Danger: Women Writing

#12 – Colleen is our WINNER! Email me at donna@donnagrant.com with your address to claim your prize. CONGRATS!
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Morning, all! My wonderful, amazing agent, Emily Sylvan Kim, was supposed to be here this morning, but life has gotten in the way and she’s unable to make it. So, I’m stepping in for her.

The other day I got this curious email from a review site that said one of their reviewers was bashed for reading romance. They asked if I would be willing to write a blog on “Redeeming Romance”. My answer was, of course, a resounding yes!

But that got me thinking. Romance is the biggest and largest selling genre out there. They put our section in the back so readers will have to walk through other books (with the hopes that some other books might catch their eye) in order to get to ours. Booksellers know how well romance sells. They know that readers will go into a store and not just buy one book. They buy several. So, in a way its a smart business move.

Yet for all our sales, people still view romance as some nasty, embarrassing thing to read. The “bodice-ripper” is long gone, but that connotation is still around. As I stated in my blog for the review site, I changed a lot of people’s opinions by simply pointing out what romance is.

Romance is about the journey of two people. It’s an inner journey where they find themselves and love. It’s a journey that can be fraught with danger, most of the times villains out to get them, but always, always, there is a “Happily Ever After” in the end. No matter what the characters go through, no matter how heart wrenching, you know as a reader, that in the end, they’ll end up together.

After mentioning to the many macho guys around me that most movies/TV shoes/books have a romantic element in them, they began to see things differently. Of course, it didn’t happen over night. My hubby, who is awesome, helped me by pointing out that romance/relationships are a part of life so they would be in everything. Most of the guys changed their way of thinking, and even a few went and bought my books to read (and had me sign them. )

It just goes to prove that there is a stigma on romance still. Some say the covers don’t help. But, honestly, I love the clench covers. I want to see a hot guy on my covers. lol. In the end, it comes down to readers who are willing to stand up for what they love to read, to tell people it isn’t porn. It’s a story of love, of adventure and intrigue, of discovering characters who make you root for them and cry for them and laugh with them. It’s about being taken away from the daily grind to a place whether in Medieval Scotland, a futuristic world, a contemporary setting, or a fantasy world that makes you fall in love with the characters and know that love does indeed exist.

Tell me why do you read romance?

I’ll choose someone for a signed copy of the second book in my Dark Sword series, FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER! And look for my next book, UNTAMED HIGHLANDER on April 26th!




hugs,
D
www.DonnaGrant.com

One of my favorite things to do is walk into my local Barnes & Noble. We have a Books-A-Million as well, but I prefer the B&N. Not sure why. BAM has been in town longer, but the B&N store is massive. They have a large romance section, and they do good in keeping my books in stock since I’m a local author.


I love going up and down the aisles looking at the books and seeing which covers draw my attention. I love the smell of the books. I love the entire atmosphere!


Despite that, there are times when I do place an order through B&N online. Not because I don’t want to go to the book store, but because its 30 minutes away and I may not have time.


I love the convenience of having the books delivered for free. I also love how I can put books on my “wish list” which makes remembering what books I want, and when they release, a good thing for me.


So tell me, what is your favorite place to buy books?


hugs,
D

Tuesdays are always fun for me. I love heading to the bookstore and seeing what has come in. And I always leave with books. lol.


Two of the Dangerous Women had releases yesterday. I picked up Jennifer Haymore’s A SEASON OF SEDUCTION as well as Cynthia Eden’s THE NAUGHTY LIST.


There were many others I picked up, but I’d rather here what books you bought!


hugs,
D

One of the things I love about fall is the new shows – and returning shows – on TV. I admit, we watch quite a bit of TV, but mostly we DVR everything and watch it when we can. So we’ll have 6 shows taped sometimes before we can get to it.


That’s what happened with The Gates. Of course, I got so into it that we watched it as soon as we could once we got caught up. I also got hooked watching SciFi’s new show Haven based off Stephen King’s Colorado Kid. *Great* show. Love, love, love it!


I was delighted with the return of Castle (one of my favorites!) and NCIS:LA this week.


And Vampire Diaries returned last week. Yes, I got hooked last year. Can’t wait to see what happens this season.


Here are my other must see shows:
Bones
Fringe
The Mentalist
Supernatural
Destination Truth (my daughter *loves* this)
Ghost Hunters
and most especially Stargate: Universe


Besides Hawaii 5-0 we’re giving Blue Bloods a try. There were a couple of other shows I was interested in (Lone Star being one of them) but they interferred with shows I was already hooked on, so I didn’t get to watch or DVR.


So, tell me which shows you found this summer, new shows coming this fall, or your old favorites returning.


hugs,
D

I always like to find out how people buy authors/books they’ve never read before. I’m not at all surprised to discover that the covers have a lot to do with that decisions.


I know once I buy all the books I go looking for, I’ll browse the shelves to see if something catches my eye. I’ve found several great authors that way, but I also know I’ve not read some because of the covers.


And I hate that.


An author doesn’t have any control over their covers. I know many readers think they do (I’ve seen the emails yelling at authors because the readers think the cover is awful). The truth is covers, release dates, and most times even the titles are completely out of the author’s hands. The publisher, editor, and marketing department decide all of that.


It can be very frustrating, especially when an author doesn’t like a cover. If the cover isn’t pretty, hot, eye-catching, or whatever, its not likely to grab reader’s attention, which could translate into slow – or even worse, no – sales.


But if you get a gorgeous cover that makes you scream and jump up and down (ok, so I did that. I admit it freely) then that’s an added bonus. I mean, who can resist a hunky guy in a kilt, right? lol


So tell me, do covers make a difference in you buying a book?


hugs,
D

I’ve noticed a lot of talk lately around the ‘net about rereading favorite books. Which got me thinking, how many of us reread our favorite books?


I know I’d love to keep all the books I read, but I only keep the ones that I know I would reread again. Do I? Well, sometimes. Not as often as I would like because there are so many books released every week that I want. Already my TBR pile is getting way out of hand. I need a couple of weeks were I do nothing but read.


So, tell me, do you reread books? What makes them a reread?


hugs,
D

I love reading books in a series. There’s something magical about returning to a setting and characters that you’ve come to know and love. My TBR pile is growing by the day (literally), but there was no way I was going to pass up reading books four and five, Married by Morning and Love in the Afternoon in the Hathaway series by Lisa Kleypas.

I had been looking forward to Cat and Leo’s book from the moment of their first argument. I knew they would have a fiery story, and Lisa did not disappoint. To add to their intense attraction, Cat has a past she’s been running from. And a man that will do whatever it takes to have her as his own.


Leo through all his sarcastic comments and quick wit was a perfect hero for Cat. He was strong, clever, and refused to let her fall through his hands. Despite Leo’s attention on discovering Cat’s secrets, he must find a wife and produce an heir within a year or lose Hathaway House.


With so many twists and turns and villains attacking you begin to wonder if Cat and Leo can find the happiness they deserve. Yet, in the end, it is their love that gets them through it all.

I was very curious as to how the youngest Hathaway, Beatrix, would find her hero. Beatrix lived life differently. Nature and animals were her loves. No one but her familiy understood her which made it difficult for her in society. Her family had all but regulated her to a spinster, made worse by the fact that men found her attractive and easy to talk to, but never moved things further along.


It isn’t until Beatrix’s friend, Pru, gets a letter from a beau while he’s fighting abroad that Beatrix decides to answer Christopher when Pru refuses. After all, Christopher is putting his life on the line, and its clear by his letters he won’t return home the same man he had left. It doesn’t take long for the correspodence between Beatrix and Christopher to become something more, something deep.


When Beatrix learns that Christopher will soon return home, she ends their letters, but the damage is already done. She’s already fallen in love with him.


Christopher returns home determined to claim Pru as his wife. Their exchange of letters confirms that she is the one for him. Or is she? After spending time with Pru he soon realizes she wasn’t the one who wrote the letters. He sets out to find who deceived him and why.


The agony of seeing Christopher with Pru is too much for Beatrix. Her heart shatters again and again. The deception she was part of only makes things more difficult to bear. Yet, she cannot turn away when she realizes Christopher might be a war hero, but he is suffering from his time in the war. Nightmares and seemingly unending fury ride Christopher and keep him locked in his home. The only one who can help him is Beatrix. But does she dare? Her secret could be revealed, and then the man she loved would turn away from her forever.


Christopher soon discovers it is Beatrix who wrote the letters, but their time together has proved one thing – he needs her. In his life and in his bed. But does he dare take the chance of bringing such an innocent into his life of hell?


When love and a Hathaway are involved, nothing will stand in the way.

If there is one author I know I can pick up and never be disappointed in, its Lisa Kleypas. Her writing is so vivid and sensual, and it pulls you in immediately.


From the moment I picked up Mine Till Midnight, the first in the Hathaway series, I was hooked. Seduce me at Sunrise only helped to whet my appetite for Tempt me at Twilight.





I couldn’t wait for Poppy’s story. With her quirky family, I found it charming that Poppy wanted “normalcy”. She certainly doesn’t get it when she meets Harry Rutledge. The passion between them ignites the pages, and Harry’s dangerous and hidden past only fueled my need to know more of him. He wants Poppy and will do anything to get her. And I do mean anything.


At times, I thought he might have done too much and it would push her away. And at times, it nearly did. Yet, Poppy is drawn to Harry in ways she doesn’t understand. When her reputation is compromised, she shocks her family by accepting Harry’s proposal. Poppy believes she’ll have the union her two sisters have.


Harry, on the other hand, has no problem giving Poppy passion – just not his heart or his trust. Their wills clash, and though they battle each other, an enemy lurks waiting to strike.


The culmination is perfect, and the dark, dangerous Harry Rutledge cannot hold out against Poppy and the love that has grown.


I’ve got the next two books in the Hathaway series, Married by Morning and Love in the Afternoon that I’m just dying to dive into. If you’re looking for a wonderful historical series to jump into – this is the one! Lisa Kleypas never disappoints!


hugs,
D

Well, I don’t have a review this week. With it being a holiday, a death in the family, and deadlines, I wasn’t able to finish the book I’m reading. And I just hate to talk about a book until I’m done with it. I know, I know, bad Donna. I’ll do better next week.


So, today, instead of *me* doing a review, I wanted to see what book(s) *you’d* like to talk about.


What book or books have you read recently that you can’t stop talking about or can’t stop thinking about. You know those characters, the ones that latch onto your soul, and years later, you still think about them?


Have you found a new series or new author that you’ve fallen in love with?


I’m dying to know! I like to add to my list of “must buys” when I go to B&N. So please share.


hugs,
D

I have the very great pleasure of knowing Kim Lenox, and I can say with all honesty that she is one of the nicest people. Ever! On top of that, she’s an incredible writer.


I have completely fallen in love with her Shadow Guards series. I’ve devoured each and every one of the books. I just finished reading Darker than Night and I was *blown away*.





I love historical and paranormal romance and Kim blends them both seamlessly. She takes us to the majesty of Victorian England and delivers pure evil in the form of some of history’s most atrocious villains.


The Shadow Guards are a mysterious order of immortals entrusted with the destiny of the living. Selene, the heroine and daughter of Cleopatra, is a Reclaimer. She finds the souls of the most wicked and depraved of earth’s mortals and ends them.

Lord Rourke Avenage, the Ravenmaster, is head of the Ravens, warriors who are entrusted to guard England’s monarchy.

Both have been immortal for centuries, and both have hardened their hearts over time. Yet, when cut off from the ranks of the other Shadow Guards, the two have only each other to trust when an ancient enemy comes to call.


I was rivited with every page. Kim does a superb job of building the sexual tension until I was begging for Selene and Rourke to give in to each other. I found Selene quite interesting when I first met her in book one Night Falls Darkly and then again when her twin brother, Marcus’ book, So Still the Night.

I knew Selene would get her own book, and being such a powerful woman, she needed a certain type of man to stand beside her. Kim gave us that with Avenage.

Kim, I have two things to say:

1. I want my own Ravenmaster, please.
2. There had better be more Shadow Guard books or I’m going to come hunt you down.


hugs,
D