Remember that old ABC promotion for their summer reruns:  “If you haven’t seen it, it’s new to you!”?

Well, if you haven’t read it yet, MUST LOVE VAMPIRES will be new to you, too. 

That’s right—the showgirl twins & vampire brothers are back, turning Las Vegas hotter than the Mojave Desert all over again!

The mass market paperback edition of MUST LOVE VAMPIRES will be released in September with a brand new GORGEOUS cover!

I am feet-over-fangs in love with it, to say the least.  But what do you think?

And for anyone who was moderately annoyed with some of the mistaken character names on the back cover copy of the trade release of MUST LOVE VAMPIRES, I’m pleased to announce that they have been corrected & the blurb is 100% accurate this time around.

LOVE AT FIRST BITE

Nightclub dancer Chloe Lamoureaux just met the man of her dreams: Aidan Raines is charming, considerate, rich, and hot. Of course, he’s a little mysterious about his age. And his favorite drink. And he’s not much for sunlight. But he’s asked her to marry him, and she’s ready to do it. Sure, she has a few secrets too—but they’ll have plenty of time to work things out while they’re living happily ever after. Right?

Her identical twin sister, Chuck, isn’t so sure. Maybe reporting for the local Bigfoot-sighting tabloid doesn’t make her an expert, but to Chuck, Aidan and his brother Sebastian look like honest-to-Dracula vampires. Especially Sebastian: beguiling, seductive, and just a hint of dangerous. Maybe she wouldn’t mind him taking a little taste. But with Chloe’s life in the balance, she has to know—do they want hot love or hot blood? Or maybe…a little of both?

I should have cover flats, so maybe next month, we’ll have a giveaway!

I’m excited to officially start the countdown to my next Brava release, CIRCLE EIGHT: BRODY. This is book 2 of the series and a continuation of the mystery from book 1, MATTHEW.

Nearly one month until BRODY hits the shelves. Woohoo! I’m also thrilled to have Len Gunn, Mr. Romance 2011, as the cover model on BRODY. I was lucky enough to meet Len at the Romantic Times Conference in Chicago this year. He hunt out with me at my table during the Kensington mixer and signed autographs. It was fantastic to have the cover model with the BRODY cookies Kensington had specially made!

BRODY is a very different book than MATTHEW. It’s rougher, with more violence and more passion. I let the story tell itself and Brody and Olivia had their own cadence to follow. I’m along for the ride.

I’m nearly finished with book 3, CALEB, that will hopefully follow BRODY quickly. I don’t want to leave readers hanging for too long and I absolutely adore this family and their stories.

You can visit here for an excerpt and stay tuned for excitement in June as I count down to BRODY’s release!

UPDATE: My DH has done his random drawing and I can now announce the winners of the TOUCH OF A SCOUNDREL ARCs. Congrats to

Chris Bails

Krista Kedrick

Melody May

I’ll be contacting you by email to get your snailmail info. For everyone else, I hope you’ll pop over to my website and enter my contest there. You can win all my ebooks for either Kindle or Nook!

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It’s almost here…those lazy days that stretch into next week. Since I used to teach, summer meant a real break for me and the kids. Now I still keep up the daily 9-5 writing schedule, but I’m always looking for ways to take mini-vaca’s that give me the same sense of freedom the last day of school always imparted.

Sometimes it’s as simple as walking the dogs down by the river. Or stepping out onto the veranda with a cup of coffee, settling into one of the chairs and putting my heels up on the railing. If it’s Saturday, my DH and I might slip off to Revere Beach early with our beach chairs and books and listen to the gentle surf wash up on the sand till the crowds arrive and it’s too noisy to pretend we’re there by ourselves.

Click to pre-order!

But that brings me to one of the best ways to slip into summer mode–between the pages of a new book! Nothing takes me away like a hot hero and a heroine he can’t have for one reason or another. So I’m always looking for the newest titles coming out each summer.

I’m thrilled to share that I have a new story coming out July 31st called TOUCH OF A SCOUNDREL. It’s the last in my Touch of Seduction series, but you don’t have to have read the previous books to enjoy this one. It’s the story of Griffin Nash, Lord Devonwood who suffers from the “gift of touch”–the ability to glimpse the future when he touches an inanimate object. Griffin never knows when a tea cup, or a letter opener, or a bit of lace over satiny skin is going to send messages of what’s to come screaming into his brain.

He hates his gift. That’s because no matter how hard he tries, he’s never been able to alter the future he’s seen. When a sketching pencil shows him the lovely young woman in his garden is going to be in his arms within the next twelve hours, he has no wish to change things. Until he learns she’s his brother’s fiancee…

I just scored some ARCs of TOUCH OF A SCOUNDREL and want to give you a chance to win one. Just share a small way you “get away from it all” and you’ll be entered to win one of the 3 I’ll be giving away today.

Click to order!

Click to order!

If you’re looking for something to read this weekend, let me remind you that I have a couple of real deals running for your Kindle. TOUCH OF A THIEF was chosen by Amazon for their Top 100 program so it’s offered for only $3.99 this month.

And you can still claim my Victorian “James Bond” in HOW TO DISTRACT A DUCHESS for a budget-pleasing $2.99.

So to recap…share how you make a mini-escape whether it’s summer or not, and you’ll be entered in the random drawing for my TOUCH OF A SCOUNDREL. The winners will be announced here on Sunday, May 20th.

Good luck!

Oh! If you’ve never posted a comment here before, I may need to moderate it for the first time. Rest assured I’ll be checking back to make sure your entry is posted.

When casting men for the new season of The Bachelorette, the guy who described himself as 70% man and 30% boy didn’t make the cut. Okay, there may be have been other reasons, but it raises the question, “Do you want a man who is ‘all man,’ or one who has a bit of boy in him?”

Personally, I’d take Richard Castle. Here’s a quote from the last episode I watched:

His mom, Martha, talking about his daughter Alexis: “She’s growing up.”
Castle: “She doesn’t have to. Look at me!”

And I don’t want him to grow up! His boyish enthusiasm, curiosity, and enjoyment of play and adventure are part of his charm. Of course he wouldn’t be anywhere near as charming if he wasn’t also a responsible father and son, a brilliant writer, a skilled amateur detective. He’s definitely a grown up, but I like the fact that there’s still some kid in him.

(Personally, I think Kate Beckett could do with a little more kid in her, but that’s a whole other story.)

This made me reflect on the heroes I’ve been writing in my Wild Ride to Love series, so I did a quick analysis of the boy/man situation.

First, there’s Australian Damien Black in Sex Drive. He leaves a journalism job because it’s too rule-bound and boring, and launches into a career as a thriller writer—with a hero who not only solves serious crimes but does so with the aid of creator spirits from the Dreamtime. In fact, his job is a lot like Castle’s: hard work, but fun too. Come to think of it, heroine Theresa Fallon, a workaholic prof who can’t help but be drawn to him, is a lot like Beckett! (And I wrote that book before Castle first appeared on TV…)

Then there’s Nav Bharani in Love, Unexpectedly. Nav’s the boy next door, the nice guy who’s stuck in the buddy trap. To make the woman he loves open her eyes and see him for the man he really is, he has to figure out who that man is. He’s still a nice guy, but more mature, more confident, and more adventuresome. How many men would play “stranger on a train” to win love—and how can Theresa Fallon resist?

The third hero, marine biologist Mark Chambers in His, Unexpectedly, is most definitely a grown-up. The child of a hippie mom, he takes life seriously. Too seriously! What a challenge for free spirit Jenna Fallon! She’s the perfect person to teach him that “fun” isn’t a dirty word—with methods ranging from a dinosaur park to skinny dipping—and he’s just the man to show her that commitment can be a blessing, not a curse.

Finally, there’s Matt Towsend in Yours, Unexpectedly. For 14 years, since he was seven, he’s loved one girl, Merilee Fallon. But when she gets cold feet and calls off the wedding, she makes a valid point: they’ve grown up bonded at the hip. They don’t even know who they are as individuals, so how can they know how they truly feel about each other? When they both unexpectedly wind up on their honeymoon cruise, it’s an opportunity for each of them to figure out who they are as young adults. I bet you’re not surprised to hear that Matt turns out to be a mature, responsible young man—who loves zip lining, dressing up as a pirate, and adventuresome sex! And I bet you can imagine how Merilee responds, and how this story ends!

Yes, all my heroes are mostly man, but partly boy. Maybe not 70/30. Maybe more like 75/25…

What do you think? What’s the perfect mix for you? Are there any characters in books, TV, or movies who you think are ideal men?

Last May Touch of a Thief came out. Right now it’s on sale as part of the Kindle Top 100 program for a budget-pleasing $3.99. It’s the first book in the Touch of Seduction series. In each of the books, at least one of the characters has the “gift of touch”–the psychic ability to glean information from objects. For example, when my heroine Viola touches gemstones, she hears their voices and receives visions of the people whose lives have been recorded by the gems.

Here’s a little snippet from Touch of a Thief . My heroine Viola has been caught red-handed breaking into Greydon Quinn’s bedchamber where his safe is located. Since he needs the services of a thief, he wants to be sure her skills are as advertised.

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Click to order!

After spreading the kerchief on the bed, he dumped the contents of the stocking onto it. A glowing rainbow of stones glittered up at Viola.

“You keep your jewels in an old stocking?”

He shrugged. “It seemed more secure than the wall safe with the likes of you prowling about London.”

She frowned down at the gemstones. It was an impressive pile of riches, but the resonance was off. “Some of these aren’t genuine.”

He cocked a brow at her and nodded. “Show me.”

She drew a deep breath and stretched out her hand. She’d do the pearls first. Their sibilant, watery voices were always easiest to bear. She picked up a gray pearl, a smoky iridescent orb. The low hum began inside her head.

Like a waving bed of kelp, the pearl spoke to her in wobbling, gentle tones. The words were garbled, and in no language she knew, but a quick vision of a wizened old gent with a purple turban and scarlet-dyed beard flashed across her mind. She dropped the pearl before the precious thing could show her any more.

It was unusual for her to receive a vision from a pearl. Perhaps it was because they were never as old as other gems. Perhaps the fragile substance resisted picking up imprints from its owners. Or perhaps pearls realized they too were mortal and didn’t want to carry someone else’s burden for the course of their stay on earth.

Whatever secret this gray pearl bore, Viola didn’t want to know it.

“That pearl is real,” she said. “And very old. You’ll not find its mate. It will have to be used as a pendant.”

“How do you know that?”

“I just know.” How could she explain something she didn’t understand herself? She only knew she was different.

And people mistrust those who are different.

She turned back to the rest of the jewels. One by one, she sorted out sweet-voiced carnelians and sultry-toned lapis lazuli, shoving their silent imitations to one side. Then she moved on to the harder gems.

The ones with more strident voices. The ones most likely to invade her mind with nightmarish images of their past. She gleaned out the rasping emeralds, the muttering sapphires and wailing rubies, sorting the paste gems off in a small pile by themselves. Some of the fakes were quite good and probably would have fooled most jewelers, but if a stone didn’t speak to her, she knew it wasn’t real.

Finally, she was left with only five diamonds. She drew a deep breath to steel herself against them. Of all jewels, diamonds screamed out the atrocities in their pasts most painfully. Perhaps being uncut would help. They couldn’t have had contact with too many people.

“Why are you stopping?” Quinn asked. “Can’t you tell with diamonds?”

She picked up the largest and breathed a sigh of relief. “Fake.”

“You’re sure?”

She dropped it on the floor and ground it under her boot heel. The stone splintered into shards.

Viola reached for the next stone. The moment her fingertips brushed it, the diamond screeched at her, a high-pitched squeal on the edge of sound. She bit her lip and pulled back her hand before it could send her an image.

“Real.”

Quinn moved the gem to the ‘keepers’ pile and it whined softly when he touched it.

How does he not hear that? It was unusual for a stone to speak without her touch merely because she was near. The gem must have a particularly vicious story to tell. This one she would avoid at all costs.

The rest of the diamonds were genuine. Viola managed to handle them quickly enough that only one was able to send her a red-splashed image of the moment the dark-skinned man who first dug it out of the ground was hacked to death for it. She swallowed hard and tried to expunge the horrific scene from her mind.

“So the rumors are true. You cannot be fooled by a fake, no matter how cunningly realistic.” Quinn scooped up the genuine stones and replaced them in his stocking.

She stood. Barring that last diamond, she’d escaped rather easily. She doubted any of the visions lasted long enough to leave her with the grinding headache that usually accompanied the use of the gift. “I’m glad to have been of service. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”

“Not so fast. I haven’t explained the purpose of our partnership.”

“But I’ve already culled your stones.”

“That was only a test. I had to be sure you were the real Mayfair Jewel Thief. Sit,” he said curtly.

His tone was so commanding, she obeyed reflexively. Then she stood back up. She wasn’t one of his sepoys to be ordered about.

“Very well, I’ll sit.” He claimed the end of the bed again and grinned up at her.

Irritation fizzed up her spine, but she was the one who’d chosen to stand.

“Here are my terms and they are non-negotiable,” Quinn said. “You will render me a burglary service, and at the end of our association, you will receive half the gems you just saw.”

“My choice from among them?” Something inside her quivered with hope. It would mean her family’s money troubles were over. She’d never have to steal again.

Quinn nodded.

“Very well. I accept your terms. What do you want from me?”

“What do you know about red diamonds?” he asked.

“Red diamonds? They’re extremely rare.” In all her thievery, she’d never run across one. “And because of that, they’re worth the earth. But they aren’t for everyone. It’s said they often carry curses.”

“Are you the superstitious sort?”

“No.” It wasn’t superstition to believe something true. She’d be able to hear the curse first hand. “But as far as I know there are no red diamonds in all England. And even if there was, I wouldn’t steal it.”

“Why?”

“Because it would be impossible to fence. And an absolute sin to re-cut into smaller stones. Red diamonds are never overly large to begin with, no more than five or six carats. What would I do with one?”

“Let me worry about that part.” Quinn rose to his feet. “I need to see you home, Lady Viola. You have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow.”

She was gratified to hear him use her title, but the rest of his words made her slant him a suspicious look. “What am I going to be doing?”

“You’ll be leaving for Paris with me,” he said. “There is a diamond called Baaghh kaa kkhuun en route to the Queen’s royal collection. And I mean to meet the courier in France.”

“Baaghh kaa kkhuun?”

“It means ‘Blood of the Tiger,’” Quinn said. “And you, my Lady Light-fingers, are going to help me steal it.”

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 Buy link: Amazon now only $3.99!

Mia loves to connect with readers. Find her at MiaMarlowe.com, Facebook and Twitter!

Hi all!  Somehow the internet ate my blog post about paranormal heroes, so I’ll find that and post next time.  For now, let me tell you about Book 3 in the Dark Protector Series.  Hunted officially released this Tuesday on May 1st and is available in both print and e-book formats.  Hunted is about a vampire soldier (Connlan Kayrs) and a tough witch (Moira Dunne) who accidentally mated about a century ago.   Here’s a new excerpt involving Conn, Moira, and Moira’s cousin, Kell.:

Stretched out on his back, Conn took a deep breath, dropping his head to the floor.  His entire body ached as if put through a cement mixer.  “Moira.”  He needed to make sure she hadn’t bruised her head.  She trembled against him, her breath coming in shallow gasps.  Anger simmered beneath his skin.  His mate was terrified.

Then she lifted her head.  He’d misjudged her.  Pure, raw fury lit her expression.  Shoving against his chest, she leapt to her feet.  “Son of a bitch.”  Shaking hands pushed back rioting curls as she rounded on her cousin.  “Some sort of pull, out of nowhere.  Out of the air.”  She stalked over to the bar and back, her gaze on the glass littering the floor, thoughts scattering across her face as she turned toward her cousin.  “Finally, an explanation.  This is how, Kell.”

Conn stretched to his feet.  “How what, Moira?”  Fury began to bubble anew through his veins.  He was a soldier and more than adapt at squashing his emotions.  But the heat ripping along his muscles hinted he might not be able to contain his temper today.

She whirled around.  “Oh, ah…nothing.”

He saw red.  Two strides had her biceps in his hands as he lifted her; two more had her ass slapping the bar.  Surprise lit her face and she stilled.  He leaned in, allowing every ounce of pissed off power to show on his face.  “How what?”

The surprise waned and she flared to life.  Temper flashed bright green in those eyes, sparks danced on her skin.  “Manhandle me again, Kayrs, and you’ll end up on all fours baying at the moon.”  She tried to find leverage with her legs, but his hips kept them immobile on either side of his.

Oh, he’d made a mistake.  No way in hell should he have allowed her a century.  “Let’s go pack your bags, Moira.  We’re heading home.”  The sooner he got her safely ensconced at headquarters, the sooner he could hunt for whoever was trying to take her.

She took a deep breath, making an obvious effort to keep from screaming.  Color washed her porcelain skin a blazing pink.  Perfect teeth clenched as she pushed sound out.  “I am home.”

“No.  Home just became an underground fortress guarded at every turn.”

Kell cleared his throat.  “Ah, as much as I’d like leave you to vampire foreplay, we need to get going.”

I hope you enjoyed the excerpt!

TO PURCHASE HUNTED

I’m so excited! My second Regency romance in my Invitation to series is officially released on 1 May. INVITATION TO SCANDAL is already available in most book stores, and web-stores have it for sale now!

To celebrate the release of INVITATION TO SCANDAL I’ve started a fabulous Invitation to Romance blog tour.

This is my first ever blog tour and I’m really excited! Starting on April 27th I’ve offered a blog tour across various blogs and my website, and I’m giving away wonderful prizes of books galore at each stop! In addition, I have amazing historical authors visiting my blog over the next two months, sharing their new releases and offering great prizes,  starting withSHANA GALEN on April 27th.

Beginning April 27th, I’ll be traveling throughout the blogosphere telling people about my newest book, INVITATION TO SCANDAL. At most places I”ll be giving away a copy of INVITATION TO SCANDAL to a random commenter (open to US and international residents).  If you win and read the book, I’d love to hear what you think OR even better leave a review somewhere!

The Book Tour Grand Prize – A $200 Amazon, or B&N, Voucher PLUS… A Book Basket of 30 ‘SIGNED by the AUTHORS’ books…

Apart from the chances visitors have of winning a copy of INVITATION TO SCANDAL, I’ll give away a $200 Amazon or B&N Voucher to spend how you wish, AND at least 30 ‘SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR’ books to one lucky winner at the end of the book tour! All you have to do is collect THIRTY  answers to the clues I  give at each book tour stop or guest blogger spot on her website, and by midnight EST on June 30th, enter your answers in the Contest Entry box on her website or email her at romance at bronwenevans dot com.

One random winner with all the right answers will win a $200 Amazon or B&N Voucher, and at least 30 SIGNED by the author romance novels! Is this easy to do? Yes. Is April to the end of June a long time? Yes, but such a contest is not for the faint of heart. Is it worth it for a chance to win a $200 Amazon or B&N Voucher, and at least 30 romance novels? If you’re a rabid romance fan like Bron it is, definitely!

Please note: that there are 30 clues that must be collected to be eligible for entry into this contest.  Collect all the clues and spell out a paragraph relating to Bronwen’s 1 May 2012 Regency release – INVITATION TO SCANDAL.

Dates: There will be a one WORD hidden in each blog post [WHO] in brackets (the word ‘WHO’ is the first clue). There are 30 words altogether. These words will spell a paragraph related to Bron’s 1 May release INVITATION TO SCANDAL.

For a list of TOUR Dates and PLACES visit Bronwen’s website.

Her secrets are coming undone…

Plagued by scandalous rumors, Rheda Kerrich will stop at nothing to restore her reputation and make an honest living for herself-and she’s determined to do it without a husband. But times are hard, and smuggling is a risky though profitable trade. So when a dashing agent for the English government catches her in the act, she desperately resists his charms and conceals her illicit profession. Until she realizes he may be the key to her ultimate freedom-and unbridled passion.[CLUE TWO:IS]

Rufus Knight, Viscount Strathmore, has never had trouble beguiling the ladies of Kent. When his search for “Dark Shadow,” a cunningly elusive smuggler, leads him to alluring and headstrong Rhe, her objections to his amorous advances merely incite a tantalizing game of cat and mouse. Soon, they’ll find the very secrets driving them apart could ensnare them in a love they can’t escape…

Read Excerpt

…His forceful gaze swept over her trying to ascertain their identities. A shiver of fear sliced her insides. Damn the moon. She prayed it was dark enough, and her disguise good enough, that he would not know who she was. Perhaps he would think her one of Lord Hale’s stable boys.

She ground her teeth in resignation. What was the worst that could happen? He was too late; the deed had been done, with one horse anyway.

Eyes sharp as flint slashed in her direction, and she took a step back.

Ignoring her, Lord Strathmore bent to study his horse. “Have you been having an enjoyable evening, Caesar? I hope you have not let the Strathmore name down, and you have performed appropriately.”

In a voice she hoped mirrored a young boy’s she said, “Actually we were debating if he had enough stamina to service the second filly.” Since Lord Strathmore appeared to be buying her story, she might as well push her luck.

“I think you will find Strathmore males are perfectly capable of pleasuring more than one female in one night.”

A chuckle escaped from his companion while Jamieson gave a discreet cough.
Rheda, thankful for what little darkness the moon provided simply blushed, his insinuation not lost on her.

Lord Strathmore approached until he towered over her, menace pouring from every pore. Rheda thought the effect was somewhat spoilt because he looked thoroughly enticing in his formal dinner wear. “We shall have to discuss how you are going to repay me for Caesar’s services – Miss Kerrich, Miss Rheda Kerrich – Rhe.”

One lucky commenter will win a copy of INVITATION TO SCANDAL in book or ebook (open internationally) – tell me the name of the smuggler Rufus Knight, Viscount Strathmore is hunting in Invitation to Scandal. (clue is on my website.)

The last few months, we’ve been talking about television shows with paranormal elements.  We covered our current favorites, as well as those oldies-but-goodies.  So what else is there?

How about ones we’ve never seen…or at least haven’t tried quite yet?  Are there any paranormal shows out there that you’ve always thought looked interesting, but you just haven’t taken the time to watch?

For me, there are a lot.  I mean, I only recently discovered Supernatural & just this week started watching Veronica Mars.  I know!  It’s like I’ve been living in a cave or something.

But despite the hype, I have never tuned in to True Blood or Charmed or The Vampire Diaries.

I’m moderately intrigued by previews for The Secret Circle & Lost Girl.

And the ones I’d really like to check out now that they’re no longer on are The Fades, The Gates, & Torchwood (the original series; I have caught up with the Children of Earth & Miracle Day spin-offs & enjoyed them).

So what paranormal TV shows have you always thought about watching, but never quite gotten around to?  Or have you maybe finally caught up with one you’ve been wanting to try?

And feel free to tell me what I’m missing by not watching some of the shows I mentioned.  I’m always up for a good guilt trip.

Only another romance reader can fully appreciate this note I received from a Facebook friend recently:

“Read three of your books in three days. I am happy, my husband is NOT. Finished at 2 am this morning. House is a mess, tons of ironing, cleaning, shopping needs to be done but I’m not complaining! Lovely!!”

Now my goal is certainly not to cause marital strife, but this made me smile so much my cheeks hurt. How many times have I heard that sleepy masculine demand when I’m deep into a book, “When are you going to turn the light off?” (Incidentally, the fact that the Kindle app on my phone is backlit and I can read in the dark is a HUGE help to marital harmony!)

But the fact remains that sometimes you just can’t put the book down. I love it when a story grabs hold of me and won’t let go. Other authors have kept me up tons of times. It feels delicious to be the one causing insomnia!

The last book that made me read till my eyes felt like sandpaper was Deanna Raybourn’s THE DARK ENQUIRY. What’s kept you up past your bedtime?

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Mia’s latest release, TOUCH OF A ROGUE, was named one of Publishers Weekly’s  Top Ten Romances  for Spring 2012.

Click for an excerpt!

“Balancing sleuthing and romance with a touch of the mystical, Marlowe’s smart and amusing return to the Preston family (introduced in Touch of a Thief) features charming investigator Jacob Preston, who broadcasts his fondness for married women but keeps his clairvoyance a secret. Young countess Julianne Tyndale asks Jacob to prove her late husband’s death was not a suicide and help her find the sixth ancient Druid dagger in the set he was collecting. As the investigation proceeds, Jacob and Julianne play a delightful cat-and-mouse game of attraction, alternating between taking the lead and dodging commitment. Julianne, a budding feminist trained on the writings of Mary Wollstonecraft, pushes Jacob’s boundaries (and high society’s) with her demands to be fully involved in the search, and is full of sparklingly righteous outrage when she encounters obnoxious men. Fans of historical paranormals will delight in this fetching 19th-century romp. Starred Review!“

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What’s up with all the buzz around the book, Fifty Shades of Grey? Every time I turn around, I see another article on how popular this erotic novel is—and the articles make it sound as if this book is a brand new kind of fiction that’s catching female readers by storm.

First, I’ll confess I haven’t read it. The theme of male dominance and female submission is not one that personally appeals to me. I’m not putting it down, just saying that there are fifty shades of sex and that particular one doesn’t turn my crank.

But it’s obviously turning the cranks of thousands and thousands of women. That in itself doesn’t surprise me, but what surprises me is that so few of these women seem to be aware that erotica and erotic romance, including books with the dominance-submission theme (and forty-nine other shades of sex), have been written in the hundreds (more likely thousands) over the last 6-10 years.

E-publishers like Ellora’s Cave, Samhain, and LooseId were leaders in bringing these books to the public, but other publishers and lines—like Kensington’s Brava—were also testing the waters with spicier books. Then Kensington launched Aphrodisia in 2006 (I know the date well, because my Champagne Rules came out in the second launch month) and other mainstream traditional publishers like Penguin, St. Martin’s, and Harlequin came on board as well with erotic romances and erotica.

And not only have there been specific imprints and lines branded as “erotic,” but the general trend in contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance (leaving aside the “sweet” and “inspirational” lines) has been toward the steamy side.

Yes, women like reading sexy books. Most of us in the industry are very aware of that. I can’t even imagine how many sexy books, how many erotic romances, and how many erotic novels with dominance-submission themes have been published in the last half dozen years.

So, what’s up with Fifty Shades of Grey? Why is that book the one that’s suddenly grabbed the mainstream public’s attention, and that of the media? Why is that the book that women on the subway, clicking away on their e-readers, are most likely to be reading?

Did the author come up with a brand new idea? Obviously not. Is her writing head and shoulders above that of the other authors who write erotica? I haven’t heard anyone say so. So what magic has she discovered? And how do the rest of us get ourselves some of that? LOL.