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A Closer Look |
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Hi and welcome to A Closer Look! This is a new feature at Writerspace and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to bring you A Closer Look at some of the best Romance novels that simply shouldn't be missed.
I was surfing the web recently and discovered some amazing statistics. Did you know that romance book sales generated approximately $1.37 billion in sales in 2000? And did you know there were ONLY *g* 2,289 romance novels released in 2000? That's approximately 190 books a month!! Now think about how many books You read each month. Mind boggling, isn't it? All those books and authors out there waiting to be discovered....
What are the chances that people like you and me got the opportunity to read even half of them..... okay realisticly, even a quarter of them last year? I know I'm always finding new books and new authors; many of them have been around for years and I've only just discovered them recently and so glad that I did!
If you're a voracious reader like me, you probably can't get enough of romance novels and each time you discover a new author whose work you enjoy immensely, you probably get all excited and rush out to grab her entire backlist. Right?
Sometimes it's an author you've always adored but when her last book came out, you didn't get a chance to buy a copy or you simply didn't realize there was a new one to be on the lookout for. Happens to me all the time. I mean, come on, seriously, how many books do you buy each month without stopping to think about those credit card or utility bills, grocery money or facing up to your own hunky hero at home - who is now your pleasure master and slave - without cringing when he catches you sneaking home with another shopping bag almost bursting with romance books? And if you're anything like me, you're hiding them in every nook and cranny your honey won't go peeking into until you can casually..... innocently...... underhandedly *g* add them to your ever increasing TBR (to-be-read) pile!!
Well, if you can relate to all of the above, A Closer Look is just the right column for you! With the kind and generous support of the publishers and authors of romance, I am pleased to bring you A Closer Look at some of the hottest and unforgettable romances the industry has to offer! Not only can you discover books you may have missed, but sometimes, you can even get a brand new autographed copy, along with some other great goodies, just for the price of postage! That's a pretty good deal, don't you think? And you won't even have to try and be sneaky or underhanded to add it to you tbr pile! *g*
I hope you enjoy this column and if you have any comments or suggestions, please drop me a line!
If you would like to have one of your previous, current or upcoming releases featured in my column, please feel free to email me at anytime. I'd love to take A CLOSER LOOK at some of your books!
A Closer Look
* Karen White
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Do you like cowboys? I love stories about cowboys. Sometimes I go digging through my shelves looking for every cowboy story I can find and then I just curl up in a cozy corner, with a frosty glass of chilled Nestea or a steamy mug of Café au lait, thoroughly engrossed in stories of the Wild Wild West, dreaming about a hunky cowboy who leaves no doubt he's nothing but 'all man' from the tip of his stetson to the heels of his cowboy boots!
All that hunka-hunka burnin' love waiting to be discovered within the pages of a romance novel.... I always picture him to be about six feet tall, dark and sinfully gorgeous, with lean, whipcord muscles, cool grey eyes, chiseled features and sporting a devilish grin that just plain curls my toes. Sigh... I checked my TBR pile the other day. I was in the mood for really good sweep-me-off-my-feet cowboy story and I discovered a real gem! Ronda Thompson's December 2001 release, DESERT BLOOM, published by Leisure books. Excellent story!! And a very hunky and sexy cowboy to boot!
DESERT BLOOM ~
That Blooming Heat
For Lilla Traften, the Texas Panhandle was nothing but hot cactus and dirt, it's inhabitants worse. Every cowpuncher and soiled dove she met needed a good scrubbing -- and some lessons in manners. Grady Finch, too. The rugged foreman of the WC Ranch might be devastatingly handsome, but he was tactless. Worse, the heat was getting to her; sunstroke was making her dream of Grady's hands upon her, of the sweaty love they might make in the dust. Hardly normal thoughts for a proper miss and charm-school teacher! Still, she couldn't help wondering what would win the heart of a man like Grady. She'd have to prove she could survive on her own. She'd have to show she wasn't the prissy snob he thought. He'd have to see that not only the land could undergo transformation, but that Lilla, too, could flower in the desert.
Sounds great, doesn't it? Naturally, once I read it, I had to go beg Ronda to let me feature it for A Closer Look so that I could tell you all how fantastic I thought her novel was! As we were talking, Ronda mentioned the one thing she remembered most about the months while she was writing DESERT BLOOM was Bears! Of course, I had to know more at this point so I asked her why? She replied:
"I took my alphasmart with me at the end of the summer to the mountains for a camping trip. The bears at Monument Lake were really bad, and the family went off to hike and have fun, I would stay in the camper and write, all the while terrified that a bear would come along and gobble me up before I could finish the book! I did see one, thank goodness he was a distance away."
*grin* Well, I can certainly understand why she remembers bears when she recalls those months!
"This is the sequel to PRICKLY PEAR and what a sequel it is. I thoroughly enjoyed this fabulous book and I highly recommend it. Ronda Thompson is on my auto-buy list of authors and I avidly look forward to her next book!"
"Cute, sweet and funny, DESERT BLOOM is just the tale to wile away an evening and relax during the holiday season. This comfort read holds to the tried and true with no surprises."
"DESERT BLOOM, the sequel to PRICKLY PEAR, is an amusing western romance. Readers will initially want the hoity Lilla to get her comeuppance, but talented Ronda Thompson quickly turns that around so that the audience quickly roots for the female lead to get her man. Grady still carries the scars of his childhood, which endears him to the readers, who will delight in Ms. Thompson’s humorous tale."
"She blew into Langtry, Texas a pampered hellion until a handsome cowboy tames her when he lasso's her heart. Hold onto your hats! You're in for a wild ride when this St. Louis Belle meets her Texas hunk and brings the rest of the ranch hands to their knees! A true gem that keeps you entertained and laughing the whole way through!"
An avid romance reader for years, she took pen in hand and began writing her own romance novels nine years ago.
Ronda has since published a single title contemporary romantic comedy, a short category romance, six historical romances and has a paranormal novella included in the anthology entitled After Twilight, also featuring Amanda Ashley and Christine Feehan.
Ronda currently writes for Leisure books.
I asked Ronda what her New Year's resolutions were for 2002.
That's a great resolution, Ronda, but just for the record, we think you're perfect just the way you are and wouldn't want you to change a thing about yourself!
I had a great time learning more about DESERT BLOOM and chatting with Ronda Thompson. As usual, Ronda has proved herself to be a highly entertaining storyteller and the characters she so expertly creates are just as rich, warm and fun-loving as she is herself. For those of you who haven't yet had the good fortune of reading Ronda's books, you don't know what you're missing!! Perhaps I can help remedy that. *g*
Ronda sent me five autographed copies of DESERT BLOOM, and I would like to share them with the readers at A CLOSER LOOK! If you would like to receive one of these free copies, along with some other goodies from Ronda, please send me a SASE for $2.00 and I'll mail them out to you right away!
Please note autographed copies of DESERT BLOOM are only available while supplies last so act fast! Email me and find out where to send your SASE.
Ronda loves to hear from readers who enjoy her books so if you'd like to, please drop her a note. She also has a Newsletter you can sign up for to receive regular news and updates from her.
To learn more about Ronda Thompson and her upcoming releases, please visit her website.
Remember my supplies are limited and this opportunity won't last long! Grab your chance for a free copy of DESERT BLOOM ~ send me an email now!
Happy Reading!!
Leena Hyat | |||||||
Ronda Thompson lives in Texas with her husband, two children and three dogs.
