Tag: Harlequin Enterprises

Lady Jane’s Salon

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The July 6th Lady Jane’s Salon saw a fabulous turn out despite the steamy temperatures and holiday weekend. In addition to co-hosting two fabulous guest authors, Dianna Love and Colby Hodge, I got to guest myself! Please check out my videotaped reading from The Tutor.

The August 2nd Lady Jane’s Salon aims to send off summer with a bang. Our guests will be Anna DePalo, Erica Ridley, and Alaya Dawn Johnson. As always guest authors books will be available for purchase on site.

Lady Jane’s meets at Madame X (94 West Houston) on the first Monday of every month, 7-9 PM. Cash bar. Admission is $5 or one gently-used paperback romance novel with net proceeds supporting local women’s charities.

THE TUTOR is Out! Plus Lady Jane’s July 5th Salon Goodness

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My July Victorian-set historical release, The Tutor is shipping from online retailers as well as showing up in selected brick-and-mortar stores–squee! I’ll be signing stock in New York City stores over the coming week and posting a list here on my blog for readers living in or visiting The Big Apple, so please check back. In the meantime, check out the excerpt and, if you haven’t already, take a few moments and enter my contest.

tutor_276I’ll also be reading The Tutor and signing copies at the July 5th Lady Jane’s Salon, so if your Fourth of July holiday plans bring you into the New York City area, please consider joining us.  We have a jam-packed evening with three other great guest authors: Toni McGee Causey, Dianna Love, and Colby Hodge AKA Cindy Holby.

Otherwise, same time, same place: 7-9 PM at Madame X. Admission is $5 or one gently-used paperback romance novel with net proceeds supporting an end-of-year donation to a New York City women’s charity.

Hope

Christmas Comes Early…

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It’s not even Turkey Day yet, but early copies of Twelve Nights have already been sighted in selected bookstores. My…elves tell me Posman Books in Manhattan’s Grand Central Station (9 Grand Central Terminal, Vanderbilt & 42nd Streets) have five copies in stock and available for sale in the store’s Romance Section.

Even better, they’re signed and stickered!

I knew I loved Posman’s for a reason, and not just because my buddy, romance novel reviewer and author, Stacey Agdern works as a bookseller there. Definitely check out this great, romance-friendly bookstore, preferably in time to see the station’s winter holiday decorations.

Cover Model…Colbert?

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Last night I was an audience member of The Colbert Report with buddy Maya Rodale. Both longtime fans of the show, we were thrilled to be seated in the VIP audience seats (row #2!!!) where we would be up close and (hopefully) personal with our hero.

Hope with Maya before the taping.
Far right, Hope with Maya before the taping.

We were, we did, and I’m happy to rapport…oops, I mean, report, that satirist Stephen Colbert did not disappoint. Fresh back from broascasting in Iraq and with the buzz cut to show for it, in all…truthiness, Colbert is even funnier in person than on TV–and that’s saying a lot.

We’d been schooled by staffers that Colbert would come out for an audience Q&A prior to the taping and that we should all be ready with a question.

With or without hair, Colbert looks g-o-o-d. Photo courtesy of www.colbertnation.com.
With or without hair, Colbert looks g-o-o-d. Photo courtesy of www.colbertnation.com.

And I was ready, oh how I was ready…

Remember back in 2007 when Harlequin put out the word that the company was searching for manly “real men” to pose for their covers? Colbert caught wind of the campaign and announced on the Colbert Report that he was waiting for Harlequin’s call. “All right, the ball is in your court, Harlequin.” To prove it, he posed with an intern for several spoof covers–as a lusty pirate, a dude ranch cowboy, and a corporate mogul.

Flash forward to June 16, 2009 otherwise known as Last Night. Before I knew it, Colbert was being introduced. He shot out from the black stage curtain. The buzz cut threw me at first but only for like thirty seconds. In person and behind-the-scenes, Colbert isn’t just witty and funny.

He’s also absolutely gracious and dare I say…hawt!?!

The shout-out for questions came. I tucked a copy of Bound to Please beneath my bum and shot my hand up in the air. Colbert turned my way. Our gazes met, stuck like glue–contractor glue, not the schlocky kind the rest of us buy. My heart kicked into a canter (if in Regency England) or fired full throttle (if in modern day Manhattan). Regardless of era, my sub-A cup bosom was heaving like a mother f…Well, I was having a hard time catching my breath. My mouth went dry, bone dry, whilst/while other parts of me went instantly damp, drenched you might say…

And by “parts” I mean my palms.

“Yes?” Colbert asked. He strode my way, his wingtips devouring the studio floor separating us.

He stood before me now, all virile satirist and questing eyes. It was, I knew, my moment of truthiness. I gingerly slid the copy of Bound to Please from its hiding place ‘neath my…nether parts and handed it over to him. Our fingertips brushed. Ah, sweet bliss…

I whetted my parched desert dry lips. “I’m um…um…” Dash it, who the devil was I!?! “Oh, right, I’m Hope Tarr, I write romance novels for Harlequin Enterprises and I want to know when you’re going to be the cover model for my next steamy Harlequin release.”

Bound to Please bound to be better with...Colbert!?!

Witty repartee ensued–from Colbert, that is. I’d spent myself on the introduction. Fortunately my chained cover hero, his tussled tartan, and yes, the ever so subtle shout line on the cover, “This guy’s a sure thing!” were all grist for the comedy mill. He even posited potential titles for his Harlequin cover debut.

It was heady stuff, titillating times, but there were other audience members with questions to consider and well, I knew I mustn’t be greedy. I let him walk away, not into the sunset but into the strobe lighting. It’s for the best, I’m sure and yet…

Goodnight, Nation.

Hope

Seeing Stars…

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Yesterday’s Matthew Modine sighting turned out to be but the kick-off to a plethora of Real Live Celebrity sightings. (And the RL’s are ever so much perkier than the alternative). 😉

Thanks to Regency historical author, and Lady Jane Salon co-founder, Maya Rodale who asked me along as her guest, I attended the twenty-fifth anniversary of “A Gala Evening of Readings” hosted by Literacy Partners. For the past thirty-five years, Literacy Partners has provided “hope and opportunity for adults who cannot read” in the form of free adult and family literacy programs reaching more than 25,000 disadvantaged New Yorkers.

Held in the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the evening was “gala” indeed, the guest list studded with stars, the plaza outside a veritable red carpet Who’s Who of Manhattan socialites and celebrities from the news media and literary worlds, all decked out in designer duds. Note: We didn’t look any too shabby ourselves but since shutter-bugging didn’t seem to be quite the thing, you’ll have to take my word for it).

At the pre-program cocktail reception, Yours Truly, along with Maya and our mutual friend, Scandalous Woman Elizabeth Kerri Mahon jostled for vino and noshes with celebrity attendees including Martha Stewart (she sat two rows behind us in the auditorium later), Tommy Tune (“Jenny, Jenny…”), Barbara Taylor Bradford, Barbara Walters, and Barbara Goldsmith to name but a few. (And yes, that’s a lot of Bab’s).

The main event featured readings by Barbara Walters (who read the prologue from her recent memoir), Marie Brenner (author and writer-at-large for Vanity Fair), Christopher Buckley (son of the late William F), and David Wroblewski (The Story of Edgar Sawtelle).

Sarah Lindsey, Rob of Romantic Times BOOKREviews, and Hope share the love at the May Lady Jane's.
Sarah Lindsey, Rob of Romantic Times BOOKReviews, and Hope share the love at the April Lady Jane's. Photo courtesy of Rob, RT Mag.

In like support of literacy and general feel-goodness, I hope anyone in the New York area, or in town for Book Expo America will join us for the June 1st Lady Jane’s Salon. We’ve just added a fourth fab author to our line up. Talented historical author, Diane Gaston will join Amanda McCabe in reading from their anthology, The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor, May ’09, a featured book for Harlequin’s Diamond Anniversary.

Diane Gaston. Photo courtesy of www.dianegaston.com.
Diane Gaston. Photo courtesy of www.dianegaston.com.

As always, the proceeds support Maya’s charity, Share the Love, which reaches out to groups serving women-in-transition as they work to build hopeful, independent lives.

Hope

Blogging Today at Lifetime TV’s Romance Buy the Book

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Okay, chicks, I’m over today blogging with my editor, Brenda Chin, at Michelle Buonfiglio’s Romance B(u)y the Book at LifetimeTV.com. We’ll be visited throughout the day by bestselling authors Jacquie D’Alessandro, Jade Lee, Betina Krahn and latest Blaze Historical author, Patricia Potter.

The post topic: When Size Matters. I’d say more but really, doesn’t that sort of say it all? 😉

And bonus, we’re running a contest. Six separate winners will each receive signed books by Jade Lee (The Tao of Sex), Jacquie D’Alessandro (Jinxed) and Strokes of Midnight and It’s a Wonderfully Sexy Life by yeppers, Yours Truly.

So if you can, hop on over and join Brenda and I as we dish on what’s next for Harlequin’s sexy Blaze Historicals with Michelle B and her “Bellas.” Actually, if you come on over, that makes you a Bella, too.

On the Blogosphere Homefront i.e., “here,” look for upcoming posts on “Life According to Alda,” uber fab actor, director and yes, author Alan Alda whom I got to meet and yes, even actually touch last night and “Dating and Darwinism, The Old-New Frontier.”

So much to blog on, so little time…

Hope

Travel Whirlwind

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Hi Everyone,

Since my last post, I’ve been in a travel whirlwind, not the violent force of nature sort of “whirlwind” that brings to mind the tornado that landed poor Dorothy out of Kansas and smack into Oz (though I’ve had my moments) but rather the fun albeit hectic kind that brings new friends met, old friends reunited, and myriad new creative sparks well… sparking.

A few weeks ago I made my first visit to Toronto, Canada, where one of my wonderful publishers, Harlequin Enterprises is headquartered. It was a thrill to tour the HQ offices and meet the amazing publishing pros who literally make it happen, including Publisher and CEO, Donna Hayes. My traveling buddy was fellow Blaze author, Cara Summers who was working on edits for her twenty-eighth novel. Way to go Cara!

This past weekend I was an invited speaker at James Rivers Writers’ annual conference in Richmond, Virginia. Held at the Library of Virginia, the conference took “Electrify Your Writing” as this year’s theme. Not only did I leave electrified–I was flat out star struck. Fellow panelists included Pullitzer winning poet Claudia Emerson (“Late Wife”), internationally bestselling author Eric Van Lustbader (selected to continue Robert Ludlum’s beloved Jason Bourne series), and bestselling romance author, Sabrina Jeffries. Small wonder I’m still seeing stars.

On Wednesday I head to Florida for the Amelia Island Book Festival. This year’s four-day long festival will be located in the heart of downtown Fernandino Beach. Featured programs will include “Rock n’ Roll Readings,” (how cool is that!) and a Meet the Author luncheon on a local cruise ship. Yours Truly will be participating as a speaker on a number of panels, including one where I’ll get to dish on one of my favorite soap box topics–pets in books!

Anybody else traveling this fall?

Whether your feet are firmly planted at the home hearth or on the teeny tiny foot space of a plane carrying you to some exotic locale, here’s wishing you an October as refreshingly delicious as that first bite into a Golden Delicious apple purchased from a roadside stand…

Hope