Today's Special - - Marilyn Baron

It's my pleasure to welcome Marilyn Baron to the blog today.   Marilyn is a public relations consultant in Atlanta. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Georgia Romance Writers (GRW). She is the winner of the GRW 2009 Chapter Service Award. She finaled in the GRW Unpublished Maggie Awards for Excellence in the Single Title category for The Colonoscopy Club. The Edger won first place in the Suspense Romance category of the Ignite the Flame Contest, sponsored by the Central Ohio Fiction Writers chapter of RWA. She won a 2012 Unpublished Maggie Award of Excellence in the Paranormal/Fantasy Romance category for Sixth Sense.

Marilyn was born in Miami, Florida. She lives in Roswell, Georgia, with her husband, and has two beautiful daughters. She graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, with a B.S. in Journalism and a minor in Public Relations. She blogs at www.petitfoursandhottamales.com. She loves to travel and often bases her books on the places she’s visited.

You can find out more about Marilyn and her books and short stories at http://www.petitfoursandhottamales.com/marilyn-baron/. Learn how fans with e-Readers can get KEEPER KASE™ Cards of The Edger and download your copy of Passionate Cooks: Free Recipes from Today’s Hottest Romance Authors, featuring her Pasta Passionata alla Carbonara.

Take it away, Marilyn!

All in the Family

By Marilyn Baron

     Thanksgiving is this week and that holiday brings to mind family. Family can mean relatives or good friends, like the two sets of friends who took my daughter in for a week when she was displaced by Hurricane Sandy in New York City.

     Today, I’d like to focus on my sister Sharon Goldman, who collaborated with me recently on two projects. At the beginning of the year, we released a humorous women’s fiction, an e-Book called “The Edger” http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006Y3P12Y. The novel is about landscape artist Alexandra Newborn’s shocking reunion with her college art professor, Nick Anselmo—once a celebrated Italian artist, now a homeless lawn man—which sows the seeds for murder, mystery and romance. As an award-winning artist in Florida http://sgoldmanart.com/index.htm, Sharon’s involvement in the project made the story more realistic. She also painted the cover art and some inside color and black and white art, which makes the book unique. The Edger received a 4-1/2-star rating and a wonderful review in RT Book Reviews’ September issue in the mainstream fiction section. Our plans are to rerelease the book in print form.
        

     We just completed a musical called “Memory Lane,” about Alzheimer’s, which we hope to get produced. Collaborating involves a whole set of issues, including the fact that we live in neighboring states, but, so far, we’ve survived both projects and are excited about our prospects. Our working relationship has brought us even closer together. 

     In addition, I have four humorous supernatural short stories published by TWB Press–my angel trilogy–A Choir of Angels, Follow an Angel and The Stand-In Bridegroom—and a story with a more devilish bent—Dead Mix.  http://www.twbpress.com/authormarilynbaron.html.   

     My romantic thriller, Under the Moon Gate, set in contemporary and World War Two Bermuda, will be released by The Wild Rose Press in 2013, as a historical. I am currently trying to find a home for my paranormal, Sixth Sense, which just won a Maggie Award of Excellence from Georgia Romance Writers. After that, I’ll finalize a prequel for Under the Moon Gate.

     What do all of these projects have in common? They are all humorous. I love to laugh and I think my readers do, too. What don’t they have in common? Genre. They range from women’s fiction and romantic thrillers (historical) to paranormal romance. I used to think that sticking to one genre was the way to go. But not anymore.

     So, no matter what genre you write, whether you work with a writing partner or go it alone, self-publish or go the traditional route, I hope everyone has a safe, happy Thanksgiving holiday and a healthy and productive 2013. One commenter will receive a free PDF copy of The Edger.  
 

Readers, what genre do you enjoy reading?  Do you read multiple genres or stick to one?  Do you enjoy humor in the books you read?  If you're a writer, have you tried your hand at multiple genres?  

Susanna Fraser Winnner

Thanks to everyone who came by to chat about marriages of convenience with Susanna Fraser.  The winner of a digital copy of Susanna's new historical romance, AN INFAMOUS MARRIAGE is:

Mary Preston

Congratulations!  Please send an email to theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com to claim your book.

Review - - Renegade

Renegade
The Protectors - Book 1
By Nancy Northcott
Publisher:  Hachette Book Group (digital)
                   Grand Central Forever Yours (print)
Release Date:  November 6, 2012 (digital)
                          December 18, 2012 (print)

Deep in the heart of Georgia, a woman fights against insurmountable odds.  As Shire Reeve (sheriff) of the southeastern United States, Valeria Banning is charged with the protection of Mundanes (non-magical humans) in her district yet on this steamy summer night, it's Valeria who needs protection and there's no one in sight to come to her aid.  Stuffed into the trunk of a car carrying her deeper into the murky swamp, her Mage powers are blocked by an amulet the ghouls have hung around her neck but she manages to shake it off and send out one last, frantic, magical plea for help, praying with everything in her that someone, somewhere will hear.

Rather than ease readers into her story, Nancy Northcott plunges them straight into the heart of the action from the first page of this extraordinary tale.  I was right there with Valeria as she struggles against the evil ghouls determined to drain her of her magic then either kill her or force her to mate to create more ghouls.  With Northcott's vivid descriptions and superb writing, I could feel the sheen of perspiration from the dense Georgia humidity, smell the pungent aroma of the dense vegetation of the surrounding swamp, feel the pulse-pounding desperation as Valeria fights for her life, the soul-wrenching sadness as she realizes she has no hope of winning and the stunned realization that her rescue has come at the hands of her enemy - the man whose position as Shire Reeve she now holds - the man who ignites an unwanted flame of desire in her - the traitor she has taken a solemn oath to kill.  

A fugitive for the past six years, Griffin Dare has been tried in absentia, found guilty and condemned to death for joining forces with ghouls and murdering Mages.  It's a long fall from grace for the once honorable Shire Reeve and those in the Mage community haven't forgotten the deep pain of his betrayal.  But is Griffin really guilty or is he the fall guy for a much more powerful traitor?  He may have spent the past six years living in hiding but he hasn't lost his honor or his dedication to helping others.  After he realizes the woman he has rescued is the current Shire Reeve, he knows this is his opportunity to show her the evidence he has gathered and appeal to her sense of fairness and justice to work with him in uncovering the real traitor conspiring with ghouls to overtake the world.  But first, he has to convince her not to kill him.

Being orphaned in her teens as the result of a ghoul attack has made Valeria more devoted to the Mages who cared for her following her parents' deaths, more determined in her battle against the ghouls, more resolute in her pursuit of justice.  Convincing her to open her mind to the facts; that it's possible Griff isn't the bad guy and those she's trusted may be lying to all of them won't be an easy feat to accomplish.  But if Griff and his team have any hope of preventing the ghouls from perpetrating a massive attack against humanity, then bringing her over to their side is their only hope.

I don't read a lot of fantasy and probably wouldn't have picked up this book had I not personally known the author.  And you know what?  I would have missed one of the best books I've read this year.  The ancient magic and struggle between good and evil seamlessly woven into present day Georgia is fascinating and easy to believe.  In fact, the magic (which is drawn from the earth's elements) is such an integral part of the characters that I easily accepted it as just one more facet of who they are; the world in which the story is told so expertly constructed that I had no difficulty imagining it.  In fact, it won't surprise me one bit if I start taking second looks at passersby the next time I'm in Georgia!  But while the world building, fast paced action and suspense are superb, it's the characters that drive this story and what fabulous characters they are.  Realistically drawn, complex and conflicted, they are characters that have found their way into my heart.  From Griff and Valeria to the Mages who work undercover to help Griffin identify the real traitor to the residents of Wayfarer, Georgia who only know Griff as the man who looks after the homeless and is always available to lend a helping hand, these are people I've come to know and care about...and, hopefully, will have an opportunity to revisit in future books in this series.
The next book, Guardian, is scheduled for release in May, 2013 and I've already started counting the days!

If you're looking for a fast-paced, action-packed story with ancient magic, pulse-pounding suspense and a deeply satisfying romance then I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Renegade by Nancy Northcott.  

~PJ

Nancy Northcott Winner

The winner of a download of RENEGADE by Nancy Northcott is

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy

Congratulations, AC!  Send us an email - and let us know if you want Kindle or Nook format - and we'll forward your information to Nancy.   

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Today's Special - - Susanna Fraser

Susanna Fraser wrote her first novel in fourth grade. It starred a family of talking horses who ruled a magical land. In high school she started, but never finished, a succession of tales of girls who were just like her, only with long, naturally curly and often unusually colored hair, who, perhaps because of the hair, had much greater success with boys than she ever did.

Along the way she read her hometown library’s entire collection of Regency romance, fell in love with the works of Jane Austen, and discovered in Patrick O’Brian’s and Bernard Cornwell’s novels another side of the opening decades of the 19^th century. When she started to write again as an adult, she knew exactly where she wanted to set her books. Her writing has come a long way from her youthful efforts, but she still tends to give her heroines great hair.

Susanna lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and daughter. When not writing or reading, she goes to baseball games, watches Chopped, Castle, and The Legend of Korra, and cooks her way through an ever-growing cookbook collection.  Find Susanna online at her website, on Twitter and Facebook.  

Please welcome Susanna to The Romance Dish!

Marriages of Convenience

My new historical romance, An Infamous Marriage, is a marriage of convenience story. The hero, Jack Armstrong, meets the heroine, Elizabeth Hamilton, as her first husband, who happens to be Jack’s childhood best friend, lies dying. They marry because in her newly widowed state she is homeless and penniless, because he needs a caretaker for his ailing mother while he serves in the Army, and above all because it was her first husband’s dying wish.

I love a marriage of convenience setup in a historical because of the constraints and challenges it sets for the hero and heroine. They may hardly know each other, but they’re stuck together for life, since divorce is all but impossible to obtain. Jack and Elizabeth begin their marriage with no expectations of happiness whatsoever--only a determination to do their duty. They have a long journey ahead of them to find love together, but during their first dinner together as husband and wife, they discover themselves capable of sharing laughter:

“Was there someone else?” she asked. “Someone you wanted to carry to Scotland?”

“What would be the point of telling you if there was?” he snapped. “It can’t be, now.”

She sighed. None of this was his fault, but she couldn’t help envisioning some perfect, golden-haired young beauty, perhaps a general’s daughter, who had danced with Colonel Armstrong and dreamed of becoming his bride. “No. But if somewhere there is a lady who sees me as an enemy for ruining her hopes, I should like to be forewarned.”

“Fair enough.” He nodded curtly. “There was no one. No one I could marry, at least.”

Elizabeth chose not to press for more details on just what sort of women he couldn’t marry. No one expected men to be chaste before marriage. Even gentle, devout Giles hadn’t quite been a virgin.

But Jack seemed to misinterpret her silence, for he shook his head and blew out a frustrated breath. “Elizabeth,” he said gruffly, “we’ll make do. There have been worse-suited couples.”

“I hope so.” From their time together so far, she doubted it.

“Of course there have,” he said bracingly. “Why, look at the Prince of Wales.”

She smiled. The expression felt rusty from disuse. “Touché.”

“Or Henry VIII.”

Now Elizabeth couldn’t hold back a giggle. “And which wife?”

“All of them, I think. For a man who married six times, he didn’t have much of a knack for the state, did he? Though Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard had the worst of it.”

She took a sip of her wine, eying him over the glass’s brim. “I do hope you prove a better husband than Henry,” she said. “I should hate to lose my head.”

He laughed, and she with him. When their merriment had passed, he watched her with greater warmth than she had yet seen from him. Elizabeth felt a stirring of something—not desire, it was too soon for desire—but of affection, of liking. She could see now why Giles had been his friend.

What about you, dear readers? Do you enjoy marriage of convenience stories? Which one is your favorite?

I’ll be giving one copy of An Infamous Marriage to a commenter on this post in your choice of e-book format, and at the end of the tour I'll be giving away a grand prize of a $50 gift certificate to their choice of Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Powell's Books to one commenter on the tour as a whole. You get one entry per blog tour stop you comment upon, so check out my blog for the whole schedule! If you wish to be entered in the drawing, include your email address formatted as yourname AT yourhost DOT com.

I look forward to reading and responding to your comments, but since I live on the West Coast and have an 8-5 day job, I won’t be able to check in till my evening.

Northumberland, 1815

At long last, Britain is at peace, and General Jack Armstrong is coming home to the wife he barely knows. Wed for mutual convenience, their union unconsummated, the couple has exchanged only cold, dutiful letters. With no more wars to fight, Jack is ready to attempt a peace treaty of his own.

Elizabeth Armstrong is on the warpath. She never expected fidelity from the husband she knew for only a week, but his scandalous exploits have made her the object of pity for years. Now that he's back, she has no intention of sharing her bed with him—or providing him with an heir—unless he can earn her forgiveness. No matter what feelings he ignites within her…

Jack is not expecting a spirited, confident woman in place of the meek girl he left behind. As his desire intensifies, he wants much more than a marriage in name only. But winning his wife's love may be the greatest battle he's faced yet.

Review -- Rescue My Heart

Rescue My Heart

Animal Magnetism—Book 3

By Jill Shalvis

Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Release Date: November 6, 2012

Adam Connelly enjoys his easy-going life living near the base of the beautiful Bitterroot Mountains in Sunshine, Idaho, and his job as the region’s Search & Rescue team leader. It is the perfect place for a returning soldier suffering from PTSD. He also runs Belle Haven, a veterinary clinic, with his brothers—which is both a blessing and a curse. He knows how lucky he is to have family so close, but sometimes he just wants to be left alone. After getting back from a grueling rescue with a minor injury and no sleep, Holly Reid, a blast from Adam’s past, shows up at his door asking for help.  She desperately needs him to find her father, Donald, who has been gone for days in the mountains and is not answering his phone. Because Donald is a friend, Adam agrees, but prefers that he go alone—especially since there is a snowstorm on its way. This, of course, does not sit well with Holly. 

If Adam wasn’t the very best tracker for many miles around, Holly wouldn’t bother asking him for help. After all, twelve years ago he made it painfully clear that whatever relationship they had was over. But she knows she can’t do it alone, so she swallows her pride and asks for help. Because it’s her father out there, Holly insists on going with him and they make the trip together. But during the search, they uncover more than her father. And after they return to Sunshine, they must deal with their reawakening attraction and come to terms with what happened in the past. 

Rescue My Heart is another winner from Jill Shalvis! Readers have been dying for broody Adam’s story and it certainly didn’t disappoint. In the last book, Holly made an appearance and you could feel the tension between them. Adam isn’t looking for any relationship beyond sex because he doesn’t want to drag any woman into his darkness, especially Holly, whom he believes deserves more. He’s not the kind of guy who opens up to anyone and I felt for him.  

Holly spent one summer in Sunshine when she was eighteen, but it was a summer that she never forgot because she fell in love with Adam. Twelve years later, she made the decision to move to Sunshine from New York City, where she ran that end of her father’s business. She wants to make a fresh start by helping her father, who is getting older, and to get away from her ex-husband.  

I loved watching the always-in-control Adam clash with the stubborn, driven Holly. There is plenty of snappy dialogue between the two, but there is also a great deal of emotion. They both have issues and feelings that must be dealt with, which make the end result that much sweeter. 

I was thrilled when I read that Ms. Shalvis is writing another book in this series featuring two people that we meet in this one. I can’t wait for it! In the meantime, do yourself a favor and pick up Rescue My Heart!

 

~Andrea

 

Rescue My Heart has a reunited lovers theme. What are some of your favorite books featuring reunited lovers? What’s your favorite Jill Shalvis book? One random commenter will win a copy of Animal Attraction, the previous book in the Animal Magnetism series! (U.S. addresses only, please.)

Second Chance Winners

Some of our third anniversary prizes have not been claimed so we have put random.org to work and chosen new winners.  They are:

U.S. WINNERS

Ruth Atkinson

Chelsea B

INTERNATIONAL WINNER

Spav

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

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Interview with Victoria Alexander

Photo credit:  Dawn Biggs

PJ here!  I recently had the opportunity to do a Q & A with one of my favorite historical romance authors, Victoria Alexander.  Victoria has a new holiday book out that I'm looking forward to reading.  (Some of you recently won copies that should be winging their way to you soon!)  It sounds like another winner from this lovely lady whose stories never fail to make me smile.  Hope you enjoy the interview - and the book - and for those of you who are long-time fans, be sure to pay close attention to Victoria's response to my final question!  

Hello, Victoria.  Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today.  You have a new holiday book, What Happens at Christmas.  What can readers expect from this story?

Fun I hope! I really think we should all read for fun. And especially at Christmas—for a good laugh or at the very least, a smile. J

What Happens at Christmas is about the widowed Lady Lydingham, Camille, and her attempt to prompt a proposal from the perfect price by giving him a perfect Christmas. To do that she needs a perfect family and hers is anything but perfect. Fortunately, they're out of the country so she replaces them with a troupe of actors. Unfortunately, they're not very good. Even worse, her first love shows up and manages to get a part in Camille's Christmas production. Grayson Elliott swears he only wants to help. Well, one thing leads to another, including chaos and confusion and this will be a Christmas no one will ever forget.

Oh, it sounds delightful!  






Many of your earlier books are set in England during the Regency but this one has a Victorian setting.  What draws your interest to these places and times?

While I've written a number of books set in the Regency, my most recent books have moved into the Victorian era. What Happens at Christmas is set in 1887. I love the Regency for its manners and social customs and political climate. But a Victorian setting lets my characters get on a train and send a telegram. There's a lot to be said for progress. A late 19^th century setting also opens the way for all sorts of new story lines and characters. And the clothes—especially the hats—were fabulous! I've always been a sucker for a grand hat. J

I've included a photo (at left) of a hat I won from Victoria in a charity auction several years ago.  Isn't it awesome?

If you could spend Christmas anywhere in the world, where would you go and with whom?

I have always wanted to spend Christmas in Vienna. I have no idea why. I've never been to Vienna.  It's just one of those ideas that came to mind when I was a kid and is still there. And I'd want to be there with my kids, because family is one of the best things about Christmas, and with my husband because he's the love of my life and my best friend. But I'd want to spend New Year's Eve in Paris because, well, it's Paris. J  

Last year, I watched a Travel Channel program about Christmas in Vienna.  It was gorgeous; straight out of a fairy tale!  

The explosion of social media has opened the door between reader and author wider than ever before – with readers looking for a more personal connection with the authors whose books they enjoy.  How has this “new world” impacted your life as a published author?

It's made me a lot busier. I'm trying very hard to keep up with it all and I'm focusing my efforts on facebook. I'm doing more personal blog type stuff on my website too. And I have to confess—I'm really enjoying it. I've learned how to do video clips at my desk so I'm starting to talk more than just put up posts. And I'm having fun.

I also did a diy book trailer that can be seen either on my facebook page or youtube.
(or here at The Romance Dish!)

This took me back to my television roots and I relearned video and audio editing. So I'll do it again.

Where can readers find you on the internet?

www.victoriaalexander.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Victoria-Alexander/238022460756

What’s next?

We meet Lord Stillwell in What Happens at Christmas. The story of his ill-fated engagements—Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements—will be out as an e-short on Nov. 26^th. His story is told in The Importance of Being Wicked—out in February. The Importance of Being Wicked kicks off a series of stories based around Millworth Manor. Finally, one of my first books, and my only western—The Emperor's New Clothes—is being reissued with a fabulous new cover in the spring.

Last, because I always have to ask, any plans to write a story for Becky Shelton?

LOL! Someday I will definitely write Becky's story but right now I'm having too much fun with the folks at Millworth Manor.

Thank you, Victoria!  

Okay, readers.  If you had unlimited funds and could spend Christmas anywhere in the world, where would you go and who would you take with you?  

Review -- The Care and Feeding of an Alpha Male

The Care and Feeding of an Alpha Male

Bluebonnet, Texas—Book 2

By Jessica Clare

Publisher: Berkley Heat

Release Date: October 2, 2012

Beth Ann Williamson grew up in privilege as the daughter of small-town Bluebonnet’s mayor. She has never wanted for anything—including during her off and on relationship with her high school sweetheart, Allan—except for maybe a little fidelity. That’s not too much for a girl to ask for, is it? Apparently, it is. Beth Ann is tired of Allan’s frequent cheating and is especially tired that the rest of the town does not believe that their relationship is finally over.  

No one knew why they’d finally broken up, just that they had. Beth Ann hadn’t wanted to destroy his character in town—that didn’t seem fair to a man she’d spent nine years with. And she didn’t hate him, not really. She was just disappointed in him, and in herself most of all for putting up with it for so long. 

Beth Ann opened a salon, a long-time dream, and wants to make it on her own. At a silent auction for the Bluebonnet Historical Society, Beth Ann’s mother approaches her to ask a favor. She wants her to discreetly find Lucy, Beth Ann’s seventeen year old sister, who her mother believes ran off for the weekend to a costume group’s camp out with a guy nicknamed “Colossus”. By the time Beth Ann gets to the site, it is raining cats and dogs. In fact, it’s raining so bad that while she’s out searching for Lucy, the local fire department comes to evacuate the campground. 

Survival expert Colt Waggoner is one the volunteers helping to evacuate the site. Everyone is accounted for except for whoever owns the VW bug. Colt searches for the owner and discovers the town’s high and mighty princess, Beth Ann Williamson, looking messy and bedraggled. The two have a prickly relationship, at best, despite each of their best friends being engaged. Beth Ann snaps at him when he finds her, thinking that her best friend set her up. Colt decides to teach her a lesson claiming that they are stranded and have no choice but to seek shelter for the night. As Colt helps her, Beth Ann begins to soften toward him and he realizes that she isn’t who he thought she was...which makes him feel a bit guilty about deceiving her. Soon, their mutual attraction is difficult to deny. 

Wouldn’t the town just love that, he thought with a wry twist of his mouth. Sweet, perfect Beth Ann, stolen away from handsome Allan Sunquist by one of the white-trash, no-good Waggoners. 

The Care and Feeding of an Alpha Male is the second book of Ms. Clare’s Bluebonnet, Texas series and a wonderful good girl/bad boy erotic romance. I haven’t read the first book, but that didn’t matter while reading this one as it stands completely on its own. Though I will say that I want to read the first one now.  

Colt and Beth Ann grew up in the same town, but on the opposite side of the tracks. While in high school, she was the popular girl with the popular guy, while Colt was one of the trailer-park-trash Waggoner brothers. He left right after high school to join the marines in the hopes of making something of himself...and he did. He is the quintessential alpha male who is protective of what’s his. And once he and Beth Ann start dating, she falls into that category. At first, Beth Ann doesn’t know what to think about what is transpiring between her and Colt, but one thing she does know is that Colt is definitely not Allan. Colt doesn’t question everything she does, nor does he hold her back from doing what makes her truly happy. I’m not sure if I could have done like Beth Ann and held out on telling people why she and Allan broke up, but I chock that up to Beth Ann’s good-natured character. These two had scorching chemistry and the love scenes were smoking hot and plentiful. The secondary characters helped advance the story and two in particular have me counting down the days until their story is published.  

If you enjoy super spicy small town romances, The Care and Feeding of an Alpha Male is one that I definitely recommend!

 

~Andrea

Today's Special - - Nancy Northcott

We love hosting debut authors here at The Romance Dish and when that author is a long-time friend it makes the occasion all the more special.  Today, it's my extreme pleasure to introduce Nancy Northcott.  One of the famed (or it is infamous?) Romance Bandits, Nancy is a three-time Golden Heart finalist who has indulged her passion for history, adventure and fantasy/science fiction since she was a young child. That sense of adventure comes through loud and clear in her superb debut novel, RENEGADE along with a firm belief in romance happy endings.   You'll read more details in my upcoming review but for now, let me just say that I was blown away by this book.  It grabbed me from the very first page and kept me reading late into the night until I reached the end.  Library Journal, in a starred review (not many of those go to debut novels), calls RENEGADE "Genre fiction at its best." and I totally agree.  

You can connect with Nancy at her website, facebook and twitter as well as the Romance Bandits blog.

Welcome, Nancy!

Unexpected Journeys

Sometimes choices that seem routine lead down unexpected paths.  This has happened to me, and it happens to Griff and Valeria, the hero and heroine of my debut paranormal romance, Renegade.  One memorable example of this in my life occurred when I agreed to have lunch with a guy a friend thought might be perfect for me.  Twenty-five years and one boy later, we’re still meeting for lunch.  Also dinner and breakfast.

The most recent example of such serendipity in my life was in the choice of the Okefenokee Swamp as a background for my mage romances.  When I was in grade school, my family used to drive from North Carolina to Florida to visit relatives every summer.  My parents always tried to do something fun or educational on the way down or back.  One year, they decided to stop at the Okefenokee.

I’ve previously said I remember almost nothing about this trip except the name Okefenokee Swamp and my mom’s fear that a snake would fall in the boat. I don’t remember whether we actually went in a boat, though I’m pretty sure I’d remember if we’d encountered a snake.  The Okefenokee was the setting of the late Walt Kelly’s comic strip, Pogo, so the name stayed in front of me for a while, but I soon forgot about it. Pogo is pictured on the water tank at left.  

It popped up again when I was trying to build a world for my mages.  I wanted something spooky that hadn’t already been used by a lot of people.  As I’ve mentioned at other times, I suggested the Okefenokee Swamp to my brainstorming group.  I’d researched it on the internet (http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee/), and it looked as though it had a lot of possibilities.  This book, set in this world, gave me my first sale.  But I’m not sure I would’ve thought of the swamp if not for that barely remembered side trip my parents chose for us.

Once the books were actually going forward, more research seemed in order, so we stopped at the Okefenokee, as some of  you know, this past May.  Driving into the refuge, I told the dh and the boy, “I hope this is as cool as I think it is because I’m stuck with it now.”  It was not only cool but amazing.  I fell in love with the place.  It had far more potential than I had realized, and seeing it gave me a lot of ideas.

Serendipity took me there in the first place, and it laid the ground work for the world Griff and Val and their fellow mages inhabit.  These two also have apparently routine choices lead them down paths that will change their lives.  Val stops for dinner in the imaginary town of Wayfarer, Georgia, sees ghouls attacking Mundanes, and saves the victims, only to become a prisoner in their stead.

Griff hears her magical cry for help and goes to her assistance.   That rescue will change both their lives, as the routine task of listening to a witness catapulted Griff from shire reeve (sheriff) to fugitive in a single day. 

The hero and heroine riding into the sunset together is kind of a cliché, so I’ll tell you their book doesn’t end with a sunset.  My Friday did, though, and I’d like to share that image with you.  The dh and I went back to the Okefenokee and took a sunset cruise.  It went past Chesser Prairie, which is pictured above.  The water level is higher now, thanks to a June hurricane, so the prairie looks a little different.  (In the Okefenokee, a prairie is actually a submerged area.) This photo shows how our Friday ended, all because of a side trip my parents casually decided to take so many years ago.

Have apparently insignificant choices led to big changes in your life?  Can you think of a book or a movie where such a choice led to something bigger, for good or ill?

I’ll give away a download of Renegade, Nook or Kindle format, US/Canada only, and a Keeper Kase to one randomly chosen person leaving a comment.

Renegade

She Follows the Rules

As the mage council’s sheriff for the southeastern United States, Valeria Banning doesn’t just take her job seriously, she takes it personally. So when a notorious fugitive and supposed traitor risks his life to save hers, she has to wonder why. To find the answer, she’ll have to put everything on the line, starting with her heart. 

He Breaks Every One of Them

As a mage, Griffin Dare is sworn to protect innocents from dark magic, which is how he finds himself fighting side by side with the beautiful Valeria Banning. But when the council finds out the two have been working together, the pair must run for their lives–from the law, the threat of a ghoul takeover, and a possible council mole.

Now They are Each Other’s Only Hope 

New Releases winner!

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

 

Jane

 

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

The Teen Menu

YA News

I'm really looking forward to the films based on Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series. The first film, City of Bones, is wrapping up filming early this month. And MTV did a little featurette with some of the cast, including leads Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower (who I liked in Camelot and who is one of the Volturi, Caius, in the Twilight movies).

The film adaptation of James Patterson's Maximum Ride is set to begin pre-production. The film is tentatively scheduled for a 2014 release. Read more here.

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris is being adapted to television by MTV. Read more here. I haven't read this but it sounds interesting.

According to the Deal Report in Entertainment Weekly, Shailene Woodley (The Descendants, Secret Life of the American Teenager) is in talks to star in the film version of Veronica Roth's popular Divergent.

And unless you've not been plugged in at all lately, you know we're a mere six days away from the final film in the Twilight saga, Breaking Dawn, Part 2, hitting U.S. theaters. I know this series has its haters, but I'm looking forward to seeing the movie.

YA Review

Prior to C.J. Redwine's debut young adult novel, Defiance, hitting shelves in late August, I'd been waiting (rather impatiently, I might add) to be able to read it. C.J. is a friend in my local RWA chapter, but she's also a great writer. From the time I heard about the book's premise, it sounded like it was totally my kind of read. And then I saw the beautiful cover and got even more excited. I mentally crossed my fingers when I finally was able to start reading it, hoping I would love it as much as I wanted to. There is no worse feeling than not liking the book of someone you know. But no worries here. I loved Defiance and am already rather impatiently waiting for the second installment.

Defiance is the story of Rachel Adams, who lives in a world divided into walled city-states with the vast Wasteland between them. The Wasteland is filled with dangers, including a giant, serpent-like creature that lives underground called the Cursed One. But living in her town of Baalboden isn't perfect either. The town's leader, called the Commander, has absolute authority and isn't afraid to use it to get what he wants, and what he wants is whatever package Rachel's father, a courier between the cities, had when he went missing. As if not knowing if her father is alive or dead isn't bad enough, when her father goes missing, Rachel is assigned another male Protector, which every female in Baalboden must have when she leaves her home. And that new Protector is Logan McEntire, the guy she'd once professed her love for and got none in return. Unfortunately, her anger at this turn of events and the embarrassment she feels around Logan are the least of her problems, because the Commander has no problem forcing her to do what he wants (find her father and the package). She has to face loss, the realization that Logan might have felt more for her than he claimed, and the dangers of the Wasteland. But she's every bit as determined as the Commander to get what she wants -- her father back, freedom for the two of them as well as Logan, and the Commander's head on a platter for all the evil things he's done to her and the rest of the people of Baalboden.

Review - - Lord Gray's List

Lord Gray's List
The London List - Book 1
By Maggie Robinson
Publisher:  Kensington
Release Date:  October 30, 2012

Baron Benton Gray has had just about enough of being the laughingstock of London.  For the past two years, the publisher of The London List has made it his mission to report Ben's activities, in lurid detail.  Every Tuesday, the citizens of London, including his staff and even his mother, rush to get their copies of the gossip sheet and read about Ben's latest exploits.   Strangers assume he lives for pleasure alone, his mother frets he'll never find a wife (as she says, "you're verging into desperate widow territory.") and the mysterious publisher of The London List is certain he hasn't a brain in his head.

Evangeline Ramsay had never had a true home nor a stable life with her gambler father until he had the good fortune to win a business in a card game.  When his health failed, Evangeline (Evie) insisted they settle in London and for the past two years, she has run the weekly tabloid, The London List disguised as a man - for no one would ever accept a woman as the manager of a business.  Everything is running smoothly until an angry Benton Gray bursts into the office one day, insisting she stop printing stories about him, and she finally finds herself face to face with the only man she's ever loved, the man who proposed marriage to her ten years ago, the man she rejected out of fear that he would grow into a man identical to her unreliable, gambling father.

Ben is stunned to discover the newspaper publisher who has been vilifying him on a weekly basis is the woman who broke his young heart all those years ago, a woman he is still wildly attracted to.  He tells her he wants to buy the paper.  She refuses.  He goes behind her back and, visiting her father in one of his rare lucid moments, buys the paper from him, intending to shut it down, but leaving more than enough money for Evie and her father to have everything they need.  However, when it becomes apparent that many people count on The London List for much more than entertainment, instead of closing the doors, Ben finds himself running the paper with Evie.  Will working side by side prove to Evie that Ben's more than just a pretty face?   Will Ben open his heart enough to let Evie back in, even though she shattered it all those years ago?  Will these two be able to keep their hands off each other long enough to get any work done?

Robinson has crafted a charming romance; fast-paced and fun, with snappy dialogue between the heroine and hero that reminded me of old Spencer Tracy-Katharine Hepburn movies.  Evie is starchy and uptight while Ben is easy-going and fun and both have histories that have molded them into the people they are today.  I adored Ben from the beginning though Evie was harder to warm up to.  I did understand, though, why she initially withheld her heart and her trust even while indulging in the red-hot desire between them.  Watching Ben slowly win her over while, at the same time, realizing some truths about himself was immensely gratifying.  And fun.  Did I mention fun?  This was one of the most fun couples I've read in a while.   Smart, sassy, sexy, snappy and fun.  I highly recommend Lord Gray's List and look forward to more stories in this new series from Maggie Robinson.

~PJ

Make Your Reservations!

It's time again to mark your calendars and Make Your Reservations for December! Here are a few of the ones we are looking forward to in the last month of this year. Are any of these upcoming books on your list? If so, which ones? If not, which books are on your list?

What an Earl Wants
By Kasey Michaels

Gideon Redgrave, eldest child of the late Earl of Saltwood, refuses to be humbled by the scandal that once tore his family apart. He's built his life in London society around one rule: trust no one. So the last thing he wants is to play guardian and role model to a headstrong boy…or to engage in a battle of wills with the boy's spirited half sister, who is fighting Gideon for custody.

Beautiful and bold, young widow Jessica Linden proves to be a formidable and passionate adversary. But the more they lock horns, the more Gideon realizes he'd prefer to have Jessica on his side…and in his arms. Especially now that a new threat—sprung from his father's supposedly defunct secret society—is poised to destroy the Redgraves once and for all.

(Harlequin)


*******

The Importance of Being Wicked
By Miranda Neville

The rules of society don't apply to Caro and her coterie of bold men and daring women. But when passions flare, even the strongest will surrender to the law of love...

 

Thomas, Duke of Castleton, has every intention of wedding a prim and proper heiress. That is, until he sets eyes on the heiress's cousin, easily the least proper woman he's ever met. His devotion to family duty is no defense against the red-headed vixen whose greatest asset seems to be a talent for trouble...

Caroline Townsend has no patience for the oh-so-suitable (and boring) men of the ton. So when the handsome but stuffy duke arrives at her doorstep, she decides to put him to the test. But her scandalous exploits awaken a desire in Thomas he never knew he had. Suddenly Caro finds herself falling for this most proper duke…while Thomas discovers there's a great deal of fun in a little bit of wickedness.

(Avon)


*******

Finding Home
By Lois Greiman

1 broken down mare
2 baby lambs
3 lost teens And a busted up bronc rider with more balls than brains...

They all add up to trouble in Casie Carmichael's book. She's come back to Hope Springs, South Dakota, with only one thing in mind--selling the family's tumble-down ranch and returning to Sioux Falls and her very practical fiancé. But leaving isn't as easy as she imagined, not when every bedraggled stray in the territory has a homing beam straight to her barn.

Suddenly, angry parents, hairless goats and a former flame's new heat aren't Casie's most pressing problems. Her own mixed-up heart is at the top of the list, and as she throws herself into making a safe haven for her motley crew, she realizes home is a lot closer than she thought.

(Kensington)


*******

Obsession Wears Opals
By Renee Bernard

Darius Thorne has learned to use his wit and intelligence to strategize a better life for himself. He is the White Knight amidst the small secret circle of Gentlemen known only as the Jaded. The handsome scholar shields his heart by keeping a studied distance from the world…until he rescues a beautiful woman.

Isabel Netherton isn’t merely a damsel in distress. A high born lady of quality unwilling to be a pawn, she is defiantly escaping an abusive husband. But under Darius’s protection she discovers an unexpected champion—a man who teaches her the power of true desire and what it means to be treated like a queen.

However, the law of the land supports her husband’s cruel claim. It will take all of Darius' wit to keep one step ahead of their enemies and protect Isabel. In a deadly game of chess, Darius must defeat the Black Knight and sacrifice himself for his Ivory Queen or forfeit all.

(Berkley)


*******

King of the Damned
By Juliana Stone

With darkness all around him, the League of Guardians is his only means of redemption...

 

Azaiel, the Fallen, has been given a second chance to atone for the sins of his past. With demons gathering and threatening the League, he must find out if their circle has been breached. What he doesn’t foresee is a woman—a fierce warrior—who will turn his world upside down and awaken his tortured soul.

Rowan James is a powerful witch out to avenge the death of her beloved grandmother, but she needs an ally. Will she be able to trust a man with secrets as dark as the sorrow in his eyes? Loving Rowan means risking salvation and yet Azaiel cannot ignore the hunger burning hot between them—his one last chance at happiness. With danger all around them, will these two desperate souls finally find love in each other . . .or be forever damned?

(Avon)


*******

How to Deceive a Duke
By Lecia Cornwall

When her stubborn sister runs off the night before her arranged marriage, Meg Lynton hardly hesitates before donning the wedding veil and walking down the aisle herself. It's the only way to save her family from sure destitution. By the time her wealthy groom discovers he has married the wrong sister, it will be too late to annul their vows. And too late for Meg to escape her wifely duty to a man reputed to be a devil in battle and the bedroom...

A bride is the last thing Nicholas Hartley, Duke of Temberlay, wants. Then he sees Meg and realizes that his wedding night will be a great pleasure indeed. But aside from the agreeable business of begetting an heir, Temberlay will never change his wicked ways for a wedding vow—until he discovers Meg's deception, and decides to teach the scheming beauty how to be a proper duchess, kiss by devastating kiss...

(Avon)