Category Archives: 11 scandals

I’m so so thrilled to host the fabulous Tessa Dare on the blog today!!!

I’m a huge fan of hers, and I absolutely cannot wait for the launch of her Spindle Cove series…beginning in September with A NIGHT TO SURRENDER (out in September!)! As an aside, Tessa’s also just plain awesome, and so I’m always happy to have her here! I had originally asked her to do Eleven Questions, but the mega creative brain that is Ms. Dare resisted the assignment…and turned it into something even better.

So, without further blathering…I present, Tessa Dare’s Eleven Scandals to Start When Postponing a Guest Blog (and other titles that don’t rhyme)

I feel sooo scandalous. I was supposed to write this blog for Sarah weeks ago. How did it come to this?

Scandal One: Procrastination.
Yeah, I procrastinate. A lot. Sometimes several times a day. Especially when it comes to blogs. I have updated my own blog about… 6.5 times in the past year. I have no excuse.

Scandal Two: Overconfidence.
But when our lovely and talented hostess Sarah kindly asked me to come guest blog in April, I excitedly said YES! Even though I secretly know I have this procrastination issue. (see confession the first.) I am always filled with good intentions!

Scandal Three: Indecision.
So unsuspecting Sarah sent me this fun list of eleven questions for the blog, and I promptly seized up with paralysis. Because they were all CHOICES. “Alpha or beta?” “Small town or big city?” Picture me weeping, wanting to just answer “Um..Er…Both, depending…I think!” to just about every one. (Unless one of the options is Darcy. Darcy wins everything. Q: Darcy or Wentworth? A: Darcy. Q: Darcy or chocolate? A: Darcy. Q: Darcy or…a brand new barouche!? A: Give me door number one, Monty.)

Scandal Four: Inherent suspicion of favorites.
This is a side note, really. But in my strange mind, I’m convinced any question resembling “What is your favorite ____?” is just sticky with the devil’s fingerprints. Why must I choose? No really, why??? I think I fear karmic backlash. Like, if I declare to the internet that my favorite meal is sushi and coconut milk, I’ll find myself shipwrecked on a desert island next week. “Good news! You get your favorite meal EVERY DAY!” (I am, however, willing to risk being shipwrecked with Darcy. See point four.)

Scandal Five: Forgetfulness.
It’s really cool how this trick works. It’s almost effortless. If you’ve procrastinated in the proper way, diligently, after just a few weeks—poof! You suddenly just forget! It’s almost like you never agreed to do it! Except…

Scandal Six: Contrition.
I did agree to do it. And when Sarah wrote to gently remind me, I of course profusely apologized for my lameness. But then I only made matters worse with…

Scandal Seven: Prevarication.
In my repentance, I may have offered to do a special blog giveaway—of a puppy, or a kidney. I must confess, I had no real intention of giving away either. Oh, the shame is piling deep…

Scandal Eight: More Procrastination.
I waited yet a few more days…

Scandal Nine: Lust.
And then last night, when I thought to myself, “I should sit down and write that blog for Sarah now.” I realized it was after midnight, and therefore zomg! release day, and I decided to download Eleven Scandals first. Because by now, after hearing from what seemed like everyone else on the planet how wonderful it is, I was practically drooling for it. Could. Not. Wait.

Scandal Ten: Greed.
And you can guess what I did next. Read.

Scandal Eleven: There isn’t one, because I’m still reading. And I’m up to the point where they’ve made out in the park, and SHHHHH. Nobody better talk to me.

Except that I’m sure Sarah will post this long after I’ve finished, so now we can talk! Wasn’t it GREAT??

And I will give away…. Um, a book and coverflat? They are way prettier than a kidney! And come perfectly housetrained.

Seriously, thank you, Sarah, for the invitation and your extreme patience. And congratulations on such a wonderful, romantic book.

I think all I’m missing now is a conversation topic. I know!

Simon v. Darcy. Discuss! Who is the starchiest at the outset? The best groveler in the end? (um, since I haven’t read the end yet, I’m just assuming on Simon’s part here…) Who would win in a cage match? Who would look better spear-fishing on a desert island?

Oh, boy am I afraid of *this* topic. But, it’s guests choice…so discuss! We’ll choose one commenter on Monday to win a copy of One Dance With a Duke and the STUNNING STUNNING cover flat of A NIGHT TO SURRENDER!

LATE BREAKING NEWS: Tessa’s also giving up a precious ARC of A NIGHT TO SURRENDER!

Thanks for coming over to play, Tessa! xoxo

I’m always thrilled to meet new writers. It’s so exciting for me because I still think of writers as these magical, otherworldly people who are special in every way. Yes. I know I’ve written books…but I don’t think of myself as a writer. You see…writers sit down and have the muse come to them. They are unique butterflies. They never write a bad sentence. And they most definitely get out of their pajamas before 3pm. I am none of those things.

Karina Cooper was introduced to me as a writer. Even better, a debut paranormal writer with Avon Books. Her first novel, Blood of the Wicked, is about witches. And soldiers. And the hero is named Silas. So I’m in.

In Blood of the Wicked, Jessie and Silas are faced with a similar decision: what is it they need – from life, from themselves, from each other! – to not just survive, but to live. The world has been set on its collective ear by… magic? Mayhem? Nature? No one knows, but the witch-hunting Mission is all too happy to stamp out the heretical men and women who certainly didn’t help matters.

And because she’s one of these magical writers, I find her fascinating. Even moreso now that I know that she has plans to survive the apocalypse. What she doesn’t know is that when the rapture comes (I’m told the date is October 21st now), I’m going to go hang out with her (Baxter is good with cats).

But she doesn’t have enough room for all of us, and since I called dibs on being her sidekick…she’s sharing with you: Eleven Things She Needs to Survive the Apocalypse!

Welcome, Karina!

So, as you can clearly tell, I’m a heathen who was not Raptured. The apocalypse appears to have given me a miss, which is extremely fortunate because I didn’t actually have this list of necessary survival tools until just now.

Why would I need it, you ask? Well, Rapture notwithstanding, it’s because catostrophic events that lead to a post-apocalyptic world where men and women are hunted down for being different have been weighing on my mind. I can’t imagine why.

“Oh, no!” you say, “Karina, you’re addicted to the internet! And anime! And good books and cherries and tea! How ever will you survive?”

Waaaaay ahead of you. With the help of my good friend Nae, I’ve come up with eleven things I need to survive an apocalypse.

1. Super Irish Breakfast Tea, by Stash Teas – Let’s face it. I’m a caffeine addict. Like, whoa. I love my coffee, I love my tea, and of all the teas I’ve ever had, this brand and flavor of tea is extremely rich, extremely dark, extremely strong. Plus, a bonus, I can get it in bulk! If I start collecting it now, I should have more than enough to see me through… what, you think maybe a month?

2. A cat – I am a crazy cat lady, after all. And every wandering soul forging a blazing path across barren wastelands needs a companion. Nae suggested I get two,because then I can breed them! (Did you know if that two cats are left to their own devices, they can – in those two cat’s lifetime alone – breed 420,000 cats? That’s 420,000 cats between parents, children, and grandchildren, even before the parent cats die. I am the crazy cat lady!)

3. A hunk – It really doesn’t matter who. I mean, if the mancandy survives the apocalypse, that’s great, but I wouldn’t want my poor, bereaved husband to have to carry all eleven of our things. Let’s get Thor to do it.

4. A journal – If I can’t write on my computer (who’s got the luxury of a computer when the world has gone to pot?), then I’ll need an outlet for all these crazy meanderings! Besides, where else am I supposed to record all those naughty thoughts about our traveling hunk?

5. Batteries – Lots and lots of batteries. I asked Nae why she suggested this one and she said, “Because you’re going to find lots and lots of junk that needs batteries, but not much that actually already has them.” Nae’s a smart girl.

6. A donkey – And why not? If the Post Man can travel around the world reciting Shakespeare with a donkey, then I’m pretty sure I can travel around reciting… Well, do you suppose there’d be much call for romance stories in a post-apocalyptic world? Anyway, regardless, we’ll need a donkey to carry stuff. Oh, wait, is that what I said the hunk was for? … Damn. This bears rethinking.

7. Goggles – Every cool post-apocalyptic girl needs goggles. They are simply de rigeur for any decent wasteland-crawling survivor. Am I right?

8. Post-its – In every color. Not only is this the only way I’ll be able to plot my epic romantic naughty stories, but I can use them as a marker. A sort of, “Karina was here!” Maybe my fans—well,those who survive—could use them to find me?

9. A weapon – The nature of this weapon would depend entirely on the nature of the apocalypse. Everybody knows that a rotary shotgun is the best defense against a zombie, but a baseball bat will do in a pinch. So will a lead pipe. However, against a chemical apocalypse, neither of these things is a great choice. In that case, my weapon might just be a bag full of syringes chock full of a suspicious looking liquid. It could just be
molasses, but they won’t know that. Only my cats will.

10. A rebreather – Because chemical warfare sucks. Also, sandstorms.

11. Books – It’s all well and good to write your own books, but as the Great Book Devourer, I can’t possibly subside on my books alone. From Regency to paranormal; historical to… well, I suppose if it’s post-apocalyptic it’s all historical. I gotta have them. That makes for one tired donkey! Bonus: books make excellent weapons.

There we go! There’s my eleven things I need to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. What about you? What are the things you need to tackle the apocalypse? Tell us in comments for a chance to win a copy of Blood of the Wicked! We’ll choose one lucky commenter on Friday!

I’m so happy to host Elisabeth Naughton as part of the release month celebration of Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart! Elisabeth writes sexy romantic adventures and the smokin’ hot Eternal Guardians series…and she’s taken time out of her promotion of her latest–Bodyguards in Bed–to climb into the hot seat to answer Eleven Questions!

Welcome, Elisabeth!

1. Alpha or Beta?
Alpha, all the way. I’m married to one, so it’s what I know (and love).

2. Virgin Widow or Secret Baby?
Secret baby. There’s something about that big old secret. Though I’m curious…is a virgin widow even possible? (Okay, I know it’s possible…I guess a better question is whether or not it’s believable.)

3. Time Travel or Futuristic?
Time travel. I’m fascinated with history.

4. Hot as Sin or Cold as Ice?
Hot as sin. I hate being cold!

5. Spinster or First Season Out?
Hm…I like both. But I’d probably have to go for Spinster. The girl who’s been overlooked and then is finally noticed? Compelling.

6. England or Anywhere but?
Since I live in the PNW, and England’s weather tends to be like ours, I’d have to say…anywhere but.

7. Vampire or Shape Shifter?
Mm…now this is hard. I like both. But I’ll go with shape shifter (since I’m writing one right now).

8. Small Town or Big City?
I lean toward the small town. Lends itself to quirky characters.

9. Wallflower or Belle of the Ball?
Wallflower…for the same reason I like the Spinster.

10. Unrequited love or love at first sight?
Love at first site. Bam. Leaves the hero wondering…what the hell?

11. Elisabeth’s choice! Answer her question in comments, and one lucky winner will receive a copy of her latest, Bodyguards in Bed!
What’s your favorite bodyguard story (in any genre)?

Share your favorite bodyguard story in comments…and we’ll choose one winner on Friday to win a signed copy of Bodyguards in Bed!

I (heart) Miranda Neville. She’s hysterically funny, exceedingly clever, a real-live Brit AND writes Regencies. AND…her next book …The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton has a title that, of course, I adore.

So, basically what I’m saying is, Stop it. She’s fabulous! So when I was putting together the idea for Eleven Questions to celebrate the release month of Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart, of course, I went straight to Miranda, who I knew would have opinions on all of these *very important* topics!

Sure enough, she replied with this: “Wah!! I don’t want to choose. I want everything. (Tantrum)”

But she was a trooper…and ultimately did the work…and made her choices. Sort of.

1) Alpha or Beta?
I love a Beta who discovers his inner Alpha. Or vice versa. (That’s having my cake and eating it too, heh heh)

2) Virgin Widow or Secret Baby?
I suppose I really can’t have both this time. Secret Baby. I’m absolutely dying to write one. Or Virgin Widower.

3) Time Travel or Futuristic?
Time Travel. I love seeing modern characters confronted with the realities of ye olde plumbing.

4) Hot as Sin or Cold as Ice?
Hot, hot, hot. Sin, sin, sin.

5) Spinster or First Season Out?
Spinster

6) England or Anywhere but?
England. But about a quarter of my WIP is set in … oh horrors, don’t tell my editor …. France.

7) Vampire or Shape Shifter?
Shape Shifter. I love me some furries.

8) Small town or Big city?
I want to read the story of the woman who, tired of the gossip and artificiality of her small town, finds a sense of community and a hunky advertising executive among the wacky inhabitants of the Upper West Side of Manhattan. (Sarah’s note: I, also would like to read this story. Someone get writing!)

9) Wallflower or Belle of the Ball?
That’s a tough one. I’m feeling ornery this morning so I’m going for Belle of the Ball.

10) Unrequited love or love at first sight?
Unrequited love.

11) Miranda’s choice! Answer her question in comments for a chance to win a copy of The Wild Marquis, the first book in the Burgundy Club Series!
I’m preparing a proposal and I need help with my next heroine. Shady Widowed Adventuress or Duke’s Daughter with a Bad Reputation? Which would you rather read?

Oooh…I love me a heroine with a terrible reputation…but I admit to being intrigued by “Shady Adventuress”…tough one! Answer Miranda in comments, and we’ll choose one lucky commenter on Friday to win a copy of her book!

Sophie Jordan is my favorite. It’s true, I fan girl over her far too much, but she tolerates the squeeing and the freaking out that I do whenever I read one of her books, and she suffers through my questions about how, precisely, she came up with a book as SUPREMELY AMAZING as Sins of a Wicked Duke and then AGAIN with Wicked Nights with A Lover all while ALSO writing amazing YA and awesome paranormals (I mean…seriously? Overachieve much?).

Sophie took time out of her incredibly busy schedule writing the third book in the Firelight series and getting ready for her next historical, Wicked in Your Arms, and her next paranormal Night Falls on the Wicked, to hop in the hot seat for a quick-and-dirty Eleven Questions to celebrate the release of Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart!

1) Alpha or Beta?
Um, alpha, without a doubt!! Or better yet … the alpha posing as a beta!

2) Virgin Widow or Secret Baby?
Well … I have to go with the premise I’ve written because it was so fun — virgin widow!

3) Time Travel or Futuristic?
Time Travel

4) Hot as Sin or Cold as Ice?
Hot as sin!

5) Spinster or First Season Out?
Ooh, spinster, every time! Gotta shake up that jaded and neglected lady with a little toe-curling passion!

6) England or Anywhere but?
England!

7) Vampire or Shape Shifter?
Vampire!

8) Small town or Big city?
Small town!

9) Wallflower or Belle of the Ball?
Wallflower! Just like with spinsters, I’m a fan of the underdog.

10) Unrequited love or love at first sight?
Unrequited love.

11) Sophie’s turning the tables! Answer her question in comments for a chance to win a copy of her most recent historical, Wicked Nights with a Lover!
All right – I got to know! Early or late to bed? What do you prefer … the hero and heroine “cat and mousing” around the matter or getting straight to business?

Oooh…I can’t wait to hear what people think on this one…it’s a question that I think lots of romance writers struggle with! Leave your thoughts in comments, and we’ll choose a winner on Monday!

Maya Rodale is awesome. Sure, she’s a romance novelist who writes Regencies (I mean, that alone puts her in the awesome category), but she also shares fabulous, fascinating tidbits on Regency locales like White’s on her super fun blog, and she’s one of the co-founders of one of my very very favorite places in the world, Lady Jane’s Salon.

Aside: Planning a trip to New York, try to make it straddle the first Monday of the month…and do not miss Lady Jane’s–the only romance reading series in NYC. In town for RWA? There’s one scheduled for the Monday of RWA week (I’m reading from Eleven Scandals there!)…and these things are not to be missed.

But back to Maya. She’s fab. And, she’s my pub sister. We’re both Avon ladies, and we both have new books out this month! Maya’s latest, A Tale of Two Lovers is on shelves now! As part of her release month festivities, she’s agreed to hop into the hot seat to answer Eleven Questions!

Welcome, Maya!

1) Alpha or Beta?
Absolutely alpha. Oh, and not just me, ha–For the hero, too! And the heroine. A Tale Of Two Lovers features an alpha heroine. I have no idea where she gets it from.

2) Virgin Widow or Secret Baby?
Secret baby. My favorite secret baby story: Loretta Chase’s Not Quite A Lady. I have also written a secret baby book, but I shall not say which one.

3) Time Travel or Futuristic?
Time travel, as long as we skip over junior high.

4) Hot as Sin or Cold as Ice?
Hot as sin, as I’m betting that will involve more nudity.

5) Spinster or First Season Out?
Spinster on her first season out!

6) England or Anywhere but?
My husband is English so I must answer with England, or else he will not reach things on high shelves for me and then I won’t be able to access my handbags or champagne glasses. Horrors!

7) Vampire or Shape Shifter?
Lud, I am a regency gal! I have no idea what those things are, so I will choose option c) Rakes.

8) Small town or Big city?
I’m a small town girl living in a big city and working part-time on a farm. I love it all. My Writing Girl books are all set in London–though you might not guess from the green–and absolutely stunningly gorgeous–cover of A Tale Of Two Lovers.

9) Wallflower or Belle of the Ball?
Wallflower. When no one is paying attention to you, there are many more opportunities for all sorts of trouble.

10) Unrequited love or love at first sight?
Unrequited love, to put it politely, sucks. Love at first sight–now that I like. Hey Mr. DJ, please start the Kylie Minogue song here.

11) Maya’s choice! Answer her question in comments for a chance to win a copy of both A Groom of One’s Own and A Tale of Two Lovers!
Marriage of convenience or secret elopement?!

EXCELLENT question, Maya…tropes are the best, aren’t they? So go ahead, readers! Comment below with your choice and we’ll choose one winner on Friday to receive copies of both of Maya’s books!

I’m so happy to host my twitter buddy Vanessa Kelly as part of the release month celebration of Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart! I’m loving the fabulous answers that other authors are sharing as part of the Eleven Questions series, and Vanessa’s are no different! She’s taken some time out of her busy schedule talking about her latest release– My Favorite Countess –to get in the hot seat!

Welcome, Vanessa!

1. Alpha or Beta?
Alpha all the way, sister. I love a man who growls when he’s making love. Rowr!

2. Virgin Widow or Secret Baby?
Oh, I think I’m going to have to go with Virgin Widow. Much easier than Secret Baby in the Regency era. My Favorite Countess has a Secret Sister and that was hard enough to pull off. A Secret Baby might make my head explode.

3. Time Travel or Futuristic?
I’m a sucker for a good Futuristic. Must be all those years I spent watching Star Trek Generations and lusting after Jean Luc Picard. Plus, I want my own space ship.

4. Hot as Sin or Cold as Ice
Can’t I have both? *whine* Okay, I think Cold as Ice. That kind of guy falls really, really hard. Good things happen to the heroine when he does.

5. Spinster or First Season Out?
Definitely Spinster. She’s been watching from the sidelines for way too long, and she knows exactly what she wants.

6. England or Anywhere but?
England. I guess I’m a bit of a traditionalist, but I gave my heart to Mayfair long ago.

7. Vampire or Shape Shifter
Vampire. Fangs and eternal life are already enough of a challenge for any gal to deal with.

8. Small Town or Big City
Definitely Big City. Don’t want those nosy neighbors snooping around in my sex life! Plus, there are more food choices in the Big City.

9. Wallflower or Belle of the Ball
Wallflower. She sees all. She knows all.

10. Unrequited Love or Love At First Sight
I’m a sucker for Love At First Sight, although my last book, Sex And The Single Earl, had an Unrequited Love theme. I felt so bad for my heroine – who had been suffering from Unrequited Love for years – that I really had to punish the hero.

11. Vanessa’s Choice! Answer her question in comments for a chance to win a copy of My Favorite Countess!
The heroine of My Favorite Countess has a bit of, ahem, a past. Okay, she’s really kind of a bad girl, although I swear to you that she reforms. Eventually. I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of reforming the bad girl, but I love the virgin heroine, too. So, readers, which kind of heroine do you prefer? Virgin or Experienced Woman With a Past?

Oooh…I love this question! What do you guys think? Leave your answer in comments, and we’ll choose a winner on Tuesday for a copy of Vanessa’s My Favorite Countess! And check back all month long for more authors answering Eleven Questions!!