Monday, May 10, 2010

Getting to the Bottom of Things!

by Anna Campbell

I went looking for a line of nice male rear ends to illustrate this post - and do you know what? I couldn't find one! Plenty of girls but no guys! Clearly we need to man (or woman!) the barricades of sexual equality, girls!

Anyway, I thought the elephants illustrated my point well enough although nowhere near as prettily!

Actually this isn't anything about nicely shaped rear ends! It's about taking your story to its most basic elements so when people ask you about it, you can answer them without stuttering or spending an hour recounting the whole plot. I've tried that - the glazed eyes have to be seen to be believed!

By the way, stop press, thanks to Avon, I've got another ARC to give away today! Yes, comment on this post and you can win an advance reader copy of MY RECKLESS SURRENDER! Get commenting, people!

Double stop press! I couldn't find a line but I did find a very nice single example of getting to the bottom of things! For your viewing pleasure, ladies!


Just recently a friend of mine emailed me in a panic because she needed an article for a newsletter and for various reasons that were nobody's fault, the person she'd lined up couldn't do it. Could I help? I was having the day from the proverbial but because she's a friend, I put something quick together about MY RECKLESS SURRENDER.

And I realized that sometimes it helps not to over-think stuff!

One of the wonderful things about promoting CAPTIVE OF SIN, my last book, was that just before it came out, I worked out that it was a classic marriage of convenience story in Regency noir guise. Nice little soundbite to deliver when people asked - and intriguing enough to get readers interested in the story which is just what you want.


MY RECKLESS SURRENDER is about a dangerous seduction in Regency London which is an OK description as far as it goes but I want something to draw a reader in. I stewed and stewed about what I could say about this book - we all know the popular themes in romance. Secret baby. Cinderella (actually there's elements of that in this story). Marriage of convenience. Revenge plot. Fish out of water. Friends into lovers. There's a stack of them - and I think we've covered most of them in Bandita blogs at some stage.

Anyway, writing this piece for my friend while juggling various tradesmen (none of whom looked like the guy in the photo, sadly!), I sat down to do a quick description of MY RECKLESS SURRENDER and I automatically described it as a 'ticking bomb romance'.

Diana Carrick makes a deal with the devil which will give her everything she’s ever wanted. To make her dreams come true, she agrees to commit what she believes is a victimless crime and seduce the notorious rake Tarquin Vale, the Earl of Ashcroft.

But of course, there's no such thing as a victimless crime...

Tarquin and Diana find themselves caught in a liaison that is nothing like either expected and which plumbs dangerously profound emotional depths. With every moment, Diana is trapped more inescapably between her deception and her growing love for this man who is nothing like the careless, heartless rake she expected. Her secrets threaten to destroy both of them, but she’s gone too far now to retreat.

I love ticking bomb plots! You know, the ones where the readers know more than either the hero or heroine and are just waiting on tenterhooks for that moment of revelation where everything blows sky high. Then of course, the characters need to gird their loins (nothing like that moment when the characters gird their loins!) and deal with the fall-out which takes all their courage and strength and love. Great high-stakes romance!

I’ve seen my first review for MY RECKLESS SURRENDER and it’s a beauty. Romantic Times Book Reviews chose the book as a June Top Pick and called the story ‘enthralling’, ‘complex’ and ‘passionate’ and finished the review by saying “Quite a book!”

Clearly they like ticking bomb romance plots too!

So thinking back over one of the books you've read recently, how would you describe the story at its most basic level? For example, Annie West's wonderful FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE-CHILD (which recently hit the USA Today list - huzzah!) is an amnesia/secret baby story with a dash of Cinderella thrown in. CLAIMING THE COURTESAN is Beauty and the Beast. Christine's debut SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER is friends into lovers. So how would you describe your recent reading?

Don't forget there's an ARC of MY RECKLESS SURRENDER, now christened a ticking bomb romance, up for grabs! Good luck!

182 comments:

Nancy said...

Anna, I don't know how to describe my recent reading. A union of enemies? A healing of old wounds?

I love the way you worked up to your topic, though.

Nancy said...

Hey, it's me. I get the rooster! Okay, buddy. Get your tailfeathers in here and grab a broom. We're helping out the cabana boys.

I saw that look. Cut it out unless you want Herself riding herd on you all day. Remember what happened LAST time? Hmm?

No bothering the dragon, either. I have my suspicions as to who found her that pitcher.

limecello said...

Um... well I've been in a major reading slump (and heh - this post) - also I don't have an articulate answer because again it should be bed time...
I guess a recent theme that has been appearing is "forbidden love." Either friends to lovers, for paranormals different species, historicals different classes... etc.
How's that for taking the story to it's most basic level?

Congrats on the GR, Nancy!

Anna Campbell said...

Ooh, what have you been reading, Nancy? Sounds fascinating!

And YOU GET THE ROOSTER!!!!

I'd like to see a pitcher of the dragon (groan!).

Ooh, Lime, what have you been reading? I love Forbidden love stories - Claiming the Courtesan falls into that category!

Marie said...

I've been reading so many differnt styles of books lately, but the last I read, BLOOD VINES by Erica Spindler, is more of a shou;d we/shouldn't we as far as the love story part went. He's a cop, she comes to town, people die, is she the guilty party? type book.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Oh,man! I just cannot get her in a timely fashion! Grins. Nancy, it was such fun to play on yesterday's blog, wasn't it? Just a nice ramble for Mother's Day. Grins.

Congrats...I think...on getting the chook. Does he still have tailfeathers? I know you'll keep him in line, since you've already got him on KP with the cabana boys. Grins.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Lime! I've been in a bit of a reading slump too. I'm heading out of it though because I got my hands on Loreth Anne White's latest which is a forbidden love book, and am devouring Elizabeth Moon's Oath of Fealty. Oath is a classic adventure, so far, rather than a love story. Love it though!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Anna C wrote: I'd like to see a pitcher of the dragon (groan!).


SNORK!!!!! Love it.

Bronwyn said...

Hi Anna,

I like the idea of the Ticking Bomb Romance but I think MRS is going to be so much more than that. The first thing that comes to mind is 'Seduction by omission'. Sounds kinda corny though... Maybe a, 'Love born of deception' story? Precise, to the point? I'm hopeless at this kind of thing but I want my name in the hat =)

Pretty please...

Laney4 said...

"Expected courtesan really a virgin with a deadly secret". I don't know! I read Amelia Grey's AN EARL TO ENCHANT and really enjoyed it, but I must confess that I do not excel in writing short blurbs. I am WAY too wordy for this!

Ebony McKenna. said...

I've been reading a real mix of things lately, mostly YA. Nicola Morgan's Wasted is not a romance per-se, but it's about young love and taking huge chances and risks. At the end of it, the reader tosses a coin and if it's heads, you read ending (a) and tails you read ending (b). It really messed with my head in a good way.

I've already ordered My Reckless Surrender through Book Depository, so now I'm biding my time until it arrives :-)

Fedora said...

Hi, Anna! Lovely way of backing into the topic :)

As for what I've been reading lately... let's see... antagonistic co-workers CAN. NOT. RESIST. each other; long, LONG unrequited love becomes requited; friendship and a few trustworthy and gracious people show a couple of poor urchins the Christmas sprit.

Those are three separate books, BTW :)

Nancy, keep that pesky GR occupied :)

Linda said...

Nerdy guy who is really dashing hero material & smart independent bluestocking heroine. I love intelligent heroines!

Nancy said...

Limecello, I like forbidden love stories, too. They raise the bar so high.

Thanks on the rooster. I have _plans_ for him!

Nancy said...

Anna, a "pitcher of the dragon?" Ouch! Besides, she's camera-shy. If only she'd been pitcher-shy at the party. *sigh*

Anyway, the union of enemies would be Strong Enough to Die, Jon Land's thriller about a female Texas Ranger and a guy who used to be a mob enforcer she put in prison.

The healing old wounds would be Dragon Unmasked, by Kathleen Nance. It's a paranormal. Lovers torn apart by disaster, guilt and blame find their way back to each other.

Nancy said...

Hey, Jeanne--Yes, yesterday was great fun. Sort of like a continuation of the party.

Except when I went to see Iron Man 2. You gotta go. You'll love it!

Yes, the rooster still has tailfeathers, though not for long if he keeps prancing around the dog. She doesn't like birds in general and noisy ones in particular.

PinkPeony said...

Hey Anna!
The last book I read was Annie's "Forgotten Mistress/Secret Love Child" and it was fantastic. Love the dark brooding hero and I'm a big fan of secret baby stories.
Thanks for the male derrieres too...if you get a chance, Google "David Gandy" he's the UK's top male model right now and he'd look fab on a book cover. Sigh.
Congrats on the GR, Nancy!

Unknown said...

Congrats Nancy on getting the GR today, watch him he has been with the golden hen yesterday, he may be a little frisky!

Let me see read Kay Thomas Bulletproof Bodyguard, not sure where I would place this one. Also read a Shirley Tallman mystery, but didn't have much romance in this one but a good book! Now Leigh Greenwood's When Love Comes is a Beauty and the Beast story also a great book!

mariska said...

Congrats Nancy !

I'd finished, Beverly Kendall's, Sinful surrender. a very sexy and good romance book. maybe i can put it as "a long time love".

then i continued with, Julia James' Practice makes perfect. 'enemies' become lovers.

now i'm reading, Chloe Neill, Firespell..just in the middle of page 7 :)

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

I think what I am reading now would be long time unrequited love becoming requited (fichen are we reading the same book?) with a little vengeance thrown in to keep things lively. In the same book we have a power struggle between two other characters and a forbidden love as well. Definitely keeping me on my toes.

I want my name in the hat too Anna!

Helen said...

Well done Nancy and what do you have planned for him today?

Anna
Great post and what a prize whoo hoo.

I have been with 4 of my grandchildren again today and the brain is mush but I will try I have just finished Margo Maguire's Taken By The Laird fantastic book the Heroine is running away to get out of a marrige organized by her family and the Hero is hiding a secret at his castle with a ghost so there is kinda Cinderella story with a bit of revenge in it as well oh I can't decide LOL. I am reading Nalini Singh's Archangels Kiss at the moment and I have no idea what to call that one.

Love your pictures you know how much I loce elephants.

Have Fun
Helen

Helen said...

Oh Anna have I told you lately how much I want to read this book and to describe it as a ticking bomb romance YAY makes me want it even more.

Congrats on the review awesome

Have Fun
Helen

Donna MacMeans said...

I've been reading young adult books lately which don't have the same themes as adult romances. The two I most recently read would be a teenage pregnancy and the second a coming of age story.

With my books, The Education of Mrs. Brimley was a Victorian striptease - and I must admit that having distilled that plot into two words did attract the attention of editors. The Trouble with Moonlight was a story of secrets, The Seduction of a Duke was an arranged marriage with issues of identity.

Love the cover, Anna. That bright yellow definitely catches the eye.

Unknown said...

Thanks Donna you just told me how to describe Kay Thomas Bulletproof Bodyguard, it was a story of secrets all through the book! Great read too! As you can see I read a little of everything and change around a lot!

Jane said...

Congrats on the GR, Nancy.

Hi Anna,
Congrats on the upcoming release. I can't wait to read your ticking time bomb book. A few of the books I've read recently feature reunited lovers including Christy Reece's "No Chance" and Barbara Freethy's "On Shadow Beach."

Unknown said...

Oh an Anna I just love the cover of your new book, very eye catching and I can't wait to read it. Your books are awesome!

Suzi Love said...

Anna,
Sounds like another best seller coming there with your new book,
Can't wait to get my hands on it,
I always love seeing if you can out do yourself with your latest sexy hero,
And personally, I've always been a sucker for the good old - girl/boy friends reunite as adults to solve a drama and realise they still loove each other despite all the angst in the middle. Sigh!
Nothing like true love conquering all,
Suzi

Helen said...

Yes thanks Donna I would have to say that Margo Maguire's Taken By The Laird is also a story of secrets

Helen

Sharon Archer said...

A fun blog, Anna - the picture of the elephant rear ends is cute!

I love the cover and the inside picture for My Reckless Surrender. There's something very appealing about the line of Diana's back, isn't there!

Congratulations on the fabulous review for My Reckless Surrender! I'm looking forward to adding another Anna Campbell to my shelf!

As for reading... I haven't squeezed any in for a wee while! I need a fix! And a "ticking time bomb" sounds like just the thing!

:)
Sharon

peggy said...

I would would have to say about the book i'm just finished is a mix between beauty and the beast and cinedrella story with a happily everafter ending.

Anna Campbell said...

Ooh, Marie, I love should we/shouldn't we books! And they always DO! Sounds great! That's another genre I missed!

Anna Campbell said...

That Jeanne makes her guests work hard - I speak from experience ;-) Oops! I'd better watch my mouth or there'll be trouble! Nancy and Jeanne, I loved your Mother's Day post!

Anna Campbell said...

Jeanne, I gather you're another forbidden love fan? I think there's such high stakes in FL stories!

Anna Campbell said...

Bronwyn, I love your descriptions of MRS. And of course, you've put your finger on one of the major themes - can a love born in deception be a real love? Can people really know each other when there have been so many lies. I started the book with the line "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive". Which I always thought was Shakespeare - but I looked it up a few days ago and it's actually Sir Walter Scott. Whooda thunk it?

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Laney, you're a GREAT poet. You don't need to be able to write short blurbs. Love that poem you wrote for our blogiversary! Actually love the sound of the courtesan book. But then I've got a weakness for courtesan books, snort!

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, thanks, Ebs! And congratulations on the release of ONDINE: THE SUMMER OF SHAMBLES! I giggled when you did that Facebook post about the British election being a shambles and it not being your character's fault! Snork! That's a joke worthy of the lair. So glad you're looking forward to MRS. Actually I think having to choose the ending WOULD mess with my head! I like someone to hold my hand and take me through the forest!

Anna Campbell said...

Fedora, I'm glad you clarified that that was three different books. I was thinking that was one doozy of a story! Snort! By the way, huzzah on the 'backing' joke! I actually really like opposites attract and hate into love books - they're always full of great dialogue!

Anna Campbell said...

Ooh, Linda, what is that book? Sounds delicious!

Hey, guys, tell me the NAMES of the books!!! How am I going to get into the Guinness Book of World Records with my TBR pile otherwise!

Anna Campbell said...

Nancy, those books sound great! Thanks for telling me! You know, the Book Depository needs contributions for their Anna Campbell wing, snork!

Anna Campbell said...

Ooh, I wonder if the GR and the dog is going to be a hatred into love story! Keep us updated, Nancy!

Unknown said...

I love ticking bomb romances. They're so hard to put down! I've been reading research books lately so no descriptions from me unless you count history geek gets stuck in time. ;)

Anna, I can't wait to read MY RECKLESS SURRENDER, more so after your post. That gorgeous cover is going to brighten up winter down here. (Don't put me in the draw as I have it on order.)

And congratulations to the Banditas on your anniversary! The blog's always such fun!

Anna Campbell said...

Jen, I'm sorry, you have TOO much time on your hands, snork!

I seem to be doing a lot of snorking lately. Must be a leftover from the hangover!

Wow, he's mighty purty! So glad you loved Annie's latest. I think it's great - no wonder it hit the USA Today list! Definitely a secret baby one. And an amnesia one! She's great at combining her themes to create something really powerful.

Anna Campbell said...

Virginia, sounds like the rooster still has plenty of vinegar in spite of his wicked dalliances. Sounds like you've been doing some interesting reading. Beauty and the Beast is such a diehard, isn't it?

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Mariska, I've read Beverley's book - definitely friends into lovers. As you say, long-time love fulfilled which is a lovely theme!

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Dianna, your name is definitely in the hat! I wonder how big a hat I'll need. A teeny weeny little fascinator or a great big shovel Victorian bonnet! Sounds like you're having fun in your reading!

Anna Campbell said...

Helen, the elephants were specially for you! I DO know how you love elephants! The romance about the castle sounds really interesting - gotta love a ghost!

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, thanks, Helen! You can tell me as often as you want how much you're looking forward to this book. I'm tough. I can take it, LOL!

Anna Campbell said...

Donna, I've been blessed with covers, haven't I? Mind you, you have too! I got a couple of the Aussie editions this week. Wow, they're gorgeous! Love your description of your stories. It really does help if you can distill a story down to those few words, doesn't it? Courtesan was a Pretty Woman by candlelight. Untouched was a Regency noir Beauty and the Beast. Tempt the Devil was a Regency noir Affair to Remember. Are you picking up a slight theme here, snort! Captive of Sin was a Regency noir marriage of convenience!

Anna Campbell said...

Jane, I love reunion stories. I've just written a blog for the release of The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance where my story (it's 50 pages, I refuse to call it a short story, LOL!) is about a reunion. It's always fascinating seeing people heal the wounds of the past, isn't it?

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, thanks, Virginia! I'm really excited about this one - it's definitely my naughtiest one yet, snork!

Oh, no, there's that snork again. And I can't even blame the Rooster. He's off behaving himself with Nancy (we hope!).

Anna Campbell said...

Suzi, I don't think any of us ever get sick of true love conquering all. I know I don't. Thanks so much for those lovely words about the books - I think you'll like Tarquin!

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Miss Sharon, those sound like fairly heavy hints! Would you go as far as some serious bribery? I think I'd be open to that, LOL! Glad you like my elephants! I wanted a sort of line of naked cabana boys from the back but couldn't find one. Thanks for saying you love the cover. I wish I had a back like Diana's!

Anna Campbell said...

Peggy, that sounds lovely. As I said, there's definitely a touch of Cinderella in MRS. I think you can't go wrong with those fairytale themes.

Anna Campbell said...

Hello, lovely Cheryl! Thank you for ordering MRS. Shouldn't be long now! It was funny - I thought and thought about a short description of MRS. And of course, it's one of those secrets stories where when the secrets come out, the sh*t hits the fan, not to put too fine a point on it, snork! Enjoy your history reading. I'm on a kick of reading writer interviews. Perhaps I'm looking for inspiration!

Kim in Baltimore said...

I just finished Miranda Neville's A Wild Marquis, which I won here! At the very bottom of the story, rare books brought two people together.

Now I would like to get to the bottom of how there are 54 comments by 10 pm in Hawaii - that's 4 am on the East Coast. Maybe that Golden Rooster is waking up his favorite readers to alert them to ARC giveaways! I’ll make a deal with you, GR. Come wake me in Hawaii when the Banditas post the ARC giveaways and I’ll give you the number of the wild hens on Kauai.

Gillian Layne said...

Friends to lovers has been the common theme of what I've read lately. Works well in romance!

Huge congrats of those reviews! Can't wait to get my hands on Reckless. :)

Marisa O'Neill said...

Hi Anna - I'm on tenterhooks waiting to read MY RECKLESS SURRENDER! I honestly can not wait and have pre-ordered my copy in great anticipation. A 'ticking time bomb plot' - I'm in, all the way in. I've been waiting a year for this book!

Summarizing a book?? I feel the same way when I have to write a review - how to succinctly state the premise of the book with out giving too much away - yet tell enough so readers know what the book is about. You'll find me sitting at my computer for hours. You'd think I was actually writing the book! Sheesh!

I just finished reading Stormwalker by Allyson James - In about 20 words it's the story of Matricide - young Janet must kill her evil Goddess mother using the power of a storm in order to save the world.

Tiffany Clare said...

I'm so excited about this upcoming release, Anna!!!

My recent reading? Hmm, my reading selections lately have been reckless women seducers and dark mysterious heroes that kick ass :)

And love the 'ticking time bomb' romance! What an awesome description. I like those kinds. A lot.

Buffie said...

My, oh my, Anna! The term "tighty whiteys" just doesn't do that picture justice!!! Thanks for the great visual ;-)

The book I'm currently reading is perfectly described in its title "Enemy Lover".

Kristi said...

Hi Anna! I just started reading one under the 'forbidden love' category.. Can't tell you too much about it cuz I'm only at the beginning! Of course I know I will love it because she is an awesome author.. and it takes place in Scotland, which I love. Ravished by a Highlander by Paula Quinn.

Ruth C. said...

Just finished reading a non-fiction book that could still be characterized as suspenseful courtroom drama.

My reading time has been severely copromised lately. And since I was computer deprived for a few weeks, (just got new laptop hooked up to internet on Thurs.) I am so far behind that I will need to live to be 899 to catch up.

work and other commitments have really cut into my "me time" AKA "reading time".

My TBR pile has grown and is groaning.!!!!!

Really would like to have this book, so if I do not win the bid for this in Brenda Novak's Auction I will have to hunt it down at the store. (Or win it here, maybe?)

gamistress66 said...

I finished "The Secret Duke" yesterday morning and guess it could be discribed – masquerading hidden identities & scandel’s revenge.

Must be tough having to research for male butt shots ;) We appreciate your taking on the challenge Anna :D

Susan Sey said...

Ooooh, I just finished Kristan Higgin's Next Best Thing, & it was totally a suppressed/secret love story. I adored it. I find that when the love has been suppressed for so long, that final scene where everything is finally just out on the table to take or leave is so dramatic. The stakes are just huge.

Big, happy sigh. :-)

Marnee Bailey said...

I'm in a reading slump too. I read Sherrilyn Kenyon's Bad Moon Rising recently. That was pretty much Romeo and Juliet with shifters.

Great blog, Anna. And I loved the pics. ;)

Hellie Sinclair said...

Hmm, I just finished reading Comanche Heart, and it was friends into lovers. I would say it's predecessor, which I also read, was Romeo and Juliet (an Indian in love with a white girl, definitely star-crossed, definitely no one backing them on their ill-fated love affair.)

The one I'm writing is a "reunion" story, of sorts.

jo robertson said...

Hubba, hubba on the cover, Anna! Such color, such beauty, such form!

Hey, Nancy, congrats on getting the rooster. Maybe you can extend Mother's Day with a little help from him.

I'm so bad at condensing stories into the most basic element. I want to blather on and on about plot and character. But I'm working on a m/s right now that I'm calling Noir Young Adult (hope it gets past the censors!). It's a marriage of Heroes and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Anna, I can't wait for the release of this book! Love the storyline of My Reckless Surrender.

Okie said...

Great blog and I Love the tighty whitey rear view ;) I just finished reading a book called Old Magic and I enjoyed it. But it wasn't till after the intent was made known, and that was quite a ways into the story, that I really enjoyed it.

Theresa N. said...

I would have to say "Enemies on the path to love." Love the cover on the book it's a beauty very eye catching. :)

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Ah Anna, can't wait to read this book. I adore ticking bomb romances.

Alas, the book I just finished wasn't a romance, but The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry. If I had to describe his writing style it would be Ludlum meets a college history course.

Kirsten said...

I just finished Elizabeth Boyle's How I met my Countess & I liked it.

I would describe it as: unlikely yet interesting couple gets a second chance on love.

An entertaining historical that you should try sometime.

Nancy said...

Virginia, thanks for the congrats. So far, we've swept the Lair and washed the tablecloths. Roosters actually can fold large fabrics if they work at it. It seems a growling yellow lab provides wonderful motivation.

I love Leigh Greenwood's books. That one is on my TBR pile (along with so many others, alas).

Nancy said...

Laney4 wrote: "Expected courtesan really a virgin with a deadly secret".

Have you ever written headlines? That reads like one. Sounds fabulous!

Nancy said...

Marisa, I was looking at Stormwalker and was kind of on the fence about it. After reading your description, I'll go look again and probably pick it up.

Nancy said...

Kim said: Now I would like to get to the bottom of how there are 54 comments by 10 pm in Hawaii - that's 4 am on the East Coast.

I think it's a secret Australian and Pacific Nations conspiracy combined with Europeans who're several hours ahead and US night owls. Must be. *g*

There were 70 when I logged on a few minutes ago. Y'all are burning up the blog today.

Nancy said...

Mariska, thanks for the congrats. I'm keeping the bird too busy to get into trouble, a project that has the dog's wholehearted support.

If you like Firespell, please sing out. It's on my TBR pile.

Janga said...

Honestly I don’t need a blurb to persuade me to read MRS, Anna. Your name on the cover is enough.

But I do love a challenge, so here goes with two new reads and a reread of an old favorite that I’ve just begun:

A virtuous sister/wayward sister story in which the heroine discovers the pleasures of Courtesan’s Court and the hero discovers the power of love. (Mistress by Mistake by Maggie Robinson)

A friends-to-lovers tale in which a heroine with a conscience and a talent for well-intentioned disasters brings an arrogant earl to his knees. (Sex and the Single Earl by Vanessa Kelly)

A fairy tale with a twist in which a Cinderella with a dream and Prince Less Than Charming discover themselves, each other, and a totally satisfying HEA. (Tallie’s Knight by Anne Gracie)

Nikki said...

Hello! Hello! Hope everyone is all rested up from the "Yay for 3 Years Bash"!

I've come to realize lately I'm a sucker for Beauty & the Beast tales. Not only is the story I'm currently writing a B&B, many of my go-to favorites seem to fall into that category too.

I just finished rereading (for the gazillionith time lol) Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels and it's always a pleasure to get that HEA where a man can be tamed and healed by a woman who can see pasts his flaws. *sigh*

Great post! I agree there is much female bottom biased out that and I believe that situation should be rectified ASAP! To help the cause, I'll be posting some pictures of my hubby's perfect derriere shortly... ;)

Christie Kelley said...

Anna, I've never been good at condensing story lines. I've read all the posts and quite honestly I'm still at a loss on how to phrase this book. Part of the problem may be I didn't love it. I read the entire thing but it didn't do it for me. I was far more interested in the secondary characters than the hero and heroine.

Deb said...

I just finished Kate Noble's THE SUMMER OF YOU. I would say it is a little of a Beauty and the Beast story, but really a friends to lovers story.

Terri Osburn said...

Just for you, Anna.

http://tinyurl.com/3468atk

The ticking bomb is serious lacking in so many books I read lately. If the story and characters are really well done, I let it slide. But I miss that "edge of my seat" feeling as I turn the pages frantically.

I have a black moment planned that I hope will put readers on the edge of their seats. Fingers crossed!

I want this ARC! (Just had to get that out. LOL!)

Anna Campbell said...

Whooeeeee, Kim! I've heard of the wild hens of Kauai! They make the semi-wild hens of Sydney look like wusses! ;-)

Actually I think a lot of the comments are insomniac Banditas and Bandita Buddies plus a couple of Aussies. Midnight when the post goes up is only 2pm here in Oz.

I'm so glad you enjoyed Miranda's book. She's such a great guest!

Virginia C said...

Hi, Anna! Elephants are beautiful : )

I just read "Good Girl or Gold-Digger" by Kate Hardy. The hero and heroine are both afraid to trust that someone can love them for who they are, not what they have to offer in a material manner. They both "have issues". What makes this story so unique and appealing is its gorgeous, very insecure hero, Felix. He's masculine, but not dominating. Attractive, but no Alpha. Due to unkind words from his ex-fiancee, he sees himself as a dull bank account, not a loveable hunk! What fun to thoroughly convince him of his hunkiness!!!

Debra McGill said...

Oh Anna. I'm running a fever, but crawled over here to say ME, ME, ME! I'm reading Claiming the Courtesan right now. Except my eyes are wonky, my throat hurts and I need to go back to sleep. Have a heart for a sick sister, will ya? MWAH!

Debra Key Newhouse, aka Debra McGill

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, thanks, Gillian! Not long now - just two weeks! I love friends to lovers romances!

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Marisa, only two weeks to go! How cool is that? Wow! The weird thing about summarizing what a book is about is that I think it's harder if you've actually written the story. You don't have the necessary distance. You see a mass of detail when you look at it and of course, you can't hit people with a mass of detail when they ask what your book is about. That matricide book sounds really high stakes! Love it!

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

Anna Campbell said...
I wonder how big a hat I'll need. A teeny weeny little fascinator or a great big shovel Victorian bonnet!

Anna, everyone wants your arc so it had better be the Victorian.

It looks like we are trying to rival the blogiversary bash at least in number.

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Tiffany, great to see you here. I bet you're getting excited about the release of SURRENDER OF A LADY in September. And wow, that cover's gorgeous! Hmm, that yellow looks familiar, LOL! Hey, all those reckless seductions, love it!

Anna Campbell said...

Buffie, I assume you're talking about my pale elephants, LOL! He's got a great back, hasn't he? Well, backside, too, but it's a GREAT back! I love that sometimes the title says it all - find that with the Harlequins. I mean, Forgotten Mistress, Secret Love-Child kinda gives away the themes in spades, doesn't it?

Anna Campbell said...

Kristi, I've seen so many fabulous reviews for Ravished by a Highlander. It sounds great - I think Paula had me at that title, frankly. 'Ravished', 'Highlander'? I'm SOOOOO there!

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Ruth, are you one of the wonderful bidders at Brenda Novak? THANK YOU!

I'm auctioning off a pack of two of the Aussie trade paperbacks with their gorgeous gothic covers (not the covers on BN which are the US ones). Signed CAPTIVE OF SIN and signed MY RECKLESS SURRENDER. Neither of these editions were for sale in North America so they should definitely be talking points in any romance lover's library! http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=1695151

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, guys, and check out the fabulous Bandita goodies at Brenda Novak:

http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=1775969

That's a fantastic prize!

Anna Campbell said...

By the way, Ruth, so glad you're back on line. My computer died a few weeks ago and I felt like I'd been stuck in an isolation ward! I even got to a stage where I missed the Rooster ;-)

Anna Campbell said...

Gamistress, I suffer to keep you guys happy. All I ask is a little thanks for all my pain and a smile when you see the results of my hard work. Snort! Yeah, looking for the butts was a major pain in the...butt, NOT! Actually there's some secret identity stuff going on with MY RECKLESS SURRENDER - great, I've got another topic for a blog! THANK YOU! You can help me look for butts next time as a reward!

Anna Campbell said...

Ooh, Susan, that sounds lovely. Sounds like that could have counted as a ticking bomb story too. By the way, whenever I write that, I start thinking of BOOM books that Nancy and Jeanne love. But of course, it's not an ACTUAL bomb! It's those secrets that you know are going to come out and shatter everything. Yum! Can't wait!

Anna Campbell said...

Snort, Marnee. Only a paranormal person would sound so blase about Romeo and Juliet with shifters! Gave me a giggle. Actually Romeo and Juliet is a GREAT plot theme - all those themes of duty and forbidden love and family loyalty versus loyalty to the beloved. Yum, yum, yum! That Shakespeare guy knew a thing or two about high stakes emotion!

Anna Campbell said...

Hellion, actually it's fun to look at our reading and come up with the themes, isn't it? I've been on a bit of a nonfiction kick lately - editing really hard and fiction gets in the way. I think the last romance I read was WHAT THE LIBRARIAN DID by Karina Bliss (great!). It's definitely opposites attract - the hero is a rock star and the heroine, no surprises, is a librarian. There's also a fish out of water theme going on with that - the rock star has gone back to uni. Oh, not to mention a secret baby plot. What a yummy plum pudding of a book!

Anna Campbell said...

Wow, Jo, for someone who says she's no good at high concept log lines, Buffy meets Heroes works for me! I used to launch into a summary of the plot when people asked me about my books, and believe me, it's not the way to win friends and influence people. So glad you love the cover - it's gorgeous, isn't it?

Anna Campbell said...

Okie, Old Magic sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out. Actually sometimes it's fun to pick up a book thinking it's one sort of romance and then you find out it's another. Ha ha! You're talking about the elephants too, aren't you?

Anna Campbell said...

Thanks, Theresa! I really enjoy the enemies fall in love plot line as long as it's not all bickering. That can get a bit much very quickly. But if the conflict holding them apart is really meaty, that's such a luscious basis for a really compelling romance.

Anna Campbell said...

Drew, Paul seems to be turning in Mr. Campbell (oh, I wish!). He's a mighty nice-looking man, isn't he? The 'Beast' in the title kinda gives away the Hoyt's theme, doesn't it? Actually she's a bit like me - we both seem to go back to BATB even when we don't mean to, LOL! I'm looking forward to reading the MJP. She was the keynote speaker at our last Aussie conference and she's delightful!

Anna Campbell said...

That should be 'turning INTO'!

Anna Campbell said...

Suz, I think Ludlum meets a college history course might have me awake all night! Sounds great! Thanks for saying you're looking forward to MRS coming out!

Anna Campbell said...

Kirsten, I've got the EB on the TBR pile. Mind you, I think the Abominable Snowman and the Yeti are on my TBR pile. And they'll never, NEVER be found! Snort. Actually I love the unlikely couple falling love plot. The one I'm writing at the moment has that kind of theme with a bit of Ugly Duckling and secret identity thrown in for good measure. Having fun with it!

Anna Campbell said...

Nancy, it sounds like enemies into lovers is stalling on the enemies bit at your house. And how did you get him working - he always claims it's not in his contract when he visits me. Although I must say showing him some KFC ads generally gets him going! ;-)

Anna Campbell said...

Nancy, when Avon offered me another ARC to give away, I was so grateful. I'm really pleased that we're getting such a great turnout today!

Syar said...

Cowboy romances lately... But I love a good historical and the ticking time bomb really works for me...I love when I can't wait to flip the page to see what is going to happen next.

Nancy said...

Anna wrote: And how did you get him working - he always claims it's not in his contract when he visits me.

Having a large dog he fears helps.

Alas, but I have an exam to make up and grading to do. Will be back later. You certainly are getting a lot of great book suggestions, though.

Whoever wins that ARC will be very lucky. That's one smokin' cover, and I'm sure the story will live up to it.

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Janga, what a lovely compliment. Thank you!

Do you know what made me laugh? Yours is the first post where I've read EVERY book! I read Maggie's book in manuscript - and oh, man, I needed a cold shower afterwards. It's a really sexy read! Ditto with Vanessa's - I love to see Mr. I'm in Charge of My World come a cropper! Such fun. And that's a perfect description of Tallie's Knight.

Actually just before the Karina Bliss, I re-read Sylvester by Georgette H after many years and loved it. But it completely falls into the category you've put Tallie's Knight in. Wouldn't have twigged that unless you'd posted today!

Anna Campbell said...

Nikki, laughing at your husband's perfect derriere! What a man! ;-)

Actually I'm a sucker for BATB stories too. Lord of Scoundrels is one of the really classic ones. And like Beauty in the original fairytale, Jessica needs to be really brave and resourceful to turn her beast into a prince. Lovely!

Anna Campbell said...

Christie, that can happen, can't it? Actually Christine and I run a workshop on condensing proposals down to a few lines and it's interesting - sometimes when people have real trouble with it, it's because THEY don't know what their story is about at the deepest level. A really worthwhile exercise!

Anna Campbell said...

Deb, friends to lovers meets BATB? Sounds great! I've heard wonderful things about Kate's book! It's definitely on my radar.

Anna Campbell said...

Hi Terri, me old buccaneer matey! Oh, man, I think I'm going to get pictures of men's butts from now until doomsday! Mind you, that was a very spectacular and rather patriotic one, snort! The old ticking bomb thing (as in actual TBs and things that are going to come out in the wash, much as the characters don't want them to) really does work to keep you turning pages, doesn't it? Hope that's the case with MRS! And good luck in the draw!

Anna Campbell said...

Virginia, that sounds delicious. I love Kate's stories but I haven't read that one. I love the zero to hero plot. And a geek transformed always works for me - there's a couple of secondary romances in Susan Elizabeth Phillips's books that have that theme and they're such fun. I love the moment when the worm turns! I just sit and wait for it!

Anna Campbell said...

Hi Debra! I'm sure Courtesan will have you feeling better in no time, Och aye the snort! Sorry to hear you're sick - hope you're recovering soon! Good luck for the draw! I must say, the crawling over broken glass tone of your post definitely puts you in contention, LOL!

Anna Campbell said...

Dianna, wouldn't that be cool? We've had such a big week in the lair and I've got to say the Banditas LOVE it!

Getting out my coal scuttle bonnet as we speak. Actually I went to an exhibition of hats at the local art gallery a few weeks ago and they really DID have a coal scuttle bonnet from the mid-19th century. Wearing it would have been like wearing blinkers. You wouldn't have been able to see anything except what was right in front of you.

Anna Campbell said...

Sori, that dramatic tension on every page really works, doesn't it? I know I've had dark circles under my eyes after sitting up all night to find out what happens next. I always promise myself I'll finish at the end of the chapter but then invariably the chapter ends with a cliffhanger and I'm there until the bitter end! Fun!

Anna Campbell said...

Thanks, Nancy! Maybe you can get the Rooster helping with the marking. And then, maybe not! LOL!

gamistress66 said...

Anna wrote... You can help me look for butts next time as a reward!

well, if you really need the help and you twist my arm (please ;) ) I suppose I can help out. Maybe an live hands on audition should be held. You know just in case such pic's are needed. sometime, maybe ? :) please? :);)

Peggy M. said...

Hi Anna,

The last book I read was about that your dreams aren't always that nice in reality bus reality is sometimes better than your dreams ;o)

Mitzi H. said...

Hi Anna, can't wait for your new book!!! I just finished One Reckless Summer by Toni Blake.....Hmmm, how to describe? Good girl learns how to be bad with Big Beautiful Bad Boy? But then that's good, right???

mitzihinkey at sbcglobal dot net

Anna Campbell said...

Peggy, that's another mainstay, isn't it? I love the wisdom of stories like that - and they nearly always leave me with a satisfied smile.

Anna Campbell said...

Ooh, good girl discovers her inner naughtiness is always a great one! At base, I think of those as transformation stories and they're always wonderful. Cinderella is another transformation story. Great choice, Mitzi!

Fedora said...

Hee, Anna! I tend to love those "hate him! what a dork!" turns into "I can't resist jumping his gorgeous... bottom!" stories, too! In case you're curious, my three were:
Sarah Mayberry's Her Secret Fling, SM's Her Best Friend, and Anne Perry's The Christmas Promise. Because of course, our rivaling TBRs must be added to regularly! :)

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Well, we do enjoy getting to the BOTTOM of things here in the Lair! ;-) But the poor Cabana boys, lately they can't get one mess cleaned up before the next is started. However, I do note that we've never had so much as ONE of them quit. ;-)

Fo, I don't know HOW your publisher will top this cover. It is simply GORGEOUS! And the step-back?!?! OOOO LA LA!

I'm really not good at condensing stories down to a single theme or one concept. But Janga you are GREAT at it! Would you please help me with mine?!?!

AC

gamistress66 said...

(rolls eyes, shakes head, groans slightly)

Anna -- please, human male only

old enough but not too old too please (just thought I'd further clarify to be safe around here) :)

Anna Campbell said...

Fedora, Her Secret Fling definitely falls into the hatred into love category. Love that book! And it's a road trip book too which I think is great. I've got the Best Friend book on the TBR. Don't know the Anne Perry - must check it out!

Anna Campbell said...

AC, it HAS been a huge week in the lair. And it's only getting started. Yeesh! Thanks for saying you love the cover - I love that sexy twinkle in her eyes. You know she's up to no good!

Janga, I think you're wanted! Here, take this margarita. ;-)

Anna Campbell said...

Actually, Gamistress, baby bottoms can be cute too ;-) But yeah, I hear you!

runner10 said...

Anna,
I am currently reading Karen Robard's "Shameless". I am only on chapter 6. It puts me in the mind of runaway bride.
Waiting anxiously for My Reckless Surrender.

pjpuppymom said...

Great blog, Anna! Hey Nancy, congrats (condolences?) on nabbing the GR!

Anna, you already know how much I adore My Reckless Surrender. It's fabulous and "ticking time bomb" describes it perfectly!

I'm no good at condensing stories down to their basic core but I'll give it a try. I finished an ARC last night that I would describe as, "from suspicion to love with canine assistance."

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Anna said:Jeanne, I gather you're another forbidden love fan? I think there's such high stakes in FL stories!

Absolutely! I also love what Cassondra calls "Crucible stories" where the lovers are in high stakes environments and situations.

Okie said...

yup! Those are are the one's I'm talkin about ;)

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, thanks, Runner! Not long to go now! Ooh, a runaway bride story. That sounds great!

Anna Campbell said...

Snort, PJ, from suspicion to love with canine assistance sounds like my friend Kandy Shepherd's sparkling LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD! You gotta watch that canine assistance! Thanks for saying how much you enjoyed MRS! And I'm so glad you agree with my definition of it - when I was writing it, I kept thinking, "Oh, man, this is going to be such a disaster when the truth comes out!"

Anna Campbell said...

Jeanne, crucible stories is a great description. Actually I think ALL my books are crucible stories. Stick em in that dish and turn up the heat and watch what chemical reaction you get - generally an explosive one! Snork!

Pat Cochran said...

Finished Annie West's Forgotten
Mistress this weekend, loved it!
then finished Secret Baby, Public
Affair by Yvonne Lindsay last night. In this book, the h/h are brought together by what they perceive as family needs...and a pregnancy! Life's realities lead them to a common ground which seems to be what they really want!!
Next up: Carol Marinelli's Wedlocked: Banished Sheikh, Untouched Queen, book one in the
Dark-Hearted Desert Men series!
Those desert men call to me every
time!

Pat Cochran

Wendi said...

Yikes! When I first read this fun article Anna, there were only a few comments! Boy what a difference it makes to come back later!

Loved your post and the sound of your new book!! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy and read/review it! :) It sounds like your heroine might just be getting in over her head... always fun.

I recently read an ARC for Barely A Lady by Eileen Dreyer... sort of a darker historical, which I loved. Here is what I would say for it: A gripping historical romance about young love betrayed, second chances, trust and forgiveness... All neatly wrapped in a story that takes place in 1815, surrounding the battlefields near Brussels.

Take care! Wendi

Janga said...

I wish I could come up with those clever high concepts. Alas! My attempts are usually disastrous. The only one I've ever done that I am pleased with was for a review I did on my blog last month for Jean Brashear's The Goddess of Fried Okra, from the title on a wonderful read: Eudora Welty meets Sue Monk Kidd, and they have lunch with Fannie Flagg.

pjpuppymom said...

Snort, PJ, from suspicion to love with canine assistance sounds like my friend Kandy Shepherd's sparkling LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD!

Actually, Anna, it's her next sparkling book, HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS! :)

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Pat, sounds like you're on a Harlequin kick. So glad you loved Annie's book - I love how she plays with the classic themes and makes it such an emotional journey for the characters. Looking forward to Carol's story. Would you believe I'm doing a workshop with Yvonne next weekend in Adelaide in South Australia? By the way, look out for Annie's entry in the Dark Desert Men lot. It's called Scandal: His Majesty's Love-Child and it's a doozy. He's one of my favorite heroes of hers - really dark and tortured and wonderful. You'll love him!

Anna Campbell said...

Wendi, great to hear about your reading! Ha ha! You need to be up early to catch the worm in this joint! And you're right about my heroine - she imagines it's all going to be easy and of course, it never is! Tears before bedtime are a guarantee, snort!

Anna Campbell said...

Janga, I had to giggle - your high concept meant nothing to me because I haven't read any of those writers! Clearly I need to pull my finger out! And I think you did a brilliant job with your three precis!

Anna Campbell said...

PJ, I didn't realize Kandy's arcs for the next one were out yet. I wondered, though - seemed too much of a coincidence. I've only read the opening of Home Is Where the Bark Is. Looked like another winner (at Cruft's?) to me!

Pam P said...

Tick, Tock! Just love that cover every time I see it, Anna.

Just read Some Like it Wild by Teresa Medeiros. Heroine convinces highwayman she meets to masquerade as long-lost heir.

Anna Campbell said...

Pam, love secret identity plots - as I said MRS definitely has elements of that. And the new book has too! The TM sounds delish!

Beth said...

Oh Anna, if you want a great picture from behind just Google the Born in the USA album by Bruce Springsteen. Blue jean clad bums (pardon the pun) ROCK!

The current book I am reading can be described as "four late-twenty somethings in business together find their own dreams while planning dream weddings."

Janga said...

Anna, I bet you'd like Jean's books even if you've never read the three writers of the American South I mentioned. Have you seen the movies Fried Green Tomatoes (based on Fannie Flagg's book Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe) or The Secret Life of Bees (based on Sue Monk Kidd's novel of the same title)? The books are better. :)

Anna Campbell said...

Ooh, Beth, that's a fab album cover (you're talking to a child of the 80s!). I had a picture in my mind of kind of a reverse chorus line with lots of great male bums lined up. But couldn't find one. Could find plenty of nice individuals but I wanted a lot. Bruce is definitely on my list! Hey, love the sound of the current book!

Anna Campbell said...

Janga, hanging head in shame, haven't seen either of those movies although obviously I've heard of them. Must check them out! I find we have similar tastes so if you like them, I suspect I will!

pjpuppymom said...

Janga, hanging head in shame, haven't seen either of those movies although obviously I've heard of them. Must check them out! I find we have similar tastes so if you like them, I suspect I will!

I agree with Janga, Anna. The movies are good but the books are so much better!

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, PJ, thanks for the recommendation!

Gannon Carr said...

I just finished ONE ENCHANTED EVENING by Lynn Kurland. I'd describe it as "time traveling Cinderella."

Anna Campbell said...

Gannon, time traveling Cinderella? That sounds great!

Marisa O'Neill said...

Nancy - definitely pick up Stormwalker, you will not be sorry- great paranormal romance,couldn't put it down.

((ANNA)) I can not imagine writing a book. But beyond that after sweating, slaving, laughing, crying, and pouring my heart and soul into a book, if someone asked me to give them a brief summary of my labor of love, I'd either tell them to go read the book or deck them. OH WAIT! I use to ask authors that very same question all the time. Yikes - I'm hiding my head in shame.

Anna Campbell said...

Ha ha, Marisa! See? You were one of the torturers!!!! Actually I love it when people can take the story down to a great soundbite. I remember Colleen Gleason describing her Gardella Chronicles as Buffy in the Regency. Now, doesn't that get you intrigued right up? Very clever. And I think it's a great exercise for a writer - seriously. If painful! VERRRRRRRY painful. Snork! Piling on the guilt here. Is it working?

Louisa Cornell said...

Wow, you have been busy yet again! Of course the Lair is THE place to be on the Net!

Nancy! You got the GR. You are one of the few people who can keep his Royal Featheredness in line! Get him!

Just finished C.S. Harris's What Remains of Heaven. LOVED it! I would have to call it your basic "secrets and lies" story.

CTC was definitely Beauty and the Beast while I think Untouched was more of a Sleeping Beauty type story.

Donna's The Education of Mrs. Brimley struck me as a Pygmalion type story.

My second GH manuscript The Raven's Heart I dubbed "Jane Eyre meets The Medium"

The book I just started His Charming Seductress I have said is "Sense and Sensibility meets the Addams Family."

Laurie Logan said...

Hmmm... I'm terrible about getting to the bottom line. I liked the bottom picture you posted, though, very much. Thanks!

I'm going to describe one of my latest reads as two wounded souls finding solace and love in one another. Anna, I think you could probably describe Captive of Sin that way too.

Gannon Carr said...

Marisa, STORMWALKER is next on my TBR pile. So glad you like it! Can't wait to dive in.

Gannon Carr said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anna Campbell said...

Louisa, I loved What Remains of Heaven (it's my review book at the Romance Dish on the 24th May so you'll have to pop over and share your thoughts). I think Sebastian is the most gorgeous tortured hero!

Hey, you're darn good at these high concept lines. I can see the Sleeping Beauty connection with Untouched - the whole estate separated from the rest of the world has something of the enchanted castle about it, doesn't it? Although there are definitely snakes in this enchanted castle! I think Tempt the Devil has Sleeping Beauty elements too - definitely when it comes to Olivia.

Anna Campbell said...

Laurie, I definitely think you can describe COS that way. I thought of it as Beauty and the Beast again (how unusual, snork!). Although Gideon was hardly beastly - but he had that hiding his hideous self away from the world vibe that the Beast has and Charis really had to gear up her Beauty braving the impossible credentials to get him to rejoin the human race.

Glad you liked the butt! ;-)

Christine Wells said...

Sorry I'm so late to the party! The house hunt is on for young and old once again, plus paediatrician visits and goodness knows what else! Chook. Head. Cut Off. That's me!

I love the intensity of MY RECKLESS SURRENDER, and I know what you mean by the ticking time bomb plot. Reading MRS I spent most of the time saying Nooooooooooo!!!!!! Don't do it! Argh! I can't look! But of course I couldn't help looking, could I? And then there's that great black moment when the secrets all unravel and the magically triumphant ending. Fabulous stuff! Not surprised RT loved it. Looking forward to MRS being on the shelves, Foanna!

You've done my work for me with Scandal's Daughter, thanks! I'd say one of my favourite tropes is the 'worship from afar' romance where someone thought their case was hopeless but they've learned to live with it and then suddenly they grow a spine and revolt against the status quo and their true love sees them clearly for the first time. Liz Carlyle's WICKED ALL DAY was a little like that. Loved it!

Hmm, nice... gravitas, there, too!

Congrats on the rooster Nancy!!

Nancy said...

Fedora, the books you mentioned sound great. But it's a relief to know they're not all ONE book!

As for the GR, we've discovered that roosters can, with proper motivation, scrub toilets.

Sven is very happy. :-)

Nancy said...

Anna, glad you liked yesterday's post. You're really rocking along today!

Nancy said...

Re: the GR, thanks everyone for your good wishes. I apologize for not answering everyone individually. I hope you'll understand, as I'm elbow-deep in grading and just popping up for a minute.

The day's activities have included laundry, dusting (I did let him keep his tail feathers attached), and bathroom detail.

The GR has spoken longingly of p226 and long hikes in rough terrain. The dog and I are neither moved to pity nor jealous. The dh and the boy just think all of it is strange.

Nancy said...

Mariska, thanks for the recommendation. I'll go grab that book when I can get back to the store.

Nancy said...

Anna, the dog and the GR have the mutual hatred bit down pat. I don't see it progressing to anything more, er, positive.

Anna Campbell said...

Oh, no, Christine, the rooster saw the chook head cut off line and he's gone into meltdown! It's REALLY scary!

Snort, Christine! So glad you get my ticking bomb allusion. There were so many moments in the writing of it where I'm going, "Tell him! TELL HIM NOW!!! You think you're avoiding trouble but you're just storing it up. NOOOOOOO!" Yes, very exciting days when I was writing it! Snork!

Anna Campbell said...

Nancy, if roosters can scrub toilets, hand the varmint over!

Scorpio M. said...

I just read Charlotte Featherstone's, Sinful. Broken man finds true-love & healing in nursemaid.

Keira Soleore said...

The elephant picture sold me far more on the blog than the human picture. Oh, and Fo? You have more bottom than most folks I know, and I mean that in the sincerest form of praise.

Keira-with-a-halo

Anna Campbell said...

Scorpio, can't go past a redemption story. Actually I think at their most basic, most romance stories offer at least a soupcon of a redemption story!

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, it's Keira with a halo! Compared to our usual Keira with a hello! Laughed at you preferring the elephant pic to the human one!

Hey, I love the idea of having bottom in the Regency sense! I'm so used to having it in the REAL sense, snort!

Anna Campbell said...

Wow, what a great day in the lair. THANK YOU!

OK, guys, I'll pick the winner and put up the post to appear late tomorrow night. Good luck in the ARC draw!

Ruth C. said...

Yes, I have bid on tons of items again this year.

Last year I was successful in winning 109 bids -- hope to do as well this year.!!!

It is a great opportunity tosnag some great reads and prizes.

Since I don't get to a book store often, this is a real plus for me.

The Walden's/Borders was closed here in January.

Fedora said...

ROFL, Nancy! Glad the GR put some uh... muscle in it :) Glad he made himself useful! And as Anna said, fork that bird over! I could use some help over here, too!

Hope the grading's flying!

And Ruth, I'm terribly sorry, but those gorgeous trade editions are MINE! Anna, I have to have ones to match the others!! I must! :)

Anna Campbell said...

Ruth, it's so sad about bookstores closing all over the place, isn't it? Yay, you, for being such a great supporter of BN's auction. I think it's a wonderful cause and I always get such a kick out of participating every year! Hope you get lots of great stuff again this year. Did you see the Bandits Basket? Now, that's one bodacious prize!

Anna Campbell said...

Fedora, you KNOW I'm not exaggerating about how beautiful those trade paperbacks are. I've been drooling over the latest one, MRS, since it arrived. Not a pretty sight. Uh, that's me, not the book. Although all that saliva isn't actually making it look too good, now I think about it!

Fedora said...

I know, I KNOW, Anna! My poor husband is probably going to have a coronary later this month, but I'm not sure I can resist adding to my immense book collection. And I really do need my Anna Campbell collection to be matching on the shelf. I DO!

Keira Soleore said...

Anna Campbell wrote, "Hey, it's Keira with a halo! Compared to our usual Keira with a hello!"

Heh. Good comeback to that cheeky comment of mine.

Your Aussie publisher has such a fabulous cover designer. All your covers have been marvelous.

Anna Campbell said...

Fedora, you know I'm not going to disagree with you! ;-) Perhaps it will only be a LEEEEETLE coronary, snort!

Anna Campbell said...

Keira, those Aussie books are lovely!