Which means winter is on its way–although depending on where you live, you may feel like it’s here already. So with a new season means a new theme for The Season sites. If you’ve checked out the newDecember issue of The Season, you may have noticed the new theme already. Bear with me, the actual reviews will be us soon but in the meanwhile you can check out many of publishers’ offerings for this month of Christmas.
If you were a winner in the Thanksgiving MEGA Giveaway, remember you have until December 3rd to contact me with your list of books. I’ll be responding to everyone then. Oh and please remember to read the rules–there are only so many Premium books you can get.
Now let’s talk about Christmas shopping. Have you started yours yet? I’m halfway through my son’s list–all of which I’ve ordered from Amazon and boy are they fast. I received the Kindle Fire first. I had to give it the once over you know, charge the battery, test it out. I’ll say this about it, for $199 it’s not a bad deal. It’s definitely not the iPad and is 100% Amazon-centric. For myself, I wouldn’t purchase it over an iPad but for a second tablet and one for a child who doesn’t need some of the fancier features of an iPad, I don’t think you can go wrong. I’ll tell you more about after Christmas when it goes into full use.
eReader users, do you feel you got gipped in my Thanksgiving Giveaway? Well I’m going to try to fix that in a very small way today by giving away 3 $10 eGift Cards from an etailer of your choice.Just comment to enter to win!
I chose 3 random commenters from my Sampler Saturday/Sunday post and you get to choose 1 (one) book each from the below selection. Thank you, everyone. Your enthusiasm for Alex’s story keeps me motivated and energizes me daily.
Jumping right off the topic of books for the moment, I have to tell you I haven’t watched much tv since I started writing in late 2006. I certainly haven’t been moved to watch previews of upcoming shows…that is until this year. So now that I have my tv watching mojo back, here’s a couple shows that are ‘must watches’ for me.
I didn’t think I’d be coming back to post about better news and A TASTE OF DESIRE and SINFUL SURRENDER, but by golly I am. I dreamt (secretly of course) about hitting that #1 spot on Amazon for historical romance, but I honestly didn’t think I would ever make it there. Yesterday I did with A TASTE OF DESIRE and with SINFUL SURRENDER currently in the #3 spot. (See image to the right for proof)
This goes so way beyond my expectations, I don’t even know what to say except THANK YOU. To all who have supported me, visiting my site and blog regularly, commenting regularly, and those who visit irregularly too. THANK YOU to every single one of you who’ve bought either one or both books and emailed to tell me how much you loved them. THANK YOU to those who recommended my book(s) to others even though my books are not exactly your taste. THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to write a lovely review whether it was on your own blog, or Amazon, B&N, GoodReads or what have you. Without your support, I know I could have never have gotten this far with this book and I certainly wouldn’t be working so hard to get ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE & SEDUCTION and AN HEIR OF DECEPTION out to you this year.
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Click for Kindle specifications
So to celebrate this very very happy time for me I’m giving away a KINDLE! Yep, all you have to do is comment on this blog. The drawing will be April 15th (tax deadline day). And in your comments, please don’t congratulate me, you’ve done that enough. This post is to thank you all!
To all the ladies who commented on yesterday’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s post to commemorate the holiday for his birthday, please email me at contests at theseasonforromance dot com, I have a list of books for you to choose from because all 4 commenters are getting one!
Before I launch into Downton Abbey, I have more exciting news to share. I made a bestselling list! Okay, it’s not the New York Times, USA Today or even Bookscan but it’s a list and I’ve never made a list, so I will take this with both hands out quite happily. I’ve posted the verbiage and link below!
Nine days after the release of her second novel, Beverley Kendall has made it onto BooksOnBoard’sTop Five Romance Authors list; A Taste of Desire debuted at number seven on last week’s Bestselling Romance eBooks list, and this week has attained the number one slot. “Kendall’s debut novel, Sinful Surrender, also did well when it hit the virtual shelves on January 1, 2010—but A Taste of Desire has blown Sinful Surrender out of the water,” said Project Manager Mindy Erickson. “There are going to be a lot of impatient fans out there if Kendall takes another full year to release her next novel.”
Needless to say, I got nothing done on Saturday, save doing very necessary food shopping after been holed up in the house all week with my son. The joys of snow and ice in Georgia.Good news always means I need to give something away. Since I’ll be chatting about the new Masterpiece Classic series Downton Abbey, one prize will be the DVD. And since it was BooksOnBoardthat made my Saturday, the other prize will be a $15 Gift Certificate for BooksOnBoard. Two winners, two great prizes, just comment to enter to win!
Now speaking of Downton Abbey, talk about love at first sight! It’s now my new obsession–and I can’t tell you how much I absolutely love it! You can stream the first episode on PBS.org Masterpiece. I’ve embedded it below if you’re interested in taking a sneak peek.
Here’s the summary I’ve taken right off the website.
The Downton Abbey estate stands a splendid example of confidence and mettle, its family enduring for generations and its staff a well-oiled machine of propriety. But change is afoot at Downton — change far surpassing the new electric lights and telephone. A crisis of inheritance threatens to displace the resident Crawley family, in spite of the best efforts of the noble and compassionate Earl, Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville, Miss Austen Regrets); his American heiress wife, Cora (Elizabeth McGovern); his comically implacable, opinionated mother, Violet (Maggie Smith, David Copperfield); and his beautiful, eldest daughter, Mary, intent on charting her own course. Reluctantly, the family is forced to welcome its heir apparent, the self-made and proudly modern Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), himself none too happy about the new arrangements. As Matthew’s bristly relationship with Mary begins to crackle with electricity, hope for the future of Downton’s dynasty takes shape. But when petty jealousies and ambitions grow among the family and the staff, scheming and secrets — both delicious and dangerous — threaten to derail the scramble to preserve Downton Abbey. Created and written by Oscar-winner Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park), Downton Abbey offers a spot-on portrait of a vanishing way of life.
Congratulations, Pam! 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.
I don’t know about you but I’m a music oficiando as much as I am of the written word. Actually, for me the two go hand in hand, the perfect complement. I associate some of my favourite books with songs. The songs, like the romances I’ve enjoyed the most, are usually about love and sometimes the wrenching pain of heartbreak. Like some of the books, songs also have the power to bring me to tears.
In my head I firmly associate Southern Nightsby Glen Campbell with Janet Dailey’sSouthern Nights. I can’t hear that song without thinking of Janet’s book.
One song that, as a child, literally could reduce me to tears every single time I heard it was My Loveby Paul McCartney and Wings. There is such poignancy in those lyrics that squeezes my heart when I hear it, even now. I associate this song with almost every book that’s ever touched me emotionally like Linda Howard’sSarah’s Child.
When we’re talking about an emotional read that encompasses the hero and heroine’s wedding, nothing can move me like Stevie Wonder’sYou and I. Or, once again, Paul McCartney and Wing’sMaybe I’m Amazed. Sigh.
The list of songs I love is endless and so too are the list of books I’ve adored over my decades of reading. In my mind, in my heart, they cannot be separated. Forever, at least for me, they’ve forged this unbreakable link, neither being able to survive sufficiently without the other. Both feed my soul.
As you can see, my love of the 70′s music is very much in evidence. What about you? Do you associate books with certain songs, a specific category of music? Which songs and which books? Comment to enter 2 books from what I still have from my Anniversary Giveaway stash.
If you belong to The Season Facebook Group, I hope you’ve received the email for the mini-giveaway I’m throwing–a small preemption of the one year anniversary one that will begin August 16th. If you like visuals, here’s the selection of books. Follow the directions on the Facebook email to enter!
A special thanks to all the authors and publicists that afforded me an extra book here and there when they learned I was giving all my books away (You know who you are). You guys are the best!!!
Tomorrow, join me on the blog when Lila DiPasqua will be guest blogging and giving away a copy of her debut book, AWAKENED BY A KISS, three steamy retellings of classic fairy tales.
Excerpt Thursday will be moved and become Excerpt Friday this week. I’ll be featuring two ‘hookable’ excerpts; ones that will hopefully heighten your anticipation for the books release.
I’m back from the RWA National Conference that took place in hot and muggy Orlando, FL at Disney World. I’ll blog about that next week.
5 - Perfect! - Goes on keeper shelf forever. 4.5 - Excellent - Sooo close to perfection, it hurts. 4 - Very Good - Highly recommend 3.5 - Good - Solid read. Would recommend. 3 - Satisfactory - Okay. Would recommend with caveats. 2.5 - Fair – Wouldn’t recommend. 2 – Fatally Flawed 1 Poor (1 being one of the worst books I've ever read) - Didn't find much in it to like. DNF - Did Not Finish (Yes, it was that bad)
Heat Level
6 - Erotic – Extremely explicit language and lovemaking scenes. This includes BDSM, ménage a trios. 5 – Scorching – Explicit lovemaking scenes and language. 4 – Hot – Very hot lovemaking scenes. This includes oral sex but no more. 3 – Sensual – Lovemaking scenes are hot but not as detailed or long as Heat Level 4 2 – Mild – Lovemaking scenes are short. Very little detail. 1 – Inspy – Lovemaking scenes are practically non-existent. Kissing but definite closed door policy.
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