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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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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