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I thought today, as we’re going into the Labour Day weekend, I would give away a sample of each genre (except for Mystery because unfortunately I don’t have one to give) featured on the website. Comment to enter to win. I’m off to make my word count for the day (which is why the post is so short) 
**Click the cover for blurb, reviews, book trailer and buy links
Congratulations, ladies! Please email your full name and address to me at contests at theseasonforromance dot com. You have one week to contact me to collect your books.
It’s wonderful who one might meet at an RWA Conference. This year, I became better acquainted with the very lovely Allegra Gray. I met Allegra before–I believe last year–but only this year did I realize we also share the same agent. Well, Allegra has generously offered her latest release and sophomore book, NOTHING BUT DECEPTION, up for a giveaway. Comment to enter to win!
Nothing But Deception
Author: Allegra Gray
Publisher: Zebra / Kensington
Pub. Date: August 3, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1420108262
Retail: $5.99
Pages: 352Beatrice, Lady Pullingham, knows the type of captivating beauty who inspires great art–or at least, she thinks she does, until Paris’ most exciting young painter invites her to pose for him. Incredulous, Bea nonetheless has the sense to accept Philippe’s invitation, and in so doing, signs on for lessons in seduction that give her the courage to embark on the adventure of a lifetime…
Secrets. Jean-Philippe Durand has had enough of them. First, his mother’s deathbed revelation – the one that brought him to England in search of his true father. And now, the secrets kept by the Englishwoman who has become his muse. Philippe wants more than just to paint Beatrice, he wants to show her every pleasure society has denied her – and she’s denied herself. But there’s something Beatrice isn’t telling him, and his art only allows for truth…
Other books in the series
Click to pre-order from Amazon
I decided it would be fun to move the Book Club to the blog. The thought is, it will get more readers participating if they don’t have to belong to a forum. At least, that’s my hope. Usually, I would have visitors vote and choose from about 8-10 releases. For September, I’m just going to choose because it’s a book I really want to read, and really want to know everyone’s opinion.
It won’t come as a huge surprise (given Friday’s post) that the September Book Club Pick is Zoë Archer’s WARRIOR. For all those who want to participate, the book officially releases Sept 7th and you’ll have one month to read. On October 5th, I will post the discussion on the blog. To have your comments included in the post, please email me at contact at theseasonforromance dot com at least 2 days prior to posting date. Of course, you can also wait until October 5th and add your thoughts in the comment section. I’ll also have a random drawing and 2 (two) participants will receive 2 (two) books each from the new crop of October releases.
I hope everyone will join me and take this trip with me to Mongolia!
When I was down in Orlando attending the RWA National Conference, I met the very lovely Zoë Archer; we share the same agent. Now I knew that Zoë had four books coming out from Kensington back-to-back beginning in September. I knew the books are historical and not only are they not set in England–I think we’ve seen many books not set in jolly ole England–but they’ve been dubbed by RT Book Reviews ‘part Indiana Jones part The Mummy‘. I have to say I loved and have both movies on DVD.
I’ll tell you what got me though, really interested, those gorgeous covers. To me, they’re a flashback to those Nancy Drew covers from the 50s. Kensington’s art department really did a fabulous job here.
So the first book out in September is WARRIOR. Where’s it set you ask? Mongolia. What, you’re thinking, ‘so not romantic’. I say we give it a chance and spread our wings well past the grey, coal-sodden air of England. I’m the first to admit, I’m like many of you and I love my British historical romances. Above all else, however, it’s the story that pulls me in, and I’m so ready to go with Zoë to Mongolia. I’m so ready to step out of my comfort zone and immerse myself in The Blades of the Roses series. I also fully recognize that if we, the consumers, the readers don’t go out and support these new types of endeavours by the publishers, they’ll stop stretching their wings by buying stories ‘outside of the box‘. Currently, I may not write outside of that same box, but I sure as heck appreciate writers who do.
Author: Zoë Archer
Publisher: Zebra / Kensington
Pub. Date: September 7, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1420106794
Retail: $6.99
Pages: 370
To most people, the realm of magic is the stuff of nursery rhymes and dusty libraries. But for Capt. Gabriel Huntley, it’s become quite real and quite dangerous…
IN HOT PURSUIT…
The vicious attack Capt. Gabriel Huntley witnesses in a dark alley sparks a chain of events that will take him to the ends of the Earth and beyond—where what is real and what is imagined become terribly confused. And frankly, Huntley couldn’t be more pleased. Intrigue, danger, and a beautiful woman in distress—just what he needs.
IN HOTTER WATER…
Raised thousands of miles from England, Thalia Burgess is no typical Victorian lady. A good thing, because a proper lady would have no hope of recovering the priceless magical artifact Thalia is after. Huntley’s assistance might come in handy, though she has to keep him in the dark. But this distractingly handsome soldier isn’t easy to deceive…
~*~*~
Anyone else ready to give The Blades of Roses series a go–at the very least WARRIOR to see if it takes? Comment today and you’ll be entered to win 3 (three) books from my Anniversary Giveaway stash.
THE SERGEANT’S LADY ended up being a September Top Pick long after Susanna received this day to have her excerpt posted. Do after you finish reading the excerpt, you may also want to check out Danielle’s review.
Click to purchase
Highborn Anna Arrington has been “following the drum,” obeying the wishes of her cold, controlling cavalry officer husband. When he dies, all she wants is to leave life with Wellington’s army in Spain behind her and go home to her family’s castle in Scotland.
Sergeant Will Atkins ran away from home to join the army in a fit of boyish enthusiasm. He is a natural born soldier, popular with officers and men alike, uncommonly brave and chivalrous, and educated and well-read despite his common birth.
As Anna journeys home with a convoy of wounded soldiers, she forms an unlikely friendship with Will. When the convoy is ambushed and their fellow soldiers captured, they become fugitives—together. The attraction between them is strong—but even if they can escape the threat of death at the hands of the French, is love strong enough to bridge the gap between a viscount’s daughter and an innkeeper’s son?
~*~*~
THE SERGEANT’S LADY ~ Susanna Fraser
Release Date: August 23 – Carina Press
In this scene from early in The Sergeant’s Lady, the hero, Will Atkins, and the heroine, Anna Arrington, have just begun to get to know each other and are seated in the shadows just beyond the light of an army campfire where Will’s fellow soldiers are singing and telling stories.
Fiddle and flute took up a new tune, Scottish, fast and infectious. It reminded Anna of her girlhood at Dunmalcolm, of being sixteen and dancing to the skirling music of bagpipes with her cousins and the neighbors’ sons in the castle ballroom. Her toes tapped of their own accord, and she saw that Sergeant Atkins’s did the same.
Impulsively she sprang to her feet and extended her hands. “Dance with me, Sergeant,” she ordered.
“No, ma’am. That wouldn’t be fitting.”
She beckoned again. “No one can see us here. Pretend we’re at your squire’s harvest dance, if you like.”
“But to a song like this, with a lady such as yourself? Not fitting at all.”
“What’s wrong with this song? I’ve never heard one more made for dancing.”
In the faint moonlight, she could just see his raised eyebrows. “You haven’t heard the words.”
She tossed her head. “I don’t care what the words are. I must dance.” Where was the harm? No one but the two of them would ever know. Anna longed for even a brief release from the tense propriety that had ruled her marriage and reigned over her still in widowhood. “Please, Sergeant Atkins,” she implored.
He shook his head again, but rose and took her by the hand. His grip was warm and strong. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
With Sebastian she’d learned to separate her body from her mind and heart—to touch and be touched without feeling anything. So the jolt of warmth that shot down her spine at the sergeant’s touch stunned her. Perhaps this was unwise.
No. It felt too wonderful. She wanted to laugh with pure joy. It was only a dance. How dangerous could it be?
At a ball they would have joined a line or square with other couples, barely touched and followed a prescribed set of steps. Outside that framework Anna hardly knew how to follow through on her own mad scheme. Fortunately, once persuaded, her partner took the lead. He caught her about the waist with one hand, clasped her hand with the other and whirled her into a series of quick steps.
The soldiers by the fire began to sing—something about a trooper lad arriving in town weary with riding on a moonlit night. Oh, this was more like it! Her sergeant was a grand dancer. Even in the dark, on unfamiliar ground, dancing in a close hold, she trusted his surefooted guidance.
The singers reached the chorus. Bonny lassie, I’ll lie near you, hey bonny lassie, I’ll lie near you. Anna flushed, but she had expected a bawdy song from Sergeant Atkins’s warnings.
The next verses told how the lassie took the horse to the stable and the trooper to her table and fed them each their dinners. Anna looked up. In the moonlight she could see a twinkle in her partner’s eyes, and he grinned at her. Despite his initial reluctance, he was enjoying this too. She let the music carry her along, feeling as if she were flying. Every time he pressed his fingers against her waist to guide her she shivered. She felt the sergeant’s stripes sewn onto the sleeve of his rough wool jacket and beneath it the strong, lean muscles of his arm.
She went upstairs to make the bed,
And she made it soft and easy.
She’s pulled her petticoats o’er her head,
Crying, soldier, are you ready?
Anna gasped.
Sergeant Atkins laughed. “Told you.”
“You did,” she admitted.
“It gets worse.”
How was that possible? This was scandalous—but she had all but forced it upon him. She could not in justice complain.
The winners of the 2 romantic suspense eGalleys from Avon, YOU ARE NEXT and NEXT TIME YOU SEE ME are…
Pearl
Rebekah E.
Estella
Has
The winners of THE DUKE’S NIGHT OF SIN eGalley are…
Host
Angelique
JWZ1978
Deanna
Jacqueline C.
Kimmy Lange
Congratulations, ladies! Please contact me at contests at theseasonforromance dot com to get your books! You have one week. 
Are you wondering where I got these eGalleys? No, pilfering is not an option. These I picked up at the RWA Conference during Avons book signing. Yes, there they were on a table near the doors. I almost missed them to be honest, as I was so busy flitting around to collect the books I used for the giveaway last week. I’m glad they caught my eye before I left though. So are you, right?
Comment to enter to win either Kathryn Caskie’s THE DUKE’S NIGHT OF SIN or both of Katia Lief’s October and November romantic suspense releases, YOU ARE NEXT and NEXT TIME YOU SEE ME.
The Duke’s Night of Sin
Author: Kathryn Caskie
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Pub. Date: November 30, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0061491030
Retail: $7.99
Pages: 384
As a beloved instructress at an exclusive school for young ladies, Lady Siusan Sinclair is a model of deportment. But no one knows her secret—that she fled London for Bath, her reputation on the verge of tatters, her fortune lost…
The Duke of Exeter knows it’s time to find a bride, and he’s determined to locate the passionate minx who enticed him in a pitch-black library. Then, while overseeing his young ward’s education, he is irresistibly attracted to her exquisite new teacher, unaware that she’s the woman he’s never forgotten after his one night of sin…
~*~*~
You Are Next
Author: Katia Lief
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Pub. Date: September 28, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0061809026
Retail: $7.99
Pages: 320
He took everything . . . then came back for more.
Former Detective Karin Schaeffer has nothing left to live for after serial killer Martin Price destroys all she holds dear. Known as “The Domino Killer” because he leaves dominoes as a clue to his next victim, Price doesn’t stop until an entire family is destroyed. Even when he’s locked away in prison, the shadow he casts over Karin’s life keeps her in constant darkness.
Then a policeman brings news to her door: Price has escaped. Karin knows where he’s headed because of the message he left behind last time, scrawled in blood, on her bathroom mirror—
You are next.
But Karin Schaeffer refuses to run and hide. She feels no fear and has nothing left to lose. And so she waits. She won’t stand by and let Price harm any more of her family. And she won’t rest until she’s put him back behind bars forever . . . or until one of them is dead.
~*~*~
Next Time You See Me
Author: Katia Lief
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Pub. Date: October 26, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0061809040
Retail: $7.99
Pages: 320
Karin Schaeffer thought she had already defeated evil.But there was more.
Three years ago, Detective Karin Schaeffer wanted to die when a madman murdered her family—and she would have if her partner, Mac MacLeary, hadn’t pulled her back from the edge of the abyss. Now they are married, with a toddler son, and Karin is learning to live again.
Then Mac’s parents are slain in a brutal home invasion . . . And Mac vanishes . . . And a new nightmare begins.
Karin is determined to do whatever it takes to find her husband. But the answers waiting for her in the shadows are almost as unbelievable as his disappearance. Karin pursues the truth—leading her away from her home in Brooklyn to the terrifying heart of the Mexican drug wars to Cape Cod in winter—as dark secrets about the man she loves are revealed. . . .
My Lord Jack
Author: Hope Tarr
Publisher: Carina Press
Pub. Date: July 12, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1426890413
Retail: $5.39
Pages: Novel-length
Former French courtesan Claudia Valemont can’t believe her life has come to this: standing in front of a Scottish judge, sentenced to death for stealing a horse. She fled France to find her father and escape the hangman’s noose. Now here she is, facing the same fate—alone, desperate and penniless.
“Hold! I will speak for her.”
Burly Scottish hangman Jack Campbell takes pride in his work: serving justice and giving the condemned a quick end to their sorry lives. Why he spoke for that pale, hollow-eyed Frenchwoman he’ll never know. But now he’s stuck with her—assigned to be her keeper for six months’ indenture.
Bound together by the rules of her sentence, Jack and Claudia learn to appreciate their differences. But as their wary affection turns to tender desire, secrets from the past appear and threaten to destroy their future…
~*~*~
The simple book cover of Hope Tarr’s My Lord Jack, perfectly conveys a story centered around a man with so much heart it’s matchless. The unusual pairing of Jack Campbell and Claudia Valemont is central to this powerful novel packed with storyline, redemption, heartfelt emotion, and unrelenting action steeped in Scottish customs.
The village of Selkirk Scotland is beset upon by French beauty, refugee and accused thief Claudia Valemont. Intent on finding her father in England after fleeing France and life as a courtesan, Valemont is marooned in a village and desperate to reach her destination. The decision to steal a horse to continue her journey proves a nearly fatal one as she is caught, tried and sentenced to death until her execution is stayed by none other than, the state hangman: Jack Campbell.
“Hold, I will speak for her.”
Ahhh…That sentence alone captured my imagination, with Jack going on to capture my heart as surely as he will readers of this unique tale.
Now remanded into his custody for six months, Claudia must learn how to function in servitude and reconcile her past with the kindness of strangers and the love from and for Jack that grows with each day and new undertaking.
And adventures fuel the plot turns that are pleasantly unyielding. From Jack’s hateful half-brother Callum intent on destroying him, to Claudia’s desire to remain with Jack yet find her birth father in order to be free. At every village and country, it seems that time has run out for one or the other through missteps or machinations, keeping readers turning the pages seeking the ending they want mostly for Jack but certainly for Claudia. Unrelenting twists and turns build casual suspense, bringing the reader to their knees weeping, loving and cheering with and for this improbable couple.
Warning: Spoiler Alert!
What Tarr brilliantly accomplishes is a unique and very definitely, welcome romantic twist that reveals itself as the sexual tension has built to a tsunami with the very virile Campbell divulging his life-long secret: he’s a virgin. But, thanks to excellent inner dialogue and human responses, the reader would never guess. And thanks to her adept storytelling, you don’t until Jack reveals it. This makes him all the more endearing and no less skilled as instinct and insatiable curiosity take over and provide some very passionate love making and discovery. My Lord Jack has provided a role-model for writers of romance with this virginal male character because there is none of the awkwardness so often associated with the title, and all of the human emotion and reactions typical of a man and woman deeply attracted to one another on more than the physical level.
The juxtaposition of a man skilled in killing, to his vow of chastity with a woman who has been a courtesan in order to survive is riveting. It’s made even more touching by the fact that Claudia has never been in love while Jack has always felt deeply toward his friends, homeland and animals but more poignantly, in his humane treatment of the condemned. The moody Scottish moors serve as a perfect backdrop to this moving novel reflecting its characters: Jack in his rugged beauty and Claudia in her delicate yet resolute determination.
Though this book is a journey for both, we come to truly know, respect and love Jack as he maneuvers the powerful sexual urges and attraction for his charge while sharing his tender side without appearing a besotted idiot. As Claudia’s edges are softened by Jack’s attention and patience, she wars with a need to confront her father, forgive herself and stay with Jack. Enriching this tale and assisting them, are lively secondary characters; Milread, Callum, Luicas and Duncan.
Tarr very skillfully weaves Scottish & English dialect with Claudia’s French in both conversation and internal dialogue delivering an authenticity, providing deeper character insight and a sense of place in a story spanning three countries and a love that feels no boundaries.
This perfectly balanced novel furnishes readers with everything they want and more and, “Och, I ken ye will love it!” I highly recommend My Lord Jack and really look forward to her next novel!
Rating: 9 (Excellent)
Heat-Level: 4 (Hot)
Today, on top of the 150+ books, I’m giving away this week, I’m giving away both print books and eGalleys.
I’ll give you the print books first. 
To her surprise, Lady Mallory Byron finds herself walking down the aisle with the last man she ever expected to ask for her hand.
Everyone knows the Byron brothers are “mad, bad, and dangerous.” Now their sister shockingly discovers she’s the newest talk of the Ton when she marries the scandalous Earl of Gresham. Faced with a tragic loss, she’d sought comfort from him as a family friend. But soon consolation turned to passion, scandal––and a wedding! In the bridal bed, she finds pleasure beyond her wildest dreams. But can nights of wicked delight change friendship into true love?
Charming rakehell Adam, Earl of Gresham, has secretly loved Mallory for years. He lost her once to another man, but now he has a second chance to win her love––and plans to do so by any means necessary. Will Mallory’s heart give him what he so dearly desires? Or is the past too much to overcome?
~*~*~
Former FBI Special Agent Sloane Burbank is finally ready to take the next step in her relationship with her former colleague Derek Parker. The couple has already survived hardship, from breaking up to outwitting a crazed killer targeting Sloane. This second chance at love and happiness seems like a dream come true. But nothing is that easy.
Sloane’s father witnessed a crime over a decade ago that has come back to haunt him – and his family. After a vicious attack at the Burbank home, Sloane faces a tough decision: betray her father’s secret, or withhold vital information from him, especially when it impacts his job.until he is faced with the same tough choice.
Though they love each other deeply, can this couple who’s faced so much overcome this ultimate test of trust – and will they stay alive long enough to find the answer?
~*~*~
Legend has it that Armand Argeneau is a killer in the bedroom . . .
But with all three of his late wives meeting unfortunate and untimely ends, is this sexy immortal a lover or a murderer? That’s what Eshe d’Aureus intends to find out. As an enforcer, it’s her job to bring rogue vampires to justice, even if the rogue in question makes her blood race red hot.
Armand knew she was trouble the moment Eshe roared into town on her motorcycle, clad in tight black leather. She claims she’s hiding from dangerous fiends, though he suspects something more. But after three wives who’ve all had trouble remaining, well, undead, Armand is reluctant to open his heart again. Then strange accidents start to happen, each deadlier than the last, and Armand realizes he may not have much time to prove he’s a lover, not a slayer.
~**~**~
Indeed, you’re also going to get another chance to win eGalleys for 3 fabulous Avon October releases.
They call him Lord Lightning…for his shocking behavior. An unrepentant rogue with a wicked reputation, his outrageous conduct ensures no woman will get close enough to hurt him.
But demure and lovely astrologer Eliza Farrell casts a chart that tells her Lord Hartwood is capable of great, passionate love. When Hartwood indulges in one of this famous pranks and invites Eliza to become his new mistress, the virginal country miss must meet her fate armed only with her knowledge that the cynical lord will become the tender lover she sees predicted in the stars.
Though Eliza is nothing like the brazen strumpets he prefers the seemingly incorruptible seer excites Lord Lightning much more than the hard, calculating women he is accustomed to. Eliza’s trusting spirit and quick mind touch his cold heart-and when the bewitching innocent surprisingly agrees to be seen on his arm, neither can predict the sparks that fly between them–or resist the electric passion that threatens to transform them both.
*~**~*
Diana Fanshawe has always wanted to be a duchess. She uses Sebastian Iverley to get to his ducal cousin, but finds she cannot forget the brilliant, unconventional viscount and his sizzling kiss.
Sebastian Iverley has no time for women until he meets the beautiful Diana. When he learns she is trifling with him, the scholarly bookworm studies what it takes to please a lady. He initiates a game of seduction and revenge that can only end in disaster … or true love.
*~**~*
Elinor thought it would very simple to marry a duke, until she found them in short supply
Elinor Sterling is the second Standon widow ready to make the leap back into matrimony–but for her it is a different situation. Forcing her hand is her step-father who is threatening to take away her younger sister, and so it is up to Elinor to find a powerful husband to send this troublemaker packing–in other words, she needs a duke.
But what she discovers is that dukes are in very short supply so she hires solicitor James St. Maur to track down the most likely candidate. But the man she’s hired isn’t quite what he appears to be, and all too soon Elinor finds herself mad about the most unlikeliest of heroes.
Comment to enter to win either the print books–all 3 of them–or the eGalley for the October historical releases. Commenting will also double your chance to win 5 books from Friday’s selection of The Season One Year Anniversary Giveaway.
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