Review - - A Marine For Christmas

A MARINE FOR CHRISTMAS
Diamond Dust Trilogy - Book 1
by Beth Andrews
Harlequin SuperRomance
Release Date: November 9, 2010

One of the things I admire most about this 2010 RITA winning author’s writing is her willingness to tackle difficult subjects head-on. From the first page of A Marine for Christmas, the characters are sucked into the turmoil of an emotional maelstrom and I went right along with them, never even considering turning back. Brady Sheppard has loved Liz Montgomery for half of his life but she ripped his heart to shreds by breaking their engagement in a Dear John letter sent to Afghanistan. The book opens as a drunken Brady, a shattered man both figuratively and literally, crashes Liz’s wedding to another man.

Twenty-six year old, JC Montgomery loves her older sister even though she’s spent most of her life trying, unsuccessfully, to measure up to her. Not only has Liz has always been prettier, slimmer, smarter and more successful, she’s always had Brady, the man JC has been in love with for as long as she can remember. When Brady threatens to ruin her sister’s wedding reception, JC convinces him to leave and drives him home, never intending to stay. But, when Brady kisses her, she throws caution to the wind and takes a moment out of time for herself…a moment that leaves her pregnant…and brokenhearted. Because Brady still loves Liz, wants nothing to do with JC or the baby and is headed straight for a lifetime spent at the bottom of a bottle.

See what I mean about tackling tough subjects? Brady is a broken man. His career dreams have been shattered right along with the shattered knee he received courtesy of roadside terrorists in Afghanistan, the love of his life dumped him for a doctor, the post-war guilt and flashbacks he suffers are just one symptom of the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) overtaking his life and the only comfort he can find is in a bottle. It’s going to take one very strong, very special woman to bring him safely out of the storm and back into the sunlight of a happy life.

Andrews doesn’t make things easy for her characters and, while Brady and JC have the happy ending they deserve, she doesn’t wrap up everything prettily with ribbons and bows. This is real life and relationships have suffered: JC and Liz, JC and her parents, Liz and her husband, Brady and his mother and brothers. All of these relationships face challenges because of the actions of the various characters and only with love, trust and time, will they begin to mend. As a reader, I appreciate that Andrews recognizes this and keeps her stories true to life. As this is the first book in a new trilogy, I have hopes that we will see the progression of these relationships throughout the series.

A Marine for Christmas is a new release. Next year it’s going to be one of those treasured friends I lovingly re-visit each Christmas. I have no doubt it will continue to be for many years to come. If you haven’t read Beth Andrews yet, I strongly encourage you to pick up a copy of A Marine for Christmas. It’s a gift that should be on every romance reader’s list!

~PJ

Today's Special - - Dee Tenorio

It's our pleasure today to welcome Dee Tenorio to The Romance Dish!  Dee has a few reality issues. After much therapy for the problem—if one can call being awakened in the night by visions of hot able-bodied men a problem—she has proved incurable. It turns out she enjoys tormenting herself by writing sizzling, steamy romances of various genres spanning paranormal mystery dramas, contemporaries and romantic comedies. Preferably starring the sexy, somewhat grumpy heroes described above and smart-mouthed heroines who have much better hair than she does.

The best part is, no more therapy bills!

Well, not for Dee, anyway. Her husband and kids, on the other hand...

If you would like to learn more about Dee and her work, please visit her website at www.deetenorio.com or her blog at http://www.deetenorio.com/Blog/.

Or reach her on any of her social networks:




Have You Met Dee? She's The Crazy One On Aisle 3
by Dee Tenorio

I thought and thought and thought about what would be a great topic to discuss here at The Romance Dish. I'm really excited to be here and I definitely don't want to embarrass the kind folks who let me come on over and discuss things with you. Things about romance. About my writing. Even, believe it or not, things about me.

That would be a really short conversation, honestly. I'm a pretty open book. I was born doing two things—talking and reading—and I haven't stopped doing either one. Words have always been the matrix from which my mind works. I love a good story, but I love a great romance even more. So it was no big shock when I started writing them to share with my friends at school. Or when I got it in my head to make this my profession. But, I wanted to be sure to cover all those above topics so that maybe y'all might not think I was totally nuts for bugging you today.

Romance:

I have some very strong thoughts on romance, the strongest of which is if the couple isn't together, isn't alive or isn't happy despite being together and alive at the end...it ain't romance. (Feel free to agree or disagree with me in the comments, lol) I need my happy ending. I need my belief that the protagonists are going to stay together through thick and thin and that they're going to be happy that way. Romance is a huge part of what makes my life easier to live and keeps my dreams alive that yes, life does get better, even when everything is going wrong. I like hope. And when my faith is rewarded? Well, that's just the best thing of all.


About Me: (This is where the crazy comes in)

I've been married for 15 years to the greatest guy in the world. He gave me three kids, a boy and twin girls, and he commiserates with me over the fact that the girls are likely to take over the world by auditory assault until nations crumble beneath their feet. Our son is more likely going to design planes or quietly become king of video games. He's mellow like that. My hubby is an artist, which means he understands when my eyes glaze over and I type into the wee hours of the night. Most of the time. (Hey, he's human and he had kinda gone into marriage expecting his wife to occasionally sleep.)(I figure when the girls go to school, I have a real shot at sleeping again. Cross your fingers.)

I'm a weirdo. I love to color code. I can't cook—have repeatedly accidentally poisoned myself making egg salad over the years—I constantly vocalize my to-do list, I'm an organizational freak at times and I mumble. A lot. I love my kids, am feral when it comes to beating others off with a stick if they get too close to my hubby and I have huge dreams of finding a home where we can put down roots and grow old and fat and happy together. But I'll settle for just fat and happy, provided there's pie. :)

But I'm also deeply dedicated to...

My Writing:

Don't worry, I'm not going to hit you with the "Buy this book!" pitch—though if you're inclined toward emotional erotic reads, please don't let me stop you. I really am devoted to telling a truly emotional story, bringing readers into the connection between heroes and heroines. I want people to feel like they're falling in love. Because I love feeling that way. I want to fall too. Otherwise, what's the point, right?

I don't know if all this makes me a terrible blogger or not—ok, probably—but I've always been a little bit different. I've yet to take a traditional route in my life, so why start now, right?

How about you share a little bit about yourself with me too? If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be? Every comment will be entered into a random drawing for any book from my backlist, so be sure to come up with those words!

Thanks for having me today!
Dee

Today's Special - - Kylie Brant

It's my pleasure to welcome contemporary romantic suspense author, Kylie Brant back to The Romance Dish!  It's been almost twenty years since Kylie's first book was published and, in that time, she's written twenty-five romantic suspense novels for Silhouette Intimate Moments and five romantic suspense novels for Berkley.  That's a lot of good reading for those of us who enjoy romantic suspense thrillers!  When she's not writing, Kylie is a busy special education teacher who also enjoys traveling, reading, flower gardening and, believe it or not, exercising!  She's also a regular blogger at the multi-author blog,  Riding With the Top Down.  You can find more information about Kylie and her books at her website and connect with her at facebook and myspace.  Please welcome Kylie as she talks about the fourth book in her Mindhunters series, DEADLY INTENT, an intensely emotional and suspense-filled thriller that kept me awake reading long past midnight! 

Deadly Intent
by Kylie Brant

Thanks so much, Dishers, for having me back on the blog to discuss my newest release, DEADLY INTENT! I was thrilled and excited when my editor asked for three more Mindhunters books. DEADLY INTENT  is book 4 and continues to follow investigators for Raiker’s Forensics as they consult with law enforcement on urgent high profile crimes.

And it doesn’t come more urgent than a child kidnapping.

I was a bit squeamish about telling this story, despite its insistent demand in my imagination. Readers don’t like books about children in danger, I told myself. They aren’t going to want to hear about the trauma eleven-year-old Ellie Mulder has encountered in her short life. Sure I write dark romantic suspense, but how dark is too dark? I toyed with going in a different direction with it. Changing it completely. But the character of Ellie wouldn’t let me. She insisted on being heard.

She refused to be a victim.

This is the first time in thirty books that a secondary character has taken over like that. I’ve had minor skirmishes with a hero or heroine who wanted to dictate their storyline along the way. Usually we work out a compromise.   But Ellie is too young to have learned the art of give and take. So with a lot of self-doubt and trepidation, I began to write this story. And fell a little more in love with it with every chapter.

Ellie wasn’t the only one who revealed a stubborn streak as I wrote the story. The heroine, Macy Reid, didn’t turn out to be the quiet unassuming character I had first thought either. Turns out she’s used to being underestimated. People meeting her for the first time are charmed by her quiet competent air and faint British accent. They don’t see the strength beneath. They don’t suspect the sort of trauma in her past that has forged it.

Kellan Burke comes head to head with that strength over the course of the story. He hasn’t been able to get their one-night stand six months ago out of his head. It might be pride—he’s used to female attention, after all—but he hasn’t been able to forget her. The investigation requires them to work closely together, and being a multi-tasker, he’s more than up to the challenge of working the case and working to shred Macy’s defenses at the same time. Except that the more he learns of the woman the more intrigued he becomes. He wants to protect her at all costs, but learns that a person can’t be protected from their past. They can only be supported as they confront it.

It occurs to me that if there’s one common theme running through this book, it’s the danger of underestimating people. Colorado Bureau of Investigation Assistant Director Calvin Whitman makes that mistake with Kell. He sees only the rogue wise-cracker and doesn’t recognize the keen mind beneath until it’s almost too late. Kell, in turn doesn’t immediately realize that Macy is far more than a delicate English rose born with a silver spoon.

And as for Ellie…no one suspects the sort of courage a young girl can exhibit when she’s already been to hell and back. Or how the chilling circumstances of her captivity can wind up bringing her a bit of closure…and healing.

Since I’m not a plotter, it goes without saying that I love to be surprised by developments in my stories. Ellie surprised me time and again! Do you like your characters to follow a predictable pattern of development or do you enjoy twists along the way? How have you been surprised by your favorite author’s story people?

Readers can read an excerpt of DEADLY INTENT on my site at http://kyliebrant.com/current_excerpts.html#intent

One randomly selected person leaving a comment today will win one of Kylie's books.  You must have a U.S. or Canadian mailing address or live in a country where bookdepository.com mails in order to be eligible for this giveaway.   

Hot Dish for November

Boy have I got a guy for you this month!!! Thanks to a recommendation from one of the party girls (aka one of our followers) during our anniversary celebration week, I did a little research on this guy and found him to be worthy of this month's HOT DISH.

Words just aren't needed this month.

Just a few fabulous pictures and your imagination!

I give you the HOT DISH for November -- model Jed Hill.







Do I really need to say anything else?

~ Buffie

Today's Special -- Angela Johnson

I am thrilled to welcome Angela Johnson to The Romance Dish. Angela writes historical (specifically medievals) romances for Kensington. Though her love for romance began at an early age, it wasn't until college that Angela fell in love with history. Encouraged by her very own hero to combine her love of romance and history, Angela began writing medievals romances. And I, for one, am so glad she took the plunge! Angela's debut novel, Vow of Seduction, was release last year and you can read my review here. I am currently reading Angela's latest release, Vow of Deception, and thoroughly enjoying it. My review will be posted on November 23. Please join me in welcoming Angela Johnson!




Your first allegiance is to your heart…

As a knight, Sir Rand Montague’s allegiance is to King Edward I. But when the king orders Rand to escort Rosalyn Harcourt to court in order to wed her off to Sir Golan—a crass knight Rand abhors—he’s torn between duty and desire. For Rand has never forgotten the woman he spent one unforgettable night of passion with…

After suffering abuse at the hands of her deceased husband, Rose wishes to never wed again. But when Rand rescues her after Sir Golan attempts to compromise her, she agrees to marry Rand in name only. However, sharing such close quarters with Rand brings back memories of their torrid rendezvous—and tempts Rose to give in to an all-consuming desire…


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the cover blurb says, in Vow of Deception, Rand is ordered by the king to escort Rose to court to marry Sir Golan. Rose dares not defy the king if she wishes to protect her young son, but fears her husband-to-be is violent and dangerous, just like her first husband. Protecting herself and her young son would become Rose's steepest challenge.

I have never been abused, nor do I have any children of my own, so I had to dig deep to write my heroine. I had to do my best to understand her situation, and the relationship between her and her young son. To accomplish this understanding I had to go through a process of looking at mothers—up close and personal—as they say. I had to observe them, question them, seek their insights and input, and listen to their feedback.

This involved me putting out first drafts of my work for critique to two of my trusted friends who are mothers and writers. And I must be completely honest with you about this. Their feedback was like a cold slap in the face. They flatly told me that I was not capturing the essence of the whole motherhood experience. Their honesty sent me back to work and surely saved me some embarrassment. I can't thank them enough for that.

To be successful as a writer, I believe you must find "inspiration". You'll do your best writing when you are inspired about something.

As an author, many times we draw inspiration from the world around us. And that is what I tried to do with Vow of Deception. For example, one day I was discussing relationships between parents and children with a couple of my friends who are mothers, and one of them said rather matter-of-factly, "I love my children so much, I would die for them." The other friend spoke up quickly and affirmed that she'd do the same.

They both agreed the core motivation of a mother to protect her child is rooted in one's complete and utter love for their children. This is when I realized I had to tap into this emotion and express it in my book. Though I can’t truly understand a mother's love, I can relate to it. I have a husband whom I love so completely that I'd do anything to protect him. So I tried to transfer those emotions into Rose's character.

I also was inspired from the world around me when it came time to create a believable child in Vow of Deception. I needed both a physical description and inner personality traits. I started with his physical attributes—dimples, blond-hair, and almost four years of age. When creating characters, many writers draw inspiration from images of models or actors. I'm one who does this to solidify a character in my mind’s eye. But as serendipity would have it, my husband’s nephew fits this description perfectly. He’s the little boy you see in the picture, and he lives next door to us. He would often come running over to me to say "hello" whenever I was outside writing my novel, and ended up becoming my inspiration for Jason, Rose’s son.

Now that I had a physical description, I needed to define Jason’s inner traits. Inspiration came from another good friend of mine who visits me often with her son. Her young son is usually right beside her at all times. He's always excited to be "Mama’s little helper." So personality wise, Jason became a precocious little boy, devoted to his mother. He became a composite of two children I knew rather well through personal interaction. Here’s a sneak peak of a scene featuring Rose and her son, Jason.

Rose raised the missive in her hand and waved it at Edith. “The bishop has cancelled his trip to Ayleston, again. I wonder what can be keeping him?”

Edith set one of Jason’s hose she was mending down on the bench beside her. She rested her right arm, bent at an awkward angle, in her lap. “Milady, calm yourself. I am sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for his delay.”

Rose smiled at her former maidservant’s observation. Rose could not be any calmer outwardly, but Edith knew her very well and understood her agitation.

“I cannot help feeling something is amiss. Not till the bishop takes my vow of chastity will I feel safe. I shall never marry again,” she swore, a dark thread of conviction drawing her voice taut.

Rose plopped down on the bench beside Edith. Jason tugged a worm from the earth and squealed in delight, his cheeks dimpling. Rose’s gaze softened as she watched him.
“Are you sure you wish to take such a drastic measure? A vow of chastity is irrevocable. Perhaps you will want to marry again one day.”

Rose jerked her head to Edith. Jason’s nurse gazed at her, eyes shadowed, her left hand rubbing her crippled arm.

Guilt reared. Rose reached over and began massaging the shrunken muscles and tendons of Edith’s forearm. “Oh, forgive me, Edith. Here I am rambling about my troubles when you are in pain.”

A significant pause, then Edith whispered, “’Twas not your fault, milady.”
“If only I had been obedient and dutiful, Bertram would not have broken your arm and forbidden me to set it properly for you.”

Rose gazed off in the distance, her thoughts returning to the past. Rose had been spoiled and indulged as a child, and her father, Lord Briand, had taken the unusual step in allowing her to choose her own husband, provided the man was of equal or greater rank than she. But Rose had chosen unwisely, to her everlasting shame and regret. When she threatened Bertram that she would return to her father and tell him of Bertram’s perverse sexual proclivities, her husband struck out at Edith instead.

From that moment on, she learned never to defy him. No one was safe from his violent tendencies, not even Jason, his own son.

“Once I take my vow of chastity, I shall never be compelled to marry and be at the mercy of a man again.”

Marriage required enduring the humiliating debasement of conjugal duties. She had barely survived her first.

“Wurm, Mama. I found a wurm.” Her son’s excited voice drew Rose from her devastating memories. She looked down at Jason standing before her. The worm lay in his dirty palm as he raised it up for her inspection. She relaxed her tight grip on the crumpled missive.

Her eyes grew big as she stared at the worm he dangled before her. “Oh my, you did find a worm. A big, fat, wiggly one.” She growled beneath her breath, then reached out and tickled his tummy.

He burst out giggling, his little body wriggling as he tried to escape her marauding fingers. “I can’t breathe, Mama,” he gasped between giggles.

Rose relented, bent forward, and kissed his sweaty brow. “Jason. How would you like to help me collect some herbs in the woods? You are always such a great help to Mama.”

“I’m a good helper, Mama.” He jumped up and down, a huge grin on his face, his gold curls bouncing in his exuberance. Her heart twisted at the resemblance to his father, but she pushed the guilt away.

Regrets could not alter the past. She lived in the present, her sole purpose to rear and educate her son to prepare him for responsibilities he would assume upon his majority. Her son was her life. Indeed, she would protect him to her last breath from anyone who would harm him. She would teach Jason to revere and respect women, like his uncle and grandfather. They were the rare exception of what was good and honorable and chivalrous in a man.

“Good. Why don’t you go put the worm in your pail?”

Jason skipped away.

“Milady. What do you intend to do?” Edith looked up at her, her hand shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun.

“We leave for Lichfield at dawn. I dare not delay one day longer.”

“I shall go and have Lady Alison pack for you and Jason then.” Edith rose and hurried toward the Keep.

Rose’s gaze returned to Jason, drawing in the dirt with his stick. Her only regret about her decision to formalize her vow of chastity was that she would not have any more children. But it was a sacrifice she was willing to make for her independence. Not to mention her emotional and mental welfare.


In a book, an author must make the reader empathize with the heroine or hero. Statistics show the majority of romance readers and authors are women, many of whom are mothers.

If you are a mother, do you enjoy romance stories where heroines are also mothers? Or do you prefer one without the complication of children, which you might find distracting from the romance and sexual tension? Conversely, if you do not have children, do you prefer romances with heroines who are single and childless? Or does it matter to you one way or the other? Perhaps it comes down to believability only. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Two random commenters will receive an autographed copy of Vow of Deception.

Be sure to stop by Angela's website and check out her latest contest. You may just win a $50 Susan G. Komen for the Cure Visa card!



~ Buffie

Guest Review - - Willow

Willow
By Linda Lael Miller
Publisher: Pocket
Release Date: September 28, 2010

Willow Gallagher’s wedding to a man who is blackmailing her is interrupted by the appearance of Gideon Marshall, a railroad baron and the man Willow married in a fake ceremony two years earlier. The fake wedding, a bad joke with Willow as victim, turns out to have been a legal ceremony. Gideon plans to have his marriage to Willow annulled to free him to marry the daughter of another major stockholder in the Central Pacific Railroad. He also has a second purpose for coming to Virginia City; he is determined to capture the outlaw who is robbing his trains. The outlaw is Willow’s brother Steven, to whom she is devoted. As if this weren’t complication enough, Gideon is also the younger son of Willow’s stepmother.

As a young teen, Willow had seen in Gideon’s portrait the personification of male good looks and courage. She had even called him Lancelot. Predictably, when they meet, she falls in love with him. Even the cruel trick he and his bother played on her is not enough to end her love. Gideon’s attraction to Willow is no less powerful, and the two are soon living as husband and wife on the ranch Gideon purchases for his bride. But Willow’s loyalties are tested, as she and Gideon struggle with trust issues and with their very different convictions about the kind of man Steven Gallagher truly is.

Willow spent the first nine years of her life with her mother (ironically named Chastity) and her mother’s outlaw lover; her brother and a Mexican servant Maria as her protectors. She has spent the last ten years in her father’s home with a stepmother who resents her as a reminder of Devlin Gallagher’s infidelity. Yet, except for being “high-spirited and impulsive,” she seems to have escaped remarkably unscathed and with extraordinarily dim memories of her early years. Separation from his father has been the defining factor in shaping the man her brother becomes, but neither her fatherless years, the death of her mother, nor the radical change from an outlaw’s life to a life of privilege appears to have affected Willow in significant ways. I had a difficult time accepting her apparently easy adjustment and a harder time seeing her as a heroine because she never seems grown up.

Gideon, too, leaves me ambivalent. He has decided appeal, but I can’t forget that he was a decade older than the then-seventeen-year old Willow when he agreed to the fake wedding. Like Willow, his past leaves few scars. He has grown up virtually parentless. His father is dead, and growing up in San Francisco, he and his brother see their mother, who lives in Montana Territory with her second husband, only occasionally. His resentment of his mother’s choices is revealed only after her death, a death that occurs unexpectedly and that conveniently frees Devlin Gallagher to marry his mistress, a more sympathetic character than his embittered wife. But it is Gideon’s brother Zachary that troubles me most of all. At first I saw him as a charming scoundrel, not above scoring off his golden-boy younger brother, yet not really evil. Then he turns out to have manipulated several “accidents” from which Gideon barely escapes with his life, and he also tries to force himself upon Willow. He’s a would-be murderer and rapist, and yet he just disappears from the story after Willow knees him and pushes him out of the rig. Another villain escapes as well. I found the characterization thin, and I was frustrated by plot points that were either dropped or concluded too conveniently.

Willow is a revised edition of an early book by Linda Lael Miller. The original was published in 1984, the year following Miller’s debut. Miller describes the new and improved version as a “retelling” and an expansion of “subplots, love scenes, and . . . characterization.”  Since I haven’t read the original, I can’t be sure what was added. The secondary love stories of Gideon’s intended bride and Steven and Willow’s father and his mistress may be among the additions. Almost certainly the number of love scenes has been increased, and perhaps the level of sensuality has been increased as well. The story pairs a stubborn, independent heroine and a prideful, dominant hero, and the resulting conflicts temporarily resolve themselves in bed (or outdoors or in the stable or . . .) until the couple achieves their HEA. It’s an interesting book as part of this author’s prolific oeuvre, and Miller’s many fans doubtless will enjoy this revamped story that in most ways is quintessential Linda Lael Miller.

~Janga

Guest Review - - The Gentleman Poet

The Gentleman Poet
By Kathryn Johnson
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: September 7, 2010

I love a good title, so The Gentleman Poet: A Novel of Love, Danger, and Shakespeare’s The Tempest caught my attention and my imagination immediately. The story is set in 1609. It opens with the protagonist on board the Sea Venture, a ship on its way to deliver supplies, soldiers, and more settlers to Jamestown. Caught in a powerful storm, the ship is forced onto rocks in the legendary Devil’s Isles (Bermuda), thought to be inhabited by spirits and beasts. Instead, the motley group, led by Governor Gates and Captain Newport, discover a tropical paradise and find themselves forging a new community that must work together if they are to survive and find a means of reaching the mainland.

The protagonist is Elizabeth Persons, the daughter of an apothecary. Having lost family and home to politics and plague, she is left destitute and is forced to work as a servant to a wealthy, self-centered old woman who has invested heavily in the Virginia Company. She is on board the ship because she is accompanying her mistress to the New World to check on her investment. When the ship’s cook falls ill, the Governor secures Elizabeth’s help to feed the survivors. Using native herbs and vegetables and knowledge taught by her parents, Elizabeth creates wonderful dishes for the castaways and ends up giving cooking lessons to the recovered cook. Elizabeth also develops a friendship with William Strachey, a mysterious man who’s always writing in his journal. As she discovers an unexpected bond of commonality with him and as Strachey casts her as Miranda (Elizabeth’s middle name and her new identity) in a play he has written, their friendship deepens. Strachey even fosters the romance between Elizabeth and the recovered cook, Thomas Powell, and Elizabeth begins to learn who Will really is.

The Gentleman Poet lives up to the promise of its subtitle. It is a story about many kinds of love—parent and child, man and woman, friend and friend and also about love for what one creates with truth and purpose, be it a poem or a dish. It is a story about the dangers of sea, of land, and within the human heart. It is a story about Shakespeare’s The Tempest, an alternate history that places Will Shakespeare himself on the island he used as Prospero’s sanctuary, a place of marvels and voices and “a thousand twangling instruments.”

From the novel’s opening line, “A storm is coming,” through the closing line, “I could believe even that kind of happiness might visit me again,” I was fully engaged with the story and with the character of Elizabeth, the voice of the story. I have a special affection for alternate histories, and I taught The Tempest more often than any other of Shakespeare’s plays, so from the beginning, the book held strong appeal for me. The appeal strengthened as Elizabeth’s story captured me intellectually and emotionally. I believed in Elizabeth, in her struggles and her strength.

Two passages that I’ve gone back to reread more than once serve to show the author’s prose is one more reason to delight in this book.

The first brings William Shakespeare to life for me in a fresh way:

He was a delicate man with thin wrists and long fingers, holding his quill as if it were an artist’s brush, drawing swift, decisive strokes across the pages of his journal. More gray showed through the red gold hairs of his beard than when we first arrived in the Bermudas. His eyes seemed to me sad, or perhaps just distant and thoughtful. As I approached though, they shone as a young man’s, alert and bright and blue as the azure water lapping the beach.

The second shows Elizabeth’s growth as she listens to the degrading comments of her mistress:

There was a time when I easily would have agreed with her. But that time had passed. I was clever with my herbs and stirred magic into my pots. I knew the names of birds and flowers and creatures of our island. I had loved a man and made him happy with me. I felt near to bursting with joy even as she scowled her displeasure with me.

I recommend this book without reservations to fans of historical fiction, to lovers of Shakespeare, and to anyone who enjoys a compelling, well-researched story. I do caution romance readers to remember that this is a novel with strong romantic elements and an uplifting conclusion rather than a conventional historical romance. I found the ending lovely and satisfying, but it is not a traditional HEA.

~Janga

Today's Special - - Kate Carlisle

Mystery Author Kate Carlisle – The Lies that Bind

I'm delighted to welcome one of my favorite people, Kate Carlisle, back to The Romance Dish!  A New York Times bestselling author, Kate  worked in television, studied acting and singing, toiled in vineyards, collected books, and joined a commune, but it was the year she spent in law school that drove her to write fiction. It seemed the safest way to kill off her professors. Those professors are breathing easier now that she spends most of her time writing near the beach in Southern California where she lives with her perfect husband. Visit Kate online at www.katecarlisle.com and www.facebook.com/katecarlislebooks.

Please give Kate a warm welcome!

This just in...Kate's new release, The Lies That Bind, has hit the New York Times Bestseller List at #31!  Congratulations, Kate!



Would You Willingly Become a Ghost?
by Kate Carlisle

Lately, I’ve been facing a pretty major dilemma. Have you seen the TV show Castle? Rick Castle, the hero, is a bestselling mystery author so, as you can imagine, it’s one of my favorite shows. To get inspiration for his Nikki Heat series of suspense novels, he shadows NYPD detective Kate Beckett and helps the police catch real-life murderers.
 

The thing is, Hyperion is now publishing mysteries written by “Richard Castle,” the fictional character from the show. The fictional character is a real-life author. (Genius in marketing!) These are real books, people – hardcovers – and they’re bestsellers, too. They’re Nikki Heat books, written by Richard Castle. Who doesn’t exist.

Get it?

Richard Castle even has an Amazon author page. I would click the “Like” button if it had one because honestly, it’s pretty damn funny. His Amazon bio says he lives in New York City with his mother and his daughter, who infuse his life with humor and inspiration. (If you watch the show, you’ll know why that’s funny.)

So I’m wondering, who’s really writing those books? Do they need help? Hmm.

And that brings me to my dilemma: Should I temporarily set aside my own career writing the Bibliophile Mysteries and agree to ghostwrite a Richard Castle book?

Oh, they haven’t asked me. But I want to be ready in case they do.

On the one hand, I enjoy seeing my name on the cover of a book, such as my latest, THE LIES THAT BIND, which was released simultaneously in paperback and on audio November 2. (Yay!) I enjoy doing book signings and meeting the readers who have been entertained by my books. I got real thrills and chills out of seeing my name on the New York Times bestsellers list.

We all enjoy positive feedback for the work that we do which is, at most times, a solitary profession. I can usually rely only on my gut to tell me whether the story is working. Well, my gut and my editor’s. So when we get good reactions to our work, it makes us happy. Of course it does!

But ghostwriters must check their egos at the door. While I don’t think I’m completely full of myself, I do take pride in my accomplishments, but I’m not sure anyone would be interested in meeting the ghost behind the famous name and face.

I think it would be difficult to write a slammin’ story that hits all the bestsellers lists and not want to take credit for it. If your book hits the bestsellers lists with someone else’s name on the cover, does it still make a sound?

On the other hand, I’m looking into the future and I’m seeing Nathan Fillion, the actor who plays Castle. He’s really, really cute. And if I were to ghostwrite a book supposedly written by a character he plays, there’s a chance they would ask me to be on the show. I have studied acting, after all. (Really! I was once Hermia’s understudy in a local theater’s version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I could’ve been a star!)

So if they asked me to be on the show, there’s a chance I would play a damsel in distress. Nathan would rescue me. He would carry me in his big, strong arms with concern etched in his beautiful blue eyes …

What? Hey, it could happen!

Okay, so maybe I’ll never be a ghostwriter for Castle. But that’s okay, because I am actually only separated by two or three (or four) degrees from the very cute Nathan Fillion – who, it turns out, is not just a pretty face. Last year, I did a Barnes and Noble book signing from which the proceeds went to an organization that he co-founded called Kids Need to Read  . The mission of Kids Need to Read is to create a culture of reading by sending inspiring books to children’s libraries, underfunded schools, and literacy programs. They carefully cull the list of books they donate so that kids don’t pick up a boring book and decide they hate reading. Think about it. Getting them hooked on books while they’re young is our job security! Is that cool or what?!

What about you? If you’re a writer, would you be willing to sublimate your own identity in order to ghostwrite a book under someone else’s name? What if you were legally prohibited from ever revealing the truth, even to your closest friends and family? Would it make a difference one way or the other if that book was a #1 bestselling hardcover?

If you’re not a writer, think of the question in terms of your own life. Would you be willing to [fill in the blank] even if no one could ever know that you were the one [filling in the blank]? 

One randomly selected person leaving a comment will receive Kate's new book,  The Lies That Bind!  (U.S. mailing addresses only)

Make Your Reservations!

It's time again to mark your calendars and Make Your Reservations for December! Here are some of the books we're looking forward to next month. Are any of these upcoming books on your list? If so, which ones?




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One Night in Scotland
by Karen Hawkins

A mysterious abductor . . . Someone is holding her brother prisoner in exchange for a gold-and-onyx box covered in mysterious runes, so Mary Hurst boldly sets out from the family vicarage to find the priceless artifact. But the man who possesses it, Angus Hay, the Earl of Erroll, is less than sympathetic to her plight.

A forbidding stranger . . . Himself a prisoner of his dark past, Angus refuses to yield the box—or allow Mary to leave! Suspicious of the alluring lass's mission, he vows to wrest a confession from her, but unearths a fiery temper and a will as strong as his own.

An unbreakable curse . . . Passion flares between them, but now there is more at stake: an unknown enemy is hunting down the precious box, and will stop at nothing. Risking all for love, Angus must solve the mystery behind the runes . . . and trust the only woman who can awaken his forgotten heart.

(Pocket Star)


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Marry Me by Jo Goodman

Her Heart Was Locked Away

Rhyne Abbot is fierce, brave, and used to a life of isolation on her father’s spread on the outskirts of Reidsville, Colorado. But when, overcome with sickness, she collapses, she knows she must return to town if she is to have any hope of recovery. Only there is no place for her but the new doctor’s home, and he wants more than just to heal Rhyne. He wants her hand in marriage.


Until One Man Found The Key

Doctor Cole Monroe’s hands are already more than full with his orphaned little sister to look after, and yet somehow he can’t resist the magnetic pull of Rhyne’s bewitching eyes—or her tempting kiss. But convincing her to trust him won’t be easy. For Rhyne’s heart needs as much tender care as her ailing body. And the only cure is the thing she most fears: to let herself fall in love...

(Zebra)


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Goodnight Tweetheart
by Teresa Medeiros

Abigail Donovan has a lot of stuff she should be doing. Namely writing her next novel. A bestselling author who is still recovering from a near Pulitzer Prize win and the heady success that follows Oprah's stamp of approval, she is stuck at Chapter Five and losing confidence daily. But when her publicist signs her up for a Twitter account, she's intrigued. What's all the fuss?

Taken under the wing of one of her Twitter followers, "MarkBaynard"—a quick witted, quick-typing professor on sabbatical—Abby finds it easy to put words out into the world 140 characters at a time. And once she gets a handle on tweets, retweets, direct messages, hashtags, and trends, she starts to feel unblocked in writing and in life. After all, why should she be spending hours in her apartment staring at her TweetDeck and fretting about her stalled career when Mark is out there traveling the world and living?

Or is he?

(Gallery)


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Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman
by Lorraine Heath

As the black sheep second son of an Earl, Stephen Lyons has gained a reputation in the art of seduction, but when his wicked ways result in scandal, he joins the army to redeem himself. On the battlefield, he proves courageous . . . until he is seriously wounded. Returning home to recover, he discovers he can't remember the angelic beauty who arrives at his doorstep, his babe nestled in her arms.

Mercy Dawson will risk everything to protect the son of the dashing soldier she once knew and admired. When Stephen offers to do the honorable thing, she is determined that London's most notorious gentleman will desire her and no other. But Mercy fears that what began as an innocent deception could destroy her dreams and their blossoming love if Stephen ever learns the scandalous truth . . .

They are masters of seduction, London's greatest lovers. Living for pleasure, they will give their hearts to no one . . . until love takes them by surprise.

(Avon)


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The Duke's Night of Sin
by Kathryn Caskie

A sin he cannot forget

The Duke of Exeter knows it's time to find a bride, and he's determined to locate the passionate minx who enticed him in a pitch-black library. But how can you find someone you've never really seen? Then, while supervising his young ward's education, he is irresistibly attracted to her exquisite new teacher. He keeps wondering if they've met somewhere before, never suspecting she's the woman he's never forgotten after his one night of sin.

A wicked secret

As a beloved instructress at an exclusive school for young ladies, Lady Siusan Sinclair is a model of deportment. But no one knows her secret—that she fled London for Bath, her reputation on the verge of tatters, her fortune lost. Still, no matter how hard she tries, she can't forget the knee-weakening kiss of the man who led her astray...

(Avon)


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Ride the Fire by Jo Davis

After he lost his wife and children to tragedy, Capt. Sean Tanner drowned his pain with alcohol. Now, fresh from rehab, he wants to regain the trust of his team and begin again. The last thing he needs is to have feelings for beautiful firefighter Eve Marshall. But even as they dare to explore their growing desire, Sean learns that his family may have actually been murdered. And that a shadow from his past has returned to finish off Sean-and anyone he loves.

(Signet)



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Wicked Nights with a Lover
by Sophie Jordan

What should a proper lady do when she believes her days are numbered?

Step One: Take a Lover...

After being told she will not survive beyond the year's end, prim and lovely Marguerite Laurent intends to live what remains of her life to the very fullest. Though she may never know love, she will know passion—and she agrees to a whirlwind romance with a former admirer. But hours before embarking upon her grand adventure, Marguerite is abducted—by an unscrupulous rogue who boldly announces his intentions to bed and wed her before the week is out!

Step Two: Live With No Regrets...

Ash Courtland pulled himself up from the gutter to become a successful man of business, and now he wants revenge on his one-time partner for betraying him. Still, his enemy's bewitching daughter is most certainly not about to surrender her innocence to the infuriating—if shockingly attractive—cad who took her captive. Yet with no more than a touch, Ash makes her tremble with desire . . . and resisting the heat of his passion could cost Marguerite her last, best chance for ecstasy.

(Avon)


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Duke's to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right
by Kieran Kramer

Most women would not be pleased to be labeled a spinster. But Lady Poppy Smith-Barnes isn’t most women. In fact, Poppy has invented an imaginary fiancé, the Duke of Drummond, to deter unwanted suitors. A very useful fellow, this duke, until the
real Drummond turns up and uses Poppy’s ploy to trap her in a betrothal.

A good spy flies below the radar. Which is why being named one of the Prince Regent’s “Impossible Bachelors” is so inconvenient for Nicholas Staunton. Every society female will be out to ensnare him. Nicholas needs a fiancée—and Poppy’s ruse is the answer. How could he have known she’d be a brazen, sensual siren with an irresistible taste for adventure? Now nothing less will do than to convince his fiery Poppy to revoke her spinster status...for good.

(St. Martin's Press)

The Teen Menu

YA Reviews

I love the movie Ella Enchanted, though I've never read the book on which it's based. But I did buy a book called Ever by Gail Carson Levine, who wrote Ella Enchanted. Its suggested audience (10 and up) skews a bit younger than what I normally read, but the characters are in their mid teens. The heroine, Kezi, lives in a city called Hyte, which Levine modeled on the ancient Mesopotamian city-states. She loves to dance and is an excellent weaver of rugs. Olus, the hero, is the Akkan god of the winds who, despite being a god, is lonely. He's 17, by far the youngest god, and is fascinated by the mortals who worship him and the other Akkan gods.

When Olus leaves his home of Enshi Rock, high above Akka, he wanders through the land of the mortals and goes to the city of Hyte and poses as a simple goat herder. The citizens of Hyte worship an all-knowing, always-everywhere god called Admat. He's never heard of this god and has no idea if he actually exists. Something happens in the story which puts Kezi in mortal danger and makes Olus determined to save her. Because of this decision, both he and Kezi will have to face their worst fears, draw on deep wells of courage even they don't know they have, and pass tests of destiny in order to be together. For Kezi, the results really are a matter of life and death. For Olus, it means an immortality filled with great happiness or never-ending sorrow.

Gail Carson Levine's site: http://www.gailcarsonlevine.com/

The second YA I read this month was Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia by Cindy Pon. I love the Chinese wuxia movies I've seen (Think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers). After reading the Harlequin Historical romance Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin, I was on her website looking around and saw her mention Silver Phoenix. It sounded like it had so many things I like in a read -- YA, fantasy, a touch of at least a potential romance and Chinese culture. I was not disappointed. This is a classic adventure/fantasy/quest novel where the protagonist just happens to be a girl with some powers she doesn't quite understand.

Ai Ling is an average girl who lives in a small Chinese village, but when her father doesn't come home from a trip to the faraway Emperor's city and a man in her village tries to force her to marry him, she runs away, determined to find and bring her father home. Along the way, she is saved by a boy named Chen Yong, who is a year or two older than her. He's on a quest of his own, to find out who his real parents are and if they're still alive. As they travel together and encounter beings they'd always thought were only legends, they realize their journeys are going to take them to the same place. They must constantly work together to ensure their survival and a successful conclusion to their quests, and a close friendship (with the possibility for more in a sequel currently in the works) develops between them.

I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to Fury of the Phoenix, the sequel, due out March 29, 2011.

Cindy Pon's site: http://cindypon.com/


YA News

I saw a small tidbit in a recent issue of Entertainment Weekly that will make fans of Melissa Marr happy. Her debut novel, Wicked Lovely, which was an RITA winner, is heading to the big screen. I don't have a release date.

Lionsgate is in the process of bringing The Hunger Games to a movie theater near you. According to EW, a draft of the script has been turned in and a director (Gary Ross, who directed Seabiscuit) is in negotiations to direct. The studio has hopes of going into production on the first in Suzanne Collins' trilogy in the spring.

Only 8 days until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1!

Today's Special - Lila DiPasqua

I am thrilled to have Lila DiPasqua with us today. It's hard to believe it has only been 4 months since I first heard about Lila. I read her debut novel, AWAKENED BY A KISS, in July just before meeting her at the RWA Conference in Orlando. Blown away by this new voice in historical romance, I was immediately enchanted by this sweet woman. If you couldn't tell by my review of Lila's latest release, THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED, (which you can read here), then I must tell you that I absolutely LOVED it. Lila's writing more than deserves the 5-star reviews I have given both of her books. Please give a warm welcome to this fabulous author and, more importantly, to one of my newest friends . . . Lila DiPasqua.

~ Buffie


That’s so twisted! ….by Lila DiPasqua

Okay, did that heading grab your attention? :) For those who don’t know me, I write wicked and witty historical romance for Penguin/Berkley. Second in my Fiery Tales series, THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED (Berkley Sensation) has just been released. Is it twisted, you ask?

Not the way you think.

In THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED I’ve taken three classic fairy tales and have given them my own romantic, sexy twists. ;) The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Ugly Duckling, and The Princess and the Pea, have been renamed and retold---quite scandalously---in “The Marquis’ New Clothes”, “The Lovely Duckling,” and “The Princess and the Pea”.

Yes, dearest readers, you get one historical romance novel with three hot historical bad boys:

Adam de Vey, Marquis de Nattes (The Marquis’ New Clothes)

Joseph d’Alumbert, son of the Duc de Vernant (The Lovely Duckling)

Mathias de Tesson, Marquis de Montfort (The Princess and the Diamonds)


These carnally gifted men, gentle readers, will do more than seduce the objects of their desire. They will also steal their hearts….and in the process, lose their own!

No scrimping on a good romance in these three tales. Oh, no. I wouldn’t hear of it! I offer up a serving of three delicious rakes, three smart, strong heroines and equal parts romance and steam in each sensuous, passionate love story in THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED!

So how exactly did I take these fairy tales and give them my own unique spin?

Well, in the original fairy tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes, two individuals are out to dupe a wealthy man (the Emperor). That’s the basis of the tale. And that’s what I took to shape The Marquis’ New Clothes. You see, Adam de Vey very smart and very sexy—tall, dark and oh so wickedly handsome—and he loves the finer things in life; he has a penchant for expensive clothes and beautiful women. And an abundance of both!

It isn’t going to be easy for Aimee to help her cousin retrieve the important ring she accidentally dropped in Adam’s pocket. Aimee is going to have to seduce this master of seduction in order to get close enough to search his pockets and locate the ring. She doesn’t know that Adam has been infatuated with her (okay, more than a mere infatuation… *smiles*) for years. She’s also unaware that he has a seduction planned of his very own! ;)

I love a good underdog story and the tale of The Ugly Ducking is just that! I wanted to write a story where my heroine was made to feel ugly all her life and blossoms into a swan—thanks to the healing power of love.

In The Lovely Duckling, I didn’t take a heroine who just needed some dressing up. Emilie de Sarron was burned in a fire as an infant. She’s put up with horrible taunts and cruel names. All her life. Worse, at her introduction into society, she was horribly teased and publicly humiliated—the hero, Joseph, regrettably a part of this fiasco. It was the final straw. For ten years, Emilie withdrew from society. Now she’s back and she’s determined to grab a bit bliss—albeit strictly physical. Believing love and marriage are unattainable, she’s convinced that at least a physical encounter is doable. How? Well, she’s going to use the anonymity of a masquerade—orgiastic—ball in order to find a willing lover, and indulge. She never expected that the very man she gives herself to is none other than Joseph.

Finally, we have The Princess and the Pea. What a fun fairy tale to twist! First, I nixed the food. When my hero and heroine are in bed, I don’t want the reader thinking about the spoiling veggies under the mattress.

Then I took the basis of the story: A princess who can’t sleep at night because there is something hard in her bed. And…well….Yup, you know I went there. *winks* What was hard in her bed and causing the poor princess to lose sleep, you ask? There are a couple things, actually—the Marquis on it…and, oh yeah, diamonds! The ones she stole from the palace and shoves under her mattress for safekeeping.

Her half-brother has gambled away his fortune at the Basset tables—a card game recently banned by the King. Knowing she has skill at the game, she dons male attire and is intent on using the royal diamonds to gamble with. If only the gorgeous man seated across from her didn’t see through her disguise! If only he wasn’t so stirring to her senses and utterly irresistible!

If only she knew he was a spy working for the Crown, his mission to enforce the ban the King has placed on the card game and see to the arrest of those who dare to play it.

As for our hero, Mathias, Marquis de Montfort, he has no idea that the woman he has thoroughly and deliciously debauched is none other than the King’s own daughter.

Let the games begin! *smiles*



QUESTION: If you were casting a fairy tale film, who would you pick to play the role of the wickedly delicious Prince Charming?

One lucky commenter will win a signed copy of AWAKENED BY A KISS or THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED---winner’s choice!

GIVEAWAY OPEN WORLDWIDE.


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THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED, A Fiery Tales Collection By Lila DiPasqua Historical RomanceBerkley (Sensation)
ISBN: 978-0425237007 OUT NOW!

Inspired by “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “The Ugly Duckling, and “The Princess and the Pea,” Lila DiPasqua spins three sexy tales that give new meaning to the term bedtime story…

The Marquis’ New Clothes: To save her cousin, Aimee de Miran must retrieve a jeweled ring from the most sinfully seductive man at court, the Marquis de Nattes. But to search his considerable wardrobe she’ll have to get very close to the notorious rake…and soon she finds herself very close to him indeed, with his clothes—and hers—utterly forgotten…

The Lovely Duckling: Reputed for his carnal skills, Joseph d’Alumbert prefers amorous encounters without emotional entanglement—until a quick-witted lady stirs tender feelings and hot desire. Emilie de Sarron suffered burns to her body as an infant, and keeps her scars—and her heart—well hidden. But Joseph is determined to peel away her inhibitions, one slow steamy kiss at a time, to reveal the beautiful swan inside…

The Princess and the Diamonds: Princess Gabrielle can’t sleep at night. There is something hard in her bed. No, not just the stolen diamonds tucked under her mattress, but the handsome Marquis on it….whose carnal talents she can’t resist. But he threatens her secret mission, and worse, she stands to lose far more than the diamonds---her heart is at stake….

“…Strong-minded heroines you can relate to, breathtaking carnally gifted male leads…DiPasqua writes with a comfortable elegance and grace, and in turn, crafts a sexy collection that readers will love.” – Fresh Fiction.

“Ripe with steamy affairs, these lusty stories are hot enough to warm the coldest winter night.” – Publishers Weekly

Read an excerpt of THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED

Read an excerpt of AWAKENED BY A KISS

About the Author:

Lila DiPasqua writes wicked & witty historical romance for Penguin/Berkley. She lives with her real-life hero husband and three children and is a firm believer in the happily-ever-after. She loves history and enjoys traveling. She has been to four continents so far. Her novels, AWAKENED BY A KISS, and THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED are featured in Doubleday as well as Rhapsody Book Clubs. To learn more about Lila and her books, visit http://www.liladipasqua.com/