Romance Novels

From the desk of Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy“This book is for anyone who has experienced that intense first love and still holds a small piece of it in their heart….This story is about "going home" and finding yourself again….. This was a heartwarming love story, and I will definitely read more by this author.”Urban Renewal review from Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Urban-Renewal-ebook/dp/B00BOK9XVW Somehow Memorial Day – and the three day holiday weekend attached to the observance – has become the unofficial kick off for the summer season in the US. The ads in my Sunday paper yesterday were chock full of barbecue grills and patio furniture, swimwear and picnic goods, swimming pools and movie stars. Oh, wait. Swimming pools, yes. Movie stars, no. The movie star connection comes from my March release from Champagne Books, Urban Renewal. It’s earning some rave reviews and selling copies at all the major online retail sites. Since it has a scene centered around Memorial Day, I thought I’d focus on it the first part of this week and share the scene. I’ll also add a shorter snippet with some heat between Marie and Joe just for fun!Here’s the cover and the blurb:Movie star Mercedes Montague has it all – the fame, the fortune, and the glittering celebrity lifestyle. But she lost herself somewhere along the way. On a publicity tour for her next movie she realizes she’s just fifty miles from her hometown. Mercedes – real name Marie Dillard – decides to bolt and go home to see if she can find what’s left of herself. Hiding away in her grandparents’ old home in a working class neighborhood she’s haunted by memories and reminders of her first and only love, Joe Shelby. Marie’s stunned when Joe shows up at her door. Passion kindles between them from the first moment their eyes meet but she won’t let it consume her unless it’s going to include a lasting love. As they renew their relationship, Marie and Joe face many struggles.Can a movie star return to reality or is love just a distant dream? Memorial Day themed excerpt: “I’ll clean up my mess and get dressed.”So, the star of the new movie, Tempest,filled up the old deep sink with water and did the dishes. Marie wiped down the table and stove. She dressed in simple jeans and a comfortable aquamarine scoop-necked blouse. She brushed back her long hair and left it down although she secured it with a pair of barrettes. By the time Joe walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing at all, she’d done her minimal make-up and was ready to go. Clean shaved, he exuded man energy and she wanted him with a rush of desire. But Marie could wait, she decided, until after they made their rounds. Then they would enjoy a leisurely lovemaking session together.At the small discount chain up on the north end of St. Joe Avenue, Marie selected silk wreaths for her grandparents and smaller bouquets for other relatives. Joe grabbed a couple for his deceased family members and they headed out.“Where do you want to go first?”“Mount Mora,” Marie said. “That’s where Ma and Pop are buried.”“I remember,” Joe said. So did she. Pop’s funeral on a bitter February day still hurt to think about but Joe, wearing a heavy old sheepskin style coat, had never left her side. Marie recalled the ankle deep snow, cold and heavy as it seeped into her shoes. Joe carried her back to the funeral home limo, something she would never forget. When she came home to lay Ma to rest, on a beautiful autumn day with yellow leaves drifting down from the maple tree nearby, she looked for Joe but of course he hadn’t come. He would have still been in the Army, then.At the old cemetery he entered through the gates and wound past Mausoleum Row where some of the city’s earliest rich folks took their eternal rest. Joe parked near where her grandparents were buried, about three rows up from the road beneath a pair of huge cedar trees. She placed the red and white wreath on Ma’s side of the double upright marker and Joe helped set the festive ye

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. For Review:*This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales (goodreads) (LOVED Mostly Good Girls and Past Perfect)*Horde (Razorland #3) by Ann Aguirre (goodreads) (Eek! Love me some Fade!)*New Money by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal (goodreads) (Squee!)*Reboot by Amy Tintera (goodreads) ***Special thanks to Macmillan, St. Martin, and Harper Teen***Bought:*Variant by Robinson Wells (goodreads) Weekly Round-Up:*Wherein I reviewed/fangirled Golden by Jessi Kirby*My picks for the top ten books dealing with tough subjects.*Who isn't waiting on Simone Elkeles latest book? Fo'show!*Want to win a finished copy of IMPOSTOR by Susanne Winnacker? Well, here's your chance!That's all, folks! What did you guys get this week? Let me know!

GUEST JEANNIE LIN How does a high school science teacher end up writing award-winning historical romances? Join us on Monday, May 20, with Patricia Rice and her guest, Jeannie Lin, and find out! Jeannie has garnered coveted starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, and in 2011 The Dragon and the Pearl was listed as one of Library Journal's Best Romances of 2011. Jeannie will be giving away one of her books to a commenter chosen at random. See you Monday! OUR 7TH ANNIVERSARY! My, how time flies when you're having fun! On Wednesday, May 22, we'll be celebrating our 7th anniversary as a group blog. The Wenches know how to celebrate in style: we'll be throwing a grand Anniversary Dessert Party for all our readers, featuring delicious historical treats of the virtual variety (which means they'll be calorie-free!) You're all invited to the party, where we'll be serving historical desserts without limit! It's our way of thanking you for seven years of loyal readership and fascinating discussions!

I’m lucky enough to live close to one of Humphry Repton’s finest landscapes at Sheringham Park on the North Norfolkcoast and last week I went for a long walk in the grounds, admiring what is still very much a Regency landscape.Repton (1752-1818) was born and bred in Norfolk but had a career as a landscape architect that took him all over the country. He was involved at Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire and “appears” off-stage, as it were, in my novel Regency Rumours: Scandal Comes to Wimpole Hall which is out in August in the UK (September US).Repton was involved in the government’s search for an estate to bestow on Lord Nelson’s brother, to accompany a peerage to be given him in commemoration of Nelson’s achievements. He heard that Sheringham Parkwas for sale and suggested it, but the absence of a house ruled it out. However, when he heard that the estate had been sold to Mr Abbott Upcher by Mr Cook Flower (unusual names seem to feature largely in this story!) he approached Upcher with the suggestion that he design a house and landscape the park.In July 1812, after spending an intensive five days on the spot, Repton produced one of his famous Red Books for the estate, covering not only the landscape of the park, but designs for a house and ideas for the village and estate cottages.The Upchers favoured the locality because of its healthful sea air, but it was also on England’s vulnerable frontline in the French wars. The towering modern gazebo on top of the hill behind the house is on the site of a look-out tower from where the ocean could be scanned for French warships. In 1814 Upcher commemorated the victory against the French with a reservoir and water pump in the centre of the village.Repton’s plans for the estate took advantage of the existing fine woodland and the hills, valleys and sloping fields, the result of its location on a glacial terminal moraine. Under his direction the Upchers planted more trees and carefully planned vistas were opened up to create the naturalistic, romantic, yet civilised, landscape so fashionable at the time.I love the location so much that I used it as the setting for the third in my Shelley Sisters trilogy, Innocent Courtesan to Adventurer’s Bride. (Available on Kindle).Now, as then, we approach the house down a very long carriage drive from the heights of the Cromer road. It winds down through the woodland with one spectacular glimpse of the sea to wet our appetite, before a turn in the road reveals the house, nestling against the wooded hill that shields it from the ocean. Everywhere through the park there are set-piece views so that the Upchers and their guests could walk or drive, picnic or sketch with a pleasing prospect before them. Not all of Repton’s suggestions were adopted immediately – it took until the 1970s before the Upcher family erected the Temple, for example – but the essential design is very clear.If you are in the area now, and for the next few weeks, the spectacular rhododendron and azalea collection begun by Victorian Upchers is coming into flower and makes the park even more spectacular. Louise Allen

Hey everyone! Thanks to Myretta for always stepping in when I flake over here–which has been happening far too often (rhetorical question: Does life EVER slow down?). I’d like to share the cover and the blurb for my novella, Baring It All, which comes out June 24th. Megan Frampton turns up the heat on one bride-to-be and her oblivious bridegroom in this steamy and scandalous eBook original novella of Regency romance. It is with great discretion that this columnist discusses the sensitive topic of undergarments. Some ladies, it seems, do not pay strict attention to what they wear under their gowns. A crucial error, my ladies. Lady Violet knows Lord Christian Jepstow is interested in women. The problem is, he hasn’t seemed to realize that Violet is a living, breathing woman—a woman with needs. Which is a huge problem, considering the fact that Violet and Christian are betrothed. Violet has no intention of saying her vows without knowing if her husband has the capacity to love her properly, so she does what anyone would do in her situation—she steps into his study and offers to take off her clothes. What happens next could be an utter disaster . . . or it could be surprising, seductive, and sizzlingly sexy. I’ve just gotten the edits back for my October full-length, What Not to Bare, and so will be immersed in that world for the next week or so (the edits are minimal, yay!). And now back to writing, and battling ear infections (ugh!), and trying to convince a recalcitrant 13 year-old to brush his very long hair, and such. Hope everyone is doing well! Megan

Can you please tell us a little bit about your current projects? I am currently in the middle of Book Three in my Beyond Camelot- Brother Knights series.  Book Three – Reynar, the Warlord’s  Honor, is a bit of a departure from Camelot and concentrates instead on Mordred, the man who brought Camelot to its knees.  Reynar is Mordred’s bastard son and also the half-brother of one of the characters in Braeden and Janne.  The challenge has been to take a ruthless warlord and turn him into a hero the reader can relate to and root for.  When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer? First grade, Catholic School when I figured out that phonics thing could make letters into words.  From then on I knew I wanted to write down stories I made up and dreamed about at night. Every writer dreams of getting “the call”. What were you doing when yours came? Who got to hear the good news first? Actually, I was tearing wet sheetrock and insulation out of my house that had been flooded by the rains associated with Hurricane Floyd. Coincidently, the book that was bought started with a Hurricane.  It was kind of a laugh-cry moment that helped me get through the reconstruction.  If I would have known I could be so prophetic, I would have written about a lottery winner instead.  Who gave you the one piece of writing advice that sticks with you to this day? Karen Plunkett-Powell, a wonderful writer who is writing for God in heaven now.  She read my first book and threw out the first 25 pages and said start with the proverbial blood on the floor.  She was right!  In any book, you have to start with a hook that grabs the reader right from the beginning.  Describe the “perfect” hero. What about the “perfect” hero for you? My husband is the perfect – strong yet vulnerable, caring, honest and sexy s all get out. What are some of your favorite pastimes? Do you have any hobbies or collections? I love to garden and be surrounded by flowers.  I am a reality TV junkies and rabid Game of Thrones fan.  What has been your biggest adventure to date? In Iceland, I took part in an Icelandic tradition of eating raw shark that had been buried in a frozen beach for three months before it was ready.  It tasted nasty but I did it.  Didn’t see the Northern Lights but ate icky, decomposing fish.  Not exactly an even trade. If your fairy godmother waved her wand and whisked you away to the location of your choice, which place would you choose, and why? I’d have to go to medieval England to see the Knights of Camelot, of course When it comes to food, are you the adventurous type who will try anything once, or do you prefer to stick to tried and true foods and recipes? See biggest adventure for the answer to this question!  LOL What is the one modern convenience that you cannot do without? I need my Instyler.  I have wild, “Jon Snow” hair.  What is this romance writer’s idea of the “ideal romantic evening”? Anywhere my man is.  He’s a truck driver who is gone at nights a lot of the time, so when he is home, it is always a romantic evening. How do you describe yourself? How would your family and friends describe you? I am a person who likes people.  I trust people until given a reason not to do so.  My family describes me as a nerdy, free-spirit who will talk to a stick and get the stick to talk back. And lastly, no interview of a writer would be complete without this question: what is your favorite comfort food? Chocolate – The darker the better What is your favorite season? What do you love about it? I love winter.  I love to see snow covered trees and fresh white snowfall on the grass.  Great reason to cuddle up and snuggle. TOUR GIVEAWAY DETAILS Kathye is giving away the following prizes on her tour: Grand Prize:   Kobo mini E-reader (US ONLY).  International winner will get a gift card 5 Runners-Up:  $10.00 gift card to Amazon or B&N a Rafflecopter giveaway SERIES SPOTLIGHT INFO: CYNTHIA AND CONSTANTINE Beyond Camelot – Brother Kn

With The Roots of Betrayal, James Forrester has once again delivered a thrilling historical fiction adventure. It’s been a hectic month with the end of the semester, but this book transported me to another world. It was hard to put it down and get some sleep!The Roots of Betrayal is the second novel in a trilogy about the William Harley, Clarenceux King of Arms. Clarenceux is a secret Catholic during a time that it was very dangerous to be a known Catholic. In the first novel, Clarenceux worked with Rebecca Machyn to solve a mystery and discovered a document that could bring down Elizabeth I as the legitimate ruler of England. Fearing that this would create a religious Civil War, Clarenceux has concealed the document in his home with the blessing of the Queen’s advisor, Sir William Cecil.In The Roots of Betrayal, Clarenceux discovers that the document has been stolen from his home and that he has been betrayed by Rebecca Machyn. Clarenceux goes on a perilous voyage to discover the forces behind the betrayal and robbery and also above all, to protect his country from religious warfare. Along the way he meets pirate Raw Carew. Carew was at first seeking the “Catholic Treasure,” but then puts himself on the path of revenge against an individual that harmed the people he loved. Carew and Clarenceux become unlikely allies and work together to solve a perilous mystery.The Roots of Betrayal was a unique story with a great twist for the ending – I did not see it coming. I love books that lead me on a great adventure and have me guessing until the very end. I loved the setting in 1564 in Elizabethan England. It has always been a fascinating period of history for me. I also enjoyed the characters. I loved the introduction of Raw Carew. He was a “Robin Hood” of the seven seas. He was an interesting character that followed his own moral code. He did some dastardly deeds and was fascinating overall.Overall, I highly recommend The Roots of Betrayal and Sacred Treason for anyone looking for a fascinating historical fiction thriller or just a great read overall.Book Source – Review copy from Sourcebooks. Thank-you!

Thank-you to all that entered the April Audiobook Giveaway courtesy of Penguin Audio. I apologize in the delay for announcing the winners. It is the end of the school year for me, so things have been very hectic around here! I am also behind on posting reviews by quite a few books, so look for reviews to be posted in the next week or two as I work to catch up.All winners were selected using random.org and are as follows: Dear Chandler, Dear Scarlett by Mike Huckabee - Suko of Suko's NotebookMad River by John Sandford - Judy of Love2ListenDark Storm by Christine Feehan - Laura L.The Tombs by Clive Cussler - bn100Unintended Consequences by Stuart Woods - travelerPoseidon's Arrow by Clive Cussler - PetiteCollateral Damage by Stuart Woods - EricaSevere Clear by Stuart Woods - Donated to the Kewaunee Public LibraryThank-you to all who entered and especially to Penguin Audiobooks for providing the great audiobooks for this giveaway.Please stay stunned for another audiobook giveaway soon . . .

Please tell us a little bit about your current projects? Christine: Thanks for having me here today! I’m excited to share with your readers the completion of my Charmed Trilogy with the third and final installment in the series, The Charmed Fates. Everything that has been building for two books comes to a head in this final showdown. I hope readers truly enjoy seeing how it all ends and get caught up in the love Olivia and Caleb have for one another. When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer? The moment I pictured the final scene for The Charmed. It sort of came out of nowhere, but once I had a clear image of it there was no turning back. I went out and bought a writing laptop the next day and haven’t stopped since. Every writer dreams of getting “the call”. What were you doing when yours came? Who got to hear the good news first? Christine: Mine came in the form of getting the call from an editor who believed in my work. It was a small step, but such an important one. It made me believe again after hitting my head against the proverbial wall for so long. I celebrated by immediately getting together with a group of five women who have been my sounding board since the first book. They have supported me at every step so they deserved to be the first to hear the good news. Who gave you the one piece of writing advice that sticks with you to this day? Christine: Author Robin Ryan. We were having dinner with a mutual friend and I asked her to validate if my concept for the first book was good. She answered (and I’m paraphrasing a bit because it was a while ago), “It doesn’t matter what I think. I shouldn’t have to tell you that your idea is good. You should know it’s good. If you don’t believe in your own work, how do you expect anyone else to?” She’s so right! The biggest fan of your work has to be youself, because there are too many other things along the way that can derail you. Describe the “perfect” hero. What about the “perfect” hero for you? Christine: I’m rather fond of Caleb. You can tell right away that he is intelligent. You can see he is handsome and physically strong, but it’s the dark side of himself that he battles with everyday just to be good and worthy of our heroine that makes him the perfect romance hero. That displays an inner strength. And that is sexy! For me personally, though, I’d lean towards Kane who you meet in The Charmed Souls. Kane is a flawed and very naughty shape-shifter, which to some may start him at a disadvantage. But he has two things going for him that are irresistible to just about any woman: confidence and a wicked sense of humor. Humor is one of the most important things for me because there is too much unfunny stuff in life. You need something to balance it with. What are some of your favorite pastimes? Do you have any hobbies or collections? Christine: Outdoor stuff like camping and Fantasy Football. I am very proud of the fact that I won our Fantasy league two years in a row, and I make sure all of the guys know it. Humble I am not. What has been your biggest adventure to date? Probably skydiving with my brother-in-law and his friends. What a rush! If your fairy godmother waved her wand and whisked you away to the location of your choice, which place would you choose, and why? Christine: I’m pretty simple on this kind of stuff. I’d just want to be whisked away to my favorite spot on the Oregon coast so I could write. The smell of the ocean breeze, the sound of waves crashing, the warmth of sand on your feet—it’s all a great escape to let your mind come up with something new. When it comes to food, are you the adventurous type who will try anything once, or do you prefer to stick to tried and true foods and recipes? Christine: I’m not adventurous in that I try to eat healthy, whole foods and keep things simple. But I absolutely love sushi, Thai and Indian foods every once in a while, as well as a great steak. What is your favorite season? What do you love about

I have a title: FAINT. I have a cover in mind that includes a coffin (a motif you'll see in the covers below). I have fully developed characters from FADEOUT and SWOON. Heck, I've got readers who enjoyed FADEOUT and SWOON and are clamoring to read FAINT. Yet, instead of writing FAINT, I've spent the last several months polishing two other books not connected to the series. I'm the diver afraid to take the plunge, the golfer fearful of pitching a ball to the green over a water hazard. Why do I resist writing that third book in the series? So I turn to you, dear writers. Anyone else out there hit this wall? What did you use to inspire you to write the third book? How did you start? What kept you going? Here are my covers and blurbs. Thanks for your tips! Rolynn http://www.rolynnanderson.com Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Cambria;} Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Cambria;} Jan Solvang has spent her life avoiding conflict and commitment. Six months ago, she left a marriage proposal and a job in Seattle to care for her dying mother. Now she's stuck with her mother's California house and her mother's dog, filling her mother's shoes as a memorial planner with her estranged father.Roman Keller thrives on conflict, writing documentaries that reveal the flaws of the famous. Jan’s challenge is to help him write a positive eulogy for a grandfather he disliked, but Roman is more interested in her other client: a powerful attorney with a dark past his family wants buried with him. If Jan stands behind the family and Roman goes for the exposé, who’s in danger and who wins?The tension between them pulls tighter as each discovers the other is keeping secrets. But if they tell the truth, will they destroy any chance for love? Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan;