January 2010On Sale: January 5, 2010Featuring: Elizabeth Philpot; Mary Anning320 pages ISBN: 0525951458EAN: 9780525951452Hardcover$26.95 Fiction Buy at Amazon.com Remarkable Creaturesby Tracy Chevalier A voyage of discoveries, a meeting of two remarkable women, and extraordinary time and place enrich bestselling author Tracy Chevalier’s enthralling new novel From the moment she’s struck by lightening as a baby, it is clear that Mary Anning is marked for greatness. On the windswept, fossil-strewn beaches of the English coast, she learns that she has “the eye”-and finds what no one else can see. When Mary uncovers an unusual fossilized skeleton in the cliffs near her home, she sets the religious fathers on edge, the townspeople to vicious gossip, and the scientific world alight. In an arena dominated by men, however, Mary is barred from the academic community; as a young woman with unusual interests she is suspected of sinful behavior. Nature is a threat, throwing bitter, cold storms and landslips at her. And when she falls in love, it is with an impossible man. Luckily, Mary finds an unlikely champion in prickly Elizabeth Philpot, a recent exile from London, who also loves scouring the beaches. Their relationship strikes a delicate balance between fierce loyalty, mutual…

Although I had published nonfiction for many years and worked as an editor, I wanted to be a novelist. I made every mistake imaginable as I taught myself how to write. Then I wrote what I thought was upmarket women’s fiction, a book the publisher later titled INTERN. When I began searching for an agent, I was dismayed by the lack of response. Those who bothered to reply said they would get back to me in three months or longer. One day, I e-mailed a wonderful woman who owns a regional publishing firm where I had sold a nonfiction book several years before. She gave me the name of an agent she said was the best she knew. She also said that she didn’t know if the agent was taking new writers because she had become extremely successful. I sent an e-mail query with the publisher’s name in the subject field. Within five minutes, the agent wrote back and asked to see the first 50 pages of my novel. I sent them, and she phoned me the following week. After we chatted a bit, she said, “I’m ready to commit if you are.” Those were the sweetest words I had…

Jen’s JewelsGet the lowdown on your favorite authors with Jennifer Vido. I have always been fascinated with the art of knitting. As a child, I would watch in awe as my mother would create beautiful afghans and colorful scarves. She always seemed so relaxed and at ease while masterfully designing her next creation. When the time finally came for me to join in on the fun, it didn’t take long for the “ooh” and “ahh” factor to quickly fade away. Knit one. Purl two. Whatever! Let it suffice to say that it’s not as easy as it looks! Cooking has always been an interest of mine despite my lack of aptitude. Sure, I can whip up a tasty meal courtesy of my ever-reliable crock-pot. As far as I am concerned, being able to cook an entire meal in one pot is worth its weight in gold. However, when the task of grilling meat while simultaneously sautéing veggies with perhaps a side of you-name-it comes into play, that’s when I call in the reinforcements…my husband and sons! This month’s Jen’s Jewels Lucie Snodgrass is always a welcomed guest in our home. A culinary expert in her own right, she has cleverly…

Jaded Gentlemen #1 March 2010On Sale: March 2, 2010Featuring: Haley Moreland; Galen Hawke336 pages ISBN: 0425233375EAN: 9780425233375Paperback$7.99 Romance Historical Buy at Amazon.com Revenge Wears Rubiesby Renee Bernard Vengeance doesn’t always turn out the way you planned Vengeance doesn’t always turn out the way you planned. First in a sexy new series of erotic passion set in Victorian London Galen Hawke desires nothing but revenge against the woman who betrayed his dearly departed friend. Instead of mourning the loss of her fiancé, Miss Haley Moreland is merrily celebrating her upcoming nuptials to another man. Now, Galen has one mission: to seduce Miss Moreland and enslave her heart. And when she is completely his, he will destroy her. The journey is long for an emotionally crippled man to finally discover the ability to love. Excerpt Bengal, 1857 They’d just been voices in the dark to each other in the first few days. The familiarity of English accents and the simple relief at not being alone were stark comforts none of them had ever experienced. In an ancient pitch-black oubliette, unsure of their ultimate fate, they’d observed the rituals of introduction and exchanged names and shaken hands as if they were in the…

This week I got news I wasn’t expecting and have spent a lot of time crying over it. I know that as the next few weeks and months go by I’m going to be doing a lot more crying, so I thought what a perfect time to read a book that makes me cry, because I can just blame my news on why I’m crying, and my husband and sons won’t poke fun of me for crying over a book. On the other hand i’m also going to need to find things to laugh about, and I know there are books out there with the humor I’m looking for. I read and cried over The You I Never Knew by Susan Wiggs, Cloud Nine by Luanne Rice, and The Things We Do For Love by Kristin Hannah just to name a few. I read and laughed over Big Girls Don’t by Cathie Linz, Bet Me by Jennifer Cruise, and True Confessions by Rachel Gibson again to just name a few. So, which do you prefer….to laugh while reading or a good tear jerker? Does it depend on your mood? What recommendations do you have for me and others this week?…

In the book I just finished writing, the heroine has two living parents who are loving and functional. Not that she doesn’t have her issues with them, but they haven’t (a) died and left her in poverty (b) sold her into sexual slavery, or (c) forced her into marriage with a pox-ridden octogenarian to save the family fortune. It occurred to me how rare it is in romance for a character not to have parent issues of some kind. To have both hero and heroine in possession of two good, living parents is almost unheard of. Off the top of my head, the only one I can think of is Loretta Chase’s Not Quite a Lady. (And one of them is a stepmother though not a wicked one). Julia Quinn’sBridgertons are a famous example of a really loving family – I want Violet to be my mom – but even with them, the father is dead and all the Bridgertons fall in love with people who have difficult family backgrounds. The characters in my current release come from the more common unhappy families. The heroine of The Wild Marquis isn’t even sure who her parents were. The hero had a…

Every week when I sit down to write I try to think of what has caught my attention for the week that might catch yours as well. This week I’m going to be a bit selfish and ask for happy thoughts for a close family member. She’s going to be having a major surgery on Tuesday and has a long recuperation period ahead of her. Unfortunately I live too far away to be of much use during the recovery period, but I can provide her with plenty of material to read, and that’s where all of you come in. She loves category romances. Every month she’s at e-harlequin ordering the Harlequin Presents and the Harlequin Romances. Those are her two favorite series, but she will read other category romances. My question this week is do you read category romances? If so do you have a favorite line? A favorite book? A favorite author? Remember they can be a bit old as I live in a fairly large metropolitan area and have plenty of used bookstores to scour. Even if you don’t read category romances, but read shorter books say 300 pages or less I’d love your recommendations. What better thing…

Odelia Grey #5 February 2010On Sale: February 1, 2010Featuring: Odelia Grey336 pages ISBN: 0738713511EAN: 9780738713519Paperback$14.95 Mystery Woman Sleuth, Mystery Cozy, Mystery Amateur Sleuth Buy at Amazon.com Corpse On The Cobby Sue Ann Jaffarian What do you have to lose when you go searching for the mother who walked out of your life thirty-four years ago? I mean besides your pride, your nerves, and your sanity? Odelia finds herself up to her ears in trouble when she reunites with her mom in a corn maze at the Autumn Fair in Holmsbury, Massachusetts. For starters, there’s finding the dead body in the cornfield—and seeing her long-lost mom crouched beside the corpse with blood on her hands . . . A Lively Mystery Mixes Up Humor With Clues… A fun, sexy mystery for Big Girls and Those That Love Them! Previous Picks Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

I emerged from my winter hibernation to attend ConDFW in a snowy Dallas the weekend of February 12 through 14. I didn’t come across any late-breaking or astonishing publishing news or book industry gossip, but it’s always fun to get together with other authors and talk about our work. I ended up as an emergency fill-in on the Fantastic Realms: Trends in Fantasy panel. The thing about trends is that they can change in a heartbeat, so it’s not something aspiring writers can really look at and plan their careers around. By the time you get that book written and submitted, the trend will have changed. It does seem like the dark, edgy urban fantasy that has a lot in common with paranormal romance is currently dominating the market — you know, those books with tough-looking women in black leather holding big weapons on the covers (though now the women are more likely to be looking at you instead of keeping their backs turned). But who knows what will start striking editors’ fancies next. One difficulty in spotting trends is that the books may be shelved all over the store. With blended genres, books can fall into science fiction/fantasy, mystery,…