by Anna Campbell
It's always an exciting moment when I get my advance reader copies for a forthcoming book. I got my ARCs for my 27th October release, CAPTIVE OF SIN, last week and they're gorgeous.
To celebrate I'm giving one away today! So come and play!
Here's the backcover blurb for CAPTIVE OF SIN:
He pledged his honor to keep her safe . . .
Returning home to Cornwall after unspeakable tragedy, Sir Gideon Trevithick comes upon a defiant beauty in danger, and vows to protect her whatever the cost. He’s dismayed to discover that she’s none other than Lady Charis Weston, England’s wealthiest heiress—and that the only way to save her from the violent stepbrothers determined to steal her fortune is to wed her himself! Now Gideon must hide the dark secrets of his life from the bride he desires more with every heartbeat.
She promised to show him how to love—and desire--again . . .Charis has heard all about Gideon, the dangerously handsome hero with the mysterious past. She’s grateful for his help, but utterly unwilling to endure a marriage of convenience—especially to a man whose touch leaves her breathless. Desperate to drive him mad with passion, she would do anything to make Gideon lose control—and fall captive to irresistible, undeniable sin.
OK, I know how you Banditas and Buddies like to play games. So I thought we might have a rhyming day.
Give me a rhyme about a hero, any hero! It can be Gideon from CAPTIVE OF SIN. It can be your own personal hero. It can be your favorite romance hero. It can be a hero from a movie or a TV show. And I'm not fussy about what form your rhyme takes, whether it's a limerick or a couplet or a sonnet! Although if you're getting into epic sagas, we might have space problems! I once knew a man named Ulysses/Who needed to pick up a mysses? Maybe not!
Get creative!
Hmm, let's see...
I love a Scottish hero.
They're always over zero.
Muscles and a kilt?
Best things ever built!
Soldiers, spies and rakesAre all it takes
To grab my attention,
Did I mention?
Richard Armitage, he is my Guy
Of Gisborne, that's no lie.
Black leather makes me sigh
Over my wicked sweety pie.
I should stop while I'm ahead.
I'm not ahead? Oy, everybody's a critic!
Hmm, clearly, Shakespeare has nothing to worry about from me! I'm sure you can all do better!
So get rhyming, guys, and may the best poet win! Or at least the one who makes me laugh the loudest.Oh, and just in case you're interested in another chance to win an ARC of CAPTIVE OF SIN, check out my latest website contest. It's a really easy question - I promise, no poets will be harmed over on www.annacampbell.info! I can't vouch for how the cabana boys will treat the poets here in the lair!
164 comments:
Come back to me old Golden one!
Me!!! Oh Meeeee!! Pretty, pretty, please. MMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
GR can stay with Virginia.
I wants ARC.
I'm an idiot. A really, really big idiot.
Why? I JUST realized that, in the stepback, she's clutching his shirt. It took me until now - and I've seen it a bunch of times - to figure out what it was. For weeks now I've thought there was a random piece of fabric or something, and I was so puzzled over why the artist put it there.
You see? Idiot.
Gideon is bound to be,
Everything strong and swoony;
I've been biding my time,
To lay my hands on him;
'Cos Fo wrote COS.
Hey, Virgina, remember my four leaf clover hint. He really was a good boy yesterday - at least until the local bar opened and he sneaked out the back door!
Hey, Miss Keira, you gotz ta do a rhyme if you wants to win da ARC! I'm just sayin..., get playin'...
Actually, Lynz, that shirt looks like it's alive. Perhaps they're sharing a Maltese terrier between them. Don't feel too bad you don't know what the white stuff is! Actually her ripping off his clothes is fairly suitable for the story. I'm not saying much more, but I think you get my (white shirt) drift!
Hey, Miss K, that's not a bad first effort! I must say I've got quite a crush on Gideon. He's in the Matthew from Untouched mold. You know, strong and honorable and falls like a ton of bricks for the heroine (although he just WON'T share his shirt!).
Wow - Virginia's on a roll with the GR - congratulations!
I'm not clever now - and incredibly angry, because I'm now talking to the third person tonight, and it's been hours. I hate dell. Hate. Dell.
(Am on my mac now.)
Rawr.
Oh, Lime, I can see how that would impinge on your inspiration! I won't close this up until midnight tomorrow so you've got plenty of time to get poetic. Hope things work out!
Congrats Anna, on getting the arc's of your new release! I love, love the cover, its beautiful. Here's some silly poetry, not real good at it.
The Golden one is my hero today.
For he is coming home to play.
They'll be cookies to eat.
For a nice little treat.
Anna is sad that he didn't stay.
Hmm, maybe I had better not quit my day job to become a writer. Surely I could come up with a better hero, you think! Maybe I sould think on this a while.
Gideon sounds dreamy
Stepbrothers are meanies
Heriones in distress
Can be quite a large mess
Enter the buff man
to do all he can
Keep writing romance Anna
We're all big fans!
Virginia, I know one person (chicken?) who has already emailed me to say that you should win the prize and that you selected the BEST hero you possibly could have!
I think you should keep Monsieur GR away from the computer, my friend!
Thanks for playing! And isn't that a gorgeous cover? Maltese argument or not!
Ooh, Bronwyn, an Aussie entry! I'm so glad to see a fellow countrywoman attacking the rhymes. The stepbrothers ARE meanies ;-) And Gideon is buff... Hmm, you've clearly read this story already!
What? How can there be 13 comments already??
Hey, Becke, I've got two ARCs to give away, I'm pushin' this contest, baybeeee! There's an ARC here (here an ARC, there an ARC, everywhere an ARC, ARC) and an ARC on the website and once they're gone, that's it until I get my author copies.
LOL, Anna, you're so funny!
OK here is my contribution.
Hard abs a must, and chiseled jaw
But wait a while because there's more
Impressive pecs and granite thighs
And oh my god hypnotic eyes
Kilt or loincloth, tight white breeches
Billowing white shirt
Soft as peaches
Rapier wit with heart of stone
Dark tortured hero, all my own.
Anna, I wish!
Christina isn't eligible... Is she??
Damn.
Maybe I'll have to work harder =)
Oh, gee, Anna. I popped along full of energy to read your latest blog but now every spark of creativity has bled away after reading your rhymes! Help! Richard Armitage and sweetie pie? Surely he deserves something a little stronger than that!
I'm thinking of my current hero, Tahir, but all I'm coming up with is 'near' and 'flea in his ear' and 'taking off his gear' (which I have to say he does with alacrity).
Anna, I'm so thrilled Captive of Sin is available now in ARC format. This is such a luscious story. You know I loved it! I'm so looking forward to finding time to read it again. Gideon is SUCH a hero and talk about suffering stoically! Gives me shivers (of the good variety) just thinking about it and that's saying something given that I saw it in draft form.
Hope we get a huge celebration around 27 October.
Annie
No matter if he’s
untouched or jaded
Our hero’s lust
is unabated.
His well-honed pecs
would tempt the devil;
she’s one courtesan
who’s on the level.
Her bounteous breasts
escape their lace;
His passion explodes
into their embrace.
The blazing sun
pales in the heat
These lovers spark
when e’er they meet.
She’s tart and sassy;
he’s bold and hot.
His past his tortured,
and she is . . .caught.
A willing captive,
dazzled by sin–
I hope these lovers
will help me win!
A heaving bosom,
a masterful chest.
Those are the covers
we like best.
And while I'm at it:
Abs that ripple,
a masculine nipple.
It's enough to drive me to tipple.
Wow, Christina, that was pretty darn snazzy! Let's just say I'd like to have what YOU'RE having!
By the way, keep an eye on that Bronwyn. She's recognized you're serious competition and she's out to SNAFU you. She's a STEPBROTHER!!!!!
Anna! Waahhhh! My poetry really REALLY sucks so don't say I didn't warn you....
To woo his Verity
With new sincerity
Justine Kinmurrie
Left in a flurry
Now they live in loving prosperity
ooooo, I'd better push the send button before I lose my nerve! LOL
Bronwyn, if you send me a cheque for a copious amount, I'll definitely make that Christina ineligible. Can't say fairer than that, can I?
Gosh, Annie, I told you I wasn't a poet! You could have come in with something! How about:
Richard dear, oh, Dickie A!
Your little honey, love my way!
Tahir without gear? Yum! Although he's pretty darn hot when he appears in the middle of a desert wearing a tuxedo.
Tahir is quite a sheikh.
He makes me feel quite meek.
When he meets me at the creek
He's chic and sheikh and sleek.
Ah, the mention of drafts gives me cold shivers! And yes, the pun is intended! Thanks for the kind words.
We are going to have a big party in the lair on the 27th October. I'll have to really put my thinking cap on. We've had such brilliant ones lately!
Hi Anna,
no rhyme, just wanted to say congrats on getting your ARCs, and the cover is gorgeous! I'm so looking forward to reading the book later, it's on my to-buy list.
Congrats on getting your ARCs, Fo - hope you're preserving at least a couple for your retirement.
Well done Virginia. Should be worried about how much time that pesky rooster spending with you?
Poems and rhymes at 6am (had to see BIL off for the airport)?! Hmmm. Methinks I should go back to bed and ponder (with my eyes closed!)
Ooh, Becke, I think you're giving that wily Christina a run for her money! That was seriously a good rhymne! Even better than mine (snort!). Actually I must say, the nipple captured my attention from the first. Captive of Nipple? Nah, maybe not! Nipling with Kipling?
Sharon, I'm giving you points for trying to rhyme Kinmurrie. In fact, for REMEMBERING Kinmurrie!
How about, Justin Kinmurrie, a man in a hurry,
Our Verity has put him in a bit of a flurry!
Thanks for playing and good luck!
Now that I'm over the trauma of posting my bad poetry I'd just like to say.... CONGRATULATIONS on Captive of Sin, Anna! Love the cover, love the story! Can't wait to see it on the shelf!
xxx
Sharon
Eva, thank you so much, not least because you've brought an element of sensibleness into the silliness! Hope you love COS!
Ouch to the 6am, VA. Go back and have a snooze and then come back! Laughed at the ARCs for my retirement. I was hoping my poetry would support me!
Thanks, Sharon. Sharon, who writes wonderful Medicals for Mills and Boons, is one of my critique partners. And yet still she smiles in that photo. Clearly she's a hero on her own account!
I don't have a cheque book... Howsabout I buy you something with an umbrella in it next week?? Will that be enough =)
Oh, wait. That's this week! Only a few more sleeps to go! Anyway booze should be a great bribe.
Ha! Do you think you can buy me for a cocktail, Miss Bron? Maybe two...
Actually hold that thought - I'll see what else I've been offered by the end of the day. It can be like an auction, LOL! A cocktail may be my best option!
Our Romance Writers of Australia conference is on this week. I'm EXCITED!
29 comments and it's barely after midnight...doesn't anyone sleep?
Awesome on the new release, Anna-my-darling! Or ARC...it's close. It's nearly, nearly here!
Okay, some rhymes...poorly, poorly done, but I have no shame.
Three huzzahs for Sir Fair Gideon,
for whom I'd sail across the prime meridian
His kiss is sublime,
his brooding divine,
I say, keep me captive so I can sin again!
My Lord Garrett, the Earl of Mayne,
Whom I'd adore on any plane--
Or car or bed
Or a floor with a spread
Or even a field in the pouring down rain...
Wherever Garrett goest, thou shalt I,
To live without him would make me cry,
His heart is a treasure--
and the rest's built for pleasure,
to Heaven he must take me or I die.
Becke, omg. That was masterful. Just give Becke the ARC. No way could I compete with the likes of her poetic largesse.
Hey, Hellion, you guys are making my poems look really bad. Stop it, stop it now! Well, all right, don't - a bit of quality might lift the readership! And definitely points for Gideon and meridian! By the way, does Eloisa know you're stalking her heroes?
You know what's weird? It really IS nearly time for this book to hit the stands. I thought the day would never come!
Now, Keira, that's mighty poor spirited of you! Where's your rhyming backbone, O slack wone? Although I agree that Becke's efforts were mighty!
Hey Fo. I know you like lime drops. So how about it, love. I'll keep you in lime drops every night and every day in Nashville. Think about it. Just slip me the ARC, and the lime drops are all yours.
Who sez I'm giving up? There's more than one entrance into the keep, as medieval sayings go.
Oh happy braun,
you couldn't possibly be
the devil's spawn --
against the nectar
against the whisper
oh how your kisses
make me shiver --
through the storm
all through the night
you take my hand
leading me at dawn
to the light.
Anna G. from DC.
(Zomg this is fun.)
Ooh, seriously, I can see this working for me. Cocktails? Lime drops? Diamonds, anyone?
Wow, Anna, now I want what YOU'RE having! That was great - genuinely sexy! By the way, I thought DC was a really cool town - loved the wide streets and no high rise and the fact that all the museums were free. How civilised is that?
Hmm, methinks that keep has multiple ingresses! Yeah, verily! Or if I was Kylemore, yeah, Verity!
Fingers weaving 'gainst the skin
you protect me from my kin.
Oh, Gideon, I do pray
God keep you safe
from those dragons you slay.
If with me you choose to keep
upon my life
your heart gave me reason to weep.
Dark the night long
you set my soul sweet notes to song.
Anna G. from DC again. Sorry. This is too fun. :)
Anna, I'm so pleased you liked DC! The museums here really are a national treasure. The height limit on buildings makes for a pretty cool city feel, too, I think. :D
Anna G. from DC
Hey, Anna, don't apologise. Even if you're making some of the rest of us (ahem, MEEEEE!) look like the world's worst poet! Actually that last one was great - really apt for the story. I'd love to come back to DC and take the time to really see everything. Mind you, you'd need weeks to do it properly!
Great! At least show MEEEE some charity, Fo. My wordsmithing skills way past my bedtime are always worse than my well-rested ones, but not by much. But lime drops, those I can provide.
Diamonds? Sheesh, girl. Your hawking your wares, but raising the price too abruptly. Gently, gently.
LOL. I've been here five years and I haven't done the city properly. :P
I don't think I can write a poem for Gideon until I've read his story. (Big hint) :)
Here are a couple for two heroes I know more intimately.
Lines for Mayne, From the Bon Bons
Among all rakes, oh Mayne, thou art supreme.
Thy tousled curls and other charms so rare,
Thy hands, thy brows, thy eyes with dev’lish gleam,
Thy nose, dear Duke—all are beyond compare.
Half London’s lovelies well may know thy bed,
And matrons sigh, remembering thy kiss.
Cross fiction’s wall and centuries we’re led
To join the throngs and fantasize such bliss.
Thy voice, thy wit, the skill with which you ride
Cause hearts to melt and pulses wild to race.
For such as you, French Sophie’s no fit bride;
Your true heart yearns for Josie’s untaught grace.
We Bon Bons know some things are destiny:
A Mayne-Essex wedding in P for P.
Julian’s Story
A dark love story: secrets scar his heart,
This leisured lord who hides his emptiness,
Till unexpected love doth play its part,
And moment’s whim turns bond with passion’s kiss.
He sees the gold beneath deceptive gilt.
Her slumbering desire stirs loins and soul.
‘Spite barriers, a deathless link is built;
Two broken beings form one perfect whole.
LEETLE diamonds, Miss K? Snort. Teeny, eeny, weenie ones, but not meanies like the stepbrothers!
Anna, I'm really envious of you having all this stuff on your doorstep.
Janga, I hope you know Miss Hellion is competition for this Mayne Guy! I think we might need to clear a fightin' space in the middle of the lair! Sven can be the ref! Our Hellion carries a mean cutlass. Not sure a Vauxhall Vixen has a weapon to measure up to hers. Hmm, weapons, measuring, must stop direction of mind NOW!
Wow, your stuff is too good for my silly game! Love the take on Tempt the Devil. And yeah, I picked up the hint (it was SOOOOOOO subtle, snort!).
A maltese, eh? Captive of Sin, bah. I'm calling this one Captive of Cuteness!
Hey, I'm with Keira! Sure, there are some great poems here, but why complicate things?
OMG, Lynz, I didn't register the Maltese connection. I watched Judge Judy at lunchtime (yeah, it's all rigorous intellectual stuff in this joint) and she had a gorgeous little Maltese puppy. Ha ha! Perhaps that IS a Maltese she's stealing in the stepback. Is that a Pomeranian in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?
Becke, does this mean you might be open to a bit of bribery and corruption? Hmm..... And you've got such an honest face!
Janga does do a beautiful rhyme, doesn't she? I was totally hearing Byron there...although Mayne is an earl and not a duke. (Hence why I love him so. Rafe is the duke.)
Of course, I think Janga was merely being poetic. You know, like he may be the earl of Mayne, but he's the duke of our hearts...what do you think?
Anna, it's ok. There are Bon Bons among the Pirates, Vixens, and Vagabonds. Both Hellion and I are in that number, and we've been sharing Mayne in relative harmony for a long while. :)
Hellion, what I think is that I'm trying to drum up a crowd for the clash of the titans when you and Janga fight it out, and you're sounding MUCH too nice for a pirate! Can't you grit a dagger between your yellowing teeth and glare out of your single eye at the punters? Sheesh! I don't ask much!
Oooh, lucky Mayne! But then your poem does make it clear that he's a bit of a flirt before he meets his destiny. Actually this is one of Eloisa's I haven't read (I'm so far behind, you wouldn't believe it!). Sounds like I need to push it up the TBR pile!
And just when I got a title for the fight - the MAYNE EVENT!
Is that a distant groan I hear? Surely not!
Paths cross, hearts wander
Your eyes as the sea
Make me ponder:
What was life
Before you entered?
To me this you answered,
Heaven writ:
No stone upon which
I will sit.
No, instead
It’s your pillow
I will rest my head.
No, instead
Flights sated
It’s my soul you fed.
No, instead
My love, my love
Tender to my bed
And rest not weary
To this together
We make life’s
Sweet journey.
Oy, I clearly have a problem. Backing slowly away from the computer now…
It's called poetic license, Helli. I tried "dear Earl," but it lacked euphony. Maybe I was thinking of Rafe too. He has my heart. It's other parts that belong to Mayne. ;)
Anna, now I think you're just showing off. Actually there's some seriously talented poets among the Bandita Buddies. Who would have guessed amongst all that harassing of cabana boys and drinking of margaritas? Feel free to continue to share your inspiration with us!
Mind you, Janga, as a woman who has a soft spot for an impressive schnoz (you'll notice all my heroes have big noses!), you had me at the duke with the nose. I start channelling the Duke of Wellington! The Earl with the Curl versus the Dook with the Hook.
Hello Duchess!
Wow...lots of female Byrons here so I guess roses are red ain't gonna cut it. Janga, Becke, Bronwyn and Christina...terrific stuff! (you too Anna!) :p
LOL! There's a pretty big prize here! I'm willing to go down in the cheeseball-poetry mud to fight for it!
*bares teeth*
Jen, seriously, I'm blown away at how good some of these answers have been. Female Byrons indeed! But I've seen you when you've got a challenge like this. You're up there with the best of them, hon!
Ooh, Anna, maybe I should get you to fight Helli! Janga's being all together too nice!
LEETLE diamonds, Miss K? Well, now, let's see. Will Cubic Zirconia do?
But given that you hardly wear much jewelry, I'm thinking a fab bag might be just the thing.
Anna...
Uh...
My brain's fried
But cannot sleep without having tried
:)
Keira, nice to see you've been thinking about things to subvert my ethical stance! Good job! ;-)
Yanno, Jen, when we started, that might almost have made the grade. But we've had some seriously great contenders since then. Come on, gal, get thinkin'!
Haha, this party is so much fun! Don't know how you're going to choose between all the fantastic entries, Anna!
Christina, it's going to be tough. And the awful thing is I usually find a few extra copies of books for stuff like this when people make such a great showing. But I only have ONE ARC! Perhaps I can give it out as separate chapters? What do you think?
Hi, Anna! I'm giddy with glee about the upcoming release of Gideon. (And no, that's not my poem!)
Can I be honest and tell you I've been composing and deleting my lame attempts for the past 15 minutes? The last one involved your love of a good cherry and Bryan Ferry.
~ Vanessa
OOOOOOH, Bryan! Ferry, Ferry nice (groan again!). Why do these contests make me start to pun? It's like a disease! Vanessa, thank you so much for swinging by. And I'm sure a clever clogs like you can come up with a rhyme. I think cherry and Ferry have possibilities, you know!
I'll think of something clever, Anna! Just give me a few hours!
Goodness, the pressure's on ;-)
Anna, if you give out separate chapters I think you'll cause a riot!!
Ooh, like the sort of riot I'm trying to sell tickets to? Sounds like a possibility!
Oh, WOW! Look at all these comments! I'm not surprised people are champing at the bit to read an advance copy--CAPTIVE OF SIN is another superb offering from our fabulous Fo. You are all going to die for Gideon. He is simply breathtakingly gorgeous and soooo tortured. Sigh.
Yes, as usual, I'm gloating:))
Will be back with a rhyme when I can get some free time. (Thyme?)
Anna,Anna, my dear friend,
I shouldn't have to write a poem to compete, or even buy you a bigger drink with umbrellas this weekend at the aussie conference, because I have blackmail on my side!!! Oh, yes indeed, a very nice photo of you... with not one, not two , but three...gorgeous men...clinging to your arms in Washington DC.
Smile, smile! Do I win?? What? You still need a poem about gorgeous Gideon? Okay, it's coming in a minute....but I still think bribery and blackmail works better,
Sue
All right, I'm not going to sleep before I up the lolz capacity of my offerings (and before someone else utilizes the rhyme I employ in my last stanza).
*Ahem*
‘Twasn’t till
you had a taste
of what drew pleasure
from this place
that I arched
in perfect grace
‘gainst what you set
as a frenzied pace
‘cause you ride me to such bliss
I can’t but confess
my life to you
and no less
it’s the heat of hunger
I read in your eyes
that will make you forever
welcome between my thighs.
Anna G.
Congrats Virginia have fun with him
WOW I just get home from work and there are 80 comments already I need to think on this one Anna, I am so looking forward to reading this book.
Off to do some serious thinking I will be back
Have Fun
Helen
Anna Campbell says:(although he just WON'T share his shirt!).
He doesn't have to share it, just lose it!
There are some great rhymes I am still trying to think of something LOL a writer I am not but I will keep thinking
Have Fun
Helen
Christine, what SAGE remarks! Ho ho. The old ones are often the best. And sometimes NOT! Thanks for those kind words about Gid!
Sue, I remember it well, the occasion when I had three potential cover models hanging off my arms. Hmm, like shirts off a Gideon! Wasn't that a fun shot? I think it will do my reputation good if you DO publicise that one!
Now get rhymin', girlfriend!
Anna, I'm blushing! Blushing, I say! Snort! You really DO want to win this ARC, don't you? ;-)
Helen, good luck with the rhyming! I'm going to have a dreadful time picking just ONE winner!
Dianna, LOL! I think you and my heroine are definitely on the same page with that one!
Helen, you're doing a great job of building up our suspense!
I'm heading off to sleepy byes now. I look forward to seeing all the creativity when I get back in the morning!
Thanks so much for a fun start to this game! You're all ARC-angels!
I'm not a born poet
And boy do I know it...
But I will say congratulations on this gorgeous cover - Gideon looks totally lustable (if that is a word!)
I can't wait to read the rest of the book - I loved the pages I read in their very early incarnations.
My cake, chocolate
It stands tall and proud
Made from Jacques' recipe
For I was not cowed
Is he my hero?
No indeed!
Really, Jacques in a chef's toque
Upon a white steed?
Handsome and decadent
Brimming with panache
My hero's like a layer cake
Nestled in ganache
A tortured rakehell lover
Every woman's secret dream
He waltzes without permission
Smiles like a cat in cream
The pages of my memory
Recall a different time
Of duchesses and ladies
Their characters sublime
Olivia and Verity
Studied in beauty and Grace
They may have Erith'd in the past
True ladies knew their place
There's Justin, Matthew, and Julian
Pride masks their disdain
Damn! Does she covet another?
Perhaps the Marquis of Vane? :)
'Cause she could Tempt the Devil
As she tempts his Untouched soul
Hot blood courses through him
Dark sin as black as coal
Claiming the Courtesan
Her heart, he finally wins
A lady, beautiful and headstrong
Alas, his Captive of Sin
My brain is fried
Hey, I tried to be witty
Pecking my keyboard
For this little ditty
Now, it's up to Anna
To pick a winner
And I'm more nervous
Than a chicken named Dinner
peck,,,,peck,,,,
Hi Anna, no rhyme but I just want to let you know that I'll be lined up at the book shop to buy your new book when it comes out! Can't wait to read it!
Anna! Banditas! GR! So. I get back from Rom Writers of America national conference to all these packages of books I hadn't time to open. And there's this one that fell under my desk, all lonely like. And I think, 'oh, i'll get to it later.' And I forget aboutit cause my kids are all, 'we missed you, we missed you, blahblah.' Then i find it, like, a week later. And it's Captive of Sin and I'm hating on myself cause I' could have been reading it BEFORE National! And I haven't even told my friends and Bellas because they'd be so disappointed in me. But i have to tell you all that it's just another marvel. And, Annie W? I had the same creativity sap when I started laughing over this contest, and I'm in deadline! ugh. Thanks anner. Congratulazione!
Well, it's early up here in Ottawa and the old brain pan isn't working well enough for poetry, but I wanted to say congrats, Anna! So exciting to get the ARC!
And, Michelle, you are so naughty to tease the rest of us.
Well he rocks my socks,
Even in frocks,
But especially in jocks,
And when he bares his..
OMG that was appalling!!
Sorry!
OMG....it's only 10 am on the East Coast and 93 commments!
I'm leaning toward Becke......
How can it not be plain
The love in the heart of Lord Vane
Lady Sarah must be blind
Not to realize her find
Her loss is Joanie T's gain
:-)
Hello All! The English degree in me was just screaming for a sonnet, so here goes!
His gaze it seems to reach my soul,
Eyes of the clearest green.
With just one glance, my heart he stole
This vision I had seen.
Crimson lips part in an amorous smile
Revealing teeth in straight, white rows.
Dimples wink at me all the while
Beneath a ruddy, up-turned nose.
Why does this angel look at me,
With a heart so full of love?
A gift from heaven he must be,
Sent from the One Above.
If love is blind, then drunkenly lead me on.
If his love is wine, I’ll drink the last drop gone.
**********************************
Hopefully I'll be able to beat the traditionalist outta myself so I can get silly with it later!
Great game, Anna!
-----Nikki
girrlit - you made me snort my tea up my nose!!
And Anna - bribery and corruption? Works for me!
96 comments before lunch time?! Yeah, I'll never catch up, sorry.
Not sure I have any poetry in me. Hmmm...I'll try.
Hardy is the man I love,
Created by Kleypas but sent from above.
He's tall and tough with all the right stuff,
I'd cross all of Texas to see him in the buff.
He deserves better, but that's all I've got right now. LOL!
Whooooot, Anna, can't wait for CAPTIVE OF SIN to release. Love the premise and love a tortured hero, plus the name Gideon sounds so Old Testament warrior-like!
Blue eyes Newman with a smirky grin
A smart-ass mouth and a devilish look
I'd throw off my hubby and live in sin
With Paul, though he's gone, I'm totally hooked.
Oh, yeah, Shakespeare can RIP.
The scene is set in Cornwall,
Our hero strong and tall,
Is none other than Sir Gideon
With those eyes of deep obsidian
And with his tale you’ll be enthralled!
He saves a damsel in distress
With great skill and stunning finesse,
And this beauty he’d like to press on
Is an heiress from the family Weston,
She’s the fair English Lady Charis.
So they marry to save her from his kin.
Though their love bubbles deep within,
She yearns to make him lose control
To win his love, to save his soul
And make him a CAPTIVE OF SIN!
Whether it's Justin, Matthew, Gideon, or Julian,
Nobody tortures historical hotties like Anna can! :)
Whoa! Way to knock my socks off, everyone! Anna, huge congrats on Captive of Sin--soooooooon!!
My rhyming skills are quite lacking, so I'm going to sit back and admire instead!
And hooray and on the GR, Virginia!
For Anna: A Haiku
Untried man of dreams
Rangy, raw-boned Matthew, love
Second time’s the charm
This one is for Virginia and, of course, involves a hero we all desire -
The GR is a rooster in demand
One would think he's a golden man
With an eye to the clock
Virginia grabs the cock
and keeps the chook well in hand.
Hey, Kandy, thanks for popping over and sharing your heroic couplet! And thanks for saying you're looking forward to reading this. Everyone is just LOVING Love is a Four-Legged Word, by the way! The buzz has been fantastic!
Jen, I knew you could do it! That was brilliant. Although Virginia told me the rooster started to look very nervous when he read the last verse! Great stuff!
Hey, Alaine, thank you! I'm so glad you're looking forward to this story!
Michelle, thank you so much! I laughed at Gideon doing an escaping act. As you'd know, he's pretty good at that! I hope the book wasn't quite as traumatised by the experience, though, as my hero! Lovely to see you and so many of the Bellas at Nationals!
Hey, Vanessa, I get a kick out of Michelle teasing everyone. Hey, I get a kick out of the fact that she liked the book!!! Lovely to see you!
Girrlt, snigger. I have no idea what you mean. Locks? Blocks? Docks? Clocks? Clocks! That must be it. A heroine always needs to know what time it is!
Hmm, JT, I'm seeing a battle developing over Mayne and Vane. Is it something to do with the fact that they rhyme too? Isn't it great how everybody's getting into the game of this? LOVE it!
Ooh, Nikki, that was BRILLIANT! Thanks for playing. That was one bonnet of a sonnet! Mind you, when you mentioned crimson lips and white teeth, I was waiting for the fangs to appear!
Becke, the answers have been brilliant, haven't they? I'm still puzzling over Girrlit's last word. Could it be Mocks? Rocks? Hocks? I like a hero with nice hocks!
Ha ha, Hardy seems to be a man after my own...hocks! Love it, Terrio. A nice couple of couplets!
Jo, are you talking perhaps about Brad Pitt? No? Actually I so agree with you about Paul Newman. And he got better as he got older too like fine wine. I'm loving the way everybody has really taken this idea and run with it. Or perhaps iambic pentametered with it? I love the name Gideon! I agree about the warrior aspect of it. And I've wanted to call a heroine Charis for about 20 years (originally she was in one of my stumps, a book set in the French Revolution). It was wonderful to have a story where that name absolutely fit! I love naming my characters. It's one of the fun bits of the process.
Ha ha, Nikki! You know what? He HAS got eyes of obsidian!!!! That was a brilliant poem! Oh, man, how can I pick a winner? These are all too good!
Although I think the couplet is my favorite! ;-)
I have to be honest and say I'm not a fan of the heroine's name. But then I've only met one woman with that name, and she just happened to be my ex's mistress.
So I'm a little biased. Maybe this book will help me see the name is a more positive light. :)
Fedora, haven't the rhymes been awesome? I'm sitting back and admiring too! Thanks for the congrats - I can't believe it's not long till the book's out!
Michelle, love the haiku! Matthew sends you his love and says practice makes perfect! ;-)
Donna, your entry cracked me up, like an egg the rooster sat on too hard! LOVE it!
Ooh, Terrio, ouch! I've only met one person with that name - she's one of the people who works for the Brisbane Writers Festival and I met her after I'd written COS. She was so excited her name was appearing in a book. It was really cute!
Anna - big noses mean big . . .?
Well, it certainly does in my heroes' case! Snort!
Okay, Anna asked for this one:
His schnozz is big, his (ahem!) bigger,
No wonder she burns to pull
his trigger!
And kudos on the sonnets, haikus and higher levels of poetry.
You're just lucky I didn't attempt limericks.
Which, coincidentally, rhymes with --
Becke said: His schnozz is big, his (ahem!) bigger,
No wonder she burns to pull
his trigger!
His schozz is big, his ahem is bigger!
Which always makes this writer snigger!
Sorry, that should be SCHNOZZ!
Haikus, Becke's sonnets
That trigger those sniggers
Late night commercials
Promise men they'll be bigger
But romance RULES!
Though some tongue in cheek
Your hero's breeches undone
Would you fancy a p--k?
This is so awesome! Everyone is doing an amazing job.
There once was a man named Gideon
who found himself in a deep state of pity-in,
so he took a deep breath
vowing to protect her from death
and that's how he found himself a-ditty-in.
(Anna G.)
Wow! I'm in awe of all these talented poets. It's way too early in the morning for me to compete but give me time... I really want to get my hands on Gideon.
I treasured those hours I spent in bed with your last tortured hero. (He made me forget I had swine flu!)
Bev
Snort, Jen! I've noticed the tone has definitely degenerated recently. I'm not quite sure who to blame although you and that naughty Becke seem to be involved somehow! Perhaps it's Girrlit!
Anna, the limerick had me giggling! Gideon is a bit hard to rhyme, isn't it? I'm waiting for someone to do Charis and Paris!
Bev, honestly I was flabbergasted when I heard about all your health woes. Swine flu is just WRONG! Thanks for swinging by. I'm so glad lovely Erith gave you at least something hot to enjoy that didn't involve a fever!
What's hard about this laird?
Oh my!
What my eyes do spy
makes my heart sigh.
Yep, definitely putting Anna in the list of naughty girls too!
Thanks! I couldn't ask for better company!!!
Boy, I love this blog. *LOL*
It's like we've all been doing rum shots...and I know you're all sober. Lord, imagine you guys with a little rum in you.
I'm beguiled by his spellwork,
His potions always quite...frothy?
I admit, age-wise we're a little like
the Jailbait and the Mothy--
But it doesn't matter--I love him
and his fluttering bat-like cape,
I'll shout it from the rooftops:
"I'm in love with Severus Snape!"
Looked up words rhyming with Gideon...Floridian, Bolivian, Argentinian, ascidian...someone give it a go!
Definitely the back seat of the bus group, Anna, Becke and Jen! Do the naughty kids still sit right at the back? They did back when I was a young-un, even though the buses were drawn by brontosauruses!
OK, Hellion, you win for the most unusual subject! Actually I'm with you about Allan Rickman. Hubba hubba. Boil and bubble, let this hero get into trouble...
You haven't had any rum? Hey, cabana boys! Neglected guest here!
Ha ha! I don't even know what ascidian means! And you know I have a fondness for obscure vocab ;-)
I'm sure we could work quotidien into a poem too! Actually I'm not sure I know what that means either.
My next hero will be John. You can rhyme him with lots and lots of things.
Actually, I lie. My next hero is Tarquin. Wouldn't he have been beaten up in the playground? Snort.
The way to my heart
Is a happily ever after
A hero and heroine
Highs and lows
A journey to love
Is the way to my heart.
Not very good but at least I tried and I thought all night on this LOL
Thank you very much for the chance at this ARC Anna
Have Fun
Helen
Hey, Helen, that was lovely! And definitely lifted the tone which was becoming a little overheated, snort! Thanks so much for putting so much effort into this! You were counting rhymes instead of sheep all night!
and I know you're all sober.
Are we? Are we (hic) really?
I only know quotidien because of the bakery..Le Pain Quotidien... and I believe the meaning is "daily" like our daily bread...
So when COS comes out we'll all have our Gideon Quotidien.
You can rhyme some things with Tarquin.
Sequin.
Are you in?
Give me my sin again...
I mean, you can have some fun with Tarquin.
Or you can shorten it to Tarqky, which strangely I've seen done in a British contemporary--when the guy was named Tarquin--
Anna, she gave us, she gave us
a sexy Tarky
Anna, she gave us, she gave us
a sexy Tarky
Sincere and honest, never full of Marlarkey, larkey...
Hero of the World...
JT, I'm with you. I don't know what party these others gals have been at. Sure isn't the one I've been shyacking at for the last few hours! Hic!
Ooh, a Gideon Quotidien! I LIKE it!
Um, by the way, I just looked up ascidian. It relates to a genus of molluscs. Somehow I don't think that one's going to catch on quite as much as the GQ.
Look at all these comments! I'm not surprised everyone's clamouring for an ARC of COS. Did I mention COS is a fabulous book?*G*
Jen and Joanie, I love that my darling Vane got a mention, thank you both!!
A million sighs
For Kylemore's thighs
'Cos Fo puts the Ohhh in Hero
Bouquets galore
For Sheene, I adore
'Cos Fo puts the Ohhh in Hero
A loud bravissimo
For Erith's machismo
'Cos Fo puts the Ohhh in Hero
A romance unforgettable
Gideon's taken...regrettable!
(Sing it with me!)'Cos Fo puts the Ohhh in Hero
Sequin, Hellion???!!! Although I snorted tea all over my keyboard when I read "are you in?"
Tarky makes me think of otters. I had a childhood book called Tarka the Otter. Hmm, I've always liked otters... Which is something for an otter blog, I think!
Did I win? *G*
Christine, I don't think you did mention that. Perhaps you should say it again, just in case!
Ohhhh, I'm loving the ditty, ma pritty!
Hey, you've read it! I don't really think I CAN give it to you, darl! Here, have a kidney in the meantime.
Virginia, my goodness, you've had him on your hands a lot lately. I hope he's behaving. And congrats, I think. :-)
Limecello, I'm so sorry about your computer problems! What a pain.
>Now Gideon must hide the dark secrets of his life from the bride he desires more with every heartbeat.<
Okay the first thing that sprung to my mind when I read this Anna was that he once was a singer in a boy band.
I don't know why, it just did. And I'm staying away from your books for the next few weeks in case it gives hubby ideas. LOL
Nancy, the old GR is a bit of a mixed blessing, isn't he? Although he thinks he's unmitigated joy to host!
Ha ha! It's not QUITE as bad as that, Nat. I'm not sure a hero could recover from such torture as that!
Well, Anna Campbell, you're just rocking the blog today. Wow!
I am not in the least poetical, so I will spare you my dubious efforts, but I am definitely among those looking forward to this book. The shirt weirdnesses bother me not in the least. *g*
You didn't get a vague impression of a Maltese terrier, Nancy? That's GOOD! Thanks for saying you're looking forward to this story!
I read with an intention
to find the sexual tension
my wandering intellect
locked on hero and heroine
the hero emerges
not whom it would seem
but a beautiful virginess
all lovey and a'beam!
Lee McQuinn
081020091753
Hey, Lee, what a cool poem! I'm all a'beam. I don't know about my heroine! Thanks for playing!
Here goes, Miss Fo Anna, my attempt at poetry:
My love is a changeling,
He's so quiet and shy,
He's a Beta, NOW an Alpha!
Yes, when we're together, OH, MY!
Pat Cochran
Wow! Y'all have been rockin' the lair today! Congrats on the upcoming release of Captive of Sin, Anna. I'm counting the days! :)
My tired mind just isn't up to conjuring poetry tonight, not that I could even approach some of the winners that have been posted today. There's some serious talent in here!
Anna, the GR has definite delusions of grandeur. *sigh*
No, not a Maltese terrier in sight.
I've been busy with a long and frustrating landscaping article today. Thank goodness I was able to come here and unwind or I'd be tearing my hair out by now. This place is a hoot!
I'd like to win
Captive of Sin
'cause Anna's books
are steaming
I planned to write
a poem tonight;
instead I will
be dreaming
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Guys, guys, guys! I'm so, SOOO sorry. My computer died. I've got a stopgap measure working at the moment. Fingers crossed it's OK at least for a little while.
Hey, Pat, cool poem! Love the idea of a changeling!
PJ, lovely to see you! After a day of battling with a broken computer, I'm feeling rather ratty too! Thanks for the congrats and I agree with you - the talent displayed has been prodigious!
Hey, Becke, you've been a shining star of this game. Thanks so much for playing! I'm glad it's taken your mind off a troublesome article. Which could actually describe our rooster!
Hey, Becke, you've been a shining star of this game. Thanks so much for playing! I'm glad it's taken your mind off a troublesome article. Which could actually describe our rooster!
Thanks so much for a great day in the lair, everybody, even if I went MIA for a while!
Don't forget to check back in the next day or so to see who won the ARC!!!
May the best woman win!
Darn! A day late...
:-(
"Snort, Jen! I've noticed the tone has definitely degenerated recently. I'm not quite sure who to blame although you and that naughty Becke seem to be involved somehow! Perhaps it's Girrlit!"
Hey!
I stopped before I got crude!
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