February 26th, 2010 — Links and Challenges, News
Ten more fantastic blogs for you to check out today! Add them to your favorites and don't forget to say hi!
Subscribe to all Top 100+ romance blogs with this Google Reader Romance Novel Bundle. It's easy and a great way to keep your thumb on all the latest happenings.
- Romantic Crush Junkies – Christine S. Morehouse runs RCJ. It’s a beautiful looking blog with lots of cover art.
- Romantic Reads – Dorchester Publishing Editor Leah Hultenschmidt.
- Samhain Weblog – Ask the Editor, Editing, Writing, Publishing and Stories.
- Seduced by History – Where romance and history meet.
- Slip into Something Victorian – Twelve writers unmake Victorian Romance and Adventure.
- Smexy Books – Mandi is a sweetheart. She loves paranormal romance, m/m romance, urban fantasy, and historical romance.
- Smoking Hot Books – Twin sisters blog about paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and erotic romance.
- Stumbling Over Chaos – Reviewettes, links, randomity, cats, knitting, fun!
- Teach Me Tonight – Musings on romance fiction from an academic perspective.
- Teflon Panties – Jamie King’s romance review site, where big girl panties and thick skin are combined.
Top 50 from 2009:
2010 Top 50 Continued:
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February 5th, 2010 — Australia/New Zealand, Guest Blogger, Lycanthrope, M-O, Paranormal
by Shelley Munro, guest blogger and author of Scarlet Woman.
Hi, my name is Shelley Munro, and I write paranormal and contemporary romance for Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing. Thanks for having me to visit today to talk about my feline shapeshifter book Scarlet Woman.
Middlemarch is a small town in the South Island of New Zealand. A few years ago, there was a special interest item on our news. The town of Middlemarch had a shortage of marriageable females, and in an effort to combat the problem, the locals decided to organize a dance to bring women into the area. A special train traveled from Dunedin. Dubbed the “Love Train”, it arrived packed with single women to attend the dance.
The first dance was a great success, and the next singles ball will take place at Easter 2011. For those who are interested, there’s a contact address on the Middlemarch website. www.middlemarch.co.nz Who knows who you’ll meet during the journey on the Love Train from Dunedin or at the actual dance???
The story of the dance and history behind it fascinated me. When I was looking for a place to set my feline shifter series, I decided Middlemarch would be perfect. In my Middlemarch world, both feline shifters and humans occupy the town. They face a similar problem, having a shortage of females. Saber is the oldest Mitchell brother, and his younger brothers are out of control. The feline council decides to arrange a dance, and Saber hopes to marry off his brothers to keep them out of trouble. Unfortunately, Saber is the one caught in the romance trap, much to the amusement of his brothers.
What do you think of the town’s plan to entice women to Middlemarch? Can you think of any other ways to entice women of a marriageable age to a small country town?
Author Bio:
Shelley Munro lives in New Zealand and loves to write about feline shapeshifters. To learn more about Scarlet Woman and the other stories in Shelley’s Middlemarch Mates series, read excerpts, see family trees and other background information visit her website at www.shelleymunro.com
Excerpt: Scarlet Woman
“Oh, man. Look at the tits on her.” Felix made kissing noises deep in his throat. “I’ve died and gone to heaven. Oh, man. She winked. Yep, heaven.”
Sly thumped his brother on the back. “Don’t think it’s heaven, bro. Can’t be with all that sinful lust shining on your face.”
“Cut it out, the pair of you,” Saber said, trying to scowl his boisterous younger brothers into obedience. Despite laying down the law this afternoon, the four were out of control. He had to get them settled before one of their harmless pranks boiled over into something that threatened them all.
“Yeah, gotta remember, this is punishment,” Leo chided, humor dancing in his dark eyes.
Joe let out a low whistle. “I vote the lady in red administers my punishment.”
Saber relaxed a fraction. Good. His plan was working already. If he managed to get each of his brothers mated, they’d cut out the mischievous shenanigans and settle down to raise a litter or two. And he wouldn’t have to worry about articles in the paper like the one he’d seen last month.
Black panther sighted again.
At least the article had lit a match under the council elders. Finally. Agreement that they needed to do something to help the younger males settle. Saber’s mouth firmed in introspection as he recalled the heated meeting. The council had discussed the lack of females of marriageable age. They knew the causes—the feline families tended to have male offspring while the human females seemed to enjoy the lifestyle offered in the city of Dunedin or farther afield. They attended high school and university in the city and never returned to their birthplace. The human males left too, but they tended to return after exploring a little of the world outside Middlemarch. Until the reporter’s story had appeared, no one had tried to solve the problem of a lopsided gender ratio. The article in the paper had been the catalyst. They’d all swung into action to organize a dance they hoped would benefit both the young shifter and human males living in Middlemarch. The task they’d called impossible suddenly became imperative.
Saber eyed Felix and Leo, the brothers standing closest to him, feeling the tension brought about by responsibility coalesce into a solid lump in his chest. They both strenuously denied taking part in the prank, but Saber wasn’t so sure. He knew his brothers—where there was fun to be had, they were in the thick of it.
Felix nudged Sly. “Big bro’s looking serious. He’s got Mission Mate on his mind again.”
Joe leaned closer and whispered, “Can’t have shape shifters roaming around Middlemarch for the humans to see.”
“Enough,” Saber snapped. His brothers sobered, knowing they’d pushed him far enough tonight. Dammit, he had to find them mates. It was too late for him. But not for them. None of his brothers remembered how it had been between their parents. They’d been too young when they died, but Saber remembered how they’d laughed and played together, how they’d made everything seem like a game, even the work on the farm. Yes, he remembered the intimacy between his parents, and that’s what he wanted for his four brothers.
http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-5674-127-scarlet-woman.aspx
Giveaway: Shelley has kindly offered one winner a chance to choose any one ebook download from her Middlemarch Mates series. There are eight books to choose from. Here's a link to the entire series beginning with Scarlet Woman. http://www.shelleymunro.com/series-guide/. To enter, answer her question. Ends February 28, 2010.
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November 27th, 2009 — Arabia/Middle East, Australia/New Zealand, Contemporary, Guest Blogger, M-O, Soldier
by Shelley Munro, guest blogger
Thanks so much for having me to visit today. My name is Shelley Munro, and I write both contemporary and paranormal romance for Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing.
I come wearing my contemporary author hat today. Like many other readers and authors, some of the earliest romances I read were Harlequin Mills & Boon. They were contemporary stories set in exotic locations, both in the country and in cities. The stories I read actually fueled my desire to travel. I wanted to see the Greek Islands, the Italian cities and French vineyards. I wanted to see London. Yes, I definitely started my love of contemporary romance at an early age.
So why do I like contemporary romances so much?
- The stories are set in this world in recognizable settings.
- The heroine is often someone who is just like me. It’s easy to step into her shoes and experience the ride.
- The problems the hero and heroine face during the story are ones the reader can empathize with because often they have experience with the same problems or know of someone who has. This can make the story more meaningful.
- The reader can armchair travel to exotic locations.
- The stories are often more light-hearted and less dark than in other genres.
- The stories are often set in small, close-knit communities.
- The stories have happy endings.
Luckily for me, after a bit of a drought in the contemporary genre, there are some great ones around this year. Some of my favorites include Lorelei James with her hot cowboy series, Robyn Carr with her Virgin River series and Victoria Dahl. All three authors have set their stories in small country towns. Everyone knows their neighbors and often their neighbors’ business, which can add to the story conflict. Some of the stories have a slight suspense element to them, but mostly the stories are character driven.
Authors Natalie Anderson and Sarah Mayberry are both Down Under authors. Natalie writes for Presents and Sarah writes for Blaze and Superromance. Both write wonderful contemporaries, often with quirky characters and a little humor. I snap up their books as soon as they come out.
Erin McCarthy is personally responsible for me losing sleep because I couldn’t stop reading her Flat-Out Sexy
, a contemporary set in the race car world. Maya Banks and Beth Kery write hot, hot, hot stories that leave the reader needing a cold shower or better yet, their favorite man.
My recent contemporary release Soldier of Fortune is set in both Iraq and New Zealand. My hero Louie Lithgow and heroine Joanna “Mac” McGregor are both soldiers who face danger every day while working for a private security company. Both have taken the job to earn big money. Louie intends this tour to be his last one while Mac needs to sign up again to support her father. I did lots of research while writing this story and hopefully I’ve managed to blend the danger and romance in a way that readers enjoy.
Here’s the blurb:
Joanna “Mac” McGregor loves her father, and she’ll do anything to keep him safe after Alzheimer’s starts to steal his mind. That takes money, and Mac uses her only skills—those of soldiering—when she takes up a security contract in Iraq. She doesn’t have time for men, her last vacation fling in Fiji relegated as one perfect moment to hold close during the grim reality of war.
Soldier Louie Lithgow is tired of fighting, the constant danger, and has decided this is his last contract. He wants to retire, sink his savings into a place on the beach, and find the sexy Joanna, his holiday lover.
Mac’s arrival in Iraq causes consternation. They’ve both been economical with the truth, but the attraction sizzling between them flares hot and bright. They embark on a clandestine affair—professional and confident during their high-danger day, passionate with the release of emotional stress during their torrid nights. One thing is clear—they have different goals and the future is both murky and dangerous. If they survive their contracts.
Buy link: http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-7810-127-soldier-of-fortune.aspx
Website: http://www.shelleymunro.com
Blog: http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog
Do you enjoy reading contemporary romances? Why or why not? Do you have any favorite contemporary romances you’ve read this year that you’d like to recommend?
Giveaway: One commenter will win a download of Shelley Munro's e-book Summer in the City of Sails
, which is the book where readers first meet Louie Lithgow, the hero of Soldier of Fortune. Enter by answering Shelley's questions about contemporary romances. One entry per relevant comment; multiple entries allowed. Ends: December 4, 2009.
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November 10th, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, 4 Stars, Book Review, Comedy of Manners, Contemporary, Cursed Lead, Ghost, Headaches, Ireland, M-O, Paranormal, Survival, Suspense/Thriller
I managed to sneak another romance novel in time for Halloween that has a spooky overtone. Wild Sight by Loucinda McGary takes place in a fictional town in Ireland with a lot of real cities and sights thrown in for good measure. This little mystery romance has a paranormal edge with the hero having what the Irish call, “The Sight.” So we get the spectral ghosties in Wild Sight to complement the passing of the Samhain, which actually falls within the books timeframe.
Samhain, if you don’t know, is an Irish holiday or at least a word derived from the ancient Celtic month bearing a similar name. On this day the veil between the spirit world and the human world is thinned and can be breached – kind of like the witching hour superstitions but allocated to a date instead of a time. The corresponding days to our calendar is Halloween or All Saints Day, October 31st and November 1st. It also marks the end of summer.
The Sight, which Donovan O’Shea possesses, manifests itself in different ways for everyone. For Donovan he comes near or in contact with an object or place of an event and he receives a vision. These visions leave him with buzzing, headaches and take place with a swirl and bright flash of colors. His mother possessed it too, but it’s not elaborated how the Sight is different from her to him. We do get to see a little bit of another version of the Sight by a character in Donovan’s past.
Donovan at age seventeen left Ireland behind as fast as he could. He’s now a naturalized American citizen, a CPA to be exact on the east coast. The start of the novel has us meet him a month or so after he’s arrived back in Ireland. He’s here to visit his ailing father, who has suffered a massive stroke, that’s left him partially immobilized and without the ability to properly speak. Donovan is hurriedly trying to sell off the old family land, has started the process to sell the pub his father owned to a third partner, all in his attempts to get the hell out of Ireland before the Sight takes him.
Too bad for Donovan, he’s a little too late.
Rylie Powell is in Ireland trying to track down her MIA father; the very same father she has never met, the one who abandoned her and her mother a very long time ago. She had once promised her mother never to track him down as sometimes the reasons people leave are reasons you don’t want to know. But now that her mother is dead, Rylie doesn’t feel obliged to keep that secret. She feels guilty about her step-dad’s acceptance of her need to come face to face with her real father, but not guilty enough to not go. She takes the directions her hired PI gave her and tracks down her father’s pub. When asking to meet with Dermot O’Shea a tall hunky guy unfurls himself from a corner booth.
She never imagined step-brothers… Older, seriously gorgeous half-brothers.
For Rylie and Donovan it’s instant lust that they fight as they search out the truth of her parentage. Donovan is dead certain his father is not her father (he’s right of course or there wouldn’t be a novel). Rylie wants to believe him, because she doesn’t want to feel sexual desire toward a half-brother. But she fears he’s wrong as she has a history of being attracted to the wrong men and who could be more wrong than Donovan?
As Rylie unravels the mystery of her parentage, a murder twenty years old is exposed on Donovan’s land as archeologists try to uncover ancient Celtic history. Dermot is implicated and Donovan must find out the truth – even if it means evoking the Sight on purpose. He really must be crazy.
Rating: 3.5 Stars if you don't like mysteries with your romance and 4 Stars if you do.
Originally posted 2008-10-29 10:40:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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September 20th, 2009 — About, Between the Sheets, Guest Blogger
by Susan Sigler, guest blogger
I’d like to take a moment to applaud the following publishers. Not only do they publish the greatest books ever, but they offer wonderful discounts, sponsor contests, most keep up blogs, and many have Yahoo groups. It goes without saying, authors work extremely hard to bring us beautiful stories with their imaginative plots, but credit should be given to those behind the scenes to publish the author’s vision. So without further ado, here are ten publishing sites I visit regularly. I hope many of you will visit, and it’s my wish you will win their contests or find new authors that peak your interest.
Publisher #1 St. Martin’s Press
http://us.macmillan.com/SMP.aspx
2 of their authors- Sherrilyn Kenyon and Cherry Adair.
Publisher #2 Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
http://samhainpublishing.com/index.php
Samhain has monthly ebook and print contests.
Publisher #3 Sourcebooks, Inc.
http://www.sourcebooks.com/
Sourcebooks has special offers and great discounts, beautiful Jane Austen E-cards to send to friends and family. They also have authors Amelia Grey, Carolyn Brown, and others.
Publisher #4 Ravenous Romance has a free short story, discounted books and audio books. Two of their many authors- Isabel Roman and Cecilia Tan.
http://www.ravenousromance.com/
Publisher #5 Harlequin has publishers like Mills & Boon, Harlequin, Silhouette, MIRA, and Steeple Hill. Harlequin offers Free Book Fridays and gave us 16 free books to celebrate Harlequin’s 60th anniversary, aren’t they divine?
http://www.eharlequin.com/
Publisher #6 Loose-Id is an erotic romance e-publisher With authors like Cheryl Dragon, Marie Harte, Ann Lory and Moira Rogers, is it any wonder we love them.
http://www.loose-id.com/
Publisher #7 Kensington Publishing Corp. they have contests. Listen to these authors: Delta Dupree, Heather Graham, Devyn Quinn, Lynsay Sands, and Sasha White.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/
Publisher #8 Ellora’s Cave has free short story reads and authors like Jaci Burton, Tracy Cooper-Posey, and Marie Treanor.
http://www.ellorascave.com/
Publisher #9 The Wild Rose Press has free reads and the author J.L. Wilson.
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/
Publisher #10 Hachette Book Group (HBG) has approximately 9 publishing groups with links to contests you can enter. One of the authors they publish for is Jennifer Haymore, remember A Hint of Wicked? If you enjoyed it, thank HBG.
http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/
This is not a comprehensive list it’s a summary, there are many other publishers I’m not familiar with and therefore didn’t mention. Please note, due to limited space and time constraints, I did not name the many hundreds upon hundreds of authors they publish. I simply made reference to my favorites, and the ones I believe you’d recognize upon reading.
If you can enlighten me with other publishers, by all means tell me. I’d love to hear about them.
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