can read more about the story by clicking here.

There are four other finalists in the Maggie contest's historical category.

Avon's Tessa Woodward is the final judge.

The winner will be announced at the Georgia Romance Writers 2011 Moonlight and Magnolias conference in which runs Sept. 29 through Oct. 2.

This is my second time as a Maggie finalist. My first manuscript, "Compromising Willa," placed second in the 2009 contest.

By the way, it's fun to note that the winner that year was Patricia Patton for "Love and the Heir." Later published as "The Heir" - under Patton's pen name Grace Burrowes - the book was named one of Publishers Weekly's Top Five Romances for 2010 and went on to become a New York Times bestseller.

So at least I can say I got beat out by a New York Times bestselling author. Not too shabby!

Latest Romance Book Deals

2011-08-03T12:01:00.001-04:00

"Nice deal" $1 - $49,000
"Very nice deal" $50,000 - $99,000
"Good deal" $100,000 - $250,000
"Significant deal" $251,000 - $499,000
"Major deal" $500,000 and up

Mina Khan'S THE DJINN'S DILEMMA, about a hunky Djinn assassin who falls in love with his target, to Ann Leslie Tuttle at Harlequin Nocturne, by Nalini Akolekar at Spencerhill Associates.

Elisabeth Barrett's DEEP AUTUMN HEAT, in which two chefs find romance and suspense in a quaint New England resort community, the first book in her Star Harbor Series, to Sue Grimshaw at Loveswept, in a two-book deal, by Nalini Akolekar at Spencerhill Associates.

NYT bestselling author Kat Martin's next three books in the bestselling contemporary romantic Raines of Wind Canyon series, to Susan Pezzack-Swinwood at Mira, in a major deal, by Kimberly Whalen and Robert Gottlieb at Trident Media Group.

NYT bestseller Angela Knight's new novella ENFORCER, in her Time Hunter Series, to Cindy Hwang at Berkley, by Roberta Brown of Brown Literary Agency.

USA Today bestselling author Jennie Lucas's next three romances, to Sally Williamson at Harlequin Presents, by Jennifer Schober at Spencerhill Associates.

Jules Bennett's next two sexy romances, again to Shana Smith at Harlequin Desire, for publication in 2012, by Jennifer Schober at Spencerhill Associates.

Meljean Brook's SALVAGE, a new steampunk novella in her Iron Sea Series, to Cindy Hwang at Berkley, by Roberta Brown of Brown Literary Agency.

Tiffany Reisz's THE PRINCE, third in her series about an infamous erotica author and her lovers and secret job, to Susan Swinwood of Mira, for publication in 2012, by Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary Agency.

Alison Kent et al's SEAL OF MY DREAMS, a military-romance anthology including authors Alison Kent, Christie Ridgway, Barbara Samuel, Cindy Gerard, Stephanie Bond and others, plus a foreword by Robyn Carr, with all proceeds pledged to a non-profit foundation supporting veterans' medical research, to Debra Dixon at Bell Bridge Books.

Rhiannon Ellis's HARVESTING THE HEART, to Tracy Mitchell at Knight Romance, by Dawn Dowdle at Blue Ridge Literary Agency.

Kindle Cuts Prices on 900 Ebooks

2011-07-26T20:43:00.000-04:00

Amazon has launched another Kindle book sale called "The Big Deal." According to the online retailer, there are 900 ebooks priced between $.99 and $3.99.

Amazon made a similar price-cutting move back in June. That promotion was called Sunshine Deals and it shook up the Kindle bestseller list. Almost one-third of the books in Amazon's top 100 during that period were part of the Sunshine promotion. About 80 percent of them - 24 books - were not Kindle bestsellers before prices were slashed.

The only problem with the sale is that it's too easy to spend way more than you intend to. With such talented authors at very reasonable prices, it's hard not to!

Here's a look at some of the deals in romance:


$2.99

$.99

$2.99

$.99

$1.99

Click here for more on The Big Deal.

New Nook Outscores Kindle

2011-07-22T17:15:00.002-04:00

The Nook Simple Touch, black and white with touch screen

More evidence that Barnes & Noble's Nook is nipping at the heels of industry leader Kindle by Amazon.

Consumer Reports says the new version of the Nook e-reader, the Simple Touch, has outscored Kindle in its ratings for the first time.

According to Consumer Reports, both e-readers have black-and-white screens, but the Simple Touch also has touch-screen navigation and weighs less than the Kindle.

Amazon's Kindle

You can also borrow ebooks from the public library with the Simple Touch. Kindle is expected to add the library feature sometime later this year.

Consumer Reports also says an e-book reader is still the best way to go - rather than a tablet like the iPad - if reading books is your main use for the device.

The lighter weight makes holding it for long periods of time more comfortable and the screen is easier to read than the text on tablets' LCD screens, especially in bright sunlight.

How to Undress a Victorian Lady

2011-07-21T19:53:00.001-04:00

At the recent Romance Writers of America (RWA) convention in New York, author Deeanne Gist gave a hands-on, clothes-on workshop on how to dress - and undress - your heroine.

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, it took Gist an hour to put on everything that a lady would have worn in the 1860s. The pieces of clothing included stockings, garters, bloomers, chemise, corset, crinoline or hoop skirt, petticoats, a shirtwaist or blouse, skirt, vest and bolero jacket.

The Journal reports that 25 percent of all books sold are historical romances, according to book-industry analyst Bowker.

But getting accurate details on a lady's under-things takes a lot of work.

"When you're doing something where they're undressing in a love scene situation—these are the practical things that you never find in a research book," bestselling novelist Laura Lee Guhrke tells the Journal. "You want to be accurate."

Check out the video above for a close-up look at a Victorian lady's unmentionables.

Lastest Romance Book Deals

2011-07-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

"Nice deal" $1 - $49,000
"Very nice deal" $50,000 - $99,000
"Good deal" $100,000 - $250,000
"Significant deal" $251,000 - $499,000
"Major deal" $500,000 and up

Serena Miller's INVINCIBLE LOVE OF INGRID LARSEN, in which a servant girl in 1871 seeks to marry a grieving, widowed dirt farmer so she can care for his five young children, then helps him fight for his family's survival in the northern woods of Michigan, and a follow up to Miller's 2011 release, The Measure of Katie Callaway, THE WISDOM OF MOONSONG, set in 1869 in which a Michigan lumberjack helps a widowed Ojibwa native and her newborn return to her tribe on Lake Superior, to Vicki Crumpton at Revell, in a nice deal, by Sandra Bishop at MacGregor Literary.

Rochelle Alers's first three books in her new small town series that takes place on Cavanaugh Island about the warmth of community, and a romance that flourishes amid friends and family, to Latoya Smith at Forever, by Nancy Coffey at Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation.

Golden Heart finalist Connie Cox's contemporary romance in which a brilliant diagnostician clashes with a beautiful hospital administrator, to Suzanne Clarke of Harlequin for the Medical Romance series, in a two-book deal, by Helen Breitwieser of Cornerstone Literary.

Pat White's SMALL TOWN KILLER, next in the Port Whisper series, where a jaded federal agent becomes involved in tracking down a serial killer and learns that not only is his estranged teenage son in the killer's sights, but a witness who just may open his heart to the possibility of love and faith, to Allison Lyons at Harlequin, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Leigh Duncan's RODEO DAUGHTER, a former rodeo star turned attorney squares off against her first crush in a custody battle for his daughter, and RANCHER'S SON, to Laura Barth at Harlequin American Romance, by Helen Breitwieser of Cornerstone Literary.

Kathleen Eagle's THE LAST GOOD MAN, SUNRISE SONG, THIS TIME FOREVER, REASON TO BELIEVE, WHAT THE HEART KNOWS, YOU NEVER CAN TELL, and NIGHT FALLS LIKE SILK, to Debra Dixon at Bell Bridge Books, for publication in Fall 2011.

Author of PROMISES IN THE DARK Stephanie Tyler's UNBREAKABLE, the first book in a suspense series about a group of men and women who come together to save the world, one black ops mission at a time, moving to Danielle Perez at NAL, in a three-book deal, by Irene Goodman at Irene Goodman Agency.

Robin Kaye's AFTER THE STORM, the first book in her new BAD BOYS OF RED HOOK series, in which a reformed bad boy returns home to Brooklyn to help his foster dad recover from surgery only to find his two-week sojourn completely waylaid by the woman he loved and ran from years ago and a precocious 12 year old girl, moving to Kerry Donovan at NAL, in a three-book deal, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Inara Scott's RADIANT DESIRE, in which one of the four faerie Handmaiden seductresses is stripped of her powers and charged with destroying the wealthy mortal man she loves, or face eternity as a wraith, to Heather Howland at Entangled, for publication in Fall 2011, by Emily Sylvan Kim at Prospect Agency.

Latest Romance Book Deals

2011-07-13T15:42:00.000-04:00

"Nice deal" $1 - $49,000
"Very nice deal" $50,000 - $99,000
"Good deal" $100,000 - $250,000
"Significant deal" $251,000 - $499,000
"Major deal" $500,000 and up

Valerie Bowman's debut SECRETS OF A WEDDING NIGHT, in which a countess who is rumored to have authored a scandalous pamphlet that warns the Ton's young women of the perils of matrimony, and a recently jilted Marquis who insists she issue a retraction or suffer the fate of his seductive attentions, to Holly Blanck at St. Martin's, in a pre-empt, in a three-book deal, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

Carrie Lofty's Victorian set novella in the Christie Family series in which the self-made patriarch of the family faces scandal after seducing and then marrying a modest battlefield nurse who earns notoriety amongst London's elite after surviving a naval shipwreck, embracing their outcast status to realize love, to Lauren McKenna at Pocket, for publication in May 2012, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

Lord and Lady Spy author Shana Galen's THE FALLEN LADIES Trilogy, about three glamorous courtesans who dare to dream of true love, again to Deb Werksman at Sourcebooks, by Joanna MacKenzie at Browne & Miller Literary Associates

Darrel Nelson's THE ANNIVERSARY WALTZ, every year, on the eve of their anniversary, a couple share a dance together and recount the story of their courtship and subsequent marriage; that story - the story of love and courage overcoming adversity and thriving in the face of overwhelming odds, and THE RETURN OF CASSANDRA TODD, to Debbie Marrie at Charisma Media, in a nice deal, for publication in Fall 2012, by Joyce Hart at Hartline Literary Agency

Pat White's SMALL TOWN KILLER, next in the Port Whisper series, where a jaded federal agent becomes involved in tracking down a serial killer and learns that not only is his estranged teenage son in the killer's sights, but a witness who just may open his heart to the possibility of love and faith, to Allison Lyons at Harlequin, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

2011 Golden Heart winner in the Regency Historical category Anne Barton's THE PROPER MISS'S GUIDE TO BAD BEHAVIOR, pitched as Project Runway meets Downton Abbey, to Selina McLemore of Forever, in a two-book deal, by Helen Breitwieser at Cornerstone Literary

Lord and Lady Spy author Shana Galen's THE FALLEN LADIES Trilogy, about three glamorous courtesans who dare to dream of true love, again to Deb Werksman at Sourcebooks, by Joanna MacKenzie at Browne & Miller Literary Associates

Janice Thompson's THE BRIDAL BIZ Series, in which the most experienced wedding planner on Galveston Island works with florists, photographers, cake decorators, and gown designers in this series of four humorous romance novels, to Jennifer Leep at Revell, in a very nice deal, by Chip MacGregor at MacGregor Literary

Author of more than nineteen NYT bestselling novels, published in twenty-five languages worldwide, Barbara Delinsky's next two books, moving to Matthew Shear at St. Martin's, with Hilary Rubin Teeman to edit, by Amy Berkower at Writers House

Glynna Sirpless's TEXAS TWINS, to Melissa Endlich at Harlequin Love Inspired, by Natasha Kern at Natasha Kern Literary Agency

Anna Randol's NAKED SOLUTION, in which a dedicated, young magistrate investigating the death of a viscount must decide if the beautiful widow is hiding her guilt or a much darker secret, and whether a man who values truth above all else can love a woman who's lied to him all along, to Tessa Woodward at Avon Impulse, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

Megan Mulry's HOW TO DEAL WITH A DUKE, in which an American advertising exec has a fling with a doctoral student in economics before realizing he's actually the 19th Duke of Northrop, to Deb Werksman at Sourcebooks, in a three-book deal, by Allison Hunter at Inkwell Management.

Zuri Day's untitled contemporary summer romance novella and next three novels in her African American contemporary romance series, to Selena James at Dafina, in a nice deal, by Natasha Kern at Natasha Kern Literary Agency

Nook Outpaces Kindle in 1st Quarter Shipments

2011-07-11T12:56:00.001-04:00

The Nook Color helped Barnes & Noble beat Amazon's Kindle in the eReader market for the first time, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC), which tracks media tablet and eReaders.

The Kindle was second, but the lack of color seems to have allowed the Nook to put a dent in Amazon's previous dominance of the eReader market.

That doesn't mean more Nooks have sold than Kindles. The IDC report refers to the number of eReaders shipped - not purchased.

All in all, the eReader market is doing well. IDC expects there to be a 24 percent increase over last year in the number of eReaders that are shipped.

I can certainly see the appeal of the Nook. I chose a Kindle for my birthday last year, primarily because I wasn't sure if the Nook would be around for long. Clearly, I miscalculated! I enjoy reading on my Kindle but I can't say that I love it. I do wish it had color and a touchscreen.

And reading magazines on the Kindle is one of the more lackluster experiences out there.

I have to admit I am now eyeballing the Nook for my next birthday. It seems a little wasteful but I find I'm craving a little more color in my life.

Ebooks Give Treebooks a Push

2011-07-06T16:00:00.000-04:00

At least one publisher is betting on the idea that ebooks can help traditional retailers sell books.

Algonquin has started a promotion at 300 Barnes & Noble stores which offers a discounted ebook to customers who purchase an Algonquin trade paperback, according to The New York Times.

Algonquin plans a similar promotion in October. Customers who buy a hardcover copy of "When She Woke," by Hillary Jordan will receive a digital version of the book for free.

“We spend a lot of time lately trying to figure out how to sell books in this new world order,” Elisabeth Scharlatt, Algonquin's publisher, told the Times. “And particularly to help booksellers to sell hardcover books, which seems increasingly difficult. So this seemed like one way of calling attention to a book by giving an incentive to the customer.”

The Times reports publishers are concerned about declining traffic at physical bookstores as more ebooks sales are made online. If physical bookstores disappear, publishers worry their books will not have an opportunity to be discovered by customers who wander into a store without knowing what they want to buy.

This month's Algonquin promotion lets customers choose a trade paperback from a list of 12 titles, and then buy an ebook for $3 from a separate list of 12 titles.

RWA Honors Best in Romance

2011-07-03T20:00:00.002-04:00

The 2011 RITAS were announced this weekend in New York. The RITAS honor the best in romance fiction for 2010. Here's a rundown of the honorees as selected by the Romance Writers of America. Congratulations to all of the winners!

Best Paranormal Romance
Sharon Ashwood for “Unchained: the Dark Forgotten”

Best Romance Novella
Virginia Kantra for “Shifting Sea”

Best Contemp Series Suspense/Adventure Romance
Helen Brenna for “The Moon that Night"

Best Young Adult Romance

Julie Kagawa for "The Iron King"

Best Regency Historical Romance
Lauren Willig for "Mischief of the Misteltoe"

Best Historical Romance

Sherry Thomas for "His At Night"

Best Contemporary Single Title

Jill Shalvis for "Simply Irresistible"

Best First Book

Kaki Warner for "Pieces of Sky"

Best Novel With Strong Romantic Elements

Jodi Thomas for "Welcome to Harmony"

Best Inspirational Romance

Irene Hannon for "In Harm’s Way"

RWA Literacy Signing Features Top Names in Romance

2011-06-30T20:45:00.000-04:00

The Romance Writers of America (RWA) is holding its annual convention in New York this week. Check out this fun video of the literacy signing event, featuring some of your favorite romance authors.

How Much Do Writers Earn?

2011-06-28T08:40:00.001-04:00

Here's the one thing we all want to know and very few of us actually talk about. How much money can you make as a writer?

Cozy mystery writer Ellery Adams is going on the record with the financial details. On her agent Jessica Faust's blog, Adams tells all. Here are a couple of the highlights:

Average advance received from publisher — $6,000 per book

Average amount paid for large print or foreign rights — $500 or $1000

Average amount of advance spent on promotion — 25% of advance

Average money my publishers give me for promotion — 0

My writing income based on my 2010 tax return — $18,000

For details, head over to Jessica's blog.

By the way, I think Jessica's got one of the best blogs out there for writers. It is updated regularly and consistently offers insight into the publishing and agenting worlds.

Harlequin Boosts Ebook Royalties for Authors

2011-06-26T21:15:00.000-04:00

Harlequin is changing its ebook royalty rates for authors. The news came late Friday so the analysis of how this impacts authors in practical terms has yet to be done.

Author Courtney Milan recently walked away from a deal with the publisher because she thought she could come out ahead by self publishing. According to Milan, Harlequin was offering 8 percent of the digital cover price of her books.

Under these new terms, authors will receive 25 percent of NET receipts for each ebook sold. Here's the letter Harlequin sent to its single title authors:

Dear Author,

The landscape of digital publishing continues to evolve at a fast pace and Harlequin is at the forefront of this evolution. In 2007 Harlequin was the first publisher to simultaneously publish print and digital editions of our entire frontlist. Since then we have also digitized and brought to market our backlist and now have a current catalogue of over 11,000 ebooks! Harlequin invests heavily in digital marketing efforts to promote our authors and their books, with activities ranging from newsletter programs, advertising, search engine marketing, social media properties, website development and distribution through leading ebook retailers.

Harlequin has been closely monitoring developments in digital publishing, including author compensation. As you know, until now Harlequin’s position has been that digital royalty rates as a percentage of cover price is a more transparent way to pay authors than as a percentage of net receipts: authors know exactly how many copies they sold at what price and their compensation is not affected by unspecified costs. Over the past several months we have worked to ensure a smooth transition from the current percentage of cover price calculation to a net receipts calculation while maintaining the same transparency. As such, Harlequin will be amending digital royalty rates.

Effective January 1, 2012, single title authors who are actively writing for Harlequin will receive a digital royalty rate of 25% of net digital receipts for each digital unit sold in the English language, United States and Canada, frontlist and single title backlist.

Given that these are more favorable terms than those in your existing contract(s), this notification will be considered the amendment to those contract(s). If you wish to maintain the existing terms of the contract(s), please let us know by Friday, July 15th 2011.

Random House Revives 'Loveswept' Imprint with Digital-Only Twist

2011-06-22T18:22:00.001-04:00

Random House announced today that the "Loveswept" imprint is coming back this summer with a modern twist: the line will be digital-only.

The imprint, which was popular in the 1980s and 1990s, originated at Bantam Books and has been dormant for a dozen years. It relaunches in August with eight new works. According to Random House, one new ebook will be released each month in the fall.

Loveswept helped launch the careers of authors such as Janet Evanovich and Tami Hoag. Some popular past titles will be revived, including This Fierce Splendor by best-selling author Iris Johansen - although I'm guessing it will get an updated cover.

The Loveswept tagline - Love stories you'll never forget by authors you'll always remember - is also coming back.

According to Publishers Weekly, Sue Grimshaw, category specialist and editor-at-large, will host a new website, RomanceAtRandom.com, to discuss all things romance while also promoting Loveswept and Ballantine Bantam Dell titles.

Self-Published Phenom John Locke Sells a Million Ebooks

2011-06-20T11:52:00.000-04:00

Amazon announced today that thriller writer John Locke is the first self-published author to sell more than a million ebooks via the online retailer.

Locke has reportedly sold 1,010,370 Kindle books using Kindle Direct Publishing.

Locke joins an elite group. Stieg Larsson, James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Charlaine Harris, Lee Child, Suzanne Collins and Michael Connelly are the other members of the so-called Kindle Million Club.

"Kindle Direct Publishing has provided an opportunity for independent authors to compete on a level playing field with the giants of the book selling industry," said John Locke, in the Amazon press release. "Not only did KDP give me a chance, they helped at every turn. Quite simply, KDP is the greatest friend an author can have."

The Louisville, Kentucky man is the author of nine novels including "Vegas Moon," "Wish List," "A Girl Like You," "Follow the Stone," "Don't Poke the Bear!" and the New York Times bestselling ebook, "Saving Rachel."

Locke's latest book, "How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months," is a how-to guide for self-published authors.

Latest Romance Book Deals

2011-06-16T17:50:00.000-04:00

Nice deal ($1 - $49,000)
Very nice deal ($50,000 - $99,000)
Good deal ($100,000 - $250,000)
Significant deal ($251,000 - $499,000)
Major deal ($500,000 and up)

Laura Andersen's THE BOLEYN KING trilogy, imagining what would have happened if Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII had a son, to Caitlin Alexander at Ballantine, at auction, by Tamar Rydzinski at the Laura Dail Literary Agency.

Molly O'Keefe's THIS CAN'T BE LOVE, about a notorious hockey player who agrees to undergo an extensive makeover on television in order to woo the beautiful, up-and-coming morning show host, who also happens to be his ex-wife, again to Shauna Summers at Bantam Dell, in a very nice deal, in a two-book deal, by Pam Hopkins at Hopkins Literary Associates.

Alison Kent's UNDENIABLE, in which three hellraising cowboys return home to Texas to revisit the past, stir pots long settled, and cause the sexiest kind of trouble for the women in town, to Wendy McCurdy at Berkley Heat, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

SCOT ON THE ROCKS and JACK WITH A TWIST author Brenda Janowitz's RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE, the story of three generations of women and the grand dame who rules over them from her Hamptons Estate, pitched as the next How to Make an American Quilt, to Brenda Copeland at St. Martin's, in a two-book deal, by Mollie Glick at Foundry Literary + Media.

Robin Perini's IN HER SIGHTS, the story of a female SWAT Team Sniper with a secret past who reluctantly teams with an investigative journalist to uncover and stop the stalker bent on destroying her and everyone she cares about, to Alex Carr at Montlake Romance, by Jill Marsal at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Melinda Leigh's SHE CAN RUN, in which a woman's plan to hide from her murderous politician husband is complicated by her feelings for her handsome new boss, a former homicide detective, but when she is the victim of a frightening attack and a serial killer strikes nearby, she must choose between her heart and her life, to Alex Carr at Montlake Romance, by Jill Marsal at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Cathleen Ross's LOVE, LUST, AND LIES, LOVE, LUST, AND SEX, to Passion In Print, in a nice deal, for publication in March 2011, by Marisa Corvisiero at L. Perkins Agency.

Prelude to a Scandal author Delilah Marvelle's FOREVER AND A DAY, to Tara Parsons at HQN, in a nice deal, in a three-book deal, by Donald Maass at Donald Maass Literary Agency.

Kimberly Raye's NEVER NEVER COWBOY, in which a man is as wild and untamed as the bulls he rides, but when he meets an ad executive, he starts to think that settling down in Lost Gun, Texas might not be such a bad idea, to Brenda Chin at Harlequin, by Natasha Kern at Natasha Kern Literary Agency.

Author of The Queen's Pawn and To Be Queen, Christy English's THE TAMING, a re-imagining of The Taming of the Shrew set in Regency England, the first in the "Shakespeare in Love" series, to Leah Hultenschmidt at Sourcebooks Casablanca, in a three-book deal, in a pre-empt, for publication beginning July 2012, by Margaret O'Connor at Innisfree Literary.

Iris Anthony's TWIST AND CROSS, set in the decadent French court of Louis XIII, in which a woman has but one goal: to atone for a childhood mistake which has cost her family everything by obtaining a length of very expensive, illegal lace through a Belgian smuggling ring, while hoping for deliverance and fearing ruin, to Shana Drehs at Sourcebooks, by Natasha Kern at Natasha Kern Literary Agency.

Sharla Lovelace's RETURN TO ME, pitched in the vein of Sarah Addison Allen, a lightly paranormal contemporary romance set in a small Texas town, to Wendy McCurdy at Berkley, in a two-book deal, for publication in April 2012, by Jessica Faust at BookEnds.

Tiffany Clare's Victorian era series pitched in the vein of Dangerous Liaisons, in which four friends engage in dangerous games of wagers and seduction in their pursuit of pleasure until one goes too far, again to Monique Patterson at St. Martin's, in a three-book deal, by Helen Breitwieser of Cornerstone Literary.

Cat Schield's next book in the Case Brothers series, in which one of the business tycoon brothers is determined to have his revenge when he learns the woman who broke his heart years ago is back in town, until he realizes the spark between them just might be strong enough to heal old wounds, if her secrets don't tear them apart forever, to Charles Giemsman at Harlequin Desire, in a two-book deal, for publication in Summer 2012, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Kendra Leigh Castle's MIRROR, MIRROR, in which the proprietress of an unusual curio shop deals in the maligned, misunderstood, and magical, sending carefully selected customers away with an enchanted artifact that will open the door to fulfilling their deepest and darkest desires, to Ann Leslie Tuttle at Harlequin, in a two-book deal, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Leanna Ellis's FORBIDDEN, in which a pregnant widow whose husband was killed by a vampire is taken to New Orleans where an ex-New Orleans cop hunts vampires, saves her and brings her back to Pennsylvania in time for the baby to arrive as he gains a new faith and she contemplates leaving her community as he fulfills the calling on his life, to Peter Lynch at Sourcebooks, by Natasha Kern at Natasha Kern Literary Agency .

Romance Fuels Ebook Sales

2011-06-14T20:13:00.002-04:00

Foxnews.com credits female romance readers with being the real force behind skyrocketing ebook sales.

According to the article by John Quain, women account for 55 percent of ereader owners. And they're helping drive titles like "Maid for the Billionaire," "Outcast," "My Horizontal Life" and "Cotillion" - to the top of Amazon Kindle's bestseller list.

The New York Public Library, which has the highest circulating ebook library in the U.S., is seeing the impact of this. The article says its ebook loans are up 36 percent over this time last year. Romance novels are the library's most popular genre by far, their checkout rate is more than double that of mysteries, the second most popular genre.

The library says most ebook checkouts take place on weekend nights.

The article's findings are in keeping with a recent survey by the Book Industry Study Group, which identifies today’s ebook power buyer as a 44-year-old woman who reads romance, buys at least one ebook a week and spends more on books today than she has in the past.

Print Book Readers Holding Strong

2011-06-12T13:29:00.002-04:00

A recent survey shows print readers are still pretty attached to paper books and advises publishers to retain as much retail space as they can to avoid losing print readers altogether.

Codex Group's "Book Publishing Digital Transition Report: 1st Quarter 2011" surveyed more than 9,000 book buyers in February.

It found that many more people now have some sort of e-reader.
However, the percentage of people who say they read only ebooks was below 1 percent. By contrast, 40 percent of readers say they read only print books.

Peter Hildick-Smith, president of Codex, expects the number of people who read ebooks to rise while the number of people who say they only read treebooks declines.

More than one-third of those surveyed say they read both print and digital books. A quarter of the people who only read print book are thinking about trying an e-reader.

The report concludes that the high number of readers who want to read only print books - combined with those who read both ebooks and treebooks - demonstrates how critical it is for booksellers to preserve as much retail space as possible in order to avoid losing print readers altogether.

Codex predicts that 43 percent of book buyers will own an e-reading device by the end of the year. However, it also found little indication that consumers plan to stop buying and reading print books.

Makes sense to me. I'm one of those folks who has a Kindle and enjoys reading on it. However, I'm still loving my treebooks as well. I get that familiar thrill when I buy a real book from a favorite author. I have no plans to stop.

Just like I plan to keep reading on my Kindle. I'm even toying with asking for a Nook on my next birthday. I'm a lover of books and I love them in all forms.

Sunshine Deals Shake Up Amazon Bestseller List, Avon Cuts Prices

2011-06-07T20:46:00.004-04:00

Amazon's experiment with lower priced ebooks is impacting the online retailer's bestseller list and might be influencing Avon's decision to discount about 60 of its titles as well.

Almost one-third of the books in Amazon's top 100 are part of the company's Kindle Sunshine Deals.

According to paidcontent.org, about 80 percent - 24 books - were not Kindle bestsellers before prices were slashed.

The two-week promotion includes lower pricing on about 650 ebooks. The prices range from $0.99 to $2.99. The Sunshine Deals all come from small- to mid-sized publishers like Candlewick, Bloomsbury and Sourcebooks.

The apparent enthusiasm for discounted titles is in keeping with a recent survey which found that the heaviest buyers of ebooks are significantly influenced by low prices.

My critique partner is one of those people. She's purchased so many of the lower-priced ebooks in the last couple of days, that her credit card company's fraud department called to make sure her card hadn't been stolen. I guess they thought they had a bargain book thief on their hands?

Right now the major publishers set their own prices and pay Amazon a commission. The success of Sunshine Deals could influence them to lower prices. Avon might already be convinced. The publisher tweets that it will slash prices on about 60 of its titles.

On Twitter and Facebook, Avon announced its "Summer Sale," with titles available for $1.99 and $2.99. Sophie Jordan's "Wicked Nights with a Lover," (above right) is one of the reduced titles. It is now $2.99.

I love Jordan so, of course, I bought it. In fact, I purchased so many books at Avon's summer sale that Amazon had to remind me that I had already purchased one that I tried to buy.

If this trend of reducing ebook prices continues, I foresee big trouble ahead for me!

Publishers Experiment with Lower Ebook Prices

2011-06-02T09:33:00.002-04:00

It looks like publishers want in on all of that ebook action that's allowed little-known and self-published authors to make their mark in digital books.

Amazon has launched Kindle Sunshine Deals - a two-week promotion which includes lower pricing on about 650 ebooks. The prices range from $0.99 to $2.99. The Sunshine deals all come from small- to mid-sized publishers like Candlewick, Bloomsbury and Sourcebooks.

Most titles were published at least a year ago. However, sale-priced pre-orders are available for "The Soldier" by Grace Burrowes and "Wish You Were Here" by Philippa Ashley.

None of the ebooks currently offered at the lower prices appears to be from the six major U.S. publishers. Those publishers use the agency model, which allows them to set their own ebook prices and then pay Amazon a commission. However, although they are not involved, the "Big Six" are paying attention.

Sunshine Deals is “an opportunity for publishers to test compelling pricing coupled with on-site merchandising,” Sarah Gelman, PR Manager at Amazon, told PaidContent.org. “We’re excited about the number of publishers who are participating.”

Does this mean the big publishers might one day adjust their pricing? The recent Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading survey shows the most active ebook buyers are heavily influenced by free samples and low prices.

If Sunshine deals drive sales, it's likely major publishers could soon be looking to offer more discounts on their ebooks...and that's great news for readers!

Latest Romance Book Deals

2011-05-29T14:35:00.000-04:00

Ava March's THIEF, FORTUNE HUNTER, and ROGUES, in the Brook Street trilogy, in which a lord, a wealthy young man, and one of London's most notorious rakehells find love with a thief, a fortune hunter, and a best friend, to Angela James at Carina Press, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency (World).

British historian Hallie Rubenhold's MISTRESS OF MY FATE and THE FRENCH LESSON, the first two installments in a new series, recounting the adventures of a seventeen-year old aristocrat; torn from her home, she is thrown into the world and must learn to wear many masks -- courtesan, spy, actress, artist, forger, cardsharp -- as she wends her way through Europe in the midst of revolution and turmoil in pursuit of her true love, to Deb Futter at Grand Central, by Tina Bennett at Janklow & Nesbit on behalf of Claire Paterson at Janklow & Nesbit UK (NA).

Carla Swafford's debut OUT OF THE SHADOWS, after being kidnapped by the enigmatic leader of a rival mercenary group, an assassin learns she may not have been working for the good guys after all, to Wendy Lee at Avon Impulse, by Nalini Akolekar at Spencerhill Associates.

NYT bestselling author Gena Showalter's next four HQN novels, including books to continue her Lords of the Underworld series, as well as titles in a brand new series, to Margo Lipschultz at Harlequin, in a major, seven-figure deal, by Deidre Knight at The Knight Agency (world).
Deidre.Knight@knightagency.net

CJ Barry's UNEARTHED, UNLEASHED, UNRAVELED, and UNMASKED, to Angela James at Harlequin Carina Press, by Roberta Brown of the Brown Literary Agency.

Lecia Cornwall's novella, ALL THE PLEASURES OF THE SEASON, in which mismatched newlyweds face scandal, conniving relatives and their own struggles to make their marriage work in the midst of Regency London's "Little Season" in the weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays, to Tessa Woodward at Avon Impulse, for publication in Fall 2011, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency (World English).

Anne Elizabeth's West Coast Navy SEAL series, in which a man's dedication to the teams has him enlisting the aid of a rather sassy brunette psychoanalyst to solve the issue of his memory loss and get him back into the fight, to Deb Werksman of Sourcebooks, for publication in 2012, in a three-book deal, by Eric Ruben of Eric Ruben.

Golden Heart award finalist Pam Hillman's STEALING JAKE, the story of a former street urchin pickpocket who steals the heart of the local deputy sheriff, to Jan Stob at Tyndale, in a nice deal, for publication in 2011, by Steve Laube at Steve Laube Agency.

NYT bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt's next three books in the Maiden Lane series, centered around an orphanage which is the meeting point for the haute ton, the middle class and the denizens of London's most notorious slum, to Amy Pierpont at Grand Central, in a significant deal, by Susannah Taylor of Richard Henshaw Group.

Linda Thomas-Sundstrom's THE PROTECTORS, a paranormal romance series, again to Tara Gavin at Harlequin Nocturne, in two-book deal, by Jennifer Schober at Spencerhill Associates (world).

Mesmerized author Lauren Dane's next two contemporary erotic romances, again to Leis Pederson at Berkley Heat, to Leis Pederson at Berkley Heat, in a two-book deal, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency (World).

USA Today bestselling author Nicola Marsh's BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD, in which an Indo-American New Yorker trades Martini Mondays for Mumbai Mayhem when she tries to help her best friend shirk an arranged marriage, pitched as Sex in the City meets Eat, Pray, Love, to Heather Howland at Entangled, for publication in Winter 2011 (world).

Stephanie Doyle's A HERO'S RETURN and THE KINGMAKER, to Wanda Ottewell at Harlequin Super Romance, by Melissa Jeglinski at The Knight Agency.

Kathleen O'Reilly's next romantic trilogy, plus a follow-on Christmas novella, to Kathryn Lye at Harlequin Blaze, for publication in 2012, by Kimberly Whalen at Trident Media Group.

Ramona Richards's MURDER IN PROGRESS, in which the local deputy discovers that what appears to be a restaurant robbery gone wrong, is actually a long standing vendetta against the woman he is sworn to protect, to Emily Rodmell at Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense, by Sandra Bishop at MacGregor Literary.

40-Something Women are Power Ebook buyers

2011-05-24T10:25:00.000-04:00

A new report finds that 40-something women are a big force in ebook buying.

According to the Book Industry Study Group, today’s ebook power buyer is a 44-year-old lover of romance who buys at least one ebook a week and who is spending more on books today than she has in the past. She's also using an e-reader like a Kindle instead of reading on her computer.

The report identifies "power buyers" as representing about 18 percent of the total people buying ebooks today, but they buy 61 percent of all ebooks purchased.

The Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading survey also finds that women make up 66 percent of all power ebook buyers. In 2009, they were only 49 percent of the ebook market.

Also, the majority of ebooks sold are fiction: 20 percent of them are romance. Literary fiction and science fiction each have a 20 percent share of the market as well.

The most influential factors leading to an ebook purchase come as no surprise to me - free samples and low prices go a long way toward driving sales.

Amazon Sells More Kindle Books than Hardcover, Paperback

2011-05-19T10:47:00.001-04:00

Amazon says it is now selling more ebooks than paperbacks and hardbacks combined.

"Customers are now choosing Kindle books more often than print books. We had high hopes that this would happen eventually, but we never imagined it would happen this quickly - we've been selling print books for 15 years and Kindle books for less than four years," Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos says in a press release.

According to Amazon, they've sold 105 ebooks for every 100 print books. Free Kindle ebooks are not included in that calculation, which would make the number even higher. The online retailer has already sold three times as many ebooks in 2011 as it did during the same period in 2010.

Read the full press release here.