Review -- Knight of Pleasure

Knight of Pleasure
by Margaret Mallory
Publisher: Grand Central
Release Date: December 1, 2009

After eight long and torturous years, resenting every day and every hour of her marriage, Lady Isobel Hume is rid of her red-faced, sweating husband. The old man is dead. Finally! Forced by her father to marry Lord Hume at the very tender age of thirteen, Isobel is glad to be free from the controlling hands of any man. After learning Lord Hume had deeding the estate and property to a man he believed his illegitimate son and refusing this man’s proposal in marriage, Lady Isobel meets with Bishop Beaufort to discuss her options in challenging the property transfer. Bishop Beaufort informs Lady Isobel of her three choices: 1) marry this man and keep her home and position; 2) return to her father’s care; or 3) allow King Henry to arrange another marriage for her to efforts to strengthen the ties between England and Normandy. Lady Isobel quickly decides to face the devil she does not know and travels to Normandy to await the King’s decision on a new husband.

Sir Stephen Carleton is a member of King Henry’s army in Normandy. As the battles wage, Sir Stephen witnesses things no human should ever see. The massacre of women, children and the elderly during the siege of Caen is burned deeply in his mind, his heart, and his soul and all the ale in England or Normandy cannot chase away the vivid images in his head. In and out of bed with several women, Sir Stephen has yet to find the one woman who makes this weary existence worth it all. He longs for a woman similar to the wife of his half brother, one that is beautiful, courageous, full of opinion and laughter. Upon meeting Lady Isobel for the first time, Sir Stephen is more than intrigued by her devilish green eyes. But I believe the meeting that seals the deal for Stephen is when he happens on Lady Isobel while she is practicing with her sword in a secluded area. As you can see from this passage, Sir Stephen is more than intrigued.

“Close the door!” she hissed. “I cannot be seen here.”

And what a sight she was, with her cheeks flushed and strands of dark hair sticking to her face and neck. God preserve me. He stepped inside and firmly closed the door behind him.

“I meant for you to remain outside when you closed it.”

Though she took a step back as she spoke, she kept a firm hand on her sword. As she should.

With her glossy dark hair in a loose braid over her shoulder, she looked even more beautiful than he imagined. And he’s spent hours imagining it. No man saw a grown woman with her hair uncovered unless he was a close family member. Or a lover. The intimacy of it sent his pulse racing.

Aye, the lady had every reason to feel nervous at finding herself alone with a man in this secluded place.

The interaction between Sir Stephen and Lady Isobel is just fabulous. I love a strong heroine, and Lady Isobel is one that can (and does) go toe to toe with Sir Stephen, matching his intensity in love of county, honor, and passionate embraces.

I was fortunate enough to review Ms. Mallory’s debut novel, Knight of Desire, earlier this year. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and raved about this new author. I have been waiting to read this installment in the All The King’s Men series and must tell all you fair readers that this book does not disappointment. In addition to being a great story, it was fun to revisit characters from Knight of Desire (Lady Catherine, William FitzAlan, and the traveling musician Robert).

Thus far, Ms. Mallory has gifted her heroines with abilities far beyond the typical ones of the ordinary medieval woman. While the heroines of her stories may stitch well and have the knowledge to run a household, they also know how to ride like the wind on a horse, swing a sword with ease, and pull a dagger without a second thought. I love a heroine who is more than what she seems. More than a sewer. More than a breeder.

Ms. Mallory is definitely not a one-hit wonder!

Now I am anxiously awaiting the next novel in this series. I can’t wait to read James’ story!!!!

~ Buffie

Guest Author -- Anne Hope

We are happy to have author Anne Hope dishing with us today! Her debut book, Where Dreams are Made, met with much success in many writing contests, including being an RWA Golden Heart Finalist in the single title category. It was eventually bought by Samhain and released both as an e-book and in print last August. Please welcome Anne Hope to The Romance Dish!

And so another year begins, ripe with promise. Everyone looks toward the future with tempered hope. 2009 broke a lot of spirits, left many struggling to make ends meet and keep their optimism alive, something that’s not easy to do in today’s world, where success is measured in dollar signs and everything has a price. Sometimes, while endeavoring to keep up with the pace society has set, we lose touch with the things that matter most—friendship, love, family.

Romance novels are there to remind us that all is not lost, that hope always remains, and that love can heal even the most ravaged soul. In Where Dreams Are Made, the heroine, Jenny, has fallen as low as a person can fall. Destitute and indebted to a ruthless man who will stop at nothing to own her, she must fight for her freedom, while battling to hold on to the optimism that has seen her through some pretty rough times. Everything is at stake—her dreams, her self-respect, even her life. So when an elderly gentleman offers her an impressive sum of money to spend two weeks with his grandson on a remote island in the heart of Puget Sound, she has no choice but to agree.

The last thing she expects is to fall in love with the very man she’s been hired to deceive, a scarred, reclusive toymaker with dark demons of his own. One whose heart is as damaged as hers. As Jenny struggles to help Daniel heal and carve a place for herself in his lonely world, she uncovers a well of strength inside her she never knew she possessed and finally finds the courage to take control of her life.

Where Dreams Are Made is a story of hope and redemption. It is the ultimate fairy tale, where Cinderella finds her prince, the Beast is saved by love, and the evil lord is vanquished. In a world where good doesn’t always prevail, where darkness lurks around every corner and love often wilts before it has a chance to bloom, romance novels keep our spirits bright and our hope alive. They show us that the past is dead and buried, the future still only a dream. All we really have is this one moment, and we must make the most of it.

In Where Dreams Are Made, a woman running from the past and a man hiding from the future realize that, sometimes, today is all that matters.

Pink-tinged clouds rolled overhead, scudding across an orange-streaked sky. Despite the glowing sun, the fast-approaching dusk was chilly, a cold wind whistling through the towering trees. Daniel had just finished cleaning the mess on the porch when Jenny wandered outside.

“What did you do with the squirrel?” She scoured the surroundings as if searching for it.

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it matters. We have to bury it.” The expression on her face told him she was dead serious. “A few hours ago this creature was alive. It was climbing trees or scouting for food. We can’t just toss it out with the trash.”

Daniel had never met a person who had such deep-felt respect for life. Even though a part of him believed it was silly to have a burial for a squirrel, another admired her all the more for it. “Fine, I’ll get a shovel.”

When he returned, he noticed a single tear sliding down her cheek. Instinctively, he wiped it away with his thumb.

“I’m sorry.” She covered her reddening cheeks with her hands. “It’s just that this place seems so peaceful, so perfect. The sound of the waves, the smell of the ocean, the birds singing in the trees… For a while there I believed nothing bad could happen here. That nothing bad could find me.”

The sight of her slightly upturned chin, her damp cheek, the blend of hope and despondency in her eyes struck him like a bowling ball to the chest. He wished he could promise her that he would keep her safe forever. But finding the mauled squirrel today had worried him more than he’d admitted to her. He’d tried to make her believe an animal had done the deed, but after carefully examining the slaughtered creature, he was no longer convinced that was the case. The cuts had been too clean, too deliberate. The squirrel hadn’t been chewed or clawed, it had been sliced open.

“What are you running away from, Jenny?”

She turned to him, her features glazed with desperation, brimming with sincerity. “My life. My past. How about you?”

He reflected for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the quiet, empty land surrounding him. Jenny was right. There was nothing but the waves and the birds to listen to. Nothing real to touch or hold. Nothing but the clouds floating across the sky to indicate that time continued to inch forward. “My future,” he finally said.

Post a comment and you could win an electronic copy of Where Dreams Are Made. Thank you for dropping by. I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year.

Where Dreams Are Made is available from Samhain Publishing and at all major bookstores, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Chapters. For more information, please visit me at http://www.annehope.com/.

Samhain Publishing
Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble
Borders
Chapters

Winners, winners, winners!!

We have more winners!!

Maria Geraci has picked a winner of a signed copy of Bunco Babes Gone Wild and the winner is:

jedisakora!

Congrats, jedi! Please send your full name and address to mariageraci1ATgmailDOTcom with "Romance Dish winner" as the subject!

*******

The winner of a signed copy of Half Past Dead from Zoe Archer is:

Wendy!

Congrats, Wendy! Please send your full name and address to zoeATzoearcherbooksDOTcom with "Romance Dish winner" as the subject!

*******

Joss Ware has picked a winner of a signed copy of Beyond the Night and the winner is:

JulieJustJulie!

Congrats, Julie! Please send your full name and address to jossATjosswarebooksDOTcom with "Romance Dish winner" as the subject!

*******

Thanks and congratulations to the winners!!

Guest Blog -- Crescent Moon Press

Attention aspiring writers and paranormal enthusiasts! We are happy to have Crescent Moon Press dishing with us today! Read on to learn a little more about them and their upcoming conference that you don't want to miss. Welcome Crescent Moon Press to The Romance Dish!




Has anyone out there heard of Crescent Moon Press? CMP, http://www.crescentmoonpress.com/ is the premier small press for those who like to read amazing stories of the paranormal, fantasy, and sci-fi. Our authors are great storytellers with vivid imaginations and a very special way of bringing their ideas to life.

We don’t have a book ‘quota’ as many other small presses do. We publish a story only when the idea is unique and the writing is the best in the business. With CMP, it’s always quality over quantity. Books we’re proud of. Books we want to read.


This year we’re hosting VELOCICON 2010, http://www.velocicon.com/, a wonderful ‘Day of Paranormal’ conference on March 6th in Red Bank, New Jersey. Some of our authors will be there to talk about the ins and outs of writing their specific paranormal genre, but we’ll have other well known people in the business:

Writing Workshops will Include

• Judi McCoy, best selling paranormal author,
• John Grant, two time Hugo Award winner, author of 70 books,
• Isabo Kelly, award winning author
• Leanna Renee Hieber award winning author, actress, and playwright,
• Dr. Dave Goldberg, Keynote Speaker and Renown Astrophysicist, speaking on science of time travel

Paranormal Workshops will Include

• Jeff Belanger, Lead Presenter and TV personality from Ghostville, will unravel various aspects of the unknown,
• Dr. Dave Goldberg, Keynote Speaker and Renown Astrophysicist, speaking on science of time travel,
• Robert Murch, the world’s foremost collector, historian, and expert on Ouija® and Talking Boards with a mesmerizing collection of his antique Ouija boards.
• Barbara E. Szafranski, renowned medium and lecturer will discuss and photograph the aura
• L'Aura Hladik, Founder of New Jersey Ghost Hunters Society will be discussing paranormal investigating, equipment and technique

At Crescent Moon Press we love to hear from anyone who enjoys writing paranormal, sci-fi, or fantasy, and READERS who enjoy the same. Let us know what type of story you’re looking for. One of our editors might be working on that idea at this moment and we can tell you when the book will be available for you to purchase.

We hold writing contests and author contests. We have free reads and so much more. Check our website and join our newsletter for update information.

Remember VELOCICON, http://www.velocicon.com/ March 6, Red Bank, NJ. The day will be a total immersion in everything paranormal. We’re certain you’ll find something special to enjoy.

Hannah Karol
http://www.crescentmoonpress.com/




Okay readers, here's your chance to ask questions and let a publisher know what kinds of stories you'd like to read. Tell us what you're looking for in a paranormal, fantasy or sci-fi story!

A Delicious Helping of the Teen Menu

By Trish Milburn (aka Tricia Mills)

Before reading the two young adult novels I'm featuring this month, I can't remember the last time I read two books in a row that kept me up way past when I should have been going to sleep. One, yes, but not two. But that's exactly what happened when I read Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater and Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

In Shiver, Stiefvater has created an interesting mythology behind werewolves, where the changing has to do with the weather rather than the phases of the moon. The heroine, Grace, has always been oddly attracted to the wolves that live in the woods behind her home. This is strange to many because of the fact that she was attacked by those same wolves as a child. There's one wolf in particular she thinks of as her wolf, one with striking yellow eyes. When an injured boy with the same eyes shows up on her back deck, the truth begins to reveal itself.

Sam leads a double life he never asked for -- as a wolf in the winter and as a human for a few months in the summer. Each year, it gets harder to hold on to his human self, and he fears losing himself to the wolf forever -- which also means he'll lose Grace, too soon after they've finally connected. As their wonderful summer days turn to fall and then winter, he has to fight harder than he ever has to stay human. But with Grace at his side, he might be able to do it.

Though this is a wonderful self-contained story, there's enough of a hanging ending to allow for the sequel, Linger, set to release July 20. Stiefvater says on her Web site that film rights have been acquired for Shiver, so hopefully we'll see this story on the big screen sometime soon.

Author Web site: www.maggiestiefvater.com

Most recently, I finished Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I literally stayed up until 3 a.m. to finish this book because I simply had to know what happened. This is the story of Katsa, who lives in the Middluns, one of seven kingdoms of Graceling's world. Katsa is one of the Graced, which means she was born with an extraordinary ability. Some people are Graced with skills such as cooking or singing, but Katsa's Grace is that of killing. And her uncle, King Randa, puts it to use when he wants to punish those who don't do what he wants -- that is until a new and unexpected friend helps Katsa realize that with her abilities, she doesn't have to do Randa's bidding.

Because of her horrible Grace, Katsa has had few friends. Most people are frightened of her and refuse to look her in the eye. To them, the eyes of the Graced (each eye a different color) are unsettling. But not to Prince Po of Lienid, for he is Graced too, with combat skills. Here, for once, is someone with whom Katsa can spar and not fear his instant death. Their friendship grows as they set out from the Middluns for the far kingdom of Monsea in search of the reason and person behind the kidnapping of Po's grandfather. They don't expect to fall in love or to find a horror so great that even Katsa may be defenseless against it. And Katsa finds out there's more to her Grace than she ever realized.

I really enjoyed this book, and I plan to read the companion book (a prequel), Fire, very soon. Cashore is currently at work on a sequel, Bitterblue, but no release date has been set.

Author Web site: http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/

Have you all read Shiver or Graceling? What did you think? What great YA books have you read lately? And which ones are you looking forward to this year?

Review - The School of Essential Ingredients

The School of Essential Ingredients
By Erica Bauermeister
Publisher: Putnam
Release Date: January 21, 2009 (Hardback)
January 4, 2010 (Paperback)





Every so often a book comes along that makes all other books pale in comparison, that quite simply leaves you in awe. For me, The School of Essential Ingredients is that book. Erica Bauermeister's debut novel is a feast for the senses and the soul, filled with lush and evocative prose that will leave readers eager for a second helping.

Lillian's father left when she was very young. Stunned by his departure, Lillian's mother copes by escaping with the endless procession of books that she reads. Lillian is left to deal with household chores, and she soon discovers a love of cooking. She adores experimenting and creating recipes, and she somehow thinks that she can reach her mother through food. With the help of Abuelita, the owner of a small grocery store, Lillian makes a special concoction for her mother's coffee to help her "remember what she lost and want it again."

The chocolate made a rough sound as it brushed across the fine section of the grater, falling in soft clouds onto the counter, releasing the scent of dusty back rooms filled with bittersweet chocolate and old love letters, the bottom drawers of antique desks and the last leaves of autumn, almonds and cinnamon and sugar.

Years later, Lillian is a restaurant owner and once a month on Monday night, she hosts a cooking class, The School of Essential Ingredients. The students gather to learn more about the culinary arts, but they discover so much more. There's Claire, a young wife and mother, longing to rediscover herself; Helen and Carl, a long-time married couple whose relationship hides surprising secrets; Antonia, a kitchen designer who is trying to transition from life in her native Italy; Tom, a lawyer whose life is colored by loss; Isabelle, an elderly woman coping with dementia; Chloe, a young woman who is struggling to find her identity; and Ian, a software engineer, endeavoring to find his creative side.

Each character's story is emotionally rich and Bauermeister's delicious prose is as sensuous and succulent as the dishes created in Lillian's kitchen. You can practically taste each savory bite.

"Now we'll try some prosciutto with it." She took a piece of melon in her fingers, wrapped it with a translucent slice of pink meat, and motioned for him to open his mouth. The meat was a whisper of salt against the dense, sweet fruit. It felt like summer in a hot land, the smooth skin in the curve between Charlie's strong thumb and index finger. The wine afterward was crisp, like coming to the surface of water to breathe.

I fell in love with The School of Essential Ingredients, wishing I could be a student of Lillian's and immerse myself in the heavenly aromas and mouthwatering morsels found in her kitchen. Give yourself a gift for the new year and spend time with Lillian and her proteges and fall in love with this superbly written masterpiece. Bon Appetit.


~Gannon



One lucky commenter will win a hardback copy of The School of Essential Ingredients.


Note:  The trade paperback version of this book was released January 5, 2010 with a lovely new cover. (shown below)

New Releases winner!

The winner of Andrea's New Releases blog is:

Cyndi!

Congratulations, Cyndi! Please send your full name and address to theromancedishATgmailDOTcom with "New Releases winner" in the subject line and we'll get your book in the mail! Thanks!

Guest Author -- Beverley Kendall

Debut historical author Beverley Kendall is one busy lady. Not only is she celebrating and promoting her debut historical romance with Kensington, Sinful Surrender, she also runs the wildly popular webite The Season! Please help us welcome her to The Romance Dish as she talks about her exciting debut!

Writing the book I wanted to write

When I started writing SINFUL SURRENDER I never thought to myself, ‘will this plot sell?’. The plot for SINFUL SURRENDER is a fairly tried and true one that I absolutely adore. I will always give a ‘in love with my brother’s best friend’ story a second, third, and fourth look. The blurb has to be absolutely horrific, or a trusted friend must tell me the book was just awful for me NOT to pick it up.

So I charged ahead with that very premise when I started writing back in November 2006. I, of course, was going to make it different, put my own unique spin on things. Yep, I sure was. LOL. Little did I know that the very nature of this ‘tried and true’ plot was going to be a hard sell.

The rejections came for about a year, saying much the same thing, ‘This isn’t different’. They were looking for something more. I’m not sure how much more, but more. Now most of these rejections came from either the query or the partial. SINFUL SURRENDER apparently wasn’t different enough to stand out in the historical romance market, which at that time was said not to have a pulse.

After a year of rejections, I had long moved onto the second book. My new plot wasn’t as tried and true as SINFUL SURRENDER and I thought it had a flawed but endearing heroine and a fantastic hero. I prayed this one would sell. Then I sold SINFUL SURRENDER and that just about knocked my feet from right out under me. It sold. Picked from a slush pile, it actually sold.

Now it’s two years later, my book is actually on book store shelves, and readers are actually buying it! My mind spins. Some readers are actually telling me they really like it. And it is only then when I sit back and think of the misgivings I started after hearing for a year, it was too much of the same thing, that I actually felt really good that this was the story that I chose to write. That I’m really happy I followed my heart and wrote the kind of story that draws me in as a reader. I will read the books that are ‘trendsetters’ or so different they make everyone sit up and take notice, but to me, there is nothing like a plot that has always held a magical appeal to me. I guess that’s the reason they’ve been termed ‘tried and true’. :)


So what’s ‘tried and true’ for you? Leave a comment and TWO lucky people will each win a copy of Sinful Surrender!


Lord James Rutherford fights the inexorable demise of his bachelorhood with every sane bone in his body. But the single-minded pursuit of the delectable Missy Armstrong entering her fourth London Season proves his undoing. Just as he’s decided to risk the wrath of her brother—his friend—and right the wrong of their indiscretion, James discovers the consequences of a forgotten night of drunken passion has left yet another lady of ton compromised.
For Millicent ‘Missy’ Armstrong, being ruined by the man of her dreams is nothing to wring her hands and bury her face in her hands about. But when an offer of marriage isn’t immediately forthcoming, and whispers of James’s betrothal to another—and pending fatherhood—reaches her ears, there isn’t an acre of land on the Continent far enough on which to escape. Then, in an abrupt reversal, James is back on her doorstep with the offer she’d yearned to receive…two weeks and one woman too late.

In the face of her unwavering refusal, James launches a war to win back her passion, her trust, and her love. A war as ruthless as it is seductive. With the wounds of her heartbreak still fresh and raw, can he convince her that far from the second choice, she has always been the only choice for him?

Helen Scott Taylor winner

I put everyone's name in a hat and my daughter chose....

Drew

Congratulations, Drew! You are the winner of an autographed copy of The Phoenix Charm. Please send your name and mailing address to Helen at:
helenscotttaylor2 (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) uk

Guest Author -- Zoe Archer

Author Zoe Archer is dishing with us today about her newest release, The Undying Heart, in the anthology, Half Past Dead. The Undying Heart is a prequel to her upcoming paranormal historical series, The Blades of the Rose, which starts this September. Please help us welcome her to The Romance Dish as she asks....


When is a zombie not a zombie?


It seems you can’t swing a severed limb these days without smacking right into some undead flesh. Even though they’re cold cadavers, zombies are hotter than ever—in movies, video games and, yes, books. Though a certain book who shall remain nameless inserted zombies into a beloved novel of prideful and prejudicial Regency-era lovers, it’s a fairly recent trend that the reanimated dead have shown up in actual romance novels.

When my editor at Kensington called me and asked if I’d like to contribute a novella to a zombie-themed anthology, HALF PAST DEAD, I immediately agreed, even though I hadn’t given much thought to zombies within the romance novel context. All I knew was that whatever I wrote would serve as a prequel to my upcoming paranormal historical adventure series, THE BLADES OF THE ROSE (on shelves this Fall). My initial impulse was to have the hero and heroine battling zombies during the course of their story. After all, that’s what heroes and heroines do, isn’t it? Chop up mindless, decaying zombies with chainsaws or, in the case of my story—set after the Crimean War—using sabers.

Being a research dork, I started learning about the historical origins of zombies. Turns out that the image of the rotting, brain-eating zombie is a recent invention, largely popularized and fixed in the general perception by George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead and its sequels. Later filmmakers and writers took that idea and ran with it, so now whenever you say the word “zombie” to someone, they think of some extra in the “Thriller” video: mottled flesh, groans, and killer dance moves. Okay, maybe not so much with the dancing, but you get the picture. Rotting dead person shambling mindlessly, relentlessly along in their quest to devour the flesh of the living.

But that’s not how zombies began.

Zombies are part of Haitian vodou lore. Vodou is a set of mystical and religious beliefs that spring from the mix of African tribal spiritualism, Catholicism and the spiritualism of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. Part of the vodou belief system is the idea of loas, or spirits, who are subordinate to a higher deity. Vodouisants worship these loas and make offerings to them. Helping the faithful in their worship are priests and priestesses, as well as sorcerers, called bokor. These sorcerers “serve the loa with both hands,” meaning they practice dark as well as benevolent magic. This includes the making and control of the zombi.

A vodou zombi isn’t a putrid corpse that hungers for brains. The zombi is a person brought back from the dead who is subject to the power of the bokor. Without any will of their own, the zombi must do as the sorcerer commands them in a kind of undead servitude, sometimes for decades, until they are released and allowed to rest. No flesh eating. No missing limbs.

(This is a very simplified account of the complex and rich vodou faith, but I wanted to give you a little backstory about my creative process—including discovering surprising truths about things I’d always taken for granted.)

After learning all this, I started to rethink my initial ideas about my novella. Stories thrive on tension, and what could be more tense than having a hero who had been killed, brought back to life, and then forced to do unspeakable things at the behest of a villainous master? What if this hero somehow managed to break free from his master’s hold? What if, in his search for vengeance, the undead hero crosses paths with the woman who has loved him ever since they were children together? And what if she is the only woman who can love him, even when he’s dead, and whose love transforms and warms his cold, still heart?

I knew I was taking a chance when deciding to make Major Sam Reed undead, but I also knew that if ever there was a group of readers who enjoyed innovation, it would be romance readers. After all, vampires and werewolves have been popular for over a decade, and each author puts their own unique spin on preexisting paranormal beings. If some vampires’ hearts only beat in the presence of their intended mate, or if some werewolves have to contend with complicated pack politics, why couldn’t a romance hero be a zombi whose perfectly intact undead body responds to a lover’s touch?

Despite being dead, I still think Sam is one sexy guy. He’s dark and tormented but desperate for a love he believes he can never have. Cassandra Fielding won’t let a little thing like death stand in the way of what, and who, she wants. She’s a Blade of the Rose, and Blades know that where magic is concerned, anything is possible. Even love.

Zoe has graciously offered to give away a signed copy of Half Past Dead to a random poster who leaves a comment or asks a question!

Coming soon -- Guest Author Zoe Archer

Guest Author Zoe Archer will be dishing us soon, but in the meantime please enjoy a little snippit from her January 1st release, Half Past Dead!



There are good guys, there are bad boys, and then there are men with a danger all their own—these are the ones who take you places you never imagined. . .and will never forget.

The Undying Heart by Zoe Archer

Samuel Reed had no idea magic existed, until it almost destroyed him. Thirsting for vengeance against the enemy who made him something less than human, Sam returns to England and crosses paths with Cassandra Fielding. His best friend's little sister has become a fearless woman on a dangerous mission of her own. And against all odds, she sees past what he's become, and stirs a desire he thought he'd lost forever. . .

Simon Says by Bianca D'Arc

Special Forces soldier Simon Blackwell ended his affair with Mariana Daniels three years ago, but he hasn't stopped protecting her. Mariana has no knowledge of the dark, deadly creatures that lurk in the forest surrounding her clinic, or of the mysterious powers that make Simon the only one who can defeat them. But soon he'll have no choice but to reveal the truth, and urge her to trust in an explosive passion that never faded. . .

website: www.zoearcherbooks.com
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=zoe+archer&init=quick#/zoe.archer1?ref=profile
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/Zoe_Archer
On MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/zoearcher

An Interview with Helen Scott Taylor

Gannon: Hi, Helen and welcome to The Romance Dish! Your latest book, The Phoenix Charm, was released on December 29. Can you tell us a little bit about it?


Helen: The Phoenix Charm is the sequel to The Magic Knot, set in my Celtic contemporary fantasy world. (The book works as a standalone story as well.) The hero of The Phoenix Charm, Michael, is left in charge of his small nephews. Michael is a storyteller with an eye for the ladies, a taste for Irish whisky, and heaps of fairy glamour. In short, he’s a bit of a rascal. When one of his nephews is trapped in the Underworld, he has to shape up fast. With the help of the Cornish pisky wise woman, Cordelia, and Nightshade, a vampiric winged fairy, he travels to the Underworld to rescue the child.

The story is a journey of discovery for Michael as he comes to terms with the nature of the power he has inherited from his father, and a journey of self-acceptance for Cordelia as Michael helps her come to terms with her secret water nymph sensuality.


Gannon: I really loved Michael--charming and sexy from head to toe! But it was his tenderness with Cordelia that really won me over. Where did you come up with the idea for this series?


Helen: The first book in the series, The Magic Knot, started life in my head as a short contemporary story about identical twin Irish brothers who ran a pub in Cornwall. This is because when I started writing I attempted short contemporary romance before I tried paranormal. When Harlequin rejected my first story because my characters were too unconventional, my Irish brothers morphed into fairies and my Magic Knot world was born. When I wrote the first book, I intended it as a standalone, but my subconscious must have wanted to make it a series as I wrote in a number of secondary characters who begged for their own stories. I have a soft spot for Michael. Even though he was a rascal in the first book, he has a heart of gold. He was the obvious choice for the second book. The third book, The Ruby Kiss, about Nightshade the vampiric nightstalker, is scheduled for release at the end of 2010.


Gannon: I'm looking forward to book #3. Do you plan to have more books in this series?


Helen: I’m planning five books in the series. The fourth will be about Devin, the djinn character who appears for the first time in The Phoenix Charm. I went to Morocco to do research for his character and I’m looking forward to writing his book. Much of the setting will be very different to anything I’ve written before. The final book in the series will be about Troy, the father of some of my other heroes. He will be the only character to appear in every book and I’m enjoying discovering more about him with each installment. I also have two novellas allied to the series. The first is called The Feast of Beauty and is in The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance due out in a few weeks. This story is about King Esras, who is mentioned in both my first two books. It is a little different, as Esras is a sea fairy, one of the people of the Irish Sea god Lir. The other novella will be in a fantasy anthology with four other authors due out October 2010. I am writing that story now.


Gannon: I love “call” stories. Can you tell us about your call telling you had sold your first book?


Helen: My ‘call’ was a little different to most authors. I sold the Magic Knot to Dorchester by winning The American Title IV contest run jointly by Dorchester and RT Bookreviews magazine. Excerpts and details of the finalists’ stories appeared in the magazine and readers voted on which they liked best. Luckily for me, the readers liked The Magic Knot. So my ‘call’ was actually an email from one of the editors at RT Bookreviews saying I’d won. The following day my Dorchester editor Alicia Condon called me to discuss the book.



Gannon: Are you a plotter or a pantser?


Helen: I have tried plotting before I write a story, but my brain then thinks I’ve written the story and wants to move on to the next one. I get to know my characters well, then watch them as they live their story. I simply write it down. There is a scene near the end of The Phoenix Charm where Michael the hero has to defeat a huge, aggressive nightstalker. Going into that scene, I had no idea how Michael would triumph. He solved the problem in his own inimitable fashion. I’m still surprised by what he did. I usually don’t know what’s going to happen during the book, although I have to give it a best guess so I can write my editor a synopsis.


Gannon: Who are your favorite authors? Is there a particular one who influenced you?


Helen: My favorite genres are romance, women’s fiction, fantasy, and mystery. I love a good cozy and read authors such as Michele Scott and Melinda Wells. I read so much romance it’s difficult to pin down favorite authors, but I always love Nora Roberts, Jayne Anne Krentz, and Julia Quinn to name a few. Trudi Canavan is one of my favorite fantasy authors and in women’s fiction I enjoy Santa Montefiore’s books. I’ve recently started reading the Little Black Dress imprint—a mix of romantic comedy and chic lit. I also enjoy reading YA stories. I’m currently reading a fabulous book called Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon. I can’t think of any author who influenced me especially. I tend not to read much paranormal romance. I like to keep my ideas pure and not be influenced by other authors’ ideas.


Time for quick six.

Coffee or tea? Coffee or Earl Grey tea.
Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds.
Winter or summer? Summer.
Cake or pie? Oh, hard one. Depends on the type of cake or pie.
Mountains or beach? Mountains.
Milk chocolate or dark? Both. :)




Thanks again, Helen, for dishing with us today. If anyone would like to know more about Helen and her books, check out her website. You can also read my review of The Phoenix Charm here.


Helen is giving away a signed copy of The Phoenix Charm to one lucky commenter today! Tell us readers, What type of paranormal or magical creature would you love to discover was real?

She has a new book video for The Phoenix Charm, too!

Guest Author -- Joss Ware

Joss Ware has written in many different genres, but she never thought about writing a series set in the future. Then one day, a friend said to her, "Why don't you write a post-apocalyptic romance?" And so she thought about it, and the next thing she knew, Joss had the kernel of an idea that soon exploded into something she was really excited about. Then her agent got excited about it, and then an editor at HarperCollins . . . and the rest is history! Please welcome Joss Ware to The Romance Dish!


Everyone who’s ever watched a James Bond movie, or read a Clive Cussler novel—or any story where the bad guys are instituting a plan to destroy the earth, raise your hand.

Okay, good. Now…think about what might have happened if 007 or Dirk Pitt or whoever wouldn’t have foiled the bad guys with their plot to take over/destroy/achieve complete power over the world.

Not pretty, huh?

Well, that’s where my new paranormal romance series starts…sort of.

(Yes, I said romance. Not the most romantic or optimistic setting, huh?)

But the Envy Chronicles actually starts fifty years after the earth is devastated. Maybe some bad guys were involved, maybe they weren’t--maybe it was nature going crazy (not!). Or maybe the bad guys didn’t realize just how bad it was going to be when all hell broke loose, and maybe they’re all dead, now, too…but regardless, that’s what happened. Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, windstorms, and who knows what else.

So in the series, people have tried to rebuild civilization as much as they can, and have begun to live in pockets of communities sort of like towns in the Old West. The largest settlement is in Envy (aka, New Vegas, or N. V.), which is now sitting on the Pacific Ocean.

Enter the Awakening Heroes: five men who were somehow suspended in time in a Sedona cave during the last fifty years. They awaken to find that everything is gone.

The world is eerily silent, empty, and overgrown. It’s not a wasteland like in Planet of the Apes or Mad Max and the Thunderdome. Mother Nature, as one of the guys puts it, is a real ball-buster, and now that all but a fraction of the human race is gone, she’s taken over.

As the five men (Elliott, Simon, Quent, Wyatt and Fence) begin to try and rebuild their lives and find out what happened, they also learn that some of them have emerged from the cave with paranormal abilities. And some of them haven’t. To tell you who and what would give away more than I want to at this point, though. But suffice to say it’s not like the X-Men.

The first book, Beyond the Night, is about Dr. Elliott Drake and the woman he meets when she barrels into an abandoned Main Street on a horse to save a group of teen-agers from a zombie attack. She’s brave and smart and a control freak. What’s not to love?

They go on a mission to find a friend of hers who’s missing and run into zombies, immortal humans called (so creatively) Strangers, and huge-ass snakes. They even take a trip to the mall…or what’s left of it.

These books are hugely different from my other series, The Gardella Vampire Chronicles (written as Colleen Gleason), but in some ways, there are great similarities. Writing a post-apocalyptic world is not so different from writing a historical one: there are many of the same limitations in communication, infrastructure, and society.

These books are first and foremost romances, with a solid hero and heroine and a happy ending at the end of each book…although, like Suzanne Brockmann and Eloisa James (two of my favorites), I’ve included over-arching plots that tie the books together and introduce other potential heroes and heroines.

The second book, Embrace the Night Eternal (Simon’s book), will be out on February 9.

And the third, Abandon the Night (Quent’s book), is coming March 9.

There are sneak peeks on my website (JossWareBooks.com).

I’m giving away a signed copy of Beyond the Night here today. It goes on sale on Tuesday, January 12. To enter to win, please make a comment about what you’d miss most if you woke up and found yourself in a post-apocalyptic world.

And…I’ll be hanging around, ready to answer any questions you might have about the series! Thanks to Andrea, Buffie, PJ, and Gannon for having me here today!

New Year's winners!

I put all the names into a hat and each of my kids drew a name.
The winners are:

L and Jane!

Congratulations, L and Jane! Please send your full names and addresses to theromancedishATgmailDOTcom with "New Year's winners" in the subject line and I'll get your prize packs out to you! Thanks!

New Year, New Releases!

It’s a brand new year and time for a whole bunch of brand new releases! This is the perfect time to start putting those gift cards you received for Christmas to good use! Or maybe that’s just me. :) Which January releases have you read? Of those, which ones do you recommend? Which ones are you most looking forward to? Tell us and one lucky poster will win a book!

Until February, happy reading!

Historical

Early Dawn -- Catherine Anderson
A Matter of Class -- Mary Balogh
How to Seduce a Sinner -- Adrienne Basso
How I Met My Countess -- Elizabeth Boyle
Kismet -- Monica Burns
Remarkable Creatures -- Tracy Chevalier (Historical Fiction)
Faith -- Deneane Clark
Days of Gold -- Jude Deveraux
The Earl and the Governess -- Sarah Elliott
Secrets of the Tudor Court: Between Two Queens -- Kate Emerson (Historical Fiction)
The Kansas Lawman’s Proposal -- Carol Finch
The Highlander’s Forbidden Bride -- Donna Fletcher
Dangerous Highlander -- Donna Grant (Paranormal)
Highland Angel -- Hannah Howell
Sexy as Hell -- Susan Johnson
Sinful Surrender -- Beverley Kendall
The Swan Thieves -- Elizabeth Kostova
Wicked, Sinful Nights -- Julia Latham
Scoundrel’s Kiss -- Carrie Lofty
Pregnant by the Warrior -- Denise Lynn
Reese’s Bride -- Kat Martin
A Highlander’s Destiny -- Melissa Mayhue (Time Travel)
Proof by Seduction -- Courtney Milan
To Tempt a Saint -- Kate Moore
The Rogue’s Disgraced Lady -- Carole Mortimer
Seduced by a Rogue -- Amanda Scott
The Queen’s Dollmaker -- Christine Trent (Historical Fiction)
Pieces of Sky -- Kaki Warner
At the Duke’s Pleasure -- Tracy Anne Warren
Lessons from a Scarlet Lady -- Emma Wildes
The Stranger’s Secrets -- Beth Williamson
The Betrayal of the Blood Lily -- Lauren Willig (Historical Fiction)
Chalice of Roses -- Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney, Barbara Samuel, Karen Harbaugh (Paranormal)

Contemporary

Crossing the Bridge -- Michael Baron
Compromising Positions -- Jenna Bayley-Burke
A Black Tie Affair -- Sherrill Bodine
Promises of Forever -- Celya Bowers
Getting Lucky -- Carolyn Brown
Vote For Love -- Anita Bunkley
Forbidden Falls -- Robyn Carr
Lead Me On -- Victoria Dahl
The Butterflies of Grand Canyon -- Margaret Erhart (Women’s Fiction)
Lake Magic -- Kimberly Fisk
Heard it All Before -- Michele Grant
The Perfect Seduction -- Carmen Green
High Anxiety -- Charlotte Hughes (Women’s Fiction)
Wrapped in Pleasure -- Brenda Jackson
Everything but a Christmas Eve -- Holly Jacobs
A Second Helping -- Beverly Jenkins (Women’s Fiction)
Moonstruck -- Julie Kenner
Snapped -- Pamela Klaffke (Women’s Fiction)
Sexy Ms. Takes -- Jo Leigh
Her Secret Fling -- Sarah Mayberry
The Murderer’s Daughter -- Randy Susan Meyers (Women’s Fiction)
Through the Heart -- Kate Morgenroth (Women’s Fiction)
The Secret of Everything -- Barbara O’Neal (Women’s Fiction)
Midnight Resolutions -- Kathleen O’Reilly
A Field Guide to Burying Your Parents -- Liza Palmer (Women’s Fiction)
Safe in His Embrace -- Candice Poarch
Show Me the Sun -- Miriam Shumba
The Doctor’s Private Visit -- AlTonya Washington
His Final Seduction -- Lori Wilde
Blazing Bedtime Stories, Volume III -- Tori Carrington and Tawny Weber
Baby, it’s Cold Outside -- Jennifer Greene, Merline Lovelace, Cindi Myers

YA/Teen

Wish -- Alexandra Bullen
The Girl with the Mermaid Hair -- Delia Ephron
The Lonely Hearts Club -- Elizabeth Eulberg
Hearts at Stake -- Alyxandra Harvey (Paranormal)
The Secret Year -- Jennifer K. Hubbard
Undead Much? -- Stacey Jay (Paranormal)
Tangled -- Carolyn Mackler
The Mark -- Jen Nadol
By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead -- Julie Anne Peters
The Vinyl Princess -- Yvonne Prinz
Bleeding Violet -- Dia Reeves (Paranormal)
Some Girls Are -- Courtney Summers
My Soul to Save -- Rachel Vincent (Paranormal)
Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials -- Rosalind Wiseman

Romantic Suspense

Sleep No More -- Susan Crandall
Sizzle -- Julie Garwood
Shattered -- Joan Johnston
Fired Up -- Jayne Ann Krentz
Renegade -- Catherine Mann
Stolen Seduction -- Elisabeth Naughton
Too Hot to Hold -- Stephanie Tyler

Paranormal

Shades of Midnight -- Lara Adrian
Half Past Dead -- Zoe Archer & Bianca D’Arc
Come Hell or High Water -- Michele Bardsley
Wicked Enchantment -- Anya Bast
Naked Dragon -- Annette Blair
The Lost Enchantress -- Patricia Coughlin
Sentinels: Wolf Hunt -- Doranna Durgin
Eternal Hunter -- Cynthia Eden
Street Game -- Christine Feehan
Jane Bites Back -- Michael Thomas Ford
Hunting Julian -- Jacquelyn Frank
Nice Girls Don’t Live Forever -- Molly Harper
Last of the Ravens -- Linda Winstead Jones
Crimson & Steam -- Liz Maverick
The Taking -- Erin McCarthy
Smolder -- Melina Morel
The Phoenix Charm -- Helen Scott Taylor
Beyond the Night -- Joss Ware
Bitten by Cupid -- Lynsay Sands, Pamela Palmer, Jaime Rush
My Zombie Valentine -- Katie MacAlister, Angie Fox, Marianne Mancusi, Lisa Cach
Heart of Darkness -- Gena Showalter, Maggie Shayne, Susan Krinard

Urban Fantasy

Death’s Mistress -- Karen Chance
Bone Magic -- Yasmine Galenorn
Deadtown -- Nancy Holzner
Blood Cross -- Faith Hunter
Turned -- Julie Kenner
Bound by Sin -- Jenna Maclaine
Gentlemen Prefer Succubi -- Jill Myles
Beneath the Skin -- Adrian Phoenix
Hallowed Circle -- Linda Robertson
Wild Hunt -- Margaret Ronald
Kitty’s House of Horrors -- Carrie Vaughn
Inked -- Karen Chance, Marjorie M. Liu, Yasmine Galenorn, Eileen Wilks

Erotica/Erotic Romance

Beauty Emerges -- Dominique Adair
Forbidden Heat -- Opal Carew
Sweet and Dirty -- Christina Crooks
Coming Undone -- Lauren Dane
Wolf Tales IX -- Kate Douglas (Paranormal)
Show Me -- Carole Hart
Switch -- Megan Hart
Guilty Pleasure -- Lora Leigh
Sex on the Beach -- Susan Lyons
The Notebooks of Madame B: Desire (anthology) -- Madame B
The Notebooks of Madame B: Ecstasy (anthology) -- Madame B
The Notebooks of Madame B: Seduction (anthology) -- Madame B

Review - The Phoenix Charm

The Phoenix Charm
By Helen Scott Taylor
Publisher: Love Spell
Release Date: December 29, 2009











Helen Scott Taylor continues her Magic Knot Fairies series with The Phoenix Charm. Combining magic, action and romance, it's a story that will delight and enchant readers.

Cornish pisky wise woman Cordelia Tink has been left in charge of the pisky troop while the new king and queen, Niall and Rose O'Connor (hero and heroine of The Magic Knot) are out of the country. The task of recording the troop's history is her job, but she would much rather be doing something more enjoyable, like thinking about sexy and charming Michael O'Connor, Niall's twin brother. Cordelia sometimes foretells Michael's future with her divination mirror, but she doesn't always like what she sees--Michael making love to various women. The sight of Michael's body awakens Cordelia's water nymph allure, which she keeps under control with the magical Celtic symbol wards she has painted on her body. But the wards can't keep her from feeling the desire and heat she experiences when she's around Michael.

Michael is the troop's storyteller, entertaining, engaging and free from virtually all responsibility. He is the quintessential ladies' man, but there is something about Cordelia that intrigues and attracts him. Michael is in charge of watching over his twin nephews while his brother and sister-in-law are gone. When someone opens a portal between this world and the Underworld, Michael's nephew, Fin, is trapped and held hostage by minions of Gwyn ap Nudd, King of the Underworld. Michael and Cordelia must travel to the Underworld to rescue Fin. If they are to succeed, they must learn to trust each other, their companions, and themselves.

Cordelia and Michael are a dynamic hero and heroine who literally face death to rescue Fin and in turn discover a love that will save them all. Their journey is fraught with peril as they battle the darkest evil. But as their trust in one another grows, so does their love. And it's pure magic.

Cordelia rushed to Michael, pressing her palm over his heart center, willing her strength into him as he wrapped his arms around her. She inhaled the herbal, earthy tang of his skin. His lips met hers, and she kissed him with all the passion locked inside her, the allure swelling and surging like a storm within her wards, threatening to break free. She framed his face in her hands and stared into his blue eyes, darkened now with fear. “I’ll call you back, Michael.”

“Aye, lass.” He touched a finger to her lips. “I know you won’t let me down.”

I thoroughly enjoyed The Phoenix Charm, even though I did not read the first book in the series, The Magic Knot--I plan to read it immediately! Ms. Taylor has created a magical world filled with unbelievable beings that she makes you believe in. I loved Michael and Cordelia, but there are also a number of secondary characters so vivid that they simply beg for their own story to be told. Pick up a copy of The Phoenix Charm and enjoy a little magic.

~Gannon

Happy New Year!

2010 is here!! Did you stay up late? Kiss that special someone? Every January 1, millions of people make New Year's resolutions, whether it be to lose weight, exercise more, get organized, or whatever. Some keep them, many try to keep them, and many do not. Personally, I'm not a resolution maker. I guess I've just never felt the need to make one formally, though my husband says we need to finally tackle that garage. I am SO not looking forward to that....

Do you make New Year's resolutions? If so, what are some of yours for 2010? Do you think you'll be able to keep them? Have you kept many resolutions from the past?

And more importantly, which books are you looking forward to in 2010?!?!

Tell us and TWO lucky commenters (living within the US) will each win a prize pack full of books, coverflats, bookmarks, etc.!