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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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One of the sexiest sub-genres under the Romantic fiction umbrella, in my opinion, is that of Vampire romances - and I know I'm not alone in this. I've met several other readers, on and off line who are just as crazy about them. There's just something about these novels that appeals on an instinctual level. Maybe it's a call to our deeper, darker side, where a thrill for passion and romance blends with the fascination to discover more about the unknown, the unseen, to experience the pull of magic...
If you're a compulsive book-buyer like me, you probably like to buy romance novels faster than you can possibly read them. The result is that our TBR pile grow by leaps and bounds and we sometimes take forever getting around to reading a book that can only be classified as a precious gem! And that's when I feel like kicking myself for not having dug it out of my TBR earlier to read. Needless to say, that's precisely how I found my first Vampire romance novel ~ Amanda Ashley's DEEPER THAN THE NIGHT ~ buried deep in my TBR pile. What can I say? I kicked myself! *g* Just one taste of Amanda's vampires and I was completely hooked. I remember dragging my husband to the bookstore determined to find everything Amanda Ashley had ever written. Imagine my surprise when I realized (duh!) that the talented author was none other than Madeline Baker writing under a psuedonym! Whether she writes as Madeline Baker or Amanda Ashley, this author is an auto buy for me. I've read almost every book she's ever written and was thrilled when her latest Vampire romance hit the shelves. If you haven't already picked up a copy of Amanda's newest novel, MIDNIGHT EMBRACE, I invite you to take A Closer Look...
MIDNIGHT EMBRACE ~
ANALISA...
He whispered her name, and it echoed back to him on the wings of the night. One kiss, he thought, one kiss would do no harm. She was so young, so alive. She radiated warmth and goodness, chasing the coldness from his being, banishing the loneliness from his soul. In four centuries of prowling, the shadows had brought him few pleasures, but the nearness of her soft lips, her warm throat, promised sweetness beyond imagining. She had wandered unchaperoned to the moonlit tomb where he took refuge by day, little suspecting that with his eyes alone he could mesmerize her, compel her to do his bidding. Yet he would not take her life's blood by force or by trickery. He would have it as a gift, freely given, and in exchange, he would make her wildest dreams come true.
The buzz about MIDNIGHT EMBRACE ~"The story of Alesandro de Avallone and Analisa Matthews is a delight. This book kept me up until I finished all of it. And as usual I was not disappointed. Ms. Ashley has a gift for writing about Vampires."~ Amazon Reviews
"Amanda Ashley draws her readers into a richly textured period piece with a gallant vampire who wanted to do the right thing, but can't because of love."
"Amanda Ashley provides her fans with an enticing supernatural love story."
I’ve loved Indians forever. I think my first crush was Eddie Little Sky from Disneyland, whom I saw when I was twelve. As I grew older, I developed a deep admiration for Native American customs and beliefs. Crazy Horse and Cochise were my idols, so it seemed natural that my heroes would be warriors who were tall, dark, handsome, courageous, gentle and tender, strong and sexy.
I love when my readers ask if I’m Native American. For me, that’s the highest compliment!
Amanda Ashley is the dark side of Madeline Baker. She emerged when I was on the edge of historical 'burnout' and felt an overwhelming urge to write about something besides the Old West.
It was about this time that I read my first vampire book. I had always been fascinated with vampires, and I decided to try my hand at writing something with a little bite to it. My first attempt was a short story titled MASQUERADE, which is now part of Love Spell's AFTER TWILIGHT anthology. That short story carried me into the dark side, and I've been writing vampire romances ever since."
If you didn't get a chance to pick up Madeline's latest Native American Historical romance, here's A Closer Look ~
When Kaylee Matthews finds a wounded Lakota warrior on her family's property, she knows she must help him - even though it means concealing him from her watchful stepfather. As she secretly tends to the stranger's injury, Kaylee feels a powerful attraction to this handsome, mysterious man - one that opens her eyes to an entirely new destiny...
A forbidden Desire
Alone and weakened in the land of his enemy, Blue Hawk is determined to return to his village. Every moment he stays with Kaylee, the risk of discovery grows - but so does his desire for his lovely rescuer. She is his only hope of getting back to his people alive, and when she offers to come with him, he can't refuse...
A Divided Land
Kaylee and Blue Hawk's shared passion soon sparks into an all-consuming love. But in a land divided by hatred and fear, it will take all of their courage to protect the future they cherish...
"Another captivating and emotional romance that captures the true magic of the Old West."
Whichever book you choose to pick up at the store, I promise you, you're in for a treat. No one pulls you into the world of Vampires or North American Indians the way Amanda Ashley / Madeline Baker does. Each of her novels promises adventure, passion and romance ~ and I assure you, they all deliver!
Thanks to the author's generous nature, I have another treat in store for the readers of A CLOSER LOOK. Madeline sent me three copies of MIDNIGHT EMBRACE and three copies of LAKOTA LOVE SONG to give away and as always, I'd like to share them with you!
If you would like to receive a copy of either MIDNIGHT EMBRACE or LAKOTA LOVE SONG, along with some other goodies from Amanda Ashley/Madeline Baker, please send me a SASE for $2.00 and I'll put it in the mail to you right away.
Please note autographed copies of MIDNIGHT EMBRACE and LAKOTA LOVE SONG are only available while supplies last so act fast! Email me and find out where to send your SASE.
Amanda/Madeline loves to hear from readers who enjoy her books so if you'd like to, please drop her a note at P.O. Box 1703, Whittier, CA 90609-1703 or Email her.
To learn more about Madeline's historical novels or Amanda's vampire romances and all 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 MIDNIGHT EMBRACE or LAKOTA LOVE SONG ~ send me an email now!
Happy Reading! | |||||||