Today's Special - - Kris Kennedy

Fan Girl moment here...

I'm so excited to have Kris Kennedy blogging with us today.  I'm a huge fan of medieval romances and those written by Kris are among the best I've read in recent years.  Her debut book, The Conqueror recieved good reviews, her most recent book, The Irish Warrior was on many Top 10 lists of 2010, including mine, and I can't wait to read her upcoming release, Defiant (April 26th).   In fact, when you read this, I'll be sitting on the beach with Defiant in my (hopefully) hot little hands! Please join me in giving Kris a very warm welcome to The Romance Dish! 
~PJ






What Appears A Blessing may Be A Curse...


...and vice-versa.

I think this is one of my (many) favorite elements of fiction, and it’s used to great effect in romance fiction.

This is the time when the hero thinks everything’s going his way, and he couldn’t be happier. I mean, his plans are unfolding precisely as he wanted, right? What a confidence-booster.

Then wham—he suddenly realizes/learns/discovers it’s all terribly wrong. (Note: This is the most fun when it’s due to the heroine. )

The flipside is when the heroine has been dragged down further and further into, oh, let’s say some pit of despair. (Because pits of despair are fun in fiction.) When every attempt at problem-solving has resulted only in digging herself in deeper, when everything is going absolutely, positively wrong. (Note: This is most enjoyable when the hero is either the cause of the bad stuff, or the consequence of them—i.e. She has to spend more time with him.) Which, of course, will turn out to be the very best thing that could have happened.

Some of the best storytelling tension, the best humor, the best sensual tension comes from these reversals or switches of expectation/desire and outcome. Some of the best kiss scenes, some of the best clues to solving the mystery, to getting the bad guy, to facing the inner demons, to resolving the core story questions—almost always, some of the best ones come directly from this.

I think this is because this same phenomena happens in our everyday lives, very, very often.

Something happens to us that seems terrible. Perhaps we made a mistake, or maybe we missed the exit. Somehow, we lose out on an opportunity we think was the Very Best Thing and, furthermore, Exactly What We Needed.

But a lot of time, later on--maybe an hour, maybe ten years--we realize that Very Best Thing would have been all wrong. Maybe it would have closed off an opportunity that could lead to something we now cherish. Or maybe something wonderful came out of the ‘mistake’ or the loss, something we can’t imagine our lives without.

Perhaps some (most?) of this attitude, “Hey, it’s Actually A Good Thing!” is just our human capacity for storytelling, our drive to create narratives that explain the world, our desire to find meaning and make sense of the world. It’s a hard-wired thing. So, who knows, maybe we’re just making up these “Hey, it’s really a good thing now!” stories to make ourselves feel better.

But you know what? Most of the time, I don’t think so.

I remember once turning down a job offer that was pretty demanding and inflexible about how I put in my time. Almost immediately after I turned it down, I began second-guessing myself, berating myself for passing up the (not insignificant) increase in pay and prestige. I had a rough few months of it, especially as I was constantly encountering the person who took the job instead. I kept seeing what ‘could have been.’

But . . . a few months later, I re-discovered writing, and you know what? I needed that time, to not only to re-discover writing, but then to stay up until 2am writing, to flex my schedule so I could fit in the obsessive, 23-hours-a-day writing I was sometimes doing. I needed time to be inspired. I needed time to get it all down. Time I’d never have had with the other job.

Turns out, turning down the job was the best thing I could have done.

I’m not (necessarily) saying that things happen for a reason. Maybe they do. Maybe they don’t. I’m just saying that often, if we keep an open mind, (or have one forced upon us—oh, hello Romance Hero) a lot of times, the thing we wanted turns out not to be essential at all. And the thing we dreaded, that error in judgment, turns not to be an error at all. It’s not only not as bad as we dreaded, but it might just expose opportunities we could never have dreamt of.

This kind of irony is fabulous fodder for dramatic tension in stories. I think that’s because it resonates somewhere deep inside us, because we see it in our lives, every day.

In my May release, DEFIANT (Pocket Books), the hero and heroine upend each other throughout the opening scenes of the story. Each time the heroine upsets the hero’s carefully laid plans, every time the hero boxes the heroine in, each time there’s a reversal of fortunes, it makes them more desperate, more angry, and more committed to their original goal.

But what it really does is drive them closer together (all I’ll say is, in DEFIANT, there are ropes involved. . . .) And that, of course, is the best thing that could ever have happened.

So, what are some of your favorite stories / moments in stories, where the best thing turns out to be the worst thing, or vice-versa? Or, even in your own life?


One person who shares their story will win a copy of my upcoming May release, DEFIANT!


And below, for anyone interested, is my paltry re-telling of a Chinese proverb that speaks this notion of reversals, and the value of adopting a mindful, accepting embrace of life as it comes, because we never, ever know what lies around the bend:


A humble man in a village owned the most magnificent horse in the countryside, a powerful, beautiful stallion. All the villagers told the old man how blessed he was. But he would always reply, "Maybe so, maybe not. What appears a blessing can be a curse, and what appears a curse can be a blessing."


Now it happens that one day, the stallion ran away, and the villagers lamented for the man, saying now that he must be cursed. And he replied, "Maybe so, and maybe not. What appears a curse can be a blessing, and what appears a blessing can be a curse."

A few days later, the horse returned, and had a whole line of beautiful wild horses following behind. By the law of the land, this made them all the old man's. His neighbors exclaimed at how truly blessed he was. As always, he replied, "Maybe so, and maybe not. What appears a blessing can be a curse, and what appears a curse can be a blessing."


A few days later, the man's eldest son was out riding the stallion, and got thrown. He broke his leg. Now the villagers all cried, "Ah, how cursed you are." The old man replied, "Maybe so, and maybe not. What appears a curse can be a blessing, and what appears a blessing can be a curse."

The next day, the army came through the village, conscripting all able-bodied men for their campaign, a war being fought for no reason other than to satisfy the emperor's greed. The army took every young man and boy in the village, but they left the old man's son behind, because his leg was broken. All the men and boys of the village who went were killed in terrible battle, but the man's son, being home, lived.


Now, that’s certainly not what you’d call a romance, and to my mind, the village menfolk had to suffer pretty horrifically in order to make the point, but at its core, the story speaks to reversals of fortune. In fiction and in life, this is pretty compelling stuff.

So, let me hear your stories, either fiction or real life!

Kris Kennedy writes sexy, adventure-filled medieval romances for Pocket Books. Visit her website  and sign-up for the newsletter, read exclusive excerpts, or just drop Kris a line saying Hi!

Trish Milburn Winner

Thanks to everyone who stopped by yesterday to help Trish Milburn launch her new book, Living in Color and share your road trip memories and wishes.  The randomly chosen winner of Trish's prize is

JANGA

Congratulations, Janga!  Please send your full name and mailing address to us at theromancedish@gmail.com.  Don't forget to put "Trish Milburn Winner" in the subject line!

Guest Review - - Any Man of Mine

Any Man of Mine
By Rachel Gibson
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: April 26, 2011

What happens in Vegas can have consequences that last for years. What happened to Autumn Haven and Sam LeClaire was a quick marriage and a quicker divorce. The consequence is named Conner, and he’s six years old.

Once a paternity test proved Conner was his, Sam has provided financially for his son, but in all other ways his failure as a father has been as colossal as his failure as a husband. Since meetings between Sam and Autumn tend to be acrimonious, they have become experts at avoiding one another. But when recently retired hockey star Ty Savage marries Chinooks owner Faith Duffy (True Love and Other Disasters), Autumn, the wedding planner, and Sam, a Chinooks star, have to be in the same place at the same time. A glitch in Autumn’s childcare arrangements gives Sam the unexpected opportunity to prove that he can be the father to Conner that Sam’s father never was to him.

Autumn knows Conner needs his dad, but she has good reason to distrust Sam’s promises. Even when Sam shows that he’s determined to be permanently involved in Conner’s life, Autumn fights not to allow him reentry to her heart. But reason and resolution are poor defenses against the chemistry between these two characters, and the fire that reignites once they are seeing one another again burns even hotter than it did in Vegas.

I don’t like hockey, but I’m a big fan of Rachel Gibson’s hockey books. See Jane Score, Chinooks Book #2, remains my favorite of Gibson’s popular, but Any Man of Mine is a terrific addition to the tales of the Chinooks. Reunion and redemption are my favorite themes in romance novels, and Sam and Autumn’s story is a splendid example of both. It is not a story of misunderstandings that can be addressed with clearer communication. There’s no way around the fact that Sam has been a real jerk. His behavior is reminiscent of news stories about real life superstar athletes. For the story to work, the reader has to believe that Sam has changed and matured. Gibson makes it easy to believe because the changes are not instantaneous and they are revealed within the contexts of who Sam is and what his life has been.

Autumn’s change is less dramatic than Sam’s, but no less crucial. The Vegas experience transformed her from a naïve young woman to a disillusioned single mother who struggles with residual anger and bitterness. She must learn not only to trust Sam again but also to trust herself and her judgment. Conner adds to the power of the story because he seems to be a real little boy who loves his mother but needs his daddy in his life.

Fans of the earlier Chinook books will recognize Sam and will be pleased to catch glimpses of Ty and Faith’s wedding, but Any Man of Mine can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. The focus of the story remains on Sam and Autumn, their past, and their attempt to build a future. It is a story that tugs at the heart, offers flashes of humor, and sizzles with Gibson’s usual flair for love scenes. If you’ve never read Gibson, AMOM is a good place to begin. I’m betting you’ll then want to glom her backlist.

It is rumored that this is the last of the Chinooks series, but I hope there will be at least one more connected book. I really want to know what happens to Autumn’s protective brother.

~Janga

Today's Special - - Trish Milburn

I'm happy to welcome Trish Milburn to The Romance Dish today to celebrate her newest book, a women's fiction novel titled Living in Color.  Trish is a familiar face around here.  She's been an avid supporter of this blog since we first conceived the idea during a weekend conference in Atlanta and joins us on the tenth of every month to bring readers the latest news in the world of Young Adult fiction.  Check out her April "Teen Menu" here. 

Trish writes contemporary romance for Harlequin American and YA single-titles under the name of Tricia Mills.  She's always been involved with writing; from the first romance she wrote in sixth grade to the journalism positions she held following college.  She now works full-time from home, writing the wonderful books we love to read.  For more information about Trish, visit her website, like her at Facebook and follow her at Twitter. 




Welcome, Trish!  It's great to have you here today to celebrate the release of Living in Color! This is a new kind of book for you.  What can readers expect from this story?

Thanks, PJ. It’s my first women’s fiction story, and it’s a mother-daughter road trip book. Here’s a blurb:

After the death of her father, Sabrina Bishop feels a sense of relief that he's gone. No longer will he be able to abuse her mother mentally or physically, and just maybe her mother might grow to see what he'd done to her was wrong. But with the death of Jim Bishop, Sabrina is now responsible for her mother's well being since Ruby can't read or write and has lived a sheltered life. But Ruby has a very small comfort zone in rural West Tennessee, and that means she can't come live with Sabrina in Atlanta. Besides, Sabrina's job as an award-winning news photographer keeps her traveling around the globe most of the time. As she tries to make suitable plans for her mother's future, Sabrina offers to take Ruby on a road trip to expose her to a world she's never seen. As they travel to sites such as Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park and the Gulf Coast of Florida, the trip becomes a journey of unexpected healing and self-discovery not only for Ruby, but for Sabrina as well.

With Mother's Day coming up next month (in the U.S.), this sounds like a wonderful story that readers can buy to share with their mothers (or daughters).   Do you plan to write more stories of this type?

I’ve written one other, so that one might see the light of day soon.  Now that I’ve started down this path as well, I’m sure more women’s fiction story ideas will come to me.

What do you want readers to know about Sabrina and Ruby?
 
They love each other, but they are such intensely different people that it’s hard for them to even have a conversation sometimes. But as the novel progresses, they both slowly realize that they have more similarities than they ever imagined and that things are not always as they seem.

How does Living in Color differ from the other books you’ve published? (Harlequin Americans as Trish Milburn and YA as Tricia Mills)

I’d say the main difference is just the focus of the story. This time it’s the mother-daughter relationship and healing from a difficult past. When I think about it though, that healing from the past storyline is something that crops up in my work a lot. I’m a fan of stories that have second chances, and that’s evident in this book too. But for fans of my romance books, there is a touch of romance in Living in Color, though it’s not the focal point of the novel. I just can’t seem to write anything that doesn’t have at least a little romance in it. 

You’ve chosen to self-publish Living in Color as an e-book through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords. How does this type of publication differ from the traditional publishing company route for the author? For the reader?

The main difference for the author is you are in total control (and you get a bigger slice of the pie). You don’t depend on anyone else to do the marketing, the business stuff. But it’s exciting to try, especially for someone who has control tendencies (Trish raises hand).  For the reader, I don’t think there’s much difference, especially if you’re used to reading on a Kindle, Nook, Sony eReader, your phone, even your desktop computer. It’s important for the author to do all the same pre-work on the book -- writing the best book she can, editing, revising -- so that you put out a quality product. Just because it’s self-publishing doesn’t mean you toss up any ol’ thing that’s hibernating in the depths of your computer. That’s not a good strategy in the long run because you want everything with your name on it to be of good quality.

As the Living in Color blurb states, Sabrina takes her mother on a road trip across the United States. Have you ever taken a similar journey? If you had unlimited time and money and could take a road trip across any country in the world, which one would you most like to see?

I’ve taken lots of road trips because I don’t like to fly. Once, when my sister was living in the Seattle area, I drove from Nashville to Seattle. I’ve also driven to Yellowstone a couple of times. I love being able to go at my own pace, stopping to stretch my legs when necessary, even stopping to see the World’s Largest Ball of Twine if the urge strikes.  My most recent road trip was to Texas last month. I had to be in Austin for the RWA Board meeting, so I extended the trip to visit my good friend M.J. Fredrick in San Antonio and to do some research in the Hill Country since the trilogy I’m currently writing for Harlequin American is set there.

If I had unlimited time and money, I would take a ginormous road trip through the United States, visiting every unit of the National Park Service, and Canada. Overseas, I’d love to visit England, Ireland and Scotland, tracing my roots. You know, I pretty much like visiting anywhere I’ve never been.

Trish, you have to be one of the busiest people I know. You blog at several sites (including your monthly Teen Menu here at The Romance Dish), write books under two names, serve on the Romance Writers of America (RWA) Board of Directors, are active on Facebook and Twitter, not to mention your homefront responsibilities, and I don’t remember ever seeing you without a smile on your face. What’s your secret for keeping your life balanced and not burning out?

Well, I always preface this by saying I don’t have children. I know lots of writers who have kids and still manage to do all those things, and that makes me want to take a really long nap. I’m amazed at the moms who also write and manage all the other aspects of their lives. I’m also fortunate that my lovely hubby has a good job and that allows me to work from home. I still do freelance writing and copy editing to keep my toes in the journalism world, but mostly I work on books. I’m also a big believer in exercise. It makes me feel better, helps me sleep better, prevents me from getting ginormous as I sit in front of the computer, and helps my mood (especially over the winter when it’s dreadful outside). In fact, I’m on my treadmill as I write this. Aforementioned lovely hubby built me a desk for my treadmill so I can exercise and work at the same time. Even if I’m not walking, standing here burns more calories than sitting. Also, from the time I started first grade, I’m been a big list maker and goal setter. That’s just my personality. I also make time for things I enjoy. I love movies and TV, so I bought myself a TiVo when I sold my first book. That way I’m not tied to a viewing schedule, can skip commercials and don’t miss anything while I’m on deadlines. If I had to give up the things I enjoy to be a writer, I’m not sure how happy I’d be. You’re right -- it’s all about balance.

What are you working on now?

I’m in the midst of revising the first two books in my upcoming Teagues of Texas trilogy for Harlequin American and writing the third. I don’t have release dates yet, but I believe they’ll be out in 2012. Honestly, if I showed you my to-do list, you might run screaming. 

LOL!  I have a feeling that's exactly the reaction I'd have to your to-do list!  Thanks for visiting with us today, Trish. We’re all thrilled to help you launch your newest baby into the reader universe. So, with launch party thoughts in mind, here’s a Quick Six to wrap things up.

Favorite drink?

I would have said Coca-Cola a few months ago, but I gave up soda pop at the end of December. I mainly drink water now, but I do have the occasional Minute Maid Cranberry-Grape juice.

Favorite dessert?

Chocolate cake, and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.

Favorite type of music?

Depends on my mood, but I like hard rock/metal, including several European bands with whom Americans are less familiar, ones that are sometimes classified as symphonic rock. I also love Celtic music. And dance music for when I’m working out.

Book you’re most looking forward to reading?

Oh, this is a hard question. I have J.R. Ward’s newest that I plan to read after finishing a library book I have checked out. I’m looking forward to the next in James Dashner’s Maze Runner series and the sequel to Beth Revis’s Across the Universe. Wow, there are just too many to narrow it down to one.

Movie you’re most looking forward to seeing?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2. Also, the first part of Breaking Dawn. And Thor. I love superhero movies. And Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (though I’m going to miss Will -- wah!). See, I can’t answer these questions with just one thing.

I may create chaos in the Romance Bandit Lair with this one but...

Favorite Cabana Boy?

I’m not even going to attempt to name just one.  Though Sven from the Bandit Lair might be offended if I don’t pick him.

Sven, the massage master?  We definitely don't want to offend him! 

Thank you for graciously answering all of my questions today, Trish.   Do you have a question for our readers?

Here’s my question to the blog readers today -- have you ever taken a big road trip? Where to? What was the coolest, oddest or scariest thing you saw along the way?

And thanks to the Dishers for letting me have a party here today. You all are fab!

Okay, readers, let's hear about your road trips!  Or, if you've never taken a big road trip, tell us where you'd like to go.  One lucky winner will receive a road map of the United States from Trish (in case you feel the urge to take your own road trip) and a $10 gift card from Starbucks (because if you're driving across country, we want you to stay awake!)

~PJ

 Living in Color can be purchased for $2.99 at the following locations:

Amazon (Kindle)
Barnes & Noble (NOOKbook)
Smashwords 

Guest Review - - Spinning

Spinning
By Michael Baron
Publisher: Story Plant
Release Date: April 5, 2011

Dylan Hunter, a public relations expert in New York City, likes his life. He’s just won a plum account for his firm, and things are looking good for him to reach the top rung and retire at 40, just over a decade away. Socially, he’s hanging at the hottest clubs in the city and enjoying a life filled with “babes, booze, and season’s tickets.” All this begins to change at 3:00 a. m. one morning when Diane Sommers, a former lover arrives at his door with her three-year-old daughter, Spring. Dylan invites Diane to stay with him until she finds a job and an apartment, never suspecting how his two guests will alter his life. Soon Dylan is feeding ducks instead of putting the move on chicks, singing “Itsy Bitty Spider” instead of listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan, and spending more and more time with Diane and Spring.

By the time Diane finds a job and an apartment, Dylan is looking at rings and planning a proposal. But before he can follow through, a tragic accident leaves him the sole caretaker of Spring. Diane has no family, and she has told no one who fathered Spring. The once carefree Dylan finds himself responsible for the physical and emotional well-being of a child painfully adjusting to life without her mother. He feels totally inadequate for the task.

There was a very real chance that I was all Spring had—which meant that I instantly needed a neural link in child rearing, something the people in the Matrix movies could provide if they weren’t, you know, fictional. I could bandage her knee and maybe handle soothing her after a simple nightmare—the kind of thing you could pick up from an ad for cold medicine or greeting cards. If it got more complicated than that—like dealing with grief, for instance—I was way out of my depth.

It’s not until Dylan is faced with the threat of losing Spring that he realizes how totally committed he is to this child and how much he needs her in his life.

I found Spinning slow going for the first several chapters. The point of view is first person, and Dylan seemed incredibly shallow, a lot closer to some of the frat boys I taught than to a man staring 30 in the face. But as Diane and Spring became a greater part of his life, and he began to mature, I found the character more engaging. By the time he learns that his expertise as a spin doctor is poor preparation for a life spinning out of his control, I was hooked on the story.

Spring is a wonderful character, heartbreaking as she struggles to understand what her mother’s death means and yet still a child filled with a sense of wonder and fun. The scene where Dylan first has to give her a bath is laugh-out-loud funny, as is Spring’s sabotage of Dylan’s big date with a promising “babe.”

I also enjoyed watching Dylan’s relationship with his co-worker and friend, Billie, evolve into something more. The happy outcome to the custody issue required the help of Dylan’s circle of friends, suggesting that Dylan’s was not the only life that Spring had changed. Although this novel is not romance fiction, it does have several romance threads. I’m not sure what genre label should be applied. Is there a term for chick lit from a male perspective? Whatever the genre, Spinning is an emotional story with humor and pathos, one many readers of romance fiction should enjoy.

~Janga

Lori Wilde Winners

The two winners of a copy of The Welcome Home Garden Club by Lori Wilde are:


June M.

and

MsHellion


Congratulations, ladies! Please send your full name and mailing address to

theromancedishATgmailDOTcom

I'll get your book in the mail to you ASAP. Thank you to everyone who commented!

Stock Up Saturday Reviews

The Welcome Home Garden Club
A Twilight,Texas Novel, #4
By Lori Wilde
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: March 29, 2011


Traditional meaning of pink and white roses: I love you still and always will.


Caitlyn Marsh owns the floral shop in Twilight, Texas, the perfect place for her given her long standing love of flowers. Raising her small son and running a business keep Caitlyn busy, but not busy enough to forget about her first love and high-school sweetheart, Gideon Garza. Eight years have passed since he left for Iraq, and Caitlyn finds herself alone and pregnant. She hires a private detective to find Gideon, and he tells her that Gideon has been killed in action. Shattered and heartbroken, Caitlyn manages to take each day as it comes, but she will never forget her first love. When Gideon rides back to Twilight on his motorcycle, she thinks she’s hallucinating.

Gideon joined the Army because he had no choice, but he joined the Green Berets and excelled at his job. Now eight years later, he is comes back to Twilight to attend the funeral of his father, who refused to ever acknowledge Gideon. Scarred physically and emotionally from war, Gideon is still trying to heal from all he has been through. Coming face to face with Caitlyn, the love of this life rocks his world. He still wants her, still loves her, but he doesn’t know if she will want a life with the man he has become. Can Gideon and Caitlyn heal the scars of their past and have the life they always wanted?

Small town romances are a favorite of mine, as are reunion stories and The Welcome Home Garden Club combines them in a cozy package. The ladies in Caitlyn’s garden club----the same gals who have been in the first three books of this series----are a delight, and their fondness for Caitlyn has them pulling for her and Gideon to find their happily-ever-after. And if two people ever deserved that happy ending, it’s Caitlyn and Gideon.


They were soul mates.


His mouth came down on hers with the weight of years behind it. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her to him. She went up on tiptoes, greedily trying to get as close as she could.


They inhaled a single breath, tasting the rapture of each other.


Their story made me laugh, cry and cheer them on every step of the way. If you like small town romances and the enduring love of two soul mates, this is the book for you.

~ Gannon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The School for Brides
By Cheryl Ann Smith
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Release Date: April 5, 2011

Courtesan stories are popular in historical romance, though generally aren’t my favorite. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed most of the ones I’ve read; I just don’t actively seek them out, per se. However, I decided to give The School for Brides by Cheryl Ann Smith a try because it is a debut book, and I always love to try a new author. I’m so glad I did because this is not exactly your typical courtesan story (i.e. the heroine is a jaded courtesan)—it’s a refreshing twist on that type of story.

Miss Eva Black runs a secret school for brides. She takes in women who are courtesans and no longer wish to be, and teaches them how to be a proper wife. After they’ve learned that, Eva matches them with gentleman she has interviewed who seek a wife. There is a reason she does this—her mother was a courtesan whose spirit and health severely declined after her aristocratic lover (Eva’s father) passed away. Yes, they loved each other immensely, but since he was married and had other children, that didn’t leave much for Eva and her mother. Eva has dedicated her life to helping courtesans find long-lasting happiness through a respectable marriage.

Then one day, Nicholas Drake, Duke of Stanfield, knocks on her door demanding Eva give him his mistress back. Eva is shocked by two things—that the duke knows about her school, and that he would actually want his mistress back. After all, men like him went through women like water. Unfortunately for Nicholas, his mistress was matched and happily married weeks ago. This, of course, makes Nicholas furious—how dare the dowdy spinster take what is his! He promises revenge and gets it by buying up Eva’s mother’s debts and then calls in the notes. When Eva can’t pay, he demands she take his mistress’s place or she and her mother will be turned out. Because of her mother’s poor health, Eva has no choice but to accept his offer and become that which she loathes—a courtesan.

The School for Brides is a delightful historical debut featuring a spirited heroine, a sexy, arrogant duke, charming secondary characters, and several surprising twists. And I loved the twists. If this book is any indication, I see a bright future ahead for Ms. Smith. I really enjoyed this one and am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series!

~Andrea
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Highlander’s Curse
by Melissa Mayhue
Publisher: Pocket
Release Date: March 29, 2011



Sexy Highlander Colin MacAlister has been cursed by the Queen of the Fae to feel and hear the pain of all the souls who have not found their soul mates. The only way Colin can be released from this curse is by joining with his own soul mate. Though burdened with the curse, Colin’s only concern is to save Scotland from the horrible English. That is until he wakes up in the 21st century … lying in bed naked and caressing the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.

Archaeology masters student Abigail Porter has just had a wonderful night out with her two best friends. Toasting to each other’s deepest wish over cocktails, Abigail makes a wish to find “the one.” A real man’s man. Believing the toast is just wishful dreaming, Abby is shocked to awake the next morning with a naked Adonis in her bed. And not just “in” her bed, but wrapped around her as if there is nowhere else he would rather be.

As Colin explains to Abby that he is from 14th century Scotland and needs to return there to save several of his family and friends. Colin is also so adamant that Abby used faerie magic to “wish” him to the 21st century. After hearing all of this, Abby is sure the man is deranged or at least delirious. There is no possible way time travel exists. Heck no! But Abby’s opinion soon changes when a seemingly insignificant person in her life turns out to be a villain determined to use Abby’s faerie magic for his evil purposes. Testing Colin’s theory of magic, Abby wishes both Colin and herself to 14th century Scotland to escape the villain. Unsure if their romance can survive the day-to-day routine when there is a 700 year time span, Colin and Abby both have decide if love is worth it.

This paranormal time travel offers up the best of everything -- a strong, intelligent heroine and an extremely hot Highlander who share a passionate romance in the 21st century and the 14th century. What’s not to love about time travel with a sexy Scot? The 8th book in the Daughters of the Glenn series, Highlander’s Curse is a delightful read that is sure to leave any Highlander-loving reader satisfied. No need to worry about reading the previous books in the series as this novel is easily read as a standalone.

~ Buffie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lover Unleashed
Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 9
By J.R. Ward
Publisher: NAL
Release Date: March 29, 2011

J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series has often been referred to as “book crack” and for good reason. In Lover Unleashed, book 9 of the series, Payne, twin sister of Vishous, meets the man destined to be her mate. After finally having escaped her mother, The Scribe Virgin, Payne is paralyzed in an accident, and there is only one person who can heal her: Dr. Manuel Manello, Jane’s (Vishous’ mate) former boss.

Manny has mourned Jane’s death for the past year, so when she appears asking for his help, to say he’s stunned is a massive understatement. But stunned is exactly the right word when he sees Payne for the first time, and all he can think and feel is “Mine.” When Manny discovers that Payne is a vampire, his feelings for her don’t change, but he’s almost certain they have no real future together. They say that love conquers all, but does that mean that a human and a vampire can find their happily-ever-after?

My Black Dagger Brotherhood addiction continues to be fed with each book in this series. Some books I love more than others, and while I enjoyed Lover Unleashed, it left some unanswered questions and introduced some new characters and side stories that left me hanging. Which, of course, means I’ll continue reading this series to find out what happens next. J.R. Ward’s writing style and incredible world building is unparalleled!


~ Gannon

What good books have you read lately?  

Hot Dish for April

Last week was the 2011 RT Book Lovers Convention in Los Angeles, California. In addition to meeting authors, publishers and bloggers, one of the big highlights is the crowning of a new Mr. Romance. There were nine would-be romance cover model hopefuls competing this year and the competition was fierce.

Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Romance 2011 ... Len Gunn

I think Len is pretty darn good choice!!!

What do you think?

~ Buffie

Colleen Gleason Winner

The winner of a copy of The Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason is:


Chrisbails


Congratulations! Please send your full name and mailing address to

theromancedishATgmailDOTcom

Please put "The Vampire Voss winner" in the subject line. I will forward your info to Colleen so she can send you your book.

Review - - Too Sinful to Deny

Too Sinful to Deny
By Erica Ridley
Publisher: Zebra
Release Date: April 5, 2011

“Dear Mother,” she scratched across the top of a yellow sheet of parchment.

I was wrong. I do hate you more than you hate me.

“Moonseed Manor has proven to be an unacceptable choice for accommodation.”

Not that I expect you care.

“While I have not spoken with Father’s cousin-“

- because she’s most likely DEAD-“

“-I did meet the master of the house-“

-who could snap my neck as easily as a bird’s-

“-and will inform him of my intent to return to London.”

Unless I can manage to escape without him noticing.

It was likely Miss Susan Stanton had pushed her parents too far this time. Determined to escape her controlling, social climbing mother, Susan’s latest adventure not only created yet another scandal but ended with Susan plunging through the ice and sinking into the dark depths of the Thames to face almost certain drowning. Instead, rescued and revived, Susan finds herself banished from her beloved London to a distant relative’s remote manor house in the middle of what appears to be a nest of smugglers on the coast of Cornwall where her arrival is neither anticipated nor welcomed, her relative has mysteriously disappeared, and there isn’t a single eligible, titled bachelor to be found. If that isn’t bad enough, it soon becomes apparent that her near-drowning has left Susan with an unusual, and unwanted, skill - she can see and converse with dead people – and apparently, they all want to talk to her, especially a young smuggler by the name of Timothy Bothwick who needs her help to solve a mystery and bring the people responsible for his murder to justice.

Evan Bothwick, charming rogue and sometime smuggler is looking for his missing brother and has no time for pesky society misses who want nothing more than to leave Bournemouth but, in a town that small, Miss Stanton is hard to avoid. Before long, they’re working together and the simmering sizzle between them is threatening to burst into flame – a flame neither wants for Evan has no desire to tie himself to one woman and Susan can’t imagine tying herself to anyone who doesn’t live in London. Still…a kiss shared only to convince the townspeople that she wasn’t spying on one of their own (She was.  How else was she to get information when nobody in this town would talk to her?) while lurking behind a building has Evan itching for more even as he dreads the probable outcome.

     “I suppose the gentlemanly thing to do would be to offer for you,” he somehow managed to say over the currents swirling in his stomach. The impromptu kiss now seemed a death knell. Marriage. Much as he longed to hold her, to possess her, to pleasure her - he had not envisioned a permanent situation.
     But she was already shaking her head.
    “Thank you for offering, but you needn’t bother. I’ve plans for my future and they don’t involve being trapped in this godforsaken town. I’d rather spend the rest of my life imprisoned in my parents’ townhouse than another minute on this beach. Er, no offense meant.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this adventurous, humorous and sometimes poignant gothic romance. Susan and Evan are poster children for the attraction of opposites. This spunky (good intentioned) busybody and smooth-talking rake could not be more different yet their attraction grows into a true, deep and abiding love as they each also grow as people.  Add in pirates, ghosts, crooked politicians, quirky townspeople and a nasty villain along with mysteries to be solved and you have another winner from Erica Ridley.

While Susan was introduced, and had a significant role, in Ridley's first book, Too Wicked to Kiss, it's not necessary to have read that book before reading Too Sinful to Deny.  However, I believe reading Too Wicked to Kiss first will give you a more complete understanding of Susan's background and a greater appreciation of the person she becomes over the course of Too Sinful to Deny. 

~PJ

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Today's Special -- Interview with Lori Wilde

We are so pleased to welcome New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lori Wilde to The Romance Dish today. Lori has written more than 56 novels for four major publishing houses. She's a RITA finalist, winner of the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, the Holt Medallion, the National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best. A former nurse, Lori now is lucky to write full time the books her readers love to read. Her latest book, The Welcome Home Garden Club, book 4 in the Twilight Texas Series, was released March 29th. If you haven't read this heartwarming series, you're missing a delightful time. Lori lives in Texas with her husband and their menagerie of pets. Please give a warm welcome to Lori.


Gannon: Hi, Lori! Thank you so much for being our guest at The Romance Dish. I read in your bio that you wrote your first story when you were eight years old about your "as yet, unborn, baby sister." Did your parents keep that story or any of your early "work"?

Lori: They did save them, but unfortunately, my parents' house burned down when I was in college and almost all my early writings were lost. I do have a few pieces I wrote in high school.

Gannon: Oh, that's so sad. It's nice you have a few things, though. Obviously you were bitten by the writing bug early, but your dad encouraged you to find a career that paid better money, so you went to nursing school. How long did you practice nursing before you were able to quit your day job and pursue writing full time?

Lori: Twenty-two years. I went to LVN (LPN) school at age 17 and then worked to put myself through RN school for six years. I didn't write during those years. As soon as I got out of college I started writing again. I messed around, writing on and off for seven years. Then finally in 1990, I drew a line in the sand and told myself I was going to do this or die trying.

Gannon: That's what I call perseverance. You have written in so many different sub-genres (romantic adventure comedy, hot and sexy, small town romance). Is there a particular one that you prefer or find easier to write?

Lori: I really like romantic adventure comedy, but it just didn't sell well for me. However, the small town romances suit my voice. I'm a country girl at heart and always will be.

Gannon: I'm a big fan of your Twilight, Texas series. I guess I can relate to it having grown up in a small town. *g* What made you want to write about small town life and romance?

Lori: I've lived in small towns my whole life. It's what I know best. I've worked in small town hospitals and have a feel for the sense of community that comes from that experience.

Gannon: Was this meant to be a series all along? How many books do you have planned for the Twilight series?

Lori: Yes, it was always a series. I hope to be able to write more books set in Twilight. It all depends on how the series does whether my publisher will allow me to set more books there. Right now, I have a new series I'm working on about cutting horse cowboys. That was a natural for me as well since I live in the Cutting Horse Capital of the World.

Gannon: I certainly hope there are many more books in Twilight, and I love the sound of those cowboys! *g* I know that writing your many books keeps you busy, but you are also an instructor for a company who provides online community education for more than 2100 colleges and universities. Can you tell us more about that and how you got involved?

Lori: The company I work for is the largest supplier of adult education in the world. I took a class from them, enjoyed it and then noticed they didn't offer a course on romance writing. I applied and got accepted to develop my own course for them.

Gannon: I'll have to check that out---sounds like fun. I also read that you volunteer as a sexual assault first responder for a shelter for battered women. What led you to do this?

Lori: I felt the need to get out and help my community. Since I was a nurse, that volunteer position was a good fit. I was also getting a certificate in forensic nursing and it helped augment my education.

Gannon: Lori, you are an amazing lady....and an incredibly busy one! What's up next for you?

Lori: Those cutting horse cowboys from Avon. It's currently a three book series, with all three books scheduled for release in 2012. I also still write sexy romances for Harlequin Blaze.

Gannon: I'm looking forward to reading your new series---who doesn't love a sexy cowboy?!--- and of course, those hot Blaze books. Thank you so much for spending time with us. It's been a delight.

Lori: Thanks for inviting me. This was fun!


Tell us readers, do you like small town romances? Or do you prefer to read about life in the big city?

Lori has generously provided two copies of The Welcome Home Garden Club for a giveaway (U.S. and Canadian residents only, please) to two random commenters today.

Today's Special -- Colleen Gleason

Today one of our favorite authors is hanging at The Romance Dish....Colleen Gleason. Colleen writes some of the hottest vampire romances on the market. Her Gardella Vampire Chronicles have been called "Jane Austen meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Trust me when I tell you they're addictive---Andrea will agree. *g*

Colleen's latest series The Regency Draculia is another winner, beginning with book 1, The Vampire Voss. Check out my review here. TheVampire Dimitri, book 2, will be released April 19th, and the third book, The Vampire Narcise will be released May 24th. Vampires and the Regency period, what's not to love?!

Colleen, under the pseudonym Joss Ware, also writes the Envy Chronicles, a fascinating post-apocalyptic romance series. She puts the 'b' in busy! Please give a warm welcome to our friend Colleen.

Woohoo!! So happy to be back at the Romance Dish today! Thanks much for having me again.

The last time I was here, I was talking about the latest book in the paranormal post-apocalyptic romance series that I write as Joss Ware…but today, we’re going to zip back in time so I can tell you about my new historical vampire series, The Regency Draculia.

Some people might be familiar with my Gardella Vampire Chronicles, a series about a female vampire hunter who lives during the time of Jane Austen. This new series, while set in a similar time period, is very different.

In this series, the vampires are part of a secret society, a cabal, that belongs to Lucifer. Each member of the Draculia has sold his or her soul to the devil at some point, and now they are living an immortal life with everything they could ever want: pleasure, money, power—and all without the fear of death or other negative consequences.

While the Gardellas were a five-book series about one woman, Victoria Gardella, my new series is definitely vampire romance—heavy on the romance. Each book is about one vampire in particular who falls in love, and, in this context, realizes that his/her soul belongs to Lucifer and is no longer their own—and the story examines how they come to terms (or don’t) with that.

Along with the vampire aspect, readers can expect everything else one loves about Regency-era romances: balls and masquerades, the haute ton, titled bad boys and brooding earls, and witty repartee. (At least, I think it’s witty.)

The first book in the series, The Vampire Voss, which is available now, is about Voss, the Viscount Dewhurst. He’s been a vampire for a hundred and fifty years after agreeing to sell his soul to Lucifer. Now he has everything he’s ever wanted: immortality, scads of money, imperturbable power, and all the women he can handle.

Everything is going along just fine (if not becoming a little routine after more than a century of pure hedonism with no negative consequences) until he meets Angelica Woodmore…who is the first woman he finds himself unable to enthrall and seduce.

The second book, The Vampire Dimitri, will be available next week. And the third, The Vampire Narcise, is coming out at the end of May.

So tell us readers, who's your favorite vampire in a book, movie or TV show?

Colleen is giving away a copy of The Vampire Voss to one lucky commenter (U.S. and Canadian residents only).

WINNER!

The winner of a copy of A Song For My Mother by Kat Martin is:

TRAVELER

Congrats to you!

Please email your full name and mailing address to

theromancedishATgmailDOTcom.

Be sure to put "A Song For My Mother Winner" in the subject line.

~ Buffie

Review -- Chasing Fire

Chasing Fire
By Nora Roberts
Publisher: Putnam
Release Date: April 12, 2011







Rowan Tripp is a veteran smoke jumper, those brave individuals who risk their lives to fight wildfires. Part of the unit from Missoula, Montana, known as "Zulies", Rowan has been doing this since she was eighteen years old, following in the footsteps of her father, the legendary Lucas "Iron Man" Tripp. She revels in the danger and excitement of being a smoke jumper, but when her jump partner Jim Brayner dies due to a jump gone horribly wrong, Rowan is plagued by nightmares. But this is a new season, and there are rookies to train. This group is particularly strong, but one stands out: Gulliver Curry, nicknamed Fast Feet for his incredible speed. Gulliver sends out unmistakable signals that he's interested in Rowan, but she makes it a point never to become romantically involved with men she works with. But it may be time to break that rule.

Gulliver Curry has experience fighting fires, but not as a smoke jumper. Making it through rookie training as a Zulie is his goal, and he succeeds with flying colors. He hopes his half as successful with the tall and gorgeous Rowan Tripp. Even though she has an unwritten rule about not getting involved with a fellow Zulie, Gull believes that some rules are made to be bent and even broken. Gull definitely feels the attraction and he knows that Rowan is not immune to it either. The chemistry and heat that's smoldering between them is certain to ignite, and when it does it will burn hotter and longer than any wildfire they've ever battled. In this case, it's better to surrender than fight. But there is an unseen danger lurking in the shadows, someone who has murder and arson on their mind, and Rowan and Gull are caught in the middle of the madness.

Nora Roberts has long been a "go-to" author for me. When I read her books, I escape for a few hours to another place, living and loving with the characters who come to life on the pages. One of things that Ms. Roberts does best is use the setting as a character, and in Chasing Fire it's the fire that becomes a living, breathing entity. I could feel the heat, smell the smoke, and realize the fear of being in the middle of this hell on earth. The smoke jumpers refer to the fire as "the dragon" and it is all to easy to see why.


All she heard was the fire, the muttering glee of it. It crackled over the dry timber, lapped at molten pine resin, chewed through leaves, twigs littering the ground. She dodged a firebrand as she climbed, beat out the spot.

She thought of bodies charred to the bone.

When she crested the ridge she stopped to check her bearings. She could see the red-orange fury, gobbling up fuel. They'd given her a head start, she thought; they'd had no choice. The dragon ran strong and free.


Rowan is a strong, no-nonsense heroine, but of course, she has that vulnerable heart that yearns for love even if she doesn't want to show it. Her loyalty and love for her family and father made me like her even more. And boy, was it fun watching Gull win her over. He is charming as all get out, and I couldn't help but fall in love with him myself. That seems to happen to me quite often with La Nora's heroes. She writes some sexy, irresistible men, and I'm so grateful for it!

Chasing Fire is another keeper to add to my extensive Nora Roberts' collection. Action, suspense, humor, red-hot sex, and heart-melting romance, and so much more make this a book that you won't want to miss.


~ Gannon


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Last call for winners!

Last call for two recent winners:

Joni (a copy of TRUE BLUE by Jodi Thomas)

and

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna (a random book from Andrea's stash--New Releases post)

Joni and Dianna, please send your full name and address to theromancedishATgmailDOTcom so we can get your prize in the mail. If you don't contact us by Tuesday night, we'll draw another winner. Thanks!

The Teen Menu

YA News

Big casting news! Jennifer Lawrence, who was up for an Oscar this year for her role in Winter's Bone, has been cast to play Katniss Everdeen in the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games. Josh Hutcherson (The Kids are Alright) has been cast as Peeta Mellark, and Liam Hemsworth (The Last Song) is in as Gale Hawthorn. The Hunger Games is set to hit theaters March 23, 2012.

Variety recently reported that Fox 2000 is busy buying up the movie rights to several young adult novels. Among them are the excellent The Book Thief and Incarceron. Taylor Lautner has been attached to the latter.

Last month, I reviewed Sarah Mlynowski's Bras and Broomsticks, the first in her Magic in Manhattan series. Recently, I came across news that this series has been optioned for TV by Nickolodean.

Film rights to Veronica Roth's Divergent, the first of a dystopian trilogy that doesn't even hit bookstores until next month, sold to Summit Entertainment (makers of the Twilight movies).

Summit Entertainment must be in a YA-buying mood because they also recently acquired the rights to The Immortals, Alyson Noel's paranormal YA series, as well as the middle-grade spinoff, The Riley Bloom Books.

TV rights were sold to Sarwat Chadda's Devil's Kiss and Dark Goddess.

Voting is currently under way in the Children's Choice Book Awards. Through April 29, young readers can vote for their favorite books, author and illustrator at bookstores, schools, libraries and online at www.BookWeekOnline.com. Winners will be announced on May 2 at a gala during Children's Book Week (May 2-8). There are several categories for children's books, but the two categories perhaps of most interest to The Teen Menu readers are:

Teen Choice Book of the Year finalists:

Burned (House of Night, Book 7) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Fang (A Maximum Ride Novel) by James Patterson
Mockingjay (the final book of the Hunger Games trilogy) by Suzanne Collins
Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy, Book 5) by Richelle Mead
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Author of the Year finalists:

Cassandra Clare for Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1)
Suzanne Collins for Mockingjay
Jeff Kinney for Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth
Stephanie Meyer for The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
Rick Riordan for The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus, Book 1)


YA Reviews

The Maze Runner by James Dashner was one of those books I'd heard a lot of buzz about but hadn't gotten around to reading. So recently I took the audio version of the book on a road trip to Texas, and it helped pass the long miles of interstate. Before listening to this book, I didn't know it was the first book in a series. I'd gone into it thinking it was a standalone, but as I got closer to the end it became obvious there was no way everything could be tied up in the short amount of space. As it turns out, the second book in this dystopian trilogy, The Scorch Trials, is already out too. Yes, call me clueless. :)

At the beginning of The Maze Runner, a boy named Thomas awakes in an elevator with a bunch of other boys looking down at him from outside the top of the elevator. Disoriented and unable to remember his last name or any details about his life, he finds himself in what the boys call the Glade. This area filled with a forest, farmland, farm animals, and a few buildings is surrounded by four massive stone walls. In the middle of each of these walls is a large door that opens at the same time every day, allowing the "runners" to go out into the surrounding maze to try to find a way out. At night, these doors close to protect the Gladers from the monsters that roam the corridors of the maze. These boys, none of whom remember their last names or pasts, have created a society in which each person is assigned duties. Thomas doesn't understand why, but he has a deep desire to be a runner, even though it's the most dangerous job available.

Some of the Gladers grow suspicious when their predictable life (when supplies arrive in the elevator, how the Glade's environment works, etc.) starts getting unpredictable. The arrival of yet another new Glader, one who seems to have a connection to Thomas, throws the Glade into further upheaval. Thomas believes something bigger is going on, that perhaps the Gladers are part of some sort of experiment but he doesn't know why. Part of his struggle is to convince the other Gladers to trust him, and part is to figure out if it's better to stay in the Glade or to find a way out, back to an uncertain outside world that some Gladers are convinced is horrible.

Many Teen Menu readers have asked in the past for recommendations for YA books for boys, and I think The Maze Runner is an excellent choice.

I've since read The Scorch Trials, the sequel. Look for that review in a future edition of The Teen Menu.

James Dashner's website.
~~~

Across the Universe by Beth Revis has nothing to do with the 2007 film of the same name. Instead, it is a wonderful YA tale set against the backdrop of space. Seventeen-year-old Amy leaves Earth with her parents, her scientist mother and military father, bound for a new planet dubbed Centauri-Earth. Since it's a 300-year voyage, they are cryogenically frozen. The ship, Godspeed, is an enormous vessel, a city in and of itself. It's a generational vessel, meaning that generations of descendants from the original crew will be at the helm until the arrival on Centauri-Earth.

When someone deliberately unfreezes Amy fifty years too early, she's faced with more than the fact she can't be refrozen. The people on this ship don't look like her, don't talk like her. They don't even act like humans sometimes. While dodging Eldest, the ship's authoritarian leader, she tries to unravel the web of lies fueling this new ship society and deal with the feelings she's developing for Elder, the boy her age who was born to be the ship's next leader.

I am really looking forward to the sequel, A Million Suns, that should be out next year.

Beth Revis website.
~~~

I picked up Beastly by Alex Flinn after I heard about the movie adaptation coming out. And I'm glad I did. While the movie version was entertaining, though by no means a great movie, the book is really good. It has the detail and gradual story development that the movie lacked. I honestly think the movie could have been improved by the addition of 30 minutes.

The contemporary retelling of the Beauty and the Beast tale is presented from the Beast's point of view, and the Beast is rich, popular and gorgeous high school student Kyle Kingsbury. But Kyle realizes all those things are fleeting when a witch classmate casts a spell on him, turning him beastly. In the movie, he's bald and covered with scars and tattoos, probably not to totally cover up Alex Pettyfer's appeal to the female audience. But in the book, he's more of the classic hairy beast.

The witch gives him a set amount of time to find someone to love him for his new self, someone who can see beyond his beastliness. He finds that person in the most unexpected place.

This is one of those books where you can truly see character transformation, and not just on the outside. You go from thinking Kyle is a jerk to feeling sorry for him (his dad is the true beast, in my opinion) to rooting for him.

I enjoyed this book so much that I'm planning to read Flinn's other fairy tale retellings, Cloaked and A Kiss in Time.

Alex Flinn's website.