July Coming Attractions

Can you believe this year is already half over? We've had so many amazing books and wonderful authors visit the Lair already, and there is yet another half-year yet to come. If July is any indication, you're all going to have a ton of fabulous books stacking up on your teetering TBR piles.

Check out these wonderful authors visiting us this month:


On July 5, Patricia Rice returns to the Lair with the latest in her Rebellious Sons historical series, The Devilish Montague. Join Patricia and Nancy and see how a stolen parrot brings Blake Montague and Jocelyn Byrd-Carrington to the altar.

Then on July 7th, Aunty Cindy hosts Rita Nominee Kendra Leigh Castle whose new series Dark Dynasties debuted a few days ago with Dark Awakening. (Aunty drools over hunky cover)

Will a vampire's vow of eternal protection stop the evil forces a human Seer has the power to awaken...or will he unleash her dark destiny?

Rose Maybud will be Donna's guest on the 8th. And the fabulously fun MJ Fredrick will be hanging out with Trish on the 9th, chatting about her summer releases.

Then on Monday, 11th July, Anna Campbell talks to historical romance author Christina Brooke (www.christina-brooke.com) about her wonderful new series THE MINISTRY OF MARRIAGE. The first book in the series, HEIRESS IN LOVE, is out in July and it’s a humdinger! And isn’t that such a pretty cover?


Later in the month, on July 19, thriller author Jon Land makes his Lair debut. He and Nancy will chat about Strong at the Break, the latest installment in his series about fifth-ge neration Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong.


On Wednesday, 27th July, lair regular Miranda Neville (www.mirandaneville.com) and Anna Campbell will talk about Miranda’s fantastic new release THE AMOROUS EDUCATION OF CELIA SEATON. I’m so looking forward to reading this book – Miranda’s THE DANGEROUS VISCOUNT was one of my favorite reads last year.



Sandy Blair is chatting with Suz on July 28th.






Lair favorite Marie Force returns on July 31st to celebrate the launch of book three of her "Fatal" series: Fatal Consequences.


The murder of two members of the Capitol Cleaning Service might’ve been just another homicide investigation—that is If one of them hadn’t been romantically involved with a married senator from Arizona. Racing to catch a killer before he can strike again, Lt. Sam Holland and her fiancé, U.S. Senator Nick Cappuano, attempt to plan a wedding while her colleague Detective Tommy “Gonzo” Gonzales faces life-changing news.

Whew!! As usual, I'm inspired and impressed by the variety of talented authors who visit with us. And even more impressed with the gorgeous covers!! Wowza, baby. Talk about hot (especially the hot pink). And with even more Bandita fun, be sure to check out this great contest!


Anna Campbell is running a Mammoth and Midnight contest in July and August. Anna’s giving away THREE signed copies of THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF REGENCY ROMANCE which includes her mini-novella “Upon a Midnight Clear”. Winners will also receive a bonus signed http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifcopy of MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION. All you need to do to be in the draw is email Anna on anna@annacampbell.info and tell her http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifthe names of the two characters who appear in the excerpt from “The Chinese Bed” on her website. You’ll find the answer here: http://www.annacampbell.info/chinesebed.html The contest closes 31st August, 2011. For more information, please visit Anna’s contest page: http://www.annacampbell.info/contest.html


Now that's enough to keep your July steaming hot, isn't it?! Be sure to drop by the blog all month long, as you can see, we're going to have a great time.

Brooke Book Winners!

posted by Christina Brooke

These lucky readers have each won a signed copy of HEIRESS IN LOVE!

Pat
JenniferTanner
Sheila
Diane
LaurieG

And the hardback goes to...

Danielle Gorman!

Please contact me at christina AT christina-brooke DOT com with your snail address details to claim your prize.

Congratulations, ladies!

Looking for another chance to win? Anna Campbell and I are running a fabulous double act on facebook--sign up here to win signed hardback copies of HEIRESS IN LOVE and MIDNIGHT'S WILD PASSION!

Riel Theatre presents: Fatherland Part 1 of 3

The year is 1964. The Greater German Reich prepares for the Fuhrer's 75th birthday and the 20th anniversary of victory at Normandy. An agreement struck with US President Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. sees US journalists admitted to Germany for the first time in 20 years. For detective Xavier March of the Kriminalpolizei, a series of murders may be more life changing than anything uncovered by the foreign press.


Join us at the Clarendon Conservatory from 7pm SLT on Thursday night for the first part.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/New%20Babbage/220/35/104

Wanderlust

Photos of Norway and Paris to add some wanderlust to your morning. Where would you like to go right now, if you could go anywhere?

P.S. Click on the top photo; it looks beautiful when it's blown up!

(Photo credits unknown)

Main: The International Lounge

Today on gullar sahir, Elrik Merlin presents a collection of authentic lounge music from both sides of the Atlantic, dating back to the 60s

The programme also includes a selection of music library pieces and other musical memorabilia. Beaucoup de fromage for all!

Today's programme is presented by Elrik Merlin and produced by gullar sahir in conjunction with our friends at the Alexandrian Free Library Consortium of Second Life. You can listen to the programme in-world now at http://main.radioriel.org, or simply click here to start your player, if your browser is configured to do so. Listeners in the United States are encouraged to tune in using this link: http://loudcity.com/stations/radio-riel/tune_in

For more information on the Alexandrian Free Library, current exhibits and the work of Consortium members in general, please visit the Alexandrian Free Library website, or one of their branches in-world.

A (Surprise!) Release Party for Christina Brooke

by Christina Brooke (aka Christine Wells)

Break out the cabana boys and get your dancing shoes on because it's time for a very special SURPRISE Release Party in the lair!

By the time you read this, I will be at RWA in New York, squeeing and hugging the Banditas and Bandita Buddies who are there, and missing the ones who aren't like crazy. Oh, and hopefully signing copies of my new book, HEIRESS IN LOVE!

Yes, it's a long time since I had a new book out and finally I can tell you the reason--I'm so thrilled to be writing a brand new Regency historical series for St. Martin's Press, called the Ministry of Marriage or M.O.M. for short. You can read more here.

The series is about six Westruther cousins, three boys and three girls, who have grown up under the guardianship of the Duke of Montford. In this first trilogy, we begin with the girls, Jane, Lady Roxdale in HEIRESS IN LOVE, Lady Rosamund Westruther (MAD ABOUT THE EARL, January 3, 2012) and Lady Cecily Westruther (A DUCHESS TO REMEMBER, July 2012).



Here is the official trailer, which gives you an idea of what HEIRESS IN LOVE is about. You can read more on my website.



Hope you were wearing flame-resistant glasses for that one! And I'm not talking about the candles:)

When Jane and Constantine first meet, they are immediately at loggerheads. Constantine has inherited the house Jane lives in but she doesn't realize at first who this disturbingly handsome stranger is...

JANE OPENED HER EYES and a large form filled her vision—or at least, he filled the doorway—dark hair tousled beyond any recognizable style, heavy-lidded eyes trained on her, and a cigarillo clamped between very white teeth.

She gasped. The rider she’d seen from the upstairs window.

Now, he was close enough to reach out and touch. He smiled at her around that horrible cigarillo, Jane realized with dismay. Her heart lurched into a frantic dance.

Jane’s mind fixed on the source of that smoke as a drowning woman might clutch at a rope. She shoved Rosamund’s handkerchief into her pocket and scowled up at him. “I hope you aren’t going to puff on that disgusting thing in here.”

The man’s green eyes narrowed, observing her for a moment. Then his lips closed around the repellant object. The hollows in his cheeks deepened; the end of the cigarillo glowed amber. Deliberately, he removed the cigarillo from his mouth, tilted his head and blew smoke upward. The stream of cloudy gray passed between his well-formed lips, lifting, clouding, curling in tendrils to caress the plasterwork.

In that attitude, the slightly stubborn jut of his chin became pronounced. Despite her annoyance at his studied disregard for her wishes, Jane’s fascinated gaze traced the strong lines of his throat as they disappeared into a stark white cravat.

The stranger turned and pitched the butt off the terrace in a sailing arc, into the rain.

As if the heavens resented this wanton act, they opened, hurling water down in sheets. The wind gave a ghostly howl. Blood red curtains billowed around him, and the fanciful image of a devil stepping out of hell popped into her head. The gentleman moved inside and closed the long window behind him, shutting out the storm.

Jane shot from her chair, which brought her within discomfiting distance of the stranger’s tall form. He smelled—not unpleasantly—of horse leathers and rain and the exotic hint of Spanish smoke.

They both moved at once, and she fetched up against him in a heady brush of palm to chest, side to muscular thigh. Two large, strong hands gripped her upper arms to steady her. “Whoa there.”

The heat from his palms and fingers seeped into her chilled skin. He seemed even larger than he’d appeared from beneath her window. She had to crane her neck to look up at him and his decided chin.

A sudden fire glinted beneath those lazy eyelids. She almost expected him to hold her longer, but he unhanded her almost before she’d regained her balance. She retreated a hasty step and the backs of her knees hit her chair.

The stranger smiled, another flash made brighter by the contrasting swarthiness of his face. “No, no! Don’t go on my account.” His voice, a husky tenor, plucked its way down her spine.

Jane frowned. Who did he think he was? A gentleman did not barge into private rooms without an invitation. “Oh, I’m not going anywhere. You’ll find the other mourners in the drawing room, sir.”

“I know. That’s why I’m in the library.” The corners of his eyes crinkled. “You don’t have the faintest idea who I am, do you?”

She was beginning to think she did.

As if a new series and a new name weren't exciting enough, I'm delighted to announce that Penguin Australia is releasing the Ministry of Marriage series in trade paperback at the same time as the mass market comes out in the U.S.

The Australian cover is slightly different from the U.S. one, although the beautiful girl in the pink gown is still there.

So to celebrate in style with my favourite people in Romancelandia, today I'm offering a signed copy of HEIRESS IN LOVE to FIVE readers who answer this question:

What's your favourite first meeting in a romance novel? Any cute true life first meeting stories to tell?

And just for today, in a shameless piece of bribery, I am offering a bonus prize of one HARDBACK edition of HEIRESS IN LOVE! All you have to do to go into the draw is sign up for my newsletter here and tell me in the comments that you've joined my mailing list! Let's party everyone!

Wednesday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Pinhole Press, one of my favorite companies in the world. They offer beautiful photo gifts, including books, framed photos, notepads and cards. Today, they're offering one lucky reader a personalized guest book. Would it be lovely to have one at home for visiting friends and family to write in? (It feels straight out of a Diane Keaton movie:) You could also make one as a heartfelt wedding or hostess gift.

For a chance to win, please take a look around Pinhole Press and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! xo Update: Bri B. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing.

Do or don't: Pale skin this summer

As summer approaches, I usually get a little shy about wearing shorts and exposing my so-white-they're-almost-blue legs. When I was in college, I even went fake tanning (yikes!) and slathered on orange self-tanner (not a good look).

But this summer, I've decided to embrace my pale skin and freckles. We've recently discovered two great natural, chemical-free sunscreens: Badger and the Babo Botanicals stick (which is super easy to apply on babies!), and wear them everyday.

My darlings, this summer, will you rock the pale look? Would you prefer to get a tan? Have your feelings on tanning changed? What kind of sunscreen do you use? I'd love to hear...

(Photo by Garance Dore)

Two summer movies

This morning, I came across two amazing summer movie trailers: Our Idiot Brother (August 26th) and...
50/50 (September 30th). Don't they look great? Will you see them? xo

P.S. I have a secret crush on Seth Rogan.

Main: The Movie Magic of Bernard Herrmann

Today on gullar sahir we're playing a wide selection of film music, and we're featuring the work of noted film composer Bernard Herrmann  (June 29, 1911 – December 24, 1975), who was born on this day 100 years ago.

An Academy Award-winner (for The Devil and Daniel Webster, 1941), Herrmann is particularly known for his collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock, most famously Psycho, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo. He also composed notable scores for many other movies, including Citizen Kane, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (which friend and fellow movie music composer Laurie Johnson said, in a recent interview, he rated as his favourite score), Cape Fear, and Taxi Driver. He worked extensively in radio drama (most notably for Orson Welles), composed the scores for several fantasy films by Ray Harryhausen, and many TV programs including most notably Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone and Have Gun – Will Travel. (information and image from Wikipedia)

Today's programme is presented by Elrik Merlin and produced by gullar sahir in conjunction with our friends at the Alexandrian Free Library Consortium of Second Life. You can listen to the programme in-world now at http://main.radioriel.org, or simply click here to start your player, if your browser is configured to do so. Listeners in the United States are encouraged to tune in using this link: http://loudcity.com/stations/radio-riel/tune_in

For more information on the Alexandrian Free Library, current exhibits and the work of Consortium members in general, please visit the Alexandrian Free Library website, or one of their branches in-world.

Authors in Real Life

by Susan Sey

Greetings from New York City, where the Romance Writers of America is kicking off its national conference today! If you're here, wheeee! If you're at home, booooo. We miss you.

This is the time of year when we all frantically try to match up the faces we see in the halls to the author photos we see on the internet & in the back of books. It's no easy task. We lose weight, we gain weight. We cut our hair, we color our hair. We put on make up, we take make up off.

And my personal favorite--we change our clothes.

I spent most of last year's conference trying to keep up with all the people who introduced themselves to me at the Literacy Signing that first night. Now I'm terrible with names & faces but I tried so hard. I really looked at people, I repeated their names the way you're supposed to. I shook hands, I hugged, I really thought I had it.

Then they all went and changed their shirts the next day & I was lost. Utterly lost.

This creates something of a social landmine. You don't want to sit down at lunch & cheerfully introduce yourself to your neighbor, only to have her remind you that you hugged her less than twenty-four hours ago. Right after she bought four copies of your book.

Equally unsettling is introducing yourself to your neighbor at lunch & having her blink in dismay & say, "Oh, wow, you don't look like your author photo at ALL."

Ha. Nope.

So here are two things I want to say as the conference kicks off:

1) I am not as cute as my author photo. Yes, my hair's short again & I got a pedicure for the occasion, but I will not be wearing make up. Not during the day anyway. It bugs my eyes. Feel free to express dismay at my appearance if you meet me. I'll laugh, then we can go get a Diet Coke & talk about how our high heels are killing us.

2) I will probably forget your name. I'm so sorry. This is a horrible social failing but I get nervous around new people and when I'm nervous I fail to remember important things. Like their names. But remind me. I will hug you most sincerely (I'm a very sincere hugger) and then we can go get a drink because if I forgot your name I'll be horrified & I'll need a drink. Then you can tell me something embarrassing you just did, or hit me with your pitch, & I'll tell you about the ridiculous thing I just did & I'll remember you because we drank & talked & shared our humiliations.

So, hey, make me feel better, huh? Share a social gaffe--a case of mistaken identity, a failure to remember a time/date/person, etc. Because I'm bound to be hip deep in humiliation at this point & I could use a good laugh.

p.s. I'm racing around the conference like a crazy girl, so I'll be scarce on the comments today but I promise I'll savor every word when I have two minutes to myself & reliable internet access!

Tuesday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Rib & Hull, a beautiful bag shop based in Warsaw, Poland. The husband-and-wife team make gorgeous bags with organic linen, canvas and Italian leather. Aren't they lovely? Today they're offering one lucky winner her choice of canvas bag. (See them all here.) I'm in love with these red stripes!

For a chance to win, please visit Rib & Hull and leave a comment below telling us your favorite style of canvas bag. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! Update: Britta D. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing. xo

Bonus for all readers: Receive 20% off your entire order with the code CUPOFJO. Good until July 8th.

Tattoo girls

Although I'm not a tattoo girl myself, I'm loving these clever and charming tattoos. What do you think?

P.S. Nine awesome tattoos...
P.P.S. New Yorkers, come join me at this bike ride this Thursday! xo

(Via Tattoologist)

TUXY TUESDAY WITH DOMINO: A DAY IN THE LIFE

When Domino is outside, she is such a busy bee.  She doesn't have much time to sit still, except when there are pats to be had.

Today, I am going to show you a typical day in Domino's life.  Remember, she is Queen of her domain (and most of our neighbours', too)!

This is Domino LOOKING FORWARD to the day ahead.

She starts out with a nice walk on the fence.

It's good exercise, but you can also keep an eye on everything from up there -- especially the next-door neighbour's yard.

Next, Domino senses something untoward, so she walks toward it.  Go figure!

It's paint!  We hired a painter to redo the wood trim around all the windows (in the ivory colour), and to repaint all the doors and shutters (in the deep green).

Domino gives the painter a dirty look.  She wants him to know she won't tolerate such a mess on her proPURRty.

Then Domino spots Daddy and rushes over to take advantage of an oPURRtunity for a good scratch. 

And she rolls around on the patio just for the fun of it!

Here's a short video of Domino and Daddy.  The funny thing is that Mommy had the hiccups while she was filming it -- you may notice the camera jump once or twice.

When all is quiet once more, Domino stops to pay homage to Kitty Buddha by bowing before his altar.

And then she's off to see what she can find on the other side of the house.

Who should she run into, but Dante, sitting on the grass right beside Stone Kitty.  Domino gives the spot a good sniff to make sure there haven't been any introoders.

And then she she pauses briefly to give her brother a sweet little kiss!

But enough of that -- she's off!

Domino tests the grasses in the neighbour's yard to see if they taste any different.

Then she checks out the work that they are doing, and tries to detect who has been this way before her.

Domino always appreciates someplace new to sit and survey the neighPURRhood.

After such a busy day filled with fence-walking, brick-rolling, snooping, sniffing and general surveillance, Domino returns home to contemplate her good fortune.

Thank Kitty Buddha -- life is good!

Happy Birthday Richard Rodgers!

On this day in 1902, the American composer Richard Rodgers was born. Rodgers, along with his lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II, wrote some of the most iconic songs of the 20th Century, for Broadway, movies and television. In honor of his 109th Birthday, today's program on gullar sahir's Main stream features his music as well as other music from Broadway and some of his contemporaries such as George Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Johnny Mercer.

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gullar sahir produces this program in conjunction with the Alexandrian Free Library Consortium of Second Life. You can listen to the program now at http://main.radioriel.org. Today's music originates from the music library of Gabrielle Riel.