Guest Author and Giveaway: Megan Hart

Credit: Jain Basil Aliya

Megan Hart is here today to tell us a bit about her new book, Tear You Apart. Remember to stick around because there’s a giveaway at the end.

*****

Sometimes, You Turn Around

“I came in on the train and then took a cab, but that didn’t stop the late March drizzle from destroying everything I’d carefully put together at home earlier this afternoon. My hair hangs sodden against my forehead and cheeks. My clothes cling, damp and heavy and chilled. I stripped off my dark, soaked stockings in the bathroom and wrapped them in paper towels to tuck inside my purse, and my legs feel glaringly pale. Instead of the glass of white wine in my hand, I’m desperate for a cup of coffee, or better yet, a mug of hot chocolate. With whipped cream. I’m desperate for the taste of something sweet.”

Giveaway: Stay With Me by Elyssa Patrick

Elyssa Patrick has been a member of the Romance community for years now, and I’m happy to see her succeed as an author. She also has a thing for rock stars, but who doesn't, right?

Her latest book, Stay With Me, released earlier this week, and it’s a New Adult story about a very famous young star that grew up in the spotlight and is ditching Hollywood to go to college and maybe have a chance at a normal life. Things aren't that easy for her, but at least she meets a dreamy guy who makes it all better.

Elyssa has kindly offered an e-copy of Stay With Me to give away on the blog today, so this is going to be a quick giveaway post. For a chance to win, fill the Rafflecopter thingy at the end of the post and also leave a short comment saying you’re in, so that if Rafflecopter malfunctions I can manually pick the winner.  Contest open to all.

Winner! Thank You for Riding by Meg Maguire

As usual, thanks to everyone who took the time to comment and enter the giveaway, and especial thanks to Meg for visiting the blog and making the giveaway possible.

Thew winner is: Jena Briars

Congratulations, Jena! Check you email.

Interview & Giveaway: Meg Maguire

Credit: Florin Gorgan

Today, one of my favorite authors, Meg Maguire, is joining us to answer some questions about her books, the Strangers on a Train Blog collection and the Romance genre. Enjoy!

Hi, Meg! Welcome to Romance Around the Corner.

First, tell us a bit about yourself and your work.

MM: Well, I write contemporary romance—generally quite steamy—and my evil conjoined twin, Cara McKenna, writes erotic romance and straight-up erotica. We live just north of Boston with a bearded man who enjoys building bicycles.

Your backlist is rich and prolific; you have written full-length novels, novellas and short stories, as well as Romance and (as Cara McKenna) Erotic Romance. Do you have a preferred genre or format? What are the differences between writing a full-length novel and a novella or short story?

This is Meg.

MM: I wouldn’t say I have true preferences, no… I get restless and tend to flit around from book to book, switching between romance and erotica, between lengths, between first- and third-person, between lighthearted fare and more gritty stuff, urban settings and isolated ones. I have to rely on my voice to lend my body of work any semblance of consistency—everything else is up for grabs! But writing in two different genres has been good for me. Switching gears means I don’t get bored.

Winner: Twice Tempted/Irregulars

Thanks for the birthday wishes, guys!

The winner of the giveaway is Marie (writing as aweinthebooks). Congratulations!

I'll see you tomorrow when we're back to our not-so-regular blogging schedule.

Lovely Excerpt from Susanna Kearsley's The Firebird & Awesome Giveaway of Four of Her Books. Four!

Have I told you how much I like Susanna Kearsley’s books? Yes I have. Multiple times, actually. But I’ll say it again: Ms. Kearsley is one of my favorite authors. Her books are filled with magic, interesting characters, delicious angst and lots of swoon-worthy romance. So it’s no surprise that her upcoming book, The Firebird, is one of my most anticipated books of the year. This is why when Sourcebooks asked if I wanted to be part of this mini-tour I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

We have an exclusive excerpt to whet everyone’s appetite and an awesome giveaway for those who have yet to read her books.

Giveaway: Dead in L.A. by Lou Harper

As you probably know, I'm a fan of Lou Harper and her adorable, sexy M/M contemporary romances. And now she’s self-publishing her first paranormal story, Dead in L.A. Thanks to her we have one e-copy to give away to one lucky reader of Romance Around the Corner. 

For a chance to win, just leave a comment telling us you’re in. If you don’t feel comfortable leaving your email on the comment, make sure you come back next Monday to see if you won. Contest open to all, and I will pick the winner on Sunday. For more info read our giveaway policy.

Giveaway: Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas (and Something More)

Hello, everyone!

The people over at St. Martin’s Press have kindly offered us a copy of Lisa Kleypas’ upcoming Friday Harbor book, Crystal Cove, to give away among our readers. And to sweeten up the deal even more, the giveaway also includes an aphrodisiac essential oil (in case you want to get a massage while reading the book). 

For a chance to win, leave a comment telling me you’re in. If you don’t feel comfortable including your email on the comment, please come back on Friday to check if you won, because I won’t have a way to contact you. 

This giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only and it ends on Friday, February 1st. For more details check our Giveaway Policy.

Winner: Crazy Thing Called Love by Molly O'Keefe

The winner of Crazy Thing Called Love by Molly O'Keefe is Kim.

Congratulations!

I've already emailed you, so please check your inbox.

To everyone else, thanks for the thoughtful comments and great discussion. I hope to see you again soon.

And thanks to Molly for the book.

Guest Post & Giveaway: Molly O’Keefe on Sports Journalism, Realistic Romance and the Consequences of Fame

Molly O’Keefe wrote one of my favorite books of 2012, and she continues to amaze me with her ability to infuse her stories with a heavy dose of realism. 

Romance tends to, well, romanticize every aspect of life, especially when said life is already seen as desirable but unattainable. This is particularly true with sport romances that mostly feature perfection and an idealized version of reality that gets old when constantly repeated. So when I read a book like Crazy Thing Called Love, a story that doesn’t pull any punches in its portrayal of the negative consequences of sport glory and fame, and still manages to deliver a very romantic love story, I feel hopeful that more authors won’t hesitate to tell stories that are closer to reality.

She’s here today to tell us more about that uglier aspect of fame, and what makes it so fascinating.

Also, stick around because there’s a giveaway at the end.

Winners! Breath on Embers by Anne Calhoun and Aftershock by Jill Sorenson

The winner of Breath on Embers by Anne Calhoun is: Anonymous

The winner of Aftershock by Jill Sorenson is: Maureen

The winner of Risky Christmas by Jill Sorenson and Jennifer Morey is: Heather Coulter

Congratulations! I've already emailed Anon and Maureen. Heather, please email me you mailing address at brie.clementineATgmail.com 

Thanks everyone who participated, and to Jill Sorenson, Anne Calhoun and Fatin, Anne's publicist, for providing the books and making the giveaway possible.

See you all next week!

Interview & Giveaway: Jill Sorenson

Image Credit

Jill Sorenson is a friend of Romance Around the Corner. She's a great person to talk --or Tweet-- to, and on top of that, she’s a fantastic writer. She’s been here before as a guest reviewer, and I’ve reviewed her books, but today she’s putting her author hat on and answering some of our questions about her new book and her writing process. So please, let’s give her a warm welcome!

Hello, Jill! Welcome to Romance Around the Corner. 

Q. First things first: tell us a bit about yourself and your books. What is it about Romantic Suspense that appeals to you as a writer, and I assume, as a reader?

JS: Hi Brie! Thanks so much for having me. I live in San Diego with my family, I like twitter, and I write romance. I think RS appeals to me because I love conflict and tension. I’m drawn to that rollercoaster feeling, the drop in the pit of your stomach during a climb. Danger heightens emotions and arousal. Whee!!

Guest Author & Giveaway: Anne Calhoun

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Breath on Embers was one of my favorite Erotic Romances of the year, and Anne Calhoun one of my favorite authors. So today I’m very happy to welcome her to the blog. The story is set in New York, and the city features prominently, almost like a secondary character. She’s here to tell us more about it. 

Location, Location, Location – Columbus and Manhattan

“You know who lives here?” he asked as she was about to walk out. Without waiting for her response, he added, “People who want to feel alive.”

“I should go back to Columbus then,” she said.

“Is that a possibility?”

She shrugged as she wrapped her scarf around her neck. “I don’t have a plan one way or the other,” she said truthfully. Right now her only plan was to get through the holidays. Life in January was impossible to imagine.

She had the door open before he spoke. Like Erin, he liked to get the last word in. “Maybe you should stop fighting the city.”

BREATH ON EMBERS, my current release through Carina Press in the RED HOT HOLIDAY anthology, is set in Manhattan, specifically on the Upper East Side and in Midtown. This is a setting I know well. My husband and I moved to Manhattan in the late summer of 2001 and lived there until 2006. I would have stayed for the rest of my life but by the end we had a toddler and an apartment that seemed to be shrinking as he grew. I know people raise kids in the city, but we didn’t want to do that. So we moved back to the Midwest.

Winner: The Waiting Room

The winner of our lightning giveaway was ClaudiaGC. Congratulations! I've already emailed you.

To everyone else who was part of the contest, thank you. And to those who celebrate it: Happy Thanksgiving!

See you next week.

New Adults and an Unrelated Giveaway

Hello, guys!

I have a new post on Heroes and Heartbreakers, this time about New Adult. Have you heard that term before? I bet you have. One of the reasons I wrote the post was because I've seen a lot of negativity and cynicism directed towards New Adult, and even though most of them are quite valid, I wanted to talk about it in a positive way, because I feel that it has a lot of good things to offer. It’s a very new label that’s been misused in order to exploit it, but there are a lot of great stories being told, and that’s what I was trying to convey in that post. 

Giveaway: A Night of No Return by Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan, who's visiting today, has offered a paperback copy of her new book to give away to one lucky reader of Romance Around the Corner. For a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment with your email on this post, or on Sarah's interview. Comments made before this post went live also count, so Rebe and Debbie are in. This giveaway is open to all.

About the book:

Money, charm and sensual skills don't make up for a heart colder than ice… 

Wild parties, wanton women, relentless work—nothing helps tycoon Lucas Jackson escape his dark and haunting past. Arriving at his rural castle in a snarling snowstorm, he craves only complete isolation.… But it seems oblivion can take an unexpected and highly intoxicating form! 

Personally delivering the vital file left on her boss's desk, secretary Emma Gray starts to seriously regret her dutiful overtime mission. She never expected the dark side of the usually controlled Lucas could generate such a primitive, powerful—and entirely inappropriate—reaction.

Rules:

• Winner gets one copy of A Night of No Return by Sarah Morgan.
• Giveaway open internationally.
• Ends 11/11/12
• For more details read our Giveaway Policy.

Winner! One Final Step by Stephanie Doyle

The winner of the giveaway was Rebe. Congratulations!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment on the post, and to Stephanie for the giveaway.

Interview & Giveaway: Stephanie Doyle

Image credit: Florin Gorgan

I’m so happy to welcome author Stephanie Doyle to the blog today. I’ve been a fan ever since earlier this year when I read The Way Back. Her new book, One Final Step, releases this week and I can’t wait for you to read it. It’s a lovely Contemporary with a very special hero. In the meantime let’s give her a warm welcome! 

Hi, Stephanie! Welcome to Romance Around the Corner. I’m having a love affair with your books, so I’m very pleased you could join us today.

Q. First, for all of our readers who are not familiar with your work, tell us a bit about yourself and your books.

SD: Well I’ve been writing for about sixteen years now. All my published books are with Harlequin, but every now and then I take time out to do something off the beaten path. I’ve written a contemporary about a woman golfer who competes with the men which I recently self-published and some crazy mystery/romance historicals. One I’m actually shopping to publishers now. 

I wish I could talk about really cool hobbies and other things like that, but mostly I’m either working at my day job, writing or watching re-runs of Lois and Clark The Adventures of Superman with my cats.  Thank you cable for bringing back all my favorites!

Interview & Giveaway: Rebecca Rogers Maher

Image Credit: Florin Gorgan

Today we’re interviewing author Rebecca Rogers Maher. She writes very emotional books that I recommend to fans of angsty Romance and Women’s Fiction. Please let’s give her a warm welcome.

Hello Rebecca, welcome to Romance Around the Corner.

RRM: Thank you so much for having me!

Q. For all of our readers who may not be familiar with your work, could you tell us a bit about yourself and your books?

RRM: Sure! I live in Brooklyn, New York with my husband of twelve years and our two little boys. I’m a former New York City public school teacher. A few years ago I started writing, and three books tumbled out all on top of each other. They ended up becoming the Recovery Trilogy—I’ll Become the Sea, Snowbound with a Stranger and my most recent, Fault Lines. All three are stories about real women facing very real-life problems. And as they go about dealing with these problems they meet some incredibly sexy and kind-hearted men.

Guest Author & Giveaway: Katie Porter

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I'm happy to welcome Katie Porter to the blog. This is the co-writing team formed by authors Lorelie Brown and Carrie Lofty. Together they write Erotic Romance, and they are here today to tell us more about their new book, Inside Bet. 

Heather’s Mysterious Tattoo

By Katie Porter

Heather from Inside Bet is pretty straight laced. She’s an accountant, and has lived a very straight and narrow sort of life for more than a decade. She dresses conservatively and drives a six-year-old Camry. That’s what makes her happy—and helps her live down some pretty serious mistakes in her past. But that doesn’t mean she’s absolutely locked down.