Update: The winner of HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE and ANGEL BETRAYED is…Yadira!

For my noon hour guest, I’d like to welcome best-selling historical author Manda Collins. Thanks for coming to the party, Manda!

YOU GOT MYSTERY IN MY ROMANCE! YOU GOT ROMANCE IN MY MYSTERY!

Back when I was a kid and Murder She Wrote was a big hit on the teevee, there was a comedian—can’t remember who—who joked that people did NOT want Jessica Fletcher coming for a visit because that necessarily meant that someone was going to die.

Even though my Ugly Ducklings Trilogy is historical romance, the heroines in each of the books are amateur sleuths and end up working to solve a mystery. In some cases a disappearance, in some cases a murder. In some cases both. And I can’t help but wonder if the other characters in my trilogy, like the denizens of Jessica Fletcher’s Cabot Cove, worry that Cecily, Juliet and Maddie will bring death and disappearances with them.  Not that it would matter if they did. I can’t write them any other way.

I write mysteries into my historical romances because, for me, unraveling a mystery at the same time I’m watching two characters fall in love is about as perfect as reading can get.  There’s just something about the heightened sense of drama and danger that a suspense plot brings to a budding romance that rings my bell. I blame the childhood reading combo of Nancy Drew + Little Women.  With a hefty dose of Jane Austen thrown in for good measure.

But what should the right combination of mystery to romance be? 50/50? 60/40? 40/60? To be honest, I don’t know. I don’t write that way. Some writers are pantsers (meaning they write by the seat of their pants). Some are plotters (meaning they plot out every little thing before they start). I am what I like to call a plantser (meaning I do a broad outline before I start, but leave enough up to my imagination to keep myself from getting bored). And as such, I like to “vibe” the mystery/romance combo. For some books there might be the same percentage of romance to mystery. For others there might be more romance or more mystery. It depends on the book.

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Update: The winner of the $15 Amazon.com gift card is…Chelsea Rafferty!

Congratulations, Cynthia, on the release of Angel Betrayed, and thanks for hosting this rockin’ party!

I’ve got some celebrating to do as well. Exactly one week from today, the waiting will be over for MacKinnon’s Rangers fans. They’ve been (not-so-patiently) holding on since November 2008 for the third book in my MacKinnon’s Rangers series, and on July 3, Defiant, which tells Connor MacKinnon’s story, will finally be out!

To celebrate, I am holding a unique live video chat via Shindig Events. The event is free, and I will be giving away five copies of Defiant to five lucky participants. I will also be reading an exclusive excerpt from the book and answering your questions — live. To reserve your place, just click here: http://pamelaclare.eventbrite.com/ . And be sure to invite your friends!

Then on July 3, the day the book comes out, I’ll be having a party on my blog that will include release of the live-action trailer for Defiant, complete with a sexy shirtless musket-toting model in the role of Connor. I’ve seen the rough cut of the trailer, and I love it! I can’t wait to share it with you all.

If you’re new to the MacKinnon’s Rangers series, here’s a bit about Defiant, together with an excerpt.

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Update: The winner of SEASON FOR LOVE is…Cindy O.

Time for a book spotlight! And, for this spotlight, we’ll focus on a book by one of my favorite authors–Marie Force.

His idea of permanence is the VW van that takes him from one gig to the next. . .

Owen Lawry has made a living as a traveling musician and enjoys his footloose and fancy free lifestyle. But after meeting Laura McCarthy and helping her to land the job as manager of his grandparents’ hotel on Gansett Island, Owen decides there’s something to be said about a roof over his head and a warm, sexy woman in his bed.

Laura, a newlywed who discovered that her husband never quit dating, came to Gansett for her cousin’s Janey’s wedding, but ended up staying after she met Owen and took on the renovations to the dilapidated Sand & Surf Hotel.

As Owen and Laura’s attraction simmers during months of close proximity, they form a tight bond that will be tested when her estranged husband refuses to grant her a divorce. As summer turns to autumn and Laura and Owen take baby steps toward love, favorite characters from past Gansett Island stories continue to live their happily ever afters.

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Marie sent this excerpt to share with readers:

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Update: The winner of ALPHA INSTINCT is…Spav!

Congrats to Cynthia on her new release! I can’t get enough of her paranormals! And thank you Cynthia for inviting me to the party. You know I like to have a good time 😉

In a little over a month, Lover’s Instinct, a novella in my Moon Shifter series will be releasing and I’m very excited so today I thought I’d share why I love my hot shifter menz.

1. They are uber protective of those they care about! It’s that animal instinct and they will fight to protect their mate or their pack. Who doesn’t love a loyal friend or lover?

2. When they take bondmates, it’s for life. There’s no going back and neither party takes the decision to bond lightly. Since I’m a romantic at heart, that’s awesome. I love the idea of happy ever after.

3. Some of them have telepathic abilities and are able to talk to each other in wolf form (some can even communicate that way in human form).

4. They have a playful side. Even though my guys are strong, powerful and have no problem holding their own, they love to have fun, especially with their women.

5. They’re freaking SEXY. The majority of the male shifters in my series are alpha to the bone, heal at supernatural speeds and are in incredible shape. Not to mention their stamina translates to all areas of their lives…nuf said!

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Update: The winner of the $20 Barnes & Noble gift card is…May!

Guardian angels are the good angels. They are the ones who watch over us. They protect us.

Well, the hero of my new book, ANGEL BETRAYED, definitely doesn’t belong in the “guardian” category.  Sammael (Sam) is an angel of death. With one touch, he kills. He’s used to doing what he wants, when he wants.  He’s strong, he’s fierce, and he is definitely my favorite kind of hero.

"Eden offers compelling characters, sizzling sex, and breakneck action..."--Publishers Weekly

I don’t know why I like the bad boy heroes so much, but I have to confess…they are an absolute blast to write.  The bad boys like Sam walk on the edge. They make their own rules. And they don’t take crap from anyone.

Oh, bad boys…you are so much fun.

But the best part of writing a bad boy hero? Redemption.  And Sam, despite his powers and his wicked skills…he is a hero in need of redemption.  Sam was cast out of heaven, his wings burned away, and he was sentenced to live out his days on earth.  Now, other angels fear Sam.  No one gets close to him. And Sam thinks that is the way he wants his days and nights to be…until he meets my heroine.

The path to redemption isn’t easy.  But to prove that  man with a good heart lives within a bad boy’s body, that journey is necessary.

I hope that you enjoy Sam’s journey. It sure is a bit of a bumpy ride!

Now…want to win a $20 Barnes and Noble gift card?  Then tell me…who is your all-time favorite hero? Your hero can be from a book, from a movie, from real-life.  Just tell me your fave and you will be entered in the giveaway! The winner will be randomly selected.

Thanks for checking out my post!