Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Smart Bitches Trashy Books Picks BUTTERFLY TATTOO as One of Their Top Seven Romance Books of All-Time That Aren't Impossble to Find

Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan, romance mavens of the uber-successful blog SMART BITCHES TRASHY BOOKS, were recently profiled in People Magazine. The bloggers-turned-authors recently released their first book, BEYOND HEAVING BOSOMS: THE SMART BITCHES' GUIDE TO ROMANCE NOVELS. They were asked by the magazine to name some of their all-time fave romances. Although, Deidre's BUTTERFLY TATTOO didn't make it into the final five selected for the article; notably, the e-book did make the authors' top seven list. Read more...

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Deidre Chatting with Futuristic, Fantasy & Paranormal RWA Chapter on Thursday, July 23rd @ 8pm ET

Deidre will be the featured guest for RWA's Futuristic, Fantasy and Paranormal Chapter's (FF&P) weekly author chat tomorrow night, Thursday, July 23d @ 8pm ET! If you are a member of this fab chapter, don't miss out on the opportunity to talk to Deidre about her phenomenal GODS OF MIDNIGHT series, her e-book BUTTERFLY TATTOO, writing habits, world building and much more!
When: Thursday, July 23rd @ 8pm ET
Where: FF & P Chat Room
How To Chat:
1. Visit the FF&P website @ http://www.romance-ffp.com/
2. Login using your FF&P membership credentials (instructions provided on website).
3. Click on Chat Room

Thursday, July 09, 2009

BUTTERFLY TATTOO Contest @ RWA!

If you will be attending the RWA conference in Washington, D.C., this year, don't miss Deidre's BUTTERFLY TATTOO contest in the goody room! Sign up for a chance to win a bold graphic print butterfly messenger bag and luggage tag. Why a messenger bag and luggage tag? Because, as the main characters in BUTTERFLY TATTOO make clear: everyone brings baggage to a relationship.

To be eligible, you must "legibly" complete all the information requested on the sign-in sheet. The prize will be shipped to one lucky winner the week of July 20th.

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Author Tour!

BRANDED BY FIRE
by Nalini Singh

Though DarkRiver sentinel Mercy is feeling the pressure to mate, she savagely resists when Riley Kincaid, a lieutenant from the SnowDancer pack, tries to possess her. The problem is not simply that he pushes her buttons; the problem is that he’s a wolf, she’s a cat, and they’re both used to being on top.

But when a brilliant changeling researcher is kidnapped from DarkRiver territory, Mercy and Riley must work together to track the young man—before his shadowy captors decide he’s no longer useful. Along the way, the two dominants may find that submitting to one another uncovers not just a deadly conspiracy, but a passion so raw that it’ll leave them both branded by fire…


REVIEWS:

"As her legion of fans can attest, Singh has a rare talent for impressive worldbuilding, intricate plotting and riveting characterization. The Mercy/Riley relationship is intense and fraught with divided loyalties in this red-hot thriller. Singh delivers excellence every single time! " ~ Romantic Times (Top Pick)

"I loved Riley and Mercy..I recommend Branded by Fire as a rich, satisfying, very sexy and romantic read!" ~ Allison (winner of Branded By Fire ARC)

"I don't think there is a single paranormal series as well-planned, well-written, and downright fantabulous as Ms. Singh's Psy-Changeling series." ~ All About Romance

"Branded by Fire is the best Psy/Changeling romance to date, packing in everything I love about PNR today: hot, emotionally fulfilling romance, suspenseful action and a great world built to support it all in." ~ Lurv A La Mode


ABOUT NALINI SINGH: Born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand, Nalini has been writing as long as she can remember. Her stories always held a thread of romance (even when she was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes). She loves creating unique characters, loves giving them happy endings and she even loves the voices in her head. There's no other job she would rather be doing.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Favorite Romantic Scenes of All Time: Love Actually

Today's special guest is one of the funniest ladies I know. Jill Monroe is the author of "Wet and Wild" in the upcoming ENDLESS SUMMER ANTHOLOGY (Harlequin Blaze, July 2009), and her novel SEALEd AND DELIVERED will be on a shelf near you this November. She's also one of the creators of Author Talk. I had the joy of filming one of these hilarious (and certainly now infamous!) Author Talk skits with her and her partner in crime, Gena Showalter, for my GODS OF MIDNIGHT series. Without further ado...

When Deidre asked me which romantic scene from a movie was my favorite, I only had to narrow it down to...which Colin Firth movie. So many choices, Colin in a wet shirt in Pride and Prejudice bumping into the woman who'd rejected him months earlier - charming and awkward and sexy...just the way I like my men. And of course there's Colin Firth telling Bridget Jones he likes her just the way she is - charming and accepting and sexy...even more ways I like my men.

But then it hit me, my all time favorite romantic scene is from Love Actually, which stars Colin as Jamie. As he tells Aurelia, in butchered Portuguese, that he loves her, tears are streaming down my face (although it has been pointed out that I'm an easy crier - I sobbed watching Mama Mia, which also stars you know who).

Thus started a three day quest to find the video of that scene. It's not anywhere. I tried YouTube, Google and IMDB, although I could find it in another language, which may have been Italian, but without the English subtitles, the humor of the scene was lost. BUT here it is in plain text (courtesy IMDB):

"Beautiful Aurelia, I've come here with a view of asking you to marriage me. I know I seems an insane person - because I hardly knows you - but sometimes things are so transparency, they don't need evidential proof. And I will inhabit here, or you can inhabit with me in England."

Her response, in butchered English is just as romantic because it shows to Jamie that in their separation she'd been thinking about him just as much, even trying to learn his language:

"Thank you. That will be nice. Yes is being my answer. Easy question."

The scene below is when they part. To me, it's romantic because it's heartbreaking. Brilliant actor that Colin is, his face shows so much - his hope and yearning, but also his pain and frustration. This is followed by the physical comedy of almost walking into each other, which proves great comedy is emotional. It's the second most perfect romantic scene!

*Technical Note* This video cannot be embedded. You'll have to make a trip over to the You Tube theater! Click here. It's so worth it ;).