Tag: Jacquie D’Alessandro

Announcing Scribbling Women & the Real-Life Romance Heroes Who Love Them

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Scribbling Women_FC_300Last summer I got the idea to celebrate this Valentine’s 2014 with a nonfiction anthology of romance authors, a sort of “Chocolate for a Woman’s Soul” for the post-Millennium to benefit one of my favorite charities: Win. I floated the idea by some of my favorite fellow authors and, voila, what began as a seed of an idea blossomed into an actual book.

In Scribbling Women and the Real-Life Romance Heroes Who Love Them, twenty-eight romance fiction writers, one for each day of February 2014, reveal their real-life stories of how they met, wed and love—and are loved and supported by—their spouses and life partners. At times whimsical and laugh-out-loud funny, at others poignant and bittersweet, all unfailingly inspiring, each essay celebrates that most powerful and sacred of human bonds: love.

If readers take away just one message from our anthology, I hope it will be this: Happily Ever After isn’t only the stuff of romance novels and fairy tales.

It is every woman’s birthright.

ALL net proceeds from sales of the anthology support Win. Founded on February 14, 1983—yes, Valentine’s Day—Win works to transform the lives of NYC’s homeless women and their children.

Contributors include May McGoldrick. Katharine Ashe, Deanna Raybourn, Jacquie D’Alessandro, Leanna Renee Hieber and Lisa Renée Jones.  For a full list of contributors, visit our website.

Buy the book digitally from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Smashwords for just $2.99. Or order a commemorative print edition for under $10.

The official Scribbling Women & the Real-Life Romance Heroes Who Love Them book launch will take place at the fifth anniversary celebration of Lady Jane’s Salon, Monday, February 3, 2014 7-9 PM at Madame X.

Huzzah & Happy Valentine’s Month,

Hope

Lady Jane’s Salon Recap & Video

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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

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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.

Holiday Goodness Challenge: Yes, We Can! We…Did!

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To borrow President Elect Obama’s campaign slogan, “Yes, we can!” Even better, we did.

Many thanks to the following generous souls who participated in my Holiday Goodness Challenge to benefit the ASPCA by giving a gift of $10, in some cases, more to support formerly homeless companion animals.

A once homeless pet has something to purr about--because of you. Image courtesy of www.aspca.org.
A once homeless pet has something to purr about--because of you. Image courtesy of www.aspca.org.

Debbie J, Levittown, NY

Jessica D, Arlington, VA

Jennifer K, Ashburn, VA

Madelina R, Parlin, NJ

Jacquie D, Atlanta, GA

Heidi B, Kylertown, PA

Mary R, Brentwood, NY &

Kay A, Blaine, MN.

Because of you, we reached our goal of $100–and saved the life of one dog or cat this holiday season. I mailed your signed copies of Vanquished over the weekend, so hopefully you’ll receive the books sometime this week.

Romance fiction writers are some of the kindest, most generous folks on the planet, ever ready to lend a helping hand to a good cause, and my Holiday Goodness Challenge was no exception. My heartfelt thanks go out to the following publishers, online communities and authors: Romantic Times BOOKReviews Magazine, The Rebels of Romance (Liz Maverick and Marianne Mancusi), Romance Vagabonds, Medallion Press, Jacquie D’Alessandro, Leanna Renee Hieber, and Heidi Betts.

Finally, I have a new contest posted, with copies of Strokes of Midnight and cover flat keepsakes of Untamed as giveaway prizes. Please check back later in the week when I post last month’s contest winners. The latter might just include…You!

Happy Tales/Tails,

Hope

Happy New Year

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2008 has been an amazing year for me. Highlights include a move to Manhattan, my first but definitely not last trip to Ireland and yes, the release of two more novels, Bound to Please and now Every Breath You Take...

Many thanks to all of you who stopped by Book Talk with J&J yesterday to chat with me about Every Breath You Take… Among those who visited to cheer me on were bestselling writer buddies, Jacquie D’Alessandro and Tony and Lori Karayianni w/a Tori Carrington. Never doubt that the romance writing community harbours some of the kindest and most generous souls on the planet. And congratulations to my three prize winners: Elaine (Lainey), Sara H, and Sarah T. I hope you enjoy my New Year’s themed Blaze, Strokes of Midnight.

In the spirit of ringing in the new, I’ll be blogging at FreshFiction.com on Monday, January 12th, and yes, there will be at least one of my back list books offered as a give-away prize. Please check my web site’s Media + Events page for event listings throughout the year.

Finally, thanks to all of you who’ve taken up my Holiday Goodness Challenge to benefit the ASPCA. Donation receipts are rolling in, but we’re not to our goal of $100 quite yet, and I have copies of Vanquished still to give away. In these tough times, your generous $10 gift means more than ever before.

Wherever you are tonight and however you choose to celebrate…

May 2009 be a year of fairy tale dreams come-true.

Hope

Romance B(u)y the Book Wrap-Up

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Despite Mercury apparently refusing to come out of Retrograde, yesterday’s Harlequin Blaze Historicals blog bash at Romance B(u)y the Book was a huge success as well as bunches o’fun. What a party we had! Bestselling Blaze Historicals authors Jacquie D’Alessandro, Jade Lee, Betina Krahn and our latest addition to the series line-up, Patricia Potter joined blog host Michelle Buonfiglio, Harlequin Senior Editor, Brenda Chin and Moi in steaming up the Blogosphere.

As promised, we all got a little bit naughty, a lotta bit bad. I got the proverbial ball rolling talking about size and how sometimes it sorta kinda matters. Jade Lee dissed on tantric sex, virgin monks, and how in her latest Blaze Historical, the two come together (so to speak). Thanks to Jade, I now know there’s even more to want–as in 9.5 hours more. Thanks a lot, Jade!

And we all agreed that while you can’t keep a good man down, with the right slip knot you can surely keep him horizontal. 😉

The blogging went on hot and heavy until almost 9 PM ET, with more than 140 of you stopping by! My heartfelt thanks to Michelle Buonfiglio and her Bellas for making us all feel so welcome we didn’t want to leave–literally. If it wasn’t for Richard Armitage of “North and South” waiting for me in my DVD player, I might still be over there.

And while even the good things in life must come to an end, in this case we’re not done yet. You can still catch the blog transcript with yes, my interview and juicy excerpt from Bound to Please at Romance B(u)y the Book.

Happy Weekend,

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