All you Grammar Nazis out there…
Have some fun with the Duck Sauce Theater in the lower left of our main window…
Feel free to comment here if you have a vid you’d like to see posted some day in our Theater. We’re not picky – we’ll post just about anything, including book-related vids. 😉
DUCK CHAT: Lazing Around with Jillian Hart
Come on in and have a seat for another Duck Chat!
Harlequin Historical month continues today with Jillian Hart.
Jillian grew up on her family’s homestead on Washington state, near Carnation, Washington, where she raised cattle to pay for her college tuition, rode horses through the pristine foothills of the Cascade Mountain range and scribbled stories in her spare time.
After earning an English degree from Whitman College, she traveled, worked in advertising, taught Sunday school and volunteered before becoming a writer.
Jilian’s latest release is Blind-Date Bride from Steeple Hill, which is part of her McKaskin Family series, which has branched out into four separate series now.
She’s got several books coming out over the next year and she’s going to talk to you about that today. So read on, think of a question or comment or two to leave because Jillian will be giving away two copies each of her current Harlequin Historical anthology, Stetsons Spring & Wedding Rings, which also features Stacey Kayne and Judith Stacy, and her releases, Gingham Bride and The Soldier’s Holiday Vow, in November and December this year! So let’s chat!
REVIEW: A Little Light Magic by Joy Nash
Sandy M’s review of A Little Light Magic by Joy Nash
Contemporary Paranormal Romance released by Leisure 26 May 09
What a wonderful book this is! I enjoyed every last word of it. It’s that perfect book to sit on the beach, on the patio, under a huge shade tree and just lose yourself in. New love, young love, family, fear for that family, fun, danger and so much more is jam packed between the covers of this book. read more…
When is a ball just a ball…
Tonight is a huge night in football, and when I say football, I mean the game played with the round ball, not the funny-shaped one. Football is the biggest sport in the world – bar none. Every nation in the world – except the United States – watches it with a passion. In most of those countries it’s the biggest sport. And tonight is the big one. read more…
REVIEW: The Secret Wedding by Jo Beverley
C2’s review of The Secret Wedding by Jo Beverley
Historical Romance released by Signet 7 Apr 09
Ah, faithful reader, you know that old saying “No good deed goes unpunished”? Well, Christian Hill, Viscount Grandiston learned that lesson early. At the tender age of 15 (!!), just as his regiment was getting ready to sail to Canada to fight in the French and Indian War (15!!), he learned that a fellow soldier planned to run off with a student from a local girls’ school and marry her for her money. So, of course, Christian rushed off to save her from the evil lieutenant’s clutches. read more…
REVIEW: The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor by Gaston, Marlowe and McCabe
Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor by Diane Gaston, Deb Marlowe & Amanda McCabe
Historical romance anthology released by Harlequin Historical 1 May 09
Anthologies can be great fun, and provide great reading, when they are well executed. Such is the case with The Diamonds Of Welbourne Manor, a connected anthology about the scandalous Fitzmanning clan, written by three friends and fellow Harlequin Historical authors. The authors provide everything one would expect in a full-length story. A fully realized setting, plenty of history, several characters the reader comes to care about, all while providing three romances and dividing it up in anthology format. It’s a tall order, and they pull it off to marvelous effect. read more…
Winners, Thrice Over!!!
Ok, so some of these are old announcements, but some of these are new. Still, thank you for your patience! A lot has been going on, but never fear, contests DO end at the Pond, and prizes ARE always awarded.
Winners, you have one week to contact me about your prize.
More Winners!!!
Before we get to the winners, I want to thank Dana Marton for spending the day with us for our Duck Chat. And, of course, a thank you to our readers for dropping by and adding to all the fun we had. You guys are the best!
The History in Historicals
As posted earlier, Lynne Connolly discussed the nature of class in the Historical Romance. What does that mean for the audience? Why are there more earls, marquis and dukes than anything else? How accurate is the social history that’s being written in historicals? These are all valid questions and Lynne, being a writer of historicals, has to think about these questions when writing her books. As a student of history, I like what she’s saying. People behaved differently in Regency times than today. Victorian social norms are seen as stodgy, straightlaced and old fashioned today, but there are many books written in 19th century England. read more…
REVIEW: Ashes of Midnight by Lara Adrian
Gwen’s review of Ashes of Midnight (The Midnight Breed, Book 6) by Lara Adrian
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Dell 26 May 09
For some reason, Lara Adrian’s books continue to surprise me with how much I enjoy them. I suppose this is the product of the inevitable comparison with other novels about another warrior vampire group, which I have generally loved. I keep waiting for Adrian to “jump the shark” and it hasn’t happened yet. Plus there isn’t a single mention of Escalades, Armani, or Ketel One in sight. Read on to see what worked in this new entry into Adrian’s Midnight Breed novels… read more…
