Category: Give-Aways

Yeah, yeah, I know, I’m still being a blogger slacker, but I have a very good reason. What’s that reason, you ask? I can’t tell you yet. But I assure you, it’s a good one! (Other than that it’s summer). (Which qualifies as a pretty darn good excuse in itself!)

In the meantime, tomorrow please drop by to help me welcome erotic romance author Shelli Stevens to the blog. Shelli’s celebrating the release of her first Kensington Aphrodisia novel, TAKE ME. Please note that Shelli is camping and won’t be around to respond to comments until later in the week. But all comments for tomorrow’s guest blog will still qualify to win a copy of TAKE ME.

About TAKE ME:

After years as a slave to the pleasures of the powerful, Talia knows how to make a man mad with lust. But her pleasure counts for nothing—until a handsome, ruthless stranger appears. Ryder dares to look at her…to touch her…to awake in her a desire she’s never imagined. When he kidnaps her to learn her secrets, Talia vows not to let her passion take control. But soon she discovers that her captor’s intense gaze and searching hands can perform their own kind of interrogation, a sweet torture she finds impossible to resist…

Is it getting warm in here or what?

About Shelli:

Shelli read her first romance at the age of eleven. It wasn’t until many years later that she decided to pursue writing stories of her own. By then she acknowledged the voices in her head didn’t make her crazy, they made her a writer. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her young daughter and is actively involved in her local RWA chapter. When not writing you may find her enjoying the outdoors, spending time with friends, or wasting time surfing celebrity gossip sites.

Visit Shelli’s website.

REUNITED…AND IT FEELS SO GOOD

Thanks so much to Cindy for having me here today!

Okay, first off, I’d like to say, “Hi, my name is Elisabeth, and I have a confession to make…”

I. Love. Reunion. Stories.

There. I said it. I’m a big ol’ sucker for second chances. Some of my favorite reunion stories include Judith McNaught’s Paradise, Nora Robert’s Birthright, and Elizabeth Lowell’s Eden Burning. Why do I love reunion stories so much? I’m not entirely sure, but I think maybe it’s because it’s nice to know no matter how badly you screw up the best thing in your life (even if you don’t realize it’s the best thing at the time), there’s always the chance you can make it right again. Personally, I don’t think I want to live in a world where every decision we make is permanent and final. Especially not when it comes to love.

As you’ve probably already guessed, my book – STOLEN HEAT – (which releases TODAY!!!!!), is just that…a reunion story. Pete and Kat had a whirlwind love affair six years ago, and then everything fell apart, leaving them both feeling betrayed and alone. Here’s the back cover blurb:

His past tore them apart. Her lies thrust them back together. Now a killer’s out for revenge, but the biggest threat for both may just be the heat they thought they’d already lost….

Antiquities dealer Peter Kauffman walked a fine line between clean and corrupt for years. And then he met the woman who changed his life—Egyptologist Katherine Meyer. Their love affair burned white-hot in Egypt, until the day Pete’s lies and half-truths caught up with him. After that, their relationship imploded, Kat walked out, and before Pete could find her to make things right, he heard she’d died in a car bomb.

Six years later, the woman Pete thought he’d lost for good is suddenly back. The lies this time aren’t just his, though. The only way he and Kat will find the truth and evade a killer out for revenge is to work together—as long as they don’t find themselves burned by the heat each thought was stolen long ago…

I love this book for a variety of reasons – the setting (a good portion is set in Egypt), the research (I learned so much researching this book), the characters (Pete isn’t your typical hero, but no matter how betrayed he feels, he’s still got it bad for the heroine, even if that knowledge ticks him off), but mostly because it’s a reunion story. I love the way Pete and Kat are forced back together after six years. I love the way they have to work together to stay alive. And I love the way both of them fight what’s so very obvious to the reader – that these two are meant to be together.

What about you…do you like reunion stories? Can you think of any that stand out in your mind as being real keepers?

In honor of the release of STOLEN HEAT (did I mention it’s available TODAY????), I’m giving away a copy of either STOLEN HEAT (book two in the Stolen Trilogy) or STOLEN FURY (book one in the Stolen Trilogy) to one lucky commenter. Simply answer the question above in the comment section.

AND…if that weren’t enough…I’m hosting a BIG contest over on my website to celebrate the release of STOLEN HEAT. Go to STOLEN HEAT CONTEST to enter for your chance to win a $100 VISA gift card and a whole host of daily prizes.

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Wow, Eli, you give good goodies! Readers, please leave a comment about reunion stories to enter to win your choice of STOLEN HEAT or STOLEN FURY. I’d tell you to visit yesterday’s post to read the back cover copy of STOLEN HEAT, but I don’t have to. Eli’s graciously provided it here! But hop on over to yesterday’s post to check Elisabeth’s bio or visit her website to learn more about her and her books.

My regular visitors know what a slacker blogger I’ve been lately. So I’m thrilled to welcome my fellow Golden Heart 2007 finalist sister, Elisabeth Naughton, to the blog tomorrow! Eli’s blogging about reunion stories and is giving away the winner’s choice of her new release, STOLEN HEAT, or STOLEN FURY (Dec. 08), the first in her Stolen trilogy.

About STOLEN HEAT:

His past tore them apart. Her lies thrust them back together. Now a killer’s out for revenge, but the biggest threat for both may just be the heat they thought they’d already lost….

 Antiquities dealer Peter Kauffman walked a fine line between clean and corrupt for years. And then he met the woman who changed his life—Egyptologist Katherine Meyer. Their love affair burned white-hot in Egypt, until the day Pete’s lies and half-truths caught up with him. After that, their relationship imploded, Kat walked out, and before Pete could find her to make things right, he heard she’d died in a car bomb.

Six years later, the woman Pete thought he’d lost for good is suddenly back. The lies this time aren’t just his, though. The only way he and Kat will find the truth and evade a killer out for revenge is to work together—as long as they don’t find themselves burned by the heat each thought was stolen long ago…

About Elisabeth:

A previous junior-high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton now writes sexy romantic suspense and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her debut release, Stolen Fury, was a 2007 Golden Heart Finalist and has been heralded by Publisher’s Weekly as “A rock-solid debut.” When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ball park or dreaming up new and exciting adventures. Visit the author’s website at www.elisabethnaughton.com.

WHY SECONDARY CHARACTERS ARE SO MUCH FUN…

In my new Angel’s Bay series, SUDDENLY ONE SUMMER, I not only had the opportunity to create the fictional town of Angel’s Bay but also to develop an entire community filled with interesting characters. While I loved creating the central hero and heroine, Jenna and Reid, who have all kinds of interesting secrets and an emotionally compelling story line, I must admit that I had a lot of fun developing the secondary characters.

Minor players in a story can be quirkier. Their personalities can be more extreme. They can be flawed without any redeeming qualities. They can be saints or sinners or somewhere in between. There’s a certain freedom to writing a secondary character, because there aren’t any expectations.  They don’t even have to be particularly likeable; they just have to be interesting.   

In SUDDENLY ONE SUMMER, I introduce several characters who will have continuing story lines through the series. One is the chief of police, Joe Silveira, who is half-Hispanic, half-Irish, and you know with that combination, he’s going to be trouble. Joe has come to Angel’s Bay after years of working vice for LAPD. While he’s thrilled with this new change in his life, his wife, Rachel, a realtor to the rich and famous in Beverly Hills, is nowhere near as happy. Rachel is brittle, ambitious sophistication, and finds fitting into this idyllic seaside community a definite challenge. But she loves her husband, or at least she thinks she does. They’ve been together a long time…fell in love as kids…but now find themselves wondering if their love can stand the test of time. 

Joe also finds himself reluctantly attracted to the charming, beautiful OB/GYN in town, Charlotte Adams. Charlotte has her own problems. After coming back to Angel’s Bay after her father’s funeral, she is dealing with her mother and a strained mother-daughter relationship that continually tests her patience. She’s also shocked when her old boyfriend, Andrew, turns up in town as the new minister. Charlotte has secrets in her past that she doesn’t want Andrew or anyone else to find out.

The challenge of writing books with multiple characters is to make sure the secondary characters stay in their place and are used to enhance the feature couple and at times echo themes in the plot. Sometimes the secondary characters demand their day in the sun and become a feature couple in another book. One of the secondary characters in my book, SILENT RUN, was an eccentric painter who had a beautiful ethereal personality but painted monstrous grotesques pictures of murders, usually after awakening from a nightmare. Catherine eventually got her own story in SILENT FALL, but she originally started out as a throwaway character who could provide a clue to a crime. Who knew those horrific paintings would make me want to write her story? I certainly didn’t. But then I’m a writer who loves to plot out only the basic story line and find additional inspiration along the way.

So who are some of your favorite secondary characters? Anyone stand out?

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Please leave a comment to enter to win a copy of SUDDENLY ONE SUMMER. To read the back cover copy and Barbara’s bio, visit yesterday’s post. To learn more about Barbara and her books, please visit her website.

I’m delighted to announce that Pocket Books author Barbara Freethy is visiting tomorrow. Barbara’s blogging about secondary characters and is giving away a copy of SUDDENLY ONE SUMMER, Book One in her new Angel’s Bay Series.

About SUDDENLY ONE SUMMER:

In the California coastal town of Angel’s Bay, there’s a legend many believe is true…that sometimes when the light is right, angels dance above the waves, and good triumphs over evil… Award-winning, bestselling author Barbara Freethy enchants with the first book in a series that will capture your heart.

Jenna Davies flees to the close-knit community of Angel’s Bay with a seven-year-old child, a dangerous secret and a heart full of pain. She wants nothing more than to live a quiet life, but when she sees a teenager plunge off the pier, she doesn’t hesitate to dive in after her. Saving the desperate girl’s life thrusts Jenna into a spotlight she can ill afford. Suddenly everyone in town wants to know her story—a story that could cost her life.

Reid Tanner was once a tough reporter before a shattering incident changed everything.  Now all his instincts are on alert. Who is Jenna and what is she hiding?  He wants answers, but his quest for the truth could put them all in danger. They say love is a miracle, but can it keep Jenna safe in his arms?

About Barbara:

Barbara Freethy celebrates the release of her 25^th novel with SUDDENLY ONE SUMMER. Barbara’s books, which range from contemporary to romantic suspense and women’s fiction, have regularly appeared on national bestseller lists including USA Today, Borders and Barnes and Noble. She is a four-time RITA Finalist and won the RITA for her contemporary, DANIEL’S GIFT. For a complete list of books and excerpts, check out Barbara’s website. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.