Monday, March 31, 2014

My Stop on THE QUEEN OF SWORDS by Nina Mason Blog Tour + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on THE QUEEN OF SWORDS by Nina Mason Blog Tour. I’m so excited to be a part of this debut author’s blog tour featuring this amazing paranormal. I hope you’ll stick around after an excerpt and my review for a quick Q & A with Nina followed up by a tour wide giveaway!

***eARC provided by author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review

Blurb for THE QUEEN OF SWORDS:

When Graham Logan, a Scottish earl turned vampire by a dark wizard’s curse, draws the Queen of Swords, he knows he’s about to meet the love of his life. For the third time. But surrendering his heart will mean risking her life…or making her what he is. Neither of which his morals will permit him to do. Graham, who believes he lost his soul to the curse, rages at God: Why give her back only to take her again?

Cat Fingal, the third incarnation of Graham’s twin flame, won’t let him escape so easily. As soon as they meet, she feels she knows him and begins having past-life flashbacks. A white witch, she casts a spell to summon him, wanting answers and to fill the void she’s felt all her life.
Graham has other problems, too. Like the seductress who wants him for herself and the dark wizard who cursed him and killed his beloved the first two times.

Will he find a way to save her this time around? Or will she save him?


*                  *                *               *                *

EXCERPT:

     Biting his lip, Graham turned the card of the here and now quickly. Seeing what he’d most feared tightened his chest. The central figure sat in profile upon a throne carved with angels and butterflies. She wore a white gown and a cloak decorated with clouds. More clouds gathered in the background, suggesting a storm was coming. The woman’s left hand reached out toward someone or something unseen in the distance. Her other hand gripped the up-thrust symbol of her suit.
     The Queen of Swords.
     He’d drawn the card only once before: the morning he’d met Catharine La Croix at a sidewalk cafe overlooking the Seine. To say her resemblance to Caitriona discomposed him was an understatement. He’d been floored by the likeness. He’d also been drawn to it like a sailor to a siren’s song.     
     Unfortunately, he’d had no ship’s mast to rope himself to until the danger passed. Within a few weeks, they were deeply in love. He never suspected she might meet the same fate as her previous incarnation. Not until it was too late, anyway.
     He’d done his best to protect her. After seeing Gerard Fitzgerald, the dark wizard who’d cursed him, on the street outside her apartment on Rue de Cherche Midi, he’d kept a watchful eye on her. Being as stubborn as before, she didn’t care for his vigil. One morning, she slipped out after he’d fallen asleep. He’d searched for her everywhere, out of his mind with worry. He’d had her blood, should have felt her, but he didn’t. That evening, he learned why.
     Fitzgerald had done it. Of that, he was certain. He just didn’t know why. Now, it looked as if history was about to repeat. And what could he do about it except tear out his hair, beat his fists on the walls, and cry to heaven, “Why? Why give her back to me only to take her again?”
     Grief closed around his throat like a strangler’s hands. Coughing to ease its grip, he overturned the card of his future. Surprise stung his heart when he saw The Fool. Squinting, he studied the image of a gaily-dressed youth whose open arms seemed to embrace the world. His right hand held a knapsack, his left, a single white rose. Nipping at his heels was a wee white dog. The Fool, fearing nothing, looked skyward with a dreamy expression as he strode toward the edge of a cliff.
     Bewildered, he shook his head. What could it mean? The Fool stood on the threshold. He was the protagonist of the tarot, the archetypal hero embarking on his quest, the soul starting its journey toward atonement. The Fool, in other words, was the polar opposite of the hopeless, faithless tightrope walker Fitzgerald’s dark curse had turned him into over the past one hundred years. 


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A story of curses, reincarnation, love lost, love regained, and carried by the fear of losing it all over again unless an evil wizard bent on capturing the soul of Graham Logan can be destroyed. Graham easily recognizes Cat Fingal as his twin flame, his soul mate, and his lost love who has come to him a third time. As much as he wishes another chance with her, he knows the only way to keep her safe is to stay away from her. Easier said than done when she’s a witch, and she conjures him into her presence and holds him captive under a spell for a weekend.

THE QUEEN OF SWORDS by Nina Mason is an excellent debut novel for this talented author. Caught up in the story immediately, it swept me away through images created in my mind as we learned the history of this boldly modern highlander who still carries himself like the lord that he is from a time long past. Through flashbacks of both Graham and Cat, we learned their history as lovers, how they were lost to each other twice before and the reasons for Graham’s hesitation when he first encounters Cat. Nina mingles knowledge of tarot cards as well as spells to keep the story moving forward while these star-crossed lovers’ attempt to stop Fitzgerald and break the curse that has a deep hold on Graham. The only time that I felt the story lagged was the two weeks journeying the Scottish countryside – it was interesting and a great way for Nina to boast her knowledge of Scottish history but I felt it took away from the excitement of their putting their plan against Fitzgerald into place.

I highly recommend reading THE QUEEN OF SWORDS by Nina Mason to anyone who loves a highlander story and the excitement of a paranormal. The love story is grand, the spells fascinating, and the happily-ever-after sweet.

Now, please help me welcome Nina Mason to Unwrapping Romance as we learn a little bit more about her world …

Amy:  Nina, perhaps you'd like to tell us a little bit about yourself for those who don't know you yet.

Nina:  This one’s always tough. One can so easily tell too little or too much. I’m an avid reader of fiction who turned her hand to writing it seriously six or seven years ago. Ever since, I’ve been trying to learn how to do this well and not let rejection sandbag me while eking out a living. On a more biographical note, I’ve always been creative, had a love of the written word, and have worked in communications and journalism most of my life. I was born and raised in Southern California, lived briefly in Southern Oregon, and now live in Georgia with my husband, teenage daughter, two rescue cats who enjoy shredding my furniture, and an adorable Westie named Robert.

Amy: THE QUEEN OF SWORDS is your first novel. It’s unique and exciting. What was your inspiration for it and your characters?

Nina:  As far as I can recall (hey, it was years and several rewrites ago), I sat down to write a book about a human girl and a vampire who thought about more than getting into each other’s pants. Things evolved. The characters changed many times over. Well, hers did. He stayed pretty much the same from day one, except for his name. He started out as Robert then he was Cam, and finally Graham. She was Kat, then a thousand other names I can’t remember, and finally came back to Cat. The tarot cards were there from the get-go. I read tarot cards and wanted to include some sort of premonition for him that his twice-lost love would return a third time. Originally, the book had a lot about vampire literature. When we meet Cat, she’s working on her doctoral dissertation on the subject. This stemmed from my frustration with posts on the internet dissing Twilight by people who clearly understood nothing about the genre. I decided to write a vampire novel with characters who discussed vampire literature. At a deeper level, it’s also the new archetype of sexy bad-boy battling the old archetype of villainous seducer and murderer. On the surface, it’s a sexy paranormal romance, but it has layers for those who want to look for them. 

Amy:  Indeed, the layers are there – hints of homosexuality as well as BDSM. Is this type of romance where you see yourself staying with your writing, or do you see the possibility of dipping your pen into other romantic genre directions?

Nina:  I like incorporating mythology, especially Celtic mythology, into my romance novels so I plan to stick with that element for a little while. My next book (The Knight of Wands) is the first in what will be a four-part series. It also features divination—astrology, mostly, but also tarot cards and runes. The hero was court astrologer to King James IV in Scotland and is now a political astrologer. The heroine is an English socialite who writes the horoscopes for underground newspapers in London. They’re opposites. He’s a fiery Leo and she’s a freedom-loving Aquarian (lion and butterfly). He’s also a type of faery vampire. The mythology is different than in The Queen of Swords, but not incompatible. After I finish book two in that series, I hope to get back to a book I started a couple of years ago about a merman who gets caught in an oil spill in the Hebrides. The heroine is the spokeswoman for the oil company. I also have a thriller coming out in August from CHBB, a sister imprint of Vamptasy, the publisher of The Queen of Swords. The thriller has no paranormal elements or divination, but does have a Scottish hero. So, at this point in my career as an author, that’s the unifying thread of my oeuvre. And the fact that my heroes all have internal demons to overcome (as one of my beta readers astutely pointed out to me). If I tried my hand at another genre, it would be Scottish historicals. I love them, but don’t know the genre well enough yet to come up with something fresh and new.

Amy:  Sounds like some exciting reads coming. I’m especially intrigued by the one with a merman. I know you're a reader as well as writer. My readers like to know what authors have influenced your writing, so which authors have inspired yours?

Nina:  I only wish I could write half as well as some of them. Diana Gabaldon, Anne Rice, Jane Austen, Wallace Stegner, Barbara Kingsolver, and Stephen King. So many authors have inspired me, it’s hard to name just a few.

Amy:  That’s certainly a very good list with which to start. My last question for you and my personal favorite: if you could be ANY character in ANY book, who would it be and why?

Nina:  Wow… That’s a tough one. I wouldn’t want to be in Diana Gabaldon’s books as wonderful as they are because she’s pretty vicious when it comes to her characters. Anne Rice’s also suffer (did you see she’s going to finally release another in the Vampire Chronicles series?—so excited about that one). How about Elizabeth Bennett in Pride & Prejudice? I wouldn’t mind sleeping with Mr. Darcy and living at Pemberley would suit me fine. And from the wrap-up, it sounded as if her mother didn’t visit very often, so, yeah. Let me be Lizzy in P&P.

Amy: Love your reasoning and no, I didn’t know there was a new Anne Rice vampire coming, thanks for that info. Nina, thank you so very much for joining us today, and for sharing THE QUEEN OF SWORDS with us. Congratulations on your debut and I'm sure my readers are as excited as I am to read more from you. 

My dears, Nina is offering a tour wide giveaway of 3 digital copies of THE QUEEN OF SWORDS. A Free Copy to 3 lucky people, folks, this one is definitely worth the cost of admission so don't pass up a chance to get a free copy. 

Nina: Here’s my question:

Which literary vampire famously said, “Evil is a point of view”? Hint: He’s about to make a comeback.

Amy:  Thank you, Nina, for that great question – if you’d like to enter the Giveaway, please use the rafflecopter and when it’s time to enter by leaving a comment, I hope you’ll give Nina’s query a shot but if not, I’m sure she’d love to hear from you with questions or comments. Good Luck and as always …

Happy Reading Everyone!


THE QUEEN OF SWORDS by Nina Mason, Vamptasy Publishing, available now in ebook format at Amazon.
***click on links or cover below for purchasing information

   

Friday, March 28, 2014

Unwrapping a Review of BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND IAN EVERSEA, a Pennyroyal Green novel by Julie Anne Long

I was fairly sure I was going to miss the galley available at Edelweiss for BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND IAN EVERSEA by Julie Anne Long so when I received a print copy in the mail from Avon, I was thrilled that I was going to get to read it. After all, it’s the Pennyroyal Green series and the heroine is an orphaned American. Can anyone spell intriguing?

***Print copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND IAN EVERSEA:

She might look like an angel...

The moment orphaned American heiress Titania “Tansy” Danforth arrives on English shores she cuts a swath through Sussex, enslaving hearts and stealing beaux. She knows she's destined for a spectacular titled marriage—but the only man who fascinates her couldn't be more infamous...or less interested.

...but it takes a devil to know one... 

A hardened veteran of war, inveterate rogue Ian Eversea keeps women enthralled, his heart guarded and his options open: why should he succumb to the shackles of marriage when devastating good looks and Eversea charm make seduction so easy?

...and Heaven has never been hotter.

When Ian is forced to call her on her game, he never dreams the unmasked Tansy—vulnerable, brave, achingly sensual—will tempt him beyond endurance. And fight as he will, this notorious bachelor who stood down enemies on a battlefield might finally surrender his heart...and be brought to his knees by love.

*                *               *                *                *

Tatiana Danforth has returned to the land of her birth after the death of her parents and brother so that the Duke of Falconbridge can assist her in finding a suitable husband, preferably a duke. She’s a beauty, indeed, and manages to charm every man she meets, except one. Is he immune to her charms or so like her that he knows what she’s truly about?

Ian Eversea is no fool when it comes to women, even though he doesn’t always make the right choices. Determined never to be captured by the cloying charms of any woman, he regards the newcomer to the Eversea family with cautious curiosity. Under the sparkle of fancy ball gowns, fluttering eyelashes, and wallflower pretense, Ian witness things that lead him to believe that there’s far more to Tansy and when he calls her on it, he discovers a woman who might just have the ability to tame him.

I love the Pennyroyal Green series but do have to admit that it took me a while to get into BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND IAN EVERSEA by Julie Anne Long. It was slow going except for a few instances that made me laugh such as when Ian meets up with his brothers in the tavern and discuss the nature of his ‘baubles’. [I’ll leave the definition of those to your imagination and you’ll understand when you read the book.] The banter was good, the innuendos fine, but liking Tansy Danforth was difficult. Ms. Long’s use of exclamation points grated on my nerves to the point where I nearly put the book down but Ian and the other Everseas drew me back. I did enjoy the subtle peeks at Ian when he thought no one was looking as well as Tansy when she thought she was in private.

As a whole, I enjoyed BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND IAN EVERSEA by Julie Anne Long and recommend reading it, especially if you’re already a fan of the Pennyroyal Green series even if Tansy wasn’t my favorite Pennyroyal Green heroine. Ian does more than enough to make up the difference and watching Olivia green with jealousy is more than worth the cost of admission.

Happy Reading Everyone!

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND IAN EVERSEA, a Pennyroyal Green novel by Julie Anne Long, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.
***click on links or cover below for purchasing information

   

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Re-Release Day Blitz for THE BURNING STAR by Jessie Lane + Giveaway

THE BURNING STAR
by Jessie Lane

*This book is a re-release and revision from the original book. Please be aware that some things have been added, deleted or changed.*

Kay’s journey of a lifetime started in the woods outside of Asheville, North Carolina. It was there that the 17 year old met a beautiful man along with a monster. The chance encounter led her to an unbelievable world that shouldn’t exist; a place where myths and fairy tales were real, and in some cases, deadly. Kay knew she would have to brave this new world if she hoped to find a cure for her terminal cancer.

With a strange yet beautiful cast of characters that she would meet along the way, Kay uncovered truths that would change her life forever. However, before it was all over, it would become clear that Kay wasn’t the only one with problems.

Yet another 17 year old young woman was fighting for her freedom and her life.

Kira had lived in a magical world that Kay had only dreamt of. Despite this, her life had not been filled with many good things. As a matter of fact, she considered her empty, emotional solitude the only positive aspect of her life. She fought daily battles to escape abuse and torture.

Trained to be an expert assassin, she was charged with kidnapping Kay and delivering her to Kira’s master, Lord Donovan.

As the two young women set forth in their journeys, their paths would cross in unimaginable ways. The only question that would remain was who would come out alive and whole in the end?

WARNING: This is an upper ya/young adult/new adult fictional story that includes some explicit language, graphic violence, and mild sexual situations. Recommended for ages sixteen and up.

EXCERPT:

I stood there frozen, knowing that I would probably die because of this wretched creature, when all of a sudden I saw the quick movement of an arm bringing down the point of the knife, slicing towards the large creature’s skull. The animal’s enraged screams ripped through the woods surrounding us. 
My brain tried to analyze what was happening before me as I stood still as a statue and watched as the monster started to crumble away like something that had been burnt from the inside out and then fell apart.
This can’t be real. 
I looked up from the ashes into the face of an angel. 
He’s not an angel; he’s just a guy. Right? 
He was staring at me as if he had just seen me sprout a second head. I was staring back at him like he was somehow related to those alien birds outside my window. My mouth flapped open to scream again, but before a sound could escape, the world faded to black, and I fainted. 
At least I didn’t scream again. 
When I opened my eyes, two ethereal blue eyes were staring back at me. My head was throbbing like a bass drum in a marching band, and it felt like my head might split in two from the pounding headache. 
“Are you okay?” he asked me, his voice strong but sweet. 
Before I could stop my mouth from saying anything ridiculous, I replied, “Are you an angel? Did I finally die and go to Heaven?” 
He bellowed a laugh while I blushed a shade that was more than likely lobster red. I smacked myself in the forehead and tried to hide my face behind my hand. What a brilliant way to make a first impression on an extremely hot guy. That’s when it hit me. 
The past few moments of events flooded my brain again and I started to panic. 
“Wait a minute! What was that thing and how in the world did it just, just-”
“The dog? I had to cut it with my knife to scare it away. It wasn’t a mortal wound though. He took off through the woods to escape. Sorry if you’re one of those animal lovers, but I was afraid it might kill one of us.”
I shook my head to try to clear it. “No, no, no, no. That was no dog. Well, it was at first, but then it became something else. It was black and huge and had those red eyes…” 
Before I finished my sentence, I looked up at him to see complete shock and amazement on his face. I had never seen anyone look so bewildered. 
“Don’t look at me like that! I know what I saw! Now what was that thing and what happened to it? It didn’t run off; I saw you kill it. And I would point to the body to prove it, but it, well, it fell apart or something.”
In a split second, the shock had disappeared from his handsome face, replaced by something more masked and calculating. “I’m sorry, but you’re quite mistaken. I didn’t kill it. I only wounded it. And it was a dog. Are you sure you didn’t hit your head or something? I’m afraid you might be having some kind of hallucination.” Somehow, when he said it, it didn’t seem as scary or grotesque as it did when I played what I saw back in my head.

 *                    *                     *                      *                        *

About the Author:

Crystal and Melissa often live half their lives with their heads in the clouds dreaming of alpha military hunks, werewolves, and kick ass heroines crazy enough to chase after creatures that they unquestionably should know better than to chase.

Their first YA novel, THE BURNING STAR, was released in May 2012. BIG BAD BITE is their second novel, but their first adult paranormal romance. They are now working on their next two novels, WALK ON THE STRIPED SIDE and SECRET MANEUVERS. With these projects underway, they are looking forward to showing the rest of the world their crazy stories, heroes and heroines that often plague their minds until written, and hope you will join them on their journey!

If you'd like to learn more about Jessie Lane and their books, please visit their website and be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

TOURWIDE GIVEAWAY:

Release Day Blitz Giveaway: (USA Only Giveaway due to shipping!)
1 Signed Paperback of The Burning Star by Jessie Lane
3 Signed Paperbacks: Anew, Awry & Avow from Chelsea Fine
2 Signed Paperbacks: Madly & Wolfhardt (in one book),
For the Love of a Vampire & SWAG (t-shirt, bracelet & bookmarks) From M. Leighton
$25 Gift Card to Amazon OR Barnes & Noble

Please use rafflecopter to enter. Good Luck!


THE BURNING STAR by Jessie Lane, self-publish, re-release, available now in ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobobooks, and All Romance.
***click links or cover below for purchasing information

   

Monday, March 24, 2014

WRITING PROCESS BLOG TOUR

Welcome to the continuing Writing Process Blog Tour where authors are invited to answer the same four questions.

My appreciative thanks to KC Klein, author of the fabulous TEXAS WIDE OPEN and many more amazing stories, who invited me to join this wonderful tour allowing us to learn a little more about authors and get a peek into their world.

What am I working on?

I’m proud to say that I just completed my first suspense romance, KEEPING FAITH, and hope to find a home for it soon. In the meantime, when I’m not busy with helping other authors ready their work for submission or publication, I’m working on another suspense romance, which has a lot less scary moments than KEEPING FAITH, but that I hope touches the heart in a way most suspense stories don’t.

***Here’s a small teaser:
          I heard the hurt in my daughter’s voice and it pained me to know she felt the need to be responsible for her parents when she should be caring for her own family. I watched my over-concerned daughter turn away, toss her shoulder-length, still nearly black hair over her shoulder as she pulled a chair from the edge of the attic, and placed it near a stack of boxes.
          “I appreciate all of your help, honey, but I’m not ready to be an old woman yet.” I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.
          I looked deep into those soft green eyes that carried far more of her father’s beautiful brown than my blue. “It’s difficult enough watching your father fade from the man I married. I feel like I lose a little bit more of him every day.” Tears stung my eyes so I glanced away and I cleared my throat yet again. “Let’s start with those boxes.”
          Tina dipped her head and wiped away a tear she hadn’t wanted me to see before she pulled a box over in front of the chair. I smiled at her and was relieved when I received a small grin in return. She snagged another chair and set it nearby before pulling another box from the stack. I watched her as she concentrated on what she was doing. I knew all of this was hurting her as much as me. Her father was her world. He was the first man to ever dance with her, twirling her around to the sounds of Elvis Presley singing Can’t Help Falling In Love. He’d been the first man to give her roses, and he was the man who escorted her down the aisle when she married her own knight in shining armor.
          I sighed as the recollection of those times sprinted across my thoughts. Where had the years gone? What would the next years bring – good memories or only sad? 
          – Untitled Work in Progress

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I’m not sure how my work differs from others in the same genre except that I believe I focus more on the relationship between the characters more than the suspense/mystery of the story. Especially this new one which, when my mother read this passage, she had to stop because she was crying. And it's only in the first chapter. 

Why do I write what I do?

I’ve always had a desire to create. At one time, I seriously considered art school but even as much as I love to create art, by the time I was roughly fourteen years old, I’d fallen in love with creating stories, characters, and of course, I’d discovered romance. Creating a story is like painting a portrait of a moment in the life of my characters. If what I create brings a touch of joy, sadness, fear, or delight to my readers then my creation has done what it was meant to do. Just as my tastes in reading vary, I suspect my writing will also. I never know where my muse may take me next and that’s part of the fun.

How does your writing process work?

I am a pantser, which means I let my characters take me where they will. Yes, I pull together ideas as the story progresses. I even make notes, but I don’t plot out the story before I begin. I do consider my characters relation to each other, their back stories, and setting but I let my muse lead me to where my characters live and then let the characters tell me the rest.

With KEEPING FAITH, I woke up one morning, and for whatever ungodly reason, I wrote a scene of murderous terror where an unnamed man kills a woman by coating her body in oil and puts her in a crematory oven. Where it came from only my muse knows, but it certainly inspired me to keep going even as it made me cringe. The idea for this new story came from a desire to take my characters back in time but show how love can last forever, even under the most stressed times in a couple’s life. Even though my own marriage is ending, I still believe in love and a happily-ever-after. Maybe someday I’ll realize my own outside the pages of my work. 

Thanks for joining me today and I hope you'll continue to follow the Writing Process Blog Tour for a chance to get a peek into more authors' worlds.

Your next week's traveling companions are:

Alexandrea Weis, the award-winning author adult contemporary romance like COVER TO COVERS and paranormal romance fiction like GHOSTS OF RUE DUMAINE, is also a nurse, animal lover, permitted wildlife rehabber, as well as avid New Orleanian.

Brandy Dorsch, who is living her dream in Pittsburgh, Pa with her husband and two sons, is the paranormal author of EVERLASTING HUNGER.

Nikki Lynn Barrett, author of BABY STETSON, who lives in Arizona with her husband and son, runs a book blog, an online used bookstore, and writes various genres of romance.

Thank you for stopping by! Feel free to leave a comment and of course, share the news of the Writing Process Blog Tour! 

As always -  Happy Reading Everyone!

Stop on the Tasty Book Blog Tour for THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X by Eloisa James + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Tasty Book Blog Tour for THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X, book 7 of the Desperate Duchesses series by Eloisa James. I haven’t been so excited about a historical in a long time so check out my thoughts and then enter the tour-wide Giveaway of another of Eloisa James’s Desperate Duchesses books.

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review

Blurb for THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X:

The next fabulous romance by New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James.

Having made a fortune, Thorn Dautry, the powerful bastard son of a duke, decides that he needs a wife. But to marry a lady, Thorn must acquire a gleaming, civilized façade, the specialty of Lady Xenobia India. Exquisite, headstrong, and independent, India vows to make Thorn marriageable in just three weeks. But neither Thorn nor India anticipate the forbidden passion that explodes between them. Thorn will stop at nothing to make India his. Failure is not an option. But there is only one thing that will make India his . . . the one thing Thorn can't afford to lose . . . his fierce and lawless heart.


*                    *                    *                     *                    *

Lady Xenobia India, daughter of a deceased Marquess, India to her friends and family, grew up with unusual parents and after losing them to a heartbreaking accident one night on an unexpected journey to London, she has done her best to carve a new and respectable image for herself even while she must work to keep herself in society. She must make a living to survive even though many members of the ton frown upon her career choice. India is an interior decorator, of sorts. She helps those who need a beautiful home to pave the way into society or to stay in with the ton. When a wealthy, handsome bastard son of a duke hires her to redo his less than stellar estate, to make him more acceptable to the parents of the young woman he has chosen to be his wife, she takes on the job with determination, and a promise to herself to find a husband for her own after this final job.

Thorn Dautry knows what it is to be on the outside looking in. As the bastard son of a duke, he wants what was deprived him as a youth diving for treasures in the muddy Thames, and kept at arm’s length even after he amassed a great fortune that could rival any member of the ton. Determined to have the beautiful Lady Laetitia Ransford as his wife, he knows he must impress her parents with his wealth since his birthright is more than lacking. Having purchased Starberry Court, the rundown estate of a notoriously scandalous earl, he knew it was going to have to be made respectable for his new bride and acceptable to her parents, especially her mother. Although highly recommended by his stepmother, Thorn reluctantly hires the beautiful and desirable yet brash and contradictory Lady Xenobia India, who he quickly applies the nickname, Lady X. Despite his efforts to resist her, his desire for her soon becomes as much a determination to deny as his need for acceptance by society.

India’s attraction to Thorn becomes a goal to overcome even as her determination to create the finest home ever for Thorn, his future wife, and eventually the family he desperately craves becomes her greatest accomplishment.


THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X by Eloisa James is her finest book in a very long time. I have to admit that I was once upon time a huge fan of Ms. James’s books and absorbed them, but I soon fell away as her stories began to feel forced and frankly, rather cookie cutter. THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X however, is the talent and storytelling ability that made me fall in love with Ms. James’s stories so many years ago. This story is incredible!

Ms. James has conjured an amazing story of heartache, hesitation to seek what is truly desired, and in the end, going against all that is proper to satisfy a lust for life and obtain a taste of love. Her characters banter back and forth with a feel of today’s email or text messaging, pulling innuendos from simple statements, and drawing a line in the sand that leads to putting everything on the line to win the heart of a true love.

If I say any more, I might give away too much so I’ll just say that I highly, highly recommend this amazing, naughty, society bucking historical trip though time to join Thorn and India in a passion that will rival the great lovers of history. As usual, Ms. James gets a little out of control with her point of view stability but the story is so exquisite, I can ignore that and keep floating on the wings of golden sparrows as they soar their way through an amazing love story.


About the Author:

New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar;" later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better than this." Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the best-seller lists.

After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is a distinguished professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as Good Housekeeping and More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.

To learn more about Eloisa James and her books, please feel free to visit her website, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

GIVEAWAY:
Tour-wide Giveaway of a print copy of A DUKE OF HER OWN, book 6 of the Desperate Duchesses series by Eloisa James to one lucky entry. Please use the rafflecopter to enter. Good Luck and Happy Reading Everyone!


THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X, book 7 of the Desperate Duchesses series by Eloisa James, Avon Romance, available March 25, 2014 in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobobooks, and iTunes.
***click on the links or cover below for purchasing information

   

Friday, March 21, 2014

Coming to THE END When Writing a Novel


Hi my darlings, recently I typed those final two words that every writer sets as a goal, and simultaneously dreads because it means that a story that has occupied her thoughts for months, maybe even years, has ended. Writers come to care about their characters as we do friends and family, so when we type THE END, we say good-bye to friends and close the door on a story, a part of our life, and a love affair with a couple that will never exist again. No matter how many revisions are required.

KEEPING FAITH is my first suspense romance that I hope will be the first in a series I’m calling Rescued By Love. The story centers around a series of prostitute disappearances throughout New York City, and the hero has come home to his rented apartment to work undercover in hopes of solving the mystery. He’s totally crushing on the woman from whom he rents his apartment and who also lives across the hall. She also owns the hair salon located in the same building. Suspicions have the led the police to center their surveillance on the salon, the train station located across the street where local prostitutes hang out selling their trade, and on the employees of the salon. There were times while writing KEEPING FAITH that I made myself uneasy when encountering the bad guy. My hope is that readers will be as caught up in the terror that one human can inflict on another as I was while writing it. What amazing things lurk in the imagination of a writer.

My goal is to either find a publisher who will be as eager to share my book with readers as I am or if not, to self-publish, and promote it myself. In the meantime, I’m moving on to another previous work-in-progress that I started before KEEPING FAITH and am anxious to finish and type those two little amazing words – The End.

So, tell me, what things in your life sadden and excite you when they end? If you’re like me, when I finish reading a wonderful story, it’s always satisfying and a little sad. Or perhaps when a good movie ends. The best things are always things we don’t want to see end but like most good things, they do.

Here’s to, someday, sharing KEEPING FAITH with you and eventually, the next books in the series. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll get my undercover detective to come talk with us about his endeavors to catch the bad guy.

If you'd like to read the Prologue and Chapter One of KEEPING FAITH, please do. I'd love to know what you think and whether it's something you'd like to read in its entirety some future day. 


Happy Reading Everyone!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Great News and Great Deals on Avon Romance Novels!



Avon Romance and NOOK 
have some great news!

From March 21st through March 24th, the following books will be promoted as part of the START A NEW SERIES promotion Nook is doing. These are all the first book in an excellent Avon series and a great way to meet new authors and enjoy some fabulous new series.


Come back during those days and use the links to get to the books for a great deal at $1.99 each!

LOVE AND OTHER SCANDALS  – Caroline Linden

ONE RECKLESS SUMMER – Toni Blake

WHEN THE MARQUESS MET HIS MATCH – Laura Lee Guhrke

DEVIL OF CLAN SINCLAIR – Karen Ranney

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT – Lori Wilde

THE WEDDING FAVOR – Cara Connelly

THE RETURN OF BRODY McBRIDE – Jennifer Ryan

BLITZING EMILY – Julie Brannagh 

A LITTLE TOO FAR – Lisa Desrochers

CRAVE – Monica Murphy

Happy Reading Everyone!!