And last but not least today…my good friend Kris Kennedy’s latest book is DEFIANT. (You definitely do NOT want to miss this one! It’s soooo good!)

A warrior with questionable intentions . . .

Jamie Lost is the king’s most renowned commander, a fearless lieutenant ordered to kidnap an exiled priest before rebel forces close in. The mission is simple—until he meets a mysterious thief who will steal his quarry and then his heart.

A lady of remarkable courage . . .

Beautiful Eva is also seeking Father Peter, but she intends to protect him from a secret that could cost him his life. She senses that she, too, should fear Jamie—not just for his wickedly sharp sword and dangerously muscular body, but for the powerful longing he ignites within her.

A secret that could overthrow the king.

When a band of mercenaries abducts the priest, Jamie and Eva must form a volatile alliance. As civil war unfolds around them, they embark on an epic journey that betrays the truth about their hidden identities, their unexpected loyalties, and the simmering attraction that could seal their fates forever.

“Kennedy has a way with words, and the witty banter between Jamie and Eva is a great pleasure to read.” –Publisher’s Weekly

PURCHASE: ,IndieBound, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Books*A*Million

The PW reviewer hit it right on. The banter between Jamie and Eva is fabulous. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. To win your own copy of DEFIANT, tell me if you’re a fan of medieval romance.

(Note: This drawing is open to US residents only.)

Special Treat! Ashley March is here to chat about her Hero List! But first, I want to tell you a little about Ashley’s  latest book, SEDUCING THE DUCHESS!

It was just another scandalous night…

Gambling. Carousing. Flirting. Charlotte, Duchess of Rutherford, will do anything to create a scandal large enough to force her husband to finally petition for a divorce. Once madly in love with Philip, she is now determined to escape from their less than civil marriage and the reminders of his betrayal.

Until he stole her away…

Philip Burgess, Duke of Rutherford, is not a man to tolerate regrets. He wed Charlotte for revenge, not for love or convenience, knowing she would come to hate him. But he never expected he would one day find himself craving her attention or desiring her company….

And gave her something more…

Philip is no longer the cold, deceitful man she married years ago. And when he promises Charlotte a divorce if she will help him become a better husband for another woman, she wonders if she truly wants to lose him—and if Philip may still possess her heart after all…

“March’s debut novel glows with its fresh take on a traditional theme, a second chance at love. Her sprightly characters and snappy dialogue set the pace for a delectable, sensual, love story.” –RT Book Reviews

PURCHASE: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Borders, Indiebound, Powell’s

And now, in Ashley’s own words…

***

The Hero List

First—thanks so much to Elisabeth for allowing me to come visit today, and congratulations on the new release of BODYGUARDS IN BED. I can’t wait to read it!

Now to the hero list. Admit it, ladies, we all have one. I’m not talking about the list of qualities we want in our ideal romance hero—which for the most part would probably be pretty standard: tall, dark, handsome, knows what he’s doing in the bedchamber, has a great sense of humor but a stare that makes your knees week.

No, I’m not talking about him (although, wow—I really want to read about that romance hero now .

I’m talking about the hero list so many women create before they meet “the one”. Because we might not know what “the one” will look like or what his name will be, we create a list of qualities that we decide we will look for in this perfect man, qualities we hope that “the one” will have.

My list was created sometime during the summer between the 8^th and 9^th grades. (Note: If your 14-15 year old daughter gets bored during the summer, tell her to create her own hero list. ) If I remember correctly, the following comprised my standards for my own ideal hero (In no particular order, mind you…after all, he’d have to have all of them to be perfect):

1)      Sense of humor (definitely had to make me laugh and be fun to hang around)

2)      Hot (although I could live with cute)

3)      Intelligent (needed someone to keep up with me)

4)      Christian (had my own values)

5)      Played the drums (because drummers are HAWT)

6)      Played the guitar (because drummers who also play the guitar are SUPER hawt)

7)      Lifeguard (I believe my thinking on this was that this would ensure he’d be hot or at least have a great body…yes, I was somewhat of a superficial 15 year old)

I probably didn’t think of this back then because my ideal hero might not have been able to drive yet, but as a bonus…a motorcycle would have scored major points!

Either way, I created the list, just to give myself an idea of what kind of guy I was interested in. To be honest, I never expected to find someone who met all of these requirements. But if I met someone with three or more…well, I would consider myself fortunate and start planning the wedding immediately.

I kept my list in 9^th grade. Didn’t find anyone. 10^th grade. Still nothing. I moved schools for 11^th grade, and that first semester I found him. The perfect hero.

He had EVERYTHING. Cute, intelligent, sense of humor, played the drums AND guitar, was a lifeguard during the summer, and was a Christian. I wish you could have seen me as I discovered each of these one by one, mentally checking them off on my list. On the outside I tried to be nonchalant, but inside I was squeeing like mad—simply because he was the perfect guy for me.

Or rather, he should have been.

Because the sad truth is, ladies…There was no chemistry between us. Zippo. Nada. In fact, I developed a crush on his best friend and tried to hook Perfect Hero up with my best friend. Perfect Hero and I were friends, but never anything more.

I have to admit that this was a crushing blow to the romantic inside me. It felt like serendipity. We were MEANT to be together…weren’t we?

Instead, four years later, at the age of 19, I married someone else. Someone I was crazy in love with. He was cute, intelligent, had a great sense of humor, and shared my values…but he didn’t play the drums or the guitar (although he did make an effort by strumming it some ) and he certainly wasn’t a lifeguard (no Michael Phelps here, ladies). He didn’t even have the bonus material; he was convinced that he would get in an accident and die if he ever rode a motorcycle.

But we’ve been married almost 8 years now and I fall more in love with Mr. Imperfect Hero every day. He cooks, he cleans, he’s a terrific father, he still makes me laugh, and he takes the very best care of me. Also, I’m really excited to tell you that he’s now agreed that he’ll try riding a motorcycle…someday.

As a romance author, this experience has taught me two things. 1) This is a fantastic story line and I’m definitely going to have to use it for a future book; and 2) I don’t want my romance heroes to be perfect. I want them to be perfect for the heroine, even if she has a hero list. I want him to surprise her and make her open her heart and eyes to something so wonderful she would never have dreamed of it on her own. Because I’ve lived that experience, and let me tell you, ladies…it’s the greatest feeling in the world.

Although I urge you to go out and buy BODYGUARDS IN BED and read it first, then I’d love to give away a copy of my first book, SEDUCING THE DUCHESS. It’s about a woman who thought she married the perfect hero and then found out he wasn’t so perfect after all…until he becomes the perfect man for her.

To enter to win (open to US and international), all you have to do is tell me 5 things that would be on your best-of-the-best real-life hero list. (And no, you can’t base it off of everything that’s wonderful about your significant other. ).

(Note: This drawing is open internationally.)

First up today is TYLER by C.H. Admirand!

When Tyler Garahan said he’d do anything to save his family’s ranch, he never thought that would include taking a job as a stripper at a local ladies’ club. But the club’s fiery redheaded bookkeeper captures Tyler’s attention, and for her he’ll swallow his pride…

Emily Langley feels for the gorgeous cowboy. It’s obvious that he’s the real deal and wouldn’t be caught dead at a ladies’ revue if he wasn’t in big trouble. And when he looks at her like that, she’ll do anything to help.

Working days on the ranch and nights at the ladies’ club, Tyler would be plumb exhausted if he didn’t suddenly discover that the club is in the same boat as his ranch, and his beautiful boss needs him as much as he needs her…

“The passion between the two main characters is electrifying…” –RT Book Reviews

PURCHASE: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Mm…A cowboy stripper. Doesn’t get better than that, does it? To win a copy of TYLER tell me if you’ve ever read a book  where one or more scenes are set in a strip club.

(Note: This drawing is open internationally.) 

Here we go…

Winners, I’ve emailed you the deets. The sooner you respond, the sooner you’ll get your prize!

Day 1 Part 1 – Donna Grant Winner
choice of DANGEROUS HIGHLANDER, FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER, or WICKED HIGHLANDER
Sherie L! (Comment #30)

Day 1 Part 2 - Sophie Jordan Winner
SURRENDER TO ME
Babs! (Comment $14)

Day 1 Part 3 – Katharine Ashe Winner
CAPTURED BY A ROGUE LORD
Stacie DM! (Comment #10)

Day 2 Part 1 – Juliana Stone Winner
First two Jaguar Warrior books
Christie M! (Comment #4)

Day 2 Part 2 – Carolyn Brown Winner
LOVE DRUNK COWBOY
Kati R! (Comment #20)

Day 2 Part 3 – Vanessa Kelly Winner
MY FAVORITE COUNTESS
JoAnna B! (Comment #29)

Day 3 Part 1 – Marie Force Winner
All three Fatal Series ebooks
Mariee! (Comment #17)

Day 3 Part 2 – Christy Reece Winner
LAST CHANCE
Colleen! (#5)

Day 3 Part 3 – Joyce Lamb Winner
TRUE VISIONS & TRUE COLORS
Infinitieh (#6)

Congrats to all the winners and good luck to the rest of you. There are four more days left and still lots of good prizes to win!

Next up, Stefanie Sloane’s latest release, THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE!

In Stefanie Sloane’s smoldering new series of undercover seduction and adventure, a seasoned spy discovers passion is a dangerous game.

Lord William Randall, the Duke of Clairemont, is a wicked rake with little regard for society—a most unlikely suitor for the prim and proper Lady Lucinda Gray. But his latest assignment for the Young Corinthians, an elite spy organization, involves protecting her from a kidnapping plot and to do this, the notorious “Iron Will” must get close to Lucinda, and convince her that he’s a man worthy of her attention. It is a simple enough task to use his devilish charm to seduce her, but William never would have guessed that he’d become enthralled by the lovely Lady Grey—or that he’d lose his own heart in the bargain.

Beautiful and fiercely intelligent, Lucinda has managed to gracefully sidestep even the most persistent suitors. Until the Duke of Clairemont, that is. His rugged features, sinfully sensuous mouth, and piercing eyes are as alluring as the champion thoroughbred he tantalizingly offers in exchange for the honor of courting her, and she finds it hard to resist either temptation. The feelings he stirs in her both excite and arouse, urging her on despite the very real danger he represents. But when the truth is revealed, will Lucinda risk her heart and her life for a chance at everlasting love?

“Sloane’s characters take center stage and the chemistry between them works to perfection. There will be plenty of anticipation for her next novels.”
–RT Book Reviews

PURCHASE: Random House, Amazon, Amazon Canada, Barnes & Noble, B-A-M, Borders, Chapters, IndieBound, Powell’s

I love a good spy plot. To win a copy of Stefanie’s THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE, tell me the if you’re a spy fan yourself.

 (Note: this drawing is open to US Residents only.)

Today one lucky winner will win Anita Clenney’s debut release, AWAKEN THE HIGLAND WARRIOR, which came out last month. You don’t want to miss this one!

He’s had centuries to dream of her…

Mis-adventurous historian Bree Kirkland discovers a one hundred fifty year old warrior buried in a crypt behind her house. But Faelan, the warrior, isn’t dead. When this chauvinistic Scottish Warrior awakes, he has no choice but accept the help of this modern-day woman who’s rescued him, but she’s more fearsome than the demon trying to kill him. If he’s not careful, she’ll uncover every secret his clan has bled and died to protect.

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Borders | Books-A-Million | Joseph-Beth

“Clenney’s Scottish paranormal debut is full of twisty subplots and sexy, romantic fun.”…”there’s plenty to keep readers looking ahead to the sequels.” — Publishers Weekly

To win a copy of this fabulous debut, leave a comment and tell me the last debut author you read. (If you haven’t ever read a debut author, tell me one you want to read.)

(Note: This drawing is open internationally.)

If you’ve not yet read a Cynthia Eden book, you MUST. Cynthia’s book are – in one word – AWESOME. You will not regret the purchase. I’m thrilled to share with you Cynthia’s upcoming book, NEVER CRY WOLF  (June 28, 2011):

RUNNING WITH A DANGEROUS CROWD

Lucas Simone is not the kind of guy you mess with. He’s big, he’s strong, and his eyes hint at a wilder side most women can’t handle. Of course, that’s because his predatory instincts are no metaphor—he’s a genuine Grade-A top-quality werewolf, tough enough to fight his way to dominance over the scariest pack on the West Coast. There’s only one chink in his armor. Unlike most alpha dogs, Lucas has a reputation for protecting the weak and innocent.

Sarah King is counting on that protective impulse—it’s the only thing standing between her and certain death. There are only two problems: one, she’s not quite as innocent as she’d like Lucas to believe. And two, if he doesn’t stop stoking Sarah’s animal lust, it’s only a matter of time before her own wild side gets unleashed…

“Plenty of action and sexual heat…”
–RT Bookreviews

Buy Online: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Borders, IndieBound

I love that Cynthia set this book on the West Coast. (Especially since I’m a left coast girl.) To win a copy of this book, tell me one city on the West Coast you’d like to visit (or a city out here you’ve been to and would love to re-visit).

(Note: This drawing is open internationally.)

Another multi-prize! Joyce Lamb‘s latest book is TRUE COLORS:

“Fast paced and gripping … dark and twisted … sizzling and satisfying. … A perfect weekend read.”
– Romantic Times

PURCHASE: Joyce Lamb Buy Links

Today’s winner gets a copy of BOTH True Visions & True Colors! To be entered, tell me the last romantic suspense book you read.

(Note: This drawing is open internationally.)

I’ve been a fan of Christy Reece‘s books ever since I read RESCUE ME. If you haven’t yet read Christy’s work, you are serously missing out! Phenomenal romantic suspense.

Christy’s next release is SWEET JUSTICE, which releases on August 30, 2011:

LIVE FOR HONOR. DIE FOR LOVE.

Honor Stone is a young, idealistic FBI agent when her path collides with Seth Cavanaugh. For a girl who has never walked on the wild side, the dark and dangerous Seth is a temptation she can’t refuse. But then Seth walks out the door and out of her life. Five years later, Honor is an operative with the elite Last Chance Rescue organization and Seth is a desperate ex-cop searching for his missing niece—one of many young women who have mysteriously vanished from college campuses. Going undercover, Honor will attract the maniacal cult leader behind the kidnappings and find a way to work with Seth—while steering clear of the passion and need that’s just one touch away from explosion. Seth knows he had all the right reasons for the wrong he did five years ago. And from the moment he sees her—and takes her in his arms again—this former undercover man will risk everything for one more chance with Honor.

“A first-rate series gets even better with this heart-pounding conclusion to the second Last Chance Rescue trilogy. LAST CHANCE is…a truly wonderful story!”
–Top Pick! Romantic Times Magazine

ORDER THIS BOOK: Random House | Amazon | Borders | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million

Christy is giving away a copy of LAST CHANCE today. Since I love FBI characters, to be entered to win this awesome book, tell me who your favorite FBI hero is (mine’s easy…Mulder, baby, all the way).

(Note: This drawing is open internationally.)

It’s a romantic suspense day! (I swear I didn’t plan it this way but it’s totally fitting since today is release day for BODYGUARDS IN BED!!)

First up…an awesome prize. The first three e-books in Marie Force‘s Fatal Series. Book 3, FATAL CONSEQUENCES, releases on July 18, 2011:

The murder of two members of the Capitol Cleaning Service might’ve been just another homicide investigation—that is If one of them hadn’t been romantically involved with a married senator from Arizona. Lt. Sam Holland and her team are plunged into another complex case that at first seems open and shut. But as Sam tugs on the threads of the investigation she uncovers a deep, dark Washington secret that threatens the careers of some of the government’s highest-ranking officials. Racing to catch a killer before he can strike again, Sam and her fiancé, U.S. Senator Nick Cappuano, attempt to plan a wedding while her colleague Detective Tommy “Gonzo” Gonzales faces life-changing news.

“Force pushes the boundaries by deftly using political issues like immigration to create an intricate mystery.”–RT Book Reviews

PURCHASE: Marie Force Purchase Links 

To win a copy of this awesome romantic suspense series, simply tell me, are you a fan of political thrillers? Why or why not?

(Note: This drawing is open internationally.)