On 27 October, Anna Campbell’s latest, Captive of Sin will be published by Avon. I have a bound ARC that I’m giving away to one random commenter today.
Captive of Sin is about a marriage of convenience (yum) between an heiress with dastardly relatives and a tortured hero with painful secrets in his past. You can read an excerpt on Campbell’s website. Avon gave me the go-ahead to give this one away, and yes, I ship internationally. I do ask that if you win, you write a review prior to publication date and send it to me so that I might let everyone know what you thought.
I know Campbell has some serious fans, as she writes historical romance with a massive emotional pull, so tell me: what would you do for
a Klondike bar
a chance to read this book early? You can devise any stunt you’d like for humorous purposes in the comments. Bonus points for historical romance references. You’ve got 24 hours – ready set go!
For the last eight months, I have been living in Jerusalem where my chances of finding a half decent romance selection is about as good as my chances of finding a kosher cheeseburger.
My last supply of romance novels came from my hubby who arrived with some second-hand store treasure from the mother country. Sadly, he is not a discriminating romance reader, so I got four novels of dreck. Complete dreck. The worst of which was The Welshman’s Way (ca 1995), complete with beefy man wearing leather and wielding sword cover.
With that long set-up, for a copy of Ms. Campbell’s finest showing up at my door, I would find one of those serious looking used bookstores in Jerusalem that only seem to buy and sell leather bound Hebrew tomes. Then I would try and sell them my prized copy of the Welshman’s Way.
For you my friend, special price!
I would find, scan and post a picture of me during my 1988-89 blue spiked mohawk phase.
I am still here.
Staring longingly at my coffee cup and dutifully ignoring the stacks of files and emails that desperately need my attention.
captch: weeks66…why yes, it DOES feel like 66 weeks without my coffee.
What would I do ??? well I have two future amazing men at home to give away. They’re both smart, loving, loyal and particularly handsome. Of course they’re now 3 and 9 so patience is very much needed 😉
But honestly they’re my most valuable possession and I’m willing to give them away for this advance copy !!!!
I hereby promise to provide an accurate review of the Cornish aspects of the book, possibly including a trip to “Penrhyn”. Unless it’s the Penrhyn in Wales rather than the Penryn in Cornwall, because in that case, no deal.
Or possibly it’s the JR Ward version of the Cornwall Penryn?
Down here the name “Trevithick” is strongly associated with steam engines, which could be interesting.
I will strap myself into a corset and a huge poofy dress and wander around downtown calling every man I meet a scoundrel and a rake while fluttering my eyelashes at them.
For an Anna Campbell ARC I would pick my blog back up and try to find something meaningful to do with it.
Of course, not in a Smart Bitches romancy kind of way. There is no way I could compete with such awesome bitchitude.
Here’s what I’d do:
I’d swim to Australia with my arm in a sling, wearing a newly ripped bodice and waterproof backpack containing a fresh batch of Cornish pasties. I’d drive my phaeton and matched greys to the coast, but I sold them on Craig’s List last week.
And Elizabeth, would you REALLY rename one of your kids Fbill or similar?
It’s a joke. (And since the SO had The Operation some years ago, a moot point anyway. :-D) But I still would like one of these ARCs! An author I’ve never heard of, but I do looove me some historical angst!
For an Anna Campbell ARC, I will promise to help the next five of my friends to move! I won’t even complain if they’re not packing yet.
For an AC ARC, I would be willing to wear a corset, which is like the 19th C. version of medieval torture.
For an Anna Campbell ARC, I would strap my husband to a padded table in Lord Sheene’s Compound of Crazy and pretend to steal his virtue using my never-been-orgasmed widowhood wiles.
I have previously read Anna Campbell’s books Untouched and Claiming the Courtesan and really enjoyed both. She is a wonderful author. I had already put Captive Sin on my wish list at Amazon and can not wait for it to be released.
I will eat a bowl of white soup—even though no one can seem to agree what exactly it is, or what the ingredients are—while sitting next to Caroline Bingley, and acutally refrain from telling her to “shut the f%$@ up.”
I would leave my legs unshaven for a long period of time, as the heroine would have done, until my leg hair is long enough to be classified as “silky” and “soft.”
/shudder
I would give up Dr. Pepper (my drug of choice) for a week. I would really miss my Dr. Pepper though. I don’t have to actually give it up if I win, right? =P
I cannot tell you what I will do. I’ll tell you what I have done. My copy of Claiming the Courtesan has its spine broken and its pages all akimbo, because I have pressed it into the hands of every romance-reading friend I have, with the words, “Read this, you have to tell me what you think.”
I never grew up with the bodice-rippers of the 70s and 80s – I slid into romance through Heyer and then a chance, very fortunate, pick up of Anne Gracie at a university book sale.
I was shocked, disturbed and bewildered by Claiming the Courtesan. I thought it was very brave and bold. I felt drawn to cheer on Verity and Kylemore, almost against my will, which I had thought would be impossible.
I have read all of Campbell’s other books, fascinated with her and the types of dark, noir stories she tells. I am tickled that she’s writing a marriage of convenience plot, because they hit by buttons like wow. Even if I don’t get to read this before it’s printed, you can bet I’ll be reading it after.
Ms. Campbell very kindly shared with me some of her thoughts about romance settings and length (hur!) a couple of months ago. If I win this ARC, I will tell you what she said.
I will disguise myself as a man and sneak into White’s.
If any of you had seen me before, you’d know how impossible this would be (I’m 5’3 and cuuuuuuurvy), but it’s at least as possible as any romance-novel heroine.
I’m going to buy this anyway because I have Anna’s first three novels and they are so engrossing and the writing is top notch.
Good luck everyone!
Oh, I’ve never read this author before and would love an ARC!
So, for this ARC I will read all the hawt parts out loud to my DH and ask him to re-enact them with me, paying particular attention to historical accuracy.
Heh. Double bonus for me, huh? 😉
Weeeell, first of all I would grab my hero’s hessians, unhook one of the matching bays (for a contemporary, I would grab the ‘her’ Porsche from the ‘his’ and ‘her’ Porsches we own) and ride, hell for lather, to Gunther’s (or Selfridges) and travel across the pond in a rat infested ship (or in luxury via virgin airlines) to give you a Klondike bar ;p oh wise and noble SB Sarah will thy random computation not swerve ever so gently my way?
My 5th attempt – darn iPhone
I would rip my bodice open and submit to a flogging in the public square for all to see.
Deidre
Hm. I have never read any of Anna Campbell’s previous novels, so I would bring a complete clear slate and no previous bias. I love historicals and I would love this ARC.
Plus, I would also compose the whole review in rhyming couplet.
Weeee,eeell, I would do just about anything for Her Majesty, romance royalty, Ms Campbell’s ARC…
I’m feeling particularly violent this morning for some reason…
I was thinking a duel should do it. Then no one will need to worry about their fear of bees, or kayaking (where did you pull Japan from?). I’ll get someone to feed the dog, now called JR Ward, and you won’t need to worry about abstaining from sex or the joy of it because you’ll be mortally wounded. And if I had to grow my leg hair for twelve months, I would challenge myself to a duel.
Just one decision to make now…
Rapiers or pistols?
=) Bronwyn
Anna’s biggest fan!
One more thing… Why are there so many people out there who haven’t got their hands on Claiming the Courtesan or Untouched or my personal fave, Tempt the Devil? If you like ‘em dark and emotional and intense, open a new tab, go to amazon or somewhere they sell awesome books, and have one delivered to your door!
And no, I’m not getting a kickback. I just love the new style Anna has introduced to the market.
Bronwyn.
I have no imagination, used it all up trying to win a different Anna Campbell book with a dirty limerick.. and I soo lost.
So I think I may just have to give in and buy the darn thing, gotta support the aussies anyway.
A historical marriage of convenience? Dastardly relatives? Painful past? Sounds like a perfect trifecta to me! I plan on reading it whether or not I win the ARC.
Hmmm…. I will pop the copy of the other Anna Campbell book I just read (Untouched) into the mail for the first person on here who wants to read it and revel in the angsty, tortured hero.
I’d wear a ostentatious hat (with plumes!) inside.
I suppose I would make a comment on your blog for a chance to read this book lol.
In real historical fashion, I would risk death and bathe for this ARC.
I think if I offered Richard Armitage on a silver platter, dressed in period costume (of course), Anna would probably give me the ARC. Or maybe I could hold him to ransom? Hmm 🙂
I would shave a mountain man’s private bits and perform surgery on the dining room table of a southern plantation.
Then offer klondike bars for dessert.
I’d do almost anything for this book!! I shall of course read and post about it all over (my reading blog, amazon, etc) and too tell others in chat that I’ve read it.
I too will read parts to my hubby. Its the most I can get him to do of reading 🙂
I would read Decadent by Shayla Black, the whole book without skimming or until my eyes bleed. Then I would admit to it if asked.
I would walk into Raleys (our local grocery store) that has Diet Coke on sale this week “NAKED” and request 20 cases to go along with a copy of your new book….It’s got to back there somewhere in a box???
mitzihinkey at sbclobal dot net
great idea….but my hubby won’t let me do it. We live in a small town and can’t afford the rumors!!! Hehehe.
Thanks for the contest!!
Mitzi
The hero’s name is Trevithick? I’ve got to bite my tongue to keep the childish puns from spilling forth. “Gideon looked deep into Charis’ eyes and felt his little Trevi-thicken…” Woops, I didn’t bite hard enough. My apologies, I’ve actually never read Ms. Campbell, so I’m probably being unfair. But I love a good historical romance and would enjoy the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
To get a chance to read this book early *I* would dress up in a corset and the hoopy things that went under the skirt, walk around my very small town (where I’m thought of as a freak already) and dance an imaginary waltz in the middle of the plaza…while eating a delicious klondike bar.
I would travel by ship from Australia (sorry, the colony) to America to get this ARC. It would have to be by ship because there are no planes in historicals, and I like to keep an eye on the details!