romance

Happy Book Birthday to A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane

Nephele Tempest

A very happy release day to Milla Vane (aka Meljean Brook), whose fantasy romance A HEART OF BLOOD AND ASHES hits stores today. This book kicks off her A Gathering of Dragons series, perfect for fans of epic sword-and-sorcery adventures. Fair warning: It’s on the violent side, because: Barbarians.

A Heart of Blood and Ashes cover art

A generation past, the western realms were embroiled in endless war. Then the Destroyer came. From the blood and ashes he left behind, a tenuous alliance rose between the barbarian riders of Parsathe and the walled kingdoms of the south. That alliance is all that stands against the return of an ancient evil—until the barbarian king and queen are slain in an act of bloody betrayal.

Though forbidden by the alliance council to kill the corrupt king responsible for his parents’ murders, Maddek vows to avenge them, even if it costs him the Parsathean crown. But when he learns it was the king’s daughter who lured his parents to their deaths, the barbarian warrior is determined to make her pay.

Yet the woman Maddek captures is not what he expected. Though the last in a line of legendary warrior-queens, Yvenne is small and weak, and the sharpest weapons she wields are her mind and her tongue. Even more surprising is the marriage she proposes to unite them in their goals and to claim their thrones—because her desire for vengeance against her father burns even hotter than his own…

Find A HEART OF BLOOD AND ASHES wherever books are sold, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, and IndieBound.

 

Friday Links: The Black Friday Edition

Nephele Tempest

Some of you probably spent your morning shopping, whether fighting crowds in stores or seeking deals online. I slept in, then treated myself to a lazy breakfast on the couch, with eggs and leftover biscuits from dinner last night. I’m not one for deep-deal diving in the days after Thanksgiving. Instead, I use these few days off to gear up for the last push of the year, and to prep for holiday travel. But I do have this week’s Friday Links for all of you, and whatever your schedule, I hope you find a moment to enjoy them.

Feet up in rainbow socks next to mug of coffee and an open paperback book.

A quick reminder for you: The 2019 December Writing Challenge kicks off on Sunday. I’ll be back tomorrow with the full rules of the challenge for those of you unfamiliar with them. Meanwhile, enjoy your leftovers, read a good book, finish up your NaNoWriMo project, or grab a nice nap. And happy writing!

This Week’s Links:

Pete Hamill ‘Ain’t Done Yet.’ – An interesting profile of the journalist and novelist as he works on what might be his final project.

You Can Book Harry Potter’s Childhood Home on Airbnb. – The home featured in the Harry Potter films as the house in Godric’s Hollow can be rented for as little as $150 per night.

The Best Sci-Fi and Fantasty Defies Easy Genre Categorization. – A discussion of the place held by these commercial labels and what they mean for the writer who wants to blur the lines.

Shannon Pufahl: Queering the Western. – For writers and readers interested in diversifying the literary landscape, as well as those intrigued by America’s national myth of the wild west.

The Slightly Foxed Podcast. – The podcast associated with the UK literary quarterly of the same name. Wonderful listening for anyone seeking slightly less-well-known titles to add to their TBR piles, interested in bits of literary trivia, or who counts themself an anglophile. Produced once a month, with a little over a year of back episodes currently available.

Pippi Longstocking Musical in Works to Celebrate 75th Anniversary. – Set for this coming summer in Stockholm, for any fans out there planning vacation travel. Fingers crossed it lands in a few more places in the future.

Books for the Holiday Rom-Com Fan. – An assortment of titles, both new and older, sure to fit your holiday mood.

Friday Links: Year’s End Review

Nephele Tempest

I’m squeezing my year’s end review in with Friday Links today because, in many ways, I’ve already started to tally up 2018. I discussed book lists for the year, plus some of my own favorites, which leaves some thoughts on the year overall.

year's end review over coffee

It’s been a lovely year for book deals and for reading wonderful new books by my clients. On the submissions front, I fared a little worse, having a hard time getting through all the projects coming across my desk. One of my first goals for 2019 involves catching up there and continuing to work our new query system. But goals call for a different post.

Outside my little book bubble, the world continues to rage and distract, from politics to tragedies to the loss of various public figures whom we’ll miss. Put this way, it sounds much calmer than if I go into specifics, so I won’t. We all know the chaos brewing. May we find a saner middle road in the year ahead. I hope to post a much more positive year’s end review come next December.

On the personal side of things, good and bad news seemed to take turns. This year saw close friends moving away and others coming to visit. My parents continued to get older, as people do. I managed some great travel for work and pleasure, and met a few new people I’m excited to know better. It all seems to balance out.

This week’s links reflect my year’s end review mindset in many ways, some looking back while others look forward. It’s an eclectic mix, so I hope you find them interesting and inspirational. Don’t forget to keep writing daily if you’re participating in the December Writing Challenge. Just a few days left! Have a great weekend.

This Week’s Links:

The World of Nora Ephron: A Reading List. – In honor of the 20-year anniversary of You’ve Got Mail, a lovely look at Ephron’s approach to filmaking and writing. Great suggested reading list, especially if you’ve never read any of her work.

10 Books by Debut Authors to Watch in 2019. – A wonderful list that includes the debut women’s fiction by my client Erin Bartels.

Tired of Series? Try These 10 Standalone Fantasy Novels. – I love a good series, but committing to yet another one can make me twitch. Some great recs for anyone who feels the same.

Megan Abbott’s Work Diary: ‘My Psychiatrist Notes How Tired I Look, Which Is Great’. – A peek inside the busy life of a successful author.

28 Young Adult Books Coming Out in 2019 That Will Seriously Get You Pumped for the New Year. – Pretty much what it says on the wrapper.

12 of the Best Romance Novels, According to the Author of The Proposal. – Jasmine Guillory shares some of her favorite reads from the past year.

From Dragon Riders to Winter Slumberers: Winter’s 10 Hottest Sci-Fi & Fantasy Reads. – A roundup with something for everyone.

A Guide to Short Story Contests in 2019. – Start marking your calendar now.

Happy Release Day to Archangel’s Prophecy by Nalini Singh

Nephele Tempest

Wishing a happy release day to ARCHANGEL’S PROPHECY by Nalini Singh, the latest installment in her Guild Hunter series of paranormal romances. The cover for this one makes me so happy, between the gorgeous colors and the fierce expression on Elena’s face. Big thanks to the wonderful folks at Berkley for bringing so much talent and love in support of these books.

Archangel's Prophecy cover featuring Elena, wings spread, carrying knives

Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s darkly passionate Guild Hunter world, where human-turned-angel Elena Deveraux, consort to Archangel Raphael, finds herself at the center of an eons-old prophecy…

Midnight and dawn, Elena’s wings are unique among angelkind—and now they are failing. The first mortal to be turned into an immortal in angelic memory, she’s regressing. Becoming more and more human. Easier to hurt. Easier to kill.

Elena and Raphael must unearth the reason for the regression before Elena falls out of the sky. Yet even as they fight a furious battle for Elena’s very survival, violent forces are gathering across the world. In China, the Archangel Favashi shows the first signs of madness. A mysterious sinkhole filled with lava swallows a man whole in New York. In Africa, torrential monsoon rains flood rolling deserts. And in Elena’s mind whispers a haunting voice that isn’t her own.

You can find ARCHANGEL’S PROPHECY both in print and e-book format, as well as audio, at your favorite retailers. Check it out today!

Nalini Singh’s Rebel Hard Cover Reveal

Nephele Tempest

Have you seen the gorgeous REBEL HARD cover art? Here’s your chance, if not. If you have, another look at those abs can’t hurt.

Rebel Hard cover

I’m delighted to be able to share this cover with you. Not only because it’s beautiful, but because the book itself is delightful. It mixes romance, friends, and family, and contrasts cultural traditions with modern opinions. It also features so many characters I wish I could meet in person. This cover, by the talented Frauke Spanuth of Croco Designs, reflects the joy inherent in Nalini’s writing.

Curious about the book?

REBEL HARD

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh continues her Hard Play series with a sweet, sexy romance featuring big, fat, OTT weddings, a meddling grandma, and a too-serious hero who needs to be unbuttoned…

Nayna Sharma agreed to an arranged marriage in the hope it would heal the fractures in her beloved family… only to realize too late that a traditional marriage is her personal nightmare. Panicked, she throws caution to the winds, puts on the tiniest dress she can find, and ends up in the arms of a tall, rough-edged hunk of a man who has abs of steel–and who she manages to mortally insult between one kiss and the next.

Abandoned as a child, then adopted into a loving family, Raj Sen believes in tradition, in continuity. Some might call him stiff and old-fashioned, but he knows what he wants–and it’s a life defined by rules… yet he can’t stop thinking about the infuriating and sexy woman who kissed him in the moonlight then disappeared. When his parents spring an introduction on him, the last woman he expects is her. Beautiful. Maddening. A rule breaker in the making.

He’s all wrong for her. She’s all wrong for him. And love is about to make rebels of them both.

REBEL HARD releases on September 18th in e-book and print, and October 2nd on audio. Preorder today from your favorite e-tailers: Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Nook

Visit Nalini’s website for more information about the Hard Play series, her other titles, and to subscribe to her newsletter for freebies and updates.

 

Friday Links: Some Writing Journeys

Nephele Tempest

This week’s Friday Links include some writing journeys, because there is no single way to become a writer. Every writer follows their own path, and only through writing will you discover what works for you. So I’ve gathered a few essays and interviews with authors who share their particular journeys. I hope they inspire you and encourage you to keep writing, keep experimenting, to find your own road to success.

In addition, I’ve got the usual collection of interesting tidbits I’ve found this week. I hope you find them entertaining and/or intriguing. Have a wonderful weekend, and don’t forget to squeeze in some time for writing journeys of your own. Enjoy!

This Week’s Links:

Podcast with Jasmine Guillory. – Sarah Enni speaks to debut author Jasmine Guillory about her road to writing, and how she ended up writing a romance.

The Bodies of the Girls Who Made Me: Fanfic and the Modern World. – Author Seanan McGuire talks about getting her start through writing fanfic and the role fanfic plays in storytelling, writing, and representation.

Catherine M. Valente: Five Things I Learned Writing Space Opera. – The multi-published author discusses the things she learned writing her latest book.

In the Gap Between Writer and Reader, the Novel Come to Life. – An interesting look at how the reader’s perceptions color their experience of a book.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Remains Rediscovered in Wine Cellar. – The poet’s remains, which had been moved at some point, have been relocated.

An Interview with Jamie Ford, Author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. – The author talks about writing his debut title, and  how it reads a decade later in light of the current political climate.

Your Pocket Guide to 10 Literary Movements. – A fun little reference for anyone looking to fill holes in their literary knowledge or acquire a bit of ammo for trivia night.

Nalini Singh’s CHERISH HARD Releases Today

Nephele Tempest

Nalini Singh‘s CHERISH HARD releases today, and so I’m here to wish her a very happy book birthday.  This shiny new contemporary romance both kicks off her Hard Play series, and serves as prequel to an earlier book, ROCK HARD.

Cover for Nalini Singh's Cherish Hard

About CHERISH HARD

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh kicks off her new Hard Play contemporary romance series with a sizzling story that’ll leave you smiling…

Sailor Bishop has only one goal for his future – to create a successful landscaping business. No distractions allowed. Then he comes face-to-face and lips-to-lips with a woman who blushes like an innocent… and kisses like pure sin.

Ísa Rain craves a man who will cherish her, aches to create a loving family of her own. Trading steamy kisses with a hot gardener in a parking lot? Not the way to true love. Then a deal with the devil (aka her CEO-mother) makes Ísa a corporate VP for the summer. Her main task? Working closely with a certain hot gardener.

And Sailor Bishop has wickedness on his mind.

As Ísa starts to fall for a man who makes her want to throttle and pounce on him at the same time, she knows she has to choose – play it safe and steady, or risk all her dreams and hope Sailor doesn’t destroy her heart.

CHERISH HARD is out today, so check out your favorite online retailer to pick up a copy: Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Paperback. (Audio coming soon.)

And be sure to check out ROCK HARD, as well, available at a discounted price for a limited time.

 

Cover Reveal for Nalini Singh’s OCEAN LIGHT

Nephele Tempest

Nalini-Singh's-OCEAN-LIGHT-cover

I’m happy to share this gorgeous cover for Nalini Singh’s OCEAN LIGHT, the next book in her Psy/Changeling series, and the second title in the new Trinity arc. I think the artwork for this one particularly beautiful. It practically glows. A big shout-out goes to Tony Mauro at the Berkley Art Department for his amazing work on Nalini’s covers.

Nalini Singh’s OCEAN LIGHT

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh dives beneath the surface of her Psy-Changeling world into a story of passionate devotion and selfless love…

Security specialist Bowen Knight has come back from the dead. But there’s a ticking time bomb in his head: a chip implanted to block telepathic interference that could fail at any moment—taking his brain along with it. With no time to waste, he should be back on land helping the Human Alliance. Instead, he’s at the bottom of the ocean, consumed with an enigmatic changeling.

Kaia Luna may have traded in science for being a chef, but she won’t hide the facts of Bo’s condition from him or herself. She’s suffered too much loss in her life to fall prey to the dangerous charm of a human who is a dead man walking. And she carries a devastating secret Bo could never imagine.

But when Kaia is taken by those who mean her deadly harm, all bets are off. Bo will do anything to get her back—even if it means striking a devil’s bargain and giving up his mind to the enemy…

OCEAN LIGHT goes on sale June 12, 2018, but you can preorder it now from your favorite retailer. Find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, or put in an order at your favorite local bookstore. For a sneak peek, head over to Nalini’s Facebook page to read an early snippet from the book.

Cover Reveal for Nalini Singh’s CHERISH HARD

Nephele Tempest

Cover for Nalini Singh's Cherish Hard

Nalini Singh‘s CHERISH HARD kicks off her new Hard Play series. These contemporary romances spin off from her earlier Rock Kiss series, specifically book 2: ROCK HARD, and feature the brothers of that book’s hero, Gabriel. I’m so excited to reveal the gorgeous cover for this new title.

Nalini Singh’s CHERISH HARD

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh kicks off her new Hard Play contemporary romance series with a sizzling story that’ll leave you smiling…

Sailor Bishop has only one goal for his future – to create a successful landscaping business. No distractions allowed. Then he comes face-to-face and lips-to-lips with a woman who blushes like an innocent… and kisses like pure sin.

Ísa Rain craves a man who will cherish her, aches to create a loving family of her own. Trading steamy kisses with a hot gardener in a parking lot? Not the way to true love. Then a deal with the devil (aka her CEO-mother) makes Ísa a corporate VP for the summer. Her main task? Working closely with a certain hot gardener.

And Sailor Bishop has wickedness on his mind.

As Ísa starts to fall for a man who makes her want to throttle and pounce on him at the same time, she knows she has to choose – play it safe and steady, or risk all her dreams and hope Sailor doesn’t destroy her heart.

CHERISH HARD publishes November 14th, 2017. Preorder your copy now through your favorite e-book retailer, including Amazon Kindle, iBooks, and Nook. Or check out Nalini’s post on her blog for additional retail links as they become available.

ARCHANGEL’S VIPER Out Today! Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter Series

Nephele Tempest

Guild Hunter series: Archangel's Viper by Nalini Singh cover art

Happy Book Release Day!

Archangel’s Viper, book 10 in Nalini Singh‘s Guild Hunter series, hits stores today, brought to you by Berkley Books. This title features Venom, one of Archangel Raphael’s elite private guard, and the mysterious woman he longs to protect. Keep reading for a peek into his story and this world where Archangels and vampires walk beside humans.

Enter New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s breathtakingly passionate Guild Hunter world with the story of a woman who isn’t a vampire or an angel…or human…

Once a broken girl known as Sorrow, Holly Chang now prowls the shadowy gray underground of the city for the angels. But it’s not her winged allies who make her a wanted woman—it’s the unknown power coursing through her veins. Brutalized by an insane archangel, she was left with the bloodlust of a vampire, the ability to mesmerize her prey, and a poisonous bite.

Now, someone has put a bounty on her head…

Venom is one of the Seven, Archangel Raphael’s private guard, and he’s as infuriating as he is seductive. A centuries-old vampire, his fangs dispense a poison deadlier than Holly’s. But even if Venom can protect Holly from those hunting her, he might not be able to save himself—because the strange, violent power inside Holly is awakening…

No one is safe.

Archangel’s Viper joins the rest of Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series available everywhere in print, e-book format, and audio. Visit your favorite brick-and-mortar bookstore or online vendor and get your copy today. Or check out the series from the beginning, and  pick up a copy of Angels’ Blood.