Dear Author » Contests/Giveaways

Winner of the Kindle Fire for December 2011

Jane — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:00:42 +0000

The winner of the December electronic reading device is DM.

The first commenter in December was Jia (334792) and the last one was Anonymous (342603). According to mysql database, the comments started at number 334792 and ended at 342603. Using random.org and those numbers, the winning comment number was 337694 and that was a comment made by DM on The Villian:

A good villain is the hero of his own story. There’s no reason we can’t have nuanced villains in romance–other than the time and effort it takes to create them. Quite simply, they are harder to write. You can’t just throw them against the hero and heroine time and time again–you have to figure out exactly why they are doing what they are doing–and why they continue to do it. What is their goal? The hero and heroine must stand in the villain’s way. If they don’t, then why is the villain hunting them across the country or hatching ever more elaborate plots to kill them? The problem with Snidely Whiplash villains is that the reader knows on a deep and instinctive level that the danger they pose is not real.

We are going to continue to give away one device on month. Do you guys like having one random commenter picked? I feel like it rewards the regular visitors but if you have other ideas, I’m open to them.

We do the giveaway as a thank you for using our affiliate links. There are links in the sidebar and I added an Amazon search bar for your convenience. The links at the bottom of each review post serve as affiliate portals as well. We appreciate you using those links for your purchases.

Winner of the Kindle Touch

Jane — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:00:58 +0000

The winner of the November electronic reading device is Kaetrin.

The first commenter in November was Las and the last one was Angie. According to mysql database, the comments started at number 322059 and ended at 334713. Using random.org and those numbers, the winning comment number was 325979 and that was a comment made by Kaetrin on The Virtuoso.

In December we will be giving away a Kindle Fire and I’ll announce that on January 1. I’ll be doing it the same way by using random.org to choose a random number between the first commenter in December and the last one.

We will continue to give away one digital reader away a month in 2012 as a thank you for all the readers who use the affiliate links. Thank you all for making Dear Author a great place. The comments really elevate Dear Author and make it into the vibrant community that we all love.

Winner of the Sony PRS-T1BC

Jane — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:00:07 +0000

It’s a little late, but I’ve picked the winner of the October comments who will receive a Sony PRS T1BC. Remember that I unboxed this device for a review, but all the pieces are intact and it still has the plastic around the edges which I did not review because I wanted to give the device away.

We had 6,600 comments in the month of October. According to mysql database, the comments started at number 315323 and ended at 321923 (which I believe is 6,600). Using random.org and those numbers, the winning comment number was 317447 and that was a comment made by infinitieh on 2011-10-11 on the Heart of Steel giveaway.

Batman! He doesn’t have superpowers, just technology and superb conditioning.

She didn’t win a copy of Heart of Steel but this is a decent consolation prize. November is almost over and I have a 3G Kindle Touch with S/O waiting for a November commenter. In December, we will give away a Kindle Fire. Yay!

The Dear Author Intro Interview & Giveaway: Alma Katsu, author of The Taker

Alyson H — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:00:14 +0000

I didn’t think I’d be doing this interview. A few chapters into The Taker, I knew it wasn’t exactly romance, and doubted it was right for Dear Author. But the story of Puritan-born Lanore McIlvrae and the gift she’s cursed with kept calling me back, and months after the last page, I was still thinking about it. So here is The Taker, a well of love stories that takes you first to present-day Maine, then deeper, darker 200 years earlier, and then to where it all seems to begin, the age of alchemy and magic. And back again.

Opening line: Goddamned freezing cold.

A six-word memoir for your protagonist, Lanny McIlvrae: An impetuous girl who loved unwisely.

A favorite line, scene, or moment:

“Looking back, I know we were only filling in the holes in our souls, the way the tide rushes in sand to fill the crevices of a rocky shore. We—or maybe it was just I—bandaged our needs with what we declared to be love. But eventually, the tide draws out what it has swept in.”

Besides a compelling story, what else in The Taker will appeal especially to romance readers?

I think there’s a lot that will appeal to romance readers. The Taker is a very romantic story, but darkly romantic, more like Wuthering Heights, Far From the Madding Crowd or The Portrait of Dorian Gray. So there are clever women, and handsome, strong-willed, dashing men; there are isolated towns and lavish mansions where anything can happen. But at the heart of it, The Taker is an examination of what love really is. What does it really mean to love someone? Ultimately, it means to love someone more than you love yourself. And sometimes that’s a hard lesson to learn.

The original triggers or inspiration points for the story:

When I undertook writing The Taker, my goal was to write a sweeping story that would carry the reader away, with characters you couldn’t forget. I didn’t think I’d ever finish it, let alone see it published. I wanted to learn how to write a novel, and I wanted to write the kind of story I liked to read (Dumas, for instance)—but is being written less and less. Inspirations include: Interview With the Vampire, even though there are no vampires in The Taker; Orlando, the movie version directed by Sally Potter, for its visual lushness; Fanny Hill and Moll Flanders; and the modern counterpart Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue and the works of Sarah Waters.

Reverend Van der Meer, the traveling preacher who comes to Lanore’s settlement, is one of the creepiest characters I’ve read for awhile. Will he appear again in the trilogy?

Yes, Jude is in The Reckoning, as annoying and creepy as ever. His character is based on a real charismatic preacher who tried to win converts to his practice of “spiritual wifery” in Maine in the early 1800s.

You’ve said elsewhere that finding parallels between The Taker and “Pinocchio” helped you in understanding your own story and theme, one big difference being there is no Blue Fairy in your story to wave her wand and make everything all right. Which got me thinking… How about Magda, the prostitute in St. Andrew? She doesn’t solve any of Lanore’s problems, but doesn’t she fill that role in some other ways?

I think you’re right. I hadn’t thought of Magda that way, but she is absolutely in the role of a guide for Lanny, someone older and wiser who helps Lanny in her journey (in this case, becoming an adult.) I think of Lanny as being like Pinocchio in that she is in a rush to grow up and be considered an adult, and yet she doesn’t know how to get there. She’s particularly in a rush to be in an adult love relationship before she knows what this really means. And in her rush, she makes some bad choices for which she must atone. Her own parents are too protective to prepare her adequately for the journey she must take, and so Magda is one of the few women she thinks of to turn to for answers.

I loved the suspense of the climax, when Adair is about to go on his trip. Without revealing too much, can you discuss writing that part, and how you approached it?

The funny thing is that the big twist in the book was not in the original manuscript! My agent came up with the idea—which, once I’d gotten over my surprise, I agreed was brilliant. It required completely rewriting the last third of the book, and threading little clues through the first two thirds and making everything consistent. But it was worth it! And all those elements leading up the reveal—the trip, her inquiries to experts—all came out just in a rush, like that part of the story had been waiting to be told.

What is coming up in The Reckoning, the next book in the trilogy? Is it focused more on the present-day story, with Luke and Lanny on the run together, or are we going back to the past?

All of the above, actually. It takes up where The Taker left off and becomes very much a chase story, with Lanny and Luke being chased, but there are bits of backstory, so you still get some historical story as in The Taker, just less of it. Many of the characters come back, including one that might surprise you (hint, hint).

The Taker is your publishing debut, but is it the first novel you wrote?

I was a fiendish scribbler as a child, always writing. I wrote my first novel when I was seventeen. It was terrible. I rewrote it for my senior thesis at Brandeis—at the time, the undergraduate writing program had a thesis requirement. During the ten years it took to write The Taker, I wrote other novels in between revisions, all spy thrillers, which I credit with teaching me how to drive a story with plot.

What did the CIA (your former employer) teach you about writing?

Not much for fiction, I’m afraid. Intelligence reporting is about being concise and clear, distilling a complex problem into its essence but still being able to unpack it in order to get at important supporting facts if needed. This ability to summarize but still present in a compelling way has been very helpful in writing promotional material, though. And you go through many layers of editing, so you lose any feeling of authorial ownership—you learn to detach from your precious words, which is helpful in working through a manuscript with your editor at the publishing house. It becomes about making the best possible story and not getting hung up on your favorite bits.

Your oddest or most reliable writing ritual:

Reclining on a sofa or bed, with my whippets pressed against me. I hate sitting in a chair, probably because I’m so short that it’s hard to get comfortable.

Your favorite book when you were ten:

Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson. It’s a collection of Jackson’s comic essays on family life for women’s magazines from the 1950s. Jackson is of course best known for her horror stories and this collection has the feeling about it of forced laughter, a sense of being confounded and even slightly horrified at the absurdities of suburban life. A strange thing for a child to be taken with, but then I grew up in an odd family and was probably looking for answers for the strangeness going on around me. It made an impression and some people say my writing reminds them of Jackson’s, which I take as a great compliment.

A book or author you recommend again and again:

There are so many that it’s hard to choose. It doesn’t help that my tastes are eclectic. David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas, Ghostwritten and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. Adam Haslett, Union Atlantic. Anything by Hungarian novelist Sandor Marai but particularly Casanova in Bolzano. And of course anything by Patricia Highsmith, and Audrey Niffenegger and The Time-Traveler’s Wife.

Thanks to Alma for joining us. You can find more about her and The Taker trilogy (she’ll speak to your book club!) at www.AlmaKatsu.com, or read her articles at The Huffington Post. Whether you’ve read the book or would like to win a copy, we’re happy to hear from you in the comments.

THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS scavenger hunt

Jane — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:00:40 +0000

Updated: We had 334 entries and Random.org says that the winner is 225 who is Morgan Baby. The winner’s email address is provided to Avon and they should be in touch with you shortly.

Today Avon and Dear Author are giving a holiday gift to the readers of Dear Author in celebration of the publication of “A Bite Before Christmas“, a two story anthology from Lynsay Sands and Jeaniene Frost. (I almost called the two of them “vampire mavens” but as I was typing it out I realized it was horrible and deleted it. Then I thought I would share with you the horrors of my undeleted thought process!) ~~NOTE: This Giveaway is for ONE HOUR ONLY.~~ This contest is now closed.

THE GIFT by Sands is an original novella featuring yet another Argeneau. This time Katricia Argeneau finds herself stranded in an isolated cabin with police officer Teddy Brunswick. There’s only one problem: Teddy has worked with the undead before, and while he’s got no qualms about fraternizing with vampires, getting intimate with one was never on his personal wish list.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS from Jeaniene Frost is a novella featuring Cat and Bones. Christmas may never be truly normal for Cat and Bones…but their Yuletide plans are shattered when a not-so-jolly stranger comes to call. He comes not bearing gifts, but with tidings of long-buried family secrets. The holidays can be killer.

Avon is giving away a $200 AMEX giftcard to a random person who can answer the following question. Enter the answer in the form. (We are trying to be a little clever here by preventing the commenters from copying each other even though, lord knows, the answer is right here. Obvious. Apparent.)

Your clue:

This puppy shares a name with the hero in Lynsay Sands “The Gift” in A BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Bones
Harper
Kat
Teddy

Again, Your prize: $200 Amex gift cert, PLUS a signed copy of THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

Your next stop should be SmartBitchesTrashyBooks whose prize is a Coach bag and a $50 GC. That contest will run beginning at 3 PM CST/4 PM EST.

ARC Giveaway of Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook

Jane — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:00:13 +0000

Updated: The winners are as follows.

1) Sarah O.

2) Lobo

3) Natalie

4) Jennifer K

5) JK Coi

6) SeaGrace

Did you love “Iron Duke” like the DA Reviewers? (reviews here and here with a bookchat here) Were you anxious for the sequel, “Heart of Steel”, featuring Yasmeen and Archimedes? Were you thinking of driving to New York and banging on the door of Penguin in hopes that they might give you an early copy? If so, this giveaway is for you. And now, from the desk of Ms. Brook’s editor, Cindy Hwang:

Meljean Brook’s THE IRON DUKE was one of my very favorite books of 2011, and not just because I edited it! J I really feel Meljean created something very special with THE IRON DUKE and the whole Iron Seas steampunk universe, and I’ve been itching to return to her world and to her characters, especially the indomitable airship captain, Yasmeen and adventurer, Archimedes Fox. I know that many readers felt the same way and now, the wait is almost over–Meljean’s 2nd novel of the Iron Seas, HEART OF STEEL, will be out in November. To make the wait a bit more bearable, and to celebrate the publication of HEART OF STEEL, I have 6 ARCs of HEART OF STEEL to give away to lucky readers.

Okay, for this contest, you will need to stand on your head, take a video of yourself, and chew gum at the same time. Just kidding. I know that Meljean and Cindy are big fans of Batman and Wonder Woman. To enter our giveaway, name your favorite super hero or heroine! Contest is open until Friday, 8 pm CST.

REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

Sunita — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:00:55 +0000

UPDATED: The winners of the giveaway are:

1) SeaGrace
2) Eilis Flynn
3) Julie L.
4) Robyn B.
5) Amy K
6) Maggie
7) Elizabeth56
8) DarcyO
9) Maili
10) Lindsey

Please send me your snail mail address at sunita at dear author dot com.

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you Sourcebooks!

Dear Ms. Kearsley,

Your novel, The Winter Sea, blew me away last year. It was one of my Best of 2010 books, and I’ve recommended it not only to everyone I know, but to total strangers as well. When I was offered the chance to review your new novel, of course I jumped at it. But while that decision was easy, it was a little more difficult to decide just how to approach it as a reader and reviewer. A book that completely hits every mark for me is a rare and precious experience, but it also means that it takes extra effort to keep those memories from overshadowing the next read.

The Rose Garden is very much a Kearsley novel. Your voice is unmistakable, and there are aspects of structure and style that are similar to The Winter Sea. But it is also quite different in some ways. It would be wrong to categorize it as a genre romance novel, even though there is a very satisfying romance at the core of it and several smaller romantic sub-plots. It feels like a cross between a romance, a journey story (although not exactly women’s fiction), and a straight fiction novel with a strong sense of place and a wide variety of characters.

Eva, our narrator, journeys to Cornwall after the death of her movie-star sister, Katrina, in order to scatter Katrina’s ashes, grieve, and then decide what she wants to do with her life. Although their family had lived in several different countries, their summers in Cornwall held a special significance for both sisters. A successful public relations executive, Eva had settled in Los Angeles to be near to and work with Katrina. Now she is alone, and when the Halletts invite her to stay at Trelowarth while she considers the future, she accepts. She is drawn in to their world: Mark, the son and proprietor of Trelowarth Roses; Susan, his younger sister whose plans to help Trelowarth achieve a sounder financial footing make Mark uncomfortable; and Claire, their artist stepmother who provides a loving home and a link to the past.

As Eva settles in and picks up the threads of her old life, she suddenly finds herself briefly thrown back in time to Trelowarth in an earlier and more dangerous era (which readers of The Winter Sea will recognize, albeit from a different angle). At first she thinks she’s hallucinating from stress, grief, and exhaustion. But the episodes continue, and soon Eva meets the 18th-century inhabitants of the house: Daniel Butler, a sea captain, and his Irish friend and collaborator, Fergal. Daniel, Fergal, and Daniel’s charming and erratic brother Jack are enmeshed in Jacobite plotting against the Crown, as well as more run of the mill smuggling, and as Eva involuntarily goes back and forth in time her risk of being captured as a confederate of the two grows. But so does her attraction to Daniel and her friendship with Fergal, and even though she knows a great deal about what might happen to them, as well as tantalizing details about their individual futures, she falls in love with Daniel, and she is increasingly drawn to life in that period. But how can she stay in the early 18th century, and what will happen to the Eva of the 21st century and the people around her if she succeeds in going back permanently?

I am not a fan of time-travel novels as a rule, but I’m happily making an exception for your books. I really appreciate the way you deal with the small and not-so-small details, like Eva’s clothing. When Eva goes backward and forward in time, she arrives wearing time-inappropriate attire. This is manageable in the present, but the stock of clothing available to her in 1715 is much smaller. Not only do you pay attention to the dangers and ramifications of this problem, but you use it to show how Eva and Daniel’s relationship progresses, and it leads to a lovely moment in the story. When Eva is finally wearing clothing that is intended for her alone, it means something.

Equally insightful and appealing to me is how you portray gender issues. While time-travel romances tend to focus on the differences for women across the centuries, here Eva and Daniel discuss the constraints and opportunities for both men and women. Eva is frustrated by the limitations she faces in the early 1700s, but Daniel reminds her that although he has more freedom to make decisions and take public action, he too is constrained in ways that Eva realizes are different that those men face in the present:

‘I assure you, Eva, I do have a high regard for liberty.’

‘I know you do.’

‘And whatever custom may decree in public, in my family every woman has been free to speak her mind.’

‘Behind closed doors.’

He smiled and said, ‘I’ve found that there are many things more safely done behind closed doors than in the public view, by men as well as women.’ Then, more serious, ‘Do you think I am free to say exactly what I please, and when? In truth you’d be mistaken. If I stated my opinion of the current state of politics, I’d soon be clapped in irons for treason.’

He was right, I knew. ‘But even if you can’t state your opinions, you can act on them.’

‘Not openly. No, you and I are both confined to showing but one part of us in public, and another to our friends. As for the whole of us … well, that must be reserved for those few people we are fortunate enough to love and trust.’

The 18th century is so exciting, both for Eva and for the reader, that the contemporary story pales somewhat by comparison. The potential secondary and tertiary romances are enjoyable but not particularly gripping, but the Hallett family is well drawn and their individual and collective stories are engaging.

As always, the setting is beautifully depicted. I could smell the sea of Cornwall and feel the walks up The Hill, and the historical background is terrific. There is a strong sense of context without any dreaded infodumps, and the reader is immersed in the period without feeling like she’s attending a lecture.

The most difficult aspect of time-travel romance is finding a way to have an HEA that seems to make sense and that doesn’t cause too much sadness for those who are left behind. You come up with an ingenious and surprising solution to this problem, but one that is sufficiently complicated that I had to go back and read it again. So readers, be warned: when the book nears the end and the suspense is killing you, make sure to slow down while you read. I can’t explain without massive spoilers, and I’m not sure I entirely buy it, but hey, it’s a time-travel, so I can live with that. Readers can rest assured that Eva and Daniel have a satisfying HEA, and a couple of the secondary threads wrap up with happy surprises.

This novel is an example of how a story can be utterly, completely romantic in tone without having explicit sex or even many romantic interludes between the hero and heroine. It is worth keeping in mind that it does not follow the conventions of a genre romance. A key focus of the story is on Eva’s journey from a grieving sister to a woman who looks forward to her future with the man she loves (however unusually she’s reached that point), and her friendships with Fergal, Claire, and the rest of the Halletts are critical parts of that journey. The first part of the novel is accordingly quite sad, although I didn’t find it depressing. As Eva recuperates at Trelowarth and becomes involved in the Hallett’s lives, and then even more entwined in the lives of Daniel, Fergal, and Jack, the sadness recedes (although it never goes away completely, and how can it?).

The first line of this story is devastating, but the last line is filled with happiness. They make powerful bookends to a memorable novel.

Grade: A-

~ Sunita

September Kindle Winner

Jane — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 09:00:30 +0000

Remember when I said that we would give one ebook reader away a month in thanks for people using the Amazon affiliate link? In August, we gave it away to a commenter in a particular thread, but in September, the device would go to a commenter who participated in any of the threads during the month of August. There were 3,462 comments left at Dear Author in the month of August. I deleted all the ones made by DA folks, all the trackbacks, and that left us with a little under 3,000 comments. The winning comment is morineko who left the following comment on the review to Changing the Game by Jaci Burton.

I’m still on chapter 2 so can’t address the particular situation in this book, but from what I can see there’s slightly more acceptance in MLB than in other sports for giving players time off for family issues as well as for emotional issues. (Also in the NBA, the Timberwolves’ Luke Ridnour missed a significant amount of time dealing with a problem with one of his newborns last season; Miller’s situation may have just been because, you know, playoffs.)

Congrats, morineko.

We need to give away a reader for the month of September and I’m thinking of doing a nook touch. I kind of like rewarding a random commenter but would be open to other suggestions. (and no, I can’t tell who is using the Amazon affiliate link, only what is purchased).

Thanks for being part of Dear Author.

J.D. Robb Scavenger Hunt material

Jane — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:00:19 +0000

Update: Our clue time period is coming to an end. Please go to FreshFiction at 12 pm EST for the next clue. Good luck!

We are participating the New York to Dallas blog scavenger hunt. To enter, you will need to “LIKE” the Facebook JD Robb Official Fan Page in order to view the scavenger hunt information and participate. Go here: http://www.facebook.com/jdrobbauthor#!/jdrobbauthor?sk=app_172485766161734.

This clue will expire in one hour. After 11:59 EST, you will no longer be able to provide an answer to your particular clue, but will have to move on to the next one.

You can tweet about this using #NY2D hashtag.

Clue: DIVIDED IN DEATH’S Reva Ewing worked as a security specialist for Roarke Enterprises but is a suspect in her husband and friend’s deaths. But all her computer files are hacked, so Eve suspects more than just jealous rage is at stake.

Don’t mistake this see-through glass store in New York for fruit – they’ll sell you computers.

Answer: Remember, post your answer (the location) to the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/jdrobbauthor#!/jdrobbauthor?sk=app_172485766161734

ACE/ROC 2011 Fall Preview and Giveaway from Anne Sowards

Jane — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 13:00:44 +0000

Update: Our winners are as follows:

1) Lauren
2) md
3) sarah mayberry
4) Sara M
5) Jikie
6) Mary Beth
7) Brandy
8) Marty
9) Jacqueline Cook
10) Ann
11) shelley
12) margaret whelehan
13) Patrice
14) JenM
15) SarahM
16) Pamk
17) RachaelM
18) Tae
19) Seema
20) Teresa Warner
21) Julia Broadbooks
22) Heather F.
23) lisabookworm
24) Frannie
25) Rhianna
26) kim57
27) Van P.
28) Teri C
29) Pria
30) Jade

2011 Fall Ace/Roc Giveaway Winner Form

Please enter your snail mail information and your book choices.

Name*
FirstLast
Address*
Street AddressAddress Line 2CityState / Province / RegionZip / Postal CodeCountry
Phone
Only need this if winner is an international winner for shipping purposes.
Email*
Just in case we need to get in touch with you.
First Choice*
Second Choice*
Second choice.
Third Choice*
This is your third choice.

Welcome to Ace and Roc’s exciting fall books preview and giveaway. It’s almost autumn, and when it starts getting colder, I, for one, love to curl up with a good book. We’ve got some great debuts and new titles from favorite authors to talk about (and give away) to keep you entertained no matter the weather.

Thanks again to Dear Author for giving me this opportunity to let you know about some of our terrific upcoming titles. As always, there are too many good books for me to mention all of them, so you can visit our site (http://us.penguingroup.com/scififantasy) or our Facebook page to see what other books we’re publishing (http://www.facebook.com/acerocbooks).

September 2011

SHADOW KIN by M. J. Scott

This is a debut I absolutely loved when I read the manuscript for the editor who was considering it, and I hope you’ll give it a shot! It’s set in a wonderfully realized fantasy city with a 19^th century feel to it, and the main character is an assassin bound to a vampire lord. It combines elements of traditional fantasy, urban fantasy, steampunk, and romance in an evocative world to make a powerful, unique, and thrilling story.

Imagine a city divided. On one side, the Night World ruled by the Blood Lords and the Beast Kind. On the other, the elusive Fae and the humans protected by their steadfast mages. A city held together by nothing more than a treaty—and even then, just barely…

I was born of a Fae mother, but I had no place among her kind. They called me soulless. An abomination. Perhaps they’re right.… I am a wraith, a shadow who slips between worlds. I was given into the service of the Blood Lord Lucius, who raised me to be his most feared assassin. Still, I’m nothing more than a slave to my master and to the need that only he can fulfill.…

Then Lucius orders me to kill Simon DuCaine, a powerful sunmage. In the blaze of Simon’s magic, my own disappears. Instead of seeking revenge, he shows me mercy. He wants to free me. But that’s one thing my master and his kind will never allow.

And even if I thought I could trust Simon, stepping from the shadows into the light isn’t as simple as it sounds.…

BLOODLANDS and BLOOD RULES by Christine Cody

Because I completely failed to organize an Ace / Roc giveaway for our summer titles (mea culpa), you may have missed the launch of Christine Cody’s new Bloodlands series in August. We are publishing the books back-to-back, so I’m making up for my oversight by highlighting the series and giving away the first two books.

This is another new series that’s so fresh and different it’s a little hard to classify. Christine’s editor describes it as a post-apocalyptic western—with vampires.

The New Badlands—a desolate area in the West forged by the terrible events that altered the entire country, where a few frightened citizens retreated underground to shelter from the brutal weather…and from a society gone deadly dangerous.

Then the vampire arrived—and they started calling it the Bloodlands.

Not because Gabriel, the so-called monster running from his true self, was searching for his lover’s murderer. Nor because Mariah, the woman who reluctantly took him in, was willing to do anything to survive in the changed world.

No, the Badlands officially became the Bloodlands the moment a gun-for-hire who’d decided to slay every monster left in the country came after Gabriel.…

October 2011

SINS OF THE ANGELS by Linda Poitevin

This is the first in an exciting new urban fantasy series featuring a detective with a secret lineage, an undercover hunter, and a Fallen Angel out to destroy the world.

Homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis answers to no one. Especially not to the new partner assigned to her in the middle of a gruesome serial-killer case—a partner who is obstructive, irritatingly magnetic, and arrogant as hell.

Aramael is a Power—a hunter of the Fallen Angels. A millennium ago, he sentenced his own brother to eternal exile for crimes against humanity. Now his brother is back and wreaking murderous havoc in the mortal realm. To find him, Aramael must play second to a human police office who wants nothing to do with him and whose very bloodline threatens both his mission and his soul.

Now, faced with a Fallen Angel hell-bent on triggering the apocalypse, Alex and Aramael have no choice but to join forces, because only together can they stop the end of days.

DEAD MANN WALKING by Stefan Petrucha

I have three words for you: zombie private detective. DEAD MANN WALKING kicks off a new series with a twist. Full disclosure—there is not a lot in the way of romance in this book. But if you like straight up fantasy noir mystery, this could be right up your alley.

The name is, or maybe I should say was, Hessius Mann. I’m dead. After I was executed for my wife’s murder, suppressed evidence came to light and the verdict was overturned. Lucky me, I was brought back to life, thanks to the miracles of modern science. Not that anyone believes I’m innocent. Hell, even I don’t, seeing as how I can’t remember.

Livebloods would rather we zombies be unseen and unheard as well as undead, but now that I’ve joined the ranks of Fort Hammer’s pulse-challenged, I try to make a “living” as a private investigator. Not that I get hired often. So when a lawyer brings me a missing person case and offers a whole lot of cash, I’m not inclined to say no. But after a few zombies turn up cut to pieces, I start thinking someone’s giving me the run-around—and it’s not like I’m in any condition to make a quick getaway…

ANGELS OF DARKNESS by Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Meljean Brook, and Sharon Shinn

This is a collection of four urban fantasy and paranormal romance novellas with an angel theme from an absolute all-star lineup of writers!

Angel’s Wolf by Nalini Singh

In the spellbinding universe of the Guild Hunter, a vampire becomes obsessed with the seductive angel who rules the Louisiana territory. But in her court, all is not what it appears to be.

Alphas: Origins by Ilona Andrews

A woman is kidnapped into a world divided by a superhuman civil war. As the captive of an irresistibly dangerous male, she has two choices: submit and become a pawn, or take hold of her own destiny.

Ascension by Meljean Brook

When vampires disappear from a community he’s protecting, a world-weary Guardian doesn’t know what evil he’s hunting, but he’d rather hunt alone than accept help from his ex-lover and fellow Guardian, Radha. But Radha refues to leave him, because she’s determined not just to help him save the community…but to save him.

Nocturne by Sharon Shinn

Accepting a position in a secluded and whispered-about mansion, a woman soon discovers the source of its mystery: the blind, tormented angel who lives there, and whose secrets could now destroy them both.

November 2011

THE SHADOW READER by Sandy Williams

THE SHADOW READER is the first book my wonderful assistant Kat Sherbo has edited, and it’s really terrific. It’s urban fantasy, but about the fae, and with as strong a focus on the fae realm as the human. The heroine’s voice drew me in right away. All her life she’s been used by the fae for the special ability she has, and when the book opens she’s taking a college final for the umpteenth time—only to be interrupted by the fae, who need her for something. Again.

Some humans can see the fae. McKinzie Lewis can track them, reading the shadows they leave behind. But some shadows lead to danger. Others lead to lies.

A Houston college student trying to finish her degree, McKenzie has been working for the fae king for years, tracking vicious rebels who would claim the Realm. Her job isn’t her only secret. For just as long, she’s been in love with Kyol, the king’s sword-master—and relationships between humans and fae are forbidden.

But any hope for a normal life is shattered when she’s captured by Aren, the fierce and uncompromising rebel leader. He teaches her the forbidden fae language and tells her dark truths about the Court, all to persuade her to turn against the king. Time is running out, and as the fight starts to claim human lives, McKenzie has to decide once and for all whom to trust—and where she ultimately stands in the face of a cataclysmic civil war.

LAST BREATH by Rachel Caine

This is not technically a Roc book, but I write this, so.… LAST BREATH is the next in Rachel’s Morganville Vampires YA series. Personally, I think the series hits a new high with this book. It’s so powerful and emotionally wrenching that I cried. (Not to say that I’m a heartless wench or anything, but it takes a lot for a book to make me cry.) Never fear—things will turn out in the end.

Morganville, Texas, is a small college town that’s had its share of problems, thanks to a sometimes volatile mix of human and vampire residents. But there is a new threat in town, and he’s turning the vampires from predators into prey.…

With her boss preoccupied researching the Founder Houses in Morganville, student Claire Danvers is left to her own devices when she learns that three vampires have vanished without a trace.

She soon discovers that the last person seen with one of the missing vampires is someone who has just moved to town—a mysterious individual named Magnus. After an uneasy encounter with Morganville’s newest resident, Claire is certain Magnus isn’t merely human. But is Magnus a vampire—or something else entirely?

One thing is clear: Magnus is to blame for the disappearances. And if vampires are turning into victims, what chance does a human like Claire have?

December 2011

THE DOOMSDAY VAULT by Steven Harper

Another new series! The first of the Clockwork Empire novels is a highly entertaining romp through a steampunk world of gears and gadgets.

In a Britannia of clockwork automatons and airships, Alice Michaels’s prospects are looking grim.

The Honorable Alice B. Michaels is in a life-or-death struggle for survival—socially speaking, that is. At age twenty-one, her unladylike interest in automatons, and the unfortunate death of most of her family from the clockwork plague, have sealed her fate as a less than desirable marriage prospect. But a series of strange occurrences is about to lead Alice in a direction quite beyond the pale.

High above the earth on the American airship USS Juniper, Gavin Ennock lives for the wind and the sky and his fiddle. After privateers attack the Juniper, he is stranded on the dank, dirty, merciless streets of London. When Alice’s estranged aunt leaves her a peculiar inheritance, she encounters Gavin under most unusual—even shocking—circumstances.

Then Alice’s inheritance attracts the attention of the Third Ward, a clandestine organization that seizes the inventions of mad geniuses the plague leaves behind—all for the good of the Empire. But even the Third Ward has secrets. And when Alice and Gavin discover them, a choice must be made between the world and the Empire, no matter the risk to all they hold dear.

FATE’S EDGE by Ilona Andrews

Ilona Andrews is endlessly inventive and always surprising, and I have to say I just love the Edge series, set in a world with Wal-Mart on one side and sorcerers on the other. Each book follows a new couple, although you’ll see appearances from favorites (like Jack and George) in FATE’S EDGE.

The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is a fairy tale—and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny…

Born into a family of con men, Audrey Callahan left behind her life in the Edge for an unmagical existence in the Broken. Audrey is determined to stay on the straight and narrow, but when her brother gets into hot water, she takes on one last heist and finds herself matching wits with a jack-of-all-trades.

Kaldar Mar is a gambler, a lawyer, a thief, and a spy with some unusual talents that guarantee him lucrative work. His latest assignment has him tracking down a stolen item, and Kaldar doesn’t expect much of a challenge—until Audrey turns up to give him a run for his money.

But when the missing object falls into the hands of a lethal criminal, Kaldar realizes that in order to finish the job and survive, he’s going to need Audrey’s help…

Here’s what we’re giving away:

Shadow Kin by M. J. Scott (three finished copies)
Bloodlands and Blood Rules by Christine Cody (three sets of finished copies)
Aftermath by Ann Aguirre (two finished copies)
Sins of the Angels by Linda Poitevin (two advance reading copies)
Dead Mann Walking by Stefan Petrucha (two advance reading copies)
Angels of Darkness by Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Meljean Brook, and Sharon Shinn (three advance reading copies)
The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams (three advance reading copies)
Last Breath by Rachel Caine (three advance reading copies)
Magic on the Line by Devon Monk (three advance reading copies)
Fate’s Edge by Ilona Andrews (three advance reading copies)
The Doomsday Vault by Steven Harper (three advance reading copies)

Anne Sowards is an executive editor at Penguin Group (USA) Inc., where she primarily acquires and edits fantasy and science fiction for the Ace and Roc imprints. Some of the great authors she works with include Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Anne Bishop, Ilona Andrews, Karen Chance, Jack Campbell, and Rob Thurman. When she’s not reading, she listens to Chinese rap and spends way too much time playing video games. Follow her at http://twitter.com/AnneSowards.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment about your favorite thing to do in the fall. Contest will end on Friday, September 9, noon CST.

Avon Books Celebrates Liz Carlyle and Loretta Chase with a Vera Bradley Tote + Backlist Bonanza

Jane — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:00:48 +0000

Updated: Our three winners are

1) Connie Fischer who won the Liz Carlyle package

2) misty who won the Loretta Chase package

3) Jess who won the tech package.

Thanks to Avon for sponsoring the giveaway.

Avon is sponsoring a giveaway for the Dear Author readers to celebrate authors Loretta Chase and Liz Carlyle. The giveaway features a red Vera Bradley tote with the entire backlist of Liz Carlyle and a purple Vera Bradley tote with the entire backlist of Loretta Chase. For those digital readers, Avon is giving away a gift card and a purple tech case. You can find out more about Avon romances at Avonromance.com, “like” them onFacebook, or follow them on Twitter. The giveaway is limited to US and Canada residents.

Loretta Chase recently hit the New York Times list with her famous, Lord of Scoundrels. She has a recent release, Silk Is for Seduction (reviewed here), that is widely available in print and digital. Chase is one of the DA favorite authors. Liz Carlyle’s next release, The Bride Wore Scarlet, was just released last week. The heroine is the daughter of Max de Rohan who starred in his own book No True Gentleman. From Carlyle’s first book, My False Heart, an entire network of families have been created and Carlyle is now writing the second generation of those families. It’s been fascinating to watch the ebb and flow of the connections.

Chase and Carlyle have some of the richest backlists out there and this is one giveaway that I wish I could win. To enter, leave a comment stating your favorite trope or theme in romance. This contest will close on Friday noon CST. Here are the titles for Liz and Loretta for the Vera Bradley promotion. All non-Avon titles (bolded) have been provided by the authors.

Loretta Chase

Don’t Tempt Me
The Last Hellion
Last Night’s Scandal
Lord of Scoundrel’s
Three Times a Bride (anthology)
Not Quite a Lady
Silk is for Seduction
Your Scandalous Ways
Captives of the Night - digital gift
Royal Weddings Anthology – digital gift
The Lion’s Daughter
Lord Perfect
Mr. Impossible
Miss Wonderful
The Sandalwood Princess and Knaves’ Wager
Viscount Vagabond and The Devil’s Delilah
Isabella and The English Witch

Liz Carlyle

One Touch of Scandal
The Bride Wore Scarlet
The One that Got Away (Anthology)
The Devil to Pay
Beauty Like the Night
No True Gentleman
The Devil You Know
Big Guns (double with Sherrilyn Kenyon)
The School for Heiresses (anthology)
Wicked All Day
A Woman of Virtue
Three Little Secrets
One Little Sin
Two Little Lies
Tea for Two (double with Cathy Maxwell)
A Woman Scorned
Never Deceive a Duke
Never Lie to a Lady
Never Romance a Rake
Tempted All Night
My False Heart - digital gift
A Deal with the Devil

Loveswept Returns (and Giveaway)

Jane — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 01:00:14 +0000

Updated. The follower winners will be receiving a digital code to use as a giftcard.

1) Rhianna 2) MaryK 3) Renda 4) willaful 5) MarieC 6) VALERIE VALICENTO 7) Meagan 8)

Lisa J 9) Laura Florand 10) LuchaLori

According to the romance wiki, Loveswept debuted in 1983 and published 917 titles. Some of the biggest names in publishing (including those who shun their romance roots) released series books through Loveswept like Kay Hooper, Iris Johansen, Sandra Brown, and Janet Evanovich. It was primarily a contemporary romance line but it also had some historicals (I recall Iris Johansen’s Wild Silver, vividly) and was best known for the breadth of its stories. It seemed like “anything goes” was the motto.

Loveswept has been revived and is being steered by long time romance reader and former Borders’ romance buyer, Sue Grimshaw. The line will be bringing back the old titles and mixing it with new acquisitions. I can’t wait. The following is a small preview of what is coming from Loveswept

*****

From Sue:

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for stopping by Dear Author today & checking out our post!

First & foremost I’d like to let everyone know we’re offering a giveaway – 10 ebooks — randomly chosen by Jane — if you are a winner Jane will have you email us for your FREE book!

Sound like a plan?

So, let me tell you what we’re so excited about & what has taken the industry by storm . . . or surprise & great support

Random House is bringing back the LOVESWEPT line of romances — some new & some old beginning 8/8/2011!! Readers everywhere have been thrilled with the news & soon to be LS followers are loving the ebook launch. Eight books are on sale 8/8 including:

Writing for Loveswept – a little reminiscing from Karen Leabo, Debra Dixon & Deborah Smith & something new from debut, Jessica Scott:

Karen Leabo:I started submitting manuscripts to the Loveswept line when it debuted in the 1980s. I was a fan from the beginning (I still love the Delaneys!) , and I was thrilled when I finally sold to them. Alas, I only wrote seven books for the line before it closed, but those are some of my happiest publishing memories. My Loveswept editors encouraged me to write books that reflected what was important to me, books that I really, really wanted to write. Finding a welcoming home for my quirky, out-of-the-box stories meant so much to me. I wrote action/adventure, paranormal and romantic suspense as well as the ever-popular cowboys, brides and babies. The freedom to write anything I wanted was exciting, and I still cherish those books as some of my best.

My first Loveswept was called “Hell on Wheels,” and it was about storm chasers—you know, those crazy people who run around the countryside trying to find tornadoes? To research this story, I actually tagged along with a group of “professional” storm chasers, possibly the closest I’ve come to dying for my art. The book was published in March of 1996, exactly two months before the hit movie Twister. (Ah, timing is everything.)

I am thrilled that my Loveswepts are being re-issued as e-books. Electronic reading has changed my life—I have three e-book readers. I love finding backlist books from newly discovered authors as well as old favorites (I’ve already pre-ordered Lightning that Lingers by Sharon and Tom Curtis). I’m looking forward to finding a whole new crop of readers as well as re-connecting with those who might remember me from way back when.

Debra Dixon: Many years ago, when my agent called to tell me I’d sold my first book to Loveswept (Tall, Dark and Lonesome), I sat down in the floor and stared at the phone. I knew I was supposed to say something professional and collected. I said, “Are you sure?”

Not my finest moment…or maybe it was. Because in that moment, I became a Loveswept author.

Some months later, I remember sitting quietly at a dinner of Loveswept authors: Tami Hoag, Deborah Smith, Iris Johansen and a couple more names you’d recognize. These amazing women had written books on my keeper shelf. Geez! I looked at them all and wondered if my editor had lost her mind when she invited me into the inner circle. But that’s what Loveswept did. They believed in writers. They nurtured the stories. They were never afraid to take a chance. They never blinked when I said, “I’m doing a book about an ice skating nun and an ex-navy SEAL.” (Hot As Sin)

At that same dinner I wondered how to tell Deborah Smith she’d taken my dessert coffee. “Excuse me. You’re 1/3 of who I want to be when I grow up as a writer. You see, I want to be the literary love child of Tami Hoag, Stephen Hunter and Deborah Smith. Yes, that’s right. You. You’re fabulous. Now, stop bogarting my coffee.”

She did eventually realize she hadn’t ordered coffee. To make amends, she became my new BFF in spite of, or maybe because of, the fact we’re completely different. She’s tall. I’m short. If you hand us the same story idea, you’ll never recognize it as the same idea by the time we finish working it over. That’s what I loved about Loveswept. They didn’t own a cookie cutter. They let you run. They let you bring something new and exciting to the table every time. You couldn’t scare the editors. I tried.

More than fifteen years ago, I wrote a dark, hit-woman heroine. (Bad To the Bone) I told my husband, “I’ve done it this time. There is no way they can publish this. I’ll have to buy it back, you know.” Foolish me. Loveswept has never been afraid to push the envelope. I think my editors invented the “bring it on” gesture Morpheus gave to Neo in the Matrix. They believed in their authors. Then and now.

I’m not sure what reaction I expected when the relaunch was announced, but it wasn’t the very specific list of titles every reader began compiling on the spot. Titles, authors, plot lines. The readers are ready. They have shopping lists! They’re practically giddy to see the books available again. Okay, that’s me. I’m giddy, but I was a reader before I was a writer. There are some books I can’t wait to get my hands on again.

I’m hoping you guys feel the same way about Tall, Dark and Lonesome. I love this book. My first. Imagine if your boss sent you back to the one place filled with hard memories you’d tried to leave behind. Imagine that magazine editor plopping city-slicker-you in the middle of a vacation cattle drive for the sake of a story. Imagine the guy on the front of this cover running that cattle drive. And then imagine everything going wrong. Don’t you love it when that happens? I do.

Deborah Smith: It was a dark and stormy night when I got the phone message that told me I’d become a Loveswept author. Okay, actually, it was a cloudy, cozy-cold night in January of 1987. I found a message on my phone, started shrieking, and my husband ran into the den to find Farley, our ever-present Cairn terrier, chasing my feet as I danced with joy.

We were still in the disco-exercise era—remember Olivia Newton John in her candy-colored workout clothes?—so Farley was happy for any excuse to sink his teeth into my pink, fuzzy, leg warmers. I looked as if I’d waded through a knee-high river of cotton candy.

Dance, Cotton-Candy-Calves, dance! My dream had come true. I was a Loveswept author.

Fans adored the Loveswept line for its inventive plots and quirky humor; I will never forget the honor of being invited to events with Loveswept stars such as Iris Johansen and Kay Hooper. At one such gathering, a dinner, I sat next to a newcomer like myself. Her name was Debra Dixon. She was perky and confident and clearly had no problem fitting in with the VIPs of the romance-writing world.

I was in awe of everyone at the table that night, including her. So much in awe, in fact, that I distractedly stole her dessert coffee. It was years before she confronted me about the theft. By then we were good buddies—and future publishing partners—so she graciously accepted my apology. I do notice, however, that she has always put an extra foot of space between us at meals since then, and, when her coffee arrives, she lines up the condiments around it.

I wrote fifteen Loveswepts between 1987 and 1991, and each one was a great adventure. Loveswept authors were encouraged to push the envelope, and we did. Comedy, intrigue, super-villains, psychics, ghosts, exotic settings, over-the-top plots, red-hot romance and then some—very little was out of bounds, as long as it was written with a passion for unforgettable characters and plots.

Legends, the novel that’s been chosen for Random House’s re-launch of the Loveswept imprint, is one of my favorites. It stars a billionaire corporate raider and the Scottish heroine who kidnaps him and then holds him hostage in her homeland. Boy howdy! A rich, handsome man locked up in a jail cell with me, I mean my fictitious heroine, holding the key. That right there is a good-enough fantasy for any dark and stormy night.

With or without wearing pink, fuzzy, leg warmers.

Jessica Scott: Anyone who has been either involved in publishing or seeking publication will invariably tell you that newcomers who think writing a book is easy are misguided at best, potentially delusional at worst. *raises hand sheepishly* Yeah, I was one of those fervent young writers who finally wrote the end and thought pure genius, New York Times bestseller list here I come.

Ah, not quite.

I now understand why published authors smile and shake their heads when new kids on the block are so effervescent and confident. The journey for Because of You was a long one, through multiple titles, iterations and complete rewrites.

It started back in 2007. I was away from my kids (then 7months old and 2 1/2 years) for the first time in Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning. My husband was deployed again and call me old fashioned but I didn’t think that hanging out at the bar was the right place for a mom with a deployed husband. So I would take my happy little self off to the local Barnes and Noble and read or write on the weekends. I’m kind of a nerd in that books offer me comfort and solace. They always have. I like to say the best thing about being in Iraq was the time to read because there were no dishes to do, laundry to fold, etc. You know, when there aren’t mortars and rocks going off. But that’s another blog for another time.

I remember the exact moment the first words of Shane’s book came to me. I was sitting in a classroom in Building 4 on Fort Benning (affectionately known as Building Snore due to the relentless classes required for Officer Candidates). One of the Ranger candidates was chewing out one of his classmates for being lazy. Can’t say that I’d argue with him for that one. The bottom line was this guy had a combat patch from the 75^th Ranger Regiment and I remember thinking that his frustration wasn’t with soldiers who didn’t know any better but rather, with soldiers who were unwilling or unable to train.

That prompted the original thought behind Shane Garrison, a guy who devoted everything to train his soldiers for combat. Shane’s story has stuck with me over the years despite numerous rejections and lots of frustration. Many writers advised me to put it away and write something else. “Maybe not this book” or “maybe it’s time to write something else”. And I did. I’ve put Shane and Jen beneath the bed a dozen times over the years, only to have them start nagging at me, urging me to give them just one more shot. Because of You was the book that would not die, would not let me put it away. At least not for long.

Their most recent shot came in the form of a blog post from Sue Grimshaw. Right after SEAL Team 6 that had finally gotten Bin Laden, the romance world went nuts for all things military, particularly Navy SEALs. Sue wrote a great post about military heroes and mentioned that she was looking for a contemporary military romance that was NOT, oddly enough, romantic suspense.

What’s the worst that could happen, right? If she passed because it wasn’t ready, then well, Shane and Jen would simply ended up back beneath the bed where they’d been for the last year. So I shot her a Direct Message (DM) on Twitter. I said, hey, I saw your blog about military romance that’s not suspense and I just happen to have one, would you be interested? And lo and behold, she dropped me a note back almost immediately that said yes, shoot it over.

I emailed the file and figured it would be a couple weeks before I heard anything. Publishing takes time, as we have all learned, so imagine my surprise when I see a DM “didn’t get anything” about four days later. Well crap. So I double checked the email and resent the file and went back about my life. I’ve had lots of submissions where I never heard back, so again, I figured I had time. But the really cool part about the email was a little voice in the back of my head that whispered hey, I’ve got an editor who was waiting for my book. Sue surprised me again with a great note within 48 hours. “Hey I really like this but are you open to revisions?”

Um, hell yeah!

At the time, I didn’t know that I would be the launch for the relaunch of Loveswept as a digital first line. Needless to say, the news kept getting better and better. Not only did Sue acquire Shane’s story, she picked up two other books in the series, the series that started my writing, the series that spoke to the thing that burns in me. I’ve tried writing about something other than soldiers but I always come back to the men and women who inspire me every single day.

So I’m beyond excited that you get to experience Shane and Jen. Technically, this is the 2nd book I ever wrote, but there have been so many rewrites and overhauls, its more Iike the 10th or 11th. But Shane is the 2nd hero I’ve ever put on page and oddly enough, he’s stayed relatively consistent over the different iterations. It’s always been about his men and it’s always been about learning to love someone other than leading soldiers.

I always say, the good Lord Himself could command the First Cavalry Division but the day would come when He would change command. The Army will find someone to replace you, no matter who you are. The thing Shane had to learn was to let go, to find another way to give back, and to realize that there was more to him than just a good soldier. And Jen was the perfect person to guide him through his crucible.

So I hope you enjoy Shane and Jen as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them over the years. I’m excited and grateful to Sue and the entire team at Random House for bringing me into the fold and giving my stories the chance to hit the page. Thanks so much for having me here today!

Kindle 3G Winner and Changes to Dear Author

Jane — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:57:53 +0000

On Sunday we started a giveaway asking for input from DA Readership and we really appreciate the comments. Not all of the suggestions are things that we can undertake to improve today, but they provide aspirational goals for the site. However, there are some changes we can implement right away. First, though, our winner.

Winner

Laura P says:
August 7, 2011 at 11:08 pm
I agree, reviews searchable by author would be nice.

Congratulations, Laura P. Remember that commenting throughout the month of August will enter you to win the September Kindle 3G with Special Offers.

Content Changes

On to the changes. For content, I heard that readers would like to see the following:

summary posts of what we are reading
shorter, quicker reviews of books that don’t get longer reviews
more consistent tagging.

We are going to start posting weekly or biweekly reports from various reviewers of what they are reading, starting with Jaclyn and Shuzluva today. Some of our reviewers aren’t comfortable with that format and won’t be doing them, while some are more comfortable with the shorter summaries. Hopefully this will provide you with more variety.

Consistent Tagging

On the tagging issue, we are going to go back and clean up the tags when we can, but as we have over 2,000 book reviews at this point, it will be a challenge. However, going forward, we will tag according to a template. Here is our proposed template:

Author
Press
Genre (Historical, Contemporary, SFF, PNR, Erotic)
Broad sub genre (m/m romance, BDSM romance)
Professions of characters
Type of plot (police procedural, friends to lovers, etc.)

Let us know what else you would like to see.

Coming Soon Catalog

On the issue of Coming Soon catalog. Some of you may not have realized this but the Coming Soon catalog of covers is organized by date. This catalog is generated using the Calibre OPDS software. I’ve used “tags” as the way to organize the books into monthly releases. The naming protocol is year_date: 2011_08.

However, I can definitely do a monthly database of releases that is searchable and sortable. I created tables for the September and October catalogs here. I update the Coming Soon catalog about once a month. At that time, I add new books and clean up the database for the following month.

Searching

I implemented a new “Advanced Search” feature. You can find it on the navigation/menu bar and it is titled “Adv. Search”. I had to truncate it to get it on the same line as everything else. You can search by author, title, reviewer, keyword, and grade (grades are categories). This should make it easier for you to find content.

Index of Reviews

I have someone working on this and we should be able to generate some kind of index of reviews by November.

Backlists

I have an idea about this and am working with someone to create a form that authors can fill out and then it will populate a new page that readers can use to search backlist titles.

Threaded Comments

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Reviewer Pages

We are going to create a reviewer page for each reviewer that will contain a brief bio, books that they are reading, and a bulleted list of all the books they’ve reviewed here at Dear Author. Hopefully that will debut in the end of September.

That’s all for now folks. There were other great ideas but those will have to wait until 2012 to be implemented.

JOINT REVIEW & Giveaway: The Rifter Parts 1-5 by Ginn Hale

Sunita — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 22:30:27 +0000

UPDATE: The winner of our giveaway of a full subscription to The Rifter is Stephanie M. Lorée. Congratulations, Stephanie, and thanks to Nicole Kimberling at Blind Eye Books for providing it to Dear Author. And thanks also to all the commenters for their great reading suggestions!

Sunita: I’ve heard so many good things about Ginn Hale’s work, and I have Wicked Gentlemen in my TBR on the strength of Janine’s review here at DA. But my TBReviewed stack is bigger than the time I can allot to it, and I haven’t been reading much SFF these days. Nevertheless, when I read that Ms. Hale was releasing a serial novel in monthly installments, I was intrigued. One installment as a trial run didn’t seem like a huge investment of time or money, so I downloaded The Shattered Gates and read it at one sitting. Bad move. I was totally hooked.

Janine: My introduction to Ginn Hale was the marvelous Wicked Gentlemen, and I also enjoyed her novella, Feral Machines, in the Tangle XY anthology. I had difficulty getting into Lord of the White Hell, Book 1, however, and didn’t read far in it. So when Sunita suggested we review The Rifter together, I wasn’t sure what my response to the serial would be. Happily, the installments I’ve read so far have been even better than I had hoped.

I should state upfront that unlike you, Sunita, I’ve only read the first three installments, but that’s been due to lack of time rather than lack of interest. At a hundred pages or more per installment, The Rifter makes for a big but rewarding commitment.

Sunita: Now that the series is half over and Installment #6, Broken Fortress, is about to be released, it seems like a good time to talk about the series to date, without giving too much away.

Janine: It’s going to be tricky to avoid spoilers because of the serial format, but we’ll try to do so without revealing too many.

Sunita: When John Toffler, an ecology grad student, opens a letter he knows is intended for his odd but attractive roommate Kyle, he discovers a mysterious key. John’s ensuing actions catapult him and his two close friends, Laurie and Bill, into Kyle’s world of Basawar. Unable to return, their first priority becomes survival. None of them realizes that John is a Rifter, a potential destroyer of worlds. But Kyle is keenly aware of it and after he pieces together what has happened, he tries to follow John.

The first installment is split between establishing the four’s relationships and their actions after John uses the key. There are multiple dyads: John and Kyle, Laurie and Bill, John and Laurie, and to a lesser extent John and Bill. The succeeding installments continue Laurie, John, and Bill’s efforts to survive in Basawar while finding a way to get home. That distance can only be traversed by a Kahlil, a single member of the powerful Payshmura priestly order, and their desire to return to home enmeshes John and his friends in ongoing political and social intrigues.

Janine: This part of the story is quite dark and suspenseful; on Basawar people with John and Laurie’s abilities are often brutally persecuted, so the three friends have to be very careful.

Sunita: While John, Laurie and Bill struggle to survive, Kyle/Kahlil returns to Basawar only to find that much has changed. The parallel stories of John’s and Kyle’s experiences, and their separate and overlapping interactions with other residents of Basawar, structure the next four installments.

Janine: I love the way the narrative moves back and forth not just between John and Kyle’s third person POVs, but also between different storylines and timelines when we switch POV. More on that later.

Sunita: The worldbuilding in The Rifter is amazing. It is complex, intricate, and highly imaginative, but I never felt as if I was being force-fed information. To some extent this is because when we are in John’s storyline we are learning along with him. But even so, the interweaving of the characters, plot, and setting is as well done as I’ve seen in either the romance or the SFF genre.

Janine: I’ve read a few SFF classics that impressed me even more in this regard, but not many. There is a wealth of detail in Ms. Hale’s worldbuilding, and the writing is also quite good. Here’s an excerpt from a scene that comes relatively early in The Shattered Gates, installment #1, before John, Bill and Laurie cross over to Basawar. Kyle/Kahlil is at a diner with them, having recently been in a battle, and these are his thoughts right after he has ordered eggs and toast:

The waitress nodded. He felt a certain satisfaction in having finally mastered the ritual interrogation of ordering a breakfast in this world.

Ten years ago, the baffling barrage of choices had been more than he could contemplate or prioritize. White, wheat, rye, sourdough, over hard, over easy, scrambled, boiled or poached—he knew all the options now. And he was experienced enough to know that he liked his eggs cooked hard, even though he loved the way the words “sunny-side-up” sounded.

Kahlil realized his thoughts were drifting. He was exhausted and hurt, and he should have slept the entire day away, but he had wanted to see John. He had needed to see John smile and laugh and be kind.

In his own world, Kahlil saw such ugly things. He had done such hateful things. But here, it was different. This world was immersed in perfumes and abundance. Here, it was easy to be generous. There was so very much that giving could be painless. Goodness could seem inherent to all life. Here, even a being like John, a Rifter, a destroyer of worlds, could be a thoughtful, quiet graduate student.

We can see the interweaving of setting, character and plot at work here. The contrast between our own world and Basawar in Kyle/Kahlil’s thoughts lets us know Basawar is a place of privation, hardship and danger. The setting of the diner with its comfort food sharpens our awareness of Kyle’s battle fatigue. Kyle’s romantic feelings for John are intertwined with his weariness and evident in his need to see John smile and laugh.

Even the structure of the sentences in paragraphs three and four convey Kyle’s tiredness, through the repetition of “he had wanted to see John” and “He had needed to see John,” “such ugly things” and “such hateful things,” “here, it was different” and “Here, it was easy.” The rhythm here reminds me of feet struggling to sustain a march. The thoughts repeat because they are muddled with exhaustion.

The clincher comes in the final line of the fourth paragraph, where we learn that gentle, seemingly harmless John is “a Rifter, a destroyer of worlds.” This is the engine of the book, the reason for Kyle’s presence in John’s orbit, and the source of a great deal of tension and suspense. Because not only can we not imagine how someone as sweet as John could become a destroyer, we now also know something tremendous about John of which John himself is blissfully unaware, but we don’t know when and how he will find out.

Sunita: I love that scene! It establishes the camaraderie between the four characters and underscores that while their lives aren’t trouble-free, they are nothing like what they will face on Basawar. The latter is a violent society in which power is wielded ruthlessly, not only by the rich and strong but also by those who command magical powers. I appreciated that magic was never used for easy plot twists or clever effect, and the development of magical powers was painful, time-consuming and dangerous for the practitioners.

Janine: Agreed. I have to admit that the author’s earlier works didn’t prepare me for the hardship, ruthlessness and danger the main characters encounter in The Rifter. It’s definitely darker than Wicked Gentlemen or Feral Machines.

Sunita: All the characters, from the non-magical humans up through the most powerfully gifted priests, have admirable traits but also weaknesses. The Payshmura are at once sincerely pious and utterly worldly. Every character, with the possible exception of Bill, is a fully realized person (and I wouldn’t be surprised if that criticism is shown to be wrong in later installments). Every major actor changes and deepens over the course of the series, and yet I never felt I was seeing the puppeteer’s strings.

Janine: Yes, and from what I’ve read so far John seems to have an incredible arc ahead of him. I’m both excited for and half-dreading that. It will be very interesting to see where the author goes with Kyle, too.

Sunita: The character arcs and the relationships are especially affected by the way time and distance work in these worlds. We know that John and Kyle/Kahlil are both attracted to and somehow bound to each other. And we know that there will be an HEA. But their storylines separate in the first installment, and the reader is never entirely sure how they will be brought back together. Each has to go on with his life in the absence of the other. And the way that passage between worlds can affect time means that when they do meet again, they may well be at different points in their lives.

Janine: Yes! The narrative moves both forward and back in time, and I love the way Ms. Hale gets at these characters from different points in their lives and in Basawar’s history, as well as different cultural perspectives. It allows her to explore and reveal both characters and setting from unexpected angles, and the twists in the plot come seemingly from nowhere, yet we then get to see how we got from point A to point B, knowing things the characters do not know.

Sunita: For a book that can be categorized as part of the gay romance genre, there is very little explicit sex. John and Kyle, and possibly other characters, are definitely gay, but the depictions of romantic relationships are as much emotional as physical for much of the book. It is not a typical romance in that the relationship does not comprise the dominant focus of the story. But it is integral to it, and the romantic relationships that develop are particularly poignant, in part because of the contexts in which they take place.

Janine: Absolutely. In the three installments I’ve finished so far, Kyle and John are apart for the vast majority of the time. But when they encounter each other again it’s both pivotal and exciting, and in the meantime, they each have other romantic connections that moved me deeply. As in Wicked Gentlemen, the world Ginn Hale has built does not look kindly on same-sex relationships, and some of the characters face other prejudices too. That made me root for the characters to find happiness.

Sunita: The Rifter is an unusually immersive experience for me as a reader, and I’m only halfway through the story. There is a lively and fun group of readers over at Goodreads who are discussing each installment as it is released. I was able to avoid spoilers by paying attention to comment dates, and it’s fascinating to see their views on what has happened and what might come next.

Janine: I’ll have to check out the Goodreads group. I agree that The Rifter is worth reading. One of my niggles is that it took me a while to get used to the Middle Eastern-influenced flavor of Basawar (since I once lived in the Middle East, it was distracting to me). I also think I would probably have enjoyed The Rifter even more had I read the installments as they were being released, a month apart, rather than three back to back. The story was almost too intense for me as it was. Nonetheless I agree with you that it’s impressively good. I know The Rifter will seem on the expensive side to some, but all ten installments, when added up, clock in at over a thousand pages, so it provides a lot of high quality entertainment.

What grade would you give the first half of The Rifter, Sunita? Taken together the three installments I’ve read are an A- for me.

Sunita: I agree, it’s an A- for me as well. I can’t wait to read the second half of the series.

This story is sold as a subscription. Here is the subscription page and a goodreads link for installment no. 1.

Kindle 3G (with Special Offers) Giveaway

Jane — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:00:05 +0000

A month or so ago I announced that we would start giving away one ebook reader a month to the DA readership as a thank you for using the affiliate code links to buy stuff at Amazon and other retailers. (You can find those in our sidebar) ——>

Today is our August giveaway. To enter the ereader giveaway, I would like for you to leave a comment about one thing you think DA does not do well. We want to improve this place and it is always helpful to hear what the users think about the site.

To sum up, leave a comment in this thread about how we can improve DA to win the August eReader Giveaway. This contest will be open until Wednesday 8 pm CST. The winner will be announced on Thursday.

The September giveaway will be different. During the month of August, I will be gathering up all the commenters who leave a comment throughout the month and giving away another Kindle 3G with special offers to one of those people. I encourage lurkers to comment on one of our Open Threads. To enter the September eReader Giveaway, simply leave a comment throughout the month of August. (This thread will not count)

Thank you for being part of DA and for contributing its ongoing success.

RITA Interview Winners

Alyson H — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 01:20:24 +0000

DA Intro Interview: RITA Best First Book Nominees, Part 2

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:00:53 +0000

Welcome to part two of Dear Author’s interview series with the debut authors who are up for Best First Book in the RITAs, the annual awards presented by the Romance Writers of America. Three historicals received nominations: Kaki Warner’s Western Pieces of Sky, Kieran Kramer’s Regency When Harry Met Molly, and Karen Witemeyer’s inspirational A Tailor-Made Bride. We’re giving these as a bundle to one reader today.

Another reader can win the action/suspense bundle: Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts and Firestorm by Kelly Ann Riley.

Petticoats or police? State your preference in the comments…

Opening Line:

DEBORAH COONTS, Wanna Get Lucky?: As her final act on this earth, Lyda Sue Stalnaker plummeted out of a Las Vegas helicopter and landed smack in the middle of the pirates’ lagoon in front of the Treasure Island Hotel, disrupting the 8:30 pirate show.

KELLY ANN RILEY, Firestorm: The shattering glass broke the stillness of the moonlit forest, startling birds into flight and scattering grazing deer in the meadow below.

KAKI WARNER, Pieces of Sky: I’m a dead man.

KIERAN KRAMER, When Harry Met Molly: Thirteen-year-old Lady Mary “Molly” Fairbanks, daughter of the widowed Earl of Sutton, seethed with emotion on a daily basis, whether she was cleaning her teeth, breaking the shell on her morning egg, or riding her favorite mare.

KAREN WITEMEYER, A Tailor-Made Bride: “Red? Have you no shame, Auntie Vic? You can’t be buried in a scarlet gown.”

Main Character’s Six-Word Memoir:

DEBORAH COONTS: Bordello born, Vegas raised, romantically challenged.

KELLY ANN RILEY: Tough firefighter finds love through adversity.

KAKI WARNER: (For Brady): Bound by duty, freed by love. (For Jessica): Ask me to stay. I will.

KAREN WITEMEYER: (Jericho Tucker) Stubborn-minded. Kindhearted. About to fall hard. (Hannah Richards) Sees beauty everywhere, even scarred hearts.

KIERAN KRAMER: Misunderstood, isolated second son gains community.

What my heroine does for a living:

DEBORAH COONTS: Vegas crisis management in a large Strip hotel/casino.

KELLY ANN RILEY: Kitty is a Los Angeles firefighter who would like to get into arson investigation.

KAKI WARNER: Jessica Thornton is a milliner and writes pamphlets on deportment.

KAREN WITEMEYER: Hannah is a seamstress who is on the verge of opening her first dress shop.

KIERAN KRAMER: Companion to her aunt, assistant to her father.

What makes my hero heroic:

DEBORAH COONTS: She rises above her background, solves everyone’s problems, and learns and grows along the way.

KELLY ANN RILEY: He changed his life to help his son and despite past hurt he opens his heart again to love Kitty.

KAKI WARNER: He keeps his word and is willing to make any sacrifice for those he loves…even give up his ranch.

KAREN WITEMEYER: Jericho is fiercely loyal, especially to his younger sister. He’s a bit crusty on the outside, and even though his head demands he keep the new seamstress at arm’s length, his tender heart compels him to watch over her and see to her needs.

KIERAN KRAMER: His sense of honor, which he reveals when he drops the façade of his rapscallion identity and embraces his true essence.

A favorite line/scene/moment from the story:

DEBORAH COONTS: “A naked man, duct tape around his member, a rope, a trapeze, how’d you get so lucky?”

KELLY ANN RILEY: Luke assumes Kitty is a burglar and tackles hers as she tries to run away. In the struggle he knocks off her hat and discovers she’s a woman. Thus, their adventure together begins.

KAKI WARNER: When Brady reveals to Jessica his part in his brother’s death. It ends with: “He looked down, saw the pale hands stroking his chest, and the strength left him. It was just a touch—but coming now—from this woman—it nearly broke him.”

KAREN WITEMEYER: I love letting my characters tease each other:

He prowled forward, jaw clenched so hard, his facial muscles ticked. “The name’s J.T.”

“No,” she said, tapping her chin as if pondering some great mystery. “Those are initials. Your name is Jericho.”

Wiggling his fingers to keep them from curling into fists, J.T. reminded himself that she was a woman. “Are you purposely trying to rile me?” His voice rumbled with menace, warning her against such a dangerous path.

An all-too-innocent smile stretched across her face. “Why, yes. Yes, I am. Is it working?”

KIERAN KRAMER: When Molly first gets to the house and worries about having to swim in the lake naked.

I wanted to tell this story because…

DEBORAH COONTS: Vegas is a wonderful city, full of magic and mischief. I wanted folks to see some of that..and I wanted to make them laugh, then maybe shed a tear or two.

KELLY ANN RILEY: I was a firefighter in a small mountain town for a while and wanted to set a book in a similar setting.

KAKI WARNER: I love the Old West. It took a unique kind of American hero to persevere during those lawless, wide open years just after the Civil War, and I wanted to show how one family met those challenges.

KAREN WITEMEYER: …writing from a Christian worldview, I wanted to show that living right is more important than being right. And that sometimes, loving one’s neighbor can spark a romance that can change two people’s lives forever.

KIERAN KRAMER: I wanted to tell the story of women bonding in the midst of a male-dominated environment and, of course, to show that some males–like Harry—are worth falling in love with, LOL!

An unexpected research detour I made while writing the book:

DEBORAH COONTS: Nothing in Vegas is “unexpected”–even a trip to the male strip club….

KELLY ANN RILEY: I originally wrote the book as a contemporary romance story and set the book down for several years before deciding to make it into an inspirational.

KAKI WARNER: When setting up the timeline for PIECES OF SKY, I came across a reference to “The Great Epizootic of 1872”—a horse flu epidemic that brought the entire country to a standstill for several weeks. It became a sub-plot in the third book of the trilogy, CHASING THE SUN.

KAREN WITEMEYER: Would a 19th century makeover be too improbable, I wondered. Nope. As it turns out, the mid 1800s was a great time for social reform, including an emphasis on fitness for women and children. I found books with wonderful diagrams of the equipment they used, including something called Indian clubs (think bowling pins), and I had a great time incorporating these elements into my story.

KIERAN KRAMER: Period- and theme- appropriate poems for my mistresses to recite.

I’ll never forget the reader/fan/reviewer who…

DEBORAH COONTS: … said my novel was too over-the-top to be real. Gosh, good thing I write FICTION:)

KELLY ANN RILEY: …is my husband uncle. A Vietnam vet who hunted my book down in the stores and then showed the book to his buddies, telling everyone his niece wrote this.

KAKI WARNER: …was the first reader to email me. It made my day, knowing a stranger spent money and time on my book, then took more time to tell me how much she enjoyed it. I doubt readers know how thrilled authors are to hear from fans—especially new authors like me.

KAREN WITEMEYER:…said that not only had my story been an entertaining read that she couldn’t put down, but it had encouraged her to return to her faith roots and begin to seek God anew. Reactions like that one are what make all the hard work worth it.

KIERAN KRAMER: …told me she laughed out loud when reading it,

even though she’d had a very bad day.

What’s great about my sub-genre:

DEBORAH COONTS: ): I’ve been told I write comedic thrillers, which is patently absurd–an oxymoron if I’ve ever heard one. Which, come to think of it, is fairly appropriate. What is great about what I do is making folks laugh. I am the comic relief, part funnybone, part hambone and I love it.

KELLY ANN RILEY: That you can weave in elements of faith into stories of love and suspense.

KAKI WARNER: Western Historical Romance is so uniquely American. Readers can immediately identify with the country, the characters, the motivations, even the historical aspects of your plot. Because of that sense of connection, the setting almost becomes a character within the story.

KAREN WITEMEYER: I’ve been an avid reader of historical romance novels since my teenage years. I love the fairy-tale feel of traveling into the past. And as a woman of faith, writing for the inspirational market allows me to blend two of my lifelong passions into one creative outlet. For me, inspirational historical romance is the best of both worlds.

KIERAN KRAMER: Regencies rock because you can put lots of eccentric characters in them–and men in tight breeches.

When I got the call about the RITA nomination, I…

DEBORAH COONTS: …was in the shower in a cheap hotel in Texas–no, I will not tell you what I was doing there. But it couldn’t have been that interesting–I answered the call, didn’t I? Two hours later, when I received another phone call from RWA, I was driving. After explaining that, while I was still delighted, they had already called, the voice on the phone laughed, then said, “I don’t believe you understand…” She was right! TWO nominations! I almost made the truck in front of me a Texas-sized hood ornament.

KELLY ANN RILEY: I must’ve missed the call and had already assumed I hadn’t finaled when a friend emailed me a congratulations. My heart was pounding and my fingers were shaking as I pulled up the RWA web site and read my name. I screamed with joy and called my daughter to come to my office. I was so excited.

KAKI WARNER: …was in the shower (it was 6:30 here in the Pacific Northwest).

KAREN WITEMEYER:…grinned so big and for so long that I got a cramp in my cheek. Didn’t even know that was possible.

KIERAN KRAMER: …was shocked, and then almost had an apoplexy when I got a second call 45 minutes later.

If I win, I…

DEBORAH COONTS: …Will celebrate Vegas-style for sure! Something wildly inappropriate….with the Chippendales or something. Hmmm, I must think about this.

KELLY ANN RILEY: …will be honored and surprised. There are some great looking books in my category. Then I’m going to celebrate for at least a week.

KAKI WARNER: …will be stunned…and honored. There are some great writers in this group, and I’m thrilled to be in their company.

KAREN WITEMEYER:…will probably need some good old-fashioned, 19th century smelling salts to wake me from my shock-induced stupor. That or a fairy tale kiss from the handsome prince I married.

KIERAN KRAMER: …will be totally flabbergasted and thank all the people who’ve supported me and maybe even cry, although when I really feel like crying, sometimes I laugh. I have no idea why. It’s terrible.

Number of books I wrote before selling:

DEBORAH COONTS: WANNA GET LUCKY?, my first novel-length fiction sale, was my third full-length manuscript written.

KELLY ANN RILEY: 3 complete books and several partials

KAKI WARNER: Pieces of Sky was my first book.

KAREN WITEMEYER:I wrote two novels before selling, but only one of those was turned down for publication. The second book became my second release after my third book was contracted as my debut. How’s that for confusing?

KIERAN KRAMER: Four and a half.

How I found my agent:

DEBORAH COONTS: Over several glasses of cheap wine at the Southwest Writer’s Workshop in Albuquerque…14 years before I wrote a book good enough for her to sell.

KELLY ANN RILEY: Through a writing buddy who saw her (Kelly Mortimer) advertising for submissions. I took a chance and sent in a query.

KAKI WARNER: I sent out 35 query letters, and was starting on my next batch when Nancy Coffey called. That was a great day.

KAREN WITEMEYER: I found my agent (Rachelle Gardner, WordServe Literary) at the same writing conference where I met with the editors from Bethany House. Being able to say that I had a publisher interested in my books made for a great selling point during that 15 minute appointment slot. I signed with her a couple weeks later.

KIERAN KRAMER: I cold-queried her with an outrageous query letter that she talks about to this day as being the wrongest kind of query letter one could ever write.

My biggest surprise as a published author:

DEBORAH COONTS: Everything is the same, but different. Writing is an art from, but now it is a business. Now my picture is on a book jacket and not in the Post Office as my mother feared. People still treat me the same, BUT, people in New York now take my calls….okay, SOME people in NY, but it’s a start.

KELLY ANN RILEY: was how many people take the time to write to a new author to tell them what they loved about the book and tips on how to make stories better.

KAKI WARNER: is that I got published in the first place, and that

Berkley keeps asking for more books. There are many worthy writers out there waiting their chance. I got lucky.

KAREN WITEMEYER:…learning how many dozens of people have a hand in producing my book. It simply boggles the mind. I am so thankful to be working with such a talented team.

KIERAN KRAMER: …realizing how much I take to heart every bad review, how devastated I am personally…and then recognizing that beneath my sensitive, nice-girl exterior, there is a fighter who won’t ever, ever give up and will keep trying to write a better and better book, no matter what the review! :>)

My oddest or most reliable writing habit:

DEBORAH COONTS: I write in public places–Sambalatte, a great coffee shop in Vegas–when the writing is going great. Any casino bar with a good happy hour, when it isn’t going so well. Curiously, I seem to write better after a glass of Pinot Noir….

KELLY ANN RILEY: I tend to mull about the story and dither around (okay … some call it procrastination) until the urge (sometimes panic) sets in and I dive into the story and write and write and write until it’s all down.

KAKI WARNER: Reading every word aloud to check for redundancies, awkward transitions, over-written dialogue, pacing. It used to bother the dog, but now I think she’s getting into the stories. Bless her heart.

KAREN WITEMEYER:My oddest habit is my most reliable habit. I edit as I create. Most authors frown on this technique because it inhibits the natural, creative flow. But I’m too much of a perfectionist to let unpolished prose go unchecked. So I edit as I write. It makes the process much slower, but I essentially write only one draft.

KIERAN KRAMER: Eating sunflower seeds and staring at the wall to think.

A book or author I recommend again and again:

DEBORAH COONTS: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, not at all what I write, but brilliant and a great read.

KELLY ANN RILEY: As a Christian, I point to the Bible for the ultimate reading experience. For other books, I’ve found that recommending them can be tricky since it’s such a subjective business. Not that I’m biased or anything (grin) but for readers who love insprirational books with suspense, Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line is great. For those loving cozy mysteries, small towns, and quilting, Guideposts Patchwork Mysteries are lots of fun. For writers looking for a great how-to book, right now I’m reading Donald Maass’ Breakout Novelist which is full of helpful advice.

KAKI WARNER: There are dozens from all different genres and they change every week. But I guess the western historical I’ve recommended most is LONESOME DOVE. As for western romance authors—Jodi Thomas.

KAREN WITEMEYER: Other books, movies, television, research, overheard conversations – there’s no telling what catalyst will start the creative juices stirring. I’m just thankful when something clicks.

KIERAN KRAMER: Jayne Ann Krentz.

A hobby/interest/passion of mine beyond the book world:

DEBORAH COONTS: Flying. Working out. But most of all, holding hands with the love of my life and spending time with family and friends.

KELLY ANN RILEY: My kids are my passion right now. I homeschooled both of them. One is in college now. I want to have lots of adventures with them before they go off into the world on their own.

KAKI WARNER: Traveling, gardening, music, and my grandkids.

KAREN WITEMEYER: Author – Deeanne Gist. She writes in the same sub-genre as I do, and her characters are always so full of life that I’m glad to point my fans in her direction. Book – Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. Truly a masterpiece.

KIERAN KRAMER: Teaching teenagers.

What I’m working on now:

DEBORAH COONTS: You mean besides shameless self-promotion? I forget….oh yeah, Book Four in the Lucky series. Book three, SO DAMN LUCKY, is turned in and will be out Feb 1, 2012.

KELLY ANN RILEY: I’m working on a book proposal for Love Inspired Suspense and a contracted book for Guideposts Books Patchwork Mystery series which will be out in 2012.

KAKI WARNER:My sixth book, Book 3 of the Runaway Brides Series, slated for release next summer. I’m also promoting the first book in the series, HEARTBREAK CREEK, which comes out this July 5th. I’ve had a lot of fun writing about these ladies. They’re a hoot.

KAREN WITEMEYER: I’m currently working on my fourth historical romance for Bethany House entitled Short-Straw Bride. Four brothers draw straws to see who will marry the heroine in this twist on a marriage of convenience story. All Travis Archer cares about is his brothers and his land, but when a good deed goes awry, he’s stuck with a bride who endangers both.

KIERAN KRAMER: A new Regency series that I’m super excited about, but I can’t tell you about it just yet!

Kieran, Karen, and Deborah’s books were all nominated in a second category as well. One of the sequels in Kaki’s series, Open Country also received a nomination. The RITA winners will be announced July 1st in New York City. Many thanks and good wishes to the authors.

Links: DEBORAH COONTS KELLY ANN RILEY KAKI WARNER KAREN WITEMEYER KIERAN KRAMER

DA Intro Interview & Giveaway: RITA Best First Book Nominees, Part 1

Alyson H — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:00:11 +0000

This week Romance Writers of America hands out the RITAs, its highest awards in eleven romance sub-genres, plus a special category for debut authors. As an occasional contributor to Dear Author, I’m delighted to host again the nominees for Best First Book as part of the Intro Interview series.

And we’re giving away books! For part one today, you can put your hand up for Marcella Burnard’s sci-fi Enemy Within or for a bundle of the three YA novels honored in this category: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa, The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells, and I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan. All four of these novels also happen to be nominated in a second category.

Let us know in the comments which you’d like to win, or if you have a favorite you’re rooting for. Tomorrow will feature the historical and action/suspense novels.

Opening Line:

MARCELLA BURNARD, Enemy Within:

Sun glinting off the barrel of a gun stopped Captain Ari Idylle dead in her tracks.

JULIE KAGAWA, The Iron King:

Ten years ago, on my sixth birthday, my father disappeared.

AMANDA HOWELLS, The Summer of Skinny Dipping:

There are summers you’ll always remember and summers you’ve forgotten even before they’re through.

ERIN MCCAHAN, I Now Pronounce You Someone Else:

I was switched at birth.

Main Character’s Six-Word Memoir:

Marcella Burnard: So many degrees of betrayal.

Julie Kagawa: Dangerous faeries and star-crossed love.

Amanda Howells: Sixteen: discovers true love and herself.

(Note: Attempts to contact Erin were unsuccessful, but her book will be included in the YA bundle.)

What my heroine does for a living:

Marcella Burnard: She had been career military, captaining an Armada Prowler, but her commanders have just taken all that away.

Julie Kagawa: High school student.

What makes my hero heroic:

Marcella Burnard: He has the power and the motivation to destroy the heroine. It would be expedient. He chooses the hard way – hoping he can help her redeem herself.

Julie Kagawa: Brave, loyal, impossibly stubborn, will uphold his word no matter what.

Amanda Howells: He’s honest and seizes the day.

A favorite line/scene/moment from the story:

Marcella Burnard: I’m fond of the Art of the Blade rules running through the story and how they use them against one another.

Julie Kagawa: Oh, we’re playing nice, now?” Puck remained seated, looking anything but compliant. “Shall we have tea, first? Brew up a nice pot of kiss-my-ass?”

Amanda Howells: There’s a quiet moment in the book that I like a lot: it’s when Mia begins to mature and to realize that her perspective on things–on love, on her family, even on herself–isn’t necessarily accurate. It’s a moment of maturity, when she begins to understand that there are different ways of seeing the world around you. She reflects on this when she’s out on the beach looking at the night sky:

“I stared up at the stars and thought about light, how bright and powerful it had to be to travel so far, all the way across the galaxies to our eyes…Or maybe it was our eyes that were powerful. I’d never thought of it that way before.”

I wanted to tell this story because…

Marcella Burnard: These two people walked into my head and said, “Keyboard. Now.”

Amanda Howells: As a young girl I loved sad love stories and I loved summer novels and I especially combinations of the two. So I wanted to try my hand at it. I also wanted to write a summer story that stuck with the reader after summer was over.

An unexpected research detour I made while writing the book:

Marcella Burnard: Learning about the different types of viruses and how they infect the human body. It’s completely logical, but until I did the research, it hadn’t occurred to me that diseases naturally select for lower morbidity. This was important stuff for a story involving biological warfare agents.

Amanda Howells: While doing general setting research for the book, I came across the juicy essay collection Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in the Hamptons by Steven Gaines. In this book I learned of Dragon’s Head, a disastrous, gaudy, scandalously over-the-top dream of a house that a tacky, shady millionaire tried to build in Southampton and which ignited a furious battle of insider vs. outsider. The story of this mansion gave me the perfect house to act as a backdrop for Mia and Simon’s summer love story. It enriched my story considerably.

I’ll never forget the reader/fan/reviewer who…

Marcella Burnard: wrote to say she’d served in Iraq and knew PTSD up close and that I’d gotten her experience of it right. She liked that my heroine didn’t want someone else to fix it for her.

Julie Kagawa: Told me reading my series helped her get through her husband’s death.

Amanda Howells: The YA bloggers Sara and Stephanie, of Novel Novice (www.novelnovice.com) really blew me away with the series they did on me and my novel. Of course it was flattering to have so much attention, but it’s especially satisfying when bloggers are not only passionate about the books they like, but also literate and articulate, as these girls are. Sara and Stephanie went all the way with my book, digging deep into it and asking me really thoughtful questions. They are awesome bloggers, and true friends to the YA writers they like.

What’s great about my sub-genre:

Marcella Burnard: In science fiction romance, if I can find a remotely scientific basis for something, I can give a character attributes no one on this earth has. Geeky? Sure. But it’s fun.

Amanda Howells: Summer romance novels are, like summer itself, a true escape from routine, and perennially satisfying to return to. Summer love + an evocative beach house + golden sand + the ocean= a sub-genre that will never die.

When I got the call about the RITA nomination, I…

Marcella Burnard: thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest.

Julie Kagawa: Think I squealed in my editor’s ear. (Sorry, Tashya.)

Amanda Howells: was completely surprised.

If I win, I…

Marcella Burnard: May spontaneously combust – not entirely sure, but babbling like an idiot may be involved.

Julie Kagawa: Want to thank everyone who helped me get here.

Amanda Howells: will be completely surprised.

Number of books I wrote before selling:

Marcella Burnard: Four. Enemy Within was book five. The first four – let’s just say the learning curve is painfully visible.

Amanda Howells: One.

How I found my agent:

Marcella Burnard: I looked through the RWA list of agents, picked out the few who accepted science fiction, investigated each, and then queried my top picks. Luckily, the story resonated with the fabulous Emmanuelle Morgen.

Julie Kagawa: I met my agent at a writer’s conference in Louisville, KY. My very first words to her were: “Uh…hello?” as I didn’t know she was an agent at the time. Thankfully she overlooked my awkwardness. ;)

Amanda Howells: Fellow writer friend.

Biggest surprise as a published author:

Marcella Burnard: Other people thought the story was fun, too!

Amanda Howells: How hard it is to make any money–note to aspiring writers: there’s no such thing as easy money. So take that off the table and write from the heart.

Oddest or most reliable writing habit:

Marcella Burnard: Listening to video game sound tracks based on what I’m writing.

Julie Kagawa: Turning off the internet when I really need to get serious.

Amanda Howells: Writing on tiny scraps of paper, wherever I go, then piling them on my desk in a tower, under a paper weight. When the tower gets too high, I spend a few days inputting the notes on my computer. One’s best ideas and lines rarely occur at the desk–mine don’t anyway. These note-towers on my computer are gold to me.

Where I find inspiration:

Marcella Burnard: Pff. How much time do you have? :D

Julie Kagawa: Anime, manga, and video games.

Amanda Howells: in books, in my life, in my dreams (I dreamed the title of my novel before I wrote a single word), at breakfast, on the bus, in the car, overhearing others…in short, everywhere!

A book or author I recommend again and again:

Marcella Burnard: Robin McKinley, Linnea Sinclair and Nalini Singh. Not necessarily in that order.

Julie Kagawa: Neil Gaiman.

Amanda Howells: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. The Great Gatsby–of course.

A hobby/interest/passion of mine beyond the book world:

Marcella Burnard: Sailing, science, World of Warcraft

Julie Kagawa: Kung Fu, sushi, and video games.

Amanda Howells: Walking: on beaches, in mountains, on city streets. Walking and writing go together.

What I’m working on now:

Marcella Burnard: Book three in the series – tentatively titled Enemy Storm

Julie Kagawa: A post apocalyptic vampire novel.

Amanda Howells: I don’t want to speak too soon.

Come back tomorrow for interviews with the rest of the authors. The RITAs will be announced July 1 in New York City. Congratulations and much gratitude to the authors.

Links: Marcella Burnard Julie Kagawa Amanda Howells Erin McCahan

May, June, July, August Pocket Preview (and Giveaway)

Jane — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 01:00:46 +0000

Update: The winners have all been contacted and asked to fill out this form:

May, June, July, August Pocket Preview (and Giveaway)

Please enter your snail mail information and your book choices.

Name*
FirstLast
Address*
Street AddressAddress Line 2CityState / Province / RegionZip / Postal CodeCountry
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Only need this if winner is an international winner for shipping purposes.
Email*
Just in case we need to get in touch with you.
First Choice*
Second Choice*
Second choice.
Third Choice*
This is your third choice.
Fourth Choice*
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Winner list:

1) Tracy
2) Joder
3) Billie
4) Heather
5) Kelly in Hockeytown
6) Nicole Strain
7) Kim in Hawaii
8) Sally Wilburn
9) erin
10) heatwave16
11) Diana
12) Kim
13) Nicole Zoltack
14) romsfuulynn
15) Andreea C.
16) Has
17) donna ann
18) cyclops8
19) srs
20) Jess Macallan
21) wendy
22) Gail D.
23) Lush26
24) Robin K
25) blodeuedd
26) JenMcQ

Today we have the May/June/July/August preview post from Pocket. This post is sponsored by Pocket in that they agreed to giveaway books in exchange for posting about the books. It’s a win, win. The following is a brief description of the book and the cover. I’ve noted whether the book is a DA Recommended read. We haven’t read all of the upcoming releases, but of the ones we have, I’ve noted the ones we’ve particularly enjoyed. You can find out more about these authors and their books at Pocket After Dark.

RULES: Comment to enter. Include in your comment the title of the book in which you are most in reading. The giveaway is open until Friday 12 pm CST. The winners will be posted on Saturday.

GIVEAWAY: The giveaway is open to everyone. If you are an international winner, your book will be sent by Dear Author via Book Depository when Book Depository makes it available to be sent or, electronically, if the book is available in your region. (I.e., we can’t send an August release to you today).

ADDITIONAL NOTES: If you have not received your book within 4 weeks of the giveaway, please email me and let me know. We want to make sure that you receive your items. Thanks and good luck.

******

MAY RELEASES

Hush by Cherry Adair, on sale now.
New York Times Bestselling author Cherry Adair introduces an edgy, sexy new suspense series with this exhilarating international tale of hide and seek.

A reckless adventure in a deadly paradise.

Thrill seekers Zakary and Gideon Stark travel the globe in search of extreme adventure, but a trip to Venezuela to jump off the world’s highest falls catapults them into a perilous game of life or death—where they don’t know the rules.

A one-night stand that will change his life forever.

Kidnapped with a woman Zak knows nothing about, the brothers are held prisoner deep in the jungle. A risky, deathdefying escape separates them and nearly claims Zak’s life . . . until his recovery reveals a baffling new sixth sense.

An unexpected diversion with lethal consequences.

Now, to find his missing brother, Zak and the mysterious Acadia Gray will have to out-smart, out-gun, and out-maneuver not just the brutal kidnappers but also a new player who joins the adrenaline game: a ruthless opponent who wants the Stark brothers dead—at any cost.

Tangled by Jennifer Estep, on sale now.

I’d rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings.

But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson’s front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn’t shy away from my past—or my present. And right now I have a bull’s-eye on my forehead. Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of us won’t survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur—or die trying—because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too. The only problem is, Bria has no idea I’m her long-lost sibling . . . or that I’m the murderer she’s been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn’t know just might get us both dead. . . .

Dark Descendant by Jenna Black, on sale now.

From the acclaimed author of the Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist books comes the gripping first novel in a new series about a private eye who discovers, to her surprise, that she’s an immortal huntress.

Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . . Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy. But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy. . . .

Dead on the Delta by Stacey Jay, on sale now.

Once upon a time, fairies were the stuff of bedtime stories and sweet dreams. Then came the mutations, and the dre-ams became nightmares. Mosquito-size fairies now indulge their taste for human blood—and for most humans, a fairy bite means insanity or death. Luckily, Annabelle Lee isn’t most humans. The hard-drinking, smart-mouthed, bicycle-riding redhead is immune to fairy venom, and able to do the dirty work most humans can’t. Including helping law enforcement— and Cane Cooper, the bayou’s sexiest detective—collect evidence when a body is discovered outside the fairy-proof barricades of her Louisiana town.

But Annabelle isn’t equipped to deal with the murder of a sixyear- old girl or a former lover-turned-FBI snob taking an interest in the case. Suddenly her already bumpy relationship with Cane turns even rockier, and even the most trust-worthy friends become suspects. Annabelle’s life is imploding: between relationship drama, a heartbreaking murder investigation, Breeze-crazed drug runners, and a few too many rum and Cokes, Annabelle is a woman on the run—from her past, toward her future, and into the arms of a darkness waiting just for her. . . .

Concrete Savior by Yvonne Navarro, on sale now.

THEY SAY NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED. BRYNNA MALAK IS LIVING PROOF .

A fallen angel in human form, Brynna is trying to earn another chance at heaven. So far, her road to redemption is littered with casualties, especially since Lucifer’s minions are intent on dragging her back to hell. And being mortal only got more complicated since Brynna became involved with Detective Eran Redmond.
Still, Brynna’s relationship issues—like the fact that one glimpse of her can drive men crazy with desire—may have to wait. A mysterious “hero” is saving Chicago’s citizens from certain death, with strange and sinister consequences. Brynna knows too much about demonkind to believe in coincidences. Some dark force is at work here, and Brynna may be the only one who can stop it. . . .

Demon by Kristina Douglas, on sale now.

Fallen angels abound in the second sizzling paranormal romance in the Fallen series by newcomer Kristina Douglas featuring Azazel, the King of the Fallen

One of the first Fallen, Azazel is second in power only to Lucifer. And with the activation of a prophesy binding him in marriage to the Demon Queen, Lilith, he’ll be even stronger. But Azaiel doesn’t want the power. After the death of his beloved mate, Sarah, he wanders the earth a lost soul, broken and disheartened. That is, until he decides to take matters into his own hands, to find the one woman who could take Sarah’s place as his wife…and kill her.

Scarlet Nights: An Edilean Novel by Jude Deveraux, on sale now.

What if you learned that your fiancÉ was not who he claimed to be?

Engaged to the charming and seductive Greg Anders, Sara Shaw is happily anticipating her wedding in Edilean, Virginia. The date has been set, the flowers ordered, even her heirloom dress is ready. But just three weeks before the wedding, Greg gets a telephone call during the night and leaves without explanation. Two days later, a man climbs up through a trapdoor in the floor of Sara’s apartment, claiming that he is the brother of her best friend and that he’s moving in. While Mike Newland is indeed telling the truth about his identity, his reason for being there reaches far deeper. He’s an undercover detective, and his assignment is to use Sara to track down a woman who is one of the most notorious criminals in the United States—and also happens to be the mother of the man Sara plans to marry.

Mike thinks the job will be easy—if he can figure out how to make a “good” girl like Sara trust him, that is. But Mike has no idea what this mission has in store for him. He’s worked hard to keep private his connections to Edilean, which date back to his grandmother’s time there in 1941. But as Mike and Sara get to know each other, he can’t help but share secrets about himself that he’s told no one else. And in return, Sara opens up to Mike about things she could never reveal to Greg. As the pair work together to solve two mysteries, their growing love begins to heal each of them in ways they never could have imagined.

Scandal in Scotland by Karen Hawkins, on sale date now.

New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins spins an unforgettable tale of a captivating beauty with a secret, a dashing sea captain on a treacherous mission—and the priceless artifact that seals their destiny.

A DESPERATE BEAUTY

Despite fame and countless admirers, actress Marcail Beauchamp has never forgotten William Hurst, the audacious seafarer she once loved . . . and lost. Now, forced by a mysterious blackmailer who threatens her family, she must steal an ancient onyx box from the one man she’s vowed never to see again.

A BOLD ADVENTURER

To save his brother from a ruthless abductor, William must deliver the artifact as ransom. He’s stunned when Marcail, more lovely than ever, suddenly appears on his ship. But when she drugs him and steals the box, his fury knows no bounds.

THE TREASURE EVERYONE WANTS

William pursues Marcail, but too late: she has already delivered the box. The estranged lovers realize they must work together—both to regain the artifact that could mean life or death to his family and to destroy the mysterious blackmailer’s power over her family. Thus begins a high-stakes quest through the reaches of Scotland, a quest that stirs up long-forgotten memories and an unquenchable passion. . . .

JUNE RELEASES

A Wedding Wager by Jane Feather, on sale date June 28, 2011.
The second novel in New York Times bestselling author Jane Feather’s sexy and scintillating Blackwater Brides trilogy.

Serena Grantley and her stepfather, General Heyward, have spent the past two years traveling around the capitals of Europe, running faro banks among the highest echelons of European society. Serena is indispensable to her stepfather in the business, not only as an experienced faro dealer but as a draw for the men, young and old, who find her charm and beauty irresistible.

Now, much to the delight of her lovesick suitor, the Honorable Sebastian Sullivan, Serena has returned to England with the general, who plans to expand his London gambling house and line his pockets at the expense of the city’s inveterate gamesters. Serena and Sebastian’s burgeoning love affair was cut abruptly short by her departure two years ago, and the two have struggled ever since to overcome their heartache. Unfortunately, their reunion is short lived — aiming to put a halt to the young lovers’ plans, the general has already decided to offer Serena up as a mistress to the dissolute earl of Burford. As Lord Burford becomes more and more pressing in his demands, Serena and Sebastian are left with no choice but to concoct a plan that will turn the tables on the earl and her stepfather.

Lord of Shadows by Alix Rickloff, on sale date June 28, 2011.

LORD OF SHADOWS is the second book in Alix Rickloff’s devilishly sexy Irish Regency paranormal romance series.

After her father’s murder, Lady Sabrina Douglas retreated into the sanctuary of the cloister, becoming a Sister of High Danu, women devoted to the contemplative life of the Other world. Unfortunately Sabrina’s past catches up with her when a man is found half-dead on a beach and brought to the care of the Sisters.

Daigh MacLir has no memory of who he is or where he comes from. Only a pressing feeling of an unsolved task he’s been given and blinding headaches and hellish nightmares that torment him with images of another existence, one submerged in evil and hate.

Taken in by the nuns, Daigh is drawn to Sabrina without knowing exactly why, only a sense that she will be the one to help him remember who he is. It’s only when those memories return and he realizes not only who he is—a soldier of Domnu; a mage-born slave spawned from the bones of a dead warrior, but what he’s been sent here to do—capture the Rylkoth Tapestry depicting the final resting place of King Arthur—that he realizes Sabrina Douglas will either save him from hell or he will send her there.

Black Heart LOA by Adrian Phoenix, on sale date June 28, 2011.

“An eye for an eye is never enough.”

Kallie RiviÈre, a Cajun hoodoo apprentice with a bent for trouble, learned the meaning of those ominous words when hoodoo bogeyman Doctor Heron targeted her family for revenge. Now, while searching for her still-missing bayou pirate cousin, Kallie finds out the hard way that someone is undoing powerful gris gris, which means that working magic has become as unpredictable as rolling a handful of dice. The wards woven to protect the Gulf coast are unraveling, leaving New Orleans and the surrounding bayous vulnerable just as an unnatural storm—the deadliest in a century—is born. As the hurricane powers toward the heart of all she loves, Kallie desperately searches for the cause of the disturbing randomness, only to learn a deeply unsettling truth: the culprit may be herself. To protect her family and friends, including the sexy nomad Layne Vallin, Kallie steps into the jaws of danger . . . and finds a loup garou designed to steal her heart—literally.

Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett, on sale date June 28, 2011.

Meet Arcadia Bell: bartender, renegade magician, fugitive from the law. . . .

Being the spawn of two infamous occultists (and alleged murderers) isn’t easy, but freewheeling magician Arcadia “Cady” Bell knows how to make the best of a crummy situation. After hiding out for seven years, she’s carved an incognito niche for herself slinging drinks at the demon-friendly Tambuku Tiki Lounge.

But she receives an ultimatum when unexpected surveillance footage of her notorious parents surfaces: either prove their innocence or surrender herself. Unfortunately, the only witness to the crimes was an elusive Æthyric demon, and Cady has no idea how to find it. She teams up with Lon Butler, an enigmatic demonologist with a special talent for sexual spells and an arcane library of priceless stolen grimoires. Their research soon escalates into a storm of conflict involving missing police evidence, the decadent Hellfire Club, a ruthless bounty hunter, and a powerful occult society that operates way outside the law. If Cady can’t clear her family name soon, she’ll be forced to sacrifice her own life . . . and no amount of running will save her this time.

Mystical Warrior by Janet Chapman, on sale date June 28, 2011.

An eleventh-century lass with a stubborn streak unleashes the red-hot hero inside her modern lover in bestselling author Janet Chapman’s irresistible new Midnight Bay adventure.

Trace Huntsman’s peaceful life has headed to hell in a hand-basket ever since stunningly beautiful Fiona Gregor moved into the vacant apartment above his house. Kidnapped centuries earlier and transformed into a red-tail hawk, Fiona is human once more and must learn how to be a modern woman. But damned if Trace is going to be the one to teach her. Not when her mere presence ignites a fiery passion deep within his cautious heart.

Fiona longs to overcome the painful memories of her tragic past—to let down her guard and become a mother again. But so far her handsome landlord is not exactly thrilled with the stray animals—and suitors—that keep following her home. When the wizard Maximilian Oceanus shows up, Trace reaches the end of his rope. Weird things happen when Mac is around—raging storms, snarling demons—but this time, Midnight Bay is at the center of a fierce battle, and Fiona is the primary target. Only Trace can save her, but first, the lovers must set aside their fears . . . and open up their hearts.

A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal by Meredith Duran, on sale date June 28, 2011.

IN GRITTY, WORKING-CLASS LONDON, SHE DOES WHAT SHE MUST TO SURVIVE . . .

When Nell Whitby breaks into an earl’s house on a midnight quest for revenge, she finds her pistol pointed at the wrong man—one handsome as sin and naked as the day he was born. Pity he’s a lunatic. He thinks her a missing heiress, but more to the point, he’ll help her escape the slums and right a grave injustice. Not a bad bargain. All she has to do is marry him.

A NOTORIOUS LADIES’ MAN COULD TAKE HER FROM POVERTY TO OPULENCE . . . BUT AT WHAT PRICE?

A rake of the first order, Simon St. Maur spent his restless youth burning every bridge he crossed. When he inherits an earldom without a single penny attached to it, he sees a chance to start over—provided he can find an heiress to fund his efforts. But his wicked reputation means courtship will be difficult—until fate sends him the most notorious missing heiress in history. All he needs now is to make her into a lady and keep himself from making the only mistake that could ruin everything: falling in love. . . .

Jane’s Note: This is a DA recommended read. Duran is a remarkable writer.

JULY RELEASES

Shadow Fall by Seressia Glass, on sale July 26, 2011

Kira returns to Atlanta where her training in Egyptology involves her with a new museum exhibit that allows visitors to experience a pharaoh’s journey through the underworld. On top of the day job, her defeat of the Fallen a few months before left a power vacuum in the Shadow community. The resulting power struggles make the intrigues of Ancient Rome look like playground squabbles. The paranormal body count begins to point to a serial killer, pitting Shadow against Light. Meanwhile, humans are disappearing from the exhibit, some turning up dead. Kira herself is a suspect in the slayings. With the preternatural community suddenly united against her, Kira knows she’s got to use all her resources to piece the puzzle together before her town becomes a very public battlefield. When Kira discovers that an old adversary appears to be behind both the killings and the exhibit, all in the effort to resurrect an ancient god, she has no choice but to fight Shadow with Shadow. The decision forces Kira to embrace the darkest part of herself—and forces her lover, the eternal warrior Khefar, to choose between Kira and the rest of the world. Either way, when the smoke clears, things will never be the same.

The Killing Song by P.J. Parris, on sale July 26, 2011.

From the USA Today bestselling author of the Louis Kincaid mysteries comes a heart-pounding new thriller with a sizzling new hero—Matt Owens, a South Florida investigative reporter on a desperate hunt for his sister’s killer. Matt Owens is a Pulitzer Prize–nominated journalist, but at thirty-five, he’s adrift, more inclined to hit the bottle alone than the Miami Beach club scene. But when his beloved younger sister Mandy comes to visit, Matt wants to show her a new world. It’s the trip of her dreams, but the nightmare begins when Mandy disappears from a crowded dance floor. When her lifeless body is found, one clue—a grisly rock song downloaded onto her iPod—may be the calling card of a serial killer. Shattered with grief and guilt, Matt begins a lonely journey to find Mandy’s killer, following a chain of musical clues that lead him from an abandoned London rock club to a crumbling Scottish castle and finally to the ancient bone-strewn catacombs below Paris. Only one person believes in his quest—Eve Bellamont, a dedicated French detective whose own five-year obsession to find the phantom killer has left her an outcast in her own department. Together, they race to decipher the “killing songs” that the madman leaves with each victim and stop him before another beautiful young woman dies.

With No Remorse by Cindy Gerard, on sale July 19, 2011

Black Ops, Inc. operative Luke – Doc Holliday – Colter is taking some much needed down-time, making his way across the Peruvian Andes via rail, when banditos attack the moving train in the midnight hours. It soon becomes apparent that robbery is not their intent but the abduction of super model Valentina, who is traveling incognito while recovering from a public scandal involving her ex-husband, high profile US Senator, Marcus Chamberlin. Luke whisks Valentina off the train in a daring escape but the two of them become the targets of a relentless manhunt. Enlisting the aid of Luke’s BOI teammates, they soon discover that Val’s intended abduction is linked to a plot put in play by an international gun smuggling alliance. The BOI team led by Luke, with Val along as a necessary pawn, must race halfway around the world to thwart a ruthless attack that would not only result in a devastating loss of life but destroy a tenuous peace the US and her allies have established in a vastly unstable part of the world.

Jane’s note: I read this book and then went and bought the entire backlist. Make what you will of that. ;)

Bound by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon, on sale date July 26, 2011

POLICE DETECTIVE CHARLOTTE CAISSIE AND HER SHAPE-SHIFTING PARAMOUR MAX SAVOIE THOUGHT THE PAST WAS BEHIND THEM. BUT IN NANCY GIDEON’S IRRESISTIBLE NEW ROMANCE, THEY DISCOVER IT MAY NEVER LET THEM GO. . . .

THEY SWORE THEY’D BE TOGETHER FOREVER.

Detective Charlotte Caissie is suddenly sharing drawer space and making local news with her shape-shifter lover, Max Savoie. He’s determined to be accepted by her peers—so how can she ask him to return to his criminal roots to help her solve a complex case?

BUT THOSE THEY TRUST THE MOST . . .

Working undercover with her partner to find the serial killer who’s kidnapped a colleague’s daughter, Cee Cee is caught between her job and her fiercely possessive lover. And when she calls on Max’s preternatural talents to aid his hated enemy, she crosses a line that strains their relationship to its limit.

. . . WILL DO ANYTHING TO TEAR THEM APART.

With his secret spreading, Max is forced to protect his family and his clan. The only certainty is his love for his human mate . . . unless the loyalties that define them divide them forever.

High Country Bride by Linda Lael Miller, on sale now.

One ranch. Three sons. Only one will inherit…and on one condition.

Tired of waiting for his sons to settle down, Arizona-territory rancher Angus McKettrick announces a competition: the first son to marry and produce a grandchild will inherit Triple M ranch. Now, three distinctly different, equally determined cowboys are searching high and low for brides.

If Emmeline Harding knows one thing, it’s that she can’t hold her liquor. And though she’s not sure how she came to wake up next to a stack of gold coins in a brothel, she fears the worst. Fleeing town as a mail-order bride, she wonders: how will she ever confess her past to her handsome new husband?

Freedom-loving Rafe McKettrick is a man of strong beliefs and stronger passions and he’ll do anything to win the Triple M — even marry a stranger. To his surprise, Emmeline’s charms beguile him even as the secrets he senses she’s hiding ignite jealousy and suspicion. But when a visitor from the past enters the high country, the newlyweds have no choice but to give up on a marriage in name only and seek a union that satisfies them body and soul.

AUGUST RELEASES

Night Falls on the Wicked by Sharie Kohler, on sale date August 30, 2011.

Sharie Kohler returns to the shadowy world of the Moon Chasers, where a seductive witch stalked by demons finds protection in the arms of a lycan on a mission of blood vengeance.

Darby has spent the last three years of her life running from the demons that seek to possess her. She’s walked away from all friends and family for fear that she will drag them too close to the danger forever nipping her heels. As a white witch, demons seek to possess her and use her as Satan’s instrument on earth. Determined to never be a device for evil, she lives life below the radar and stays one step ahead of the evil hunting her. Except there’s more than one evil lurking in the shadows …

When Darby is captured by a pack of lycans, she fears her days of running are at an end. Once they discover that she’s not a simple human, but a witch, they keep her prisoner to take advantage of her supernatural gifts. It will take a miracle to save her …

Infected by a lycan at the age of sixteen, Niklas is no ordinary lycan. The son of a witch, nothing matters to him so much as killing his brethren, wiping out the soulless monsters who murdered his mother and turned him into one of them. On a mission to wipe out a nasty nest of lycans, he rescues a female enticing enough to distract him from his purpose. Only he soon discovers Darby is no ordinary female he can rescue and then just release into the world. Like his own mother, she’s a white witch. Suddenly, he finds himself bodyguard to a woman that has not only lycans hunting her, but demons, too. And the stubborn female isn’t the least grateful, constantly rebuffing his efforts to help her and trying to leave him in the dust.

Except he can’t let her go … he can’t forget the woman who makes him feel alive in a way he hasn’t felt in years. Even as he battles his own desire for her, Darby fights her attraction to Niklas – a lycan she should feel nothing for– and knows it’s a battle she may lose. But with the evil threatening at every side, what chance do they have?

The Hour of Dust and Ashes by Kelly Gay, on sale date August 30, 2011.

Now that Detective Charlie Madigan knows the off-world drug ash makes humans the perfect vessels for possession, she’ll do anything to save her addicted sister Bryn. But as New Year’s Eve approaches and ash victims began taking their own lives, Charlie is out of time. And worse, every exorcist in Atlanta has fled, leaving no one able to “see” who among the addicted are possessed and in danger. Desperate for help, Charlie turns to an ancient race of beings—creatures of mist and smoke, and embarks on a journey into hellish Charbydon with her siren partner Hank and the Revenant Rex to save Bryn and make it back before the creatures exact their deadly price. But one of them isn’t coming home…

Blood Sacrifice by Maria Lima, on sale date August 30, 2011.

The fifth book in Maria Lima’s critically acclaimed urban fantasy series.

War has been declared by the fae against the Kelly Clan. Keira, her vampire lover Adam, and all the Wild Moon residents must leave the ranch as possession of it and all clan lands are in contention. Taking up residence in a historic San Antonio hotel, Keira, her family, and allies must strategize on how to win and reclaim for their land—a situation made even more difficult by the convoluted wordings of the ancient Challenge that has been invoked. As they research possibilities strange things begin to happen back in Rio Seco: the old cemetery is vandalized, fires break out at the strip center…and Minerva Kelly, clan leader and matriarch is missing. Have the Faery captured her? Should Keira risk breaking the Challenge rules and return to the Wild Moon or is it best to allow events to play out? Either way, she may lose everything.

Dark Taste of Rapture by Gena Showalter, on sale date August 23, 2011.

Beautiful Noelle Tremain has just completed AIR (Alien Investigation and Removal) training and successfully navigated her first mission. Life is perfect. Until her best friend is turned into a vampire, destroying her day life, and she’s partnered with Hector Dean, destroying her nightlife. He’s the sexiest, most powerful man she’s ever met, able to atomize his arm and punch through anything – but he’s also an emotionally distanced hardass willing to do anything to avoid her. To stay on top of their case, she might just have to find a way on top of him. But oh, the naughty things a girl will do for her job . . .

Snapped by Laura Griffin, on sale date August 30, 2011.

This is the fourth thrilling Tracers novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Laura Griffin.

After being caught in the crossfire of a deadly shooting, Sophie Barrett counts herself lucky to escape with her life. As details of the incident begin to emerge, though, she realizes there is more going on than a senseless act of violence. Now she just has to convince a team of investigators that they’ve got it all wrong.

Homicide detective Jonah Macon knows Sophie has a knack for crossing paths with trouble. He’s saved her butt before, and he’s more than happy to do it again. After all, she’s beautiful, sexy, and fearless. But when she takes on an entire task force of experienced cops, he thinks she’s finally gone too far. Her conspiracy theory is, in a word, unbelievable.

Jane’s Note: This series is a favorite of Jayne’s and Jayne doesn’t even like romantic suspense. I promise that it is on it’s way to you, Jayne, but I confess that I read it first. After all your praise, I couldn’t resist. Enjoyed it so much that I bought the previous three in the series. Sadly, my credit card is weeping.

Enemy Mine by Karin Harlow, on sale date August 30, 2011.

The second book following Enemy Lover in Karin Harlow’s new series featuring vampires and a black ops team called L.O.S.T.

Description

While tracking uranium-spinning centrifuges in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, L.O.S.T. operative Nikko Cruz is ambushed and left for dead. The last person he expects to see is Selena de la Roja, the only woman he ever loved and the same woman he was sentenced to death for killing.

Selena has secrets she’s killed to protect. Deep, dark, otherworld secrets. A mother driven mad. A power-hungry father. A lineage that makes her half-daemon, a fact she despises. Selena’s most important secret, however, is one she’s already died to keep. To protect her daughter, she’ll slay daemons, steal ancient artifacts, and drink immortal blood. But when she sees her lost love dying on the side of a mountain road, Selena discovers she can’t walk away. Selena saves Nikko by injecting him with the last of her immortal blood serum, even though doing so pits her against her dangerous employer, a vampire crime lord.

Shotgun Bride by Linda Lael Miller, on sale date August 23, 2011.

One special lady will help this cowboy lawman win his father’s ranch — and steal his heart in the bargain….

Kade McKettrick’s got five mail-order brides-to-be camped out at the local hotel, all more than eager to provide him with the heir that will win him the Triple M ranch. But Kade, the newly appointed marshal, has his hands full with a troublesome outlaw gang. Why, then, is he so easily distracted by pretty “Sister Mandy” — who most assuredly is not the nun she claims to be?

On the run from her outlaw stepfather, Mandy Sperrin hides beneath her solemn disguise, and vows to keep her wild, passionate nature from the respectable citizens of Indian Rock. Yet when the handsome marshal makes it clear that he wants her, Mandy gives in to her heated desires….

Despite the secrets that may lure them both perilously close to danger, Kade knows that proposing marriage may be the only way to keep this spirited woman by his side. But are her ties to a shadowed past more threatening — and closer — than Kade knows? His strong, sensual embrace may charm Mandy’s wild heart — but will she surrender to a lifetime of his deep and powerful love?

GIVEAWAY: One Slightly Used Nook Color

Jane — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:00:45 +0000

UPDATED WITH WINNER:

The response here was so tremendous that I am sorry I have only one nook color to give away. Having said that, more people are using the affiliate links and because of that, Dear Author is going to giveaway one ereader a month (either Kobo Touch, Nook Touch or Kindle wifi).We’ll start that on August 1 .

The winner of the Nook Color is CK who wrote:

Awesome giveaway!

First book? I’d have to say Vampirates series for my 9yo since we are going on loooong car trip LOL. For me? Anything Shelly Laurenston to keep me laughing while on said trip. ;)

*****

I bought a Nook Color for review purposes for the blog but despite the cool factor, I’ve not used it very often. It’s actually been languishing in the house and I thought that there might be someone who would benefit from it here on the blog.

Here’s my review of the Nook Color and if you are interested in the Nook Touch, Bettie Sharpe did a guest review for Dear Author here.

I prefer reading on an eink device versus reading on an LCD screen and now that I have the Nook Touch, I can’t imagine that the Nook Color will get any more attention than it has in the past. In sum, it needs a new home.

The Nook Color is in pretty good condition and comes with the gray faux leather case and a screen protector that is applied. I also have the wall charger and the original special USB cord (it has a longer tip to facilitate the “fast charging”) which will also ship with the device.

There is a small nick on one side which I have attempted to show in this picture.

I dropped the nookcolor once. I know. I shouldn’t be allowed near electronics.

Just drop a comment with the first book you would load onto your semi-new nook color. Contest ends Monday at noon CST. This contest is open to international winners.

Other giveaways you might be interested in is the one that Courtney Milan and I are sponsoring at Goodreads for Unlocked. It’s a DRM free ePub and would be perfect for that semi-new nook color.