Today's Special - - Karina Bliss

Last week we posted Janga's Top Dish-5 Star review of RISE, a new contemporary romance. Today we're delighted to host the author of RISE, Karina Bliss. 

New Zealander Karina Bliss’s debut, Mr Imperfect, won a Romantic Book of the Year award in Australia, the first of eleven books published through Harlequin SuperRomance. Her most recent release, A Prior Engagement, was a Desert Island Keeper at likesbooks.com. Her new release, Rise, is a single title, self-published contemporary which continues the story of Zander Freedman, who first appeared as a villain in Karina’s bestselling title, What the Librarian Did. 

To find out more about this talented author from New Zealand check out her website and connect with her online at Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Please join me in giving Karina a warm welcome to The Romance Dish! 

PJ: Welcome, Karina! We’re pleased to have you visit with us today. Your new book, RISE is the story of a much talked about secondary character from your popular 2010 Harlequin SuperRomance, What the Librarian Did.  Please tell our readers what they can expect from this book.

Thanks for inviting me here, PJ, I always enjoy the reviews and commentary on the Romance Dish.

RISE is a redemption story of a guy literally and figuratively at ‘rock’ bottom. The only pure thing about rock icon Zander Freedman is his voice and he’s given up booze and drugs to protect it. Unfortunately they’ve been anesthetizing his conscience for the past twenty years. I like to think of the story as a Glee-style mash up between Sleeping Beauty and The Matrix. Here’s the back cover blurb:

Acclaimed literary biographer Elizabeth Winston writes about long-dead heroes. So bad boy rock icon Zander Freedman couldn’t possibly tempt her to write his memoir. Except the man is a mass of fascinating contradictions - manipulative, honest, gifted, charismatic, morally ambiguous.

In short, everything she sought in a biography subject. When in her life will she get another chance to work with a living legend? But saying yes to one temptation soon leads to another.

Suddenly she’s having heated fantasies about her subject, fantasies this blue-eyed-devil is only too willing to stoke. She’d thought self-control was in her DNA, after all she grew up a minister’s daughter.

She thought wrong.

Zander Freedman has been an outlier - many would say an outcast – for most of his life. But there’s no disaster he can’t overcome, from the break-up of his band to the fall-out on his reputation. His Resurrection Tour is shaping up to be his greatest triumph - if his golden voice holds out. Contracting a respected biographer is simply about creating more buzz; Elizabeth's integrity the key to consolidating his legacy as one of rock’s greats.

All the damn woman has to do is write down what he tells her. Not make him think.

Or encourage the good guy struggling to get out. And certainly not to fall in love for the first time in his life.

Turns out he is scared of something - being known.

PJ: I’ve read that you were certain Zander, described in the blurb for RISE as “manipulative, honest, gifted, charismatic and morally ambiguous,” could not be redeemed. What convinced you to give him a chance?

Readers made me take another look at him. When one reader asked for Zander’s story I privately wondered if she needed therapy, but after a dozen asked, I started wondering if I was the crazy one. What did these smart women see in Zander that I couldn’t? So I let him wander into a couple of books to see if we could work together. He made me laugh and that was it.

Janga, who recently reviewed RISE for us, has a few questions for you.

Janga: I had a real attraction-repulsion relationship with Zander before this book and for a few chapters into this book, but I ended up loving him. I really was seduced by this hero. How did you do that?

What helped was that I started from the same point you did, disliking Zander. But I’ve always loved the Henry Wadsworth quote: “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.” So I began digging for reasons– not excuses–that would explain the way he was, without changing his backstory, or essential character. Zander owns his mistakes and flaws, and I think that's partly what makes him likable - his willingness to shoulder the burden of his past sins. He's already changing for the better as the book begins (admittedly as a byproduct of giving up booze and alcohol to save his voice), and the heroine accelerates that change. Elizabeth doesn't 'save' him. I felt he needed to be active in his own redemption, and his relationships with his ex girlfriend, PA, and new band were there to show his evolution into a better man.

Janga: I totally bought into the worlds of this book. What kind of research did you do?

Lots! I read biographies of rock stars, watched rock documentaries and did internet research on voice issues, pastor’s kids and female biographers as I needed it. I live with two keen guitarists and they were a great resource. The deluge scene when Elizabeth gets stuck in traffic and waterlogged at Zander’s Auckland concert was taken from my own experience at a Foo Fighters concert!

I do think getting the facts straight is important, because readers will then believe the emotional truths you're trying to convey in the story.

Janga: What writers have influenced you most?

An early influence was Susan Elizabeth Philips, I loved her blend of humor and emotion in the Chicago Stars series. Georgette Heyer is my all time favorite writer, I reread her constantly. Larry McMurtry, Laura Kinsale, Joanna Bourne, Betty MacDonald, Sarah Mayberry, Molly O’Keefe, Robyn Carr….I could go on forever. I’m always inspired by books written with no regard for whether they’ll sell or not – I’m thinking of Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith and The Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley, writers who didn’t worry about the market (though Ashley invented one), but wrote what they needed to. Probably all the writers I’ve mentioned push themselves like that. And sometimes it pays off and the book is wonderful and sometimes a book doesn’t quite hit the mark. But I'd rather fail big, than succeed small. Of course there's probably not a viable career in that...G>

PJ: As mentioned above, Zander is a bad-boy rock star. Did you play music while writing this book? If so, what songs were on the playlist?

Karina: I have had a playlist for other books, but oddly I didn’t for this one. In my imagination all the songs were originals so playing someone else’s music seemed counter-productive. I did try and write lyrics for Elizabeth’s song and they were horrendously bad! One of my beta readers, author Sophia James, said, ‘let me try,’ and produced brilliant lyrics within ten minutes. With her permission, I used them in RISE.

  

PJ: I have to say, I do love the cover of RISE! Did you have any input into its development?

I’m delighted to say I did! I knew exactly what I wanted - spotlights, a stage, a man’s naked back, a stance and an attitude. But cover artist Amber Shah of Book Beautiful took my concept 'to infinity and beyond.'

PJ: RISE kicks off your new Rock Solid series. Are you able to share information about future books in the series and when we might expect them?

I hope to have Jared and Kayla’s ‘rock marriage in trouble’ novella out in June. I’m thinking a love triangle – Jared has to convince Kayla that the rock star he’s becoming will be a more exciting husband than the shy musician he was when they first married.  Dimity’s story is probably next in the queue but I can’t decide whether to pair her with Moss, Luther or someone new. All opinions welcome!

Let’s talk about you for a bit.

PJ: Where’s your happy place? (for me, it’s the beach with a cold margarita and a good book)

Twilight anywhere, with a glass of good red, a good book, and a good day’s writing behind me.  (I can usually manage two of those – okay fine, it’s the first two).

PJ: You live in the part of the world that most people have on their vacation bucket list. What countries are on your bucket list?

The South Island of New Zealand (I live in the North Island). All my travel money goes on overseas trips and I keep hearing from foreigners how beautiful that part of my country is. I really need to get there.

PJ: What (or who) do you enjoy reading when you’re not busy writing your own books?

Craft books on writing still thrill me (sad, I know), and I love historical romance. Julia Spencer Fleming who writes ‘novels of faith and murder for readers of literary suspense’ was my last glom. It must have taken WEEKS for her publishers to come up with such a painstakingly accurate description. She’s my favorite kind of writer, one who can’t be neatly pigeon-holed!

PJ: Where can readers find you online?

www.karinabliss.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarinaBlissAuthor
Twitter @BlissKarina

PJ: I understand you’re working on an anthology with Sarah Mayberry and Joan Kilby. Are you able to share any information about the project with our readers?

I’m thrilled to be working with such talented writers. Our novellas will be linked through our heroines, who went to an Australian boarding school together. Each is at a romantic low point in her life when they reunite to attend a Bachelor and Spinster ball in the Outback. My heroine meets the security guard hero while wearing a cowsuit. It’s a lot of fun to write. 

PJ: Thank you so much for visiting with us today, Karina. We wish you all the best with RISE and your other future projects. Is there anything else you’d like to add? Would you like to ask our readers a question to start the conversation rolling?

Thank you for having me here! 

I’d love reading recommendations from readers on books they’ve enjoyed that don’t fit tidily into one genre, (like Last Hour of Gann or Gabaldon’s Outlander series). Or a book they're passionate about because it was different to what they expected.

One randomly chosen person leaving a comment on today's post will receive a print copy of RISE from Karina Bliss. Open internationally.

Patience Griffin Winner

The winner of a book from Patience Griffin is:

Kolleen Kuebler

Congratulations, Kolleen! 

Please send your full name and address to us at

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

and let us know if you would like a copy of 

To Scotland With Love or Meet Me in Scotland.

Also, please indicate print or digital and if digital, what format.

Review - - Teardrop Lane

Teardrop Lane

By Emily March

Publisher: Random House

Release Date: January 27, 2015

Physician Rose Anderson came to Eternity Springs to reconcile with her estranged sister Sage (Hummingbird Lake, Book 2) and ended up making the town her home and becoming a vital part of the community. Happy that her sister is now one of her best friends and with the knowledge that her contribution is important to a town she has grown to love, Rose nevertheless, is bothered by feeling like the proverbial old maid auntie now that her sister and so many of their friends are married and producing progeny. Baggage from the past keeps Rose from believing she will ever find her own forever hero, but Hunter Cicero and his young charges may change her mind.

Glass artist Hunter Cicero grew up in foster care with his only long-term relationship that of chosen sibling with another child in foster care. When Jayne, his sister in all but biology, is diagnosed with cancer, Cicero does what family does in a crisis—he is there. He leaves his studio on Bella Vista Isle for Galveston to support Jayne with his presence, by helping with medical bills, and by caring for her four children. Jayne seems to be beating the disease when an infection that her compromised immune system can’t fight takes her life. Devastated by her death, Cicero is still relieved that guardianship of the four children rests with Jayne’s childless sister-in-law and her husband, leaving Cicero to remain a devoted uncle. He feels ill equipped to have sole responsibility for the children, and he needs to concentrate on his new business endeavor in Eternity Springs with his former apprentice, Gabi Romano so that he can pay his sister’s remaining medical bills. But when Jayne’s relatives by marriage change their minds, Cicero knows he can never let the children he loves go into foster care, perhaps to be separated.

When rambunctious Keenan, Cicero’s nine-year-old nephew, breaks his arm, Rose is the doctor on call in the emergency clinic. What begins as a spark of attraction between Cicero and the woman he calls Dr. Delicious quickly grows into feelings deeper than either party expects. But just when the couple, with four kids in tow, seems headed for happiness, complications shatter their idyll. Rose must learn to trust Cicero without reservations and Cicero must believe he is enough on his own before these two wounded people can claim their HEA.

Teardrop Lane is the ninth book in Emily March’s Eternity Springs series, and it has the warmth, the sense of community, and the family dynamics that have characterized this series from the beginning. Although the book can be read as a standalone, readers familiar with the setting and characters doubtless will have a deeper understanding of the characters and the special place that is Eternity Springs. Rose and Cicero are sympathetic characters, an unexpected pairing perhaps but one that the reader will root for from the beginning. The four children are appealing, and although Daisy is mostly predictably adorable, the three older ones are each distinct personalities: nine-year-old Misty, a bookworm overburdened with a sense of responsibility since her mother’s illness and death; the irrepressible Keenan, who hides his insecurity beneath mischievous behavior; and Galen, a four-year-old determined to catch up to his big brother.  This is their story too.

I’ve been a faithful reader of this series since the first book, and I think March has done a remarkable job of giving readers consistently good stories, maintaining a difficult balance between making each book fresh and including sufficient familiar characters to connect each book to the established pattern of the particular place. I rank this one with the strongest books in the series.

Readers who dislike children in romance novels will find less to waken their enthusiasm, but those who enjoy believable kids in a heart-tugging situation in addition to a romance that is sweet with a degree of sizzle should like this novel as much as I did. Skeptics may scoff, but those who believe in magic will approve. I also particularly liked the fact that Cicero is an artist and that one scene involving his art shows more clearly than words ever could how deep his love for the four children goes. That he draws inspiration from a poem by a poet whose work is an endless joy for me is the icing on a blue-ribbon cake.

~Janga

New Releases for February

It’s February! And it’s cold. And I don’t really like the cold. The only good thing about cold weather is being able to curl up under a blanket with a really great book. We're lucky to have so many to choose from this month! I’m currently reading a book with my daughter (The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau) and we are really enjoying it so far. We tore through the Hunger Games series and my daughter liked it so much, she wanted something similar. J As for romance, I’m really looking forward to reading Julia Quinn’s The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy, Jaci Burton’s Quarterback Draw and Laura Lee Guhrke’s Catch a Falling Heiress.

Which February releases have you read? Of those, which ones do you recommend? Which ones are you most looking forward to reading? Tell us and one lucky commenter will win a random book from my prize stash!

Until March, happy reading!

Historical

A Touch of Stardust – Kate Alcott (Historical Fiction)

White Gardenia – Belinda Alexandra (Historical Fiction)

The Reluctant Berserker – Alex Beecroft

Salvation in the Sheriff’s Kiss – Kelly Boyce

Just in Time for a Highlander – Gwyn Cready

Never Surrender to a Scoundrel – Lily Dalton

Earls Just Want to Have Fun – Shana Galen

A Memory of Violets – Hazel Gaynor (Historical Fiction)

Catch a Falling Heiress – Laura Lee Guhrke

The Nightingale – Kristin Hannah (Historical Fiction)

Forbidden to Love the Duke – Jillian Hunter

If the Viscount Falls – Sabrina Jeffries

The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell – William Klabner (Historical Fiction)

The Devil Takes a Bride – Julia London

The Lost Gentleman – Margaret McPhee

Secrets of a Charmed Life – Susan Meissner (Historical Fiction)

The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy – Julia Quinn

In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams – Karen Ranney

Fiercombe Manor – Kate Riordan (Historical Fiction)

Breaking the Rake’s Rules – Bronwyn Scott

Taming His Viking Woman – Michelle Styles

Rodin’s Lover – Heather Webb (Historical Fiction)

The Marriage Game – Alison Weir (Historical Fiction)

Contemporary

The Grown Ups – Robin Antalek (Women’s Fiction)

Unfaded Glory – Sara Arden

It Must Be Your Love – Bella Andre

Just the Way You Are – Beverly Barton

One Kiss More – Mandy Baxter

The First Kiss – Grace Burrowes

This Old Homicide – Kate Carlisle (Mystery)

War of the Wives – Tamar Cohen (Women’s Fiction)

Flirting with Disaster – Victoria Dahl

What Burns Away – Melissa Falcon Field (Women’s Fiction)

Child of the Mersey – Annie Groves (Women’s Fiction)

Pieces of You – Ella Harper (Women’s Fiction)

Wishing Lake – Regina Hart

Firelight at Mustang Ridge – Jesse Hayworth

The Secrets of Midwives – Sally Hepworth (Women’s Fiction)

Destination: Desire, Volume 1 – Crystal Jordan

New Uses for Old Boyfriends – Beth Kendrick (Women’s Fiction)

How to Kiss a Cowboy – Joanne Kennedy

Fire Me Up – Kimberly Kincaid

Across a Green Ocean – Wendy Lee (Women’s Fiction)

The Marriage Charm – Linda Lael Miller

For Keeps – Rachel Lacey

Always Loving You – Sydney Landon

Bringing Home the Bad Boy – Jessica Lemmon

Rescue Me – Catherine Mann

The Unexpected Consequences of Love – Jill Mansell

Teardrop Lane – Emily March

Give it All – Cara McKenna

Hot and Bothered – Kate Meader

Echo Lake – Carla Neggers

This House Is Not for Sale – E.C. Osondu (Women’s Fiction)

Girl Before a Mirror – Liza Palmer (Women’s Fiction)

Falling for Jillian – Kristin Proby

The Prodigal Son – Kimberla Lawson Roby (Women’s Fiction)

The Rebel of Copper Creek – R.C. Ryan

Housewitch – Katie Schickel (Women’s Fiction)

A Perfect Catch – Anna Sugden

Blue Stars – Emily Gray Tedrowe (Women’s Fiction)

Sweet Surprise – Candis Terry

Rough Rider – Victoria Vane

The Same Sky – Amanda Eyre Ward (Women’s Fiction)

A SEAL’s Secret – Tawny Weber

Walking on Trampolines – Frances Whiting (Women’s Fiction)

Hero – Samantha Young

Young Adult

Rebound – Noelle August (New Adult)

Red Queen – Victoria Aveyard (Fantasy)

No Parking at the End Times – Bryan Bliss

All Fall Down – Ally Carter

Tear You Apart – Sarah Cross (Fantasy)

Better When He’s Bold – Jay Crownover (New Adult)

I’ll Meet You There – Heather Demetrios

We Can Work It Out – Elizabeth Eulberg

I Was Here – Gayle Forman

The Last Time We Say Goodbye – Cynthia Hand

Beastkeeper – Cat Hellisen (Fantasy)

The Shadow Cabinet – Maureen Johnson (Paranormal)

Inherit Midnight – Kate Kae Myers

Saving Quinton – Jessica Sorensen (New Adult)

Romantic Suspense

In His Keeping – Maya Banks

Playing Dirty – HelenKay Dimon

Against the Sky – Kat Martin

In for the Kill – Shannon McKenna

The Raven – Sylvain Reynard

Obsession in Death – J.D. Robb

Closer than You Think – Karen Rose

Blind Faith – Rebecca Zanetti

Paranormal/Urban Fantasy

Forsaken – Kelley Armstrong (UF)

Hunger’s Mate – A.C. Arthur

Bear Naked – Dana Marie Bell

The Accidental Dragon – Dakota Cassidy

Transmuted – Karina Cooper (UF, e-book)

More than Magic – Donna June Cooper

Viper Game – Christine Feehan

Bound by Flames – Jeaniene Frost

Casually Cursed – Kimberly Frost

Panther Prowling – Yasmine Galenorn (UF)

Burned – Karen Marie Moning (UF)

Ghost Killer – Robin D. Owens

The Three Fates of Ryan Love – Erin Quinn

Hunter Reborn – Katie Reus

The Dragon Conspiracy – Lisa Shearin (UF)

Jaguar Pride – Terry Spear

Cherry Bomb – Kathleen Tierney (UF)

Deadly Spells – Jaye Wells (UF)

Erotic Romance

Having Her – Jackie Ashenden

Quarterback Draw – Jaci Burton

Rough Justice – Sarah Castille

As Hot as It Gets – Elle Kennedy

The Distraction – Sierra Kincade

Somethin’ Dirty – Em Petrova

Filthy Rich – Dawn Ryder

The Girls of Mischief Bay Winner

The randomly chosen winner of the California Dreamin' Prize Package

from Susan Mallery's The Girls of Mischief Bay excerpt tour is:

Joanne Vincenti

Congratulations, Joanne!

Please send your full name and mailing address (U.S./Canadian addresses only) to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Do you like our new "Winner" graphic? We do! It was designed by the fabulous 

 Graphics by Sharlene. Check out more of her graphics at her website and facebook page.

Thank you, Sharlene! 

Anna Sugden Winner

The randomly chosen winner of a A Perfect Catch by Anna Sugden is

Di

Congratulations, Di!

Please send your full name and mailing address to us at:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Review - - Closer Than You Think

Closer Than You Think
By Karen Rose
Publisher: Signet
Release Date: February 3, 2015

In the world of romantic suspense, the lay-person caught up in a situation that’s bigger than they can control is a common plotline. But the heroine of Karen Rose’s latest romantic suspense, CLOSER THAN YOU THINK, has lasted longer dealing with a dangerous situation on her own than most.

Back in Miami, psychologist Faith Corcoran has had a difficult time convincing the police that her former client has been trying to kill her. But when her partner is shot to death right before her eyes, she knows that it’s not just her, but also anyone she’s close to who is in danger from this madman. So, she sells her car, ditches her iPhone for a burner phone and drives to the one place she never thought she’d see again: the mansion her grandmother left her in Cincinnati. The mansion that holds terrible memories that Faith has spent her whole life trying to suppress.

FBI Special Agent Deacon Novak, meanwhile, is dealing with his own ghosts from the past. Only recently returned to Cincinnati from Baltimore, he’s trying to care for his high school aged brother and get along with the aunt and uncle who cared for Deacon and his siblings after their parents were killed in a car crash. And as a member of a special task force with the Cincinnati police, he’s searching for two missing college girls who seem to have vanished without a trace. But a 911 call from Faith changes everything, including his heart.

What follows is, true to Karen Rose form, an adrenaline fueled labyrinth of a case that puts both Faith and Deacon in danger from a killer who will stop at nothing to keep his terrible secret. Layer by layer Rose reveals the series of events that led up to both Faith and Deacon’s returns to Cincinnati, and the journey of one of the kidnapped girls as she literally runs for her life from the person who tried to kill her.

The story takes place over a relatively short period of time, as does the building relationship between Deacon and Faith, but because of the intensity of the situation it is entirely believable. I especially liked the way that these two took care of each other and the love scenes that took place in stolen moments of down time were both tender and combustible. I also enjoyed seeing Deacon interact with his sister and brother and hope to see his sister as a future Karen Rose heroine.

As with Karen Rose’s most recent series, this is a bigger book than readers who started out with her in romantic suspense will be accustomed to. And as such it follows the points of view of more than just Deacon and Faith. But none of the narrative seemed forced and it kept me turning the pages well into the wee hours of the night.

CLOSER THAN YOU THINK is the first book in a new series based in Cincinnati, and if it’s anything to go by, I’ve got some action-packed, sexy reads in my immediate future. Which makes this romantic suspense fan very, very happy.

~Manda Collins

Manda Collins writes smart, sexy historical romance laced with a touch of mystery. Manda still lives in her native coastal Alabama where she works as an academic librarian at a small liberal arts college.  Her next book, A Good Rake is Hard to Find, kicks off her new The Lords of Anarchy series and will be released by St. Martin's Press on March 31, 2015.   You can find more information about Manda and her books at her website and connect with her online at Facebook and Twitter.

Today's Special - - Patience Griffin

I am so pleased to welcome Patience Griffin back to the Romance Dish today. As many of you know, I fell head over heels for Patience's 2014 debut novel, To Scotland With Love, the book that ended up on both Janga's and my "Best of 2014" lists. The second book in her Kilts and Quilts series, Meet Me in Scotland was released in January so I invited Patience back for a Q&A to catch us up with what's going on in her life and her writing. 

If you haven't discovered Patience Griffin's books yet, be sure to visit her website for all the pertinent information and catch up with her online at the links below. 

www.patiencegriffin.com

Patience on Facebook

@patiencegriffin

Patience at Pinterest

PJ: Welcome back, Patience!  It’s been eight months since the last time you were here, shortly after the publication of your debut book, To Scotland with Love.  As you know, TSWL was one of my favorite books of 2014 and showed up on many “Best of 2014” lists, including Janga’s list here at TRD. How has your life changed since that sunny day in June?

I’ve become busier. I spend a lot of time connecting with readers now on Facebook…which I love! Yes, I’m a Facebook addict. I’ve also been busy meeting deadlines and learning the business of publishing. When To Scotland with Love came out, I had no clue what was going to happen, the timing of it all. And I wasn’t sure how the book was going to be received. Being read for the first time was both thrilling and a bit scary. When Meet Me in Scotland came out, I had a better idea of what to expect and I think I enjoyed it more, or maybe I was just less stressed. It’s been an incredible journey.      

PJ: Almost all of the Scotland set romances I read are historical yet you chose to set a contemporary series in a small seaside Scottish village. What is it about this country and her people that inspire you as a writer?

I fell in love with Scotland through historical fiction, so I would have to say that what drew me in initially was the history of the country. But as I read more, I became inspired by all the pieces that make up the magic of Scotland. From the ruggedness of the Highlands to the culture of the cities. The croon of the bagpipes. The deliciousness of the scones. The clans. And of course, all that beautiful tartan. What’s not to love!

PJ: Meet Me in Scotland, the much anticipated second book in your Kilts and Quilts series was released last month. Please tell our readers what they can expect from this book.

Meet Me in Scotland has brought four new people to Gandiegow and we get to see how each of them interact with a town that doesn’t welcome outsiders easily. We also see how these four people interact with each other, because they are all connected through their pasts. When I first came up with this book, I thought it was a book about taking sides. But as I began to write, I realized it was much more. It’s about the power of friendship and the rollercoaster ride that long friendships endure. But mostly, it’s a book about love and coming to a place in our life where we can find a way to love ourselves for who we are and make the choice to love others.

PJ: I enjoy how you weave characters from your first book into this one, making them integral parts of the story without stealing the focus from the main characters of Meet Me in Scotland. Will you continue to weave characters from the first two books into future Gandiegow stories?

Absolutely! I love the people of Gandiegow—the good, the bad, and the ornery (yes, I’m speaking of Deydie).  I think the past characters will demand to be seen in future books and I’m happy to spend as much time with them as possible. I have at least six books planned for the Kilts and Quilts series.

I’m also mulling over a future tie-in series, hoping my characters of Gandiegow will pop in and out of that series, too. I guess I’ve more than mulled it over. I’ve written a novella that bridges the two series called The Laird and I. It released January 22^nd in an anthology with Grace Burrowes called Must Love Highlanders. The heroine in The Laird and I , Sophie, is a Gandiegowan who finds a surprising future for herself with the help of some of the characters from the Kilts and Quilts series.

Janga: How did you get from nuclear engineering to romance fiction?   

Boy, that’s not an easy answer, but I’ll give it a shot. While commuting 3 ½ hours a day for my engineering job, I fell in love with audiobooks, specifically books with happily-ever-afters. Those books made my drive incredibly enjoyable. When I wasn’t driving, working, or taxiing the kids around, I was reading. One day I told my husband that thought I could write a book. His answer was, “Of course, you can.” That started my journey of seriously studying the craft. I had always been a writer--I wrote a lot of letters—and I knew one day I would write a book. However, I never dreamed I would write fiction. Fast forward ten years from that time, throw in a big move from Iowa to Texas, and a lot of pages written in between, and here I am today.  

Janga: Are you a plotter or a pantser? I confess I have wondered about that ever since I read To Scotland with Love because of all those wonderful thematic layers involving trust.

The first book I ever wrote, I pansted it; I had no idea what was going to happen next, plus I wrote the book out of order. That method, though freeing, is very painful for me to complete. I am now a plotter. I get an idea and try to build a story from there, making sure to put in plenty of heart.

PJ: Are you still able to find time to quilt? Are you working on any projects now?

Since receiving my first writing contract, I’ve had little time to do more than write. This past November though, I did get to sew at a quilt guild gathering in Kansas, which was a blast. I started a nautical flag quilt to use as a display for booksignings for book #3 in the Kilts and Quilts series, Some Like it Scottish. Ramsay, the hero, is a fisherman. Now to get the quilt done...

I am happy to say, I recently sewed the binding on the giveaway quilt for Meet Me in Scotland…the winner was drawn on Saturday. (Yes, for every book in the Kilts and Quilts series, I’m giving away a quilt to one reader.)

PJ: What are your hopes for 2015?

One of my biggest hopes is to make more time to sew. I have a huge list of projects waiting for me in my Harry Potter closet (the cupboard under the stairs where I store my fabric).

This year is super busy though. I’ll be signing books at the Dallas Quilt Show in March, then in Paducah, Kentucky in April for AQS QuiltFest (a premier of quilt show in the country). In May, I’ll be at the RT Convention in Dallas. Of course, I’ll be writing like crazy on books four, five, and six in the Kilts and Quilts series and loving every second of it.

I’m really looking forward to the fall. I’m going on a quilt tour of Scotland for more research. It’s going to be a wonderful year!

When can we expect another book in the Kilts and Quilts series? (PJ and Janga are both waiting with bated breath for the answer to this one!)

I have two more books out this year—Some Like it Scottish July 7th, and the Accidental Scot December 15th. Books #5 and #6 will be out 2016.

Yay! This makes my reader's heart happy. 

Thank you so much for visiting with us, Patience. Would you like to ask our readers a question?

Thank you so much for having me here today. Yes, I have a few questions for readers, but you don’t have to answer them all.

Meet Me in Scotland is a book about friends. I have a list of women in my life that are sisters of my heart. Do you have a circle of friends or do you have one person that you call your ‘bestie’?

If you needed to hide out from the chaos of life, who would you call, and where would you go?

What’s your favorite kind of scone?

Also, I’m looking for ways to squeeze more hours out of the day. What’s your number one tip for being more productive?

One randomly chosen person who leaves a comment on today's post will receive a book from Patience. Winner's choice of To Scotland with Love or Meet Me in Scotland in either print or digital format. Open internationally.

You can run from your problems, but you can’t hide from love in the Scottish seaside town of Gandiegow....

When a video of her calling happily ever after “a foolish fantasy” goes viral, marriage therapist Emma Castle is out of a job—and off to Scotland. The tiny town of Gandiegow is the perfect place to ride out the media storm and to catch up with her childhood friend Claire. But also in Gandiegow is the one man she hoped never to see again.

She’s successfully avoided Gabriel MacGregor since Claire and Dominic’s wedding, only to find he’s now the village doctor—and just as tall, dark, and devilish as ever. Claire and Dominic’s blissful marriage, however, is not what it used to be. Soon Emma and Gabriel find themselves taking sides even as the sparks begin to fly between them. Can Emma help her friends—or regain her career—as she struggles with her own happily ever after?

MEET ME IN SCOTLAND, available now

TO SCOTLAND WITH LOVE, starred review Publishers Weekly

SOME LIKE IT SCOTTISH, available for pre-order

Today's Special - - Review Tour - RISE

Rise

By Karina Bliss

Publisher: Karina Bliss

Release Date: January 28, 2015

Zander Freedman refuses to let Rage, the legendary rock band for which he has been lead singer, die. He has invested everything he has in a comeback tour with new bandmates. A successful reality show focusing on the rebuilding of the band and a #1 single helped pave the way for ticket sales that rival those of the original Rage concerts. The Resurrection Tour Zander may not be a kinder, gentler rock star, but at least, without his brother Devin to act as buffer, he is trying to be less of an asshole. And this is certainly a cleaner Zander since he has given up alcohol, smoking, and recreational drugs for his voice. His voice—that’s the question. Thirty-five cities into the tour with another thirty-five to go, and doctors are warning him that the prescribed steroids aren’t doing the job. Zander can’t afford financially or emotionally to follow medical advice to rest his voice and to consider surgery to remove throat polyps. Failure would mean losing everything he had earned over the years and then some, and it would mean losing the adulation that sustains him:

“Nothing compared to making love with his voice to a stadium of people. And having that love returned, many thousands of times over.”

Publishing his memoir is one more step in Zander’s plan to see that he and Rage garner the maximum attention from media and fans, but he has already fired two music journalists hired by his publisher to help with the task. Then he decides he wants a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, a professor at Auckland University, to take on the job. But Elizabeth Winston is a tougher sale than Zander anticipates.

Elizabeth grew up the daughter of a minister, an obedient child who never caused her parents concern. Her world is bounded by her family and friends and her academic career. Her field  is “historic wars of independence,” and she has established a growing reputation as the biographer of “morally complex, intelligent” historical figures. Her most recent biography, an analysis of the faith and military career of General Stonewall Jackson, military tactician and hero of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, may have earned her a few thousand dollars from the Pulitzer committee and a few more readers, but her life is far removed from that of a rock star. All she knows about Zander Freedman is the bits of gossip she’s read in various waiting rooms. She agrees to an interview out of curiosity, but her fascination with the sexy, charismatic rocker and her siblings’ assumption that sensible Elizabeth will refuse the offer have her signing a contract—after stipulating a no-fire clause.

Although she may not be immune to Zander’s appeal, Elizabeth starts out determined to maintain a distance. Their first interview is enough to make clear that their differences are deeper than their contrasting lifestyles.

“What do you call on when life gets tough?”

  “Alcohol, denial and fast women.”

  She smiled. “Seriously.”

  “I am serious.” Zander passed the cigarette inches under his nose to breathe in the acrid scent of tobacco, then regretfully dropped it in the trash. “What would your answer be?”

  “Prayer. Conscience. Faith,” she said without a trace of embarrassment.

  “My way sounds more fun.”

  “I’m playing the long game.”

But the more she becomes aware of Zander’s vulnerabilities and the surprising kindness that he does his best to hide, the more irresistible she finds him.

Things don’t go exactly as Zander plans either. He is counting on Elizabeth’s academic reputation and her gift for making the complex comprehensible to produce a memoir that is more than just another celebrity bio, but he expects to keep their interviews largely superficial and to protect his demons and his secrets. His plan doesn’t work; Elizabeth just keeps pushing past his defenses. These two unlikely people discover not only that the chemistry between them burns too hotly to be ignored but that against all logic they genuinely like one another. But Zander is sitting on a powder keg that is about to explode, and Elizabeth is too afraid of risks to believe in forever.

I loved this book, and I didn’t really expect to do so because I had a hard time believing that Zander Freedman could be redeemed. Bliss’s What the Librarian Did (2010) is one of my all-time favorite contemporary romances, and I adore Devin Freedman, its hero, from his green eyes and dragon tattoo to his purple boots. I know many readers were intrigued by Zander in that book and pleaded for his book, but I, although aware of his appeal, couldn’t forget these words that introduced him: “His older brother, still living stateside, couldn’t be relied on. A keen sense of the ridiculous had kept Devin’s ego in check over the last crazy seventeen years, but the planet wasn’t big enough for Zander’s, who still blamed Devin for the breakup of the band.” And then Zander was skimming off Devin’s songwriting royalties, songs for which Zander had taken credit, and planning to make more money by commercializing them. Zander’s appeal for me was overbalanced by the repulsion I felt at his betrayal and trite rock-star actions, and even his brief, more sympathetic appearance in another book didn’t persuade me that he was truly redeemable.

So I began this book skeptical about the redemption of the hero, but I concluded it eager to read the book a second time to figure out how Bliss made a believer out of me. Her work is all the more remarkable because she takes a full cast of characters—the rock star terrified of becoming a former rock star, a good-girl heroine, a bimbo ex, a dedicated, amoral PA, 20-something bandmates blinded by their first turn in the spotlight, etc.—all of whom could have been mere clichés—and she turns primary and secondary characters alike into interesting, credible characters who engage the reader’s interest and affection.

She neither whitewashes Zander’s past nor presents him as miraculous transformation. Instead, Bliss, with great skill, does what her fictional heroine does with the subjects of her biographies: she shows us Zander with all his complicated layers and makes the reader understand him—the guilt and fear he struggles to suppress and his relentless hunger for the love that pours upon him from the other side of the spotlight. She shows his mistakes, his selfishness, his outsize ego, and she shows his regrets, his vulnerability, and the feelings he hardly dares acknowledge. In the process, Zander becomes fully human, a flawed, confused mix that evokes the reader’s understanding, sympathy, and belief that he can be redeemed.

And I haven’t even touched upon Elizabeth, who is equally wonderful in different ways. I love her intelligence, her insight, her faith, her humor, her ambivalence, and all the other parts of her multi-faceted personality. I feel as if I know this woman.  She’s the kind of heroine I can imagine as a friend, one with whom I’d love sharing a glass of wine and a long, cabbages-and-kings conversation.

I believe in the lust and the love that develops between Elizabeth and Zander because Bliss acknowledges that the attraction is illogical. She even has Zander say this directly when Elizabeth confesses that she can’t think of a single reason he would be attracted to her:

  “Because this isn’t about logic, it’s about chemistry. I want you because of this.” Leaning closer, he brushed his fingers up her arm and she shivered. “Because you set up a hum in my blood like a tune I keep trying to catch. I want to know how you taste, how you feel against me naked, whether your skin smells of cinnamon and vanilla everywhere. I want to hear the sounds you make when you’re having good sex.”

She also shows their feelings deepen from both their perspectives.

Elizabeth: “Sometimes he stepped into her heart as if he belonged there and it was taking her longer and longer to show this trespasser the door.”

Zander: “She broke him down piece by tiny piece until Zander couldn’t catch and contain every feeling that didn’t fit with how he lived. Until every touch released new, deeper emotion. And every emotion connected him to her.”

Without including spoilers, I confess that I gave extra points for an ending that offers an HEA without betraying the integrity of the story for a perfect fairytale conclusion. If you like your romance fiction intelligent, intense, and unforgettable, add this one to your must-read list immediately. And you may also want to go back and read What the Librarian Did. Reading it is not necessary to understand Zander and Elizabeth’s story, but it will make Rise a richer reading experience. I give both books my highest recommendation.

~Janga

What the Librarian Did (Kindle) 

BUY LINKS FOR 

RISE

Amazon |  Kindle  |  Kobo  |  Nook  | iBooks

 
Have you read What the Librarian Did or RISE?

Who are your favorite redeemed bad-boy heroes?

Who's your favorite real life rock bad boy?

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below for a chance to win an e-copy of RISE. 

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Today's Special - - Anna Sugden

I'm delighted to welcome one of our favorite Brits back to the blog today. They say that the third time is the charm and Anna Sugden's third career - that of published romance author - has certainly charmed this reader. Following careers in global marketing and teaching, Anna finally turned her focus to writing when her husband was transferred to New Jersey in 2002 and post 9/11 restrictions prevented her from obtaining a work permit. After three finals in the RWA Golden Heart® awards, Sugden sold her first book to Harlequin in 2012 and the New Jersey Ice Cats hockey heroes were born. The third book in the Ice Cats series, A Perfect Catch releases this week and continues to heat things up both on the ice and off! 

Thanks for joining us today, Anna! 

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

February is one of my least favourite months of the year. The days are still short, the nights are still long. It’s dark when you get up and dark before you even have dinner. And it’s usually the coldest, wettest, greyest month of the year.

One thing I do like about February is that it gives me the chance to enjoy some warming foods. Stews and soups and bakes, chili and Spaghetti Bolognese and risotto -- yum! There’s nothing quite like a steaming hot bowl of your favourite winter’s dish to cheer you up, even on the coldest, wettest, darkest night! And there are plenty of reasons not to include a single lettuce leaf <g>.

Also, by the time you get to February, you feel like you’ve earned the right to pamper yourself with some tasty treats. The healthy eating is well under way and the latest campaign to get moving more is paying dividends (stop laughing!), so it’s okay to have the occasional indulgence. Besides your body has now recovered from the excesses of the holidays and is looking forward to nice food (and no more lettuce leaves!)

Those of you who know me, know I’m not a huge fan of sweet treats. I’m much more likely to sneak crisps (potato chips) than I am cookies and popcorn (hot, buttered) than chocolate. One of my favourite indulgences is home-made cheese scones. More on them shortly!

This year, February is a fun month for me as I have another book launch! The third book in my New Jersey Ice Cats series -- A Perfect Catch -- is released this month. For those of you who have been following the series (a heartfelt thank you!), this is Ike and Tracy’s story. A chance to find out what went wrong between these former lovers and whether they have a chance for a future together.

Here is the blurb:

He's the perfect catch…for now! 

When it comes to romance, Tracy Hayden is not looking for a rematch. She's had epic passion—and problems!—with professional hockey player Ike Jelinek. Brilliant on skates and magic in bed, his too-traditional-for-her views were like a bucket of ice water on their affair. 

Then an injury takes Ike out of the game, and everything changes. Suddenly he needs her services-providing business—even though he once claimed it was their biggest problem. Tracy's determined to be professional, despite the sizzling attraction between them that won't go away. Maybe they need a second fling to fix that!

And a sneak peek:

Tracy had just reached Ike’s room when she heard him roar.

“I don’t need a freaking straw in my drink and I don’t want you to cut up my food.”

A young blonde volunteer in a striped uniform rushed past Tracy, her face flushed. “Perhaps you’ll have better luck with him.”

Tracy smiled sympathetically, then strode into the room. “Someone’s in a foul mood.”

“You’d be miserable, too, if you weren’t even al­lowed to use a freaking knife and fork,” he growled, crossing his arms awkwardly over his broad chest. The bandages that covered his arm from fingers to shoulder hampered his movement.

The flowery pastel-blue gown should have looked silly on such an obviously masculine body. Instead, it emphasized his honed chest and arms, making him look more manly, rather than less. But Ike didn’t need to know that.

Nor that he’d made her pulse skip. “Good job I’m here to give the staff a break from your charming personality.”

He narrowed his gaze. “Do not push me.”

“Seriously?” Tracy rolled her eyes. “That might work on a sweet young thing like that candy striper, but I’m immune.”

Ike’s green eyes turned fiery, challenging her to take him on.

She tamped down her body’s instant heated re­sponse. Besides, she shouldn’t tease a wounded man. Especially one whose pride probably hurt as much as his arm.

So what does this have to do with one of my favourite comfort foods -- cheese scones? Well, in the book, Tracy makes cheese scones. As a special treat to say thank you to all of you at The Romance Dish, and to make sure February gets off to a great start, I thought I’d share the recipe with you.

Tracy’s Cheese Scones (makes 1 doz)

Ingredients:

225g or 8oz of self-raising flour

55g/2oz butter

85g/3oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated

125ml/4 fl oz milk

1 egg

        Preheat oven to 220 C/425 F

         Mix together the flour and butter

         Mix in the grated cheese

         Add egg

         Add milk to get a soft dough

         Turn onto floured surface and knead lightly

         Roll out so that it’s approx 1/2in thick.

         Use a 5cm/2in cutter to cut out rounds. Try not to twist as you’re cutting.

         Knead remaining dough together, roll out and repeat for more rounds.

        Place rounds of a greased tray and brush the tops with milk.

        Bake for 12-15 mins until golden.

Delicious with bacon!

Over to you. What is your favourite comfort food to eat during February? One lucky commenter will win a copy of A Perfect Catch.