Bitchin' Blog Posts
: General Bitching
by SB Sarah | May 23, 2013 | Thursday at 11:27 am | 0 Comments
This RITA® Reader Challenge 2013 review was written by Nita. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Historical Romance category.
The summary:
Eight years ago, Lieutentant Luke Ripton made a hasty wartime marriage-in-name-only to protect a young girl from a forced union and left her protected in a remote mountain convent. Now, Luke is Lord Ripton, but he has been unable to obtain an annullment. Which leaves him no choice but to claim a wife he doesn't want.
For nearly a decade, Isabella has waited like a princess locked in a tower, dreaming of her handsome, dark-haired prince. Her dreams are shattered when Luke reveals himself not as a prince, but an autocratic soldier, expecting her unquestioning obedience, which is something Isabella's fiercely independent nature will not tolerate.
And while Luke and Isabella's fiery personalities clash at every turn, they remain bound to their vows, never expecting that the passionate fury they share could become passion of a different kind.
And here is Nita's review:
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by SB Sarah | May 23, 2013 | Thursday at 2:50 am | 8 Comments
The poses and positions of models on romance novel covers shift regularly. Sometimes they are headless, or they've got their jaws and noses but nothing above the cheekbones. Sometimes they're looking right at you - or, in some memorable cases, beckoning you to pull their finger:
It's never too early for the Pull My Finger Viking, right? Of course.
Lately, the cover models have shifted so that you can see their faces, but they're looking away from you. Well, their faces are.
Their nipples are another story.
The nipples on romance covers are busy.
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by SB Sarah | May 23, 2013 | Thursday at 12:00 am | 75 Comments
Ah, scoundrels with color changing pants! They are so marvelous. You may recall London's Last True Scoundrel and his wardrobe challenge: he (or his publisher) can't decide what color pants to wear.
There's Buff:
Then there's Brown and Furry-looking:
But imagine my surprise when I received an email from author Christina Brooke, who wrote,
"I'm laughing at your blog post on cover double takes--I've had that comment a lot about my hero's pants on LONDON'S LAST TRUE SCOUNDREL. In between the buff pants and the dark brown there was a delightful shade of.... Which is now immortalized in ARC form."
Your challenge to win this rare and immortalized wardrobe selection in ARC format: GUESS THE COLOR.
What color were his pants on the…
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by SB Sarah | May 22, 2013 | Wednesday at 1:20 pm | 7 Comments
First up, a reminder!
I'm moderating a chat with the RITA®-nominated authors in the Short Contemporary Series category tomororw, May 23, at 8:00 pm ET.
Please note: you are welcome to join in the discussion, but you have to register, as space is limited. More details:
Short Contemporary Series Romance May 23, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT Authors participating: Jessica Hart, Day Leclaire, Susan Meier, Sarah Morgan, Robin Perini, Christine Rimmer, and Loreth Anne White
RWA is hosting a chat for each of the RITA® categories, too.
Sarah Morgan is definitely going to be sitting on a hairbrush, keeping herself awake, so that alone should be a fun time. I hope you join us!
...
I'm over at Kirkus today, talking about forbidden romances in the contemporary genre, inspired by some discussions I've had on Twitter and Facebook, and by a book I recently finished - The Englishman by Nina Lewis (review coming next week):
Forbidden romances are a challenge in a contemporary setting, because there aren't that many obstacles that effectively…
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by SB Sarah | May 22, 2013 | Wednesday at 10:27 am | 7 Comments
Candice Hern has released some of her classic Regency backlist in digital format. There's a free short story, and the complete list of Kindle titles can be seen here. Miss Lacey's Last Fling was originally published in 2001 and is a much-loved classic Regency. It's currently .99c.
(This is such bad news for me, all this backlist publishing, because I love classic Regencies like whoa.)
Miss Rosalind Lacey has spent all her 26 years in the country, quietly managing the lives of her widowed father and five younger siblings. When she learns she has contracted the illness that killed her mother, she decides to spend her last few months doing all the things she's never had the time or opportunity to experience. With the help of her worldly and notorious aunt, the simple country miss is transformed into a dashing Town sophisticate who cuts a wide and wild swath through London Society.
Since she won't be around to face the consequences of her behavior, Miss Lacey does and says exactly what she pleases, even becoming involved with the infamous…
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by Elyse | May 22, 2013 | Wednesday at 6:54 am | 45 Comments
I picked up a copy of Fern Michaels’ Captive Splendors from a used bookstore, and boy was I in for a surprise. I vaguely remember reading her Texas series back when I was a teen, but I didn’t remember anything about it. This one had a benign cover and some vague references to desire on the high seas, and I love a good pirate story, so I grabbed it.
I had girded my loins in preparation for an Old Skool historical, but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer level of WTFery this novel contains. I can only guess that Michaels dropped acid while she was writing it.
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by CarrieS | May 22, 2013 | Wednesday at 2:19 am | 4 Comments
All my life, I've felt something was missing, and now I know what it was. Thanks to Her Sky Cowboy, I now realize that the void in my soul was caused by never having seen Janis Joplin perform "Piece Of My Heart" in a bar on a floating zeppelin in Victorian England. The odds of my filling said void through direct personal experience seem to be low, but thanks to the book at least I got to read about it.
Her Sky Cowboy is a steampunk romance, which takes place in and above England, Paris, and Italy. This is the first book in "The Glorious Victorious Darcys" trilogy. It involves the adventures of Amelia Darcy, an inventor and pilot who is trying to restore her family's fortune and good name by winning a contest. She must find an invention of historical importance in time for Queen Victoria's Jubilee. When her kitecycle (!) is destroyed in a mid air collision with ex-Air Marshall Tucker…
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by SB Sarah | May 21, 2013 | Tuesday at 2:13 pm | 2 Comments
Truly Madly Deeply is a collection of three re-issued novels from Carly Phillips. The three-book collection is .99c. From the description written by the author: "A reminder -- these are OLDER titles -- published AS WRITTEN in 1999 and 2000 respectively. As a writer, I know I have grown and changed, but these books hold a very special place in my heart. They are more emotional and deeper than many of my more recent Carly books. But as fate or serendipity would have it, they are quite similar in tone to the SERENDIPITY series. I hope you enjoy! "
A collection of three full-length novels by New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips, originally written and published in 1999 and 2000 under her real name, Karen Drogin.
PERFECT PARTNERS No sooner had Chelsie Russell and Griffin Stuart lost their siblings in a car crash than they find themselves fighting for custody of their two-year-old niece. Griff wins only to discover Chelsie is the only one who can soothe the child's night terrors and fears. Chelsie and Griff bond over the little…
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by SB Sarah | May 21, 2013 | Tuesday at 1:00 am | 1 Comments
Time for another romance reader workout! You ready? This time we're talking about character employment - or lack thereof.
Like the last few workouts, can do all these exercises with a mat and your own body. No handweights are needed unless you want to use some. Grab your latest romance and prepare to work out like working out has never been work outed before.
Standard disclaimers still apply: dude, I'm really not a physician. I can recommend books to read but I can't discern your state of health or your physical limitations so by all means work hard but be kind to yourself. To put it another way, ask your doctor before beginning any exercise regimen.
Drink plenty of water and read plenty of books. Both are good for you. Especially the books. They make excellent weights, especially the hardcovers! Grab a stack and feel the burn!
And now, Romance Novel Reader Workout, Part XI, in graphic form suitable for pinning, sharing, printing, and pointing at!
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by SB Sarah | May 21, 2013 | Tuesday at 12:47 am | 0 Comments
Here are two deals especially for UK readers from Kobo. From today, 21 May, through 3 June 2013, the following two erotic contemporary novels are £2.99 GBP!
On Dublin Street is the first book in Samantha Young's Dublin Street series. It is a hot, erotic contemporary romance with a large number of glowing reviews.
Jocelyn Butler has been hiding from her past for years. But all her secrets are about to be laid bare… Four years ago, Jocelyn left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Scotland, burying her grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without attachments. Her solitary life is working well—until she moves into a new apartment on Dublin Street where she meets a man who shakes her carefully guarded world to its core.
Braden Carmichael is used to getting what he wants, and he’s determined to get Jocelyn into his bed. Knowing how skittish she is about entering a relationship, Braden proposes an arrangement that will satisfy their intense attraction without any strings attached. But after an intrigued Jocelyn accepts, she realizes that Braden won’t…
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by SB Sarah | May 20, 2013 | Monday at 2:18 pm | 4 Comments
This RITA® Reader Challenge 2013 review was written by Emily N. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Historical Romance category.
The summary:
Can a Flame from the Past be Rekindled?
Long ago, Sophie Lawrance chose prudence over passion, rejecting a rebellious young rogue for the sake of her family-no matter the ache it left in her heart. But after a specter from her father's past resurfaces, threatening to destroy all she holds dear, the desperate beauty knows there is only one man whose shadowy skills can save her.
Or Is It Too Dangerous to Play with Fire?
Cameron Daggett is a man of many secrets . . . and many sins. He's never forgotten the pain of losing Sophie. But now, with a chance to win her back, Cameron sets aside his anger and agrees to help Sophie save her father's honor. Together they embark on a perilous masquerade, leading them to a remote country estate near the sea. There, they must battle a cunning adversary-and their own burning desires.…
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by SB Sarah | May 20, 2013 | Monday at 10:54 am | 1 Comments
In today's guest post, publicist Jessie Edwards tells us why she loves Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath.
Lorraine Heath's ebooks
are on sale, but the sale expires today. I thought I'd highlight another series that received very high review averages at Goodreads, though just about all of Heath's books are well-regarded online. (This makes me wonder what rock I was living under that I have missed so many historical romances of such quality. I love historical romance.)
In addition to Texas Destiny ( A | BN | K | S | ARe | iB ), Texas Glory ( A | BN | K | S | ARe | iB ), and Texas Splendor ( A | BN | K | S | ARe | iB ) which are the highest-reviewed of Heath's books on Goodreads, and which on sale for $2.99, ending today, here are four more books worth grabbing while the price is still low. These are part of Heath's Scoundrels of St. James series.
In Bed with the…
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by SB Sarah | May 20, 2013 | Monday at 7:52 am | 22 Comments
Most of the folks who work in romance publishing love romane - this is rather obvious. Few people are in publish for the pots of money - there aren't any.
But Avon associate publicist Jessie Edwards is a huge romance fan. HUGE. She was telling me about her favorite romance, and I asked her to write about it. Here is Jessie's love letter to Texas Destiny, her favorite romance in the whole world.
Three years ago, on my first day at Avon as an assistant publicist, my boss took me around to all the editors to introduce me. I was nervous and shy, giving quiet “hellos” and generally not saying much. Until I walked into one editor’s office and sitting on her desk were copies of all three Texas books by Lorraine Heath (TEXAS DESTINY, TEXAS GLORY, TEXAS SPLENDOR) and I about lost my you-know-what.
Shyness gone, nervousness gone. I exclaimed and gushed and generally made a fool of myself about how much I loved those books, and everyone laughed (good-naturedly) at me. But I didn’t care because I had just had…
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by CarrieS | May 19, 2013 | Sunday at 8:56 am | 1 Comments
Fuelled only by potato chips and M&Ms, this intrepid reporter is here with the list of Nebula winners. More details about this wonderful weekend later, but for now...the winners!
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by SB Sarah | May 19, 2013 | Sunday at 2:32 am | 0 Comments
This week's top ten is brought to you by the number 19, the letter G, and by the murky depths of our affiliate sales data. I hope you picked up something fabulous to read this week!
Now You See Her by Linda Howard | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | iBooks Tart by Lauren Dane | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | ARE | iBooks Like No Other Lover by Julie Anne Long | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | ARE | iBooks Since the Surrender by Julie Anne Long | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | ARE | iBooks A Notorious Countess Confesses by Julie Anne Long | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | ARE | iBooks Carnal Machines: Steampunk Erotica by D. L. King | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | ARE | iBooks How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | ARE | iBooks Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo |…
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