It’s that time again! October is just around the corner, and with it, a whole new bunch of amazing books from Dorchester to choose from. If you’ve been looking for a great read, you’re sure to find one, two, or more here!

Dorchester’s October releases are:

As Luck Would Have It by Alissa Johnson

Leisure Historical Romance - New Release

A WOMAN OF THE WORLD…
After years of wild adventures overseas, Miss Sophie Everton is in no hurry to return home to the boring strictures of the ton. But she’s determined to reclaim her family’s fortune—even if she has to become a spy for the Prince Regent to do it.

A MAN ON A MISSION…
Before she can get her first assignment, she lands right in the lap of the dark and dashing Duke of Rockeforte. She’s faced hungry tigers that didn’t look nearly as predatory. Somehow the blasted man manages to foil her at every turn—and make her pulse thrum with something more than just the thrill of danger.

AND THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE
Both are caught in a daring dance of espionage and desire. But to make a true love match, they’ll have to learn to trust in each other…and, of course, a little bit of luck.

Crate & Peril by J.D. Warren

Love Spell Paranormal Romance – New Release

She lost three years of her life to the mysterious shape-shifting race known as the Kin. But Samantha Dorringer is ready for revenge, and she fully expects Cor, the enigmatic leader of the Storm Ravens, to help. When they hear that a Hollywood agent is trying to smuggle his A-list clients into the Kin’s lands to keep them forever young, they rush to investigate.

For Sam and Cor, mingling with the brightest stars and battling the darkest forces known to mankind is all part of the job. What Sam doesn’t anticipate is an old high school friend carrying Rosemary’s Baby, or a silver-haired rival stirring up secrets from Cor’s past. Together, the pair will let nothing stop them—including their red-hot attraction for each other—as they plunge headlong into the Lifestyles of the Winged and Famous.

A Historical Christmas Present by Lisa Kleypas, Lynsay Sands, Leigh Greenwood

Love Spell Historical Romance Anthology

Throughout the ages, Christmas has been a time of love and rejoicing. Now, from Dorchester Publishing, comes a selection of three classic tales to warm the hearts of historical romance readers everywhere.

 The Holiday Inn by Phyllis Bourne Williams, Farrah Rochon, Stefanie Worth 

Leisure Contemporary Romance Anthology

The holidays are far from magical when your relationship is on the rocks. But with a seductive setting and some Christmas spirit, three couples have a chance to rekindle the spark of romance.

“A Change of Heart” Farrah Rochon A husband and wife come to the Inn to say one last good-bye before giving up on their marriage, but when a snowstorm leaves them stranded, the romantic surroundings reignite their banked desire.

“Can You Believe” Stefanie Worth When a visit from the Spirit of Christmas gives newlyweds a glimpse into a future without each other, can a trip to the Holiday Inn persuade them to make a passionate new beginning?

“By New Year’s Day” Phyllis Bourne Williams A desperate husband whisks his reluctant wife off on a romantic vacation to the Holiday Inn, where he plans to renew her passion with a sexy New Year’s kiss.

Immortals: The Crossing by Joy Nash 

Love Spell Paranormal Romance – New Release

For centuries they have walked among us—vampires, shape-shifters, the Celtic Sidhe, demons, and other magical beings. Their battle to reign supreme is constant, but one force holds them in check, a race of powerful warriors known as the IMMORTALS

For Manannán mac Lir, a musician and Celtic demigod, life had become a blur of post-gig parties, expensive whisky, and cheap sex. And then a faerie infant almost dies—a child under his protection. On the hunt for the would-be killer, Mac finds Artemis Black, a stunningly dangerous woman who’s inexplicably able to intertwine life magic with death magic. For the safety of his people, he should destroy her. But the aching vulnerability in her eyes calls to him. And the raw desire she inspires has nothing to do with a spell. Their love may be forbidden, but Mac and Artemis can’t go back once they’ve made… THE CROSSING

Irreversible by Liz Maverick 

SHOMI Speculative Romance - New Release

Katherine Gibbs is engaged. Engaged, popular, gorgeous, and living a life of sheer perfection. This is her best week ever. The trouble is, it’s manufactured. She’s lived this week over and over and doesn’t know it.

L. Roxanne Zaborovsky, Katherine’s best friend, is outside looking in. Once again, Kitty’s life is being stolen away by a man as twisted as he is brilliant. This time, there’s something Roxy can do. The barriers of time are like the walls of an apartment—or the bars of a prison—and they can be demolished. She just has to start the jailbreak.

Walter “Q” Sheffield is hot, smart, and just the man to free Kitty. A time-anomaly specialist, he can split seconds, erase hours and make the most of a minute. The one thing he can’t do? Relationships. But hate and revenge have Kitty trapped in the vagaries of time, and only love will get her out. And that love must be…IRREVERSIBLE.

King of Sword and Sky by C.L. Wilson

Leisure Romance – New Release 

ONLY ONE POWER COULD LEAD THEIR PEOPLE TO VICTORY…TAIREN SOUL

The magical tairen were dying, and none but the Fey King’s bride could save them. Rain had defied the nobles of Celieria to claim her, battled demons and Elden mages to wed her. Now, with magic, steel, and scorching flame he would risk everything to protect his kingdom, help his truemate embrace her magic and forge the unbreakable bond that alone could save her soul.

 Knight’s Fork by Rowena Cherry

Love Spell Futuristic Romance – New Release

The Queen Consort of the Volnoth needs a sperm donor, and only one green-eyed god has the right stuff. Little does she know she has pinned all her hopes on the crown jewels of the fabled Royal Saurian Djinn. Not only is he the son of her greatest enemy, but he has taken a vow of chastity.

The Saurian Knight is caught between a problem father who has all the moral integrity of a Mafia Don, and a married Princess who would stop at nothing to have his seed in her belly. No matter which way he turns, he’s “forked.”

Taking the wrong lover…in the wrong place, at the wrong time…is dangerous. And when the High and Mighty intervene, it can be fatal. Can true love and a pure White Knight’s virtue triumph, when society loves a right royal scandal?

A Magical Christmas Present by Victoria Alexander, Lisa Cach, Eugenia Riley

Love Spell Paranormal Romance Anthology

Throughout the ages, Christmas has been a time of love and rejoicing. Now, from Dorchester Publishing, comes a selection of three classic tales to warm the hearts of historical romance readers everywhere.

This Year’s Christmas Present by Nina Bangs, Sandra Hill, Dara Joy 

Love Spell Contemporary Romance Anthology

Throughout the ages, Christmas has been a time of love and rejoicing. Now, from Dorchester Publishing, comes a selection of three classic tales to warm the hearts of historical romance readers everywhere.

Warrior’s Lady by Gerri Russell 

Leisure Historical Romance

Camden Lockhart vowed to eliminate the Ruthven clan after they had destroyed his family. All he had left was a small niece and the legacy of the Charm Stone she carried, but no one knew where the little girl was.

Rhiannon Ruthven came to the abbey to escape the brutality of her brothers and find solace. Instead she found the orphaned Violet Lockhart in need of an escort to her uncle’s castle. Rhiannon didn’t know it, but she would be walking straight into a nest of assassins.

Watching Rhiannon nearly sacrifice her own life to save another’s, Camden knew he could not condemn her to death. He’d have to protect her from the very men he’d hired to kill her. Scottish legend said the Charm Stone had the power to heal, but was it strong enough to unite two wounded hearts?

Don’t Forget!

The topic at The Novel Girls this week is Fall TV Returns. Maureen Lipinski is up to bat today, come say hi! 

Over at Fresh Fiction, it’s already time to celebrate Halloween! I’m holding a special contest there. Head on over to join! While you’re there, check out all the other great contests being offered. You might just win something yummy.

Today is manic for a lot of reasons. One–it’s Monday. Aren’t Monday’s just supposed to be manic? It sure seems that way to me, at least lately. Two–with my awesome writers group event over the weekend, I’m feeling a little behind, so I need to really focus and get a lot done. Three–I’m a little sad. My parents lost both their beloved dogs over the weekend. So to Max and Maggie, the best Chocolate Labs I’ve ever known–I love you and I’ll miss you!

We knew it was coming. My parents held off for as long as they could, but poor Max couldn’t even walk anymore, and Maggie was just so ill. Such a horribly difficult decision to make. These dogs were part of our family, discussed at every get together, where we often laughed over Maggie’s escapades.

See, Maggie was like the Houdini of dogs. If there was food somewhere, she’d figure out how to get it. From a huge chocolate cake sitting way back on a counter, to a pie in the middle of the very large dining room table, to opening a drawer and getting an entire loaf of bread out (not to mention removing the bread from the bag)–she had some mad skills.

The best story, I think, was after a family gathering at my parents’ house. There was too much stuff for the refrigerator, so my mom put some tupperware containers filled with food in a cooler with tons of ice–planning on distributing it later. Anyway, somehow, Maggie opened the cooler, got one of the containers, took it out through the dog door, OPENED the container, and had herself a little snack. All without ANYONE seeing.

Of course, Max enjoyed his sister’s escapades, but we’re pretty sure he just followed along. The picture shown here is of them, several years ago when my boys were much littler than they are now. They were always soo good with kids.

At any rate, they were two very special dogs. We’ll miss them.

On a happier note, my weekend brainstorming event was wonderful. I had my first mudslide (okay–yum!) and lots of great plots were brainstormed. I sat there completely in awe of all the incredible talent, creativity, and sheer awesomeness of these writers. Great fun was had by all. Not to mention way too much food. It seems no matter how well we plan, each of us just has to bring a little something extra, which means a heck of a LOT extra. It’s okay though, because one of the rules for the weekend was nothing there had any fat or calories!

Tomorrow I’ll have the Dorchester October releases up. Until then, have a great Monday!

Don’t Forget!

Today I’m gabbing it up over at The Novel Girls. This week’s topic is Fall TV Returns! I’m talking mostly about cliffhangers. Like–”Who Shot J.R.?” Remember that one?

So, the other day I was talking to a friend of mine about a variety of topics. He’s a dad, and his six year old daughter is completely adorable. Anyway, he told me this story that made me laugh. A lot. Not only does this story detail how much he loves his daughter, but because I’m also a parent, it resonated with me.

Last weekend, my friend took his daughter to a Sea World type of place (but not Sea World…I don’t remember exactly what it’s called, but Marine is definitely in the title). Anyway, this place has a bunch of those carnival type games. You know, the ones where you spend a whole lot of money in hopes of winning a mass produced stuffed animal.

My friend’s daughter really wanted to play some of the games, so he figured “Why not?” They strolled around, checking out one game here and another there. Many of the games at this place are deemed “family friendly,” which means that there’s always a prize, win or lose. Some of the games are not, and the only way to win is to–well, win.

So, as children are apt to do, her eye caught sight of one prize she really, really wanted. A stuffed pink poodle. My friend says she locked into it, and once she did, there was no way to pull her back. The problem was there was only one game that had this pink poodle as a prize–and that game wasn’t open. Figuring she’d forget about it, they walked around some more, and he tried to divert her attention to other games and other prizes.

But no. She knew what she wanted, and it was that pink poodle. She didn’t want to eat. She didn’t want to go on rides. She didn’t want to do anything but get that pink poodle. So my friend asked someone when the game that had the pink poodle would open. He was told “Oh, not for three or four hours.”

Most kids aren’t patient enough to wait, so he figured his daughter would get tired of waiting and they’d move on to something else. Of course, she had different ideas. Patting the spot next to her on a bench, she said, “Just sit here and wait with me, Daddy.”

So he did. Ten minutes passed, she was still focused on the poodle. Twenty minutes–still focused. After forty-five minutes, someone took pity on my friend and opened the game just for them–all because of a very patient and very focused little girl.

This particular game was not one of the family friendly games (of course, because nothing can be easy), so there was no automatic wins for little prizes, that could be swapped out after each attempt for a bigger prize. For my friend’s daughter to win the pink poodle, they actually had to win the game. 

He paid five dollars for three balls–one of which needed to end up in the bucket before his daughter could walk away with her poodle. She threw the first ball, and it bounced off the side. She threw the second ball, and it bounced off the side. With big brown eyes that said, “You’re my hero, Daddy. You do this for me,” she handed the third ball to my friend. He threw it. It bounced off the side.

At this point, he’s hoping there’s an ATM machine close by, because he only has so much cash in his wallet, and he knew there was no leaving until that pink poodle was in his daughter’s hands. He pulled out another five. Another three balls were passed to his daughter.

Again, she threw the first one. Again, it bounced off the edge. She gave the second ball to my friend, and this time he really felt the pressure. Now, it just wasn’t something his daughter wanted–he really wanted it for her, too. So he aimed, he threw…and he missed.

With the third ball, she decided to give it another go, and she sort of just tossed it quickly–without taking the time to really aim or anything. And it went in! She got her pink poodle! Not only that, but she won it for herself. While Daddy stood by and watched. So very cool!

I love this story!! And it kind of has a message…sort of. Be stubborn. Be patient. Look for those who support what you want. And then–with a little bit of luck, that pink poodle (or whatever it is you have your eye on) just might become yours.

Have a great weekend!

Don’t Forget!

Today, Lesley Livingston is talking about This and That over at The Novel Girls. Tomorrow (Saturday!) is Carolyn McTighe’s turn.

No, I’m not talking about the movie. Nor am I talking about actual fog. I’m talking about my brain. Yes. Again. Sorry! Anyway, my brain has been a bit foggy as of late. Normally, I’m way on top of things and am actually a fairly organized person, but lately–not so much.

It’s because I’m lost in my book. I’m either thinking about writing, I’m actually writing, I’m thinking about what I should write, what I’ve already written, what my heroine should do next, how my hero should react, and on, and on, and on. So right now, I’m lost in the fog, or as I’ve also called it: Foggy Brain Syndrome (FBS).

The good news is FBS means the book is coming along well, and I’m to the point I almost feel as if it’s writing itself. So for that: YAY! The bad news is, my kids are beginning to ask “What’s wrong with Mommy?” and “Will you be working forever and ever and ever?” and “Um. Mommy? It’s dinner time.” Of course, none of that is as bad as the “WOW! Mommy, you look really nice in real clothes. And your hair is all pretty,” which was said to me not that long ago as I headed out to an appointment.

Yep…I’m not even bothering with “real” clothes at the moment. I’m totally into the pj bottoms and sweatshirts. As far as my hair? I’m lucky if I brush it, because by the time it dries from the shower, I’m in fogland. Hey, I figure it’s good I remember to shower–ya know?

The problem with FBS is when I’m not actually writing, I end up feeling scattered and worried about all the things I might have forgotten to do. Did I pay the bills? Do we have food in the house? When was the last time I did laundry? And, of course, my memory is shot right now, so I ask myself these same questions whenever I wake from the daze.

I also find I do things I normally wouldn’t consider doing. Such as, you ask? The other day, after the phone rang like a million-gazillion times in a row, I turned the ringer off. I never do that. It’s still off, though, because wow, I love the quiet. I just have to remember to check the phone periodically in case anyone I want to talk to actually calls. And yeah, with that whole FBS thing going on…I forget to do that until like 2AM.

So my brain is on vacation this week, and I think it will be for a while. Which means while you will still get a post from me every day, Monday through Friday, some of them might seem a bit off. Or scatted. Or maybe just weird. Ah, heck, who knows what I’m going to say in the coming days. Consider yourself warned!

Back to the fog…I need to get everything done so I can watch Supernatural tonight! See? Even with FBS, I have my priorities in order.

Oh. And as a personal note to Jiminy: I’m very sorry if my hunting crickets post offended you. I swear no crickets were actually hurt. And I understand why you might have been a little offended, but really–did you have to have them all come out at once? I mean, do you know how scary it is to turn from your desk and see FOUR crickets bouncing and hopping all around your chair? Hmm? I think, maybe, they were hunting me…

Don’t Forget!

Jillian Cantor is talking about her This and That topic over at The Novel Girls. You know you wanna see what that topic is, so go. Go now!  

I remember as a little girl, I loved the sound of crickets. I’d sit on my front porch, chin on scabbed knees (because yep, I’ve always been a klutz) and listen until my mom made me come in for the night. And then, in the summer, with the windows open, often I could hear them from my bed. I thought it was the coolest sound.

Up until about three days ago, I still liked the sound of crickets. Now? Not so much. ”But Tracy,” you might ask, “What could possibly have happened in the past three days to change a lifetime love of this sound?”

I’ll tell you what. Two, three, four, or more (I have no clue) of these suckers have somehow ended up in my house–well, in my office to be more precise. Actually, I know how. My office sits in front of the laundry room, which has a backdoor to the outside, which my boys run in and out of constantly–and yep, often that door ends up hanging open until someone (usually me) notices it.

So, the problem is…crickets are chirping/singing/whatever from late afternoon on. In my office. And because the sound of crickets tend to be somewhat in stereo, not to mention unison, I honestly have no idea how many of them are actually in my office. But it sounds like a bunch, cuz that chirping? It’s everywhere.

Last night, I went cricket hunting, only I couldn’t find any. Not a one. So I tried to write while that crickety sound repeatedly went off all around me. It went something like this:

I write a sentence.

“Chee-rup. Chee-rup. Chee-rup.”

I close my eyes, wait for the cricket(s) to stop and take a breath…because they can’t chirp all the time, can they?

Ah. Silence. Write another sentence.

“Chee-rup. Chee-rup. Chee-rup.”

Close eyes. Try to stay calm. Wait for pause.

“Chee-rup. Chee-rup. Chee-rup.”

Smack hands on desk. Realize that hurt! Ouch! Turn on all lights in room and begin, again, to hunt crickets.

Fifteen minutes later, not one cricket found, sit back at desk and sigh in exasperation.

Decide to write. Try to ignore crickets.

“Chee.rup.”

And on it goes…

So tonight, I’m on a mission. I will find the cricket or crickets that are interfering with my creative process, and let them safely back into the great outdoors. And if I don’t? I’ll probably retreat to another room with my laptop. They can have the office…

Don’t Forget!

Lisa Patton is chatting it up over at The Novel Girls. This week our topic is This and That, so go see what her this and that is all about!

I’ve been asked more than once in the past week what my writing routine is. The first time this question was asked, I sort of did a “Huh? Routine? What?,” because, well…the truth is, I don’t have one. What I have is more of a Plan for a Routine, but I’m not that great at following plans, so usually they fall through.

Each day is different, and normally, I have no idea what’s going to come my way that will need my immediate attention. So while I’ll go to bed the night before with the best plan ever–wake up in the morning, get some coffee, and write for as long as I can, often what ends up happening is a weird combination of procastination, interruptions, writing, work, procrastinations, interruptions, writing, work, etc. And this combination can run in any order…ANY. Of course, add in the children and their needs (you know, like food), and my day can run amok really fast.

The thing is, I’m pretty good most days about sticking to my overall goals, so I get whatever done I’ve planned on getting done–it just usually takes much longer than I, well, planned. My biggest issue within my control is procrastination. You know that “OH! Let me check this blog here…and maybe this one,” or “I wonder what my friend ‘insert name here’ is up to? Let me call and see,” or really, anything.

And it’s not that I don’t want to have a manageable routine that I stick to every single day, but my life just doesn’t work that way. So while I’ll keep trying to keep the procrastination to a minimum, I can’t really control much else that happens (though I try, oh do I try.)

But I’ll keep trying to stick to some sort of a routine, because I like lists. I like organization. I like knowing I have a plan in place (even if I don’t follow it!). At the moment, though, I don’t really HAVE a routine. So the next time I’m asked that question, I think I’ll just shrug and smile mysteriously. Let ‘em wonder!

What about you? Do your plans usually go as you expect?

Don’t Forget!

Maureen Lipinski is giving her take on SOMETHING today over at The Novel Girls. Go see what it is!

Wow. It’s Monday again. How did that happen? September is flying by, and I’m not even sure where it went! This coming weekend is MVRWA’s (my local chapter of Romance Writers of America) annual brainstorming/writing weekend. We eat awesome food, drink a little, and help each other brainstorm current and future books. It’s so much fun!

I’m looking forward to it for lots of reasons, but mainly because hanging with the MVRWA girls (and a few guys) is always a blast. My hope is I’ll get a lot of writing in this week, so I can stick around for longer at the event. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Today, we’re going to wander the web a little. Why? Because as I read through my daily blogs the last few weeks, I kept finding posts I wanted to share. So, finally, I made the time to gather the links together. Here we go!

What Makes a Book a NY Times Bestseller?

Good question, and I wish I had the answer! Kristin Nelson talked about this over on her blog this past week. In the post, she refers to another blog written by her NY Times Bestselling client, author Ally Carter. It’s an interesting post, as is Ally’s (I’d definitely recommend reading hers if this topic interests you), but I’m still at a loss as to what makes a NY Times Bestseller. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I totally understand the points both blogs make, but it’s still quite the mystery…

Behind the Scenes of the American Title Competition

Moving on! Remember a few weeks ago I talked about the American Title Competition? Well, Dorchester Editor Leah Hultenschmidt gives a behind the scenes look at this years Amercian Title from the editors’ perspectives in one of her posts. It’s an interesting read, and that’s where I discovered the ten finalists I named have been dropped to eight.

Move That Plot!

And then, over at the Bookends blog, agent Jessica Faust talks about how writers need to continuously move the plot forward. One of the reasons I love Jessica’s blog so much is she always gets right to it and gives her opinion on whatever the daily topic is. This particular post is packed with great information, so if you’re a writer–give it a read!

Sherrilyn Kenyon Video

Author and Emmy Award Winner Marianne Mancusi posted a video of author Sherrilyn Kenyon she did for Better TV at a recent booksigning. Now, I’m a HUGE fan of Sherrilyn and I love Marianne’s blog, so I’m thrilled to be able to give a shout out to both of them. I recently finished Sherrilyn’s long awaited novel Acheron, and it’s easily one of my all time favorites. Anyway, it’s a great video to watch because Sherrilyn talks about how getting to where she is today wasn’t an easy path for her. In one year alone, she had over 150 rejections. Seriously, watch this video!  

Fantasy Men vs. Good Husbands

Finally on my list, a post that made me chuckle. At Romancing the Blog, author Kara Lennox compares our Fantasy Men with our real life Good Husbands. I chuckled more than once as I read through her points. Not to mention, I agree with basically every single one. If you need a laugh, you’ll enjoy the comparisons as much as I did, I’m sure!

Don’t Forget!

It’s Monday, so that means it’s my day at The Novel Girls! This week, our topic is This and That. Come say hi!