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Have you ever picked up a contemporary romance written decades ago?

Monday, January 30th, 2012

by Kat Latham

I had the pleasure last weekend, thanks to the lovely Janet Webb and the power of Twitter.

A few months ago, I tweeted a picture of a statue in the gardens of a stately home in the middle of the Dutch countryside, near where I now live. It’s close to the sea, and the fog was so thick I lost sight of my husband when he was a few feet away. This statue shows how eerily atmospheric the gardens were.

Historical romance novelist Miranda Neville remarked that it looked very Betty Neels, and I said I’d never read any of Betty’s books. Janet and Miranda both told me more about Betty’s work (English nurses move to Holland and marry doctors who end up being filthy rich), and Janet actually sent me one.

How cool is that??

So last weekend I read Betty Neels’ The Little Dragon, published in 1978 – the year before I was born – and it was revelatory. Not only could I see how much romance as a genre has changed, but how women’s hopes, dreams and prospects have changed in real life, too.

Take this description of the heroine, Constantia, walking around an outdoor market with the hero, Jeroen.

They strolled round, the doctor’s hand on her arm, for there was a good deal of good-natured pushing and shoving and as he pointed out, her small slim person would have stood very little chance of staying upright. Constantia, who was remarkably tough despite her fairy-like appearance, didn’t argue the point; it was pleasant to be looked after so carefully.

Small. Slim. Fairy-like. Remarkably tough yet loving having a man look after her. Is this the ideal woman of the 1970s?

Has that changed?

And I loved this bit of praise from the hero when he gets an emergency phone call from work, and Constantia shows she understands he has to go: “What a splendid girl you are—not so much as a pout or frown.”

She’s a nurse! Of course she understands! But no, she’s a girl first and a nurse second.

In fact, her career is clearly just something to do until she finds a husband, which reminded me of my mom’s hopes for her own future. Mom wasn’t a nurse, but she certainly wasn’t encouraged to have a career. I wrote about her dream to be June Cleaver on my blog last week.

In The Little Dragon, Constantia’s career is never once mentioned again once she gets engaged. She doesn’t think about it, refer to it, or use the skills she developed through it. Instead, she essentially becomes Jeroen’s housekeeper and babysitter of his niece and nephews.

Contemporary romance often reflects women’s fantasies for their own lives. Did women who read Constantia’s story when it was first published in 1978 dream of being independent only until a rich man came along?

I really enjoyed the book, mostly because it felt like a historical romance since life has changed so much. But even more, it made me wonder about the contemporary romance published today. What does it say about attributes we value in women (slim? fairy-like?)? And what does it show that women today want from life and relationships?

Do you like reading contemporary romance published decades ago? What do you think today’s contemporary romance says about what women want from life and relationships? Thirty years from now, what will people think is strange about our contemporary romance novels

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 Harlequin, Katrina | 14 Comments »

Stephanie Laurens ~ Holding Out For a Hero finale

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Today, we have a brief Q&A from Stephanie Laurens as we anticipate the release of her final book in her Holding Out For a Hero trilogy, THE CAPTURE OF THE EARL OF GLENCARE, which goes on sale January 31st.

Comment and enter to win a copy of VISCOUNT BRECKENRIDGE TO THE RESCUE, IN PURSUIT OF ELIZA CYNSTER, and a $10 Gift Certificate to Amazon or BN (to purchase Ms. Laurens’ upcoming release). ;)

~*~*~

You’ve described this book as: Elizabeth Bennet rescues Errol Flynn in the wilds of Scotland. Why?

Ah…I have to be careful here to avoid spoilers, but suffice it to say that, speaking literally as well as figuratively, that is indeed what happens. I wanted a twist to the customary, expected plot line wherein the hero always rescues the heroine – why couldn’t a heroine rescue a hero? And when it came to the story itself, Angelica was clearly the sort of young lady to carry off such a challenge.

 

The hero of this book is the head of a highland clan – how does his role differ from the head of a large family?

After writing about the Cynster family for so long, this was an area of research that fascinated me specifically because of the parallels that emerged between, for instance, the role of Devil Cynster, Duke of St. Ives, the head of the Cynster family (whose members have often enough in multiple books referred to themselves as the Cynster clan) and the role filled by Angelica’s hero, the head of a Scottish highland clan. At one point, after examining her hero’s status and responsibilities, Angelica considers the comparison, and, indeed, the highland clans still surviving at that time may well  have been very similar to her conclusion, which was that a highland clan operated on the same familial relationship lines as her extended Cynster family, but that the members of the clan were even more directly interdependent for their welfare and overall survival. Angelica concludes that clan is the equivalent of family taken to the extreme, and that seemed a valid description for a clan tucked away in an isolated glen, one that had managed to survive the earlier highland clearances intact.

 

You refer to a story involving Sir Walter Scott and George, the Prince Regent. Was that story true?

This was one of those serendipitious quirks. I sometimes wonder who it is who whispers in my head when I’m spinning a story! I needed a, for want of a better word, maguffin – an object of worth, a treasure of great meaning, something of the sort that could mean a great deal to my hero, and be important and valuable or powerful enough for others to want to possess it. I was typing away on the outline, and paused – then simply typed on because to me it was obvious, for reasons I had no clue about, that the object was XXX. (Again, I’m trying to avoid spoilers!)  I finished the outline, then went back to research and check that there really had been, or at least might have been, an XXX. And lo and behold, I all but immediately stumbled across the story of Sir Walter Scott, novelist and patriotic Scotsman, and his great obsession, and how that tied in with the Prince Regent, a close friend of Scott’s, and…I  swear I had never heard even a whisper of the story before, but there it was, with all the history, pomp, ceremony, and mystery I could possibly want, the perfect, true life basis for my maguffin! I am still seriously tickled that I could use such a fantastic yet true story – and yes, the story of Sir Walter Scott’s obsession is told, albeit in condensed fashion, in the book – to underpin my entirely fictitious tale. For a novelist, this was a dream find.

 

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Posted in Avon Books, Free stuff, Giveaways | 48 Comments »

Testing your boundaries through Erotic Romance

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

by Katrina Latham

I’ve never been an erotic romance reader, but lately I’ve been testing my reading boundaries a little more and stretching out to read things that’re different from the contemporary and historical romances I usually choose.

I tell myself it’s because I want to improve my writing skills, but really it’s because I’m curious. (And a bit pervy.)

The first erotic novels I read turned me off completely and, I’m afraid, gave me a distorted view of the sub-genre. They were short books in my local library in London, and their authors had names that would make porn stars look clever. In fact, the books had a lot in common with movies you might find behind a curtain at your video store.

The storylines were no more interesting than the “Did-somebody-call-a-plummer?” plots in those videos. And the characters had more in common with dogs than with humans; they basically wandered around sniffing each other’s crotches before humping away – whether they liked the person or not.

Gross.

But then I “met” some friends online. Clever women who are strong, funny and creative.

Oh, and they write erotic romance.

So I gave their work a try. And guess what? I might be an erotic romance reader after all.

The first of those online buddies is Tiffany Reisz. She offered a free read, Daniel Part Two, on her blog last year, and who am I to turn down a free chance to test my boundaries?

Tiffany’s writing is powerful and entertaining. The witty, compelling characters in Daniel Part Two kept me returning to her blog as she posted a new chapter every week. Her stories are definitely beyond my comfort zone, as they involve a lot of pain (which apparently is pleasurable, though I’ll take her word for it) and sleeping around, but I’ll definitely read more of her work.

The second online friend is Amelia James. I bought Tell Me You Want Me in December and read it in an evening. The book is hot, with loads of sex (of the non-painful variety) and monogamy once the two main characters meet. For a good time, call Amelia James. (Or, better yet, download one of her books.)

The novel that really convinced me I could be an erotic romance reader is Roni Loren’s Crash Into You. *fans blushing face* Holy freakin’ hotness!

I confess, Roni Loren and I were critique partners for a short time before she sold this novel, so I got to read some early chapters. There’s nothing more vicious than a writer who’ll tempt you with an amazing story and then make you wait two years to read more. I ran (okay, drove) to the bookstore the morning Crash Into You was released, and once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down.

Crash Into You is my kind of erotic romance. Even though the focus is on the main characters’ developing sexual relationship, their emotional relationship is very much part of that, enhancing it every step of the way. There’s a deep bond (and a bit of bondage) between these two, and although it’s BDSM, it never scared me the way those early books I read did. Crash Into You is the thinking woman’s erotic romance.

Do you read erotic romance or erotica? What do you think of it? If you don’t read it, what turns you off about it? If you’re on the fence, like me, which authors do you feel are within your reading boundaries and write books that suit your tastes? Comment and enter to win a print copy of CRASH INTO YOU and a digital copy of SEVEN DAY LOAN!

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 Berkley, Giveaways, Harlequin, Katrina | 32 Comments »

‘Twas the lull after Christmas. . .

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

by Anne Gracie

So Christmas is over. The relatives and friends have gone home, you have a pile of leftovers in your fridge, you’re tired from all the preparation leading up to the festivities, the cleaning— because no matter how clean your house is, it has to be extra clean for all the visitors — and the cooking, the shopping, the sheer organization.

So now what do you do? Are you the kind who heads back out and dives happily into the post-Christmas sales — leaping into the mad shopping frenzy that follows the mad shopping frenzy that led up to Christmas?

Or do you prefer to savor the quiet, to let the family fend for themselves for a while — what are Christmas leftovers for, after all?— and curl up with a book.

I’m one hundred percent the curl-up-with-a-book kind. The post-Christmas sales are, for me, the equivalent of having a root canal just for fun.

So, right now, the TBR (To Be Read) pile is beckoning. So I wander across to check out what tempting morsel awaits me. . .

Hmm, the TBR is looking a bit small and lean and a bit shabby, actually. Mostly it’s books I started and didn’t finish. Not so tempting.

Poor little thing, I’ve neglected it shamefully in favor of all those frivolous time-wasters like shopping and cooking and cleaning. I haven’t fed it for ages.

But hey, there’s a stack of shiny new books coming out — the new Eloisa James, for a start. I have a new book out, too, on 3rd January — Bride By Mistake.

It’s a marriage of convenience story — with a twist. This is a marriage of inconvenience.

At the age of thirteen, in the middle of the Napoleonic Wars, Isabella was saved from a forced marriage to a man she hated when handsome young English Lieutenant Luke Ripton married her. Lieutenant Ripton, tall, dark, and as beautiful as an archangel. He placed her in a remote convent school, and left. She waited — like a princess in a tower dreaming of her prince — for eight years. Now those dreams have withered and Bella is taking charge of her life…

 

Here’s a short excerpt:

“I’m leaving the convent.” Bella’s announcement was followed by a stunned silence.

“Is he comi—” Paloma began.

“Nobody is coming for me, Paloma.” Bella glanced at Sister Beatriz, who was still asleep, and said in a lowered voice. “I’m leaving anyway.”

“I don’t believe you. What will you do? How will you support yourself? Who will protect you? It’s dangerous—”

“I will support myself, ” Bella said. “And I will protect myself. I won’t stay here, waiting forever for someone to rescue me. Life isn’t a fairy-tale.”

“Isabella Ripton,” said a voice from the doorway.

All the girls jumped guiltily.

“Isabella,” Sister Josefina repeated as she entered the door. She was the youngest and prettiest of the nuns, merry and lively and dedicated to her vocation. “Tidy yourself. Reverend Mother wants you in her office. You have a visitor!”

“A visitor? Who?” In eight years, Bella had never had a visitor.

Sister Josefina smiled. “Can’t you guess?”

Mystified, Bella shook her head.

“An Englishman.”

Bella froze.

Sister Josefina nodded. “Tall, dark, and as beautiful as an archangel.”

Bella couldn’t move a muscle. She couldn’t utter a word or marshall a single coherent thought.

“A very stern, very masculine archangel.” Sister Josefina sighed. And a blush rose on her cheeks.

         * * * * *

 There’s a longer excerpt here:

 

So I hope, when you’re replenishing your TBR pile, you’ll consider my book, BRIDE BY MISTAKE, in stores, January 3. And in the meantime, for those of you who don’t want to be out shopping but prefer to curl up with a book, here’s a little poem I penned, just for you:

 

‘Twas the lull after Christmas

And all through the house

Not a creature was stirring

Not even a spouse.

Leftovers are placed

On the fridge shelves with care

With instructions that

“You all can just graze from there.”

“Please do not disturb me

Unless there is blood.

‘Tis my time for reading

‘Bout a fictional stud.”

“Just leave me alone

With my books for a while

I’m a much nicer person

With the TBR pile.”

 

So  . . . are you out in the frenzy of the sales, or curled up with a good book? What’s in your TBR pile? And what books are you looking forward to reading in the next month or two?

I’ll send a copy of BRIDE BY MISTAKE to someone who leaves a comment.

 

Thank you for letting me visit.

All the best for the holiday season.

Anne Gracie

www.annegracie.com

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Posted in Authors, Berkley, Giveaways | 124 Comments »

Spending Christmas away from home

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

by Kat Latham

When I was 23, I was dreading my first Christmas away from my family.

I’d moved to Prague, in the Czech Republic, that summer and had barely enough money to buy crappy food, much less to pay for a flight back to California. So I did what any sane girl would do: I got a foreign boyfriend whose family lived much closer.

Smarty Pants and I got together at the beginning of that October, and we’d only been together ten days when we bought a flight for me to spend Christmas with his family in England. That’s right, ten days into the relationship and I was already committing to a Christmas with a family I’d never met—a family that would become my in-laws four years later.

Since I’d never spent Christmas away from my family before, it hadn’t occurred to me how strange it would be to suffer through someone else’s traditions instead of my own. Of course, I knew different families celebrated in different ways. I’d watched enough Christmas movies to know that not every family invited its strangest relatives to spend hours drinking together and then watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and laughed hysterically about how familiar it was.

But damn, were my family Christmases like Chevy Chase’s. Complete with the mental grandparents and an uncle who actually referred to himself as Cousin Eddie because he knew people cringed when he showed up.

So I was struck dumb when I arrived at Smarty Pants’ childhood home and had a glass of expensive wine thrust into my hand. You see, I have absolutely no alcohol tolerance. I’d told my future father-in-law I didn’t want any, but he ignored me. So I drank out of politeness. And nervousness.

A few minutes later, I was stumbling through the kitchen calling out, “Thanks for the booze, Bryan!”

I can still remember the less-than-impressed look on his face.

Dinner—instead of being a massive pot-luck buffet of dishes that were easy and could feed 30—was a formal sit-down affair with several incredible courses, all prepared by Smarty Pants’ mum, a lovely woman who missed her calling as a gourmet chef. The food—God, the food!—was amazing, and I discovered a load of new dishes and vegetables I’d never heard of before: celeriac, rum butter, Christmas pudding—which she covered in brandy and set on fire!

But the meal lasted forEVER. In my family, no meal lasts more than 20 minutes. And that’s for a real celebration, like a wedding. We tend to hoover things up within minutes. Sitting at a table with people I was desperately trying to impress for over TWO HOURS nearly killed me. I kept excusing myself from the table so I could stand in the hallway shaking my shoulders and head like a prize fighter, whispering to myself, “You can do it. You can do it. Surely they can’t sit there much longer. There’s gotta be some kind of sports game on TV soon. The men’ll get bored and head for the couch.”

No such luck. So every 20 minutes or so, I excused myself again for another pep talk. They probably thought I had the trots.

Over the years, I started getting used to those long dinners and really enjoy my English Christmases now. This year, we’re with my family in California, so Smarty Pants will probably be enjoying a nice Christmas lasagna and being teased by my brother for using a napkin. And utensils.

Have you spent Christmas away from your family and the traditions you’re used to? How did you fare? Comment and enter to win a copy of THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS by Debbie Macomber or MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT by Fern Michaels et al. 

What would make your Christmas perfect?

For Cassie Beaumont, it’s meeting her perfect match. Cassie, at thirty-three, wants a husband and kids, and so far, nothing’s worked. Not blind dates, not the internet and certainly not leaving love to chance.

What other options are there? Well…she could hire a professional matchmaker. Simon Dodson has quite a reputation, but he’s very choosy about the clients he takes on—and very expensive. Cassie considers him a difficult, acerbic know-it-all, and she’s astonished when he accepts her as a client.

Claiming he has her perfect mate in mind, Simon assigns her three tasks to complete before she meets this paragon. Three tasks that are all about Christmas: being a charity bell-ringer, dressing up as Santa’s elf at a mall and preparing a traditional turkey dinner for her neighbors (most of whom she happens to dislike). Despite a number of comical mishaps, Cassie does it all—and then she’s finally ready to meet her match.

But just like the perfect Christmas gift, he turns out to be a wonderful surprise!

~*~*~

Secret wishes, sweet surprises, and gifts straight from the heart. Delight in this season’s most joyous presents with these four sparkling tales. . .

“Making Spirits Bright” by Fern Michaels

Melanie McLaughlin desperately wants to adopt two orphaned siblings and give them a real home for Christmas. A just-for-the-holiday marriage to Bryce Landry fits her plan perfectly. . .until unexpected sparks have Melanie dreaming of forever by his side. . .

“Runaway Christmas” by Elizabeth Bass

A glass of wine, lounging in pajamas, and catching up on movies—that’s Heidi Bogue’s idea of a perfect Christmas. Until her thirteen-year-old niece makes a surprise visit—and a snowstorm turns Heidi’s café into a community refuge. Now one handsome cop is giving Heidi plenty more reasons to celebrate. . .

“Home For Christmas” by Rosalind Noonan

Jo Truman needs a replacement Santa for her gift shop’s Christmas Eve party. She’ll do whatever it takes to convince lonely soldier Sam Norwood that he’s perfect for the part…and that the season for love is always. . .

“Christmas On Cape Cod” by Nan Rossiter

Maddie Carlson would do anything for her best friend. And helping Asa Coleman babysit a rambunctious puppy Christmas Eve night is her one chance to help the troubled teacher put his past to rest. . .and give the sweetest gift of all.

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, Harlequin, Katrina | 26 Comments »

Arabella Stokes gives us Proof of Love

Monday, December 19th, 2011

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday! Its such a special time of year, and I always feel a little bit let down when it’s over. Don’t you?

What, it’s not over? Christmas is next weekend? Oh, silly kids, I’m not talking about Christmas! The holiday I just celebrated is the high point of the historical romance calendar – our Dear Miss Austen’s birthday. Yes, Friday, December 16 was the 236th anniversary of Jane’s birth, and I hope you all celebrated accordingly.

After all, Dearest Jane started it all. Those of us who love the Regency era (and it’s close relative, the Georgian), owe an immeasurable debt to her. The spunky heroine with a mind of her own, the stiff and forbidden gentleman who will melt to butter when he receives the love of the right woman, even the cad who will break your heart without a second thought – Jane did them all first, and she did them best.

That doesn’t stop us from trying, though, does it? You’d think we would run out of stories, but we keep re-imagining our lords and ladies, gentlemen and rogues. And I hope it continues for many more years to come.

This year saw the publication of my first (and hopefully not last!) contribution to the genre, a Georgian romance titled PROOF OF LOVE. It all started when I read an article about an odd little man who had an incredible mind, one Henry Cavendish. Henry was one of those Cavendishes, a relative by marriage of the renowned Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Poor Henry was a strange case – he was painfully shy, refused to speak to women (even his female servants), and had absolutely no social skills whatsoever. Despite that, he was a brilliant scientist who discovered hydrogen, did some of the first research on electricity, and determined the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere. Unfortunately, Henry’s shyness kept him from publishing his achievements, and his work came very close to being claimed by others.

That article got me thinking – what about a scientist-nobleman for a hero? All of a sudden, he came alive for me, though luckily for my heroine, he was not nearly as shy and awkward as poor Henry. Once I got a good picture of the Duke of Danesleigh in my mind, the story just told itself.

Lady Susan Lanier has lost all faith in love, and of course a level-headed, rational scientist like Danesleigh never believed in it to begin with. But a Duke needs a wife, and Lady Susan has all the qualifications the Duke has determined to be scientifically correct for the role. Together, they find that love is the greatest experiment of all.

I’d like to share a bit from PROOF OF LOVE with you today. This scene is near the beginning of the novel, when the Duke’s intended, Lady Susan Lanier, decides to do a little experimenting of her own. Hope you enjoy it!

After the meal, he lay back and closed his eyes, using his folded arms as a pillow. The breeze was warm, his belly was full, the wine was buzzing delightfully through his veins and a pair of delicious lips was–he sat up, disturbing Susan in some very interesting explorations of his ear and the side of his neck. “What are you doing?” he asked in shock.

“I am conducting an experiment,” she answered, her big grey eyes solemnly gazing into his. “I believe you are familiar with the concept.”

“What blasted experiment do you think you are doing?”

“Well, yesterday, when you were, well, ‘experimenting,’ I realized that I have a sad lack of information on some very important questions. So I must gather empirical data, so to speak, to allow me to make better informed decisions.” As she spoke, she began to stroke his upper leg. Many hours in the saddle had given him long, strong thigh muscles, along which her hand skated in a most provocative manner.

He reached out to skim one finger along the swell of her bosom, just above the top of her bodice. Surely this was her surrender. She would be his. “And what questions do you need information on?”

“In the rose garden, you mentioned,” she murmured, “passion.”

He leaned in to nip at her earlobe, then whispered into her ear, “What would you like to know about passion?”

She cupped his jaw with one hand and kissed him deeply. “Whatever you have to teach me.”

 

PROOF OF LOVE is available from your favorite e-book store, including:

Amazon  ~   Champagne Books   ~   All Romance Ebooks

And, by the way, I am twitter-mad, so please follow me @romancemama!

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Posted in Authors, eBooks | 22 Comments »

Christmas romance novellas to warm your cockles

Monday, December 12th, 2011

by Kat Latham

For me, December is a time where love mixes with stress in a uniquely potent way, leaving me sobbing “Everyone’s going to hate the gifts I got them—especially you!” on my husband’s shoulder on Christmas Eve.

Thank God he’s got broad shoulders. They’ve absorbed a lot of stress-induced tears over the last nine years.

The very last thing I feel I have time (or money) for during the holiday season is treating myself. That’s why one of my favorite things about the month before Christmas is the opportunity to find short stories and novellas from new-to-me authors. First, they’re reasonably priced. Second, when it comes to Christmas stories, I usually don’t want a full novel. A novel is too much commitment at a time when my to-do list is already laughable and could only realistically be tackled by five military strategists, not one scatterbrained woman.

Here are a couple of novellas I’ve read that are the perfect length for diverting your mind while you stand in an impossibly long line at the post office.

One Perfect Night by Rachael Johns

Peppa Grant’s fellow employees may call their new CEO Mr. McSexy, but she’s also heard that he’s aloof and distant. Cameron McCormac certainly seems cold toward Christmas when she meets him at the company’s annual party…but he’s also the sexiest man Peppa has ever seen. And when he offers to forgive the damage she accidentally caused to his expensive car in exchange for accompanying him to his family’s holiday get-together, she agrees.

Cameron needs a date to the family party to get his matchmaking relatives off his back. Their chemistry is instant and undeniable, leading to an incredible one-night stand. But Peppa wants love and family, while Cameron’s only interested in temporary pleasure. When their relationship takes an unexpectedly serious turn, will he run the other way—or will he give love a second chance?

58,000 words

 

This Time Next Year by Alison Kent

(Note: This can be bought on its own or in the anthology Holiday Kisses by Carina Press. I won This Time Next Year on Alison Kent’s blog and really enjoyed it. I’d love to know what other readers think about the other stories in the anthology.)

Brenna Keating is on her way to spend Christmas with her grandmother when treacherous roads and a skittish deer put her car in a ditch. Riding to the rescue—literally—is Dillon Craig, a reclusive doctor who insists she weather the storm in his cabin.

Since returning from Afghanistan where he treated wounded soldiers on the front lines, Dillon’s made it a point to avoid any emotional involvement. But his unexpected guest has him dangerously close to breaking his own rules.

Brenna has a plan for her life—until she’s stranded for three days with Dillon. Soon, the chemistry sizzling between them forces her to reexamine her priorities. The man is gorgeous, if taciturn, and a true hero in every sense of the word. No woman in her right mind could resist him, and so Brenna doesn’t—even though she can’t stay…

27,000 words

If you get a chance to read any of these, I hope you enjoy them. Because really, there’s no better genre than romance for helping you escape the crap the holiday season can heave in your face, while reminding you that love is the real reason you’re hitting the mall at a time when any sane woman would be lounging at home with a glass of mulled wine and a masseur named Carlos.

How do you feel about holiday novellas and short stories? Can you recommend any? Comment and enter to win a copy to win both books!

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 Carina Press, Giveaways, Katrina | 23 Comments »

Giveaway: Jackie Barbosa is Spicing things up by Taking Liberties

Thursday, December 1st, 2011
taking

Making Sausage
(or The Ugly Way Stories Sometimes Get Written)

By Jackie Barbosa

Sometimes, a story seems to write itself. Other times, a story seems to resist being written despite the writer’s best efforts and intentions. Taking Liberties, which comes out today from Harlequin Spice Briefs, definitely fell into the latter category.

It’s hard to say why some stories are so darned hard to write. In some cases, it’s probably because the whole thing was a bad idea in the first place that was never destined to work. That’s happened to me more than once. I have the carcasses of a few manuscripts that never got past the first twenty or so pages because they just weren’t meant to be littering my hard drive.

(more…)

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Posted in Authors, Giveaways, Harlequin | 28 Comments »

Why Australia’s the sexiest country in the world

Monday, November 14th, 2011

by Katrina Latham

My first introduction to the romance genre was through Harlequin Presents novels, so not only did I learn a whole lot about what boys and girls do when they like each other, but I also got to explore new countries for only a few dollars a month.

That’s how I realized Australia’s the sexiest country in the world.

Lots of the novels were set in London and Australia—places where they called their friends “mate” and lived in flats (which for years I pictured as apartments with lower ceilings).

Both places sounded amazing, but Australia kicked London’s ass on several levels. First, the London novels often took place in offices (*yawn* I’d seen 9 to 5 with Dolly Parton—offices looked like dreadfully boring places to fall in love). The heroes seemed uptight and the heroines wore stockings.

(more…)

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Posted in Giveaways, Harlequin, Katrina | 15 Comments »

The Most Romantic Ride of All Time?

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

by Gillian Bagwell

In 1651, an English girl named Jane Lane embarked on a dangerous adventure that not only saved the life of the king but preserved the future of the English monarchy.
On September 3, 1651, the 21-year-old King Charles II, the exiled son of Charles I, who had been executed in 1649 – made a valiant attempt to take back his throne.  His defeat by Oliver Cromwell’s forces at the Battle of Worcester set off one of the most astonishing episodes in British history – Charles’s desperate six-week odyssey to reach safety in France, which came to be known as the Royal Miracle because he narrowly eluded discovery and capture so many times.

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Posted in Berkley, Historical Fiction | 17 Comments »

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