Romance Reviews Today Blog: April 2013

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Q & A with Aubrie Dionne with a giveaway!

1. Tell us about your newest release.

Playing the Maestro is a sweet contemporary romance set in the classical music world. This is a romance for anyone who was a band geek, or who wanted to play a musical instrument. There's a sexy conductor, lots of political intrigue, and an ex from Germany that resembles a bad guy in an Indiana Jones film- everything you need to make a good story- eh?

Here's the link on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Playing-the-Maestro-ebook/dp/B00BFQDEPG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1365689499&sr=8-6&keywords=aubrie+dionne

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

I LOVE when the conductor's ex shows up at the big gala fundraiser at the end. Writing that scene was so much fun for me- but I'm sure it wasn't fun for anyone else in the book! Sparks fly, and not just the romantic kind.

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

I've written my whole life. Actually, I wanted to be a flutist. Writing was just something I did on the side. Then, 30 came around, and I had a mid life crisis of sorts, wondering where I'd be if I'd chosen another career. so, I made a promise to myself not to let music rule my life. I started writing seriously, and here I am today.

4. What is a typical writing day like?

Aubrie Dionne

I write in the morning before work. Then, I practice my flute and teach lessons. I write again at night before I go to bed. I shoot for 1k a day, 365 days a year, which is about 4 books a year.

5. Do you have an interesting writing quirk or habit?

I see the story as a movie in my head, then I try to write what I see on paper. Sometimes I can capture the scene how I want it, and sometimes it takes me three or four rewrites to get it just right.

6. What was one of the most surprising things you learned as a published author?

That you don't get rich and famous right away! I thought- I'll write one book, then I'll be all set- I'll buy a beach house, a gold flute, and I won't have to teach 40 flute lessons a week. But, it's not like that. It's a lot of hard work, and you have to write everyday- producing several books to make a living at it. It's a craft like playing an instrument, painting, or any of the other arts.

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

Movies influenced me more than books: Star Wars, Star Trek, The Last Unicorn, The Goonies, Indiana Jones. I watched a lot of movies growing up in the 80's and 90's, and I'd say those decades really influenced what I write today.

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

They think it's really neat. They are very supportive, coming to my book signings and telling their friends about me. I have a very strong and loving family.

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

I'm a big Trekkie. I'm going to a Star Trek convention in June, and I'm so excited! With two careers, I don't have much time for hobbies. I've kind of made my hobbies into careers!

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

Yes! I'm currently working on a story with the Greek Gods Pan and Syrinx. This is going to be a contemporary paranormal romance. Also, my young adult book, Reconnaissance, comes out May 1st from Inkspell Publishing. This is the second book in my Paradise Reclaimed trilogy, and it features big, scary, alien spiders! Just what you want to read about, right? Here's a link to the print book, which is already available on Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Reconnaissance-Book-Paradise-Reclaimed-Volume/dp/193959006X/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1365689318&sr=8-10&keywords=aubrie+dionne

If you want to read book 1, here you go:

http://www.amazon.com/Colonization-Book-Paradise-Reclaimed-ebook/dp/B00A31UYJ8/ref=sr_1_2_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1365689353&sr=8-2&keywords=aubrie+dionne

11. How can readers connect with you online?

My blog:

http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com

Twitter: @authoraubrie

Website: www.authoraubrie.net

Thank you!

Aubrie

A big thank you to Aubrie for being our guest today. She also is giving away a download to one lucky winner of Playing the Maestro. Please post a comment and you'll be entered to win.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Book Giveaway:

AT THE HIGHLANDER'S MERCY by Terri Brisbin

Blurb:

CAPTIVE OF THE CLAN

To regain control of his fractured clan Robert Matheson must take Lilidh MacLerie hostage as a bargaining tool. But Lilidh is no ordinary captive. She’s the woman he once loved—and rejected!

Rob’s touch is etched permanently into her memory and, unaware that he was forced to repudiate their love, Lilidh has never forgotten the man who broke her heart all those years ago. Now, looking into the eyes of her captor, she no longer recognizes this fearsome leader. She should be afraid—there’s no telling what he will do. But something about him excites and unnerves her in equal measure....

Want to win a copy of this? Then post a comment to be entered. One entry per person. Good luck!

Sunday, April 28, 2013

A Perfect 10:

HIGHLANDER MOST WANTED – Maya Banks
The Montgomerys and the Armstrongs, Book 2
A Perfect 10
Ballantine Books
ISBN: 978-0-345-53324-1
March 2013
Historical Romance

Scotland – Thirteenth Century

Since Bowen's older brother killed the evil Ian McHugh, Bowen and a band of Highland warriors are off to McHugh Keep to remove Ian's father and set the whole McHugh clan on trial. But Bowen does not find what he expected. A lone woman, clearly hated by the rest of the McHugh clan, comes out to beg for the people's safety. Bowen cannot believe the state of McHugh keep—Ian's father had run, taking horses, food, and his supporters with him. All that is left of the clan are what animals they couldn't catch, and women, children, and men who refused to leave their families. Left with little choice, Bowen takes up the leadership role until his brother, the Montgomery Laird, can decide on the McHugh clan's fate.

Genevieve McInnis has no love for the McHugh clan, not after what Ian did to her, and how the clan has treated her since. But she cannot bear to see children hurt, so, putting on a brave face, Genevieve steps out to confront the angry Montgomerys. But Bowen is not what she expected—he's nice and fair, planning to rule the keep until his brother can come and pass judgment. Genevieve is willing to act as his liaison in the castle, but in return, she begs him for the money to travel to an abbey when the final decisions are made. But the more time she spends with Bowen, the less appealing an abbey seems. And no matter what sort of past Genevieve has had, Bowen is willing to overcome anything to make her his.

Author Maya Banks does it again with this second novel in the Montgomerys and Armstrongs series. The ultimate page turner, Bowen and Genevieve's story is tragic, beautiful, and incredibly addicting. Genevieve has a heartbreaking past, and fans of the series will find even more reasons to loathe Ian McHugh. I haven't felt so much for a character in a long time, but Banks knows how to write a tragic heroine, and her work really shines.

HIGHLANDER MOST WANTED more than deserves a Perfect 10 score. With scenes that made my glasses fog up, and a love story that very nearly brought tears to my eyes, Maya Banks is the name to beat when writing about Highlanders.

HIGHLANDER MOST WANTED is the second book in the Montgomerys and Armstrongs series, following NEVER SEDUCE A SCOT (OCT 2012). And be on the lookout for the third book in the series, HIGHLAND EVER AFTER, coming September 2013!

Amanda Toth

Kat Martin book winner is.....

Congrats to Crystal GB, who wins a signed copy of AGAINST THE EDGE from Kat Martin!

Please email me at pattifischer@yahoo.com with your mailing info so that I can forward it to Kat's PR person.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Q & A with Christine Feldman!

1. Tell us about your newest release.

Coming Home is a contemporary romance about a woman with a troubled past who returns to her hometown only to realize that her long-buried feelings for a certain hometown boy from her teenage years are still very much alive and well. If you still remember that special someone for whom you carried a secret torch during your own adolescence—and you enjoy a good friends-to-lovers kind of story—then this just might be the book for you!

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

It’s tough to narrow it down. I like the emotion when the heroine, Callie, finally confronts someone from her childhood; but I also like the romance when Callie and Danny— the man she has never gotten over—finally come clean with their feelings. Humor and quick banter are favorites of mine, though, so I think I’d have to say one of my favorite scenes is about a third of the way through the story when Callie and Danny are manipulated into a dinner date by Callie’s mom that is purely platonic on the surface but has a clear undercurrent of attraction.

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

I’ve been writing since I was about seven years old, and I used to write paragraph-long stories that were mostly about the Black Stallion; not surprisingly, I also planned to have a horse ranch when I grew up(seven-year-olds don’t tend to limit themselves). But I’m not overly fond of manure, so writing proved to be more the more practical choice.

4. What is a typical writing day like?

Right now it’s choppy since I also teach kindergarten full time—now there’s some rich material for a book! My writing periods tend to be during evenings and weekends. Now that I’m learning more about the importance of social media for today’s writer, my writing consists of both fiction-writing and blogging, so lately I feel like I’m joined at the hip/motherboard to my computer. It’s a good thing we get along so well.

5. Do you have an interesting writing quirk or habit?

I wish I could say something colorful like I must have a dish of pickled herring beside me at all times or that I only write when I can have Engelbert Humperdinck playing in the background, but my writing habits are pretty normal. I think.

6. What was one of the most surprising things you learned as a published author?

That as exciting as it is to be published, it’s just the tip of the iceberg for the whole writing process. I had no idea how important networking was, or social media, and I certainly didn’t expect to create and run my own website. Just the fact that I did that on my own without curling up into the fetal position was a huge surprise in and of itself.

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

I think there are too many authors to count. J.R.R. Tolkein, Barbara Michaels, LaVyrle Spencer, Clive Cussler, Jane Austen, Stephen King, Nevada Barr, Jennifer Crusie—I’ve enjoyed so many different authors and so many different genres, and I think they’ve all had an impact on me. And I’ve been very fortunate in that I’ve had many friends who have been supportive of my writing, although for years I was too shy to share much of it with them.

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

They’re very proud. They keep asking me to sign a copy of my book, but since it’s an ebook, we’re kind of stymied so far...

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

Reading, of course. Ballroom dancing (that’s how I met my husband). A little gardening. I like to dabble in a few things; I took bellydancing classes for a while, and that was fun, and I tried a fencing class for a semester but had far too much respect for the sport to do it again. I was NOT very good.

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

Yes, thanks for asking! I have another contemporary romance coming out July 22^nd through Crimson Romance that’s tentatively titled The Bargain. Here’s a brief description from off of my website:

An awkward wallflower pursues her former high school crush by enlisting an unlikely ally–his estranged ne’er-do-well brother–in a wary bargain that ends up transforming them both.

Shannon Mahoney is a lot more comfortable with power tools than she is with high heels or lipstick, and she often wishes she could reinvent herself and finally tell her perfect boss that she has had a crush on him since high school. But when his ladykiller older brother Michael returns to town–a former bad boy looking for redemption–Shannon starts to realize that maybe love isn’t about reinventing yourself after all. It’s about finding your perfect match.

11. How can readers connect with you online?

I have a website at http://christinesfeldman.com/

a Crimson Romance page at http://www.crimsonromance.com/crimson-romance-ebooks/crimson-romance-book-genres/contemporary-romance-novels/coming-home/

and a Facebook Author Page at https://www.facebook.com/ChristineSFeldman

So please stop by, because I would love to hear from you!

Thank you so much for having me today!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Book winners

Okay, you both chose the same book as your first one, so I did the number thing and BN wins Callaghan's Bride.

Joanne wins Cowboy at Midnight

Please email me at pattifischer@yahoo.com with your mailing address.

Cleaning out my giveaway book box!

I’ve decided to clean out my book box and want to give away these books. Unfortunately, this is only open to US mailing addresses. :(

Here is how it works:

In the comments section, post your first five choices of which books you want. As I go through each book, I will go to the Custom Number Generator and choose a winner down my list. If you win a book, you only get one, so be sure that you want that book. To make it fair, if a book is more popular, I will start with that book and work my way backward. You have 48 hours to respond to me once I post the winners names.

Contest is only open on Thursday until 6:00 PM PST (9:00 PM EST), and winners chosen shortly afterwards will be posted on the blog.

Here are the books:

The President’s Daughter – Annette Broadrick

Callaghan’s Bride – Diana Palmer

Cowboy at Midnight – Ann Major

The New Deputy in Town – B.J. Daniels

I Love This Bar – Carolyn Brown

Sound of the Heart – Genevieve Graham

Crazy Little Thing – Tracy Brogan

Good luck!

THIS IS NOW CLOSED

Romance Reviews Today Blog