Featured Author - October 2018

Welcome back to the featured author post! This month we'll be taking a look at Valerie Bowman and her upcoming release, Kiss Me At Christmas. 

I've had the pleasure of spending some wonderful quality time with Valerie on a few separate occasions. The last time was in NYC during the Romance Writers of America convention in 2015 where we had a blast, both at the hotel where we were staying as well as out and about in the city. 

Valerie and I having some photo booth fun with the lovely Katharine Ashe

Valerie is a ton of fun and up for pretty much anything, which she proved when the two of us went out for dinner together. The restaurant was Mexican and when we discovered that they served fried grasshoppers...well...we just had to order up a dish :)
What was that like, you might ask? Crunchy with a lemon/lime flavor and not the worst thing I've ever had - escargots and tripe is worse. In my humble opinion.

Anyways...

In 2014 Valerie appeared in season six, episode 18, of Say Yes To The Dress. I wish I could have seen it since I'm sure it must have been fun to watch due to Valerie's wit. This element of her personality has been reflected in all of the books I've ever read by her. She has the ability to not only make you sigh with the pleasure of a perfect romance, but to laugh out loud as well. 

Here's a bit more information about Valerie from her website:

Valerie Bowman’s debut novel was published in 2012. Since then, her books have received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. She’s been an RT Reviewers’ Choice nominee for Best First Historical Romance and Best Historical Romance Love and Laughter. Two of her books have been nominated for the Kirkus Prize for fiction.

Valerie grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of historical romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English Language and Literature with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got. Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family including her mini-schnauzers, Huckleberry and Violet. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS.

Now, there's only a little over a week until the release of Kiss Me At Christmas.

Publisher's Weekly says it "sizzles with sensuality," while Kirkus Reviews has dubbed it "delicious and suspenseful." 

So get ready, mark your calendar or pre-order just to make sure you don't forget about this one. It sounds like a wonderful read - one that I'm definitely looking forward to reading this coming holiday season.

A spirited lady facing spinsterhood. A common man with a noble mission. And a surprise that just might be waiting for them under the mistletoe in Kiss Me At Christmas by Valerie Bowman.

Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf abhors Christmas. Carol singing and holiday cheer only remind him of a dark time. When a close friend calls on him for help, Daffin is happy to capitalize on the distraction. But when he learns the lovely Lady Regina is the one in danger, he’s to become bodyguard to the captivating woman...

Regina has one mission: to find a night of passion in the arms of a gentleman. Considered firmly on the shelf, Regina has given up on marriage—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be denied the pleasure married ladies experience. Daffin has long captured her attention…and when a threat calls him to her side, the sparks between them ignite. But how can a hired bodyguard find his way into Regina’s noble heart?

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What's your favorite Valerie Bowman book? Did you see the episode of Say Yes To The Dress that she participated in? Let me know in the comments below!

Wounded hero reading list

Hey everyone,

An article I've written for RT MAGAZINE about the wounded hero has just been published in the July issue. The idea to examine the appeal of such a hero came to me with the upcoming release of His Scandalous Kiss. Here, a tortured soldier carrying both physical and psychological scars has given up on both love and happiness. Instead, he seeks only revenge. Until he meets a mysterious young woman at a masquerade ball, that is.
Working on this article proved to be not only fun but extremely interesting. It gave me the opportunity to collaborate with the amazing Eloisa James, Elizabeth Hoyt, Mary Balogh and Valerie Bowman, all of whom have written memorable heroes with wounds galore. So I contacted them in order to get their take on why wounded heroes are so well-loved and was absolutely thrilled with their insight. If you'd like to know what they had to say, you'll have to grab a digital issue of RT Magazine HERE as I cannot share the piece myself due to copyright issues.

But, what I can do, is offer a reading list of wounded hero stories for you to sink your teeth into this summer - you can click on the images to find out more. Any that you'd like to add? Just comment below :)

GIVEAWAY: The Untamed Earl & How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back

There are only 10 weeks left until His Scandalous Kiss goes on sale! While we're waiting, let's have some giveaway fun with 10 weeks of fabulous prizes! First up, is The Untamed Earl by Valerie Bowman and How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back. I'll be giving both of these books away to one person in ebook format (either Kindle or Nook). For a chance to WIN, just comment on the Facebook post HERE. The winner will be announced on May 23rd.

Stay tuned for more giveaways every Tuesday until July 26th.

For more books by Valerie Bowman, please check out her website here.

February Recommendation: The Unlikely Lady

In an effort to dig my way through my TBR pile, which I'm determined to approach 'in order', I recently reached a book that I've been looking forward to reading ever since I received it at the RT convention in Texas last year. It's The Unlikely Lady by Valerie Bowman, whose writing is just as much fun as she is. In fact, this is probably the funniest romance novel I've ever read!!! I Absolutely LOVED it! So, so good!!! So, if you'd like a romance novel that's bound to put you in a good mood, I suggest that you give this one a try. As for me, I'm going to stock up on more of Valerie's books :)

 

FOR THE BACHELOR AND THE BLUESTOCKING…

Certain that no man wants a bluestocking for a wife, Miss Jane Lowndes is careful to wield her books and her spectacles as weapons against matrimony. Convincing her ambitious mama that she's content to stay a spinster is easier said than done, however. It's a good thing Jane is not above a bit of manufactured scandal if it will keep her from the altar, and the argumentative, contrary Lord Garrett Upton…

ROMANCE IS NEVER BY THE BOOK

With the war over, Garrett is determined to enjoy his bachelor's life while he can, even when it means attending a house party in celebration of a friend's wedding―and suffering Jane's notorious disdain. But when a masquerade ball leads to a mistaken kiss, he's surprised to learn that Jane's bookish exterior hides a truly passionate soul. When two such headstrong people are determined to remain unattached, can love lead to a happy ending?

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