Guest Author: Maggie Robinson & Giveaway!!

I’m so glad to have one of my good pals on the blog today.  She’s Maggie Robinson, author of fabulously sexy historical romances.  Maggie is on a whirlwind blog tour for her latest Kensington Brava release, Mistress by Marriage. 

Maggie’s books are wonderful reads.  As The Romance Dish said, “you’re always guaranteed sassy wit and sizzling sensuality when you pick up one of Maggie’s books.”

I’m going to turn the blog over to my friend now, as she gives us the inside scoop on her new book.

I had the pleasure of meeting Vanessa and her charming husband at the Romance Writers of America convention this June in New York City. They are sometime-writing partners, which absolutely flabbergasts me. I cannot imagine writing with my husband. In fact, he’s never read a word of what I’ve had published so far. (That’s a total of five novels and two novellas under my two writing names.) He’s just not at all romance-y, although he can be very thoughtful. We are total opposites when it comes to most things. He’s a jock—I only care about where the jockstrap goes. 😉 In fact, we’re a little like the characters in Mistress by Marriage (Brava, September 2011). I won’t say he’s as unyielding and rigid as Edward if he won’t call me flighty and temperamental like Caroline.

Marriage is a mysterious venture. It’s hard enough when the couple have similar backgrounds and goals. When you throw complete strangers at each other, there’s bound to be trouble. Because I am evil, I had my methodical, proper Baron Christie fall hopelessly in the thrall of  unsuitable, improper Caroline Parker at a ball, and they’ve both paid for it for six years. When Mistress by Marriage opens, they’ve been separated for five of them. Edward has bought a house for his estranged wife on Jane Street, London’s most exclusive neighborhood for courtesans. He wants a divorce. So does Caroline.

A divorce was hard to obtain, hideously expensive and reputation-ruining in Regency times. It was far more common for people to live apart and wish each other dead, LOL. So I faced legal challenges as well as emotional ones. Once Edward discovers things were not what they appeared to be, he realizes his grounds for divorce don’t exist. His honor and heart are at stake. He wants Caro back. But does she fall into his arms? No, that would be too easy and end the book well before page 278.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so at last Edward reads one of Caroline’s naughty novels. (Did I tell you she writes lurid gothic romances? Do you think this means I want my husband to read my books?) He alters one of her plots, expecting a happy ending. Uh, no such luck. But don’t worry, by page 278 everything is more than okay. Defrosting “Cold Christie” was one of the most fun things I’ve done as a writer. He’s baffled by love—it does not fit into his logical worldview. And even though Caroline writes romances, she doesn’t think she deserves love, but Edward is happy to prove her wrong.

I have a friend who says “There’s a lid for every pot.”

Do you believe there’s someone out there for everyone? How did you meet your partner? I have a signed copy of Mistress by Marriage for one commenter.

Vanessa, here.  Be sure to check out Maggie’s website, which includes excerpts and details on all her books.  And don’t forget to answer her question for a chance to win Mistress by Marriage!

 

Guest Author: Lila Di Pasqua & A Midnight Dance

Today’s guest author is Lila DiPasqua, who writes lush and sexy historical romance with a fairy tale twist.  In fact, she writes “Fiery Tales,” classic fairy tales cleverly reimagined into sensual and sophisticated romances.  The first in her Fiery Tales collection is Awakened by a Kiss, which retells Sleeping Beauty, Puss In Boots, and Little Red Riding Hood.  This debut collection got great reviews, including a 5 star review from The Romance Dish:

“Every now and then a debut author knocks my socks off with her first novel. . . AWAKENED BY A KISS is a magnificent debut!!!! …Purchase it right now!!!” — The Romance Dish

I have to tell you, I love the idea of taking classic fairy tales from our childhood and retelling them as sensual and romantic adult tales.  It’s one of those great high concepts that makes a writer think…damn, I wish I’d thought of that!

Here’s the book trailer for Awakened By A Kiss, which gives you a sense of what these stories are about.

Lila’s second collection of Fiery Tales is The Princess in His Bed, which got phenomenal reviews including this one from Publishers Weekly:   “Ripe with steamy affairs, these lusty stories are hot enough to warm the coldest winter night.”

Wow!  Or steam things up on a hot summer night too, eh?  Romance Junkies gave the collection a coveted 5 ribbon review:

“Lila DiPasqua weaves another sumptuous collection. The heroines are ladies in every way, the heroes just rakish enough to be adored… I recommend this to all adult fairytale lovers. – 5 RIBBONS!

For historical romance lovers, what could be more enticing than all those handsome princes from days gone by, coming back to life as sexy romance heroes between the pages of Lila’s books – fun!

Lila has a new book coming out in August. A Midnight Dance is a full-length historical romance, inspired by the tale of Cinderella.

Of all the fairy tales we know, Cinderella is perhaps the most romantic and just perfect for Lila’s unique talents.  Here’s the blurb:

Born into wealth, Sabine Laurent and her twin sister lived a life of luxury, their father’s prestigious theater frequented by royalty and aristocracy alike. And Sabine dreamed of her own prince charming—the devastatingly handsome Jules de Moutier.

That was before the loss of her sister and her family’s fall from grace—a disaster Sabine blames on the Moutier family. Now, with her father’s death, she’s inherited his sizable debt and the responsibility of caring for his spoiled long-time mistress and her two wastrel daughters. But with the help of Sabine’s eccentric friends—the balance of her father’s acting troupe—she plans to get very close to her old infatuation, seduce the rake—and make away with a fortune.

Resisting Jules’s skillful mouth and tantalizing touch is not as easy as Sabine supposed. And soon she must decide whether her desire for vengeance is greater than her desire for her one and only prince…

Doesn’t that sound great?  Jennifer Ashley, the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie would agree:

“A MIDNIGHT DANCE is a fun, spicy, historical romp that’s sure to delight! A lovely twist on the Cinderella fairy tale, with a deliciously dark hero and a heroine who’s more than a match for him.”— Jennifer Ashley, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

A Midnight Dance is available for pre-order on Amazon, and at all your favorite booksellers.  You can find more info about the book, including an excerpt, on Lila’s website.  And while you’re on Lila’s website, be sure to check out her amazing contest for her upcoming blog tour and party.  And here’s another one of Lila’s interesting and totally fun twists – the blog party is being hosted by her husband, and will feature interviews with the husbands of romance writers, including mine!  Yes, DH will be appearing on Lila’s blog on July 21.  Mr. DiPasqua will also be hosting the husbands of Sophie Jordan, Kris Kennedy, Kate Noble, and Kieran Kramer, among many others.  The whole thing sounds like a riot, so you’d best get yourself over to Lila’s blog and check out the details.

Lila has very graciously donated a copy of A Midnight Dance, which I will give away to one person who stops by the blog today or tomorrow morning.  Just tell me what’s your favorite fairy tale, either as a child or as an adult.

 

Anna Campbell Is In The House!

I’m so excited to be hosting the wonderful Anna Campbell, who truly needs no introduction.  Oh, heck.  I’m going to introduce her anyway!  Anna writes the most lusciously sensual, fantastically lyrical Regency-set historical romances, with brooding heroes, intelligent heroines, and tons of passion and drama.  Her first book, Claiming The Courtesan, rocked the romance world.  It finaled in the presigious RITA Awards, and won the Best First Historical Romance Award in the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards.  Her books have finaled in or won numerous contests, and have received great critical acclaim.

Anna’s latest book is Midnight’s Wild Passion, and it’s bound to be another fantastic read!  Welcome to the blog, Anna!

A Classic Is a Classic Is a Classic

As Gertrude Steinway said,  tinkling away on her Mozart sonata in Paris.

Hiya Vanessa! Congratulations  on all the buzz about your latest release . Gorgeous cover! Thanks so much for having me as your guest today.

When people ask me about my latest historical romance, MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION (out 26^th April, yahooooooo!), I tell them it’s a classic  Regency romance with Anna Campbell touches. And it is!

This book includes a whole stack of elements that have been the mainstay of Regency romances since their inception (going back to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE!). There’s an elopement. Actually there’s more than one elopement! There’s a duel. The characters join the glamorous social whirl that is the London Season. There’s an event-filled house party in Surrey. I could go on – you get the picture, I’m sure!

In fact, I went so far as to say to someone who asked me about MWP that in this particular book, my heroine gets to dress up rather than take her clothes off. Which is a bit of an exaggeration as I wrote quite a few luscious love scenes for the Marquess of Ranelaw and his heroine Antonia Smith.

You can read the blurb and an excerpt from MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION here.

In my other books, the characters operate outside society in many ways so their chances to go to parties are pretty minimal, poor dears. So I wondered where this sudden penchant for ballrooms and waltzes and brittle exchanges on the terraces of stately homes in MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION came from.

Then I remembered a significant fact, although its true significance had escaped me until now. Back about the stage I started MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION (about eighteen months ago), I had begun to re-read Georgette Heyer’s classic Regency romances published between 1921 and the mid-1970s. I devoured these books first as a girl in primary school – they’re terrifically popular down here in Australia, especially in libraries – then I re-read them as a teenager, then in my late 20s. Loved them every time, although interestingly my particular favorites changed from reading to reading.

About 18 months ago, I was asked to review DEVIL’S CUB for The Romance Dish site and I have to admit (shame on me!) that I picked up this book published in 1932 quite reluctantly. I worried that after having dined almost exclusively on modern dishes lately, this older read might have a slight whiff of being past its use-by date. And hey, I love sex scenes and I knew there weren’t going to be any of those!

But I gulped down the delicious story of wicked Lord Vidal and his stalwart heroine Mary in the space of a (very late) night. And I’ve been gradually picking up the ones I remember as favorites ever since. So far, I’ve been through THE UNKNOWN AJAX, VENETIA, THE GRAND SOPHY and FREDERICA. Every single one of them has been marvellous – sparkling and sexy and witty and beautifully written.

Georgette Heyer established the parameters of the classic Regency romance and I think one of the reasons this period continues to be so incredibly popular is that people just want to return to that world. I can see why – and it seems I’ve done an unconscious tribute to her genius in MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION.

So do you like the classic elements of a Regency romance? Do you have a particular favorite element? The parties? The rakes? The wit? The dresses? Are you a Georgette Heyer fan? Do you have a favorite?

One lucky commenter today will win a signed copy of MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION! Good luck!

Guest Blogging And Giveaway

I’m guest-blogging today at The Romance Dish with my fellow Kensington authors, Sally MacKenzie and Kaitlin O’Riley.  We’re chatting about the release of our anthology An Invitation To Sin, coming out on February 1.  Stop by and join the fun – comment to win a copy of An Invitation To Sin!