The winner of an e-copy of The Emperor’s Conspiracy by Michelle Diener is:
Mark
Congrats! You have until midnight, EST, Sunday, Dec. 2 to e-mail me or I will pick another winner.
Thanks again to Michelle for doing the guest post and to everyone who left a comment.
Is over at:
Today, I’m pleased to welcome historical fiction author Michelle Diener to my blog. Michelle is one of my author friends, and her books include In a Treacherous Court and The Emperor’s Conspiracy. Take it away, Michelle:
THE ANATOMY OF ATTRACTION
I use the word Anatomy very specifically here. 🙂
I write historical fiction with a strong romantic element, and in my upcoming release, The Emperor’s Conspiracy, out on Nov. 27, my two main characters are attracted to each other. My heroine is immediately attracted to the hero, while he is a little too angry and distracted to really see her well enough to be attracted to her. But all it takes is another meeting and you can tell he’s really interested, too.
They don’t fall in love. Not yet. They are physically attracted to each other. They do fall in love with each other by the end of the book, or are on the verge of love, but it’s the chemistry between them, the sparks that fly, that compel them to spend more time with each other.
And I think we’ve all had moments when we’ve seen someone who has made our hormones sit up and go “Well howdy-do!” (said in that spider from Madagascar’s voice 🙂 ). If we are single and so inclined, we may do something about it. If not, then we are happy to simply take a good look and move on.
Both my characters are at a point in their lives where a really strong attraction like the one they have for each other serves as a partial catalyst for change. It shakes them up, makes them uncomfortable, and forces them to take risks they might otherwise not have done. Desire is a strong emotion and a good motivator.
Everyone has felt that quick pull of attraction, and occasionally decided to see where it would lead us.
Can you think of a favourite scene from a book/movie where the hero and heroine have just met and really like what they see?
I’ll go first. One of my favorites is from Smoke in Mirrors by Jayne Ann Krentz, where the heroine, Leonora Hutton, meets Thomas Walker in the apartment of Leonara’s recently deceased friend, and Thomas’s ex-lover, Meredith. Another favorite is from JAK’s White Lies. I think JAK does first meetings really well!
GIVEAWAY TIME
Michelle has generously offered to give away a copy of The Emperor’s Conspiracy to one randomly-drawn commenter with a U.S. address.
To enter, just leave a comment on this blog and answer Michelle’s question: Can you think of a favourite scene from a book/movie where the hero and heroine have just met and really like what they see?
The giveaway is open to those 18 and older, U.S. only, and will be open through midnight, EST, Wednesday, Nov. 28. The winner will be announced here on my blog on Friday, Nov. 30.
Also, Michelle lives outside the U.S., so she will respond to comments when she can.
ABOUT THE EMPEROR’S CONSPIRACY
Set in early nineteenth-century England, this vivid and romantic historical novel goes from the most elegant ballrooms of London to the city’s most tawdry slums, as a spirited young woman helps unravel a plot by Napoleon to bleed England of all its gold.
Through good fortune, Charlotte Raven escaped the poverty of the London slums and is now an educated, wealthy Society lady. But she lives between two worlds, unable to completely turn her back on her old life—specifically Luke, her childhood protector and now a ruthless London crime lord.
When Lord Edward Durnham is asked to investigate the alarming movement of gold out of England, his search leads him to London, and his recent acquaintance with Charlotte affords him access to a dark world he barely knew existed. As they delve deeper into the underbelly of London, danger lurks at every turn, and Charlotte must navigate between her two worlds to save England.
And soon she faces a defining choice: to continue in the familiar limbo she’s lived in for years, or to take a painful and risky leap toward a happiness she never thought possible.
You can find out more about Michelle’s books on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. Thanks so much for being here today, Michelle.
The winner of an e-copy of Stardust Miracle by Edie Ramer is:
Amy R.
Congrats! You have until midnight, EST, Sunday, Oct. 28 to e-mail me or I will pick another winner.
Thanks again to Edie for doing the guest post and to everyone who left a comment.
Today, I’m please to welcome Edie Ramer to my blog. Edie is one of my author friends. She’s the author of Stardust Miracle, Dead People, and other books. Take it away, Edie:
YUM-YUM LOVE
One of the things Jennifer and I have in common is a love of cheese. A few years ago, she recommended a favorite cheese brand to me, unaware that the cheese factory is located in a tiny “unincorporated community” not far from my house. If I remember correctly, the only other business in the area is a bar.
The village of Miracle, Wisconsin, in my Miracle Interrupted series is a bit bigger, with a population of 629, but the place that employs the most people is still a cheese factory. There’s also a small grocery store, a beauty salon, a bar/restaurant, and a fine Italian dining restaurant. In my novel-in-progress, Miracle Pie, the heroine makes pies and delivers her pies to area businesses and residences.
I love Italian food, I love pies, I love cheese, I love my cat, I love my dogs. And miracles. I really love miracles. So why not put what I love in my books? In Jennifer’s second Bigtime book, Hot Mama, the fiery superhero Fiera can eat enough to feed a dozen people and she never gains weight. I can imagine what fun Jennifer had writing that character. (Fiera shows up in Jennifer’s latest Bigtime book, Nightingale, which I thoroughly enjoyed.)
I also love men that love women and vice versa. A few years ago, a friend blogged about yum-yum love in books, comparing to antagonistic love. A heroine and hero who actually like each other, compared to a heroine and hero who dislike each other but can’t fight their wild attraction. That stuck with me, because unless the author is skillful, I don’t always believe in the antagonistic romance plot.
So far, most of the books I’ve written have the yum-yum love. Probably my least yum-yum couple is in Dead People, my second published book. And they aren’t antagonistic as much as two people with prickly personalities. When you read my stories, you know that after The End, when the heroine is PMSing and grouchy and bloated, the boyfriend/husband is still going to love her. And when he does something stupid (which is bound to happen, because he is a man), she’ll love him, too.
Like Jennifer with her Bigtime series, the main characters from one Miracle Interrupted story will show up in future stories, which is fun for me and I hope for readers. The third book, Miracle Lane, is just released! I’m excited about it. Here’s the description:
She forgot how to hate, and now she’s learning how to love …
Brain-damaged Nia Beaudine can’t remember her life before The Accident. Someone intentionally ran over her and left her for dead. Now she’s living in the ‘witch’s house’ she inherited in the village of Miracle, relearning how to live on her own. Well, almost on her own – the talking cat helping her cope is a bonus. But when a hate-filled family member shows up with a gun, Nia knows she needs real help.
Former Army Sergeant and PTSD sufferer Rob Ackerman regularly covers for his identical twin, the village constable, and answers Nia’s emergency call. This strange young woman immediately sees he’s not his brother. In return, he sees that the only way she can fully live in her new life is to find out why someone in her old life tried to kill her … and might try again.
As they dig up Nia’s past, the attraction between them grows. Their brains may be damaged, but their bodies and hearts are working just fine.
GIVEAWAY TIME
Edie is generously offering an e-copy of Stardust Miracle for giveaway. To enter, just leave a comment on this post and answer the following question: What kind of yum-yum love would you put in a book?
The giveaway is open to those 18 and older and will run through midnight EST, Wednesday, Oct. 24. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on the blog on Friday, Oct. 26.
ALL ABOUT EDIE
You can find Edie at her website, Facebook, and Twitter. She’s very proud of being a co-editor of Entangled, a Paranormal Anthology, with all proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. There are 11 authors, and three are New York Times bestselling authors – including Jennifer! The e-book is only $2.99. Buy it, enjoy it, and help find a cure for breast cancer.
In addition to her paranormal and sci fi romances, Edie is enjoying writing her new Miracle Interrupted magical realism series. The novella Must Worship Cats is the first book. If you love cats, that’s the book for you. The next two novels are Stardust Miracle and Miracle Lane. For the pie lovers, Miracle Pie will be available in December.
Thanks so much for being here today, Edie.
Sign up for Jennifer’s newsletter to get the latest information on her books, as well as cute cat photos and book recommendations.
Thank you! You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter. Please check your email and click on the confirmation link.