If you’re like me, you’re busy busy busy. I love to visit blogs, but it seems I never have time to get by in a timely fashion…and never in time to win anything! Well, no worries about that here. The Historical Reader Salon will be open all month long and you can come by anytime during the month to join the conversation and enter to win! No rush, no hurry…just a nice relaxing visit (or three) at your leisure. Each month, I’ll throw out a topic for discussion as well as ways for you to win. We’ll keep the conversation going in the comments section and just see how our Reader Salon grows. Hopefully it will develop into a thriving community centered around what we all love—historical romance!

Friday, March 22, 2013

Day 22: Confessions of an Improper Bride by Jennifer Haymore


 


 

Welcome to day twenty-two of March SWEET Madness—a month long party to celebrate the upcoming release of my novel, SWEET MADNESS, available April 2, 2013.

 

Today’s featured author is the fabulous Jennifer Haymore! Yet again, I had a terrible time deciding which book to feature, as they are all SO good. In the end, I went with CONFESSIONS OF AN IMPROPER BRIDE, as it is the first in her current series. And, again, all books of the series are out, so you can start this one and go right on to the rest!

 

More about the book:

 

TWICE TEMPTED

Serena Donovan left London six years ago, her heart broken and her reputation ruined by devilishly handsome Jonathan Dane. Now, with her family’s future in peril, she reluctantly agrees to return to England and assume her late twin’s identity. The price? Marry a man she doesn’t love and spend the rest of her days living a lie.

Jonathan Dane, Earl of Stratford, has become an incorrigible rake, drinking, gambling-and trying to forget Serena Donovan. Yet the moment he’s introduced to the prim and proper “Meg,” he recognizes the sensual young woman who captured his heart. Haunted by his past mistakes, he refuses to lose Serena again. But convincing her to trust him is no easy task. Claiming his lost love means exposing the truth and destroying the life Serena has sacrificed everything to rebuild. With the future of all the Donovans at stake, and their undying passion capable of triggering yet another scandal, how much will Jonathan and Serena risk for a chance at true love?

 

 


And now for the fun part—your chance to win! Just fill out the rafflecopter form below. Contest will be open for 2 weeks (US & CANADA only, please).
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

If you don’t win, or just can’t wait to start reading, here’s where you can buy the book:


To find out more about Jennifer (including the enviable place she grew up!), you can visit her website at:


I am also giving away a copy of either my debut, SWEET ENEMY or SWEET DECEPTION (winner’s choice) EVERY DAY of March SWEET Madness! (you will need to enter this contest separately every day for a new chance to win! OPEN INTERNATIONALLY)

Sweet Enemy

Beakers and ball gowns don't mix, so when lady chemist, Miss Liliana Claremont, goes undercover as a husband-hunter to investigate Lord Geoffrey Wentworth, the earl whose family she suspects murdered her father, romance isn't part of her formula. But it only takes one kiss to start a reaction she can't control...

Read the Prologue and First Chapter HERE...

Sweet Deception


Lady criminologist, Miss Emma Wallingford, unknowingly finds herself tangled up in the dangerous final mission of Lord Derick Aveline, a spy who also happens to be her long-lost first love. But when deception, however sweet, is the name of the game, no one can be trusted. And every love--and every life--is at risk.

Read the First Chapter HERE.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And don’t forget SWEET MADNESS, coming April 2, 2013!


There’s a fine line between love and insanity…

Ever since her husband’s sudden and tragic death, Lady Penelope Bridgeman has committed herself to studying the maladies of the mind, particularly treating traumatized soldiers of the Napoleonic Wars. It is this expertise that brings the Marquess of Bromwich’s family to her door.

Gabriel Devereaux’s unexpected and unpredictable episodes are unlike any Penelope has studied. The once proud soldier has been left shaken and withdrawn, but she manages to build a fragile trust between them. Strangely, Gabriel seems completely lucid when not in the grips of his mania, and in the calm between bouts, she is surprised by how much she is drawn to him.

Despite his own growing feelings, Gabriel knows that he is fit for no one, and is determined to keep Penelope away from his descent into madness. But even though she knows firsthand the folly of loving a broken man, Penelope cannot stop herself from trying to save him, no matter the cost.

Read the Prologue and First Chapter HERE...

"In this emotional, compassionate romance...the powerful love story will sweep readers away."
~RT BookReviews, 4 1/2 stars

“The brilliance of Sweet Madness shines strongly and completely. Heather Snow is cutting edge…a master storyteller. Sweet Madness is a magnificent story.”
~Book Obsessed Chicks 5 stars

 

See you tomorrow, where our featured author is Jennifer McQuiston!!!

 

And don’t forget, giveaways are open for TWO weeks, so if you’ve missed any of the fabulous authors featured, visit the archives section and enter!

 

 

 

 

51 comments:

  1. I grew up at South Borneo, in my beautiful country, Indonesia. I spent my childhood till my teenage life in there. I loved that place, there's so many memories in there.

    Thanks for this giveaway :)

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    1. I'd love to visit Indonesia one of these days :) Thanks for visiting!

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  2. I grew up in Biloxi, MS. It is on the Gulf Coast.

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  3. Thanks for the fun post! I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. Not as bad as it seems... lol... and I still live here!

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    1. You know, as close as I am, I've never been to Omaha. I keep meaning to bring Heir and Spare up to see the zoo. I need to combine it with a signing...

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    2. You'd love it! It's big enough to definitely be an all day trip. I've got it all planned out for you! You can stay at Coco Key water resort for the Kids, do a signing at one of our B&N, go to the zoo, see the Children's museum and the Laritzen Gardens (which has a lego land display right now, sounds awesome and I'm planning on going). Just don't come during the college World series cuz it's packed and hotel rates go through the roof.

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  4. I grew up in Hull, Quebec, Canada! near Ottawa, the capital of Ontario!

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  5. I grew up in Duisburg, Germany right in the middle of an industrial area. I am so happy to live now in a rural area.

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    1. My parents also grew up in the city, only moving to the country when I was in high school. Now you can hardly drag them back to the city for a visit!

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  6. I grew up in Dallas Texas.

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  7. Hong Kong.... but we moved back to Canada later...

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    1. I SO want to visit Canada. My husband spent 3 weeks in China last year and loved it. I couldn't go because the boys were too young, but we're definitely planning a return trip.

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  8. Grew up in a small town in NC...only 2 stop lights.

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  9. I grew up in Silver Spring, MD, a suburb of Washington, DC.

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  10. I was born and raised in Flint, MI, living in the same house until I was married in '64. Living in various houses until I retired and left MI for the warmer climes of NC where I am now.

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    1. I made my first visit to NC last fall...SO beautiful

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  11. i grew up in southern California in a little town called Los Angeles and i spent my summers and holidays in Mexico with my grandmother i can't imagine growing up any where else ... well... my hubby is from America Samoa and that sounds like a great place to grow up.. or at least vacation there... lol :-)

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  12. The book sounds amazing! I'm currently living in NJ, but spent my childhood in NJ and my 20s in CA.

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  13. The first 6 years I lived in various states in the U.S. while my dad was in the air force. Then we settled in Georgia.

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  14. I've lived in Indiana all my life, except for 3 months in Utah.

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  15. I grew up in Havertown, Pa, which is right outside of Philadelphia.

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  16. So jealous also! I grew up in a little town in Oregon. It's beautiful there I loved to hike, raft, and camp during the summer months. We don't get harsh winters which is really what I love.

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    1. Oregon is spectacular! We were only there for a few days, but we long to come back

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  17. I grew up outside of Pittsburgh, PA!

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  18. I grew up on the east coast.

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  19. I grew up in Green Bay, WI.

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  20. Grew up in Twin Cities, MN. (:
    I don't wish to live here throughout my life though. When I tire of the cold weather, I think I'd like somewhere more country and live a ranch lifestyle.

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  21. I grew up on the South side of Chicago. I am a life long Chicago White Sox fan.

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  22. Um Sydney, Australia. But I was born in Perth (also Australia).

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  23. I grew up and still live in a small colonial town in New Jersey.

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  24. I grew up in a small village called Scotia, New York before moving to Schenectady, NY which was just across the bridge on the other side of the Mohawk river which was started to be built in 1806 and finished in 1909.

    I loved growing up as a child in Scotia and one reason was our great little library where I loved visiting during the summer break and exploring and reading one summer every book about famous women they had!

    When we moved to Schenectady I loved learning the history of the Mohawk bridge which was started in 1806 and finished in 1809. I'll never forget the first time I took my husband to my "hometown" and the first thing he asked was "Where is the Erie Canal" and I told him while some of the locks still remained outside the city that he was actually riding on the filled in canal which they had filled in and had become a very wide street!

    Schenectady was settled in1661 when the area was part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland. On February 8, 1690, the town was attacked and overrun by forces of France and their Indian allies, who burned the town and killed all but 60 of the inhabitants. This event is known as The Schenectady Massacre.

    Later that same area of town was called the Stockade area and my Grandmother lived in that area which is what made me so interested as a teenager to find out more about my city when I was in Junior High!

    One of the things that I also learned from one of my three Uncles that worked for GE in our town was that in 1887, Thomas Edison moved his Edison Machine Works to Schenectadyand in 1892, Schenectady became the headquarters of the General Electric Company.

    Our home in Schenectady was just several block from Union College where my father graduated from college. Union College which is the oldest planned college campus in the United States. The Union campus features Jackson's Garden, formal gardens where my parents were married and woodlands , and the unique 16-sided Nott Memorial building, built in 1875. Another note of interest is that part of the movie Love Story was filmed at Union College.

    Again one of my favorite places after we moved to Schenectady was the local library which was just 1 block from my home! No wonder I love reading so much!

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  25. Hello Jennifer and Heather! I loved the Hawaiian Islands...have been there twice and loved ever minute of the stays. But I grew up in a lonely, dirty little desert town in Southern California called Blythe. A good place to raise kids, however, because there were few temptations to get our attention away from school and home work. I'm just glad I don't live there anymore! My desire is to live once again in a Northern California coastal town (lived in Santa Cruz for four years in the 1980's). I'm glad I got to "meet" you during this blog interview, Jennifer. I would love to read your historical romances. jdh2690@gmail.com

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  26. Down south in Mississippi! :-)

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  27. I grew up in Florida, Tennessee and Missouri.

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  28. Hello everyone! Thanks so much for commenting and thanks so much for having me, Heather! Happy March Sweet Madness!

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  29. I grew up in Southern California, first in Oceanside (near San Diego) within blocks of the beach, then in Orange County - still close enough to the ocean to feel the breeze. Now I'm in Central Florida, still a warm climate, but I miss those ocean breezes.

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  30. I grew up and still live in lower Michigan.

    Marcy Shuler
    bmndshuler(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  31. I grew up in the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico!

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  32. I grew up in Prunedale, California. Nothing special but I like it here :)

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  33. I grew up in Chicago, North side :)

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  34. I grew up and still live in a small town in East Texas.

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  35. I am a hillbilly from the hills of eastern Kentucky. I was raised on a farm. It was a great childhood!! Hard work, but much fun and love!!

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  36. I was born in Sioux City, Iowa but I grew up in Minnesota and North Dakota..in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

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  37. I grew up in New York City, not sure if it's really the best play to be raised but now I live with my husband in a small town.

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  38. I grew up all over. Maryland, Texas, North Carolina, Kansas & Georgia

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