The Heir: A Regency Delight

In her debut effort, The Heir, author Grace Burrowes showcases a mastery of Regency dialogue that had me sighing with pleasure.

Gayle Windham is heir to the Duke of Moreland, who is obsessed with seeing his son married off. To escape the pressure, Windham decides to spend the summer in London, where his new housekeeper immediately draws his interest.

 Anna Seaton is a gently bred lady with a secret past and the two are soon drawn to each. The result is a lovely romance, which is both tender and starkly sensual. The backdrop is sultry London but that doesn't compare to the heat between this couple.

Burrowes' characters are unique and fully realized - especially Windham. Her descriptive writing engulfs you in London's overwhelming heat and I could almost taste the cold, sweet lemonade our hero is so fond of.

This read is well worth the time and Burrowes has just jumped to my must-read list.

Next up for Burrowes is The Soldier.

I'll be marching right out to pick it up...or to download it onto my Kindle.

However, Burrowes' covers are SO gorgeous I might just want to buy the tree-book simply for the pleasure of gazing at it.


By the way...

IT'S DOWN TO THE WIRE IN RT/KENSINGTON BRAVA'S WRITING WITH THE STARS CONTEST.

MY ENTRY, SEDUCING CHARLOTTE, IS ONE OF FOUR REMAINING FINALISTS IN THE ONLINE VOTING COMPETITION. THE PERSON WHO WINS THE MOST VOTES RECEIVES A BOOK CONTRACT.

PLEASE CONSIDER TAKING A MOMENT TO CHECK IT OUT BEFORE VOTING ENDS TOMORROW, SUNDAY JAN. 30.  I SURE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR VOTE! 

CLICK HERE NOW TO VOTE

    

Kindle Books Outsell Paperbacks

Amazon reports it's now selling more Kindle e-books than paperbacks. The online retailer says that milestone came sooner than its executives had expected.

According to Amazon, it sold 115 Kindle books for every 100 paperback books since the start of the year.

Does this signal the death of "real" books?

Nope. Because even though Kindle books are going gangbusters, it turns out that paperback and hardcover sales are still rising over at Amazon as well.

BY THE WAY...this is the LAST weekend to vote in Kensington Brava's Writing with the Stars contest. I'm one of four remaining finalists in the online voting competition. I'd really appreciate it if you'd pop over and give it a look. I sure would appreciate your vote!

New Issue of RT Features Round 4 of Writing with the Stars Contest

The latest round of voting in Kensington/RT's Writing with the Stars  contest is featured in the current issue of RT Book Reviews.

I am so excited to be one of FOUR remaining finalists for my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, a Regency romance set against the backdrop of the dawning Industrial Revolution. The entry which garners the most online votes will receive a book contract. 

Round Four is for the Best Secondary Character. Here is my entry:

SECONDARY CHARACTER: His was a masculine face etched in hard lines. Not particularly handsome, the duke possessed sharp-cut features which hinted of menace. He wore his black hair long, tying it fastidiously back at the nape of his neck. Though terribly out of fashion, the style somehow seemed to suit him, even as it emphasized the unforgiving angles of his profile. Everything about Hartwell, from the magnificent way he carried himself to his impeccable grooming, suggested a man of consequence. He managed to exude an air of command and abundance of charisma by simply walking across the room. Willa obviously adored him, but Charlotte felt distinctly uneasy in his presence.

MENTOR MARY WINE COMMENTS: This really grabbed my attention. There were only a few adjustments here because after reading this description I found a picture of this man in my imagination and I so want to know if Willa can knock him out of his polished shoes.

JUDGE’S TAKE:  I can totally picture Hartwell here. I am guessing that he is generally a “good” character despite that hint of menace in his features. Actually, that hint of menace is one of the things that makes him interesting, instead of coming across like stock-titled man No. 4. Hartwell has a hero’s air about him in this description — he isn’t without flaw but the flaws you describe are ones that readers generally accept with their protagonists. It makes me wonder if he is being groomed to be the hero of another book. Even if he is, don’t be afraid to throw an elbow with a more wildly swinging character trait or two. You might be able to make this character 10 times juicier if you toss in a new angle … like this is his first appearance in society after being released from prison two days earlier. You don’t want your secondary characters to steal the story from your protagonists of course, but it is food for thought. 

I hope you'll consider voting for my entry. 

CLICK HERE TO VOTE NOW

Thank you! 

Nora Roberts Joins the Million Kindle Club

Nora Roberts

Amazon announced last week that Nora Roberts has sold more than one million Kindle books to become only the third member of the "Kindle Million Club."

Roberts has sold 1,170,539 Kindle books under her name and her pseudonym, J.D. Robb. The Kindle Million Club recognizes authors whose books have sold over 1 million paid copies in the Kindle Store. 

Other members of the elite club include the late Stieg Larsson, author of the Millennium Trilogy, (The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest) who was the first author to hit the million mark. James Patterson  was the second author to join the Kindle Million Club.

Roberts was the first author to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. The New Yorker recently called her "America's favorite novelist."

And don't forget...

Voting continues in the Writing with the Stars contest.

I am one of FOUR remaining finalists in Kensington/RT's contest. The person who wins the most online votes is awarded a book contract. Please take a moment to check it out HERE.

I'd appreciate your vote!  

Writing With the Stars: Round 4 Begins!

I have some incredibly exciting news to share!

RT Book Reviews announced today that my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, has made it to the fourth round of Kensington/RT's Writing with the Stars contest. I am now one of four finalists left in the competition. That's just one round away from the final and a possible book deal. The person who receives the most online votes wins a book contract from Kensington.

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED. I COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOUR INCREDIBLE SUPPORT! 

Voting is now under way for Round 4: Best Secondary Character. Here is my entry:

SECONDARY CHARACTER: His was a masculine face etched in hard lines. Not particularly handsome, the duke possessed sharp-cut features which hinted of menace. He wore his black hair long, tying it fastidiously back at the nape of his neck. Though terribly out of fashion, the style somehow seemed to suit him, even as it emphasized the unforgiving angles of his profile. Everything about Hartwell, from the magnificent way he carried himself to his impeccable grooming, suggested a man of consequence. He managed to exude an air of command and abundance of charisma by simply walking across the room. Willa obviously adored him, but Charlotte felt distinctly uneasy in his presence.

MENTOR MARY WINE COMMENTS: This really grabbed my attention. There were only a few adjustments here because after reading this description I found a picture of this man in my imagination and I so want to know if Willa can knock him out of his polished shoes.

JUDGE’S TAKE:  I can totally picture Hartwell here. I am guessing that he is generally a “good” character despite that hint of menace in his features. Actually, that hint of menace is one of the things that makes him interesting, instead of coming across like stock-titled man No. 4. Hartwell has a hero’s air about him in this description — he isn’t without flaw but the flaws you describe are ones that readers generally accept with their protagonists. It makes me wonder if he is being groomed to be the hero of another book. Even if he is, don’t be afraid to throw an elbow with a more wildly swinging character trait or two. You might be able to make this character 10 times juicier if you toss in a new angle … like this is his first appearance in society after being released from prison two days earlier. You don’t want your secondary characters to steal the story from your protagonists of course, but it is food for thought.

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO VOTE.

CLICK HERE NOW.

Barnes & Noble's Book Bonanza

I'm glad to see it's too early to write an obituary for tree-books and the retailers that carry them.
 
Barnes & Noble reports it had a terrific holiday season and that sales of physical books - especially hardcovers - exceeded its expectations. Sales were up more than eight percent at the retailer's bookstores.

B&N.com is also experiencing tremendous gains. Total sales at B&N.com rose 67 percent during the nine-week holiday period that ended on Jan. 1.

The company says it sold “virtually its entire inventory of Nookcolor and E-Ink devices during the holiday season.”  December 23 was the biggest sales day in the company’s history, according to Barnes & Noble.

I, for one, am very glad to hear it. No matter how much I enjoy my Kindle, there's still nothing like the lazy pleasure of drifting into a bookstore, never knowing exactly what I'm going to discover.

I hope these latest sales figures mean my days of wandering into bookstores are far from over.

Getting Frozen Out By My Kindle

I hate to say it, but my new Kindle has been letting me down lately. In the last week, it has frozen three times. Yep. It just sits there and won't respond. Sometimes I'm treated to a blank page, on other occasions the screen saver stares back at me. This is especially frustrating when I am at a good point in the book and the darn page won't turn.

I googled the problem and it seems as though I am not the only reader who has been frozen out by my Kindle. One of Amazon's suggestions is to plug it into its charger for a moment. That won't do me much good when I am on the bus with a frozen Kindle - looking forward to an hour's ride home with nothing to read.

Other advice is to depress the <ALT>, <Shift>, and <R> at the same time. This worked great the first time, although the second two times it took several minutes for the Kindle to reboot. There's also a hard restart that involves removing the back cover and pushing the restart button.

Reading has always been one of life's simple pleasures. I love being transported into another world. But it's hard to leave reality behind when you are constantly wondering whether you'll be able to turn the page. That latent anxiety takes some of the magic out of reading.

And it's not as though Kindles and e-books are inexpensive.

Sure, I still love my Kindle. It's still a cool way to read. But I have to say tree-books never let me down this way.

A Belated Christmas Pleasure

I'm a little behind on my holiday reading so I just finished up Cathy Maxwell's His Christmas Pleasure.

For those who follow Maxwell's books, this is Andres' story. You might remember him as Gillian's rejected suitor in The Earl Claims His Wife.

When her father threatens to marry Abigail Montross off to a twice-widowed man with with thirteen children, she decides to elope instead  - with the seductive but penniless Baron de Vasconia. They strike a deal, he marries her for her money while she escapes the old guy and his baker's dozen.

In Abigail, Maxwell has created an outspoken, down-to-earth heroine readers can identify with - especially after the man she loves rejects her in favor of a more advantageous match with her cousin. And beneath that confident and beguiling exterior, we discover the real Andres - a man fighting to overcome insecurities stemming from his illegitimacy and a somewhat shady past.    

The set up - from the couple's initial encounter to their growing attraction and decision to marry - is engaging and nicely paced. However, once the couple arrives at their dilapidated marital home, it feels like someone pushes the fast-forward button.

The couple, now unexpectedly penniless, must build their relationship while enduring hardship as they create their life together. I expected some meatier scenes as all of this played out. Instead, it passes in a quick blur.

Still, His Christmas Pleasure remains a worthwhile read. Maxwell has an accessible, comfortable writing style and her books make me feel as if I'm settling in with an old friend who can always be counted on.

I just wanted more of a good thing. And His Christmas Pleasure is a good thing.

Happy 2011!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2011 is a positive and fruitful year for you.

When it comes to writing, 2010 was an amazing year for me. One of the top highlights was finalling in BRAVA/RT's Writing with the Stars contest. Kensington editors Alicia Condon and Megan Records selected the 10 finalists for the online voting contest. To have an editor at a publishing house select my work out of all the entries was great validation.

The contest is ongoing. Today, Sunday, Jan. 2, is the last day to vote in Round 3. I hope you'll take a moment to check it out and will consider voting for my entry, Seducing Charlotte, a historical romance set against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution. 



Me with Madeline Hunter at the NJ PYHIAB conference 

 I also attended my first writers' conference in 2010. Seducing Charlotte placed first in the New Jersey Romance Writers Put Your Heart in a Book contest.

I was thrilled that one of my favorite authors, Madeline Hunter, was among the judges. I met Ms. Hunter at the conference and she was lovely - amazingly generous. I ran into her in the lobby and she spent a good 45 minutes discussing my writing with me. I learned so much about plot, conflict and layering from both our discussion and the workshop she presented at the conference. As a result of that discussion, I've gone back and started revamping the first manuscript I ever wrote, Compromising Willa, which placed 2nd in the PYHIAB contest. It's already a much better manuscript.

If you're an aspiring writer, I strongly suggest you try to make it to one of the chapter conferences. They are well worth it.     


I got this saucy apple green cover with my Kindle.


I also became a Kindle-ista in 2010. I received a Kindle for my birthday and never looked back. I wavered on whether I wanted the e-reader - it made me feel a little unfaithful to traditional books. But now I enjoy both e-books and tree books. I still haven't discovered how to lend an e-book to a friend but I hope to figure it out in 2011.   

I actually launched this blog in 2010 - as a result of the Writing with the Stars contest. It's been a lot of fun. I've tried to provide interesting information about publishing, the romance industry and just reading in general.

I plan to continue blogging away into 2011. Happy New Year and I hope you'll be back to visit often! 

Top Dealmaking Agents in Romance

Publishers Marketplace has put together a list of the top deal-making agents in the romance genre. This list draws on reports since the beginning of 2004. The agent names are organized according to the number of deals reported over the past 12 months.  

1.      Roberta Brown (Brown Literary Agency)

2.     Laura Bradford (Bradford Literary Agency)

3.     Kimberly Whalen (Trident Media Group)

4.     Natasha Kern (Natasha Kern Literary Agency)

5.     Kevan Lyon (Marsal Lyon Literary Agency)

6.     Sandra Bishop (MacGregor Literary)

7.     Chip MacGregor (MacGregor Literary)

8.     Jennifer Schober (Spencerhill Associates)

9.     Holly Root (Waxman Literary Agency)

10.   Melissa Jeglinski (The Knight Agency)

Down to the Wire...

Voting in Round Three of the Kensington Brava/RT Writing with the Stars contest is heating up. Voting ends this Sunday, Jan. 2. 

I am one of six remaining finalists in the national competition. The winner of the online voting contest will be published. But I can't get there without lots of support because I am up against some very talented writers.

If you enjoy this blog and would like to see it continue, please consider voting for my entry, Seducing Charlotte, a historical romance set against the backdrop of the dawning Industrial Revolution.  

For this challenge, I had to write a back-of-the-book blurb. Agent Kristin Nelson does an indepth critique of each entry that you might find interesting.

Click here to check out all of the entries. I promise voting is super quick and easy. You can click here, VOTE and be done in under a minute. No registration is required. Thank you!

Kindle is Bestselling Product in Amazon History

Amazon reports that the new model of the Kindle is the bestselling product in Amazon history - surpassing the seventh book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was the most downloaded ebook on Christmas, and the most-gifted ebook.

Amazon does not release exact sales numbers but, according to Bloomberg,  unnamed insiders predict 8 million Kindles will be sold this year. That's at least 60 percent more than had been expected.

The newest Kindle launched earlier this year and is smaller, faster and cheaper - which could account for the brisk sales.

And Don't Forget...

Writing With the Stars Voting Continues!

Round Three of the Kensington Brava/RT Writing with the Stars contest is going on right now. Voting continues until January 2.

I am one of six remaining finalists in the national competition. The winner of the online voting contest will be published. But I can't get there without lots of support because I am up against some very talented writers.

For this challenge, I had to write a back-of-the-book blurb. Agent Kristin Nelson does an indepth critique of each entry that you might find interesting.

Click here to check out all of the entries. I hope you will consider voting for my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, a historical romance set against the backdrop of the dawning Industrial Revolution.

I promise voting is super quick and easy. You can click in, vote and be done in under a minute. No registration is required. Thank you!

Top 10 Romance Books of 2010

Amazon has put out its Best 10 Romances for 2010. My personal favorite, Lisa Kleypas' Married by Morning made the list. Two of the selections, Married by Morning and Burning Lamp by Amanda Quick were also on Amazon's list of bestselling romance novels for 2010.

Here's the entire Top 10 as selected by the editors at Amazon:

Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashely (tops the list) 

 A Hellion in Her Bed  by Sabrina Jeffries

Burning Up by Susan Anderson

Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole

Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery

Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas 

Sin Undone by Larissa Ione

Burning Lamp by Amanda Quick

Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn

The Summer Hideaway by Susan Wiggs

And Don't Forget...Writing With the Stars

Round Three of the Kensington Brava/RT Writing with the Stars contest is going on right now. Voting continues until January 2.

I am one of six remaining finalists in the national competition. The winner of the online voting contest will be published. But I can't get there without lots of support because I am up against some very talented writers.

For this challenge, I had to write a back-of-the-book blurb. Agent Kristin Nelson does an indepth critique of each entry that you might find interesting.

Click here to check out all of the entries. I hope you will consider voting for my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, a historical romance set against the backdrop of the dawning Industrial Revolution.

I promise voting is super quick and easy. You can click in, vote and be done in under a minute. No registration is required. Thank you!

Brava Author's Blog

I am visiting over at the Brava Authors Blog today.

My mentor in the Writing with the Stars contest, Mary Wine, is kind enough to host me. Check it out by clicking here!

And remember, if you haven't voted in the Writing with the Stars contest, give it a look. Click here.

Look for my entry, Seducing Charlotte, a Regency set against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution.  I hope you'll consider voting for me! 

Favorite Book of the Year

It's the end of the year - a time when everyone starts coming up with their "Best of" lists. I toyed with the idea of posting my very own "Best Romances of 2010" list but then decided I have not read widely enough to come up with a credible list.

However, there is one book I read this year that does stand out. It's Lisa Kleypas' Married by Morning. The New York Times Bestseller is Book Four in the Hathaway series. I've enjoyed the entire series but there is something extra special about this one.

Everyone loves governess Catherine Marks, who has become like one of the family.  Except Lord Leo Ramsey, who feels she is not the best influence on his sisters. But Leo's got bigger problems. He must marry and produce an heir or lose the family estate.

The verbal sparring between Leo and Catherine is clever, witty and humorous. It also highlights the sparks raging between these two characters, who have always shared an antagonistic relationship.

As a hero, Leo stands out for his obvious intelligence, devilish wit and devotion to his sisters. He came across as maudlin in some of the earlier Hathaway books but truly comes into his own in Married by Morning.  He's everything a romance hero should be: smart, sexy and charmingly self-deprecating.

Catherine is more than his match. Sharp tongued and quick minded, she is the rare romance heroine who truly cannot see without her glasses -  so much so that the spectacles are almost a minor character in the book. That vulnerability makes Catherine supremely human - and all the more likable because of it.

As with any Lisa Kleypas novel,  Married by Morning is beautiful written and absent of cliches. Kleypas has created memorable characters and a clever book that sparkles and will leave you smiling.    


Writing With the Stars

Round Three of the Kensington Brava/RT Writing with the Stars contest is going on right now.

I am one of six remaining finalists in the national competition. The winner of the online voting contest will be published. But I can't get there without lots of support because I am up against some very talented writers.

For this challenge, I had to write a back-of-the-book blurb. Agent Kristin Nelson does an indepth critique of each entry that you might find interesting.

Click here to check out all of the entries. I hope you will consider voting for my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, a historical romance set against the backdrop of the dawning Industrial Revolution.

I promise voting is super quick and easy. You can click in, vote and be done in under a minute. No registration is required. Thank you!

Crazy for the Kindle - Amazon Sells Millions

Kindle sales are skyrocketing, according to the latest word from Amazon.

In a letter to Kindle customers posted on its discussion boards, Amazon reports it has sold more of the newest version of the e-reader in the last 73 days than in all of 2009.

While not releasing exact numbers, Amazon also reports that the Kindle is far and away its bestselling gift item.

I'm one of those people who purchased a Kindle in the last couple of months. (OK, technically my husband bought it - for my birthday last month.)

I am a fan although I don't think I will ever completely give up "real" books. Instead of replacing the paper books, I see the Kindle as a nice complement to them.

For one thing, I am a little put off by the price of ebooks. They cost about the same price as paper books. As I've noted before, it has got to be cheaper to produce ebooks, doesn' it? I can't bring myself to pay full price for an ebook. If I am going to pay $7 or $8 for a new release, I'll still buy the paper version - at least for now.

The Kindle store is great for buying older books - especially ones you can't find in the bookstores - which often cost about $4 or less. All of the classics are free, so that's nice.

There are sometimes excellent deals on ebooks from debut authors. I just purchased Grace Burrowes new release The Heir  for $2.39. For those of who follow RWA chapter contests, Burrowes finaled in a ton of contests under the name Patricia Patton. It's exciting to see that she is now being published. I look forward to reading her debut novel!

Writing With the Stars

Round Three of the Kensington Brava/RT Writing with the Stars contest is going on right now.

I am one of six remaining finalists in the national competition. The winner of the online voting contest will be published. But I can't get there without lots of support because I am up against some very talented writers.

For this challenge, I had to write a back-of-the-book blurb. Agent Kristin Nelson does an indepth critique of each entry that you might find interesting.

Click here to check out all of the entries. I hope you will consider voting for my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, a historical romance set against the backdrop of the dawning Industrial Revolution.

I promise voting is super quick and easy. You can click in, vote and be done in under a minute. No registration is required. Thank you!

Round 3 - Writing With the Stars

Exciting news! RT Book Reviews magazine officially announced today that I am one of six remaining finalists in Kensington Brava/RT's Writing with the Stars contest.

That means I managed to garner enough online votes to make it through the first two rounds of competition. Thanks to all of you who voted. I could not have made it this far without your support.

Voting is now open for Round Three. For this challenge, I had to write a back-of-the-book blurb. Anyone who has tried it, knows blurbs can be a real challenge. Agent Kristen Nelson is the "celebrity" judge for this round. She gives a detailed, indepth critique of each entry that you might find interesting and instructive. Check it out!

I hope you will consider voting for me. It's super fast and easy. Just CLICK HERE, scroll down to the bottom and vote. It takes less than a minute. Let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for your support!  

Lusty Tales and Sizzling Sales - Romance Thrives in Ebook Form

The New York Times reports that romance is now the fastest-growing segment of the e-reading market, ahead of general fiction, mystery and science fiction. That's according to Bowker, a research organization for the publishing industry.
 

Cover too racy? Get the ebook!

The front-page article by Julie Bosman suggests romance readers are partly attracted to the fact that e-books provide an escape from embarrassing racy covers.

I must admit I'm kind of liking that aspect of e-books. I am one of those readers who gets a little red-faced when someone spots the cover of the latest romance I'm devouring on the train or bus.

The good news for readers is that publishing houses are rushing to respond to e-book demand by making backlists more available in electronic form. Since receiving my Kindle in November, I've purchased a number of older books by my favorite authors, titles that I have not seen in the stores. I've noticed the older titles also tend to be cheaper, which is another bonus.

Here's the complete NYT article: Lusty Tales and Hot Sales: Romance Novels Thrive as E-books

The Wild Marquis

I love discovering a new (to me) author. It happened last week when I had the pleasure of reading The Wild Marquis by Miranda Neville.

The book is far more nuanced and intelligent than its cover might suggest. The heroine is truly original, which is not always easy to find in historical romance. In this case, Juliana Merton is a seller of rare books and much of the secondary plot revolves around the buying and selling of the tomes.

The author, who is English, spent several years writing catalogues of rare books and manuscripts for Sotheby's auction house in London and New York. That real-life experience lends authenticity and depth to The Wild Marquis which is probably one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much.

The love story is mature and appealing - while a mystery is resolved in a satisfying way. If you are looking for something to read, you can't go wrong with The Wild Marquis.

The Color Purple

 

What do these three gorgeous covers have in common? 

It must be the season for purple because so many recent releases seem to be donning the color. I like the hue - and happen to have purchased all three of the above - but I do wonder about the recent purple proliferation.

If we approach it from color psychology, purple is the color of royalty and connotes luxury, wealth and sophistication. It can also symbolize magic and mystery. Purple is associated with femininity, sensuality and romance.

Purple, the color of good judgment, is sought by people seeking spiritual fulfillment. It is said if you surround yourself with purple you will have peace of mind. That is why purple is thought to be a good color to use in meditation.

Transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance and mourning all also associated with purple, which is considered an exotic color. 

If one's mood ring turns purple, (They still make those?) it means the sensual, clarity and purpose is known.

Any, some, or all of these interpretations would seem right on target for a romance novel. Or maybe the person behind each cover just likes the shade.

Whatever the reason, the purple trend continues. Sabrina Jeffries' next novel How to Woo a Reluctant Lady  - due out in January - is pretty in purple.

Delightful 'Year of Living Scandalously'

There are many things to like about Julia London's latest offering, The Year of Living Scandalously, starting with its cover.

There seem to be lots of purple covers lately and I, for one, am liking them. Of course, taking a look at the cover, there's lots more to feast one's eyes on besides the color!

Declan O’Connor, Earl of Donnelly, arrives at Hadley Green to find that the new countess of Ashwood is actually an impostor - a woman he knows quite well from back in the day in Ireland.

Snappy repartee keeps this fun story zipping right along from start to finish. The heroine is winningly charming and the hero is easy to fall in love with.

The back story centers on the mystery surrounding the execution of a man for the theft of the Countess of Ashwood's historic jewels.London uses it to set up an intriguing twist at the end of  The Year of Living Scandalously that made me want to run out and buy the next book in the series.

That's where the bad news comes in.

According to London (per her website), the sequel - The Secrets of Hadley Green - will not be out until February of 2012. That's more than a year from now.  London says the long wait was unforeseen when she wrote the ending to The Year of Living Scandalously.

Disappointing yes, but I still plan to be among the first to read The Secrets of Hadley Green.  (I just hope I can remember the story!)


And now for the shameless plug...

Writing with the Stars Voting is Now Open!

Voting is now open in the Kensington Brava/RT Writing With the Stars contest.

Online polling runs until November 28.

I am one of eight remaining finalists in the national competition. The winner will be published. But I can't get there without your support!

Click here to check out all of the entries. I hope you will consider voting for my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, a historical romance set against the backdrop of the dawning Industrial Revolution.

I promise voting is super quick and easy. You can click in, scroll down to the bottom, vote and be done in under a minute. No registration is required. Thank you!

A Christmas Promise Delivers

Is it too early to read holiday-themed books? Not for me apparently since I just read the last page of Mary Balogh's A Christmas Promise  (on my new Kindle, naturally).  

The novel first appeared as a Signet Regency in 1992. In it, the Earl of Falloden inherits heavy debts along with his title and agrees to marry the daughter of a wealthy coal merchant to have his debts cancelled. Eleanor Transome's father is gravely ill and wants to secure his daughter's future before he dies.

Both agree to the alliance. He thinks she is a grasping cold commoner who hungers to be a countess while she assumes Falloden is a greedy spendthrift.Of course neither is true!

When Eleanor invites her relatives to spend the holiday with them, Falloden is surprised to find himself drawn to the boisterous bunch. Since this is a romance as well as a Christmas story, it does have a happy ending. And the journey to get there is a fulfilling one. 

Balogh is one of my favorites because of her spare, almost poetic, writing style. She deftly manages to evoke deep emotion with fewer words. Her writing brings to mind Willa Cather's sparse yet evocative style.

My only pet peeve is a meaningless one really. The cover shows a couple ice skating. I don't recall that happening in the book. Am I wrong? If you've read A Christmas Promise  and do remember such a scene, let me know!


And now for the shameless plug...

Voting continues in the Kensington Brava/RT Writing With the Stars contest. I am one of eight remaining finalists in the national competition. The winner will be published.

But I can't get there without lots of support because I am up against some very talented writers. (Hopefully, one day we'll all be published!)

Click here to check out all of the entries. I hope you will consider voting for my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, a historical romance set against the backdrop of the dawning Industrial Revolution.

I promise voting is super quick and easy. You can click in, vote and be done in under a minute. No registration is required. Thank you!