Tessa Dare's Blog, page 8

Bestselling Blacksmith!

Thank you, readers, for making Beauty and the Blacksmith a USA Today bestseller in its first week!  I’m just thrilled and delighted by all the support you’ve given Spindle Cove.

It’s just two weeks now until the release of Any Duchess Will Do!  I’m so excited for this book. Griff and Pauline became one of my favorite couples to write.

My brilliant web designer helped me make some fun little virtual buttons.  Check them out in the “extras” section!

 

Beauty and the Blacksmith now available

It’s finally here!  At long last, Diana Highwood gets a romance of her own.  Beauty and the Blacksmith is available today in digital format.*   I hope readers will enjoy reading her happy ending as much as I loved writing it.

If you’d like to chat about the book with me and other Spindle Cove readers, please join us over at Goodreads for a reader party on the evening of Friday, May 3rd!  Details here.

Until then, I can only say (with a little help from the talented Sara Lindsey):

*If you’re waiting for the print edition, I have been promised that it will be available for order soon. Please keep checking back for more information.  Sorry for the delay!

Spindle Cove on sale for $0.99!

In just two weeks, Aaron and Diana’s story will be available! Beauty and the Blacksmith releases April 30th, followed by Any Duchess Will Do on May 28th.

In anticipation, Avon Books is offering an amazing sale! Spindle Cove e-books are just $0.99 at USA retailers! (Prices may vary internationally.)

This limited-time sale includes:

A Night to Surrender – $0.99

A Week to Be Wicked – $0.99

A Lady by Midnight - $0.99

And of course, the Spindle Cove novella Once Upon a Winter’s Eve continues to be $0.99, too.



The whole series to date can be yours for under $4. It’s the perfect time to recommend Spindle Cove to a friend (or all your friends!), or catch up on any of the books you might have missed.

In other news, I couldn’t be more honored that A Week to Be Wicked has been chosen to receive the RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award for Historical Love and Laughter. I love RT!

And lastly – I vow, I will be working on that video I promised in exchange for my DABWAHA Final Four appearance! Videos take more time, and it’s been a busy few weeks. But it’s coming.

March Madness

I’m happy to report the cover and excerpt are now up for Beauty and the Blacksmith!

Any Duchess Will Do has received a lovely review from Kirkus:

“Moments of laugh-out-loud humor, emotional intensity and sensual passion woven through an engaging plot and endearing characters make this a great read for romance fans.”

And it’s March Madness time! In Romanceland, this means it’s time for DABWAHA, a fun tourney for romance novels published in 2012. The tourney is all in good fun, and authors are encouraged to shill for votes in creative ways. This year, A Lady by Midnight is seeded in the historical category. I’ve come up with the following ploys for votes:

If it makes the Sweet 16, I’ll post an excerpt from the infamously sexy chapter 21 of Any Duchess Will Do.
If it makes the Great 8, I’ll write a bonus scene from A Lady by Midnight – Colin teaching Thorne to waltz! (I really, really want to write this, guys. So vote!)
If it makes the Final 4, I’ll make another dareling room video to celebrate.

So if you’d like to see any of those things, go forth and vote! The first round is today, March 21! A full schedule is available on the site.

Such news!

Dear readers, I have such exciting news. Many of you have written to me over the past few years, asking if there would be a Spindle Cove story for Diana Highwood.  At last, I am able and delighted to answer with a definitive yes! There will be a story for Diana, and you will be able to read it on April 30th.  The title of her novella is (spoiler alert!) Beauty and the Blacksmith.  (And if you are surprised by that pairing, just think how Mrs. Highwood will feel!)  I loved writing Aaron and Diana's story, and I can't wait until I can tell you more about it and post excerpts, the cover, and all that goodness.  But in the meantime, just know that it exists and is coming your way soon.

I have a few events coming up.  On Saturday March 9th, I'm speaking and signing at my local RWA chapter, OCC/RWA, and on March 15-17, I'm part of the California Dreamin' conference in Santa Ana, CA.  As part of the conference, there will be a multi-author book signing open to the public on Sunday, March 17, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM.  Other authors signing include Julia Quinn, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Elizabeth Boyle, and many more--so if you're in the area, don't miss it!

 

Ringing in 2013 with a cover reveal!

Happy New Year to all!

2013 is off to a great start on the website. At long last, I can reveal the beautiful cover for Any Duchess Will Do, releasing May 28th! Any Duchess is full-length book 4 in the Spindle Cove series.

Isn't it sighworthy? I just love it. The tender, sexy pose...her coy smile...his exquisite chest..that gorgeous dress...

But what color is that dress? Click here to read the debate and see the stepback!

Mr. Wright is Mr. Right Now!

Just in time for your holiday reading... A hero who's definitely on the Naughty List.

My novella The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright is now available from Avon Impulse. This novella was published earlier this year in Three Weddings and a Murder, a charity anthology. If you missed it then, here's your chance to snap it up for just $0.99!

Kindle | Nook | Apple | Kobo | Sony

Reviewers have said:

"With a funny and witty plot, this story will have readers cheering." (RT Book Reviews)

"Eliza and Harry are just right for one another—their interactions sparkle and sizzle with wit and desire." (Dear Author)

I hope you enjoy their story, too! And don't miss The Rake Name Generator -- a fun widget that will give you a Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good name of your own. Or is it a Perilous, Raffish, Ill-Intentioned name? Or a Fascinating, Crafty, High-Class name? Click and find out for yourself.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Waiting for Mr. Wright…

Are you looking for a wicked rake to steam up your winter's night?

Look no further! That rascally duke's heir Harry Wright is coming your way in my novella The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright, releasing December 11 from Avon Impulse. This novella was published earlier this year in Three Weddings and a Murder, a charity anthology. Here's your chance to snap it up if you missed the anthology, or to send a gift copy to a romance-reading friend who hasn't tried my books yet. At just $0.99, it's less expensive than a greeting card! There will also be a print edition, available for order in late December.

I truly loved writing Harry and Eliza's story, and I'm so glad it will be available to readers widely...and with this gorgeous new cover!

In other news, I am beyond thrilled that A Week to be Wicked was selected for "Best Romance of 2012" lists by both Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal! In addition, A Week to be Wicked and A Lady by Midnight were nominated for Reviewers Choice awards from RT Booklovers magazine. I'm overwhelmed and honored for the books to be recognized by these three esteemed publications. My congratulations to all the other authors and books recognized.

On the road…

In late September, Team Bodice Rippers had the honor of participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Santa Barbara, CA. Pictured below (L-R) are me, Courtney Milan, and Carey Baldwin, just before we started off on the walk. Our fourth team member, Leigh LaValle, was at home with her newborn baby, but she was with us in spirit!

Thank you so much to everyone who purchased the Three Weddings and a Murder anthology, helping us meet and exceed our goal of raising $10,000 for breast cancer research, prevention, and patient support. We also owe a huge thank you to all our individual donors and to Samhain Publishing, for putting us over the top with a generous team donation.

For anyone who might have missed the limited-time anthology, my novella "The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright" will soon be available again, probably in late November. Stay tuned for more details!

Now I'm on the road again--or in the air, off to England and Scotland for a research trip! My last trip to England was in 2010, when I gathered all the photos, information, and memories that went into creating Spindle Cove. I'm looking forward to creating some new romantic settings soon!

Hope you and yours are having a wonderful October. In the words of Rhys St. Maur...

Boo.

A Lady by Midnight is a bestseller!

Thank you so much, readers!  Your excitement and support for Kate and Thorne's story shot them straight onto the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists this week!  Sort of like a melon catapulted from a trebuchet.

I am so grateful to everyone who has embraced, enjoyed, and supported the Spindle Cove series.  Thank you, thank you.

This is a busy month for me, as Team Bodice Rippers is in the last few weeks of training for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Santa Barbara.  Thanks to your donations and Three Weddings and a Murder anthology purchases, we've reached our team fundraising goal of $10,000 to fund research and patient support!   I'm also finishing up revisions of Any Duchess will Do (coming out in 2013).  Then in October, it's off to England for a research trip.   More on that later.

Wishing you all good things in these few remaining weeks of summer.  As always, thank you for reading.