Merry post-Christmas all! Though this is my official “first” post to the blog, I’ve been here several times guest blogging so I shouldn’t be a complete stranger. (At least I hope not!) It’s very fun to be part of the group, and I’m thrilled to be here with you all!

It’s so hard to believe Christmas has already come and gone, isn’t it? Seems we wait and shop and wait and bake and shop some more…all in preparation for the big day and then it whizzes by. This year I admit to being somewhat distracted. You see, the third book in my Stolen Series - STOLEN SEDUCTION - releases next Tuesday, and in between promo stops, checking my Amazon ranking, finishing a book that’s due January 4th and other assorted holiday craziness, I’ve been amped more for the release of this book than anything else. Why? I’m not sure. It could be because this is the final book in the trilogy. It could be because I really enjoyed this story. But most likely, it’s because I wanted to kill the hero on more than one occasion and actually did.

Don’t worry…it’s a romance, so it has a HEA. But, it didn’t always. About 2/3 of the way through the writing of this book, I was so frustrated with the hero - Shane Maxwell - that I actually wrote his death scene. It happened after a particularly nasty grumbling session with my CP where she said, “Just kill him. You know you want to.” Little did she realize that I WOULD. (Don’t ever dare me to do anything.) I sent the chapter to my CP who emailed right back and said, “Um, E. About the chapter. I wasn’t serious. Killing off the hero of the romance kinda goes against that whole HEA thing you’re striving for.” Kill joy isn’t she? But she had a point. Now, I have to mention that my CP is usually right about these kind of things, so after lots of grumbling I edited the scene, considered letting him simply lose a hand (to which my CP - again - said, “That’ll make those sex scenes, yeah, interesting.”) and forced myself to go on with the book.

I’ll tell you flat out, this is not normal for me. I don’t generally want to kill the main characters of my books. I mean, I write romance, after all. A dead hero DOES go against the whole HEA thing. But this guy…wow. He was something else. I really struggled for quite a while, and it wasn’t until shortly after the near-death scene that I realized the problem wasn’t the book per se, the problem I was having was a relatability issue.

You see, I’m a  “glass is half full” kind of girl. If someone knocks you down, you get up, dust yourself off and keep going. If life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. I believe in redemption, second chances, that unless you are a psychotic serial killer, you can always change your life for the better. And deep down I believe everyone DESERVES good in their lives. But Shane didn’t. He was the first character I ever wrote who didn’t think he deserved to be happy, and that was a major stumbling point for me while writing this book.

Of course, like I said before, I write romance, so he got his HEA. And, I have to say, it was well worth the wait.:) But his redemption has stuck with me for a very long time. In ways the redemptions of other characters have not. Even now - while I’m working on different books - I still think about him. The nice part is that since I don’t want to kill him anymore (good news for him!) it’s with that “Aw” feeling that leaves a person all warm and fuzzy on the inside instead of with that “OMG…That’s it, buddy!” feeling that isn’t quite so appealing.

How about you? Have you ever read a book (or if you’re a writer, written a book) where you had trouble relating to a character, for whatever reason? I’d love to hear about it. And if so, what happened when you got to the end?

And before I go, I have to mention that in honor of the release of STOLEN SEDUCTION, I’m running a big contest on my blog with daily guests and giveaways. You could also win a $100 Amazon gift card just by entering! Click the image below for all the details!

Have a wonderful Holiday Season and an even better New Year!

Free Holiday Reads!

(must be 18 years or older to visit above site)

I’ll keep this month’s post short and sweet. Several authors got together again this year to give our readers a holiday gift. Click the above link to download your free book. (I’ve even included last year’s free gift in case you missed it). For those of you celebrating Christmas, I hope Santa brought you everything you wanted. You were all good girls and boys, right?

New Release: Just in time for Christmas

Christmas Curse by Michelle M. Pillow

Megan’s been telling her friend Victoria for years that she’s cursed. Christmas cursed! Every year she celebrates Christmas, something bad happens—broken bones, chicken pox, house burning down. After agreeing to finally go home for the holidays, she’s not surprised when her all-too-sexy boyfriend breaks up with her—and by note, no less!

Sean doesn’t believe in curses, but his girlfriend does. It’s her one fault. In all other ways Megan’s perfect, from her interesting mind to her gorgeous body. And the sex? HOT. But because she’s convinced something bad will happen, he’s not surprised when she leaves for the holiday without him. Convincing Megan she’s not cursed may take some creative “maneuvering”, but Sean plans to make sure he turns her holiday luck around.

Note: Want to know more about Megan’s BFF, Victoria? Pick up Trust in the Season by Mandy M. Roth.

Being the age that I am, Christmas invariably makes me think of one thing…Cabbage Patch Kids and the great shortage of the mid-80s.

I got my very first Cabbage Patch doll when I was seven. I don’t have a lot of distinct memories from back then. I was always sort of a spacey kid, way more inside my own head than paying attention to what was going on around me. But I very vividly remember picking the doll up at the Toys-R-Us. My mom had somehow gotten on the waiting list or had a rain check or something, and a shipment had FINALLY come in.

The dolls were stacked in a locked metal-latticework cage. You had to buy the doll first before they would let you pick it out. I was fairly dancing out of my skin by that point, and I talked the poor cashier’s ear off, telling her everything about where we’d looked for the dolls, how long I’d been waiting, the kind of outfits I wanted her to have, etc.

At the cage, I saw the exact Cabbage Patch Kid I wanted. A blonde-haired, green-eyed doll staring back at me. Of course, they were all staring at me. (Cabbage Patch Dolls do not have eyelids.) Then my mother pointed out a red-haired doll with blue eyes. “There’s one that looks like you,” she said.

Sold! Alverta Corene (that was her “birth” name) came home with us that night.

At Christmas, a year after that, Cabbage Patch Preemies were the big thing. I was not holding my breath. I’d been lucky to get one doll in the first place. My dad was (and still is) a minister, so there wasn’t a lot of extra money floating around our house. I’m not even sure if I even bothered to ask for one, knowing that they were hard to find, even at Santa’s workshop (according to my parents).

Christmas morning arrived and, per the household rules, my brother and I were not allowed to come downstairs into the family room, where the tree was, until the all-clear was given. I suspect now my parents were doing some last minute assembly or, knowing my mother, frantically searching the house for a gift she’d purchased and then hidden from us so well she couldn’t find it again.

After being given the signal, my brother and I went downstairs and I experienced that pure joy that comes from being well and truly surprised by something you’d hoped for but never dreamed possible.

There, sitting on top of other packages, was a Cabbage Patch Preemie. Believing, of course, that Santa had brought her to me, I never questioned how my parents had managed this minor miracle until years later. As it turned out, a couple of my dad’s parishioners had gone out of state somewhere and won the doll in some kind of sweepstakes (yes, that’s how valuable they were considered at the time). These parishioners didn’t have little kids of their own, so they brought it home and GAVE it to my dad for me. These things were selling for hundreds of dollars on the “black market,” but they gave it away.

I love that story.

So…how about you? What is that one gift you wanted and never thought you would receive? Or, what’s your Cabbage Patch Kid story? I know I’m not the only one!

Also, as this is my last post of the year, I want to say I’ve been truly blessed this year to see more of my writing dreams come true, and much of that is owed to the generosity of others. I am so incredibly grateful! Thank you!

It’s that time of year again. For some, the holidays are about giving gifts, for others, it’s a religious holiday. For me, the holidays mean that once again I’m touching base with my extended family.

Does anyone feel my pain? There’s a reason why we don’t hang out with these people year round. Maybe they look a little too much like we do. Maybe they act a little too similar. Whatever the reason, meeting up with your family can be a source of stress. I mean we love them, but sometimes they can drive us crazy.

I think this is partly because of expectations. We assume our relatives will behave in a certain manner. Unfortunately, many of them see the world differently and have different ideas of how things should be done. When people fail to live up to our expectations it can cause hurt feelings and angst.

In my book, “Up on the Housetop,” rich-kid Chloe got whatever she wanted, materialistically speaking. Daddy had deep pockets and supplied her with her every desire. Her material wealth wasn’t free, however. In return for her father’s favor, she had to give up her dreams of being a concert pianist and learn the family business. Her father wanted the picture perfect family and controlled every aspect of Chloe’s life to get it — even going so far as to hand pick her future husband.

The arranged marriage was the last straw. On Christmas Eve Chloe climbed up onto the roof of her childhood home to escape the noose she felt closing around her neck. There she met a stranger, had a brush with the supernatural, and learned that she’d never truly be happy as long as she lived in her father’s shadow. It was up on the roof where Chloe finally began to discover herself.

So, is there anything that is giving you angst about the holidays? Is it family? Responsibilities? Something else? Tell me about it in the comments section and be entered for a chance to win a free copy of “Up on the Housetop!”

Blurb for “Up on the Housetop”:

Desperate to escape her controlling family, Chloe Bradford scrambles up to the housetop of her Texas home on Christmas Eve. There she discovers a sexy stranger cloaked in shadow. He convinces her to shed her good-girl image and give into her most secret desires. The man’s low, raspy voice tugs at her memory as much as it awakens her passion. Is he a Christmas miracle, or some figment of her imagination? When he tries to leave, she follows him, eager to learn his identity.

Zach can’t stop thinking about Chloe, or their reunion on the roof. His wolf-half urges him to reveal his identity and claim her, but he doesn’t dare. For both their sakes, he must remain in the shadows until he can control his inner beast’s bursts of rage. After a decade of struggle he thought he could handle his curse, but Chloe’s presence causes his control to slip. As the moon-rages become more frequent, he knows he’s slipping toward the insanity that claims many of his kind. Only Chloe can save him, but will she want to after he reveals his identity and the reason he broke her heart over a decade ago?

You can buy this book HERE at Loose id.
View the trailer HERE.
Read the 5 cup review of Up on the Housetop by Coffee Time Romance HERE

You may buy this book HERE

Blurb for “Spyder’s Web”:

I have a dark secret. I’m cursed with an intense sexual desire which can never be satisfied. If I abstain, I go mad. If I have sex, I black out and my partner ends up dead. The only way to break the curse is to find my protector and soul mate.

James is a cop who thinks I’m the “Black Widow” serial killer people are talking about. He’s watching in the shadows, waiting for me to slip up so he can send me to jail. My curse longs to claim him, but I resist because he saved my life. Soon, I will need him to do it again.

Now his morbid fascination with me has turned into an obsession. I don’t know how much longer I can keep him at arm’s length.

I’m not sure I want to…

Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, violence, voyeurism.

Website: www.SuzanneRock.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Suzanne_Rock
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/suzanne.rock
Embrace the Shadows Blog: http://embracetheshadows.wordpress.com/
Embrace the Shadows Fan Club: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/embrace_the_shadows/

Hi! It’s another new face at the Bradford Bunch! Actually, I have two faces, so I’m just slightly disoriented. I’m a 2010 double-debut author (hm, that sounds faintly kinky). I write as Maggie Robinson and Margaret Rowe. Maggie’s Mistress by Mistake is coming out on April 27 from Kensington Brava, and Margaret’s Tempting Eden arrives on June 1 from Berkley Heat. My family has enough trouble with one of me, so there have been adjustments all around.

When I started writing in 2003, I really had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I’m not so sure I do now, either, but I’m looking forward to getting my dream realized after seven years. Part of me can’t wait. The other part (see? I told you I was disoriented) is scared to death. The thought of reviews is daunting. People tell me not to read them. I’ve taken some risks (particularly as Margaret Rowe) which might be considered controversial. But before I know it, the waiting game will be over.

You can read excerpts of both books at my websites, www.maggierobinson.net and www.margaretrowe.net. Just don’t tell me you don’t like them.

Got any tips for a new author? What makes you take a chance on an unfamiliar writer? I have some beautiful bookmarks and coverflats I’ll send to everyone who makes a comment below to calm me down and make the wait more bearable. You can send your mailing address to maggie@maggierobinson.net and a packet will be on its way. Have the happiest of holidays! I hope your 2010 is as exciting but not as nerve-wracking as mine.

Title get your attention?  Good because that was indeed my intention.

My mood’s not the best this morning because I just learned that my longtime Ellora’s Cave (which is where Beast Master is available) is leaving.  No, say it ain’t true!

But it is and there’s nothing I can do except brush myself off and break in a new editor, something I’ve done way too many times over my career.

Oh, about the title.  For the vaguest of reasons, I’ve been collecting weird sex laws with the thought of offering the whole stack on my website.  In the meantime, here’s a teaser.  Sure makes one wonder why these laws were determined necessary doesn’t it? 

There is a law in Florida that prohibits anyone from having sex with a porcupine.

In Massachusetts its illegal to have sex with a rodeo clown in front of horses.

In Colorado it’s against the law to kiss a sleeping woman.

Adultery is punishable in California by a $1,000 fine and/or up to one year in prison

In Utah sex with anyone except your spouse is strictly prohibited.

Rhode Island prohibits unmarried people from engaging in sexual activities of any kind. The fine is $10 each.

In Virginia it’s illegal to have sex in any position but the missionary.

In Connorsville, Wisconsin it is illegal for a man to shoot a gun while his female partner is having an orgasm.

Vonna

www.VonnaHarper.com

I came to reading romance relatively late in my life. I was in my thirties before I truly started reading the genre. At first tentatively and then in great, heaping wadges of author bingeing. I read historicals of every stripe before I came to the realization that I prefer Regencies that are more wallpaper than instructive. I like pretty gowns, rakehell dukes and ballrooms. Whether or not everyone was a duke, I don’t care, LOL, I like what I like and that’s just fine with me.

I discovered contemporaries of all types, but was especially drawn to unconventional stories and storytellers. I’ve been addicted to Anne Stuart from the first title I read, her dark heroes with broken edges, Elizabeth Lowell’s men so alpha that in the hands of anyone else, I’d have tossed the book, but she made them work for me. I love Jennifer Crusie’s funny, funky and flawed characters.

I’ve always loved paranormal stories – vampires and werewolves, the fae so it wasn’t a huge stretch for me to glom on new authors and to devour plenty of backlists.

I wish there were more sci fi/futuristic romances out there as they’re genres I love and crave more of (though I write them, I want to read more! Thank goodness for Ann Aguirre, Anya Bast and Megan Hart!).

Sometimes romance readers are accused of liking tropes and that’s when I say, so what? Who cares if we do? And who doesn’t? Come on! Who doesn’t return to themes that resonate with them on some level? For comfort? For the simple pleasure of returning to a storyline you fall into again and again?

For me – it’s small town contemporary romance. I love it! Whether it’s got a decidedly modern and sexy twist like Victoria Dahl’s HQN series, small town stories with a paranormal twist like Charlaine Harris’ Shakespeare Arkansas books or her Sookie Stackhouse series, or whether it’s homey and warm like Lori Foster’s Buckhorn County books – I love the sense of community and connection conveyed through those pages. I love quirky characters when they’re not written as buffoons. I love main street and apple pie, what can I say?

What about you all? Do you have any tropes you return to over and over?

It’s the most wonderful time…to drink beer. Yes, I sometimes sing beer instead of year, but the kid is picking up on it. So I gotta be careful!

Hi, again! I’m Shelli Stevens, and I’m back blogging at the Bradford Bunch. Only this time I’m a new addition here! Yay! What a fun blog to be a part of.

It’s the holidays and you’re either loving every minute of it or counting the days until it’s over. Or I suppose you could be in that middle ground. Can you guess which side I fall on? I’m all about the holidays.

I start the holiday music playing mid-November. In fact, I don’t allow anything except holiday music or movies in my house until after the holidays (yes, I’m a wee bit obsessive!). I even have a holiday playlist that I workout to on the elliptical for an hour–finding an hour’s worth of high energy holiday music was a challenge!

Now I’m going to talk about holiday movies. What’s a must and what’s a miss on your list?

Now, I know many out there would probably rattle off It’s a Wonderful Life as their fave. Me? Not so much. I mean it’s fabulous and all, but once I’ve seen it, why go through the tears again?

Though sometimes I don’t mind the tears. And one of my favorite holiday movies (though it’s not totally holiday) is Love Actually. And, really, this is my favorite movie of all time. It makes me cry and laugh and hope… it’s just fabulous, showing all sides of love, not just the obvious one. If you haven’t seen it, definitely put it on your list.

But my other staple, because I just love to laugh, is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

Share with me your favorite holiday movie. And since I’m officially new here I’ll throw an impromptu contest. Out of the commenters I’ll draw a name tomorrow and the winner can have any of my ebooks off my backlist (I’d say print, but I’m not going ANYWHERE near the post office right now! )

Hello everyone! 

First of all a small introduction - I’m Kelly Jamieson, author of sexy contemporary romance with Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing. I signed with Laura Bradford a few months ago and I am so excited and thrilled to be part of such an amazingly talented group of authors! 

In the spirit of Christmas I want to share a little story with you. This actually happened last year but I love this true story of Christmas spirit.

Every year at my work the various departments gather food and toys for hampers that are delivered to needy families for the holidays. We get the names of families from the Christmas Cheer Board in our city. 

One department put together a beautiful hamper with toys for the three children ages 2, 4, and 7. Every staff member donated their $25 gift certificate for Safeway, which they all receive as a gift from the union. One of the staff, Brad, had spoken to the mother and arranged delivery. Brad and Dave loaded up Brad’s car and delivered the hamper. 

They carried in boxes of food and gifts for the children, making several trips. The children were ecstatic that they were receiving gifts this Christmas, and Brad and Dave felt all warm and happy – until they left the home. Then Dave said to Brad, “That lady didn’t speak much English. Didn’t you talk to her on the phone?” Brad replied, “Yes.” He paused. “And she spoke perfect English.” They looked at each other, then checked the address they had. To their horror, they realized they had just delivered the hamper to the wrong family! 

They were at a loss about what to do, but after reflecting and realizing there was another family still expecting the hamper to be delivered, and the toys had been purchased with those three specific children in mind, they went back into the house. They explained that they’d made a mistake. They actually had to take one of the toys back, right out of a child’s hands. They packed everything up and took it all away. They both felt sick about it,  and the family was distressed, too.  

What an awful Christmas story!  

But wait – it gets better! 

When Brad and Dave got back to the office, so upset they were all choked up, they told everyone what had happened. The story spread through the building. And…within an hour, donations started pouring in for another hamper – without even being asked, every other department chipped in more food and toys and gift certificates, even another Christmas card. 

So later that day, Brad and Dave returned to the first house and delivered another generous hamper to the family, who were overwhelmed and grateful after the earlier disappointment. 

The immediate and unsolicited outpouring of donations left us all with a very warm, joyful feeling. The Christmas spirit truly is alive and well! 

So whether you celebrate Christmas or another holiday at this time of year I wish you and you families all the best and I look forward to being back here and posting again in the new year and sharing some of my stories with you! 

Kelly Jamieson

As 2009 looms to an end, we are now heading into a new decade. It’s amazing how much can happen in 10 years. Life changing things can take place, heck that can happen in a day. So it’s no surprise when I think about the past decade on how much has changed for me.

I got divorced, started writing as a possible career, moved twice, changed jobs twice, made friends, lost friends to ailments, lost family members, gained weight, lost weight, changed my hair style and color like 12 times at least, tried my hand at screenwriting, met some producers, went to a cool Hollywood conference, went on a couple of dates, realized I don’t want to date, watched my daughter grow up into a spectacular beautiful person with so much life ahead of her, joined RWA, got an agent, got a book deal, got another one, made a best friend for life, fired an agent, got another agent, wrote new stuff, changed directions, and now am going in a new direction…

And through it all there have been two constants, my love of books and my love of movies. I’ve read some of the best books ever in the past 10 years. And I’ve seen the best movies ever as well. I think the last 10 years has been a powerful time for both mediums. There have been new trends and new technologies that have taken us to new dimensions of storytelling.

Some stories (books and movies) that have made a huge difference in my life are:

LOTR - the visually stunning masterpieces that Peter Jackson created I think will be an almost impossible task to outdo. I remember crying through the entire 2nd movie, just from the visuals and the soundtrack, it moved me in so many ways

The Bourne trilogy - I’ve watched all three movies probably 20 times each, I’m not sure what exactly I find so amazing about these films, but I do, I think they are superior thrillers and I’d love to be able to tell a story in this way

Harry Potter - I know the first book was pubbed in 1998, but Pottermania didn’t take over until 2000. Both the books and the movies have captivated an entire world, I don’t think we’ll see a phenom like this for another decade, (I dont’ consider the Twilight phenom even in the same league as HP)

Graphic Novel movie adaptations - cool, that’s what I say about that, not everyone has been successful, but they’ve all be cool

The emergence of Urban Fantasy - some of my favorite books and authors are in this genre, this genre has provided me with hours and hours of awesome entertainment, I’d be lost without Kim Harrison, and Simon Green, and TA Pratt, and Mark del Franco, and LKH, and Charlaine Harris, and Rachel Caine

The emergence and dominance of the YA market - I’ve found the best books I’ve ever read in this market, The Hunger Game and Catching Fire are at the top of my list, there are some brilliant authors writing YA and I’m so happy that it is so prevailant and they are getting their accolades for stepping outside the box and writing something different

What has been the most significant thing for you in the past 10 years? Any books or movies that have stayed with you this decade and will last another one?

Happy Holidays to everyone!!! I wish that the next 10 years will be beautiful, bontiful and brilliant for each and every one of you.