Louisa Edwards's Blog, page 2
December 12, 2011
Book Giveaway: All Fall Down
Time for another giveaway! This time I've got Megan Hart's taut, emotional look at what it's like to live in a cult. Fascinating, no?
Here's the blurb:
In the midst of a chaotic midnight assembly, Sunshine is forced out into the darkness. Holding a scrap of paper scrawled with a stranger's name and address, Sunny grasps the hands of her three small children and begins her escape.
Liesel Albright has dreamed of starting a family. She never bargained on inheriting one already in progress…or one so deeply damaged. When nineteen-year-old Sunshine appears on the Albright's doorstep claiming Liesel's husband Chris is her father, all they can think to offer is temporary shelter. The next day, they're stunned by the news that the Family of Superior Bliss, led by a charismatic zealot, has committed mass suicide. Sunny and her children haven't just left the compound–they've been left behind.
Now, instead of a baby of her own, Liesel must play mother to the four survivors while Chris retreats into guilt and denial. For Sunny, however, a lifetime of teachings is not easily unlearned. No matter how hard she tries to forget, an ominous catechism echoes in her mind, urging her to finish what the Family started.
If you want to read an excerpt, go here. To put your name in the hat for the drawing, check out the rules below!
THE RULESSo here's what's going to happen. Pay attention, this is how you win!
1. Answer the question posted on my Facebook wall. Just put your comment right under my post on my fan page here. OR if you don't have an FB account, answer the question on this blog, in the comments below.2. If you haven't already, you can feel free to "Like" my Facebook Fan Page, but it's not a requirement to enter the contest! I'd also love it if you followed me on Twitter @LouisaEdwards. Because then we can chat!3. Check back tomorrow morning on my Facebook Fan Page to see if you've won–I'll post the winner's name here on the blog, too, so make sure to come back and look for it. You've got one week to claim your prize, or I'll have to give it to someone else. So be sure to check back!4. This contest is open to international residents, but the prize for an int'l winner will be an unsigned copy of the book.
Here's the blurb:
In the midst of a chaotic midnight assembly, Sunshine is forced out into the darkness. Holding a scrap of paper scrawled with a stranger's name and address, Sunny grasps the hands of her three small children and begins her escape.
Liesel Albright has dreamed of starting a family. She never bargained on inheriting one already in progress…or one so deeply damaged. When nineteen-year-old Sunshine appears on the Albright's doorstep claiming Liesel's husband Chris is her father, all they can think to offer is temporary shelter. The next day, they're stunned by the news that the Family of Superior Bliss, led by a charismatic zealot, has committed mass suicide. Sunny and her children haven't just left the compound–they've been left behind.
Now, instead of a baby of her own, Liesel must play mother to the four survivors while Chris retreats into guilt and denial. For Sunny, however, a lifetime of teachings is not easily unlearned. No matter how hard she tries to forget, an ominous catechism echoes in her mind, urging her to finish what the Family started.
If you want to read an excerpt, go here. To put your name in the hat for the drawing, check out the rules below!
THE RULESSo here's what's going to happen. Pay attention, this is how you win!
1. Answer the question posted on my Facebook wall. Just put your comment right under my post on my fan page here. OR if you don't have an FB account, answer the question on this blog, in the comments below.2. If you haven't already, you can feel free to "Like" my Facebook Fan Page, but it's not a requirement to enter the contest! I'd also love it if you followed me on Twitter @LouisaEdwards. Because then we can chat!3. Check back tomorrow morning on my Facebook Fan Page to see if you've won–I'll post the winner's name here on the blog, too, so make sure to come back and look for it. You've got one week to claim your prize, or I'll have to give it to someone else. So be sure to check back!4. This contest is open to international residents, but the prize for an int'l winner will be an unsigned copy of the book.
December 8, 2011
Book Giveaway: If You Give a Girl a Viscount
This is my week to get into the spirit of the season--we're buying the tree, baking goodies, and hosting a couple of holiday parties in the next couple of weeks. With all that going on, I need a jump start! And what better way to get into the spirit than to give out gifts?
Today I'm offering up a copy of the hilarious, adorable Regency romp If You Give a Girl a Viscount, signed by author Kieran Kramer!
This is the fourth in her Impossible Bachelors series, and it might just be my favorite of all. To read an excerpt and watch a super cute book trailer, click here!
Here's what the book's all about:
All the single ladies want him.
If life were a fairy tale, Daisy Montgomery's stepmother and two stepsisters would surely be cast in the wicked roles. For years, they've made life miserable for Daisy. But when she discovers she has a godmother, she's determined to ask her for help. Little did Daisy expect her godmother to play matchmaker with her very own grandson—who happens to be a viscount! Is he ready to put a ring on it?
A freewheeling playboy, Charles Thorpe, Viscount Lumley, is bored with his wealth-seeking female admirers. Not only that, he's been cut off from the family coffers. One day, on a bet, he rids himself of what little money he has left in his pockets and vows to solve problems using his wits alone. But when the Impossible Bachelor is confronted with Daisy's plan to save her castle, the payoff is more than he could have bargained for. Sometimes, if you give a girl a viscount, you just might find love….
THE RULESSo here's what's going to happen. Pay attention, this is how you win!
1. Answer the question posted on my Facebook wall. Just put your comment right under my post on my fan page here. OR if you don't have an FB account, answer the question on this blog, in the comments below.2. If you haven't already, you can feel free to "Like" my Facebook Fan Page, but it's not a requirement to enter the contest! I'd also love it if you followed me on Twitter @LouisaEdwards. Because then we can chat!3. Check back tomorrow morning on my Facebook Fan Page to see if you've won–I'll post the winner's name here on the blog, too, so make sure to come back and look for it. You've got one week to claim your prize, or I'll have to give it to someone else. So be sure to check back!4. This contest is open to international residents, but the prize for an int'l winner will be an unsigned copy of the book.
Today I'm offering up a copy of the hilarious, adorable Regency romp If You Give a Girl a Viscount, signed by author Kieran Kramer!This is the fourth in her Impossible Bachelors series, and it might just be my favorite of all. To read an excerpt and watch a super cute book trailer, click here!
Here's what the book's all about:
All the single ladies want him.
If life were a fairy tale, Daisy Montgomery's stepmother and two stepsisters would surely be cast in the wicked roles. For years, they've made life miserable for Daisy. But when she discovers she has a godmother, she's determined to ask her for help. Little did Daisy expect her godmother to play matchmaker with her very own grandson—who happens to be a viscount! Is he ready to put a ring on it?
A freewheeling playboy, Charles Thorpe, Viscount Lumley, is bored with his wealth-seeking female admirers. Not only that, he's been cut off from the family coffers. One day, on a bet, he rids himself of what little money he has left in his pockets and vows to solve problems using his wits alone. But when the Impossible Bachelor is confronted with Daisy's plan to save her castle, the payoff is more than he could have bargained for. Sometimes, if you give a girl a viscount, you just might find love….
THE RULESSo here's what's going to happen. Pay attention, this is how you win!
1. Answer the question posted on my Facebook wall. Just put your comment right under my post on my fan page here. OR if you don't have an FB account, answer the question on this blog, in the comments below.2. If you haven't already, you can feel free to "Like" my Facebook Fan Page, but it's not a requirement to enter the contest! I'd also love it if you followed me on Twitter @LouisaEdwards. Because then we can chat!3. Check back tomorrow morning on my Facebook Fan Page to see if you've won–I'll post the winner's name here on the blog, too, so make sure to come back and look for it. You've got one week to claim your prize, or I'll have to give it to someone else. So be sure to check back!4. This contest is open to international residents, but the prize for an int'l winner will be an unsigned copy of the book.
December 5, 2011
Making the Rounds
There's a lovely review of Some Like it Hot up at Heart to Heart, the fabulous romance blog at Barnes & Noble's website! Among other nice things, the reviewer calls the book "a unique, witty, and romantic read" and she gives it the thumbs up for detail on the realty television side, from her own background as a producer! Very cool. Read the review here.
And I also wanted to mention that I'm leading a class through RWA University this week called Everything I Need to Know About Being an Author, I Learned as an Editor. The title kind of speaks for itself, but here's the blurb:
In this five-day course, multi-published contemporary romance author Louisa Edwards will share the lessons she learned when she made the transition from junior editor at Berkley Publishing Group to full-time writer. Discussions will address market trends, finding your voice, craft tips, the query/submission process, an insider's look at what happens to your manuscript after you submit it, and a final Q&A.
The class will be discussions led by me followed up with questions from the people subscribed to the course--and I promise to answer as truthfully as possible! It's completely free to all RWA members, easily accessible through the myRWA portal on the main RWA site. Should be a fun week! I hope to see some of you there...
And I also wanted to mention that I'm leading a class through RWA University this week called Everything I Need to Know About Being an Author, I Learned as an Editor. The title kind of speaks for itself, but here's the blurb:
In this five-day course, multi-published contemporary romance author Louisa Edwards will share the lessons she learned when she made the transition from junior editor at Berkley Publishing Group to full-time writer. Discussions will address market trends, finding your voice, craft tips, the query/submission process, an insider's look at what happens to your manuscript after you submit it, and a final Q&A.
The class will be discussions led by me followed up with questions from the people subscribed to the course--and I promise to answer as truthfully as possible! It's completely free to all RWA members, easily accessible through the myRWA portal on the main RWA site. Should be a fun week! I hope to see some of you there...
December 3, 2011
Snippet Saturday: Family
So I'm hopping into a group of authors who post free, short snippets from their of my books on Saturdays, all of us snippeting on a common theme. This Saturday's theme is "family"--so of course I have to highlight the Lundens!
Some Like it Hot by Louisa Edwards
Copyright December 2011, Louisa Edwards
All Rights Reserved, St. Martin's Press
Danny had to push hard to get his dish finished, but once he'd gotten his brainwave, it was all downhill work from there.
He'd watched Theo haul his daughter out to the metaphorical woodshed, clearly pissed as hell, and when they came back in, Eva had that look. The too-perfect, put together face that hid everything vibrant and real about her behind a façade of serene professionalism.
It was Eva's game face.
Danny felt an unwilling tug of sympathy. He knew, from personal experience, nobody could tear into you, make you bleed and cry, like family. And he had what he considered a really good relationship with his parents.
It made Danny remember the story she'd told him, about her dad cooking French pancakes for her when she was a kid. The memory had been a happy one, he knew, a moment in time when she and her father had been in perfect harmony, the sweet and bitter of life balanced and blended, rolled up in a crisp-tender, golden crepe and dusted with confectioner's sugar.
French pancakes, he thought, a grin tugging at his mouth. He loved that she still called them that, even after a lifetime of five-star French meals and trips to Paris.
And then, as if Eva had waltzed over and whispered it in his ear, Danny knew exactly what he was going to make.
_____________
Don't forget to check out the other family-style snippets today!
Eliza Gayle
Lauren Dane
Rhian Cahill
Anne Rainey
Jody Wallace
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Selena Blake
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Alison Kent
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Some Like it Hot by Louisa Edwards
Copyright December 2011, Louisa Edwards
All Rights Reserved, St. Martin's Press
Danny had to push hard to get his dish finished, but once he'd gotten his brainwave, it was all downhill work from there.
He'd watched Theo haul his daughter out to the metaphorical woodshed, clearly pissed as hell, and when they came back in, Eva had that look. The too-perfect, put together face that hid everything vibrant and real about her behind a façade of serene professionalism.
It was Eva's game face.
Danny felt an unwilling tug of sympathy. He knew, from personal experience, nobody could tear into you, make you bleed and cry, like family. And he had what he considered a really good relationship with his parents.
It made Danny remember the story she'd told him, about her dad cooking French pancakes for her when she was a kid. The memory had been a happy one, he knew, a moment in time when she and her father had been in perfect harmony, the sweet and bitter of life balanced and blended, rolled up in a crisp-tender, golden crepe and dusted with confectioner's sugar.
French pancakes, he thought, a grin tugging at his mouth. He loved that she still called them that, even after a lifetime of five-star French meals and trips to Paris.
And then, as if Eva had waltzed over and whispered it in his ear, Danny knew exactly what he was going to make.
_____________
Don't forget to check out the other family-style snippets today!
Eliza Gayle
Lauren Dane
Rhian Cahill
Anne Rainey
Jody Wallace
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Selena Blake
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Alison Kent
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
November 30, 2011
Blog Tour: Romance Around the Corner
Check me out! I answered some really cute probing questions over at Romance Around the Corner today, and we're giving away copies of the book. The giveaway is open to domestic AND international readers, so get in there!
November 29, 2011
Release Day: Some Like it Hot!
"In the latest toothsome addition to her Rising Star Chef series, Edwards delivers an emotionally engaging love story, expertly spiced with love scenes hot enough to caramelize crème brûlée. As the icing on this literary cake, the mouthwatering descriptions of the dishes prepared and realistically rendered kitchen scenes prove Edwards is as gifted at writing about food as about romance." --Booklist on Some Like it Hot
And now it's finally here! Happy book birthday to Danny and Eva, the hero and heroine of Some Like it Hot. I can't wait for all of you to read their story and follow along with their kitchen exploits in the second installment of my Rising Star Chef trilogy.
Some Like it Hot is my scorching follow-up to last August's Too Hot to Touch…and my first ever pastry chef hero! Danny Lunden stole scenes (and readers' hearts!) when he first appeared, and I'm thrilled to share his story of love, family, and fabulous confections with all of you. Especially since reviewers are already licking their lips over it! RT BookReviews gave SLiH four and a half stars, saying "Edwards gives readers exactly what they're looking for: a great storyline and wonderful characters, some of them loveable, some of them smoking hot." Rowr!
Want to hear about the story? Well, as RT puts it, "Danny Lunden is a take-care kind of guy and he will go to the wall for those he loves. Competing in the Rising Star Chef Competition is a great way to get publicity for his family restaurant, and focus all his attention on the job he loves best. Eva Jansen has taken over running the competition from her father and she is determined to do it right. Danny intrigues her; he's kind, caring and not impressed by her or her money, and when they get together, sparks fly. But with the competition beginning to spiral out of control and her father breathing down her neck, Eva has no time for a relationship and Danny agrees. Still, they are drawn together, until Eva's bid to keep the contest dramatic threatens to destroy their fragile trust."
Some Like it Hot is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Books-A-Million, and indie bookstores near you!
To keep up to date with new releases, giveaways, recipes, excerpts, and other fun stuff, you can sign up for my newsletter here, connect with me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter! I hope to see you around, and if you read Some Like it Hot, let me know your reaction by dropping me a line at Louisa@LouisaEdwards.com.
November 8, 2011
Book Giveaway!
Want to win a free early copy of Some Like it Hot? Check out this contest my publisher is running! Super easy to enter, and the contest runs through November 29th, when the book comes out. So get on over there and enter!
November 4, 2011
Birthday Giveaway
Happy birthday to me! And since it's my special day, I get to make the rules--and I say, you lovely readers out there are the ones who deserve a present. So I'm giving away an advance reading copy of Some Like it Hot (which won't be available on shelves until 11/29) to one lucky reader!
A sizzling blend of food, passion—and searing romance—the Rising Star Chef competition brings together the world's hottest chefs for an all-star cook-off that's sure to stir up excitement…and melt some hearts. HE'S FEELING THE HEATSexy, single, and even sweeter than the treats he bakes, New York pastry chef Danny Lunden is trying to stay focused on food—not females. With the Rising Star Chef competition approaching, he doesn't have time to get all steamed up over the gorgeous woman he encounters on the plane to Chicago. Even if she is Eva Jansen—the billionaire heiress in charge of the contest…
SHE TAKES THE CAKEDanny assumes that "Eva the Diva" is a spoiled rich girl who doesn't share his passion for food. But when the two meet up again in an elevator—alone—they share more than just passion. They share a kiss hot enough to start a kitchen fire—and they're hungry for more. To indulge their new secret craving, Eva and Danny have to break every rule in the cookbook. But—like chocolate and caramel—some ingredients are are so sinfully good together, one scrumptious bite is never enough...
Sounds pretty tasty, right? So to win it, all you have to do is tell me your favorite kind of cake. Easy peasy lemon squeezie! Oooh, lemon cake...
THE RULESSo here's what's going to happen. Pay attention, this is how you win!1. Answer the question posted on my Facebook wall. Just put your comment right under my post on my fan page here. OR if you don't have an FB account, answer the question on this blog, in the comments below.2. If you haven't already, you can feel free to "Like" my Facebook Fan Page, but it's not a requirement to enter the contest! I'd also love it if you followed me on Twitter @LouisaEdwards. Because then we can chat!3. Check back tomorrow morning on my Facebook Fan Page to see if you've won–I'll post the winner's name here on the blog, too, so make sure to come back and look for it. You've got one week to claim your prize, or I'll have to give it to someone else. So be sure to check back!4. Due to contest restrictions between countries, this giveaway is only open to U.S. residents and U.S. military. Sorry!
A sizzling blend of food, passion—and searing romance—the Rising Star Chef competition brings together the world's hottest chefs for an all-star cook-off that's sure to stir up excitement…and melt some hearts. HE'S FEELING THE HEATSexy, single, and even sweeter than the treats he bakes, New York pastry chef Danny Lunden is trying to stay focused on food—not females. With the Rising Star Chef competition approaching, he doesn't have time to get all steamed up over the gorgeous woman he encounters on the plane to Chicago. Even if she is Eva Jansen—the billionaire heiress in charge of the contest…
SHE TAKES THE CAKEDanny assumes that "Eva the Diva" is a spoiled rich girl who doesn't share his passion for food. But when the two meet up again in an elevator—alone—they share more than just passion. They share a kiss hot enough to start a kitchen fire—and they're hungry for more. To indulge their new secret craving, Eva and Danny have to break every rule in the cookbook. But—like chocolate and caramel—some ingredients are are so sinfully good together, one scrumptious bite is never enough...
Sounds pretty tasty, right? So to win it, all you have to do is tell me your favorite kind of cake. Easy peasy lemon squeezie! Oooh, lemon cake...
THE RULESSo here's what's going to happen. Pay attention, this is how you win!1. Answer the question posted on my Facebook wall. Just put your comment right under my post on my fan page here. OR if you don't have an FB account, answer the question on this blog, in the comments below.2. If you haven't already, you can feel free to "Like" my Facebook Fan Page, but it's not a requirement to enter the contest! I'd also love it if you followed me on Twitter @LouisaEdwards. Because then we can chat!3. Check back tomorrow morning on my Facebook Fan Page to see if you've won–I'll post the winner's name here on the blog, too, so make sure to come back and look for it. You've got one week to claim your prize, or I'll have to give it to someone else. So be sure to check back!4. Due to contest restrictions between countries, this giveaway is only open to U.S. residents and U.S. military. Sorry!
November 1, 2011
Book Recommendation
I've got something spicy and delicious for you, my lovelies! Check out this smokin' hot book trailer for Mina Khan's debut...an action-packed paranormal starring a half-djinn assassin:
Rukh O'Shay, half-djinn and assassin, is used to taking out the bad guys. But his latest assignment, Texas Journalist Sarah White, is nothing like he expected. A glimpse of her bright aura reveals her gentle spirit, while her beauty makes him long for only one thing—to taste her.
Sarah shares the raw desire to connect with Rukh. He can turn her on with a glance, and satisfies needs she didn't even know she had.
But Rukh had been hired to kill her—and the only way to save her is to find out who wants her dead before someone else finishes the job….
Available for preorder: B&N Amazon
Author Bio:Mina Khan is a Texas-based writer and food enthusiast. She daydreams of hunky paranormal heroes, magic, mayhem and mischief and writes them down as stories. Between stories, she teaches culinary classes and writes for her local newspaper. Other than that, she's raising a family of two children, two cats, two dogs and a husband.
She grew up in Bangladesh on stories of djinns, ghosts and monsters. These childhood fancies now color her fiction.
You can find her at :
Rukh O'Shay, half-djinn and assassin, is used to taking out the bad guys. But his latest assignment, Texas Journalist Sarah White, is nothing like he expected. A glimpse of her bright aura reveals her gentle spirit, while her beauty makes him long for only one thing—to taste her.
Sarah shares the raw desire to connect with Rukh. He can turn her on with a glance, and satisfies needs she didn't even know she had.
But Rukh had been hired to kill her—and the only way to save her is to find out who wants her dead before someone else finishes the job….
Available for preorder: B&N Amazon
Author Bio:Mina Khan is a Texas-based writer and food enthusiast. She daydreams of hunky paranormal heroes, magic, mayhem and mischief and writes them down as stories. Between stories, she teaches culinary classes and writes for her local newspaper. Other than that, she's raising a family of two children, two cats, two dogs and a husband.
She grew up in Bangladesh on stories of djinns, ghosts and monsters. These childhood fancies now color her fiction.
You can find her at :
October 11, 2011
Starting Over
Now that I've turned in the draft of Hot Under Pressure to my editor, all I technically have to do is sit around and wait for revisions. But instead, I've got this IDEA. A really fun, fresh, sexy idea keeps flashing snippets of dialogue and interactions between some truly fascinating people through my brain. So I'm not sitting around anymore...I'm writing the next trilogy!
Starting a new trilogy is always exhilarating--equal parts exciting and terrifying. But the best part, hands down, is discovering and getting to know a whole new crop of characters. One of the first things I like to do is to find inspiration for the physical features of each characters--and, predictably, I always start with the heroes.
For the new trilogy, the current incarnations of my heroes (which could all change in the writing, as I find out more and more about them, so don't take this as a promise or a spoiler) include:
A wounded FDNY fire fighter, Irish-American, black hair and blue eyes. Rough around the edges, but decent and honorable to his bones. Not a "bad boy" type.
A total bad boy! Basically the Indiana Jones of investigative journalism, with blond hair, green eyes, and a killer smile.
An ex-NYC chef, bitter and sarcastic, with a core of hidden vulnerability and decency. He'll also be my first almost-ginger hero! I'm thinking reddish-brown hair, gray eyes, and enough of a scruff to almost constitute a real beard.
Those are my current visions of the heroes to come! If you have suggestions for other hotties with the right stuff, I'm happy to hear them, though. Inspire me!
Starting a new trilogy is always exhilarating--equal parts exciting and terrifying. But the best part, hands down, is discovering and getting to know a whole new crop of characters. One of the first things I like to do is to find inspiration for the physical features of each characters--and, predictably, I always start with the heroes.
For the new trilogy, the current incarnations of my heroes (which could all change in the writing, as I find out more and more about them, so don't take this as a promise or a spoiler) include:
A wounded FDNY fire fighter, Irish-American, black hair and blue eyes. Rough around the edges, but decent and honorable to his bones. Not a "bad boy" type.
A total bad boy! Basically the Indiana Jones of investigative journalism, with blond hair, green eyes, and a killer smile.
An ex-NYC chef, bitter and sarcastic, with a core of hidden vulnerability and decency. He'll also be my first almost-ginger hero! I'm thinking reddish-brown hair, gray eyes, and enough of a scruff to almost constitute a real beard.
Those are my current visions of the heroes to come! If you have suggestions for other hotties with the right stuff, I'm happy to hear them, though. Inspire me!
