[metaslider id=4840 restrict_to=home]

romance writers

Belated Releases Giveaway!

I have two sweet friends who released books last week–and I completely missed their release days!

Life has gotten away from me, but I don’t want these great books to get away from you! So I’m celebrating these releases with a big giveaway! All you have to do is help us spread the word about these saucy new books and you could win 1 of 10 books or 1 of 5 gift cards!


The first new release I’d like to tell you about is one I’ve read myself. CAN’T GO WITHOUT by Angelisa Stone, is book two in her Oasis Waterfall series. This book is an emotionally riveting read. Angelisa creates characters to die for and a hero to drool over.

 

cgwCAN’T GO WITHOUT
“What’s the one thing you can’t go without?”

Tristan O’Donnell has money, women, and all the luxuries that cold hard cash can buy. Tristan’s been sucking sunshine right from the monogrammed silver spoon his life was served up on since the day he was born. And quite frankly, he wouldn’t want it any other way. He’s his mother’s pride and joy, his father’s right-hand-man, and the envy of every guy around. All Tristan has to do is flash his million dollar smile, give his trademark wink, and he gets what he wants, when he wants, anytime he wants.

Leah Franchetti grinds her fingers to the bone; sculpting, painting, recreating treasures from trash—the very sentiment that defines her life. Her inventive, vindictive, lucrative, and seemingly unforgivable plan allowed her to shortcut her way into the life she always imagined, owning an art gallery, surrounding herself in the comfort of her passion and dreams.

When circumstances force Leah and Tristan to come face-to-face with the past and with Leah’s devious manipulation, truths come flooding forth, destroying those in the present and possibly jeopardizing both of their highly anticipated futures. Can Tristan overcome Leah’s slander and deception—despite how dangerously close he comes to losing the one thing he can’t go without—money? Will Leah be forced to come clean, knowing she’ll have to live her life with the one thing she can’t go without—her dignity?

Pick up CAN’T GO WITHOUT at Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 


 

And the second release is CATCH ‘N’ KISS by Rhian Cahill. Are you game?

CatchNKiss300CATCH ‘N’ KISS

In this game of chase, a kiss isn’t the only reward.

Are You Game? Book 2

Divorced with two teenage daughters, Jody Walsh doesn’t need any more complications in her life, and Dan O’Conner is proving to be a big one. His pursuit may give her bruised ego a much-needed boost, but Jody’s learned to guard her heart and trust is something she isn’t willing to give another man no matter how well he kisses.

One kiss and Dan knows what he wants. He isn’t about to walk away from the kind of chemistry he and Jody have. Unfortunately, the more he chases the more she runs. If only he could get her running in his direction.

When a night of passion doesn’t convince her they’re meant to be, Dan is left with no choice but to prove he’s worth taking a risk on, no matter how much he complicates her life.

Warning: Story contains a woman not willing to put her heart at risk and a man determined to persuade her otherwise—and he’s willing to use his washing machine to show her why he’s worth it.

Pick up CATCH ‘N’ KISS at Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 


 Now…Enter to WIN book 1 in these two series’ or 1 of 5 gift cards! Easy entry!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

>New Year’s Giveaway: Day 12, Alison Kent

>Alison Kent is another Twitter buddy!  I appreciate her humor and her insight and have enjoyed conversing with her online.  (If you’re not seeing a pattern here yet…let me spell it out for you — Twitter = priceless writing friends.) 

If you go to Alison’s website, you’ll see she is a long-time, prolific author in various romance genres from romantic suspense to contemporary, and everything she writes has lots of sexy spice.

Alison has generously donated TWO books for the giveaway, both contemporaries published by Kensington Brava, both with mouth-watering hero covers.

Up For Win Today:
<<< Those two hunks right there…drool…
One copy each: NO LIMITS and WITH EXTREME PLEASURE

To enter:
One tweet and you are entered for the whole month!
Follow me on Twitter: @joanswan & send me a tweet with #newyear in the message. (Tweet Here)

Book Summary:
NO LIMITS:
Simon Baptiste’s latest SG-5 mission just went south in a major way. With his career on ice for awhile, it seems like a good time to take care of some business back home in Louisiana. Simon knows it ain’t going to be pretty. He’s got some old enemies in Bayou Allain who won’t exactly roll out the red carpet. But Simon’s first night back is more than he bargained for. Not only has the homestead gone to hell in a hand basket, but there’s a half-naked woman hiding inside it—a woman whose face Simon knows all too well. It’s Michelina Ferrer, the sultry spokesmodel for her family’s Ferrer fragrance empire—and Simon’s been staring at her picture on a billboard outside his Manhattan apartment for weeks…

Micky Ferrer came down to Bayou Allain looking for her old college friend, only to discover that Lisa Landry has been missing for days. As soon as Micky starts asking questions around town, someone runs her car off the road. She’s hiding out in the old Baptiste place when Simon shows up—and he’s the hottest thing she’s laid eyes on since she got to town. Simon agrees that something strange is going on and that Lisa’s disappearance may be tied to it. As he and Micky search for answers, the sweltering heat makes it hard to keep their heads straight or their hands off each other…even as they unravel the small-town secrets that some people are willing to kill for…

WITH EXTREME PLEASURE:
After three weeks in Manhattan, Kingdom Trahan is ready to get back to bayous, crawfish boils, and afternoons fishing on the Gulf. But before he can pull out of the parking garage, he meets a curvy detour. King noticed Cady Kowalski on the photo shoot he just endured—sexy and confident, with a waifish look that belies the way she corralled him into submission using only a can of hairspray. Yet Cady isn’t confident now. She’s bruised, edgy, and desperate to get out of town…

For years, Cady has been looking over her shoulder, wondering when the gang of drug-running criminals who killed her brother would make their move on her. She’s grown used to having no one to turn to, no one to trust. But King isn’t walking away—not even when their lives are threatened, again and again. Drawing Cady’s pursuers out of hiding is the only way to end this, and it’s also the most reckless thing they can do…short of diving into a red-hot affair from which there’s no turning back.

Recent Releases:
THE ICING ON THE CAKE, September 2010, is one of the first three reality based romances published by HCI True Vows.
 
Contact Info:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
Email
 
Tomorrow: Special review & giveaway of Sylvia Day’s upcoming release PRIDE AND PLEASURE

New Year’s Giveaway: Day 12, Alison Kent

>Alison Kent is another Twitter buddy!  I appreciate her humor and her insight and have enjoyed conversing with her online.  (If you’re not seeing a pattern here yet…let me spell it out for you — Twitter = priceless writing friends.) 

If you go to Alison’s website, you’ll see she is a long-time, prolific author in various romance genres from romantic suspense to contemporary, and everything she writes has lots of sexy spice.

Alison has generously donated TWO books for the giveaway, both contemporaries published by Kensington Brava, both with mouth-watering hero covers.

Up For Win Today:
<<< Those two hunks right there…drool…
One copy each: NO LIMITS and WITH EXTREME PLEASURE

To enter:
One tweet and you are entered for the whole month!
Follow me on Twitter: @joanswan & send me a tweet with #newyear in the message. (Tweet Here)

Book Summary:
NO LIMITS:
Simon Baptiste’s latest SG-5 mission just went south in a major way. With his career on ice for awhile, it seems like a good time to take care of some business back home in Louisiana. Simon knows it ain’t going to be pretty. He’s got some old enemies in Bayou Allain who won’t exactly roll out the red carpet. But Simon’s first night back is more than he bargained for. Not only has the homestead gone to hell in a hand basket, but there’s a half-naked woman hiding inside it—a woman whose face Simon knows all too well. It’s Michelina Ferrer, the sultry spokesmodel for her family’s Ferrer fragrance empire—and Simon’s been staring at her picture on a billboard outside his Manhattan apartment for weeks…

Micky Ferrer came down to Bayou Allain looking for her old college friend, only to discover that Lisa Landry has been missing for days. As soon as Micky starts asking questions around town, someone runs her car off the road. She’s hiding out in the old Baptiste place when Simon shows up—and he’s the hottest thing she’s laid eyes on since she got to town. Simon agrees that something strange is going on and that Lisa’s disappearance may be tied to it. As he and Micky search for answers, the sweltering heat makes it hard to keep their heads straight or their hands off each other…even as they unravel the small-town secrets that some people are willing to kill for…

WITH EXTREME PLEASURE:
After three weeks in Manhattan, Kingdom Trahan is ready to get back to bayous, crawfish boils, and afternoons fishing on the Gulf. But before he can pull out of the parking garage, he meets a curvy detour. King noticed Cady Kowalski on the photo shoot he just endured—sexy and confident, with a waifish look that belies the way she corralled him into submission using only a can of hairspray. Yet Cady isn’t confident now. She’s bruised, edgy, and desperate to get out of town…

For years, Cady has been looking over her shoulder, wondering when the gang of drug-running criminals who killed her brother would make their move on her. She’s grown used to having no one to turn to, no one to trust. But King isn’t walking away—not even when their lives are threatened, again and again. Drawing Cady’s pursuers out of hiding is the only way to end this, and it’s also the most reckless thing they can do…short of diving into a red-hot affair from which there’s no turning back.

Recent Releases:
THE ICING ON THE CAKE, September 2010, is one of the first three reality based romances published by HCI True Vows.
 
Contact Info:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
Email
 
Tomorrow: Special review & giveaway of Sylvia Day’s upcoming release PRIDE AND PLEASURE

>New Year’s Giveaway: Day 10, Darynda Jones

>Darynda Jones, like Vivi Andrews, was a 2009 Golden Heart Finalist® with me.  She also went on to WIN the 2009 GH for Best Paranormal Romance with her manuscript FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT, which sold to Saint Martin’s Press in a three book deal. 

The novel comes out in hardback this February, and I thought about attempting to win an ARC. But when I discovered the chances (like 1 in hundreds), and went to her website to read an excerpt, which sent me running directly to Amazon to place my pre-order.  Screw those chances — I had to have this book.  As soon as it came off the press.

Darynda has a sense of humor that had me laughing out loud, characters I immediately had to get to know better, an engaging voice so easy to read I felt like someone was talking to me and a premise that is fresh and so fun!

I know Darynda through Twitter, RWA and a chapter of RWA we both belong to, Kiss of Death Mystery and Suspense.   She is as sweet as she is funny, and I’m so pleased we connected this year.

Up For Win Today:
Darynda’s debut paranormal romance, FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT.

To enter:
Follow me on Twitter: @joanswan & send me a tweet with #newyear in the message. (Tweet Here)

Book Summary:
Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life…and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

Read the excerpt that caught my attention: HERE.

Upcoming Releases:
SECOND GRAVE ON THE LEFT, August 2011

Works In Progress:
THIRD GRAVE DEAD AHEAD, December 2012

Contact Info:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Email

Have a great weekend everyone!  Hope you’ll come back next week for more AWESOME authors including Kris Kennedy, Alison Kent, Sylvia Day, Margie Lawson and the fabulous Elisabeth Naughton!

New Year’s Giveaway: Day 10, Darynda Jones

>Darynda Jones, like Vivi Andrews, was a 2009 Golden Heart Finalist® with me.  She also went on to WIN the 2009 GH for Best Paranormal Romance with her manuscript FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT, which sold to Saint Martin’s Press in a three book deal. 

The novel comes out in hardback this February, and I thought about attempting to win an ARC. But when I discovered the chances (like 1 in hundreds), and went to her website to read an excerpt, which sent me running directly to Amazon to place my pre-order.  Screw those chances — I had to have this book.  As soon as it came off the press.

Darynda has a sense of humor that had me laughing out loud, characters I immediately had to get to know better, an engaging voice so easy to read I felt like someone was talking to me and a premise that is fresh and so fun!

I know Darynda through Twitter, RWA and a chapter of RWA we both belong to, Kiss of Death Mystery and Suspense.   She is as sweet as she is funny, and I’m so pleased we connected this year.

Up For Win Today:
Darynda’s debut paranormal romance, FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT.

To enter:
Follow me on Twitter: @joanswan & send me a tweet with #newyear in the message. (Tweet Here)

Book Summary:
Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life…and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

Read the excerpt that caught my attention: HERE.

Upcoming Releases:
SECOND GRAVE ON THE LEFT, August 2011

Works In Progress:
THIRD GRAVE DEAD AHEAD, December 2012

Contact Info:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Email

Have a great weekend everyone!  Hope you’ll come back next week for more AWESOME authors including Kris Kennedy, Alison Kent, Sylvia Day, Margie Lawson and the fabulous Elisabeth Naughton!

New Year’s Giveaway: Day 9, Larissa Ione

>I know Larissa Ione because my critique partner, Elisabeth Naughton, badgered me until I finally agreed to email Larissa and ask her for a quote for my debut novel, FEVER.

I’m not shy, but neither am I an extrovert who can just talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime.  And I’m incredibly independent, so asking for some one’s help is tough for me.  And, mind you, I wasn’t asking for something small.  I was asking for a New York Times Bestseller to take time out of her prolific schedule to read my manuscript, create a quote she felt described my work and my writing, and attach her name to it.  Her reputation.

Ack! The pressure!

When my editor expressed her excitement over the prospect of having Larissa’s quote, I finally worked up the guts to email her. 

And…yes…I’m going to say this in public…my critique partner was right.  She told me Larissa was totally sweet, completely unselfish and absolutely professional.  And Larissa is all those things.  But she’s also personable, down to earth, funny, easy to talk to and incredibly accommodating. 

SIN UNDONE was the first book I’d read by Larissa.  By about page 10 I knew I’d be reading the rest of her series.  I love kick-ass heroines, and Larissa knows how to write them.  Her plots are twisted and intricate and deep.  Her love stories heart-rending.  Her sex scenes sizzling hot. 

What more could you ask for?

I am thrilled to include Larissa in my list of authors I am grateful for everyday!  Whoever gets SIN UNDONE in the give-away is a true winner.

Up For Win Today:
SIN UNDONE, the fifth book in Larissa’s Paranormal Romance series Demonica.
(Or any other book in her Demonica series if you win and have already read SIN)
To enter:
Follow me on Twitter: @joanswan & send me a tweet with #newyear in the message. (Tweet Here)

Book Summary:
As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she’ll die before she’ll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin’s innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.

Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she’s no stranger: He’s bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld’s most wanted and Con soon learns he’s the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.

Read an excerpt: HERE

Upcoming Releases:

  • ETERNITY EMBRACED, ebook, January 2011
    Originally printed in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2, Eternity Embraced has been expanded for the ebook release.
  • ETERNAL RIDE, April 2011
    The first book in the Lords of Deliverance series, which is about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and is a spinoff from the Demonica series.

Works In Progress:

  • VAMPIRE FIGHT CLUB, September 2011
    A Demonica novella that will release as part of the Supernatural anthology
  • IMMORTAL RIDER, December 2011
    The second Lords of Deliverance book

Contact Info:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
Email

Tomorrow, Darynda Jones, paranormal romance debut author

>New Year’s Giveaway: Day 9, Larissa Ione

>I know Larissa Ione because my critique partner, Elisabeth Naughton, badgered me until I finally agreed to email Larissa and ask her for a quote for my debut novel, FEVER.

I’m not shy, but neither am I an extrovert who can just talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime.  And I’m incredibly independent, so asking for some one’s help is tough for me.  And, mind you, I wasn’t asking for something small.  I was asking for a New York Times Bestseller to take time out of her prolific schedule to read my manuscript, create a quote she felt described my work and my writing, and attach her name to it.  Her reputation.

Ack! The pressure!

When my editor expressed her excitement over the prospect of having Larissa’s quote, I finally worked up the guts to email her. 

And…yes…I’m going to say this in public…my critique partner was right.  She told me Larissa was totally sweet, completely unselfish and absolutely professional.  And Larissa is all those things.  But she’s also personable, down to earth, funny, easy to talk to and incredibly accommodating. 

SIN UNDONE was the first book I’d read by Larissa.  By about page 10 I knew I’d be reading the rest of her series.  I love kick-ass heroines, and Larissa knows how to write them.  Her plots are twisted and intricate and deep.  Her love stories heart-rending.  Her sex scenes sizzling hot. 

What more could you ask for?

I am thrilled to include Larissa in my list of authors I am grateful for everyday!  Whoever gets SIN UNDONE in the give-away is a true winner.

Up For Win Today:
SIN UNDONE, the fifth book in Larissa’s Paranormal Romance series Demonica.
(Or any other book in her Demonica series if you win and have already read SIN)
To enter:
Follow me on Twitter: @joanswan & send me a tweet with #newyear in the message. (Tweet Here)

Book Summary:
As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she’ll die before she’ll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin’s innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.

Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she’s no stranger: He’s bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld’s most wanted and Con soon learns he’s the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.

Read an excerpt: HERE

Upcoming Releases:

  • ETERNITY EMBRACED, ebook, January 2011
    Originally printed in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2, Eternity Embraced has been expanded for the ebook release.
  • ETERNAL RIDE, April 2011
    The first book in the Lords of Deliverance series, which is about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and is a spinoff from the Demonica series.

Works In Progress:

  • VAMPIRE FIGHT CLUB, September 2011
    A Demonica novella that will release as part of the Supernatural anthology
  • IMMORTAL RIDER, December 2011
    The second Lords of Deliverance book

Contact Info:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
Email

Tomorrow, Darynda Jones, paranormal romance debut author

New Years Giveaway: Day 4, Monica Burns

>Monica Burns and I are Twitter buddies.  By now, that’s probably become familiar news to you all.  I have met quite a few of my author-friends on Twitter. 

As an author living in a small community without in-person access to an RWA chapter or other romance writers within about 150 miles, I thank God for social media.

Monica is an award winning erotic and historical romance author.  She is a 2005 RWA Golden Heart Finalist as well as a 2009 Eppie winner!

She is also running a promotional blog from January 17th through March 1st starring more than 35 bestselling historical romance authors, including Sabrina Jeffries, Madeline Hunter, Lorraine Heath, Sarah MacLean, Julianne MacLean, Lucy Monroe and many more!

Up For Win Today:
Monica’s most recent release, PLEASURE ME.  Talk about a scorching cover…this one burns right through the screen!  Gorgeous!!!

(Note: This book is not available until March 2011)

To Enter:
Follow me on Twitter: @joanswan & send me a tweet with #newyear in the message. (Tweet Here)

Book Summary:
Youth and beauty are a courtesan’s greatest assets. At forty-one, Lady Ruth Attwood appears to have lost both, as her latest lover just abandoned her for a younger mistress. Struggling with the knowledge that she’s no longer considered desirable, she’s uncertain whether to be offended or flattered when a younger man makes her an unusual offer. In need of funds, she agrees. But then she does the unthinkable. She falls in love.

Despite his reputation as a man’s man, Baron Garrick Stratfield has never been with a woman. His physical impairment is such that he knows not even a whore will touch him, and he needs a mistress who’s willing to be kept without sharing his bed. But passion is just a delicious kiss away because his new mistress is wreaking havoc with his senses. Worse yet, someone is not only out to ruin his reputation, but frame him for murder.

Read First Three Chapters: HERE

Works In Progress:
INFERNO’S KISS, the third book in the Sicari series.

Contact Info:
Website
Blog
Promotional Blog: Begins Jan 17th and runs through March 1. Daily giveaways & grand prize

Tomorrow:  Elizabeth Craig, writing as Riley Adams, mystery writer and blogger extraordinaire!

>New Years Giveaway: Day 4, Monica Burns

>Monica Burns and I are Twitter buddies.  By now, that’s probably become familiar news to you all.  I have met quite a few of my author-friends on Twitter. 

As an author living in a small community without in-person access to an RWA chapter or other romance writers within about 150 miles, I thank God for social media.

Monica is an award winning erotic and historical romance author.  She is a 2005 RWA Golden Heart Finalist as well as a 2009 Eppie winner!

She is also running a promotional blog from January 17th through March 1st starring more than 35 bestselling historical romance authors, including Sabrina Jeffries, Madeline Hunter, Lorraine Heath, Sarah MacLean, Julianne MacLean, Lucy Monroe and many more!

Up For Win Today:
Monica’s most recent release, PLEASURE ME.  Talk about a scorching cover…this one burns right through the screen!  Gorgeous!!!

(Note: This book is not available until March 2011)

To Enter:
Follow me on Twitter: @joanswan & send me a tweet with #newyear in the message. (Tweet Here)

Book Summary:
Youth and beauty are a courtesan’s greatest assets. At forty-one, Lady Ruth Attwood appears to have lost both, as her latest lover just abandoned her for a younger mistress. Struggling with the knowledge that she’s no longer considered desirable, she’s uncertain whether to be offended or flattered when a younger man makes her an unusual offer. In need of funds, she agrees. But then she does the unthinkable. She falls in love.

Despite his reputation as a man’s man, Baron Garrick Stratfield has never been with a woman. His physical impairment is such that he knows not even a whore will touch him, and he needs a mistress who’s willing to be kept without sharing his bed. But passion is just a delicious kiss away because his new mistress is wreaking havoc with his senses. Worse yet, someone is not only out to ruin his reputation, but frame him for murder.

Read First Three Chapters: HERE

Works In Progress:
INFERNO’S KISS, the third book in the Sicari series.

Contact Info:
Website
Blog
Promotional Blog: Begins Jan 17th and runs through March 1. Daily giveaways & grand prize

Tomorrow:  Elizabeth Craig, writing as Riley Adams, mystery writer and blogger extraordinaire!

New Year’s Giveaway: Day 3, Jules Bennett

>Jules Bennett is another Twitter buddy.  We have never met in person, but I have enjoyed her camaraderie on-line.

Jules writes for Silhouette Desire, which will change to Harlequin Desire in 2011. 

Up for win today:
Jules latest release from Silhouette Desire, FROM BOARDROOM TO WEDDING BED?

To enter:
Follow me on Twitter: @joanswan & send me a tweet with #newyear in the message.  (Tweet Here)

Book Summary:
He’d been faced with the toughest decision of his life—a future full of wealth and power, or the love of Tamera Stevens. And self-made billionaire Cole Marcum had never regretted his choice. Until now, when circumstances forced him to work as partners with the woman he’d left behind. The brilliant CEO was determined to keep their relationship strictly business. Even so, working so closely with the only woman he’d ever cherished had Cole rethinking his priorities. This time, was he prepared to choose love over money?

Jules Works In Progress:
HER INNOCENCE, HIS CONQUEST, will be out with Harlequin Desire, April, 2011.

She is also working on another series for Harlequin Desire, which has not been named yet.

Where you can find Jules:
Website
Blog
Email

Tomorrow:  Monica Burns, award-winning erotic romance author.