Sometimes you write a book and despite your best efforts, that book doesn’t get picked up by a traditional publisher. Sometimes, and especially with the first two or three books I wrote, this was a good thing. But while I was writing Educating Elizabeth I knew several things: 1. I’d come a long way with my ability to plot. 2. I’d written a couple of characters that other readers fell in love with and 3.that I was always disappointed that this book didn’t find a publisher. I really wanted to share it with readers as it was the kind of book I loved to read and increasingly haven’t been able to find,

Fast forward a few years and all the new e-readers burst on the scene and suddenly there was Amazon Kindle offering writers a free way to publish their own books. I admit I was skeptical about the quality of that collective outpouring of product, but I decided to try it out with a short story “The Ties That Bind” for 99 cents. To my surprise, that story sold quite well and the process of uploading it was very simple.

So this year when I had a few spare moments, I dug out my file for ‘Educating Elizabeth’ and started to go through it with the thought of self-publishing it. To my surprise, I still liked it. There was a lot to fix and trim though, but that was a good thing. I also got an outside editor to go through it for errors and someone to design me a cover. My aim was to produce a finished book that didn’t look as if I’d just written it and slung it up on the internet to make lots of cash. LOL. I also have severe techno fear so although I had a great self-formatting guide from Nadia Lee, I ended up asking her to format the book for me for all the different e-publishing sites of which there are four main ones (Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, AllRomance ebooks and Smashwords who distribute to Apple, Sony and Kobo) each with different requirements.

And voila! a book!
It’s not an erotic historical like the Simply’s with lots of sex and angst, so if that if what you love, this book might not be for you . It’s more of a traditional steamy Regency with a half-French duke who is not what he seems, and a feisty over-educated and very frank heroine who has no compunction in asking the awkward questions that most gently bred Regency ladies would avoid. There’s a plot to assassinate a member of the Royal family, codes to break and a steamy love story all wrapped up in a satisfying ending. I enjoyed writing it immensely and I hope you will all enjoy it too.

Here’s the blurb

When Miss Elizabeth Waterstone encounters the enigmatic Duke of Diable Delamere in the most shocking of circumstances, she is determined to exploit his rakish expertise to the fullest extent. The duke agrees to teach her everything she needs to know, but in return expects to receive her unwitting cooperation to uncover an assassination plot against the monarchy. But Elizabeth is hard to deceive, and the duke finds himself needing more than her innocent skills in his bed. Together they must use their remarkable abilities, to thwart a villain, save the Prince Regent and accidentally and inevitably fall in love.

Dukes and uppity blue stockings and spies and codes and assasination attempts, oh my!!

It’s available at the various places listed below.

And if that doesn’t tempt you, Simply Carnal will be out at the end of January!

Last week I received another surprise when a copy of Simply Sexual translated into Portuguese arrived in the mail, complete with an eye mask, a ribbon closure, a beautiful cover and a bookmark.
The new name is Escravos do Amor. I must admit, I did puzzle over it for a while because there’s already a Spanish edition and I wasn’t sure what this one was! A quick email to Kensington confirmed that it was from Portugal proper as opposed to South America. I love the fact that they took a small detail from the plot, the pearls and used it on the cover!

I love getting these books!

Here’s the details:
Enjoy! I know I will.

Overworked, over budget and just so not over him! Kate would like an engagement ring from Steve but instead he’s lumbered them with a thirteenth renovation project, and doing up Myrtle Cottage disturbs a ghost from the English Civil War who has romance troubles of her own.

And here’s a little excerpt:

A movement in the undergrowth outside caught my eye and the sight of my cat, Mr Flibble making his way through the long grass towards the orchard at the side of the house bought a smile to my face. Mr Flibble was the one good thing that had come out of my seven-year relationship with Steve. Seven years, thirteen houses and all I had to show for it was a broken heart, a half-ruined house and a one-eyed cat I’d rescued from a dumpster.

Back in his boy band days I would have found seeing Steve half-naked sexy, and we would have made love amongst the dust and debris of the kitchen. Thousands of screaming teenage Danger Line fans would have killed to take my place. Now having him roam around clad in only a towel was just one more of his annoying habits.

© Nell Dixon http://www.nelldixon.com

And here are the buy links.
Amazon UK

and amazon U.S.

I’ll give away a copy to one lucky commenter below!!!

Aren’t they awesome?

Translation: Haitoku no lesson/immorality’s lesson, or immoral lesson.
Keito piaasu

Translation: Haikotu no angeru, immorality’s angel or immoral angel.

Great tiles! can’t wait to see them.

They picked Raw Desire as one of their favorite books this month!
Considering writing the thing nearly killed me, this makes me very happy indeed

The whole review is posted a couple of posts below this if you want to take a peek.

There’s another review up here as well.

And if you want to win a copy?
comment below by next Sunday or visit here

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I know, its scary isn’t it?
I like the one when I’m smiling in the sun by the green leaves and although it is a bit bright, apparently that can be fixed, Also the image will be cropped closer in like the first one I must admit I made a terrible model, no amount of watching Tyra on ANTM and smizing seemed to work!

But, more importantly, what do you think?

RAW DESIRE
KATE PEARCE
ISBN: (10)0758241402/ (13)9780758241405
September 2011
Aphrodisia, an imprint of Kensington Publishing Corp.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
Print
$14.00-USA/ $16.95-CAN
304 Pages
Erotic Romance; Contemporary
Rating: 5 Cups

Abby Kendal loved Rob Ward with all of her heart. But when he pushed her to far too fast, she ran to his best friend Jackson.

Rob was furious, broken-hearted, and turned on when he found his fiancé in bed with his best friend. Telling her to leave had her running out of town as soon as her bags were packed.

Jackson Smith knew sleeping with Abby was not the smartest idea he has ever had. But he loved her almost as much as he loved Rob.

It has been years since Abby left, but now that her mother has passed away she is back to get her old house in order. Rob does not realize how angry he is at Abby until the surge of desire he feels for his ex is mixed with a ton of past anger. Somehow, Abby and Rob find themselves in bed together once again and it is hotter than when they were young lovers. When Jackson is thrown into the mix, making them a threesome, their sheets go from steamy to scorching. But someone in the quiet little town does not want Abby there, and will go to any length to make sure she leaves before she finds out what really happened to the young girl that died on the same night that Abby left town years ago.

Raw Desire is a fitting title for this novel as it explains to the fullest how erotically charged this book is. Kate Pearce has written a story that is filled with past angst, present danger, so much passion it practically pours from the pages, and enough complications to keep the reader watching the twists and turns of the three main characters’ lives as they struggle to figure out where they fit in their unique relationship. When you add in the oh-so-sensual scenes of Rob and Jackson, the pages go from scorching to bursting into flames and I swear I could almost feel my fingertips being singed as I read the enticing scenes. As the passion, complexities, and suspense builds you can feel the tension building until it finally snaps and leaves you reeling. Reading a Kate Pearce novel is like having an all night sex marathon followed by eating a piece of decadent chocolate.

Danielle
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

1. So here are all the little drawers that go in the front of the box all pasted on and with a top coat of glue to hold them firmly in place.

2. Next seal/glue the bottom of the box about three coats is best.

3. A completed side, glued into place and with at least 3 coats of sealing glue to smooth out the rough parts. How much glue you use to seal the box depends on the thickness of the paper you used. its almost impossible to get the whole surface exactly the same and sometimes when you use a wallpaper border like this, you get a nice 3-D effect instead.

4. This is actually the top of the box laid on its side, so that you can see the details. When picking paper, look for something that has a lot of usable images both large and small.

5. Here’s the front-the lines aren’t completely straight but that’s because its home made LOL and its a bit busy and crazy because that’s how I like it. Using those big strips of border paper on the edges covers up the nails as well.

6. Ta-da! The view from the side-sorry about the glare.

And that’s how you do it-easy eh? I hope they like it.