I’m at the Pop Culture Divas today, talking about my secret identity. And on Saturday I’ll be visiting with The Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills, chatting about fun facts I gathered in my research wanderings and giving away a copy of My Favorite Countess. I hope you’ll drop by!
Let’s talk covers, shall we? As most romance readers know, writers often look to actors and actresses for inspiration when developing their characters. It’s a fun way to bring the hero and heroine to life in our imaginations. Typically, a writer spends months on a book, imagining the hero looks remarkably like Gerard Butler, for instance. Said writer may have even been asked by her editor to provide detailed descriptions of her hero (and heroine), which is then passed along to the art department. With crossed fingers, the writer then spends the intervening weeks praying the cover will at least remotely match the descriptions she provided to her editor.
Finally, the day arrives and that much-anticipated cover jpg. lands in the writer’s email box. With pounding heart, the writer clicks on the jpg. and then…well, sometimes they get it right. Often they don’t but it’s still a great cover, and every once in a while it can be an unmitigated disaster.
How have the cover gods treated me? Extremely well, IMHO, thanks to the fantastic art department at Kensington Publishing. The models didn’t always match what was in my head, though, so I thought it might be fun to look at what I imagined and what actually happened – particularly with my heroes. So here are my covers, starting withMastering The Marquess at the top of the page. Let’s see how they match up with the actors I used for inspiration.
For Stephen, the Marquess of Silverton, I imagined him played by the beautiful and tragic Heath Ledger.
Now glance up and compare that to the guy at the top of the page. Not so much, although I think MTM has a great cover. But the hero looks more like a cross between Brad Pitt and a young Arnold Schwarzenegger, which more than one person pointed out to me. Whoever he looks like, he does have a great set of abs.
In my next book, Sex and the Single Earl, I imagined the hero, Lord Trask, to look much like Christian Bale.
And here’s the cover.
Pretty good matchup and, again, great abs.
For my novella in An Invitation To Sin, I based the hero, Captain Christian Archer, on Sean Bean in Sharpe’s Rifles.
And, the cover…
Oh, well. Pretty, but a distinct absence of abs.
For my last book, My Favorite Countess, I used the gorgeous Hugh Jackman to provide me with inspiration for Dr. John Blackmore.
And the cover…
I was surprised when I got the email because I was expecting another clinch cover, but I certainly wasn’t unhappy. MFC is a gorgeous cover and since I had imagined Bathsheba played by Kate Winslet, the artist definitely got the vibe.
My next book, which will be out in 2012, has a tough and handsome former soldier as its hero. When I pictured him in my head, this is who I saw.
Yes. Uber-handsome Henry Cavill from The Tudors. I won’t see my cover for some months yet, but I surely a girl can dream, can’t she?
What about you, readers? Do you cast actors for certain characters when you read a book? Does it bother you when the cover doesn’t match the description?
It’s a special Regency Friday Fun on the blog today because I’m featuring the uber-talented Kate Noble. Kate’s books are wonderfully romantic and beautifully written, with great stories and unique, engaging characters. Her first book, Compromised, became a national bestseller and received a starred review from Booklist, the prestigious review journal of the American Library Association. Kate went on to write Revealed, which was nominated for a RITA Award from The Romance Writers of America, and The Summer of You, which was named a Kirkus Reviews Best Romance of 2010. As you can tell from this short writing bio, Kate is truly one of the new stars of historical romance!
Follow My Lead is Kate’s latest book, which came out on May 3rd.
Aside from having one of the prettiest covers I’ve ever seen, the book has been getting phenomenal reviews. It got a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, and a starred review from Library Journal:
“The classic titled-hero-falls-for-independent-bluestocking-heroine plot gets a refreshing spin as Noble propels her characters on a passionate, whirlwind adventure. It will keep readers thrilled and on edge until the very end.” — Library Journal, April 2011
Here’s the blurb for Follow My Lead:
Jason Cummings, Duke of Rayne is feeling the weight of his responsibilities – one of which is to get married. Being the most sought after bachelor in London can be trying, so who can blame him if he seeks refuge from the voracious hordes of young debutantes at the decidedly female-free Historical Society? Female-free, that is, until Winnifred Crane marches up to the door, demanding entrance.
Despite her prowess as a historian, Winn is denied membership to the Society. So she daringly offers an unusual bargain: if she can prove the authenticity of a certain painting, she’ll be granted recognition, fame, and respect. But to do that, she must go abroad. And to go abroad, she must have an escort, even a stubbornly unwilling one…
Jason has no desire to accompany Winn on her adventure across Europe, but even he is not immune to Winn’s passion for her profession. As the journey proves more difficult than planned, they must work together to stay one step ahead of their rivals… and the closer they get to the proof Winn seeks, the closer she and Jason become. But as their adventure turns dangerous, can Jason keep this headstrong bluestocking safe? And what will become of their growing bond when the adventure ends?
Now, does that not sound like a heck of a fun read? I’m a sucker for a good road story/romance, so I’m telling you that I’m running out to buy this book today!
Kate also has one of the cutest book trailers I’ve seen in a long time, which you can view on her website. And while you’re looking around Kate’s website make sure you check out her contest page. She’s giving away great prize bundles of books to celebrate the release of Follow My Lead. One of those bundles contains a copy of My Favorite Countess, by yours truly.
As you can tell, I’m a huge fan of Kate’s books and if you haven’t read her I’d like you to be, too! So I’ll be giving away a copy of Follow My Lead to one person who leaves a comment by Saturday evening. Just let me know what your favorite historical romance of all time is for a chance to win this fabulous book!
I’m guest-blogging at RomCon today, and talking about the kinds of heroes who inspire us in romance. The hero of my latest book, My Favorite Countess, is a Regency physician – a bit of a departure from the usual arrogant aristocrat who often figures as the hero in Regency-set historical romances. You might be interested to know that I based my hero, Dr. John Blackmore, on the lovely Hugh Jackman.
Why don’t you drop by RomCon to join our conversation? I’ll be giving away a copy of my previous book, Sex And The Single Earl.
And I’d also like to remind you that I now have a short story available as an e-book at Amazon and Smashwords. I originally wrote His Wicked Revenge for The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance. You can now download HWR as a standalone story from Amazon or Smashwords for only 99 cents!
See you around the internet, folks!
I’m thrilled to announce that my short story, His Wicked Revenge, is now available as an e-book. It’s a passionate, sexy story about reunited lovers, one of whom is keeping a very big secret. Here’s the blurb:
Captain Anthony Barnett spent thirteen years plotting his revenge against Marissa, Lady Paget, the woman he once loved and who claimed to love him back. When her aristocratic family almost destroyed Anthony’s life, Marissa married another man and Anthony knew he’d been played for a fool. Now he’s a wealthy and powerful trader while the widowed Marissa stands on the brink of financial ruin. Soon, Anthony will make sure that Marissa owes him everything.
When her father and brother drove Anthony away thirteen years ago, Marissa had no choice but to marry another man. Now Anthony is back in London, and he’s determined to have his revenge by forcing her to be his mistress. He doesn’t realize that Marissa never stopped loving him, or that she’s hiding a secret that could tear them apart forever.
His Wicked Revenge is available at Amazon and Smashwords for 99 cents. I’d be thrilled if you checked it out!
I’m also guest-blogging today at one of my favorite places on the web, The Season. We’re talking about memorable characters, and I’m also giving away a copy of My Favorite Countess.
For all my friends and readers in Canada, have a great Victoria Day!
I’m guest blogging today at Not Another Romance Blog, doing a really fun interview and giving away a copy of My Favorite Countess. Be sure to stop by and join the fun!
Reader alert: I’ll be having some great authors appearing on my blog in the next few weeks, including the fabulous Kate Noble on May 27, and Sally MacKenzie on June 6. Sally will be talking about the last book in her acclaimed Naked series, The Naked King.
And for a bit of a departure from my usual historical fare, I’ll be doing a feature on Elisabeth Naughton and her sexy new contemporary anthology, Bodyguards in Bed. That will be on June 1, and I can already feel the heat!
The features will include a chance to win books by these wonderful authors, so don’t forget to visit on those dates.
Happy Reading, and see you out on the internet!
I’m guest-blogging today with the inimitable Romance Bandits. My good pal Anna Campbell is hosting the party, so you know it’s bound to be fun. We’re talking about My Favorite Countess and doing a book giveaway. Why don’t you join us here?
In your travels around the blogosphere today, you might want to visit my website. Did you know I have a free read posted there? Its a bonus prequel chapter to My Favorite Countess, and I think it’s a lot of fun. You can access it as a PDF file here.
That’s all for now, folks. Have a great day!
I’m guest blogging today with my super-talented friend, Cynthia Eden, who writes very sexy paranormal romance and romantic suspense. We’re talking about the importance of secondary characters, which partly involves a discussion of this guy:
I’ll also be talking about some of the secondary characters in My Favorite Countess, and the role they play in the book. Please stop by to join the discussion, and also have a chance to win a copy of the book! You can join in on the fun on Cynthia’s blog.
I’m at Babbling About Books, and More today, talking about why readers love the Regency period as a setting for historical romance. I’ll give you a hint. It has something to do with this guy:
I’m also giving away one copy of My Favorite Countess, so be sure to stop by and join in the fun!
That’s my critique partner, Debbie Mazzuca, standing on the right and holding a copy of My Favorite Countess. I’m holding a copy of Debbie’s last release, a Highland paranormal romance called Warrior Of The Isles. In a very funny coincidence, we share the same editor and the same publication date so we celebrated yesterday by having lunch together and visiting our books in the bookstore. It was a wonderful day, made even better by the fact that I shared it with a dear friend who is also a very talented writer.
As Debbie’s critique partner, I’m lucky enough to read her books before just about anyone else. And I’m telling you, they are great. You like hunky highlanders and hot Fae warriors? Then Debbie is your gal. She writes strong, plot-driven stories with really cool heroes and strong, intelligent heroines. I love her blend of history, magic, adventure, which has a good dose of humor thrown into the mix. Debbie is just an awesome writer!
Here’s the blurb for Warrior Of The Isles:
BOUND BY DUTY
In a time of raids and ransoms, Aidan MacLeod is responsible for a formidable Scottish keep and all the people within. Yet the fearless Highland laird never forgets his charge to shield his young half-brother from the grave consequences of his tragic birth.
LINKED BY FATE
But an alluring stranger known only as Syrena could undo all of Aidan’s defenses. For Syrena has vowed to bring Aidan’s brother to a realm far from the Scotland of their understanding. To succeed, she is at Aiden’s mercy.
DIVIDED BY DESIRE
Ignoring his attraction to the beautiful Syrena is pointless. But if Aidan lets himself trust the enchanting woman who has so quickly captured his heart, he’ll be forced to risk everything he has sworn to protect…
Doesn’t that sound great? You know you want to read this book!
To celebrate the release of our books this week, I’ll be giving away one copy of Warrior Of The Isles. Simply comment and tell me what kind of hero you like best: Regency lord, cowboy, ruthless boss, sheikh, or whatever strikes your fancy. One person will win a copy of Debbie’s book!
My Favorite Countess
His Wicked Revenge
An Invitation to Sin
Vanessa Kelly Author 