Bandit Invasion Winners

Wow!  What a terrific week this has been!  Many thanks to all of the Romance Bandits for your brilliant vignettes and sparkling presence throughout the week.  And to our many posters who shared their witty comments and wonderfully creative continuations, all I can say is...YOU ROCK!  We can hardly wait to do it all again next year!  But, before we say farewell to Bandit Invasion Week we have two more daily prizes to give out.

HELEN

You're the winner of Day 4!

and

KIRSTEN

You've won the Day 5 prize package!

Ladies, please send your full name and snail mail address to us at theromancedish@gmail.com so we can get your prizes out to you. 

Thanks again to everyone for playing with us this week!

Guest Author - - Sandra Hill

Hailed by the Romantic Times as having a “magical touch when it comes to creating heroes who are warriors but have a vulnerability that appeals,” author Sandra Hill is a graduate of Penn State and worked for more than 10 years as a features writer and education editor for publications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Writing about serious issues taught her the merits of seeking the lighter side of even the darkest stories. She is the wife of a stockbroker and the mother of four sons. VIKING IN LOVE is her Avon debut. 

Avon has generously offered three copies of VIKING IN LOVE to be given away today to randomly selected commenters.  One of those lucky posters will also win a Viking Barbie! 

About seven years ago, I was browsing the bookshelves at my local store looking for something entertaining to read when a title caught my eye. I bought the book, started reading it that evening and was still reading about 2AM the next morning – in between bouts of boisterous laughter. The book was THE VERY VIRILE VIKING, a time travel story by Sandra Hill and, with that one book, I was hooked. A New York Times Bestselling author of more than 30 books, she is now one of my auto-buys. Whether she’s writing historicals, contemporaries or time travels, I know that I’ll always be entertained when I pick up one of her books. Please join me in welcoming Sandra Hill to The Romance Dish. ~ PJ

We’re delighted to have you with us today, Sandra. Your newest release, VIKING IN LOVE, will be in stores on January 26th. Will you tell us a bit about the story and why you decided to return to straight historical with this book?

I’m an avid reader, and my first love was historical romance. I have always wanted to return to historicals. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy writing contemporaries and time travels, too, but still…


VIKING IN LOVE is the story of five Viking princesses on the run after killing the abusive husband of one of them. Think a medieval version of the Dixie Chicks video “Goodbye Earl.” Princess Breanne meets her match in Caedmon, a Saxon knight who lives in a rundown castle with his dozen children.

I’m looking forward to spending more time with Breanne’s sisters. How many books will be in this series?

Well, Tyra was the heroine in MY FAIR VIKING. Breanne stars in VIKING IN LOVE, although Vana’s story gets told there, too. Then, in THE VIKING TAKES A KNIGHT (tentative title, 9/2010), Ingrith gets star billing. The only unmarried princess left is Drifa. Definitely, she will get her own book someday.

Vikings figure prominently in many of your books, both the time travels and straight historicals. What appeals to you about the early Middle Ages and Vikings in particular?

First of all, I can trace my family tree on my father’s side all the way back to the tenth century and the Viking Rolfr, the first duke of Normandy. That started my interest in Viking and what I discovered fascinated me.


The Vikings were a truly magnificent race, and isn’t it sad that they don’t exist as a separate race today.. The men were taller and better looking than men of other societies at that time. They had a wonderful sense of humor, as evidenced by their sagas. And resourceful! Since their land (rocky and not suitable for farming) couldn’t sustain their growing families, they developed an art for shipbuilding and seafaring. And when all that didn’t work out, they blended into the countries and cultures that they conquered. Women loved them, and no wonder!

You’ve been quoted as saying that your family doesn’t think you have a sense of humor and that you grew up a shy and serious girl, yet the stories you write are filled with laugh-out-loud moments. What’s been your inspiration for the humor that fills your books?

My husband and sons have great senses of humor. The first time I met my husband, he was a political aide and I was a newspaper reporter. A group of us were walking into the governor’s office when I felt someone pinch my butt. Today that would be considered sexual harassment. Then, it was just funny. Remind me to tell you sometime about the romance cover art my husband wanted to hang in his stock brokerage office.

There have been many swoon-worthy heroes in your books. In VIKING IN LOVE, there’s a scene where Breanne and Caedmon are stranded together in a locked room. If you were single and could be stranded for a weekend with one of your heroes, who would you choose and why?

OMG! What a question! Almost any of them, really. I always say that there’s nothing sexier than a man who can make a woman smile in bed. Every one of my heroes can do that. My husband, too. I’ll take that a step farther. Is there anything sexier than a tortured hero with a sense of humor?

Oh, I agree!  A hero who can make his lady smile, and laugh, in bed is very sexy indeed.  Flipping the coin, if you could arrange a girlfriend’s getaway with three of your heroines who would you invite and why?

Tante Lulu would be there cooking up a batch of gumbo. Then, the shrewish Viking Madrene would be a good addition, and Charmaine, the unabashed Cajun bimbo. A great combination, I think.

What a fun weekend that would be!  Sandra, you’ve written contemporaries, time travels and straight historicals. Is there any sub-genre, era or location that you haven’t written about that you’d like to try?

For years I’ve thought about doing Viking vampires, but I think the time has passed for that idea. Sexy inspirationals? More Amish settings like PEARL JINX. Possibly more post Civil War Louisiana books.

Many of us here at The Romance Dish have favorite comfort reads. What books or authors do you turn to for that “warm and fuzzy” reading experience?

Mary Balogh, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Maggie Osborne, Cait Logan western historicals (a recent find and glom of mine), Lisa Kleypas, Suzanne Brockmann, Dorothy Garlock, Karen Moning, Christine Feehan, Susan Wiggs, Trish Jensen, Loretta Chase, and for really warm and fuzzy, Lora Leigh.

Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to share with us?

I have a novella “Tomorrow Is Another Day” in the anthology LADIES PREFER ROGUES out in March. Although it’s not a sequel to FRANKLY, MY DEAR and SWEETER SAVAGE LOVE, readers will recognize the area in Louisiana and a few names.

Thank you so much for visiting with us today, Sandra.  Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?

Are there any books or characters you would like to see me do in the future? Are you interested in signed bookmarks or bookplates? If you are interested in upcoming news or books about to come out, you can sign up for my mailing list at http://www.sandrahill.net/. Or do you consider these occasional newsletters a nuisance?

BANDIT INVASION - DAY 5

We're wrapping up our fantastic Bandit Invasion week with Suzanne Welsh, Anna Campbell, Tawny Weber, and Anna Sugden. They are writing vignettes centered around this picture, "The Staircase." Who or what is waiting at the top (or bottom) of the staircase? Commenters, your job is to finish any (or all) of the vignettes. Put your very vivid imaginations to work and have fun!

As always, there are fabulous prizes to be had!  Today's winner will receive Captive of Sin from Anna C., Going Down Hard and Coming On Strong from Tawny and a box of Godiva chocolates from Suzanne.

Vignette #1 by Suzanne Welsh

At the second floor landing, Vaudine pulled the slip of paper from her coat pocket and read the missive once again in the dim lamplight illuminating the gilded wall-papered stairway.

The St. Charles
Suite 25
10:00 P.M.

How had her life come to this? When she left home with Henri, she’d dreamt they’d be happily married now, living in one of the homes in the French Quarter. But life had a way of making a mockery of foolish, headstrong heiresses.

Henri turned out to be Henry, a cardsharp opium addict, who quickly ran through her inheritance and left her homeless in a saloon. For a week she’d supported herself as the saloon’s singer.

Then tonight, he walked in. Tall, dark, dangerous.

Mr. Walker.

With Henry’s signature on an IOU slip, claiming she was the payment.

Swallowing hard, back straight, she walked to room 25 and knocked briskly on the door.

Hmmm...I can't wait to find out what happens in Room 25 with the tall, dark and dangerous Mr. Walker! *g*

Suzanne Welsh is a registered nurse with 30 years experience in Obstetrics, which gives her a unique insight into the human psyche that she uses throughout her writing. Her latest manuscript, THE SURRENDER OF LACY MORGAN, is the winner of the 2008 Unpublished Beacon Contest’s erotica category. You can sample some of Suz’s writing at her blog, Rocky Mountain Romance.

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Vignette #2 by Anna Campbell

He was waiting.

Marianne had known he would be, no matter how she’d insisted he stay away. No matter how he broke every rule society held dear by appearing now, here, in her father’s house after midnight.

Her heart pounded so frantically, she was sure he’d hear it, as she nervously descended the last steps to the landing. With a shaking hand, she raised her candle and peered through the shadows. In the dark alcove, he slouched with elegant nonchalance against the scrolled wrought-iron balustrade.

“I swore I wouldn’t meet you,” she said in a furious whisper, even as her skin tightened in inevitable awareness of his nearness. It had been like this since he’d swept her into his arms in that crowded ballroom and whirled her away in a dizzying waltz.

“Yet here you are.” His voice conveyed not an ounce of surprise.

Devil take Lord Farnham. He was far too sure of himself. Her chin rose and her hand tightened on the railing as she prepared to put him in his place.


Oh, I'm wondering exactly how Marianne will put Lord Farnham in his place and who will write the winning finish to Anna's vignette!

Australian Anna Campbell writes multi award-winning historical romance for Avon. Her latest release is CAPTIVE OF SIN, chosen by Publishers Weekly as one of their best 100 books of 2009. Watch out for MY RECKLESS SURRENDER in June, 2010.

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Vignette #3 by Anna Sugden

The blood had long since been scrubbed from the marble steps. The plaster, chipped by the bullets, had been filled, then repainted with vibrant swirls that made it impossible to tell where the damage had been.

Unless you knew.

Melinda Bennett, sole survivor of the bloodbath twenty years ago, knew.

Unease skittered down her spine like a scurrying spider as she climbed to the third floor landing. Even in the golden glow of the lamps, the murderous evil from that night seemed linger in the air. As if malevolence had permeated the very fabric of the space; from the mosaic floors and decorated walls, to the ornate ironwork banisters and heavy velvet drapes.

Why had she agreed to come here? Why hadn’t she insisted on meeting the mysterious caller somewhere else? Because the need to know the truth, finally, had outweighed her common sense.

Steady footsteps, climbing the stairs, made her heart slam against her ribs. Though her palms were damp with nerves, she squared her shoulders and prepared to meet the one who’d promised to give her the answers she sought.

She gasped as the caller came into view. The last person she’d expected.

The suspense is killing me! Who is it??

Two-time Golden Heart finalist Anna Sugden writes heart-warming contemporary romances and heart-pounding romantic suspense, with an English twist. To find out more about them, especially her sexy hockey hunks, please visit her website.

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Vignette #4 by Tawny Weber

Some nights were made for fantasies-come-true, and this was one of them. Giddy, like she’d guzzled an entire bottle of primo champagne, she stared at the staircase and shivered with anticipation. There it was, a slow, steady climb with the promise of ecstasy when she reached the peak.

Could she handle it? Hell yeah, she was wearing her lucky lace undies. She was ready anything!

Still, tension built with each step. It wound tighter and tighter until she tingled from her sexily tousled hair to her strappy, do-me stiletto’d toes. Oh yeah, baby. She was so ready she was about to explode.

She reached the landing. Anticipation zinged through her system like some new kind of sex toy as she took that final step, pushing the bedroom door open with two fingers. Eyes huge, the roaring of her own heartbeat drowned out the sound of her shocked gasp.

“Sven,” she exclaimed. ...


Lucky lace undies? Stiletto heels? Sven? Sounds like it's about to get very hot and steamy in here!

Tawny Weber is usually found dreaming up stories in her California home, surrounded by dogs, cats and kids. When she’s not writing hot, spicy stories for Harlequin Blaze, she’s shopping for the perfect pair of boots or drooling over Johnny Depp pictures (when her husband isn’t looking, of course). For more information about Tawny and her books, visit her at her website.

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DAY 3 WINNER!

Sorry for the late posting.  I was so worn out from all the fun yesterday that I fell asleep at 9:30!  

What a fabulous Day 3 of our Romance Bandits Invasion!  Many thanks to KJ, Nancy, Jeanne and Cassondra for their terrific vignettes and for their generous prize package.  Today's authors had praise for all of the wonderful continuations.  It was a tight competition but they've chosen their winner.

BECKE

You're the winner of Wednesday's prize package!  You'll be receiving a $10 B&N gift card from KJ, a $10 Borders gift card from Nancy, a $10 B&N gift card from Cassondra and signed copies of Dark and Dangerous and Dark and Deadly from Jeanne.  Please send your full name and snail mail address to theromancedish@gmail.com.

BANDIT INVASION - Day 4

And the Bandit Invasion continues with authors Christie Kelley, Susan Sey, Caren Crane, and Kirsten Scott! I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for a man in a shirt and tie. I wonder what this cutie sees out the window? Christie, Susan, Caren, and Kirsten have each written a vignette concerning that very question, but they need YOU to help them finish it! Write a line or two to finish their vignettes. And remember -- be creative! Today's prize package includes a $10 B&N gift card from Susan, a $10 Amazon gift card from Caren and a signed copy of Every Night I'm Yours from Christie. Good luck!

Vignette #1 by Christie Kelley

Kevin couldn’t help but laugh when he saw Stacy struggle to get the oversize bouquet of flowers into her Smart car. Whoever had sent those flowers certainly didn’t know his “green” assistant. She would hate the idea that those flowers had been cut only for her to admire for a few days.
After looking back at his caller ID and ignoring the call from his brother, he glanced back to see Stacy’s car still in the lot, but no sign of Stacy. His smile turned to a scowl. Where had she gone? The parking lot was almost empty.

“Kevin?”

He turned and steeled his mouth from gaping at the sight of Stacy O’Hara with her chestnut hair out if its usual tight bun, her white silk blouse with at least one more button undone and her glasses off. Had he known what she’d been hiding for the past year, maybe he would have sent her a large bouquet, too.

Christie Kelley was born and raised in upstate New York. As a child, she always had a vivid imagination and the bad dreams that go along with it, or perhaps the dreams were caused by the five brothers and three sisters she lived with. After seventeen years working for financial institutions in software development, she took a leap of faith and started her first book. Seven years later, EVERY NIGHT I’M YOURS was bought by Zebra books. The third book in Christie's historical Spinster Club series, SOMETHING SCANDALOUS, will be released in April 2010.

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Vignette #2 by Susan Sey

When it came to straddling the line, Sean McLatcher was an old pro. A cement pourer’s son with an Ivy League degree, Sean didn’t mind the fact that big callused hands poked out of his custom-tailored sleeves. Any general contractor worth his license was a jack of all trades, anyway, and Sean practically defined the term. He could crack a Pabst with the guys or order wine with the venture capitalists without missing a beat.

But romancing Janey Johnson? Damn. Sean was on boggy ground there.

He peered through the blinds for the sixth time in as many minutes and--finally, thank god--there she was. He grinned. He’d know that walk anywhere. The girl didn’t have any gear lower than march, and she took the parking lot like Sherman advancing on Savannah.

Question was, how was she going to take to the little token of his affection he’d strapped to the driver’s seat of her car?

Some years back, Golden Heart ® Award Winner Susan Sey gave up the glamorous world of software training to pursue a high powered career in diaper changing. Two children and millions of diapers later, she decided to branch out and started writing novels during nap time. The kids eventually gave up their naps, so now she writes when she’s supposed to be doing the laundry. She currently resides in St. Paul, MN, with her wonderful husband, their charming children and a very tall pile of dirty clothes.

Her first book, Money Honey, will be released on July 6, 2010. You can visit her on the web at http://www.susansey.com/.

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Vignette #3 by Caren Crane

"If anyone finds out we repainted the sign on Palmer's parking space, we're gonna be fired. But did you see her face? You can't fake rage like that, " Derek said, grinning down at the parking lot.

"What do mean we? It was all you, Jenkins," Michael said. "She'll know it, too."

"She can't prove it. If she makes a stink, she'll look like the humorless ladder-climber she is. It's a shame all that hotness is wasted."

"You're the one that turned her off dating...and Jell-o shots." Michael headed out the door, peered down the hall, then turned back. "Watch out, she's headed this way!"

"Run away, coward," Derek muttered, regretting giving in to his wild side. The one that had kept him in detention at school. That had once attracted Lindsay.

"Ms. Palmer, always a pleasure."

"Cut the crap," Lindsay said. "So much for discretion. Did you have to put that on my parking space?"

Caren Crane became a writer to escape the mind-numbing dullness of life in a cubicle when working as an engineer. Her forays into humorous, emotional women's fiction and romance allow her to spend time with the most entertaining people she knows - the ones in her head. Caren has finaled in contests such as the Golden Heart, Golden Pen, Maggie, Golden Opportunity, Molly, Sheila, Marlene and Heart Of the Rockies. She is an unapologetic conference junkie and a self-proclaimed promo ho. You can keep up with Caren at the Romance Bandits blog and at her website.

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Vignette #4 by Kirsten Scott

Griffin Delcorte laughed out loud as he gazed through the blinds. On the street below a troupe of dancing gorillas -- complete with pink tutus and glittering crowns -- spun and lept across the sidewalk. At the end of the routine, the lead gorilla held up a sign urging the quickly gathering crowds to attend the Beringer Ballet's premier of Swan Lake.

It was a cheap stunt. Griffin knew that. He also knew the Beringer was just a few audience members shy of bankruptcy. If he didn't turn the company around, and quick, they were doomed.

"Is this your idea of a joke?"

Griffin winced at the sound of the icy voice. He could picture her before he turned around. Long, graceful neck. Golden hair neatly captured in a bun. Her body a series of achingly beautiful lines. Beringer’s prima ballerina.

The crowds loved her.

That was because they didn’t know she was a complete bitch.

Kirsten Scott writes anything and everything -- from early reader chapter books to steamy adult romance. Kirsten was a 2006 Golden Heart finalist for her Regency romance, More Than a Lady. Since 2006, Kirsten has also tried her hand at contemporary romance and paranormal romance. Her first young adult novel, Delcroix Academy: The Candidates, will be available in August 2010 from Disney-Hyperion Books for Children. If she can ever quit the dreaded day job, Kirsten plans to take over the bookstore, one genre at a time.

BANDIT INVASION - DAY 3

Today marks the middle point of our Bandit Invasion Week. We hope you are having fun with the vignettes. Nancy Northcott, KJ Howe, Cassondra Murray and Jeanne Adams have provided you with a variety of vignettes with the above picture in mind. So delve deep into your creative mind, get those juices flowing and finish off one or more of the vignettes. The prize package up for grabs today is a $10 B&N gift card from KJ, a signed copy of Dark and Deadly and Dark and Dangerous from Jeanne, a $10 B&N gift card from Cassondra and a $10 Borders gift card from Nancy. Wow, I wish we Dishies were eligible to win!

Our first vignette today is from Nancy Northcott. Nancy enjoys all types of word play but considers fiction a unique window to the human heart. In her books, she combines adventure and romance in the development of true love for her characters. She has finaled in the Golden Heart and various chapter contests and has won several, with her most recent win the 2008 Maggie Award for Excellence in Contemporary Single Title. She has published freelance newspaper and magazine features and teaches college classes in American cultural history.

Vignette #1 by Nancy Northcott

“Amazing house.” Rick’s gravelly voice crackled over the Team X comm net. “Be a shame to blow it up.”

Crouched beside her partner, Ian, behind the bushes off the long drive, Lisa Marshall barely listened. The idea of destroying something so old and beautiful and precious to her family made her ill. But if Kralek’s soul-stealing demons had used the psi power accumulated here to open a portal from their world, only the house’s total destruction would stop them.

Tall, chestnut-haired Ian squeezed her shoulder in silent support. Only he knew how much the house really meant to her, and she trusted him to keep that quiet. Especially after last night’s unexpected flare of passion between them, which neither of them seemed to know how to handle in the morning light.

“Move in,” Rick ordered.

Silently, they stole down the wide lawn. They’d almost reached the house when something under Ian’s foot went click. He froze, and they both looked down.

Trip wire. Crap. The demons had human help.


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After graduating from University of Toronto with a Specialist Degree in Labor Management Relations, KJ Howe tried the business world—but the creative pull to write was irresistible. She returned to school to complete a Master’s in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania where she wrote her thesis, ONE SHOT, TWO KILLS. KJ has the honor of winning three Daphne du Maurier awards for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense and numerous other writing awards. She works as a medical, health, and fitness writer, excellent training ground for research and answers to countless Jeopardy questions.



Vignette #2 by KJ Howe


Thirty seconds until nirvana. Mariah climbed out of the limo that had been sent for her and stared at massive plantation-style home. Very intimidating, especially for a girl who’d struggled to eradicate all signs of growing up on the wrong side of the tracks. She tottered along in her three inch heels, strolling down the red dirt path. Was he watching? She straightened her spine and quickly wiped her damp palms on her gingham dress. Four questionnaires, two interviews, and a background check—heck, it felt like she was being vetted by the FBI. All so she could meet Mr. Right. What had the lady at the agency said? They’d found a perfect match and he wanted her to come over that very day. She climbed the steps to the porch, her knees wobbling and her heart throbbing. She inhaled a deep breath. Here goes. Turning, she came face-to-face with—

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Romantic Suspense author, Jeanne Adams is a woman of many talents. The former marketing executive also has degrees in interior design and landscape design, worked in the funeral and cemetery business for several years, teaches classes on fascinating topics such as Body Disposal and is now happily employed as a consultant and full-time writer. The author of two romantic suspense novels, Dark and Dangerous and Dark and Deadly, Jeanne's next book, Deadly Little Secrets, will be released this fall.

Vignette #3 by Jeanne Adams

Spring at Twelve Oaks made the funeral easier. The harsh beatings and brutal shouts were gone. Gabe could appreciate the old place now, ten years beyond the pain it represented. With his grandfather safely buried, he wanted one last look. Did ghosts still roam the halls? The retreat company he was selling to was banking on it.

He joined the day’s last public tour as it reached the library.

“In continuous use since seventeen-ninety,” the perky guide offered, “Twelve Oaks is full of ghost stories. One tale, the Death of the Pirate, centers on this very room.” Memory made him smile; it was a good story.

A hint of perfume drew his attention. At his glance, the woman to his right concealed a detailed site map she’d drawn, even as she pretended to listen.

Later, near midnight, with the house dark and empty, he slipped into the library. If stealing was her game, tonight after moonset would be optimal. He would wait, catch her in the act and then…

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Cassondra Murray lives in Southern Kentucky in the midst of corn and soybeans with her husband, Steve, and their “children”--three Search & Rescue dogs, two cats, and a few thousand honeybees. When she’s not blogging with the Romance Bandits, cleaning the guns in the Bandit arsenal, or tending bar in the Lair, she writes Romantic Suspense and Futuristic Romance.

Vignette #4 by Cassondra Murray

March 1st.

A good day for a sick bastard to die.

So why the hell was she shaking?

Marci twisted the zoom on the Schmidt-Bender scope way too hard. She was Marci by-god Gidcomb and her hand never shook. It didn’t shake when she made her first kill at 19. Or last week, when she sent Alabama’s Attorney General to his final reward.

She focused on the bedroom window. Second from left. Upstairs. Same as always.

The man moved back and forth across the room. She had only to wait. He’d unbutton his shirt, peel it off, she’d see the sweat stains on his undershirt and then she’d smell him--

Stop it. Stop it now. Marci let out a breath.

And there he was, in front of the dresser, unbuckling his belt. Dead center in her crosshairs.

Sweat dripped from her camouflaged face into the black mud.

She felt down the edge of the trigger guard and curled her finger forward...

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And The Winner Is

Day 2 of the Bandit Invasion brought us some terrific vignettes from Trish, Christine, Cindy and Beth as well as clever, imaginative and very funny continuations from our posters.  You all are so creative!  The Dishy Dames (as Christine calls us) are very glad we didn't have to pick the winner.  Today's authors carefully considered all of the continuations and have chosen the winner of their prize package.

JEDISAKORA!

You're today's winner! Please email your full name and snail mail address to us at theromancedish@gmail.com.to claim your prize.

BANDIT INVASION - DAY 2

Yesterday's vignettes and finishes were terrific! I'm still chuckling over the 20 virgins, unexplained explosions, riding crops and nose holding while plunging. I can hardly wait to see what y'all come up with next!

Today we welcome Loucinda McGary, Trish Milburn, Christine Wells and Beth Andrews! These ladies have written some great vignettes about the picture above, titled "Lady in the Woods." Now all you have to do is finish any (or all) of the vignettes with one or more lines and you could be the winner of today's terrific prize package: signed copies of A Firefighter in the Family, Wicked Little Game, The Wild Sight and His Secret Agenda.  Let's put our imaginations to work!

Our first vignette today is by Loucinda McGary, affectionately known in the Bandit Lair as "Aunty Cindy." She's the author of romantic suspense novels featuring sexy Irish heroes and set in fascinating foreign locales. Which makes sense when you discover that she's visited (at last count) 47 states and 25 foreign countries. Her most recent release, The Treasures of Venice, is set in, appropriately, Venice, Italy. Her next book, The Wild Irish Sea, takes us back to Ireland and will be published in July of this year.

Vignette #1 by Loucinda McGary

Cold! Great Merlin’s ghost it’s cold, and now it’s snowing too.

Can this possibly get any worse? I mean what moron schedules a Ren Faire in the middle of January? Probably the same one who designed this fur coat with no buttons. DUH!

At least I was smart enough to put thermal long-johns on under this velvet gown. Authenticity be damned! I am not freezing my ass off any worse than I have to.

If I didn’t need the money, I’d have never signed on for this gig. But unemployment benefits don’t go very far, and they definitely don’t last forever. Besides, working this Ren Faire was supposed to be all cash under the table. A nice little bonus just when I needed it most.

Only where is that slimy promoter? I saw him sneaking off into these trees, that’s why I followed him. Not my fault the crowd didn’t show up in this freezing weather. A deal’s a deal, and I want my money. I know the little weasel’s around here somewhere, even if I can’t see his tracks.

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Christine Wells writes historical romance for Berkley Sensation. Her debut book, THE DANGEROUS DUKE, was a 2009 RITA award finalist. WICKED LITTLE GAME, a RT Magazine nominee for "Best Sensual Historical Romance of 2009" is in stores now and SWEETEST LITTLE SIN (Louisa and Jardine's story) will be released on May 4, 2010.

Vignette #2 by Christine Wells

The copse Louisa entered was shady, silent and still save for the twigs and leaves that snapped and crunched underfoot. It was cooler here, with the thickly wooded forest blocking all but a light dapple of sun.

Louisa gathered her skirts to step over a tree root that cut across the path. She looked up and nearly stumbled.

Standing in a clearing at the heart of the wood was Jardine.

They stared at one another for long moments, and under his penetrating, assessing gaze any modicum of peace she’d achieved in the past weeks shattered.

“You.”

He moved toward her, sleek and lethal. “Well met, Louisa.”

Louisa willed herself not to step back, to hold his gaze while he stalked her, circled her like a panther toying with its prey. She forced herself not to turn when he halted behind her, murmured in her ear…




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Trish Milburn writes romance for Harlequin American under her own name and young adult novels under the name Tricia Mills for Razorbill. She reviews young adult releases here at The Romance Dish on the 10th of each month. For more information about Trish and her books (including The Family Man, out in March), visit her website.

Vignette #3 by Trish Milburn

Yvette stopped in the clearing and listened. But it was as if the snow had not only covered the ground, but had also dampened all sound. No scurrying of woodland creatures, no squawk of disturbed birds, no stamp of large animals greeted her ears. Though the moon behind the clouds shed only the faintest light, it was enough for Yvette to tell that the only tracks in the clearing were her own.

She had always loved walking in this forest -- the one place where she could get away from the cacophony that was her everyday existence. She loved the peace it exuded. But tonight it was too quiet, too empty. She shivered beneath the fur-lined cloak. She’d been a fool to agree to meet him here. What if everything Sofia had told her was true? Suddenly feeling profoundly alone, she turned to retrace her steps. She froze at the sight of what stood in her path.

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Beth Andrews wishes she could cast a spell that would enable the many stories in her head to simply appear on her computer screen without all the procrastination, chocolate and copious amounts of coffee usually needed. Until then, she’ll keep typing because to her, there are no words more magical than The End. HIS SECRET AGENDA, Beth’s latest book for Harlequin Superromance was out in October. Her next release, DO YOU TAKE THIS COP? is out in May. Check out her website for more information!  

Vignette #4 by Beth Andrews

She stepped into the clearing, the gold plated heels of her beloved Jimmy Choo black leather boots sinking into the damp earth. Snow fell softly, the fat flakes swirling around her, glistening in the moonlight streaking through the bare-limbed trees. Skin tingling with excitement she exhaled heavily, her breath forming a shimmery cloud before disappearing.

Tipping her face up, she shut her eyes. A cold breeze lifted the ends of her hair. Silence, absolute stillness surrounded her. This place, this spot, was the one she’d been searching for.

It was…magical.

A triumphant smile curved her lips as her eyes opened. It was the perfect spot.

Though her eagerness pushed at her to rush, she worked carefully, methodically as she cast her circle. There could be no mistakes. Not tonight. Not when she was so close to getting what she wanted.

Once the circle was complete, she recited the spell guaranteed to bring her what her heart desired most…

MONDAY'S BANDIT INVASION WINNER

There were so many terrific finishes to Monday's vignettes.  Today's authors had a tough job but they've picked a winner and that person is....

                                          KARYN / DREW!!!

The authors said your finishes were "the most unique and story centric additions to our vignettes."

Congratulations, Drew! Please email your full name and snail mail address to us at theromancedish@gmail.com and we'll forward it on to today's authors.

Beverley Kendall winners!

The winners of a signed copy of Sinful Surrender are:

Virginia C

and

Jessica!

Congrats Virginia and Jessica! Please send your full name and address to beverleyATbeverleykendallDOTcom with "The Romance Dish winner" in the subject line and Bev will get your book in the mail. Thanks!

BANDIT INVASION - DAY 1

Kicking off this week's Bandit Invasion are Donna MacMeans, Jo Lewis-Robertson, Kate Carlisle and Joan Kayse.  They've chosen the lovely photo at the left for inspiration.  I can't wait to see what they've written.  I know I certainly find him...uh...it... inspiring.  In a purely artistic way, of course.  (grin)   Each of the authors has written a vignette based on today's photo but they've left them short a line or two. Your mission is to finish the vignettes. Be serious, humorous, sweet or spicy...whatever direction your inspiration takes you. Just have fun!  One lucky commenter will win a prize package containing a signed copy of Seduction of a Duke by Donna MacMeans, a long-sleeved Romance Bandits tee shirt, a Romance Bandits magnet and post-it pad, a signed copy of If Books Could Kill by Kate Carlisle and Scottish shortbread.

Our first vignette today is from Donna MacMeans. This award-winning romance author has been publishing witty and seductive historicals with a late Victorian setting since 2007. She’s also a CPA, which involves books of a whole different nature. Her latest, The Seduction of a Duke, was released in April 2009. She also has a short story in The Tails of Love anthology, the author proceeds of which go an AAF animal shelter.


Vignette #1 by Donna MacMeans

Lord Pemberton rose from wispy fog. What the hell? He remembered the crack of gunshot, the scream of his horse, then….

“Not hell.” A white-haired man studied a ledger. “Though it’s a wonder why not. Blasphemy...drunkenness…gambling”—he peered over his glasses – “I won’t even begin about the women.”

“Who are you?” Pemberton demanded. “Where’s Titan?” “Your stallion is fine. You, however, are dead. Now, where to send you.”

“I’m not in hell?”

“I don’t understand it myself,” the man said. “Of course, there’s the generous dowry you provided for that orphan and the charity given to your tenants.”

“You know of that?”

“We know everything. Still you can’t stay here.” He glanced overhead and chuckled. “Yes. They could teach him a thing or two.”

“Who?”

“God found you a placement. You’ll be expected to service and provide for twenty very special women. It can be demanding work.”

Pemberton’s clothes disintegrated, replaced by something that barely covered his privates. Shades appeared on his nose. He started falling…falling…till warm sand pressed his back. A voice from the heavens called out…

”Watch out for the one with a riding crop…”

Riding crop?  I can't wait to find out what happens next!  It's all in your hands now.  Finish Donna's vignette with a line or two (or more) and you could be one of today's winners.

Our second vignette is from Joan Kayse, a writer of historical and paranormal romance.  Joan's historical manuscripts have been finalists in many prestigious contests, including the 2006 Golden Heart.    Her manuscript of The Patrician's Fortune took home the grand prize in NOLA's The Suzannah, a multi-sub-genre contest and placed first in the 2009 Fire & Ice contest sponsored by Chicago North.  Joanie is also known for her ongoing love affair with PJ's chocolate turtles.

Vignette #2 by Joan Kayse

Gods, he hated sand.

Dav forced his muscles to relax, maintain the pose of a relaxed vacationer on the Isle planet’s premier beach resort. But he still hated sand. Had ever since his two year incarceration on the desert asteroid of Saudu. He hated the Prima Council too. Bastards had disavowed any knowledge of their best operative and left him to rot in that stinking hole. Which begged the question, why in the hell was he working for them again?

He took a steadying breath, worked the answer out again in his head. Because he wanted to bring them down. He had skills they needed, like it or not. Skills that this particular mission required and he intended to use them and cut the Council off at the knees.

A splash from the water drew Dav’s attention. He sent out a wave of probing energy which shot back at him like a cannon. He raised up on one elbow and peered over the edge of his sun guards. A tall, lithe woman strolled out of the water.

Stark naked save for some strategically placed kelp, her skin sparkled like diamonds. Rich chestnut hair swirled in tangled curls down her shoulders while cool aquamarine eyes scanned the area coming to rest on him.

Dav pulled the sun guards off and studied her at his leisure. Curves that would not quit, long, sculpted legs—with gossamer fins trailing along her calves. She raised one finely arched brow in a look both question and challenge. Find the Mermaid Queen had been his directive.

Dav smiled.

I have the feeling this is one woman who's going to give as good as she gets.  I can't wait to find out how y'all finish this one!

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Vignette #3 by Jo Lewis-Robertson

Yeah, nice hot sun, warm sand.

Bright. Ha, I can stare at it a long time through the shades though.

Whoa!

Rex blinks furiously and gazes down at his toes.

Oops! Tenting down below.

He sits up, shifting discreetly, and brushes the sand off his six-pack. He runs his fingers through his jelled hair and frowns.

Crap! Ruined the look.

He stares at the white glare of beach. An old man builds sand castles to his left. A bum in beachcombers pokes in the sand with a metal detector.

Hell, no action here.

Rex stands and flexes his muscles, admiring the ripple of muscle under the liquid gold tan. A movement catches his attention.

Hubba, hubba, look at that, will you?

A leggy blonde with a wide smile lingers at the edge of the water. She slips off her bikini top and tosses it over her shoulder.

Hey, this ain’t no topless beach.

Rex glances around hopefully.

Is it?

Sounds like some surprises are in store for our boy, Rex. What do you suppose happens next? It's all up to you!

Jo Robertson loves writing mystery-suspense stories with enough romance to ratchet up the stakes for her hero and heroine. A retired school teacher and the mother of seven children, she has plenty of drama in her own life to spur her imagination and add color and conflict to her stories.  You can learn more about Jo at her website.



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Due to unforeseen circumstances, Kate is unable to be here today. We hope that she will be able to join us later in the week.

Golden Heart and Daphne du Maurier Award winning author Kate Carlisle spent over twenty years working in television production as an Associate Director for game and variety shows, including The Midnight Special, Solid Gold and The Gong Show. She also studied acting and singing, toiled in vineyards, collected books, joined a commune, sold fried chicken, modeled spring fashions and worked for a cruise ship line, but it was the year she spent in law school that finally drove her to begin writing fiction. It seemed the safest way to kill off her professors. Kate's first book, Homicide in Hardcover: A Bibliophile Mystery hit the New York Times Bestseller List. The second book in her Bibliophile Mystery series, If Books Could Kill, will be released February 2, 2010.

Review -- The Bliss Factor

The Bliss Factor
By Penny McCall
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Release Date: February 2, 2010

Life is not bliss when buttoned up accountant, Rae Blissfield, formerly known as Sunshine Bliss, finds herself once again thrown into the chaos of her parents' life on the Renaissance Faire circuit, the same life Rae happily left behind the minute she turned 18. Though she loves her parents dearly, she doesn't share their sense of adventure or love of life on the road. All Rae wants is to make partner at the accounting firm where she works and enjoy a financially secure, comfortable life but all that comfort and security gets tossed out the window when the Ren Faire rolls into town, she receives an urgent message from her parents and comes face to face with temptation personified.

She lifted onto her toes and managed to spy a carefully banked fire within a shed-like opening, decorated with intricate metalwork pieces and medieval weaponry, and filled with a half-naked man. A tall, bare-chested, rugged-looking man with dark, shoulder-length hair and arresting blue eyes. Of course, it took her a minute to get to the eyes. No sense rushing things, she thought, dropping her gaze to the dirt floor of the shed and working her way up over knee-high boots with homespun britches tucked into them. He wore a leather apron over the britches - disappointingly - but the scenery improved from there. Six-pack abs, pecs the size of dinner plates, and biceps she couldn't have spanned with both hands. His neck was corded, his face was square-jawed, and then there were his eyes, bright blue and laser sharp against his black hair and tanned skin.

He looked up, their gazes met, and Rae felt it all the way to her toes, where it boomeranged back up and clamored for notice in body parts she ought not to be thinking about. Those body parts would only get her in trouble...

Somebody is trying to kill undercover FBI Agent, Connor Larkin. Unfortunately, for Connor, not only does he not know who wants to kill him or why, thanks to being bashed on the head, he doesn't even know who he is. He doesn't remember that he's been traveling undercover with the Ren Faire while trying to identify the source of a counterfeiting ring. Nor is he familiar with any modern conveniences, such as cars, televisions, guns or fast food. In fact, perhaps due to the fact that he regained consciousness in the middle of a Renaissance Faire, Connor believes that he's an armorer living in medieval England which leads to plenty of entertaining dialogue between medieval Connor and thoroughly modern Rae, such as the following:

"Did you say something?"
Conn smiled a little. "That was my stomach growling."
"Missed lunch in all the excitement, huh?"
"I rarely eat when there are crowds."
Rae glanced over at him. "Why not?"
"Women," Conn said, "then men, then trouble."
"Come again?"
He frowned. "When was the first time, and how did I miss it?"

Guilted by her parents into taking Connor home with her, to keep him safe, Rae soon finds her life turned topsy-turvy. Her bosses are upset that she's not coming into the office, three unemployed auto workers who act more like The Three Stooges than the Sopranos are trying to kill Connor and getting more proficient with each attempt and she's beginning to suspect that her parents are in the middle of something not quite legal. And, if that isn't enough, she's stuck babysitting a tall, dark and hunky guy who threatens to lay siege to both her body and her heart. 

McCall has written a fast-paced romantic suspense story with likeable characters, plenty of action and laugh-out-loud humor. I especially enjoyed medieval Connor. The author strikes just the right note to bring forth the emotional simplicity of a poor medieval blacksmith while maintaining the hilarious situations that occur by tossing him into the 21st century without turning him into a caricature. And, in Rae, she has created a heroine who, after spending her entire adult life running away from her past and chasing what she thinks is her future, discovers that it may not be what she wants...or needs. A terrific group of secondary characters round out the cast and contribute to some of the best lines and scenes in the book, many of which had me rolling with laughter. I thoroughly enjoyed The Bliss Factor and look forward to reading more books from Ms. McCall.

~PJ

Review -- A Black Tie Affair

A Black Tie Affair
by Sherrill Bodine
Publisher: Grand Central
Release Date: January 1, 2010

As curator of costumes for a Chicago museum, Athena Smith is surrounded by beautiful, historic clothing every day. But when the opportunity arises to authenticate the treasure trove of Bertha Palmer gowns the Clayworth family has under lock and key in their "secret closet", Athena eagerly accepts the challenge, even though the Clayworth family recently fired her father. Athena is blindfolded and driven to the secret location of the Palmer gowns, Athena is thrilled to come in contact with the gowns. Unbeknownst to Athena, the gowns emit a type of neurotoxin which acts like truth serum. One minute she is underneath a gown describing the twelve bones in the bodice and the next minute Athena is waking up in a hospital staring into the eyes of the man she has loved for years . . . Drew Clayworth.

Drew Clayworth has two loves in his life -- his love of sailing and his love of family. Several years ago, his love for sailing (which he inherited from his parents) took his parents from him forever. While racing in the Fastnet sailing contest off the shores of England, the yacht his parents were sailing was caught in a deadly storm, killing all crew members on the boat. Never getting over the lost of his parents, Drew throws himself into his work, as an executive with the Clayworth stores, and his hobby, teaching underprivileged boys how to sail. When Drew receives a call that Athena Smith has been taken to the hospital while studying the Bertha Palmer gowns his family owns, Drew is reminded of the other love he lost -- Athena.

When the Bertha Palmer gowns are stolen from the Clayworth's "secret closet" and the family worries over the neurotoxin the gowns emit, Drew and Athena form an alliance to find the gowns before anyone is harmed. Through the constant contact, both Athena and Drew begin to reminisce about the memories of their teen years and so discover those loving feelings are still there. But as in most cases of lost love found again, Drew and Athena have secrets to reveal to one another.

The interaction between Athena and Drew is great. I felt the longing and wonder of the young love each of them remembered, as shown in this passage.

"Drew paused at the door to look back. For some reason, his face relaxed and his lips curled in the briefest of smiles before he turned and left. A rush of hot curiosity made her shiver. She had the oddest wish to know what or who had made him happy. Once, long ago, she'd believed she had the power to do that."

While this book is entertaining and full of tidbits any fashionista would enjoy reading, I am a reader who likes all the pieces of the puzzle to be in place when I turn the last page. At the end of this book, the reader does not know who stole the dresses or the full reason why Athena's father was fired by the Clayworth family. Maybe the answer to these will be revealed in the next books by Ms. Bodine, as Athena has two sisters who need their happily ever afters. All in all, this novel was still a good weekend read.


~ Buffie

Review -- Back in Black

Back in Black
By Lori Foster
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: February 2, 2010

Blunt, brash and brutally honest, Drew Black is nobody's fool.  With his business acumen and "man's man" attitude, he has built the SBC into the premier MMA (mixed martial arts) organization in the country. The best fighters and most beautiful women are his for the taking. Drew is at the top of his game, a man in charge of his destiny...or so he thinks.

PR expert, Gillian Noode is the best at what she does. When the owners of the SBC hire her to smooth the rough edges of their President she is confident of her ability to get the job done. But that's before she meets Drew Black, witnesses his overt sexuality and crude behavior first-hand and, unbelievably, finds herself attracted to the man!  Has she bitten off more than she can chew or is she the one woman with the ability to tame the beast?

Drew knows he doesn't have to submit to Gillian's coaching.  He's rich enough, and confident enough, to walk away from the SBC and start over somewhere else,  But Gillian intrigues him, it's obvious that the attraction is mutual, and Drew's not above using that to turn the situation to his advantage.

"Yeah, I like sex as  much as the next guy.  If you gave it a chance, you might like it, too."

"I like it fine!"

Now he did chuckle.  "Well, that's good, because here's our deal."  He released the necklace to slide his hand around her nape.  "You tell me the first image-improving gig you want me to do , and I'll give it my best shot."

She stared at his mouth and replied in a whisper.  "Perfect.  I have a appearance set up for you with -"

"After I get to kiss you."  He brushed his thumb on the side of her throat.  "No tongues or anything.  Yet.  I'll just kiss you...here."

"You...what?"  She strained away from him, not so much to escape, but to stare up into his face with utter disbelief.  

As if explaining it, he said, "I want to kiss you.  Just here, on your throat."  Again, he brushed his thumb over her racing pulse.  "Three seconds.  I'll let you count, okay?  After that, you tell me what it is you want me to do - for the image, I mean, not sexually.  Today it's only a kiss.  No more.  I insist."

I loved Drew!  Yes, he's arrogant and has an overwhelming fondness for four letter words but he's much more than the outer trappings, as Gillian discovers.  Though he tries to keep it quiet, he gives back to the community in many ways and is fiercely loyal to his fighters and friends.  He loves sex, consensual sex, a lot, but also has a profound respect for women.  When he finally loses his heart to that one special woman, she'll never have to question his love or his loyalty.  He'll never lose that rough edge but, the more time Gillian spends with him the more she wonders if she doesn't prefer the tiger he is to the pussycat she was hired to turn him into.

A secondary romance between aspiring fighter, Brett Bullman and inexperienced, somewhat naive Audrey Porter brings a heartwarming sweetness to the story.  But Audrey is the leader of WAVS (Women Against Violent Sports) and when Drew begins to receive threats, Audrey and her group are the leading suspects, jeopardizing her relationship with Brett.  When those threats escalate to actual attacks, for Brett, Audrey, Gillian and Drew, it's not just their relationships that are at risk but their very lives.

Back in Black has everything I love in a contemporary romance:  A sexy, alpha hero; a smart, sassy heroine, fast-paced action; sizzling hot love scenes; likeable secondary characters who add to, rather than detract from, the story and a happy ending.  The banter between Drew and Gillian is smart and snappy and the love scenes are smokin'!  These are two intelligent, confident people who know what they want and make one heck of a great team.  I highly recommend this book!