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, September 3, 2013

Mia Marlowe in the Reader Salon...

Happy September, my lovely Reader Salon patrons! Labor Day has come and gone, school has begun and the last waning days of a long and lovely summer are coming to an end.
 
What better way to start fall off than with fabulous historical romances? For the month of September, in celebration of her 20th book (yes, 20th!), I'll be featuring the works of Mia Marlowe here at Heather's Historical Reader Salon!
 
Today, just feast your eyes on her lovely covers (and a few excerpts). Then check back throughout the month for more detailed features of her books. At the end of the month, I'll be giving away FIVE of Mia's books (one each for 5 lucky winners!), so come back often!
 
And readers, if you've read any of Mia's work, please tell us all about it in the comments so that other Salon Patrons can see what YOU love about Mia...
 
 
Plaid to the Bone
 

readorder

    

Silk Dreams
read order

 

The Spirit of the Highlands Series

Plaid to the Bone
Plaid Tidings
Coming October 1!


The Touch of Seduction Series

Touch of a Thief
Touch of a Rogue

 
Touch of a Scoundrel
Touch of a Lady
A Rock*It Reads
e-novella

Mia Marlowe/Connie Mason Collaborative Works

The Royal Rakes Series
Waking Up with a RakeOne Night with a Rake
Other Collaborations with Connie Mason
Sins of a Highlander Lord of fire and iceLord of fire and ice


 

The How To Series
How to Distract A DutchessHow to Please a PirateHow to Vex a Viscount
The How-To Series
Songs of the North Series
MaidensongErinsong
More Rock*It Reads
Stroke of Genius Touch of a Lady My Lady Below StairsA Duke for All Seasons
Silk Dreams

 

 

Anthologies

Improper Gentlemen

        
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

The Keeper Shelf


For our first month at the Historical Reader Salon, I thought we’d talk about The Keeper Shelf. We all have one… It may evolve and change over the years—I know mine has—but there are those books we just can’t let go of.
 
 

 

On my top shelf? Lisa Kleypas, Julie Garwood, Johanna Lindsay, Sabrina Jefferies and Julia Quinn. (Luckily I have VERY wide bookshelves!) My second shelf is populated with Elizabeth Hoyt, Tracy Anne Warren, Sherry Thomas, Sarah MacLean, Pamela Britton, Stephanie Laurens, Meredith Duran and Tessa Dare. Shelf Three? Jude Devereaux, Janelle Taylor, Sophia Nash and Laura Kinsale. I’m also lucky to have Shelves Four and Five…

 

Not every book I’ve read from my favorite authors makes the Shelf—just the ones that touch me so much I want to read them again and again and again!

 

So this month, let’s share what’s on our Keeper Shelves and why. At the end of the month, FIVE winners will win a book from MY keeper shelves… (Enter through the Rafflecopter form, please! Can enter each day of July)
a Rafflecopter giveaway


I’ll go first in the comments below…

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Day 31: If I Fall by Kate Noble


 

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

 

Well, it’s been a fun, fun month here at Heather’s Historical Reader Salon. Thank you SO much for coming by and sharing in the March Sweet Madness event!

 

I’d like to invite you back tomorrow, where there will be details about the Spread the Madness campaign, a series of fun contests I'll have running in the month of April to celebrate the release of SWEET MADNESS! Plus, you'll learn all about Heather's Historical Reader Salon, and what I have in store for you when it officially "opens" May 1 right here. I won’t go into all of the details now, as I want to get right to talking about Kate Noble’s books, but I can tell you each month will feature one of your favorite authors, plus fun games and giveaways. You won’t want to miss it!

 

But now, for our last featured author during March Sweet Madness, I chose Kate Noble. Kate is a superb writer, and she so happens to have a new book coming out the same day as SWEET MADNESS. Look for her book, LET IT BE, which was an RT Top Pick for April!

 

In the meantime, I’ll be giving away her last book, IF I FALL, to a lucky reader here.

 

More about the book:

 

Every great romance comes with a risk...

 

After a duke's betrayal, the resilient Sarah Forrester reinvents herself as the Golden Lady: society's leading light, the beautiful and witty life of the party. It's all a façade of course-one that protects her from another intimate disloyalty. When her old friend, Lieutenant Jackson Fletcher, returns to London, he is determined to rediscover the true and trusting Sarah he once knew. It'll take more than a kiss and a promise. It might even call for an innocent and necessary deception.

 

Then Jackson is enlisted to help capture the lead suspect in a murder— a man who happens to be Sarah's most ardent suitor. Jack must continue the deception, and weathering this newest and gravest betrayal will be Sarah's ultimate test. But as Jack's passion for her grows, he must also reveal his own secrets. And as the killer turns his attention to his pursuers, more than love and trust is put at risk.

 


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 Kate, 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

 

Please do come back in April to participate in the Spread the Madness contests to celebrate the release of SWEET MADNESS and to learn all about Heather's Historical Reader Salon, which will officially "open" May 1st!

 

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!

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Day 30: Secrets of a Runaway Bride by Valerie Bowman


 

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

 

One of my favorite authors, Lisa Kleypas, had this to say about Valerie Bowman’s debut: “Secrets of A Wedding Night is the most charming and clever debut I’ve read in years! With her sparkling dialogue, vivid characters and self-assured writing style, Valerie Bowman has instantly established herself as a romance author with widespread appeal. This engaging and sweetly romantic story is just too delightful to miss.”

 

So if you DID miss it, you’d better grab it quick, because her second novel, SECRETS OF A RUNAWAY BRIDE just came out last Tuesday, and it’s the book I’m featuring today!

 

More about the book:

 

Miss Annie Andrews is finally free to marry the man she loves. With her overprotective sister out of the country on her honeymoon, nothing can prevent her flight to Gretna Greene–nothing, that is, but an abduction by the wrong gentleman.

When Jordan Holloway, the Earl of Ashbourne, promised to look after his best friend’s sister-in-law, he didn’t realize she would prove so difficult. But when he spirits her away to his country house to prevent her elopement, he discovers that the tempting beauty knows how to put up a fight. To make matters worse, he’s stuck playing the role of honorable protector…when what he really wants is to run away with her himself.


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:

Print


eBook


To find out more about Valerie, 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 last featured author (sniff, sniff) is Kate Noble!!!

 

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!

 

 

 

 

Friday, March 29, 2013

Day 29: A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah Maclean


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


I can’t believe the month is almost over, and I hope you all have had as great of a time as I have!


Today’s featured author, Sarah Maclean, blew me away with her adult romance debut, Nine Rules To Break When Romancing a Rake. I still remember turning the pages breathlessly. I can’t tell you how much I adored it.


When choosing which book to feature, I decided to go with the first in her new series, however, because…well, it rocks, too. And it has a really gorgeous cover! Plus, it was just this week nominated for the Romance Writers of America's RITA award. Congratulations Sarah!!!


More about the book:


What a scoundrel wants, a scoundrel gets . . .

A decade ago, the Marquess of Bourne was cast from society with nothing but his title. Now a partner in London’s most exclusive gaming hell, the cold, ruthless Bourne will do whatever it takes to regain his inheritance—including marrying perfect, proper Lady Penelope Marbury.

A broken engagement and years of disappointing courtships have left Penelope with little interest in a quiet, comfortable marriage, and a longing for something more. How lucky that her new husband has access to such unexplored pleasures.

Bourne may be a prince of London’s underworld, but he vows to keep Penelope untouched by its wickedness—a challenge indeed as the lady discovers her own desires, and her willingness to wager anything for them . . . even her heart.


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:

Order Rogue from a store near you!
Indiebound
Signed copies can be shipped anywhere from WORD Bookstore in Brooklyn!
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

To find out more about Sarah, 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 Valerie Bowman!!!


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!

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Day 28: The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries


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

 

Oh you guys… Today I am featuring one of my very, very, very (did I say very?) favorite authors. Every single time I read one of her books, there is a point where I have to stop and think, “Wow. That bit was perfect.” Her writing has inspired me as much or more than any author’s out there.

When I discovered Sabrina Jeffries, oh so long ago, it was one of those moments where you put down the book you just finished and immediately rush to buy everything this author has ever written! Luckily, she’s written a lot…which made it REALLY hard to pick which book to feature today.

In the end, I went with THE TRUTH ABOUT LORD STONEVILLE, simply because it is the beginning of her last series, and you MUST start there if you plan to read the Hellions of Halstead Hall series. They are all SO good! In fact, the last book in that series, A LADY NEVER SURRENDERS was just nominated for the Romance Writers of America RITA Award! CONGRATULATIONS SABRINA!!!

More about the book:

They're the scandalous Sharpes, five hell-raising siblings tainted by a shocking family legacy. Now each faces a daunting ultimatum: marry by year's end—or kiss their inheritance good-bye.

In the two decades since a tragic "accident" took the lives of his parents, Oliver Sharpe, the Marquess of Stoneville, has survived the scandal surrounding that fateful night by living as an unrepentant rakehell. And with his grandmother vowing to disinherit him if he doesn't settle down and wed, he plans to fulfill the bargain in true Sharpe style—by bringing home a fake fiancée from a brothel! But his scheme is derailed when he rescues an American beauty in a dire predicament instead.

Maria Butterfield came to London to track down her groom-to-be, who's gone missing, but her engagement won't stop Oliver from getting what he wants: her, in his bed. His rebellious masquerade may call his grandmother's bluff, but it's soon made all too real—by a love that tempts him to be a hellion no more.


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 Sabrina, including her hilarious comic Will  & Jane’s Excellent Adventures (yes, as in Shakespeare and Austen!), 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 Sarah Maclean!!!

 

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!