trueromance

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

Hi my name is Rosemary Potter and I own an independent Romance Bookstore, Rosemary’s Romance Books, in Brisbane, Australia. We stock and sell only new Romance Books and we are really proud of our range and dedication to stocking the best that romantic fiction has to offer. Even so it was still a surprise and honor to win the Steffi Walker Bookseller of the Year award in 2009.

To be honest I can’t remember the exact date that that I first discovered that I loved Romance books, but I do remember the first book that got me hooked! The book was Green Darkness by Anya Seton and it was and still is one of the most romantic and enthralling books that I have ever read. I actually made the mistake of loaning the book to a friend and never got it back. So this led me to track down another copy. The only problem was, I didn’t own a fantastic well stocked bookstore at that time and the replacement copy set me back US$185. Still it was money well spent and it has pride of place on the “touch and you die” shelf of my bookcase. Anyway I never imagined then that it would inspire me to own my very own romance bookstore.

I am a great fan of Audio Books as I have quite a lengthy commute from home to work. I find that the majority of Audio that I listen to is Crime and Suspense and any new releases that release as a hardcover. For some reason there isn’t a lot of paranormal fiction available on audio which is a shame. I am currently listening to No Mercy by Lori Armstrong, I have been torturing one of my staff members with tidbits of the plot which will eventually force her to buy it. Other Audio titles that have featured this month include Fired Up by Jayne Ann Krentz, A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh, Trial by Fire by J.A. Jance and Sizzle by Julie Garwood.

Having the bookstore, my staff and I are lucky to receive Advanced Reading Copies from some of the best in the romantic genre. I am really excited about the March release of Demonfire, a new paranormal series by Kate Douglas, and the April release of His Darkest Hunger by Juliana Stone which is a great paranormal shifter series in the vein of Lora Leigh’s breeds and I haven’t stopped talking about a historical novel called Pieces of Sky by Kaki Warner which was a January release.

This month my must read list include Bitter Night (Bk#1) Diana Pharaoh Francis, Blood Cross (Bk#2) Faith Hunter, Tempest Rising (Bk #1) Nicole Peeler, Blood Kin (Bk #3) Maria Lima, Beyond the Night (Bk #1) Joss Ware, Three Days to Dead (Bk#1) Kelly Meding, Death’s Mistress (Bk #2) Karen Chance, and The Secret of Everything by Barbara O’Neal.

I must add that I absolutely LOVED the Jayne Ann Krentz reissue, Starfire. In fact I loved it so much I jumped online to see if I the next two books were being reissued. To my horror I found that they weren’t currently available so in my desire to continue the series, I once again forked out an exorbitant amount of money for a used copy of Bk#2 Crystal Flame and was happy to track down and audio copy of Bk #3 Shields Lady.
I am going away on holiday in March and the short list of books that will be in my suitcase are, Flirt and Divine Misdemeanors by Laurell K. Hamilton, The Endless Forest by Sara Donati and Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb. The list is sure to get longer and the suitcase heavier before I leave but we all have our vices and this is mine.

“Never Be Without a Book to Read”
Rosemary
Rosemary’s Romance Books
www.rosemarysromancebooks.com

Question: As an avid fan of romance books do you appreciate the work and information that authors put into their websites, and is it frustrating when they aren’t kept up to date?

Setting: My characters travel a lot in this novel, so the setting covers Ft. Worth, St. Louis, New York, England, Las Vegas, Monaco, Bucharest, and Marseille.
Subgenre: Paranormal romance
Hero: Spade, real name Charles, centuries-old Master vampire
Heroine: Denise, 28 year old human

One sentence summary: Denise wants nothing to do with the vampire world and Spade is determined never to fall for a human again, but when a demon shapeshifter targets Denise, Spade is the only person who can help her.

Scene you like most and would never cut: It’s so hard to pick just one scene! I had several wouldn’t-cut-for-the-world favorites in this book. I’ll defer to readers, who’ve most commented about a scene where Denise and Spade are on a boat and the true effects of the demon’s brands on Denise are revealed (readers who’ve gotten an early look at First Drop, no spoilers in the comments, please :).

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: My poor heroine! Her life gets turned upside down in this novel, so whatever she thought she’d never end up doing/saying, happens.

What celebrity is your hero like: Hmm. I’d say he looks like a cross between actor Hugh Jackman and model Christopher Douglas (haven’t heard of him? Click here: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v351/Kailyn/Models/Christopher%20Douglas/)

What celebrity is your heroine like: I picture her as a cross between Kate Beckinsale and Natalie Portman. And yes, as you can tell, I can never just pick one person in my comparisons.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing:
When the novel starts, Denise works in customer service at a bank. But circumstances soon require her to quit that job and plunge herself into the last place she wants to be – the vampire world.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Vampire society operates like a pyramid scheme, with the Master of the line responsible for the protection and well-being of everyone under him. Spade is a Master, so if someone killed a member of his line, Spade would have to avenge that death and provide for any of the deceased’s family/significant other/children. If someone stole a member of his line, Spade would be required to fight or bargain for their return. But there’s compensation for all that responsibility. Master vampires get ten percent of all their people’s income. If only our government took that small of a slice in taxes, right? *wink*

What you think readers will like best about this book: From early reviews, readers seem to love the heat between Spade and Denise, the deeper look at the vampire world, and the twist at the end (side note: I love it when readers say they couldn’t guess the ending in advance!)

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
This is easy – Vlad. I get more “please write a Vlad book!” emails from readers than any other character. I’m thrilled by this, because I’d love to write a few books featuring Vlad. We’ll see at the next contract time if I can convince my publisher to love the idea of Vlad books, too. Cross your fingers for me, readers!

What’s next:
Eternal Kiss of Darknesss, book two in the Night Huntress World novels, comes out July 27th. This features the mega-powerful vampire Mencheres as the hero, plus a new character named Kira as the heroine. In October, Cat and Bones have a short story in Death’s Excellent Vacation, an anthology edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner. And in early 2011, the as-yet-unnamed fifth book in the Night Huntress series featuring Cat and Bones comes out.

Thanks so much for having me on the blog! I’m very excited about First Drop of Crimson and can’t wait to share Spade and Denise’s story with everyone.
Since one of the events in this novel centers around an unexpected supernatural ability, readers – if you could suddenly have one superpower, anything at all, what would it be? Comment to be entered in a random drawing giving away three copies of First Drop of Crimson.

Sneak Peak - click here: (http://browseinside.harpercollins.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061583223

That’s right! Beginning Feb 2, Romance Buy 4 Get the 5th Free is happening in our Borders stores & www.borders.com so come on by & pick up your favorites including:

Hold on Tight by Stephanie Tyler

The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries

Nowhere to Run by Suzanne Brockmann

Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter

Down River by Karen Harper

Steamed by Katie Macalister

Ladies Prefer Rogues by Janet Chapman, et al

Archangel’s Kiss by Nalini Singh

Nauti Deceptions by Lora Leigh

Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter

Stop on by 2morrow & tell the, SueG sent you!

Until tomorrow - HAPPY ROMANCE!

This is your chance! We are now soliciting guest READER bloggers & we want you!

I know, you’re saying to yourself, I don’t know if I can write a post . . . what would I talk about . . . if these thoughts are running thru your mind, think about these questions & comments:

1. Do I love to read romance?

2. I just finished reading “__________” & would love to chat with other readers who also read romance.

3. I’m not a writer but can put my thoughts together . . . anyway, I know I can do a better job posting than SueG!

4. My friends are always telling me I should start a blog - - urgh! Who has time for that? Here’s an opportunity to be part of a community of readers & post on Borders blog . . . can I do that?

5. It would be fun to post on a blog where I can direct the conversation, at least I should try it once . . .

6. No commitment needed but to create one post . . .right?

7. I won’t have to worry about others commenting as I’ll have all my friends come & comment.

8. SueG can do free giveaways for me, right?

9. SueG should give me a free giveaway for posting, right?

10. Awwwwww heck, why not just do it, what do I have to lose . . . I can change my avatar if I mess up badly, it’s not as if I’m SueG!

So you savvy readers out there . . . you Tweet, avid Facebook commenters, are My Space fluent & love youtube, comment below & see if you’re chosen to guest post.

Borders True Romance Blog is a community for its readers & we want YOU to be part, so what better way to express yourself in the Romance community is there but to blog.

Good luck . . . . comment below . . . . winners will be chosen & announced next week under a separate post.

Happy Romance!

Lou Waxnicki’s Fourth Video from Gaylene Murphy on Vimeo.

(You may need to click twice to activate video)

Reserve your copy today on Borders.com

At last, “We all have to make it, Beyond the Night”

Lou Waxnicki’s 2nd Post from Gaylene Murphy on Vimeo.

(you may need to click a couple of times on play to activate the video)

. . . are you intrigued???

Lou Waxnicki’s First Post from Gaylene Murphy on Vimeo.

(to activate video you may need to click play more than once)

This is a new series that is going to ROCK the world! Stay tuned!

Good Morning! Welcome to Borders True Romance Blog!

Every Monday, when I begin my day in the office, I review tons of reports, & one of the reports I review is our title report which identifies what sold over the last week. As I review this list of best sellers I am always thinking about title names & whether there is any correlation to why a title is selling well, or why it is not selling well.

Above I’ve linked an anthology from Kensington Publishing that contains a title that I really felt crossed the line . . . sales of this release also indicated that this was a title most readers did not what to have on their shelves. What are your thoughts? Did this title make you want to buy? Or did the cover turn you off altogether?

Another example is, Men Of Danger, an anthology on sale 4/27/2010 - does this title intrigue you? Are you more likely to buy this book because of its title? Or, because of the author lineup: Lora Leigh, Red Garnier, Alexis Grant & Lorie O’Clare?

Here’s another title that is catchy, Smolder, by Melina Morel, on sale this week - again, something you would pick up? How much does a title influence your purchase decision?

Double the Heat, by Lori Foster, et al, must be steamy, don’t you think?

What about some of the series titles — those are always such fun: Powerful Greek, Unworldly Wife; Ruthlessly Bedded, Forcibly Wedded; The King’s Future Love-Child; lots of Desert Prince’s; Greek King’s & Shiekh in a title will typically guarantee a best seller. Don’t get me wrong, I buy them too, but why do these titles stand out & say buy me more than any others?

1. Tempting the Texas Tycoon
2. Vote for Love
3. Prescription for Romance
4. Bossman’s Baby Scandal
5. The Italian Billionaire’s Secretary Mistress
6. Blazing Bedtime Stories, Volume III
7. Her Surprise Hero
8. Powerful Italian, Penniless Housekeeper
9. The Socialite and the Bodyguard
10. An Unlikely Setup

As a reader, does the title signify anything for you? Would love to know your thoughts & what in a title drives you to buy books!

Comment below & one lucky commenter will win a selection of romance books! (US residents only are available to win however, love to hear EVERYONE’s comments!)

Until tomorrow!

Happy Romance,
SueG

Bone Magic by Yasmine Galenorn (book 7 in the Otherworld Series)
Setting: Parallel Contemporary Seattle WA
Subgenre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Hero: Trillian (one of the Charming Fae), Smoky (Dragon shifter), and Morio (Youkai-kitsune)
Heroine: Camille D’Artigo (half human, half-Fae, one of the three D’Artigo Sisters)

One sentence summary: When she returns home to Otherworld to reunite with her alpha lover, Trillian, the Moon witch Camille finds herself thrust into an unexpected and terrifying ritual that will forever change her, and forever change the lives of those around her.

Scene you like most and would never cut: The scene where Camille must journey to Thistlewyd Deep and meet with the Black Unicorn-that is a pivotal scene in the book and so much depends on what happens there. I love describing magical woodlands and the energy that flows through them-they become as much of a character as the actual characters in my book. And the ritual that Camille undergoes there was heart wrenching and darkly beautiful to write. I had to stop and catch my breath several times during the writing.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Camille would never say “I’d be happy with one lover, a picket white fence life, and nothing to do but bake cookies and clean house.”

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy: Camille has three loves, and each one is different. Trillian-definitely low cut briefs-no tighty-whiteys here. Smoky-would depend on his mood for the day. And Morio-definitely briefs. Sometimes he might go commando.

Ancillary character you had the most fun with: In this book, I think if I were to say ‘fun’…it would have to be Rodney, the crude, lewd, and totally rude bone golem that Grandmother Coyote gives to Morio and Camille. He’s Rodney Dangerfield, Howard Stern, Chris Rock, and Danny DeVito all rolled into one.

Your heroine’s favorite hobby: Sex. Seriously, she loves sex, sensuality, passion…but if we’re talking arts and crafts, she enjoys working in her herb garden (she can talk to the plants), she loves reading (and runs a bookstore), and she is coming to the point where she enjoys fighting the demons.

Your hero’s favorite hobby: Hmmm…Trillian: would have to be games of the mind-chess, go, anything that requires him to think. Smoky: flying in dragon form, catching the occasional cow. Morio: he loves practicing his martial arts and death magic. Changing into a fox and going scampering through the woodlands.

What you think readers will like best about this book: The evolution of the characters-my characters evolve from book to book, they don’t stay stationary. They grow and stumble, they sometimes fall and usually get up again, they aren’t stagnant. A lot happens in Bone Magic to further the series-the theme is truly that of transformation. I think they’ll be happy for Camille, too, and I know they’ll be happy to see Trillian return to the fold, finally.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Iris, the Talon-haltija (house sprite). But I’ll be writing a novella about her so they’ll get their wish!

What’s next: I’m finishing up revisions on Night Myst, the first book in a new urban fantasy series. I just finished Harvest Hunting-book 8 of the Otherworld Series-and will be getting back to Blood Wyne-book 9 in the OW Series-in a week or so. Bone Magic comes out on January 5, 2010, along with Inked (an anthology that has a Camille-Trillian novella in it). Then I have two more books slated to release in 2010-Night Myst and Harvest Hunting.

Now, for the Question of the Day (and I will give away the six-set series so far to one reader who comments-that includes Witchling, Changeling, Darkling, Dragon Wytch, Night Huntress, and Demon Mistress): What has been one of your most memorable transformations in your life? What have you done to change your life in the past that you feel had a major impact on where you’re at now? Or what transformation would you like to make in your life-and do you have plans on how to do so?