I began reading romance novels when I was young.  Hot, steamy Jude Deveraux historical novels from the hardcover section of my local library.  My mother had no idea they were romances; if she had, she wouldn’t have approved.  When I tried buying romance novels with my allowance from Wal-Mart, she would judge the cover as to whether or not it could be deemed acceptable reading material for me (not realizing the excerpt inside would have been a much better clue).  Years passed by, and friends would tease me about reading romances.  Store clerks would give me “the look” when the book I wanted to buy featured a half-naked man and woman locked in a torrid embrace on the cover.  I learned from all these experiences to only buy historical romance novels with pretty covers on them—you know, the ones with flowers or necklaces, or a picture of a manor house.  Or, if I really wanted one that had a sexy cover, I would turn it upside down in public, trying my best to hide everything with my hand. It took me a while to get over this.  But the older I got, the more I realized that I really didn’t…

October 2010 On Sale: September 27, 2010 Featuring: Theresa Crawford; Max Lamoreaux; Tommy Saunders 230 pages ISBN: 1426890613 EAN: 9781426890611 e-Book $4.99 Add to Wish List Romance Suspense Buy at Amazon.com Desperate Choices by Kathy Ivan When psychic Theresa Crawford’s former beau walks into her New Orleans New Age shop, she senses trouble. Big trouble. Max Lamoreaux hasn’t come to discuss their relationship—the private investigator is on a case, and he needs Theresa’s help. Max’s godson is missing. The police have declared Tommy a runaway, but Max’s gut tells him otherwise. While he’s highly skeptical of Theresa’s abilities, her visions provide the only clue as to who’s taken Tommy. The longer Max works with Theresa, the harder it is to resist his desire for the sexy woman. As they inch closer to finding Tommy, Max and Theresa also discover that time hasn’t diminished their powerful attraction. But Theresa harbors her own dark secrets from her past. Secrets that broke them up before–and could drive them apart again, unless Theresa can learn to trust Max with everything . . . Excerpt Behind the wheel of the car, Max angled his head and watched Theresa. She sat silent and unmoving, just as…

Evangeline Mayer is a songwriter, former party girl, newly Made immortal, and woman in love. In love with two men, that is. Many people believe you can only love one person at a time, but with this much testosterone and rippling abs so near, how could she resist? Her longtime mortal boyfriend Sean Livingston is ruggedly handsome with a protective nature. He’s a kick-ass martial artist and the deejay every woman in the club wants to sink her nails into. He’s a family man and longs for a commitment with Evangeline, but he’s willing to take it slow for her. And the fact that he can make a mean cup of coffee doesn’t hurt. Evangeline’s immortal mate Will Cochran’s chocolate brown eyes are yummier than cake batter, and his absolute devotion to making her happy is the icing in the bowl. Beneath his cool demeanor lies a man who’s passionate about all things Jim Morrison and hitting the powdery slopes. And with a direct link to Evangeline’s mind, he knows exactly what pleasures drive her over the edge. With needs as big as hers, she needs two alpha males to satisfy her. If you could choose two mates, what traits…

It’s such a pleasure to guest blog here at Fresh Fiction today! Thanks so much to everyone for having me. As an author of contemporary women’s fiction, I think the most intriguing &mquot;what ifs&mquot; in writing a new story have to do with delving into the hearts and minds of the women who’ve embarked on a big emotional journey, particularly when that journey makes them rethink their past and re-imagine their future: In some cases—as in the still untitled book I have coming out next fall—the journey is a literal adventure. My heroine gets a month-long European vacation as her 30th birthday present from her eccentric aunt and heads overseas for a summer of new experiences…and some romance! But it’s also an internal voyage, requiring a dive deep into the well of her passions and her fears. In my debut novel, ACCORDING TO JANE, it took my heroine two decades to resolve one important thread on her path toward greater self understanding. Even with the assistance of the spirit of Jane Austen, whose ghost whispered dating advice only she could hear, my heroine still needed to learn to listen to the voice of her own heart before she could come…

July 2010 On Sale: July 5, 2010 Featuring: Torrey Green; Julian Grant ISBN: 1426890389 EAN: 9781426890383 e-Book Add to Wish List Romance Contemporary Buy at Amazon.com CaddyGirls by V.K. Sykes Torrey Green once had a promising golf career, but now she’s stuck caddying for butt-pinching businessmen. She doesn’t mind playing dumb while hauling clubs if it means she can get her golf career back on track, and she’s going to need an influx of cash to focus on the pro circuit. A booking from video game mogul Julian Grant could be Torrey’s cash-flow solution. In town for a business deal, Julian’s partners plan for a little action on the greens. They’re looking for some fun with their rent-a-caddy girls, and have a lot riding on who can score, on the course and off. This type of gamble isn’t Julian’s style, but he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his partners happy – even if that includes breaking a few hearts along the way. Julian soon discovers that Torrey is more than just a caddy girl and they spark an intriguing attraction – but if Torrey discovers the truth behind his idiotic wager, all bets are off… Excerpt Torrey arrived at…

I love writing. I love creating characters with nothing more than a blank page and an active imagination, then breathing life into those characters with my words and emotions. When I worked in corporate America, writing was my hobby and my lifeline. I spent far too many hours each day lost in the maze of cubicles, but because writing was my hobby, I could escape that gray world every time I thought about the story I was writing at the time. Now I’m blessed with the opportunity to write for a living. THE SPY WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS is my twenty-third book with Harlequin Intrigue, a number that astonishes and humbles me. I still love writing as much as I ever did, and I know how lucky I am to have the freedom to do something professionally that gives me so much pleasure personally. But… You knew a “but” was coming, didn’t you? But once I began to sell my books, I no longer had a hobby. I couldn’t exactly just switch my former vocation and avocation. Well, I could, but who wants to create spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations in their free time? So I decided that I needed a new…

An Immortal Realms Novel September 2010 On Sale: September 1, 2010 Featuring: Enrique Torres; Maria Guerrero ISBN: 1603105239 EAN: 9781603105231 e-Book $6.00 Add to Wish List Romance Paranormal Buy at Amazon.com Dark Deception by Suzanne Rock After being plunged into a chaotic and deceitful society, Maria Guerrero finds comfort in the arms Enrique Torres, a man she believes is innocent of her world. She keeps him ignorant about her inner monster, and the blood oath she took to save her brother’s life. Instead she prefers to use their sexual play as an escape from her supernatural world. When her secrets catch up with her however, Maria is forced to confess her sins. Will Enrique find it in his heart to forgive her deception? He must, before her vampire master demands her to pay him his due. With the help of a disillusioned fey warrior, she convinces Enrique that vampires are real, and danger lurks around every corner. Enrique can’t allow himself to fall for Maria charms, or he’ll risk revealing secrets of his own — secrets which would not only scare her, but put his mission in jeopardy. He hopes that by forming a physical connection with the young vampire,…

Thank you for having me here at Fresh Fiction! I’m so happy to be here on my launch day, celebrating the release of my new novella Building Magic from Red Sage Publishing. This book is very different from my previous stories, and that’s what I’m here to talk about today, about changing the subgenre’s we write in or what I call ‘Flipping the Pancake’. My first book was Dark Harmony a full length dark, erotic, action adventure romance with vampires and martial arts action. Lots of blood, some great spooky scenes and steamy sex scenes, of course. It took lots of research, and some great goth music to keep me in the mood as I wrote about the shadows in this story. When it was complete and it was time for me to work on a new story, I wanted something completely different. Time to flip. My second story was Alien Revealed a sci-fi erotic novella complete with an alien spy, a starship military hero, out of this world technology and of course, a conspiracy, all topped off with more hot luscious sex. Lots of sci-fi movies, some great comic books and popping mood music kept me going. And when…

Merlin Investigation #3 February 2010 On Sale: February 2, 2010 320 pages ISBN: 042523312X EAN: 9780425233122 Paperback $7.99 Add to Wish List Mystery Historical Buy at Amazon.com The Pendragon Murders by J.M.C. Blair Merlin investigates a royal mystery at Stonehenge. A baron and his sons are found dead at Stonehenge. King Arthur’s potential heirs start to mysteriously die. And only Merlin can prove that the murders are not the work of the plague, but something much more sinister. Arthurian legend with a suspenseful twist Previous Picks

Recently I had a chance to chat with a charming book club in Ohio about my last novel, The Dead Travel Fast. They mentioned that they love to extend their reading experiences by taking field trips that somehow relate to their book club selections. They talked about visiting Washington DC after reading Night, and I jokingly asked them if they were planning a trip to Transylvania after reading my book. (I would not have been at all surprised if they said yes. They were one of the most dynamic groups I’ve chatted with, and if any club organizes a trek to the Carpathians, it will be them!) I also had a lovely tweet this week from a reader who is planning an entire dinner party around the release of my newest book, Dark Road to Darjeeling. She’s inspired by the Himalayan setting, and I made her promise to send details of every course—I only wish I could be there too. (It is always a good idea to feed a writer. We sometimes forget to forage for ourselves.) But my intrepid book group and my gourmet reader got me pondering all the different ways you might celebrate a book. I usually…