Update: The winner of ABOUT THAT NIGHT is…Jolene A!

Have you read Julie James? Cause I have–and I love her! So I am very excited about this next giveaway! Julie James will give one commenter a copy of her awesome book, ABOUT THAT NIGHT.

Book blurb is:

HE’S PLAYING GAMES.

Though Rylann Pierce tried to fight the sparks she felt for billionaire heir Kyle Rhodes the night they met, their sizzling chemistry was undeniable. But after being stood up on their first date, Rylann never expected to see him again. So when she finds herself face-to-face with Kyle in a courthouse nine years later, she’s stunned. More troubling to the beautiful assistant U.S. attorney is that she’s still wildly attracted to him.

BUT SHE’S MAKING THE RULES.

Just released from prison, Kyle Rhodes isn’t thrilled to be the star witness in a high-profile criminal case—but when Rylann comes knocking at his door, he finds she may be the one lawyer he can’t say no to. Still as gorgeous and sharp-tongued as ever, she lays down the law: she doesn’t mix business with pleasure. But Kyle won’t give up on something he wants—and what he wants is the one woman he’s never forgotten. . .

***

Now let’s check out that excerpt…

After she paid the bill, they walked out of the diner and stood momentarily underneath the L tracks.

“I plan to bring the matter to the grand jury next week,” Rylann told him, raising her voice to speak over an approaching train. “I’ll call you as soon as I have the exact date and time you’ll be testifying.”

She extended her hand in farewell, and Kyle closed his hand around hers.

“This is a good thing you’re doing, Kyle,” she said. “Just remember—”

The train roaring directly overhead made it impossible for him to hear her. Kyle gestured to his ear, shaking his head. She stepped close to him, and put her hand on his shoulder as she stood up on her toes to speak in his ear.

Her breath was a soft caress on his neck, her voice low in his ear. “—Don’t screw it up.”

He turned his head so that they were eye to eye, his lips mere inches from hers. He said nothing for a moment, and neither did she, and he became very aware of the catch in her breath, the warmth of her hand on his shoulder.

Kyle felt a sudden urge to pull her closer.  He’d teased her in the diner about their kiss, but unless he was wholly off his game after those four months in prison, the vibe he was getting from her right then was very real.  If he bent his head just the slightest, he could brush his lips over hers.  Find out if she tasted as good as she did in his memory.

“How are we doing on that eight-minute stretch of getting along?” he asked huskily.

Rylann stayed where she was at first, their lips still so close. Then she cocked her head and met his gaze.  “Time’s up.”

***

Want to win?  Then tell me your “dream” night.  One commenter will be randomly selected to win. Good luck!

Update: The winner of the $10 Amazon.com gift card is…Megan G! And the winner of BOUND TO SEDUCTION is…Saydee Fox.

I hope that you are enjoying the party! Thanks so much for coming by to help me celebrate. For our next giveaway, you have the chance to win two prizes. One commenter will receive a $10 Amazon.com gift certificate and another commenter will win a digital copy of Elisabeth Naughton‘s new release, BOUND TO SEDUCTION. And here’s a little more about BOUND TO SEDUCTION…

Bound to Seduction Blurb:

Firebrand Series #1

Careful what you wish for…

Sentenced as a pleasure slave, Djinn Prince Tariq of the Marid tribe has but one duty: travel into the human realm and corrupt souls by granting wishes to the women who possess the Firebrand opal, a gemstone of magical power. Ten years of imprisonment have left Tariq bitter, but to save his brothers’ lives, he’ll submit to his endless personal hell, even if it means giving up his own hope for freedom.

When Mira Dawson obtains the Firebrand opal, she’s sure the rumors about its magical qualities must be fiction. Until, that is, she touches the stone and a dark and dangerous warrior appears in her living room, offering to pleasure her beyond her wildest dreams. Soon, fantasy becomes a temptation she can’t deny. The only question left is…will the pleasure be worth the price? Because as Mira’s been warned, nothing…not even fantasies…are free.

Excerpt:

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Update: The winner of Joan Swan’s giveaway is…Tina B!

I don’t think it is any secret that I love romantic suspense, so I’m very happy to share the next book spotlight with you. This time, I’m focusing on Joan Swan’s INTIMATE ENEMIES.

INTIMATE ENEMIES Blurb:

She is on a quest for answers; answers that could just get her killed.

Six months after the mysterious yacht explosion that killed Cassie Christo’s mother and stepbrother, authorities still have no answers to the cause. Searching for closure, Cassie returns to her childhood home on the Pacific Coast of Baja, Mexico, where she launches her own investigation into the accident. She never expected to find an adversary in the man who had once touched her heart with kindness in her darkest moment.

Rio’s been fantasizing about reconnecting with Cassie for months. But not here and sure as hell not now. As an undercover agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he’s working the biggest sting operation in all of northern Mexico, and he definitely doesn’t have time for the wild attraction he feels for Cassie.

Not only is his cover on the line, so is his heart. Because as the end of a yearlong operation draws closer, Rio knows if he tells Cassie the truth about who and what he is, it won’t only jeopardize his mission, it may result in him losing her forever. And if he doesn’t, his lies and deception could get them both killed.

Excerpt:

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Update: The winner of MIDNIGHT’S LOVER is…JessS, and the winner of DARKEST HIGHLANDER is…Rana Adams! Please note…Rana, I tried to email you 2x, but my messages bounced back. Can you please contact me at cynthia@cynthiaeden.com to claim your prize?

Time for another great book spotlight! This time, the spotlight is from awesome author Donna Grant.  Donna and I are actually release day buddies–her new book, MIDNIGHT’S LOVER, is in bookstores today!

A WARRIOR’S PASSION

Driven by the fierce god within him, Highlander Ian Kerr is sworn to fight for the land he loves—and the brother he lost. But when he’s magically transported four centuries into the future, he finds himself fighting his own desires—for a beautiful, bewitching woman who could hold a warrior spellbound…

A WOMAN’S MAGIC

Danielle Buchanan has heard the legends. She has felt the power of Druid blood in her veins. But she has never known a man as fearsome—or as haunted—as the warrior Ian. With her magic, Dani must help him battle an ancient evil. With her heart, she must join him in his quest. But only with her soul can she free him from his curse…and seal their fates together.

And the small teaser:

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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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