Category: Meandering Musings

Get VANQUISHED for 99 Cents thru June 30

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vanquished_350Jonesing for “The Knick” to start up again? Can’t wait to inhale another season 2 episode of “Penny Dreadful”? Wet-your-pants excited about Caleb Carr’s THE ALIENIST in development as an eight-episode series for TNT? Romance readers looking to get their Victorian on can download my Victorian-set romance, VANQUISHED from Kindle for just 99 cents. Offer ends 6-30, so hurry!

Vencida_PNGmayfair_175The launch to my Men of Roxbury House trilogy, VANQUISHED has been translated into French, Italian, Estonian and now Spanish! Check out these fabulous foreign covers.

ENJOY the FREE excerpt in English here. GET the French &/or Spanish language editions in print or ebook.

Ooh la la, It’s (Double) Release Day in France!

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French cvrCendrillon Relookee_Milady cvrThe Cinderella Makeover, Book #2 in my Suddenly Cinderella series from Entangled Publishing, released in France today with Milady/Bragelonne as Cendrillon Relookée! Savor the super cute cover and then please be sure to let all your francophile–and francophone–romance reading friends know about the book.

And there’s more…

Strokes of Midnight, another sexy NYC set contemporary romance, released from Harlequin France as Fantasmes à Fleur de Peau, paired with another steamy title from the talented Kathleen  O’Reilly. Two red hot reads, one low price — enjoy!

A bientot!

Hope

 

 

 

New Leaves

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Maine 6I’m recently back from coastal Maine where I rounded out my birthday month with a long overdue visit to a dear friend. Tramping through The Pine Tree State in its full glory, picking a path along rock-strewn beaches and through woods where every tree was still suited up in its own “technicolor dream coat” was more than a much needed mini-break. It was a time to rest, reflect and renew.

But then fall is my spring and always has been. For me, the months of September through November are when I throw open not only my windows but also my closet doors, the latter in preparation for purging those things that no longer suit or serve me.

Hope at Pemaquid Point_10-17-14More so than December 31st, fall is also that time of year when I give careful thought to how I want to live my life going forward, including any “new leaves” I want to turn over. And of course for many people, fall truly is the start of the New Year as celebrated in holidays such as Diwali and Rosh Hashanah (literally “head of the year”).

This fall I’m extending my annual ritual beyond the tangible tidying and hiring a Feng Shui consultant. In the course of two days, she’ll guide me through the cleansing/blessing and “feng shuing” of our home. The process, 5-6 hours each day, will of course involve that “dreaded” word–C.H.A.N.G.E.–and lots of it, but it’s a commitment I’m determine to keep. I’ll let you know how it goes. For now…

Hope & Esther_Dock at Damariscotta_10-17-14What are you doing to get ready for a new year?

Blast from the Past Part I: Ride ‘Em!

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Hope_bull_4Deadlines kept me planted in my writer’s chair during this year’s Romance Writers of America national conference held in Atlanta. Joining in the fun vicariously via Facebook and Twitter–the Literacy Book Fair, the hotel meetups (translation: lobby bar), and of course the Awards Gala–sparked my memory to fond recollections of previous conferences.

At the 2007 RWA held in Dallas, I was invited to be filmed with Kathryn Caskie and a few others as part of fellow author Sophia Nash’s “Girls Gone Wild” segment for Romance Novel TV. Our ladies’ night began with a limo ride from the hotel to Cowboy Red River Saloon. There, before rolling cameras, we received a quick-and dirty lesson in the Texas two-step courtesy of two Stetson wearing local swains, downed jalapeno margaritas, and braved the mechanical bull ride. (Note: imbibing the margarita before the bull ride was absolutely essential. Also note: save margarita #2 for celebrating your successful or not so successful descent). Think Debra Winger in “Urban Cowboy” only–hint–you can adjust the speed. Not only did I keep my seat for the full time, but I had so much fun that I just may take a repeat ride. Maybe. Possibly. We’ll see…

For now, check out these fun photos and Tips for How to Ride a Mechanical Bull. Most double as excellent advice for staying the course in life, too. I particularly like: Remember to Wear Pants.

Wise words…

And please check back here on my blog for additional Blast from the Past posts as well as giveaways, book updates and my all ’round good news–the only kind I post.

Hope

Hope_bull_2Hope_bull_1Hope_bull_3

Entangled in Love Blog Hop & Twitter Par-tay!

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Join me and 49 other fab Entangled authors in celebrating the month of hearts & flowers with a blog hop!

My giveaway: one digital copy of OPERATION CINDERELLA,the launch to my Suddenly Cinderella Series of contemporary fairytale-themed romances. To enter:

Like my Facebook page

–or–

Follow me on Twitter @HopeTarr

Click here to check out what the other authors are giving away during the Entangled In Love blog hop!
 
~~~ ~~~
To kick off the hop, we also have a Twitter Party, details below:

Date : February 8th, 2013.
Time : 9pm EST.
Hashtag : #EntangledInLove
What : We’ll be asking Valentine’s day related questions and each question has prizes to be won! Answer right for a chance to win some of the many awesome prizes!
Where : Follow the instructions below!
1. Go to http://tweetgrid.com/party
2. Fill in the hash-tag as #EntangledInLove
3. Fill in the hosts
@entangledpub
@totalbookaholic
@babsbookbistro
@anjanavasan
4. Enter your twitter handle, follow the tweets, answer the questions and you may just get lucky!
Don’t forget to mention the #EntangledInLove hashtag in your replies!

 

Suddenly Cinderella Series & RT BOOK Reviews

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So the super secret shadow side of being a writer is that we, meaning me, are eternally behind on our reading. Alas, it is so. By reading, I mean not just all the great books piling up on our night stands or now our e-readers, but also industry publications including the ever-popular genre fic review magazine, RT BOOK Reviews.

And so even though September is still more than a week away, my RT BOOK Reviews September issue has been in my hot little hands for three weeks now. Unread. ((Pausing to hang head in shame)).

In the spirit of “better late than never,” I just cracked open the mag and found my own self included in staffer Audrey Goodson’s wonderfully informative article on the pop culture resurgence of fairy tales, “Still Happily Ever After,” RT BOOK Reviews, pp-10-12.

Author Hope Tarr believes that fairy tales endure “because they are so wonderfully helpful.” Tarr, who says she “grew up breathing, eating and dreaming fairy tales,” is currently working on a contemporary Cinderella-themed series that will be released by Entangled, beginning with OPERATION CINDERELLA in October. “Fairy tales teach us that we cannot only improve our lives but create the lives we want,” she adds. “The protagonists in fairy tales are sometimes flawed, but they’re also bold and brave and strong. Cinderella could have skipped the ball and cowered at home, only she didn’t. When her breakout chance comes, when her fairy godmother arrives, she seizes her ‘Cinderella Moment’ and ventures into that scary, glittering larger world that the ball represents.”

While it’s always lovely to be quoted, or at least usually so, this one is super special. For years now, I’ve been signing off on blogs and literally signing my books with “Wishing you fairy tale dreams come true…”

Thanks to Audrey and to RT for decades of making HEA dreams come-true for romance readers and authors!

Hope

A LONG FATAL LOVE CHASE & Lady Jane’s

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A hasty, ill-advised marriage to a fiendish rake, a doomed devotion between a handsome young priest and the lovely, desperate girl he’s befriended…

No, not Collen McCullough’s THE THORN BIRDS but A LONG FATAL LOVE CHASE by Louisa May Alcott.

Written in 1866 a few years before Alcott’s revered classic, LITTLE WOMEN, A LONG FATAL LOVE CHASE was never published in Alcott’s lifetime. Deemed “too sensational” (translation: too risque) by her male publisher, the book was shelved among her private papers for more than a century and only rediscovered and published in the 1990’s.

As a middle school student, I adored LITTLE WOMEN and well, A LONG FATAL LOVE CHASE is not it. Written for serialization to keep the author’s perennially impoverished family of Transcendentalist intellectuals out of the poorhouse, the book is more penny dreadful than great novel. Still, the themes Alcott addresses–stalking, spousal abuse, bigamy, and a woman’s right to independence and freedom–resonate with a raw contemporary clarity.

As the title suggests, A LONG FATAL LOVE CHASE doesn’t end happily. Despite the every other chapter cliffhanger (it was meant to be serialized), the only true suspense is for whom the chase will prove fatal. The hastily pulled together ending answers that with no real surprises, leaving the reader not so much satisfied as relieved. Like Alcott’s heroine, Rosamund, we too are weary and ready for the chase to end.

Still, A LONG FATAL CHASE is worth a read for Alcott fans as well as fans of 19th century “women’s” literature, a literary tradition that still fascinates and inspires us today. For a wonderful paranormal YA Victorian Gothic romance in the tradition of Oscar Wilde’s THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (only with a happy ending!), read DARKER STILL by my Lady Jane’s Salon co-founder, Leanna Renee Hieber.

And for a fun and informative treatise on romance novels throughout the centuries, check out my other Lady Jane’s Salon co-founder, Maya Rodale’s, new nonfiction e-book, DANGEROUS BOOKS FOR GIRLS.

Speaking of Lady Jane’s, do join us on Monday, February 6th, 7-10PM at Madame X, for Lady Jane’s Third Anniversary Salon. It’s our third year birthday bash and we’re celebrating with our usual lineup of fabo readers including S.b. Sarah Wendell, Lauren Willig, and Eloisa James! Special EOY contribution to our charitable recipient, Women-in-Need. Sponsors: Chambord Vodka (“Pink Your Drink”) and Beatrice.com.

Happy Month of Hearts & Flowers,

Hope

 

Blast from the Past Video

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OK, so I was dutifully reading Google’s new Privacy Policy Alert, an action clearly undertaken to avoid line edits on my Work in Progress, when I unearthed this blast from the past 2007 video interview on my then new book, STROKES OF MIDNIGHT.

The video, made by Pacific TV for the Romance Writers of America NYC Chapter, was shot back in 2007. Like the romance novelist heroine of STROKES OF MIDNIGHT, Becky Stone AKA Rebecca St. Claire, I too was coming to New York City with Big Dreams.

And like my fictional Becky, five years later, I’m happy to report that most of those Big Dreams have come true. So have some new ones.

As for those bangs, let’s just say I’m glad it’s 2012 in all kinds of ways. 🙂

STROKES OF MIDNIGHT is available as an e-book for Kindle and Nook users.

Vanquished Free E-Book Offer. Yes, F-R-E-E.

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There may or may not be “no such thing as a free lunch,” but I’m happy to report that a free book is still occasionally possible.

From Monday, September 12th through Monday, September 26th, VANQUISHED (the launch to my “Men of Roxbury House” trilogy) is available as a free e-book. Across all platforms!

Whether you’re an Amazon Kindle user or a fan of the Barnes & Noble Nook or other e-reader platform, you have two solid weeks to download VANQUISHED. For free.

Obviously my hope is that VANQUISHED will act as a gateway drug to downloading the other two trilogy books, ENSLAVED and UNTAMED but certainly there’s no obligation to do so.

Resist if you must. 😉

Thanks to my wonderful publisher, Medallion Press, for making this offer possible and thereby putting my beloved book in new readers’ hands.

Happy e-Reading,

Hope

 

 

Lady Jane’s April Salon

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Join us tonight, Monday, April 4th, 7-9PM for Lady Jane’s Salon at Madame X.

April’s scintillating Salon guests are Lisa Dale, Leslie Carroll and guest emcee Alisa Bowman.

Guest authors books will be available for sale and signing on site. (Cash only).

Admission is $5 or one paperback romance novel. Net proceeds support an end-of-year donation to a NYC women’s charity.