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Sunday, June 30, 2013

Reviews

One of the most wonderful things about being an author is when you find out a reader has really, truly connected with your characters or understood what you were hoping to achieve in your book/series.

Google Alerts notified me of this review of ALLEGIANCE SWORN on Amazon. While the 5 star rating was awesome, even more satisfying were the comments made about the characters and plot, particularly in the final paragraph of the review.
Wow. I enjoyed the first 2 books in this series, but this one took it to a whole new level. It's dark, edgy, and oh so hot. I love this couple. Arek has been a favorite from the beginning. Oddly enough, I had it in my head that Liselle was the lucky girl in this book. I was several chapters in before I realized that couldn't be the case. Had to go look it up. Glad I was wrong. Imhara is hands down my favorite heroine yet in the Light Blade series. I suspect one of my favorites in any series.

This book, being amongst the Na'Reish, was much grittier, darker. I'm not sure I would have seen it as something Griffin could or would write (silly since I'm basing that on 2 books and I don't know her.) Writing Imhara as someone who could bring headstrong Arek to heel was impressive. I pretty much read this book in a day because the dynamic between those 2 was delicious.

I doubt I've said it, but I really like how Griffin writes villains. We aren't forced to sit in their POVs the way many do. If we are with them, it's time well spent. They make you ache to put a Light Blade enhanced dagger in them (by way of Arek's hands will do nicely.)

Overall, our epic plot continues, moving nicely forward with this installment. I care about how the overall plot plays out as much as I care about the individual couples featured. That is certainly not always the case in many series where the overarching plot is clearly secondary to the romantic elements. This series has both.
WMMcCall really gets my writing. My heart soared when WMMc acknowledged & recognised not only Arek & Imhara's romance but the epic plot as well. I find both these elements as important as one another when I write any story, and to know they balanced and resonated with this reader was a real thrill.

Thank you, WMMcCall, you've made my day!


Aussie Author Giveaway!

Yes, it's Month 2 for the Aussie Author Giveaway!!!

Enjoy paranormal romance? Fantasy romance? Urban fantasy? Post-apocalyptic romance? Steampunk romance?

Would you jump at a chance or three to win a box full of these sorts of books?

Who, what, where, when and how can I win? - I hear you cry!

Well, 9 Aussie paranormal romance authors have banded together and each have donated books and swag from their latest series to go into the Aussie Author Giveaway - three huge giveaway packages which will be on display at some of the specialty romance bookstores here in Australia.



Rosemary's Romance Bookstore (Queensland) is running the second box of authorly-goodness right through July 2013.

The third box of giveaway-fun will be with Galaxy Books (Sydney) over August 2013.

All readers have to do is order a book (or books) from these stores in the designated giveaway month - either in person or online. You'll earn one entry per purchase in the Giveaway. The prize winner will be drawn at the end of the month and the Aussie Author Giveaway box of goodies will be posted to you.

NB. Due to postage costs, entry is restricted to Australian readers.

Participating authors:

Bec McMaster
Christina Ashcroft


Erica Hayes
Keri Arthur
Kylie Griffin
Kylie Scott





 







M.J.Scott
Rowena Cory Daniells













Shona Husk

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Saturday Seven! (The Dom's Dungeon)

It's Saturday Seven!

THE DOM'S DUNGEON by Cherise Sinclair is a hot erotic romance. Again Ms Sinclair brings us an unconventional heroine, one with a phobia of locked doors and the ability to open them.

In the scene below MacKensie is fighting her horrifying past and trying to trust Alex...
Exciting.
When he pulled back and licked over her lips, she took a deep breath. The air felt as if the temperature in the building had been raised too high. Then coolness wafted over her chest. She stiffened, looking down. Her bustier lay open, lacing undone, her breasts exposed.
Alex's arm felt like iron under her back, and that hand still held her hair. Held her trapped. Without taking his eyes from hers, he curved a big hand around her breasts, his fingers hot against her skin. She inhaled sharply at the unexpectedly erotic sensations shooting through her as he caressed her. The surge of...of something inside her frightened her, and she grasped his wrist and ripped her gaze away from his.
"Look at me, MacKensie," he said, voice deepening. When her eyes returned to his, he smiled slightly. "Good girl. Now let go of me, or I'll restrain you."
"You wouldn't."
But his eyes didn't waver.
He would. She forced her fingers to release his wrist. "You promised. I'm not aroused," she whispered. Fear curled inside her to join with the unsettling tension, and an off temptation to let him continue, to have his hands...everywhere.
THE DOM'S DUNGEON
Foster child. Teenage whore. Now a veterinarian, MacKensie’s turned her life around, but the scars remain. She saves her affection for the animals who never judge or scorn her, but it’s time to get out, move on from her past in Iowa. So, she arranges a vacation exchange to job hunt in Seattle.
Although the house is lovely, one room is locked. Her years in foster care have given her two ‘gifts’: a neurosis about locked doors and the ability to open them. After she gets into the room, she’s appalled…and intrigued. Chains and manacles, whips and paddles, odd benches with straps…
When Alex returns home days early and finds MacKensie draped over the spanking bench in his locked dungeon, he’s furious. But her wariness arouses his protective nature and curiosity, so he strikes a deal to keep her close—she’ll act as his submissive in exchange for a place to stay and help finding a job.
He’d planned to use the veterinarian to deter an ex-girlfriend, not replace her, but with MacKensie’s compelling mixture of strength and vulnerability, the little sub slides right into his well-defended heart.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Tales from the SFRBrigade!

Like sci-fi romance?

There's a free short story anthology out from the Sci-Fi Romance Bridge on Smashwords!!!

Experience love and adventure among the stars in ‘Tales from the SFR Brigade,’ a free digital anthology of eight Science Fiction Romance stories. 

Authors include Linnea Sinclair, Marcella Burnard, Erica Hayes, Liana Brooks, Pippa Jay, Berinn Rae, Amy Laurens, and Kyndra Hatch.

Don't miss out - these stories are fantastic!!!


NEW AUTHOR SERIES: Madeline Ash

Time for a new series, and what an exciting one it is - New Authors!

All the featured authors are from the Romance Writers of Australia or Romance Writers of New Zealand, and have just been or are newly published with the digital imprints of Australian publishing houses like - Random House, Harlequin, Penguin and Pan Macmillan.

This week, please welcome Madeline Ash.

Madeline has always lived in Melbourne. She’s emotionally allergic to spontaneity, and yet doesn’t mind the weather that drags her into rain when she’s planned for sunshine. She likes to call this her wild side.

She works in media and communications by day, and writes contemporary romance pretty much the rest of the time.

UNCOVERED BY LOVE is her début novel. 

Title: UNCOVERED BY LOVE 
Release Date: 15 December, 2012
Publisher: Destiny Romance 

Call Story - UNCOVERED BY LOVE is a romance I had initially submitted to the RIVA romance fast-track at Mills & Boon. I made it to a full request, which I submitted prior to the RWA Gold Coast conference. In late October, it was rejected on the grounds that the conflict was too tragic.

I didn’t entirely agree. It was moving, perhaps, but it was a story of hope, not tragedy. Since Destiny had launched during the wait, I decided to submit it to them that very same Rejection Day. A second opinion could give me an idea of what to do next.

Carol called five days later, claiming she and Sarah loved it. Apparently it had everything they wanted in a romance. It was exactly what they’d been waiting for and they wanted it as a December release. The Call came through on October 30th, meaning I only had six weeks until publication!

And what a hectic, exciting, and life-changing six weeks that was! :-)

Hero
Name: Leeson Stone
Occupation: Investor
Wants: Vera to take over the gallery that belonged to his late sister.
Needs: Vera. Badly. Now.
Doesn’t know he needs: Someone who knows his secret and loves him all the more for it.
Relationships - yay or nay? Nay. He has a secret shame. This means he wants to move Vera quickly into the bedroom, fling-style, so she doesn’t have time to figure it out.
Appearance: “The man’s figure was broad and strong, a contrast to the thin and flimsy material of her market tent. He filled the space, dominated it, looked as if he could knock it down with his hands behind his back. With faded jeans stretched over hard thighs, sculpted arms and a large hand splayed on the display table, Vera’s most coherent thought was man.”

Heroine:
Name: Vera Cole
Occupation: Sculptor
Wants: To travel to Spain and study sculpting.
Wishes: She were normal so she could go to bed with a man.
Relationships – yay or nay? Ideally, yay. But she has a secret too, and it means she cannot be intimate unless she wants to risk rejection all over again.
Appearance: “Vera alone had a figure that could make a man gasp for mercy, all dips and swells, curves and angles. A full figure, some would say. He would call it a masterpiece. Her long hair fell loose in thick layers, softening the cute point of her chin and brushing her elbows. The shortest dark tresses offset her sweet face, drew his attention to her eyes, her lips, her cheeks.” 
Setting: This story is set in Melbourne.

Vera Cole is a passionate sculptor whose dream is to study art in Spain.  But when wealthy investor Leeson Stone offers her work at his gallery, Vera's dwindling bank balance forces her to agree.
Leeson is a man who measures himself by financial success, while Vera couldn't be less interested in material things. And both have secrets they are desperate to hide.

 But the more time they spend together, the more they struggle to resist the powerful attraction between them.
Knowing the truth would ruin him, Leeson avoids commitment. But when Vera works up the courage to reveal her past, Leeson falls hard for the bravest woman he has ever met. Can two people from very different worlds overcome their fears and learn to trust in love and one another?
A moving, contemporary romance about love against all the odds.

UNCOVERED BY LOVE excerpt:
‘I won’t reject you,’ he said instantly, running his hands up her sides. ‘I won’t hurt you, Vera. You can trust me.’
The past had taught her that trust shouldn’t be handed out to a man with desire in his eyes. ‘I can trust you to want me naked.’
They locked eyes. His hands stilled beneath her arms, his thumbs resting on the sides of her breasts. ‘You called me this afternoon, knowing I want you naked. Don’t make it sound like news.’
She’d known it. But she’d been alone and safe in her room then, without rejection circling her heart, snarling and ready to strike.
‘I don’t want you to see me naked,’ she whispered, her voice catching.
He looked shocked.
‘You won’t like it.’
‘Don’t assume you know what I like.’ His voice was deep, firm.
‘I know what you won’t like.’
‘I don’t like what you’re implying,’ he said. ‘How shallow do you think I am?’
She shook her head, distressed. ‘This was a bad idea.’
Leeson’s hold tightened when she tried to clamber off him. If anything, he pushed her harder against his erection, and the feel of him made her want to weep. ‘Leeson,’ she begged in a whisper. ‘Trust me on this. I’m not what you want.’
He said nothing. His jaw set and his eyes bored into her, accusing, speculative, hungry. Then he shifted beneath her. ‘Nakedness is optional with sex, you know.’
Vera met his gaze helplessly.
‘Nudge the crotch of these little shorts aside,’ he said, demonstrating just how it could be done. ‘And then – ’ he delved in and she gasped, ‘ – we go from there.’
Her breath had cut out somewhere between his words and his touch, so she just nodded. She put everything she had into that nod.
‘You’d prefer that?’                                                  
She nodded again.
‘Then let’s try it.’ When she hesitated, suddenly troubled by such a lack of intimacy, he withdrew his hand and added, ‘The second time we have sex.’
‘What?’
Leeson leaned forward, his mouth on her ear. ‘The first time you come around me, there’ll be nothing but sweat between us. And I’ll love every bare inch of you. Got it?’


Thanks for having me on your blog today, Kylie!
It's been a pleasure, Madeline. :-)

You can find out more about Madeline on her website, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

VENGEANCE BORN wins Cover Cafe contest!

I came home to some awesome news this arvo - Vengeance Born has won the 2012 Alternate Reality section of the Cover Cafe's cover contest. I'm stoked!


Gene Mollica (cover artist) will be thrilled. The cover was 1/100 entries in this section! Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote and/or spread the word!

Reader's comments can be seen over at the Cover Cafe!

And a huge shout out to fellow Aussie romance authors, Fiona Lowe & Nikki Logan who took out their sections with Boomerang Bride (Contemporary) & Wild Encounter (Series) respectively.








NEW AUTHOR SERIES: Juanita Kees

Time for a new series, and what an exciting one it is - New Authors!

All the featured authors are from the Romance Writers of Australia or Romance Writers of New Zealand, and have just been or are newly published with the digital imprints of Australian publishing houses like - Random House, Harlequin, Penguin and Pan Macmillan.

This week, please welcome Juanita Kees.

Born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and now proudly Australian, Juanita is a freelance writer of book reviews, blogs, web content and training manuals. She has also written articles on business management for Stanford Who’s Who, New York, USA.

Having completed a diploma in Proofreading, Editing and Publishing through the Australian College QED, Bondi, NSW, Juanita is a freelance editor and proofreads scientific text books for Elsevier Press, Oxford, UK.

August 2012 saw Juanita's debut release find a home on the virtual bookshelves. FLY AWAY PETA from Eternal Press is a contemporary romance with elements of suspense and intrigue, set in the rural Western Australian town of Williams.

Juanita's second novel UNDER THE HOOD will be released by Escape Publishing in March 2013. This is the story of two people struggling to save a group of teens from the dangers of life on the streets and doing their best not to fall in love. UNDER THE HOOD is set in the semi-rural Perth Hills, the perfect place for growing second chances.

Juanita escapes the real world by reading and writing romantic fiction. When she’s not writing, editing or proofreading, Juanita is the cleaning fairy and mother to three boys (hubby included, his toys are just a little more expensive). Her not-so-miniature Daschund, Sam is her critique partner and keeps her company while writing.

Title – UNDER THE HOOD
Release Date – March 1, 2013
Publisher – Escape Publishing

Call Story – When FLY AWAY PETA was accepted for publishing by Eternal Press last year, I didn’t think my publishing dream could get any better. So when I submitted to Harlequin’s new Escape Publishing digital first line, the last thing I expected to become was an Escape Artist.

When I got the email in November last year to say UNDER THE HOOD (working title Taming the Tiger) was accepted for publishing by Escape, I was over the moon. I am now proud to be part of a wonderful group of pioneers for the Harlequin brand.

About your book:
Hero – Scott Devin
When Scott Devin buys a struggling car dealership in a semi-rural area in Western Australia, the last person he expects to see in charge is a stilletto-wearing, mini-skirted foreperson. Exactly the distraction a struggling, male-dominated workshop doesn’t need! But there’s more to TJ Stevens than meets the eye.

Heroine – TJ Stevens
TJ Stevens has two major goals in life: to preserve her grandfather’s heritage and protect the program – and she’ll go to any lengths to do it. Scott Devin’s presence is a threat to everything she’s worked hard to achieve, so keeping him at arms-length shouldn’t be a problem…or could it?

Setting – Mechanical Workshop and semi-rural Perth Hills

Australian businessman and politician J.J. Simons founded the Young Australia League and established a holiday camp deep in the shaded Roleystone valley in 1929.

Simons called his camp Araluen, an Eastern States Aboriginal word meaning “singing waters,” “running waters” or “place of lilies.”

Together League members and volunteers built cottages designed by leading Perth architect W.G. Bennett, using local timber and stone.  They created pathways, roads, steps and terraces and filled the dream garden with native and imported plants to create a garden heaven.

The Grove of the Unforgotten, still remains today, built in memory of Young Australia League members killed in World War I.

Now known as Araluen Botanical Park, this has to be the most peaceful garden in Western Australia. Many of the cottages have been restored, except for one that burnt down, leaving only the chimney stack standing.

I chose a similar setting for TJ & Scott’s story, because of its history and original purpose. How wonderful would it be if young people could return to this peaceful place while they search for themselves through the trials of growing up?

Unfortunately my story is fiction and TJ is sadly no relation to J. J. Simons but his dream and my love for his creation provided the perfect background for this story of an extraordinary woman who has her own dream and a commitment that knows no boundaries. I hope you enjoy the story.


UNDER THE HOOD excerpt
The connecting door back into the reception didn’t budge as she shoved against it with her bottom and simultaneously tried to secure her wayward hair in a rubber band.
“Ouch,” she muttered just as it gave way and two firm hands grasped her shoulders. The hands spun her around firmly. She looked up. A long way up. The muscular frame of her impatient visitor blocked the doorway.
“Tiffany-Jane Stevens?” His voice reverberated through her, deep and rumbling. Not unlike thunder —which matched the expression on his face.
She shivered. “Yes?”
“Scott Devin. Tie your damn shoes, take off that ridiculous skirt and meet me in my office.” With that, he spun around and stalked off.
TJ stared at his departing back with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Scott Devin. Her new boss. He was a week early. It was definitely going to be a bad day.

Any upcoming releases?
My alter ego, Seanna Smythe, has a short story in the Edible Delights Anthology volume 2 which will be released by Secret Cravings Publishing in July. It’s a little spicier and about as hot as chilli ice cream!

You can find out more about Juanita on her website, Kees2Create Editing and Proofreading website, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Saturday Seven! (Chloe's Double Draw)

It's Saturday Seven!

CHLOE'S DOUBLE DRAW is Fiona Archer's debut novel. It's a wonderfully Australian flavoured/small town American set erotic romance. The two heroes are ex-SAS soldiers who set their sights on the new school teacher in town and are determined to show her the new meaning of the word double-date. A must read if you like menage romances.
"I have to go," she managed, her voice a choked whisper. She ran her hands up and down her arms. Her shivers had nothing to do with the chill of the night air.
Flynn moved away from the driver's door, giving her access to her car. When she settled into the driver's seat, he leaned down and reached across to fasten her seat belt before dropping a quick kiss on her mouth. All too soon, he stepped back, making way for Noah.
Noah bent down and rested his hand on the driver's headrest. His eyes locked with hers. "Chloe, this isn't over. We'll give you some time, but we're not going to back away, not after tonight." He kissed her firmly before continuing. "Consider yourself warned."
Declaration made, Noah moved aside, shutting the driver's door. As quick as her fumbling fingers allowed, she started the engine and reversed out of her space, refusing to let her eyes stray in their direction.
The drive home-all five minutes- seemed forever as every emotion and thought in her mind went haywire. Once in her house, she flopped onto the sofa and contemplated Noah's warning. She didn't need to be a genius to work out just how big a pot of hot water she'd landed in.
Noah and Flynn were hunting Chloe, and they weren't going to stop until they'd caught and tied their prey.
CHLOE'S DOUBLE DRAW 
Chloe Morgan fled to King’s Bluff, Wyoming, to start a new life. With a past that haunts her, the shy schoolteacher must make a choice. She can hide away and protect her secrets or embrace the acceptance of the small community.
Noah King and Flynn Taylor have traveled the world as members of Australia’s elite SAS. They’ve earned scars, both inside and out. Now powerful influencers in King’s Bluff, a town founded by Noah’s ancestors, the men have made a haven from the ranch Noah inherited.
One look at Chloe convinces Noah and Flynn she’s worth pursuing. Introducing her to BDSM and the ménage lifestyle accepted by the town will be a hard sell. She’s scared, skittish, and refusing their advances.
As the two Doms fight to gain her trust, Chloe’s past crashes in on them, threatening their futures. When a man obsessed with her tracks down his prey, nobody could have imagined how high the stakes would go.



Friday, June 14, 2013

Visiting BOOKTOPIA!

Dashing across cyberspace for a quick visit to Booktopia's blog (Australia's largest online bookstore) to talk about ALLEGIANCE SWORN - secrets, lies and taking a walk on the wild side.


Hope to see you there!


Tuesday, June 11, 2013

NEW AUTHOR SERIES: Wendy Vella

Time for a new series, and what an exciting one it is - New Authors!

All the featured authors are from the Romance Writers of Australia or Romance Writers of New Zealand, and have just been or are newly published with the digital imprints of Australian publishing houses like - Random House, Harlequin, Penguin and Pan Macmillan.

This week, please welcome Wendy Vella.

Wendy Vella is a lover of all things romantic. She started reading her first Georgette Heyer book at a young age and instantly fell in love with the Regency era. Writing is something she has always found time for; she penned her first novel at eighteen though she says it will never make an appearance further than the closet in which it currently resides.

After having her two children Wendy then joined RWNZ and started honing her chosen craft by entering competitions with some success and attending conferences. Her Clendon and Readers Choice award-winning historical romance The Reluctant Countess will debut in Jan 2013 with Random House in their Loveswept line.

She has an addiction to reading and loves a wide range of genres while her first love will always be historical. She relishes novels steeped in Romance and excitement with feisty heroines and delicious heroes, especially when they are set amongst the treacherous waters of London society.

Wendy is a sucker for a happy ending having secured her own. She has been married to her own dark brooding hero for 28 years and shares her home with two wonderful children, two dogs and anyone else who happens to be visiting at the time. Born and raised in a rural area in the North Island of New Zealand, Wendy loves the beaches and lush green rolling hills of her homeland and is proud to call herself a very patriotic Kiwi! 

Title - THE RELUCTANT COUNTESS
Released - January 2013.
Publisher - Random House – Loveswept.
Call Story – I was lucky enough to meet my editor Sue Grimshaw at the Auckland RWNZ conference in 2011. I pitched The Reluctant Countess to her and she asked me to send her the first three chapters, which she loved, and then she requested the full manuscript.

I received her acceptance by email. It was a Saturday morning and I remember opening the email with a pounding heart, and then just sitting there looking at the screen completely shocked after I’d read it. I screamed and laughed and my family came running. I then called a few friends and several champagnes later I was much more relaxed!

About your book:
THE RELUCTANT COUNTESS is set amongst the intrigues and scandals of Regency London. 


From rising romance star Wendy Vella comes a Cinderella story of whirlwind passion between a dashing earl and a beautiful countess—and the secret that threatens to tear them apart.

Regal, poised, and elegant, Sophie, Countess of Monmouth, is everything that a highborn lady should be. But Sophie is hiding a past that is far from royal. When Patrick, Earl of Coulter, realizes that her story doesn’t add up, he resolves to find out the truth of what Sophie and her sister-in-law are concealing. Although Sophie has every reason to avoid him, the handsome and charismatic Patrick awakens something wicked deep within her soul . . . a powerful need that Sophie must stifle in order to protect her place in society. 
Despite Sophie’s humble background, the raven-haired beauty has won Patrick’s heart. But what Sophie needs now is an ally. Viscount Myles Dumbly, the disgruntled former heir of Monmouth, is determined to expose Sophie as a fraud to recapture his lost inheritance. Soon Patrick is drawn into a fight for both their lives. Somehow he must find a way not only to rescue Sophie from poverty once and for all, but to keep her in his arms forever.

THE RELUCTANT COUNTESS excerpt
“If only she had a small imperfection.”
“What?” Patrick, Earl of Coulter, tore his eyes from the top of the stairs to glare at his friend.
“The countess.” Lord Sumner swept his hand in an arc that encompassed most of the assembled guests. “I was saying that some sort of imperfection would detract from her goddess like beauty. Perhaps a lisp? Alas, no,” he added seconds later. “A lisp would merely make her sweet and beautiful.”
“Idiot,” the earl muttered, propping one shoulder against the silk-covered wall. His gaze returned to where the countess now stood. Poised on the top step of the Duke of Rookvale’s ballroom, she appeared motionless; only her eyes moved as they passed over the guests milling below.
“Perhaps a mole with several long dark hairs,” Lord Sumner mused, “on the end of her little nose?”
 Patrick watched the countess descend. Tonight her raven locks were piled high and clasped with a single diamond pin; several long curls had been artfully teased to lie on one slender shoulder. Created to torment, her dress was cut low in the bodice, allowing a glimpse of the lush curves that lay beneath, and with every step she took the skirts caressed her legs in a swirl of emerald satin. Patrick dreamt about those legs—naked and wrapped around his body. Even from a distance, his muscles clenched at the thought of her lying beneath him, skin gleaming, lips red from his kisses. Bloody woman. From the first glance, she had taken up residence in his head, and he wanted her out. Patrick didn’t obsess over women—he took what he wanted when he wanted it. Usually his affairs were brief yet satisfactory for both parties and he was always the one in control. The countess, however, was another matter. Something about her reached out to him and he wanted her with a desperation no other had made him feel. Yet he would never act on that desperation because the countess was a fraud, and there was nothing Patrick hated more than people who set out to deliberately deceive others.
“Did you just growl, Coulter?”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Patrick snapped, following the countess’s progress until she reached the bottom step. Once again she became motionless. It was as if she held her breath, yet those eyes moved in every direction, seeking, searching, but for what?
“To be her lady’s maid for just one day,” Lord Sumner sighed.

You can find out more about Wendy on her website or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

NEW AUTHOR SERIES: Lena Dowling

Time for a new series, and what an exciting one it is - New Authors!

All the featured authors are from the Romance Writers of Australia or Romance Writers of New Zealand, and have just been or are newly published with the digital imprints of Australian publishing houses like - Random House, Harlequin, Penguin and Pan Macmillan.

This week, please welcome Lena Dowling.

In her previous lives, Lena Dowling has been a lawyer, policy analyst, and an administration manager. While Lena was born and raised in New Zealand, it was during a stint working ‘across the ditch’ in Australia that she took up writing in earnest.

Having found her inspiration in The Lucky Country, Lena writes Australasian themed romances about gutsy, intelligent heroines, and the men who dare to love them.

Lena currently lives in beautiful subtropical Northland, New Zealand, with her own computer-code-writing hero. 

Title - THE CONVICT'S BOUNTY BRIDE (a novella)
Release Date - early March, 2013 
Publisher - Escape Publishing
Call Story - It was an email from Kate Cuthbert , Managing Editor at Escape Publishing that came through mid-afternoon one Sunday, shortly before Xmas. Before I opened it, I could only see the first few words: 'Thank you for submitting to Escape Publishing.'

I had already filled in the next few words in my mind, and the very first word was 'Unfortunately....' But no. After I opened it, I had to re-read the email several time because it continued along the lines of: ' I'm delighted to accept your manuscript for publication.'

I ran outside, all the way fanning my face, trying to keep back the tears while I found my partner who had been working in the garden.

Warnings of impending waves of breaking emotion are always appreciated by my rather stoic real-life-hero so I said: 'I've got something to tell you, but when I do, I'm probably going to cry.'

Actually, I did manage to keep the tears at bay long just enough to tell him. After which he dropped his gardening fork to give me a big hug, followed by a hasty trip inside to see if we had a drop of anything worthy of being opened on such an auspicious occasion!

About your book: 
Hero - James Hunter an ex-convict returned from Australia to London.
Heroine - Lady Dorothea Willers daughter of the Earl of Eastbourne, Chairman of Willers Bank,  and his wife the Countess, who doesn’t so much as social climb as mountaineer and who has high hopes of achieving a suitable marriage for her daughter.
Setting – Regency, London.

THE CONVICT'S BOUNTY BRIDE
Life as a convict in an Australian penal colony was brutal, but James Hunter had the advantages of raw physical strength and courage on his side. He survived, and now he is back; a self-made man of means, determined to take the bride he was promised.
Lady Thea Willers knows nothing of the bargain her father made to save her brother, nor does she have any interest in marriage. It might be a radical idea, but what Thea wants is a career.
The revelation that her brother’s liberty depends on her marrying James Hunter is devastating. But nothing, it seems, has the power to shake Thea’s world upside down like James himself, or the way he makes her feel.

Any upcoming releases?
A contemporary romance novel entitled LEGALLY ADDICTED also being released by Escape Publishing in May 2013.










You can find out more about Lena on her website, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.


Saturday, June 1, 2013

Aussie Author Giveaway!

Enjoy paranormal romance? Fantasy romance? Urban fantasy? Post-apocalyptic romance? Steampunk romance?

Would you jump at a chance or three to win a box full of these sorts of books?

Who, what, where, when and how can I win? - I hear you cry!

Well, 9 Aussie paranormal romance authors have banded together and each have donated books and swag from their latest series to go into the Aussie Author Giveaway - three huge giveaway packages which will be on display at some of the specialty romance bookstores here in Australia.


Rendezvous Books (Victoria) will host the first box of goodies and the giveaway will run the entire month of June 2013.

The second box of authorly-goodness will reside at Rosemary's Romance Bookstore (Queensland) right through July 2013.

The third box of giveaway-fun will be with Galaxy Books (Sydney) over August 2013.

All readers have to do is order a book (or books) from these stores in the designated giveaway month - either in person or online. You'll earn one entry per purchase in the Giveaway. The prize winner will be drawn at the end of the month and the Aussie Author Giveaway box of goodies will be posted to you.

NB. Due to postage costs, entry is restricted to Australian readers.

So, come on Aussies, come on! Support your specialty romance bookstores, get to know some local Aussie authors - and you could find a huge parcel of books in your mailbox at the end of June, July or August!

Participating authors:

Bec McMaster
Christina Ashcroft


Erica Hayes
Keri Arthur
Kylie Griffin
Kylie Scott





 







M.J.Scott
Rowena Cory Daniells













Shona Husk