Brenda Novak's Auction for Juvenile Diabetes

Just a reminder that I have a lovely Victorian suitcase filled with wonderful treasures that is being auctioned off for a very good cause over at Brenda Novak's online auction for this very worthy cause!

She has some special auctions and great bargains as well! For writers, readers and all who would like to aid in this monumental outpouring.
Here is the link: Amanda's Victorian Treasures

Go take a peek & thanks!
Amanda

Friday Fun

Congrats again to Caffey! I know she is thrilled beyond belief to have won such a treasure! And thank you, Vanessa again for honoring the manor with your visit, please know you are welcome anytime! We have had a wonderful group of guests stopping in the LIT manor lately, haven't we? And more to come starting on Monday, next week when Charlotte brings a very special guest to the manor!

Friday fun news--I'm officially global now. The other day I received boxes in the mail and discovered inside copies of Diary of Cozette-in Italian. I was told that apparently we get copies of all editions of our books-whatever nationality. Kinda cool! so for fun, I thought I'd share the cover art with you. The Italian website for Harlequin is eHarmony (not to be confused with the matchmaking online service) but you can check it out at www.eHarmony.it

Apparently we Spice authors receive copies of all editions that our books publish in. So, I thought it would be fun to share the cover. To be honest, I do not speak Italian, but it was kind of a trip to go through and read the words.

And a bit of exciting news from my editor today! After seeing the mock ups of my WIP called "The Muses" the powers that be decided to reinstate the original title (The Master and the Muses) to better coincide with the cover art chosen out of several possible mock up covers. While all were beautiful (as I'm certain they were!) one in particular hit the "zowie" factor, off the scale! I, of course, am thrilled and, yes...cannot see it just yet.;) But the news of having the original title back and their enthusiasm is, as it is for all of us, terrific inspiration!

So here's the completely UNRELATED question for your weekend: HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW STAR TREK MOVIE?

And the winner is.....

Okay, the randomly selected winner of Vanessa Kelly's MASTERING THE MARQUESS is....

Caffey!

Congratulations! Email me at KristiAstor @ aol.com (minus the spaces, of course!) with your snail mail addy, and we'll get you hooked up!

Thanks so much for Vanessa for visiting with us, and thanks to everyone who participated.

Welcome Vanessa Kelly to the Manor!

Everyone please welcome author Vanessa Kelly to the Manor! Vanessa's sizzling debut, MASTERING THE MARQUESS, just hit shelves in April and is already getting rave reviews.

One lucky commenter will be selected to win an autographed copy of MASTERING THE MARQUESS, so don't be shy! But those of you who don't win, take heart--check out that price tag! The book is part of Kensington's groundbreaking Debut program (where yours truly got her start!) and you can buy this book for less than you spend on a grande latte at Starbucks! Now, without further ado, here's Vanessa....

IS THAT LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT?

Or is it lust?

I’m so happy to be guest-blogging at LUST IN TIME, and I want to thank my hostesses—and Lord Craven-Moore, of course—for letting me play in your delightful corner of the blogosphere.

Now, back to my original question. One of the most popular tropes in romance fiction is that of the hero and heroine clapping eyes on each other and falling instantly in love, usually to the sound of swelling violins and an angel’s over-wrought harp. When I was young—and I’m not going to tell you how young—I used to be ok with that. In fact, I don’t think it ever occurred to me to question whether love at first sight was even possible. Romance was all about the impossible, and not letting commonsense or realism intrude on the story.

But most romance readers today are skeptical of that trope, and rightly so. After all, love—real and enduring love—has to build itself on a solid foundation composed of many things, including mutual respect, honesty, intellectual and moral compatibility, and a desire to share everything life throws your way, good and bad. Still, in most romance novels something electrifying happens when the hero and heroine meet. What happens in that first meet can be so strong and visceral that it seems like love at first sight. In many cases, though, I think what is happening is lust at first sight. To my thinking, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing, since lust—or sexual attraction, physical desire, or whatever you want to call it—is a pretty powerful force that can bind the hero and heroine and keep them together through all the ups and downs of the story until they fall in love, surmount their obstacles, and reach their HEA.

It’s also a hell of a lot more realistic than some dewy-eyed encounter that settles everything in the first 30 pages. And, being honest here, I think a healthy dose of lust is a hell of a lot of fun.

In my book, Mastering The Marquess, my hero and heroine have that immediate, visceral reaction to each other. When my hero, Lord Silverton, first sets eyes on Meredith, this is how he describes her:

“Their gazes locked on each other. He felt as if he had been nailed to the floor, so captivated was he by the sight of the feminine whirlwind who had swept into their midst...more than anything, her eyes captured him by surprise. They were extraordinary: large under straight, determined brows and framed by thick black lashes. It was their color, however, that had caught his attention so forcefully. They were gray, but not the insipid, neutral color one associated with the term. No, they reminded him of a winter rainstorm—turbulent, untamed, and full of secret depths.”

Now here’s Meredith’s description of him:

“But then she turned and saw him and thought she had stepped into a fairy tale or an ancient legend. Her overactive imagination had decided on the spot that the golden-haired man looked exactly like a valiant knight of old.”

Fairly poetic descriptions, don’t you think? The reader might even be forgiven for thinking that I was indulging in that age-old trope, love at first sight. But read on a bit more and you’ll find that’s not the case. Both Meredith and Silverton react to each other very strongly, but it’s mostly on the physical level. Just a few short passages after her initial description of Silverton, Meredith notes with irritation that when he smiled at her, her knees actually wobbled. And when Silverton reflects later on his first encounter with Meredith, what he most remembers is how she looks, and that “she exuded a subtle yet powerful sensuality that promised a myriad of delights to the man lucky enough to bed her.”

That’s not love, that’s good, old-fashioned lust—on both their parts. And that’s ok. There are other qualities they recognize in each other, even in that first meet, but there are many obstacles that stand between them. That intense physical attraction—particularly for Silverton—is partly what pulls them together in the initial stages of the story and gives them the opportunity to develop a romantic relationship. And isn’t this often the case in real life, especially for guys? Women may find other, more ephemeral qualities attractive when they first meet a man, but for most guys I know, physical attraction is a very powerful motivator. And to my mind that’s fine, as long as the romance doesn’t begin and end there. Lust is a basis on which relationships can build and develop into real love, one that is both physically, intellectually and emotionally grounded. That’s the kind of story I like to write, and that’s the kind of story I like to read.

But not every reader is comfortable with blatant depictions of lust, and they even express real discomfort with the word itself. They see it as negative, and essentially antithetical to love and romance. For those readers, to be lustful is to be greedy, one of the Seven Sins, rather than a source of delight.

So, what about you, dear reader? Do you like a little (or a lot!) of lust in your romance? Or do you think it hinders rather than helps the love story?


MASTERING THE MARQUESS

Since the loss of her parents, Meredith Burnley has contented herself with a solitary life looking after her half-sister, Annabel. But Meredith’s peace is shattered when her uncle schemes to marry her off to his son in order to gain her inheritance. Desperate, Meredith has only one choice: to flee with Annabel to their estranged grandparents’ home. But their arrival soon reignites a family scandal—and kindles unexpected romance.

Happily reunited with the girls, Annabel’s grandmother resolves to convince her nephew, Stephen Mallory, the Marquess of Silverton, to abandon his rakish lifestyle and wed Annabel. Stephen is clearly captivated—but with the wrong sister. Determined to make Meredith his own, Stephen embarks on a seduction that will leave her with no choice but to surrender to his touch.

For more information about Vanessa, visit her online at www.vanessakellyauthor.com

Winner of Wicked...

Hi all, the winner of Jennifer Haymore's sexy historical, A Hint of Wicked, and picked by Jennifer herself is.....

CECILE!!!!!!

Congrats, Cecile!
Email me at charlotte@charlottefeatherstone.net with your address and I'll forward it to Jennifer.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Getting Wicked--Jennifer Haymore at the Manor!

Please welcome Jennifer Haymore to the manor! I'm super excited to have Jennifer here becaue her book, A Hint of Wicked has been on my radar for months now! I have it on pre-order and I can't wait to dig in. But of course, our lucky LIT readers will have a chance to win Jennifer's awesome book (a week early, too!) by commenting on the blog.

Since today is Memorial Day in the states, and admittedly this Cannuck didn't realize it when she booked Jennifer in, we'll leave her post up today and Tuesday so all our readers have a chance to find out about this book and enter to win a copy!

So, without further ado, let's welcome Jennifer to the manor!

REAL-LIFE LOVE TRIANGLES

Next week, my novel A HINT OF WICKED releases from Grand Central Publishing. It’s a spicy Regency romance about a woman completely torn between the two men she adores. Here’s the blurb:

---

CAUGHT BETWEEN DUTY AND DESIRE . . .

Sophie, the Duchess of Calton, has finally moved on. After seven years mourning the loss of her husband, Garrett, at Waterloo, she has married his cousin and heir, Tristan. Sophie gives herself to him body and soul. . . until the day Garrett returns from the Continent, demanding his title, his lands-and his wife.

TORN BETWEEN TWO HUSBANDS . . .

Now Sophie must choose between her first love and her new love, knowing that no matter what, her choice will destroy one of the men she adores. Will it be Garrett, her childhood sweetheart, whose loss nearly destroyed her once already? Or will it be Tristan, beloved friend turned lover, who supported her through the last, dark years and introduced her to a passion she had never known? As her two husbands battle for her heart, Sophie finds herself immersed in a dangerous game-where the stakes are not only love . . . but life and death.

----

While I was writing A HINT OF WICKED, I wasn’t aware that so many people had such strong opinions about love triangles! Some people love ‘em, some hate ‘em. Others are ambivalent. There is no consensus, it seems, on the wide world web.

I was talking about romance tropes one of my chat groups, and someone said she hated reading about triangles because based on her real-life experience, love triangles aren’t ever honest. Another person came on and said she was involved in a very honest, very difficult love triangle, and is now happily married to one of the men involved!

The memory of my own personal love triangle experience came rushing into my mind. You know, I thought, in writing A HINT OF WICKED, I never once thought of my own love triangle experience! How can that be?!

Then I realized I must have blocked the experience. It wasn’t an honest love triangle at all. It was actually pretty painful, and super awkward. It happened my senior year in high school, which probably says a lot in and of itself. Here’s the story:


Within a few days of one another, two guys asked me to the prom. I liked them both—one of them was tall, dark, and handsome, and Latin…yumm…and I knew he had a thing for me. The other guy…well, not so tall. Maybe three inches shorter than me, in fact. But in the previous few months, our friendship had grown by leaps and bounds. We had a lot in common, and I was starting to feel like something might happen between us.

I said yes to Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome (TDH). I told my “friend” that I’d already said yes to someone else, and I couldn’t back down. But I felt absolutely awful.

It was still a month or so to prom, and in that time, I actually hooked up with my friend. But I was resolute that I’d said yes to Mr. TDH and I couldn’t leave him hanging. My friend (let’s just be completely honest and tack a “boy” to the front of that “friend” word…sigh) wasn’t happy. He invited another friend (this one 10 years older and even taller) to the prom and said he was going to watch me the whole time.


I went to prom with Mr. TDH, and during the lulls in action, I skipped into a corner to make out with my boyfriend.

Argh. I feel awful even confessing that! Even now, many years later, I don’t know how I should’ve handled that situation. I probably should have told Mr. TDH right away that it wasn’t going to work out. But, man…I really, really wanted to go to prom with him.

I’m so glad high school is over!

My boyfriend broke up with me about a month into college (we happened to go to the same university). It wasn’t pretty. About a week later, I hooked up with the man who is now my husband. Happily ever after? Absolutely! But not with either of the guys I was in that messed-up triangle with!

What about you? Have you ever been involved in a love triangle? Honest or not? And how did it work out?

A Safe and Simple weekend to all!

Here in the States, this weekend is traditionally the unofficial start of summer. For me it means, cleaning off my deck and unrolling the hammock. A ritual well deserving of a trumpet fanfare though Ive not yet been able to convince either boy child to accompany me on Tuba or Trumpet, go figure;)

In a more serious vein, it is also a time of remembrance-not only for veterans , but for all who have touched our lives in some way. It is marked by a visit to my dads grave, where I place the first baseball of the season amid the flowers there.
You see, my dad worked as a rep for a New York publishing house for books and magazines when I was growing up. One of my most cherished possessions is a paperback dedicated to him by an author friend he helped to critique. My dad passed away long before I began writing, but I often wonder what he would think knowing his daughter had become an author. The influence of his life, his profession may or may not have affected me directly, but its something I ponder now and again.

"Gratitude," is one of my favorite words. I think its one of those words that you learn to appreciate with time and experience. Just taking a moment to think on this word can put life into perspective rather quickly. For me that's what this weekend is all about.

So to all traveling, to family get together, to all those we remember this weekend, or if you're just rolling out that hammock for the season--may your mind and heart be touched by gratitude.
What are your plans for the weekend? Will you be on the road? Is it a big camping weekend? What are you grateful for this weekend?

Thrilling Thursday

Good morning LIT readers! Allow me to apologize on behalf of Lord Craven-Moore who was supposed to get his well formed tush over here last night to announce the winner of Evangeline's contest. Instead, Kristina, Amanda and I found him lounging in Gideon's study, drunker than a skunk on Gideon's excellent port. And might I just add that Gideon was in no better shape! Grrrr, it's a good thing that man is reliable in other areas! *g*

Alas, I have dragged myself out of bed to see to the duty. Kristina and Amanda are still draped over his lordship, but I console myself with the knowledge that come the end of June, when Kristina and Amanda are feverishly writing, and I am done my deadlines, that I will be the one draped all over Craven-Moore!

So, we've got a few things for you today. First is the winner of Evangeline Collins' excellent debut Her Ladyship's Companion. So, the winner was picked randomly, and random in the Featherstone MayFair Mansion consists of writing out the names on a piece of paper, folding it and dumping it into a Dale Earnhardt Jr baseball cap. Then, the official name picker in the form of my 10 yr old daughter comes along and squeals and feel she's very important, then draws the name. It's not random.com but it usually works.

So, last night, kidlet drew the name......

Lyoness2009!

Congrats!!!! Please email me at charlotte@charlottefeatherstone.net with your snail mail addy and I will forward it along to Evangeline! Thanks to everyone who entered and stick around the blog because in the coming days and weeks we've got more book giveaways!


In other freebie news, my friend, and awesome writer, Karin Tabke has a free download read at Simon and Schuster. It's a medieval short. I'm a HUGE fangirl of Karin's Bloodswords, and book three of that series releases next week. It's Stefan's story, and I love me some Stefan! It's entitled Master of Craving. (okay, seriously, who could not resist that title!!!) So, if you've been interested in this series and haven't bought it yet, or if Karin is new to you and you want to know what's got me all hot and bothered about this brotherhood of knights, then head on over to S&S and get yourself a free download and try her out. I know you won't be disappointed. Karin writes very hot, alpha Norman Knights!!!

Here's the link: Karin Tabke free download

Well, that's it guys! Have yourself a thrilling Thursday!!!!
Be well, lusty and happy!

Man on Man, Lord Craven-Moore and Gideon

I knew right away when I saw the back cover copy of Charlotte’s Her Ladyship’s Companion, that I would have to meet up with this Gideon fellow. After all, the LIT ladies are forever encouraging me in my endeavours. They say I need to find ways to amuse myself. Little do they know....

So, being eager to please my ladies, I decided to read Her Ladyship’s Companion and discover for myself why Charlotte was walking about with pink cheeks and a familiar glow which I, myself, have put there many times.

Imagine my shock when I discovered the object of her fascination. Gideon.
A male prostitute...upon my word, I was intrigued, and a trifle miffed that Charlotte appeared to be rather smitten with the bloke. So, never one to let opportunity or research pass me by, I set out to Evangeline Collins’ place in search of the hero and the on dits of his past.


Upon first meeting Gideon, I’m rather taken aback. Immediately I feel a trifle ruffled. Gideon, you see, could make a lady swoon at a hundred paces. Currently my swoon worthiness is seventy-five paces! I begin to wonder where else this man might out measure me. But then, I immediately brighten. Gideon cannot claim the affections of the LIT ladies. In that, I am one hundred percent certain.

I take the wingback chair by the fire and reach for the snifter he has filled for me. I must concede, he has excellent taste. The brandy is smooth and a fine vintage, and his clothes, well tailored and expensive, are in the first stare of fashion. Upon close inspection, he is every inch the gentleman. Nothing like the tawdry Haymarket street walker I had envisioned. Damn his eyes, I can see why the ladies pay to have this man pleasure them.
He allows me to study him, but then I suppose he’s used to having his stock taken in and...measured.

With an arch of his dark brow he waits, although I’m aware his patience is wearing thin. I cough. I suppose I am staring. Bad form, that.

“Well,” I ask, bristling under his intense scrutiny, “what thoughts ran through your mind when you were travelling to Scotland to meet Bella?”

“I fully expected it to be the same as every other appointment, but I will admit to a level of curiosity. I was being sent quite the distance to visit a lady who, to my knowledge, had never laid eyes on me. In my experience, women tended to prefer to make their selection themselves. And I was to be this lady’s guest for a fortnight. Definitely outside the realm of the usual.”

Tell me how you felt the first time you ever laid eyes on her?

“She quite literally took my breath away. So exquisite, so lovely, so beyond anything I had expected, yet at the same time, she was exactly what I had expected.”

I find myself wanting to ask if ever found himself in the position to pleasure a lady of less pleasing attributes. What must that be like to be forced to pleasure one who did not stir the blood? While the question burns in my brain, it is rather gauche. And while this man was essentially a hired servant for a lady’s pleasure, he was not tactless. I could not bring myself to ask, even as I pondered the dilemma he must have faced at times during his....career. Something told me, though, that this fellow could find beauty in even the most plain woman. Which, of course, made him a very great threat to the rest of the gentlemen out there.

“Bella is a beauty, for certain, but what else did you discover about her upon your first meeting.?

“I did have a few moments to take in my surroundings before coming face to face with the lady of the manor. The grounds, the manor house, and her formal drawing room led me to expect a refined, sophisticated English lady. And Bella is every bit of that, and yet so very much more. I definitely had not expected to find such a beauty tucked away at a remote Scottish estate.”

What made the lovemaking different with Bella than with your other...patrons?

I notice the frown that flickers across Gideon’s perfect lips. Perhaps I have rubbed him the wrong way. I realize that he is trying his damndest to appear unruffled. I wonder why the question would upset him so, and if he would, indeed answer it.

“Bella cannot be compared to another.”

I have, indeed, offended him. Perhaps it was adding Bella into his past, or cataloguing her with the other women who had once purchased him. Perhaps it is that he and I are not so very different in our pasts except for the pesky fact he had accepted money for his services.

The tone is now a bit tense between us and I strive for a question that will set us once again on the right footing.

Evangeline confessed her favourite naughty bit of the book, what was yours?

The frown vanished, replaced with a slow grin. “Sometimes it is better to simply sit back and…enjoy. Truly a rare luxury, and one most graciously bestowed upon me. Though I’m not certain if I’d term it ‘rare’ anymore. And that’s all I will say on the matter. We are speaking of a lady, after all.”

Damned gentlemanly facade! Good breeding was highly overrated. Besides, I could be silent as the tomb when required. I lean forward and demand that he spill the details of the scene, but he merely smiles and sips his brandy. I make a mental note to scour every damn page of that book in search of that scene.

What is your favourite seduction technique?

"Might I ask why? Is it because you require some assistance in that area, Lord Craven-Moore? For if you do, I would be more than happy to offer my assistance…for the sake of your lovely ladies, of course. And I will offer this piece of advice - every woman is unique, and each moves at their own pace. One cannot just be interchanged for another. Therefore seduction is not a static technique. It is more about discovering what a woman desires, carefully fanning those desires…and then fulfilling them.”

Hmmm, I’m trying to decide whether to call him out or laugh at his audacity. Me requiring assistance? Just who does he think he is? I will give him this, though, he’s an intelligent fellow, even if he has too high an opinion of himself. I know women, and especially my ladies. Nothing goes un-noticed by me and I can safely say that I provide ultimate satisfaction. Although, I have quite quickly decided that Charlotte will not be allowed anywhere near this man. He’s exactly the sort she could cause a scandal with.

What is your favourite piece of clothing to remove from a woman?

“Silk stockings. And preferably saved for last. The only sight that compares to a woman in nothing but her stockings, is a woman clad in nothing at all.”

"In that we are agreed. Myself, I do enjoy removing corsets. I have a very great love of them. Now then, tell me which is first for you kissing or touching?

“While touching a beautiful woman does hold more than a certain amount of appeal, the power of a kiss can never be discounted. A kiss reveals a woman’s true nature. And with Bella, her kisses are the very definition of a promise of more.”

And that, darling readers, is Gideon. I tried to ply him with brandy to loosen his tongue but he stayed steadfastly stubborn and the consummate gentleman. He would not say a word against his lady or his past paramours. And while I have every respect for a lady’s reputation, I am not above spreading, or listening to a bit of tittle tattle.

In the end, my opinion of Gideon is this, stay away from my ladies because I feel you are far too smooth and accomplished. He knows women, and more than what they want in the bedroom. If I did not have every confidence in my own sexual prowess, I would be deuced worried about my ladies transferring their affections.

I have a good opinion of Gideon and I think you will too. If you would like an opportunity to win his book, comment, ask him a question, or myself, and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Gideon’s book, Her Ladyship’s Companion. Gideon and myself will be back later this evening to announce the winner.

Hugs and Kisses
Lord Craven-Moore

Evangeline Collins and Her Ladyship's Companion in the Manor!

Hi everyone! I'm so pleased to bring you debut author, Evangeline Collins! Her hot historical, Her Ladyship's Companion has just released from Berkley, and I think you'll find it a great read. Hot, angsty, with a hero to die for it's everything I look for in a romance!

Months ago I came across this book and knew it would be a must read for me. So, I asked Evangeline if she would like to come blog with us because I knew that this book would be of interest to our LIT readers!

I read this book over the weekend, and let me tell you, it was totally worth shoving aside looming deadlines for! What a fabulous, sexy read!

So, without further ado, I give you Evangeline Collins and her super yummy hero Gideon!



Hitting a Man Where it HurtsHi everyone!! :)

My thanks to the lovely ladies of Lust in Time, and to Lord Craven-Moore (mustn’t ever forget him) for having me as a guest on their fabulous blog. Charlotte graciously gave me leave to chat about whatever I wanted, so I decided to talk about my favorite part of a romance novel. Some love the sex scenes, others the happily ever after moment, some prefer the first meeting of the hero and heroine. Me, I’m an angst junkie. I love the Big Black Moment - where everything goes to hell in a hand basket. All right, I love the sex scenes, too (who doesn’t?), but I just adore running my characters through the wringer, and especially the hero. Things can’t be easy for the heroine either, but I really love to make the hero work for his HEA. To me, a hero’s ability to pull himself from the deep, dark depths of hell confirms just how much he loves the heroine. So in a way, you could say I torment my poor heroes for my heroines’ sake. After all, how else is she to know the hero loves her and only her? Men don’t tend to be very open about such finer sentiments, and sometimes, well, they prefer to hide their heads in the sand for a bit, and deny the truth.

The hero in my debut release from Berkley, Her Ladyship’s Companion, is one those fellows. So I saw it as my…responsibility, you could say….to find a way to make him recognize what was in his heart, and then get him back to his heroine so he could eventually have his HEA. And he did deserve to find happiness. He’s a man whose career involved bringing happiness to women, and he was very good at his job. So it was prime time he had a spot of happiness in his own life. But first, I needed to make him work for it. *g*

The question, though, is how do you make a man work for it? You hit him where it hurts the most, of course! But where it hurts the most depends on the man. For some, it’s money, or take away their friends or their social standing. Others value their integrity above all else, so call their word of honor into question and you deliver a mean blow. You could rip the heroine from him, or have a rival try to steal her away. That can sometimes snap a man to his senses rather effectively. Men are such wonderfully protective creatures – they have this innate need to provide for their own. So if he’s employed, why not take that away from him?

I will confess, I really ran Gideon, HLC’s hero, through the wringer. He’s a working man, a male prostitute (albeit a very high-end one), so he was particularly fun to torment. *g* And I’ll leave it at that and not give away too many spoilers for those who haven’t read the book.

So what’s your favorite part of a romance novel? And when you get a new book, will you flip through it and read your favorite scene, before you’ve started chapter one? I will confess, I’ve been known to do that sometimes. ;)

To celebrate the release of Her Ladyship’s Companion, I’m giving away a copy of the book to one lucky commenter. Just leave a comment and a winner will be chosen at random.

And now the official blurb ---

His job was to please her. Not to steal her heart.

In the Scottish countryside of Selkirk, Isabella, Lady Stirling resides at Bowhill Park, serving penance for a sin that nearly ruined her family. For five years she has been condemned to a loveless marriage and confined to the estate where she does little more than tend her rose garden. With her husband absent for months at a time and few visitors, Bella lives a lonely existence, denying the passions that burn within her very soul.

Then her cousin comes for a visit and makes an outrageous suggestion: what Bella needs is a lover. A hired lover. Despite her need, Bella says no. But soon Mr. Gideon Rosedale arrives – and he is at her service for two weeks. Indulging in what she intends to be a harmless flirtation, Bella is overcome by Gideon’s intoxicating presence. And when she at last permits him to satisfy her desires, she discovers she’s done the unthinkable – she’s fallen in love.

Interested in an excerpt? If so, hop on over to my website - http://www.evangelinecollins.com/her_ladyships_companion.html

Available now in bookstores near you, or through Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Her-Ladyships-Companion-Evangeline-Collins/dp/0425228207

Thanks again!!!
-Evangeline
Her Ladyship’s Companion/Berkley Sensation
www.EvangelineCollins.com
Lush. Elegant. Sensual Historical Romance.

Zach Attack!

Cecile and Kristi are on a roll...and Charlotte you've got to see the new Star Trek, on that I agree entirely! There are many who enjoyed seeing the young James T Kirk as well ;)

Barb, did your dad have those eyebrows??

Delivery from Amanda:
With love, from Cecile...

Spock Lust Spectacular

I thought I'd carry over our conversation from the comments into a new post with lots of *visual stimulation*, LOL! Yes, it's Spock Lust Spectacular Day here at LIT, with all the LIT Ladies on-board except for Charlotte--though Charlotte has yet to see the new Star Trek movie, so that might explain it.



I swear, if you'd shown me Zach Quinto's photo a month ago, I probably (might) have shrugged and said "Eh." But isn't it interesting how our eye gets a new filter when you've got added, supplemental visuals and information in your head to go with a photo? Now when I look at photos of Quinto, I don't just see a 2-dimensional photo of an actor, but I see the actor who played Spock--and who made Spock sexy (or should I say "sexier"? I'm suddenly finding Nimoy's Spock to be pretty sexy, too!). I'm also seeing the actor that I've watched in numerous interviews--unbelievably well spoken and interesting and intelligent and just generally fascinating.

Now, I look at these pictures and am like Pavlov's salivating dog. Personally, I find this a very interesting phenomena. Obviously there are some individuals whose looks alone are enough to make you take notice. But there are others who aren't necessarily classically good looking, and yet when you bring other stuff to your examination, they suddenly become gorgeous (in many ways I think Rob Pattinson fits in this category--I mean, I wasn't salivating over him back when he was Cedric Diggory--it was only when he became Edward that I sat up and took notice, and I don't think I'm the only one).

Anyway, back to Zach. Sigh..... So, hot or not?? And include in your answer whether or not you've seen him as Spock or as Sylar, or if he's a totally 'new face' to you. It'll be interesting to see if there's any correlation.

Star Fleet to Enterprise-we have a WINNER!!!!

There are some missions in life that require great determination and intestinal fortitude. There are some bloggers who are up to the most dangerous and time-consuming tasks , knowing that sometimes, one man's sacrifice must be made "for the good of all." Today we honor such a blogger...(hold applause , please)

Permission to come aboard CECILE and receive the deserved applause of the LIT Ladies
(they screaming you hear is Kristi) and a hearty HUZZAH (intergalactic medieval term) from the rest of the LIT crew!!

Without further adieu...I give you young Spock in a white towel.(Star Trek theme plays in background)



Commendation awarded, Ms. Cecile.

Elizabeth Hoyt-Winner

The LIT ladies and Lord C. M. would like to thank Elizabeth for stopping in for a couple of days at the manor! It's been a delight and I am now going to announce the lucky winner of Elizabeths generous book giveaway--TO TASTE TEMPTATION!

EVA S. would you please send me your snail mail info at
amanda@amandamcintyre.net , we'll get your book out to you straight away!

I have to confess, poor Lord CM is finding that he can't just traipse around the manor in his all together as he did before we had guests popping in and out at all times!

Though he has asked that I convey to our guests that he appreciates their urging him NOT to change his routine just because of them. And because its Wicked Wednesday, he wanted to share with you all the wonder of the little white towel.



OH SNAP!


Amanda

"4 1/2 Stars! TOP PICK! The third legend in the Four Soldiers quartet is a magical love story that reads like a mystical fable and a very real and highly passionate romance. Hoyt has found a unique niche that highlights both her storytelling abilities and her considerable talents for depth of character and emotion."
—Kathe Robin, Romantic Times BOOKreviews
As promised, an excerpt from TO BEGUILE A BEAST!




They always screamed.

Sir Alistair Munroe scowled at the woman and children on his step.
Behind them the rain suddenly let down in a wall of water, making the
children crowd against their mother's skirts. Children, particularly
small ones, nearly always screamed and ran away from him. Sometimes
even grown women did. Just last year a rather melodramatic young lady
on High Street in Edinburgh had fainted at the sight of him.

Alistair had wanted to slap the silly chit.

Instead, he'd scurried away like a diseased rat, hiding the maimed
side of his face as best he could in his lowered tricorne and pulled
up cloak. He expected the reaction in cities and towns. It was the
reason he didn't like to frequent areas where people congregated. What
he didn't expect was a female child screaming on his very doorstep.

"Stop that," he growled at her, and the lass snapped her mouth shut.

There were two children, a male and a female. The lad was a brown
birdlike thing that could've been anywhere from three to eight.
Alistair had no basis to judge since he avoided children when he
could. The female was the elder. She was pale and blond, and staring
up at him with blue eyes that looked much too large for her thin face.
Perhaps it was a fault of her bloodline--such abnormalities often
denoted mental deficiency.

Her mother had eyes the same color, he saw as he finally, reluctantly,
looked at her. She was beautiful. Of course. It would be a blazing
beauty who appeared upon his doorstep in a thunderstorm. She had eyes
the exact color of newly opened harebells, shining gold hair, and a
magnificent bosom that any man, even a scarred, misanthropic recluse
such as himself, would find arousing. It was, after all, the natural
reaction of a human male to a human female of obvious reproductive
capability, however much he resented it.

"What do you want?" he repeated to the woman.

Perhaps the entire family was mentally deficient, because they simply
stared at him, mute. The woman's stare was fixated on his eye socket.
Naturally. He'd left off his patch again--the damned thing was a
nuisance--and his face was no doubt going to inspire nightmares in her
sleep tonight.

He sighed. He'd been about to sit down to a dinner of porridge and
boiled sausages when he'd heard the knocking. Wretched as his meal
was, it would be even less appetizing cold.

"Carlyle Manor is a good two miles thataway." Alistair tilted his head
in a westerly direction. No doubt they were guests of his neighbors
gone astray. He shut the door.

Or rather, he tried to shut the door.

The woman inserted her foot in the crack, preventing him. For a
moment, he actually considered shutting her foot in the door, but a
remnant of civility asserted itself and he stopped. He looked at the
woman, his eye narrowed, and waited for an explanation.

The woman's chin tilted. "I'm your housekeeper."

Welcome Elizabeth Hoyt!

Please join me in a warm LIT Manor welcome to Lust in Time to USA Bestselling author, Elizabeth Hoyt!!

Elizabeth' current book TO BEGUILE A BEAST has just been released this month! You've got to make a point of checking out this woman's excerpts! www.elizabethhoyt.com This one in particular looks yummy as it touches the essence of my favorite fairy tales!! This is the third in the "LEGEND OF THE FOUR BROTHERS" SERIES," with the fourth, TO DESIRE A DEVIL, due out in November of 2009! (Great titles, btw!!)

Elizabeth is one crazy busy woman! And not only does she write sensuous, romantic historical, but she also writes contemporary as Julia Harper!
I'd like to start there with this book as I picked it up the other day and I'm looking forward to finding some down time to read it! It looks like a great summer read! WEelcome to the LIT Manor, Elizabeth!

Amanda: I picked up your Julia Harper book, it looks like its going to make my top "Hammock" reads of the summer. Is this your first contemporary? Please tell us a bit about it. Maybe what inspired it? I absolutely love that title!;)

Julia/Elizabeth: FOR THE LOVE OF PETE (Jan. 2009) is my second contemporary. My first was HOT (Jan. 2009) My contemporaries are fun chase books with a lot of quirky characters. FOR THE LOVE OF PETE has an uptight FBI hero, a
free-spirited heroine, and a kidnapped toddler. Also, a bad guy with anger managment issues and two elderly Indian ladies trying to regain some very important saffron. Romantic Times magazine said that FOR THE LOVE OF PETE was like "Janet Evanovich crossed with The Sopranos."


Amanda: Speaking of nice things being said about your writing...You have got to be walking on air as of late with good news! You've come home recently from the RT BOOKlovers convention with a special award and I hear you are nominated for another this summer! Can you tell us these awards, and what book they are for?

Elizabeth: TO TASTE TEMPTATION just won the RT Reviewers' Choice award for Best Historical of 2008 and TO SEDUCE A SINNER is up for a RITA award this summer. TO BEGUILE A BEAST, my current book, just made the NYT
bestseller list--I'm still shocked!

Amanda: That is fantastic! Congratulations! How long have you been writing, and has writing historical always been your first love?

Elizabeth: I've been writing for about eight years now, and yes, historicals are my first love. The first book I write was THE RAVEN PRINCE. But I do love my contemporaries, too!

Amanda: Just curious, how would you classify the heat level in your historicals?

Elizabeth: Pretty hot verging on scorching. ;-)

Amanda: Woohoo! Lord C.M. will be borrowing that book! Now, of all your books, is there a character that still haunts you? Not necessarily in having their own book written, but one whose character is so strong to you that they linger in your mind? If so, who and why?

Elizabeth: The hero of TO SEDUCE A SINNER was perhaps the hardest to write. On the serface he's a bit of a clown and I wanted to preserve that while also making him a wonderful romance hero. It took a couple of tries, believe me! ;-)

Amanda: Here is the stepback of your new release and NYT's Best seller, TO BEGUILE A BEAST!! *fanning self* This sounds very much like an adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. Which is one of my favorite tales!(yes, even the Disney version) Do you often get inspiration from fairytales, legends, or lore?

Elizabeth: All of my books have a fairy tale that accompanies the main story, so yes, I am inspired by fairy tales and myths. I think often they have a core of something wonderful which is why they live on for centuries. Often my stories have an element that comes from a myth or fairy tale.

Amanda: I couldn't agree more, Elizabeth and it appears your readers agree as well!! Now just for fun, what do you do to rekindle/refresh your creative well?

Elizabeth: Garden!

Amanda: And with the weather we've had of late, its been a wonderful time to get out and play in the dirt and do some planting!

A little later, Elizabeth is going to treat us to an excerpt from TO BEGUILE A BEAST! We will select a winner from those who offer comment and they will receive Elizabeth's first book in the Four Brothers series, TO TASTE TEMPTATION! The floor is now open to questions!

Elizabether Amber~WINNER

Thanks to Elizabeth for visiting our blog, and thanks to all of you who commented and really opened up about first loves. It was really moving to read all the experiences. Again, us LIT ladies think we've got the best visitors and friends at our blog. Thanks to our old friends who've been with us since the beginning, and welcome to the new ones we've made along the way.

Now without further ado, a message from Elizabeth.

Happy Mothers Day to everyone, and congratulations to Sarabelle!

My bf randomly chose you as the winner of a copy of Nicholas, The Lords of Satyr. Please email me at elizabethamber1 at aol dot com with your snailmail address and I'll mail it out.


Congrats, Sarabelle!! Enjoy that sexy hunky!!!

Welcome Elizabeth Amber!

Everyone please give a warm LIT Manor welcome to guest blogger Elizabeth Amber, author of some *very* hot paranormal historicals with Kensington Aphrodisia. And don't be shy--one lucky commenter will win a copy of NICHOLAS. Elizabeth, take it away....

Never Forget The One That Got Away

Marilyn Monroe, JFK Jr., Jimi Hendrix, Princess Diana, my first love. I lost each of them too soon. They fascinated me. They still do. Forever young, energetic, beautiful, unobtainable.

That’s how I’d describe my first love. Long story short, we dated senior year in high school for five months. I loved him. More than he loved me. We went to different colleges and he met someone else. I shed a lot of tears over that guy. He was fun, funny, tall, muscular, cute, classy, smart, and had a fantastic family that was wealthier than mine. I’ll never forget him.

And that’s a good thing.

Through him, I first learned the piercing joy of loving. I learned the intense, debilitating pain of losing a love I’m desperate to keep, yet sense is slipping away. The highs and lows of that relationship are chiseled on my heart. His loss was a wound, then a bruise. One that never quite healed.

And that’s a good thing.

I never thought I would thank my first love. I thought I’d hate him forever. But he’s a part of me that helps me write characters with deep emotions. Now I use all that pain and desperation; all the volatility of my time with him, in my romance writing.

So, Stephen, wherever you are, thank you for loving me. For all the fun times. For crushing me. I’ve written four romance novels, and you helped with every one. Yes, I still remember you. What? You’re unhappy? You’re sorry you didn’t realize how wonderful I was? You’re miserable now and curse the day you left me? Your wife divorced you, you’re broke, and you’re impotent?

Oh, sorry to hear that.

I think I prefer to remember you the way you were—forever young, energetic, beautiful, unobtainable. A heartbreaker.


Do you remember your first love? Are you glad/sorry you ever met him? What were the good and bad things that you took from the relationship? Do you know where he is now? Do you want to? Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Nicholas, The Lords of Satyr.

~ Elizabeth Amber
Nicholas | Raine | Lyon | Dominic : The Lords of Satyr series
Coming in 2010: Dane
erotic historical paranormal romance
Kensington Aphrodisia
Excerpts at: www.elizabethamber.com

Rainy Days and....Tuesdays??

Blech, the weather has been cold, gray, and rainy for THREE days now. Trust me, it does *not* feel like spring here in New York City--especially harsh after I spent those five lovely days in Orlando! This weather really makes me feel sleepy and headachy and generally blue--is anyone else as affected by the weather as I am? I'm pretty sure I could never live in the Pacific Northwest, as gorgeous as it looks (and I'm dying to visit there!).

Since I finished my latest historical manuscript and am taking a brief breather before I begin the next one, I've been holed up inside, catching up on movies and listening to a lot of music. I'm really into the Verve right now--probably because I wrote half my last manuscript while listening to Bittersweet Symphony over and over again on a loop. Pretty strange, because I never used to be able to write to songs with lyrics. But somehow that song just captured the perfect melancholy edge for my book (A MIDNIGHT CLEAR), and it just seemed natural to write to it.

And then someone said "Hey, isn't that the song from the movie Cruel Intentions?" And since I'd never heard of the movie, I looked it up and discovered it's a modern-day remake of Dangerous Liaisons (and who *doesn't* love Dangerous Liaisons?!--or even the other version with Colin Firth and Annette Benning titled Valmont?) with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Reese Witherspoon. I was surprised I missed it the first time around, but it came out the same year that my oldest daughter was born, so I suppose that explains it! I wasn't getting out to the theater much in 1999!

Anyway, I *loved* it! I thought it was a very interesting, stylized version--and while it was hard to believe that they were actually high school kids, it worked anyway. But mostly it was just really HOT! Extremely erotic, especially considering there wasn't any nudity save a naked butt. I've never found Ryan Phillippe particularly attractive in the past--but yeah, he was really rocking those sexy glasses and modern-day frock coat. I admit, I adored his Sebastian Valmont (pant, pant...).

And yes, Bittersweet Symphony is indeed on the soundtrack--the entire soundtrack is excellent, actually. My other favorite songs from the movie (now downloaded to my iTunes!) are Fatboy Slim's Praise You and Counting Crow's Color Blind.

Has anyone else seen the movie?? If so, what did you think? If you haven't, I recommend it--but be warned, it's not remotely kid-safe, so don't attempt to watch with little ones in the house! And I *definitely* recommend the soundtrack!

I also caught up on some reading--another favorite rainy-day activity. I read Julia Harper's HOT (Julia Harper is historical author Elizabeth Hoyt's pen-name for contemporaries), which I really enjoyed (and yes, it was indeed quite hot!!), and the YA paranormal EVERMORE, which was just okay. Actually, it had too many Twilight-like elements for my taste, right down the heroine reading Wuthering Heights for English class.

So...what do you love to do on cold, rainy Tuesdays (or any day, for that matter)?