Surrender to Tiffany's Winners!

Wow, we had a blast of a day in the lair yesterday! Thank you to everyone who came by and a special welcome to all the new faces!

As you know, Tiffany went wild with prizes, offering five books in total to readers from North America. I threw in a signed copy of CAPTIVE OF SIN to someone outside NA. So without further ado, here is the (long!) list of lucky winners:

The winners of Tiffany's fabulous debut historical romance, THE SURRENDER OF A LADY, are:

LAURIE
DANIELLE GORMAN
MISSKALLIE2000

The winner of Courtney Milan's latest TRIAL BY DESIRE is:

SUZANNE FERRELL

The winner of Maggie Robinson's MISTRESS BY MISTAKE is:

BARB

The winner of CAPTIVE OF SIN is:

KAETRIN

Congratulations, ladies! We just need your snail mail details and we're cooking with gas. For Tiffany's prizes, please email her on: tiffany @ tiffanyclare.com (no spaces). For Anna's prize, please email her on anna @ annacampbell.info (no spaces). Happy reading!

Friends and Festivities

by Anna Campbell

Firstly, some news for Aussie and New Zealand readers! The local edition of CAPTIVE OF SIN should be in a bookstore near you any day now, including all the usual places like Big W, Target and KMart. The trade paperback looks truly spectacular in the flesh. Keep an eye out for it!

The writing life is a very strange one. It's lots and lots of time by yourself to write the books. Sadly, sitting on your bottom at a keyboard in front of computer screen is the only way you meet deadlines and get those books out there. Then in between, there's all this wildly social excitement like the various conventions and conferences and just catching up on all the getting together with people that you miss out on when you're at home writing.

Just lately, I've had a hugely social time. I'm just back from a few days in Brisbane seeing my oldest friend and her family. We had huge fun, saw a big art exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery, drank lots, ate lots, floated around in her pool - although with all I ate, I'm not quite sure that the physics of that makes sense. I think I should have sunk right to the bottom.

I also had a lovely day in town Christmas shopping and catching up with some of the local authors for a Christmas buffet. The fabulous Christine Wells (who has just been nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for her wonderful WICKED LITTLE GAME, congratulations, Christine!) was there. It's always a buzz to catch up with a Bandita and distance means Christine is usually my Bandit on the spot!

One of the treats of visiting my friend Amanda is getting the chance to cuddle her beautiful Burmese kitten Toby. Well, he's supposed to be a kitten but I think he's just small. But he's beautifully formed and he loves to be adored. And I'm perfectly happy to adore him. He rather likes me as there's no hard spots on my body - in fact, I've started calling my tummy the cat Hilton because it's so comfortable and he likes to nestle there. See? All that eating and drinking comes in useful for someone!

This is a picture of Toby on the prowl. He's slightly darker now - more caramel than cream. He's a gorgeous creature - and doesn't he just know it?

November was full of visitors coming to my house to stay too, mostly writing people. Seriously, I think my liver is going to pack up its suitcase and move interstate!

The next photos are all courtesy of my good friend, Sharon Archer, who writes for Mills and Boon Medicals. Her debut SINGLE FATHER: WIFE AND MOTHER WANTED came out this year to great acclaim. I wish I'd been sober...um, smart enough to drag out the camera for my other visitors!

First up, I had the fabulous Christine Wells and Denise Rossetti, who writes sensual romantic fantasy for Berkley, to stay for the weekend. We had a lovely time floating around in the pool and eating. Oh, and talking. There's always plenty to say when we get together.

Then it was Sharon's turn to come up for a few days. Sharon escaped a heatwave where she lives in Victoria to hit one at my place. Temperatures definitely over where they should be. Again, we floated around in the pool - as you can see from this picture of a bathing beauty! Snork!

My final writing visitor for November was the wonderful Amy Andrews who also writes Medicals for Mills and Boons. Trish Morey, who writes for Harlequin Presents (her sheikhs are to die for if you're in the mood for something passionate and sexy and romantic), was up staying with some friends at Noosa. So Amy, Robyn Grady and I all drove up there from the southern end of the Sunshine Coast where I live. And yeah, drink a bit more. You can see why my liver is considering emigration. Robyn writes for Desire and Harlequin Presents - lots of writerly discussion. I think - I'm a bit hazy on the details, frankly!

Hic!

Anyway, after that rash of socializing, I'm hoping to attack my new story which is currently sitting at a pathetic two chapters. Oh, and get ready for Christmas. It's always such a busy time of year.

So enough name dropping for now! And I've foresworn the demon grape at least until sunset!

Are you planning on getting together with anyone special before Christmas? Any social plans that are outside your normal activities?

This is my last regular blog for the year so I'd like to raise my glass (oh, dear, that sunset rule didn't last too long, did it?) to the Banditas and our buddies! You've been absolutely fantastic and I love the fact that we've all hooked up together to drink...um, talk SERIOUS writing business!

Happy Christmas, everyone! And may Santa bring you exactly what you want. I'm hanging out for a life-size Richard Armitage but I'm not sure I've been good enough to qualify!

Cleaning up the Confetti!

Wow, what an incredible day in the lair! I've been sweeping up confetti and streamers all day. But I've managed to tear myself away to draw the winners.

And guess what - clearly I drank too much because instead of three winners, there seem to be FOUR WINNERS!!!! Yes, for over 200 comments, I threw in another copy of CAPTIVE OF SIN!

So the lucky wedding guests are:

Eva S

Drew

Mariska

Debbie

Congratulations to all of you! Please email me on anna@annacampbell.info with your snail mail details and I'll get your books off to you.

Seriously, I couldn't have asked for a better launch party. Thank you to everyone who commented! There's one seriously touched writer down in Oz!

A Captivating Launch!

by Anna Campbell

HUZZAH!!!!! HOORAY!!!!

YIPPEE-YI-O!!!!!

What? You didn't know?

Today is the day CAPTIVE OF SIN is released.

Hmm, that sentence looks rather odd. Now he's released, can he still be a captive?

Aaaaarrrggghhh! It's all too much to think about!

When we've got a...WEDDING to plan!

More about that to come. Hmm, I must be excited. I seem to be restricted to one-sentence paragraphs! Always a sign of rising agitation in a writer.

First, here's the 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.

Here's a link to an excerpt:

http://www.annacampbell.info/captivesin.html

There's already been a couple of great reviews. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY said: "Luscious love scenes. Readers will cheer for these lovable and well-crafted characters." ROMANTIC TIMES gave CAPTIVE OF SIN a Top Pick and a 4.5 star rating. They also gave Gideon a K.I.S.S. (Knight in Shining Silver) Award. Their wonderful review included these lovely words: "Campbell holds readers captive with her highly intense, emotional, sizzling and dark romances... a romantic, deep-sigh tale."

So I thought, how best to celebrate this momentous occasion in Gideon and Charis's (not to mention Anna Campbell's) life.

As you'll gather, this is my first marriage of convenience story. I suspect it won't be my last. That's just such a fun theme to play with.

Gideon and Charis elope to Jersey in the Channel Isles where she's legally able to marry without the permission of her guardians even though she's under 21. Prior to the Marriage Act of 1822, the Channel Islands operated as a de facto Gretna Green for people in the south of England. You could marry there without the restrictions that applied on the mainland.
Actually this part of the research was really fun - although quite hard to do. In the end, I had to write to a library in Jersey and get them to help me with details like where the marriages took place and whether there was a residency requirement before the ceremony. The answer was that the marriages, like Charis's and Gideon's, usually took place in the inns and hotels that did a roaring business out of the runaway couples and you could make your vows the moment you set foot on the island. So eternal thanks to the Library of the Société Jersiaise in St. Helier.

Speaking of things that are fun, I had a great time finding pictures for this blog. If you google, weddings, you get the most amazing selection of drool-worthy images.

I've now decided I want to get married in Barbados.

Um, or Costa Rica.

Or Fiji.

Or why not go for a classic like a castle in the Scottish Highlands? That picture really did make my heart beat faster with excitement. Although I supsect the weather in Barbados, Costa Rica and Fiji might be a bit more reliable!

Anyway, back to Gideon and Charis. After all, this is their day!

Of course, this brief ceremony in an inn parlor isn't any girl's dream wedding. Charis is wearing shabby borrowed clothing and she knows her groom doesn't love her.

Hmm, could she be wrong, my friends?

Nonetheless, I feel Charis and Gideon deserve something a little more spectacular. So I've lined up the cabana boys. Sven has given up massaging and has promised to be an usher. The Banditas will make wonderful bridesmaids. We have tubs of margaritas out the back ready to go. I feel perhaps I should step in as mother of the bride!

All is set for a fairytale wedding.

Um, except where? How? What fabulous celebration shall we throw to celebrate the joining of Lady Charis Weston and the very gorgeous Sir Gideon Trevithick, national hero and baronet?

Well, Banditas and Buddies, that's up to you!

Tell me about the wedding you'd put together for Charis and Gideon. My favorite three answers win signed copies of CAPTIVE OF SIN! Good luck, my wonderful wedding planners! May the best cake win!

Birds, Beasts and Rotten Relatives

by Anna Campbell

Have you all read Gerald Durrell? His two books of memoirs about his childhood on Corfu, MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS and BIRDS, BEASTS AND RELATIVES are among the most beautiful books I know - and they always make me kill myself laughing. Seriously if you want a treat, get them!

But strangely, I'm talking about neither birds nor beasts today (well, perhaps tangentially, the birds and the bees, but they always get a look-in in the lair!).

I actually want to talk about rotten relatives.

Specifically rotten relatives in romance novels.

It struck me last week how often romance novel plots rely on the device of the truly horrible relation. I only had to think of my own work.

In CLAIMING THE COURTESAN, you wouldn't want Kylemore's mother for quids. She makes a hissing cobra look like Mother Teresa. No wonder the poor boy's so mixed up. Actually his dad left something to be desired as a parent too!


In UNTOUCHED, the bad guy is another relative. Gorgeous Matthew's horribly evil uncle, Lord John Landsdowne, has imprisoned our hero as a madman and is making hay with the family fortune. He's also the guy who kidnaps our brave and virtuous heroine Grace and gives her to Matthew as a sex toy. Not someone you want to move into the house next door, I feel!

By the way, this is the Spanish cover of UNTOUCHED, out in September from Random House Mondadori. Isn't it just SOOOO gorgeous? Apparently Por Primera Vez means "for the first time". Nice, huh?

In TEMPT THE DEVIL, Olivia is blessed with a brother who would make you want to be an only child.

And things are even worse on the family front in CAPTIVE OF SIN. Charis, our brave but virtuous heroine (hmm, seeing a pattern here), meets up with the gorgeous Gideon (yep, definitely a pattern!) when she's fleeing her stepbrothers who have beaten her within an inch of her life. They're trying to force her to marry their degenerate friend so they can split her fortune between them. And Gideon's family, frankly, isn't much better.

Oh, well, at least these two have something in common! I'd hate to think my hero and heroine had nothing to talk about on those cold Cornish winter nights when the sea thunders in and the wind howls.

Mind you, talking isn't exactly their first choice of time filler! Snork, as Duchesse would say! I think this is where the birds and the bees come in!


I can think of hundreds, even thousands of books that have relied on evil family members to push a plot along and to provide antagonists for our protagonists. You don't have to look much further than Cinderella or Snow White!

I have a theory that it's something to do with the promise of the family being a haven of love and security. Sadly, it's not always true, but we all think it should be! When someone in the family does the dirty on us, it really raises the stakes.

So my questions for you are:

Why do you think baddies in the family are so popular in romance novels?

Do you have a favorite baddie in a romance novel who's a relative of either the hero or heroine? Why?

And the ARC came to rest...

Wow, you guys blew me away yesterday with your creativity. Thank you so much for the gift of your enthusiasm! I wish had TEN ARCS to give away. But sadly I only have one.

I had real troubles picking a winner, as you can imagine, with so many brilliant entries. But after much deliberation (and a glass of wine to fortify myself!), the winner of the signed advance reader copy of CAPTIVE OF SIN is:

ANNA FROM D.C.!

Congratulations, Anna. Please email me on anna@annacampbell.info with your snail mail details and I'll get your book off to you. Enjoy!

For people who missed out, don't forget there's another chance to win an ARC of CAPTIVE OF SIN on my website this month. http://www.annacampbell.info/contest.html

Foah's ARC

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 rakes
Are 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!

Cover Story

by Anna Campbell

One of the best bits of having a new book out is seeing the cover! Well, it is if you've been blessed the way I and other Banditas have been blessed by the cover gods (very capricious deities who must be placated with much worship and regular offerings of Tim Tams).

A couple of weeks ago, I got the final version of the cover for my 27th October release, CAPTIVE OF SIN. And I can't wait to show it to you.

I just LURRRRVVVVVE it. So much going for it. I think he's really handsome. I think she's really pretty. It's not cheesy at all. The stepback picture says something about the relationship. Why? Well, you'll just have to read the book to see but the two of them looking at each other longingly certainly fits.

It's one of those half covers - there's a fashion for them at the moment. So the picture of the hero peeks out in a come-hither way from the stepback (I'd come hither! Hither me now, mister!). The white is textured with twining roses and it's a lovely pearly color and the red is foil and really stands out against it.

I'm absolutely delighted, as you can imagine!

Covers are such an important part of a romance novel - obviously not as important as the deathless prose inside but still highly significant. I actually like a clinch cover if it's well done - not so keen on girlies on their knees looking up worshipfully just before they you know. Especially when those covers always seem to be set in unlikely places - the deck of a tossing ship or on a rock near the sea where the protagonists are about to be swept away and I don't mean by passion.

One of the reasons I like a clinch cover and why I think they've never gone out of style, in spite of how people whinge that they're clicheed and embarrassing, is that they scream romance. You know just what you're getting when that hunk and that willowy chick are clutching each other on the front of a book. My mother always made me laugh. She used to call it the girl in the nightie and the man with the flowing hair and the bare chest. The flowing hair isn't so big anymore but, yep, I'd say the nightie and the lack of shirt are still there. Six packs rule!


All of my covers have been clinches. Great clinches! Even TEMPT THE DEVIL which featured the gorgeous and omnipresent Nathan Kamp's face on the cover had a clinch on the stepback. A clinch by the seaside, but at least they're both upright and well above the waves. I'm not really expecting them to be washed away unless there's a tsunami some time soon.

So I started thinking about recent covers I really liked. That's always fun - much more fun than polishing a manuscript! What's unexpected is none of the covers that really took my eye lately are clinches. By the way, Bandita covers are exempt from this survey - gorgeous as they are!

My first selection is almost as omnipresent as Nathan Kamp. I think the cover for TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer is an absolutely brilliant piece of marketing. The rich colors, the pale arms, the red, red apple like something out of a fairytale. Yum! It's simple but it's so effective and evocative. Another apple cover I think is really clever is Jennifer Crusie's WELCOME TO TEMPTATION. Back in the year 2000 when that book was published, that cover was revolutionary with its simple apple with a bite out of it on a plain red background.


Another set of covers I think are really great are Nicola Cornick's BRIDES OF FORTUNE trilogy, out June, July and August this year. Nicola's a lair favorite and I love her books. But even without knowing that, I'd pick up these three beautiful books with their rich colors and elegant images. Speaking of fashions in covers, people chopped off at the chin or the nose seem to be the thing at the moment. But I think these are particularly nice examples. I've only got room for THE CONFESSIONS OF A DUCHESS with its intensely red dress on that lovely patterned wallpaper background. But check out the other two, THE SCANDALS OF AN INNOCENT and THE UNDOING OF A LADY.

My favorite recent cover, though, is for a book by another lair favorite, Eloisa James. I think this cover for THIS DUCHESS OF MINE is breathtakingly romantic. Eloisa always gets lovely covers but on this occasion, the Avon art department excelled themselves. That soft pink really takes my eye - especially in a sea of more overtly sexy images.


So what conclusion have I reached after this lightning survey of recent covers? There are obviously certain things I like. To my surprise, it's not half-naked hunks although I must say they're pretty appealing too. But when I'm picking favorites, I seem to go for apples (who knew?) and headless women in pretty dresses. Not the answer I thought I'd end up with at all!

Oh, and I absolutely love my covers especially the CAPTIVE OF SIN one. Which features neither a decapitated chick (hide your eyes, rooster, I know you hate to see 'chick' and 'decapitated' in the same sentence) nor a piece of fruit. Perhaps that can count as my shirtless hottie selection.

By the way, you can find the blurb and an excerpt from CAPTIVE OF SIN (including another chance to drool at the pic) on my website.

So what do you like in a cover? Love or hate clinches? Love or hate the headless brigade? Do you have a favorite cover? Let's talk romance novel covers!

I'm flying to Washington D.C for RWA today so probably won't be in much but I'll get back to answer comments as soon as I can.