True North FREE for Five Days on Kindle

Get the book that started my indie author career for free on Kindle for the next five days!

The first time Travis North lays eyes on Liana McDermott, she’s wearing the most hideous bridesmaid dress he’s ever seen. He doesn't immediately recognize the world-famous super model who is attending her cousin Enid's wedding at the country club he owns. Thanks to Enid's shameless matchmaking, Travis and Liana become acquainted and later embark on a two-week fling intended to be free of emotion and entanglement. As Liana's return to work gets closer, however, Travis wonders how he'll ever let her go when the time comes while Liana considers whether he might be her true north. Two high-powered careers, two amazing weeks and a love that comes along just once in a lifetime. Is she ready to give up her career for a different kind of life? Does he want the same things she does? After insisting on an emotionless affair, she can't very well ask him. Or can she?

http://amzn.to/tuun1t

My Favorite Books of 2011

I was asked to do this for a blog posting, so I figured I'd post my list here, too. You all know that I keep a running tab of my books on the blog. Last year I read 112 books. This year, I'll be lucky to hit 100. I expect I will exceed both totals next year when I'm "only" working as a mother and author with hopefully more time to read! So here is my top 10 (okay a few more than 10) for the year, in no particular order:

1. Seven Secrets of Seduction by Anne Mallory was the first book I read in 2011, and I absolutely adored it because it had all the elements of a great historical romance, was extremely well written and just plain old good fun. In fact I may have to re-read it to end the year!

2. All They Need, One Good Reason, Her Best Friend, The Last Goodbye: Why? Sarah Mayberry. Enough said! If you're not reading her books, why not?

3. What I Did for a Duke & To Love a Thief. Julie Anne Long was a big discovery for me this year, and I loved her Pennyroyal Green Series. Some of the best historical romances I've ever read.

4. After the Fire, On the Line, Nothing More to Lose: Kathryn Shay's firefighting series was spectacular. I loved all three books.

5. Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard, an oldie that I had never read until the R&O Book Club brought it to my attention. Spine-tingling suspense, heart-pounding romance and signature Linda Howard humor all in one "perfect" story. If you haven't read this one, you're missing a classic!

6.  Breaking Point by Pamela Clare (brilliant) 

7. The Search by Nora Roberts (the best Nora book in years)

8. Treachery in Death and NY to Dallas by J.D. Robb (love me some Eve and Roarke)

9. Summer of Two Wishes by Julia London (beautiful story)

10. The Many Sins of Lord Cameron and Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley (fantastic series). 

I also reallllllllly enjoyed my friend Bella Andre's Sullivan Family series, and not just because I'm a Sullivan! :-) I'm also really enjoying In Bed With a Highlander by Maya Banks, which I'm reading now. Looking forward to the other two books in that trilogy, and I LOVE her KGI books.

Okay must stop now. Could go on and on....

Tell me what's on your top 10 list for 2011! What books are you most anticipating in 2012?

STARTING OVER, Now on Sale!

Starting Over, AVAILABLE NOW!

BOOK 3 in the Treading Water Trilogy

In a drunken stupor, Brandon O'Malley frightens his brother Aidan's girlfriend, enraging his brother and the rest of his family. Aidan offers Brandon the choice of rehab or jail, and Brandon reluctantly enters treatment. While in rehab, he confronts the lifetime of secrets and resentments that fueled his spiral into alcoholism, and these revelations have a major effect on his entire family. When he returns home expecting to resume his supervisory role in the family’s construction business, Brandon learns his father has retired and put his younger brothe, Colin,r in charge. Brandon is unhappy to be given the job of renovating an apartment building where he loses his heart to an adorable five-year-old tenant named “Mike.” After he falls hard for Michaela, Brandon becomes involved with her mother Daphne, who is running from a past that will later test his sobriety and his mettle as a man.

Read an excerpt of Starting Over

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Isn’t This Glamorous? Leading the Life of a Romance Writer

By Stephanie Queen

If I’m leading the glamorous life of a romance writer, then what is glamour anyway? It’s every gal’s dream come true, isn’t it? For instance, at a book-signing, having every Fabio-like guy in the room standing in line for an autograph… or a photograph with you. There’s something about the flash of a camera in a buzzing crowd-filled room that screams out “GLAMOUR!” (at least that’s what I thought I heard).

Don’t look now, but in this photo taken at my recent book-signing, this random fan (I use the term *fan* loosely—but he was definitely random) topped the male portion of the audience. Not exactly Fabio-like (so who really likes Fabio anyhow? He’s so 80s cliché.) but we weren’t exactly in Hollywood. (We were at an undisclosed location which I can’t disclose due to my super-notoriety and wanting to maintain some privacy—the downside to the glamorous life.) (yeah, right. Boo-hoo.)

Back to figuring out what glamorous means. According to Webster, glamorous means : full of glamour (no kidding): excitingly attractive, such as a glamorous life. As if Merriam knew. Had they even invented cameras in his day?

Favorite Synonym: romantic. Yes, even Merriam is enticed by the connotations of romance. Although I’ll bet he never wrote a romance novel. Outlandish was my second favorite synonym. I can testify to outlandish. I’ve been to a romance writers convention.

Least Favorite Synonym: Bizarro. Hmmm.

Favorite Antonym: plain Jane, closely followed by the uncreative antonym, unromantic.

And my favorite unrelated feature in Websters: “Rhymes With” GLAMOROUS: amorous and clamorous. They definitely go with the glamorous territory. I could write a poem (but don’t worry, I won’t) (see bizarro).

So in summary, the answer to the question “Isn’t this glamorous?” is of course it is! If my life as a romance writer wasn’t excitingly attractive, why else would I do it? Isn’t glamour everything? Plain Jane is out. Bizarro? Well that’s another story for another day.

What do you picture as the ultimate glamorous moment of a romance writer’s life?

We'll give a copy of The Throwbacks to one commenter today. Here's the scoop on the book: 

To salvage his career, exiled Scotland Yard "Flying Squad" detective, the not-so-young David Young, joins the Boston Police Department. But this rogue detective can’t resist an unlikely romance with his young and vivacious decorator, Grace Rogers, even when she becomes a key witness in his high-stakes case—and like Kryptonite to his career and well-being.

Stephanie Queen writes romance novels while running from the paparazzi who constantly haunt her excitingly attractive life. Her most recent release is The Throwbacks, the first in the Scotland Yard Exchange Program series of romantic comedy suspense novels. Visit her at www.StephanieQueen.com for all the latest in her glamorous romance-writing life.

Welcome to My Friend Cynthia Eden with a Giveaway!

I'm very excited to welcome my writing pal, Cynthia Eden, over for a visit today! She writes wonderful suspense and paranormal romances. It's a thrill to have her here, so show her a good time while I am slaving away at the day job! :-) Now, here's Cynthia!

An Angel’s Wings…

Hi, everyone! And a big thank you to the lovely Marie for having me over today.  ;)

It’s the holiday season! Folks are happy…and feeling a little frantic. It’s the time of the year to snuggle up by a fire and watch a Christmas special. At my house, I always enjoy both the funny shows (Scrooged, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation) and the shows that make me tear up (It’s a Wonderful Life).

In It’s a Wonderful life, I love it when the little girl tells her dad, “Teacher says…every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.”  During the holidays, my son now listens for bells, hoping that means that somewhere, someplace, an angel is getting wings.

An angel with wings—well, that can sure be one great thing.

Pity I’m taking those wings away.  Ahem…

Because I’ve got a new series out now—a dark paranormal series about angels who fall. And, when they fall, their lovely wings get burned away.  But it’s actually when they fall, well, it’s then that life truly begins for my angels. They start to experience human emotions and needs. They want. They crave. They lust.

They love.

And isn’t love one of the best things about the holidays? 

So fall with my angels. Get tempted this holiday.  Enjoy yourself. Even sin a little.

Have yourself  a merry old holiday time.

I’d love to give one commenter ANGEL OF DARKNESS. To enter the giveaway, just tell me the holiday movie you love to watch at this time of the year. The winner will be randomly selected from all the comments that I receive. Good luck!

Happy Holidays.

Cynthia Eden

www.cynthiaeden.com

ANGEL OF DARKNESS—Available now from Kensington Brava

When an angel falls for a vampire, all hell breaks loose…