NZ/Aus Author Series: Sandra Hyatt

Winner: The random numbers have rolled and the winner of Sandra's giveaway is MAERED! Congrats! Please email me your address: nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com

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Today we get to meet the third guest in my monthly series on authors from my part of the world - Sandra Hyatt! Not only is Sandra a friend, she's a debut author whose first book has just come out. Congratulations, Sandra!!

She's here today sharing the really cool story of where she got the "Call" and giving away a copy of her debut book, so leave a comment to be in the draw.

Everyone, please give a very warm welcome to Sandra. :-)

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First off – thanks Nalini for inviting me to blog with you.

It's great to have something like this going on while it seems so many authors I know are off having a wonderful time in Washington DC at the Romance Writers of America national conference.

I have fabulous memories of last year's San Francisco conference. The whole conference is always an amazing experience – terrific workshops and speakers, editors, agents, publishers and hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands of authors all in the one place. And the best thing is that every last person there is passionate about romance.

Then, of course, there are the Golden Heart Awards for unpublished manuscripts and the RITA Awards for the very best in published Romance fiction. (Fingers crossed on Saturday night for Mine to Possess in the paranormal romance category. How could Clay and Tally's story not win?).

But last year's conference was particularly special for me because that was where I got The Call from my editor saying she wanted to buy my book. To get that news, in a place like that, and to be able to share it on the spot and in person with my writing friends (as well as the complete strangers I told) was so much fun.

And now, a year down the track, that call has resulted in my very first book Having The Billionaire's Baby hitting the shelves in North America right about now. It's resulted in me being able to hold a real book with my name on the cover, in my hot little hands. It's also resulted in me being able to answer, when someone asks what I do, that I write romance. This is a dream come true for me, a dream that was ten years in the making, and a dream which I'm hoping is only just beginning.

I love the writing of my stories, the way characters come to life, and the way they shape their own destinies on paper. Callie, The heroine of Having the Billionaire's Baby has always been a 'good' girl, always followed the rules, and always carefully planned her life. But on the night of her ex-fiancé's wedding she gives herself permission to throw caution to the wind and act on impulse. Her actions that night land her in hot water with Nick (who plays by his own rules) and her carefully ordered life is turned upside down.

As exciting as it's all been, it's a bit like a rollercoaster too. There are parts where you're slowly climbing to a peak, not knowing what's in front of you. The book hitting the shelves is one of those peaks, because for so many years the only people who've read what I've written have been a few critique partners and some contest judges. Now the whole world—and my mother—can read it.

I'd love it if anyone out there had experiences they wanted to share where they had doubts but triumphed wildly (or even mildly).

Book Tour: Alibi Junior High by Greg Logsted

Today, I've got a YA book tour from a fellow Knight Agency author. Check out the details below!

Also, talking about Young Adult books, The Book Smugglers are going to be holding a YA Book Appreciation Month. Follow the link to read the details!
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Alibi Junior High
By Greg Logsted
Aladdin
ISBN: 9781416979593
June 23, 2009
$15.99, Ages 10-14

Thirteen-year-old Cody Saron has been home schooled his whole life by his father, an undercover agent for the CIA. Cody has never lived the same life as other kids his age. He never went to a regular school, never lived in one place longer than a few weeks, never had a friend or played on any sports teams. Cody’s a black belt in the arts of Tae Kwon Do and Ju Jitsu. He speaks five languages and has traveled to every corner of the globe. But what Cody isn't prepared for is . . . junior high.

When the danger surrounding Cody's dad heats up like never before, Cody is sent to stay with the aunt he's never known, Jenny Williams, in her small Connecticut suburb. Cody knows how to pick a lock or follow a trail, but he has no idea how to fit in with regular kids, how to handle his first crush, or how to make it through a day of classes. How will he ever fit in?

“I just finished reading Greg Logsted’s Alibi Junior High in a single sitting. Thankfully the family had other things to do for a while because the author nailed me to the pages with his premise and with the fantastic pacing of this young adult novel. I wasn’t tempted even once to get up and go do something else. Logsted starts his spell on page one, and readers will have to stay with him to see what ultimately happens to Cody Saron, the 13-year-old professional spy.” ~ Mel Odol, INDENVER TIMES

Greg Logsted currently lives in Danbury with his wife and fellow author, Lauren Baratz-Logsted and their daughter Jackie. He is the author of Something Happened and coauthor of The Sisters 8 series for young readers.

www.greglogsted.com

Monday Wake-Up

First, cuteness.



And now an inside look at the NZ sense of humor. If you haven't seen this before, see if you can spot the difference.



Here's the video about the making of the ad. Enjoy!

Guest Author: Michelle Raven

Thank you everyone for the wonderful chat with Michelle! I've run the random numbers and the winner of the giveaway book is:

KLAUS (Herr Palomar)

Congratulations! Please email your address to: nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com
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Today we have a very special guest - German writer, Michelle Raven! Michelle and I are both published by LYX in Germany, and we "met" via e-mail. Her very first paranormal romantic suspense releases next week - and she's agreed to drop by and answer questions, so feel free to hit her with them! The book is being released in German. However, Michelle speaks both German and English, so questions in both languages are welcome.

Heute haben wir einen besonderen Gast – die deutsche Autorin Michelle Raven! Michelle und ich werden beide bei LYX in Deutschland veröffentlicht und haben uns über Email ‚getroffen’. Ihr allererster paranormaler Romantic Suspense erscheint nächste Woche – und sie hat sich bereit erklärt, hier vorbeizuschauen und Fragen zu beantworten, also nur zu, überfallt sie damit! Das Buch wird in deutscher Sprache erscheinen. Allerdings spricht Michelle sowohl deutsch als auch englisch, also könnt ihr die Fragen in beiden Sprachen stellen.

Giveaway: Michelle is giving away a copy of her book to a German speaking reader in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. Leave a comment by 7am, Monday 13th July 2009 (New Zealand time) to be in the random draw. (And please remember to check on Monday to see if you've won.)

Verlosung: Michelle verlost ein Exemplar ihres Buches an einen deutschsprachigen Leser in Deutschland, Österreich oder der Schweiz. Schreibt einen Kommentar bis 7:00 Uhr morgens, Montag, 13. Juli 2009 (Neuseeland-Zeit!) um an der Verlosung teilzunehmen. (Und denkt daran am Montag nachzusehen, ob ihr gewonnen habt.)

Everyone, please welcome Michelle to the blog!

Bitte heißt Michelle auf dem Blog willkommen!
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M: Thank you Nalini for having me! I’m honored and thrilled that you invited me to your blog. I’m reading ‘Branded by Fire’ at the moment and I love it! Not a big surprise, since I loved all the other books of the Psy/Changeling series, too.

M: Vielen Dank für die Einladung auf dein Blog, Nalini! Ich fühle mich geehrt und freue mich sehr darüber, hier zu sein. Ich lese gerade ‚Branded by Fire’ und ich liebe es! Keine sehr große Überraschung, da ich auch alle anderen Bände der Psy/Changeling-Serie toll fand.

1. Who is Michelle Raven? Tell us a bit about yourself.

Michelle Raven is my alter ego who writes romantic suspense and now also paranormal romantic suspense novels. In real life I’m working as a one person librarian in a museum in Lower Saxony, Germany. I started writing in 1999, when I was reading a travel guide about USA’s National Parks and suddenly had an idea for a story when I saw a picture of the Fiery Furncace in Arches NP. I wrote three years on that one and it was published immediately afterwards in October 2002. Since then I’m hooked on writing (and publishing!) and hope I can keep doing that for a very long time.

Michelle Raven ist mein Pseudonym für Romantic Suspense Romane (Romantic Thriller/Ladythriller) und jetzt auch paranormale Romantic Suspense. Im normalen Leben arbeite ich als Leiterin einer Museumsbibliothek in Niedersachsen. 1999 habe ich mit dem Schreiben begonnen, als mir plötzlich eine Idee für eine Geschichte kam, während ich in einem Reiseführer über amerikanische National Parks blätterte und auf ein Foto des Fiery Furnace im Arches NP stieß. Ich habe drei Jahre daran geschrieben und es wurde gleich nach der Fertigstellung im Oktober 2002 veröffentlicht. Seitdem liebe ich es, zu schreiben (und zu veröffentlichen!) und ich hoffe, ich kann das noch sehr lange tun.

2. What is the title of your July release in German? Translated into English?

The serial title is ‚Ghostwalker’ (which is a Native American term for Mountain Lions/Cougars) and the title of the first volume is ‘Die Spur der Katze’ (= ‘Track of the cat’). Publication date is July 15th, which is actually next week.

Der Serientitel lautet ‘Ghostwalker’ (das ist eine indianische Bezeichnung für Berglöwen/Pumas) und der Titel des ersten Bandes lautet ‘Die Spur der Katze’. Das Buch erscheint am 15. Juli 2009, also bereits nächste Woche.

3. What is 'Die Spur der Katze' about?

‘Die Spur der Katze’ is about former New York journalist Marisa Pérèz, who one night finds an injured and very naked man on the doorstep of her sequestered cottage. An ugly scandal made her leave New York City and come to Mariposa, a small town in California near Yosemite National Park. Marisa tends to the wounds and let’s the stranger stay, even though he acts and looks somewhat – abnormal. But he is also quite handsome, if you like the tall, lean and rugged look.

The next day two detectives come to her cottage, investigating the murder of a neighbour. Marisa doesn’t know if the stranger was involved in the crime, but she lies to the detectives to protect him. Now the murderers are not only chasing Coyle, as the man is called, but also Marisa because she helped him.

When her cottage is attacked the following night, Coyle leads her into the forest, away from civilization. Marisa is suddenly thrown into a whole new world, where Coyle changes into something that can’t really exist.

In ‘Die Spur der Katze’ geht es um die frühere New Yorker Journalistin Marisa Pérèz, die eines Nachts einen verletzten und sehr nackten Mann auf der Türschwelle ihrer einsamen Hütte findet. Ein Skandal hat dazu geführt, dass sie New York verlassen hat und nach Mariposa, eine Kleinstadt in Kalifornien in der Nähe des Yosemite National Parks, gezogen ist. Marisa verarztet den Fremden, und lässt ihn bei ihr übernachten, obwohl er sich manchmal sehr seltsam verhält. Aber er sieht auch gut aus, zumindest wenn man den groß, schlank und rauen Look mag.

Am nächsten Tag kommt die Polizei zu ihrer Hütte, um den Mord eines ihrer Nachbarn aufzuklären. Marisa weiß nicht, was mit dem Fremden passiert ist, trotzdem lügt sie die Polizisten an, um ihn zu schützen. Doch jetzt jagen die Mörder nicht nur Coyle, wie sich der Fremde nennt, sondern auch Marisa, weil sie ihm geholfen hat.

Als die Mörder in der nächsten Nacht ihre Hütte angreifen, führt Coyle sie in den Wald, fort von der Zivilisation. Marisa wird plötzlich in eine ganz andere Welt geworfen, in der Coyle sich in etwas verwandelt, das eigentlich nicht existieren sollte.

4. Is this your first book?

No, it’s my seventh published novel (five with the name Michelle Raven and one with Michaela Rabe). But it’s my first paranormal novel, so it’s all new and exciting.

Nein, es ist mein siebter veröffentlichter Roman (fünf unter them Namen Michelle Raven und eines unter Michaela Rabe). Aber es ist mein erster paranormaler Roman, deshalb ist alles neu und aufregend.

5. What did you find most challenging / most interesting, about writing this book?

Writing the paranormal elements was really challenging for me, because I had never done that before. I tried to stick to reality as much as possible, because I wanted the heroine to realize that the world she knows is not everything out there. The possibility that other 'beings' exist and that they have many problems normal humans don’t even have to think about. But I really liked the way Marisa handled what I dumped in her lap and I loved her interaction with Coyle in all his shapes.

Es war am schwierigsten, den paranormalen Teil zu schreiben, weil ich so etwas noch nie zuvor getan habe. Ich bin soweit möglich in der Realität geblieben, weil ich wollte, dass die Heldin realisiert, dass die Welt, wie sie sie kennt, nicht alles ist. Dass andere Wesen existieren und Probleme haben, über die ‚normale’ Menschen gar nicht nachdenken müssen. Aber ich habe es sehr gemocht, wie Marisa mit allem, was ich ihr zugemutet habe, fertig geworden ist und wie sie mit Coyle in allen seinen Formen umgegangen ist.

6. Where can readers find out more information about your book, perhaps read an excerpt?

You can find more information about ‘Die Spur der Katze’ on my website www.ghostwalker.michelleraven.de or at the publisher’s website www.egmont-lyx.de . There is also an excerpt up for a quick peek on the first chapter.

Sie können auf meiner Homepage www.ghostwalker.michelleraven.de oder auf der Homepage des Verlags www.egmont-lyx.de mehr Informationen über ‘Die Spur der Katze’ finden. Es gibt auch eine Leseprobe, um einen Blick auf das erste Kapitel zu werfen.

7. Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I’d like to thank you, Nalini, for introducing me to the world of shape-shifting Cats, I just love them! That was the main reason for me to start writing paranormals.

Ich möchte dir danken, Nalini, dass du mir die Welt der Katzen-Gestaltwandler gezeigt hast, ich liebe sie einfach! Für mich war das der Hauptgrund, mit dem Schreiben von paranormalen Romanen zu beginnen.
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Thank you to Michelle for the great interview!

Thai Cover: Caressed By Ice

First, a heads-up: We're going to have a very special and truly international guest on the blog tomorrow, so make sure to drop by. Hint: if you speak German, you definitely won't want to miss this. Oooh, who can it be?

~

And now onto today's post!

Check out the incredibly gorgeous cover of the Thai translation of Caressed By Ice. Isn't it stunning?! I absolutely had to share this - huge thanks to my Thai publisher, Kaewkarn Publishing for sending it to me!


The Friday Book Club returns next week, so get reading! :-)

Next Psy/Changeling Book

I'm currently working on the next Psy/Changeling book, and the hero of that book is....*drum roll please*...Max!

I've wanted to write about the cop since he first appeared in Mine to Possess, and he's definitely living up to expectations ;-) His heroine is someone you haven't met yet, but I think you'll love her. Lots of big developments happening in this book - some things are going to break wide open and there are surprises aplenty.

And that's all I'm saying....for now *grin*

Links & Spoiler Thread

First up - I'm at Silk & Shadows talking about 10 ways to tell if a book is written by me.

And as promised, the Spoiler Thread for Branded By Fire is now open. Follow the link in the sidebar (under Links for Readers header). -->

If you prefer a forum format, there's a spoiler section at the fan forum.

Happy reading and discussing :)

Branded By Fire Release Day!!

Thank you everyone for making the countdown to Branded By Fire so fabulous!! I hope you all had a fun time and that you enjoy Mercy and Riley's story!!

Thank you also to everyone who's dropped by the blog to comment, and/or written to me about Branded. I'm so absolutely delighted by the response to the book! Because so many of you have written re a spoiler thread, I'll open one up on the blog tomorrow! (There'll also be a spoiler section going up on the fan forum).

I've got a few release day links I wanted to share.

I was interviewed by the lovely Jax Cassidy for Hooked on Romance. Swing by and say hi (there's a book and a super-duper magnet *grin* up for grabs).

Several awesome reviews of Branded have just gone up around the web. Here are some snippets and links!

I closed Branded by Fire at 11 PM, having skipped making or eating dinner until then so I could finish reading Mercy and Riley’s story. Sexy, intense and riveting, this book was also deeply satisfying. I couldn’t put it down.

~ Janine for Dear Author

And from the first chapter when they finally share total skin-to-skin privileges and then some, the pages burn up with passion, lust, anger, tenderness, sensitivity, claws, teeth and all when these two interact in and out of the bedroom.

~Sandy M for The Good, the Bad and the Unread

I've always loved how Singh doesn't simply portray her changelings as people who just happen to be able to shift into animals. Rather, the fact that a they are animals as well as humans influences her changelings even when they are in human form. "Their animal" is still there, and will react to events and feelings, giving changelings' emotional reactions a certain wildness which I love.

~ Rosario's Reading Journal

You can buy Branded By Fire everywhere! Here are some links to get you started: Borders, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, Powells, IndieBound, Book Depository (worldwide), Fishpond (NZ).

E-book: Books on Board, Fictionwise, Amazon Kindle, All Romance Ebooks, Penguin Website, Diesel E-books, Sony.

If there's a link I've forgotten, let me know :-)

Now let's party like it's July 7th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Countdown to Branded By Fire: 1 day to go!

Winners! The random numbers have rolled and the lucky folks are:

Ginny - The Scot and I by Elizabeth Thornton
CrazyCommaMomma - Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop

Congrats! Please email me your addresses (nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com).

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Mercy and Riley release tomorrow! (Or the day after if you're in another timezone ;-)) If you'd like to have a glimpse behind the scenes of Branded By Fire, I've written a special letter to readers that you can read by following the link!

How are your party feet? Ready to keep on dancing? Today's cyber launch giveaways are a copy of Elizabeth Thornton's The Scot and I, and a copy of Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop. (As regular blog readers know, I'm a huge, huge fan of Anne Bishop's Black Jewels books, and I attempt to pass on the addiction wherever possible. Daughter of the Blood is the first book.)

Entry rules are the same as Monday. Leave your answer to the day's burning question and you're in. Bring a friend and I'll give you another entry. And don't forget to note if you've already got one of the books.

Today's burning question: Which book or series do you love so much that you're constantly trying to get other people to read them? Or conversely, has a friend convinced you to read something that you never would have on your own?

Countdown to Branded By Fire: 2 days to go!

Winners: The random winners today are:

Christine - Dirty Sexy Knitting by Christie Ridgway
Maritza - Immortal Outlaw by Lisa Hendrix

Congrats! Please send me your addresses at nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com.

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Only a couple more days to go until Branded By Fire officially hits the shelves!

Fellow writer Jaci Burton posted about Branded yesterday - here's a snippet from her blog:

This book was powerful, hot, sexy, and filled with all sorts of changeling goodness...Every new book opens up this world even more to give us a glimpse into amazing worlds, incredible worldbuilding and characters you can’t help but fall in love with.

And look, Romance Junkies just gave it a Blue Ribbon Favorite Award!

Today's cyber-launch party giveaways are a copy of Immortal Outlaw by Lisa Hendrix and a copy of Dirty, Sexy Knitting by Christie Ridgway.

Entry rules are the same as Monday. Leave your answer to the day's burning question and you're in. If you bring a friend or tell others about the party, I'll give you an extra entry.

Onto today's burning question: How much to covers affect your book-buying? What are some of your favorite covers--recent or otherwise?

Countdown to Branded By Fire: 3 days to go!

Winners: And the random winners are:

Pissenlit - Touched by Light by Catherine Spangler
Katie S. - Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James

Congratulations!

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The things I do for you guys. Today, I went on a daring raid and *borrowed* Curran from Ilona Andrews' Livejournal. Under no circumstances is anyone to tell Ilona. We'll give him back...maybe *grin*

Oooh, look at those eyes.

Branded By Fire featuring another hot and brooding male, officially hits the shelves on Tuesday, woohoo!!

To celebrate the cyber-launch, today I'm giving away a copy of Touched By Light by Catherine Spangler, and a copy of Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James. We chatted about Just the Sexiest Man Alive at this Friday Book Club :)

Entry rules are the same as Monday! Leave a comment answering the day's burning question and you're in. Bring a friend or spread the word about the party and I'll give you an extra entry or entries. Also, don't forget to let me know if you've already got one of the books.

And today's burning question - well, with all this testosterone on the blog today, it can really only be this: Who do you consider the sexiest man in the world?

Countdown to Branded By Fire: 4 Days to Go!

Winners: The random numbers have spoken and the winners are:

Rob - Witch Fury by Anya Bast
Yogagrrl - Sweet Persuasion by Maya Banks

Congratulations!
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I can't believe Branded By Fire will be officially out next week! Here's a snippet from a recent review by BookThingo:

The way Mercy and Riley’s relationship is unfolded, broken, repaired, strengthened and resolved is done so beautifully. Their conflict isn’t trivial, and the push-and-pull for control is both fun and excruciating. I was barracking for both of them the entire time, and not once did I feel like one should surrender to the other.

I hope you guys are all enjoying the cyber launch party. I thought it was time to pass around some drinks. (The pic's from my last dinner at the 2008 RAW conference).

Today, I'm celebrating by giving away a copy of Witch Fury by Anya Bast, and a copy of Sweet Persuasion by Maya Banks.

Entry rules are the same as Monday. Leave a comment with your response to the day's burning question. Bring a friend or tell folks about the party and you get a second entry. (And don't forget to note if you already have one of the books).

And what is today's burning question? Since Branded By Fire kicks off with a love scene (!) - the first time I've ever begun a book that way, let's talk about heat: What makes a love scene work for you? Conversely, what would make you skip a love scene?

Countdown to Branded By Fire: 5 Days to Go!

Winners! The random winners are as follows:

Mech - Alyssa Day's Atlantis Unleashed
Maggie (thir...@yahoo) - Talk of the Ton

Congratulations! Please email me your addresses at nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com.

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Branded By Fire releases next Tuesday! Here's what KMont at Lurv A La Mode had to say about Mercy and Riley's story:

Seeing them try to keep their alpha tendencies walled up and defending their emotions was both amusing and heart pounding when they began to crumble.

To read the full review, follow the link!

The cyber launch party continues today with the giveaway of a paranormal romance - Alyssa Day's Atlantis Unleashed, and a historical anthology - Talk of the Ton!

Entry rules are the same as Monday. Leave your answer to the burning question in the comments! And if you bring along a friend to the party, it'll give you another entry for the day's giveaways.

Today's burning question is inspired by the anthology above: If you could live in any time period, past, present or future, which would you choose?

Countdown to Branded By Fire: 6 days to go!

Winners: The random winners are:

Erika - Hidden Currents by Christine Feehan
JOYE (Anon #1) - Kiss & Hell by Dakota Cassidy

Congratulations! Please email me your addresses (nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com)

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I'm over at the Book Smugglers talking about Inspirations and Influences, so come say hi. The Smugglers are also giving away a copy of Branded By Fire!

And talking of Branded By Fire, here's a snippet from Kati's review of the book for RNTV:

I have to say that I’ve always been very partial to the alphas in this series, Lucas (especially) and Hawke. But Riley’s tortured past; his deep well of feeling, so well hidden got all of my emotions working. The treat of the book, for me, was getting to know him, learning about his past, and how it’s shaped him as a man, and how hard he falls for Mercy. He flounders quite a bit, which is unnerving for someone as ordered as Riley.

Today's cyber launch giveaways are a copy of Hidden Currents by Christine Feehan and a copy of Kiss and Hell by Dakota Cassidy!

Entry rules are the same as Monday! In short, leave your answer to the day's burning question to go into the random draw. If you bring a friend, I'll give you an extra entry :) (Don't forget to tell me if you've already got one of the books).

Today's burning question is: We've talked about heroes, now it's time for the heroines. Which heroine would you like to be for a day or a week? Reasons why?

Oooh, so many choices...

Countdown to Branded By Fire: 7 days to go!

Winners! The random winners are:

Elizabeth G - Kissing Midnight by Emma Holly
Karah - Fair Game by Jasmine Haynes

Congratulations! Please email me your address (nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com).
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Seven days to go until Branded By Fire hits the shelves! The Book Smugglers just put up their review of Mercy and Riley's story. Here's a snippet:

Notable Quotes/ Parts: Just about every single interaction between Riley and Mercy. Also, between Mercy and her pack members. Actually, make that all the scenes between Riley and his alpha, Hawke and between Hawke and Sienna. Crap. the whole book is freaking notable.

To read the full review, follow the link!

Today's cyber launch party giveaways are a copy of Kissing Midnight by Emma Holly and Fair Game by Jasmine Haynes.

Entry rules are same as Monday, so have a look at that post if you've just arrived at the party. And welcome! (Don't forget to note if you already have one of the books).

Now, onto today's burning question: Who are your favorite couple(s) from books? Why?

It doesn't have to be a romance. One of my friends really loves the hero & his dragon from the Temeraire books. As for me...hmm...

Countdown to Branded By Fire: 8 days to go!

Winners! The random numbers have rolled and the winners are:

Ang From Oz - Yasmine Galenorn's Demon Mistress
Megan - Angels' Blood

Congratulations!
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Branded By Fire releases July 7th and I'm throwing a cyber launch party to celebrate!

Thanks to my wonderful editor & my super-duper abilities at ordering and hoarding books *grin*, there are going to be lots of awesome giveaways.

Today, I'm giving away a copy of Demon Mistress by Yasmine Galenorn and a copy of Angels' Blood by yours truly.

How to enter? Easy. Just leave a comment with your answer to the day's burning question. If you already have one of the books being given away, please let me know so I can make sure everyone gets new reads.

BUT this time around, I'll give you a way to get in a second entry. Or a third... ;-) If you invite folks to the party (through blogs, twitter, etc), and leave a note about or a link to your invite, I'll give you one more shot at the day's prize(s). If you told a friend, just have your friend(s) mention your name in their comment so I know you invited them.

So invite everyone! However, please be polite - no hounding friends who aren't in the party mood. This is all about having fun :-)

All contests will be drawn twenty-four hours after they post. Please make sure you swing back to check if you've won.

Now, onto today's question: Which romance novel hero would you like to find alive and gift-wrapped on your doorstep?

Subliminal message: You know you want to say Riley Kincaid from Branded By Fire, Riley Kincaid, Riley Kincaid...

Countdown to Branded By Fire

I've got some fun stuff planned for everyone as we count down to the release of Branded By Fire, so make sure you come by tomorrow! :)

Friday Book Club: Guest Author - Jennifer Ashley: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie

Winner: Thank you to Jennifer Ashley for being such a fantastic guest!!

I've drawn the random winner of a copy of The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, using a random number generator, and the winner is: Barbarita V! Congratulations!

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It's a special book club today!

I recently read The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie and just loved it. Ian is such an intriguing character, and watching his and Beth's relationship grow had me glued to the page.

Follow the link to read an excerpt and check out information about the series.

Jennifer was kind enough to agree to guest on the blog today and answer your questions, so get them ready!

Here are a few that I asked:

1. Lord Ian Mackenzie is one of the most unusual heroes I've read. How did you come up with his character?

I wrote about Ian because I got to pondering how people in the past dealt with autism or Aspergers. Autism (and Aspergers) wasn't defined until the twentieth century and many still don't fully understand it. Aspergers, I learned through my research, doesn't present the same way in each person--I read about or was given widely different accounts of Aspy behavior.

I thought Ian's struggle would make for an interesting story. His character grew in my mind over a couple of years before I had a chance to write the book. And it was challenging! I went over each of his scenes many times before I was happy with them.

I also wanted to write a family saga--I want the series to be more than just about couples getting together. I'm writing not only about how each brother finds the lady of his dreams, but also how the brothers grow and strengthen as a family. Ian's troubles are only one part of the whole.

2. Of the remaining three brothers, whose story do you think will be the most challenging to write?

Most readers might think I'd say Hart, the dark, oldest brother. But I love redeeming baddies, and I'm looking forward to having him meeting the lady who brings him to his knees. :-)

Personally I think Cameron will be a big challenge (I'm already writing Mac, so I might change my mind, LOL). Cam is kind of an enigma--I'm not sure I know him well yet, and I need to make him a fully fleshed out, interesting character. His heroine is a little different, too.

3. What are some of your recent favorite historical reads?

My favorite this year is Scandal, by Carolyn Jewel. Carolyn is the nicest person, ever, and I was eager to see what she'd written after a short hiatus from historicals. I started reading Scandal and was entranced. It's a rich, deep, character-driven book that I enjoyed very much. Her hero is to-die-for, and I loved that her heroine is a writer (a lady novelist). I recommend it to historical lovers.

~

I've got an extra copy of The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie to give away. Everyone who leaves a comment by Sunday noon New Zealand time, goes into the draw. If you haven't got a question for Jennifer, how about saying what intrigues you about the book. :)

Friday & Dakota Cassidy Giveaway

We're going to have a very special guest at Friday's book club, so make sure you all make a note in your diaries.

Clue: The hero of her most recent book is...unusual.

Who could it be???

Also, a heads-up that The Knight Agency is giving away a copy of Dakota Cassidy's Accidentally Dead today. Be quick!

Dakota will also be chatting in the TKA Chat Room on Thursday, June 25th @ 9pm ET and I believe there are going to be giveaways there too. :-)

Movies: The Proposal

This was an adorably funny movie! Definitely one to see with your girlfriends.

Catchup

I'm working on something fun for the release of Branded By Fire - only two weeks to go until it hits the shelves! I can't wait! :)

Also, Meljean Brook is giving away an ARC of Must Love Hellhounds. You can enter here.

Hope you all had a great weekend. Get up to anything interesting?

Guest Blog

I've got a guest post up at RR@H Novel Thoughts & Book Talk. Swing by and say hi :)

Friday Book Club

It's Friday again! And we're talking books we enjoyed this week. Leave your recommendations in the comments!

This week, I read Vision in White by Nora Roberts and I absolutely loved it. Carter is the most adorable, gorgeous hero ever! I'm really looking forward to the next three books in this quartet.

Okay, your turn. :-)

Quickie

Contest Closed! Winners below.

Since there were so many entries, I decided to draw three winners using a random number generator. And they are:

KMont - Awaken the Senses
Midnight - One of my Silhouette releases
Monica Kaye - Visions of Heat

Congrats! Could you all email me with your addresses at nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com. Since this attracted so many entries, I think I'll have to do it again. I do have a release coming up, so there might be a party...keep an eye out *grin*

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Want a signed copy of one of my books? Leave a comment with the title of the book you'd like to go into the draw. I'll draw a random winner tomorrow and send that person the book they chose (as long as I have a copy).

Open to everyone, everywhere. And yes, your choice can be one of my Desire releases.

Edited to add: Just to clarify - I have no copies of Branded By Fire yet, so that's out of the contest. Backlist books only.

ConSciption 2009

This was my first sf con and I had an absolute blast. Here are some photos from the weekend.

The international guest of honor was writer Julie Czerneda, who gave a 3 day writer's workshop prior to the con. I joined in for a discussion session on the last day, and it was so much fun. I really enjoyed hearing her speak over the weekend - if you have a chance to attend one of Julie's talks, don't hesitate.

Of course, I also fell in love with Julie because she bought me a present.


You're looking at a copy of Anne Bishop's Queen of the Darkness, signed to me! It's no secret that I adore Ms Bishop's Black Jewels world so you can guess how excited I was to receive this!

Then as the weekend kicked off, the con was invaded by expert swordsmen...


...and Roman legionnaires.

The displays were fantastic. I was particularly interested in the demonstration and talk relating to the history of the modern sword. The speakers brought along a beautiful collection of swords and related armor from across several centuries, and it was wonderful to be able to handle the weapons - especially as blades play an important role in Archangel's Kiss.

The weekend ended on a high note with Stroke of Enticement winning the Best Novella category of the Sir Juilus Vogel Awards. Here's a photo of me with fellow winner Sally McClennan, who won for her children's book Deputy Dan & the Mysterious Midnight Marauder.


A great weekend all around!

German Page Update

I want to give a big thanks to all of you who've helped with translations so we can set up a German page on the website. You guys are completely awesome.

I'm hoping to have the German page up with the next set of updates, but I'd really like someone to do a quick read of the complete page (approx 9 pages in Word), and make sure all the pieces fit. Since I'd need it back in a couple of days, I don't want to put my wonderful volunteers on the spot - if anyone's got time, could you email me? (nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com).

Danke!

Jaws in 30 Seconds (with bunnies)

Maree Anderson shared this link for Jaws in 30 Seconds (with bunnies) on Twitter, and I was sucked into the vortex of bunnies - I also watched Jurassic Park in 30 Seconds, King Kong...and the moral of this story is, do not follow the link unless you have several minutes to spare. ;-)

Friday Book Club

It's Friday book club time - all about recommending books you've enjoyed.

I've got a great rec for you today - Julie James' Just the Sexiest Man Alive. Here's the blurb:

COOL. CALM. COLLECTED.

Nothing fazes Taylor Donovan. In the courtroom she never lets the opposition see her sweat. In her personal life, she never lets any man rattle her–not even her cheating ex-fiancé. So when she’s assigned to coach People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” for his role in his next big legal thriller, she refuses to fall for the Hollywood heartthrob’s charms. Even if he is the Jason Andrews.

CONFIDENT. FAMOUS. IRRESISTIBLE.

Jason Andrews is used to having women fall at his feet. When Taylor Donovan gives him the cold shoulder, he’s thrown for a loop. She’s unlike any other woman he’s ever met: uninterested in the limelight, seemingly immune to his advances, and shockingly capable of saying no to him. She’s the perfect challenge. And the more she rejects him, the more he begins to realize that she may just be his perfect match. . .

It's a smart, funny, romantic book - I enjoyed every moment of it. I picked it up and raced through it in one sitting, and I'm still smiling as I write this.

You can check out an excerpt on the author's website.

Okay, your turn - what are your recommendations this week?

Guest Author: Maree Anderson - Even Demons Get The Blues

Winner: Thank you all for being so welcoming to Maree - and thanks Maree for being such a great guest. And now the part you've all been waiting for - the random numbers have spoken and the winner of the free Even Demons Get the Blues download is LouiseD. Congratulations! Please email Maree at maree AT mareeanderson DOT com, to claim your prize.

I've got a special interview and giveaway for you today - with fellow Kiwi and good friend Maree Anderson.

One person will win a free pdf download of Even Demons Get the Blues - just leave a comment to enter.

Now, onto the interview!

_________________________

Hi Nalini! Thanks heaps for letting me talk about my debut release. And as if June wasn’t exciting enough already for me, it’s my publishing company’s anniversary: Happy 15th Anniversary, Red Sage! (BTW, these ladies really know how to celebrate, so please check out their official anniversary statement at the end of this interview.)

1. Who is Maree Anderson?

I'm a wife, a mom, a soccer team supporter, a Ceroc dancer, a karate yellow-belt (just starting out), a gym regular (trying really hard to make that one true), and an avid reader.... Among other things. Like being a lover of chocolate—the darker the better—oh, and let’s not forget a glass of good wine. As far as writing goes, I’m heavily skewed toward fantasy and paranormal. I just can’t seem to resist the whole out-of-this-world aspect when I’m writing.

2. What's it like being a debut author? Any particular experiences you'd like to share?

The process so far has been exhilarating and fun and just plain scary as hell.

An actual editor who loved one of my stories enough to want to publish it? The best!

Having input into the design of my very first cover and then being emailed the final proof? Fan-freaking-tastic!

From my editor I learned about crafting stories. And from my copy-editor, I learned about crafting sentences. I’m a far better writer because of their input. And thanks to everyone’s input, when I received the final proof of my story I was confident it was the best it could be.... Unless someone else had a go at writing it. Someone like our Nalini, perhaps? *VBG*

The “scary as hell” part? That’s the thought of actual readers spending their hard-earned cash to buy my book. And waiting for reviews. It’s one thing to pour your soul out onto a page, quite another to send those pages out into the world for people to read.

3. I've known you personally for several years, and I've seen you submit, enter contests and work really hard toward publication. If you had one piece of advice to give to those seeking publication, what would it be?

Never, never, NEVER give up. If, like me, you can’t not write because frankly you’d go nuts, then you just have to believe in yourself and keep trying.

4. Tell us a bit about Even Demons Get The Blues.

This was such a fun story to write! I try to challenge myself with my writing so when you posted details of Red Sage’s Alpha Male Novella Contest to the RWNZ loop, I decided to try and write a novella. I wanted to write a really flawed heroine—Leisa was actually inspired by Holly Hunter’s portrayal of the lead character in Saving Grace. I’d never written for the erotic romance market before, either, so it was a real challenge!

Here’s what I came up with for Even Demons Get The Blues:

Rezon was the Demon King’s lieutenant for four thousand years but even the most badass Demon in Hell gets jaded, so Rez joined the Beguilers. Only trouble is now he’s been beguiled—by Leisa, a tormented human woman who’s captured his heart.

Leisa might look like an angel, but she sure doesn’t act like one. Her guilt is eating her alive. Alcohol and casual sex are her chosen methods of self-destruction, and she’s embracing both with a vengeance.

When Leisa picks up one loser too many, Rez is provoked into showing her what a real man—uh, make that Demon!—can do for her. But Leisa’s been tagged by a Destroyer and her soul is forfeit, so when she inadvertently shatters Rez’s defenses and bonds with him, there’s Hell to pay!

5. What're you working on right now?

I’m working on two manuscripts: a paranormal about Spartan soldiers and the dryad antagonist who steals their humanity, and just for something different, a novella-length “Space Opera”.

6. Who are your "keeper" authors?

Gosh, *glances at her cramped bookcases and overflowing desk* there’s too many to mention here! Angela Knight. Charlaine Harris. Janet Evanovich. Laurell K. Hamilton. Oh, and a really talented writer who goes by the name of Nalini Singh ;-)

7. Anything else you'd like to share?

I loved, loved, LOVED! Angels’ Blood. And I just have to say that if I could be any paranormal creature in the entire world, I’d be one of your angels, Nalini. They’re a truly awe-inspiring creation. *le grand sigh*

Maree Anderson
Even Demons Get The Blues, Red Sage Presents, June 1st
www.mareeanderson.com
www.writersgonewild.blogspot.com
www.eredsage.com

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Visionaries. Risk-takers. Just plain wild.

These are some of the words reviewers have used to describe Red Sage authors, the Secrets anthologies, and the Red Sage Presents line of e-books. Featuring best-selling paranormal authors such as Angela Knight, MaryJanice Davidson, Emma Holly, Larissa Ione, Cynthia Eden, and many more, Red Sage books have earned a place on many readers’ “keeper” shelves.

This month, Red Sage celebrates its 15th anniversary with a month-long sale and celebration.

15 Years.

15 E-Books.

$1.50 Each.

Visit the Red Sage website, www.eRedSage.com, and Red Sage Revealed (http://redsagerevealed.blogspot.com) throughout the month of June for the sale, special surprises, and maybe even a giveaway or two!

Red Sage. Read Dangerously!