Kate Pearce

I’m including these new releases on my blog because I’m sure you all get fed up reading about my one and only. These books are not only great reads but written by really nice ladies too!

Snaring The Huntress
by Sylvia Day
ISBN: 1-59279-454-8 (Electronic)
Amber Quill Press

Short Futuristic Erotica
Rating: Graphic Sexual Content/Language

Star is an Interstellar Council judge. Her position requires her to pass sentence, hunt down the offenders, and administer punishments. She’s considered one of the best, and if she plays her cards right, she just might become the first of the Hunter species to ascend to the Supreme Court—her life’s goal. When she’s ordered to hunt down a rogue Jacian ambassador in heat, the precedent is death. Sympathetic, but following the law she holds so dear, she pursues him with the intent to kill.

Roark has entered his mating cycle. By Council law, he should be locked in a room with his pre-assigned partner for a week of non-stop sex that will get him through his heat. But he doesn’t want his pre-assigned. He wants Star, the luscious blonde judge whose compassion and intelligence has won his regard. The penalty for going rogue while in heat is death, but that’s a small price to pay for a week of sensual pleasure with the woman he desires more than anything.

Now the huntress is the prey, and when she’s snared by a man in heat, it’s passion that rules, not the law. Or does it? Roark still has his sentence, and his lover Star is judge, jury…and executioner.

A Road to Romance Featured November Release!

http://amberquill.com/SnaringHuntress.html

I’m back from ‘Blighty’. It was great to see my family and spend some time with them. The worst thing was the weather. It was freezing!! I’d forgotten just how chilly it gets there in November. I realized I’m becoming a Californian if only in Weather choices.

My sister and her husband has their 25th wedding anniversary party at the local cricket club. I was so cold that I couldn’t bring myself to take off my coat until I’d been there about an hour, had a drink and strutted my stuff on the dance floor. I’m definitely getting old. Most of the tunes were way too fast for me!

My mother tried to get a good photo of all six of her daughters-yet again-we try this every year and someone is always unhappy with the result. The one I have up in my kitchen at the moment is particularly bad but it will have to do until something better comes around. My sister’s two grown up kids hosted the party for them and had many wonderful and positive things to say about their parents. I can’t imagine my kids ever doing that at the moment.

I also got my Duo boots-brown leather, Isola style (just in case you checked out their website). They actually fit me. it’s a miracle. I love them already.

I held my first contest on the website this month to celebrate the release of the book. Someone actually emailed me because she thought my question was way too easy. Well, I know that, but you’d be surprised to learn that some people actually got it wrong…A lot of kind acqaintances entered and even more people I’d never heard of-even better. This gives me a vague hope that someone out in cyberland might actually have read my book.

On the writing front, I’m still busy doing my ‘voice’ class and learning a lot. I’ve spent the whole weekend so far going through a requested full and trying to plug any plot holes before I consign it to cyber space and an editor’s decision on Monday. Still waiting to hear on another, so busy busy busy here. I haven’t written a single (new) word for two weeks. I feel more like a box shifter trying to find the door rather than a creative person.

Mr Kate, having survived five days with the kids, has now decided that I can’t leave the house for more than two hours without permission. I do feel for the man as my 3 year old forced him to watch Cinderella eight times in three days. He’s off to Hong Kong for a week so payback time has arrived already.

So glad to be back at my little desk -in the sun!!

So, here I am, a bona-fide published author-(albeit an ebook author which apparently for a lot of the population doesn’t count)-am I different? Has fame affected me?
Not really. I still had to clean the house, do washing, remember a million appointments for the kids and feed everyone. I have to admit, I spent most of Wednesday feeling a bit sick. the thought that complete strangers might be reading my book freaked me out. What if they hated it and demanded their money back from Ellora’s Cave? What is no one bought it at all except the lovely people I know?
The weird thing is I can’t do anything about that. It’s totally out of my control. All I can do is put my head down and keep writing the next one.
It also feels strange to have achieved a dream. The older you get the harder it becomes to believe in yourself. I am proud to have done this.
Of course, now I want more-I want to be the next Nora Roberts….

I’ll be off to England on Thanksgiving (I wonder if they’ll give me turkey on the plane?) to visit my family. I hope everyone has a great holiday!

Holiday Fun below!

Lupin – Defense Against the Dark Arts

Harry Potter: Which Hogwarts professor would you be?
brought to you by Quizilla

So much for slowing down and taking things easy…

Ellora’s Cave have decided to publish “Eden’s Pleasure” next week (November 16th) as opposed to next March. So much for a leisurely meander into promo’s and reviews and publicity.

Now I’m running around like a headless chicken trying to organize stuff.

My lovely pal Wendy whose book,”Lessons and Lovers” was due out the same day as mine in March, is in the same position. We’re both thinking about emigrating or going to work stacking shelfs rather than being writers. Luckily we’ve been able to bounce ideas off each other too.

So, I’ve got ad space booked at ‘The Romance Studio’ and ‘The Road to Romance’ for late November and December. I’ve posted an excerpt over at Ellora’s Cave chat-a great and busy list and I’m blogging up a storm. One nice thing I’ve realized is that I have made a lot of contacts over the past three years and that romance writers are some of the nicest people in the universe. (Big shout out to Sylvia, Mandy, Julia and Daisy here for info and encouragement)

Now all I have to do is hope that I sell a few copies…and that people like it and that I get even one nice review I can put on my website-even if it’s only one word! It’s terrifying, but kind of exciting as well.

I haven’t written much, although I did finish the latest erotic romance-badly-but at least it’s done. I’m still trying to take some time off despite the pressure!

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Debut historical by bestselling author Lucy Monroe

Touch Me by Lucy Monroe
1st in Sensual Regency Historical Trilogy
ISBN 0-4252-0531-2
Berkley Sensation

In her newest love story, bestselling author Lucy Monroe invites you into a world of dazzling beauty, daring adventure, and sensual delight…

Outspoken, opinionated Thea Selwyn is no ordinary lady. Raised in the exotic West Indies, she has none of the starchy propriety Pierson Drake is accustomed to—rather, there is a lush sensuality about this impulsive beauty that tempts him unmercifully. Her delectable curves and wide, innocent eyes are enticing enough, but her breathless response to his touch is a lure he can’t resist.

On a voyage that takes them from tropical paradise to the glittering ballrooms of London, Thea and Drake are pulled into a firestorm of illicit passion. Thea knows that once they reach England, the secrets she’s been keeping will kill whatever Drake feels for her. But Drake’s own history has taught him the value of acceptance and the desolation of loss. Thea is the one women Drake has ever trusted with his heart, and he has no intention of losing her— not to the ghosts of the past or the threats of the present. But can he convince Thea to forget the hard lesson she’s learned and take a chance on love?

Reviews:

Lucy Monroe has once again captured the essence of love and put that into a book that will keep you glued to your seat. Touch Me is the perfect title for this tender romance. 5 Stars ~ A Romance Review

TOUCH ME is the quintessential historical romance with exceptionally drawn characters and a unique, absorbing plot. ~ Carolyn Crisher, Romance Reviews Today

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I’m getting so flashy with the links now, that I’ve also added one for the RWAOnline cybersignings which you can click on and it will take you to a place where you can buy a signed copy of some of my chapter-mates latest books. The book will be signed personally to you, or whomsoever you want, (if you are still in denial about your romance reading habit and pretend they are for your Auntie Flo).

I couldn’t think of a nice meaty subject for my blog over the weekend. And today, I realized why. I’m a bit like the last bit of butter in the dish-being spread too thin. That’s probably why I can’t focus on one single blog worthy subject-so instead I’ll give you a few random thoughts to chew on.

Food is on my mind as it’s Halloween tonight. I’ve eaten too much candy and I feel a bit hyper but not in a good way. My daughter who is three is finally getting the hang of the whole “Trick or Treat” spiel-she sounded quite professional-her little friend who is only two kept shouting “Chuckie Cheese!” instead which confused a few people.

I’ve been reading Daisy’s blog and enjoying her take on the whole diet thing. I gave my little rant about jeans over there and I’ll repeat it here. Everyone knows that boot cut jeans are the best shape for almost every woman who is shaped like a woman-they balance out the curves. But a lot of us have had kids and displaying our belly buttons is not a good idea unless we want to scare people. (Well I mean me here but I’m sure there are others!) I want a decent pair of jeans that sits just below my waist and is boot cut-please!

I made the mistake of dripping a bit of tea on my keyboard today-when I removed said tea, I realized that the rest of the keyboard was yucky-one clean bit does that sometimes doesn’t it? Then in yet another effort to avoid writing anything, I got a big paper clip and started fishing ‘stuff’ out of the cracks-eeew. tomorrow I’m going to have to clean it properly.

For some reason, writing at the moment is like pulling teeth. I’ve almost finished the first draft of my latest erotic romance, thanks mainly to my KIA month which really helped me force out the pages. But the month has ended and I’ve run out of steam. I gave myself the weekend off and hopefully, this week I’ll finish the thing. I’m actually quite pleased with it overall, although I seem unable to write a simple straightforward story-they always become dark and complex. I can’t just leave things-I have to go back and layer and layer to get it right. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to!

My three friends, Gina B, Maria G and Debra P are gearing up for the American Title II contest. It’s going to be fun cheering them on!

My British friend, Wendy aka as Portia Da Costa, has her Ellora’s Cave book “Lessons and Lovers” coming out on the same day as mine-what a coincidence! We both get a nice color add in Romantic Times which will hopefully make our books sell gazillions of copies.

I added a new print to my Regency Gallery. I bought it through ebay because she reminded me of Eden the heroine of my novella. Such a beautiful face with such a naughty twinkle in her eye!

Still waiting on many ms. Still writing although it’s not feeling great at the moment. Any body else feel like that these days?

Oh and Mr Kate, the big sweetie said OK to the Duo boots for Xmas-you have to love him really!

Here in sunny Northern California, the air is starting to get a little nip to it. It’s time to abandon the bare feet, get the socks out and face the annual humiliating ritual of trying to find a pair of boots to fit me. I’m a fairly average American size ten. I have long arms and tiny skinny wrists, like my father’s side of the family. From my mother I inherited the dreaded ‘cankles’

As Mr. Kate occasionally points out to me in a helpful way,(as if I hadn’t noticed),I have no ankle. I just have a sturdy lower leg and a foot. Imagine, if you must, an upturned 2 litre bottle of soda-that’s what the bottom half of my leg looks like. So every year I dream about finding a pair of boots that will stretch over my cankles and leave me looking cool, sophisticated and dashing in an Emma Peel, Avengers kind of way.

I don’t go into shops anymore and actually try on boots-oh no-I gave that up a few years ago when being red-faced and lying on the floor trying to pull the blasted things up lost its appeal. Mr Kate got a bit tired of the tears and depression on the journey home afterwards which was understandable.

I tried mail order-extra wide, guaranteed to fit cankles. Not mine. I currently have yet another pair sitting in my closet waiting to be sent back. I can’t even count how many times I’ve had to do that.

But I have found something that fits. The rumor that I took up Western horseriding just so I had a legitimate excuse to wear cowboy boots is not true-but hey-it’s a bonus. I love my wide roomy cowboy boots. Now my English riding zip up ankle boots worn with black breeches make me look like Max Wall-not a pretty sight.

Every year all my sisters call my mother and complain about our cankles , even the skinny ones. She just sighs and mutters about genetics and that we all got good skin from her or something equally unhelpful.

Hope dawns on the horizon-my sister sent me a catalogue for a company called DUO in the UK who offer Italian boots-get this-you measure the widest part of your cankle/calf and send it to them and they send you the boots to fit! I bet the genuis who thought that up has cankles or very thin legs which I understand can also cause a problem for the bootally challenged. The only problem is the exchange rate, the cost of postage and other mundane facts of real life.

I’m hoping I can persuade Mr Kate that buying me a pair of said boots would save him money in the long run, considering all that return postage, as well as stopping the yearly tears, and making me look absolutely fabulous!

Still writing and editing like mad-honest!

OK_since a few people have asked me-here’s the URL for the boots! www.duoboots.com

I promised to answer my own question from the previous blog about Georgette Heyer and her wonderful books. There is a link to a great site all about her on my website-(on the links page suprisingly enough). She wrote her first book at the age of nineteen and just kept going. I love her stories, her heroes are to die for, her heroine’s are witty, beautiful and enterprising and her feel for the Regency time period is unmatched.

Am I gushing? Not really. If there hadn’t have been a Georgette Heyer there wouldn’t be a recognizable romance sub-genre called “Regency”. She was the first person to write it and her books are still in print thirty years after her death and more than half a century since she wrote the first one.

My favorites have varied depending on how old I was when I read them. I prefer her slightly later books with older heroines and less typical situations. I spent all week trying to work out my favorite three books and I still keep changing my mind-but here goes:

1. “Venetia”-Damarel is my favorite hero. He’s cynical, tainted by scandal but immensely careful in his dealings with the heroine. Veentia’s sense of humor and pure goodness make her lovable too.
2. “These Old Shades”-again an older hero who’s seen it all. a young heroine who sees through his coldness and loves him anyway.
3. “Friday’s Child”-because the hero has to grow up when he makes an impetuous marriage.

Coming in a close fourth; “The Nonesuch” An Infamous Army” “Frederica” and “The Grand Sophy”

Favorite heroes? Damarel, The Duke of Avon and Alverstoke.
Favorite heroines? Venetia, Barbara Childe and Hero Wantage

Now I’m going to be plagued by all those I’ve missed out, but if you’ve read any of her books or intend to, this might be a good place to start!

Now on to writerly stuff. I’ve written my prologue for the new new version of BRANDED-I hope it’s ok, although it ended up long enough to become a new chapter. I’ll send it off this week-so fingers crossed.
I got my release date for Eden’s Pleasure (March 9th 2006) and an ISBN number-ok I’m a dork enough to be excited by having an ISBN number…
My CP’s seem to be enjoying my much revised medieval novel which takes some of the more traditional medieval cliche’s and turns them around. It was fun to write something so raunchy and straight forward after the Regencies. I’ve edited 20,000 words out of it already so it’s cleaner and meaner.
I’m in the final stages of another erotic romance and I’m pleased with it so far.

One of my friends came back from a trip to the UK and brought me a huge bag of Galaxy chocolate (thanks Lorraine) I’m in chocolate heaven …
I’m off to the UK on NOv 24th to celebrate one of my sister’s 25th wedding anniversary. It will be fun to go BY MYSELF (I have 4 kids) and great to see everyone gathered in one place which makes my trip so much easier.

I’m thinking about new books to write at the moment. I can’t decide between the futuristic one, the third in a Regency trilogy or something completly different! Does anyone else have this problem or is it just me?

I can’t believe it’s a week since I last sat down to write my blog. The older I get, the quicker time seems to fly by. I’m so busy getting through the days that when I look up, it’s the weekend again and I’ve achieved…nothing.

When I’m writing, I usually get to the last quarter of the book and finally ‘know’-what’s going to happen, how it’s going to happen and exactly how the story will end. Plotters will scream at the very thought, but as a true Panster, that’s how I do it folks! Anyway, at this exhilarating point, I want ‘real’ life to stop so I can go and write the story 24/7 until I’m done. Unfortunately, with 4 kids I just can’t. It makes me grumpy and frustrated, but I have to remind myself that ‘real’ life is actually the important part and that I should participate in it-albeit reluctantly.

I’ve always had a deep inner life. I can happily day dream my way through anything. I used to think that everyone had characters inside their heads shouting out their stories-apparently they don’t. Only other writers understand that the paper people become real once you let them out onto the paper.

I have a gazillion stories waiting to be written. I only have 24 hours in a day. Sometimes I worry that I’ll never get them all written. Sometimes I worry that I’m missing out on ‘real’ life pursuing a dream. What to do?

In the real world-after deciding that caution and ‘thinking things through’ was the way to approach the whole financial mess of getting another house thing, Mr Kate and I saw a fantastic property today which managed to encompass all our dreams-(apart from the price which was more in the realm of nightmares). Now we’re busy justifying why we might just have to have this place…

Last thought-any Georgette Heyer fans out there? Favorite book? Favorite hero/heroine? I’ll give you mine next blog

As you might have guessed, I’m not really a Californian. I was born and bred in Britain where cookies are biscuits, biscuits are scones and panties are knickers. I try very hard to live up to the homemaker homebaker image most of my American friends carry off with ease but I reckon I don’t have the cookie gene.

Everytime I make cookies, brownies or pie something goes wrong. My kids used to dread my brownies. They either come out like bricks or goo. I’m not even talking complicated stuff here, I’m talking out of a box brownies. I’ve even stood over my friends taking notes and still managed to destroy something.

Today I made pumpkin pies-pre-baked pie cases, of course and pumpkin out of a can. To my surprise, they came out OK, apart from the burned to a cinder edge. After seven years here, perhaps I’m finally getting it.

The other American tradition I’ve fallen in love with is bull-riding on OLN. Not a lot of this in the UK! I can just about ride a horse so watching some crazy guy stay on the back of a bull for eight seconds makes me feel even more inadequate. Mr Kate and I even went to Las Vegas last year to watch one evening of the finals. I’ve never seen so many cowboys before in my life. It was quite a thrill for this writer, purely for research purposes of course…

Finally l really should get back to writing. I’ve completed my second set of edits, found an excerpt and written a blurb with a lot of instant help from my online crit team at rocking RWAOnline-thank you guys. Hopefully all will be acceptable to the publishing gods. I’m also starting the KIA challenge which is a contest for page count during the month of October-Go Historical Hotties!!