Jun 20, 2011
Improper Gentlemen
Diane Whiteside, Maggie Robinson, and Mia Marlowe. Kensington/Brava, $14 trade paper (352p) ISBN 978-0-7582-5109-1
Whiteside (The Shadow Guard), Robinson (Mistress by Mistake), and Marlowe (Touch of a Thief) collaborate on this uneven trio of tales featuring very bad boys. In the Old West of Whiteside’s “Talbot’s Ace,” gambler Charlotte “Ace” Moreland is rescued from a perilous situation by commitment-shy gunslinger Justin Talbot. As they come to terms with their tumultuous pasts, their sizzling passion evolves into a tangible love. Robinson’s witty multidimensional characters are vividly entertaining in “To Match a Thief,” in which Lucy Dellamar pretends to be the mistress of broke Lord Ferguson until he sells her home to Sir Simon Keith, her first love. Suspense abounds in Marlowe’s late Victorian “A Knack for Trouble” as Rosalinde Burke reunites with Aidan Danaher, Lord Stonemere, years after they shared a night of passion in a Bermuda prison. Though the stories have little in common, all will appeal to fans of antiheroes and historical romance. (Aug.)
Reviewed on: 06/20/2011
I’ll take”witty,” “multi-dimensional,” and “vividly entertaining” any day! Thanks, Publishers Weekly!
Jun 12, 2011
In a little more than a month, the Brava anthology Improper Gentlemen will hit the shelves! I just got copies of the finished product, and I giggled when I e-mailed friends and said I got a box of Improper Gentlemen. Who would not love some bad boys deliverd by FedEx?
For the next few weeks, I’ll be posting snippets of my novella “To Match a Thief” right here. Let the impropriety begin!
Jane Street, London, October 1820
Chapter 1
Lucy Dellamar looked down with dismay at the diamond brooch in her hand.
It had happened again.
She hadn’t meant to steal it, though it was clear she had, for why else would it be cutting into her palm? But there it had been, carelessly twinkling on the bedside table of her neighbor Victorina Castellano, where anyone might come upon it and pocket it. At least Lucy had not taken Victorina’s matching earrings that were right beside it, although she probably should have. Sets were more valuable when kept together.
Botheration. No time for regrets for her light fingers and inadequate forethought. Lord Ferguson would be happy, and that’s all that counted. It meant a roof over her head for another month at least, and perhaps a choicer cut of meat even if the cook had already quit. She would buy it and cook it herself.
Lucy was hungry right now. Thieving was hard work, though whoring was worse. It hadn’t come to that—yet.
Even if she did live on Jane Street, ‘Courtesan Court’, the most wicked street in Mayfair.
Lucy lived a total lie. Oh, too many ‘ls’ upon the tongue, but there it was. Six years ago, she had been plucked out of obscure quasi-poverty by Lord Percival Ferguson and offered a job she could not refuse.
There was no reason to say no. She had been a twenty-four year old spinster, deserted by her fiancé, a thief far more cunning than she ever aspired to be. For all she knew he was dead—there had not been a word from him in over seven years.
Lucy’s new job was remarkably easy. Lord Ferguson had asked her to pretend to be his mistress…
Jun 1, 2011
Check out these gorgeous romance trading cards Mia Marlowe had made for August’s Improper Gentlemen!
I’ve updated both contests this month. For a chance to win an ARC of Maggie Robinson’s Mistress by Marriage, go here. For a signed copy of Margaret Rowe’s Any Wicked Thing, go here.
So happy that the books and critique I donated to Brenda Novak’s auction raised $227 toward diabetes research! Since I made a few succesful bids myself, I’ll be writing some checks too. 🙂
I’m about half-way done with the current WIP, and am trying to get as much written as I can before I’m lured out to the lake by my family. I’ve already tried typing on the deck on my laptop but the glare makes it impossible. Any suggestions?
I’ve started to plan for RWA in NYC, which of course means a new wardrobe and shoes that won’t cripple me. I’m so lucky that I’ll have some of my favorite people with me again: two of my daughters, one of my granddaughters, and my friend Claudia. I’ve already ordered two books on what to do with kids in the city (Sadie is 3 1/2 going on 30). I hope to combine business with pleasure and pray it won’t be as hot as it was in Orlando.
Enjoy the start of the summer!
May 23, 2011
Improper Gentlemen, Wednesday, May 25
Mistress by Marriage, Friday, May 27
For a chance to read my Brava August and September releases early, go bid! The money raised annually by author Brenda Novak goes to support diabetes research. If you scroll below to the blog post under the auction banner, you’ll see I’ve donated other prizes towards this worthy cause.
May 23, 2011
The response to this month’s website contest has been so overwhelming that I’m going to pick more than one winner. Someone will get the royal wedding swag and Improper Gentlemen, and two others will get prize packages, including a DVD of historic royal weddings. The rest of the entrants will receive bookmarks (see below). The newsletter announcing the winners will go out on June 1. (if I get around to writing it, LOL) If you don’t subscribe yet, please see the sidebar to sign up!
I’ve recently received ARCs for Mistress by Marriage, and am donating one plus an ARC of Improper Gentleman to the Brenda Novak auction. I’ll post a link back here when I get more info. They will go up for only one day, so if you want to be one of the first to read about Edward and Caroline and Simon and Lucy, get ready to bid!
I’m almost done with my travels. Just got back from a family vacation in Las Vegas. We had to fly around tornadoes on the way home, and my heart goes out to all those who found themselves in their destructive paths. I’ll be looking for ways to help, and am sure you will too.
Tomorrow is my critique partner Tiffany Clare’s release day! The Secret Desires of a Governess will hit the shelves. Tiff was picked by RT Book Reviews as a writer to watch. Congrats, Tiff!
