This just in…

Don’t miss this great deal for Patricia Ryan’s entire backlist at 26% off the regular price!

~ The sale is going on at Smashwords until the end of the month.

~ You can buy Patricia’s entire backlist, six books in her Nell Sweeney series and her six medieval romances for $2.24 per book at the sale price. That’s $13.44 for all 12 books!

~ These award-winning books were originally published by NAL and Berkley Prime Crime.

~ You can download the books in e-reader, Kindle, smart phone, iPad, Palm, or PC and probably a few others.

~ So check it out here and get some great reads for a great price!

Consider yourself flashed.

Mills and Boon used the RNA conference to announce a new competition, to be launched on September 1^st.

They’re looking for new voices, and new writers, but this competition involves the public, too.

It will take the part of an X-factor style search for new talent. There’s a judging panel, which will consist of Samantha Delaney, Karin Stoeker, Mandy Ferguson and Penny Jordan.

It’s for brand new, never-before-published authors.

The first prize is publication, a Mills and Boon editor for a year, and an iPad. There will be three runners-up who will receive an editor for a year and an iPad.

Entrants will have to upload the first chapter of their HMB book on to the website (see  below) and the public will be invited to give their views on it. They will be monitoring carefully for wholly negative comments, which will be removed.

HMB will then choose a top ten. The top ten will be assigned a mentor team, who will work with them on their second chapter which will be uploaded for the public vote and to the judging panel.

The ones voted the top four will write a pivotal moment for their story, and the public will vote on that.

The winner will be announced on the first of November.

And here’s the website, which will be open soon: www.romanceisnotdead.com

What do I think? I think this will lead to a shedload of writers sending in their first chapters. I think the nasty comments will be out there, just not on the HMB blog, and they are savvy enough to know that. I think HMB will end up with a group of new writers. Hungry, cheap new writers.

It’s fun. If you’re seriously aspiring to write for HMB, it’s another opportunity, but don’t stop sending the regular submissions in. I get the feeling that they hope that the contest will divert a few of the people who write in to them, and will mean that other people will get to deliver the bad news, not the editors. So it’s good for them, should add to the good publicity they get.

New writers are, more often than not, cheap writers and HMB are all about the lines and the brand, not the writers. However so many big, prolific writers had their start with HMB that it’s worth considering. It will generate lots of chat on blogs, Twitter and the rest, that it should be very good for HMB. Now the American Title contest has ended, it’s something new. But it is for category romance only, HMB’s standard lines.

This just in…

If you were intrigued by my review to read Erin Kellison’s debut novel, Shadow Bound, here’s your chance to get a few dollars off your purchase of the book with hardly any effort at all!

Head over to Dorchester Publishing.

Read the prologue from Shadow Bound.

Answer a trivia question.

Your $5 off coupon will be emailed to you.

Place an order and apply your coupon.

How darned easy is that!!

If for some reason you’re not sure this book is for you, read my review in addition to the prologue. I think you’ll be very intrigued!

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

Very few people have seen the new cover for Erin Quinn’s upcoming book in her Haunting series. It was released only yesterday. You all are some of the very first for this sneak peek!

Haunting Desire won’t be out until 2011, but this cover will definitely whet your appetite and keep your anxiety high until next March!

Be warned - I’ve given you an extra large view for the full effect of this beautiful cover. You’ll want to see every last inch of it, especially if you’re a fan of the series. If you haven’t read Erin’s books yet, this should make you want to get to the bookstore sometime today.

Nuff said.  Take your peek.

This just in…

As of 12/15/09 the ARC for Shameless is in my hot lil hands… release date is April 2010 from Pocket and there is a new cover I will look and see if I can find it.

last update 11/12/06

Do you remember Shameless by Karen Robards?

If you don’t it might be because it was first called Reckless… or at least that is how I recall reading about it in the Romantic Times. This is the long awaited finish to the Banning Sisters Trilogy. And it is… drum roll… historical! not romantic suspense. And it was set for release in April of 2006.

Now it will be released 31 Jan 2008!!

the update

Karen Robards sent out her newsletter yesterday and once again there was no mention of this book. And that made me sad. So I emailed her. It bounced. I checked and found I had the wrong email and tried again.

It bounced.

So I emailed another addy I found. And waited.

After I didn’t get an answer (WHAT? it had been like 3 mins) I started to dig around. I am not sure if it was the addy I sent the third email or one of my newest but quickly becoming much lurved contacts at Penguin, but Karen Robards emailed and had this to say about Shameless.

Shameless is nearly finished.

Now in authorspeak ::looks around at authors:: THAT can mean a week away to 4 years. But she went on to say it is “In Line” to come out after:

• the paperback release of Obsession (May 27th, 2008)
• her new hardcover romantic thriller, Pursuit, in February, 2009.

I hope it keeps this cover and I hope to god it is better than Garwood’s return to historical. But either way I am glad it is still in the works. hmmm now I need to find out what Pursuit is about - I know I’m never happy…

This just in…

All Romance eBooks is sending out the Christmas spirit this year, giving away free ebooks to lucky Wildfire eZine newsletter subscribers.

~ Select ebook titles from Harlequin, Liquid Silver Books, Tease Publishing, Pink Petal Books, Excessica Publishing, Eternal Press, The GA Hauser Collection, and eXtasy Books will be free of charge for a limited time during ARe’s 12 Days of Christmas campaign.

~ If you’re an ARe Wildfire eZine subscriber already, just sit back and wait for the special announcements that will be sent to you daily to receive your free books.

~ Not a subscriber yet? Simply head over to All Romance eBooks and register as a new customer. You will be given an option to  check to receive the newsletter when filling out the necessary account information.

~ In addition, Harlequin is giving away Wrapped and Ready, a holiday short story by Julie Kenner. The link for the free download can be found on any book detail page on the ARe website. Put the free selection in your shopping cart, check out, and the title will appear in your library instantly.

~ So hurry! You don’t want to miss even one day of this special event!

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

Hurry! Get your Kindle copy of Alison Kent’s newest release — free!!!

~ With Extreme Pleasure will be available in the Kindle ebook format until November 24.

~ And the even better news is you don’t have to own a Kindle to get your free copy!

~ You can download — free! — Amazon’s Kindle for PC and read Kindle books on your computer!

~ So what are you waiting for! Time’s awastin’!

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

Screen rights to Stephenie Meyer’s The Host have been acquired!

~ Producers Nick Wechsler and Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz have used their own money to buy the rights to the book.

~ Andrew Niccol will write the script and direct the film. He first came under consideration for the project because he worked on two of Stephenie’s top fave science fiction films, Gattaca and The Truman Show, in either a writing or directing capacity.

~ Stephenie had spurned several overtures for The Host previously, and the producers continued lobbying the author and her reps with a significant offer, a strong vision for the project, and a collaborative spirit. She eventually said yes.

Consider yourself flashed.

So I was in a discussion about book trailers, good and bad, and I went looking for examples. I don’t watch many book trailers, just don’t have the time, but they can be great fun.

Then I discovered this:

I would so go and see this film.

This just in…

Sabrina Jeffries, Jenna Black, and Virginia Kantra, will be at the North Carolina Literary Festival for those of you who live in the area of the University of North Carolina.

~ Sunday, September 13, 11:10 a.m. at Hamilton Hall, Jeffries, Black and Kantra will discuss the art of writing romance novels and also read from their latest books.

~ For a more comprehensive schedule, see this page.

~ And for more info on the festival itself and those involved, go here.

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

MacMillan is giving away a short story in Lisa Kleypas’ Hathaway family series!

~ A Hathaway Wedding is the title of the story, featuring Merripen and Wyn

~ So hurry on over and get your copy here!

Consider yourself flashed

Audrey And The Maverick is Elaine Levine follow up her debut novel Rachel and the Hired Gun.

I enjoyed the first book, which I wasn’t too sure I would because ‘ranch wars’ are often not a good read for me.

But I found this one surprisingly entertaining. I loved the heroine. Rachel is fab and unlike Kristie J, (read her review here) I didn’t have issue with not getting a description of what the hero/heroine looked like. In fact I didn’t notice. You can read an excerpt for Rachel and the Hired Gun here.

Audrey and The Maverick

comes out February 2010

In Elaine Levine’s stunning novel of the American West, a proud rancher and a determined young woman are drawn together in the lawless town of Defiance.

.

Virginia financier Julian McCaid has put his troubled past behind him. His plans for the future don’t include Audrey Sheridan, the extraordinary frontier woman he met just once. But it’s because of her that he’s come to the Dakota Territory to investigate problems at his ranch. And it’s all the more surprising when he discovers she isn’t the innocent he believed. Now nothing but her complete surrender will purge her from his soul.

.

If it weren’t for the children she cares for in her makeshift orphanage, Audrey would have left Defiance long ago. Now the sheriff is blackmailing her to distract the man who might derail his corrupt schemes—a man who can offer Audrey not just protection, but a passion bold enough to make them claim their place in this harsh and beautiful land…

I can’t find an excerpt. And this is shallow but I ADORE the cover.

Really don’t you agree?

The trilogy ends with Leah and the Avenger

A vigilante hired to clean up the corrupt and rapidly dying town of Defiance, Jace Gage never expected to fall for a violence-hating, violet-eyed tomboy, Leah Morgan.

This just in…

Judi Fennell has just announced she’s signed her second contract for a new series with Sourcebooks!

~ “Think I Dream of Jeannie meets Indiana Jones,” Judi said.

~ The working title for each book is I Dream of Genies, Genie Knows Best, and Leave It to Genie.

~ Short synopses of each book can be found at Judi’s blog.

~ This new series is not connected to Judi’s ever-popular Mer series. But from her comment on her blog, there hopefully will be more books forthcoming in the world of her Mer!

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

Shiloh Walker is starting a book drive for the Louisville Free Public Library which has been devastated by recent flooding. Your help is needed.

~ On August 4, heavy rains caused flooding in Louisville, Kentucky and the surrounding areas. Damage to the main library branch is estimated at $1 million.

~ Readers, this is where you come in: donations of new books of every genre are desperately needed.

~ Check here for info about monetary donations.

~ Authors and publishers: donations of both signed and unsigned books iin all genres, from children’s books to romance to non-fiction and everything in between, will be greatly appreciated.

~ The library cannot store books at this time, so Shiloh is making arrangements to keep them at both her home and a friend’s home until the library is once again ready.

~ There’s two ways you can make your donations. Via the United States Postal Service, send your books to:  Shiloh Walker, PO Box 97, Jeffersonville, IN 47131

~ If you wish to send books via Fed Ex or UPS, please send your books here: LFPL Book Drive, C/O Jennifer Kennedy, 20813 State Rd # 62, Marysville, IN 47141

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

Cheryl St. John is offering a terrific online class for authors. Read on! You can never have too much information, right?

~You have to hurry! The workshop begins August 1. It’s a four-week class, ending August 31.

~ Conflict Makes the Story is the title of the class.

~ Brief description from Cheryl’s site:

Cheryl will explain opposing goals and how to create conflict that will sustain a story. She’ll give practical advice on:
· Motivating characters
· Creating characters with built-in conflict
· Revealing emotion through conflict
· Internal and external conflict
· Simple and complex conflict

~ Fee is $25

~ Make your payment via Paypal here and Cheryl will add you to her roster!

~ FYI: The class will be conducted via subscription to a private yahoogroup, two lessons per week, followed by questions and answers. Brief exercises pertaining to the participant’s current work in progress may be included. Archived class will be available for one week after the ending date.
Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

Sasha White is running for the cure and would like your help.

~ Sasha is signed up to participate in the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure Sunday, October 4, 2009.

~ Her fundraising goal is $1,000,000. She’s only 20% of the way there and needs your donations.

~ You can make any size donation online here.

~ “It baffles my mind and hurts my heart that cancer is still, in this day and age, such a devastating disease, Sasha said. “I’m not a doctor. I’m not a researcher or a scientist, but I am an ordinary everyday person who wants to help any way I can. I’m not a millionaire, who has lots of money to donate, but I do believe that if we all give a little, it can add up and it will make a difference.”

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

HarlequinTeen is giving away a prequel to Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers series.

~ My Soul to Lose is the prequel to the first book in the series, My Soul to Take, which will be released July 28.

~ Click here or the book title above for your free .pdf copy.

~ The third book in the series is My Soul to Save and will be out January 1, 2010.

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in (to me, at least)…

Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson character is coming to a graphic novel near you 25 Aug 09! Read on for more info on this four comics series…

From the author’s site:

There’s been quite a bit of progress on the comic book front lately. The Dabel brothers are cooking right along, and new pages come out every other day or so. The art work is phenomenal, and David Lawrence is doing a wonderful job of working with Patty to make a successful adaptation (which involves some serious creativity on his part!). Actually, here’s an interview with Dave where he talks about working on the comics with Patty. The first four of the Mercy Thompson comics will soon be available in an omnibus edition, and I have permission to show some of the artwork here.

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

Biana D’Arc has just signed a three-book deal with Kensington Brava.

~ The contract will expand her military paranormal romances into a series.

~ The series will begin January 2010 with the release of the novella Simon Says, which will be featured in the Half Past Dead anthology.

~ Three more novels in the same contemporary paranormal world where zombies roam the woods looking for unsuspecting victims will follow, starting in March of 2010 with Once Bitten, Twice Dead.

Consider yourself flashed. 

This just in…

Christine Warren and St. Martin’s are giving away a free copy of a new short story in Christine’s Other series. Check out how you can get your copy…

~ The title of the story is Heart of the Sea.

~ You can read an excerpt of the story here.

~ There’s two ways you can sign up to receive your copy via email: at St. Martin’s new romance website, She Loves Hot Reads, and look for the book cover you see here on the left, or just take the direct route here.

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

Monica McCarty is kicking it up a step when it comes to those sexy Highlanders she loves to write for her fans. Are you ready for something a little different? Then read on!

~ What’s sexier than a man in a kilt? How about Special Ops in kilts?

~ The series is titled The Highland Guard.

~ The premise of the series: Scotland is fighting to free itself from English tyranny, and Robert the Bruce is fighting for a crown. To defeat the superior forces of the heavy mounted English knights, Bruce knows he needs a new kind of warrior. He looks to the barbarian lands, to the most feared warriors in Christendom, to the ultimate guerilla fighter … to the Highlander.

~ Scouring the darkest corners of the Highlands and Western Isles, Bruce handpicks ten warriors with “superhero” skills to form a secret elite fighting force like the world has never seen. They are the ultimate “Special Forces,” the best of the best, chosen for their superior skills and brought together into one elite fighting force.

~ Book #1, The Chief is slated for release March 23, 2010; Book #2, The Hawk, August 31, 2010; Book #3, The Ranger, December 29, 2010, and all dates are tentative and subject to change.

~ The swordsman team leader, the seafarer/swimmer, the scout, the extraction expert, the explosives expert, the hand-to-hand combat specialist, the tracker, the sharpshooter, the climber/outdoorsman, and the spy will make up these elite Special Ops team members.

~ Vowing death before surrender, Bruce’s band of shadow warriors will stop at nothing to gain freedom from English rule. But in the midst of war, political turmoil, and treachery, these invincible warriors will face the one thing they can’t defeat: love, and the remarkable women who claim their hearts.

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

If you’ve yet to read Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series, now’s your chance to find out what it’s all about. Get the first book, Darkfever, in e-format free!

~ Publisher’s Weekly has dubbed the Moning’s work as “an addictively dark, erotic, and even shocking series” that introduces readers to the enigmatic heroine, MacKayla Lane.

~ Mac is a Southern Belle and a daddy’s girl, but when her sister is murdered, Mac travels to Dublin in search of her killer. She’s soon pulled into a shadowy realm she never knew existed and begins to find startling gifts within herself, as she’s dragged deeper and deeper into the frightening world of the Fae.

~ Beginning July 1, 2009, and running through October 1, 2009, you can download Darkfever absolutely free here! How cool is that!

~ The fourth book in the series, Dreamfever, is slated for release August 18, 2009.

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

Elizabeth Hoyt just announced she has signed a three-book deal for a new series!

~ The new deal was made about a month ago with her publisher, Grand Central Publishing, for the three books to be published in 2010 and 2011.

~ Elizabeth is currently working on the first book, Wicked Intentions, in the series, which is entitled Maiden Lane.

~ The hero of Wicked Intentions is Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, an emotionless aristocrat searching for the murderer of his mistress. To find the murderer Caire needs the help of Temperance Dews, a proper widow who runs a foundling home in St. Giles. But neither Temperance or Caire are quite what they seem on the surface…

~ Keep checking Elizabeth’s site for more information as it becomes available!

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

Christie Craig is breaking into the young adult market with a new series that is romantic, humorous, yet touched with darkness.  Readers can anticipate a fast-paced ride into a world of magic, ghosts, and all creatures of the night

~ The series is tentatively titled Bone Creek Camp.

~ St. Marten’s will publish the books and the release dates TBA when more info is available.

~ The paranormal series features a camp of perceived misfits who just happen to have supernatural abilities. Brought to this haven in the Texas Hill Country, they must learn to accept their own gifts and to be taught to conform into society, but to do so they must first learn to accept each other.

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

Karen Marie Moning fans in and around the Atlanta area are in for a treat! She is inviting fans to participate in a recording session on a track for the next CD in her Fever Series. So read on and plan to be there if you’re in the right place at the right time!

~ The completed CD will coincide with the release of Karen’s latest book, Dreamfever, in the Fever Series, on Tuesday, August 18th, and is titled Bloodrush: the Official Fever Soundtrack.

~ Those wishing to participate will sing in the chorus of a chosen song. The date is Saturday, June 20. You will have lunch with Karen before heading to the studio, and even some fun afterward. More details can be found at KKM’s Message Board.

~ The CD will include Little Lamb and I am Not Afraid, plus many new Fever-inspired songs, as well as other fun, exclusive stuff on the CD, including background on the series, a booklet with deleted scenes and personal notes, photos from the recording studio sessions, lyrics, and plenty of other extras.

Consider yourself flashed.

Barbara Metzger has just announced the death of author Edith Layton.

Edith was one of the best writers of Regency romance, and one of the most prolific. She was the author of the “C” books, including The Conquest, The Chance, and The Cad. Altogether she wrote more than 30 books, and she will be much missed.

Edith graduated from  Hunter College, New York, with a degree in creative writing and theatre. After her marriage she moved to Long Island, and was an animal lover, rescuing animals in distress and working for the North Shore Animal League.

She was a valued contributor to many lists and boards online, often signing herself as “That Layton woman.” Her wit and humor will be much missed, as will her enthusiasm for her chosen genre and her books.

Her last book was His Dark and Dangerous Ways from Avon, out last May.

Edith, there was never anyone else quite like you, and there never will be. I’m going to miss your wit, humor, and trenchant remarks about romance and life in general. May you find your furry and feathered friends waiting for you at the other end of the Rainbow Bridge.

[Ed.]  Word Wenches, where Edith was a regular blogger, has a lovely tribute to their friend and is asking readers and authors to post their thoughts and stories about Ms. Layton.

There have been some interesting developments recently in the development of the sub $200 ebook reader.   Manufacturers are looking at cheaper ebooks.  So here’s the latest news… 

First for eInk lovers, Bebook are planning a new, cheaper reader to go with its Cybook. The Cybook is open source, and the mini Bebook will be the same. Greyscale, with a screen one inch smaller than the regular Bebook, but with the capability of reading pdf*, mobi, lit*, epub*, html, txt, prc, fb2 and jpg files. And a retail price of around $190. Wow.

There are two other newbies which would make fantastic ereaders for people like me who prefer a backlight and colour:

First, the cheap Internet tablet (otherwise known as a UMPC), the SmartQ 7. This baby is meant as an Internet browser, but as such it’s underpowered, according to the reviews. It runs on Linux, like some other e-readers. The difference between this and an Internet browser like the Nokia 810 is the size of the screen. It will read html, pdf and the formats supported by fbreader. SD slot so you can load up your books on that instead of going through the computer route, and transfer your library between devices if you want to. And battery life of 8 hours plus. I have to say that after seeing a Youtube video on using it as an ereader, this one’s for me. Price? Around $190. Uncanny.

And then there’s the Crunchpad. Similar to the Q7 and recently announced, it’s getting the geeks excited. Intended as another Internet browser, it looks like another promising ereader candidate. The screen might be bigger than the Q7, but nobody really knows, not yet. And it looks really pretty. They’re just saying that they want it to sell for under $200, but we’ll have to wait to find out.  [Ed.: I like the easel function - handsfree reading.]

And how about Google entering the market? There have been rumors for months, but so far, no definite news.

Lastly, there’s the Plastic Logic device. Another nice-looking eInk reader, this one is supposed to be launched early next year, with a bigger and more resilient screen. As someone who is on her second eBookwise because the first one broke, I like the sound of that.

Listen, people, I read a lot of books. My current readers are the Ipaq 4700 and the eBookwise, which have seen me through many many happy hours of reading. I also use my Vye tablet and my Asus mini netbook. The Vye is a bit heavy and the battery is crap, and since it runs on full Windows, it takes a few minutes to boot up, which can be annoying.

But I’ll test devices, really I will. These new devices have me drooling. How about you?

This just in…

The old Squawk Radio gang is back in action!

~ Elizabeth Bevarly, Connie Brockway, Christina Dodd, Eloisa James, Lisa Kleypas, and Teresa
Medeiros have gotten together to choose five of their favorite blogs from the old squawking days.

~ So that’s thirty looks back at the fun these ladies had over the years. Those blogs are bound into one volume for your reading pleasure and titled The Best of Squawk Radio.

~ You can purchase your copy at Scribd.com. You’ll be able to read it online at Scribd any time you’d like or you may download a .pdf copy. The authors are asking you not share your copy if choose to download it.

~ For the low price of $3, there will be a few funny extras added in your purchase. Half of the proceeds for the sale of the ebook will be donated to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota, an organization Connie Brockway has been affiliated with for more than 10 years.

~ Keep up with the Squawk Radio divas now at Twitter. They’ve formed their own twibe there and the fun has begun.

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

Nalini Singh has a lot of terrific news to share with fans. So listen up!

~ First her Psy/Changeling series. Nalini has just signed a contract to write four more books in the series!

~ Slave to Sensation, the first book in the series, is now out in ebook in several different formats.

~ There is a new short story, A Conversation, which takes place some time after Mine to Possess, that is now available on Nalini’s site.

~ Also added in the most recent site update is a blurb for Blaze of Memory, Book 7 in the series, due out in November.

~ There will also be a novella about Ria, Lucas’ administrative assistant, sometime in 2010.

~ And don’t forget, Branded by Fire, Mercy’s story, is due out July 1!

~ Now for Nalini’s new Guild Hunter series. She’s also just been contracted to write two more books in this series.

~ Archangel’s Kiss is the new title for the second book in the series, which should be out sometime early 2010.

Consider yourself flashed.

This just in…

Zoe Archer has been hard at work on a new series that is going to just make your autumn next year.

~ The Blades of the Rose is the title of her new series, and four books will be released in four months for your reading pleasure.

~ This is an historical paranormal adventure series that will include: Warrior in September 2010, Scoundrel in October 2010, Rebel in November 2010, and Stranger in December 2010.

~ Here’s a blurb about the series for you:

As the Age of Empire reaches its zenith, a ruthless organization within Victorian England exploits and enslaves magic to gain power. Their goal is a globe entirely subject to the British flag.

Enter the Blades of the Rose. The Blades are daring men and women who follow the four points of the compass to find and protect the world’s magic. A collection of scientists, explorers, sorceresses and adventurers band together in their ongoing mission to keep the world’s magic free.

From the windswept steppes of Mongolia, to the azure Aegean Sea, to the wilds of Canada and even to the heart of Victorian London, follow the Blades of the Rose as they encounter adventure, danger and sizzling sensuality.

Magic. High adventure. Steampunk. Action. And, of course, red-hot romance.

~ So get your wishlists updated and mark your calendars. You don’t want to miss out on this adventurous autumn next year!

Consider yourself flashed.