Lucy Monroe's Blog, page 74

Humpday Hottie!

Tall dark and luscious!

Weekly Prize Giveaway!

So excited for Fall to finally arrive! Time to curl up on my couch and read some books from my (overflowing) TBR pile! Let me add to yours...leave me a comment this week on any posting open to comments and you'll be entered in the contest.

One bag/tote will be given away each week.
Weekly winner will be posted on Saturday!

The Spy Who Wants Me! - Excerpt

The Spy Who Wants MeRereleased this Tuesday - October 4th
3rd book in The Goddard Project seriesReissue from Trade PaperbackMass Market PaperbackKensington Brava - October 2011ISBN-10: 075822916XISBN-13: 978-0758229168

Buy the book:B&N ~ Chapters ~ Books-a-Million ~ Amazon


Read an excerpt:
She turned and leaned back into the car to grab her briefcase, giving the staring man a view of her toned backside in the tailored slacks. Being a good agent meant using all assets at her disposal to do her job. If that included flustering a man by exposing a little thigh, then she did it. If it meant bending over to offer a glimpse of a body she used as a tool for her job, she did it.
And her instincts told her that she wanted this particular man as off-kilter as she could get him.
She locked the car and headed toward him, noticing that he had not moved from his spot in front of the building. So, he knew who she was too and he was waiting for her.
As personal greeters went, she'd take him.
His expression neutral, he put his hand out when she was within reaching distance. "Ms. Gray? I'm Beau Ruston."
Her hand was engulfed in the warmth and strength of his. For a split second she saw something in his Hershey brown eyes and tension filled square jaw that found a corresponding response right in her core.
Desire. Hot. Urgent. Primal.
And wholly unexpected.
Oh, she was used to being admired. Even wanted. But that flash of sexual heat went beyond the surface physical reaction of a man and a woman meeting for the first time. And the fact that it mirrored her own response was as close to frightening as facing down the wrong end of her own favorite Ruger P95 semi-automatic.
He blinked and just like that, the brief blaze of desire was banked. She didn't doubt it had been there, anymore than she could deny the involuntary tightening of her inner thigh muscles or the way her nipples were still peaked behind her designer suit jacket.
Grateful for the thickness and opacity of the fabric, she pulled her hand from his. "It's a pleasure to meet you Dr. Ruston."
"Beau, please." The subtle twang in his voice reminded her of his origins.
Click here to read more...

Weekly Prize Winner!

[image error]
Who's ready to for some reading? This week's blog prize winner is.....
Sandra Lynne
Congratulation! Please email me your name and address and I will get your prize in the mail! Happy reading!

Additionally, our Guest, Kate Walker, also gave away a book this week! Congratulations to:
Sunu
Please email me your name and address and I will pass that information along to Kate so she can get you, your prize!

Guest Blog - Kate Walker

Welcome Kate Walker! My readers and I are so excited to learn a little more about you! Thanks for a great interview!
1. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not writing? Reading! I just wish I had much much more time to do it. I never ever have as much time as I'd like to just curl up with a really good book- preferably with one of my cats on my knee. The other favourite thing is just being with my loved ones, specially my DH. Sadly we lost his mother earlier this year and if there's one thing that brings home to you how much you should value those you love it's that.


2. What books are sitting in your TBR pile right now? What book are you currently reading?I am always buying books and then letting them sit on my shelf (shelves) . I swear that they then breed there because there is never any space, no matter how much I do try to read. So the honest answer to what books? – is a whole library. I tend to read two or more things at once – depending on my mood, and I have upstairs and downstairs books so that I can grab a book and sneak a read even if I only have a few minutes. The 'downstairs' book I just finished is The Drowning Girl by Margaret Leroy – a spooky tale about a little girl who seems to have lived before. And upstairs I have Jane Porter's latest Presents title A Dark Sicilian Secret. Next after that is my dear friend Michelle Reid's new title, The Kanellis Scandal. I'm in the UK so these books are in the Mills & Boon Modern Editions.
3. Please, share something you found most interesting or fun that you did to research for a book.My newest title The Return of The Stranger is something different - it's part of a mine series that takes some of the classic books from romantic fiction as inspiration and uses that as a launch pad for a whole new story. So when I was asked to do the Wuthering Heights book I had a great excuse to watch all the film versions from Laurence Olivier onwards, to soak up the atmosphere and the passion. I grew up so very close to Howarth where the Bronte sisters lived, so I also got to explore the village and the countryside around it.
4. How did you come up with - or - setting - or character occupations - or - plot, etc. for The Return Of the Stranger?

So as i said, Return of the Stranger is something rather different from my usual books – but I was not going to copy or just lift the story from the original book, I wanted to take that as the springboards and write my own novel as a result. But I wanted to keep some of the power and intensity of the original. So my hero and heroine are Kat Charlton and Heath Montanha. The setting was one ting I didn't want to change because what everyone remembers about Wuthering Heights is the way it's set on the wild moors of Yorkshire and having walked over those moors many times I knew just how atmospheric they can be. Finally, the story of Heath(Heathcliff) is that he leaves the place he grew up and goes away to make his fortune. So I created a whole new life for my Heath - discovering that he came from Brazil and there he was involved in mining, discovering a rich seam of emeralds that he mined to make his fortune. And so the story begins when, no long the bad boy stablehand, the rebel who caused trouble in the past, but as a rich, powerful man, Heath comes back to take his revenge on the family who treated him so badly – and to claim the one woman he has always wanted.
5. Action adventure or romantic comedy? What is your favorite movie lately?
That really depends on mood. I love action adventures – but they have to have a strong relationship developing story in there. That's the romance novelist in me! So I suppose I'll have to say that deep down it has to be a romantic story I love to watch most. But the most recent movie I watched – on DVD because it's not a new film but one our son bought for my DH for his birthday - was neither of these. It was Capote starring Philip Seymour Hoffman. It's a grim, dark story about the writing of In Cold Blood and Capote's relationship with a murderer – but it was riveting, totally compelling. And the acting was magnificent.
Thanks Lucy for allowing me to visit with you today! I'd love to hear from your readers. Anyone who leaves a comment on today's interview will be entered into a drawing to win The Return Of a Stranger - winner will be announced on Lucy's blog on Saturday!

Review - Bodyguards in Bed

Bodygurards In Bed offers three stories by three great authors - Look at these reviews:
"All three novellas feature heroines who are strong in their own way, and the hot heroes who have captured their hearts while protecting them." The Romance Reviews
"This was a steamy romance and the chemistry between the two main characters had me turning the pages." Bookaholics Romance Book Club
""A fun and sexy summer read, BODYGUARDS IN BED is sure to please." Romance Reviews Today

BODYGUARDS IN BEDby Lucy Monroe(with Jamie Denton & Elizabeth Naughton)Kensington Brava - June 2011 (05-31-11)Trade PaperbackISBN-10: 0758210337ISBN-13: 978-0758210333
Whose Been Sleeping in my Brother's Bed?
Roman Chernichenko's baby sis is in trouble. She shows up at his apartment needing help and a safe place to be right now, but Roman is in Africa. Only the apartment's not empty. One of his Atrati team is staying at Roman's place while *his* apartment is under renovation. They've met — at Beau & Elle's wedding. She thinks he's freaking hot, he thinks she freakin' off limits, being Roman's baby sister and all. She might be an academic geek, but she knows what she wants and she sets out to get it — Mr. Hottie Super Soldier won't know what hit him ... and beat him to the mattress after.
Buy: Borders ~ B&N ~ Chapters ~ Books-a-Million ~Amazon

Humpday Hottie!

Mmmm...this hired hand can come to work for me anytime!

Weekly Prize Giveaway!

Throughout the month of September I will be giving away not just one book every week, but a bag/tote full of books from lots of my favorite authors! I'll also include a signed copy of one of my own books! You'll be ready when fall arrives. Cozy up in your favorite reading spot with a great cup of coffee and dive in to some delicious reads! Be sure to leave a comment on any posting open to comments and you'll be entered in the contest!



One bag/tote will be given away each week.

Weekly winner will be posted on Saturday!

Bodyguards In Bed - Excerpt

Bodyguards In BedTrade Paperback anthologyKensington Brava - June 2011ISBN-10: 0758210337ISBN-13: 978-0758210333
Buy the book: Borders ~ B&N ~ Chapters Books-a-Million ~ Amazon
Excerpt from Chapter 1:
That was the second time he'd admitted to talking to her brother about her. That had to mean something, right? That he was at least interested enough to mention her in passing to Roman.
"What did he warn you about?"
"That you have an unbalanced sense of humor."
"Unbalanced? That's harsh." Though Roman had said worse when she'd switched salt for sugar in his canister and he'd added it to his morning coffee.
It was an old trick and she shouldn't have gotten away with it, which is what she told him. Sugar and salt didn't look alike to a person with their background in chemistry, not to mention the different smell, texture and melting rate in hot water.
He'd told her she needed to get a life. Of course it was his effort to see she had one that had prompted the salt in his coffee. He'd fixed her up with the most boring, obnoxiously intelligent man she'd ever met the night before. To make matters worse, they'd gone on a double date and while her brother was having fun with his not-so-brainy arm candy, Danusia had spent the evening arguing quantum physical theory. Not discussing, but arguing.
Her blind date had been an opinionated cretin.
"Do I have to worry you're going to sabotage the kitchen?" Max asked, proving Roman had been telling tales.
"I don't know. Are you going to try to fix me up with the most obnoxious man on the Eastern Seaboard?"
"Is that what Roman did?"
"Yes. And when you're contemplating murder, salt in the coffee doesn't seem like such a harsh retaliation."
Max laughed out loud. "I can promise you, I've got no plans to fix you up with anyone while you're here."
"Good." She had her own plans and they all revolved around the gorgeous black man whose laugh made her thighs clench.
Weird. Was that a primal reaction, she wondered or an evolutionary one? Whatever it was, there was an ache between her legs that would not go away.
"You're doing it again."
"What?"
"Thinking about something that puts that alarming expression in your eyes."
"Do I worry you?" she asked in disbelief.
"More than you know." With that, he spun on his heel and headed out of the room, stopping at the doorway. "I'll make dinner tonight."
"You don't trust me to cook?"
"Let's just say I'll be sure what goes into it, if I make it."
"I'll have you know I'm a very good cook." It was basic organic chemistry and she'd had that particular subject down before she'd been out of training bras.
"When you aren't switching ingredients on the unsuspecting."
"I told you, he deserved it."
"And I don't."
"Not yet," she couldn't resist saying.
He laughed again and she decided that sound could become more addictive than McDonalds French fries.

Weekly Prize Winner!

[image error]

Who's ready to for some reading? This week's blog prize winner is.....
Lorna
Congratulation! Please email me your name and address and I will get your prize in the mail! Happy reading!