Dear Author » Giveaways

Giveaway: Jill Shalvis Lucky in Love

Jane — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:00:37 +0000

Updated with the winners:

Author: Danielle W
Comment: permalink
I am so ready for this to be released already! I need to read about the chocoholics :)

Author: AnnaPiranha
Website: http://www.dyedinthewoolbluestocking.blogspot.com
Comment: permalink
Oh! Pick me! Of course, if you don’t I’ll just download it anyhow.

Author: JL
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I would love to win a copy of this! Such a great series.

Author: Rebe

Website: http://reflectionsonreadingromance.blogspot.com
Comment: permalink
This is such a great contemporary romance series – thanks for the giveaway!

Author: BethP

Comment: permalink
I love me some Jill Shalvis ;-)

Author: leslie
Comment: permalink
Great! Shalvis is a lot a fun! I loved the Idaho books.

Author: Tabs

Comment: permalink
I would love to win this. Jill Shalvis is great.

Author: Lana
Comment: permalink
What a lovely Thursday morning surprise! (Ok, free books are good any day)

Author: Katie
Website: http://theworldasmeditation.wordpress.com/
Comment: permalink
I’ve been trying to read more contemporaries (historicals are feeling a little stale); pick me!

Author: Amy J
Website: http://myoverstuffedbookshelf.blogspot.com/
Comment: permalink
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Jill Shalvis! Thank you so much for the contest!!!!

Grand Central has offered us 10 copies of Jill Shalvis’ Lucky in Love. This is the fourth book in the Lucky Harbor series and features nice girl Mallory Quinn who decides to liven up her sedate lifestyle by encouraging the attention of Ty Garrison, a guy who is just passing through Lucky Harbor. Ty feels a bit guilty about pursuing good girl Mallory but she is adamant that a no strings affair is all that she is looking for at the moment. Lucky Harbor is a recommended read by Dabney and releases on May 22 (next Tuesday). We can’t ship it to you before it comes out in the stores, but we can provide a free copy. Drop a comment if you are interested. We’ll close the contest results on Sunday, May 20th at noon CST.

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 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.

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

2011 Spring Giveaway from Signet/NAL

Jane — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:30:57 +0000

Signet/NAL emailed me and wanted to offer up a spring preview of its April through June books and they offered to give away titles to our readership. We’ve had a number of giveaways (and I suspect more in the future) so we are planning to run these Sunday afternoon. Yay for free books.

Update: Why yes, I did forget about this. Sorry folks. Here are the winners (who have all been emailed. Please check your spam boxes. You have until Friday 8 pm to fill out your form).

WINNERS
1) Leslee - $25 gift card to an online book e-tailer of his/her choice (as long as it’s easily obtainable) from Deidre Knight
2) Patti Silva - a $20 Starbucks gift card from Addison Fox;
3) Heather -from Laura Wright, a Mark of the Vampire Swag Bag (travel mug, tote bag, lip balm etc), a signed copy of Eternal Hunger, and a $10 Starbucks card to keep you up all night reading
4) Artemis – from Jessa Slade a pair of “Possession in Pearl” earrings inspired by the storyworld
5) Melanie Thomas - from Emma Wildes, a $10 Starbucks card, because authors know how important caffeine is to life.

The remaining winners have won a book and I’d ask you to fill out the form below.
6) Cindy W
7) Nonny
8) Carol F.
9) Erica Hill
10) Babs
11) Aliyah
12) Donna
13) JenMcQ
14) Elaine G
15) Ammarylis
16) Keisha Talley
17) minhchieu tran
18) Mary Beth
19) Diane
20) Jess
21) Amanda
22) Amber S
23) leisa prater
24) ruth
25) Kim
26) Dana R.
27) Shannon H
28) NotABumIPromise
29) Stephanie K.
30) Theresa
31) LadyVampire
32) Judi L
33) Krissy Holstein
34) Tamara Hoffa
35) deanna
36) Limecello
37) Samantha
38) Becky W
39) Lynn
40) Ritu
41) Sabrina

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Welcome to Signet Eclipse’s first (and hopefully semi-annual!) Spring into Summer romance novel preview and giveaway. We’re thrilled to have this opportunity to share the books we’re really excited about with such an active community of readers. Thanks so much to Dear Author for hosting us. Read on for quick descriptions of upcoming titles AND the chance to win free copies!

You can also follow us on Twitter @SignetEclipse for more romance novel news, book giveaways, (office gossip) and publishing tidbits.

April 2011

ETERNAL KISS by Laura Wright

We’ve been excited about the Mark of the Vampire series ever since we first read it on submission. Whether you’ve read heaps of vampire romance already or are just coming to the subgenre, this series will have you falling in love with dangerous vampire heroes and their True Mates. But don’t take our word for it: New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh calls the books “Dark, delicious and sinfully good.”

Nicholas Roman will do anything to stop the Eternal Order of Vampires from controlling his life and using other males from his bloodline–including the son he just discovered may exist–for their vicious reign. Only a beautiful vampire stranger can help him. But what are her true motives?

VOWED IN SHADOWS by Jessa Slade

The war between good and evil has raged for millennia, with the Marked Souls caught in the middle. Now two lost souls will tip the precarious balance…

Hooked yet? Jessa Slade is a fantastic new talent who writes powerful urban fantasy romance with demon-possessed heroes. The hero of VOWED IN SHADOWS is a former missionary, seriously wounded before he was claimed by immortality. His only hope for redemption is a fallen woman who has earned a reputation as “the Naughty Nymphette.” As you can imagine, sparks fly!

RED MORTAL by Deidre Knight

Ancient gods, demons, and Spartan warriors! Fans of mythology and paranormal romance will love Deidre’s band of immortal warrior heroes. King Leonidas has long led his fellow warriors in battle against dark forces, but his biggest fight will be for love. Just as he’s found an enduring passion with Daphne, the Oracle of Delphi, he is stripped of his immortality. Now, unless they can find a way to challenge Ares together, the lovers will be separated for eternity….

May 2011

DARKFIRE KISS by Deborah Cooke

Deborah Cooke’s popular Dragonfire series features sexy shape-shifting dragon warriors. There’s definitely an allure to a strong man who’s also a powerful shapeshifter! This series has garnered critical acclaim and awards, and DARKFIRE KISS has one of our favorite heroines to date. After surviving cancer, investigative reporter Melissa Smith has resolved to live without fear. Nothing is going to stand in the way of her revenge on the man who caused her friend’s death. But it’s only when Rafferty Powell appears in her life, and the heat between them unleashes the darkfire—an awesome force of Pyr legend—that she finds herself really living.

WARRIOR BETRAYED by Addison Fox

The Sons of the Zodiac series combines ancient mythology with a band of warriors each connected to a zodiac sign. We’ve already met the loyal Leo and deadly Scorpion warriors, and now it’s time for the Taurus warrior, Quinn Tanner, to take center stage. Security specialist Quinn is the only person who can help Montana Grant when her long-lost mother shows up spouting nonsense about Mount Olympus, immortal warriors, and long-standing curses. An angry goddess not only has put Montana’s life in danger but worldwide peace also hangs in the balance. This is the perfect series for anyone who loves fast-paced romance with alpha heroes and reading her horoscope!

ONE WHISPER AWAY by Emma Wildes

One of our sexier historical romance writers, Emma Wildes came to NAL after a wildly (pun intended) successful eBook career. Her Regencies positively sparkle with wit, charm, and romance! This book kicks off a new series about untraditional heroines who have postponed marriage until their past scandals are laid to rest. The part-Iroquois hero of this book has his hands full when a new inheritance leaves him with three half-sisters to settle. We can’t say enough about this first book in the Ladies in Waiting series.

June 2011

STORM KISSED by Jessica Andersen

We also can’t praise Jessica Andersen’s sexy Nightkeeper world of modern magic-wielders enough! And neither can anyone else: Jessica’s received endorsements from J.R. Ward, Suzanne Brockmann, and Angela Knight. If you love to feel absorbed into complex worlds and casts of unforgettable secondary characters, this series is a perfect fit. You don’t want to miss Dez and Reese’s story. When Dez goes rogue to track down a powerful artifact, the hunt for him is intensely personal for bounty hunter Reese. He won’t get away with betraying her trust a second time…

EVERDARK by Elle Jasper

When the art department showed us the cover concept for this series, we actually gasped. And Elle Jasper matches the gorgeous package with an engaging, fresh, first-person urban fantasy romance. EVERDARK is the second book in the Dark Ink Chronicles series featuring a tattoo artist heroine involved in a Southern vampire war, but you can jump right into the story without reading the previous book. If you love gothic stories and Marjorie M. Liu, this is the perfect summer read!

FROSTBOUND by Sharon Ashwood

The previous book in this series (UNCHAINED) was just nominated for a RITA award, and the great reviews for The Dark Forgotten series keep piling up. This is a world where Creatures of the night (monsters, witches, vampires, demons, etc.) existed in the shadows up until the year 2000. At that time, they “came out of the crypt” on several late-night television talk shows. But the supernaturals didn’t receive a huge welcome, and equal rights have been slow in coming.

In FROSTBOUND, Lore—the hellhound that readers have been clamoring to see more of—finally gets his own story. As a snowstorm locks down the city, someone’s beheaded the wrong girl, and vampire-on-the-lam Talia Rostova thinks it was meant to be her. Now she’s the prime suspect in her own botched murder—and the prisoner of her smoking -hot hellhound neighbor.

For the giveaway:

Eternal Kiss, Laura Wright (4 copies)
Vowed in Shadows, Jessa Slade (4 copies) (And from Jessa, a set of Marked Souls trading cards included with each copy)
Red Mortal, Deidre Knight (4 copies)
Darkfire Kiss, Deborah Cooke (4 copies)
Warrior Betrayed, Addison Fox (4 copies)
One Whisper Away, Emma Wildes (4 copies) (Emma Wildes will also mail a signed copy of one of her previous books to each winner)
Storm Kissed, Jessica Andersen (4 copies)
Everdark, Elle Jasper (4 copies)
Frostbound, Sharon Ashwood (4 copies) (And for each winner, Sharon Ashwood is throwing in one of her other titles, autographed, reader’s choice of which one she’d prefer)

So here’s how to enter. Simply leave a comment about your favorite spot to kick back with a book in the summer AND the book that you would most like to receive out of the titles listed in the above giveaway.

In addition, EVERYONE who comments will be entered to win one of the following prizes donated by our wonderful authors: $25 gift card to an online book e-tailer of his/her choice (as long as it’s easily obtainable) from Deidre Knight; a $20 Starbucks gift card from Addison Fox; from Laura Wright, a Mark of the Vampire Swag Bag (travel mug, tote bag, lip balm etc), a signed copy of Eternal Hunger, and a $10 Starbucks card to keep you up all night reading; from Jessa Slade a pair of “Possession in Pearl” earrings inspired by the storyworld; and finally from Emma Wildes, a $10 Starbucks card, because authors know how important caffeine is to life.

Kerry Donovan is a senior editor at Penguin Group (USA) Inc., where she acquires and edits romance, mystery, and commercial women’s fiction. Some of the authors she is thrilled to work with include Christina Dodd, JoAnn Ross, Jillian Hunter, Jessica Andersen, Deborah Cooke, Emma Wildes, Deidre Knight, Jessa Slade, and Addison Fox.

2010 Winter ACE/ROC Giveaway

Jane — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 10:00:49 +0000

For those new to this site, every quarter we host publisher sponsored giveaways wherein publishers give away books in exchange for the opportunity to tell you a little bit about their upcoming titles. This giveaway features books from Ace and Roc. Ace and Roc publish primarily science fiction and fantasy books but with the crossover genre going strong, readers of romances have been glomming onto these fresh titles. Anne Sowards provides the books from Ace and Roc. Take a look at the preview and then at the bottom of the post there will be instructions on how to enter for a free book.

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Welcome to Ace and Roc's fantastic forthcoming winter books preview and giveaway. We've got a lot of great books to talk about (and give away), for your holiday reading !

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 great books for me to mention all of them, so you can look at our site (http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/specialinterests/scifi/index.html) to see everything we publish.

December 2010

BLACK WINGS by Christina Henry

December is a great month for urban fantasy this year at Ace and Roc, with not one but two brand-new series launching. BLACK WINGS is about an agent of death, Madeline Black, who is responsible for escorting the souls of the dearly departed to the afterlife. It's a 24/7 job with a lousy benefits package. Maddy's position may come with magical abilities and an impressive wingspan, but it doesn't pay the bills. And then there are her infuriating boss, tenant woes, and a cranky, popcorn-loving gargoyle to contend with. Things start looking up, though, when the tall, dark, and handsome Gabriel agrees to rent the empty apartment in Maddy's building. It's probably just a coincidence that as soon as he moves in, demons appear on the front lawn. But when an unholy monster is unleashed upon the streets of Chicago, Maddy discovers powers she never knew she possessed. Powers linked to a family history of tarnished halos-

RIGHT HAND MAGIC by Nancy A. Collins

Nancy Collins's name may be familiar-’she's written a number of other fantasy and horror novels, and is best known for her groundbreaking vampire character Sonja Blue. With RIGHT HAND MAGIC, she begins a new series set in a neighborhood of New York City that's home to some very unusual beings. Like most Manhattanites, aspiring artist Tate can't resist a good rental deal-’even if it's in the city's strangest neighborhood, Golgotham. For centuries werewolves, Valkyries, centaurs, and countless other creatures have crowded these streets. Tate's new landlord is a sorcerer-for-hire named Hexe. Despite being the son of Golgotham's Witch-Queen, Hexe is determined to build his own reputation without using dark Left Hand magic or his mother's connections. As Tate is irresistibly drawn into Hexe's fascinating world, they both find out that the right hand does not always know what the left hand is doing.

SEER OF SEVENWATERS by Juliet Marillier

It's always a treat to return to Juliet Marillier's gorgeous world of Sevenwaters. Juliet is known for historical fantasy with a beautiful love story, and SEER OF SEVENWATERS does not disappoint. It's the story of Sibeal (the sister of Clodagh, the heroine in HEIR TO SEVENWATERS). Sibeal has been studying to be a Druid, but when she spends the summer on the island of Inis Eala, home to elite warriors, she meets Felix, the survivor of a Norse shipwreck with no memory of his past. As the island's healers struggle to keep Felix alive, he and Sibeal form a natural bond. He could even be her soul mate. But Sibeal's vocation is her true calling, and her heart must answer. As Felix fully regains his memory, the ugly truth behind the shipwreck and the island that the ship came from is revealed. In a runic divination, Sibeal is shown that Felix must go on a perilous mission-’and that she will join him. But the rough waters and the sea creatures they will face are no match for Sibeal's own inner turmoil. She must choose between the two things that tug at her soul-’her spirituality and a chance at love-

January 2011

HELLFORGED by Nancy Holzner

HELLFORGED is the sequel to last year's urban fantasy debut, DEADTOWN, featuring shapeshifter Victory Vaughan, professional demon-slayer and dreamwalker, who keeps Boston safe from nightmares of all shapes and sizes.

After Vicky banished her demon nemesis to the fiery depths of Hell, she thought life would return to normal. But considering she has a werewolf lawyer boyfriend, a zombie apprentice who's angling to become a pop star, and an eccentric vampire roommate, what’s normal anyway? Then the supposedly banished Hellion starts to trespass in Vicky's dreams-’just as several of Deadtown's zombies are viciously attacked and become really dead. When Vicky realizes she is the only connection between the victims, she suspects that the demon is somehow working through her dreams to become Deadtown's living nightmare.

THE SOUL MIRROR by Carol Berg

This is the next book in Carol's Collegia Magical trilogy, a complex and character-driven fantasy set in a kingdom on the verge of a renaissance, where natural science has supplanted sorcery. Each book has a different narrator, which I've been enjoying tremendously. It's fascinating to see how the narrator of THE SOUL MIRROR views Portier de Savin-Duplais, the hero of THE SPIRIT LENS (hint: she doesn't like him very much).

Anne de Vernase rejoices that she has no talent for magic. Her father's pursuit of depraved sorcery has left her family in ruins, and he remains at large, convicted of treason and murder by Anne's own testimony. Now the tutors at Collegia Seravain inform her that her gifted younger sister has died in a magical accident. It seems but life's final mockery that cool, distant Portier de Savin-Duplais, the librarian turned royal prosecutor, arrives with the news that the king intends to barter her hand in marriage-

MERCY BLADE by Faith Hunter

Vampire hunter and skinwalker Jane Yellowrock is back in the sequel to urban fantasy BLOOD CROSS. Things are heating up in the Big Easy. Weres have announced their existence to the world, and revived the bitter tensions that run between them and their old enemies: vampires. When Jane is attacked by a pack of marauding werewolves, she is thankful for the help of a mysterious stranger named Girrard. He explained that he used to be the "Mercy Blade," a sacred position charged with killing vampires who have gone insane. What Jane doesn't know is why this powerful assassin left New Orleans-’or more troubling, why he's now returned. It's definitely not to make Jane's life easier.-

February 2011

UNSEEN by Rachel Caine

This is the next book in Rachel's Outcast Season series, set in her Weather Warden universe, but from the point of view of one of the djinn. And not just any of the djinn, but Cassiel, one of the most powerful (and aloof). But when she defied her ruler, she was cast out and forced to take human flesh as punishment. Becoming mortal really puts Cassiel into culture shock, especially when she starts falling for a human-

All over the world, young Wardens are showing their potential far too early. And a maniacal Djinn-’aided by her devoted followers-’is snatching the children seemingly at will and indoctrinating them, so she can use their strength for herself. With no other options, Cassiel infiltrates the Djinn's organization. Deprived of the ethereal gifts allowed her by the Wardens, she soon begins to question her own ideas of right, wrong, and true power. But if Cassiel cannot stop the Djinn's apocalyptic designs, all of humanity may be destroyed-

Here's what we're giving away:

Geist by Philippa Ballantine (three finished copies-’this is a great new traditional fantasy with a romantic element I missed in our giveaway this fall)

Black Wings by Christina Henry (three finished copies)

Right Hand Magic by Nancy A. Collins (three finished copies)

Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier (two advance reading copies)

The Soul Mirror by Carol Berg (four advance reading copies)

Hellforged by Nancy Holzner (three finished copies)

Mercy Blade by Faith Hunter (three advance reading copies)

The Dark Griffin by K. J. Taylor (three advance reading copies-’this is a new traditional fantasy series I'm throwing in for the full on fantasy readers out there. Not much in the way of romance, but it's got griffins, adventure, and turns fantasy tropes on their heads in a fresh and unique way that will have readers cheering on the dark side.)

Unseen by Rachel Caine (four 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.

*****

So here is how to enter. Simply leave a comment about what you would MOST like to receive as a present this holiday season AND the book that you would most like to receive out of the titles listed in the above giveaway. As an added treat, anyone who comments on this post and the Berkley giveaway next week, will be entered to win a Kindle 3G wifi (est. retail value of $139) as a gift from Dear Author. We will close the comments on Friday at 7 pm CST and the winners of the book giveaway will be announced on Saturday. The Kindle winner will be announced on the 18th and hopefully the winner will receive it before Christmas (unless you live outside the US then I am shipping it the cheapest way possible. Good luck!)

Gay Writes at Dear Author

SarahF — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 10:00:40 +0000

Today is National Coming Out Day, and here at Dear Author, we’re going to be celebrating NCOD all week with our own “Gay Writes” campaign.

One of the reasons NCOD was established in 1988 is because the single most important thing most GLBT people can do to advance GLBT rights is to come out, whether to coworkers, family, friends, or the person behind them in the grocery store. Because the thing that changes people’s minds about gay rights above anything else is knowing someone who is GLBT.

The end of DADT (very near and dear to my heart) and of DOMA, the adoption of ENDA, and marriage equality are all huge issues at the moment in the US. We’re so close to equality in so many areas, and yet, kids are killing themselves because of the anti-gay rhetoric they hear every day from their classmates and parents, in their schools and churches. Dan Savage started the It Gets Better Project, a YouTube video channel where people can post their own video talking to these GLBT youth, telling them that no matter how bad things feel in high school (or even in middle school), that it will get better and they should stick it out. Dan’s own video with his wonderful husband Terry has been viewed more than half a million times. People like Tim Gunn (from Project Runway) and Chris Colfer (from Glee) and Kate Bornstein (amazing cultural critic) have posted their own videos. But so have the NYC Gay Men’s Chorus, the Broadway company of Chicago, the cast of Wicked, and these guys (best video of the whole project, IMO). But so have hundreds and hundreds of ordinary people, each telling their own story about being bullied when they were younger and how it was worth living through it so they could experience life in all its glory.

So, with these things in mind, we are Dear Author thought it was important to celebrate GLBT romance. Because it doesn’t get much better than living through the worst things life can throw at you and finding your happy ending with your perfect partner (as I say in my own IGBP video).

So, ten days ago I put a (very informal) call out to authors and publishers of GLBT romances (mostly over Twitter and in emails to my contacts at various presses) for giveaways for our Dear Author NCOD celebration, and to our reviewers for reviews of GLBT romances. And the response was so huge (especially considering its very informal nature), we’ve had to make it a National Coming Out WEEK celebration. We’ve got more than 125 books to give away and six reviews of GLBT romance novels.

All week, we’ll run reviews and each review will have its own personal giveaway that will remain open for 24 hours. You’ll need to comment on the review to win. But that doesn’t begin to cover all the books we have to give away. So comment on THIS post any time before Friday, 11:59 PST, and you’ll be entered to win one (or more, depending on whether they’re bundled) of our giveaway prizes, most of which are GLBT romances. Comment with the top 5 prizes you’d be interested in winning and you’ll make my life a lot easier. Otherwise, if you win, you’ll get a random drawing of the prizes. You might get that anyway, but you’re more likely to get something you want if you tell me what it is!

We’d like to thank the many many authors who donated books (and, really, so many did, we actually had to start turning people away). We’d also like to thank the amazing publishers of GLBT romance novels who donated books (in alphabetical order): Blind Eye Books, Bold Strokes Books (the first to respond! Thanks, Radclyffe!), Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id (who are running their own NCOD celebration all month AND who donated a VIP pass that gets the winner 10% off all year at Loose Id), MLR Press, Noble Romance Publishing, Samhain Publishing, and Torquere Books. These are by no means the only publishers of GLBT romance, and are CERTAINLY not the only authors of GLBT romance, but they responded to my pleas and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

And now, our prizes: (Print books can only go to US recipients. One win per person for the week of our Gay Writes giveaways, but feel free to comment on all posts to increase your chances of winning! Comment by Saturday 11:59 pm PST for a chance of winning.)

Loose Id‘s VIP pass: 10% off all Loose Id books for a year

A choice of any Torquere book in their catalog (5 prizes)

A choice of any GLBT Samhain book in their catalog (3 prizes)

(Now with all new fixed Amazon links so you can see what these books are!)
A.B. Gayle, Mardi Gras Digital
Adriana Kraft, Meghan’s Playhouse Book Five: Meg’s Folly Digital
Adriana Kraft,  To Love and To Cherish Print
Adriana Kraft,  Toy Box: Tattooed Ladies Digital
Alex Beecroft, False Colors Print (I adore this book)
Ally Blue,  Adder Print
Ally Blue, An Inner Darkness Print
Ally Blue, Easy Print
Ally Blue, Love, Like Ghosts Print
Ally Blue,   Shenandoah Digital
Anthology, Forbidden Love Digital
Anthology, Last Gasp Digital
Anthology, Past Shadows Print
Anthology, Lee Benoit (Ed.),  Someplace in This World Digital
Anthology, The Ties that Bind Print
Anthology, Temperature Rising Print
Anthology,  Time Well Bent Print
Ashley M. Christman, Requiem, Digital
Astrid Amara, Half Pass, Samhain E-ARC (only being released in January–read it before anyone else!)
Barry Eisler, Inside Out Print (NOT romance, but hardcover!)
Belinda McBride, Blacque/Bleu Digital
Brita Addams,  Chocolate, Tea, and the Duchess Digital
Bryl R. Tyne,  Ignited Digital
Bryl R. Tyne bundle:  The Zagzagel Diaries: Forsaken The Zagzagel Diaries: Denial The Zagzagel Diaries: Desperate The Zagzagel Diaries: Lost Digital (NOT romance)
Bryl R. Tyne Trey #3 Digital
C. Margery Kempe, Spinning Gold Digital
Carsen Taite,   It Should be a Crime Print
Clancy Nacht, A Certain Pressure in the Pipes Digital
Clare London, Freeman Print
Dena Celeste, Her Master’s Gift Digital
Erin Dutton, Point of Ignition Print
Gill McKnight, Goldenseal Print
Ginn Hale duology, Lord of the White Hell Book One Lord of the White Hell Book Two Print (3 copies of the duology)
H.C. Brown, Delicious Digital
Heidi Cullinan, Double Blind Print
Heidi Cullinan, Hero Digital
Heidi Cullinan, Hero Print
Heidi Cullinan, Miles and the Magic Flute Digital
Heidi Cullinan bundle,  Special Delivery and  Double BlindDigital (I adore this series. Brilliant.)
Heidi Cullinan, Sweet Son Digital
Heidi Cullinan, Wounds in the Walls Digital
Isabella, Always Faithful Digital
Isabella, ALways Faithful Print
J.L. Langley, Without Reservations Print
James Buchanan Trilogy:  Cheating Chance, Inland Empire, and All or Nothing Print (I adore this series, too.)
Jeanne Barrack,  Bend in the Road Print
Jennifer Fulton,  Dark Dreamer Print
Jlee Meyer, Hotel Liaison Print
Joely Skye,  Marked Print
Jove Belle,  Split the Aces Print
Jules Jones, Lord and Master Digital (I read this book during labor with son#2. Wonderful!)
Jules Jones, Spin Drift Digital
Julie Cannon, Power Play Print
K.A. Mitchell bundle: Collision Course and No Souvenirs Digital (Brilliant brilliant romances–some of my favorite)
K.A. Mitchell,  Diving in Deep Print
K.A. Mitchell, Historical Anthology, Print
K.B. Cutter,  Summer Heat Digital
K.T. Grant, Lovestruck Digital
K.Z. Snow, Electric Melty Tingles Digital
K.Z. Snow,  Mobry’s Dick Print
K.Z. Snow,   The Prayer Waltz Digital
Kari Gregg,  Lovely Wicked Digital
Keira Andrews, The Station Digital
Keva D, Out of the Closet Digital
Kim Baldwin, Breaking the Ice Print
Kim Baldwin, Focus of Desire Print
Kimberly Gardner, Almost Heaven Digital
Kirsten Saell, Crossing Swords Print
L.B. Gregg bundle, Catch Me If You Can and Trust Me If You Dare Digital
L.D. Madison, Caught By Surprise Digital
Lee Benoit, Moonspun Digital
Lydia Nyx,  The Game in Spain Digital
Lynn Lorenz, Jackson’s Pride Print
Martin Delacroix, Boys Who Love Men Digital
Meghan O’Brien, Battlescars Print
Missy Welsh, My Summer of Wes Digital
Radclyffe, Trauma Alert Print
Reno MacLeod & Jaye Valentine, A Perfect Game Digital
Rick R. Reed, Tales from the Sexual Underground Print
Roxy Harte, You’re Invited, Digital (Not yet released–be the first to read this)
Sarah Black, Fearless Print
Scarlet Hyacinth, Unseen Paths: Elven Journals Digital
Shayla Kersten 4 ebooks from backlist Digital
Shayla Kersten, Naughtiest Nuptials Print
Shayla Kersten, Past Lies Print
Sloan Parker, More Digital
Stephani Hecht bundle,  EMS Heat (4 books) Digital
Summer Devon and Bonnie Dee,   The Gentleman and the Rogue Digital
Summer Devon and Bonnie Dee, Seducing Stephen Digital
Summer Devon and Bonnie Dee, The Nobleman and the Spy, Digital (Not yet released–be the first to read this)
Tamara Allen,  Whistling in the Dark Print
Treva Harte, Maxxed Out Digital
Victor J. Banis, Deadly Wrong Print
Victor J. Banis, The Man from C.A.M.P. Print
Victoria Janssen, The Moonlight Mistress Print
William Maltese, Beyond Machu Print
William Maltese, Goldsands Print
William Maltese, Snakes Print
Wren Boudreau, Back to Normal Digital
Z.A. Maxfield, Notturno Print

ETA (because I missed two emails):
James Buchanan, Hard Fall Digital
Laura Baumbach, A Bit of Rough Print
Laura Baumbach, Out There in the Night Print
Anthology, Because of the Brave Print
Anthology, The Mysterious Print

ACE ROC Fall Preview and Giveaway

Jane — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:00:44 +0000

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Welcome to Ace and Roc's fabulous fall forthcoming books giveaway.

September 2010

QUEEN OF SHADOWS by Dianne Sylvan

This is a brand-new author, starting a brand-new urban fantasy series, so you can get in on the ground floor. It's powerful, dark, and-’what I'm especially looking for these days-’it's different. It's about a musician named Miranda Grey who's struggling to control her psychic ability. She's an empath, and it's slowly driving her mad. After surviving a brutal attack, she encounters the vampire David Solomon, and finds herself drawn into his shadow world. I really enjoyed the fact that David is a sexy computer geek-’because how often do you find those adjectives put together to describe a vampire? David is also the Prime of the South, and when he outlawed killing humans, he ignited a civil war among Austin's vampires (and made himself very unpopular with the old guard, who refuse to control their violent urges). David thinks he's helping Miranda out when he takes her in, but what he doesn't know is that Miranda has the power to change his world as well-

For those who are sensitive to the portrayal of sexual violence, be aware Miranda is raped early on and this attack is the catalyst for her learning to use her powers to defend herself.

GHOST OF A CHANCE by Simon R. Green

Another new series (because I know you love them)! This is also first in an urban fantasy series, but it's a bit more of an ensemble piece (with a nod to Torchwood). I have it on good authority that a very sweet romance develops over the course of the book between one of the characters-’and a ghost.

The Carnicki Institute exists to Do Something About Ghosts. Lay them to rest, send them packing, or kick their nasty ectoplasmic arses with extreme prejudice-

The Institute's operatives are the best of the best: JC Chance: sharp, brave, charming, and almost unbearably arrogant; Melody Chambers: Science-geek techno-wizard extraordinaire who keeps the antisupernatural equipment running smoothly; and Happy Jack Palmer: the telepath with the gloomy disposition, the last person anyone would want navigating through his head.

Their current assignment: investigate a major haunting deep underground at London's Oxford Circus Tube Station. Difficult-’and dangerous-’enough without the added interference of a pair of agents from the infamous Crowley Project whose mission is much simpler: eliminate Chance, Chambers, and Palmer, whatever the consequences-

October 2010

BAYOU MOON by Ilona Andrews

This is the next book in Ilona Andrews's Edge series, BUT it is more of a stand-alone, with a new hero and heroine. So no worries-’even if you haven't read ON THE EDGE, you can pick this one up and enjoy it. (If you have read ON THE EDGE, William, Declan's friend and rival for Rose's affections, gets his own story here.) Ilona Andrews has a talent for characterization, description, and incredibly creative worldbuilding, and you're in for a treat with this one.

The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where magic is a fairy tale; and the Weird, where the strength of your magic can change your destiny. BAYOU MOON takes us to a new part of the Edge-’the Mire, a vast swampland between the state of Louisiana and the Weird. Cerise Mar and her unruly clan are cash poor but land rich, claiming a large swathe of the Mire. When her parents vanish, her clan's long-time rivals are the primary suspects.

But all is not as it seems. Two nations of the Weird are waging a cold war fought by feint and espionage, and their conflict is about to spill over into the Edge-’and Cerise's life. William, a changeling soldier who'd left behind the politics of the Weird, has been forced back into service to track down a rival nation's spymaster.

When William's and Cerise's missions lead them to cross paths, sparks fly-’but they'll have to work together if they want to succeed-and survive.

GRAVE WITCH by Kalayna Price

This is clearly the season for debut authors-’GRAVE WITCH kicks off a terrific new urban fantasy series about Alex Craft, a Grave Witch who can speak to the dead. I think one of my favorite parts of this book is the fact that Death himself is one of the love interests (he's visited her off and on since she was young). I admit I've always had a morbid streak (as if my fondness for Edgar Allen Poe and graveyards didn't give me away)-

As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she's on good terms with Death himself-’who happens to look fantastic in a pair of jeans-’nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high profile murder when she's attacked by the "shade' she's raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around.

To solve the case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something-’though it's certainly not his dislike of Alex. But Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer wielding a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life-and her soul.

MASQUES by Patricia Briggs

I know there's a number of Patricia Briggs fans out there who love the Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega novels, but wish she would also write traditional fantasy again. Guess what: your wish is about to come true. Prepare yourself for the one-two punch of MASQUES in October and WOLFSBANE in November!

MASQUES is Patricia Briggs's very first book EVER. It has been out of print for over ten years, and she's taken the opportunity to write an introduction and revise it for this new edition. (For anyone who's read the original version of MASQUES, she's also written a brand-new prologue, that reveals how Wolf and Aralorn met.) It tells the story of Aralorn, a woman who flees her noble birthright for a life of adventure as a mercenary spy. Along the way, she meets an enigmatic sorcerer who travels at her side in the shape of a wolf. Together, they join the rebellion against the ae'Magi, a foe armed with the power of illusion.

This is a pleasure to read not only for the story, but also for the insight it gives us into Patricia Briggs's creative process and evolution as a writer. A number of the elements she uses in her other books make their first appearance in MASQUES.

November 2010

WOLFSBANE by Patricia Briggs

And on to part two of the Patricia Briggs traditional fantasy juggernaut. WOLFSBANE is the direct sequel to MASQUES. It's never before been published, though I actually acquired it before MOON CALLED. When the Mercy Thompson series took off in such a big way, we asked Patricia Briggs to hold off on WOLFSBANE to focus on her urban fantasy. It's exciting to finally be able to share this book with you.

For the last ten years, shapeshifting mercenary Aralorn has led a dangerous existence-’a far cry from her noble upbringing. Now, she's returning home under the most unfortunately circumstances: her father has passed away. But when Aralorn and her companion Wolf arrive, the combination of their magic uncovers something wonderful yet alarming-’her father is not actually dead, but only appears so. Yet a dark mist is also very much alive within him-

GHOST TOWN by Rachel Caine

This is the first hardcover in Rachel Caine's young adult Morganville Vampires series. (Although her YA titles are not published by Roc, her adult books are, so I thought it kind of sort of fit here.) The Morganville Vampires series is absolutely wonderful and such fun, with top-notch writing, characters you care about, and a unique world.

Claire Danvers is one of those genius teenagers who go off to college when their peers are still in high school. She actually got into MIT, but her parents thought she was too young to live so far from home, and made her go to a local community college instead. There, she discovers that the small college town of Morganville, Texas is completely run by vampires.

In GHOST TOWN, Claire and the vampire scientist she works with are struggling to restore the system that maintains the town's defenses (and makes everyone who leaves the town limits "forget" about the vampires of Morganville). Claire thinks she's found a solution, but the new system turns out to have unintended (and deadly) consequences: people inside the town start forgetting who and what they are-’even the vampires. When Claire's best friend Eve and her boyfriend Shane start treating her like a perfect stranger, Claire has to hurry and pull the plug on the experiment-’before she forgets how to save herself-and Morganville.

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, Rachel Caine, 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.

GIVEAWAY Details: Anne is always looking for good music recommendations so in the comments list your top three choices of the following books AND a music recommendation for Anne!

*******

QUEEN OF SHADOWS / Dianne Sylvan – 3 finished copies
GHOST OF A CHANCE / Simon R. Green – 2 ARCs
BAYOU MOON / Ilona Andrews – 3 ARCs
GRAVE WITCH / Kalayna Price – 2 ARCs
MASQUES / Patricia Briggs – 3 ARCs
WOLFSBANE / Patricia Briggs – 3 ARCs
GHOST TOWN / Rachel Caine – 3 ARCs
KILLBOX / Ann Aguirre – 2 finished copies
THE GRIMROSE PATH / Rob Thurman – 3 ARCs
TROUBLED WATERS / Sharon Shinn – 2 ARCs

Winners of Erin McCarthy’s Hot Finish

Jane — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 21:18:55 +0000

A lot of people wanted Hot Finish by Erin McCarthy but we only have twenty to give away. Good thing is that the book will be out at the end of the month and it will be available in mass market instead of trade. Woot! I hope you enjoy Susannah and Ryder as much as I did. I saw a lot of commenters state that they had never watched stock car racing but loved this series. I’m that way too. I’m really not into watching stock car racing (I hear it is amazing in person although one commenter said she read a book during the entire event) but I love the books.

I have emailed the winners so please check your spam boxes:

Amy P.
Carin
LisaCharlotte
Patty H.
Angela
Mrs. Hanson
Cindy
Heather
Emma
Lori Ann
Ivy
Lola
Tabitha
Elaine G
cories
Cynthia
ASable
Linda Henderson
Maureen
Shel

GIVEAWAY: Hot Finish by Erin McCarthy

Jane — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:00:15 +0000

Update: I’ll be closing the comments and ending the contest today (Jul 3) at 8 pm CST.

Remember earlier this month when Cindy Hwang spoke about Hot Finish and you all wanted a copy and we weren’t giving any of them away? That was cruel, right? Well, we are making up for it by having a HUGE giveaway. And by huge, I mean that between Sarah at SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com and we at Dear Author, there will be a total of 40! finished copies (available to be mailed out next week) to be given away. We are giving 20 away here at Dear Author.

This is part one of our Save the Contemporary campaign for Hot Finish. It’s in mass market, unlike the previous first releases in the series which were in trade (although they are now re-released in mass market). In the week leading up to the release date of August 3, we will be giving away an iPod Touch to anyone who spreads the good word about Contemporaries and Hot Finish.

So why should you want this book? Well, Cindy describes HOT FINISH by Erin McCarthy thusly:

I love love love Erin’s smart, sexy Fast Track contemporary romance series, and from the moment she introduced Suzanne and Ryder in the first book, FLAT-OUT SEXY, I knew their romance would be something special. And it absolutely is–Suzanne and Ryder have a sexual chemistry together that practically leaps off the page, and what’s so wonderful is how funny they are together too. If you love second chance romances, you’ll love HOT FINISH!

What I liked about this book, I have listed in numerical order:

Suzanne is a ballsy chick who is at times brash and abrasive but is always sympathetic.
Ryder wants Suzanne back, bad.
Hotness, folks, hotness.
And funny

So in summary, we have a totally fresh heroine, a hero who can’t stop thinking about his ex, tons of good natured hot sex with a fun vibe. You want? Just leave a comment about whether you watch stock car racing.

Winners of the Berkley Summer Giveaway

Jane — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:56:46 +0000

The following 48 individuals are winners of a book from Berkley’s Summer Giveaway. I have contacted all the winners. You can check out the Berkley releases at the Berkley/Jove website or peruse the easy searchable/sortable table we host here at Dear Author. If you didn’t win, come back at the end of the month because we will be giving away several copies of Hot Finish by Erin McCarthy.

Carolyn
Stephanie
Katrina
Lisa J
Sarah
jennifer
Kris
Crystal D
JB Hunt
semalu
Rosie
Harriet M
JOYE
Mary M.
Eva M
Angela Mcknight- Haley
PeppyPilotGirl
Maraobj
Claire
Jean J.
DianeN
wonald
Sandra
Kim L.
Anna H
Cynthya Petzen
Chelly
Elaine R
Christina
Bianca
Bella F.
cass237
tsukishine
Shaheen
Linda
Joan B.
Cheryl
Tory
Sue Kelly
Qu3en8
Melissa S.
Emily
Danielle
ReneeW
Bonnie B
Catherine
Kanch
Susan G

Berkley Summer Giveaway: This is full of awesome!

Jane — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:00:55 +0000

Cindy Hwang, executive editor of Berkley, hosts a quarterly review/giveaway of Berkley books. This is the summer entry:

Summer is finally here, and we’re very excited about our upcoming Berkley/Jove romances–perfect for warm, sultry nights and days at the beach. As always, thanks to Jane and DearAuthor.com for allowing us to share some of our exciting new books with you. And don’t forget, this is still just a small sampling of our summer goodies. For a complete list of upcoming romances with descriptions, visit www.berkleyjoveauthors.com.

We are giving away 48 ARCs or finished copies (mostly ARCs) to 48 different commenters. Scroll to the bottom to read the instructions on how to enter.

UPDATE: Please note two things. First, Hot Finish is not part of the giveaway. It is being profiled because it is awesome but we are going to have a big stand alone giveaway for this book at the end of the month. Again, because it is awesome and we want to give more than two books away. You can email me at jane @dearauthor.com if you want to change your Hot Finish pick to something else.

Second, the contest will end on Saturday at 12 noon CST and I’ll post the winners on Sunday.

*****

June

THE FORBIDDEN ROSE, Joanna Bourne
Joanna Bourne’s THE SPYMASTER’S LADY was one of the most talked about historical romances when it was published two years ago, and since then she’s only solidified her status as a rising star in historical romance. So to call THE FORBIDDEN ROSE hotly anticipated is an understatement! THE FORBIDDEN ROSE is the third in the Spymaster series and features the romance of Marguerite de Fleurignac and William Doyle–two characters that have intrigued readers since they were introduced in the earlier books.

SKIN TIGHT, Ava Gray
SKIN TIGHT is Ava Gray’s follow-up to the sizzling SKIN GAME, and this book is just as dark, edgy, sexy and fabulous as the first book. Both Mia Sauter and Addison Foster were introduced in SKIN GAME, and after their chemistry together sizzle the pages, I know I’m not alone with my desire to see them again! Their story was just as memorable as I knew it would be.

CRUSH ON YOU, Christie Ridgway
What’s more romantic than weddings in June? Well, how about weddings in June in the California wine country then at a legendary winery? If you’re like me, then you won’t be able to resist CRUSH ON YOU, the first in a new trilogy of wonderful contemporary romance featuring the Baci sisters and their efforts to save Tanti Baci, their family winery, from bankruptcy by transforming it into the perfect wedding destination. It’s full of warmth, humor, complex family relationships, and of course, heart-melting romance.

July

LADY ISABELLA’S SCANDALOUS MARRIAGE, Jennifer Ashley
This is Jennifer Ashley’s first Berkley historical romance, and we’re thrilled to be publishing the second book in her Highland Pleasures series, the sequel to the acclaimed THE MADNESS OF LORD IAN MACKENZIE. LADY ISABELLA is just as riveting a read as LORD IAN, and historical romance fans definitely shouldn’t miss this!

DEMON BLOOD, Meljean Brook
Meljean’s fabulous Guardian paranormal romance series continues with DEMON BLOOD, which very well may be my personal favorite Guardian romance to date–and that’s really saying something! DEMON BLOOD centers around Rosalia, a Guardian who can’t quite stay away from Deacon, a vampire who’s so embittered by his experiences all he wants is to be left alone. I think Meljean is an awesome writer, and DEMON BLOOD deliver everything I want to read: page-turning action, a clever plot, sizzling sexual tension and heartbreaking romance, and two of the most memorable characters you’ll ever meet.

BONDS OF JUSTICE, Nalini Singh
Nalini Singh should be named a national treasure of New Zealand for the joy she’s brought to readers all over the world. The Psy-Changeling series has a huge fanbase, and no wonder–Nalini never disappoints. BONDS OF JUSTICE is the new Psy-Changeling romance, and again, Nalini crafts an utterly enthralling tale about a human cop, Max Shannon, who despite his reservations, can’t help but be drawn to Psy Sophia Russo, who is a lot more than she seems to be. And for fans of enigmatic Psy Councilor Kaleb Krychek–all I can say is you’re in for a treat!

August

HOT FINISH, Erin McCarthy
I love love love Erin’s smart, sexy Fast Track contemporary romance series, and from the moment she introduced Suzanne and Ryder in the first book, FLAT-OUT SEXY, I knew their romance would be something special. And it absolutely is–Suzanne and Ryder have a sexual chemistry together that practically leaps off the page, and what’s so wonderful is how funny they are together too. If you love second chance romances, you’ll love HOT FINISH!

SHADOWS AT MIDNIGHT, Elizabeth Jennings
Many of you may know Elizabeth Jennings as Lisa Marie Rice–no matter which name she writes under, she always delivers sexy, memorable romantic suspense. SHADOWS AT MIDNIGHT is definitely no exception–it’s the story of Claire Day, who’s promising career as a Defense Intelligence Agency analyst got derailed in an embassy bombing that also fractured her memory. Now the only man who may hold the key to her nightmares is former Marine Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Weston, who believed that the woman he loved died in the blast. Now he has a chance to help her remember the past–and him.

DEVIL’S HIGHLANDER, Veronica Wolff
Known for her innovative and exciting time travel romances set in Scotland, Veronica decided to make the leap into the past permanent, and has written a new Scottish historical romance series featuring the members of the Highlander clan MacAlpin–a family that must make their future in a land devastated by civil strife. DEVIL’S HIGHLANDER is a wonderful, thrilling blend of fascinating Scottish history and heartstopping romance–my favorite kind!

****

For the giveaway:

2 copies of THE FORBIDDEN ROSE, Joanna Bourne
2 copies of SKIN HEAT, Ava Gray
2 copies of CRUSH ON YOU, Christie Ridgway
2 copies of COLD MIDNIGHT, Joyce Lamb
2 copies of DARING A DUKE, Claudia Dain + 1 from my stash
3 copies of DEMON BLOOD, Meljean Brook + 1 from my stash
2 copies of BONDS OF JUSTICE, Nalini Singh + 1 from my stash
2 copies of LADY ISABELLA’S SCANDALOUS MARRIAGE, Jennifer Ashley + 1 from my stash
2 copies of TASTE OF TEMPTATION, Cheryl Holt
2 copies of DEVIL’S HIGHLANDER, Veronica Wolff + 1 from my stash
2 copies of SHADOWS AT MIDNIGHT, Elizabeth Jennings + 1 from my stash
2 copies of MY WAY TO HELL, Dakota Cassidy
2 copies of HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS, Kandy Shepard + 1 from my stash
2 copies of OPEN COUNTRY, Kaki Warner + 1 from my stash
2 copies of ASSASSIN’S HONOR, Monica Burns + 1 from my stash
2 copies of THE BODY MASTER, C. J. Barry + 1 from my stash
2 copies of AWAKENED BY A KISS, Lila DiPasqua + 1 from my stash

And from my stash:

Corralled by Lorelei James
Welcome to Harmony by Jodi Thomas
Water Bound by Christine Feehan

GIVEAWAY INSTRUCTIONS: Please leave a comment with the name of the TWO books you are interested in AND your favorite cover.

Summer ACE/ROC Giveaway Winners

Jane — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 01:37:51 +0000

The winners of one of the 17 ARCs/finished copies that are being given away by ACE/ROC are the following. You can check out the books previewed here and all the titles from ACE/Roc here. All winners have been notified. Please check your spam folders:

Christine M.
Monika H.
J.
Angela
missy
Tamara Hogan
Mervi
Melissa (Books and Things)
Barbara Elness
Ivy
Jan
Linda
Ruth (CO)
Lorraine from CA
Nicole Zoltack
Casey (The Bookish Type)
Pam P

The following commenters won a $5 GC to Amazon. These people have been notified as well.

Jacqueline C.
chong
Lynnette
ShâˆšÃ‰ ¬ ©a
Kristi Davis

SUMMER ACE/ROC Giveaway

Jane — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 09:00:32 +0000

About every quarter, Anne Sowards come to Dear Author to give us a preview of the upcoming books from Ace/Roc. We talk about books, give books away and generally celebrate Anne’s great taste in stories. Without further ado, here is the post. The giveaway instructions are at the end of the post. Contest closes on Friday at 10 PM CST and the winners will be posted on Sunday.

Welcome to Ace and Roc's forthcoming summer books giveaway.

June 2010

MAGIC BLEEDS by Ilona Andrews

What can I say, Ilona Andrews just keeps getting better. This is the latest in the Kate Daniels urban fantasy series, set in an alternate Atlanta where magic comes and goes like the tide. Kate works for the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, officially, as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle-’especially if they involve Atlanta's shapeshifting community.

Kate has a lot of dangerous secrets that have made it difficult for her to get close to people, and over the last few books she has been slowly opening up. In this book, there is what I refer to as Significant Relationship Developments. Things will be decided one way-’or the other-’between Kate and Curran, the Beast Lord.

LIGHTBORN by Alison Sinclair

Last year I mentioned DARKBORN, the first in a wonderful Regency-tinged romantic fantasy trilogy (with appeal to readers of Sharon Shinn and Carol Berg). LIGHTBORN is the follow-up, set in a city divided, where an ancient curse makes darkness anathema to the Lightborn, while the touch of sunlight kills the Darkborn. One of the most interesting things about the series is how the author takes a science based approach to some of the fantastical elements and follows through with it in the writing. The Darkborn are blind, due to their inability to stand the touch of sunlight, and everything described from the point of view of a Darkborn character only references texture and sound. It's the kind of thing that you might not notice on first reading, but the book is richer for it.

Lady Telmaine Hearne is a Darkborn mage who has kept her powers secret, fearful of being ruined in society-until her husband, Balthasar, draw her into a conspiracy. On the other side of sunrise, the assassin Floria White Hand, is one of the Lightborn prince's most trusted guards as well as Balthasar Hearne's oldest friend. When the prince dies in darkness, Floria is suspected, and she must flee for her life to the Darkborn. The murder turns Darkborn against Lightborn, earthborn against mage. A Darkborn lady, a Lighborn assassin, and a dissident Lightborn mage form an unlikely alliance as conspiracies ripen and treason declares itself on both sides of sunrise-

July 2010

RED HOT FURY by Kasey Mackenzie

If you're feeling "been there, done that" about urban fantasy full of vampires and werewolves, have I got a book for you. This is the beginning of a brand new urban fantasy series, about a woman who is a Fury, a member of an Arcane race that has avenged wrongdoing since time immemorial. It's fresh and fun and a unique take on the genre.

In addition to being a Fury, Marissa Holloway is Boston's chief magical investigator, solving supernatural crimes for the city. But it's far from business as usual when the body of a sister Fury washes up in Boston Harbor. When Riss reports that the corpse's identity has been magically altered, she's immediately-’and inexplicably-’suspended from her job. Then a human assassin makes an attempt on her life, and Riss realizes that someone is trying to stir up strife between mortals and Arcanes. When a Fury gets mad, she gets even, and Riss is determined to uncover the truth.

A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS by K. A. Stewart

This is a little more peripheral, but it kicks off a fantastic boy contemporary fantasy series (with appeal to readers of Jim Butcher, Simon R. Green, and Rob Thurman) that has a terrific voice and a great sense of humor. I simply had a wonderful time with it, so I wanted to share.

Jesse James Dawson was an ordinary guy (well, an ordinary guy with a black belt in karate), until the day he learned his brother had made a bargain with a demon. Jesse discovered there was only one way to save his brother: Put up his own soul as collateral and fight the demon to the death. Jesse lives to free his brother, and becomes part of a loose organization of champions who put their own souls on the line to help those who get in over their heads with demons.

This doesn't have traditional romantic elements, but there is love and sacrifice-and Jesse's sometimes tense relationship with his wife, who is understandably not keen on him fighting demons for a living!

August 2010

A WILD LIGHT by Marjorie Liu

The next book in Marjorie Liu's action-packed urban fantasy series about a demon hunter whose tattoos come to life. (I dare you not to be intrigued by that!)

For too long Maxine Kiss has felt an inexplicable darkness inside her-’a force she channels into hunting the demons bent on destroying the human race. But when she finds herself covered in blood and crouched beside her grandfather's dead body with no memory of what happened or of the man she loves, Maxine begins to fear that the darkness has finally consumed her-

TOTAL ECLIPSE by Rachel Caine

This is it, the grand finale, and the book that the Weather Warden series has been building up to: will warden Joanne Baldwin and the Djinn David avert the apocalypse and ride off into the sunset together-or not? All I'll say is that it's dramatic, exciting and very satisfying.

Standing at ground zero for the last attack, Joanne, David, and the Earth herself have been poisoned by a substance that is destroying the magic that keeps the world alive. Joanne and David have already lost their powers, but that's just the beginning. The poison that has seeped into the planet is destabilizing the entire balance of power, bestowing magic on those who have never had it and taking it at critical moments from those who need it. It's just a matter of time before the delicate balance of nature explodes into chaos, destroying mankind-’and every living thing on Earth-’with it.

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, Rachel Caine, 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.

GIVEAWAY INSTRUCTIONS!!!!

Anne and Penguin are giving away one book to seventeen random commenters. I usually save a few ARCs to giveaway but I couldn’t find any this time?? so I am throwing in five $5 gift certificates from Amazon. I hope you use it to buy your favorite ACE/ROC book.

Anyway, to enter, leave a comment with the TOP TWO PICKS from the choices below !!!!AND!!! which book you thought had the best cover.

MAGIC BLEEDS / Ilona Andrews – 3 ARCs
LIGHTBORN / Alison Sinclair – 3 ARCs
A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS / K. A. Stewart – 3 ARCs
RED HOT FURY / Kasey Mackenzie – 3 finished copies
A WILD LIGHT / Marjorie M. Liu – 2 ARCs
TOTAL ECLIPSE / Rachel Caine – 3 ARCs

Searching for “Blame it on Paris” winner

Jayne — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:08:40 +0000

Karen – who posted comment #7, is our last winner. But your email address bounced the notification back to me. You’ve got today and tomorrow to get in touch with me to claim your copy of Laura’s book. If I don’t hear from you by the end of Thursday, we’ll need to pick another winner.

~Jayne

“Blame it on Paris” promotional giveaway!

Jayne — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:00:43 +0000

A few years ago I bought a trade sized copy of Laura Florand’s first book, “Blame it on Paris.” In it, she describes her year long stay in the City of Light as she studied French Literature, met a handsome Frenchman and began to fall in love. Then comes the hilarious recounting of what they did next after her return to the States, the endless expensive long distance phone calls, her relocation back to Paris, disappointing attempts to find a good job then eventual translocation of both of them to the American South followed by their four weddings. Yes, their four weddings.

As I thought back on my reading experience of the book, I remembered the bus driver charged by her friends with making sure she didn’t skip out of meeting Sebastien for their first date, her trial by salad stirring to prove her worthiness after meeting her future in-laws, Sebastien’s cat and their tiny, one room broom closet Parisian apartment, how he managed to win over his future gun loving brothers in law, his friend’s comments about the “Welcome to Georgia” road sign, Laura’s in-laws’ introduction to an American swamp – with alligators! and Walmart, the correct size to cut tomatoes for the perfect kabob – “no, no those are too big” followed by “why are you cutting them so small?”, and the importance of knowing the Lord’s Prayer in French before attempting a wedding with a cantankerous French priest.

When she contacted me about the mass market release of the book, complete with a new cover which both of us dislike – dolman sleeves on a Frenchman?, I readily agreed to a giveaway promotion. What we need from you is a comment on your favorite, or least favorite, personal experience in Paris or specific details on why you would want to visit there. Think beyond a simple travelogue of sights to see. Three random posters will win their own copy (you can pick either edition) of Laura’s real life description of how she met and married her own handsome (I’ve seen pictures of him!) Frenchman. The giveway is limited to US readers due to cost of postage.

~Jayne

Rom Con Giveaways

Jane — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:00:42 +0000

This year, a new romance convention is being launched. The name is RomCon and it is designed to be for readers as opposed to writer conferences such as Romantic Times and RWA.

You can read more about the convention at the website. The convention takes place in Denver, Colorado July 9-11. I will be attending and have paid for my registration fee of $125.00.

The organizers for RomCon contacted me and wondered if I would host a giveaway for this event. Because a reader event is something I really believe in, I was happy to do so.

If you are interested in going, the giveaway is good for a base ticket of $125. This gets you into the conference but there is no food included. In order to attend the evening dinners or the afternoon lunches, you will need to either purchase the convention meals or provide food for yourself. You would need to register by June 15 and there is only one free ticket per person/household.

Who is going? I am. Sarah Wendell from Smart Bitches Trashy Books. Authors like Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook, Christine Feehan, Elizabeth Hoyt, Jo Beverly, Julia Quinn, CL Wilson, blogger and author, Carolyn Crane, and the list goes on.

Interested? Leave a comment and we’ll pick 20 winners and announce them on Sunday.

WINNERs of the Berkley/Jove Spring Giveaway

Jane — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:12:48 +0000

The following are the winners of the Berkley/Jove 2010 Spring Giveaway. We had 38 books to giveaway. Thanks for taking time to look at the upcoming books from Berkley/Jove. Everyone has been emailed so watch your spam folders.

Sarah
orannia
Carolyn
Sandy
Cathy M
Wendy
Cherie J
Danielle
Mandy P.
Susan Reader
Nicole Zoltack
Sarah C
Jessica MD
Saien
Maili
Michelle B
anon1001
Raha
RachaelfromNJ
chey
Vi
Mary M.
Julia – Yen
Melissa
Tasha
Fran
Robyn B
ritu
mary beth
Janet P.
JulieJV
Krystal
Jackie U
LoriK
Crista
MaryK
Barbara Elness
Mari