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!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Day 26: My Wicked Little Lies by Victoria Alexander


 

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

 

Can you believe there’s only a WEEK left of March Sweet Madness? I know…it’s sad. But here’s some consolation…there’s only one week until SWEET MADNESS arrives at your bookstore (or your doorstep, if you’ve pre-ordered)!

 

But never fear! I’ll keep you reading while you wait. And who better to feature than the incredible Victoria Alexander? She’s been an inspiration to me as a writer—in fact, left-brained sciency-type that I am, I dissected one of my favorite books of hers, A Little Bit Wicked, to try to teach myself the craft of writing back before I started!

 

I would have featured that book, but given it was published in 2006, you’ve all probably read it. So instead, I chose MY WICKED LITTLE LIES—another fabulous book with a fun premise:

 

Evelyn Hadley-Attwater has it all—a genteel Victoria life replete with loving husband, ball gowns and elegant parties. No one, including the man she married, suspects that she was once “Eve”, a spy for England’s most enigmatic intelligence agency. Summoned for one final assignment, the excitement of her former life and memories of her mysterious, flirtatious boss “Sir” prove too tempting . . .

Adrian Hadley Attwater is a respectable, dignified gentleman. But even the most proper gentlemen have secrets of their own. Secrets from the rest of the world, from their families, from their wives. Secrets that have a price. Now, as the veil of secrecy frays, a tantalizing game of cat and mouse will test the bounds of unfailing love . . .

Excerpt

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
 

To find out more about Victoria, 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 Courtney Milan!!!

 

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!

 

 

 

 

50 comments:

  1. Exciting! Loved to read how Eve escaped detection and accomplishes her last mission as a spy. I've always enjoyed your books Victoria.

    Adrian and Evelyn,spies with secrets! WOW!

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  2. I am not sharing any secrets...but I can't wait to read this

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  3. I have secrets, but I'm not sharing any! ;-)

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    1. Oh, you spoiled sport... ;) (notice, I haven't offered up any secrets, either)

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  4. My youngest son's getting married May 24th in Virginia! Nobody else knows (siblings or relatives).

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  5. Hmm... I once ate an entire bulk bag of gummy bears in one sitting.

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  6. no secrets here, but it might be fun to have some!

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  7. Secrets you say? Well, I shall not kiss and tell now shall I? That would not be so secretive of me! *giggles*

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  8. So many secrets~ ;) I buy a lot of books and keep it a secret from my parents about how much money I use to buy them.

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  9. No secrets here ;)

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  10. i recently started smoking when i hang out with my girlfriend and we my hubby asked me why i smell of smoke i say you know how much so and so smokes.... :-)

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  11. Secrets, huh? Well, I can only think of one, since I know secrets can "come back and bite you." I do all the financial stuff online and I pay all the bills, and I'm the only one who has a tablet ereader. So my secret is that I buy way too many ebooks than is good for our budget. So I pinch the budget in other ways. :-) Thanks (or not) for asking the question. Ha! jdh2690@gmail.com

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    1. Hey...it was the perfect question for this book ;)

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  12. I have several, but I can not tell. I am sorry. I really wish I could share a little, but I truly can not safely say anything about them. I love her books!! That is no secret!! Thanks for a great giveaway!!!

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  13. No way, I'm not sharing my secrets.lol

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  14. My secret is that I love to read. Wait, that's no secret!!

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  15. the only secret is that I love historical romances. Thanks for giveaway.

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  16. If I share my secrets then they wouldn't be a secret anymore, so I think not.

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  17. If I share my secrets then they wouldn't be a secret anymore, so I think not.

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  18. Secrets... everyone has secrets.. I'm not telling mine.

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  19. I don't have any juicy secrets to share.

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  20. I am a HORRIBLE secret keeper! I don't think I could keep one to save my life. It's not that I like to gossip, it's just that I like to know what other people think about said secret and if they think the same as I do. I'm just curious!! P.S. Victoria Alexander is one of my absolute favorites!! I've read a majority of her books and I love them all!

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  21. Of course I have secrets. Am I going to share them? Definitely not. It's more fun to keep you guessing. LOL

    Marcy Shuler
    bmndshuler(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  22. I like to keep my secrets to myself. Makes life interesting.
    lauratroxelatyahoodotocm

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  23. I'm good at keeping secrets. So, alas, I haven't any to share! Thanks for the giveaways.

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  24. No; I think I'll keep any secrets to myself.

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  25. I only eat M&M's in even numbers :)

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  26. Nope, no secrets I'd like to share! :)

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  27. I let my teen daughter start reading historical romance when she was in the 6th grade. Am I a bad mommy or what? She's now in 10th grade and wonders why boys are not very romantic. Like I said, bad mommy....

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    1. Ha! That's about when I started reading them...actually, I snuck my grandmother's, so I started reading them earlier than that. Yikes. I feel your daughter's pain! That's probably why I was so picky, and made sure to marry the romantic when he came along :)

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  28. I think I'll keep my secrets to myself. It's safer that way.

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  29. I have a few secrets, but I'll take them to the grave, I'm no squealer. :D

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    1. I knew YOU wouldn't tell, Barbara...you've got your mouth covered up by that book... ;)

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  30. Victoria Alexander is such a long time favorite of mine.
    I cant walk by a rug with a corner flipped up or under without fixing it. And I cant walk by a dried up leaf without stepping on it to hear the crunch.
    Is that what you meant about secrets?? LOL
    lisakhutson(at)cox(dot)net

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  31. No secrets here but if I had any, I think I'd keep them to myself. Thanks for the contest. lisagk (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  32. Nope....no secrets here.

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  33. I have two great secrets that will stay with me forever

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  34. humm cannot really think of anything juicy. I do have other secrets I carry <3 I am good at keeping them.

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  35. No secrets I'm willing to share with the world! I'll just keep them to myself, but thanks for the offer! :)

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  36. My lips are sealed, nothing juicy here. ;)

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  37. I am pretty sure my husband has no idea how many books I buy each week!

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  38. Sorry, no secrets...well, at least not any that I willing to share.

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