Tag: Bound to Please

Lady Jane’s Winter Holiday Open House

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Happy holidays and happy birthday, Harlequin!

The December 7th Lady Jane’s Salon heralds the winter holiday season and celebrates the final month of Harlequin Enterprises 60th anniversary year with a very special salon event.

I’ll be reading from Twelve Nights, my Christmas Scottish Medieval for Harlequin Blaze as well as my twelfth published book. Twelve Nights is the sequel to Bound to Please, the novel that launched the super popular Historical Blaze Miniseries. To win a signed copy of Bound to Please, check out my current Contest.

Copies of Twelve Nights will be available for purchase on-site at the Salon, and I’ll be signing copies at the break and immediately thereafter.
Guest author, Stacey Agdern.

Joining me will be romance fiction reviewer, bookseller, and author, Stacey Agdern reading from her Hanukkah novella, Rededication, and Senior Editor for Harlequin Blaze, Brenda Chin recapping highlights from Harlequin’s 60th Anniversary year.

The Salon meets on Monday, December 7th from 7-9 PM at Madame X (94 West Houston) in Manhattan’s Soho district. (Subsequent salon nights are the first Monday of each month). Admission is $5 or one gently used paperback romance novel to benefit Share-the-Love.

I hope to see you there.

Congratulations November Contest Winners

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So, last night I attended a performance of Over the Rhine, my new favorite indie band based out of Ohio at Manhattan’s Highline Ballroom along with my Strangely Beautiful author friend, the lovely Leanna Renee Hieber.

Today I blind-picked my two November contest winners and wouldn’t you know it, both are from Ohio!

Congratulations to Rosemary K of Willoughby, OH and Katherine F of Springfield, OH. Both Rosemary and Katherine knew that “Cat” is the name of the feline character in my out-now release, Twelve Nights.

Each winner will receive two copies of Bound to Please, the prequel to Twelve Nights, which launched the super successful Historical Miniseries for Harlequin’s Blaze line.

More copies of Bound to Please will be given away to three winners in my December Contest, so if you didn’t win this time, please head over and enter.

Finally, my Holiday Goodness Challenge is one-third of the way to our $200 goal with Hope’s Heroes to be announced here…anon. In the meantime, please put Marian’s Dream and the homeless cats it helps on your personal holiday goodness lists. Santa thanks you and so do I.

Hope

Holiday Goodness Challenge 2009

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Times are tough, times are hard, nobody’s denying it. And though purse strings may be tight, I’m convinced hearts are bigger and more generous than ever before.

Hope for the Holidays

In keeping with the holiday spirit of counting my many blessings, including the release of Twelve Nights, my Christmas Harlequin Historical Blaze, I’ll be giving away twenty copies of  Vanquished, the first of my “Men of Roxbury House” trilogy to the first twenty readers who donate a minimum of $10 to this year’s Holiday Goodness charitable recipient, Marian’s Dream: Philanthropy for Animal Advocates.

A Good Dream

Founded in 1981 as a memorial to Marian Rosenthal, Marian’s Dream is a 501(c)3 public charity with the mission of helping donors help companion animals through support of innovative programs and projects operating on the local, regional and statewide levels. Funding accessible, low-cost spay/neuter resources is a particular focus.

$200 will provide four feline spays or six feline neuters. If that sounds like a modest goal, consider that one female cat can birth two litters a year. That’s up to a dozen unwanted kittens, many of whom will have additional litters of their own.

Shelters and rescue groups are overwhelmed. The solution lies in prevention.

Goodness Spilleth Over

Hope holds Sweeney, once homeless, now very much homed.
Hope holds Sweeney, once homeless, now very much homed-and loved!

I’ll be running the Holiday Goodness Challenge now through January 1st. You can make your donation to Marian’s Dream online via PayPal or by check. For verification, I’ll need you to send: 1) a copy of your donation receipt, either photocopy or forwarded PayPal receipt, 2) the name of the person to whom you’d like the book inscribed if you’re giving it as a gift, and 3) your snail mail address to me at [email protected] or PO Box 1344, New York, NY 10276. If by email, please include “Holiday Goodness Challenge” in the subject header.

As we approach our $200 goal, I’ll be posting the glad tidyings here along with the first names, surname initial and home state of the first twenty generous souls to step up to the proverbial plate.

Thank you for keeping Marian’s beautiful dream of a world with no more homeless pets alive this holiday season.

Hope

PS: As always, please feel free to Re-Tweet or repost and pay the ‘goodness’ forward.

Congratulations Contest Winner!

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Congratulations to Linda Henderson, the latest and last ((sniff, sniff)) of my Sizzlin’ Summer Contest winners.

Sad as I am to see summer go, I’m also super excited for fall and yes, my new contest.

To ramp up for the release of Twelve Nights, this time ’round we’ll have double the winners and double the prize. Two winners will each receive a signed copy of Bound to Please (in which we briefly meet the hero and heroine of Twelve Nights) and a signed copy of my New Year’s theme release, Strokes of Midnight. Visit my contest page and enter to win. Hope 

Congratulations Contest Winner

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Congrats to Elaine Carlini-Davis, my latest Sizzlin’ Summer Contest winner. Elaine, the prize, a signed copy of my Scottish Medieval Blaze, Bound to Please will be on its way to you as soon as you email your contact information to me at [email protected].

Currently underway: yet another chance to win a copy of Bound to Please. This time, reply to any of my blog posts between now and the end of August and be automatically entered to in. Random thoughts welcomed if not encouraged.

But, as they say, there’s more…

I just received my cover for Twelve Nights, the sequel to Bound to Please. Isn’t it pretty!?! Twelve Nights releases this December 2009 in time for Christmas. Sneak peaks, excerpts, behind-the-scenes snippets and related goodness will be posted “anon,” so please don’t be a stranger.

Hope

Congratulations Contest Winner

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My Sizzling Summer Contest Part II closed out on Saturday, and wow, what a fun time we had recalling all those great summertime favorite things to do, past and present.

My randomly picked winner is Beverly G. Beverly, hon, shoot me an email at hopetarr.com with your snail mail addy, and I’ll get your signed copy of Bound to Please out ASAP.

New contest starts as of now through July 31st. To enter, simply post a reply to the following new contest question:

What is your most embarrassing (or triumphant) summertime moment?

Maybe you untied your bikini top to get than line-less tan and some bad boys dropped ice cubes on your back–with an embarrassing result. Maybe you were said bad boy (or girl) in that scenario. Here at hopetarr.com we don’t judge, but we do have us some fun and with summer slipping by way too fast, I want to hold on to the sizzle for as long as I can.

So c’mon over and yes, talk to me. 😉

Hope

PS Twelve Nights, the sequel to Bound to Please, is due out this December. Check back here for sneak peaks, cover art and miscellaneous goodness…

Congratulations Contest Winner!

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Congratulations to Maribeth Curry, my first (but not last) Sizzling Summer Contest Winner. Maribeth, please email me your snail mail information offline at [email protected] and I’ll get your signed copy of Bound to Please in the mail ASAP.

Didn’t win this time ’round? No worries. Sizzling Summer Part II starts up today through July 18th. Same prize, a signed copy of Bound to Please, and once again, to enter all you have to do is post a response to the following new question:

What is your favorite guilty (or not so guilty) summertime pleasure?

Hope

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

Sizzling Summer Contest, Call for Posts

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Okay, so far we have four great posts to get the beach ball rolling, but we also have two weeks to go before I announce the first winner of a signed copy of Bound to Please. If you haven’t already, take two ticks and post your response to:

What do you like best about summer?

Could be a childhood memory, could be a random (or not so random) musing about summer in general. It’s your call.

Hope

Sizzling Summer: New Contest

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Summer is beach read season. If you’re bound for the beach or even a beach towel somewhere outside, I want to give you a copy of Bound to Please to bring with you.

Look for TWELVE NIGHTS, the sequel, December 2009.

When I was a kid, summer meant smelling the charcoal of barbecue grills being fired up, getting to stay up that precious extra hour, and playing flash light tag until the neighborhood mom-on-duty all but dragged us inside. (“Mom, just five more minutes, pul-ease!“)

Since my move to Manhattan, summer has a different resonance but resonate it does–strolling through street fairs, picnicking in Bryant Park on free film nights, and lingering at outdoor cafe tables long after the plates are cleared.

Summer is for fun. And just for fun, every two weeks through the end of August, I will give away a copy of Bound to Please to one lucky commenter on my blog. Unlike my usual contest, there’s no excerpt to read, no right or wrong answer to give. Instead every two weeks I will post a new blog post calling out for a specific comment. All you need do is pipe up and post. Once the winner is announced–you–email me with your snail mail address, and I’ll send you your copy of Bound to Please. That’s it.

Hope (Far L) at Coney Island last summer with RWA/NYC friends, including Karen Cino & Elizabeth Mahon (Far R).
Hope (Far L) at Coney Island last summer with RWA/NYC friends, including Karen Cino & Elizabeth Mahon (Far R).

Already have Bound to Please? If so, let me know, and I’ll donate your contest copy to Share The Love and brighten the day of a woman transitioning from tough times.

As my friend and StL founder Maya Rodale says, “everyone deserves the pleasure of a good story.”

It’s a big online world made smaller when we all keep in touch.

Happy Summer!

Hope