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Join me live this Saturday, August 1st, 8-10 PM EST with Medallion Press on BlogTalk Radio. Note: I go on at 8:45 PM. Fellow guests: Heather Graham and Vicki Hinze and the illustrative team of Fortin & Sanders.
We’ll be dishing on the publishing industry and our latest books. Bonus: there’ll be prezzies! Call in at 347-327-9389 and win my “Men of Roxbury House” books: Vanquished, Enslaved and Untamed.
Hope
Congratulations to my mid-May contest winner, Linda C of North Bay, Ontario. Linda, props to you for playing and your prize: a signed copy of Vanquished, the launch to my Men of Roxbury House trilogy, and Strokes of Midnight is, as they say, “in the mail.”Â
Didn’t win this time? Stick around and enter again. The final of four winners, in July, will win four books, two for themselves, and two to be donated in their name to Share-The-Love.org — because everyone needs a little love.
Hope
Congratulations to my mid-April contest winner, Amira H of Humboldt, Nebraska. Amira’s prize package, a signed copy of Strokes of Midnight, my contemporary Harlequin Blaze and Vanquished,the launch to my historical “Men of Roxbury House” miniseries, is en en route to her “as we speak.”
Here at hopetarr.com we pride ourselves on promoting compassion for all creatures great and small. “Animal-friendliness” is a big part of the brand for my books. I’m happy to report the critters are reciprocating in kind! Please savor these photos of Daisy Jane, the four-legged companion of my mid-March contest winner, Rachael G of Cairo, MO. Check out Rachael’s blog for more photos as well the dish on her latest reads.
Didn’t win this time ’round? Dinna fash as my Scottish historical hero, Ewan Fraser of Bound to Please would say. I’m offering the same great prizes through June, so if you didn’t win, there’s still time to head over to my Contest page and try your luck again. Someone’s gotta win. It might as well be…You.
Hope
Just a petit mot (oops, that’s Paris talk) from the proverbial “road” to say what a super fab time I’ve been having these past two weeks and counting. The week in Paris with Liz Maverick was nothing short of magical, and I’ll be posting the highlights, with photos, once I get back home.
This week in London with Liz and Scandalous Woman, Elizabeth Kerri Mahon, has been equally fun albeit with a different vibe–more Manhattan fast-paced, less vino, less frommage, and yes, less secondhand smoking. Highlights so far: uber hottie James McAvoy in THREE DAYS OF RAIN, Dame Judi Dench in MADAME DE SADE, a behind-the-scenes tour of the Royal Theater at Drury Lane where my fictional heroine, Daisy, tread the boards in ENSLAVED, cream tea at The Wolsley, and drinks at The Ten Cups with Liz, EKM, and EKM’s delightful London-based friends. The pub, situated in Spitalfields, has the dubious distinction of looking out onto the street where The Ripper offed his last victim. Think Victorian grunge chic meets Gen X and Y. I could say more, and I will (oh, I will), but for the present I’m headed back out to savor.
Cheerio,
Hope
Congratulations to my first contest winners of 2009: Elaine C-D of Ormond Beach, FL, Madelina R of Parlin, NJ, and Dianna H of Newark, OH, all of whom knew that Belmopan is the location of the resort in Belize where Cole and Alex stay in Every Breath You Take…
Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter. Prize packages with copies of my New Year’s themed Harlequin Blaze, Strokes of Midnight and cover flat keepsakes for Untamed, the finale to my “Men of Roxbury House” trilogy are on the way to the winners “as we speak.”
Didn’t win this time ’round? No worries. My new contest is posted with a new question but a repeat of the same fun prizes.
Hope
I’m deep “in the soup” as my writer buddy, Liz Maverick is fond of saying, so immersed in my work-in-progress that if it weren’t for the occasional vocal intervention of hungry cats, I’m not sure I’d register the time of day.
Still, you know what “they” say about all work and no play. In this case, it makes Hope a dull girl and well, when you’re a writer of romance fiction and a purveyor of Happily Ever Afters, you can’t have that.
I took time out this Friday to meet friends for the opening of the new James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, and I am ever so glad I did. First off, though, I have to cop to the need to eat a little crow. Before seeing the film, I had doubts, vocally expressed doubts, about Daniel Craig pulling off the classic role of Fleming’s uber suave British secret agent. Even though I’m a fan of the film series, I missed out on seeing the 2006 prequel, Casino Royale, Craig’s debut in the role. Not to cast aspersions on Mr. Craig’s acting abilities and well, obvious attributes, but he’s no Remington Steele, and make fun of me if you will, but I really liked Pierce Brosnan in the role. And Craig is blond, which seemed like it might work against the character’s edgy, dark vibe.
After seeing the film, I have to concede that the critics are right on the money this time. Daniel Craig is the penultimate James Bond, at least since Sean Connery passed on the revolver. As for edgy and dark, well, his performance may give new meaning to those words. I think he may be the most tortured Bond yet–and anyone who’s read my Men of Roxbury House trilogy books: Vanquished, Enslaved or Untamed knows I go for tortured heroes in a big way.
Afterward, we decamped to an Irish pub around the corner where we tucked into a booth, ordered pints and pub grub, and settled in for a recap. Those shoulders, that chest, those burning blue eyes, those oh so chiseled if somewhat implacable features…Oh yeah, and the movie was really good, too.
Will Daniel Craig be the prototype for the hero of a future Hope Tarr novel? I’d say it’s a strong bet he will. An historical, I’m thinking, and yes, definitely British-set.
Okay, enough about me and my new Daniel Craig obsession. Anybody else do anything cool this weekend?
Hope
Congratulations to the winners of my June contest, all of whom knew that in Bound to Please, Brianna says that love potions are for silly young maids. The grand prize, a signed copy of my paranormal romance, The Haunting, and of the talented Monica McCarty’s Highlander Untamed, goes to Jennifer T of East Millinocket, ME.
But, as they say, there’s more… My two second prize winners, Kitty S of Muncie, IN and Christine W of Lawton, OK, will each receive a signed copy of Vanquished, the first book in my “Men of Roxbury House” historical trilogy and signed cover flat keepsakes for Untamed, the final book in the series.
Many thanks to all of you who took the time to stop by and enter. If you didn’t win this time ’round, no worries. I’m repeating the same great prizes for the current contest, so if you haven’t yet, please take a moment to try again.
Hope
Sometimes you don’t actually have to be in the limelight to um…be in the limelight.
This year’s Book Expo America took place in Los Angeles. BEA is the largest publishing trade fair in the country, comparable to the Frankfurt and London Book Fairs. BEA is a great way for an author to build buzz for her book by connecting with publishing professionals–distributors, reviewers from Publishers Weekly and the like, publisher sales reps, and the list goes on and on.
For several years, I’ve been a regular participant, signing my books in both the Expo’s in-booth and “ticketed” forums. For various reasons (hint: do you hear “deadline” bursting out of my thought bubble?) I wasn’t able to attend this year’s show.
Imagine my delight when folks who did go started emailing me notes and yes, photos of the large–and I mean huge–backlit poster for BOUND TO PLEASE fronting the entrance to the Harlequin booth alongside Linda Lael Miller’s latest. Who knew!
To add another shmeer of cream cheese to the bagel, my other wonderful publisher, Medallion Press, had complimentary copies of all three of my Men of Roxbury House books: Vanquished, Enslaved, and Untamed prominently displayed in its booth.
I may not have gotten to go to all the great parties or rub elbows with the publishing brass this year but in a way, I was there. My characters certainly were. Party animals all, I’m sure they had a fab time. 😉
Hope
Hi Everyone,
To celebrate February, the official Month of Love, as well as the release of Untamed, my “Men of Roxbury House” trilogy finale, I’m running a *series* of very special contests through the end of March–with a little help from my friends. Along with my book, you’ll have the opportunity to win the latest romance reads from Julia Quinn, Kathryn Caskie, and Eloisa James. Click over to my contest page for details on how to enter–and win.
Wishing you a February filled with (chocolate) kisses,
Hope
Last night my friend, Barbara, passed away. I say “passed away,” not died, because it’s my personal belief that energy never really dies but instead changes forms. And hers is a big spirit, huge. Something so wild and beautiful and free doesn’t ever die. It just doesn’t.
I’d say Barbara was my best friend, but I’m not in the habit of ranking my relationships. Suffice it to say we were tight. She wasn’t only a girlfriend in the peer sense. She was–and is–a mentor, a soul mate, and yes, my very dear friend.
When I got The Call from her son, also my friend, it was creeping up on one AM. I was still up, though, if not wide awake then certainly wired, writing. Because the manuscript for my next book, UNTAMED, the finale to my Men of Roxbury House series is late. Not egregiously late or shockingly late, not the kind of writer’s blocked lateness that results in pushed up pub dates and editor frenzy, but a week late. And at the moment, I don’t really care.
I shut off the computer and met a small group of my friends at a local bar still open in our otherwise roll-up-the-sidewalks early-to-bed small town. We had a drink, a drink for Barbara, and then we went back to our friend Tim’s house and had another round in the timeless quiet of his 1800’s living room.
But mainly we talked. Barbara’s three adult children who have been her round-the-clock caretakers for the past three weeks shared something of what that had been like, including some of the moments of dark humor involved in physical dying. But mostly we celebrated life, Barbara’s life, and the profound ways she had touched us as parent, mentor, lover, and friend. In the course of the next two hours, her one musician son shared the song he’d written for her and then our musician friend, Tim sang the one he’d written, too. We cried some but we laughed even more as well as smiled at all the many memories. Above all we celebrated a life, Barbara’s life. A Life Well Lived.
Sitting there last night amongst dear friends, it struck me that it’s not the deadlines met or missed, the bestseller list rankings, the contest wins or losses, the sales numbers on our latest release or the sundry other successes and failures that define a life. All the must-do’s and should-haves that fill and sometimes clutter our days aren’t what we remember or even care about. In the so-called end, it’s how our lives touched others, how their lives touched ours, that matters–period.
Bon Voyage, Barbara. Congratulations on a Life Well Lived and deepest thanks for all you’ve done to teach me how to better live mine.
Love,
Hope