HelenKay Dimon

Today’s author is a person who has been great to me. She designed my website, answers all of my dumb author and computer questions and gives me loads and loads of weekly support. And, she writes a hell of a book…

The spotlight author today is Alison Kent. Alison writes for, among others, Kensington Brava and for Harlequin Blaze. Her SG-5 series has been a favorite of mine for some time now. The giveaway book is The Perfect Stranger. This one follows the exploits of helicopter pilot J. Jackson Briggs. The plot goes like this:

Bachelor parties are fun, as long as you’re not the poor sap getting hitched…or slipped a Mickey and waking to discover you just became the poor sap. Not to mention that your “wife” is pregnant, and if you don’t go along to her village to meet the in-laws, the nice police comandante will be muy unhappy. Just another day in the life of helicopter pilot J. Jackson Briggs? Not so much. His Smithson Group gig wasn’t supposed to be dangerous, but the woman who drugs him, then knocks him out, then drugs him again certainly is. She also may or may not be a nun. She’s definitely a lying, scheming, lethally gorgeous…American. Jack’s light years from believing the story Jillian Endicott gives him about her noble cause in the sweltering wilds of San Torisco, but he knows one thing: he’ll get the truth—and plenty more—from her, one way or another…

Now under dark velvet cover of jungle nights, two rebels with a cause are going deep—and falling hard—for the perfect stranger…

Alison has a Blaze anthology coming out soon – Feb. ‘08 to be exact. It’s called Tex Appeal.

Until then, you can win The Perfect Stranger. All you need to do is leave a comment here about Alison, her books, or anything relevant and you’ll be entered to win the book. I’ll pick a winner on Sunday.

Good luck!

UPDATE: The winner is Ilona. Congratulations!!! Email me and I’ll get the book out to you.

Today’s author is bestseller Jaci Burton. Jaci writes paranormal action adventure, erotic romance and romance. A little bit of everything and something for all. Jaci is one of those authors I found online. I would see her here and there. Then her Demon Hunter series came out and I saw her book everywhere and all the reports and reviews were fabulous!

The giveaway book is the first in the Demon Hunter series, a signed copy of Surviving Demon Island. The plot goes likes this:

She’s all curves and combat boots.

Martial arts, jungle warfare – Derek’s done it all. But his latest mission is more dangerous than a stick of dynamite. Try telling that to the sexy, adrenaline-pumped actress who’s got his libido racing off the charts. As the heat rises between them and real-life violence erupts, suddenly Derek and Gina are on the run…and when they uncover a secret so explosive it could blow the lid of their so-called reality show, these two unlikely heroes are about to discover what surviving’s really about….

The second book, Hunting the Demon, is out. The third, The Darkest Touch, comes out in 2008.

So, if you missed this series, now is your chance to get caught up. Leave a comment here about Jaci, her books, her writing or anything relevant and you’ll be entered to win a signed copy of Surviving Demon Island. I’ll pick the winner on Saturday night.

Good luck!

UPDATE: The winner is Ann M. Congratulations!!! Email me so I can get this book out to you.

One of the other authors on that writing panel I did at the Burbank B&N back in November (through Fronnie Lewis and her Cheers for Writers events – thanks Fronnie!) was Leigh Court. Leigh told a very moving story about why she decided to read and write romance. As a reporter she had to cover is a friend’s murder. Unbelievable. She had one of those “I can’t do this” moments in life. She eventually started pouring her thoughts and hopes into writing fiction.

Before the panel, I had never read Leigh’s work but fellow panelist Eden Bradley had and described Leigh’s novella as incredible. I was so impressed that I purchased an extra copy of Leigh’s book for me to read post-deadline and bought this one (which Leigh was nice enough to sign) to giveaway here. This is your chance to get to know Leigh’s writing if you haven’t already.

The book is Secrets Volume 15.* Secrets are multi-author anthologies put out by Red Sage Publishing. I’ve always been fond of the Secrets anthos. I started reading Angela Knight and Liz Maverick after finding them in Secrets anthos. And, some online friends – Larissa Ione, Cynthia Eden and Kate St. James for example – all have novellas in Secrets anthos.

Leigh’s novella is called THE DISCIPLINARIAN. The plot goes likes this:

As The Disciplinarian, Jared Ashworth has never failed to transform a difficult wife into a dutiful spouse, but not in the way their husbands expect. He uses the tools of seduction to show headstrong Clarissa Babcock, trapped in a loveless marriage of convenience, how to control a demanding husband, but her beauty, spirit and uninhibited passion make Jared hunger to keep her – and their darkly erotic nights – all for himself!

So, now’s your chance. Leave a comment here about Leigh, her writing, Secrets anthos or whatever is relevant and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Secrets Vol. 15, signed by Leigh. And, if you fall in love with Leigh’s work, there’s good news. She’s sold another novella to Red Sage. Her novella, THE BET, will appear in a Secrets antho in 2009.

*And note cover model Diana.

UPDATE: The winner is catslady. Congratulations!!!! Email me with your address and I’ll get the book out to you.

Today’s spotlight author is one of my internet buddies, Sylvia Day. Sylvia sold to Kensington Brava (my publisher also) after being named the Reader’s Choice favorite in the Lori Foster Brava Novella Contest that year. Sylvia has sold about a billion books since then. I exaggerate…but not by much. What you probably don’t know is that in addition to being very sweet, smart and talented, Sylvia is one of those authors who always is willing to take the time to answer questions from other authors (ie, me). She understands the business and is willing to share what she knows. She just plain cool.

And, she somehow finds time to write.

The book giveaway is a signed copy of Pleasures of the Night. Pleasures of the Night is the first in a series. The second book, Heat of the Night comes out January 8th. Until then, you can read Pleasures of the Night.

The plot goes this:

In the Twilight between sleep and consciousness, a battle rages between Dream Guardians and Nightmares. Captain Aidan Cross is a legend, as skilled in fulfilling erotic dreams as he is with the glaive that kills his enemies. Women see Aidan as part of their fantasies . . . except Lyssa Bates. Exquisite, desirable, enigmatic Lyssa perplexes this immortal seducer because she sees him as he really is. And as he attempts to unravel her secrets the unthinkable occurs: Aidan Cross falls in love.

Because Aidan is on a mission, and the passion that consumes them body and soul could have dire consequences. Loving the mortal woman prophesied to destroy Aidan’s world is not only impossible . . it is forbidden.

And, here’s the cover for the January release, Heat of the Night…you know, in case you want to pre-order it.

Interested in Pleasures of the Night? Leave a comment here about Sylvia, her books or anything relevant and you’ll be entered to win her (signed!) book. I’ll pick a winner at random on Friday night.

Good luck!

UPDATE: The winner is Laurie. Congratulations!!!! Email me with your address and I’ll get he book out to you this week.

This is the final week of my deadline. You know what that means: limited internet usage…or, that’s the theory. To help with my addiction perfectly normal enjoyment of the internet, and in light of the holiday season, I’m going to launch a week-long giveaway. This is a way for you to win some signed books while talking about some romance authors you know or soon will.

Today’s author is Eden Bradley. I knew about Eden from chatter online about her books and from seeing her books in stores. We finally met at a Cheers for Writers event in Burbank in November. We were on a panel together with Vicki Lewis Thompson and Leigh Court. We had a great group discussion and a lot of fun. And, I bought a copy of Eden’s anthology, Exclusive (with Jaci Burton and Lisa Renee Jones). Eden was nice enough to sign it so I could offer it here.

Here’s some info on Eden’s novella, Sanctuary, in the anthology:

Devin Delaney has never thought of herself as kinky. But when her best friend takes her to an urban BDSM nightclub in San Francisco, she meets Shaye Vincent. He’s beautiful, mysterious, commanding-and supremely kinky. Shaye takes her on a journey into the dark side of sex, reminding Devin of the secret fantasies she’s always tried so hard to ignore. But she can’t ignore them anymore; Shaye is bringing every single one of them to life. When he takes her to Sanctuary, an exclusive and elegant BDSM club in a mansion on Nob Hill, her fantasies shift into overdrive. Life with Shaye is exciting beyond her wildest dreams, but can she accept this side of herself? And can she find love in this sensually extreme lifestyle?

Now, this might not be everyone’s “thing.” BDSM is not my usual reading preference, but I enjoyed this. And, you don’t know unless you try it. So… leave a comment here about Eden, her books, the subject matter or whatever else you think is relevant, and you’ll be entered to win this anthology. I’ll pick a winner tomorrow (Tuesday) night. The winner will be posted here. You can enter until you see the winner posted, but feel free to comment as long as you wish.

UPDATE: The winner is Nichole!!! Congrats. Email me with your contact information and I’ll get that book out to you.

I’m not one of those people who buys into all the “X genre is dead” or “Y genre is dead” talk. Less in favor, maybe. Dead? I don’t think so. For example, there’s been chatter about historical romance being dead for years. Every single time I see or hear the comment I want to scream. Check out the shelves and reviews at RT. Historical romance is alive and well.

But… I did notice one interesting thing in the January ‘08 RT. There were only six books listed under romantic suspense. As a huge fan of suspense, thrillers, mysteries and romantic suspense novels I was a bit disgruntled to see so few titles. I’m wondering if there really are so few RS titles per month or if the books are out there but are being listed as contemporary instead of romantic suspense. Since so many books cross genres these days, maybe there’s a reason to put a book in one genre for review purposes rather than another. I know for YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY, my editor and I were adamant about it being listed as a contemporary and not as a romantic suspense. Even though it has a mystery component, it’s a contemporary romance with the main focus on the contemporary romance. Maybe that’s how it’s working with other books. Don’t know. Does anyone know?

The January ‘08 titles identified as romantic suspense are:

CUTTING LOOSE by Tara Janzen – I have all of her “Crazy” books on my TBR pile. I really have to get caught with Janzen’s work

MOVING TARGET by Cheyenne McCray – Got a terrific review. Chey’s career is just flying. I love when newer authors find that spark, connect with readers and hit it big in a short time. See, it’s possible to be envious and impressed at the same time.

STRONG AND SEXY by Jill Shalvis – A fellow Brava author and anthology mate. I have an ARC of this…and I’m not sharing it.

SIZZLE AND BURN by Jayne Ann Krentz – I’ve mentioned before that reading JAK started me reading romance. Because of that, I buy every book this woman writes and always will. I’m loyal like that. Having said that, I never really think of her as romantic suspense. Not sure why, but I don’t.

SECRETS AND SPIES by Shara Lanel – I’m not familiar with Lanel, but the title is cute.

I received a book in the mail this week. It has one of those covers that made me look twice. I was intrigued for many reasons, the biggest two being: (1) the book is a YA (young adult) offering; and (2) it takes place in 1899. It’s described on the back cover as: “GOSSIP GIRL meets the GILDED AGE” and I find that incredibly clever from a promo perspective.

The book is The Luxe by Anna Godbersen, who I believe is a book reviewer. Here’s the info:

Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn.

In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent.

Anyone reading YA?

I am over at the Brava Blog today talking about a review I saw in the January ‘08 issue of Romantic Times. The reviewer said:

Is it possible to dislike every character in a book? Yes, it is. There’s not one likable or redeemable character in this story. They’re all despicable people with no morals or values. Is it possible to dislike a book based on hateful characters? Yes, it is.

Interesting, huh?

The holidays are a time for eating (too much), shopping, parties, family and…those Christmas letters. You know the ones. The “what’s happening in our family” letters that many include with holiday cards. If you love them or hate them, you have to admit that some are downright funny. Someone – specifically, screenwriter Michael Lent – has packaged up some letter gems into a book called Christmas Letters from Hell.

The publisher describes it like this:

Who doesn’t love to open the mailbox during the holidays and find a newsletter? Whether it’s a juicy missive from a college roommate inadvertently revealing her husband’s wandering eye, a self-congratulatory account of a cousin’s rise to power at the local fast-food joint, or a mind-numbingly detailed account of a year’s medical ailments (including photos) from a coworker, they’re always entertaining.

Christmas Letters from Hell serves up a steaming, savory blend of the holiday cheer, humor, and twisted truth in our well-intended attempts to stay in touch gone horribly, horribly wrong.

I find this irresistible.

I have found the perfect book for a few people I know. It’s a book about books…well, sort of. It’s How To Talk About Books You Haven’t Read by Pierre Bayard. Oh, come on. Who hasn’t pretended to read a book? Other than me, of course. I would never do such a thing. [ahem]

The book was a bestseller in France and has made its way to the US. Folks are weighing in on the book, including this article by author Jay McInerney in the International Herald Tribune. For me, McInerney will forever be tied to a book from my youth, Bright Lights, Big City. And, yeah, I read it and other McInerney books.

I haven’t read the Bayard book yet. It’s supposed to be funny and talk about those awkward social situations where people start talking about a book and you haven’t read it. Bayard’s over all view, according to McInerney, is that what we say in these situations points to our creativity. Not sure if it’s creativity or our ability to lie under pressure, but I want to see what Bayard has to say.