trueromance

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah was an engaging read. It is not lightweight, frivolous, or funny and definitely not a beach read. Which is good because it’s currently pouring rain at my house. With the stormy weather the ambiance was perfectly cozy to read it until late at night when I should have been in bed sleeping. Two children getting up before the sun rises means a tired mother. Yet Winter Garden kept my attention, my feelings were engaged, I was hooked on the story, and it made me cry. Twice. Any book that makes me cry gets five stars as there have only been a couple of books that I have ever read that have had that kind of power.

The story starts off with two sisters, Meredith and Nina Whitson, and showed how they were completely different and not familiar with each other. Meredith has a husband who was a childhood love and two beautiful grown children. Meredith works for the family business and leads a busy life. Yet she is depressed and closed off from her husband as both of her children have left the family nest to attend college. Nina is a free bird, living the nomadic photography lifestyle while hardly checking in with her family as she wanders around torn countries. Nina has a man that she sees frequently in the course of her travels yet keeps him at arms length emotionally.

The two girls had grown apart years ago as they have had their disapproving mother, Anya, never love or care for them throughout the years and that affected their relationship. Even with their attentive and loving father around to keep the family together, it was never enough. Of course, tragedy strikes as their father becomes ill and forces Anya and her two daughters to be together to learn more about each other and explore Anya’s past so her daughters can finally know about their mother.

The fascinating part about this story is that it features a fairy tale that Anya tells throughout the book. It is shrouded in mystery and takes place in Leningrad, which is now modern day Saint Petersburg. It is a love story and has been a source of tension in the family as Anya has never told the ending. She has finally been compelled to tell the ending and explain her own personal mysteries to her daughters. The fairy tale starts off in a very mystical way and had me a little skeptical at how it was going to continue. This didn’t feel like the type of mystical book I was getting in to. As the fairy tale went on, the details in the story slightly changed and with that change, you will discover some interesting facts about the life that Anya led before she came to America and married Evan Whitson.

The main character of Meredith was a hard read. If you have any personal sadness in your life, Meredith will hit you hard as she has closed herself off and is most obviously severely depressed. Honestly, there were a few times where I wanted to close the book because I couldn’t feel like I could read anymore on how Meredith could show how depressed she was! I’m glad I didn’t seriously think about closing the book, it was a great story. The fairy tale was amazing but very graphic on war related items. It was sad to read and hard to imagine. While a few of the plots in the book were obvious on where they would end, the main plot with Anya and her daughters took many unexpected twists that were thrilling to read and also very tragic.

I can only imagine that Kristin Hannah has a sister, or a large family, and intimately knows rough waters of family life because her past books like True Colors, Between Sisters, or Summer Island are striking family ties in such a heartfelt way. When you feel like your parents don’t love you, or are not proud of you, Hannah describes those feelings perfectly. Hannah is able to guide you through forced family meetings that you feel you have attended in your own life, yet somehow get you through to the end and show you that it is possible to have a happy ending.

If you have family members whom you love yet have had problems in the past with, you need to pick up a Kristin Hannah novel. Winter Garden was remarkable in family issues and the astounding storytelling of Leningrad in the 1940’s. I highly recommend it.

Have you ever had issues with your mother or siblings that you couldn’t work out? Remember that life can be unexpected. Be sure to let your family members know you care about them.

Kristi can be found rambling about life at http://www.KristiBug.com

This is our month, isn’t it? February is Romance & Borders recognizes that by offering our customers a special Buy 4 Get the 5th FREE promotion! So come on in & stock up on some of these best sellers:

Pleasure of a Dark Prince, by Kresley Cole - on sale 2/16

First Drop of Crimson, by Jeaniene Frost

Embrace the Night Eternal by Joss Ware

to name a few. Stop by our stores & check out the selection & let our booksellers help you find that Valentine you’re looking for.

In celebration of the Holiday today, tell us of something special that happened to you one Valentines Day. While you comment below, please note if you’d like to do a post for Borders True Romance Blog & we’ll get you set up on our calender.

One thing that happened to me on Valentines — my date, at the time, & I were going to a concert & the artist was a punk, heavy metal sort, so we thought of, kind of, dressing the part . . . my date brought me black roses, & seriously I thought that was so special because he actually put some thought into the evening & went to the trouble to have them painted black!

Actually, I was so impressed with that, & many other things, that I married him!

Happy Romance!
SueG

Happy Birthday, Lady Jane’s Salon!
New York City’s First and Only Romance Reading Series Turns One

By Hope Tarr, Co-Founder

Imagine a smoky, bookish bar in New York’s West Greenwich Village, smoky because it’s a cigar lounge and bookish because well, there are actual books on the actual bookshelves lining the back room walls.

Imagine scotch, good scotch, as in single-malt served “neat” in respectably solid glasses.

Now add to the picture three romance writers—Maya Rodale, Leanna Renee Hieber, and Hope Tarr—and one book blogger, Ron Hogan tucked into a round table and whetting their respective whistles after returning from the ubiquitous Manhattan literary reading. As stogies are passed and glasses clinked, the four find themselves lamenting the lack of any forum anywhere in the city for reading the romance fiction they so dearly love.

Imagine one of the authors, Maya Rodale, hoisting her tiny hand heavenward and exclaiming, “Jeepers, why don’t we start a reading series for romance on our own?”

Okay, maybe Maya didn’t exactly say “Jeepers”—I did mention there was scotch involved—but the rest of the story is well, pretty much on the mark in terms of accuracy.

And so was born Lady Jane’s Salon, New York City’s first and so far only monthly reading series devoted to celebrating romance fiction in all its glorious diversity—traditional historical- and contemporary-set relationship stories as well as urban fantasy, paranormal, steampunk, military, gay & lesbian, you name it.

Since we launched Lady Jane’s in February 2009, we’ve been thrilled and at times humbled by the tremendous outpouring of enthusiasm from the romance community and beyond; the latter has brought us feature articles in THE NEW YORK POST and TIME OUT NEW YORK. Each Salon event is a mix of familiar faces and new friends—editors and agents, media professionals and publicists, authors both published and still-to-be-discovered, and readers, the back bone of our industry without whom none of us would exist.

Sponsored by Beatrice.com, the Salon meets on the first Monday of the month from 7 to 9 PM at Madame X (94 West Houston Street). Madame X bills itself as New York’s sexiest lounge and the décor doesn’t disappoint. Think Victorian antiques, fringed lampshades, and erotic art mounted on deliciously deep red walls, the perfect venue for a genre dedicated to l’amour.

Each Salon night features two to four guest authors reading from their latest releases, bestsellers such as Marjorie M. Lui, Lauren Willig, and Andrea Pickens AKA Cara Elliott as well as midlist and debut authors. Occasionally taking over the microphone from Ron as guest emcees are “Smart Bitch” Sarah Wendell, “Scandalous Women” blogger, Elizabeth Kerri Mahon, and historical nonfiction author, Leslie Carroll. Specially themed salons include a tribute to Harlequin Enterprise’s 60th Anniversary, the winter holidays, an historical night in honor of Lady Jane’s First Birthday this month, and, upcoming, a spec fiction/fantasy night to coincide with Thriller Fest.

For the past year proceeds from the Salon, $5 or one gently-used paperback romance novel, have benefitted Share-the-Love.org, a women’s charity co-founded by Maya Rodale and fellow author, Ann Bleakley. With authors booked through early 2011, Lady Jane will continue to support charitable organizations dedicated to bringing the pleasure of a good book—and the promise of Happily Ever After—to women in need.

Maya, Leanna Renee, Ron and I will be taking Lady Jane on the road this April-May to the Romantic Times BOOK Lovers Convention in Columbus, Ohio. With both an Author Workshop and a Special Lady Jane’s Salon Event on the program, we’re looking forward to sharing the Lady Jane’s love with authors around the country who may wish to start up satellite salons of their own.

It’s been an amazing first year for Lady Jane and like a fine wine we fully expect Her Ladyship to improve with age. To keep abreast of the latest Salon doings, visit our web site at www.ladyjanesalon.com or “friend” Lady Jane on Facebook.

Hope Tarr is the author of more than a dozen historical and contemporary romance novels. Visit Hope online at www.hopetarr.com where you can read her blog on life in the Big Apple including, of course, Lady Jane’s.

What do you think? Would you like a Lady Jane’s Salon in your neighborhood?

Video’s brought to you by Reader’s Entertainment Group - CEO Sheila Clover English:

Circle of Seven Productions (aka COS Productions) created the Book Trailer market in 2002. Since then the company has been the leader of book trailer production in the US, winning several prestigious awards for both broadband and broadcast videos.

COS Productions is a specialty company. We do book video. We not only endeavor to create quality, entertaining book video, but we are constantly looking for innovative ways to bring in new readers. COS is about the publishing industry, not just about a book, a client or a video. If what we do brings in new readers the publishing industry will benefit. If the publishing industry benefits then we have more work. COS has a symbiotic relationship with the industry we serve which makes COS Productions a good investment on many levels.

Originally created by an aspiring author and an amateur production company, COS Productions has grown to encompass an entire network of experienced, professional productions partners. These partners have won awards, created commercials for high profile companies and created music videos for well known celebrities.

COS Productions is a great blend of the publishing industry and production industry. Our script writers are published or aspiring authors, our customer service providers are individuals with experience in the publishing industry and our production partners are trained to create video that inspires readers to buy books, yet entertains the public enough to create an atmosphere that says “Books are entertainment.”

Question for you, as a reader, do you enjoy viewing booktrailers? Do they help you in your purchasing decisions? What do you like about them & what don’t you like about them — comment below!

Happy Romance,
SueG

Don’t forget, Borders Buy 4 Romance titles & get 5th FREE starts today!

Laura Kinsale’s Biggest Fan

Early in my days acquiring romance fiction for Sourcebooks, I attended one of the fabulous events that romance category manager Dianne Defonce arranges at my local Borders store in Fairfield, Connecticut. Dianne is so smart–she had a panel of fabulous authors, and they were all charged with talking about their own new book as well as their favorite romance novel of all time. I left the store that night with about a dozen books (nothing unusual there) and among them was Flowers from the Storm.

The next night, I started reading Flowers from the Storm, and that was the end of any hope for a full night’s sleep any time that week. I was so enthralled by the story, so smitten by the writing, so much in love with the hero and rooting so hard for the heroine that I sobbed through the final scenes. Every night for about 10 days I re-read the ending–I couldn’t put the book down, even after I had finished it.

And then, I went looking for everything Laura Kinsale had ever written. That’s how I found out some of her books were out of print, and I got to acquire them for Sourcebooks and bring them out in new editions. And when I had the opportunity to become her editor for Lessons in French, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.

Laura Kinsale’s writing grabs me by the heart and just won’t let go. Every one of her stories is compelling in its own way. Her sense of humor is delightful (check out Midsummer Moon and Lessons in French), her understanding of human nature is profound (try Seize the Fire and The Prince of Midnight), and her writing is absolutely sublime (and there’s a paranormal element in Uncertain Magic that’s sublime too).

I hope there will be many, many more books by Laura Kinsale yet to come…who needs sleep anyway?

Comment below as to what was the last book you read that kept you reading all thru the night — you might be chosen to win a free book from Sourcebooks!

All best,

Deb Werksman

STREET GAME, by Christine Feehan

About the book:
Description: For Mack McKinley and his team of GhostWalker killing machines, urban warfare is an art. But despite a hard-won knowledge of the San Francisco streets, Mack knows from experience that too many things can still go wrong. Danger was just another part of the game—and now he’s come face-to-face with a woman who can play just as tough.

She’s Jaimie, a woman with a sapphire stare so potent it can destroy a man. Years ago she and Mack had a history—volatile, erotic, and electric. Then she vanished. Now she’s walked back into Mack’s life, as a spy with more secrets than are good for her. Against all odds, she’s hooking up with Mack one more time to take on an enemy that could destroy them both, or bring them back together in one hot, no-holds-barred adrenaline rush.

Setting: San Francisco, Ca
Subgenre: Paranormal,Action-Thriller Romance
Hero: Mack McKinley
Heroine: Jaimie Fielding

One sentence summary: Against all odds, Jaimie’s hooking up with Mack one more time to take on an enemy that could destroy them both or bring them together again in one hot, no hold barred adrenaline rush.

Scene you like most and would never cut: When the entire team breaks into Jaimie’s home.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Talking to reporters.

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy: Neither- he goes commando.

Ancillary character you had the most fun with: Javier

Your heroine’s favorite hobby: Electronics

Your hero’s favorite hobby: Sex with Jaimie.

What you think readers will like best about this book: The Romance.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Kane Cannon

What’s next: Wild Fire.

Comment:

I found the research into Artificial Intelligence so intriguing. It really is a whole new world. I enjoyed Javier and found him fascinating. I hope my readers find him as fun as I did!!!

Question: As a reader, what do you find to be the most enjoyable when reading Paranormal,Action-Thriller Romance – the action? Or the Romance? Love to hear from you! Please comment below.

Christine Feehan - Borders Exclusive Interview

What is it about big cats and the wild that you feel is so alluring?
#1. Big cats are absolutely beautiful creatures. They are powerful and a deadly unique predator. It would be such a loss to the world if we didn’t have them.

What do you love most about your next shapeshifter book Wild Fire?
#2. I love the couple. I liked their relationship.

Your heroines are strong or discover their strength over the course of your books. Why is it important to show strong heroines?
#3. I think that women should be empowered. I believe they contribute to a partnership differently but equally.

You do a lot of fun stuff and sneak peeks specifically for your fans. Can we expect some fan-fare for Wild Fire?
#4. Of course!!!!!

Reading excerpt-

“Cortez has two rogue leopards on her payroll. They could follow us.”
Her heart jumped. “Men like you?”
“Men a lot worse than I am.” His gaze slid over her face. “You may not believe me, Isabeau, but I do have a code. I screwed up with you, but I’ve got one. These men don’t.”
She ducked her head. She didn’t want to talk about the past. It was too painful. He’d shattered her, left her half alive, an empty shell who would never be able to love another man. She knew that was absolute certainty. It would always be Conner she craved, as much as she despised him.
She followed him across the branch, surprised by the ease with which she was able to balance as she stepped over the network of limbs and onto a branch that from the neighboring tree. The rain increased in strength, as if often did in the wet season. It wasn’t cold, and with the onslaught of moisture and heat, steam rose around them, turning the canopy into an eerie world.
His fingers tightened around hers, signaling silence. She heard the sound of voices drifting through the veil of mist and a thousand butterflies took wing in her stomach. Her mouth went dry. Conner never even hesitated, walking along the branches as if they were a sidewalk, going from tree to tree. Twice he made a chuffing noise as if warning some larger creature of his presence, but most of the time, the sound he made was somewhere between a strange purr and a low rumbling growl. Instead of menacing, the notes were soothing.
She became aware of the creatures in the canopy. Where before the animals had been frantic, racing away from the fire and shrieking warnings to one another, now they were much calmer—like she was becoming. It was his voice—that beautiful, reassuring, comforting voice. It made no sense. She should have been terrified. She was a hundred feet above the forest floor, surrounded by smoke and mist so thick it was nearly impossible to see the hand in front of her face, carefully placing her feet on slippery branches. Somewhere below, men with guns hunted them and she was with the man who had shattered her world and left it in ruins.
Birds settled in the trees around them rather than flying in fear. Monkeys merely looked at them curiously, but the frantic chatter had faded to normal. The rain poured down steadily and life seemed to return to usual just that fast. She looked at the man leading her with such confidence along the twisted highway of branches. It was Conner. The sheer force of his personality extended calm not only to her, but to the animals.
She followed him trying to figure out how to stop her reaction to him. How did one block his voice, his charisma, his sheer magnetism? He was the type of man who stood out in a crowd. How was she supposed to keep her blood cool and her pulse normal after sharing a wild fire with him? Every time he looked at her it was there again—that wild, passionate response she couldn’t prevent.

Dear Readers:

As you may know, so many of the characters in my books are related through friendship or blood or marriage: Lyra Prescott (from Sizzle) lives with Sidney Buchanan, whose brother is Alec Buchanan, who is married to Regan Hamilton Buchanan (from Murder List), who is best friends with Sophie Rose (from Fire and Ice), etc. etc. Someone recently asked if it wouldn’t be much easier for me to write each new book with brand spanking new characters unencumbered by vast, complicated families – “one-offs”, as they say in the trade.

Granted, it probably would be easier to write about a hero and heroine without the complications of family, but that doesn’t make them real to me. Since I come from a large family, it’s fun to put my characters in hectic, loving families where siblings watch out for each other, where they share the same values and senses of humor, and where their loyalty is unconditional.

When I’m writing my novels, the characters come alive in my imagination, and as their world emerges, it turns out to be just as complex as the world I live in. In Sizzle, Alec Buchanan relentlessly teases fellow FBI agent Sam Kincaid –it’s part of Alec’s twisted sense of humor. Just as it’s part of Alec’s character to make sure his younger sister Sidney and her roommate Lyra are safe from the mysterious bad guys threatening them. I’m hoping you’ll love Sizzle’s film student Lyra as much as I did. I had a wonderful time writing about her charmingly eccentric grandmother, Gigi, and maybe just as much fun with Lyra’s greedy, scheming parents. And just wait until you encounter her hunky FBI protector Sam Kincaid – he’s a hero you won’t soon forget.

Families, like life, can be complicated, but when you read Sizzle, I hope you’ll come away thinking they can be a lot of fun as well.

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

Julie Garwood

Have a Happy Healthy Christmas Day!

Until tomorrow, Happy Romance . . . on 12/26 , tell us what your favorite 2009 romance book was - let’s reminisce!

Shiloh Walker has been writing since she was a kid. She fell in love with vampires with the book Bunnicula and has worked her way up to the more…ah…serious vampire stories. She loves reading and writing anything paranormal, anything fantasy, and nearly every kind of romance. Once upon a time she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest.

_______________________________________________________

Hunter’s Need, by Shiloh Walker

Setting: Contemporary, set in Alaska
Subgenre: Paranormal/Shapeshifters
Hero: Duke Lawson
Heroine: Ana Morrell

One sentence summary: A reluctant hero and an even more reluctant heroine have to overcome their troubled past to help the ghost of a murdered woman find justice.

Scene you like most and would never cut: Probably the scene where Duke surprises Ana after he shows up in Alaska, without letting her know he was coming.  She’s tired, she’s cranky, she’s pissed off and for the first time, she doesn’t try to be polite…and that amuses the hell out of Duke.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Hard to say, because Ana changes a lot in this book-she hates conflict and tries to avoid it, but in the story, she has to place herself in right in the middle of a huge conflict.  She’s not much for vampires, though—she has a deep, deep fear of them because of events that happened in an earlier book, so she’s not very likely to go chasing after a vamp and saying, “Oh, please, please bite me…”

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy: Boxer-briefs.  Or nothing.

Ancillary character you had the most fun with: Brad, Ana’s younger brother.  He’s a cocky kid with a lot of power and he’s way too intelligent for his own good.

Your heroine’s favorite hobby: Photography or reading.

Your hero’s favorite hobby: Reading.  Hiking.  Annoying Ana.

What you think readers will like best about this book: Hopefully the characters…Ana isn’t the typical butt-kicking heroine you see in paranormals.  She’s psychic, but she’s human.  She’s spent the past four years of her life surrounded by vampires and werewolves and witches—she views herself as weak, and while she definitely isn’t Buffy the Vampire slayer material, she’s got a deep inner strength.  She doesn’t see that, but Duke does…he sees the strength, just as he sees her flaws, and he loves her, all of her.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Up until this past year, the answer to that would be Nessa, the witch who appeared in my earlier Hunter books.  But I finished her book, so I guess the next character would be Morne, the healer who appeared in Through the Veil.

What’s next: I’m currently working on a romantic suspense trilogy that will be out in 2011 from Ballantine.  The tentative titles are : If You Hear Her, If You See Her and If You Know Her.

Giveaway:  Five signed copies of Hunter’s Need.

Week ending 12/5 winners are noted below. Please email Sue Grimshaw, sgrimshaw@bordersgroupinc.com, with your snail mail address so we can make sure you get your winnings

Annette McCleave - Rosie Carlo; Christine M

Jessica Andersen -Jeanette Juan

Shayla Black -Julia

Victoria Alexander -Virginia C

Thanks so much for blogging with us this week, I hope you join us again next week for our line up of great authors & bloggers!
Monday - Barbara Vey
Tuesday - Sharon Ashwood
Wednesday - Ava Gray
Thursday - Me! Talking about, Erotic Romance!
Friday - Selini Mclenore (GC Editor!)
Saturday - Susan Kearny

Join us, won’t you?

Happy Romance!