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Elizabeth Amber ~ Dane

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Elizabeth Amber’s new June release is Dane, The Lords of Satyr, an erotic historical paranormal romance, which has been awarded an RT Book Reviews Top Pick! We’re giving away an autographed copy to one randomly-chosen commenter.

Digging for stories in the Roman Forum

Are there certain settings you particularly like to read about in romance novels? For me, the time and place that fascinates is 19th century Italy.

Not long ago, my husband and I took a lengthy dream vacation to Italy and parts of France and Greece. The time I spent in the Roman Forum whetted my appetite to write about it. My June release, Dane, begins a new trilogy with my Lords of Satyr series. The earlier books–Nicholas, Raine, and Lyon–belong to Tuscany, circa 1823. A new cast of brothers, Dane, Bastian, and Sevin—each with a new set of agendas–are now in Rome, circa 1880s, during the time Queen Victoria ruled England.

The city of Rome sits about 25 feet higher than it did when the Forum was first built. Why? Because over centuries, it has been built and torn down and rebuilt again, as the city grew and changed and as political and theological tides changed. Out with the old gods and in with the new, then the newer. New temples had to be built; old ones torn down. And the nearby Tiber River regularly deposited sediment, raising the ground level. But the Forum was once the grand center of Rome. Ancient Romans shopped there. The Senate was there. Major temples and shrines, too. The prison.

In fact, I chose the Forum’s dank, claustrophobic Mamertine Prison as the site where Dane goes searching for clues to his missing brother. Dane has a fear of closed-in spaces and is anxious to be out of there quickly. (I know how he feels.) Unfortunately for him, he is waylaid by a blackmailing society matron who has a wedding on her mind. This prison was originally a cistern—a place to store rainwater. Only very important prisoners were housed there. Some were put to death and secretly flushed out to the Tiber River via a secret waterway. It’s a creepy, molding place, so of course I had to include it!

The arch of Septimius Severus is well-preserved compared to much of the Forum. It’s an impressive, recognizable icon. If I were arranging a meeting in the Forum ruins, it’s a place I might choose because it’s huge and easy to spot. I chose this as the location where the heroine, Eva, arranges a meeting with a “gentleman” she hopes will prove to be the satyr father that abandoned her pregnant mother twenty-two years earlier.

I put Dane’s oldest brother Bastian in charge of the Forum excavations. Because I’m the author, I get to do cool things like. I gave the brothers lavish homes and businesses on three of the seven famous hills that surround the Forum. Dane is in charge of the family’s ancestral olive grove on Aventine Hill, where family secrets are closely guarded.

This is where Eva first meets Dane. It’s a Calling night. A time when the satyr change physically in a carnal ritual devoted to the Roman god of wine. (The satyr are the followers of Bacchus in mythology.)

Both have secrets.

Eva hides the fact that she is the only female satyr in existence.

And the secret of Dane’s missing brother’s whereabouts is locked within his mind, hoarded by an alternate personality.

It’s now the 1880s and the forum digs are in high gear. Discoveries made there threaten to expose the satyr and their kind. By hiding what they are, the satyr have managed to live among humans throughout Italy for centuries. But things are changing. Dane and his two remaining brothers must entrench themselves in Roman society as thoroughly as possible. And that means taking human wives.

Who better to find a human wife for Dane, than an ElseWorld matchmaker? He thinks it will be a simple matter. He’ll request an uncomplicated wife, and will be presented with one. But when he visits the matchmaker, he encounters her strange household, which includes a greedy pixie, a gimlet-eyed maidservant, and two orphaned fey children …

Excerpt from Dane, The Lords of Satyr:

Dane sat across from the occupant of the desk, genuinely intrigued by her as he hadn’t been by a woman for as long as he could remember. He hadn’t given any thought to what he’d expected a matchmaker and her premises would be like, but he was certain that if he had, he could not have imagined this. For there was nothing at all expected about this room and its bizarre occupants.

In the garden, he’d been briefly interrogated before being invited inside by the diminutive, stocky man who appeared to have more than a few drops of pixie blood in him. In true pixie fashion, the fellow was fixated on matters of finance and had discussed the matchmaker’s exorbitant fee even as he lead him to this salon. A mulatto serving woman had arrived next, her face dour and suspicious, her blood so mixed that it was impossible to discern her ancestry even with his gifted nose. Likely over a dozen ElseWorld species had gone into the witch’s brew that had spawned her.

Then had come the return of the two little girls who’d admitted him to the garden to begin with. They sat together on the carpet now, the older one sketching, and the younger one playing with a toy steam locomotive and making soft chugging noises.

And finally he’d been confronted with this mysterious woman—Mademoiselle Evangeline Delacorte she called herself. The matchmaker. Seated opposite her with a desk between them, he studied every detail of her without appearing to. A trick he’d learned during his days as a Tracker.

She resembled an ancient Egyptian scryer, with kohl around her eyes, rings on every finger, and bangles thick at both wrists. What sort of female wore a provocative ball gown to conduct business, other than a courtesan? A tangle of necklaces draped her bosom—her opulent bosom. It was a physical aspect of a woman that he particularly admired, and hers was of a dimension that stirred him. He shifted in his chair, causing its leather to creak, and looked away. Were he to become too enchanted with her charms, it would be tantamount to an outright invitation to Dante –his other self– to join him in his skin.

The moment she’d come into the room, the matchmaker had ducked her head and quickly located a gauzy veil, which she’d draped over her head and shoulders. While it was transparent and did almost nothing to obscure her features, some form of magic had been woven into it, for he found that when he looked away, he couldn’t recall her face. But stranger still was the fact that her scent was so elusive that he couldn’t quite make out what species she was. This above all piqued his curiosity. In ElseWorld, his ability to distinguish one scent from another was legendary. However, here he felt as if something within him were purposely interfering with his ability to read hers. She and her entourage presented a puzzle. Something he’d never been able to resist.

“You’ve come to me seeking a bride?” It was the second time the woman had asked him the same question. It was rhetorical. The scroll the Council had sent to his brothers lay on the desk before her, bristling with ElseWorld magic and her address upon it plain to see. Her fingers stroked its edges restlessly. She was nervous. Which usually meant someone was hiding something.

Dane crossed one booted ankle over his opposite knee and crossed his arms. “No, I come to you seeking a foreman for my grove.”

The older girl glanced up from her drawing. “But Mademoiselle doesn’t locate foremen,” she informed him with a seriousness that sat strangely on one so young. “She finds brides.”

Mimi, who’d driven her train beneath the matchmaker’s desk, peered out at him and nodded. The serving woman squirmed on the corner chair where she sat with her mending. The girls’ precocious behavior irritated her, and it was clear to him that she had no great affection for them.

“Then I suppose I’ll have to settle for a bride instead.”

Copyright by Elizabeth Amber
Enjoy more excerpts at www.elizabethamber.com

Thank you so much, Elizabeth, for stopping by and the wonderful post. I just added Dane to my TBB list. :) Stop by and visit Elizabeth on her website listed directly above. You can check out The Season’s review of Dane here.

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Posted in Giveaways, Kensington | 30 Comments »

Kris Kennedy writes The Hero to DIE For!

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

I really loved THE IRISH WARRIOR as you can see from my review below. The hero, Finian, is the sole reason I started the Hero To DIE For feature on the website. I loved him, really, really loved him. He was seriously everything you could and would want in a hero. He is sexy as all get up, strong, passionate, loyal, did I say sexy as hell? And there is nothing, and I mean nothing, he would not do for the woman he loved. Because when Finian loves, he loves with the whole scope of that emotion. Sigh.

So, please welcome the fabulous, wonderfully talented Kris Kennedy who gave us this incredible Hero to DIE For! Feel free to ask Kris questions. Commenters will be entered to win an autographed copy of June’s Top Pick, THE IRISH WARRIOR! Winner will be posted June 4th.

~*~*~

The Allure Of The Alpha

We do love our alpha heroes. They abound in historical romances. Warriors, knights, outlaws, rakes. These are men who are very bad, in all the good ways. Because there is something inherently tempting about an alpha hero.

But why? What is it about the alpha?

I suspect one of the most powerful reasons we are drawn to the alpha is competence. Mastery.

Humans are attracted to people who do what they do really well. It connected to our survival mentality, but also reaches to the opposite end of that continuum: affluence. Resources. Luxury. When someone is a master at their endeavors, he or she is going to be highly successful. Rise to the top.

I think this is why, in romances, we see deadly swordsmen, expert archers, accomplished spies, successful businessmen, and rakes who can work a room, circling in toward what they want. It’s a cue for the reader: this man can excel. And we know this is inherent in the person, this capacity for greatness.

A master.

From martial arts to the art of seduction, a masterful man is inherently alluring.

When someone has exhibited mastery, readers know, in their gut, that there’s only one route to attain such heights: devotion, dedication, hard work and utter focus. Oh, and he’s got to be smart.

A masterful person absorbs information, accurately determines what’s relevant to his goal, distills that knowledge into something meaningful, and adapts in response. The true alpha is flexible. This means we have one smart cookie on our hands. ;-) The hero uses these abilities to get better at whatever he does, to hone in on—and conquer–the target of his attention.

And then he turns that all focus and devotion and intelligence on the heroine, and . . . oh, my, yes, there it is. The allure of the alpha. ;-)

2008 Golden Heart Winner for Best Historical Romance

Now, this doesn’t mean the ‘beta’ hero is any less competent. I love a beta hero. In ways, Finian has ‘beta’ traits, in that he doesn’t compete with the heroine. He has no problem with letting her shine. He doesn’t compete with anyone. He’s just damn good.

And knows it.

But our alphas . . . This is part of why we love them: because they know they’re good. And thus, are not afraid to take charge.

And therein lies another part of the allure of the masterful alpha: he not only is willing to take charge, he does it well. That is old, reptilian brain stuff. Very potent.

Now, it’s possible that someone could evidence all these capacities and you’d still end up with a great, big clod. Or a sociopath. He might be good at what he does, but he’s not someone we’d trust with our heart, or even want to have a drink with some evening. It may be sexy at first glance, but it’s not ‘long-haul’ material.

So where’s the line in the sand?

I believe it’s two-fold. I think we’re ultimately seduced by the man who uses his power for good, the masterful man who could wreck great harm . . . and doesn’t.

And we need a reflective, self-aware hero. I don’t mean a man who’d do do good in a psychotherapy session. :-) I mean a man who is aware of what’s happening to him. A man who is aware of what he’s feeling and experiencing, and, in the dark night of his soul, is willing to work harder, reach further, and ultimately, change.

Debut - May '09

In my debut novel THE CONQUEROR (May ‘09) the hero, Griffyn ‘Pagan’ Sauvage is a warrior and returning lord, seeking vengeance. He gets what he wants by dint of utter focus and high competence. There it is, the romance trope. But it’s a trope because it’s potent. The wronged person immediately evokes our sympathy. The intent, masterful, confident one evokes our respect.

In THE IRISH WARRIOR (June ‘10), Finian O’Melaghlin is a roughish charming warrior on a mission for his king to recover dangerous military intelligence. He’s smart, clever, confident, and good at everything he does, particularly charming the heroine. :-) But when she gets entwined in the web of deceit and power, he has to make choices that tap into his greatest fears and threaten to topple his greatest hopes. He is tested far beyond what he thought were his limits, and has to decide if he’s willing to go further yet, to save the woman he loves.

In the end, I think we love a hero who wields great power and is willing to use it to make the world a better place. One heroine at a time. :-)

Kris Kennedy writes sexy, adventure-filled medieval romances for Kensington and Pocket Books. At her website, you can sign-up for the newsletter and drop Kris a line saying Hi! THE IRISH WARRIOR, winner of the 2008 Golden Heart® Award for Best Historical Romance, released June 1. Read a sexy excerpt!

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Posted in Authors, Giveaways, Kensington | 49 Comments »

Sherry Thomas ~ All Your Heroes Are Belong to Eton

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

Today we have the fabulous Sherry Thomas guest blogging. As many of you know, Sherry burst on to the historical romance scene with PRIVATE ARRANGEMENTS, one of my all time favourite historical romances. Her prose is…the only way I can put it is to die for. This year Sherry’s NOT QUITE A HUSBAND is a RITA nominee for Best Historical. Please extend a warm welcome to Sherry as she chats with us about Eton–the reigning school of our historical heroes.

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If you read and/or write historical romance, you’ve probably heard of Eton College, the independent (private, in U.S. terminology) school for boys that has produced 19 British prime ministers, including the newest, David Cameron. And while the royal family traditionally educated princes at Gordonstoun, Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer is an Old Etonian, and Eton was where both Prince William and Prince Harry spent their teenage years.

Many, many historical romance heroes have attended Eton. Have you ever wondered what their life at school might have been like?

Well, think of Hogwarts, which is the most famous boarding school in literary history. There are some similarities. Although Eton students do not live in a castle, they are divided into various residential houses. And just like in Hogwarts, much of the students’ social life revolve around their peers in the same residential house.

Nowadays the houses are administered by the school. But during the 19th century and before, they were separate establishments, opened either by masters who wanted the extra income, or by enterprising women will and able to keep forty boys under control. Students referred to their particular house as either my tutor’s or my dame’s, depending on whether the house is operated by a man or a woman.

Eton, founded by Henry VI, was originally a charity school intended to educate poor boys who would then go on to King’s College at Cambridge. The boys who passed an examination and were therefore educated at the king’s expense are called King’s Scholars. At any given point in time, there were 70 King’s Scholars of various ages on campus, and their house is called College House, run by the school itself from the very beginning.

Aerial view of Eton

Your average Regency heroes, however, even if they aced the examination, were unlikely to be Kings Scholars. For much of its history, the conditions at College House were deplorable—and terrible food on top of it. So a boy from a family of any means would have been sent to one of the more comfortable, privately run houses, where each student had a room of his own to decorate as he pleased.

Another similarity between Hogwarts and Eton is the self-governing structure of the students. Britain’s public schools were the train grounds for the administrators of her empire. The boys had a say in the selection of their prefects. Between the prefects (called Debate and Library in centuries past), the House Captain, and the Game captain, the boys managed most of their own affairs. Even corporal punishments were administered by a prefect, instead of an adult.

Yet one more similarity between the most famous fictional boarding school and the most famous real-world boarding school is the sports madness. At Hogwarts there is only one sport, Quidditch. At Eton there are many, many sports. Eton’s three annual terms (called Halves) is each dominated by a distinct set of sports. The Michaelmas Half (fall term) is all football (soccer) and rugby. The Lent Half (spring term) the students play what is called field game, which is a type of football unique to Eton. And the Summer Half is associated with the sports that most often come to mind when we think about Eton, rowing and cricket.

Everybody played. It is difficult to overstate the pervasiveness of the sporting culture—a central tenet of manhood, in fact. The Duke of Wellington is believed to have said, “The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.” In 1939, during WWII, Eton donated fifteen acres of its playing field to the British Government’s Grow-More-Food program—and that made the news pages of Time Magazine.

Eton Weekly Class Schedule

Where Eton completely differs from Hogwarts, of course, is in its curriculum. I have here a weekly class schedule from circa 1900. And you can see, the boys education is concentrated overwhelmingly in the classics, even at that late date.

Yet another difference is the practice of fagging, which does not exist in Hogwarts and has been phased out at Eton, but was definitely still in place during earlier ages. A young boy who first enters Eton becomes a fag—a sort of personal servant—to a senior boy. He makes the senior boy’s tea—not just jam and crumpet, but a serious meal—fetches things, and makes himself generally useful.

So could your Old Etonian hero cook? Not all that well, perhaps. But when push comes to shove, anyone who had fagged—and every boy starting Eton fagged, no exceptions—could brew tea, make toast, and fry an egg.

Which just makes him more dreamy, non? :)

(And if the title of this post looks odd to you, click here )

~*~*~

His At Night
Author: Sherry Thomas
Publisher: Bantam
Pub. Date: May 25, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0553592443
Retail: $7.99
432 pages

Elissande Edgerton is a desperate woman, a virtual prisoner in the home of her tyrannical uncle. Only through marriage can she claim the freedom she craves. But how to catch the perfect man?

Lord Vere is used to baiting irresistible traps. As a secret agent for the government, he’s tracked down some of the most devious criminals in London, all the while maintaining his cover as one of Society’s most harmless—and idiotic—bachelors. But nothing can prepare him for the scandal of being ensnared by Elissande.

Forced into a marriage of convenience, Elissande and Vere are each about to discover they’re not the only one with a hidden agenda. With seduction their only weapon against each other—and a dark secret from the past endangering both their lives—can they learn to trust each other even as they surrender to a passion that won’t be denied?

So do you like your heroes Eton schooled? Comment and enter to win an autographed copy of HIS AT NIGHT.

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Posted in Authors, Bantam, Giveaways | 64 Comments »

Vanessa Kelly ~ Sex and the Single Earl

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

I have to admit, I’m totally looking forward to reading Sex and the Single Earl. Did I also mention it’s The Season’s May Book Club Pick? Well yes, it is.

I love Vanessa’s post today. I’m definitely the one who would call the hero an alpha male and not a jerk. It’s fiction so I can say this, because it’s not true for real life, but I love a hero who many might consider a bit of a jerk if you defined jerk: arrogant, sarcastic, cocky, brooding…and sexy. :)   Vanessa thanks a bunch guest blogging today and the fabulous topic. I’m looking forward to reading the responses.

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Is One Reader’s Alpha Male Another One’s Jerk?

I’m so happy to be here at The Season, celebrating the release of my Regency-set historical romance, Sex And The Single Earl.  With a title like that, it’s pretty obvious that my hero, Simon St. James, is going to be that special kind of guy, the Alpha male.  Personally, I love the Alpha hero, the stronger the better.

The defining characteristic of the Alpha male—hero or villain—is confidence.  He has a calm conviction that he can and will overcome any problem, no matter how difficult.  And he’ll do it, too, with a combination of physical strength, intellectual smarts, and unwavering determination.  He’s a natural leader who generally expects everyone to fall in line with his plans.  If you get in his way, watch out!  He’ll either go around you or over you, whichever is easier.

And therein lies the rub.  Confidence can easily bleed over into arrogance, and it doesn’t take much of that to turn off a reader, especially if that arrogance is directed too forcefully at the heroine.

In Sex And The Single Earl, my hero is an uber-alpha.  Simon is supremely confident and sometimes more than a little arrogant.  Not that he means to be a jerk—he doesn’t.  But as the head of the family, he’s used to both calling the shots and taking care of everyone else, and over time he’s grown convinced that his methods are always best.  He especially feels that way about the heroine, Sophie Stanton.  Simon has basically grown up with Sophie, and he’s very protective of her.  But since he has known her for so long he’s not in the habit of treating her with kid gloves—especially since Sophie never has any trouble giving Simon the gears whenever she thinks he needs it.  Which is often.  In fact, when she was a child, she never thought twice about giving him a good kick in the shins whenever he annoyed her.

Sophie hasn’t changed much over the years, at least when it comes to Simon.  Given that he’s an Alpha male, Simon doesn’t like that.  He’s not above laying down the law in the hopes that Sophie will finally do what he wants her to do.  And it’s exactly that kind of bull-headed determination that can come off as arrogant.

How, then, to keep the Alpha hero from being so arrogant and controlling that he comes off like a jerk?  The answer lies in emphasizing his heroic qualities.  The true Alpha hero, of course, has a strong need to protect those he perceives as weaker than he is, or those needing his care.  The heroine usually brings out his tender qualities, even though he often resists this part of himself (a great source of conflict, by the way).  He may be manipulative at times or come off as a little domineering, but it stems from his desire to protect those he loves.

Most importantly, the Alpha hero has to learn that the heroine is a strong, independent person in her own right.  He has to learn to respect her.  That’s certainly the case in Sex And The Single Earl.  Simon would love it if Sophie did everything he wanted her to, but there’s not a hope in hell of that happening.  They clash frequently over that which, by the way, often leads to interesting situations in the bedchamber.  But, ultimately, Simon will learn to respect her judgment, and realize that Sophie is every bit his equal.  Even more importantly, he comes to realize that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Readers often have very different reactions to the Alpha male hero.  For some, the more outrageously masculine and arrogant the hero is, the better they like him—as long as that core quality to defend and protect the heroine is always present.  I’m one who believes that there is nothing sexier than a powerful, overly-confident man brought to his knees by love.

For other readers, though, that same Alpha male might come off as a jerk—too manipulative and too controlling to be attractive.  It’s truly a matter of personal taste, and sometimes that line between hero and jerk can be very thin, indeed.

How about you, dear readers?  Do you like that ultra-confident, slightly swaggering Alpha male, intent on bending the world to his will?  Or does he give you a rash, making you long to take refuge in the arms of a Beta hero? All commenters will be entered to win an autograph copy of SEX AND THE SINGLE EARL.

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Posted in Authors, Giveaways, Kensington | 62 Comments »

Blythe Gifford ~ His Border Bride

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

Please welcome our guest blogger,  Blythe Gifford, whose  release, HIS BORDER BRIDE, hit your virtual and bookshelves May 1st! Blythe, thanks so much for joining us. And once again, I must enthuse over Harlequin Historical’s covers. They are absolutely gorgeous as you can see by HIS BORDER BRIDE.

~*~*~

Words, historic and otherwise

As a writer of medieval romance, I have to be cautious about my word choices.  While I’m not trying to write in authentic 14th century English (or Scots, for my current book), words that are clearly anachronistic not only throw the reader out of the story, they also show a lack of attention to detail that can call your entire story into question.

Yet as a 20th century writer, even learning when to check a word’s origin takes some practice.  I once had a medieval heroine thinking that a nobleman cared “more about his ego than his people’s stomachs.”  It wasn’t until a critique partner pointed it out (after I had read it at least a gazillion times) that I even thought about a word my 20th century brain took for granted.  But the word “ego” didn’t even exist until the 1700s.

Then there are the words that are correct, but sound wrong.  “Alien” now reminds everyone of creatures from outer space.  Yet seven hundred years ago, it meant a “foreigner.”  Accurate as it might be, it’s one I avoid.

I like to sprinkle in period words and then clarify their meaning in context when I must, but I’ve also found that too many medieval spellings and dialect usage is a no-no.  Or, in the case of HIS BORDER BRIDE, a nay-nae.  I had sprinkled both throughout the book, feeling very Scottish as I did.

But when the copy editor questioned my usage and my editor pointed out the confusion, I had an eleventh hour fire drill to go through the manuscript and correct or change my various and inconsistent usage.  (Please.  Don’t email to tell me I missed one.)

Next time, it’s no and not!

I faced a particularly interesting word problem in this book.  Falconry was a thematic symbol throughout the story and my heroine was devoted to the sport and her birds.  In my research, I discovered a number of words now part of our everyday vocabulary that originally were part of the language of hawking, as it was also called.

The challenge?  These words have taken on a slightly different meaning over the centuries. I had to insert some clarification of each word, just as if it had been totally unfamiliar.

The very word “falcon” was properly applied to the female bird.  A male falcon was called a “tercel.”  (Also tassel, tarsel, or tierce.  In the medieval time period, consistent spelling was the hobgoblin of small minds.)  All these came from the conventional wisdom that the male was one-third (a terce) smaller than the female.

“Fledgling” now means new or inexperienced.  Originally, it specifically referred to a bird that could fly, but had not yet left the nest.

“Cadger” now makes us think of a beggar.  But in falconry, a “cadger” is the man who wears a “cadge,” a sort of wooden frame that carries the hooded birds out to the field for the hunt.

“Haggard,” instantly calls to mind someone who looks very tired.  But working backwards, it first meant unruly or untamed and developed from the term for a “haggard” bird.  That means one that was captured from the wild after growing into adult plumage and, thus, more difficult to train.

Another important step in training a falcon was to “man” it, or get the wild bird comfortable around human beings.  It’s a logical use of the world, but again, not one that can be used without some explanation.

I do own a copy of the Oxford English Dictionary, in two volumes, readable only with a magnifying glass.  English Through the Ages by William Brohaugh has also been a godsend.

But I’m finding I do more and more online.  Here are the sites I love:  www.etymonline.com, www.Merriam-Webster.com, and http://www.dsl.ac.uk, the Dictionary of the Scots Language.

Those of you who write, what’s your favorite source for checking on word usage in history?  And readers, do you ever find yourself stumbling over unfamiliar words in a story?  Or do you relish the occasional forgotten word that adds flavor and authenticity?  There’s a copy of HIS BORDER BRIDE for one lucky commenter.

BLYTHE GIFFORD (http://www.BlytheGifford.com) is the author of five medieval romances from Harlequin Historical. She specializes in characters born on the wrong side of the royal blanket.  With HIS BORDER BRIDE, she crosses the border and sets a story in Scotland for the first time, where the rules of chivalry don’t always apply.

Here’s a brief description:

His Border Bride
Author: Blythe Gifford
Publisher: Harlequin Historicals
Pub. Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0373295944
Retail: $5.99
288 pages

Royal Rogue: He is the bastard son of an English prince and a Scotswoman. A rebel without a country, he has darkness in his soul.

Innocent Lady:  Daughter of a Scottish border lord, she can recite the laws of chivalry, and knows this man has broken every one.  But she’s gripped by desire for him—could he be the one to unleash the dangerous urges she’s hidden until now?

Blythe loves to have visitors at www.BlytheGifford.com or www.facebook.com/BlytheGifford.

Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ®and T are trademarks of Harlequin Enterprises Limited and/or its affiliated companies, used under license. Copyright 2010 ■ Author photo by Jennifer Girard

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Posted in Authors, Giveaways, Harlequin | 26 Comments »

Maggie Robinson debuts Mistress By Mistake

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

Maggie Robinson, who also writes for Berkley Sensation as Margaret Rowe, is one of my new author finds for 2010! Mistress By Mistake is a May Top Pick for The Season (you can read my review here) and her Courtesan Court trilogy only gets better with each book. I positively love her and her books, so please welcome Maggie to the blog.

~*~*~

I’m so honored to be at the beautiful Season!  I want to thank Bev for her support for my writing—she loves my books and consequently I love her, LOL. Writing and reading are so subjective, and when you write, you hope you’re going to touch someone else’s heart other than your own. Writers sometimes have trouble reading—it’s an occupational hazard. You think, “Hm. I would have done that differently.” Or, “Look at those point of view switches…adverbs…mechanical sex scenes…didn’t she use the same word two paragraphs above?” You get the idea. To get praise from another writer makes my heart sing.

Debut ~ April 27, 2010

In my bio on my website, I say there’s nothing I like better than writing about people who make mistakes, but don’t let the mistakes make them. In my debut Mistress by Mistake, quite a few mistakes get made along the way, the most significant being that the hero mistakes the heroine for her sister Deb, the mistress he has yet to master. Charlotte is in the wrong bed at the wrong time, but you know she’s the right woman for Bay. This is a romance after all. :)

Now I’m really clear—on page 2—that Bay has not enjoyed Deb’s favors before he finds himself tangled up with Charlie. There are some mistakes that are a little too icky even for me. ;) But mostly I love flawed characters, people who have to fight their way up and out from difficult circumstances, whose childhoods have not been all popsicles and puppies, whose love lives require more Kleenex than Veuve Clicquot—people who take a licking and keep on ticking, as the old Timex ads used to say. And if they can do it with a sense of humor, they’ll have me at hello.

Who’s your favorite fighter in fiction? (Mine is Dare from Jo Beverley’s To Rescue a Rogue). Do you have a favorite mistake like Cheryl Crow? (Mine would be the philosophy major I dated in college) I’ve got a signed copy of Mistress by Mistake and some other good stuff to give away to a commenter!

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The Darkly Luminous Haunted London Blog Tour

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

Please help me welcome one of my absolute favourite authors–seriously, I met Leanna and she is absolutely wonderful–Leanna Renee Hieber. The Season Blog is one of the many stops on Leanna’s The Darkly Luminous Haunted London Blog Tour. Thanks so much for taking over blogging duties today, Leanna, and congratulations on the release of your second book in The Strangely Series, The Darkly Luminous Fight For Persephone Parker.

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Hello Season belles of the ball, thanks to Beverley for the chance to be here with you!

About the Tour:
I’ve been busy telling ghost stories here on this tour as I celebrate the recently released sequel in the Strangely Beautiful series of Gothic Victorian Fantasy novels; The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker. And we’ve come to the part of the tour where I share some of my own ghosts that I’ve made up along the way. All the London ghosts within the book – save for my ghostly residents of the fictional Athens Academy and the grim Whisper-world- are taken from real, documented London haunts. But here at The Season I thought I’d share my sweeter side of ghosts. After all, there’s nothing so lovely as a ghostly entourage on your wedding day!

About the book:
“Death-pale Percy Parker was a beacon for Fate. True love had found her, in the tempestuous form of Professor Alexi Rychman. But her mythic destiny was not complete. Foretold by ghosts with which she alone could converse; a war was coming. Victorian London would be overrun by a spectral host. Yet, within mighty Athens Academy, alongside The Guard who shielded mortals from the agents of the Underworld, she counted herself among friends. Wreathed in hallowed fire, they would stand together, no matter what dreams or nightmares—may come.”

From The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker:

“Come, dear, it’s nearly time.” Josephine rustled in the garment box to reveal a pearl tiara, set with blue glass flowers, and a veil of pale blue. Percy gasped, as if it were the final touch of absolute reality. “Yes, my dear, he really is going to marry you,” the Frenchwoman promised softly. “He really is.” Marianna was quiet but smiled.

The train hooked and the crowning veil set, Percy stared in the mirror and her eyes watered. She had applied just the faintest hint of rouge to her cheeks and lips, and had lined her white eyelids with the thinnest grey, which caused the ice blue slivers of her irises to jump forth. Feeling beautiful, she plucked her phoenix pendant out to hang not against her skin but proudly in the open, a mark of the fate-forged bond of long ago.

The journey across the Athens courtyard was a spectacle of whispers and gaping mouths. Josephine and Marianna looked like proud family, escorting her. Percy could hear faint strains of a stringed instrument from inside the chapel, and fainter still, the ghostly trace of what she could only liken to an angelic choir.

If The Guard wondered why none of the harmless, gamesome spirits of Athens had wafted into the chapel, it was because they were all clustered at the outside door, awaiting the bride. A living gentleman stood among them, a handsome youth with wild, curly hair and a dimpled grin, blissfully unaware of the floating dead nearby.

“Oh, Percy, you are incredible!” said Edward Page, the young lad smitten with Marianna, who slid her arm onto his with unconscious ease. “Congratulations! As surprising as this is, congratulations on this most auspicious day!”

“Go on, you two.” As Percy stepped away from view, Josephine ushered the young couple through the doors. Marianna turned to blow her friend a kiss, and they shared a familiar giggle—the last of their maidenhood.

There was a box at the door, and Josephine opened it to place a cluster of perfect white lilies wrapped in blue satin in Percy’s trembling hands. Percy smiled at the bouquet, and at the misty-eyed Josephine, before returning her attention to the dead who’d come to see her wed.

“Leave this to us, Percy,” said the boy with the soft brogue who usually kept to the main foyer chandelier. “We know you’ve no father to give you away, and so we wish to walk you down the aisle.”

“Thank you all,” Percy murmured, her eyes glimmering with tears. “That’s very kind of you.” She turned to Josephine. “You may go on, thank you. The spirits wish to present me.” The Frenchwoman sighed in appreciation and slipped into the chapel.

The spirits encircled Percy. While she felt the air around her grow freezing, she was lost in the excitement on their faces. Their entire spectral strength amassed, they were just able to manipulate the door. Percy came in full view, and the crowd was rendered breathless. A ghostly radiant goddess, she moved forward, floating in loving and spectral procession to the haunting sound of Jane’s strings.

Percy and Alexi were stunned by the sight of each other, overwhelmed by the magnetism that seized their hearts. He stood awaiting her at the base of the altar, and energy surged between them as they took hands. Percy took her place opposite him and, to her, the rest of the chapel disappeared.

Leave a comment to win one signed copy of The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker (Strangely Beautiful #2).
The Strangely Beautiful saga will continue again with “A Christmas Carroll” (Strangely Beautiful #2.5) novella in Dorchester’s A Midwinter Fantasy anthology this October! And did you hear there may be a Strangely Beautiful musical?! Please join me via any of the sites below for ongoing updates, contests and more!

“Strangely Beautiful” Blessings! – Leanna Renee Hieber
Visit / Join in:
www.leannareneehieber.com
www.twitter.com/leannarenee
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/sbsfan
Blog: www.leannareneebooks.blogspot.com

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Christie Kelley has Something Scandalous to tell

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Scandals are in the air.

It seems that scandals run rampant in regency historicals. And such is the case in my April release, SOMETHING SCANDALOUS. Actually, all of my Spinster Club books have scandals involved in some way or another. Only in this book, the real scandal is not so much between my hero and heroine, but my heroine’s parents. Writing this story and my others made me think about scandals in general, and the people’s interest in them.

Why do we love scandals?

Not just in our books but even in everyday life. You can’t wait in a grocery store line without seeing 4-5 magazines and newspapers that devote most of their pages to exposing someone’s personal life to the masses. There are early evening shows that focus the majority of their time on the current scandal from Hollywood. Even the soap operas I watched as a teen were nothing but scandals. It wasn’t that different 200 years ago either. People loved to hear some piece of juicy gossip.

Something Scandalous
Author: Christie Kelley
Publisher: Zebra
Pub. Date: April 6, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1420108767
352 pages

Raised as the youngest daughter of the Duke of Kendal, Elizabeth learns a devastating truth on his deathbed: he wasn’t her father at all. And because the Duke had no sons, his title and fortune must go to his only male heir: a distant cousin who left England for America long ago. Anticipating the man’s imminent occupation of her home, Elizabeth anxiously searches for her mother’s diary, and the secret of her paternity…

Arriving in London with his seven siblings, William Atherton intends to sell everything and return to his beloved Virginia farm, and his fiancée, as quickly as possible. But as Elizabeth shows William an England he never knew, and graciously introduces his siblings to London society, it becomes clear the two are meant for each other. Soon, Elizabeth finds herself determined to seduce the man who can save not only her family name, but her heart…

But what do we get out of it?

There is that satisfaction of knowing someone has done something more foolish than yourself. That’s a big one. It does make you feel better about yourself, doesn’t it? After all, while you might have done something foolish, but you didn’t get caught and the other person did.

There is also the idea that a scandal humanizes someone from a higher social position. It makes that person fallible.

Or in the case of many books, it makes the character more sympathetic. I think this is especially true for the heroines who might have been caught in some mistake and are suddenly shunned from society. It’s hard not to root for the underdog.

What do you think? Do you like to read the gossip magazines or hear about the Hollywood stars and their marriage woes? If you do, tell me why. If not, tell me what you people get out of them.

Christie Kelley was born and raised in upstate New York. After seventeen years working for financial institutions in software development, she started writing her first book. She currently writes regency historicals for Zebra. Christie now lives in Maryland with her husband and two sons. Come visit her on the web at www.christiekelley.com.

Christie, thank you so much for guest blogging today and your topic is completely on point with the Tiger Woods and Jesse James scandals currently captivating the media these days. I can’t wait to read about the scandalous goings on in Something Scandalous. And today, one lucky commenter will win an advanced autographed copy of Christie’s sexy book.

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Miranda Neville ~ Writer Envy

Monday, March 15th, 2010

If you’re a writer, you’ve experienced it at one time or another. If it was a disease, we’d all be wiped out by it. Thank goodness it only makes us human. Today please welcome Miranda Neville to the blog as she discusses the writers she most envies and celebrates the release of her sophomore book, THE WILD MARQUIS (You know you wouldn’t have your marquises any other way ;) ).

Writer Envy: Who Do I Wish I Was?

I just read (I know, years late) The Smoke Thief by Shana Abé. One reason I knew it was a good book was that I kept thinking “This is so good. I should write a book like this.”

Of course I can’t. Abé’s prose is lyrical and lush and her subject matter is paranormal. My own writing style is more earthbound and ironic. But that doesn’t save me from committing the sin of writer envy. Certain writers regularly inspire me with jealous torments.

I love the way Liz Carlyle sets a scene, especially a sordid scene. The opening of Tempted All Night, for example. Without going into a lot of description, she makes you see the shady pub – and incidentally tells you a whole lot about her hero.

“It’s generally said that a man can be known by the company he keeps, and Tristan Talbot was likely the only fellow in London who went dicing with his manservant. That his servant disdained the Three Shovels as beneath his dignity served only to further illuminate the level to which Tristan sometimes sank. And illumination was direly needed at the Shovels, for the place was dark as a den of thieves.

Actually, it was a den of thieves. And rogues and sharps and bawds—even the occasional gentleman out for a low-class lark. From somewhere deep inside the low-ceilinged alehouse, raucous laughter rang out….”

I’m always telling people Janet Mullany is the funniest historical writer around, though why I bother to qualify the statement I don’t know. Can’t think of any funnier in any genre. Only Janet—in the Rules Of Gentility– would set her marriage proposal in the bathroom.

“What are you doing in there?”

“It’s a water closet. What sort of question is that?”

“Well hurry up. I want to propose to you.’ He thumps on the door again and mutters something about women taking so long in there. It must be all the petticoats.

My papa comments that he’s always thought it so too.

The  Wild Marquis
Author: Miranda Neville
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Pub. Date: March 9, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0061808708
384 pages

He is notorious for his wretched morals and never received in respectable houses. The ladies of the ton would never allow him in their drawing rooms . . . though some of them have welcomed him into their bedchambers. Rejected from his father’s house at the age of sixteen, he now lives a life of wanton pleasure. So what could the Marquis of Chase possibly want with Juliana Merton, a lovely, perfectly upstanding shopkeeper with a mysterious past?

A moment’s indiscretion?

A night’s passion?

Or a lifetime of love?

Even the wildest rakes have their weaknesses . . .

I envy Eloisa James’ ability to effortlessly convey romantic deliciousness, as in this random page from Desperate Duchesses, perhaps my favorite Eloisa.

“Damon was well aware he was consumed by lust. It was a dangerous state. He’d never before experienced it as a sort of waking fever dream, as the past few days when he walked the halls of Beaumont House merely so that he could catch a whiff of Roberta’s perfume, or see the flutter of her dress retreat around a corner.”

Anna Campbell’s dark sensuality leaves me gaping. How does she do that?

“He told himself her body was all he wanted.

The declaration sounded laughably hollow. The feverish encounter had bitten more deeply than the fleeting demands of flesh alone ever could, however much he wished it otherwise.

She took a shuddering breath as he settled at her side. He fought the urge to stroke the damp black hair back from her brow. She wouldn’t welcome his tenderness, he knew with piercing regret. (Claiming the Courtesan)

Among the many things I envy in Susan Elizabeth Phillips is her ability to construct a big multi-character ensemble scene. The most fun may the one where a horde of giant professional sportsmen invade the heroine’s house (“Get your big-ass shoes off my sofa cushions.”) My favorite is the dinner party in Ain’t She Sweet when Sugar Beth turns an event designed to humiliate her into a triumph. We see her emerge with grace and dignity and Colin’s emotions turn from revenge to shame to love. There’s nothing I find more satisfying than seeing the tables turned.

And then there’s Loretta Chase. I’d kill to write like Chase. All I can do after devouring one of her books is to pray that some of her genius rubs off on me.

Among your favorite authors, can you pinpoint exactly what aspects of their work you like the most? One answer will win a signed copy of The Wild Marquis.

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Rose Lerner ~ In For A Penny

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

It’s always so nice to happen upon new authors, which is why it’s so lovely to have Rose Lerner–author of IN FOR A PENNY–here with us today. Please extend an ultra-warm welcome to Rose as she chats about the new phenom, costume drama monster movies. :)

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Image from The Inquistr

So I don’t know how many of you have heard about the possible upcoming production, Pride and Predator.

Personally, I’m excited.  Because I love the idea of costume drama monster movies.  And the only one I’ve ever seen is Ginger Snaps Back: the Beginning. Which I enjoyed because my very favorite musician Hugh Dillon played the fire-and-brimstone preacher, but which could definitely have had a more authentic period feel.  Why are monster movies all set in the present day?  There’s just no need for that!  So my friend Sonia and I sat down and came up with some concepts:

1. The Unholy Sepulchre. This one is about vampire Crusaders.  Think of how difficult it would be for them to wear those cloaks with the crosses on them!

2.  Vanguard Party.  This one is about a small unit of revolutionary Communist werewolves during the Russian Revolution.  Possibly they would liberate a labor camp in Siberia.  Werewolves look really dramatic in the snow.  (Important note: these would be people who turned into wolves.  Not people who turned into weird CGI hunched-over giant hairy people.  I have Strong Opinions about werewolf special effects!)

3.  Lieutenant Hornblower and the Kraken. Enough said.

4.  Cowboys vs. the Blob.  I don’t know how cowboys would come up with enough cold to freeze the Blob, but I’m excited to find out!

5.  Running Scared. This is a World War Two movie in which submarines fight the Giant Squid.  Is the Giant Squid a Nazi? you may ask.  I’ll leave that creative decision up to you.

6.  Sacagawea fights Bigfoot!  It would be hard to make this movie not turn out racist.  But I think if you put some thought into it and did it right, it could be awesome.

7.  You know how there’s a type of B-movie where there’s an ancient monster sleeping under the earth, and then it’s disturbed by oil drilling or modern construction of some sort?  I think there should be a movie like this with Industrial Revolution coal miners.

~~~

In For A Penny
Author: Rose Lerner
Publisher: Dorchester/Leisure
Pub. Date: February 23, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0373774395
336 pages

IN FOR A PENNY

No more drinking. No more gambling. And definitely no more mistress. Now that he’s inherited a mountain of debts and responsibility, Lord Nevinstoke has no choice but to start acting respectable. Especially if he wants to find a wife-better yet, a rich wife. Penelope Brown, a manufacturing heiress, seems the perfect choice. She’s pretty, rational, ladylike, and looking for a marriage based on companionship and mutual esteem.

IN FOR A POUND

But when they actually get to Nev’s family estate, all the respectability and reason in the world won’t be enough to deal with tenants on the edge of revolt, a menacing neighbor, and Nev’s family’s propensity for scandal. Overwhelmed but determined to set things right, Nev and Penelope have no one to turn to but each other. And to their surprise, that just might be enough.

~~~

8.  Bonnie Prince Charlie vs. the Loch Ness monster!

9.  Dust monsters in the Great Depression!

10.  St. George and the Dragon.  Need I say more?  If you wanted, the dragon could be an alien, but it’s not necessary.

11.  Aliens land in medieval Japan and Samurai must defeat them–or learn that even though they look different, we can share the galaxy in peace, depending on what kind of alien movie this is.  I’m envisioning this as War of the Worlds-style aliens, but you could really take this in a lot of directions visually.

12.  Suffragettes vs. giant robots!  I’m a little surprised this hasn’t been done yet, what with the rise of steampunk and all.

13.  The Greek War of Independence (1821-1829), but with monsters from Greek mythology.  Byron would be a character, and possibly instead of dying of dysentery he would be eaten by a Cyclops.

14.  An alchemist accidentally creates a monster in his lab, and must defeat it before it destroys his entire city, and then–the world!

15.  In 19th century Cornwall, wreckers (who would loot ships that wrecked close to shore and sell the cargo, in extreme cases leaving the crew to drown or even killing them to cover up their illegal activities) are looting a ship–only to discover that it wrecked because the crew was eaten by monsters!  Possibly vampires because they’re fond of killing the crews of ships as their coffins are transported from Transylvania (which seems really impractical, as don’t you need the crews to, you know, run the ship?), but not necessarily.

My friend and I were also really excited about The Severed Hand of Franklin, in which Lord Franklin’s expedition looking for the Northwest Passage is murdered by the Abominable Snowman, and then it turned out there already was a horror novel about the Franklin expedition: The Terror

Suggest your own costume drama monster movies in the comments!  My favorite suggestion gets a signed copy of IN FOR A PENNY.

Thanks for having me on The Season!

~*~*~

For an additional opportunity to win IN FOR A PENNY plus a package of 10 (ten) of Rose’s favourite Regency-set novels, visit Rose at www.roselerner.com/contest.html

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