Lady Jane’s Salon: Welcome to a New Year

If you’re in the New York City tri-state area for the New Year holiday, please join us on Monday, January 3rd for Lady Jane’s Salon. Our guest readers this month are three great historical authors: Lisbeth Eng, KT Grant and Delilah Marvelle. Visit the Lady Jane web site for event details.

Wishing you a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.

Hope

The Joy of Giving Something…

I first met Sally Andersen-Bruce in 2002 in Denver, Colorado at the launch ceremony for “Neuter/Spay,” the humane educational stamp series for which I had campaigned nationally since 1996. Sally was the stamp photographer for Neuter/Spay, and when we met just prior to the ceremony I immediately recognized a kindred soul.

Most recently, Sally photographed the Adopt a Shelter Pet stamp series popularized by celebrity spokesperson, Ellen Degeneres, and currently on sale at post offices nationwide. Sally is a dedicated advocate for homeless dogs and cats as well as a gifted photographer and lovely person.

Enjoy this short video on the behind-the-scenes for Adopt a Shelter Pet and please consider the joy of giving something–a loving home–to a homeless dog or cat this holiday season.

Hope

Lady Jane’s Salon Recap & Video

Many thanks to everyone who took time out from their busy holiday season to turn out for Monday’s Lady Jane’s Salon. Once again we were at standing room only–a fine welcome to the winter holidays, indeed!

Our guest readers were Lauren Willig, Jacquie D’Alessandro, and Me! Lauren read from The Mischief of the Mistletoe. As the title implies, hers is a Christmas book. It is also the latest in her popular Pink Carnation series. Can’t wait for more! Jacquie and I each read from our Christmas novellas in A Harlequin Christmas Carol. Though Jacquie swears this was her first time reading her work in public, we don’t believe her. She was a total pro!

As a Salon Co-Founder, it’s always a special thrill to be a guest at m/our own party and Monday’s Salon was no exception. Check out the video from my reading of Tomorrow’s Destiny in A Harlequin Christmas Carol.

Happy Holidays!

A HARLEQUIN CHRISTMAS CAROL & December Lady Jane’s Salon

On Monday, December 6th, I’ll be reading from Tomorrow’s Destiny in A HARLEQUIN CHRISTMAS CAROL at Lady Jane’s Salon. Joining me will be Jacquie D’Alessandro, also reading from A HARLEQUIN CHRISTMAS CAROL, and Lauren Willig.

Salon hours: 7-9 PM at Madame X. Admission is $5 or one gently used paperback romance novel, with proceeds to support an end-of-year donation to a NYC women’s charity. Authors’ books will be available for sale and signing on site.

For a sneak peak into the behind-the-scenes for A HARLEQUIN CHRISTMAS CAROL, check out my interview with Morgan Doremus of RT BOOK Reviews.

Cooking Up the Love

Thanksgiving is mere calendar days away, perhaps not much of a revelation and yet amazing to me all the same. The day after, November 26th also known as Black Friday in the retail world, officially opens the winter holiday shopping season. The prospect of standing in long lines in overheated stores can bring out the “Bah! Humbug!” in even the most cheerful of hearts.

The_Heart_of_CookingEnter the antidote. The Snap4Kids “Celebrity” Cookbook, The Heart of Cooking, offers holiday shoppers more than 170 recipes from 130 authors including Yours Truly compiled into an attractive keepsake cookbook at $12.50/each ordered online. Proceeds support Snap4Kids, a 501c(3) assisting families of children with special needs, especially the physically challenged, in helping their child reach his/her maximum potential through information, referral, education, and modest grants for medical and therapeutic equipment, not covered by health insurance or in the case of no health insurance, throughout the United States, from birth to age 22.

Good eats for a good cause. And my recipe contribution, reduced fat artichoke dip, is heart-healthy, too!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Hope

Happy Release Day!

christmas_350My Victorian Christmas novella, Tomorrow’s Destiny in A Harlequin Christmas Carol officially releases today, November 9th! Though copies have been showing up in selected online retail stores and brick-and-mortar bookstores for the past week, I’m so happy to be able to officially announce the anthology in plenty of time for the winter holidays. And I have plenty of celebrating planned, so please visit my Media & Events page for information on my winter holiday Blog Tour–first whistle stop is RT BOOK Reviews Blog on 11-12–and in-person appearances. The latter include my December 6th reading and signing at Lady Jane’s Salon.

Some readers got the  ball rolling even earlier by entering my monthly contest and reading the online excerpt from Tomorrow’s Destiny. Congratulations to Theresa D of Monticello, NY, my current contest winner. Like many of you who entered, Theresa knew that in Tomorrow’s Destiny, my heroine, Fiona’s birthday is December 25th. Poor Fiona! It’s hard to keep up the Scrooge act when you’re a Christmas baby. Here at HopeTarr.com, even a whisper of “Bah! Humbug!” is strictly forbidden. In keeping with the holiday celebration theme, Theresa’s prize is a signed copy of my Scottish Christmas historical, Twelve Nights.

Hope signing Twelve Nights & Vanquished at Lady Jane's Salon.
Hope signing at last December's Lady Jane's Salon.

My new contest opens today and the prize will once again be Twelve Nights, so if you haven’t yet read Alys and Callum’s sexy Christmas love story, take two ticks and enter.

Wishing you a holiday season brimming with mistletoe moments,

Hope

Contest Winner!

christmas_350Okay, I’ll admit it. Sometimes life…make that Life gets away from me, if not a lot than certainly more often than I’d like. September was one of those months. What with promoting my Beer Gardens NYC iPhone app, Lady Jane’s Salon (October’s Salon was awesome!) and prepping for the release of Tomorrow’s Destiny in A HARLEQUIN CHRISTMAS CAROL a mere 30 days wasn’t nearly enough.

Consider the above as the preamble to a confession. I forgot to pick a contest winner for September. My bad–literally!

In the spirit of “better late than never,” belated but sincere congratulations to Marie E of Lathrop, CA, the winner of my September contest prize: a signed copy of my previous Christmas Scottish historical romance, Twelve Nights. As did many of you who entered, Marie correctly answered that in Tomorrow’s Destiny/A Harlequin Christmas Carol, my heroine Fiona’s eyes are green and blue.

For those who didn’t win, I hope you’ll take two two ticks to read the Sneak Peek of Tomorrow’s Destiny/A HARLEQUIN CHRISTMAS CAROL (due out November 10th) and enter my current contest. But lest we rush the holidays, for now…

Happy Halloween Weekend!

September Lady Jane’s Salon

The September Lady Jane’s Salon will take place on our usual first Monday of the month which happens to be the 6th…Labor Day!

We’re proud to host four great guest authors: Rebecca Rogers Maher, Cat Johnson, Cecilia Tan, and Michele Lang. Take two ticks, head over to the Lady Jane’s web site, and read Michele’s post on the thrills and chills of anticipating her Lady Jane’s reading. And, if you can, join us live on Monday, September 6th, 7-9 PM, at Madame X (94 W Houston Street). We’ll be giving away copies of Cecilia’s Ravenous Romance trade paperback release, MIND GAMES, to our first fifty guests as well as raffling two signed copies of Anna Campbell’s latest release.

Admission to the Salon is $5 or one gently-used romance novel with net proceeds to support a NYC area women’s charity.

Interview with RT BOOK Reviews is Up!

My interview with the lovely Morgan Doremus is posted at the RT BOOK Reviews blog site. I hope you’ll take two ticks to check it out and post a comment.

In the interim, here’s a wee snippet of the segment.

New Yorkers don’t forget Lady Jane’s Salon on Monday, July 5th, 7-9 PM at Madame X. I’ll be reading and signing The Tutor along with authors Dianna Love Snell and Colby Hodge.

Bonus: romance blogger, Barbara Vey is in town for Thriller Fest and will be joining us as our very special guest. So much goodness…

Happy Independence Day!

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

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