trueromance

The Eternal Kiss of Darkness, by Jeaniene Frost

Book Summary:
An immortal war has been brewing in the darkness…and now one woman has stumbled into the shadows.
Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she’s only imagined in her worst nightmares.
At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master Vampire who thought he’d seen it all. Then Kira appears—this fearless, beautiful…human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life, yet sending her away is unthinkable.
But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose between the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.
Setting: Like most of my novels, the setting takes place over multiple areas: Chicago, Illinois; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Anaheim, California; Yucatán, Mexico and Atlanta, Georgia.

Subgenre: Paranormal romance
Hero: Mencheres
Heroine: Kira

One sentence summary: Locked in an eons-old feud with an ancient enemy, the last thing Mencheres expected was to fall for the lovely human he’s forced to hold captive in order to protect the secrecy of his race.

Scene you like most and would never cut:
I have too many favorite scenes to pick just one. Some of them would reveal too much if I described them, but here are three non-spoiler scenes that I especially loved while writing: a midnight walk in the forest with my hero and heroine, a scene with an ancient Egyptian black magic ritual, and a scene with two vampires scoring blood on the Haunted Mansion ride in Disneyland.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:
“I give up” is something that would never cross Kira’s lips, and she proves that many times in this book.

What celebrity is your hero like:
This is an easy question, because I’ve always had one actor in mind when I pictured Mencheres: Oded Fehr. If you don’t recognize the name, Oded played the sexy gigolo Antoine in Deuce Bigalo: Male Gigolo, as well as the Med-jai warrior in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. Here are a couple pics of the yummy Oded: . and here:

What celebrity is your heroine like:
Kira looks a lot like Milla Jovovich in the first Resident Evil movie with her shorter, amber hair, light eyes, and feminine yet tough attitude:

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing:
Kira is a private investigator, trying to get promoted from things like cheating-spouse surveillance to more significant cases.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Mencheres is one of the oldest and most powerful vampires in my novels, so he’s Master of a huge line of vamps who depend on him for their safety and well-being. Vampire society operates under a form of Feudalism in my series, so in return for his protection, the other vampires under his line pay Mencheres ten percent of their incomes unless/until they strike out to become their own Masters.

What you think readers will like best about this book:
A few readers who’ve gotten an early look tell me they really like the dynamic between Mencheres and Kira, the revelation of Mencheres’s background, Kira’s strength, and, uh, some of the unexpected things that Mencheres can do with his telekinetic powers (for a milder example of what I mean, here’s a scene snippet from EKOD: http://www.frostfans.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=942&p=19926#p19926 )

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
I’d have to say this would be split between Vlad and Ian. I get a lot of requests for books on both men. Out of them, the character who has the best shot of getting his own book is Vlad. I already have at least two complete stories with him in my head, and he’s at a place in his life (and the series, heh) where he’s almost ready to meet his heroine. Ian, on the other hand, is not ready at all to cease his hell-raising, promiscuous ways. Sorry, ladies. *wink* Give the naughty vampire a little more time.

What’s next:
I’ve turned my focus back to Cat and Bones with THIS SIDE OF THE GRAVE, Night Huntress World, book five, which comes out February 22, 2011. For readers who can’t wait to get a hint as to what trouble Cat and Bones have gotten into this time, I’m happy to say that the entire first chapter of THIS SIDE OF THE GRAVE is available at the end of ETERNAL KISS OF DARKNESS.

And now, a question for readers. As I mentioned above, one of the supernatural powers that my hero Mencheres has is telekinesis. What supernatural power do you think it would be cool for a vampire to have? Everyone who answers in the comments will be entered in a drawing to win one of three copies of ETERNAL KISS OF DARKNESS. International entries welcome. Thanks, and good luck!

-Jeaniene Frost

First chapter and more teaser scenes: http://jeanienefrost.com/night-huntress-world-books/eternal-kiss-of-darkness/

& don’t miss Friends & Family 7/16-19/10:

Dangerous Desires (Dee Davis)

Setting: The Andean jungles of Colombia
Subgenre: Romantic Suspense
Hero: Drake Flynn
Heroine: Madeline Reynard

One sentence summary: As the extractions expert for A-Tac, an elite CIA black ops unit masquerading as faculty at an Ivy League college, Drake Flynn knows how to survive behind enemy lines. But he’s about to meet one adversary he can’t subdue . . . or resist.

Scene you like most and would never cut: I absolutely love the point where they’re forced to jump from the waterfall. And I don’t think I could ever cut the dancing scene in the courtyard of the safehouse in Puerto Remo.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: I’m sorry. Madeline has lived life on her own terms for a long time. And she’s not the type to apologize for the decisions she’s made or the things she’s been forced to do.

What celebrity is your hero like: Not any one in particular. But he’s got the gleam in his eye that reminds me of Harry Connick, Jr. And the spirit of the characters Gerard Butler often plays.

What celebrity is your heroine like: It’s funny, from the very beginning of her conception I saw her as similar to Kate Austen on Lost. More the character than Evangeline Lilly. But definitely feisty, strong, and guarded.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Madeline has been working for a Colombian drug lord. The book opens with her being rescued by Drake Flynn and his cohorts at A-Tac.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Drake is the extractions expert in A-Tac, an undercover back ops division of the CIA. He’s also a noted archeologist and teaches at Sunderland College with the rest of his colleages from A-Tac.

What do you think readers will like best about this book: The chemistry between Drake and Madeline in the heat of the jungle when they’re on the run.

What’s next:

Desperate Deeds, book three in the A-Tac series, is out in August. As the demolitions expert for A-Tac, Tyler Hanson has two great loves: literature and explosives. She lives by the motto “duty first” and doesn’t have time for personal attachments . . . until a steamy one-night stand turns into a professional partnership. And look for three more A-Tac books in 2011 and 2012

And for reader discussion:
Dangerous Desires is set in the jungles of Colombia. What are some of your favorite exotic settings in romance novels?

GIVEAWAY! 3 randomly chosen commenters will receive a FREE book! Happy Romance!

& don’t miss Friends & Family 7/16-19/10:

My Dangerous Duke

Setting: Regency London; a “possibly” haunted castle in Cornwall; and a dash of high-seas adventure in an Undisclosed Location (If I told you, it would be a spoiler!)

Subgenre: Regency Historical Adventure

Hero: Rohan Kilburn, the Duke of Warrington, aka “The Beast”

Heroine: Kate Madsen…or IS that really her true name??? (Hmmmm…still no spoilers!!!)

One sentence summary: A defiant beauty abducted by cutthroats is given as a gift to a powerful, dark stranger…

Scene you like most and would never cut: Kate tries to escape the castle but Rohan’s men corner her on the edge of a Cornish sea-cliff. What happens next??? Those chalk cliffs on England’s coast are awfully fragile…but far be it from me to give spoilers!! *gg*

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: “I can’t.”

What celebrity is your hero like: Gerard Butler could play him…but we’d have to give him long hair.

What celebrity is your heroine like: Looks-wise, I’d say Megan Fox (sans the tattoos & her odd rude remarks).

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: As a pirate’s daughter, she would probably be a lady shipping magnate–gutsy, bossy, driven, and hard-working. But she also loves books, so maybe she’d have a job like yours, Sue! *g*

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: He is a big, tough, scary duke with a bad attitude, but as a secret agent of “the Order” (SEE TRAILER) he is also the one tasked with the dirty work of killing bad guys. [In this series, Max is the slick team leader, Jordan is the oh-so-smooth code expert, and Rohan is the one you just don't mess with.]

What you think readers will like best about this book: Rohan! He is all alpha male. Also the adventure. If you want a summer beach book that truly takes you away, give it a try!

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: From my previous series, The Knight Miscellany, the most requests I got were for the Hawkscliffe Harlot’s story. This was the (deceased) duchess mother of the Knight brothers, the woman who had all the flings with all her different lovers and thus had a bunch of different kids with all her various men. I said no to writing this because she dies in front of a French firing squad when she was caught rescuing aristocratic children from the guillotine mobs during the French Revolution. It was her favorite lover that dragged her into this adventure. This wouldn’t work for me because I do happy endings, period!

What’s next: Book 3 of the Inferno Club. This will be Jordan, Lord Falconridge’s story. As I mentioned above, he’s more the smooth, cool-nerved, elegant James Bond type than the rugged warrior Rohan. His book is going to be called MY IRRESISTIBLE EARL and it’ll be coming out in April 2011, so the Inferno Club saga continues!

MY DANGEROUS DUKE is a story where the hero is given a beautiful young woman as a gift…SO I think the obvious question for all my readers is, if someone were going to give YOU the gift of a hottie of the opposite sex, who would you want to be given, and what’s the first thing you’d make him do? Enjoy, ladies! *g* Sue, who would you go for? (Husbands and boyfriends don’t count!)

Readers are invited to read Chapter One of My Dangerous Duke on my website at www.gaelenfoley.com.
Also, I will give away one signed copy of My Wicked Marquess, Book 1 of the Inferno Club series. (My Dangerous Duke is Book 2.)

A couple of great review tidbits if these are useful:

4 ½ Stars, Top Pick for July! “This adventure romance sweeps readers into an unforgettable twist on the Beauty and the Beast theme.”
–Kathe Robin, RT Book Reviews

4 ½ Top Pick! “A fantastic entry in the Inferno Club series…Highly entertaining.”
–Night Owl Romance Reviews

4 ½! “MY DANGEROUS DUKE is an extraordinary book full of secrets, suspense, romance and blistering hot passion!
My advice to all you romance readers out there…run…do not walk to your nearest book store and snatch up everything you can find that this amazing author has ever written!” –Tammy Faris, The Romance Readers Connection

Now, with the highly-anticipated return to her darkly sensual paranormal Lords of the Underworld series, Gena Showalter brings us INTO THE DARK (HQN Books, May 2010, $7.99 U.S./$9.99 CAN.), a new anthology containing three otherworldly tales and a collector’s bonus guide featuring facts and information on the powerful and seductive beings doomed to a demonic existence. In addition to these three new stories, the book also includes a brand-new Lords of the Underworld bonus guide including a list of the missing demons from Pandora’s box, an invaluable glossary of characters and terms from the Lords of the Underworld series and much more essential information making it a must-have read for fans and new readers alike.

Setting: Tartarus, an immortal prison for the gods
Subgenre: Paranormal Romance
Hero: Atlas, Titan god of Strength
Heroine: Nike, Greek goddess of Strength

One sentence summary: Once, Atlas, the Titan god of Strength, was the Greek goddess Nike’s slave, but now he is her master, and soon these sworn rivals destined to destroy each other will be forced to risk everything for a chance at love . . .

Scene you like most and would never cut: The removal of the tattoo on Atlas’s chest. Nike’s name. I saw that scene in my mind, and the entire story grew from there.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: “I love to lose!”

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy: boxer briefs

Ancillary character you had the most fun with: Erebos, Greek god of Darkness

Your heroine’s favorite hobby: Kicking ass

Your hero’s favorite hobby: Kicking ass

What you think readers will like best about this book: The give and take between two strong leads

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Paris, keeper of the demon of Promiscuity

What’s next: The Darkest Passion, the story of Aeron, keeper of the demon of Wrath, and Olivia, the angel assassin sent to kill him.

Who is your favorite god or goddess in (any) mythology?

GIVEAWAY - From Harlequin - 3 randomly chosen readers will receive some of Gena’s books!

TOUCHING DARKNESS

Setting: Washington, DC area
Subgenre: paranormal romantic suspense/romantic urban fantasy
Hero: Nicholas Braden
Heroine: Olivia Demarest

One sentence summary:
Olivia’s always been the good girl, but she’s got a wild side she hides from everyone…everyone except a man she should see as the enemy, a man who fires her soul, and who will sweep her into a danger and deceit she could never have imagined.

Scene you like most and would never cut:
The scene where Olivia goes Gallagher and smashes a cake she’s just made. Nicholas walks in on the scene and then there’s more than just frosting flying!

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: “Go ahead and kill Nicholas Braden.”

What celebrity is your hero like: I kind of saw Nicholas as Michael Phelps physically, long and lean with an unruly shock of thick, dark hair.

What celebrity is your heroine like: Madeline Stowe, classy and sweet (at least on the outside!)

What is your heroines occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing:
Olivia is an assistant to the head of CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology, but that’s not where her heart is. She does her job well and is very loyal to the CIA and her boss, but she was manipulated into taking and staying in the job. Her passion lies in other areas.

What is your heroes occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing:
Nicholas has a psychic talent for finding things, and thus far he’s used it in the salvage industry and also for helping find victims’ remains in unsolved murder cases. But he doesn’t want to bring too much attention to himself so he keeps it low key. His dream is to open his own business where he can take on the cases that move him. Right now he’s working for a covert CIA program that’s using his talents for finding “terrorists”—who just happen to be my Offspring!

What you think readers will like best about this book:
There is a lot of shades of gray and mixed loyalties twisted into the plot. There’s also a great conflict between Olivia and Nicholas, one that threatens to destroy everything she believes in, and indeed, her very life.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
Definitely Eric Aruda. He’s been in the cast since book one, and quite frankly, I hadn’t envisioned him as a future hero. He was more of a rabble rouser with a penchant for setting things and people on fire. But right away readers were intrigued by him. One reader recently wrote “He’s such an ass I love him.” That’s how he’s grown on me, too, and he has grown through the books, too. So, of course, he’s going to get quite the heroine.

What’s next:
Well, that would be Eric’s story! I was so into their relationship that the book wrote in four weeks, even with a week of being out of town for the holidays.

Question: Olivia has a secret hobby, something that is the opposite of the personality she shows to the world. What is your secret hobby, or the one you’d love to pursue if you had the guts?

Giveaway:
Books given randomly to 5 commenters below — Happy Romance!

What have romance novels taught you?

I transferred to UCLA to study English lit when I was 21. I’d transferred from a tiny school, and I was totally intimidated by all the smart people around me. In my very first class—English lit from the Anglo-Saxons to Chaucer— I slumped down in my chair at the back of the room with one leg crossed over the other. My professor started the semester with a question: “What happened in 1066?”

Everyone in the class was silent. The professor stalked the room, staring at students who refused to meet his eyes. “Hmm, people? What happened in 1066?”

He passed in front of me, and I whispered, “Norman invasion.”

“Yes!” He was so surprised, he kicked my dangling foot so hard my uppermost leg slipped off the other one and my foot hit the floor, forcing me to sit up. “Yes! The Norman invasion happened, and it changed the English language forever.”

I was half terrified, and half hopeful he’d ask me how I knew the date. I would’ve relished seeing his face as I said that one of my favorite books was Julie Garwood’s, The Prize, a love story been a Saxon woman and a Norman knight.

Romance readers often defend the genre by talking about all the ephemeral lessons we learn: how to love others; what it means to sacrifice for someone else; what challenges and obstacles we’re willing to overcome for love.
But what about the more concrete lessons we learn? The small details about life in other ages. The potentially life-saving information that’s packaged in fun ways.

In September, my husband and I went to India. Just before we went, I read two books which I didn’t realize would make such a difference to my trip. The first, Meredith Duran’s, Duke of Shadows, was set in the same area we traveled in. I enjoyed it so much, I researched what was true and what was invented for the novel. When I was in India at exhibitions about the battles of the nineteenth century, I had a vivid picture in my mind of what types of weapons would’ve been used and what atrocities would’ve been committed.

The other book I read was Julia Quinn’s, When He Was Wicked. The hero, Michael, suffers from a particular type of malaria. When I’d been in India for four days, I got really ill. Thanks to Quinn’s book, I was familiar with malarial symptoms and checked myself for mosquito bites. I had two. I was able to keep an eye on my symptoms over a few days until I was sure it was just a stomach bug and not malaria. It’s the type of information that wouldn’t have stuck with me just from reading guidebooks.

What have you learned from romance novels? All my examples come from historical novels; do you think we can learn more from them? Or have you learned interesting facts from contemporaries, too?
Katrina blogs at Reader, I Created Him.

GIVEAWAY - 3 randomly chosen commenters - GOOD LUCK!:
Winning ticket is good for ONE ($125) Reader Registration to RomCon 2010 - July 9-11, 2010 in Denver, CO. Winners must be US residents. The base ticket grants admission to all RomCon 2010 award ceremonies and core reader events, but does not include meals, travel, or hotel accommodations. Meals are available for purchase when the attendee registers. There is a $25 fee to transfer the winning ticket to a different reader attendee. The ticket has no monetary value and cannot be redeemed for cash. Unclaimed tickets expire June 15, 2010.

Date Line: It’s Time for a Spring Break Romance! (Regan Taylor)

The cold, dark nights of the northern hemisphere’s winter are fading to memories, hopefully with happy ones. Do yours include a romantic fire beside a festively lit Christmas tree where your guy, with love in his heart, presented you with a small velvet box holding the ring of your dreams? Or did he pop the question with a brilliant diamond at the bottom of a bubbling glass of champagne on New Years Eve? Or did you find the promise of a future together nestled in whipped cream atop a Valentine’s dessert? Or are you among those of us who either found our happily ever after or is that moment of sighs and smiles just around your next corner?

No matter where you are on the commitment spectrum, romance is all around us and spring time offers us the absolute best in times, places and ways to fall in love. And what better event to kick off a budding romance than spring break?

I’m a life long avid reader who grew up in New York before transplanting to California. Winter snow days were great excuses for snuggling beneath a blanket and pouring over a good book. Okay, so even if there weren’t always snow days, there were more nights than I can count staying up with a flashlight under the covers devouring the latest romance. Rosemary Rogers’ Steve Morgan from Sweet Savage Love, was my first hero, followed by Kathleen Woodiwiss’ Cole Latimer from Ashes in the Wind. My personal love affair with romance grew from there to Catherine Coulter, Julie Garwood and Jude Deveraux to name but a few. As the snow melted and the first blooms and buds of spring heralded the end of winter, my reading abode moved outdoors. Sitting on a blanket beneath a shady tree was a favorite reading venue. Although catching a few rays at the beach wasn’t too far behind.

Now I live on the west coast and while there are no more snow days for me, spring time still brings with it the promise of romance and falling in love all over again. Be it on the beach or catching the last snowfall in the mountains, I almost always have a book in hand. If it’s not a book, I have my laptop and assignations with my latest hero on the agenda. Well, the assignations are in my mind, and they are steamier than those of my youth, but romance still reigns supreme.

Emotion is key in the story & not only do I try to create that in my stories, I also gravitate to that in my reading. Some of my other favorite romance characters these days include Pamela Clare’s Gabe Rossiter. A man of purpose and courage who is determined to protect his heart as much as the woman he does not want to love. Or Byron, Duke of Manchester in Kathryne Kennedy’s My Unfair Lady, a man of honor, despite appearing to be dishonorable. What endeared me to Byron is he is physically not your typical alpha hero, but perhaps the sexiest character to grace the pages of a romance.

So, which hero will you fall in love with on your spring break?

GIVEAWAY! Free book to lucky commenter! Happy Romance!

My happy place is not too discriminating. It can be found anywhere within the pages of a historical, contemporary, suspense, paranormal, or futuristic romance novel. I have a problem with which sub-genre is my absolute favorite because I rotate between them during the year. If I read a dreamy historical, I have to switch my to-be-read pile around to reflect my desires of history.

At the top of my list is Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught. That book is pure heaven. I could snuggle in with Whitney and Clay at least once a year and it never gets old. Duchess in Love by Eloisa James, Somewhere I’ll Find You by Lisa Kleypas, and Man of my Dreams by Johanna Lindsey are five-star winners right up there on my ‘must read’ list and you can choose just about any book from their backlist and fall in love with each one individually as well. It’s no surprise to me that the above mentioned books all feature a sexy Duke right in line with my favorite storyline. Even Kleypas’s story is of a young Marquess who is in line for the Dukedom.

Yes, some of those were written years ago and if you have already read them and are looking for an amazing historical that was just recently released, you may want to check out The Untamed Bride by Stephanie Laurens. It doesn’t feature my favorite storyline but Laurens writes very analytical romances where the feelings are always right on the surface and her heroines (and hero’s in many cases!) are very upfront in what they want and how to get it. The history in all her novels is always fantastic and The Untamed Bride is the first in the Black Cobra series and the second book in the series just came out last week.

Turning around and visually browsing through my bookshelves for outstanding historical writers is an easy task with Jane Feather’s Valentine, Julia Quinn’s The Duke and I, Kat Martin’s Gypsy Lord, and Mary Balogh’s Slightly Married. I just can’t help myself in thinking of all my favorite authors and which stories I loved most. Many of these do not have my secret fantasy characters in them but are still dear to my heart.

As any hardcore romance reader knows, attempting to get your friends and family addicted to your favorite novels can be frustrating. That’s why hanging out with people who understand where I’m coming from is so thrilling. Reading the comments, thoughts, and reviews of fellow romance lovers is exciting because it seems like at least once a day, I’m adding to my to-be-read list and getting excited about a new author. I’m also browsing through the Border’s ‘Romance Datebook‘ section on a weekly basis salivating about new releases that I’m dying to read. In less than a month, In Bed With the Duke by Christina Dodd comes out and I will be waiting taping my footimpatiently for Borders to open up!

I would love to hear more about what YOUR favorite storyline or characters are and the best book that reflects that and why? I need more books to read, I have a vacation coming up. Let’s get my Kindle all filled up so I won’t be bored on the plane!

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

Setting: Montgomery County, Maryland, right outside of Washington, D.C. I lived and practiced law there for years. I set a book in the same courthouse I stepped into every day, but the characters are, of course, fictional.
Subgenre: Contemporary romance with suspense elements
Hero: Ben Walker
Heroine: Callie Robbins

One sentence summary: A hottie judge in trouble meets his match in the down-on-her-luck former FBI agent sent to protect him.
Scene you like most and would never cut: The opening scene where Ben and Callie meet. Ben is a bit, well, thick. He doesn’t think he needs protection and certainly doesn’t think the willowy blonde in front of him will make a great bodyguard. And Callie is…unimpressed. Oh, she likes the way Ben looks just fine. It’s his words that leave her thinking he needs a lesson or two in interpersonal communication.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Admitting she can’t do something. Callie is the take-charge type. If she didn’t know how to do something she’d bluster her way through it.

What celebrity is your hero like: He reminds me of David Boreanaz’s character, Seeley Booth, on the television show BONES. He’s tough, loyal, sexy and smart yet he sometimes acts in a way that makes you wonder what he’s thinking. At heart, he’s decent and would do anything for the woman he loves unless he drives her crazy first.

What celebrity is your heroine like: In my head, she looks like the Olivia Dunham character from the television show FRINGE. Combine that with the quick wit of any of the characters from the show HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and you have Callie.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Callie was an FBI agent but had what we’ll politely call an incident (to the extent shooting one’s boss can be called that). Now she’s a former FBI agent and doing some contract security work. She possesses a heap of attitude and no other employment options when she starts guarding Ben.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Ben is former military and a former prosecutor. Now he’s the youngest judge on the bench and considered quite the legal superstar.

What you think readers will like best about this book: I’m hoping they like everything, but most people comment on the dialog. Callie is sharp and hands Ben’s attitude right back to him. The friction leads to some pretty electric banter.
There’s also a secondary romance in LEAVE ME BREATHLESS between Ben’s brother Mark and childhood friend Emma. Ben and Mark are pretty wounded guys. Ben thinks he has it together. Mark is moody and difficult. In reality, Ben and Mark both have much to overcome on the road to happiness. Frankly, it was pure joy making them suffer.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: I have a series of five connected books set in Hawaii. They all stand alone but there are characters that show up in several of the books. The first book was YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY (Brava, July ‘07). Up until very recently everyone asked for Josh’s story, so I gave him one. He finally got his happy ending in HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO (Brava, October ‘09). Now people ask for Derek’s story, the hero’s nephew in YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY who makes a brief appearance in HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO. In my mind, Derek still is in his early twenties and not quite ready to find his forever love, but I do have another Hawaii-based romance coming out later this year, IMPULSIVE (Brava, November ‘10). I hope everyone will enjoy Eric’s story.
What’s next: March is also the release month for my debut Harlequin Intrigue, UNDER THE GUN (Intrigue, March ‘10). After that I have a short story called A PROPER SEDUCTION (Samhain, May ‘10), a novella in Lori Foster’s upcoming charity anthology, THE GIFT OF LOVE (Berkley, June ‘10), and my second Intrigue, NIGHT MOVES (Intrigue, June ‘10). So, in addition to IMPULSIVE (Brava, November ‘10), I have a very full year.

Is there any contemporary hero profession that turns you off or any hero/heroine profession you’re sick of seeing? These are the ones you read about in a back cover blurb and think Oh No..!. For example, I’m not big on musician heroes. Up until the point where Susan Elizabeth Phillips started writing them I wasn’t too fond of sports heroes either, even though I love watching sports in real life. Let me know what you think. Two people randomly chosen from those commenting will receive a copy of their choice of LEAVE ME BREATHLESS or HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO.

More information about HelenKay and her books can be found at www.helenkaydimon.com.

Five Harlequin Historical authors are seated together on the comfortable couches of the virtual Borders Book Store. One exclaimed, “Here we are! Isn’t it exciting? We’re on Sue Grimshaw’s TrueRomance blog.”

“And we are here to talk about Pleasurably Undone, the very first Harlequin Historical Undone anthology,” another said. “Harlequin Historical Undones are sexy and scandalous short stories which, until this anthology, were only available as ebooks. Pleasurably Undone is a print book and it should appear in Borders and other bookstores today.”

“I’ll go first, since my story is first. I’m Christine Merrill. Seducing a Stranger is set in London during the Regency. In 1815 Lieutenant Tom Godfrey returns home to find Victoria Paget, the woman he secretly desires, working in a bawdy house. She’s the widow of an army captain and Tom, a former lieutenant cashiered because of injury, fell in love with her portrait and the stories her late husband used to tell of her.

“And now she is in a bawdy house? Love it! I’m Michelle Willingham and my Undone, The Viking’s Forbidden Love Slave, is set in 1101. Irish noblewomen Aisling Ó Brannon is intended for the king’s bed, but fierce warrior Tharand must decide: please his king…or keep his captive love-slave for himself! Tharand is one of the old-school romance alpha heroes who goes after whatever he wants—-especially the heroine!”

“Louise Allen here.” She waves. “I take readers back to Regency England, like Christine, only my story, Disrobed and Dishonored, takes place in Norfolk and Hertfordshire in 1816. My heroine, Miss Sarah Tatton, wishes to lose her virtue. She meets a highwayman who is only too happy to help her. Sarah and Jonathan (or does he have another name?) have a love affair neither expected.”

“You’re not going to tell us if Jonathan is his real name?” Christine asked.

“No, indeed.” Louise smiled. “I will tell you that there is a scene where Jonathan wakes up after a night of passion to find himself tied to the bed head by a silk stocking and a string of pearls. It was fun to make such a strong man so vulnerable.”

“That certainly makes me curious!” The next author laughed. “I’m Terri Brisbin and, like Michelle, my story takes the reader back to Medieval times. A Night for Her Pleasure takes place in 1066 in Britanny (what we know as France). On their wedding day Lord Simon of Rennes and Lady Elise of Nantes each try to ignore their own desires and dreams in order to be or to do what the other one wants or needs. It’s loosely based on the theme of the O. Henry story, The Gift of the Magi.”

“I based my Undone on The Phantom of the Opera! I’m Diane Gaston. The Unlacing of Miss Leight is about a disfigured recluse, Captain Graham Veall, who advertises for a female companion, and Miss Margaret Leigh, a virginal vicar’s daughter, answers the ad. My story is set in the Regency again, in London and its outskirts. And, I admit, I based Graham on Gerard Butler, the movie version’s Phantom. Terri and I are great Gerard Butler fans!

“We sure are!” Terri and Diane do a high five.

Christine turned pensive. “You know, writing an Undone was certainly different than writing a whole novel. We had only ten thousand words to make a satisfying romance.”

“Our Harlequin Historicals are 70,000 to 75,000 words,” Michelle added. “What I did to make The Viking’s Forbidden Love Slave a satisfying romance was to use a woman’s fantasy, being kidnapped by an incredibly hot Viking. There’s a strong conflict there but women can also experience a fun love story based on a common theme.”

Diane nodded. “I used the Beauty and the Beast fantasy in The Unlacing of Miss Leigh, but I also gave Graham and Margaret strong reasons to engage in an affair so shortly after meeting.”

Christine leaned forward. “To make Seducing a Stranger a satisfying romance, I had to believe in love at first sight. This meant finding something in their backstories of the hero and heroine that made them a perfectly suited emotionally, in addition to the instant physical attraction they feel.

“You and I are like-minded, Christine,” Louise said. “It was important to me to create a situation where both hero and heroine felt an immediate emotional attraction and also that both of them had a strong sense of honour so that there was tenderness and a feeling of commitment right from the start, even when they were falling out with each other.”

Terri shrugged. “I just made sure I put as much emotion in this short story as I do in my longer, novellas or novels.” The others laughed.

“We should tell what’s coming next,” Christine spoke again. “For me it is the Regency Silk and Scandal series, which starts in June! I’ve written the second and eighth books: Paying the Virgin’s Price and Taken by the Wicked Rake, and an Undone related to the series that will be out in May.”

Louise grinned. “I’m part of the Regency Silk and Scandal series, too! I wrote the first and seventh stories. Julia Justiss, Margaret McPhee, Gayle Wilson and Annie Burrows also wrote books for the series. My books are The Lord & the Wayward Lady, which will be out in June, and The Officer & the Proper Lady out in December.”

Michelle said, “Trahern MacEgan’s book will be released in September and is titled Surrender to an Irish Warrior. In the meantime, The Accidental Princess was out last month, a Victorian romance that’s a take-off on the Prince and the Pauper.”

Terri spoke next. “Since the second of the Knights of Brittany books is coming out in July, I’m now working on the third story — a real ‘Beauty and the Beast’ tale of a descent into darkness and the redeeming powers of love.”

“Oh, you know I love a Beauty and the Beast story,” Diane said. “Next up for me is the second book in my Soldiers Trilogy (first was Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady, December, 2009). My hero and heroine meet right in the middle of the Battle of Waterloo. It should be out in the fall.” She turned to the others.

“We have questions for the readers.”

Terri spoke first. “I want to know, do you, the readers, enjoy short stories as much as longer, novel-length ones? Why or why not?

“My question is similar,” Diane said. “Do you like stories to have familiar themes, like Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Secret Baby, and so on?”

“My question is not anything like that.” Louise laughed. “I want to know if you had a time machine, which date would you choose to be taken back to?”

Michelle said, “Or which of our five heroes would you most want to be stranded with?”

“My question is more serious in tone,” Christine said. “Victoria Paget uses her body in what she thinks is a good cause. Is it ever a good idea for a woman to use sex to get what she wants?”

Answer any or all questions or simply leave a comment for a chance to win our prizes:

Borders Gift Certificate

signed copy of Pleasurably Undone signed by all the authors
signed copy of Miss Winthorpe’s Elopement by Christine Merrill
signed copy of The Accidental Princess by Michelle Willingham
signed copy of The Viscount’s Betrothal by Louise Allen
signed copy of The Conqueror’s Lady by Terri Brisbin
signed copy of Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady by Diane Gaston

Romantic Tmes Rating: 4 stars
Category: HISTORICAL
Setting: Medieval to 1800s England
Publisher: HARLEQUIN
Published: April 2010
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This is a collection of short novellas previously published as Harlequin Historical Undone e-books. The stories feature five very different writers creating sexually charged scenarios that give readers a taste of their writing styles, depth of characters and strong plot in the short space of a brief encounter. Well done!
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Summary: Merrill’s heroine plans on going to a bordello and “Seducing a Stranger” to uncover the truth about her husband’s death, but she finds a few surprises, a sizzling passion and the man who holds her heart. In “The Viking’s Forbidden Love-Slave,” Willingham shows how an Irish captive finds a Norse warrior to be the most honorable man she’s ever met. As his captive she discovers a powerful love and a man willing to risk his life for hers.

Allen proves that being “Disrobed and Dishonored” by a highwayman can be quite the fantasy as her heroine meets the man of her dreams. As William the Conqueror takes England, a brave knight conquers his bride in Brisbin’s “A Night for Her Pleasure.” A little of “Beauty and the Beast” mixes with the “Phantom of the Opera” in Gaston’s heartwarming “The Unlacing of Miss Leigh” when a vicar’s daughter answers an ad for a gentleman’s mistress and discovers the hero she always dreamed of hiding behind a mask. (HARLEQUIN, Apr., 280 pp., $5.99) HOT