I Wanted to Hate Night Owl

I'm ashamed of myself.

On Saturday I started Night Owl, hoping it would be bad. Really bad.

You see, I had something against the author.

I didn't know the author personally. In fact, I had never even heard of M. Pierce or Night Owl. But I was aggravated by something Pierce said in a blog post about the way authors price their ebooks.

And I was fist-clenching, teeth-gritting jealous.

This was an author who came out of nowhere with a debut novel that rocketed to the top ten in the Kindle store pretty fast. Reviews of Night Owl are amazing.

I was convinced M. Pierce was a pen name for an established author or an agent. One who had connections. One who had a built-in fan base. Or maybe a Big Name to blurb the book. In other words, M. Pierce wasn't starting at the bottom, like me.

So I got the free sample on Kindle (yes, I'm cheap) and started reading, hoping that the writing would be bad, the editing shoddy, the smut recycled from every other alpha male book out there right now. Then, I reasoned, I would not feel so bad that I do not sell a million books a day. Because at least I know how to use punctuation.

I poured a glass of wine, gave a final harrumph, and started to read.

Two pages in, I was hooked. And furious.

How DARE Night Owl be so fucking good? How DARE M. Pierce write so well? How DARE the characters be so interesting, the setup so intriguing, the smut so hot?

Take that, Night Owl!

I bought the book (99 cents on Amazon) and poured more wine.

As I read on, I was even more convinced that M. Pierce was a fake name for a big author who wanted to write erotica anonymously. The writing was too confident, too sharp, too unapologetic. Cocky, even--but in a good way. No fumbling, frilly prose or shifts in verb tense. No misuse of apostrophes. No excessive dialog tags choking the characters' conversations.

I. Was. So. Mad.

The next morning, I stalked M. Pierce's blog like a hawk, determined to figure out if he or she was really Stephen King. (Not gonna lie, that's really what I thought.)

Imagine my surprise to discover it's really just a fantastic, hard-working writer who wrote a good book that took off. And that M. Pierce is funny, honest, self-deprecating, and generous with advice to other indie authors.

Damn, that's annoying.

I felt horrible. And guilty. So I wrote Pierce an email saying how much I was enjoying Night Owl and admitting that I'd hoped it wouldn't be as good as everyone said it was. I even confessed my stalkerish behavior.

And then, AND THEN, to make me feel even worse, I get an awesome email back, and we've since struck up a nice conversation about writing and publishing and other random things.

I can't wait to finish Night Owl, and if you like well-written erotic romance, I urge you to pick it up--you'll love the fresh twists on the genre, and the sexytimes are just as hot as anything I've read. Matt, one of the two main characters, is completely under my skin today. He's actually not all that likable in many ways, and it's a credit to Pierce that I kind of can't get enough of him.

I wanted to dislike the author and the book. Serves me right that they are both amazing.

Masked Love by Nicole Zoltack

Today I'm chatting with my friend Nicole Zoltack, whose holiday-themed historical romance Masked Love released this week. Cheers to historical!!

Title: Masked Love

Author: Nicole Zoltack

Genre: Holiday/Christmas Regency Novella

Publisher: Swoon Romance

Publication Date: November 1, 2013

Formats: eBook (mobi and ePub)

Book Description...

Isabelle is content being a maid, and will do anything for her lady, even accompany her to a masquerade ball. Lady Theodosia needs extra support and encouragement on this night, for tomorrow she will meet the man her parents have pledged her to.
Isabelle has never had occasion to attend such an event, and is at first ill at ease. But meeting an enchanting young man during the course of the evening makes her wish for a life she can never have. Thinking she will never see him again, she returns his flirtation and even reveals her face. Imagine her shock when he shows up the next morning, announcing his claim on Lady Thedosia.
Isabelle does all she can to avoid Lord Adrian Wingave, but then he not only sees her, he recognizes her. To make matters worse, Isabelle fears her feelings are not one-sided. Torn between duty and desire, Isabelle hopes for something more this Christmas.

Add to Goodreads!

1) Nicole, what inspired you to write Masked Love?

I've always thought of Christmas as a magical time, just perfect for falling in love. I'd been wanting to write a Christmas romance for awhile. I had just finished writing a steampunk romance (which is in the middle of a rewrite) and that was my first venture into the Victorian era. I decided I wanted to try yet another time period, since I love research, and picked Regency. From there, I added a masquerade ball and I was off to the keyboard.

2) Do you have a Masked Love playlist? If Isabelle and Lord Adrian had a song, what would it be?

Since I wrote Masked Love not even close to the Christmas season, I actually listen to a lot of Christmas music to get me into the mood. Hark the Harold Angles Sing, Here We Go A-Wassailing, and the like.

Isabelle and Lord Adrian's song would be "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz. The beginning is fitting for their first meeting: When I look into your eyes, it's like watching the night sky or a beautiful sunrise.

And the chorus for the rest of the story: Well, I won't give up on us even if the skies get rough. I'm giving you all my love. I'm still looking up.

*sigh* Such a good song!

3) What do you like best about setting books during the Regency period? What other historical periods intrigue you?

This is my first Regency and it definitely won't be my last. I enjoy this time period because of how different it is from today. It's more strict and rigid and the division between the different classes makes for plenty of conflict between characters. So many sources of drama and tension exist within the Regency era and makes for perfect story fodder.

I've written a lot of medieval-inspired fantasy romances. I've always been fascinated with the idea of knights and chivalry and love. I already mentioned the Victorian era with my steampunk WIP. I'm not opposed to trying a different time period either. Who knows what I'll try next?

4) Who did you envision as you wrote Isabelle and Lord Adrian? 

Henry Cavill with green eyes a la Tudors would be a perfect Lord Adrian. Yum! As for Isabelle, she looks like Jaimie Alexander, but with brown eyes. Very good-looking couple! ;)

Love me some Henry Cavill! (OK, she's beautiful too.)

Thanks, Nicole!

PUBLISHER LINKS

www.myswoonromance.com

@swoonromance

Facebook.com/SwoonRomance

AUTHOR LINKS

http://www.NicoleZoltack.com

http://NicoleZoltack.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicole...

http://twitter.com/NicoleZoltack

Book Blitz -- The Long Game

I head the pleasure of reading The Long Game this summer, and it grabbed me right from page one! The characters and setting are still in my head, and I can't wait to read the sequel--J.L. Fynn, you better write fast. :)

The details...

Book Name: The Long Game

Book Genre: NA Contemporary

Book release date: October 7, 2013

Add The Long Game on Goodreads! 

Blurb: Smooth talking. Ambitious. Loyal. Twenty-year-old Shay Reilly has proven himself to his Irish-American Gypsy clan on small-scale cons, but now the clan leader has a bigger mission for him: playing the long game.

To rake in the big score he’s after, he needs to con co-ed Spencer into falling in love with him. He knows he should see Spencer as a mere means to an end, but that’s easier said than done when there’s a witty, attractive girl in your arms.

Now the only thing that can keep them apart is the thing that brought them together: Shay’s plans of revenge against someone who wronged his clan and family years before—Spencer’s father

About the author J.L. Fynn: J.L. Fynn is the public face of a private identity. She enjoys making up stories about iniquitous heroes, providing Delphic answers to unasked questions, and obfuscating the truth just for laughs. But then, what’s an author but a professional liar? If you send her an email she might let you in on her little secret—assuming she likes your moxie.

J.L. Fynn on Goodreads

J.L. Fynn on Twitter

J.L. Fynn on Facebook

J.L. Fynn on the web

Join in on the buzz!
The Long Game is looking for readers and bloggers for the upcoming book blog tour October 7th – October 20th!

Sign up to join in on the buzz surrounding The Long Game!

Cover Reveal...The Best Laid Plans

Wow! Today is a crazy exciting day--I've got two amazing things to share!

First up, a bit of sexy for your Friday morning...the cover reveal for THE BEST LAID PLANS (out November 12th from Swoon Romance) by my beautiful Canadian friend, Tamara Mataya.

Gah! Every time I see that cover (and really, I'm only peeking a few dozen times a day), I get, um, excited.

Excited for Tamara, right, that's what I meant.

Ahem! About the book...

Blurb:

            Jayne Griffin isn’t looking for Mr. Right. She’s looking for Mr. RTFN and a toe-curling good time. She’s got the brains, the powerful job as a futures broker, and thanks to a makeover and a thin book of dating advice, the confidence to turn any man’s head.
           
            Malcolm Black notices his high school crush, Jayne, from the stage of her company’s work party. His adolescent feelings for her died beneath months of abuse at the hands of bullies. Abuse that was Jayne’s fault. Though this scorching hot studio musician is unrecognizable as the band geek he used to be, the hurt still lives inside him, and he hatches a plan: Seduce Jayne into falling in love with him, and then shatter her heart.
           
            The white-hot chemistry between them is a pleasant surprise. It all goes so smoothly until feelings start to develop... and that invitation to their ten year high school reunion lands in their inboxes.

            Jayne wants the perfect lover. Malcolm wants revenge. But you know what they say about The Best Laid Plans...

Coming November 12^th 2013 from Swoon Romance

Let me just mention, I've read this book. "White hot chemistry" is an understatement.

Add to Goodreads!

About Tamara...

Tamara Mataya is currently a librarian; she lurked there for so long recommending books to patrons and shushing people, that she suspects they only hired her so it would be less creepy. Now she’s armed with a name tag, and a thin veneer of credibility. She’s also a musician with synaesthesia – which isn't an issue until someone plays a wrong note, which makes her want to squirm inside out. It makes for a good live show.

BLOG:

http://feakysnucker.blogspot.ca/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/TamaraMataya

New Adult...More than just Contemporary

I love me some contemporary romance, especially in the New Adult category. It was books like Easy, Damaged, and Fallen Too Far that hooked me on New Adult and inspired me to reach out to those readers when publishing Speak Easy. 

Because even though it's set in 1923, it's still at heart a story about a 20-year-old "new adult" finding her way, craving independence and excitement, making mistakes, and enjoying sexual freedom. 

A lot. ;)

I honestly didn't know how tough it would be to get NA fans to try something new, and I get giddy when people write me saying they were reluctant to pick up a non-contemp book but ended up loving it. So when I was approached about adding Speak Easy to a bundle of non-contemp books to help spread the word that NA is expanding, I jumped at the opportunity. 

Curious? Looking to branch out into other areas of New Adult but don't want to break the bank? Read on, my dears, and...

Fall for the new New Adult: a campaign to spread the word that New Adult is expanding into new and exciting categories like Historical, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Gothic, and more! 

Follow along to find out why best-selling NA authors & NA bloggers are excited to see New Adult expand outside of contemporary. (Full schedule can be found here.) 

And as an incentive to give the new NA a try, the Fall for New Adult bundle set will be available for a limited time. Set includes 4 great non-contemporary NA novels for only $3.99!

Something for everyone! :)

Cheers!
Melanie

We want to know why YOU want to see NA expand too! Join the campaign by grabbing the gif. above and blogging/tweeting about why YOU want to see NA expand! #NACampaign





Purchase the Fall for New Adult bundle set here! 

Mmmmm....Joey's Meat Sauce

For my dirty-minded readers (and oh how I adore you), that's not a metaphor. I'm actually talking about meat sauce.

Or if you're Sicilian like Joey Lupo in Speak Easy, or like my mother's family, you might call it gravy. In the book, there is a scene where Joey cooks pasta with gravy for Tiny and her sisters--one of my favorite scenes to write.

Aside from THOSE scenes. ;)

Anyway, I'm making it today for my family, and thought I'd share the recipe with you.

A little history first! My great-grandmother's name was Josephine, and she came with her husband and two young children from Carini, Sicily in 1902. My grandmother, Virginia, wasn't born until 1921, one of eleven siblings. (Sometimes it's very strange to me that Tiny is "older" than my own grandmother...)

Anyway, I guess the recipe came from the old country with her, but no one ever wrote it down. Much later, like maybe during the 60s or 70s, my mother told me that some of her aunt/uncles/cousins wanted the recipe, but no one who knew it would talk.

Through trial and error and memory, they put it together, but there was one special ingredient no one could pinpoint--and still nobody who knew it would talk.

Anyway, below is the one they came up with...WARNING: Your house will smell so good while this sauce is simmering, you might have the entire neighborhood floating to your door on the scent.

Joey's Meat Sauce (Bolognese)
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 lb. ground beef (optional)
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 medium can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
dried basil
dried oregeno
3-4 peppercorns
Italian seasoning
< 1 Tbsp cinnamon (I use a full Tbsp, but I love this flavor in the sauce...it was the guess at the secret ingredient)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 bay leaf
1/4 red wine (and since it's open, you might as well drink it while you cook, right?)

1) Brown the sausage in a frying pan, remove from heat and drain. Do the same for the beef, if you're using it.

2) In a large nonstick pot (I <3 my Le Creuset Dutch Oven), heat the oil and saute the garlic and onion. Then add the meat and all cans of tomatoes to the pot.

3) This next step cracks me up because you can tell that nobody really knew how much water to add, and even since then, no one has actually measured it: Fill each tomato can with water but not quite all the way to the top and pour them in.

Really precise, I know. But cooking is an art, not a science, right??

4) This one's even more precise: Cover the top of the sauce with basil, oregeno (less) and Italian seasonings (less). My best guess is maybe 1 Tbsp of basil and just 2 tsp of the other two. But this is a matter of taste!

5) Add the peppercorns, cinnamon, sugar, bay leaf, and wine.

6) Pour yourself a nice big glass of wine and stir until the lumps are gone over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil and cover. Turn the heat to low, just enough to keep it simmering.

7) Simmer 1-2 hours over low heat. Take the cover off the last 20 minutes (and lock your doors). remove the bay leaf.

I like this sauce with both long and short pasta. My mother always called it simply "Mostaccioli" when she made it and served it with short tubular paste that had lines on it and slanted ends. Just thinking of it makes me think of childhood!

Oh, my mother did manage to finagle the secret ingredient out of an old great aunt, who was probably going senile and didn't realize she was giving it away.

It was nutmeg.

I was there when she told some of her family, and laughed my culo off at the room full of Italians hitting themselves on the head with one hand. "It was nutmeg! NUTMEG!"

I stick with cinnamon, but someday I might try a pinch of nutmeg instead. :)

Buon appetito!

Wine & Romance & Giveaway (oh my)

I'm a little bit giddy about REDEMPTION RED, the second book in the Wine Country Series by Delancey Stewart.

Not only because I love wine and romance (who doesn't???) and adored A RARE VINTAGE, the first book in the series, but because I got to choose REDEMPTION RED's setting!

Actually it's because I stalked the author a lil bit and won a contest on her blog. (See? Good things can happen when you stalk people!)

So I'm super excited to bring to you the cover reveal of REDEMPTION RED, scheduled to be released October 15th, 2013.

Add this beauty on Goodreads!

Book Description:

Love, loss, and a smoky red…

When Audrey Montgomery’s carefully planned life collides with the self-destructive path Tyson Dawes is on, neither of them can predict what will happen next.

Audrey is a diligent and self-reliant culinary student at Portland’s prestigious Cordon Bleu. She has a clear picture of her future in mind, and it allows little room for the steely-eyed and tormented young man she bumps into by chance while wine tasting with friends.

Tyson Dawes had a perfect childhood, raised among the vines in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. But even the most idyllic of upbringings couldn’t have prepared him for what he would face as a Marine. He returns to his childhood home angry and haunted by the storms of what he has faced and by those he has lost.

Do opposites truly attract? Can the lure of Audrey’s apparent clarity and innocence offer Tyson hope in the face of his emptiness?
  

The Wine Country books are part of a series but can each be read individually. :)

Grab A Rare Vintage on Amazon for just 99 cents!

About the author:
Delancey Stewart has lived on both coasts, in big cities and small towns. She's been a pharmaceutical rep, a personal trainer and a wine seller. Despite lots of other interests, she has always been a writer.
A military spouse and the mother of two small boys, her current job titles include pirate captain, monster hunter, Lego assembler, story reader, and tech writer for a defense contractor. She tackles all these efforts at her current home in Southern Maryland.
Delancey Stewart is the author of Through a Dusty Window: New York City Stories 1910-2001 and the Wine Country Romance Series which includes: A Rare Vintage and Redemption Red, as well as the Girlfriends of Gotham Series, publishing with Swoon Romance. The first book in that series, Men and Martinis, will be released in Winter 2013.

Find the author:
Website/Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway:

Must be 18 or older to enter
One winner will win (US only): 

- an ebook copy of both "A Rare Vintage" and "Redemption Red"

- a gorgeous bracelet created with recycled wine bottles on an aluminum link bracelet. It measures 7 1/2 inches long and features green, brown, blue, gold and clear color glass rings. The bracelet is handmade and can be dressed up or down, thanks to the elegant styling. 

AND

- a 10 ounce jar of Oregon Pinot Noir chocolate sauce from Euphoria Chocolate Company in Oregon (where Redemption Red is set). Great for use on ice cream, in coffee or just on a spoon! 

4 winners will win (INT):

- an ebook of Redemption Red

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