RWA Honors Best in Romance

 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

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?

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.

UPDATE: I''ve taken the plunge and developed an author website that I actually have to pay for! I hope you'll start visiting me there; that's where I'll be blogging from now on! Come along and have a look! Click here.

Harlequin Boosts Ebook Royalties for Authors

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

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

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.

Romance Fuels Ebook Sales

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

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

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

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!

40-Something Women are Power Ebook buyers

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.

UPDATE: I''ve taken the plunge and developed an author website that I actually have to pay for! I hope you'll start visiting me there; that's where I'll be blogging from now on! Come along and have a look! Click here.

Amazon Sells More Kindle Books than Hardcover, Paperback

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.

'Gold Rush' in Self-Publishing

Last year, romance novelist Nyree Belleville was dropped by her publisher. Today, she might tell you it was one of the best things to happen to her writing career.

The author of 12 titles under the pen name Bella Andre, the most Belleville made from her books through her publisher was $21,000.

Depressed, she decided to try self publishing her work. At first, the profits trickled in. Before long, they were gushing in. According to The Washington Post, after the first few weeks, Belleville made $281. The next month it was $474. When she self-published a new ebook in July, she made $3,539.

So she started publishing manuscripts she'd written years earlier. By the end of her first quarter, Belleville had sold 56,008 books, raking in $116,264.

If that doesn't make every unpublished writer want to run out and self-publish, I don't know what will.

But wait.

The article by Neely Tucker also includes some more sobering statistics. Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords.com says in the article, “We have less than 50 people who are making more than $50,000 per year. We have a lot who don’t sell a single book.”

The article also quotes Jeff Belle, Amazon’s vice president of books. “There are a lot of books, even low-priced, on Kindle that are not selling at all.”

Oh.

Well, that's a downer. Still, given the changing publishing landscape, and the success of self-published authors like Belleville  and Amanda Hocking, all writers - published and unpublished - should probably be exploring all of their options.

Read the full article here.

Navy SEALS go from Superheroes to Sex Symbols

Reality is impacting the romance world yet again. On the heels of the royal wedding, which spawned several related romances, the focus has now shifted to Navy SEALS.

The Washington Post has picked up on the buzz surrounding the elite troops, which began after their daring raid on the Pakistan compound where Osama bin Laden had been hiding out.

Reporter Annys Shinn writes: "...people can’t get enough of the SEALs. There are some who want to know what it’s like to be one, and others who want to know what it takes to become one. Then, there are those who want to know what it might be like to, well, “be” with one."

The talk first started on Twitter with comments from editors, agents and writers.

Deborah Nemeth, editor for Carina Press, Harlequin's digital-first imprint, tweeted, "I wouldn't mind some SEAL hero submissions. I predict a massive upsurge in Navy SEAL romance heroes."

Avon's May Chen seconded that, tweeting, "Navy SEALS make the best heroes--in real life and in romance novels."

As Shinn reports, it can take 18 months for a manuscript to get onto store shelves while ebooks take a few months.

So the question is: will this surge of interest in SEALS last until the books can make it to market?

St. Martin's Acquires Hocking's Previously Self-Published Ebooks

Self-publishing sensation Amanda Hocking continues to blaze her own trail.

She's just sold her previously self-epublished Trylle trilogy to a traditional publisher. St. Martin's Press will publish the best-selling trilogy as both ebooks and treebooks.

On her blog, Hocking says the story will not change but that the books will be more polished. In the past, Hocking's books have sold for 99 cents. The prices are likely to rise but Hocking expects them to remain lower than most ebooks. She'll contines to self-publish the trilogy for the next few months at their current prices. 

Hocking, 26, first made headlines for selling more than a million copies as a self-epublished author. Three of her self-epublished young adult paranormals appeared on the USA Today top 50 bestseller list.

In March,  she signed a four-book deal with St. Martin’s Press for a new series called “Watersong.” Bidding is said to have reached over $2 million for world English rights.

Amazon Launches Romance Line

We should have seen this coming. Amazon plans to publish its own line of romance books.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the imprint will be called Montlake Romance and will publish both ebooks, tree-books and audio books.

Reporter Jeffrey Trachtenberg reports the online giant will eventually publish other genres as well, including thrillers, mystery and science fiction.

Montlake Romance is expected to launch in the fall with "The Other Guy's Bride," an original new work from New York Times bestselling author Connie Brockway.

"Romance is one of our biggest and fastest growing categories, particularly among Kindle customers, so we can't wait to make 'The Other Guy's Bride' and other compelling titles available to romance fans around the world," Amazon Publishing Vice President Jeff Belle said in an Amazon press release. 

Montlake is named for a Seattle neighborhood. It will publish a broad range of titles in romance sub-genres, including romantic suspense, contemporary and historic romance novels, as well as fantasy and paranormal.

Montlake is the fourth imprint from Amazon Publishing. The others are AmazonEncore, AmazonCrossing and Powered by Amazon.

Publishers Weekly reports agents are keeping an eye on this latest development, no doubt to determine whether the online retailer will be a viable a place for their books.

Given Amazon's amazing reach and its already incredible record selling ebooks - especially self-published ebooks not associated with traditional publishers - Montlake Romance looks like a winner to me. 

Bin Laden Death Renews Interest in Navy Seal Romance Heros

Osama bin Laden's demise at the hands of an elite group of U.S. Navy Seals is drawing interest in the romance world.

Deborah Nemeth, editor for Carina Press, Harlequin's digital-first imprint, tweeted, "I wouldn't mind some SEAL hero submissions. I predict a massive upsurge in Navy SEAL romance heroes."

Avon's May Chen seconded that, tweeting, "Navy SEALS make the best heroes--in real life and in romance novels."

"I love my country, my Navy Seals and my romance novels," was the tweet from Erika Tsang, also at Avon.

Author Heather Snow tweeted, "Navy Seals were involved... I see a flurry of Navy Seal romance novels coming out in the coming months :)"

Of course, a number of romance authors are ahead of the trend. Many military romances, like Lora Leigh's Wild Card, already feature Navy Seals.

But look for more in the coming months!

Battle of the Bonnets

Prompted by the release of the new Jane Eyre movie last month, the Washington Post ran an entertaining article about the so-called Battle of the Bonnets - the war of words between those who prefer the more upbeat and lighthearted Jane Austen to the darker, more brooding world of Charlotte and Emily Bronte.



In the article, reporter Monica Hesse makes the following comparisons:

"Jane Austen is easy to love. Her heroines are smart; her heroes are righteous. People say funny things and wear lovely clothes and spend a lot of time going to balls or sitting in drawing rooms, meaning that the scenery is just gorgeous. Everything ends happily for everyone who deserves it.

The Brontes are more difficult. Things don’t end well. The writing is beautiful, but Mr. Rochester and Heathcliff — Charlotte and Emily’s two most famous heroes — are basically thugs in morning coats. They say savage things. They emotionally torture the women they claim to love. They keep other women locked in attics and blame drunken housekeepers for bumps in the night. Things burn. People die."

Personally, while I love movie adaptations of Jane Austen's work, I find myself struggling to finish the actual books. However, when it comes to the Bronte sisters, I get sucked into their dark world right away.

I recently reread Jane Eyre and loved the fact that Jane was very much her own woman: smart, forthright and principled. Edward, the ultimate tortured hero (with the possible exception of Wuthering Heights' Heathcliff) is dark and unprincipled. He lies to the heroine, attempts to commit bigamy with her and then tries to tempt Jane into becoming his mistress. Yet, somehow, we understand his motivations and are drawn to him.

There's no question the Bronte sisters create a much more emotionally complicated world than Austen. But in the so-called Battle of the Bonnets, who would I choose? I would have to say both - in their own way.  I know, I'm not exactly going out on a limb but Austen and the Bronte sisters are a perfect balance of light and dark.

Royal Wedding Inspires Romance Writers

The royal wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton has inspired several new novellas.

Six of the stories revolve around William's forebears from the 12th to 19th centuries. Harlequin commissioned the novellas for its "Royal Weddings" ebook collection. Each costs $1.99.

And Avon Impulse has released an ebook anthology called Royal Weddings by Stephanie Laurens, Gaelen Foley and Loretta Chase. It also costs $1.99 and features three fictional love stories set against real-life British royal weddings.

Read the full USA Today article here.

Ebook Deals!!

Here are a few ebook deals in historical romance right now. Enjoy!

Devil's Desire $2.39

 

To Conquer a Highlander $2.24

When Harry Met Molly  $2.99

Double 2011 RITA Nominee!

The Making of a Gentleman $2.24

Sinful Surrender $3.03 

Knight of Pleasure $1.99

2010 RITA Nominee

A Fool Again (Novella) FREE!

The 'Wild West' World of Self Publishing

Self-published ebooks are continuing to shake up the publishing world.

I first ventured into the world of ebooks after getting a Kindle for my birthday last November.

Although I did buy some ebooks in the $6.99 to $8.99 range, I soon realized I could still purchase my favorite authors' new paperback releases at Target or other discount stores for a 25 percent discount. I'm still buying from the big publishers, where I can be assured of a certain quality and high standard, but I go where I can find the best price - whether it's digital or paper.

However, when it comes to my Kindle, I've quickly fallen into a pattern of giving less expensive ebooks a second (and third) look. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, I am not alone.

Reporter Jeffrey Trachtenberg reports that a recent Amazon top 50 ebook best-seller list featured 15 books priced at $5 or less. One part-time thriller writer who sells his titles for 99 cents had seven spots on the best-seller list. The self e-published author, John Locke, he says he made $126,000 from his Amazon sales in March alone.

The country's six largest publishers set the retail prices of their ebooks. Amazon reports it sees a higher rate of growth on titles it can discount. I still look for ebook deals from the established authors and publishers. Honestly, I have never bought a 99-cent ebook but apparently there are plenty of readers out there who have.

It all goes to show it is still a crazy world of the unknown when it comes to ebooks and self-epublishing.

Or as literary agent Jane Dystel says in the article,  "This is a Wild West of a world."

Get Library Books on Your Kindle!

Fantastic news for Kindle users. Amazon announced Wednesday that you will soon be able to borrow books from public libraries. Amazon is working with OverDrive, which manages ebook lending for most public libraries. The deal means Kindle users will soon have access to thousands of ebooks thanks to OverDrive’s 11,000 public library partners.

For me as a Kindle user, the inability to check out library books on my device has been a real drag. Especially since library ebook loans have been available for the Sony Reader, Nook,  iPad and smartphones. So kudos to Amazon for making this invaluable public resource available to Kindle users.

According to Amazon, library ebooks will be available for all generations of Kindle devices. The ebook's soaring popularity is evident at the library. Overdrive reports a 200 percent jump in library ebook checkouts over 2009.

Amazon says the Kindle Lending Library will launch later this year but has not released an exact date. I can't wait!

Read the full Publishers Weekly article here.

"Great Gatsby" House Demolished

A piece of literary history is no more. The iconic New York mansion that some say inspired "The Great Gatsby" is being razed to make way for a subdivision.



Razing of the mansion known as Land's End began last weekend. The 13-acre property facing the Long Island Sound will be replaced by five $10 million houses. The local newspaper reports that Winston Churchill, the Marx Brothers and Ethel Barrymore attended parties there in the 1920s and 1930s.

The house - which featured marble, parquet floors, Palladian windows and hand-painted wallpaper - had fallen into disrepair. The developer who bought it several years ago said he could no longer keep up with repairs.

Local lore says F. Scott Fitzgerald would watch the grand parties at Land's End from a property across the water - and that may have inspired "The Great Gatsby."

CBS Sunday Morning recently ran a piece about the mansion and filmed its demolition. Check out the video here.

Ebooks, Pricing & Discovering a New Author

I recently discovered a new author whose work I absolutely love. Of course, that's nothing new, we've all done that before. It is how I discovered Margaret Mallory that is new in this evolving ebook universe.

In February, I saw it posted somewhere online that the first book in her All the King's Men series was being offered for $1.99. I was not familiar with Mallory but - since I can't resist a good deal - I went straight to Amazon and downloaded Knight of Desire.

It was a thoroughly entertaining read - fast paced, well written, passionate and sexy with very appealing lead and secondary characters. I finished it quickly and was anxious to read the two remaining books in the series. But I was busy at work and with the kids and had plenty of other unread books on my nightside table so I put any new purchases out of my mind for the moment.

This month Mallory tweeted that the second book in the series, Knight of Pleasure, was now $1.99. I jumped on it and devoured the second book quickly. It was possibly even better than the first.

Now the third book in the series is calling my name. It is still listed at regular price - but what can I say - I'm hooked! Even if Knight of Passion (I do love the titles in this trilogy) never goes on sale, I know I am going to pony up and pay full price.  

The thing is I probably would not have even sampled Margaret Mallory's work at all if it had not been for the great deals which enticed me to give her novels a try. Now I'll probably read everything she writes.

Thanks to savvy ebook pricing and marketing, social networking and captivating storytelling, everybody wins.

And it's not only Knight of Passion that I've got my eye on. Mallory has a new book, The Guardian, coming out on May 1. There is no doubt that I will read it.

The only question is whether or not I'll pre-order it.

February E-book Sales Skyrocket

Publisher's Weekly reports that ebook sales increased at a higher rate in February than they did in January. 

According to the American Associate of Publishers (AAP), ebook sales increased 202 percent, raking in $90 million. 

February wasn't so good to other forms of books, which all saw declines. Adult hardcover fell 43 percent to $46 million and mass market paperback plunged 41.5 percent to $29 million.

The AAP believes the ebook gains are the result of people loading ebooks onto the e-readers they received for the holidays.

Whatever the reason, according to Publishers Weekly, ebook sales for the first two months of 2011  equalled sales of trade paperbacks for that period.

Free Eloisa James Novella!

Eloisa James' ebook novella, A Fool Again, is now being offered for free. You can order the novella now but it won't be available until April 26th.

Here are the links for Kindle and Nook. You'll notice the two different covers. The one on the right is from Amazon. The Barnes & Noble Nookbook cover is below.   Interesting how the two covers set entirely different moods.

Here's the Synopsis:

 

A Fool Again is the story of Genevieve, who once made a dash to Gretna Greene to marry, but was caught by her father. 

Now, a few years later, she attends the funeral of her elderly husband (not the man she ran away to marry) and who does she see but The One Who Got Away! 

Can they make their love work this time around or will Genevieve be A Fool Again?

E-Book Deal: 2010 Rita Nominated 'Knight of Pleasure' for $1.99

Margaret Mallory's Knight of Pleasure, a 2010 Rita finalist, is now just $1.99 on Kindle and Nook. It's the second book in the talented author's All the King's Men trilogy.

Here's the link for Kindle. Here it is for Nook.

I recently read the first book in the series, Knight of Desire, and am looking forward to reading Knight of Pleasure. 

There is no telling how long this deal will last. Just to be safe it is already on my Kindle. I love a good deal!  

Here's a preview of the story from Mallory's Website:

THE GREATEST PASSION

Lady Isobel Hume is an expert swordswoman who knows how to choose her battles. When the king asks her to wed a French nobleman to form a political alliance, she agrees. But that's before the devilishly charming Sir Stephen Carleton captures her heart-and tempts her to betray her betrothed, her king, and her country.

IS WORTH THE GREATEST PERIL

Sir Stephen Carleton enjoys his many female admirers-until he dedicates himself to winning the lovely Isobel. When a threat against the king leads Isobel into mortal danger, Stephen must prove that he is more than a knight of pleasure ... and that love can conquer all.

Enjoy! I plan to.

Random House Partners with Video Game Maker

Random House is expanding its interest in the videogame business by partnering with game producer THQ.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the collaboration tests the idea of "transmedia" - original storytelling that spreads across a variety of formats.

The Wall Street Journal reports "The two companies said they intend to create a wide spectrum of original works that include novels, graphic novels and digital books, as wells as online, console and mobile-phone games. Hollywood may participate as well."

The ideal scenario would have Random House publishing a blockbuster book which lends itself to a Hollywood movie, videogame and toys.

It would probably be 18 months before any joint Random House-THQ venture hits the market. 

Read the full article HERE.

FREE E-BOOK TODAY!

"The Pursuit of Pleasure," by Elizabeth Essex, is now free for Kindle or Nook.

I don't know how long the promotion will last but I've already got it on my Kindle.

Here's the book synopsis:

Lizzie Paxton's dream in life is to be a widow—if only she could skip the wedding and the husband. When her childhood friend Captain James Marlowe proposes a marriage in name only, she accepts, knowing she'll have the independence she craves once he sets sail. Though James is the only man Lizzie trusts, she doesn't trust the scintillating desire he evokes in her.

James knows he shouldn't get involved with anyone, especially with his uncertain future. But he just can't help himself when he overhears Lizzie's declaration. Though he's promised her a marriage of convenience, he wastes no time in seducing her and taking her over the precipice of desire. Yet not even his beautiful wife can deter him from his cause.

But when Lizzie discovers her husband has deceived her, James must choose between devotion to duty and loyalty to the woman he cannot live without. .

Here's the link for Kindle. Here it is for Nook.

Enjoy!