I’d like to do a monthly post on under appreciated authors–you know the ones who fly under the general reader’s radar. Lately, when I’ve discovered a ‘new-to-me’ author, they’ve well and truly been discovered–as in New York Times bestselling author. Actually, when I think about it I did recently discover Mira Lyn Kelly. She writes for Harlequin Presents and I found her on Twitter. I think the deal was she had a book coming out so I requested a copy from Harlequin to review (like to support my Twitter followers as much and whenever I can). The book was FRONT PAGE AFFAIR and I absolutely loved it so I went back and found her debut, which was WILD FLING OR A WEDDING RING. Loved that one too.

Well I got an advance read on her upcoming October release, S BEFORE THE EX and loved it! Her books are so emotional and sexy–my absolute favourite kind.  So I guess today I do have one author I think has been flying under the radar despite what I state at the beginning of the post.

What about you? Is there an author you think isn’t getting the proper ‘deference’ by the reading public? Comment and enter to win another book from my stash still left from the Anniversary Giveaway!

“…So attention must be paid. He’s not to be allowed to fall into his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a person.”
- Death of a Salesman

I love discovering new authors. There’s this thrill that comes with knowing that I now have an author whose books I will purchase just because they wrote it. The problem is said authors really need to write faster.

In this case, that author is Mira Lyn Kelly and she writes for the Harlequin Presents Extra line.  So this is how I came to truly love her books. Mira is on Twitter. She follows me and I follow her right back, so when it came to deciding which Harlequin books to review, I chose hers and thankfully, one of my reviewers wanted to review her latest book, FRONT PAGE AFFAIR.  Again the stars aligned once more and Deb loved it! (You can read her review of it here.) She gave it 9 Stars and subsequently made it a January Contemporary Top Pick.

Front Page Affair
Author: Mira Lyn Kelly
Publisher: Harlequin Presents Extra
Pub. Date: January 1, 2011
Series #: 136
ISBN-13: 978-0373528004
Retail: $4.75

Payton hasn’t seen Nate Evans in years—not since he used to hang out with her brother in high school. But now she and Nate are guests at the same wedding where the notorious millionaire offers her a wild proposal—a sexy, scandalous and irresistible affair!

Nate’s outrageous proposition was supposed to stay only paper-thin; it was merely a ploy to distract the tabloids from another, all-too-real scandal. But neither he nor Payton expected such a very public affair to prove so very hot in private…

Or to have such lasting consequences….

As I was editing the review to post, the plot and Deb’s enthusiasm for the book intrigued me. As you can imagine, I see a lot of books come across my kitchen island every day and I don’t feel compelled to read many (okay most). FRONT PAGE AFFAIR hit all the right chords for me and as you may know because I may have mentioned it a time or two, I’m always on the hunt for new contemporary authors. In my opinion, publishers aren’t printing enough single title ones and Harlequin is the only place to go for category romances. Anywho, getting back on point, I sat down over the holiday break and read FRONT PAGE AFFAIR. I loved it! Truly enjoyed the relationship between Nate and Payton. More than that, I loved that they were much more ‘real’ sounding and feeling characters than I think is generally written about in this line. This is in no way to disparage sheiks, princes or Greek tycoons and the like, but they were really quite normal people (okay, so yes, he’s very wealthy, which totally works in this story).  The dialogue was ‘real’ as were the characters’ actions and reactions.

Of course, after I finished reading it, I had to squeal my joy to the entire Twitter-verse–yep, my followers–and check out her back list. That hunt was a mixed blessing. Yes, Mira does have one but it’s egregiously short. One book was all I found. Her debut, WILD FLING OR A WEDDING RING. It was better than nothing, right? So I downloaded the ebook from the Harlequin e-book site and, yes, you guessed it, loved it. Two in a row for me puts an author on my auto-buy list. The same elements that made me totally love FRONT PAGE AFFAIR is what makes WILD FLING OR A WEDDING RING work. My suggestions is that for readers who are looking for something that has a single title feel à la Rachel Gibson but in an abbreviated format, you may want to give Mira Lyn Kelly a try.

To celebrate my new find, I’m giving away 2 copies of her latest release, FRONT PAGE AFFAIR. Comment to enter to win.

Only in August did I add the Mystery genre (cozy) to The Season lineup. In the past, I think I’ve already spoken about my love of Agatha Christie novels and the fact that I think she was a veritable genius.

Well today, I want to talk about a relatively new mystery author who caught the eye and praise of one of my fabulous reviewers, Kat (seriously, Kat writes a pretty darn flawless review). The author’s name is Wendy Lyn Watson, and her sophomore book, SCOOP TO KILL is featured in The Season’s September issue. So far, it’s been the highest rated Mystery, so I’d say that’s a good place to start.

Bio:

(I lifted right off her website, which I like very much, btw)

Wendy Lyn Watson teaches constitutional law to college students by day and writes deliciously funny cozy mysteries, with a dollop of romance, by night. While she does not commit–or solve–murders in real life, her love of ice cream is 100% true. She’s also passionately devoted to 80s music, Asian horror films, and reality TV. A native of Ohio, she’s lived in Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota, Louisiana, and Texas, where she currently lives with her husband and four spoiled felines.

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Wendy’s debut book is aptly named, I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM–as you can see there is a whole ice cream theme.

Tallulah Jones, proprietor of Dalliance, Texas’s old-fashioned ice-cream parlor, dishes up luscious ice cream that is simply to die for….

Unfortunately, Remember the A-la-mode’s profits are melting faster than a snow cone in July–and Tally’s stuck scooping sundaes for her two-timing ex-husband and his bodacious new girlfriend, Brittanie, at his company luau. To make matters worse, twenty years after she dumped him in the Tasty-Swirl parking lot, Tally’s high school beau, Finn Harper, comes back to town–looking every bit as delicious as a double-dip raspberry mascarpone waffle cone.

The cherry on top? Brittanie drops dead, and Tally’s suddenly the prime suspect in her murder investigation. To catch a killer, Tally will have to churn up Dalliance’s darkest secrets and dip deep into the past. But can Tally freeze out the real culprit before a murder charge puts her dreams on ice for good?

As I stated above, her next book released in September and it was–again aptly titled–SCOOP TO KILL (I seriously love these titles).

Click to read review

Tallulah Jones may be the proprietor of Dalliance, Texas’s old-fashioned ice cream parlor, but she’s no stranger to cold-blooded murder . . .

No one is more shocked than Tally when the local college serves up a double dip of death. During the annual Honor’s Day festivities, Tally’s niece Alice stubles upon the body of a graduate student. Suspicion falls on teh English professor he accused of sexual harassment, but a couple days later, she’s found dead too.

Tally steps out from behind the counter of Remember the A-la-mode to clear the professor’s name. But in an English department sprinkled with failing students, cutthroat academics, and extramarital affairs, the list of suspects rivals A-la-mode’s choice of flavors. When Alice gets chillingly close to a killer, Tally realizes she must act fast before someone else is put on ice.

I don’t know about you, but I love a good cozy mystery on a cool Fall night (okay, so if it’s like 90 degrees like it is where I am, that’s okay too). And I’m so very happy Kat brought Wendy to my attention.

And I’d love you to give Wendy’s books a try too, and I’ll start you off by giving away both books to one lucky commenter. I’d also love feedback on how you liked it.;)

This recommendation comes from Sophie Jordan, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author (and one of my faves). She told me how much she adored THE MAKING OF A DUCHESS. So that is how the name of Shana Galen came to my attention. And because of Sophie’s recommendation, she is this month’s Author Under the Radar.

In doing this post I learned several things about Shana:

1. She was first published in 2005 with HarperCollins. That book was WHEN DASHING MET DANGER.

2. Shana also wrote contemporaries for HarperCollins under the name of Shane Bolks, the first of which was THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY MEN I’VE DATED (Hehehehe. Come on, you gotta chuckle over that title).

3. Her historical, BLACKTHORNE’S BRIDE was nominated for a RITA in 2008.

Currently, Shana is writing a new historical romance series for Sourcebooks, the first of which is the aforementioned THE MAKING OF A DUCHESS. I also see her tweeting on Twitter but I’m told that’s part of her job…you know, networking. In all seriousness, not only did I pick Shana because of Sophie’s recommendation, I did so because her new series sounds great as well as her back list, and because she’s a real sweetheart. All of which go a long way to courting me as a reader.

The Making of a Duchess
Author: Shana Galen
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pub. Date: June 1, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1402238659
Retail: $6.99
Pages: 384

Twelve years after fleeing their burning chateau, Julien Harcourt, Duc de Valère, searches for his lost twin brothers. His frequent travels between England and France at a time when the exiled Napoleon is reported to be marshalling his troops raises the suspicions of English authorities who set secret operative Sarah Smith on his trail. A risky game of cat and mouse leads the two from the ballrooms of London to the prisons of Paris and into a fragile love that neither dares to hope for.

The first in a trilogy of three brothers struggling to reconnect and restore their noble heritage in the aftermath of the French Revolution, each losing his heart along the way.

In October, the second offering in Shana’s Sons of the Revolution series, THE MAKING OF A GENTLEMAN, will be out in the book stores. And I, being as impatient as one can be, have already scored the eARC for this one while waiting impatiently for USPS to deliver THE MAKING OF A DUCHESS to my mailbox. As I know it’s a series, I must read them in order.

The Making of a Gentleman
Author: Shana Galen
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pub. Date: October 5, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1402238666
Retail: $7.99
Pages: 384

Twelve years in a French prison have left the once dashing Armand Harcourt, Comte de Valere a hollow shell of his former self. Though safely back on English soil, Armand remains locked in a prison of his mind, unable to interact with the glittering social world that was his rightful place.

When his family hires the beautiful and determined Felicity Bennett to teach Armand, he is shaken by the onslaught of desire Felicity awakens in him. As Felicity slowly helps reclaim Armand, their passion begins to blossom into a transcendent love capable of healing the scars of both their pasts.

Shana has generously offered an autographed copy of THE MAKING OF A DUCHESS to a commenter. If you have questions for Shana, ask away as she’ll be stopping by. And don’t forget, comment and you will double your entries to win 5 books from Wednesday’s selection of The Season One Year Anniversary Giveaway.

“So attention must be paid. He’s not to be allowed to fall in his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a person.”
-Death of a Salesman

In Death of a Salesman, Linda passionately believes that attention must be paid to her husband, Willy Loman (One of my favourite plays, btw). Well I, like Linda Loman, believe that there are many, many fabulous writers who have equally fabulous stories just waiting to be discovered by the masses. And every month I’m going to showcase one here on the blog. It will go something like this: for fans of (insert well known author of same genre), this (insert name of author flying the radar) is for you.

Do you have any authors whose books, in your opinion, aren’t reaching the reading masses the way they should? Let me know and hopefully your author will be featured here.

The first time I ever saw the name Claudia Dain was when I happened upon the cover of How to Dazzle a Duke. The seductive look on the heroine’s face intrigued me. Then I noted that it was a trade. I don’t generally buy trades so I pushed my curiosity aside and moved on.

Several weeks ago I discovered that How to Dazzle a Duke was part of the Courtesan Chronicles series. Have I ever told you how much I love series? Generally, I’m not a huge fan of the heroine being a courtesan and initially, I balked at even looking further into the series because of that. Then I decided to give it a little peek, and lo and behold, the heroines were not in fact courtesans. And yet even better news, the books also came in mass market paper back. That, of course, was music to my ears. So this weekend, I ordered the first book in the series, The Courtesan’s Daughter.

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Book #1

The Courtesan’s Daughter
Author: Claudia Dain
Publisher: Berkley
Pub. Date: October 7, 2008
ISBN-13: 978-0425224229
320 pages

Young Lady Caroline’s prospects for a suitable match are severely limited by her mother’s infamous past. Before Lady Sophia Dalby entered London society, she was a highly desired courtesan. What man of title, position, and wealth would marry a courtesan’s daughter?

Sophia’s solution is to purchase a husband for Caroline-the Earl of Ashdon-agreeing to settle his gambling debts if he will take her daughter’s hand. Insulted, Caroline refuses to have a husband who was bought for her.

But after meeting the fiery Lord Ashdon, she wonders if it wouldn’t be satisfying to have him pay for her, perhaps with a priceless pearl necklace? With Sophia pulling the strings, Lord Ashdon may get more than he bargained for and Caroline may get just what she wants.

~~~

After The Courtesan’s Daughter found her happily ever after, Claudia gave us The Courtesan’s Secret and The Courtesan’s Wager.

Book #2

Lady Louisa fell in love with Lord Dutton exactly three years ago and never fell out. It was past time for him to fall in love with her. Long past time. What was wrong with Dutton? Couldn’t he see that she was the very ideal sort of wife for him? The picture of ginger haired beauty and sparkling wit? And her bosom was quite nice, too.

After watching the speed with which Caroline, Sophia’s daughter, managed to snag a husband, Louisa has come to the logical conclusion that if she could only have Sophia help her then Louisa and Dutton would find themselves quickly married. With Dutton as her goal, Louisa swallows her pride and asks Sophia for help in acquiring the man of her dreams.

Sophia is more than happy to help a woman get the man of her dreams, but is Dutton that man? Lord Henry Blakesley seems a much better match for the fiery Louisa. And Sophia, an ex-courtesan, has no qualms at all in arranging things so that Louisa sees Blakesley in a new light. But it’s a secret…no one can know that Louisa sought help in snaring a man from a former courtesan.

But in London, secrets are as rare as hen’s teeth.

~~~

Book #3

Lady Amelia is the daughter of a duke and, unlike her cousin Louisa, is not at all distracted by a rakish wit or a pair of seductive blue eyes. She is going to be a duchess, which means that she must marry a duke. In the three years that she’s been out in Society, she has, to her complete dismay, not found a single duke who appears even slightly interested in her. Being a sharp girl of a very determined nature, Amelia cannot ignore that both Caroline and Louisa made very quick and very happy marriages. It was beyond obvious that Sophia Dalby had a firm hand in each match. Swallowing her considerable anxiety about approaching a former courtesan, Amelia asks Sophia for help in snagging a duke.

Sophia is delighted to help. But, as is becoming obvious to even the most casual observer, Amelia gets more than she anticipated from her alliance with Sophia. Will Amelia marry a duke, after all?

~~~

And finally, we come full circle to the most recent installment in the Courtesan Chronicles, How to Dazzle a Duke, whose mass market paperback edition will be released in June 1, 2010.

Book #4

Miss Penelope Prestwick wants a duke for a husband and clearly the dashing Duke of Edenham is the best choice. Just as Lady Dalby is clearly the best person to arrange the match. But how exactly should Penelope go about dazzling a duke? Surely a show of cleavage never hurt anyone. Perhaps a kiss or two, just to make a lasting impression. And a bit of competition usually helps move things along.

To that end, Penelope approaches the Marquis of Iveston with a request. Would he kindly appear interested in her so that the Duke of Edenham will take note of it? Alternately amused and annoyed, Lord Iveston agrees; he even places a wager on White’s betting book to draw attention to the fact that he is pursuing Penelope.

Soon, it’s wagers and counter wagers as all of Society tries to determine who will actually marry Penelope. Edenham she’s been hotly pursuing or Iveston she’s been hotly kissing? Who will claim the lady’s heart…all in all it’s the most entertaining—and most contested–dance to the altar Sophia has yet choreographed.

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I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to immerse myself in this series and ‘discover’ Claudia Dain. If you’d like to read excerpts from the respective books, I’ve linked the covers to the excerpt page on Claudia’s website. Okay, so who else is ready to join me? Comment and you’ll be entered to win the first book in the series, The Courtesan’s Daughter.

Who is Chloe Harris? Many of you may not know because she’s relatively new. So new in fact, her debut historical, SECRETS OF SIN only officially releases today. Are you wondering if she is truly an author under the radar. Yes, she is and I’ll tell you why. Some debut authors are lucky enough to have much fanfare to herald the release of their debut novel. You’ve heard their name and heard rave reviews about their book long before it even hits the shelves. Not so in this case and for most debuts. And because SECRETS OF SIN is a very sexy trade book it has an even more difficult time finding a wider audience as it isn’t carried in places like Walmart, K-Mart or Target.

So once again, who is Chloe Harris? Chloe Harris is really the pseudonym for two writers, Noelle Henderson and Barbra Kolten, who’ve joined forces to write intriguing and sexy stories.

A quintessential eccentric southerner, Noelle seems to find a story in almost everything. Ever ambitious to change her stars, she has a degree in Communications.

Barbra lives together with her cat (‘Princess Mimi’), who naturally isn’t very happy that she is spending so much time on writing. But this folly of the living can opener with opposable thumbs is mostly tolerated.

To celebrate the release of Chloe’s sexy debut historical, SECRETS OF SIN, and to help familiarize you with her, Kensington is giving away 2 (two) copies. Let’s make sure these two ladies don’t remain under the radar.

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Secrets of Sin
Author: Chloe Harris
Publisher: Kensington/Aphrodisia
Pub. Date: January 26, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0758238535
320 pages

THREE DAYS… ENDLESS PLEASURE

On a Caribbean island of alluring delights, Emiline du Ronde-Barhydt commands a large estate, vast wealth, and unwavering devotion. Her inheritance and dazzling beauty ensure that she’s granted her every wish… or almost. The one thing she can’t get is freedom from her proud wayward husband.

When her husband, sea captain Reinier Barhydt finally agrees to give his determined wife the divorce she craves – it’s for a price: three days of total submission to his every erotic demand. Both fall under the spell of the most forbidden sensations that reignite every delicious inch of their bodies… and Reinier soon realizes that he is no longer master of his carnal game. At the mercy of his own raw shattering needs, the three red hot days may just turn into a lifetime of smoldering passion…

So yesterday I asked visitors to tell me about authors they felt were under the reading public’s radar. I want to thank everyone who gave me specific names and titles. Michelle Willingham’s name came up. Now this is not the first time I’ve inquired about this and this is not the first time her name came up. I knew she wrote medievals for Harlequin Historicals but what intrigued me this time was the commenter mentioned she was starting a Victorian series. Now of course, as I write in that period myself, I’m completely intrigued. I’m intrigued about the switch and more so about this new series. I personally have not read anything Ms. Willingham has written, but that’s all going to change today.

The first book in this new Victorian series is The Accidental Countess. It officially releases February 1st but it’s available now for purchase.

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The Accidental Princess
Authors: Michelle Willingham
Publisher: Harlequin Historicals
Release date: February 1, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0373295814
288 pages

When Stephen Chesterfield, the Earl of Whitmore, awakes to find a beautiful woman berating him, he knows he is in trouble! He cannot recall the past three months of his life, never mind having a wife! What’s more, someone is trying to silence him before his memory returns….

Emily Chesterfield is trapped in a marriage of convenience with a man who doesn’t remember her. Stephen clearly thinks she is the most unsuitable countess, but she is falling for her enigmatic husband…. Can they find trust and love before it is too late?

The second book in the series is The Accidental Princess and it releases March 1, 2010. But like with most Harlequin series books, it will be available to purchase from www.eharlequin.com February 1st and I believe the ebook a week sooner than that. BTW I think Harlequin should make their ebooks able to be purchased for giveaways. Who doesn’t think that’s a fabulous idea???

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The Accidental Princess
Authors: Michelle Willingham
Publisher: Harlequin Historicals
Release date: March 1, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0373295852
288 pages

Lieutenant Michael Thorpe is a forbidden temptation for Lady Hannah Chesterfield. Etiquette demands Hannah ignore the shivers of desire his wicked gaze provokes, but he’s the only man to recognize her restless spirit, and her unawakened body is clamoring for his touch….

Thrown together by scandal, a defiant Hannah joins Michael on an adventure to uncover the secret of his birth—is this common soldier really a prince? If so, will the ordinary man who has taught Hannah the meaning of pleasure now make her his royal bride?

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But wait, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The ebook prequel, An Accidental Seduction from Historical Undone, kicks off the series and is available now for download. And I believe Harlequin has really priced their Undones right, at the price of  $2.69. Guess what’s going on my Sony ereader today?

An Accidental Seduction

Emily Barrow once dreamed that she could marry Stephen Chesterfield, the Earl of Whitmore, and be saved from her dreary life. Then Stephen’s father sent him away, leaving Emily broken-hearted…

Now Stephen has returned to find Emily destitute and alone. He has vowed to help her without compromising her honor…but Emily has other ideas. She doesn’t want his charity, but she does long to know what it would be like to take him as a lover, even if marriage is out of the question. Confined to close quarters with their passion burning as brightly as ever, will Stephen be able to resist the temptation and rescue her, or give in to his desire and completely ruin her?

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You might also want to give Michelle Willingham’s medieval The MacEgan Brothers mini-series a try.

So, today I’m going to give away a copy of The Accidental Countess and I hope everyone will give Ms. Willingham a try and get her up from under the radar.

I will be doing this every Friday, so if you know of any romance authors you believe are flying under the radar and would like to see a spotlight on them, please email your recommendation to theseason@historicalromancereleases.com.

**Unfortunately, I won’t be spotlighting self-published novels. Authors cannot recommend themselves.