Hi, everyone! Today, I’d like to introduce you to my lovely friend, Manda Collins. Manda recently signed a contract to release three books with St. Martin’s! Congratulations, Manda! Manda’s first book, HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE, has a tentative publication date of February 2012.

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***I have consulted the Randomizer, and 13 turned out to be lucky for Michele! Michele, email me here with your snail mail addy and I’ll send out your books ASAP! -Manda***

In which Nancy meets Ned...

First of all, thank you so much, Cynthia for giving me the chance to do my first ever guest blog as a soon-to-be published author!

Though I didn’t always call it that, I’ve been a fan of romantic suspense for pretty much my entire reading life. Like many young readers I started out with that most addictive of RS gateway drugs, the Nancy Drew mysteries by Carolyn Keene. I didn’t care that Carolyn Keene wasn’t even a real person. I had no idea that the versions I read were the watered down 1970’s version of the originals written in the 1930s. All I cared about was that Nancy, and her BFFs Bess (the plump one) and George (the tomboyish one) were having yet another adventure. And when in book 7, The Clue in the Diary, Nancy met the young college student who would be her boyfriend for…oh, the next century or so? My schoolgirl heart was about as full as a schoolgirl’s heart can be.

Now that I’m an adult, and I read more widely, I still find myself gravitating to Nancy Drew-esque romantic suspense novels—albeit with significantly hotter love scenes! But what is it about these modern-day romantic suspense novels that link them with their predecessors?

1) Hero and Heroine working together to solve the mystery. It might just be me, but there is something utterly thrilling about seeing a hero and heroine forced into close circumstances to hunt for the super evil bad guy. Or to find the missing treasure. Or to find out who killed their Mom/Dad/Sister/Brother/Best Friend. There is almost always more to the mystery than they ever imagined, and all those long nights spent “working” together on the case can lead to some delicious sexual tension.

2) The Hero (or Heroine) Always Has Friends. Just as Nancy had Bess and George, Ned had his own pals Dave Evans and Burt Eddleston who (conveniently!) dated Bess and George. In our modern-day romantic suspense novel the set up might not be quite as convenient as it is for Nancy and her friends—I mean it IS pretty unlikely that their respective BFFs are dating one another—but almost as soon as you begin reading Book 1 of a new series you can tell who is in the queue for his or her own book down the line. Some readers find this annoying and call it sequel-baiting, but I like getting to know future heroes and heroines early on. And, hey, unlike in the Nancy Drew books it’s good to know that the friends will get to play the starring role at some point. Poor Bess/Dave and George/Burt must have gotten tired of always playing second fiddle to Nancy and Ned.

3) There is always a Happily Ever After. One of the rules of the unspoken pact between mystery author and mystery reader is that by the end of the novel the author will disclose to the reader who actually committed the crime. This is similar to the rule of the romance novel, which decrees that every romance novel must have a happy ending.  One thing I love about romantic suspense, and I learned this early on from Nancy Drew, is that the two can be blended together. Not only does a good romantic suspense novel reveal who the bad guy/girl is before the end, it also guarantees a happily ever after for our hero and heroine. While the romance in Nancy Drew never really led to the kind of HEA we expect from a romance novel,  there was always a hopeful ending, with the promise of more good times to come. And always,  always Nancy Drew books ended with the bad guys safe behind bars. In a world where happily ever after is sometimes hard to come by, and where the bad guys sometimes get away without punishment, there is a certain measure of comfort to be drawn from a temporary visit to a world where justice is always served.

In my own writing, for better or worse, I’ve found that I too prefer my hero and heroine to work together to solve a mystery. I also make sure that my heroes and heroines have plenty of friends. Though they might not always match up as neatly as Nancy’s friends and Ned’s friends did. And always, always I make sure that my bad guys are, if not safe behind bars, at least vanquished and sent somewhere far far away. What can I say? I learned it from the Nancy Drew! You can judge for yourself how well or badly I did in when my first novel, a Regency Historical called How to Dance with a Duke releases from St. Martin’s Press in February 2012. To learn more, or just to say hello, you can find me on Twitter, Facebook or at http://www.mandacollins.com

So, what about you, dear reader? Have you stumbled across some similarities between your childhood reading and the books of your adulthood? Can you trace a path from what you loved as a child to what you love as an adult? One lucky commenter will win a copy of Cynthia Eden’s Deadly Heat and a copy of Karen Rose’s You Can’t Hide both of which feature excellent examples of heroes and heroines solving the mystery together!

Hi, everyone! Today I am very excited my friend (and VERY talented author) Edie Ramer as my Deadly guest. Welcome, Edie!

A huge thank you to Cynthia for inviting me to be part of her Deadly posts. To go with the Valentine theme, I thought I’d talk about unusual couples. What better book to start with than Deadly Heat, the 2nd book of Cynthia’s Deadly series. She’s a firefighter and he’s a Special Agent in the FBI’s elite Serial Services Division. On their first meeting, she slugs him in the jaw to drag him out of a fire. Not the usual cute meet. (You can read the scene here.)

In Devil Moon: A Mystic Romance by Dana Taylor, she’s a straight-laced assistant high school principal who wears “signature” outfits. He’s a former football star and former alcoholic who’s now the high school coach and doesn’t have any clothes that match.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips says her heroine in Call Me Irresistible is “spoiled and impulsive, five-feet-ten-inches of good times, good intentions, good heart, and almost total irresponsibility.” The hero is “so mature, so smart, so completely together.” SEP had another match planned for him, but they were both too perfect. Together would have been perfectly boring instead of imperfectly fun.

Movies. It’s not my favorite, but Mr. and Mrs. Smith definitely make an unusual couple. Though I’m sure they aren’t the first who tried to kill each other and ended up in therapy.

One of my favorite movies is Love Actually. That had quite a few romances, but I’ll pick Colin Firth’s character’s romance with his Portuguese maid while he’s in France writing a book. The maid can’t speak or understand English, and he can’t speak or understand Portuguese. Yet they fall in love.

And we’ve probably all seen the Disney film Lady and the Tramp. Most Regencies have that same theme going on.

My most unusual couple is from my first self-published book, Cattitude. She’s a cat who switches bodies with a woman but keeps her cat attitude – even as she falls in love with her former owner. He’s been taking care of his family since he was fourteen, and now that his brother and sister are old enough and responsible enough to manage without him, he’s ready to travel. Anyone who has anything to do with cats knows they don’t travel well.

The hero in my book Dead People, the first book of my Haunted Hearts series, is a former rocker who doesn’t believe in ghosts. The heroine is a ghost whisperer. He wants conventional. She wants acceptance. Opposites again.

When couples are so different there’s a built-in conflict. Like the vampire heroine and the human hero from Cynthia’s Immortal Danger. You can put the two together and watch the fireworks fly. And don’t we love watching a good fireworks show? The more sparks and explosions, the more entertainment.

Can you think of any unusual couples that stuck in your mind? If you’re a writer, have you written any?

Update: Beth’s winner is…Brenda H! Congrats, Brenda!

Happy Sunday! Today, I’ve interviewed author Beth Kery. If you haven’t read Beth’s work, let me tell you–it’s hot. Intense, emotional, action-packed. And I happen to know that Beth is one great lady.

Hi, Beth! Thanks so much for participating in My Deadly Valentine! And, wow, you sure have got one hot new release! Will you tell us a bit about EXPLOSIVE?

Thanks very much for having me, Cynthia, and best of luck with the upcoming releases. Very exciting!

Explosive is essentially a character-driven, contemporary erotic romance with suspense elements. It’s a story about a man who reaches out blindly for a special woman when tragedy strikes his family and he learns an unbearable truth. Because of his trauma and emotional unrest, he has this sort of explosive physical need for this woman that’s just the outer manifestation of a deeply emotional bond.

What inspired this story?

As a clinician in the mental health field, I’ve seen a lot of head traumas in addition to post traumatic stress syndromes. Believe it or not, I wanted to do a story that involved a realistic portrayal of short term amnesia. Amnesias happen a lot more than people think—both from physical and psychological causes—but just not in the ‘forget your whole identity and former life’ soap-opera kind of way. Thomas, my hero, forgets a very short period of time, but of course that block in memory causes some serious trouble.

Your hero, Thomas, is an ex-Navy explosives specialist–that definitely counts as a deadly job. What type of research do you do when you were creating his character?

I was lucky enough to meet a woman whose husband works for the Navy ORD, which is responsible for disposing of or deactivating all types of ordnance (bombs, explosives, etc.). He was nice enough to advise me on certain things, and even read parts of the book and gave feedback. You just can’t beat getting firsthand expert advice like that. I’m really thankful for their feedback.

Is there one scene from EXPLOSIVE that you would describe as particularly deadly?

Well, the scene that’s the most deadly for Thomas is a highly personal scene in his father’s study, where he discovers some very ugly truths about his past. However, on a more tangible level, there’s a warehouse explosion to hide evidence that nearly takes the hero’s life. It was nice to have the above-mentioned expert guide me through that. It’s surprising how little you actually know about describing a huge bomb explosion until you try to write it.

I’ve heard that you’ll be writing under two pseudonyms now. Can you tell readers what they can expect from Bethany Kane?

I am. Bethany Kane is my new alter identity. She’s going to be writing a series at Berkley called One Night of Passion, about a related group of people whose relationships all begin with one night of impulsive, wild sex that later leads to regret. Of course, the couples all end up in happily-ever-afters, but each has a different fun and challenging path to get there.

What’s next for Bethany? And for Beth?

Beth has a couple books coming out in March—Velvet Cataclysm, the first book in the Princes of the Underground series from Samhain Publishing, will release in print and wide distribution on March 1, 2011. On March 22, I’m very excited that the first book in the Home to Harbor Town series will be debuting from Harlequin Special Edition. This is an emotional, romantic series about three very different families who are irrevocably tied together after a tragic car crash caused by a drunk driver. The first book is called The Hometown Hero Returns, and it’s Marc and Mari’s story—a sort of modern day Romeo and Juliet about two star-crossed lovers who get a second chance at love…if they can move past the animosity and grief between their two families inspired by the crash.

Bethany has also been busy. 🙂 She has a novella in the Three to Tango anthology with Lauren Dane, Emma Holly and Megan Hart releasing in May of 2011, followed by the first book in the One Night of Passion series called Addicted to You. Addicted to You is a really fun, sexy contemporary that hits the shelves in June of 2011.

Thank you so much for having me at your contest, Cynthia!

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And thank you, Beth!  Now would you like to read a copy of the awesome hot EXPLOSIVE?  Then share your idea of a super hot hero.  You can talk about hero characteristics or you can tell me a movie start that is hero hot.

Update:  Donna’s winner is…Kelly Mueller.  Congrats, Kelly!

I’m thrilled to have fellow Danger: Women Writing author Donna Grant as my guest today.  Donna writes absolutely amazing stories about sexy, strong men and fierce, intelligent women. Love, love her work.  Donna, welcome!

Thank you to the talented and always lovely, Cynthia, for inviting me to her blog.  She comes up with the most unique themes for authors to come blog about.   I also want to give a shout out to Cynthia for her newest release DEADLY HEAT and the upcoming DEADLY LIES.  I couldn’t put DEADLY HEAT down, and I’m very impatient for DEADLY LIES to get into my hot little hands.  🙂

There are many things that inspire me before – and during – a book.  I can become inspired by something as simple as a lyric in a song or a line in a movie.  Often times it’s the look of a character in a movie that will make me think of an upcoming hero or heroine in one of my books, and its like a light goes off in my head, an “ah,ha!” moment.

My first inspiration…Taylor Kitsch.  There is just something about the actor Taylor Kitsch.  I noticed him not from Friday Night Lights, but in the move The Covenant, then as Remy LeBeau/Gambit from X-Men Origins: Wolverine.  The overconfident, slightly wounded, and suspicious look Remy had was just what I was looking for to match my hero, the youngest MacLeod brother, Quinn.  With Kitsch’s long hair and piercing eyes, he was a definite match for the bad boy of the MacLeods.

Music…it always inspires me.  Usually there is one song or one album that will seem to fit whatever book I’m working on.  For WICKED HIGHLANDER it was the soundtrack to King Arthur staring Clive Owen and Keira Knightly.  The sweeping, haunting music always took me to Scotland, to a world filled with magic and mystery.  As soon as I hear the first strings of that soundtrack, the words seemed to flow so much easier.

I often find myself inspired by…research.  With the villain and the heroines in the series being Druids, the lack of certain evidence to what the Druids really wore (healers and wise men, or people who sacrificed the innocents and called up evil) allowed me to craft my Druids into what I need – which was both the good and bad I had read about in the Druids.  In WICKED HIGHLANDER, the heroine is a Druid who has the spell to once more bind the primeval gods inside the Warriors.  But it’s buried deep in her mind.

Another inspiration was the Celts.  Their stunning knot work, their history, the legends and lore, all of it inspired me.  The MacLeod brothers each wear an ancient Celtic torc around their necks, each with a special animal head that symbolizes them.  For Quinn, his torc has the heads of a wolf which meant cunning and intelligence.  Those are the characteristics that Quinn uses to his advantage throughout the series, but especially in his book.  In my books, the MacLeods were steeped in their traditions, and the sons of the laird all wore torcs with animals chosen by their mother.  Those torcs bound them to their clan – and to their past.  It also inspired me to have them give the women who would capture their hearts something with their animal as well.  For Quinn, he gives Marcail an arm cuff bearing a wolf’s head, and declaring to all she is his.

I’ll be giving away the third book in my Dark Sword series which released in Nov 2010, WICKED HIGHLANDER, to a commenter who answers this question:

What inspires you?

To find out more about me please visit my website at www.DonnaGrant.com.  To learn more about the Dark Sword series, see pics of the Warriors, search characters, take the quiz, or watch the book trailers, please visit www.donnagrant.com/DarkSword.

Hugs,

D

Book 3 in the Dark Sword series

The Dark Sword series unleashes the magic, passion, and fury of three legendary brothers – cursed by fate but bound by desire for the women they love…

A HEART IN CHAINS…

The most reckless and fierce of the MacLeod brothers, Quinn is a prisoner of the god inside him, tormented by his inability to save his family from slaughter. His fury governs him, and day by day he loses himself to the darkness in his soul. But Quinn has a profound yearning for a woman’s love…

A PASSION UNBOUND…

Raised by Druids, the achingly beautiful Marcail is as spellbinding as the ancient magic that surges through her body. To Quinn, she is the most desirable woman he has ever known. But to his enemy Deirdre, she is the perfect bait to lure Quinn into her trap. Once the two lovers are in her wicked grasp, their passion will be put to the ultimate test…

Update: Okay so I drew a winner randomly (sorry I’m late!) and it is: Leagh Christense

Leah, please email me at the shelli@shellistevens.com and let me know which ebook of mine you’d like and in which format!

First, a big thanks to Cynthia Eden for having me back to her blog! I adore Cindy, which she very well knows! We bonded in WA. D.C. at a conference, and I can’t wait to see her in NY!

I love a good suspense book. Both to read and to write. I myself haven’t written a real meaty, laden with suspense book yet though. They’re so intense and I love to read them and get lost in them. I guess when I write a romance with some suspense, it’s just that. ‘Some suspense’. I equate it to starting with a cup of black coffee, and adding just enough cream to change the color. If that makes any sense at all? Or maybe I’m just craving more coffee. But the element of suspense/danger, no matter how large or small in the story, can just up the intensity in a book.

I have a series out right now, Holding out for a Hero, that follows three brothers in a small town, the heroic careers they’ve chosen, and their journey in finding love. Two of the books in the series have a bit of suspense in them, Going Down and then Flash Point. And I had so much fun writing them! I love getting the hero/heroine into danger and seeing how they’re going to claw their way out–or if their butt will need to be saved 😉

So how about I keep this post short and sweet and give away a book. I’m going to make you work for it a bit. Okay, not a lot, because that would be mean. Why don’t you just tell me one of your favorite suspense movie in the comments, and either I or Cynthia will draw a winner for any ebook off my backlist. And before I go, here’s a peek at my next release, Flash Point.

Shelli 🙂

www.shellistevens.com

One taste of her lips, and friendship is off the menu

Kate has always been everybody’s friend and the de-facto little sister to the Wyatt brothers. But her feelings for Todd Wyatt, the town’s hottest firefighter, run far beyond the sibling variety. Not that he’s ever noticed.

After years of nursing her crush, Kate decides it’s time to take action. Except she has one awkward little secret: she’s still a virgin. She hopes she can seduce Todd without him realizing just how inexperienced she is.

In Todd’s mind, Kate’s the sweet girl he teases and hits up for free cupcakes. One surprise kiss over the summer, though, and suddenly she’s jumped from the platonic side of his brain to the want-her-in-my-bed side. Even though the last thing he wants is to lose her friendship, his resistance to her determined seduction is slipping. Fast.

When malicious attacks on her bakery escalate, it soon becomes clear that for all Kate’s friends, she’s made at least one big enemy. And if they don’t figure it out soon, things could take a deadly turn.

Read an excerpt here.