Tunnel of Love Week Guest Blogger: Jessica Andersen
UPDATE: This contest is now closed. Congrats to our winner Rebecca Chastain. Please email your physical address to contests(at)knightagency(dot)net! Leave a comment and enter to win an autographed copy of Dawnkeepers!
On Valentine’s Day, many of us turn our thoughts to love and romance, and reaching out to the people we care about. And I find myself thinking more than usual about the concept of marriage. Or, as the guy in the Princess Bride calls it, “Mawwiage…” My Novels of the Final Prophecy are paranormal romantic thrillers about the Nightkeepers, modern-day men and women who find themselves caught up in a series of ancient Mayan prophecies surrounding December 21, 2012. To fight the coming apocalypse, these descendants of ancient magic users must find their destined mates, unlock their hidden powers, and defend the barrier separating the earth and underworld. But while many of the Nightkeepers’ rituals parallel those of the ancient Maya, their marriage rituals diverge. In the ancient Mayan empire, marriage was less about love and more about negotiating bride prices and work debts, and determining whether the omens were propitious. The Nightkeepers, though, are all about love matches. . . or at least spontaneous combustion. Because while they might be crazy-hot for their destined mates, these modern men and women aren’t too keen on having their relationships determined by destiny and prophecy. And while three couples now wear their mated marks, only one mated pair is married. . . and they met and married long before they knew who- or what- they are.
Which gets me thinking about what sort of a wedding Strike and Leah from NIGHTKEEPERS would have, or Nate and Alexis from DAWNKEEPERS. And it makes me think back on some of the better weddings I’ve been to. Probably my favorite was held this past summer- the bride had apparently been envisioning her wedding since girlhood… and she’d always seen herself wearing bright red. So she did! The groom’s rather traditional parents took it pretty well- they were just happy their son was wearing shoes this time. But at the same time, the ceremony wasn’t at all lighthearted- it was two people very much in love, promising to make a life together. I’m not much of a girly girl, but it moved me. So, as we look Valentine’s Day in the teeth, tell me. . . what are some of the best marriage rituals you’ve seen or heard about? Have you been to a really great wedding? Do you know of a really esoteric marriage ritual you’re willing to share? On this Valentine’s Eve, let’s talk mawwiage!
The fine print. (Okay it’s not fine print, really, more just added info.) FMI on NIGHTKEEPERS, DAWNKEEPERS and other upcoming NOVELS OF THE FINAL PROPHECY, as well as more on the Maya, the 2012 end-date, and other cool stuff, please visit
Tunnel of Love Week Guest Blogger: Katherine Garbera
UPDATE: This contest is now closed. The two winners are Erika Lynn & Karin. Congrats!! Please send you physical addresses to contests(at)knightagency.net. Find what you love to do. Find your passion. Know what makes you want to get up in the morning, that's all you need.—Condoleeza Rice
From my earliest memories I've known two things: 1. I love to make up stories and entertain people and 2. I can't resist a happy ending.
The fact that I had this knowledge was a nice start to my career as a writer but if it hadn't been for the support and encouragement of my parents, I wouldn't have gotten to where I am today.
Doing what you love isn't something that's embraced here in the U.S.A. Most of us find work doing what pays the bills or supports the lifestyle we want. And we live our lives in a quasi state of happiness. I'm saying we but to be honest this isn't me.
I had a job as a secretary at Walt Disney World. It was a nice job with nice people but I had no passion for it. I was a hard worker and excelled at my tasks always earning praise from my superiors but there was no sense of satisfaction from the job I was doing.
I took a leap of faith and started writing. I'm often asked why do I write romance and this goes back to my number 2. I love happy endings. I love the thought that two people are going to fall in love and be happy. And without that I'm not interested in a story. I love to read but I need to know the characters who's lives I've gotten tangled up in are going to be happy. That they are going to get a life together to have kids and build a family.
When I started writing romance novels I realized exactly what Condoleeza Rice is talking about. I have never had to "make myself" go to the computer and write. I long to be at my computer writing. When I'm not, I'm cranky and a bit out of sorts. Writing is so much more than a job to me, it's a part of who I am and I'm so grateful I figured that out at an early age.
What about you? Do you do what you love?I have two prize packs today for two randomly drawn lucky blog participants. The pack includes SEX WITH A STRANGER and BODY HEAT from Brava along with some Valentine's Day chocolates!
UPDATE: This contest is now closed. Congrats to Estela!Please email your physical address to mariageraci1(at)gmail(dot)com.
Got Bunco?
When I first came up with my idea for a story involving a group of women who played Bunco, I really had no notion where I was going to take it. Romance? Women's fiction? (For those of you who might not know what Bunco is, let me quote one of the characters from my book. As Shea says, "It's a dice game. A REALLY fun dice game.") Writing about a group of women who meet regularly to roll the dice, drink frozen margaritas, and gossip, seemed like a natural recipe for women's fiction. But I knew I wanted a strong romance in the stories. The kind of romance that I enjoyed reading- fun and sexy with a mouth watering hero and a happily-ever-after ending. The kind that left you feeling upbeat and happy. Sort of like the feeling I get when I play Bunco.
Bunco has been a part of my life since I first began playing it back in 1992 when I lived in Austin, Texas. It was a way to socialize with other women, laugh, and let your hair down. And there were also prizes. Think of a guy's poker night, except with the occasional exchange of recipes.
Over the years, I've played in several Bunco groups. None more near and dear to me than my current group, The Bunco Broads of Tallahassee. We've been together now for 10 years. We meet on the first Wednesday of every month and most times there is a "theme." February's theme is usually Valentine's Day or Mardi Gras, depending on who hosts. In years past, February prizes have included "couples" gifts- like gift certificates to restaurants or movies or Victoria's Secret.Last Wednesday, my group met at Cheryl's house. Cheryl is from New Orleans, so whenever we do February Bunco at her house, there is no question of the theme. It's Mardi Gras all the way!
But I digress... Back to that romance. I'm a firm believer that women need other women in their lives. They need to laugh and engage in the kind of mindless socialization that takes them away from the pressures of everyday living- If only for a few hours every month. For me, playing Bunco is like reading a good romance novel. There's nothing like pure escapism to warm the soul. Or the love life.
Finding romance for Kitty Burke, the main character in my first Bunco book BUNCO BABES TELL ALL hasn't been easy. Kitty's convinced that all she needs is her friends to make her happy. It's going to take a little shaking up (and a hot new guy in town) for Kitty to realize that woman cannot live by Bunco alone. To celebrate my new web site I'm running a contest. Go to www.mariageraci.com and take a sneak peak at the excerpt to BUNCO BABES TELL ALL. Tell me who Kitty's idea of the perfect man is and you can win a $25 gift certificate to Victoria's Secret. Leave your answer in the comment section right here. I'll close it off on midnight, Friday and randomly select from the correct answers. Good Luck and Happy Bunco-ing!
UPDATE: Willa is the winner of an autographed copy of DANGEROUS by Monica Burns! Thanks to everyone who participated. Willa, please email your physical address to contests(at)knightagency(dot)net.
I love language. There’s something about it that can span the distance between crude and harsh to something so exquisitely beautiful that it can make your heart weep. In historical romance, language between lovers is part of what evokes strong emotion in the reader. When a hero says something passionate in a historical romance, the language can make a reader feel as though they’ve been swept up off their feet. Take for instance, the following words…
"I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you—especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous Channel, and two hundred miles or so of land come broad between us, I am afraid that cord of communion will be snapt; and then I've a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly. As for you,—you'd forget me."
When I first read these words, I was a teenager, and the moment Edward Rochester said them to me, I was his. Heart, body and soul. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte’s masterpiece, is a brilliant illustration of evocative writing in historical romance. Bronte’s writing depicts Rochester as strong, bold, dynamic and tortured. The passion and the depth of feeling Edward has for Jane is so beautifully expressed with the words above. It shows his love is potent, real, and strong, and it never fails to capture my heart and soul whenever I read those words. What woman doesn’t fall in love with a man who declares his love for her with such passion, such raw adoration as to assure her that she’s the most exquisitely beautiful creature he’s ever held in his arms?
Ciarán Hinds, Samantha Morton in the 1997 BBC production of Jane Eyre
Several of the core values of any romance are love, empowerment, the offering of hope, a happy ending and the ability for a reader to escape their problems for a few hours. Obviously, this holds true for historical romance, but for me as a writer it offers a lot more. Historical romance allows me to write prose as bold, sweeping and lush as Rochester’s confession of love without writing purple prose.
While the sentiment of love doesn’t change from one era to another, language does. Rochester’s speech, as Bronte wrote it, would definitely sound out of place in one of my Chicago-set paranormal books. It would have to be rewritten to conform to the language we use today. For this reason, historical romance remains my favorite subgenre to write. It gives me the opportunity to explore my love of poetic lines and speeches with greater freedom than I can in my present day paranormals.
Historicals, such as my most recent release DANGEROUS, give me the chance to write a speech or a description that hopefully displays how much I love the written word and its power. As a reader of historicals, I know I love a man in breeches, a man who can sweep me off my feet and carry me off to the bedroom, a man who can use a sword to defend my honor. But the best part of historical romance for me is the language. It’s the hope that when the hero speaks, he’ll say something like Edward said to Jane in a way that sends my heart slamming into my chest and sends tingles of shock across my skin. So share a line or passage from your favorite historical romance that is memorable for you and why. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered to win an autographed copy of DANGEROUS! The winner will be announced tomorrow morning.
Okay, so, the lovely Jia from The Knight Agency emailed me and asked me to blog. I know she’s lovely because I just met her this past week, and now that I’ve met her, and she’s all lovely—I couldn’t turn her down.
Which means here I am, workin’ my last brain cell to come up with something to amuse, enthrall—electrify you.
So how’s that workin’ out?
Yeah. Same here.But wait! I have an idea. A Valentine’s Day idea (cue swelling strains of violins and drum beats, emphasizing a moment of dawning lost brain cell recovery). Okay, so it involves some blatant promo, but if you read this (all the way through. No cheating allowed), I promise you could win something cool.
So here we go. I write a series called the “Accidental’s”. It’s a trilogy (and just recently became a quad of stories—is it called a quad?), about three BFF who’ve all been accidentally turned into some sort of paranormal creature or another. Marty Andrews was in The Accidental Werewolf. So yeah, she was accidentally bitten and thus, shazam!—turned into a werewolf. Nina Blackman is my heroine in Accidentally Dead, a dental hygienist who’s accidentally bitten by a vampire, and probably the single most cranky candidate for anger management on the planet. And lastly, Wanda Schwartz, in The Accidental Human—sweet, gentle, sorta OCD who’s in deep horse puckey. I can’t tell you what happens to her because the book doesn’t release until March, 3, 2009 (insert more blatant promo here). Oh, and Wanda’s story is still paranormal. Figure that out with a title that has the word “human” in it, why don’t ya?
Now, the men in these women’s lives are not only patient (OMG—they’re like Job times a million), but hunky and totally willing to try and make the eternal accidents they’ve created, right. Real stand up guys.
First, there’s Keegan. He’s Marty’s man. Owns a multi-million dollar cosmetics company, and he’s also the alpha male of his werewolf pack. Oh, and he’s loverly to look at and despite the fact that he was attacked by Marty’s poodle when he was in werewolf form, he loves her dog.
Then there’s Greg. He’s Nina’s squeeze, and if Keegan can be called patient, Greg should have that word hyphened on his name because he deals with Nina. Nina’s cranky, has a potty mouth, and gives new meaning to the phrase “let’s get ready to rumble”. Greg’s a vampire, lick-a-licious, and the leader of his vampire clan.
Finally, there’s Heath—Wanda’s prey… er, potential love interest. Heath has the hardest job of all—winning a woman who’s just been diagnosed with a terminal illness—an illness he has no clue she’s got. They meet when he answers Wanda’s ad to sell cosmetics. Dudes, I know! A man who wants to sell cosmetics is just plumb lunacy. But there’s a reason, and in order to find out exactly why an off the chain hot guy like Heath has resorted to selling makeup—(insert more bold promo here), ya gotta read the book. Though, here’s a little tidbit on Heath. He’s human, too. Aha! I just know you’re all wondering how Wanda and Heath’s story can be paranormal if they’re both human (promo, promo, promo). But Heath has a secret—a big one. He’s also got a great sense of humor and more optimism in his little pinky than most have in their entire bodies.
So here’s how this all ties into Valentine’s Day—tell me, what do you suppose these poor men are going to go through every single year in an effort to make up for the life altering changes they’ve wreaked upon their women? And we’re not talkin’ just fifty years worth of making up—they’re immortal—that means they gotta do this forever. Seriously, what kind of gift can you come up with that’ll evah make up for turning someone into a vampire or a werewolf?
Is a box of candy ever going to cut it when you can’t even eat those chocolaty morsels of goodness because your diet consists of nothing but O positive? Do flowers really say, “Shoot, punkin’, I’m sorry you have to eat raw cow and shave your legs twice a day—forevah.”?
Does an expensive dinner with a wine you can’t pronounce the name of make up for the fact that you’re never going to be able to watch daytime television again? Will a cuddly teddy bear with a big red bow on it make your knees all soft butter-like when you’re battling hormonal mood swings to rival any bi-polar?
Yeah. Thus, this leads me to my question—I want you guys to tell me what kind of gift you think could possibly make something so earth shattering all good. A trip around the world—a Lamborghini—maybe a yacht?
So go on, hit me with your best shot—and see below for the contest rules :).
And here are the contest deets—I’m giving away a signed copy of the second in my series titled, Accidentally Dead. But that’s not all—I’ll personally buy TWO books by any one of the Knight Agency clients and have them shipped directly to you.
Uh-huh—so take a peek at some of the fab authors like Nalini Singh, Candace Havens, Gena Showalter, Deidre Knight and bunches more. Go here:
All you have to do to be entered and add to your TBR pile is this—leave me a comment in the comments section with your answer, and that’s it!
One winner will be chosen at random Tuesday, February 10, 2009. The books chosen by the winner must already be published or available for pre-order. To find out if you’ve won, check out my blog where I’ll announce the winner here http://www.dakotacassidy.net/
Good luck, and heartfelt thanks for the support you’ve given the “Accidentals!”
I'm sure you've noticed the tell-a-tale red and white teddy bears lining the aisles of your neighborhood drug store, Hallmark commercials promoting those cutesy singing cards or any of the other millions of reminders that Valentine's Day is fast approaching. We're getting in on the action on the TKA blog with a week-long celebration starting Mon., February 9th that will feature guest bloggers Dakota Cassidy, author of the upcoming release THE ACCIDENTAL HUMAN; Monica Burns, the author of DANGEROUS; Maria Geraci, author of the upcoming book BUNCO BABES TELL ALL; Katherine Garbera, author of BARE NERVE; and Jessica Andersen, author of the P.E.A.R.L.-nominated NIGHTKEEPERS. Besides great posts, there will also be plenty of contests! You don't want to miss it.
Also, if you're not signed up for our agency newsletter...you just might want to consider taking the leap. We have a special Valentine's Day edition coming out and it's full of great industry info as well as an exclusive contest for our newsletter members. Click here to sign up! Or check out an example, click here for our January newsletter.
In the ancient Mayan empire, marriage was less about love and more about negotiating bride prices and work debts, and determining whether the omens were propitious. The Nightkeepers, though, are all about love matches. . . or at least spontaneous combustion. Because while they might be crazy-hot for their destined mates, these modern men and women aren’t too keen on having their relationships determined by destiny and prophecy. And while three couples now wear their mated marks, only one mated pair is married. . . and they met and married long before they knew who- or what- they are.
So, as we look Valentine’s Day in the teeth, tell me. . . what are some of the best marriage rituals you’ve seen or heard about? Have you been to a really great wedding? Do you know of a really esoteric marriage ritual you’re willing to share? On this Valentine’s Eve, let’s talk mawwiage! 
In the ancient Mayan empire, marriage was less about love and more about negotiating bride prices and work debts, and determining whether the omens were propitious. The Nightkeepers, though, are all about love matches. . . or at least spontaneous combustion. Because while they might be crazy-hot for their destined mates, these modern men and women aren’t too keen on having their relationships determined by destiny and prophecy. And while three couples now wear their mated marks, only one mated pair is married. . . and they met and married long before they knew who- or what- they are.
So, as we look Valentine’s Day in the teeth, tell me. . . what are some of the best marriage rituals you’ve seen or heard about? Have you been to a really great wedding? Do you know of a really esoteric marriage ritual you’re willing to share? On this Valentine’s Eve, let’s talk mawwiage! 
