The winner of The Naughty List, by Donna Kauffman, Cynthia Eden, and Susan Fox, is Tina Simon. Congratulations! I’ll be in touch soon.
Thanks to everyone for stopping by the blog. My special guest on Friday is Manda Collins, a fabulous historical romance author whose debut book, How To Dance With A Duke, will be out in January. Manda is so smart and always fun to spend time with, so please stop by!
I have a real treat on the blog today: three fantastic authors for the price of one, and just in time for Christmas! How is this possible, you might ask? Well, take a look at today’s featured book. It’s The Naughty List, a contemporary seasonal anthology with stories by three of my favorite authors, Donna Kauffman, Cynthia Eden, and Susan Fox. I love Christmas anthologies, and this is a really good one. It received a 5 blue ribbons review from Romance Junkies, which called it “a perfect feel good book for any time of year.”
Here’s the blurb for The Naughty List:
Naughty But Nice, by Donna Kauffman
Businessman Griffin’s never believed in luck…until sassy-sweet small-town baker Melody turns his world around. Except there’s a catch: There’s no way he’ll be able to build his empire and hold on to her. His new “lucky charm” could destroy all his dreams…or make this Christmas better than he ever imagined possible…
All I Want For Christmas, by Cynthia Eden
Good girl toy inventor Christie takes a walk on the naughty side when she sparks a no-strings fling with Santa—actually, sexy cop Jonas in a Santa suit. She loves her new “bad girl” persona, except as the holidays approach, she starts falling, and hard, for this known’ “love ’em and leave ’em” ladies man…
Tattoos And Mistletoe, by Susan Fox
Charlie returns to her hometown to fix up her aunt’s B&B, but she doesn’t count on LJ handling the renovations. Nerdy LJ pined for her in school, but now he’s grown into the town’s hottest bachelor. Charlie’s been burned before and won’t let him get close. But LJ’s determined to break down her walls and make her dearest Christmas wish come true.
Luckily for my readers, I was able to score an exclusive interview with the authors of this fun Christmas anthology. Let’s see if we can get to know these ladies a little better!
Donna Kauffman
We all know that writing is hard work. What do you do to fill the creative well?
Donna: In addition to writing full time, my “play job” is freelance teaching arts/craft classes at a local craft shop here in northern Virginia. My mom owned a craft shop while I was growing up, so it’s something that has always been a part of my life. I love the balance of creating things with my mind…and with my hands. And teaching others has its own special joys as well. (Plus it has the added benefit of getting me out around “non-fictional” folks for at least part of my week! 🙂 My other love is hiking. I live right near the Potomac river and there are many wonderful trails literally in my backyard. You’ll find me on them for some part of pretty much every day, year round. I am also close to the Blue Ridge mountains and the Shenandoah Valley and hike there often as well.
Cynthia: Writing is hard, but, to me, incredibly fun work. When I need to replenish that creative supply, I talk long walks, watch some great movies (I am big into escapism) or head to the beach. I’m very fortunate because I live just 45 minutes away from the beach—definitely close enough for a creative excursion!
Susan: The biggest thing for me is reading. I’m addicted! Other than that, I love watching a little TV, getting outside for a walk, exploring nature with my camera, and sharing dinner and a bottle of wine with a good friend. I try to exercise regularly and do my stretches, though that’s more about keeping in decent shape than filling the creative well. Man, I’m a pretty boring person, aren’t I?
Cynthia Eden
When you’re not writing “naughty” stuff, what do you like to read in your down time? Do you read in the genre you’re working in at the time, or does that mess with your head? What’s your favorite type of relaxation read?
Donna: I read all sorts of things when I’m writing, which is pretty much all the time. I don’t take any real breaks between books, so if I only read my own genre when I wasn’t writing it, I’d never have the chance to read it again. 🙂 It doesn’t mess with my head at all. After 20 years in the business, I am very comfortable with my “voice” and feel confident that when I write it’s coming from my own well, and not influenced by anyone else’s work. However, all reading, in all genres, definitely keeps me well immersed in the variety of storytelling that’s out there. There are so many author’s voices I truly love and admire, across all genres. If anything, reading their work only helps me define my voice even better. You see how distinctly different we all are, and it helps me realize just how distinct and unique my brand of storytelling is.
For relaxation, my favorite kind of book is the kind I write, meaning “feel good” stories. My editor once described my books as “humor with heart…and a lot of heat!” Which…I’m good with that! And that’s what I like when I sit down to read, too. On my “anxiously awaiting list” is The Next Forever, the first in a new trilogy from Nora Roberts. She’s been a friend of mine for more than 20 years now, so I am personally attached to this particular series as it’s based on her own Inn BoonsBoro, which I saw come to life in reality over these past couple of years. I can’t wait to see how she’s brought something so dear to her heart into her fiction.
Cynthia: I love to read paranormals, romantic suspense tales, and horror novels. When I’m working on a particular story, I try not to read within that same genre (it just helps me to better distance myself). So I save all of those in-genre reads as rewards for when I finish my story. Once I’m done writing, I dive in for some prime reading time. And my favourite type of relaxation read? I enjoy funny tales that can take me away. Funny stories are great for relieving stress!
Susan: Mainly, I read contemporary romance, women’s fiction, and romantic suspense—and then a smattering of everything else. At least everything else that’s fiction. I’m not much of a non-fiction reader. Give me escapism every time! But I do like to escape with characters and worlds I can relate to, so I’m not big on paranormal. When choosing what I’m going to read next, I like mixing things up. For example, I just read The Help, and now I’m on a gritty Lisa Gardner suspense novel, and I’m sure next it will be a romance. No, it doesn’t mess with my head to read the same kind of thing I’m writing. Reading is entertainment for me. I’m not analytical about it and I don’t compare other authors’ writing to my own. For a pure relaxation read—like to enjoy in a bubble bath at the end of a long day (which is sounding like a very good idea at the time I’m writing this!)—it will usually be romance or a more “lightweight” women’s fiction without a lot of angsty issues. Not that I don’t love those more angsty books, but not when I want pure R&R.
Susan Fox
If you were stranded on a desert island with just the basics for survival and you were allowed only one luxury item, what would it be?
Donna: Mark Harmon. 🙂 If he’s not available (given he’s been married forever to Pam Dawber and all…) then please substitute George Clooney. He’ll always be single. 🙂
Cynthia: Chocolate! Oh, yes, that would definitely be my luxury item. I just can’t live without it!
Susan: The longest book in the world! But no, I don’t count books as luxury items. For me, they’re necessities. So, how about a very fit, very hot, very smart guy? Or, no, maybe he falls more in the necessity category too. LOL. For pure luxury, I’ll settle for a fountain with an unending supply of chilled pinot grigio wine. Care to join me?
Vanessa, here. Chocolate, men, and a glass of chilled pinot grigio…I like the way you ladies think! Thanks so much for joining me on the blog today. And I can’t wait to read The Naughty List. Now that I know how y’all think, I know your stories are going to be lots of (naughty) fun!
And for my readers today, we’ll be giving away a copy of The Naughty List. Just tell me the one luxury item you would bring to a deserted island. One person who comments will win a copy of this fab book.
I’m really happy to be showcasing a fellow Canadian today – Susan Lyons, who also writes as Susan Fox. Susan is one of those extraordinary women you often find in the romance world, a multi-talented, multi-tasking person who had at least one successful career before becoming a writer. In Susan’s case, she was a project manager, a computer consultant, a legal editor, and a lawyer (she says becoming a lawyer was way easier than becoming a published writer). She eventually found her way to writing, and has been penning fiction for 15 years. In additional to her novels, she’s had stories published in Canadian literary journals, England’s Women’s Weekly, and Australia’s Woman’s Day.
In 2005, Susan finaled in the Golden Heart, the prestigious contest for unpublished authors sponsored by the Romance Writers of America. A year later her first book, Champagne Rules, was released, and she has subsequently published over 16 novels and novellas for a number of publishing houses. Susan has also won a whole slew of awards, including the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, The Book Buyers Best, The Booksellers Best, and the Laurel Wreath. Her book, Sex Drive, was a Cosmopolitan Magazine Red-Hot Read.
As if you couldn’t tell by that last bit, Susan writes really sexy books, with great titles like Touch Me, and She’s On Top. Readers and reviewers alike love her books, and rightly so. Her stories are steamy and passionate, but they also have a lot of heart and truly wonderful characters. For instance, RT Book Reviews gave She’s On Top a 4-1/2 stars, Top Pick review:
“Full of internal conflict, good friends and delicious sensuality, this book is hard to put down.”
By the way, this book also won the Aspen Gold Readers’ Choice Award for Best Erotic Romance, the Golden Quill for Best Erotic Romance, and finaled in the Maggies, the Laurel Wreath, the…well, you get the idea! If I listed all the awards and accolades Susan has received we’d be here all day! You should definitely check out her website, which has tons of info about her books, novellas, and short stories, and some really cool features like recipes for each of her books.
Susan’s latest book is Heat Waves, which is two-story, interwoven anthology that is part of her Destination Wedding Series.
As usual, Susan has garnered wonderful reviews. According to Romance Reviews Today, Susan has “created a perfect blend of interesting characters, romance, intrigue and, of course, hot sex.”
Sounds like my kind of book! Here’s the blurb for Heat Waves:
Get ready to sizzle…
Liz and Peter can’t think of a more fun, sexy place to get married than the Greek Islands. And they’re not the only ones looking for a steamy holiday, cruising in the sun…
“Rock the Boat”
For widowed wedding planner Gwen Austin, the charismatic Santos Michaelides is the perfect man to help her rediscover herself as a sexy single woman. At least until she finds out there’s more to the cruise director than meets the eye—in more ways than she believed possible. In fact, he’s an insurance investigator, working undercover to get the goods on one of the passengers. How is control-freak Gwen going to cope when she discovers Santos has the potential to mess up the wedding—and mess with her heart?
“Making Waves”
When prosecutor Kendra Kirk meets up again with Flynn Kavanagh, the sexy IT consultant she’d unsuccessfully prosecuted for white collar crime, sparks of all kinds fly. When he professes his innocence, she believes him and soon they’re lovers—secret ones, because if her boss ever found out, she’d be seen as sleeping with the enemy. Kendra’s job is the most important thing in her life, so what will she do when she learns the truth about the crime and must choose between work and love?
Heat Waves is available on Amazon and at all the usual booksellers. Check out Susan’s site for the buy links and to read an excerpt.
For my readers, Susan has graciously donated a copy of Heat Waves to the blog. Since Susan is a sexy writer, let’s talk about sex! When reading romance novels, how hot do you like to go? Full-on and steamy passionate encounters, or do you prefer sex in novels behind closed doors? Enquiring minds want to know! One person who comments will win a copy of Heat Waves.
I normally try to blog three days a week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Despite my best intentions I didn’t manage to do that yesterday, because I was too busy making up fabulous gift baskets for the First Coast Romance Writers mini-conference that’s happening this Saturday, March 12, in Jacksonville, Florida.
Okay, I have a confession to make. I didn’t really make up those baskets; my uber-talented stepmother did. I did buy all the candy and treats for the baskets, though, and made sure my stepmom was well supplied with high-test coffee while she worked. As you can tell by the pictures, she does do great work.
Here’s the basket that contains a whole mess of books from Kensington Publishing. My editor, John Scognamigio, very kindly contributed a box of books to the conference, and other generous Kensington authors like Kate Douglas, Susan Fox, Marilyn Brant, Diane Whiteside, and Elizabeth Amber all sent books.
It will be a lucky pup who wins that basket, I can tell you!
And here are the two baskets I’m contributing.
The basket on the left contains books donated by friends and some of my favorite authors, like Eloisa James and Courtney Milan. The basket on the right contains my books, including Mastering The Marquess, Sex And The Single Earl, An Invitation To Sin, and also contains an Advanced Reader’s Copy of my upcoming May release, My Favorite Countess.
How do get your hands on one of these lovelies? Easy! Just go to the First Coast Romance Writers website and sign up for our mini-conference on Saturday. Our featured speaker is the fabulous CL Wilson, and we’re also hosting pitches with Avon editor Tessa Woodward and literary agent Emmanuelle Morgen. It’s going to be a great day!
My Favorite Countess
His Wicked Revenge
An Invitation to Sin
Vanessa Kelly Author 