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    Michelle Diener on fantasy romance …

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    Michelle DienerToday, I’m pleased to welcome my author friend and fellow Magical Musings blogger Michelle Diener to my blog. Michelle is the author of The Golden Apple and several other historical fiction and fantasy books.

    Jennifer: Welcome, Michelle!

    Michelle: Thank you so much for having me, Jennifer!

    Jennifer: Please tell readers about your new release, The Golden Apple. This is the first book in your Dark Forest series. Can you tell us a little about the series too?

    Michelle: There are only two books in the series, The Golden Apple, and coming this fall, The Silver Pear. The books are very loosely based on a Norwegian fairy tale, although the story starts almost where the original tale ends. It takes the reader into a world where sorcerers are sizing each other up for a battle for power. Kayla, a princess, and Rane, a woodcutter with a few secrets, who has won her hand in marriage in a bizarre tournament, have to journey into the mysterious dark forest to fulfill the terms of an enchantment, and in doing so, find a way to save themselves and uncover their strengths.

    The Golden AppleThe Golden Apple:

    Kayla’s world has been turned upside-down …

    Her father has made her the prize in a deadly, impossible tournament, and Kayla has retaliated in the only way she knows how; by choosing her champion beforehand. But taking control of the outcome changes the game completely, and when the real reason behind the strange test becomes apparent, Kayla realizes not just her life, but her entire kingdom is at stake.

    Rane’s honor is torn in two …

    In order to save his brother, Rane will do whatever he has to–including deceive and betray a princess. He knew nothing about this tournament would be easy, but when it turns into a deeper, far more sinister game, Rane is forced to see it through to the end, or leave his brother at the mercy of their enemy.

    Now their fates are entwined, and they must venture into the deep, dark forest together …

    Kayla and Rane are bound to one another by an enchantment and Kayla’s actions. But the sorcerer forcing them to do his will may have miscalculated, because no one comes out of the Great Forest unchanged. No one.

    Jennifer: What appeals to you about the fantasy and romance genres?

    Michelle: I think fantasy and romance are both genres were you can lose yourself in another world, and if you put them together, it’s almost twice the fun 🙂

    Jennifer: What inspired you to write The Golden Apple?

    Michelle: The books are loosely based on the Norwegian fairy tale, The Princess on the Glass Hill, inspired by just a few short lines in the original tale, where the princess helps the hero to win the contest her father has arranged for her hand. I was intrigued enough to wonder what the consequences of her interfering in the outcome of the tournament might be, and The Golden Apple and The Silver Pear are the result.

    Jennifer: What are some of your favorite fantasy and romance books/authors and why?

    Michelle: I love the novels of Ilona Andrews, because her characters are so real, and her world-building feels very organic and solid. I love the fantasy novels of Patricia Briggs as well. Both Andrews and Briggs write in a deep 3rd POV style I enjoy as a reader. Some fantasy just doesn’t have a deep enough POV for me, and I feel like there is a layer between me and the characters, and I like to connect strongly to the characters I’m reading about.

    Jennifer: Have you always wanted to be a writer? What got you started on your writing journey?

    Michelle: Yes, I always wanted to be a writer, since I was very young. I really started to work seriously towards publication when I realized my dream would slip away unless I buckled down and go to it. When I’d made that decision, I found a wonderful critique group and began focusing on my craft.

    Jennifer: What’s next for you? What are you working on?

    The Emperor's ConspiracyMichelle: I’m looking over the final proofs right now of A Dangerous Madness, a historical novel that’s due out in May. It is historical romantic suspense, and is connected to The Emperor’s Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies, in that some of the characters from the earlier two books make an appearance, though the books don’t need to be read in any order. It is set in London during the Regency period, and centers around a race to find out who assassinated the British prime minister, Spencer Perceval. If you like your historical fiction with a good dose of romance and based around a real historical event, this might be a book you’d enjoy. Here is the blurb:

    The Duke of Wittaker has been living a lie …

    He’s been spying on the dissolute, discontented noblemen of the ton, pretending to share their views. Now he’s ready to step out of the shadows and start living a real life … but when the prime minister of England is assassinated, he’s asked to go back to being the rake-hell duke everyone believes he still is to find out more.

    Miss Phoebe Hillier has been living a lie, too …

    All her life she’s played by society’s rules, hiding her fierce intelligence and love of life behind a docile and decorous mask. All it’s gotten her is jilted by her betrothed, a man she thought a fool, though a harmless one. But when she discovers her former fiancé was involved in the plot against the prime minister, and that he’s been murdered, she realizes he wasn’t so harmless after all.

    And now the killers have set their sights on her …

    The only man who can help her is the Duke of Wittaker–a man she knows she shouldn’t trust. And she soon realizes he’s hiding behind a mask as careful as her own. As the deranged assassin who pulled the trigger steadfastly vows he acted alone, and as the clock ticks down to his trial, the pair scramble to uncover the real conspiracy. And as the pressure and the danger mounts, Phoebe and Wittaker shed their disguises, layer by layer, to discover something more precious than either imagined–something that could last forever. Unless the conspirators desperate to hide their tracks get to them first.

    Thank you for having me!

    MORE ABOUT MICHELLE

    Michelle Diener writes historical fiction and fantasy. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King’s Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

    Michelle’s other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor’s Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor’s Conspiracy).

    Michelle’s first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, was published on Dec. 19, 2013 and her second fantasy, The Golden Apple, was published on March 24, 2014.

    Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

    When she’s not writing, or driving her kids from activity to activity, you can find her blogging at Magical Musings, or online at Twitter, at Google+ and Facebook.

    GIVEAWAY TIME

    Michelle is giving away two copies of The Golden Apple, Kindle or print version, winner’s choice, open to international entries. To enter the giveaway, use the form below.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

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    Black Widow cover revealed …

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    Black WidowToday, I am happy to share the cover art for Black Widow, Elemental Assassin #12.

    Isn’t it cool? The art was once again done by the fabulous Tony Mauro, and I believe the cover model is Alexa, who has been Gin on all the covers so far. I think Tony and Alexa have really outdone themselves this time. This is one of my favorite covers of the whole series.

    Spoiler warning: And here is the back cover copy for Black Widow. Please note that this does contain some spoilers, so if you absolutely do not want to be spoiled, you may want to skip reading the next few paragraphs.

    There’s nothing worse than a cruel, cunning enemy with time to kill—and my murder to plan.

    With wicked Fire elemental Mab Monroe long gone, you’d think I could finally catch a break. But someone’s always trying to take me down, either as Gin Blanco or my assassin alter-ago. Now along comes the Spider’s new arch-nemesis, the mysteriously named M. M. Monroe, who is gleefully working overtime to trap me in a sticky web of deceit.

    The thing is, I’m not the only target. I can see through the tangled threads enough to know that every bit of bad luck my friends have been having lately is no accident—and that each unfortunate “coincidence” is just one more arrow drawing ever closer to hitting the real bulls-eye. Though new to Ashland, this M. M. Monroe is no stranger to irony, trying to get me, an assassin, framed for murder. Yet, as my enemy’s master plan is slowly revealed, I have a sinking feeling that it will take more than my powerful Ice and Stone magic to stop my whole life from going up in flames.

    Black Widow will be published on Nov. 25. It is up for pre-order at Amazon, iTunes, and Books-A-Million. It should be up on Barnes & Noble and all the other usual book sites soon. The audio book will once again be available through Audible, although that pre-order link probably won’t go up until sometime in the fall.

    In the meantime, hope everyone enjoys the cover. Cheers!

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    Conference schedule for 2014 …

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    We’re well into spring now, which means that it’s time for book conference season to get under way. Here are the conferences that I will be appearing at in 2014:

    RT BOOKLOVERS CONVENTION — MAY 13-18 — NEW ORLEANS

    I’ll definitely be going to RT this year. You can get all the details about the convention here. If you go here to the agenda and type in your favorite author’s name, you can see the events that she is supposed to be at.

    I’ll be doing several panels and a YA speed reading event, along with Kensington’s Karmic Carnival (there will be free books at that event). I’ll also be at the big Saturday book signing, sitting in the general section with the majority of the authors. If you’re in the New Orleans area, the Saturday book signing is open to the public.

    AUTHORS AFTER DARK — AUG. 6-10 — CHARLOTTE

    I’ll also be attending AAD this year. You can go here to get all the info about the conference, including the list of authors who will be there.

    AAD is a great, reader-friendly conference, and I’ll be participating in several panels and other events. And, if you’re in the Charlotte area, there will be a Saturday afternoon book signing that is open to the public. You can see the schedule of events here, and the registration information is here.

    If you’ve never been to a book conference, AAD is a really good one to try. About 500 people usually attend AAD, so it has a small conference feel, and it is easy to find/hang out with the authors, bloggers, and readers that you’ve chatted with online. Plus, there are always a ton of book giveaways, food, and other treats. Last year, there was ice cream social one afternoon, which was really cool. 

    OTHER CONFERENCES

    As of right now, these are the only two big conferences that I plan to attend in 2014. I have a couple other events that I’m considering, but it just depends on how things shake out with my writing deadlines this year. So we’ll see what happens.

    And, of course, something could always come up at the last minute that prevents me from making it to RT or AAD, but these are the two cons that I’m planning on attending. Hope to see you there!

  • Changing seasons, changing reads …

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    I talked about this over at Magical Musings last week, but I thought I would share it here on my blog too.

    It Happened One WeddingSpring officially begins on Thursday, March 20, and I know a lot of folks are ready to put the winter weather behind them. Far, far behind them.

    The cold temperatures have kept a lot of folks indoors over the past few months, including yours truly, and have certainly made curling up with a good book more appealing than ever before. But I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’ve been reading over the past few months and how my tastes and temperament often change with the seasons.

    In the fall and winter months, I find myself turning to fantasy reads, whether it’s epic fantasy, young adult fantasy, or paranormal romance. Some of my reads this winter have included The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson and the Healer series by Maria V. Snyder, to name a few. Books with worlds and magic and characters and adventures that offer an escape from the unrelenting cold temperatures. And we’ve all had our fair share of those this winter. Thank you, polar vortex.

    But as spring (and then summer) rolls around, I find that I’m in the mood for lighter, more contemporary reads, especially contemporary romances. One of my many anticipated reads for the spring is It Happened One Wedding by Julie James. Books where the heroine and hero meet cute and have their ups and downs before realizing that they’re crazy about each other. Stories that are as charming and hopeful as the unfurling of the spring leaves (but without all the woes of allergy season).

    So I’m looking forward to the changing seasons and the changes in my TBR pile too.

    What about you guys? Do you find that your reading preferences change with the seasons? Why or why not? What are some of the books that you are looking forward to this spring?

  • Checking out the e-TBR pile …

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    So I have a shiny new tablet/e-reader now, which I really like. And one of the best things about the tablet is that I can now read e-books.

    Y’all. Downloading e-books is totally addictive. The books! The sales! The money I’m saving!

    Okay, okay, so maybe that last one isn’t quite true, since I could easily download e-books until the cows come home. LOL. But it is really tempting to download an e-book for a couple of bucks … even if I still have about 30 print books in my TBR pile. So far, I’ve been pretty good about sticking to my budget. I only download a new e-book after I’ve read one that’s either on my tablet or one of the print ones in my TBR pile.

    Today, I thought I would share some of the books waiting in my e-TBR pile. Note that the descriptions are from Goodreads:

    Planning for LovePlanning for Love by Christi Barth

    Amazon / iTunes

    I met Christi at the RT convention in Chicago in 2012, and we talked about her Aisle Bound series. I thought this one sounded like a fun, contemporary romance.

    Hopeless romantic Ivy Rhodes and anti-Cupid Bennett Westcott request the pleasure of your company for their disaster of a courtship

    Wedding planner Ivy Rhodes is the best in the business, and she’s not about to let a personal problem stop her from getting ahead. So when she’s asked to star in the reality TV show Planning for Love, it doesn’t matter that the show’s videographer happens to be a recent—and heartbreaking—one-night stand.

    Bennett Westcott admits he didn’t handle his encounter with Ivy very well. But looking at her beautiful smile—and great body—through a camera lens every day? He can’t be faulted for suggesting they have some no-strings fun.

    The more time they spend together, the more Ben realizes Ivy isn’t the wedding-crazed bridezilla he’d imagined. But if he doesn’t trust himself to make a relationship last, how can he convince Ivy to give him another chance?

    Suddenly RoyalSuddenly Royal by Nichole Chase

    Amazon / iTunes

    I saw this book reviewed over at Supernatural Snark a few weeks ago. It sounds like a cute, contemporary, new adult read.

    Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.

    Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news.

    While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.

    So those are some of the books waiting on my e-reader. What books are in your e-TBR pile?