Spotlight Review and Giveaway:

THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS – Heidi Betts
Kensington Brava
ISBN: 978-0-7582-4761-2
October 2010
Paranormal Romance Anthology

Vampires...and Christmas. Hmmm, seems like an odd combination to me. Let's join our country when vampires are all around and accepted, although not everyone knows much about them or their lifestyle. Just a little sneak peek at how vampires celebrate Christmas, or at least want to celebrate Christmas.

All I Vant For Christmas
Boston, Massachusetts – a Month Before Christmas

Despite being a vampire, Connor Drake would just like to have a pleasant Thanksgiving dinner for ONCE in his life, but his brother and sister, Liam and Maeve, are having none of it. Of course, vampires don't need food, but the thought of a family dinner for once is a pleasant dream. Connor owns several world famous restaurants all over the world and lives at Drake Manor with anything his heart desires. Liam and Maeve are vampires, too, but they prefer to flaunt their tattoos, piercings, pink and blue hair and combat boots. After another fight over dinner, Connor asks for advice from Angelina Ricci, friend and matchmaker to the vampire world. She suggests he hire an event coordinator as he again seeks to have a cozy family Christmas. Huh , he'll give it a try, but all Connor sees is another epic failure in the wings.

Jillian Parker is excited over the possibility of working with the famous Connor Drake, even though he is a vampire. Vampires are in all areas of society now, but Jillian really doesn't know much about them. The large mansion is impressive, as is the tall, handsome Connor. After talking with him, Jillian guarantees his house will look great for Christmas and simply ooze the holidays , but in no way can she make his brother and sister feel the holiday spirit, too.

Jillian is curious, and Connor is enthralled, and we all know what happens when a mysterious bad boy and a woman looking for a little loving on the wild side get together. Oh yeah, game on. All I Vant For Christmas will give you more than you need in the romance department and have you looking around for one of those hot vampires. Bring him on….

A Vampire In Her Stocking
Boston , Massachusetts – Weeks Before Christmas

Vivian Harrison has worked for journalist Sean Spice at DNN nightly news for over two years and has had a crush on him the whole time. The night Sean calls her into his office, she knows something bad is about to happen, but she's not being fired. Sean is quitting because he has a brain tumor and doesn't have long to live. Vivian breaks down and blubbers to Sean that she loves him. Well, Sean is not a man to ignore a statement like that, and a quickie on the desk is all she ever dreamed it could be. The next day, when she talks, or rather cries to her friend, the vampire matchmaker Angelina, about Sean, Angelina gives her an idea. If Vivian would “turn” Sean, he could become immortal just like her. Yes, Vivian is a vampire, and if she drinks his blood first, and he drinks hers, he will become a vampire and immortal just like every other vampire. Vivian doesn't think that is a good idea at all, until the next morning Sean is wrapped in a red ribbon on the sofa in her living room. Who could have done this other than Angelina?

Sean is confused, terrified, and irate. He's not sure what happened, and this bull about being a vampire is just plain stupid. He's probably having a really bad dream... yeah, that's it . But when they have sex a second time, it's like nothing that ever happened to him. Sean definitely needs time to gradually figure out what happened to him and what his life will be like in the future; Sean figures he must be alone to think this thing through.

A Vampire In Her Stocking explains the vampire life and how a regular person would act if it happened to him or her. Will the Christmas season heal the rift between Sean and Vivian, and can Sean accept his destiny? A Vampire In Her Stocking will soothe all your fears.

IT'S A WONDERFUL BITE
Boston , Massachusetts - Christmas Eve

Angelina Ricci is beyond proud of herself for her matchmaking abilities the past couple of weeks. You can clearly see the vampire/human bond of Connor Drake and Jillian Parker; they are living together, and his two siblings even seem to like her. It's plain to see the Christmas party at Drake Manor is all Connor wished it to be with Christmas trees, garlands, carol singing, twinkling lights and ornaments. And knowing what's happening between Vivian and Sean gives Angelina hope that “turning” Sean was the right idea. The only thing that could make life perfect would be if Ian Hart, her lover, finally popped the question. After a considerable number of years, you'd think Ian would get the hint.

Later that night, watching “It's a Wonderful Life,” Ian's favorite movie, has Angelina wondering just what their lives would be like if they weren't vampires. . .

The next morning Angelina wakes up in a different world; Ian's still a policeman and apparently so is she. She remembers their past life, but other than looking as hot as ever, Ian has no idea of their history, except they are still lovers. Trying to keep them both alive will tax all Angelina's human abilities and soon has her regretting her wish. Is this something she can change so she can go back to her old life?

THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is a light and airy read about the Christmas season, just with all the vampires who are all around us highlighted. They can love and lust just like the rest of us; they just have extra “abilities.” I guarantee you will thoroughly enjoy and relish each story, and they will put you in the spirit of the Season while you carefully watch those around you...which of them are vampires, hmmmm?

Cece Johns

****

Great review, right? Are you interested in owning a copy of THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS? Then post away and tell us about your favorite Christmas story, whether it be a romantic tale or a childhood book.

I'll announce a winner on Wednesday night.

Our Anniversary Winners are....

As you may recall, we had an anniversary contest going on here:

http://romrevtoday.blogspot.com/2010/10/its-romance-reviews-todays-10th.html

Now it's time to pull the names of the two winnners. As selected by the Custom Number Generator....

Winners are:

Momof1DD and Sandi

Congratulations!!

Please email me at pattifischer@yahoo.com with your choice of Amazon or BN giftcards (ecards) and the email address you want them sent to.

Book Giveaway:

CRAZY FOR LOVE  by Victoria Dahl

out now!

Blurb:

Chloe Turner thought she was going to marry the perfect man-until her fiancé's plane crashed. And then she got
the really bad news: he'd tried to fake his own death to avoid marrying her. Now America's most famous
bridezilla (a tag she most definitely does not deserve), Chloe escapes to a remote island to avoid the paparazzi. And right next door is a man who just might be the cure
for Chloe's heartache....

A magnet for wild, complicated women, Max Sullivan is relieved to have finally found someone "normal." Chloe is his girl-next-door fantasy come to life, and best of all, she gets him. With her, he can be himself, a treasure-hunting millionaire who desperately wants out of his sexy but reckless job. But when Chloe's notoriety catches up with them, will their torrid romance make it to the mainland?

Easy to enter....just post away and I will announce a winner on Wednesday night.

US and Canada mailing addresses only

Q&A with Tina Welling!!

1. Tell us about your newest release.

Some of the most fun I’ve had was writing COWBOYS NEVER CRY. I loved the three main characters and the funny scenes and humorous lines that came to me from their voices. The story is about Cassie Danner, who is three years into grieving over the loss of her mountain climbing husband, struggling to get out of the debt he’d left her in, and in love with the Grand Teton Mountains. This leads her to take on the job as summer cook on the Cross Wave Guest Ranch in Jackson Hole. Robbin McKeag became a child actor inadvertently and his career grew through his adulthood into overwhelming fame and self-destruction. The novel opens with Robbin returning home to the Cross Wave where he grew up for time out to heal. His father, Boone, owns the Cross Wave Ranch where these two wounded people encounter each other, antagonize each other and eventually fall in love. The novel explores fame, grief and how ranching conflicts with land conservation.

2. Can you tell us a little about your favorite scene in the story?

One scene can still make me smile when I read it. It depicts the moment in which the connection between Cassie and Robbin begins to turn from antagonism to overt attraction, yet the dialogue exchange between them still rides that edge between the two. Boone, Cassie’s boss and Robbin’s father, secretly hopes for a romance to blossom and alternately plays the role of buffer and matchmaker between the two.
In the scene Robbin has been gone from the ranch for a few days and just returns to discover that Cassie stayed out late the night before and is dressed up to go out again. Robbin tries to get Boone to disclose just how late Cassie came in the night before, but Boone replies that Cassie’s private life is her own business. Cassie smugly nods at that. But Robbin doesn’t give up and eases out of Boone how many late night movies he watched before he went to bed, knowing he’d stay up until Cassie was home safely. Boone gets involved in telling the plots of the three old movies he watched, the last one being a western in which the hero “rides off into the sunset before she pulls in.” Robbin says to Cassie, “Hah, 3:00am. From now on you get home before Gary Cooper does.”

3. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?


There was a stretch of many years, starting when my two sons were babies until they grew up, in which I knew I wanted to write. During that time I intermittently put action to my dream, yet always allowed other loves to come first. Then one day when my sons were in high school and my business, a resort shop, felt established, I made the decision to put my writing on the top of my list and stick with it until I had finished a novel. Now my sons are grown, I’ve let go of my shop, and the last five years I have been writing full time. I love it.


4. Where do you get your information or ideas for your stories?


My novels always begin with an emotion between two people and an idea that I’d like to explore. In COWBOYS NEVER CRY the two main characters exemplified two opposite poles of experience: grief, which is seen by our culture as the depths of misery, and fame, which our culture suggests is a peak of happiness. I wanted to show how these two experiences are actually similar in that personal growth often comes to a halt. I wanted to write a love story that was based on an exchange of healing. And I wanted to write it with lots of humor.

5. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

From talking to my writer friends, I gather that it may be quirky of me to write in my pajamas. Before getting showered and dressed in the mornings, I’ll begin writing. I only intend to write until I finish my cup of coffee, but usually it takes my husband coming home for lunch to remind me to break away. I think this works for me, because I find that it’s hard to take anything too seriously while wearing pajamas.

6. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?


I discovered that if I think I don’t know something, all I need to do is to begin writing about it anyway. Information, emotional awareness and past experience just rise to my consciousness as a result of trusting myself and using the physical act of writing to spur my memory and imagination. Which is exactly how I answered this question when my first response was a blank mind.

7. What authors or friends influenced you in helping you become a writer?

To begin with it was as simple as my mother loving the letters I wrote to her. That made me think I could write for others. Later the novelist Tim Sandlin became a good friend. He was published years before I was, but never stopped supporting me while I went for decades being unpublished. He is the director of the Jackson Hole Writers Conference, and early on he assigned me workshops to teach and public talks to give. He allowed me to live, work and see myself as a writer when no one else did.

8. What does your family think about your career as a published author?

My husband is wonderful in his support and enthusiasm for my work. My sister and brother and their partners are fabulous. They go into bookstores where they live and set my books face out on the shelves and take photos of COWBOYS NEVER CRY sitting on special tables. My two sons, now grown with families of their own, aren’t too interested. I thought that was odd until I read that other authors have the same experience with their children. Now I get it. What son wants to read love scenes written by their mother?

9. Besides writing, what other interests do you have?


I love the outdoors, which helps me to write about settings. I hike and ski – it’s almost a law if you live in Jackson Hole. I read a lot, of course. And I adore knitting…or at least buying yarn, which I have more of than actual knitted items!

10. Can you tell us about what’s coming up next for you writing wise?

Right now I am in the dreaming stage of a new novel, jotting down lines and ideas when they occur to me. There are certain qualities of male-female relationships that I’m interested in and there are certain issues of being a woman in our culture that especially arouse my attention. So I like to incorporate these areas that hold energy for me into my writing projects. And always I love to write about the natural world and how it delights our senses.

*****

Learn more about Tina by visiting her website at http://www.tinawelling.com/

GUARDIAN winner is....

Congrats to Linda Henderson, who wins the copy of GUARDIAN by Lindsay McKenna.

Please contact me at pattifischer@yahoo.com with your mailing info by 11/8/10

New reviews posted at www.romrevtoday.com

Romance Reviews Today – The best reviews on the web!
www.romrevtoday.com

Updates/Information

OCTOBER 2010 CONTEST PRIZES:


Eternal Hunger by Laura Wright & Something Wicked by Michelle Rowen
Luck Be A Lady by Cathie Linz & Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis
Seducing the Duchess by Ashley March & One Wicked Mistake by Emma Wildes
Falcon’s Captive by Vonna Harper & I Want it Now by Sydney Molare (Erotic Prize book)


Please see the contest page for entry instructions.

New reviewers wanted. Contact Terrie – Please include a sample review in your email.

Limited number of review openings – get your request for review in early. Review Policy – 60 days advance notice. No Exceptions! Late requests will be considered on a time and space available. When requesting a review please include the following information:
Title, Author, Publisher, Release Date, ISBN, Genre, ARC Format (i.e. electronic or print if electronic please include PDF page count.)



All interviews will be posted on the blog and archived to the site at a later date. (Contact Terrie or Patti to schedule your interview.)


Advertising is available on the home page beginning in May. Please see Author Service page at romrevtoday.com for pricing information.


Chats – All chats begin at 9 pm eastern. Check out the RRT Blog for the most current author chat schedule. Open Forum with Scheme on Monday, Author Chat’s with Crazy Mo on Wednesday, and Friday Nights with Patti. Don’t miss the chats they are informative and fun! A Link to the chat room can be found on the home page at www.romrevtoday.com




New reviews this issue: 18 – (includes 2 Erotic reviews)


Anthologies
THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS – Heidi Betts – Carolyn – Paranormal Romance



Contemporary Fiction
LEGACY – Danielle Steel – Deborah
THE DEEP BLUE SEA FOR BEGINNERS – Luanne Rice – Robin



Contemporary Romance

A CASE OF PUPPY LOVE – Lois Schwartz – Deborah
A CHESAPEAKE SHORES CHRISTMAS – Sherryl Woods – Chesapeake Shores, Book 4 Diana

CALL ME MRS. MIRACLE – Debbie Macomber – Mrs. Miracle, Book 2 – Diana



Fantasy
DOUBLE CROSS – Carolyn Crane – The Disillusionists Trilogy, Book 2 – Carolyn



Historical Fiction
THE COUNTESS AND THE KING – Susan Holloway Scott – A Novel of the Countess of Dorchester and King James II – A Perfect 10 – Amy



Mystery/Suspense

A BAD DAYS WORK – Nora McFarland – A Lily Hawkins Mystery - Amy
DARK ROAD TO DARJEELING – Deanna Raybourn – A Lady Julia Gray Novel, Book 4 – Robin

Paranormal Fiction
FIRST HEAT – Jocelyn Modo – CeCe – Erotic



Paranormal Romance
DARKENSS CAPTURED – Delilah Devlin – Dark Realm, Book 4 – Jennifer - Erotic
HAUNTED HONEYMOON – Marta Acosta – Casa Dracula Series, Book 4 – Kathy
NIGHTSHADE – Andrea Cremer – Kathy – Young Adult

WHEN PLEASURE RULES – J.K. Beck – The Shadow Keepers, Book 2 - Amanda



Series Romance
ANOTHER WILD WEDDING NIGHT - Leslie Kelly – Blaze Encounters – Patti – HB# 567

FROM BOARDROOM TO WEDDING BED? – Jules Bennett – Patti – SD#2046

ULTIMATUM: MARRIAGE – Ann Major – Man of the Month series – Jennifer – SD#2041



--
Terrie Figueroa Owner/Webmistress Romance Reviews Today
www.romrevtoday.com

Book winner!

The winner of FROM BOARDROOM TO WEDDING BED? by Jules Bennett is............ ESTELLA!!

Congrats and please email me your mailing information at pattifischer@yahoo.com by 11/7/10.

Chat Wednesday night with Kylie Brant!

Kylie Brant chats at Mo's Book Buzz!!!!!

Date: Wednesday October 27, 2010
Time: 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
Location: http://client0.addonchat.com/sc.php?id=102122

Or go to http://www.romrevtoday.com/ and click on RRT Chat and then into Mo's Book Buzz chat room

Notes: Author Kylie Brant joins us to discuss her book, DEADLY INTENT. Door prize: One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of DEADLY INTENT! Moderated by CrazyMo.

Book Giveaway:

GUARDIAN by Lindsay McKenna
Harlequin Nocturne
Paranormal Romance
(Came out this past summer)

Blurb:

A Templar knight in a past life, Nicholas de Beaufort has no desire to inhabit his former human body again. But when he's ordered to return to his human form to guard Mary Anderson, a woman with a special purpose, he has no choice. Unsure of his new mission, Nicholas is only certain of the scorching lust Mary ignites in him.

Mary needs to find the two magical emeralds that could restore harmony to the planet. But when an unexpected threat surfaces, Nicholas's mission becomes clear. He must protect the woman he can't live without—and battle the evil that could destroy the Earth.

Post away and I'll announce a winner Thursday night!
US and Canada addresses only.

Spotight Review:

SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE – Jill Shalvis
Lucky Harbor , Book 1
Forever
ISBN: 978-0-446-57161-6
October 2010
Contemporary Romance

Lucky Harbor, Washington – Present Day

Three half sisters, raised separately but connected by a now deceased mother, gather in Lucky Harbor to decide what do with the ocean front resort they inherited. But with little cash to fix it up and none of them with jobs, it becomes clear they're going to have to do the work themselves…except for some heavy duty construction work. The sisters get drunk one night and, on a dare, Maddie Moore calls up a construction company and leaves a message for the owner to get over there as soon as possible. The next morning, a hung over Maddie opens the door to the last man she expects to see: Jax Cullen, a man she'd recently shared a hot kiss with on the pier and a man she deems too hot for her. She can't deny the chemistry that sizzles between them, but she's on a rebound from men after an abusive relationship. Right now her focus is getting to know her sisters and fixing up their inheritance—not getting involved with a man way out of her league. But wherever she turns in Lucky Harbor , there is Jax, especially after he's hired to do the work on the resort.

Jax has his own personal demons and is still not able to discuss them with anyone. Right now, he serves as mayor of Lucky Harbor and dabbles in business ventures when he's not doing construction jobs. When he learns about Maddie's past abuse, it makes it even more imperative that she not find out about his past (no, he is not an abuser, but he may be in conflict with Maddie). Maybe a fling while she's around (since she's only here to get the resort spruced up to sell), though any long term relationship is out of the question. Of course, the more Jax and Maddie are around each other—and give into their sizzling hot passion—the harder it becomes to not only keep secrets from her, including another one, which might blow the sisters' fledging relationship apart.

In SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE, we are introduced to Maddie, Tara and Chloe, all three daughters of the late Phoebe Traeger, a free spirit who couldn't raise her children, but who loved them dearly anyway. While this tale centers around Jax and Maddie's coupling, a good portion also shows the growing closeness the sisters experience as they bond and share their innermost feelings. Being more or less abandoned by their mother has left them with insecurity issues. Jax knew their mother, so he's more sympathetic than they are to their mother's reasons for not raising them. There are other characters of note in SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE, such as Jax's buddies, Ford and Sawyer, as well as the irrepressible Lucille, the town busybody. But when Jax and Maddie get together, they're as combustible as fire on gasoline, and readers are in for a rocketing romance.

SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE is the first one in the Lucky Harbor trilogy, and it looks as if Tara 's tale is coming up next. If you're like me, this series is going to be one to watch as Jill Shalvis combines her quirky writing with a small town America setting, while adding in some sizzling heat to make SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE…simply irresistible! I enjoyed reading this tale quite a bit.

A fun, energetic read that will have you laughing and crying at the same time, make SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE a part of your next book buying trip.

Patti Fischer

Book Giveaway:

FROM BOARDROOM TO WEDDING BED? by Jules Bennett
Silhouette Desire out now!

Blurb:

He’d been faced with the toughest decision of his life—a future full of wealth and power, or the love of Tamera Stevens. And self-made billionaire Cole Marcum had never regretted his choice. Until now, when circumstances forced him to work as partners with the woman he’d left behind. The brilliant CEO was determined to keep their relationship strictly business. Even so, working so closely with the only woman he’d ever cherished had Cole rethinking his priorities. This time, was he prepared to choose love over money


Easy to enter this... If you're interested, post one entry and I will announce a winner on Wednesday night.

US and Canada addresses only.

GOOD LUCK

Spotlight Review:

THE SECOND LIE – Tara Taylor Quinn
The Chapman Files, Book 2
MIRA
ISBN: 978-0-7783-2838-4
October 2010
Romantic Suspense

Chandler , Ohio – August through September 2010

Dr. Kelly Chapman is a psychologist in the small town of Chandler . She does a lot of pro bono work so when a poor woman, Lori Winston, calls asking for help for her fourteen year-old daughter, Maggie, she makes an appointment for the following day. Lori worries that her A-student daughter has met an older man and is having sex. She doesn't want her daughter making the same mistakes that she did. Maggie has met an older man, but not in quite the way Lori thinks; Maggie is making deliveries for Mac. She knows her mother cannot pay for college tuition, so Maggie is earning money and thinks that she is doing good by delivering medicine for sick children. She has a crush on Mac. Kelly tricks Maggie into admitting she knows an older man, but then she is angry and walks out of Kelly's office. Mac is thirty-four years old and is attracted to Maggie, but is waiting for her to grow a little older before he acts on the attraction. Kelly confides in her friend Sam, who is a deputy sheriff, about Maggie, and although Sam watches her, she has not found any problems with the teenager.

Deputy Sheriff Samantha loves her job, but when she needs someone to talk to, she goes to visit her old friend and lover, Kyle Evans, a local farmer, who loves the outdoors and is trying to hang onto his farm. At one time, Sam thought they would marry, but she wanted her job more, and Kyle wanted a farm wife. He is experimenting with corn for ethanol hoping to make enough money to pay his debts and take care of his elderly grandfather.

A man high on meth murdered his wife and then shot himself. This horror really shakes Sam who is worried about all the meth that is popping up around the county and causing so much violence. Could there be a super lab nearby? She is determined to find out even though most of her friends don't believe it.

When Kelly tells her story, she speaks in first person, but other parts of THE SECOND LIE are told in third person. Kelly is a very caring, sympathetic woman always wanting to help. There is a lot of love between Sam and Kyle, but they were never able to give what the other wanted. With all they go through in THE SECOND LIE, they discover a lot about themselves and each other to come to a better understanding. Maggie is a fascinating secondary character, a fourteen year-old, half woman and half child, looking for love. She wants out of the old trailer park where she and her mother live, and craves the respect of her school mates.

THE SECOND LIE is well written with good dialogue and intriguing characters, but you can expect more suspense than romance as Sam does her job protecting her town. It is a satisfying tale, and a story that I enjoyed reading. The Chapman Files begins with THE FIRST WIFE (Harlequin Super Romance, September 2010), and continues in THE SECOND LIE (October), THE THIRD SECRET (November), and THE FOURTH VICTIM (December). I plan to be the first in line to read these fascinating suspenseful stories.

Marilyn Heyman

It's Romance Reviews Today's 10th Anniversary!!!!!

In honor of Romance Reviews Today's 10th Anniversary, I am going to give away to TWO lucky winners.... $10 egiftcards from either Amazon or BN.com!!!!

Be sure to visit the site at http://www.romrevtoday.com/

How do you enter? Just post away telling us how you have changed in the past ten years. Whether it be yourself personally or your reading habits.

I will draw the lucky winners on October 31st.

(One entry per person and anyone can participate as long as you take electronic giftcards)

A Perfect 10:

LADY OF HAY – Barbara Erskine
A Perfect 10
Sourcebooks
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4118-5
First published in 1986
Reissued October 2010
Reincarnation/Historical Fiction

Present Day London , and Wales in the late 1100's

While Joanna Clifford was a student, she was regressed under hypnosis by Professor Cohen and Dr. Sam Franklyn. They were successful—she was the best subject they had ever encountered—but while she was in a deep trance, she was told not to remember the experience. Her hands were bleeding and she almost died, but she does not recall anything about it. Now, fifteen years later, Jo is a journalist writing some articles—one on reincarnation. She plans to sit in on a few regressions for the article, but she believes it is all a hoax. Her friend Tim is her photographer for the story. Sam Franklyn's brother, Nick, Jo's former lover, asks her to wait and talk to Sam, but she refuses, angry that Nick is living with another woman. Nick and Sam are very worried about her safety.

Jo visits Dr. Bennett who uses regression as a tool to help people with their fears or phobias. When his patient cancels, Jo decides to go under hypnosis with the doctor. She goes back to a former life in medieval times where she is Lady Matilda, a feisty young woman who is traveling to Wales with a maid and escorted by a young man named Lord Richard de Clare. Lady Matilda is going to Wales to be with her husband, a brutish man named William de Broase. He is angry when she arrives unbidden and tells her she must stay in their room and not attend the feast the following day. Lady Matilda is pregnant, determined to take her place in the household. She has no idea what terrible plans her husband has made.

The following day, Lady Matilda prepares to sneak into the feast, but what she sees is chilling. Her husband and his men slaughter the unarmed men of Wales who believed they were coming to the feast in peace. Shortly thereafter, Jo awakens to find herself back in the present. She was in such a deep trance that Dr. Bennett had a difficult time bringing her back. Jo is stunned and overwhelmed. Could what she experienced be true? According to history, the murders really happened by William de Broase during King Henry II's reign. Nick and Sam are both there for her and want to help. They hope she will not pursue this other life, but will Jo listen to their advice?

LADY OF HAY is a fascinating read. Jo is an independent woman, confident in herself, and very confused about what is happening to her. Sam and Nick are both interesting characters with some rivalry between them for Jo's attention. In Lady Matilda's time, she is married to a cruel man with little freedom. She and Richard are very attracted to each other. He is a kind man who wants to protect Matilda, but how can he protect her from a man who makes the rules and has the right to dominate her life? Also of importance to the story is Prince John, who later becomes king. The titillating fact about a reincarnation story is if Jo has been reincarnated to her present life, in all probability she is with people from her past life. So how will it work out this time? And what part is everyone playing in the present?

I read and loved LADY OF HAY over twenty years ago, and the story is just as fresh and captivating today. It is beautifully written with wonderful characters and historical persons from medieval times. The author's research makes the story very realistic. Both past and present are equally intriguing with exciting plotting and good dialogue. Don't miss this amazing story that has a little of everything, including history, romance, and some suspense. It deserves a Perfect 10. It's a lengthy book, but you won't be able to put it down.

Marilyn Heyman

Jessica Inclan winners are.....

The print book winners are:

Debbie
Aromagik
Estella
flchen1
CrystalGB
They win print copies of BEING WITH HIM.

The ebook winners are:

Momof1DD
PamP
cait045
elaing8
cories5

They win ecopies of THE WOLF AT THE WINDOW.

I will pass your email addresses onto Jessica's PR person, so no need to contact me or Jessica.

Congrats to ALL the winners and stay tuned tomorrow night for a really big giveaway!

Q & A with Jessica Inclan......and 10 winners!

Please give a warm welcome to author Jessica Inclan as she discusses her latest release. As a nice gesture from Jessica,she will be giving away to ten winners either a print copy  (five total) of her book BEING WITH HIM or ecopies (five total) of THE WOLF AT THE WINDOW.

1. Tell us about your latest release?

Being With Him, the first novel in my second trilogy--The Being Trilogy--is being released in mass market format. This story starts off the whole large, three part arc, and focuses on Mila and Garrick, my couple, two people who have always felt "other" and who, when meeting each other, finally feel found. There is good reason for this! I am also really happy for the novel to come out in mass market because the price is lower and the story can more easily reach an audience.

2. Do you have a favorite scene from the book that you can share with us?

I liked writing Garrick's character because his defense from feeling "other" was to develop a nice sense of sarcasm. Sarcasm usually hides anger or some other dark emotion, but it was fun to use it to humorous effect. This scene is from the very beginning and shows you, I think, some of the layers that he is going to have to peel away in order to truly connect with another person:

Garrick McClellan stood at the end of the enormous museum gallery, holding a double scotch and wishing that he were at home. Or at work. Or at a bar. Or anywhere but this party. The room smelled like boiled shrimp, bad champagne, and acrylic paint, and he had been stuck listening to the perpetually giddy Meredith Stone talk about Aruba for going on fifteen minutes. Aruba this, Aruba that. Now and then as she spoke, she put one slim tanned hand on his arm, and the very act made Garrick want to growl.
Get the hell off me, he thought, but, of course, Meredith didn’t hear his thoughts. No one did, even though he heard theirs loud and clear, 24/7, turning them off just to save his sanity. And he knew, from experience, how important sanity was, how useful it was when trying to deal with others.

“The Mirabelle simply the best resort there,” Meredith said, smiling at Garrick as she did, her teeth so bleached he wondered if she’d mind if he put on his sunglasses to block the almost blue glare.

“We must go then,” said a woman to Meredith’s right, a San Francisco socialite Garrick had been introduced to many times but whose name he always forgot. “The sun would do wonders for me this time of year.”

“There’s no where else this season,” Meredith said, but her thoughts were not on Mirabelle, the warm aqua colored water, the scuba diving, or the frothy pina coladas served up at the beach front bar. No, not a thought there. Garrick could hear Meredith’s sex channel loud and clear. Keeping her eyes averted, she was thinking about what she perceived as Garrick’s enormous bulge in his tuxedo trousers.

God, she thought, talking about in-room Jacuzzis at the same time. Get me a room alone with him. At Mirabelle or the Holiday Inn Express on Harrison. I don’t care.

Garrick pushed back his coat, smiling, wanting her to get an extra glimpse of his solid, strong, 6’2” frame, but then, with a sigh, he let the jacket fall forward. It wasn’t fair to take advantage. He’d made a pact with himself, but he smiled, knowing that it wasn’t just Meredith who had admired him in that way. But he shouldn’t be around her or any woman. Nothing good ever came of it. Nor would it ever.

“Maybe you should go back to Aruba soon,” Garrick said, moving away from Meredith and her greedy hands. He winked, giving everyone, including Meredith, the notion that he was kidding. “If you took another trip next week, I know it would do me wonders. Ladies. Gentlemen.”

He bowed slightly, pulled away from the group and strode off. If it wasn’t for the donation his company made to the museum’s fund, he wouldn’t be here at all. But he was the one person the museum requested. Garrick McClellan, top producer for the largest finance firm in the city, Calder Wilken Brodden, to present the five million dollar check to purchase additional future collections. He could see the headline in the Datebook section of the San Francisco Chronicle now. And as if to corroborate, he heard a sharp, “Mr. McClellan.”

Turning, he faced a man with a camera and then there was a click and a flash.

“Great. Thanks. Love the show,” the photographer said, striding away to find another society victim.

Garrick put his drink glass down on a small table and pushed his blonde hair back from his forehead. He leaned against a wall and shook his head. Some show. Modern art. This stuff looked like crap. Stripes and boxes and what looked like spills. Blobs of color. One painting was just blue. A blue box. Another piece was a shovel hung from the ceiling and a bucket. Both painted white. Garrick almost laughed when he listened to some woman say “It’s the negative space that makes this piece so arresting.”

Arresting, Garrick thought. Someone should arrest the artist. Get the forty thousand dollars back they paid out, too.

He picked up his glass and downed the last of his scotch. He had to make nice, as he always did. He’d learned long ago that no one wanted someone different around to make a scene, to say something weird, to act “inappropriately.” Who said what was true, who acted crazy, unless, of course, it meant that someone was an artist hanging shovels and painting buckets. But there wasn’t space, negative or otherwise, for a person who didn’t fit in.


3. Which comes first…plot or characters?

For me, plot and characters sort of come together, though I do usually come up with a one or two sentence idea. The other day, I was at an airport, and I thought of a pilot who twenty years before survived a tragic accident. And then I thought of a little girl who survived the accident, too. I thought their stories could combine. So that's plot and character at the same time.

4. Do you have a daily writing routine?

I usually sit down, tidy up the email box, and then go to it. How long I write usually depends on what I'm doing. Right now, I'm in the midst of an intense revision of my YA manuscript--agent and editor bearing down--so I write for whatever time it takes me to get 10 or so pages done a day. When I'm in the initial creative place, I lighten up on myself and only require 3 or 4 pages a day. The truth is, during those times, I'm writing in my head for the rest of the day!

5. What friends or relatives have influenced your writing?

I have this great photo that I'm going to send you with me and my sister sitting on the couch with my father who is reading us nursery rhymes. He was always telling us stories and reading to us--my mother as well. The two of them formed my love of literature. My mother was a librarian, and I spent a great deal of my time at the library reading.

6. When writing, do you ever get so attached to characters that you hate to stop writing their story?

No, I have to be honest and say that when I am lucky enough to wrap up a novel in a lovely arc of plot, I'm happy. I love to revisit my characters, and I do admire and appreciate many of them. But it's good to finish the story and end it as I feel that's a hard thing to do!

7. When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax?

If I am not writing, I am usually teaching--but that's not relaxing necessarily. Fun, but not relaxing. I work out every day--walking, weights, cardio of any kind--and I garden and work in the yard. My fiance and I workout together, so that keeps us motivated. We also love to go to movies and to watch HBO and Showtime series (go True Blood!).


8. Is there another genre you’re interested in writing about?

If you go to my page on scribd.com (http://www.scribd.com/search?cat=redesign&q=jessica+barksdale+inclan) you can see that I have really always dabbled in many genres. I started out as a poet, short story writer, and then novelist. I have written contemporary novels, romance, and now I'm working on a YA novel. I think it's good to have many tools in your writer toolbox. The issue is that readers expect you to write in a certain genre, but I hope that folks will give me--and any writer--a go when I try to stretch.


9. What’s coming up next for you? Give us a sneak peek.

Two fun things. One is that I've just been able to put up some kindle versions of novels. This has been a lot of work (formatting a big issue!) and fun, but you can see them all here: http://www.blogger.com/goog_1605437872

This is the opening of my manuscript Swimming Lessons. The main character is a fifteen-year-old girl, who has a father who oppresses her and her sister, controlling every aspect of their lives. Lia is a swimmer (as I was) and her father's focus in her swimming:

As she finished her flip turn, pushed off the wall, and took a breath, she knew he was there. This was what he did. He sneaked out of work and came to watch Lia and her sister Faith swim, silently slipping onto the bleachers and spying on them. Lia felt him through her wet skin, imagined his dark figure against the afternoon spring sky. He’s alone, not sitting by anyone else because there was no one else there. No one watched a stupid workout. No one should care that much.
She had his silhouette memorized, the rumpled hat, his hunched over back, his notebook on his lap. He didn’t move except to write something down on his yellow legal pad or to pull out his stop watch to time her splits, even though she’s only working out, not racing, not trying to impress anyone.
“Don’t be lazy. Work that pull down,” he would say later tonight. “Push! Push past your hip every time, Lia. That’s what makes someone great. Doing what is needed every single time without fail. Without flaw.”
Without fail, she thought, her arms, one, two, one two in the water. Without flaw.
To him, she failed at everything, and she was flawed everywhere. No stroke right. No turn perfect. No race without mistake. She missed each and every time, off by a second, off by a start or a finish. Did he think if he wrote down every detail that she would somehow figure it out? What was the magic word that will make her a daughter to be proud of?
For a minute, she worked her freestyle, focusing on each arm stroke, each pull down, each breath. But she was tired of trying. She was tired of everything. She wanted him to go away and leave her alone. She never wanted to talk about swimming ever again. Lia wanted to swim her way into a cave and never come out. She imagined an earthquake shaking the pool deck to bits and swallowing him up, nothing left but splinters.
Go, she thought. Go away. Never come back.
She breathed and held her head up a little to look at the bleachers.
He wasn’t there at all.

10. How can readers find you on the internet?

the best places are my web site: http://www.jessicabarksdaleinclan.com/ and the site where I blog: http://www.redroom.com/author/jessicab-barksdale-inclan

Please click all around, and let me know what you think!

Patti, thank you for letting me chat with your readers.

******

Now, to enter the drawings for Jessica's books, please post away. Ask her a question or otherwise comment. I'll draw the winners and let Jessica know.

PS...this time when you post, please put your email address in the post so that it will make it easier for me. :)

I'll announce the winners Tuesday night.

Spotlight Review:

BESPELLING JANE AUSTEN – Mary Balogh, Colleen Gleason, Susan Krinard, Janet Mullany
HQN
ISBN: 978-0-373-77501-9
October 2010
Paranormal Romance Anthology

BESPELLING JANE AUSTEN contains novellas combining some stories by Jane Austen with the paranormal: ALMOST PERSUADED (Persuasion); LITTLE TO HEX HER (Emma); NORTHANGER ABBEY (Northanger Castle); BLOOD AND PREJUDICE (Pride and Prejudice).

ALMOST PERSUADED – Mary Balogh

Three sisters, Louisa, Jane, and Edna, are daughters of Sir Horace Everett of Goodrich Hall. Jane was always getting into trouble as a child for her vivid imagination and insisting that she remembered having lived previous lives. Shocked at Jane's tales, her parents reprimanded her and punished her for telling lies. After that time, Jane suppressed any unusual memories and became a quiet and compliant young woman.

The ladies visit the vicarage and meet the vicar's brother, Captain Robert Mitford, who is injured and home from the wars. Jane is stunned when she meets him. She recognizes him—she had known him before, intimately. Robert had studied under a guru in India and knows he has lived many lifetimes, but had never chosen love over complications set before him. He does not recognize Jane, but he knows that all the women he has loved through the ages have looked totally different. Could she be the one?

If you enjoy reincarnation stories as much as I do, you will want to read this delightful novella. Ms. Balogh does her usual good story telling. It is a sure winner.

NORTHANGER CASTLE – Colleen Gleason
Bath , England – 1845

Caroline Merrill is an avid reader of Gothic novels. In her bag, she carries a large cross and a stake just in case she runs across any vampires. Currently she is in Bath as a companion to Mrs. Argenot. She meets Isobel and James in the Pump Room, and while dancing with James, she sees a pale man standing in the shadows watching her. He looks like Ruthven, the handsome vampire from her novels; she shivers deliciously. Could it be that she has found a vampire looking for a victim in the crowded Pump Room?

A short, light-hearted tale that readers of vampire stories are sure to enjoy.

BLOOD AND PREJUDICE – Susan Krinard
New Haven, Connecticut – Present Day

The Bennet family is gathered to celebrate their dad's birthday. Most of the Bennets work in the family pharmaceutical company, Bennet Laboratories. Lizzy runs a book store, but Jane and Mary work at the lab. Mr. Charles Bingley, who is hoping to acquire the company, arrives with his good friend, Mr. Darcy. One look and the friendly Charles and Jane are smitten. Lizzy can't help but be attracted to the brooding Darcy. When the ladies are invited to the Bingley estate, Lizzy meets Caroline, Charles's sister, who is beautiful, unfriendly, and focusing her attention on Darcy. Lizzy is surprised to overhear Darcy say nice things about her, but she does not trust him. And then, of course, there is Mr. Wickham, the lawyer…

An imaginative story written in first person about all of the wonderful characters we met in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, but with a twist. And what a twist—there are vampires among the players. I don't think I will ever look at these Jane Austen characters in quite the same way!

LITTLE TO HEX HER – Janet Mullany
Washington D.C. – Present Day

Emma's sister left her in charge of a paranormal dating agency. Things are not working out well, especially when Harriet, the witch, turned an elf into a frog, and he is threatening to sue. The agency's clients include elves, wizards, vampires, gargoyles, etc. so that it isn't always easy to put a good couple together. The good-looking wizard, George Knightly, whom Emma briefly dated in college, always seems to be nearby, and although Emma doesn't date the clients, when the handsome vampire, Frank Churchill, asks her out for a drink, how could she refuse, even though she realizes one must be very careful if dating a vampire.

Missy, who couldn't finish a sentence if her life depended on it, is a terrific and original secondary character. This is a comical tale that will have readers laughing out loud. It is sexy, clever, and very funny, and will leave you with a smile on your face.

BESPELLING JANE AUSTEN is a thoroughly enjoyable read. The stories were well written and fun to read.

Marilyn Heyman

Lori Brighton winners are....

As promised, two people win ecopies of THE GHOST HUNTER.
I pulled out two numbers from Random Number Generator... and oddly, it picked #1 and then #2...so the winners are:


Cait045 and Sherry!!!


Please email me at pattifischer@yahoo.com and I'll forward your email address onto Lori.


Congrats!!!!

Q&A with Lori Brighton ... with a giveaway!!!

1. Tell us about your newest release.

Sure! The Ghost Hunter is a contemporary paranormal romance. Here’s a blurb:

When Ashley Hunter inherits the Inn where her father mysteriously vanished years ago, she jumps at the chance to finally uncover the truth about his disappearance. But soon after taking ownership of the decrepit building, Ashley realizes she’s in for far more than she bargained. Not only has she inherited answers to many sought-after questions, she’s also inherited spirits, demons and even fallen angels! Then Cristian arrives, a gorgeous man who insists he merely needs a room to rent. She believes him, until one by one her ghosts start disappearing...

As a fallen angel destined for a life of servitude, Cristian Lucius is relegated to protecting earth from unwanted spirits. But he can’t accomplish this daunting task alone. He requires assistance from the very woman who frustrates him as much as she intrigues him. Cristian is determined to ignore his intense attraction for Ashley, and focus on his mission. If they don’t work together, they won’t have a chance in hell of defeating the demon threatening their lives. The problem is getting Ashley to trust him. No easy task, considering Cristian is the very man responsible for her father’s disappearance.


2. Can you tell us a little about your favorite scene in the story?

Good question! Hmm... There’s a shower scene, and it does get a little spicy, but doesn’t go as you’d expect. For me it’s the first time the hero and heroine really start to break down and show their true selves.

3. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I’d always had a huge imagination, but didn’t think about becoming a writer until I was in my twenties. I’d always loved romance novels and I’d just quit my job because we were moving, so I figured why not try it? Once I got started, I couldn’t stop. It only took me seven years for my first novel to get published. lol

4. Where do you get your information or ideas for your stories?

Everywhere! I came up with the idea for The Ghost Hunter after going on The Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World. I wondered, what would happen if a woman inherited a haunted mansion. And that was the start of the story. For my debut book, Wild Heart, my son was watching the Disney Tarzan cartoon and around the same time I saw a special on feral children. That’s where I got the idea for that book.

5. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I tend to write more than one book at a time and even different genres. Most writers would find this confusing, but I like the break. It helps me clear my head. It’s usually not too confusing, unless I’m writing two different views, first person for one book and third for the other. Then I might forget to switch from I to She.

6. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

The most surprising thing is that I never run out of ideas. I have so many written down and in my head, that I could write books for years at this point.

The most surprising thing I learned after is how hard it is to sell a book and make a living off of a writing career. I knew it was hard going in, but you don’t really realize how hard until you’re there.

7. What authors or friends influenced you in helping you become a writer?

Julie Garwood was the first romance author I read. I totally fell in love with romance books after reading one of her historicals. I was hooked and loved them so much, I decided to write one of my own.

As for writing partners, I’ve belonged to so many critique groups who have helped me along the way. I’ve had a few writing friends who have stuck with me. Most of the credit has to go to my writing partners: Harris Channing, H.P. Mallory and Leigh LaValle.

Of course I would not be here (nor would any other author) without the help of bloggers. Promoting is pretty much dependant on the author nowadays and blogging is the best way to promote your book. So I’ll always be grateful to readers and bloggers.

8. What does your family think about your career as a published author?

I have a very wonderful, supportive and creative family. My mother always had a book in hand and I have to say I get my imagination from her. She’s thrilled for me, as well as everyone else. My grandmother is so funny, she always reads my books even though I know the romance and sexual tension is a bit shocking for her. If only she knew what was really out there! lol

9. Besides writing, what other interests do you have?

Of course reading. I also love my television! As a family we often go hiking and traveling. I love the beach; our vacations pretty much revolve around the Ocean. I also love to draw and paint, although I haven’t done that in awhile.

10. Can you tell us about what’s coming up next for you writing wise?

My third book, Wild Desire, will be out March 2011. It’s a historical paranormal.

I’m working on a second book for The Ghost Hunter. In this second book, Devon (a secondary character) will be the hero. I’ve also got another Contemporary Paranormal I’m working on and Young Adult book that is finished and waiting to be published. And I plan to continue to write historicals. So plenty to keep me busy!


Visit Lori at http://www.loribrighton.com/ for more information!

*****

 

Lori is giving away two ecopies of THE GHOST HUNTER to two lucky winners. To enter, just post away by commenting/asking Lori questions.

Book winners!

TIS THE SEASON is won by KarenH in NC

THE BILLIONAIRE'S BABY ARRANGEMENT is won by cories5!

Congrats and please email me by 10/23/10 at pattifischer@yahoo.com with your mailing addresses!

New Reviews posted!

Volume 10, Issue 1, October 2010
Romance Reviews Today – The best reviews on the web!
http://www.romrevtoday.com/

Updates/Information



o SEPTEMBER 2010 Contest Winners:

o You Only Love Once by Caroline Linden & Much Ado About Marriage by Karen Hawkins – CHERYL CASTINGS

o Wicked Delights of a Bridal Bed – Tracy Anne Warren & Born to Bite by Lynsay Sands – SARA WILSON

o Bound to a Warrior by Donna Fletcher & Deeply, Desperately by Heather Webber – NANCY DEHNER



OCTOBER 2010 CONTEST PRIZES:


Eternal Hunger by Laura Wright & Something Wicked by Michelle Rowen
Luck Be A Lady by Cathie Linz & Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis
Seducing the Duchess by Ashley March & One Wicked Mistake by Emma Wildes
Falcon’s Captive by Vonna Harper & I Want it Now by Sydney Molare (Erotic Prize book)


Please see the contest page for entry instructions.



New reviewers wanted. Contact Terrie – Please include a sample review in your email.


Limited number of review openings – get your request for review in early. Review Policy – 60 days advance notice. No Exceptions! Late requests will be considered on a time and space available. When requesting a review please include the following information:
Title, Author, Publisher, Release Date, ISBN, Genre, ARC Format (i.e. electronic or print if electronic please include PDF page count.)



All interviews will be posted on the blog and archived to the site at a later date. (Contact Terrie or Patti to schedule your interview.)


Advertising is available on the home page beginning in May. Please see Author Service page at romrevtoday.com for pricing information.


Chats – All chats begin at 9 pm eastern. Check out the RRT Blog for the most current author chat schedule. Open Forum with Scheme on Monday, Author Chat’s with Crazy Mo on Wednesday, and Friday Nights with Patti. Don’t miss the chats they are informative and fun! A Link to the chat room can be found on the home page at www.romrevtoday.com


New reviews this issue: 49 – (includes 2 Erotic reviews)

Anthologies
BESPELLING JANE AUSTEN – M. Balogh, C. Gleason, S. Krinard, J. Mullany – Marilyn – Paranormal Romance



Contemporary Fiction
COWBOYS NEVER CRY – Tina Welling - Jane

GOOD NIGHT, BEAUTIFUL – Dorothy Koomson – Deborah - Women’s Fiction
PRICELESS – Olivia Darling – Victoria
WHISTLIN’ DIXIE IN A NOR’EASTER – Lisa Patton – Diana



Contemporary Romance
GEORGIE ON HIS MIND – Jennifer Shirk – Patti

INSTANT FAMILY – Elisabeth Rose - Jennifer
MEN TIMES THREE – Bonnie Edwards – Holly - Erotic

PASSIONATE PLEASURES – Bertrice Small – Vi – Erotic
SHAME ON ME – Eve Jameson – Carolyn
SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE – Jill Shalvis – Lucky Harbor, Book 1 – Patti


Fantasy
EXTRAORDINARY – Nancy Werlin – Lori – Young Adult
MASQUES – Patricia Briggs – Jane

MOB RULES – Cameron Haley – The Underworld Cycle, Book 1 - Vi – Urban Fantasy
THE HOUSE ON DURROW STREET – Galen Beckett – Marilyn
THE NATIVE STAR – M.K. Hobson – Jane – Historical



Historical Fiction

LADY OF HAY – Barbara Erkstine – A Perfect 10 – Marilyn
THE PRINCELING – Cynthia Harrod-Eagles – Morland Dynasty Series, Book 3 – Jani

Historical Romance

A KNIGHT AND WHITE SATIN – Jackie Ivie – Carolyn
A SEASON OF SEDUCTION – Jennifer Haymore – Marilyn
ONE TOUCH OF SCANDAL – Liz Carlyle – Jane
ROSEHILL MANOR – Sharol Louise - Jane

SCOUNDREL IN MY DREAMS – Celeste Bradley - Allegra

THE ACCIDENTAL WEDDING – Anne Gracie – The Devil Riders, Book 4 – Jane
THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE PINK CARNATION – Lauren Willig – The Pink Carnation Series - Jani

TRIAL BY DESIRE – Courtney Milan – Lenore



Mystery/Suspense

CROSSING THE LION – Cynthia Baxter, A Reigning Cats and Dogs Mystery, Book 9 – Robin
THE IMMORTALS – J.T. Ellison – A Taylor Jackson Novel, Book 5 – Lenore
JANE AND THE MADNESS OF LORD BYRON – Stephanie Barron – Being A Jane Austen Mystery, Book 10 – Robin
THE ECHO OF VIOLENCE – Jordan Dane – Sweet Justice Series, Book 3 – Diana

Paranormal Fiction
JANE AND THE DAMNED – Janet Mullany - Marilyn



Paranormal Romance
BAYOU MOON – Ilona Andrews – Edge, Book 2 - Lenore

BLOOD ON SILK – Marie Treanor – Awakened Blood, Book 1 - Lenore
DARK OBSESSION – Syndey Somers – Shadow Destroyers, Book 4 – Amy
EAT, PRAY, LOVE – Kerrelyn Sparks – Love At Stake, Book 9 – Lenore
SIREN’S CALL – Devyn Quinn – Dark Tides, Book 1 – Lori
VAMPIRE TRINITY – Joey W. Hill – Allegra – Erotic

WHEN BLOOD CALLS – J.K. Beck – The Shadow Keepers, Book 1 – Amanda



Regency Romance
EMILY AND THE DARK ANGEL – Jo Beverley – Jane
THE PORTRAIT – Hazel Stratham – Marilyn

WHISPER OF SCANDAL – Nicola Cornick – Jani

Romantic Suspense
KILLER HEAT – Brenda Novak – Hired Guns, Book 3 – Marilyn
THE SECOND LIE – Tara Taylor Quinn – The Chapman Files, Book 2 – Marilyn
TWO LETHAL LIES – Annie Solomon – Deborah



Series Romance
CINDERELLA & THE CEO – Maureen Child – Kings of California, Book 8 – Patti – SD #2043
FOR THE SAKE OF THE SECRET CHILD – Yvonne Lindsay – Miniseries: Wed at Any Price, Book 3 - Diana
PRIVATE SESSIONS – Tori Carrington – Private Scandals, Book 1 – Patti – HB #568
SAVED BY THE SHEIKH – Tessa Radley – Deborah – SD #2045
TAMING HER BILLIONAIRE BOSS – Maxine Sullivan – Dynasties: The Jarrods, Book 4 – Patti – SD#2042

Chat Wednesday night with Bertrice Small!!!

Chat with.....Bertrice Small

Date: Wednesday October 13, 2010
Time: 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST

Location: http://client0.addonchat.com/sc.php?id=102122
 or go to http://www.romrevtoday.com/  and click on RRT Chat and then into Mo's Book Buzz.

Notes: Legendary author, Bertrice Small, joins us to discuss her book, THE BORDER VIXEN. Door prize: TBA! Moderated by CrazyMo

Meet Alannah Lynne...finalist in Writing with the Stars!!!!

Give a warm welcome to Alannah Lynne, who is one of the top ten finalists in the Writing with the Stars contest sponsored by Romantic Times Magazine and Kensington books.


1. Tell us a little about LAST CALL.

A bar owner’s refusal to sell her property could cost her her life. (I don’t think I can give you the whole back cover copy, because that’s one of the challenges. And RT might get upset if I post that copy somewhere else first)



2. How long did it take for you to write it?

7 weeks! I decided at the beginning of May to enter the Writing With the Stars Contest. I originally started revising a fallen/guardian angel story. Then, about two weeks in, I realized I couldn’t tone that story down enough to fit the Brava line (it’s more suited for Aphrodisia). At that point, I went to work on LAST CALL. I’d written it last year, but originally it was only 60K words (it needed to be 80K for the contest), and in a computer crash I’d lost 20K of the original 60K.

In essence, I started over. I used very little of the original version, and I finished it in 7 weeks.



3. Tell us a little about your reaction when you got "the call" from Kensington?

I was discussing my website with Jimmy Thomas via Facebook. I was typing the comment: “When, not if (I’m thinking positive) I final in the Kensington Brava WWTS contest I’m going to change my website.”

The phone started ringing as I typed that sentence. I finished the sentence, hit the “comment” button and answered the phone. I was so shocked, for a minute I thought I was hallucinating. LOL Then I squealed and ran back to my computer to send Jimmy an OMG-you’ll-never-believe-this message.

Halfway to my desk, I came to my senses. LOL I was still on the phone with Megan Records, so I skidded to a stop and said, “I can’t tell anyone about this, can I?”

She laughed, and confirmed that I couldn’t share the news until RT broke the story on their website September 1st. That was the longest 2 weeks of my life!! LOL



4. How is it going working with HelenKay Dimon?

There are not enough gushy words to describe how awesome HelenKay is! Seriously! We had to have all five of the challenges turned in on September 7th (the Tuesday after Labor Day). She spent the entire weekend e-mailing back and forth with me, helping me get the challenges as polished and perfect as I could get them.

There are no words to describe how patient and encouraging she has been. Not only while we were working on the challenges, but in the time since. She’s a fabulous writer and mentor, and a darn nice person!


5. Finally, tell us why we should vote for LAST CALL.....


You know, I would love to beg everyone to go vote for LAST CALL, but instead, I’m just going to beg everyone to go vote. All ten of us (the finalists) have worked hard to get to this point, and I really wish we could all win. I encourage your readers to go to the RTbookreviews.com website and read all the entries. If there is another entry they feel is more deserving than LAST CALL, show that author some love in the form of a vote. :) Whoever gets the vote will appreciate it.

*********

Learn more about the contest (and how to vote) by clicking here.

And be sure to visit Alannah's website at http://www.alannahlynne.com/

Book Giveaway:

THE BILLIONAIRE'S BABY ARRANGEMENT by Charlene Sands

Silhouette Desire from August 2010

Blurb:

The highway collision had brought together more than their two vehicles. Suddenly businessman Nick Carlino was face-to-face with a woman from his past…and her five-month-old baby. Though they hadn't seen each other in years, Nick offered Brooke Hamilton and her child shelter after the crash. It was the right thing to do as they got back on their feet.

But how could something so right feel so wrong? Having Brooke under his roof brought back memories the billionaire would rather have kept forgotten. And passions he needed to control. Nothing short of Carlino Vineyards' legacy hung in the balance….


Sort of a bonus since we don't have October reviews to post....

Easy for you. If you're interested, just post away and I'll pick a winner also on Wednesday night.
US and Canada addresses only.

Good luck!

October reviews will be posted soon....

Sorry for the delay, but October reviews are going to be posted soon.

Keep an eye on http://www.romrevtoday.com/

In the meantime, we will have a couple of guest interviews this week. Be sure to check them out!

Book Giveaway:

TIS THE SEASON with authors Carole Mortimer, Alison Roberts and Natalie Anderson

 Burb:

"Snowbound with the Billionaire" by Carole Mortimer
The last person Caro Montgomery expects at Christmas is her estranged sexy, super-wealthy husband. But this is no accidental meeting.... Jake is back for good—to win back his wife and baby! Caro is determined to refuse...but a heavy snowstorm on Christmas Eve may change her plans!

"Twins for Christmas" by Alison Roberts

Dr. Rory McCulloch returned to St. Bethal's Hospital to discover a truly special gift—twins! Pregnant, Kate has come to terms with being a single mom, until the man she loves walks through her E.R. doors. Now she and Rory are snowbound together, on one of their toughest cases yet.

"The Millionaire's Mistletoe Mistress" by Natalie Anderson

Imogen's new boss, Ryan Taylor, is demanding, infuriating and gorgeous. But she's been burnt by a colleague before, and she's not about to commit the same mistake...no matter how tempted. However, making Imogen his mistress by Christmas is at the top of Ryan's list!


To enter, just tell us.....

Have you started planning for Christmas yet?

Post away and I will announce a winner on Wed night.
US and Canada addresses only,


PS... HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO OUR CANADA BLOG READERS!

Q & A with Ashley March!

1. Tell us about your newest release.

In Seducing the Duchess, Philip, the Duke of Rutherford, has fallen in love with his wife three years after their marriage. Although he married her for revenge, he is now determined to win her love again. Unfortunately, Charlotte no longer wants him and, in fact, is doing everything in her power to provoke him into divorcing her. The story begins when Philip steals Charlotte away from London and takes her to his country estate...

2. Can you tell us a little about your favorite scene in the story?

After Philip disappoints Charlotte yet again, she seeks isolation in the nearby woods when it's raining. He comes for her, and they end up dancing in the rain. I know it sounds corny, but it ended up being terribly romantic, and every time I read it I wonder how on earth I could have written it. I love it.

3. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I realized that even as much as I loved my day job, I wanted something more out of life. Plus, I wanted to be able to do something that allowed me to be a stay-at-home mom. I've always been good at writing in general, but never thought I had a book inside me. Now I can't imagine anything else I'd rather do, and I have tons of ideas rattling around in my brain.

4. Where do you get your information or ideas for your stories?

Movies, other books, music. I can hear one line from a song and immediately a dozen ideas pop in my head for the beginning of a book...then I just have to figure out what happens after the first chapter. I have noticed that I seem to be drawn to atypical heroes/heroines and stories. For example, with Philip in Seducing the Duchess, my idea when I first began to write was how I could redeem an unlikeable hero through his love for the heroine. And in my next book, I'm writing about two people drawn together after their spouses die and it's discovered that they were having an affair. I'm discovering that writing a romance novel about two people who aren't attracted to each other in the beginning is more difficult than I'd thought.

5. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

In the winter time my basement is freezing (I live in Colorado). I absolutely have to wear my pink and purple fuzzy-toed socks. I like to think that during the rest of the year I'm semi-normal.

6. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That I actually like plotting! I used to think I was a pantser, and I never knew what would happen in the next chapter until I finished the current one, but after becoming contracted and being forced to write proposals, plotting actually helps me. We'll see if there's any difference between books 1 and 2; with Seducing the Duchess, I pantsed the entire way. With the second book, it was plotted from the beginning.

7. What authors or friends influenced you in helping you become a writer?

The critique partners I found from RomCritters have definitely been the most influential/helpful to me as a writer. They are the only ones who see my rough drafts, and their advice is invaluable to me. In terms of other authors, I would say that the books of Lisa Kleypas, Anne Mallory, Laura Lee Guhrke, Sherry Thomas, and now Sarah MacLean always inspire me to write my best.

8. What does your family think about your career as a published author?

They are--surprisingly--very supportive. I say this because I know of only 2 people in my family who have ever read romance. But their encouragement and support has definitely helped me along the way. My husband, especially, has been extraordinary. He cooks, cleans, takes care of the baby, does anything I need so that I can pursue my writing goals. But I think this is all for his ulterior motive to convince me to have another child. =)

9. Besides writing, what other interests do you have?

I have a 15-month-old daughter and another one due in November. I am absolutely in love with my family and just enjoy doing anything with my daughter. Going swimming, hiking, going to museums--it all rocks. Also, because I am pregnant, I particularly love my naps right now.

10. Can you tell us about what’s coming up next for you writing wise?

My next book (untitled right now) is completely unrelated to Seducing the Duchess. It's scheduled to come

out in September 2011. Here's a short, unofficial blurb:

They were never meant to be...

They were both married--Leah George to a viscount's son, and the Earl of Wriothesly to the ton's greatest beauty. Both families were members of the elite and both men had been close friends since childhood. But that’s where the relationship ended between Leah and the earl…until a rainy April evening brings news of a fatal carriage crash and the discovery of an illicit love affair.

Until fate brings them together.

While Lord Sebastian Wriothesly never suspected the betrayal of his beloved wife with his best friend, Ian George, Leah had known of their relationship for many months. And while Sebastian tries everything to keep the affair a secret, Leah is determined to make a new life for herself--even if that means refusing to obey Society's strict expectations of a proper widow. When her actions threaten to bring scandal down on them both, Sebastian seeks to buy her cooperation through whatever means necessary--whether through promises of money and security, or the unlikely pleasure of seduction...

********************************************

Be sure to visit Ashley at her website www.ashleymarch.com

Book Winner....

The winner of CINDERELLA & THE CEO is.... Crystal GB!!!

Congrats and email me at pattifischer@yahoo.com by 10/15/10.

October reviews are coming.....

In case you're wondering where October reviews are at www.romrevtoday.com .... Terrie had a computer crash, but she managed to save the reviews. Just it is taking her time to get everything put back together. And since this is RRT's anniversary month, I know she has some special things planned....

Stay tuned!!!

Chat Wednesday night with Terri Brisbin!

Terri Brisbin chats at Romance Reviews Today!

Date: Wednesday October 6, 2010
Time: 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
Location: http://client0.addonchat.com/sc.php?id=102122

Or go to http://www.romrevtoday.com/ and click on RRT chat and then into Mo's Book Buzz

Notes: Kensington Brava author, Terri Brisbin, joins us to discuss her latest release, A STORM OF PLEASURE. Door prize: TBA! Moderated by KatBos.

Book Giveaway:

CINDERELLA & THE CEO by Maureen Child

October Silhouette Desire

Kings of California series

Blurb:

Scrooge had moved in next door and Ivy Holloway was at his mercy. Billionaire Tanner King wanted her year-round Christmas-tree farm shut down so he could have his peace and quiet. He had enough money and power to do it, too. Leaving Ivy with only one option—tame the savage beast.

Tanner had found little tranquillity thanks to his annoying neighbor. And then he found himself saddled with a gorgeous housekeeper he couldn't keep his mind—or hands—off. Trouble was, these two women were the same person…leaving the CEO wondering if he could really love his enemy.

Want this?

Since the title has Cinderella in it, tell us what is your favorite Fairytale....

I'll announce a winner on Wednesday night.

US and Canada addresses only.

A Perfect 10:

QUEEN OF SHADOWS - Dianne Sylvan
The Shadow World, Book 1
A Perfect 10
Ace
ISBN: 978-0-4410-1925-0
September 2010
Paranormal Romance

Austin, Texas - Present Day

Some time ago, Miranda Grey discovered that she has a talent in music. Not only can she pick up a guitar or play a piano flawlessly, she can also captivate listeners and make them feel whatever emotion she chose. Miranda soon learned that her gift comes with a price. Now she is holed up in her small apartment in Austin afraid to step foot in the supermarket if it is crowded. Miranda is an empath; she can feel others' emotions and sense their thoughts whether she wants to or not. She can only control the madness when she plays, so once a week she goes to Mel's bar to perform. Her life is turned upside down when she is attacked outside the bar after a show. Miranda Grey survived by her desire for revenge and with the help of a very powerful source.

David Solomon has walked the earth for over three centuries. For the past fifteen years, he has been the Prime (Lord Vampire) in the southern district. With power comes a price, and the Prime has some very powerful enemies. He has forbidden the killing of humans while feeding. Unfortunately, some of his followers do not see from his perspective. Bodies begin to turn up everywhere with the Signet of Auren, the previous Prime defeated by David for power, branded on their limbs. David must put a stop to the rebellion and save the little redhead who has become the sole point of his thoughts.

QUEEN OF SHADOWS is a fantastic read! Praises cannot be high enough. Dianne Sylvan weaves a tale so dark and alluring readers will not want to put the book down until they have read that final sentence. Even then, most will be flipping through the blank pages looking for just one more chapter.

Miranda Grey is a naive and scared girl living alone in the big city of Austin. Her "gift" has made her crazy, and she no longer even knows her own reflection. Miranda's character is different and extraordinary. Her progress in controlling her gift, as well as her development in behavior, is a refreshing aspect that will not go unnoticed to readers. David, while the stereotypical brooding man, manages to make unhappy seem sexy, and this allows those moments of tenderness and happiness to be that much sweeter.

Diane Sylvan's take on vampires mixes a little new in with a little old. Her system of Primes, Queens, Signets, and the Elite is unique and creative. The vampires in this novel still cannot go out in the sun, digest large amounts of food, and can be killed by a wooden stake like most vampires. Also, like most vampires, they are faster, stronger than humans, and often posses cognitive gifts.

I am thrilled at the idea of this just being book one. QUEEN OF SHADOWS is the best in its genre (Dark Paranormal Romance) since Karen Marie Moning's introduction into the Fever world with DARKFEVER in 2007. This is not a book that involves no thought and allows you to curl up on the beach and read. QUEEN OF SHADOWS will make the reader feel. Feel the emotions of the characters and their own emotions, the choices the characters make. A Perfect 10. Highly recommended.

Lenore