Lucy Monroe's Blog, page 68

Humpday Hottie

Happy Pearl Harbor Day! Thank you to all the men and women who have made sacrifices for our freedoms.

Twelve Days of Christmas Daily Prize Giveaway! - Teaser

Twelve Days of Christmas Daily Prize Giveaway is coming this week! I will be starting my annual 12 Days of Christmas celebration this Friday (Contest will run from 12/9 through 12/23 excluding Sundays). Visit my blog each day to answer a trivia question about Christmas. I will chose a winner from the correct responses for a fabulous prize! Here's a little teaser....
The Pre-Twelve Days of Christmas Daily Prize Giveaway trivia question of the day is:
Who is the author of A Christmas Carol?

(please note that comments on this post will be entered into my weekly drawing for The Latin Lover)

Weekly Prize Giveaway!

It has been so fun reminiscing about books from my backlist, that I thought it would be fun to continue with it this month. Just leave a comment on any post that is open to comments and you are entered in the drawing. This weeks title is (includes two stories in one book)....
The Latin Lover Originally Published in October 2009Harlequin Presents #2861ISBN-10: 0-373-12861-4ISBN-13: 978-0373128617
Rich, hot-blooded, passionate...These Mediterranean men are irresistible!
The Greek Tycoon's Inherited Bride by Lucy MonroePhoebe's betrothal to his brother meant she was forbidden to him, and honour was the code Greek billionaire Spiros Petronides lived by. But with one kiss Spiros knew he had to claim her as his!
Back in the Spaniard's Bed by Trish MoreyLeah Mitchell had left Alejandro Rodriguez because she'd over-stepped the boundaries of a mistress and fallen in love! The Spaniard's arrogance angers her, but his touch ignites her, so when Alejandro storms back into her life, how can Leah deny him?
This book is still available for purchase.

Contest Winners!

I hope everyone had a great week! The winner of this weeks blog contest is.....
marybelle
Thanks for visiting my blog this week! Please email me with your name and address so I can get your prize in the mail.

Twelve Days of Christmas is coming soon! Check back this week to learn the details - daily prizes will be given out.

Guest Author Interview - Liz Fielding

Thanks Liz Fielding for stopping by today for an interview. Your new books looks great and I can't wait to add it to my TBR pile!
1. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not writing?
Favourite pastimes include cooking, knitting for my granddaughter and tiffling in the garden, although I confess to being a fair-weather rather than an all weathers, up to my knees in mud gardener. I also love to curl up and watch old movies on the television. Something with Cary Grant or Doris Day (definitely need to watch To Catch a Thief and the Pajama Game again very soon).
2. What books are sitting in your TBR pile right now? What book are you currently reading?
I've just read Busted in Bollywood by Nicola Marsh – exotic India, Sex in City New York and some seriously great men!
I'm now reading Giles and Florence by John Harding, which is rather strange but deeply engrossing.
On the pile I have The Dress by Sophie Nicholl, White Lies and Custard Creams by Susan Alison, the latest Kate Hardy and a Donna Leon that I picked up at the library. I also have the new Barbara O'Neal pre-ordered.
3. Please, share something you found most interesting or fun that you did to research for a book.
Research is one of my favourite things. I learned a lot about plant breeding for The Five Year Baby Secret from the Fuchsia Society. I'm still up to eyes in ice cream and vintage ice cream vans for the second of my books about the Amery sisters — the wip. I especially love researching department stores where I've set several books; shopping as research — could anything be more fun! And then there was Italy. Rome. The Appenines. All of it absolutely vital in writing Flirting With Italian, you understand. We're already planning another trip to Italy so that I can set another book there.
4. How did you come up with names and setting for Flirting with With Italian?
For Flirting With Italian I needed an Italian hero with an appropriate name, so I searched the web for names and places in Lazio where the book is set. (I'd already used the name of a friend who lives there in another story!) I based the hero's Roman palazzo on the hotel where we stayed at in Rome – an old palazzo with Roman mosaics in situ. For the village of Serrone, I used the area where we've stayed with friends who live south of Rome in the foothills of the Appenines. There is nothing like feeling the heat coming out of the stones, the smell of a place to make it real.
5. Action adventure or romantic comedy? What is your favorite movie lately?
Neither. The best movie I've seen in a long time was The King's Speech. Quiet, tender, moving. Loved it. And I'm getting really excited about watching My Week With Marilyn right now.
Be sure to leave a comment or question, I will be giving away a copy of Flirting with Italian to one lucky winner.
Thanks Lucy for the invitation, it was a great interview!

Guest Blogger Heidi Rice - Excerpt

Wow! I'm so excited to be invited on Lucy's blog today. It was great to chat with all of you a few weeks ago and as promised, here's an excerpt from the opening scene of my latest book On the First Night of Christmas... which is set in my home town of London (my favourite place to be come Christmas time, so the setting was a no-brainer).
I'd love to know what people think and will give a copy of the book away to one lucky commentator.
In this opening scene London book illustrator Cassidy Ryan has just been gazing at the Christmas window display outside Selfridges on London's Oxford Street and dreaming about finding her own personal 'candy man' when she gets soaked by a sleek black Mercedes.. Little does she know that the man inside is going to be Jace Ryan (aka Jace the Ace) the devastatingly attractive bad boy she once had a major crush on in secondary school!
Excerpt....
Cassie gasped. The warm, fuzzy glow replaced by ice-cold shock. 'What the…!'
The driver hadn't even stopped. What a prize jerk.
Flinging her bag over her shoulder, she glared as the vehicle braked at the crossing ten feet away. Dodging through the crowd, she drew level and rapped on the passenger window. 'Hey, Ebenezer.'
The tinted glass slid down with an electric hum. She blinked, the zing tingling back to life as a man peered out from the shadows on the driver's side. Dark hair swept back from a broodingly handsome face accented by a strong jaw and hollow, raw-boned cheeks. She felt the odd jolt of recognition as the scent of new leather wafted out of the car. Did she know him?
'What's the problem?' he demanded.
Clammy water dripped down inside Cassie's boots and kick-started her tongue.
'You're the problem. Look what you did to me.' She held up her arms to show him the extent of the damage, ruthlessly silencing the zing. He might have a striking face, but his manners sucked.
He swore softly. 'Are you sure that was me?'
The blare of a car horn had Cassie glancing at the lights. Green. 'Of course I'm sure.'
The horn blared again. Longer and angrier this time.
'I can't stop here.' He straightened back into the shadows and Cassie saw his hand grasp the gear shift.
No way, Pal. You are not driving off and leaving me in a puddle on the pavement.
Yanking the heavy door open, she launched herself into the passenger seat.
'Hey!' he said, as she slammed the door behind her. 'What the hell do you…'
'Just drive, Sir Galahad.' She pinned him with an indignant glare. 'We can discuss your crummy behaviour when you find somewhere to stop.'
His dark brows drew down, the piercing emerald of his irises glittering with annoyance.
'Fine.' He slapped up the indicator, shifted into first. 'But don't drip on the upholstery.'
The car purred to life, and a blast of heat wrapped around Cassie engulfing her in the subtle aroma of man and leather. Her heart careered into her throat as the flicker of Selfridges's fairy lights disappeared from her peripheral vision.
'Actually, forget it.' She grasped the door handle. Leaping into a stranger's car probably rated a perfect ten on the 'too stupid to live' scale, even if he did look vaguely familiar.
The driver pulled to a stop at a loading bay. 'So it wasn't me after all.'
Cassie's fingers stilled on the handle at the accusatory tone and her common sense dissolved in a haze of outrage. 'It was definitely you.' She glared at him over the gear shift. 'Don't you know it's Christmas?' She announced. 'Show a bit of respect for the season and stop being such a jerk.'
Typical. When Cassie Fitzgerald is on the hunt for a candy man, what does she get? A candy man with a crappy attitude. Jacob Ryan cranked up the handbrake, slung his arm over the steering wheel and stared at the furious pixie in his passenger seat whose wide violet eyes were shooting daggers at him.
How the hell did I end up with Santa's insane little helper in my car?
As if it wasn't bad enough that Helen had manoeuvred him into accepting an invitation for her 'little soiree' tonight, now he had a mad woman in his rented Mercedes. A mad woman who was dripping all over the custom finished leather upholstery.
He'd never been a fan of the season to be jolly, but this was getting ridiculous.
The sight of the drenched splatter on her coat, though, had the tiniest prickle of guilt surfacing. The car had hit a rut in the road.
Hoisting his butt off the seat, he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. Okay, maybe he had been the culprit. He'd been so irritated by the situation with Helen, he hadn't been paying attention.
'How much?' he asked. A hundred ought to cover it.
Her full Cupid's bow mouth flattened into a grim line and the daggers sharpened. 'I don't want your money,' she announced. 'That's not what this is about.'
Yeah, right.
He counted five crisp twenty-pound notes out of his wallet and presented them to her. 'Here you go. Merry Christmas.'
She gave the money a cursory glance, and the line of her lips twisted into a sneer. 'I told you. I don't want your money, Ebenezer.'
The sarcastic name grated, but then she tightened her arms under her breasts, and his gaze dipped —distracted by the creamy flesh exposed by the V in the lapels of her coat.
Jesus, is she naked under that thing?

Humpday Hottie!

Ya, he's hanging out...doesn't care who's looking and ooooh are we looking!

Weekly Prize Giveaway!

Be sure to enter November's contest each week for your chance to win a title from Lucy's backlist. Just leave a comment on any post that is open to comments and you are entered in the drawing. We are bringing back some oldies but goodies. This weeks title is....
The Rancher's RulesOriginally published December 2007
ISBN: 0-373-82057-7
Just friends…just married!
What Zoe thinks…Loving your best friend is never easy – and when he's sexy and turned you down flat once before…it's even harder! Loving Grant is what Zoe has always done best…but now it's time to move on. She already feels like she's the oldest virgin in America – so she vows to find herself a man!
What Grant thinks…Grant can't keep his eyes or his hands off Zoe – but she's his best friend – a no-go zone! The fact that Zoe looks at him like she wants to rip his clothes off isn't helping the situation… So he implements some important rules for them to obey. First is the No Kissing rule – well, that's broken before it's had a chance to be written… Then the Strictly No Sex rule…and that's out of the window (well, on the kitchen table, actually!).
Then the best rule of all: some rules are only made to be broken!
This title is still available for purchase.

Contest Winners!

I hope everyone had a great week and wonderful Thanksgiving. This week's blog winner is ....
Heather Woods
Thanks for visiting my blog this week! Please email me with your name and address so I can get your prize in the mail. Happy Reading.

Guest Blog - Christina Hollis

Thank you for inviting me to blog today, Lucy!
With my latest Modern Romance for Harlequin Mills and Boon and Harlequin Presents/Extra, Weight of the Crown, I've invented an exotic desert kingdom especially for
my hero Lysander. He's determined to do what is right, despite the cost to his private life. But when Alyssa Dene goes to work for him, his veneer of cold, calculating isolation is ripped clean away.

To whet your appetite, here's what it says on the back cover:
Now duty is his only mistressFor notorious playboy Prince Lysander Kahani, playtime is over...Left with a country to run, he draws the line at playing nanny to his orphaned nephew!
Instead he sends for a professional. But one glance at buttoned-up Alyssa Dene and Lysander's wicked side re-emerges! Wary of Lysander's scandalous reputation, Alyssa tries to keep her distance - but Lysander draws her like a moth to a flame.Lysander is fighting a battle between public duty and private desire, but he is determined to make Alyssa a royal offer she won't refuse...(Copyright Harlequin Mills and Boon Limited, 2011)
Alyssa's first loyalty is to the child in her care, who is Lysander's little nephew. She is the best woman in the world for that job, but brilliance doesn't stop her making a serious mistake, and believing mischievous palace gossip...
'...Like a fool I let you seduce me despite the fact I've always known what you were like.'Lysander said nothing to begin with, but she could tell he was angry. He betrayed it in the rigid set of his jaw and the iron intensity of his stare. It was a long time before he could trust himself to answer. He stood, trying to collect himself while her nerves stretched to breaking point 'That's why you're different, Alyssa,' he said in a ragged voice. 'You've always seen the man in me, not the image.' 'Really? And which bit of you do all those women in all those glossy magazines get to enjoy?' 'What can I say?' He hitched a weary shoulder. 'I've told you - I like women. They like me' Alyssa's voice was carbon steel. 'I've noticed. I wonder how Princess Peronelle will feel about that?' He looked at her askance. 'Why should she care? ' 'When she's your wife, she'll do more than care. Be careful she doesn't stab you through that wicked black heart of yours, Lysander Kahani.' (Copyright Harlequin Mills and Boon Limited, 2011)
I loved the freedom that writing about the invented country of Rosara gave me. It meant I could combine bits from all my favourite countries in one place, giving it perfect weather, stunning countryside and delicious cuisine.
Writing must be the best job in the world. I'm not sure I'd swap it for anything else - unless a gorgeous prince came to call, of course! Even then he'd have to be out of this world to compete with my lovely, patient, handsome husband. There aren't many men who are as understanding as my OH is - beekeeping and gardening take up most of my time when I'm not writing, so he gets to do a lot of heavy work despite the fact they're my hobbies. To add insult to injury, each winter I store all my kit in his beloved shed, so for part of each year he isn't even monarch in there!
What are some of your favorite hobbies? Leave me a comment and enter to win a signed copy from my backlist!
Christina Hollis writes Modern Romance for Harlequin Mills and Boon, and her titles appear as Harlequin Presents/Extra in the US.You can catch up with Christina here:Website: http://www.christinahollis.comTwitter:http://www.twitter.com/christinabooksFacebook: http://bit.ly/9rv4dfBlog: http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.comTumblr: http://christinahollis.tumblr.com