I am so excited to be on Vicky’s blog to share with you about my debut release, The Temporary Wife. It’s especially wonderful because Vicky has been an amazing mentor since we met on Twitter and then in real life at RWA in New York City. I couldn’t ask for a better friend.

So, I’m going to share the story every author loves to tell over and over. I’m going to tell you about “The Call.”

There are many things that go through an author’s head when she gets the call. Honestly, I’d visualized the moment for years. YEARS. I’d had so many close calls, I was at the point where I thought I’d never be published.

And then, everything happened. Fast.

The whole thing started out innocently enough. At the end of August, my bright, shiny new agent told me that an editor I know at NAL had a story idea she wanted me to think about. I was asked to work up a proposal for a contemporary marriage of convenience story. I know…not easy and I was skeptical. I’d been down the submission road with this house before and while I had editors there who loved my work, I wasn’t able to make a sale.

But, I worked up a story—I wrote a synopsis and sent it to my agent. We worked on it and then it went off to the editor. I put it out of my head and went back to the single title I’d been getting ready for submission.

One week later…it happened.

I was sitting in the faculty room, having lunch 7th period. It was September 12th. (Around 12:15 PM, if you want to know.) My cell phone rang and I saw my agent’s name come up on caller ID. My stomach turned over. Truly. Everything inside me just knotted up, so I stepped away from the table and took the call. All I really heard Becky say after I answered was, “They offered a three book deal.”

Oh. My. God. There was this rushing sound in my ears and I knew she was talking about advances and contracts and what details would have to be worked out, but all I could think was…I sold.

Then I heard the words that would turn me into a sleep-deprived, writing-obsessed, caffeine addict, “She wants the book in six weeks.”

What? Six?

That’s right folks, I had six weeks to write a book. Amazingly, I did do it, even as I was directing a school play and getting through Hurricane Sandy, and now the book is right there and it’s real and I’m terrified. Selling is one piece of this writing game, but surviving the release is something else altogether.

The point I’m trying to make is that there’s no easy time when you’re an author. Don’t get me wrong, everyone should have problems like mine—I’m doing something I love. But I want to be a success. I want people to enjoy my books, but getting there from here really nips at your ego from morning until night. That part doesn’t get better after you sell, it gets different.

But there’s no turning back. I’m published and I’m holding on to all the good feelings that go along with that, trying to quiet my nerves as I go. Writing about the good stuff helps.

The other thing that helps is celebrating with the people who made it possible. And Vicky is most definitely one of those people. She encouraged me as I worked to make this dream come true. So that brings me to ask…who helps you with your dreams? Who pushes you and encourages you and listens when you need an ear?
Comment and let me know.

It was an offer she couldn’t refuse…from a man she couldn’t resist. 

Kindergarten teacher Megan Rossi is devoted to being a mother to her best friend’s five-year-old daughter, Molly. When the child was orphaned, Meg became the little girl’s legally named guardian—over the objections of Molly’s wealthy grandparents, the Campbells. Now the Campbells are petitioning for custody, and Meg is faced with a long and expensive legal battle. The last thing she expects is for her former high school boyfriend—and the Campbells’ estranged son—to offer a solution: marriage.

Billionaire software developer Jason Campbell knows his parents don’t have Molly’s best interests at heart—it’s all about control for them. There is one way he can ensure that his sister’s last wishes are honored. He will offer Meg the protection of his name and lawyers until the custody arrangement has been finalized , then he’ll secure his niece’s future with a very generous divorce settlement. Jason’s considered all the scenarios, except one—that the sparks that once flew between he and Meg might reignite a burning passion. And that his confirmed bachelor heart might just melt away from the heat…

Jeannie is giving away an ebook copy of The Temporary Wife. Giveaway open to US readers. Ends 5/24.

If you have found this blog post on Vicky’s Goodreads site, please visit her blog to leave a comment.

Jeannie Moon began her romance writing journey in 2000.  After several books and a few close calls, she finally sold The Temporary Wife and two other books in the Forever Love series, on proposal, to Penguin’s digital first line, Intermix. Jeannie is a career educator spending time as a high school English teacher and the last 17 years as a school librarian. Married to her high school sweetheart, Jeannie has three kids, two lovable dogs and a mischievous cat, and resides on Long Island, NY.  If she’s more than ten miles away from salt water for any longer than a week, she gets twitchy. Visit her on the web at www.jeanniemoon.com.

Find Jeannie:
Author Site | Facebook | Twitter

Winners… May, Amanda W., Priscilla, Melody and bn100!!!

Hello all! This week I am spotlighting the fabulous Beverley Kendall‘s recent New Adult release, THOSE NIGHTS IN MONTREAL. This is an e-novella in the Language of Love series. Be sure to check out the first book, WHEN IN PARIS.

Those Nights in Montreal
A Language of Love e-novella
Season Publishing LLC | May 6, 2013

An ex is an ex for a reason

To Rebecca Winters, it’s not just a saying or the title to a catchy tune, it’s a rule she staunchly lives by. Especially since the break up with herex. What’s the point in trying to fix the “unfixable”? Besides, only a girl hell-bent onmore heartbreak would go back to the guy who bailed on her when she needed him most. But saying no to Scott is becoming more difficult than surviving the breakup itself. And unfortunately for her, the kind of pressure he’s exerting is making her rule all too easy to break.

Scott Carver has given up trying to get over his ex. He’s still in love with her and their year apart has done nothing to change that. Yeah, he knows he screwed up. Just how royally, he wasn’t aware of until now. So when Becca agrees to give him a second chance, he grabs on to it with both hands. But it’s clear the only way things will ever truly be right between them is if he comes clean…about everything. He can only pray the truth doesn’t send her running—for good this time.

Beverley is offering five(5) ebook copies of her novella. Share your thoughts on the New Adult genre or some New Adult reads that your fellow readers should add to their TBR pile. Giveaway open to wherever this ebook is available for download. Ends 5/17.

If you have found this blog post on Vicky’s Goodreads site, please visit her blog to leave a comment.

I have always loved books, romance and wished that everyone (most especially me) would find their happily ever after. Add in my love of London, England set in a period when ladies strived to be genteel and dresses could barely fit through doors, and it was obvious I could write nothing but historical romances.

As the single mother of one too bright and mischievous young boy, I now write full-time and enjoy the process of self-publishing my novels. When I’m not writing, mothering, reading or running The Season website and blog, I’m enjoying some of my favorite hobbies: knitting, crocheting and sewing.

Connect with Beverley:
Author Site | Facebook | Twitter

Winner, winner… Kristine Radgman!!!

This week I bring you WHEN SHE WAS WICKED by Anne Barton, a wonderful debut and winner of the 2011 Golden Heart for the Regency Historical category.

WHEN SHE WAS WICKED
Forever | January 29, 2013

SOME RULES SIMPLY BEG TO BE BROKEN

A dressmaker in London’s busiest shop, Miss Anabelle Honeycote overhears the ton’s steamiest secrets—and (occasionally) uses them to her advantage. It isn’t something she’s proud of, but the reluctant blackmailer needs the money to care for her gravely ill mother. To make up for her misdeeds, Anabelle keeps to a firm set of rules:

• Never request payment from someone who cannot afford it.
• Never reveal the secrets of a paying client.
• Never enter into any form of social interaction with a client.

Her list keeps her (somewhat) honest—until she encounters Owen Sherbourne, the Duke of Huntford. Not only does Owen nip Anabelle’s extortion plans in the bud, the devilishly handsome Duke soon has the sexy seamstress dreaming of more than silks and satins. With Owen, Anabelle enjoys pleasures she never imagined. . . until a scandal from the past resurfaces. Now her rules could mean his family’s ruin. Owen’s searing kisses carry the promise of passion, but how will he react when Anabelle’s most devastating secret is finally revealed?

I am giving away a signed copy of WHEN SHE WAS WICKED by Anne Barton. Leave a comment sharing your favorite romances featuring dressmakers, dukes or any historical romance that should be added to my teetering TBR pile. Giveaway open to US readers. Ends 4/12.

If you have found this blog post on Vicky’s Goodreads site, please visit her blog to leave a comment.

Anne Barton started swiping romances from her mom’s bookshelf as a teenager and decided historicals (with their balls, dukes, and gowns) were the best. So, when she had the chance to spend a semester in London she packed her bags—and promptly fell in love with the city, its history, and its pubs. She dreamed of writing romance, but somehow ended up a software analyst instead.

Fortunately, a few years and a few careers later, Anne found her way back to writing the stories she loves and won the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® for Regency Historical Romance. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three children, who try valiantly not to roll their eyes whenever she quotes Jane Austen. Her weaknesses include reality TV, cute-but-impractical shoes, and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

Find Anne:
Author Site | Facebook | Twitter

Winner, winner…Nancy Sutphin!!!

Hi all! Before you head off into the weekend, leave a comment for a chance to win an ARC of my May release, WHAT A WICKED EARL WANTS, and my fellow street team author Kieran Kramer’s THE EARL IS MINE. Happy Easter!

WILL A RAKE’S WICKED WAYS

Andrew Carrington, Earl of Bellingham, believes in being a gentleman, whether it’s fishing a soggy stranger out of the Thames or assisting a fetching lady into his bed. If the stranger becomes a friend and the lady a mistress, all the better. He certainly welcomes the opportunity to help Laura Davenport, a dazzling young widow with a rebellious stepson. Her gratitude, he hopes, will take an amorous form. But from the moment he sets foot in her drawing room, he gets far more than he bargained for …

LEAD THE LADY ASTRAY?

It was a moment of desperation. On the brink of losing her stepson, Laura turned to the notorious Lord Bellingham for help. Suddenly she, a vicar’s daughter, is in the precarious position of resisting his tantalizing advances. How Bell earned his wicked reputation is clear; the surprise is how much more there is to him than the gossip sheets could possibly reveal. Now every moment with this dangerously desirable man puts Laura’s good name at risk-and promises pleasure unlike any she has ever known …

AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER
Handsome, charismatic, and on the verge of becoming a successful architect, Gregory Sherwood, Lord Westdale, could have just about any woman he wants. So why rush to marry? So far there’s been only one woman he’s considered his ideal match. But that was before she had a secret affair with his best friend…with the help of an unwitting accomplice named Lady Pippa Harrington.

A PASSION TOO GOOD TO DENY
Pippa may not have acted in her old friend Gregory’s best interests, but she’s always believed that the heart sets its own rules. This is why Pippa must escape her arranged marriage–fast–by fleeing to Paris, where she hopes to pursue her artistic passions. To do so, Pippa will need all the help she can get–from Gregory, the one man she isn’t sure she can trust…or resist….

Double Rita®-finalist and USA Today bestseller Kieran Kramer writes Regency historical romances for St. Martin’s Press. THE EARL IS MINE, the second in her House of Brady series, is her latest release. SAY YES TO THE DUKE premiers in August 2013. A former CIA employee, journalist, and English teacher, Kieran’s also a game show veteran, karaoke enthusiast, and general adventurer. She lives where she grew up–in the Lowcountry of South Carolina–with her Naval Reserve commander husband and their three children.

Find Kieran: Author Site | Facebook | Twitter

I am giving away an ARC of WHAT A WICKED EARL WANTS and THE EARL IS MINE by Kieran. Open internationally. Share your favorite authors who write light-hearted romances or books that made you laugh out loud. 

If you have found this blog post on Vicky’s Goodreads site, please visit her blog to leave a comment.

Winner, winner…Noelle Pierce!!!

Anyone who knows me can tell you I am all about the shoes. So when I started out on the journey toward publication a little over four years ago, it was a bit like slipping on those ruby slippers and taking the very first step on the yellow brick road. Only (and anyone who’s been on this road can tell you!) the shoes weren’t always so sparkly, and the road didn’t always glow with promise. And those inevitable rejections? Flying monkeys if I ever saw any! In fact, I was up to my eye teeth in them when I packed my bags for the Romance Writers of America’s annual conference last year. Maybe it just wasn’t going to happen, I thought. Maybe I’ve had enough.

And then my phone rang.

Now this was twelve hours before I got on my flight to go to LA, and I was scheduled to pitch to two different editors. I figured my agent was calling to wish me good luck, or maybe offer some last-minute advice. I felt eerily calm as I picked up the phone. After all, editors never make an offer right before a huge national conference, right? But then my agent uttered the phrase I’d been waiting (and dreaming and hoping and pleading and dreaming some more) to hear for three long years: “We have a three-book deal on the table.”

I know for a fact that I screamed. I’m pretty sure I said “Oh my God!” about a thousand times. I know I asked “Are you sure?!” (because my agent laughed and said, “Yes. I’m sure.”) So after we worked out the logistics (during which I kept asking, “Are you sure?!”), I had a brief chat with my editor where everything was finalized, and I hung up the phone a published author.

Then the real fun began.

The first people I told were my three daughters, ages 10, 7 and 5 at the time, and they promptly flung themselves at my various limbs for the biggest, best pile-on group hug ever. Then I called my husband, who actually thought I was messing with him (and as soon as he realized I wasn’t, he left work to come home early, bless his hero heart!) I told my critique partners, who squealed as loudly as I did. And then I got on that plane to LA.

There is something truly magical about being able to tell your chaptermates, your friends, and your mentors that you’ve achieved your dreams face-to-face. As writers, so much of our communicating is done online, since we’re literally all over the globe. But being able to have an impromptu champagne toast with friends (cough *in Vicky’s hotel room* cough) and meet my editor in person a mere day after selling made it priceless. My yellow brick road to publication took three years, four manuscripts (six if you count the two under my bed that will never see the light of day!) seven online writing courses, countless agent queries, and even more countless submissions…but it only takes one yes to reach the Emerald City.

And lest you think the journey ends with that yes, let me be the first to say that landing that publishing deal is really only the next road what I hope will be a lifelong journey for me. It’s a good thing, too. Because honestly—I love the ruby slippers!

###

Amazon

Love on the Line
e-novella
Curtis Brown Digital
February 24, 2013

Violet Morgan puts the personal in personal chef, catering to clients who want the full cooking experience rather than a culinary drop-and-dash. But when her brother’s police detective partner is injured in the line of duty and needs help during recovery, she makes an exception. Violet lost her father to the job seven years ago, and worries for her brother’s safety every day. The last thing she wants is to get up-close with her brother’s career-cop partner…again.

For Noah Blackwell, being a detective isn’t just a lifestyle, it’s a legacy. So when he’s forced to take mandatory leave and deal with the trauma amnesia keeping him from identifying his shooter, it’s a literal case of adding insult to injury— and now he’s got to deal with an unwanted culinary caregiver on top of it. Never mind that he and Violet shared a steamy, secret kiss last New Year’s Eve. She rejects everything related to the job, and Noah’s not about to be distracted from recovering his memory and getting back to what he does best. No matter how pretty Violet is.

Despite their differences, Violet and Noah share a surprising bond in the kitchen that grows into something neither of them expect. But as Noah heals and their feelings for each other extend from the kitchen to the bedroom, Violet knows she must make an impossible choice. She may wear her heart on her sleeve when it comes to food, but can she risk it all to put love on the line?

Kimberly is giving away an e-book copy of LOVE ON THE LINE to one random commenter.  Share your favorite foods, foodie romances or ask Kimberly a question.

One more prize is available. Yes, you can get two books: LOVE ON THE LINE *and* an Advance Reader Copy of WHAT A WICKED EARL WANTS.

If you have found this blog post on Vicky’s Goodreads site, please visit her blog to leave a comment.

Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance novels that split the difference between sexy and sweet, taking the traditional idea of boy-meets-girl and infusing it with a sassy magic all her own. She believes in fiery yet flawed characters destined for a crash-course in falling in love– usually the hard way– and injects her trademark humor as well as poignant touches into her writing to create her stories.

Kimberly’s writing journey has led down some bumpy roads (that first manuscript is under the bed, where it is very likely to stay), but there has been some fresh pavement too (her second manuscript earned her very first contest final, and landed the fantastic Maureen Walters at the Curtis Brown Literary Agency). One thing is certain — the wild ride of being a writer is a lot richer in both its ups and downs because of friends and readers along the path.

When Kimberly’s not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as “The Pleather Bomber”, she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to eclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. She resides in northern Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters.

Find Kimberly:
Author Site | Facebook | Twitter

Winner, winner…Katie Lee!!!

Hello all! This week I am giving away a signed copy of Shana Galen’s latest book in the Jewels of the Ton series, IF YOU GIVE A RAKE A RUBY.

If You Give A Rake A Ruby
Jewels of the Ton #2
March 6, 2012
Sourcebooks Casablanca

HER MYSTERIOUS PAST IS THE BEST REVENGE . . .
Fallon, the Marchioness of Mystery, is a celebrated courtesan with her finger on the pulse of high society. She’s adored by men, hated by their wives. No one knows anything about her past, and she plans to keep it that way.

ONLY HE CAN OFFER HER A DAZZLING FUTURE . . .
Warrick Fitzhugh will do anything to protect his compatriots in the Foreign Office, including seduce Fallon, who he thinks can lead him to the deadliest crime lord in London. He knows he’s putting his life on the line . . .

To Warrick’s shock, Fallon is not who he thinks she is, and the secrets she’s keeping are exactly what make her his heart’s desire . . .

Leave a comment sharing your favorite courtesan stories. Giveaway is open to US/CA and ends 3/16.

Shana Galen is the bestselling author of fast-paced adventurous Regency historicals, including the RT Reviewers’ Choice The Making of a Gentleman. Her books are published all over the world and have been featured in the Rhapsody and Doubleday Book Clubs. She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston’s inner city. Now she writes full time. She’s happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making. Shana loves to hear from readers: visit her website at www.shanagalen.com or see what she’s up to daily on Facebook and Twitter.