Sarah MacLean & Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart

I love Sarah Maclean, and even a quick visit to her website will tell you why.  First of all, there are her taglines:

I write books.  There’s smooching in them.

Best. Taglines. Ever.

But wait!  She has a Regecy-specific tagline, too:

Fetch the smelling salts.

And you’d best have your maid fetch those smelling salts because you just might swoon from reading her books – she’s that good.  Sarah is smart, funny, and her writing is impossibly accomplished.  Her first book, a Regency YA, debuted to enthusiastic reviews and her first adult romance, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, landed on the New York Times bestseller list, the USA Today bestseller list, and won the Romantic Times “Historical Romance of the Year” award.  Yowzers!

Sarah has a new book out this week.  It’s Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart, which is book 3 in the Love By Numbers series.  It’s already gotten phenomenal reviews, including a starred review from Booklist, a top pick from Romantic Times, and a coveted “A” rating from Dear Author.

Sarah’s books are witty, romantic, poignant, and utterly charming.  If you haven’t yet read her, you simply must!

There were some other fantastic books released this week, including Kris Kennedy’s Defiant, Mia Marlowe’s Touch of a Thief, and Anna Campbell’s Midnight’s Wild Passion.  In fact, Anna will be here on my blog this Friday to talk about her latest book and to give away a copy.  It’s always a good time when Anna is in the house, so be sure to stop back.

To celebrate the release of Sarah’s book and my own release of My Favorite Countess on May 3rd, I’m giving away a copy of Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart.  Just tell me what books you’re looking forward to reading in the next few weeks.  One commentor will win a copy of this wonderful book!

We Have A Winner!

The winner of yesterday’s contest to receive a copy of Kris Kennedy’s The Irish Warrior, is Rosie Nguy!

Congratulations, Rosie!  You’re going to love Kris’s book.  I’ll be in touch shortly to get your mailing address.

I’ll be running more contests all through April to celebrate the release of my book, My Favorite Countess, on May 3rd.  And since Kris’s next book, Defiant, also comes out in May, I’ll be doing more giveaways of her books, too.  And to find out more about Kris, visit her website.

Thanks for stopping by, and don’t forget to check back here for more contests!

Kris Kennedy And DEFIANT

Kris Kennedy is a good friend of mine, and she’s also one of a new crop of historical romance writers that is hugely talented.  And I’m not just saying that because we’re friends – she is that good.  Her last book, The Irish Warrior, was featured in Eloisa James’s column for Barnes and Noble, and was also a Fresh Pick at Fresh Fiction.

Kris and I both have a book coming out in May.  Hers is entitled Defiant, and I was lucky enough to read it in draft form.  It’s fabulous!  It’s got passion, adventure, smart writing, and sexual tension that leaps off the page.  Kris always creates strong, engaging characters, and I particularly love her heroes.  Jamie Lost is definitely swoon-worthy, and I have a feeling that Defiant will bring Kris a lot of new fans.  She deserves every one!

Here’s the blurb from Defiant:

England, 1215, the eve of Magna Carta

Jamie Lost is the king’s most renowned commander, an audacious knight ordered to kidnap an exiled priest before rebel forces close in. The mission is simple–until he comes up against a mysterious woman on a mission, a thief who will first steal his quarry and then his heart.

Eva is also seeking Father Peter, but she intends to protect him from a secret that endangers his life, even if it costs her own.  She is well aware danger lies everywhere, especially in the knight showing too much interest in her activities.  But deep inside, Eva knows the danger lies not in Jamie, but in her, in the desire he awakens in her body and her heart.

When a mysterious band of armed mercenaries upends both their plans and abducts the priest, Jamie and Eva must form an uneasy alliance, and as civil war unfolds around them, they embark on an epic journey that betrays the truth about their identities, their unexpected loyalties, and the dangerous attraction that could seal their fates forever.

Okay, doesn’t that sound great?  You can pre-order Defiant at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and all other booksellers.  I would really encourage you to do so – it’s a wonderful book!

To celebrate the upcoming release of Defiant, I’ll be giving away a copy of Kris’s last book, The Irish Warrior. Just tell me what’s your favorite period for historical romance.  I’ll announce the winner tomorrow.

 

Another Damn “Best of” List

Yeah, I know.  Another damn list of favorite books from 2010.  But it is fun to look back at what I read this year, and think about what books really caught my attention and why.  So here’s my list of the books that knocked my socks.  One caveat – they weren’t all written in 2010, but that’s when I read them so they’re going on the list.  I still have a huge pile of books that were published this year teetering at the top of my TBR pile.  I have no doubt that some of them will make the list of my favorite books for 2011.

And since it’s still officially the holiday season and I’m still flush with the Christmas spirit, I’ll be giving away a copy of the e-book, Lying Eyes, by my good friend and fellow Carina Press author, Amy Atwell.

Drum roll please…

Love In The Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas.  A wonderful end to the Hathaway series, and one of LK’s best books, IMHO.  The story of an emotionally wounded soldier and the very unusual young woman who helps him to heal is sexy, heartfelt, and funny.  I adored this book.

The Mad Earl’s Bride by Loretta Chase.  An early novella rather than a novel, this story is a showcase for LC’s trademark wit, deep emotion, and stellar writing.  Worth the time and effort to track it down.

Last Night’s Scandal by Loretta Chase.  A sequel to the much-loved Lord Perfect, LNS finally gives us the story of those wayward children, Olivia and Peregrine, all grown up.  I laughed out loud several times reading this book, and it’s one of the most emotionally satisfying love stories I’ve read in a long time.

Rebels and Lovers By Linnea Sinclair.  I love Sci Fi Romance, and I’m glad to see it making a comeback, with some e-book publishers, at least.  Sinclair writes the best – strong, character-driven stories with believable worlds and sympathetic heroes and heroines with very big problems to solve.

Defiant by Kris Kennedy.  You won’t have seen a copy of Defiant on bookshelves, because it won’t be released until April 2011.  But I was lucky enough to read it in manuscript, and I’m here to tell you that it’s an awesome read.  Kennedy is a hugely talented author who writes very sexy, very adventurous Medieval romances.   I think everyone is going to love this book.

Scream For Me/Kill For Me by Karen Rose.  I was a little late coming to Karen Rose but, man!  The wait was worth it.  These two books from the Vartanian series are incredibly suspenseful, emotional, and downright scary.  Nobody writes villains like Karen Rose!

Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Lover by Jennifer Ashley.  I wondered how JA would top The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie, but she did it in spades with this book.  Very emotional and beautifully written.

And last but not least…

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook.  Probably my favorite book this year, TID is a masterpiece of world-building, story, and craft.  The writing is stellar, but it never overshadows an exciting and ultimately very thought-provoking story told in the world of Steampunk.  I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

So there they are.  A pretty impressive line-up, eh?  Tell me what were your favorite reads of the year.  One commenter will win a copy of Amy Atwell’s Lying Eyes.