Julia London Winner

The random winner of a signed copy of Summer of Two Wishes and a Starbucks gift card from Julia London is

Laurel

Congratulations, Laurel!  To claim your prize, please send your full name and mailing address to us at theromancedish (AT) gmail (DOT) com with "Julia London Winner" in the subject line.

PJ's Second Chances Winners

Thank you to everyone who stopped by on March 5th to share your second chance stories with me.  Many of them were truly amazing!  Random.org has chosen the winners of a book from my prize stash and they are:

Jodi

and

Rosie

Congratulations, ladies!  Please send your full name and email address, with Second Chance Winner in the subject line, to theromancedish (AT) gmail (DOT) com to claim your prize.

Andrea's Harry Potter winner!

The winner of a random book from my book stash is:

Jennifer

Congratulations, Jennifer! Please send your full name and address to theromancedishATgmailDOTcom with "Andrea's HP winner" as the subject and I'll get your book in the mail. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to comment!

Emily March Winners

Many thanks to all of you who dropped by to visit with Emily March on St. Patrick's Day!  Random.org has chosen our winners of ANGEL'S REST and they are:

U.S. Winners

Irisheyes

and

Virginia

International Winner

Marybelle

Congratulations, ladies!  To claim your book, please send your full name and mailing address to us at theromancedish (AT) gmail (DOT) com.

Stock Up Saturday Reviews

A Lady’s Wish (e-novella)
By Katharine Ashe
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Release Date: March 15, 2011

Nine years ago, young, carefree Nikolas Acton and sweetly shy Patricia Ramsay discovered one another at a country May Day celebration. The pair spent the day together, shared a magical kiss and fell head over heels in love. They made plans to meet at the maypole the next morning but Patricia didn’t come and Nikolas, fearing she had realized that he wasn’t deserving of her, left heartbroken but he didn’t give up. For the next year he searched for the girl who had stolen his heart, the one he called Isolde (for they had never shared their real names), but though he never found her, he never forgot her. Now, home again after a distinguished Naval career, he knows it’s time to take a wife but none of the young ladies he meets at London balls can hold a candle to his memories of his sweet Isolde. If only he could find her again…

Patricia Ramsay Morgan, Lady Morgan, was not unhappy to be a widow. Forced by her parents to marry a cold, unfeeling man, she suffered him in her bed and in her life but never experienced any pleasure or contentment in his presence. The only comfort she ever derived was in her dreams of the young man to whom she gave her heart nine years ago, the one she had planned to meet at the maypole the very morning her parents arrived with the stranger to whom they had betrothed her. Four years after her husband’s death, she’s raising her two young sons, struggling to make ends meet and dealing with an obnoxious mother-in-law when she receives a letter written by her deceased husband, instructing her to travel to that same country town by a certain date to recover a mysterious treasure her husband buried under the maypole. Along the way, her carriage becomes disabled and she’s rescued by Nikolas Acton, a celebrated English Naval hero, the man she knows only as Tristan…the man who has never left her thoughts or her dreams or her heart for the past nine years. Will they rediscover the love and passion of their youth or will misunderstandings, ill-intentioned relatives and stubborn pride keep them apart once again?

Katharine Ashe has written a wonderful story that is filled with adventure, deep emotion and deliciously sensual romance. Nik stole my heart. The scenes where he opens his heart to Patricia and helps her discover her own sensuality are so exquisitely tender and poignant that they brought tears to my eyes. Secondary characters such as Patricia’s younger sister and dotty aunt-by-marriage add a delightful touch of humor and help keep the story moving along. Often, a novella-length story touches only the surface of its characters but Ashe excels at delving deeper and bringing fully developed characters to the page.

A Lady’s Wish is the debut release of the new Avon Impulse line which will bring original electronic content to the reader. The novella bridges Ashe’s debut book, Swept Away By a Kiss and her next book, Captured By a Rogue Lord (March 29). The heroes of both books make cameo appearances in the novella which heightens my anticipation for Ashe's next book that much more.

At only $1.99, A Lady’s Wish is a delicious treat you won’t want to miss.

~PJ

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

The Perfect Play
Play-By-Play – Book 1
By Jaci Burton
Publisher: Berkley Heat
Release Date: February 1, 2011

Mick Riley is a star quarterback in the National Football League, so he’s never had to go after women—they’ve always come to him. But from the moment he first meets Tara Lincoln at a team party that she planned and put together, he knows that she’s different from the girls he usually “dates”. He actually enjoys talking to her and likes the fact that she is not at all interested in using him to further her career. This brings him to the point in his life where he’s thinking about the possibility of a long-term relationship. Now all he has to do is convince Tara.

Tara doesn’t know what to think when Mick approaches her and wants to talk to her. Her, a nobody. She quickly learns that there is more to him that what she sees on television and in magazines. They enjoy an earth-shattering night together and then it’s back to normal . . . or so Tara thinks. She is shocked when Mick comes to her business the next day and wants to see her again. She tries to refuse, but Mick doesn’t give up easily. So, she uses the only weapon left in her arsenal: she tells him that she has a fourteen year old son. But that doesn’t bother Mick. Tara has had her heart broken in the past, but will she allow herself to take a chance on love again?

Oh my goodness, I really enjoyed this book! And I promise it’s not just because of the cover. Though, I will say that the cover is one of the best I’ve ever laid eyes on. Mick was not what I expected and I absolutely LOVED him. I adore the way he handles things with Tara. He’s patient, gentle, and just so sweet! Plus, he’s smart enough to recognize that he has something special with her. He’s now one of my all-time favorite heroes. I really enjoyed the scenes between Tara and her son, Nathan. They were incredibly heart-felt. And the scenes between her and Mick? Smokin’ hot. Seriously, they could set the pages on fire. (FYI—it’s an erotic romance.) This is my first book by Jaci Burton, but I can surely say that it won’t be the last as I’ll be picking up the next book in this series. It’s about Mick’s brother, Gavin, who plays professional baseball. If the excerpt for it is any indication, it will be another winner. The Perfect Play is the perfect way to beat those winter blues!

~Andrea

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

Healing the Highlander
Daughters of the Glen, Book 7
By Melissa Mayhue
Publisher: Pocket Star
Release Date: February 22, 2011



Leah Noble lives in 14th century Scotland, but she is from the 21st century. She came back in time to escape being used as a broodmare by the Nuadian Fae since she bears the blood of the Fae herself. She becomes part of the MacQuarrie clan and comes to love her adoptive family. So when her grandfather becomes a prisoner in his own home courtesy of the English and his back stabbing son, Leah’s grandmother sends her to Dun Ard for help. Leah knows that the MacKiernans of Dun Ard have ties to the Fae, which makes her nervous, but her love for her adoptive grandfather overrides her fears. While she is traveling, Leah falls into a river and is certain she’ll drown (she never learned to swim), but she is pulled from the river---and certain death---by a handsome stranger.

Andrew MacAlister suffers from debilitating pain from an old injury, and he is constantly searching for a cure. He is, in fact, on such a quest when he rescues Leah from drowning. His act of bravery will alter their lives in ways they cannot begin to imagine. Drew agrees to escort Leah to Dun Ard since her map was ruined in her fall in the river, but the situation changes drastically when they cross paths with the English army; Drew claims Leah is his wife in order to protect her. Their immediate attraction begins to grow into something more, and they find that being husband and wife in truth may not be such a bad deal after all.

While this is the seventh book in Ms. Mayhue’s series, this is the first book I have read. I have no doubt I would have enjoyed it even more if I had read the previous books, which I plan to do immediately. Healing the Highlander is a wonderful story! Drew is a wounded hero, but not bitter. He is an incredibly caring hero who feels his emotions deeply. Leah is quite independent, but damaged emotionally from her experience with the Nuadian Fae. She and Drew are perfect for one another, each able to help the other heal. Time travel, a handsome Highland warrior, romance and humor: this book has it all and then some. If you’re ready to escape to the Highlands for a few hours, this one’s for you.

~ Gannon

Today's Special -- Interview with Bronwen Evans

It's my pleasure to welcome Kensington debut author Bronwen Evans to The Romance Dish. I was lucky enough to review Bronwen's debut novel, Invitation to Ruin, last month. It's a dark, sexy Regency with plenty of heat. Her second book, Invitation to Scandal, will be released early next year. Bronwen lives in Wellington, New Zealand and is one of five sisters and she's also a twin.

When Bronwen is not busy working, reading and writing, she spends her free time golfing, hiking, and enjoying movies. You can find out more about Bronwen on her website, follow her on Twitter, and friend her on Facebook.

Time to chat!


Gannon: Welcome, Bronwen! You're in the hot seat now. *g* When did you first know you wanted to write?

Bronwen: I moved to London, England in 1988. When I lived in London I talked a lot with friends about wanting to write but didn’t quite know how to start. I decided I’d love to write romance stories as I’m a big romantic at heart. Then when holidaying in Greece the pension where we were staying in had some Mills and Boons – in Greek. Gosh, I thought to myself, this market is huge. On my return to London I contacted Mills and Boon and got all the information including a cassette tape on how to write romance – it’s a hilarious tape and I still listen to it and laugh. Boy things have certainly changed at Mills and Boon since the 1990’s. Back then you could only kiss! Anyway, I never really did anything about it – life got in the way.

When I moved back to New Zealand in 2005, a very close friend was very ill. I would sit at his bedside and we’d talk about our dreams in life and I mentioned I’d love to write romance novels. So he promptly got me to start plotting one with him. He told me if I was serious I should do it properly. So I joined Romance Writers of New Zealand (RWNZ) in 2006 and took loads of online courses. My writing career had begun.

Gannon: How long did you write before your manuscript was bought?

Bronwen: I have been writing seriously since about the beginning of 2007, but I fell into the ‘new writers’ trap of starting loads of books but never finishing one. In 2009 I decided to get serious. My co-RWNZ author Nalini Singh told me I had to find the time to invest in my career if I was serious. So I did. I took a part-time job at the beginning of 2009 so I could write. It was hard. I am single and I am my only source of income, so it was a risk. I gave myself two years. If I wasn’t published in two years I would go back to full time employment. I finished my first completed manuscript on 30^th October 2009.

Gannon: We love call stories. Can you tell us about the day you got "the call"?

Bronwen: At the end of October 2009 I had finished my manuscript, but it was still being read by my critique partners. However I thought I’ll send out some Query letters and see what response I would get – thinking it would take a few weeks to hear back. On about the 10^th November, I submitted five query letters. Two to editors and three to agents. They all immediately requested the full book. As I was still editing (from changes my critique partners – all 3 of them suggested) I actually sent them the first three chapters instead. What was the point of rushing f they didn’t like the first three chapters.

In the middle of December everyone came back asking for the rest of the book, but I still didn’t have it finished. So I thought I’d wait and finish the changes over my Christmas break and submit on 1 January. But Megan Records from Kensington (who bought my book) phoned me from New York on 18^th December chasing the book, saying “I think I’d like to buy it”. I had to come clean and told her I’d submit on 1 January. She was happy to wait once I had explained what I was changing. Needless to say I was very very excited.

I submitted to all five people on 1 January. On the 3^rd January, Melissa Jeglinski from The Knight Agency (who I met at the RWNZ 2009 conference) offered me representation and on the 6^th January Megan called to offer me a two book deal with Kensington Brava. I couldn’t believe it! Loads of screams, champers and shaking – I don’t think I slept for a week. I wish everyone could experience a ‘CALL’. Editors must love giving them.

Gannon: I would think that making those calls would be one of the best parts of an editors job. Invitation to Ruin was fantastic, but had a bit of a "dark" feel due to the subject of the slave trade that you hit upon. How did you come up with that subject as part of your plot?

Bronwen: I like intelligent heroine’s and I remember sitting down one afternoon and comparing my life to a woman in the early 1800’s. I have done many things with my life. I have travelled extensively, I have been to University and I have set up and run my own company. I thought, how boring a woman’s life must have been in the early 1800’s, stiffed by Society’s conventions and rules. I realized she wouldn’t have had the freedom to do the things she really wanted to do, and it almost sounded like she was a slave to her father or husband. If you were lucky they treated you well, if not you were their servant. So that’s when I decided that Melissa would realize her lack of freedom was not right, and that she would help other’s in her situation i.e. The Women’s Freedom League who bought slaves and gave them their freedom. Once I’d had that in place it seem logical that the hero should have a slave trading background. I imagined the type of father the hero might have had if the family were slave traders.

Gannon: When you're not writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

Bronwen: I’m quite a busy person. I am a writer and I work part-time as Executive Director of a private surgical society in NZ, I am editor for the RWNZ Heart 2 Heart magazine and I run a writing loop called the Book in 50 Days for unpublished authors serious about a career in writing. When I do have spare time, I love spending it with my friends and family. I have a large, diverse group of friends from all walks of life and I love socializing. I play golf and bridge. However, my Sunday afternoons are definitely for reading. I try to read during the week when I can, but Sunday afternoon is always chill out time for me. I set myself up with a cup of tea, the odd biscuit or two, and a fabulous romance novel.

Gannon: Who are some of your favorite authors?

Bronwen: Gosh I have sooooo many!!! I love finding new authors to read. I have just read Eloisa James, When Beauty Tamed the Beast. She is not a new author but it is the first of her books that I have read and I absolutely loved it. I have also just read my first book by the authors Lynsay Sands, Taming the Highland Bride, and Lydia Dare, It Happened One Bite - both fabulous stories. I have also just finished FATED, a debut novel by Rebecca Zanetti and loved it. I have to buy most of my books online as NZ is so small, most romance novels are not distributed in book stores here.

I love anything by - Gaelen Foley, Nicole Jordan, Nalini Singh, Kresley Cole, Natalie Anderson, Anne Gracie, Judith McNaught, Stephanie Laurens, - I could go on and on and on

Gannon: Here's a little something we do called the "quick six."

Milk chocolate or dark? MILK
Beer or wine? WINE
Mountains or beach? MOUNTAINS (WITH SWIMMING POOL)
Early riser or night owl? EARLY RISER
Summer or winter? SUMMER (if you knew a Wellington winter you’d know why – the wind howls and the rains pours - no snow but still freezing and you can’t use an umbrella because of the wind.)

Coffee or tea? TEA


Gannon: Thanks for answering all of my questions, Bronwen. Do you have a question you'd like to ask our readers?

Bronwen: Who is your favorite DARK and TORTURED hero – in a book or on TV and why?

So readers, tell us about your favorite dark and tortured hero. Bronwen is giving away three copies of Invitation to Ruin to three lucky commenters.

~ Gannon

Today's Special - - Interview with Emily March

It's my extreme pleasure to welcome one of my favorite writers to The Romance Dish today.  Whether writing historicals and romantic suspense as Geralyn Dawson or contemporary romance as Emily March, she's an author who, for me, never fails to deliver.  A USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty books, she's also a three-time RITA finalist, recipient of RT Book Reviews magazine's Career Achievement and Reviewer's Choice awards and the first two books in her new, contemporary Eternity Springs series have both earned Starred Reviews from Publishers Weekly. Emily's new series is set in the beautiful Colorado mountains where she and her family have spent summers since she was a child and her love of the area clearly shines through in Angel's Rest, the first Eternity Springs book to be published.  

Emily is also a mom, busy preparing for an upcoming college graduation and wedding, a devoted foster mom to rescued boxers (dogs, not athletes) and an avid supporter of Texas A&M University, her Alma mater.  I've decided not to hold it against her that her beloved Aggies are playing my beloved Florida State Seminoles tomorrow night in the second round of the NCAA College Basketball Tournament, better known as March Madness! *grin*

For more information about Emily, visit her website, like her at facebook and follow her on twitter.  Be sure to also check out her Emily March Madness contest, with great prizes and daily winners during the entire month of March! 

But now...on to the interview!


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

PJ:  Hi, Emily!  Welcome to the Romance Dish and congratulations on all the praise you’ve been receiving for your new Eternity Springs series!  Angel’s Rest, the first book in this series, was released February 15th and is the story of John Gabriel (Gabe) Callahan and Nicole Sullivan. Please share a bit about their story with our readers.

Emily:  Thanks for the invitation to join you! I appreciate having the opportunity to talk about Angel’s Rest and my Eternity Springs series.

Now, about the story... you know, I could never be a reviewer because I have a terrible time summarizing my stories. How about I quote a wonderful reviewer? (This would be you.) Angel’s Rest is “an emotion-packed, heart-wrenching and, ultimately, uplifting story of loss, hope, friendship and love.” To me, Angel’s Rest is a journey of emotional healing taken by two wounded souls set against a backdrop of a small Rocky Mountain town with a big heart.

PJ:  Readers, you can find my full 5-Star review of Angel's Rest here. 

I love the title of this book, Emily. Did you choose it? Is there any special significance behind it?

Emily:  Angel’s Rest was my editor’s suggestion and I fell in love with it right away. As far as special significance goes…I leave that up to the reader to decide. I’m not saying there is…and I’m not saying there isn’t.

PJ:  You’ve captured the essence of a small town perfectly in Angel’s Rest. Are you a small town girl or just a small town girl at heart? Why do you think readers are so drawn to small town/community stories?

Emily:  I’m a little of both. I grew up in a relatively small town, but I’ve lived in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex since graduating from college. I think the appeal of small town stories isn’t so much that that the town is small, but that the author builds an appealing world and fills it with interesting characters. I like to draw a parallel between small town stories and the sitcom Cheers. The writers created a world with Sam’s Place and filled it with great characters. Eternity Springs is like Sam’s Place, without so much alcohol and with a quilting bee.

PJ:  I agree, and you've filled Eternity Springs with a wonderful cast of intriguing characters.  I'm looking forward to reading their stories!

I was one of the readers begging for John’s (now known as Gabe) story after reading your Callahan brothers romantic suspense series. Were you surprised by the number of people asking for the story of a character we’d never met? Why do you think his story resonated with so many readers?

Emily:  I have a strong sense of family that I believe comes through in all of my work. Romance readers especially like their happy endings, and in the case of the Callahan family, romantic happy endings weren’t enough. Readers wanted a happy ending for the family. (PJ nods her head in agreement.)

I was surprised—and gratified--by the number of readers who wanted John’s book. Considering I had a subgenre and pseudonym switch, it wasn’t the easiest thing to pull off, but I did the best I could to complete the story between A Callahan Carol, the Christmas story (free download at http://www.emilymarch.com/) and Angel’s Rest.

PJ:  I read Angel's Rest first then followed it with A Callahan Carol and was very satisfied!  

We all seem to have a favorite secondary character whose story we’re aching to read. Now that you’ve given me John/Gabe’s story, I’m back to begging Victoria Alexander for Becky Shelton’s story. What secondary character from books you’ve read do you most want to see get his/her happy ending?

Emily:  I loved Elizabeth Lowell’s books about the Donovan family—Amber Beach was the first one, I believe. She left a couple brothers unmarried as I recall and I’d love to see more in that series. The Donovans were a strong, interesting family—I guess that’s why it appeals to me. I’m a sucker for families.

PJ:  You're in good company!  Most of us here have multiple family series on our keeper shelves.
  
We talk a lot about comfort reads here at the Romance Dish. What authors/books do you turn to when you need a pick-me-up or just want a “feel good” read?

Emily:  The old Julie Garwood historicals are hard to beat.

PJ:  I'm with you on the Garwoods!  Her medieval, Saving Grace, is my all-time favorite comfort read. 

Shifting gears a bit, I was first introduced to you when you guest blogged (as Geralyn Dawson) at Squawk Radio back in 2006. The title of that blog was “Honey, Have You Squeezed the Dog Lately?” (Click here to read.)  By the time I finished reading about your precious Lucy and her amazing human family, I was laughing through the tears streaming down my face and had moved you to the top of my “must read” author list. You have since gone on to be a strong advocate for abandoned dogs and are a dedicated canine foster mom. Please tell us a bit about that part of your life and what others can do to help animals in need.



Emily:  Oh, thanks for the nice memory. We lost Lucy not long after I wrote that blog. She was something special.

Dogs play a special role in the Eternity Springs series because they play a special role in my life. My husband and I foster boxers for a local rescue group, Legacy Boxer Rescue. We adopted our dog, Doc, from Legacy four years ago--despite the fact he walked into my house and had explosive diarrhea on my dining room floor--and he's been such a joy in our lives. Three years ago after Legacy sent an email (with photos) begging for new foster homes for dogs on death row, my husband and I decided to help out that one time. "Yeah, right," she says, eleven dogs later.

We’ve recently placed our latest foster, Angel, named for ANGEL'S REST. Angel came to us last June after being hit by a car. She had a broken leg and fractured pelvis, hookworms and unfortunately, heartworms. Poor Angel totally captured my heart. She remained on strict crate rest for weeks and in mid-August, we discover that she was expecting some little Angels of her own. Angel gave birth to six puppies, three boys and three girls. Mama and the Angel Babies did great and LBR set about finding the perfect forever homes not just for one dog, but for seven.

Because Angel had so much going on, she was with us longer than our other fosters. Last month, she found her wonderful forever home with a family who has two young children and another dog. I couldn’t be happier for her. It’s such a rush when you see the dog you rescued and nursed back to health find a loving home. I miss her dreadfully, especially during the days when I'm at work in my office and Angel isn’t there at her "Angel's Rest" gazing out the window at the world, but her crate is now empty so we’ll soon have a new foster to love on. That's what rescue is all about.

To all my readers who are also animal lovers, I encourage you to consider fostering for a rescue group in your area. It's truly rewarding. If you have any questions about our experience, please ask!

PJ:  I have great admiration for people who foster rescues until they find their forever families.  Both of my dogs are adopted rescues and if I ever live in a neighborhood that doesn't restrict the number of pets to two, I'll be first in line to sign up as a furry foster parent.

Emily, I share your love of college football and understand you’re something of a tailgating legend down there in Texas. I’m always on the lookout for yummy treats to take to the game. What’s your favorite tailgate dish? Will you share the recipe with us?

Emily:  It’s a toss up between baked jalepeno poppers and a dip made with candied jalepeno relish mixed with cream cheese. Can you tell we like things hot in our house? Making the relish takes some effort, but the poppers are easy. Seed peppers that you’ve sliced in half lengthwise. Stuff with a mixture of cream cheese, cheddar, minced onion, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper—all done to taste. Wrap in a bacon strip, secure with toothpick, and grill at the tailgate. The aroma will make your tailgate the most popular on the lot. 


PJ:  Oh my, that sounds delicious!  (she says while wiping the drool off her keyboard)  I'm definitely adding the poppers to my tailgate menu. 

Today is St. Patrick’s Day and I’m all about hoisting a pint to celebrate the Auld Sod. If you could take five fictional friends on an Irish pub crawl, who would you choose and why? (And if five isn’t enough, feel free to toss in a few extra!)

Emily:  Well, I’ll tell you what. Because it IS St. Patrick’s Day and I’m focused on family while answering your interview questions, I’m going edit your question a bit. I really, really, really wish I could go on a pub crawl with my favorite Irishman ever, my father, John Edward Dawson. We lost him right at a year ago and I dedicated Angel’s Rest in his memory. He truly was the greatest storyteller I’ve ever known, and he inspired me to write. Tonight, I’ll be drinking a Guinness to Dad.

PJ: I'm so sorry for your loss.  I'll hoist one to your dad too, with thanks for passing his wonderful storytelling skills on to his daughter.   

Back to your new series.  Hummingbird Lake, the second Eternity Springs book, will be released March 22nd with Heartache Falls following on April 26th. What can we expect to find in these two books?

Emily:  Hummingbird Lake comes out next week. Yikes! Here’s the ad line:  

Shattered after her experiences in war-torn Africa, pediatric surgeon Sage Anderson gives up medicine and moves to Eternity Springs. Though she finds success as an artist, it isn’t enough to keep her nightmares at bay. Colt Rafferty is about to change all that.

Heartache Falls is a marriage in jeopardy plot. 

Long married and with her children grown, Ali Timberlake has come to Eternity Springs alone—searching for something that’s missing deep within herself. When her husband shows up—sexy, seductive, and determined to win his wife back—will she have enough room in her heart for him?



PJ:  Emily, thank you so much for being here today. As you know from my review, I loved Angel's Rest and can't wait to make a return visit to Eternity Springs next week for Sage's story in Hummingbird Lake.  Before we wrap up, is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?

Emily:  Other than to please go buy my books? *grin*  Yes, there is. I’ll soon be starting my fifth Eternity Springs book and I’m plotting. What are some of your favorite plot lines in romances? 
 
Emily has generously offered to give a copy of Angel's Rest to two random commenters (US addresses only) and because I loved the book so much, The Romance Dish is going to give one copy of Angel's Rest to a randomly selected international commenter. (must be from a country on Book Depository's approved shipping list).  Please include "U.S." or "International" in your comment so we know which draw to put you in.  Thanks!

~PJ

Love at First Sight

We all enjoy a good love at first sight story, right? When two people see each other for the first time . . . sparks fly and they know that they’ve found “the one”. Alas, I’m not talking about that kind of love at first sight or any kind of romantic love, per se. I’m talking about my love at first sight with regards to the magical world of Harry Potter.


It all started in the spring of 2003. I was talking to a friend of mine on the phone and she told me that she would have to let me go in a few minutes because Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was coming on TV and she was going to watch it.


“You like those movies?” I asked. (At the time, the first two movies had been released.)

“Yes, I love them,” she said. “Have you not seen them?”

“No,” was my reply.

“Oh, you should watch the first one now. It is such a good movie!”


My husband was working late and my son was little and already in bed so I figured, what the heck?


I sat down to watch it and was instantly mesmerized by what I saw. Here was a kid with magical powers just looking for a place to belong. He didn’t “fit” in the Muggle (non magic) world, so when he arrives at Hogwarts, he finally feels like he is home. As the only wizard ever to defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Harry is something of a celebrity at Hogwarts, though he doesn’t realize it until after he arrives. After all, he was only a baby when he defeated the evil wizard and was left with his trademark scar. He makes fast friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and is looked after by Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. The movie captivated me from beginning to end and I immediately wanted to see the next one. I called my friend the next day and told her how much I loved it. “I told you!” she replied. And for my birthday a couple weeks later, she bought me the first two movies and the first four books. To this day, it is one of the best birthday presents I have ever received. :)


My parents and sisters had moved away that spring and were back visiting for my birthday. I suggested that we all watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I got a few skeptical looks (the same that I had given my friend), but told them that it was a really good movie. Honest. They enjoyed it, but my youngest sister, Trisha, loved it. She connected with it the same way I did. So, we watched Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets together next. Needless to say, we both loved it, as well. Even my husband became an instant fan!


Since my family lived in Atlanta and my husband, son, and I were still living in Tampa when Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released at the theater, my sister and I couldn’t see it together. But by the time the fourth movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was released, we had moved to Atlanta and Trisha and I started a tradition that continues to this day: we always go see the Harry Potter movies together at the theater. And my son (who is 11) went with us to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 last November. Needless to say, we are stoked for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 to be released in July!!


Speaking of my son, he became interested in Harry Potter a few years ago after watching the movies, too. He loved them so much that he wanted to read the books. So he and I read all seven books last year while he was in the fourth grade. Plus, we still watch the movies quite often. They never get old. Even my daughter (who is almost 7) has caught the Harry Potter bug! She loves the movies and can’t wait to read the books soon! And I am looking forward to reading them again with her. :)


Since we are such huge Harry Potter fans, we just had to visit the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure (Universal Studios) in Orlando. Last month, we got the opportunity to do so. Upon spying Hogwarts for the first time, my eyes actually teared up. It was an amazing sight, even as far away as we were. The closer we got, the more excited we became. But because that section of the park is so popular, they only allow a certain number of people in at a time. We got our ticket and came back later to enter. Wow, was it crowded despite the limited number of entries at a time! First we saw the Hogwarts Express where it was docked at Platform 9 ¾. Then we strolled through Hogsmeade on our way to Hogwarts. We waited over two hours to do the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride (it broke down for about 45 minutes) inside Hogwarts, but it was SO worth it! It was an awesome ride! We also rode the Flight of the Hippogriff, which my kids especially loved. Of course, we held nothing back when it came to Harry Potter purchases, because we have no idea when we’ll be able to go back. We bought our own wands, T-shirts, the Marauder’s map, a stuffed Buckbeak (for my daughter), a time-turner keychain, postcards, playing cards, and more. Despite the crowded conditions, we had the best time ever as a family. And isn’t that what it’s all about?


So, there you have it! As you can tell, I am a huge fan of Harry Potter. (I’m also a huge fan of Pirates of the Caribbean, but I’ll save that for another blog, LOL!) Are you a fan of Harry Potter, too? If so, when did you first catch the HP bug? If not, tell me about something that you are a huge fan of! One lucky commenter will win a book from my stash.

Hot Dish for March

This month's hot dish is Brazilian model Edilson Nascimento.

And ladies, I do think you will enjoy the view ...

~ Buffie

Review -- Seduced by Destiny

Seduced by Destiny
by Kira Morgan
Publisher: Grand Central
Release Date: March 1, 2011

All her life, Josselin Ancrum has been trained for combat, hoping to exact vengeance for her heroic mother, who was killed fighting the English. When asked to spy for the Scottish Queen, Jossy joyfully accepts. But when a handsome stranger rescues her from sudden danger, his charm distracts her from her mission.

On the surface, Drew MacAdam may appear to be nothing more than a carefree champion, but his heart harbors a dark secret: this Highland hero is actually a skilled English solider with a hatred for war and for the Scottish. Yet from the moment he meets the feisty Jossy, he’s captured by her fiercely loyal heart. He’s determined the honey-haired lass will be his ultimate prize – until the tragedy of their entwined legacies is revealed.

Raised by his uncles since his English father took his own life after a bloody battle with the Scottish, Drew MacAdam has been taught to despise the Scots and to fight fiercely and with everything in his being. The only problem is Drew hates to fight. Devising his own secret plan of how to seek revenge on the Scottish for the death of his father, Drew disguises himself as a brawny Highlander and earns his living by beating the Scottish at their own game – the game of golf. Drew may not be killing Scots on the battlefield, but he sure is making a killing with a golf club.

Josselin Ancrum lost both her father and her mother in battles with the English. Raised from a tiny tot by the three Scottish soldiers who brought the bloody body of her mother home, Jossy has been schooled on all manners of warfare and just how deceiving men can be. Upon winning a wager with her fathers, Jossy travels to Edinburgh to witness the arrival of the new queen. After receiving the notice of Queen Mary during a processional, Jossy is offered the opportunity to work for the crown – as a carrier of secret messages. Determined to keep her new Queen and all of Scotland safe from the dreaded English, Jossy readily accepts and begins her new duties.

Drew and Jossy meet during the welcome processional for Queen Mary and from the very beginning sparks are flying. Jossy finds Drew to be ruggedly handsome, like all Highlanders, and she is intrigued with his golfing abilities. When the secret of Drew’s background is revealed to Jossy, she begins to question everything the two of them shared and wonders if she will ever love again.

Drew has never met a woman so feisty and so loyal and boy does she speak her mind. When thoughts of Jossy begin affecting his golfing, Drew knows he has fallen in love … with the enemy. But how in the world can he live without Jossy?

This is a fun read as there are twists and turns in the story but also humor and passion. I really enjoy a story where the hero and the heroine have very strong yet differing beliefs. Watching Drew and Jossy face the obstacles of their love and come to grips with past heartaches is rewarding at the end. True love can conquer all.


~ Buffie

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Review - - Nocturne

Nocturne
By Syrie James
Publisher:  Vanguard Press
Release Date:  January 4, 2011

Michael Tyler wasn’t always a vampire. At one point in his life he was an earnest young man who wanted only to help people by becoming a doctor. But his life is irrevocably changed one night when he stops to help the wrong person. Awakening the next day to the horrific realization of what he has become sends Michael on a terrifying rampage that lasts many decades. When he finally learns to control the beast that now lives within, he knows it’s not safe for him to be around people so he flees England for a remote piece of property in the mountains of Colorado where he has now lived for more than a century, interacting with people only when necessary.

Nicole Whitcomb is also running from her past following a tragic event that changed the course of her life. After attending the destination wedding of a friend, Nicole is driving to the airport to fly home when she’s caught in a freak snowstorm in the mountains of Colorado. Her car crashes and she’s certain her life is about to end so she’s understandably shocked when she awakens in the warmth and comfort of a beautiful mountain home with a gorgeous man at her side. There are worse things than being snowbound with a man who seems to have been made just for you but Michael blows hot and cold, affectionate one minute, cold and harsh the next.  There is little food in the house, he never joins her for meals and rarely sleeps.  It isn’t long before the many clues start to add up and Nicole begins to suspect that there’s more to the mysterious Michael Tyler than meets the eye. Will their deepening feelings for one another be able to withstand the truth or will it send Nicole running for her life?
 
Syrie James has written a deeply sensuous, hauntingly beautiful love story of two wounded individuals coming together. By setting the story in a remote snowbound location, we see only Nicole and Michael and the effect of their isolated situation is heightened emotions, fears, joy and frustration. Michael, in particular, broke my heart. His love for Nicole is so deep, so unselfish, so filled with fear that he won’t be able to control his vampire side. He’d rather die than hurt her but he may not have a choice.

This was my first Syrie James book but it won’t be my last. I’ve already ordered her back list and am looking forward to losing myself in her stories. Her writing is exquisite and compelling, pulling in the reader and continuing to hold them tightly long after the final page of the book is read. Nocturne doesn’t have a traditional romance ending but I was left with the hope of one (be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end). Still, even without the ending I normally want, I wouldn’t have missed the experience of reading Michael and Nicole’s story. I highly recommend this book.

~PJ

Julie Anne Long Winner

The random winner of a signed copy of THE PERILS OF PLEASURE by Julie Anne Long is

LSUReader

Congratulations, LSUReader!  Please send your full name and mailing address to theromancedish AT gmail DOT com and we'll forward your information to Julie.  

The instant winner of Julie's trivia question is

JANE

Jane, if you haven't already sent your information to Julie, please send it to us at theromancedish AT gmail DOT com and we'll forward it to Julie.

Thanks again to everyone who stopped by! 

Guest Reviews - THE IRISH PRINCESS & WELCOME TO LAST CHANCE

The Irish Princess
By Karen Harper
Publisher: NAL
Release Date: February 1, 2011

The Irish Princess, a novel of historical fiction, is the story of Elizabeth “Gera” Fitzgerald, an Irish noblewoman immortalized as the “Fair Geraldine” by 16th-century English poet, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. The story opens as Gera’s idyllic childhood ends with Henry VIII’s summons of her father, the 9th Earl of Kildare, to London. The earl is imprisoned in the Tower of London where he later dies. His heir, Gera’s half-brother Thomas, and five of his brothers are arrested and executed as traitors to the crown. Even though Gera is only ten, her “pilgrimage of rage” against the “terrible Tudor” begins with these life-transforming events. She is taken to England where her English-born mother has found sanctuary and where Gera soon finds herself a Lady-in-waiting to Kathryn Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII. Gera’s desire for revenge grows as she sees at first hand the intrigues and brutalities of the Tudor court. Despite her hatred of the king, she develops a sympathy for his daughters Mary and Elizabeth and proves a good friend to both.


A marriage to the much older courtier Sir Anthony Browne places her in the king’s most intimate circle, a position that allows her to achieve her goal in a most unexpected way. After Browne’s death, she marries Lord High Admiral Edward Clinton, a man to whom she had long been attracted, but even marriage to the love of her life does not end her adventures. She saves a queen’s life, faces exile from London, and captures a privateer before she finds a measure of peace and happiness with her beloved Clinton and sees the reinstatement of her family in Ireland.

Author Karen Harper says that her interest as a writer is in “the power of people’s relationships . . . the myriad complications of family ties, the bonds between friends, and the many ramifications of romantic love.” She gives her reader all of these in The Irish Princess. With a heroine whose spirit is as fiery as her hair, the novel should appeal to readers who like their fiction with a strong-willed heroine who dares much for the people and the nation she loves. Fans of Showtime’s The Tudors should enjoy a new angle on many of the characters they encountered in the series. The book should also appeal to lovers of historical romance. Although TIP is historical fiction, it has a strong romantic element in Gera’s and Clinton’s relationship. It even offers an HEA that is in the best tradition of historical romance. And Harper compares Edward Clinton to the heroes played by Russell Crowe and Johnny Depp! If you’re looking for something Irish to read as St. Patrick’s Day draws near, I highly recommend The Irish Princess.

~Janga


Welcome to Last Chance
By Hope Ramsay
Publisher: Forever/Grand Central
Release Date: March 1, 2011

Hope Ramsay’s debut novel is yet another addition to what has become a new subgenre in romance fiction, the small-town contemporary. This time the small town is Last Chance, South Carolina. Wanda Jane Coblentz, known as Mary Smith for the past seven years, arrives on the 9:30 Greyhound from Atlanta with the consequences of too many bad choices behind her, $5 in her wallet, and a head filled with the moralizing messages from the tapes of a New Age self-help guru. Her first stop is a honky-tonk where a five-piece country band is playing a Garth Brooks song. She takes one look at the fiddler and knows he’s bad news, the kind of guy she most needs to avoid.

“He was a big, powerfully built man with a ponytail and facial hair. He also wore a black Stetson, and a black shirt, and black jeans that hugged his butt and thighs, and a gem that sparkled from his earlobe like a black diamond.  He was the real-deal, bad-for-any-females-who came within range package. Someone should hang a big yellow warning sign on his neck that said ‘danger.’”

The fiddle player knows trouble just walked into Dot’s Spot. He looks at the newcomer and sees “pure sex on three-inch stiletto heels.”

They will both learn that appearances are deceiving. Clay, the fiddler, is a good guy with a savior complex, and Jane is a vulnerable soul with a wide and fierce streak of independence. They both have long histories as losers, they’re both desperate for new starts, and they both must learn to have faith in themselves, in each other, and in something larger than themselves.

This was a book that I really wanted to be a five-star read. I really liked the core story. Jane and Clay are not standard romance fare. They are needier and less polished than the usual H/H, and I found them engaging and endearing. Last Chance is a quirky town with some intriguing characters. At least a couple of them, a brooding baseball player and a widowed, hard-nosed police chief, are clearly heroes awaiting their own stories, although absent brother Tulane appears to be the hero of the second book. But I found myself confused at times: the story seemed a strange mix of Flannery O’Connor symbolism and tongue-in-cheek, not-always-kind parody of small Southern towns. Miz Ruby’s Cut ‘n Curl impressed me as a Blue Light Special version of Truvy’s beauty parlor in Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias, and the names of the Rhodes siblings (Stony, Clay, Tulane, and sister Rocky) just took it over the top. I liked the characters enough to look for Book 2, but I’m hoping for more substance and less cleverness.

~Janga

Anne Mallory winner!

The random winner of an Anne Mallory book is:

Penfield

Congratulations, Penfield! Please send your full name and address to theromancedishATgmailDOTcom with "Anne Mallory winner" as the subject and I'll forward your info to Anne. Many thanks to everyone who stopped by!

The Teen Menu

YA News

Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why is being made into a movie by Universal Pictures. Selena Gomez is set to star in the film.

Awesome news for Harry Potter fans -- next spring, Warner Brothers will be opening an "Making of Harry Potter" walking tour at Leavesden, England, where the eight movies were filmed. Included on the three-hour tour (and now I have the theme to Gilligan's Island in my head) are props, costumes, and sets such as Dumbledore's office and the Great Hall.

And here's some more cool news for Potter fans. If you live in the UK, you'll be able to affix Potter-themed stamps to your mail, along with those adorned with characters from other favorite series such as C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. See more here.

YA Reviews

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi was this year's winner of the prestigious Printz Award given by the American Library Association for excellence in young adult literature. This is another in the popular sub-genre of dystopian/post-apocalyptic YA fiction, a type of book I particularly like. Ship Breaker, however, feels more real than some. It takes place in some future time in which humankind's decisions and global warming (though that term is never used in the book) have taken their toll. Coastal cities have been inundated by the sea and are not livable. Even when those cities started over further inland, they present a very different picture than what we're used to today. The gap between haves and have-nots is even wider.

The story's protagonist is a teenage boy named Nailer who is part of a ship-breaking crew along the Gulf Coast. This means that he spends his days crawling through the rusty innards of beached sea vessels of the past, the oceangoing tankers and such that are common today. His job is to rip out the copper wiring for his boss so that he and the rest of his crew can make their meager living. The rest of his time he spends trying to avoid his only relative, his abusive, drug-addicted father.

When a hurricane, much more powerful than our present Category 5 storms (and therefore referred to as city killers), washes over the ship-breaking yards, Nailer and his best friend, Pima, find a fancy clipper ship wrecked. The salvage they can gather from this one vessel will have them set for life if they can just keep it secret, particularly from Nailer's dad and his gang of thugs. But when they find a teenage girl barely clinging to life inside the ship, they have a decision to make -- let her die and be rich enough to escape their hard lives or help her survive and perhaps doom themselves to a life of ship-breaking, if they're lucky. The decision is not as easy as we would like to think.

For Bacagalupi's website, click here.

I listened to Bras and Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski on audio last month though it's a few years old now. It's a lot lighter than the YA I normally read, but I thought I'd give it a whirl for a change of pace and because the readers here might start to think that all I read is heavy/dark stuff. :) Bras and Broomsticks is the first in the Magic in Manhattan series which also includes Frogs and French Kisses, Spells and Sleeping Bags, and Parties and Potions.

In this first book, teenage math whiz Rachel Weinstein finds out that her mother and younger sister, Miri, are honest-to-goodness witches. And it doesn't take long for Rachel to figure out that all those witchy powers are lost on her goody-two-shoes, save-the-world sister. If she had power like that, she'd be popular and have a popular boyfriend. And she'd make sure that her father didn't marry her horror of a soon-to-be stepmother. As you might expect, she does convince Miri to use a little magic in direct defiance of their mother's orders and when the initial results are awesome, Rachel is living large. But she's playing with fire, and sometimes that leads to painful burns.

If you're looking for some lighter YA that doesn't take itself too seriously (though it does have some good lessons cloaked in an accessible, non-preachy story), you might want to give this series a try.

For Mlynowski's site, go here.

New Releases winner!

The random winner of a book I picked up at RWA last year is:

June M.

Congratulations, June! Please send your full name and address to theromancedishATgmailDOTcom with "New Releases winner" as the subject and I'll get your book in the mail. Thanks to everyone who stopped by!