trueromance

Risky Read Along

You are invited to the very first Risky Regencies Read Along. From March 10 to 31 the Riskies and their readers, at the same time, will be reading Georgette Heyer’s Venetia (and offering prizes), a blogdom version of a book discussion group. What could be better than to discuss books with one’s friends? After all, this is what the Borders True Romance Blog does every day, right?

Risky Regencies Blog is “the original, riskiest, and forever the friskiest Regency Romance Blog,” with at least 5 to 6 blogs a week for almost five years. Each of us has our own day of the week to blog, and we each have our own individual voices and our own take on the world of the Regency (and History in general) and the writing of Regency-set Romance.
Diane Gaston, who writes Regency Historicals for Harlequin Historicals, blogs on Mondays. Next for Diane is her Harlequin Historical Undone short story The Unlacing of Miss Leigh, which appears in the April 2010 anthology, Pleasurably Undone.
Tuesday is Amanda McCabe/Laurel McKee’s day. Amanda’s books span several time periods for Harlequin Historical. Laurel McKee’s debut series for Grand Central features 18th Century Ireland. Amanda has several books available now. To Catch a Rogue is coming in April. Laurel McKee’s Countess of Scandal is available now.
Carolyn Jewel blogs on Wednesdays. Carolyn’s latest Regency from Berkley Sensation, Indiscreet, was released last October. Carolyn also writes Paranormals for Grand Central. My Forbidden Desire, came out in June. Carolyn will lead our Read Along. It was her idea!
Janet Mullany is our Thursday blogger. An irreverent and extremely clever Englishwoman, Janet writes funny romantic Regencies for Little Black Dress. Improper Relations is the latest. She also writes adaptations of literary works. Coming soon from Loose Id an erotic novella, Reader I Married Him. October 2010 from Harlequin, a novella in Bespelling Jane, and from Harper Collins, Jane and the Damned: “It is more than her wit that is biting.”
Megan Frampton winds up our blogging week on Fridays. Megan wrote A Singular Lady for Signet and is currently freelancing and exploring a variety of genres, including Regency, for her next publishing niche.
The Risky Regency Read Along Kick Off is March 10. The goal is to read seven chapters each week, finishing Venetia on March 31. On March 10 Carolyn gives some potential discussion ideas for the first seven chapters. On March 17 the discussion begins. Join in for the fun…and for the chance to win prizes.

Tall….6’1”….check.

Smart….you bet….check.

Chris Winters is a TV-Film guy/techno-jock who makes the A-list for Borders True Romance, Reader’s Entertainment Group, and Between Your Sheets. Born in Virginia and currently living in LA, this 2008 Mr. Romance can be seen in TV and movie cameos, biking or running around the city, appearing at events, or sometimes on various websites.

What do romance readers want to know about Chris?

Has being Mr. Romance helped you in achieving any of your Hollywood goals?
I think anything you do adds a step to achieving any kind of goals in life. I have had, very interestingly, someone mention it on a red carpet event before. I started recently using it more to bring the awareness.

Has being a cover model added romance to your relationships or has it actually been a detriment?
Well, I do not think being a cover model of anything will add or take away romance from an individual because a person should love someone for who they are inside. I know me just being me adds a lot to romance, or anything else for that matter. Romance is defined on respect, communication, and love for the other person.

Where do you hope to be in your career in the next two years?
Well, I do have a few people pushing me that are successful working actors, so I will be having a great year in the middle or end of 2010. I remember in 2005 a lot of things happened within that year and it was the same time. I’ve done a lot in Hollywood since my arrival two years ago. I have to thank my fans for that as well for keeping up with me.

If you could go back in history and become anyone he wanted, who would that be?
That’s a really tough question. I would imagine the person I could possibly be would be Abraham Lincoln. He has his own personal issues along with doing something really great in his life. One true hero.

If you could choose to be any character in a book for a film, which character would it be?
This is another tough question. Off the bat, I would imagine Darth Vader from the Star Wars movies. I always loved that character!

What Chris wants you to know about him?
I can honestly say I do love life. I thank God everyday for another chance to breathe again. I am the type of guy who you will meet and walk away smiling, knowing that I am down-to-earth.

I am a free spirited individual who believes in living life to the fullest and laughter is the start of everything. I enjoy many things in life. This ranges from eating, running in parks, solving challenging problems, to spending some time with someone. They say life is too short, but I always ask: “What else is longer?” Life shouldn’t be measured in time, but the time you enjoy with it.

Here are the following fun filled facts:

I am very goal oriented and determined but I have a weakness for chocolate and other sugary things.
I like a stimulating conversation, this can range from fractual functions to macrophages; or the uvula!
I love Xbox 360. I only like a few select games that have a storyline.
I like parks– especially Pan Pacific in Los Angeles, next to The Grove (it was featured on Miracle Mile and actor Brian Thompson was on it. I worked with him. The park is pretty cool at night, while running).
I like Peanut butter, and most common things everybody else likes. Ladybugs come to mind.
I DO NOT fold clean laundry. Hate it. I use it for my ultimate Hamster Nest. My Hamster Nest is when you sleep on various clothing articles.
I like snakes, snails, spiders, and scary movies. Yeah, I am NOT AFRAID to get my hands dirty, muddy, or tear up my shoes! I will also rub your feet.
I like various music. However, I really like Indie music that no one else listens to.
I really, super love, swing sets! If you want to feel young again, that is the place.
Midnight blue or blue that resembles late, starry night. Romantic and euphoric.

So let’s give a shout out for this talented, humorous guy who is determined to make it to the top and to take all of his friends with him because success for Chris is all about the heart. Hear him on the March 9th on Canned Laughter and Coffee with Renee Bernard and learn why this is a swinging Mr. Romance, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/circle-of-seven/2010/03/10/canned-laughter-and-coffee.

Update: Here’s the interview!

Learn more about Chris at Between your Sheets.com

My Borders Romance Group

I am very lucky that the Borders I shop at has a wonderful Romance Reader Group. This is a group of about 20 ladies and we are growing. I have been a part of this group for over 8 years. We meet once a month and just talk romance books. When we talk book, we talk books. We talk about what we liked, what we didn’t like. Why did the author do that and what really turns us off of a book. We even went to San Francisco when RWA was there. A whole bus load of us went up and came back with a bus loadof autographed books.

We all have a few pet peeves that we don’t like. Some of them are, if the hero is unfaithful to the heroine after they met. He can do anything he wants before they get together, but once they meet. He better stay faithful to her. Then you have the heroine that is just to stupid to live. You just want to shot her and it can really ruin a book for you. The other biggie is modern language in a historical. I know that one really upsets people. Or the cover does not match the hero or heroine. Here you are reading a book and the cover shows a blond with flowing hair, but in the book she has flowing black hair.

Another big plus in our group is we get ARC’s to read. That is Advanced Reader Copy. This has opened my eyes up to so many new authors and genres. I never read shifter books until I got a ARC for one. After that I was hooked. I love Lora Leigh, Shelly Laurenston, Terry Spear, Nalini Singh. I have found new authors this way. Authors I never would of picked up if I hadn’t gotten the ARC, Anna Campbell, Deb Stover, Nina Bruhns just to name a few. Well also get ARC”S of up coming releases. Brenda Novak, Robyn Carr, Madeline Hunter, you can’t miss her new series, they are outstanding! An ARC is great because it can really open up your eyes to new and old authors.

We are even lucky to have a few authors in our group. Bella Andre, Jasmine Haynes, Mardi Ballou, and Shelly, who has three pen names, Shelly Bates/Shelly Adina/Shannon Hollis . It’s fun to have them because they do tell us some interesting things. It is also nice to know what some of them go through with there books. It’s nice to hear what makes them write, where they get there ideas, and all important when the next book is out.

We have had authors that will come and talk about their new books and then sign them for us. Brenda Novak came and talked about her Last Stand series and the new series that will be out this year. Veronica Wolff and Monica McCarty have come by. Jenny Anderson, who is a member of the group just had her first book published. We have also had Jami Alden, Anne Mallory, Crystal Jordan and others come by.

Because of this group I have met some wonderful ladies, I have read some great books. I have gotten others to read good books, like The Madness Of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley. They have gotten me to read books out of my comfort zone like Immortal Sins by Amanda Ashley, I don’t really like vampire books, but this one was Ok.

If you are not lucky and don’t have a group like this around. The next best thing I found has been the Romantic Times web site. It has a wonderful message board and we talk books all day long. It has a bunch of different boards that you can go to. You have a board for your favorites, readers roundtable, book sleuth, a general board and you also have a spoiler one. If you have a question about any book you can post it here and it will be answered. I have met allot of nice ladies here also. Mater of fact I have one lady that we will send books back and forth to each other, thanks Danielle!

Last I would like to wish my mom a Happy belated Birthday. When I first did this post it was to run on her Birthday, but we got bumped!!

Do any of you have a Romance group in your area? What are some of your pet peeves in a book? Do you have someone who encouraged you to read?

Alyssa Day, ATLANTIS REDEEMED, Setting: Atlantis and Yellowstone National Park
Subgenre: Paranormal Romance
Hero: Brennan, an Atlantean warrior who has lived without emotion for more than 2,000 years
Heroine: Tiernan Butler, a human investigative reporter who has the Gift of Truth Telling

One sentence summary:
When 2,000 years of lost emotion hit you all at once—do you fall in love or die?

Scene you like most and would never cut:
When Brennan first re-encounters Tiernan and the curse he has suffered under for so long shatters.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:
Anything that makes her look, feel, or be helpless. She has a vested interest in bringing the truth to the public and achieving justice for her murdered best friend.

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy:
Pure Atlantean silk, baby.

Ancillary character you had the most fun with:
The vampire leader, Devon. He has very interesting goals and the shocking twist at the end almost surprised even me! I’m going to write his book one day.

Your heroine’s favorite hobby:
Walking on the beach, far away from anybody who might be telling lies. Lies hurt her; they feel and sound discordant and screeching against her soul.

Your hero’s favorite hobby:
Can I say it involves Tiernan and nakedness? LOL. He also is having a great time learning to tell jokes now that he has emotion back and can recognize humor.

What you think readers will like best about this book:
The emotion. My editor said this is the most emotional novel I’ve ever written and I think she’s right. Something about Brennan’s almost childlike attempts to cope with 2,000 years’ of lost emotion swamping him all at once; then the way he and Tiernan fight for each other even when they are in so much pain—I admit I cried more than once writing this book.

Reviews: Wow! Everything from “spectacular” and “exemplary” to “a cocktail sauce of awesome.” I’m loving the reviews!

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
High priest Alaric. His path is so tortured, and everyone wants to know what happens with him and Quinn. There is a very emotional scene in Atlantis Redeemed between the two of them; Alaric is starting to crack around the edges a little bit.

What’s next:
Christophe’s book is next – and it’s a heist book! In ATLANTIS BETRAYED, out in September, he encounters a famous British cat burglar and boy, do the sparks fly! Then it’s the first of my new urban fantasy series, also for Berkley. I can’t wait!
For the first time ever, I’m stuck for a title for Denal’s upcoming book. If you can think of a wonderful title (must have Atlantis in it), I’ll put you in the acknowledgements for the book.

There must be prizes! One book to 3 random readers commenting on this blog! Please visit me online at http://www.alyssaday.com for excerpts, a free short story, video interviews, and more. Thank you so much!
Hugs,
Alyssa

Something About You by Julie James

Setting: Chicago
Subgenre: Contemporary romance (with a suspense subplot)
Hero: Jack Pallas
Heroine: Cameron Lynde

One sentence summary: When Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde witnesses a high-profile murder in the hotel room next to hers, she is reunited with her former colleague, Special Agent Jack Pallas, and the two of them must put aside their past conflicts and work together to catch the killer… before the killer finds Cameron first.

Scene you like most and would never cut: A love scene between the hero and heroine that takes place at a wedding. I think the dynamics and dialogue in that scene show how much their relationship has changed from the beginning of the book, where they *think* they can’t stand each other.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: “These are lovely, but I already have enough shoes.”

What celebrity is your hero like: Jason Bourne or a taller, darker version of Jack Bauer. (Technically not celebrities, I know, but that’s who I thought of.)

What celebrity is your heroine like: Eva Green’s character in Casino Royale, Vesper Lynd. (Yep, I even borrowed the last name.)

What is your heroine’s occupation: She’s the top Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

What is your hero’s occupation: He’s an FBI Special Agent. And I’m pretty sure he can kill people with his thumb.

What you think readers will like best about this book: The humor and the interplay between the hero and heroine. Jack is basically Jason Bourne dumped into a romantic comedy. He’s all dark and scowling and trying the save the day, while everyone else around him is cracking jokes. As for Cameron, she’s got her act together, and thinks she has her life figured out, until she’s at the wrong place at the wrong time and witnesses a murder that unexpectedly brings Jack back into her life.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Jeremy, Jason’s best friend in Just the Sexiest Man Alive. The challenge with writing Jeremy’s story, however, would be in keeping Jason from dominating every scene. As the world’s biggest movie star, Jason tends to think the spotlight should be on him.

What’s next: I’m currently finishing up my fourth book, about a wealthy wine store owner who agrees to pose as the girlfriend of an undercover FBI agent (as part of a sting operation) in exchange for her twin brother’s release from prison.

Question of the Day and giveaway: Oh, the pressure to come up with a challenging, thought-provoking question…. how about this: Do you have different expectations of heroes and heroines in contemporary romances versus other subgenres? Two randomly-chosen people who leave a comment below will win a copy of Something About You. And I’ll be dropping by throughout the day to answer any questions!
More information about Julie James and her books can be found at www.juliejames.com.

Lauren Willig writes the acclaimed “Pink Carnation” series for Dutton, and her latest book, “The Betrayal of the Blood Lily” comes out in January ‘10. Cara Elliott (whose real name is Andrea DaRif) debuts her new “Circle of Sin” trilogy in March ’10 with “To Sin With A Scoundrel.”(She also writes historical mystery romance under the pen name Andrea Pickens.)

These best selling authors are teaching a course at Yale U: READING THE HISTORICAL ROMANCE.

What was the genesis of the course; how did you two come up w/the idea and what was/is your goal in teaching the course?
(to read the syllabus click here)

LW: Two Yalie romance writers find themselves next to an open bar…. There is, as there always is, a bit more back-story to it. Over the past few years, I’ve become involved in the burgeoning romance scholarship movement, as a group of academics have fought to build a critical apparatus around the study of popular romance novels, not just as sociological artifacts, but as texts. It’s a movement that’s been spearheaded by Professor Eric Selinger at DePaul and Professor Sarah Frantz at Fayetteville, both of whom were instrumental in putting together the Princeton conference on popular romance last spring. There are dissertations being written on Heyer, on Cruisie, on Roberts, just as there are on E.M. Forster or Hemingway. (At last year’s Popular Culture Association conference, I got to hear papers on the use of the first person in Mary Stewart’s “Nine Coaches Waiting”, the symbolism of food in J.D. Robb, and inversions of status in American-written Regencies. I gave a paper on the uses and abuses of history in historical romance.) It’s an incredibly rich and interesting field, all the more so because it’s been neglected for so long.

Fast forward to last spring, as Cara and I sipped glasses of wine during the intermission of Lady Jane’s Salon, discussing romance scholarship and how we would structure a class if we had the chance. It suddenly occurred to us—why not?

CE: Oh, right, the open bar definitely came into play! The idea for the seminar began with one of those fun, serendipitous moments . . . Lauren and I ran into each other at Lady Jane’s Salon, a monthly romance reading series in downtown New York City, and as fellow Yale grads, we started comparing notes on our experiences there. As we chatted, we starting joking around, saying, “Oh, you know, we should really propose to teach a college seminar on romance novels and how they should be treated as a serious literary genre—the students would probably love it.”

We both laughed . . . and then a simultaneous spark lit in our eyes. “Oh, let’s go for it!” we both said. And so began the process of putting together a formal proposal and week-by-week syllabus of readings and discussion topics. Lauren’s sister Brooke, a junior at Yale, was a fabulous sounding board for ideas and books, and together we polished up a presentation.

After passing the first few hurdles, we were called to New Haven to interview before a group of twenty students and two faculty members. They asked great questions, and I think our enthusiasm for the subject came through loud and clear (neither of us has any trouble talking about books and why we love them!)

In any case, our proposal was accepted, and received the stamp of approval from the English department, so come January, historical romance will “go Ivy League!”

What was it like to interview in front of a panel of students?

LW: There was something a bit surreal about being interviewed in a college dining hall (the smell of baked scrod brought me right back!), but it was an incredibly invigorating experience. It was a large panel of interviewers, about twenty at a guess, composed of both faculty and students, which meant they brought a very wide range of approaches and questions. We got to speak about everything from how one would define the term “romance novel” to the intricacies of English society in the early nineteenth century.

CE: And we brought down the house with a mention of Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan’s website Smart Bitches, Trashy Books! They loved it (humor is very important in our books) I thought the sherry-colored wood paneling was going to pop off the walls. And that’s exactly what we are trying to do—shake up the old perceptions of romance as mere “bodice rippers.”

Was there a question put to you that stands out as something very astute or that may have caused you to think about romance fiction in a way you hadn’t? In other words, were there moments when you were surprised by how folks saw romance in a good light, but perhaps one you’d never considered?

LW: I don’t know if I’d call this the most astute, but the question that left the deepest impression on me was whether we expected to have only women in the course. When I told them that the scholar on the forefront of putting romance on the academic map was, in fact, a man, I could see the entire room take notice. Although it is a small point, it makes our larger point that this is a literary field worthy of general study by interested and intelligent people of either gender. Should guys study romance novels, too? Hell, yes.

CE: That really was an interesting moment. As Lauren says, you could see something click in both the men and women. The question had been asked half in jest, but I think the answer made them think—and in a very good way.

LW: On top of that, I think the focused nature of the class also caught their attention. We tailored the class around the Regency romance—not only because we both write it and men in knee breeches are always a Good Thing—but because it provides a self-contained field through which we can track the development of a genre in a comprehensive way. Our class starts with Jane Austen’s “Northanger Abbey”, moves through Heyer and Woodiwiss, looks at changing attitudes towards sexuality and heroism in a variety of authors over a thirty year time span, going right up through Regency paranormals and chick lit. Some of the tropes and changes we look at are unique to the Regency romance, but many mirror developments in the romance community as a whole. The fact that there are sub-genres within romance, each with its own traditions and trajectory, rather than just a monolith known as “oh, romance novels”, clearly made the students on the panel stop and think.

What strength/s do each of you bring to the course?

CE: I think one of the great things about this collaboration is that Lauren and I bring a pretty unique set of skills to the course. We both have a good undergrad grounding in history, and I have a Masters degree in Graphic Design from Yale while she has a Masters degree in History from Harvard, as well as a Harvard Law degree. So it’s a fun left-brain/right brain sort of thing—and together we make the complete package! Lauren brings a really impressive formal academic experience to share with the students, while my background in art and visual communication adds a different perspective.

But most importantly, we both are really passionate about romance and what we write, and I think that comes through when we discuss it. Our goal in this course is to share our excitement in the creative process, as well as to inspire an appreciation and respect for the romance genre. Hey, it’s time for the world to recognize that smart women write romance—and smart women (and even smarter men) read romance! We hope that we can help spread the word.

LW: Both of us bring a passion for the subject, years of experience as readers of the genre, and a nuts and bolts perspective as practitioners. On top of that, we each have our own unique skills. Back in the day, I pursued a doctorate in English history at that Other School (the Crimson one in Cambridge). The doctorate got away from me, but not before I spent several years scribbling endless dissertation notes, teaching undergrad classes, and generally doing the whole academic thing. One of my various teaching appointments was on the tutorial board of Harvard’s History and Literature department, which seems particularly appropriate for a class like this. As a lapsed historian, I contribute the history side of things and lots of war stories about grading papers, while Cara brings in the more textual, literary approach. It’s worked perfectly as a balance.

Why Yale?

LW: It was a combination of affection, opportunity, and geography. Both Cara and I are devoted Yale grads with lots of warm and fuzzy feelings about our alma mater. I live in New York and Cara in Connecticut, so, for a commute to class, Yale lies nicely in the middle. Not to mention those amazing caramel lattes at Atticus, which I will now get to drink regularly.

CE: And Yale has a wonderful undergraduate program where each semester, the 12 residential colleges sponsor courses that are supposed to be a bit “outside the box” and allow students to work with notable professionals in fields ranging from sports and art to music and literature. (One of the highlights of my student experience was the chance to study the art of the children’s book with Maurice Sendak.)

So we thought that this was the perfect place for the course we wanted to create. It’s incredibly exciting to have this opportunity, and we are really looking forward to it.

What questions would you ask these talented, instructors? Would you entertain taking a course about Reading Romance?
Answer below & you may be one of 5 winners to be randomly chosen to win a copy of Cara or Lauren’s books!

Well, because they just are! I mean, men, who have that kind of drive & focus, that want to fight for their country for their families & others, is such an unselfish act that there is no other word that describes them — it is heroism at its grandest!

Ok, here is where I have to tell you - - - I’m NOT a writer, not aspiring to be one, never wanted to be one - - - I’m a reader & bookseller. The reason I am clarifying this now is so when you read this post you’ll have expectations for the writing of an un-published writer - - - now you’ll know what to expect & won’t be disappointed

So, back to my Military men . . . many authors have chosen to write this sub-genre in romance & I salute them for doing so & for doing it so well. Romance authors portray these men as the heroes they are: Robyn Carr in Virgin River - & what about Paradise Valley when Rick returns home from war?

Stephanie Tyler is rockin the romance world with her new series beginning with Hard To Hold, Navy Seals at their finest!

Suzzane Brockmann was one of the authors that really set the stage for me: Unsung Hero with Tom Paoletti; Ken Karmody in Out of Control ; & my favorite with Lt Tom Starrett in Gone Too Far. Suz’s Troubleshooters have all found a spot in our hearts.

Military romances introduce us to a world we don’t even know - - - giving us a glimpse of impossible military situations & an authors point of view of how to get them out of it - - - & makes us think, and maybe even put ourselves into those situations wondering how the heck to get out of it!

When Military heroes come home from war, there is nothing better. Julia London’s, Summer of Two Wishes, was an emotional tear-jerker that delivered all a good romance should. As an escaped POW, Finn comes back from duty to find his wife has remarried during his long absence - - - Julia tells us both sides of the story . . . how Finn decides to get his wife back & how Macy really wants to come back to her first love but is torn by the love of her current husband . . . sigh. . . . this is why we read & love romance!

I also find reading about the Military, especially now, as kind of a tribute to our soldiers, and/or the Military unto itself. I am in awe of those men & women who will put their lives on the line for their country - - - even when at times, I feel like we (collective we) don’t show the appreication they deserve. It makes me more aware of these great men & women so when I see them at the airport on leave, I’ll walk up to them shake their hand, smile & say thank you & God Bless.

Bottom line, putting all that aside, as important as these occupations are & how revered they should be to all American citizens . . . our authors do a darn good job of writing these stories, creating the sexiest of heroes making these books the most fun to read! Thanks ladies!!

So, tell us, why do you read Military romances? Who are some of your favorites?
Thanks for having me blog today & please stop by Borders True Romance Blog, www.bordersblog.com/trueromance and romancerollcall.com & comment today — you may be chosen for a free book!

Happy Romance

Check out this great site where we’ll be posting comments as well — Romance Roll Call

Setting:
Begins eight years ago on an island in the South Pacific and then moves to present day New York City
Subgenre:
Romantic Suspense
Hero:
Gabriel(Gabe)Maddox
Heroine:
Skylar James

One sentence summary:
Young lovers, tragically torn apart, reunite years later and work together to save a young girl’s life.

Scene you like most and would never cut:
When Skylar regains consciousness and realizes who rescued her. The reaction she has to seeing Gabe again is one of my favorite parts. In a span of seconds, she goes through a half dozen tumultuous emotions, every one of them so revealing and heartbreaking. As is Gabe’s response.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:
“I want to write a tell-all book about my life.”

What celebrity is your hero like:
In my mind, Gabe always looked like a blue-eyed Gerard Butler. However, some have told me the man on the NO CHANCE cover looks like Ben Affleck.

What celebrity is your heroine like:
A little like Olivia Wilde (plays Thirteen on the television show House). However, about the time I was writing NO CHANCE, I received a catalogue and on the cover was Skylar, exactly the way I had pictured her in my mind. Just wish I knew her name!

What is your heroines occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing:
To the world, Skylar James is a wealthy socialite and celebrity. Part-time model, spokesperson and charity fund raiser. But Skylar has a secret life few know about…

What is your heroes occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing:
Gabe Maddox is a covert operative for Last Chance Rescue. He rescues kidnapped victims.

What you think readers will like best about this book:
NO CHANCE is a reunion romance, which I think is a favorite for many. Also, since Gabe and Skylar were so young when they fell in love and then tragically torn apart, I believe readers will root for them to get together again.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
I’ve been fortunate to be able to write books for most of the secondary characters readers have asked for. However, I’ve had several ask for Rachel’s story. She was Samara’s best friend in RETURN TO ME.

What’s next:
SECOND CHANCE, the second book in this trilogy, releases March 23 and features a reader favorite, Cole Mathison, who was terribly tortured in RUN TO ME. And on April 27, LAST CHANCE releases. Readers will meet McKenna Sloan in NO CHANCE and she’ll get to tell her story in the trilogy ender.

I love reunion romances because they can make for a wonderfully emotional story. What about you? What are your some of your favorite romance themes? And what are your favorite books with those themes?

Three randomly chosen commenter’s below will win a copy of NO CHANCE.

3 Swoon-Worthy Hero Quotes and a Scene
by Michelle of Michelle and Leslie’s Book Picks

I signed up to do this post with no idea what I’m going to write about for this post. I couldn’t think of a topic so I’m just going to let some of my favorite heroes to do the talking and I hope that’s okay. They are better with words (especially swoon-worthy ones) anyway right? I love to read historical and paranormal romances best so I’m going to share with you three of my favorite swoon-worthy historical hero quotes and a scene from one of my favorite paranormals:

WARNING: There may be spoilers if you haven’t read the book!

1. Nathan and Evelyn were married but estranged for years. Evelyn wants nothing to do with him but Nathan was determined to woo his wife and convince her that their marriage was worth saving. Nathan and Evelyn were dining picnic-style in their morning room (which Nathan prepared) and talking about what they remembered from their marriage when he said this:

“In your eyes it seems every bump, every cross word, is the measure. Do you want to know else I remember, Evelyn? Not every cross word. Not every bump. I remember how you look in the morning… the sound of your laughter… how you hair catches the candlelight… flowers in your hair and how beautiful you were the day I married you… the brilliant glow of happiness in your eyes when you told me you carried our child.” –Nathan Grey (page 209 of The Book of Scandal by Julia London)

2. I don’t think this hero needs an introduction but Sebastian was the baddest, most caustic hero I’ve read in a historical romance. I loved reading both this sardonic comebacks and his swoon-worthy ones.

“Evie… during the past few days I’ve had nothing to do but lie in this bed and think about things that I’ve spent my entire life trying to avoid. I once told you that I wasn’t meant for a wife and family. That I wouldn’t have have any interest in a child… the truth is I want you to have my baby. I didn’t know how much until I thought that I would never have the opportunity… Damn it. I don’t know how to be a husband, or a father. But since your standards in both areas seem to be relatively low, I may have half a chance at pleasing you.” –Sebastian, Viscount St. Vincent (page 319 of Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas)

3. I love classic Judith McNaught books and all her books have great hero quotes. But if I had to choose one from JM, it will have to be that almost last scene in the cabin with Ian and Elizabeth. It always gets me every time no matter how many times I read it.

“If you would take one step forward, darling, you could cry in my arms. And while you do, I’ll tell you how sorry I am for everything I’ve done… And when I’m finished you can help me find a way to forgive myself.” --Ian Thornton (page 501 of Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught)

4. This is not a quote but a scene and it features Zsadist (a bad-ass but very scarred hero) and Bella. It’s one of my all-time favorite scenes in romance. I was bawling my eyes out when I read this scene:

Flipping the spiral notebook to a new page, he bent way over and labored on top of the paper for quite a while. Then he ripped the sheet free. His hand was shaking as he held it out. “It’s messy.”
Bella took the paper. In a child’s uneven block letters there were three words: I LOVE YOU

Her lips flattened tight as her eyes stung. The handwriting got wavy and then disappeared.
“Maybe you can’t read it,” he said in a small voice. “I can do it over.” (page 423 of Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward)

Now your turn to share your favorite swoon-worthy hero quote(s) or scene(s) from your favorite romance.

Maybe some of us will even find a new title to add to our romance to buy list or rediscover an old favorite

When Verity’s past abruptly finds her, her recent behavior promises to unleash the scandal of the decade. Of more concern to her, she now has to outwit fate or be forced back into a marriage to a lord whom she never freely accepted. She never expects for the stranger who is her husband to create so much sensual excitement, however, or for her quest for the life she was supposed to live instead to reveal a conspiracy that endangers them both.

Read an excerpt, click here

& don’t miss the first in the rarest blooms series, Ravishing in Red