Archive for March, 2011

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Pocket Books April Releases Giveaway

Friday, March 11th, 2011

Today, Pocket Books has generously offered to give away 2 (two) copies each of the following April titles. Comment to enter to win!

Click to read more about Molly

Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf
Author: Molly Harper
ISBN: 9781439195871
Price: $7.99/$9.99 CAN
On Sale: March 29, 2011

Baring It All

Generations of werewolves have been secretly residing in a secluded valley a stone’s throw from Grundy, Alaska. So when a snooping Outsider comes to Grundy to investigate rumors of lycanthropic shenanigans in the area, the valley’s pack alpha, Maggie Graham, resolves to chase him away, even if doing so takes a quick bite on the butt. What a pity that researcher Nick Thatcher turns out to be so drool-worthy, and that his kisses make Maggie want to sit up and beg. Maggie just can’t seem to convince Nick to leave . . . and even worse, she can’t convince herself to stay away from him. Cross-species dating is problem enough for a harried alpha female, but on top of that, a rival group of werewolves is trying to move into the valley. With interpack war threatening, Maggie can’t afford to be distracted. Combining romance and a career can be tough for anyone; for a werewolf in love with a human, it may be disastrous. . . .

~*~*~

How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf
Author: Molly Harper
ISBN: 9781439195864
Price: $7.99/$9.99 CAN
On Sale: Available Now

Northern Exposure

Even in Grundy, Alaska, it’s unusual to find a naked guy with a bear trap clamped to his ankle on your porch. But when said guy turns into a wolf, recent southern transplant Mo Wenstein has no difficulty identifying the problem. Her surly neighbor Cooper Graham—who has been openly critical of Mo’s ability to adapt to life in Alaska—has trouble of his own. Werewolf trouble.

For Cooper, an Alpha in self-imposed exile from his dysfunctional pack, it’s love at first sniff when it comes to Mo. But Cooper has an even more pressing concern on his mind. Several people around Grundy have been the victims of wolf attacks, and since Cooper has no memory of what he gets up to while in werewolf form, he’s worried that he might be the violent canine in question.

If a wolf cries wolf, it makes sense to listen, yet Mo is convinced that Cooper is not the culprit. Except if he’s not responsible, then who is? And when a werewolf falls head over haunches in love with you, what are you supposed to do anyway? The rules of dating just got a whole lot more complicated. . . .

~*~*~

Click to read more about Candace

An Affair Without End
Author: Candace Camp
ISBN: 9781439117996
Price: $7.99/$9.99 CAN
On Sale: March 22, 2011

If a sophisticated beauty proposes a clandestine affair, could even the most proper gentleman resist? New York Times bestselling author Candace Camp concludes her scintillating Willowmere series with a seductive tale of an alluring lady who dares to break the rules. . . .

When Oliver, Earl of Stewkesbury, asks the dashing Lady Vivian Carlyle to ensure that his American cousins meet the cream of London society, he doesn’t anticipate the danger she will pose to his own self-control. Thrown into intimate contact with the lovely lady, Oliver finds he cannot stop thinking of Vivian—of her wit, of her smile . . . of her lips. And when Vivian, who has sworn never to subject herself to the bonds of matrimony, boldly suggests that she and Oliver become lovers instead, her scandalous proposal is temptation indeed! But with an alarming series of jewel thefts rocking London, the ever-outrageous Vivian insists on trying to discover the perpetrator despite Oliver’s admonitions. And when a bold lady steps into danger, it is a gentleman’s duty to protect her at all costs. What neither Oliver nor Vivian can anticipate, however, is that the ultimate cost may be both their hearts. . . .

~*~*~

Click to read more about Karla

The Bum Magnet
Author: K.L. Brady
ISBN: 9781451613704
Price: $7.99/$9.99 CAN
On Sale: March 29, 2011

Successful real-estate agent Charisse Tyson is nearing 40, and after 2 decades of tumultuous, up-and-down relationships with cheating men, she’s ready to overhaul her life and make some lasting changes. Charisse swears off dating and sex until she gets her life in order—but unfortunately, stunningly sexy, charming Dwayne, a client of Charisse’s comes along, and she immediately jumps in bed with him. Thinking about the potential for this new relationship, Charisse reads her journals and contemplates the failed relationships of her past: Lamar, who had his own “African tribe” of 8 kids by different mothers, Sean, who was married with a kid, Marcus, who kissed another woman in Charisse’s own car, and Jason, the man 10 years her junior who was shipped to Iraq and had an affair with his (female) C.O.

Just looking at her past mistakes isn’t enough to set her on the right path. Charisse has to let go of a terrible incident from her youth in order to trust men and trust herself. When Dwayne starts acting funny, and a mysterious FBI agent named Kevin starts turning up everywhere Charisse goes, she realizes she’s in for another disaster. After revealing the dark secret of her rape to her family, she’s able to move on when it turns out that Dwayne is a con artist, has a wife AND a fiancée besides Charisse, and ends up in jail for 20 years. Knowing what she knows now, she’s in for a new relationship without all the drama and hurt of the past.

~*~*~

Click to read more about Melissa

The Highlander’s Curse
Author: Melissa Mayhue
ISBN: 9781439190326
Price: $7.99/$9.99 CAN
On Sale: March 29, 2011

When COLIN MACALISTER is cursed by the Faerie Queen and ends up in the bed of a twenty-first-century woman—who also happens to be the most beautiful creature he’s ever laid eyes on—he’s torn between anger and lust. Colin is determined to see Scotland free of English control and must return to the fourteenth century, yet he cannot forget the woman who haunts his dreams and stirs him with scorching desire.

ABIGAIL PORTER can’t believe her luck. After making a wish to find her soul mate, she wakes up to find a gorgeous man in her bed! Can he really be a medieval Highlander summoned by her Faerie Magic, however? It seems crazy, but when Abby discovers someone wants to enslave her because of her Faerie heritage, she agrees to flee with Colin to 1306 Scotland to avoid capture. Thwarting danger at every turn, Abby and Colin surrender to an irresistible passion. But is the magic of true love powerful enough to save them?

~*~*~

Exclusive Sneak Peek
The Pastor’s Wife
Author: Reshonda Tate Billingsley
ISBN: 9781451611632
Price: $7.99/$9.99 CAN
On Sale: April 26, 2011

Ambition, desperation, and redemption abound in nationally bestselling author Allison Hobbs’s unforgettable novel about a woman forced to sink to the darkest depths of morality . . . and her quest to fight her way back.

Victoria Carlton invested everything into her dream of becoming a singer—her hopes, her time, her life savings—only to fall victim to the harsh realities of the recording industry. Devastated, broke, and faced with the choice between committing herself and her young son to a world of homeless shelters or entering the seedy world of prostitution, she applies for a job at Pandora’s Box, a downtown Philadelphia brothel that bills itself as a “massage salon.” Her lifestyle quickly improves, and the gratification of instant cash replaces her willingness to find a low-paying, legitimate occupation. One day, an unlikely customer appears at Pandora’s Box. Young, handsome, and well dressed, he is immediately drawn to Victoria. The two begin a love affair fraught with complications, leaving Victoria plagued by guilt and insecurities until a botched robbery and the murder of a coworker compel her to look beyond the fast money and reclaim her morals—and her life.

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Posted in Giveaways, Pocket Books | 100 Comments »

Hook Me ~ Excerpt Thursday

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

It’s Excerpt Thursday, so it’s time to ‘Get Hooked’. Today, we have our own Lori Brighton with a sizzling hot passage from brand new release, WILD DESIRE. Let me know if you were hooked.

First He Drove Her Mad

In what feels like a moment, Beatrice Edmund goes from being a proper lady cooped up in a stuffy Scottish castle to traveling miles from anything she’s ever known, in the midst of the wildest adventure of her life. And at the center of that adventure is the most infuriating, puzzling scoundrel on earth. She cannot take her eyes off him.

Then He Drove Her Wild

Colin Fitch cannot deny he’s drawn to Beatrice–but lust is all he could possibly feel for the sharp-tongued minx. Still, if there’s a chance she can help him stop the madman he pursues, he must withstand her obvious disapproval. Yet withstanding the longing he feels for her is growing more troublesome by the second. . . And Colin has never been terribly good at staying out of trouble. . .

.

~*~*~

WILD DESIRE by Lori Brighton
Available March 1, 2010 from Kensington Publishing

Did he really like her? Or was she just another woman to him? Did he remember the way he touched her? The way she moaned his name? Heat flushed her cheeks. Slowly, she glanced back, her chin to her shoulder as she peeked at him. His face was turned away from her. There, seated against the sandstone wall with his shirt hanging open, the man looked like a statue come to life.

As if pulled by some unknown force, Bea started forward on her hands and knees. Her gaze pinned to him, she suddenly felt like a hunter and he her prey. She had no idea what she planned to do when she reached his side. Shove him backward, press her mouth to his, tear off his clothes. How shocked he’d be. The thought almost made her giggle. Only a few feet from him, she paused in indecision.

“What do you want, Bea?” he asked, his gaze still focused on the far wall.

What did she want? You. You to touch me. To make me moan your name.

“How did you see me approach?” she asked, more to fill the silence than to satisfy any curiosity.

He turned his head, looking directly at her. “I could smell you.”

That gave her pause. She wasn’t quite sure if she should be embarrassed or not. “Do I smell that horrible?”

She thought the corner of his mouth lifted, but with the lack of light, she wasn’t quite sure. “No. Quite the opposite. Your scent is…refreshing, clean, unique. Sometimes I think I could pick up your scent from a million others.”

Her heart hammered in her chest, his words taunting her already flared desire. She crawled closer to him, her hands on the cool, stone floor. “Do you know what you smell like?”

He laughed, lowering his thick lashes as he looked at the ground. “I can imagine.”

She didn’t pause until her face was only a breath from his. “Sunlight. Warmth.”

His jaw clenched, his throat working as he swallowed. She didn’t wait for him to kiss her, but leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Mad. She was completely and utterly mad. She didn’t know how she’d become so bold. Perhaps it was the statues. Perhaps the fact that she was experienced now. Or perhaps because she ached fiercely and knew only Colin could ease that pain.

Bea wrapped her arms around his neck as his fingers slid into her hair.

“Colin,” she whispered against his mouth. “How terribly I’ve wanted to kiss you.”

He growled low in his throat. They both came up on their knees, desperate to touch body to body. Colin tugged on her hair, tilting her head back. “Do you realize what words like that can do to a man?”

He pressed his lips to her neck. Shivers raced over her skin, heated tremors that shook in her core.

“Such words can drive a man insane, Bea.”

But she wanted him mad, mad with desire. Mad with wanting her.

Colin stood, lifting Bea with him. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he pressed her back against the cold sandstone. Trapped between the wall and the hard man holding her, a thrill coursed through her body. This is what she’d wanted, what she’d dreamt about.

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Posted in Excerpt Thursdays, Kensington | 27 Comments »

Short ‘N Sweet

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

Little man’s complex: Short stories that pack a powerful punch

by Kat Latham


I love short stories. I studied them in college and some of my all-time favorite authors (like Flannery O’Connor and Angela Carter) wrote brilliant short stories.

I’ve never been a big fan of romance short stories, though—until recently.

Last year I won a copy of Jeannie Lin’s The Taming of Mei Lin. It sucked me right in, and, best of all, I didn’t have to stay up late and go to work bleary-eyed just so I could finish reading it.

Then, recently, the amazing Suzanne Johnson posted a short story on her site. Now, Suzanne’s one of my critique partners and I get to read her stuff regularly, but her first novel isn’t being published until next year, so her short story Chenoire is a (free!) taster for the rest of you. Let me tell you, the world Suzanne has created is amazing. Think about all the strange things you hear about from the Deep South. Now add fantasy and paranormal characters, and a wicked funny voice. That is the recipe for a Suzanne Johnson story.

After reading the wonderful Chenoire, I discovered Kelly Fitzpatrick was giving away her short story Holiday Hostage.  Kelly is one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter. Every conversation I have with her leaves me clutching my sides. So an opportunity to check out what her writing style’s like? I’m all over that. Holiday Hostage is funny and full of attitude—like Kelly’s tweets, but longer. Even though I never ever ever buy e-books (no e-reader, and I hate reading on my laptop), I bought Kelly’s debut novel Lily in Wonderland. Yep, couldn’t help it. The short story gave me a taste of Kelly’s voice, and I had to have more.

Three authors. Three vastly different voices and types of story. All awesome. And two of them—Jeannie Lin and Kelly Fitzpatrick—made me fans of their work by tempting me with a well-written short story first. (I confess, I was already a huge fan of Suzanne Johnson’s writing.)

Aside from being short and easy to consume when you don’t have much time, one great benefit of these stories is that they’re cheap (or free) ways of trying out a new author. You don’t need to invest much time or money and end up disappointed and broke.

Do you like reading short romance stories? Have you ever bought an author’s novel after loving their short story writing style? Comment to enter to win ON THE HUNT.

Click for book details and buy links

Kat Latham has been reading romance for a couple of decades. With degrees in English lit and human rights, she loves stories that reflect the depth, humor and emotion of real life. When she’s not writing contemporary romance novels, she can usually be found blogging or tweeting overly personal information. She loves meeting other readers and writers online, so follow her on Twitter or check out her blog and say hello!

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Posted in Giveaways, Katrina, Signet/NAL | 28 Comments »

And the winners are…

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

Congratulations, ladies! Please email your snail mail address to me at contests at theseasonforromance dot com and don’t forget to include the title(s) of the book(s) you won. You have one week to claim your prize.

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Posted in Berkley, Giveaways, Harlequin | 10 Comments »

Avon Impulse

Monday, March 7th, 2011

Today, HarperCollins/Avon announced their new digital line, Avon Impulse. Twitter is all atwitter about it.  Below is the official announcement direct from HarperCollins:

Give in to Impulse:
Avon Books Introduces Digital Publishing Imprint
Avon Impulse Launches March 2011 with e-Original Romances

 

NEW YORK, NY, March 7, 2011 – Today, Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announces the debut of Avon Impulse, a new imprint dedicated to digital publishing.  The new imprint will feature e-books and print-to-order novels and novellas by existing Avon authors, and will seek new talent to nurture in an e-book marketplace that finds Romance experiencing expansive growth.  “Romance readers have been among the first to embrace books digitally,” says Liate Stehlik, Senior Vice President and Publisher of William Morrow and Avon Books.  “Their passion has encouraged us to introduce a line of romance e-books, which empowers Avon to publish more quickly, with an eye to what’s trending in fiction.”  The new imprint is looking to publish multiple titles each month, eventually releasing new content on a weekly basis.  The Avon Impulse brand has grown organically from Avon’s existing publishing program and offers authors all the strengths of Avon’s widely respected team.  Books will be acquired by Avon editors, and will benefit by targeted marketing and publicity plans, as well as powerful sales platforms.

“What sets Avon Impulse apart,” affirms Stehlik, “is that authors are signing to work alongside the Avon team, and will benefit from the same platforms that Avon authors have always enjoyed.”

As part of the imprint’s publishing strategy, each Avon Impulse e-book will benefit from a dedicated “five-point” marketing and publicity platform, helping build awareness in the competitive marketplace.  Plans include cross promotion, digital marketing and publicity, social media outreach, interactive assets and coaching, as well as targeted online retail placement strategies.

“Without traditional printing constraints, we can edit, market and release e-books more quickly, allowing unprecedented speed to market,” says Carrie Feron, Morrow/Avon Vice President and Editorial Director.  “The Avon Impulse imprint also allows us greater flexibility in the length of books we can publish – from novella to full-length fiction, and enables us to explore new themes in romance.”

“There is so much opportunity right now within the romance genre,” Stehlik says.   “Readers have found a rich array of fresh content using digital and e-reading devices.  It’s crystal clear that we can nurture great talent via Avon Impulse’s e-book publishing platform – and that there is already a very dedicated fan base of savvy digital readers.”

The line launches with A LADY’S WISH, an original e-novella by Katharine Ashe; on-sale 3/15/11; and then features ROYAL WEDDING, a historical romance short fiction anthology by Stephanie Laurens, Gaelen Foley and Loretta Chase,  timed to coincide with the nuptials of Britain’s most beloved young couple.  Later in the season bring four releases from Lavinia Kent and a prelude to Karina Cooper’s Avon debut, Blood of the Wicked.  Jaime Rush launches a brand new series with a  digital short; and a full-length paranormal romance novel by author Kristin Miller will be released in the summer.

Avon Impulse is currently in the acquisition and production process for e-books to be published in 2011 and 2012.  “We are actively looking to acquire for Avon Impulse,” says Feron.  Authors looking to submit to Avon Impulse can find guidelines and an online submission portal at www.avonromance.com/impulse.  “We are looking for quality submissions across every romance subgenre,” says Feron.

Avon Impulse e-books will be made available at all online retailers, everywhere in the world where English-language e-books are sold.  For those seeking a hard copy of individual Avon Impulse titles, print-to-order books will be available from online book retailers.

For more information on Avon Impulse, and a detailed FAQ, visit www.avonromance.com/impulse.

ABOUT HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS

HarperCollins, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world, is a subsidiary of News Corporation (NYSE: NWS, NWS.A; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). Headquartered in New York, HarperCollins has publishing groups around the world including the HarperCollins General Books Group, HarperCollins Children’s Books Group, Zondervan, HarperCollins UK, HarperCollins Canada, HarperCollins Australia/New Zealand and HarperCollins India. HarperCollins is a broad-based publisher with strengths in literary and commercial fiction, business books, children’s books, cookbooks, mystery, romance, reference, religious and spiritual books. With nearly 200 years of history HarperCollins has published some of the world’s foremost authors and has won numerous awards including the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, the Newbery Medal and the Caldecott. You can visit HarperCollins Publishers on the Internet at http://www.harpercollins.com.

 

I think for HarperCollins, this was something they had to do to keep up with the ever increasing speed at which digital publishing, ereaders, iPads, android tablets and any other device you can read with are being bought and utilized. Who is this going to benefit? Very definitely readers, giving them more choices in terms of the kind of stories, books released at a greater frequency and varied book lengths. It can also be of great benefit to writers but it all depends on what the writer hopes to achieve in publishing with Avon Impulse.

I see this as a great opportunity for an author if what is most important to them is:

  • Exposure and recognition and distribution guaranteed by the Avon name.
  • Editing, cover art, marketing and promotion that usually comes with being with a NY traditional publishing company.

I can also see Avon authors releasing novellas through this imprint to create more awareness for an upcoming full-length print book.

However, if you are an author whose top priority is making money, this may not be the best deal for you. Here’s the breakdown in how the Avon Impulse imprint pays.

  • No advance -  This is common in epublishing companies.
  • Royalty – 25% royalty is paid on the first 9,999 books sold. Once the book reaches 10k sold, the royalty goes up to 50%. Now if this royalty was paid on list price, I would say this is an average sort of deal. Reaching 10k is no small feat, especially for an unknown author. However, the royalty is paid on net. Which means if yur book retails for $3.99 and the cost incurred in the production and distribution of the book is $1.99, then you will receive 25% of the difference, so in this case $2.00, which would then net the author .50 per book. This works out to 12.5% of list price.  If you apply the same rules to 50% royalty after you hit the 10k mark, the author will receive $1.00 per book, which is 25% of list price. Most epublishers pay royalties of anywhere from 35-40% of list price (not including third party vendors), so Avon Impulse is offering authors significantly less in earnings.
  • I’ve checked out the submission page and it requires more than just a query, synopsis and manuscript. I’m not sure that I’m in love with it. Anything that requires me to write more than I already have, tends to make me antsy.

So that’s pretty much it. And since this is an Avon imprint we’re talking about, I’m going to give away some Avon books. Just tell me what you as a reader or/and an author thinks about the new Avon Impulse line. Comment to enter to win. :)

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Posted in Miscellaneous, Odds and Ends News | 51 Comments »

And the winners are…

Monday, March 7th, 2011

Congratulations, ladies! Please email your snail mail address to me at contests at theseasonforromance dot com and don’t forget to include the title of the book you won. You have one week to claim your prize.

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Posted in Giveaways | 9 Comments »

Giveaway: Sunday’s Offering

Sunday, March 6th, 2011

Comment to enter to win a copy of Amanda McCabe’s THE SHY DUCHESS and Kieran Kramer’s DUKES TO THE LEFT OF ME, PRINCES TO THE RIGHT

Click for review and book details

Click for review and book details

 

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Posted in Giveaways, Harlequin, St. Martin's Press | 50 Comments »

With Margaret Rowe, ANY WICKED THING Goes

Friday, March 4th, 2011

Maggie Robinson’s evil twin has been let out to play this month for the release of Margaret Rowe’s ANY WICKED THING. I have the softest spot for AWT—it’s a very erotic Regency romance, detailing a power exchange between two childhood friends-turned-lovers-turned-enemies, and it’s layered with complex emotions. Sebastian Goddard, the Duke of Roxbury, has spent a decadent decade running away from his responsibilities, while Frederica Wells has tended the home fires of disintegrating Goddard Castle. Those fires blaze upon Sebastian’s return, and Freddie’s world widens in a journey of sensual discovery. Both of them learn something about themselves along the way to their unconventional happily-ever-after.

Click for book details and buy links

Oh, don’t get me wrong. There are three children in the epilogue, but Sebastian will never be anything else but wicked. His needs, however, are fully satisfied by his wife. As he says in the last chapter, “She was more than enough. She was everything.” While I might be suspicious in real life that a sensible medieval scholar like Freddie could tame a man like Sebastian, it was utter romance to succeed within the pages of a book. I am a sucker for reforming the rake, and Sebastian required more reformation than most. ;)

But a bad boy would be no fun if he lost all his wicked ways. That’s what attracts us to begin with, even if such a bad boy might be uncomfortable to live with in reality. I read and write fiction to venture out of familiar territory, be it losing myself in the Yorkshire moors around Goddard Castle or in Sebastian’s bed. I can indulge my fantasies without falling into a sink hole or putting my back out. I like my “mod cons” as they say in British real estate ads, but I write historical romance, where modern conveniences and sensibilities are seriously absent.

Take Goddard Castle. It’s falling down daily. Freddie wants to buy it because it’s the only home she’s ever known and she will do any wicked thing to get it. But it’s a far cry from a well-kept keep. The secrets it holds are key to her happy ending, if the ceiling doesn’t collapse on her first and Sebastian doesn’t lock her away like Rapunzel in her tower.

Have you ever visited a castle and imagined yourself as its chatelaine? Do you have a favorite castle romance? What mod con would you have to have to live happily ever after like a princess in a fairy tale? I’ll give away a signed copy of ANY WICKED THING to one commenter!

Margaret Rowe is a former teacher, library clerk and mother of four who woke up in the middle of the night, absolutely compelled to create the perfect man and use as many adverbs as possible doing so. A transplanted New Yorker, she lives with her not-quite perfect husband in Maine, where the cold winters are ideal for staying inside and writing hot historical romances. You can visit her at her online home at: www.margaretrowe.net,  follow her on Twitter @MaggieLRobinson and friend her on Facebook

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Posted in Berkley, Giveaways | 64 Comments »

And the winner is…

Friday, March 4th, 2011

RANI B.

Congratulations, Rani! Please email your snail mail address to me at contests at theseasonforromance dot com. You have two weeks to contact me to collect your prize!!

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Posted in Giveaways | 9 Comments »

The Scarred Hero

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

Scarred heroes in contemporary romance by Kat Latham

The last week of December, I celebrated my final few days of holiday by dipping into the pile of books I’d bought myself for Christmas. Completely unintentionally, the two books I read were both contemporaries with scarred heroes.

Click for review and book details

The first, Edge of Sight by Roxanne St. Claire, is a sexy, exciting romantic suspense with one of the hottest heroes I’ve read about. He and the heroine have a history together, but in their years apart he’s suffered horrifically and it’s kept him from contacting her. To say anything more would spoil parts of the plot, so instead I’ll quote the back cover copy, which describes Zach as “a Special Forces vet with the scars to prove he’s  both courageous and flawed.”

Click for book details and buy links

The second, NEVER TOO HOT by Bella Andre, is a very steamy contemporary single title starring a wounded firefighter. The reader finds out about Connor MacKenzie’s scars in the first paragraph, so I don’t think it’d spoil anything to say his hands and arms were burned and he’s had skin grafts which continue causing him terrible pain and discomfort.

In Bella Andre’s book, the scars are a mark of heroism but also a sign that the hero’s future plans are damaged beyond repair. Connor is desperate to get back to firefighting because it’s all he’s ever imagined doing, but doing so would mean not having a future with his heroine.

In Roxanne St. Claire’s, the scars Zach carries are a constant reminder of a decision he made that cost the men who trusted him far more than it cost him. When he is asked to protect his heroine, he has good reason to doubt his abilities.

Scars are used for so many reasons in romance, but as I think back over my twenty years of reading romance it seems like characters—particularly men—suffer more and more. Back in the early 90s, contemporary heroes sometimes had a scar slashed across their cheeks, probably to make them sexier instead of being a physical manifestation of their emotional torment. Now, contemporary men can be missing body parts, or even sacrifice them while protecting their lover.

I can only think of one contemporary romance I’ve read recently that featured a terribly scarred heroine: the amazing Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight. (If you love unusual, deeply emotional contemporary romance, please do yourself a favor and read Butterfly Tattoo. It’s one of my favorite books.)

Although I don’t seek out scarred characters, gut-wrenching contemporary romance is my favorite thing to read so I’d love to know what you think about characters who might make other people stare.

Are we living in darker times? Do scarred characters reflect the popularity of military characters and the fact that many militaries around the world are engaged in fighting wars right now? Or are authors upping the ante to create more emotional, more gripping stories? Do you feel more sympathetic toward scarred characters because of all they’ve survived?

Finally, any books you can recommend? Comment and enter to win Deirdre Martin’s ICEBREAKER.

Click to read review & book details

Kat Latham has been reading romance for a couple of decades. With degrees in English lit and human rights, she loves stories that reflect the depth, humor and emotion of real life. When she’s not writing contemporary romance novels, she can usually be found blogging or tweeting overly personal information. She loves meeting other readers and writers online, so follow her on Twitter or check out her blog and say hello!

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Posted in Giveaways, Katrina | 31 Comments »

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