HISTORY REFRESHED…What’s New in Historical Fiction “Over a decade in the making, the Showtime Original Series The Borgias is the sordid saga of one of the most remarkable and legendary families in history.” So goes the tagline for the latest historical drama dominating the airwaves. If you’re one of the viewers fascinated by the series, you’ll be happy to learn that the Borgias inspired not just Borgia series creator Neil Jordan, but a host of historical novelists. Lucrezia, daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the crafty Spanish cardinal who bullied, bought and butchered his way to become Pope Alexander VI, has inspired the most prose.  Though she was the Rodrigo’s adored only daughter, as a pawn in the political machinations of her family, she was married off three times in their ruthless quest to amass wealth and power.  Borgia enemies tarnished her name with allegations of poisonings, incest and debauchery.   Who is the real Lucrezia? MADONNA OF THE SEVEN HILLS LIGHT ON LUCREZIA POISON IN THE BLOOD Veteran historical novelist Jean Plaidy offers two explorations of this intriguing woman.  MADONNA OF THE SEVEN HILLS features Lucrezia’s early life, as she comes of age to find herself, despite her family’s affection, nonetheless…

So, imagine the biggest family reunion ever, where the amazing people in your life gather at a hotel.  Nobody has to clean up.  All the meals are at amazing restaurants at some mega-cool tourist site.  Best of all, you get to catch up with so many people at once. Sound awesome?  You bet!  And that’s what the Romance Writers of America (RWA) annual convention feels like to me – the coolest kind of family reunion. I joined RWA when I lived in Shreveport, Louisiana back in… (cough, cough, long time ago, don’t want to age myself too much, LOL!)  Since then, I’ve attended annual RWA conferences held in DC, NYC, Denver, Reno and Dallas.  And it’s always the highlight of the year for me, catching up with my “family” of romance writers and readers. This year’s conference was held in NYC and I hope you’ll enjoy my “family reunion” photos.  I started off the first morning having coffee with reader friends I met years ago through the incomparable Suzanne Brockmann.     The time in between was amazing too – four booksignings – where I got to catch up with readers.  Remembering face to face time with readers is a…

Lucy Kincaid #2 March 2011 On Sale: February 22, 2011 Featuring: Sean Rogan; Lucy Kincaid 416 pages ISBN: 0345511697 EAN: 9780345511690 Mass Market Paperback $7.99  Add to Wish List Romance Suspense Buy at Amazon.com Kiss Me, Kill Me by Allison Brennan A Novel of Suspense Lucy Kincaid has firsthand experience dealing with deadly criminal predators, and she’s fully prepared to share her many talents with the FBI. But when her career plans are derailed, her boyfriend, security expert Sean Rogan, asks for help on his latest private investigation. Using well-honed cyber-hunting skills, Lucy and Sean are soon on the trail of a missing teenage girl with a penchant for disappearing-and a shocking secret life. FBI Agent Suzanne Madeaux is also tracking someone: a serial killer on the loose in New York City. Dubbed by the press the Cinderella Strangler, he cruises seamy underground sex parties, where drug-fueled women make for easy pickings. As Lucy and Sean’s desperate search collides with the FBI’s hunt, Lucy isn’t about to step aside. Haunted by painful memories of her own harrowing encounters with evil, she’s determined to prevent any more innocents from meeting the fate she so narrowly escaped. Delving deep into the twisted…

Myths, curses, and legends have always fascinated me. Could some actually have been based on truths or were most simply figments of the imagination? Naturally, my interest had me researching which led me to Joseph’s Campbell’s book THE POWER OF THE MYTH. Once I read it, my own imagination took flight. I had been searching for a special heroine for Reeve MacAlpin the hero in my current book LOVED BY A WARRIOR. It’s the second book in my four book Warrior King series, BOUND TO A WARRIOR being the first. I got the story arc for the series just as I was finishing up the Sinclare brothers’ series. The four MacAlpin brothers are on a mission to see that the true king of Scotland claims the throne, one of them being the true king. They each pledge not to fall in love until their mission is complete. Naturally, that doesn’t happen. Love decides to find them whether they want it to or not. I needed not only unique heroines for each brother, but extraordinary ways to bring the couples together. Duncan, the hero in BOUND TO A WARRIOR found himself chained to the heroine in the first half of the…

May 2010 On Sale: May 4, 2010 Featuring: Will Connelly 336 pages ISBN: 0425234622 EAN: 9780425234624 Paperback $7.99  Add to Wish List Thriller Buy at Amazon.com Best First Book (ThrillerFest) Nomination The Insider by Reece Hirsch Will Connelly, a corporate attorney in a big San Francisco law firm, who is on the verge of making partner. Will thinks that becoming a partner will solve of his problems but, in fact, his troubles are only beginning. In the week after being elevated to partnership and taking over a major technology merger, Will becomes the prime suspect in a colleague’s murder and an unwilling participant in a complex criminal scheme that involves the Russian mob, insider trading and a secret government domestic surveillance program. A debut novel that puts an exciting twist on the legal thriller Excerpt Chapter 1 No matter how many times the police asked Will Connelly to recount the events of that morning, his story always began—and ended—with the same details. At six thirty a.m., he swiped his access card at the security desk in the lobby of his office building, then rode the elevator to the law firm’s offices on the thirty-eighth floor. The hallways were empty, and…

One of the comments I frequently hear at book club events is, “This isn’t the kind of book I usually buy, but once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down.”  These are very kind and gratefully received words that exhilarate me as an author… yet cause me to fret as an historical novelist.  Believe me, having a reader say that they stayed up past midnight or were late getting to work because they were so caught up in the story is the greatest compliment an author can receive, but realizing how close the same reader came to not picking up the book because of its genre worries me. My current novel, SHADOW OF A QUARTER MOON, is set in the pre-Civil War South, therefore it is categorized as historical fiction. Does this mean that someone who prefers mystery and suspense, or romance, or contemporary novels will not enjoy the book?  My answer is… a reader can love a book of any genre, because when all is said and done… it’s all about the story. In truth, it’s about the characters too.  I love writing about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, and though the premise and setting of my…

I’m here to talk about my novella, BREAK OUT, which is released by Entangled Publishing on 5th July. Entangled is a new publisher who launch in August – so I was thrilled that BREAK OUT was chosen to be their pre-launch release. BREAK OUT is a little hard to define in terms of genre. It’s primarily science fiction, with elements of paranormal, romance and good old fashioned adventure. Most novels fall into certain categories, such as romance, thrillers, science fiction. A cross genre novel is one that has elements of two or more of those categories. Crossing genres isn’t a new idea; it’s been around forever and has resulted in a long list of recognized sub-genres: paranormal romance, romantic suspense, historical time travel…  But in traditional publishing,  getting too creative with crossing genres hasn’t been encouraged–it’s too difficult to market, bookstores don’t know where to shelve the books, it supposedly confuses readers. I think that’s changing. I’ve always believed that you should write the sort of things you love to read, but that doesn’t narrow the field much for me. I read just about everything, romance, science fiction, historical, paranormal, thrillers–if it’s been written–I’ll try it. So it’s hardly unexpected…

June 2011 On Sale: June 2, 2011 Featuring: Capac Raimi; Ford Tasso 320 pages ISBN: 0446573477 EAN: 9780446573474 Hardcover $21.99  Add to Wish List Thriller Paranormal – Supernatural Buy at Amazon.com Slither this way City Of The Snakes by Darren Shan For ten years Capac Raimi has ruled the City. Created by the first Cardinal to continue his legacy, Capac cannot be killed. Then Capac disappears. His trusted lieutenant, Ford Tasso, suspects the mysterious villacs, ancient and powerful Incan priests. To Ford, only one man has the cunning to outwit such adversaries-Al Jeery, who has taken the guise of his father, the terrifying assassin Paucar Wami. Al has no love for Capac and no wish to tangle with the villacs. Until Ford promises him the one thing he truly craves-retribution against the man who killed those he loved most and destroyed his life. Lured into the twisted, nightmarish world of the Incan priests, Al will learn more about the City than he ever imagined, and be offered more power than he ever desired. But in the City, everything comes at a cost… Previous Picks

You Might Be Dating A Werewolf If… Hi, everyone! It’s a pleasure to be at Fresh Fiction today.  Since the hero of my new paranormal romance, NEVER CRY WOLF, happens to be an alpha wolf shifter, I thought it might be fun to share a few signs that–yes, the guy you are dating just might be a werewolf. Hope you enjoy the signs! You might be dating a werewolf if… 1. Your guy has a tendency to growl, a lot, and at odd times that just don’t actually fit the mood. 2. He seems to have an obsession with the moon–and howling at it. 3. He keeps turning up naked. In the strangest places.  And the clothes that he *should* have been wearing? Well, they’ve been torn to shreds. 4. He hangs out with a pack–and those pack members are all pretty darn hot. 5. And speaking of hot…your guy always seems a bit warmer than normal. His skin is heated and just…awesome in general. 6. When you tell him that he has nice eyes, he replies, “The better to see you, my dear.” And when you comment on the odd fact that his canines are growing longer and sharper–uh,…

August 2010 On Sale: July 27, 2010 Featuring: Gabriel von Achenberg; Kate Daltry 384 pages ISBN: 0061626848 EAN: 9780061626845 Mass Market Paperback $7.99  Add to Wish List Romance Historical Buy at Amazon.com Favorite historical romance for RITA A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James Once upon a time, not so very long ago… Miss Kate Daltry doesn’t believe in fairy tales . . . or happily ever after. Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince . . . and decides he’s anything but charming. A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere. For Gabriel is promised to another woman—a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfill his ruthless ambitions. Gabriel likes his fiancée, which is a welcome turn of events, but he doesn’t love her. Obviously, he should be wooing his bride-to-be, not the witty, impoverished beauty who refuses to fawn over him. Godmothers and glass slippers notwithstanding, this is one fairy tale in which destiny conspires to destroy any chance that Kate and Gabriel might have a happily ever after. Unless a prince throws away everything that makes him noble . . . Unless a…