Echo in the Bone and New Review

Manic Readers reviewed Murder and Magick, giving it 4 stars! IvyD had this to say:

The Dark Desires of the Druids I: Murder and Magick immediately captured me with its blend of history, romance, suspense and touch of paranormal. Raven is an appealing heroine. Still young, she retains some of the impetuousness of youth while also having quite a load on her shoulders.

Now I've finished Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon. Have some mixed feelings about it, but overall am pleased. Since I literally finished it at 11:45 last night, I haven't written a review, but will. We'll see who agrees with me and who doesn't then. :)

New great reviews!

Two Home Shopping Network readers enjoyed my books!

Lizzee from MN had this to say about Dark Desires of the Druids I: Murder and Magick

I got the historical package and have found one or two new authors that I'd read again. I can't say I thought all of the books were great, but did enjoy Isabel Roman's Dark Druid

And Christinereader from NJ had this to say about Kiss of Scandal

I started with "Kiss of Scandal", since I don't remember reading a Russian historical. WOW! I could literally feel the weather, almost as a character in the story. I wanted to curl up under a blanket to get out of the cold Russian winter! And it was in the low 80s when I read the story!

She then went on to say she'd read Murder and Magick next. Pretty cool!

Where I'm at today

Blogging about upstairs maids at Slip into Something Victorian

At TWRP's Black Rose blog about 4 pm for my intro

Stop by and say hi! *G*

Oh, and NCIS last night. Damn, that was good! Anyone else watch that? Thoughts, observations, comments on the coming season?

Kiss of Scandal-now available from Ravenous Romance!

Echo in the Bone

I have the latest Diana Gabaldon book, An Echo in the Bone. All 800+ pages of it. Not her longest but certainly up there. No wonder it takes her 3 years to write a book! As I said before, I've read her since the first one, Outlander, was published. I started this already, and am disappointed it has so much of characters I don't care about!

But I won't add in spoilers here, I'll dutifully finish it (probably by tomorrow night lol) and then judge.

Alas, I'll have to take a break from reading for my 2 hours worth of NCIS. I'm so pathetically excited about the premier, it's sad. So one hour for NCIS then the series premiere of NCIS: Los Angeles. I'm not as excited about that, but will give it a chance. I enjoyed the 2 shows (Legend I and II) set during the NCIS season 6, but found the characters bleh.

I didn't care about any of them but Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J. Cause, well, LL Cool J is just sexy and at least Chris O'Donnell can act! And there you have it. I hated the psychiatrist guy, so very stereotypical and instantly annoying, and I don't even know who the grunting gun-wielding chick who had 2 lines is.

BUT Linda Hunt is now on it, so there's hope.

Got Wolf?

In less than a month my short story, Shadow State, will be released in The Wild Rose Press's Got Wolf? anthology, Taming of the Wolf. I'm pretty excited about it, it's been a long time coming. The call went out for submissions for the contest in like February 2008, the deadline was August 2008, and the winners announced October 31, 2008. I remember that date specifically because it's Halloween. ;)

It was November 1, and I realized the announcement time had passed and I hadn't heard anything, so I frantically scoured TWRP site (nothing) and then the Internet. Found the announcement on Dayana Knight's blog. I'd won first place! OK, I admit, I skimmed the names, didn't see mine, looked again, STILL didn't see mine, and realized I hadn't won until I took a second to actually read the names. Oh, huh...I WON!

After all that, and working with the great editors over at the Black Rose line, it was a long time before the anthology was ready. Or I thought so, lol, but I'm sure probably not. And now the authors are gearing up for our marketing launch. We're all pretty excited. OK, really excited, Shadow State is a favorite story.

I'll be on the Black Rose's Blog introducing myself on Wednesday afternoon, be sure to stop by for a bit on how I researched my werewolf story!

Kiss of Scandal now available from Ravenous in e-book and from The Home Shopping Network in print!

Diana Gabaldon

Her newest book, An Echo in the Bone will be released next Tuesday, 9/22/09. I'm REALLY looking forward to it! I've read all her books, well her Outlander Series, from the first one when it was published back in the day...1991 I think. My favorites are the first 3, since they deal primarily with Jamie and Claire. I love Brianna but not so much Roger, and often skim over their story. But the Jamie and Claire parts are wonderful, and the first 3 (Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, and Voyager) are the best in their evolving story.

Kiss of Scandal: Available in e-form from Raveous Romance and in print from Home Shopping Network!

Home Shopping Network

I spent a good portion of yesterday watching HSN and online at www.hsn.com. If you missed it, Ravenous Romance made their debut at 8 am, 4 pm, and 3 am selling their trade paperback books, 2 of mine included: Kiss of Scandal and Murder and Magick.

In the randomness that is my mind I bing-ed (as opposed to googled) them and found this article. I don't know why I liked the article, but I did. It's from 2002.

It started with 112 can openers

My favorite part:

Twenty-five years ago this month, in a little strip mall on Hercules Avenue
in Clearwater, Bob Circosta was doing a news talk show on WWQT-AM 1470.An
advertiser called the station. He was short on funds, so instead of money, he
offered up 112 Rival electric can openers. Olive green. (What? It was the '70s.)

"I couldn't believe it," Circosta recalled. "I said, "What?"'

Circosta, who was 27 at the time, wanted to be a news anchor at a major TV
network. Another Cronkite or Brinkley. Not a small appliance salesman.

He sold all 112 in about an hour.

Today: Night Owl Romance

I'm blogging about the difficulties in researching non-traditional historical places over at Night Owl Romance. Specifically Russia 1855 and the research troubles with Kiss of Scandal. Come join me! I'll be giving away a prize, too.

And speaking of Kiss of Scandal...today at 8am and 4 pm EST then again tomorrow at 3 am EST, I'll be one of the Ravenous authors in the Home Shopping Network! Kiss of Scandal and Dark Desires of the Druids I: Murder and Magick will be in the Historical package, and Kiss of Scandal will be in the mixed package. Come check us out!

EXCITING NEWS!!

I've been sitting on this news for a while, anxiously jumping up and down, dieing to tell someone!!! And suddenly, finally I've been given leave to do so. Tomorrow, Monday September 14 at 8 am and 4 pm, and Tuesday September 15 at 3 am, I'll be on the Home Shopping Network!

Needless to say, I was shocked. My publisher, Ravenous Romance, inked a distribution deal with HSN for their "Escape with Romance Collection", and included 2 of my stories, Kiss of Scandal and Murder and Magick.

That excited squeal during the day is just me and my fellow authors. I hope you'll be able to catch at least a bit of the time. I'm beyond excited.

4.25 Review!

Northern Roses and Southern Belles just received a 4.25 heart review from Night Owl Romance.

Knowing you or your lover may not live to see the next day tends to throw decorum out the window. These were all entertaining, informative stories that I enjoyed reading.

Read the entire review here.

So it's September

I feel like I should be in school. Damn, all that schooling really indoctrinated me to believe September was the end of summer and I should be ready for school! Have been trying to get out of that mindset for years now and yet with today being my city's official first day of school, it feels like nothing's changed. The weather sure hasn't.

So, with this horrible feeling like I should be sitting in a classroom, I'm going to post my September goals:

Blogging. Yup. Going to (really) be better at this. Not just here, but other places I blog, Slip into Something Victorian, Unusual Historicals, American Civil War: Beyond Scarlett & Rhett.

Finish my chapter breakdown to my untitled Switzerland 1797 story and begin it.

Write at least 2,000 words a day on this story.

Read some of my TBR pile without buying new stories. It's a weakness I'm sure all readers understand.

And if you're in the mood for Scandals throughout History, check out Unusual Historicals all month. It's our theme.

Guest Blogger: Keira from Love Romance Passion

The Perfect Romance Hero

Keira runs a book review blog for readers by readers on romance novels entitled Love Romance Passion. She’s been reading romance since she was a teenager and began blogging about romance so she could share her passion for her favorite genre. She loves reading paranormal, Regency, historical America, and highlander most of all and completely adores blind and wounded heroes.

Prompt: What do you look for in a romance hero?

I like this prompt! Let’s begin—10 qualities of a perfect romance hero:

1. My perfect romance hero would have to have a physical challenge. I have a big yen for blind heroes, with scarred and headache/migraine heroes coming close behind.

2. He’d have to be brooding, paranormal, or both. Since I’ve yet to hear of a blind vampire we’ll just stick with brooding. I’m a big softy for those dark and lonely souls with wounded hearts.

3. He’d have to be handy. I want a hero who can kill spiders, fight off bad guys, and build a house from the ground up with a Q-Tip. Nothing sexier than a guy who can be useful.

4. My hero must also be fiercely possessive. I love reading knuckle dragging heroes so long as they learn eventually to be secure in the steadfastness of the heroine’s affections.

5. He should also have a tender streak a mile wide. Hugs and healing touches are very much necessary to go with that scowl and teeth-gnashing. It’s a no brainer win-win.

6. Selflessness too. If he can desire her happiness and wellbeing over his own that just makes my heart flip over in its cavity.

7. I like a hero with diverse interests. There must be time for him to just be a guy and pal around with his buddies doing those things guys do: billiards, video games, watching sports, horseback riding, whatever. It’s all good to me.

8. Financial stable heroes win the day. While marauding pirates are great every now and then a hero who can provide for his heroine is definitely sexy. Maybe that’s why so many of the heroes are wealthy in romance?

9. Broad-shouldered, big hands, and tall. It’s what I like in a man in real life so let’s just transfer that straight to my perfect hero. Dark hair and blue eyes don’t hurt either!

10. Let’s not forget that he should be a skilled lover. Rainy days and lazy afternoons are best spent with a hero who’s great in the sack. Lots of cuddle time too!

Now it’s your turn to construct the perfect hero. Would you take points from my list or start from scratch?

Regencies

I'm doing an informal survey (7 questions) about Regencies and why they're so popular. If you'd like Regencies and want to participate, email me!

I've decided to call this The Lack of the Death of the Regency. Mostly because my most popular historical short story is my Regency one, Wanton Woman. Not Complicated Courtship set in Boston during the beginning of the American Revolution. Not Starlet set during the racy Prohibition. Regency.

Don't get me wrong, I love the era, but I want to know why. Why it's so popular, why the setting has endured, what draws people to it.

Behind, behind, behind!

I'm more organized than this, but the last week or so I feel very unorganized. I'm all spreadsheets, calendars, calendar reminders, color codes, you name it. Lately, I don't know what's going on, but none of that has happened.

I wanted to have a sort of scavenger hunt contest for my Druids series but never implemented it. My new plan for that is October, to coincide with my new release from The Wild Rose Press, Shadow State. (Werewolves, 1934 Germany, Got Wolf? anthology)

I'm also going to do something for Kiss of Scandal, but haven't refined what yet. Maybe not a scavenger hunt, possible a web hunt. I'll have to think more on that. Maybe something easier. :)

September already?

I'm not prepared. It was 56 degrees when I woke up this morning. Technically it's still summer, people! I want warmth! I want sun! I want to enjoy the beach as I haven't been able to do all summer!

I'll stop whining now. :) But 56 on September 1? Ridiculous.

I've switched my 1807 Regency story from England to 1797 Switzerland. There was a lot more going on in Switzerland during the pre-Napoleonic War years than I suspected. Not that I ever gave it much thought, but it's amazing what a miserable Saturday afternoon's research will yield! Technically not the Regency Era which is 1811-1820 but the Georgian Era 1714–1830. Note the coincide in dates. I'm willing to forgo that because of the fascinating time of 1797.

So the adventures of Lady Cassandra and Vicomte Hunter Lamont have been moved to Bern.