Aloha to Annie Burrows and THE DEBUTANTE'S DARING PROPOSAL - Spotlight and Giveaway

Today I signed up to volunteer during RWA's "Readers for Life" Literacy Signing on Saturday, July 29, at the Dolphin Resort, Pacific Hall (link).  In previous years, I've met other authors who also volunteered, including Annie Burrows.  

Annie is celebrating the release of THE DEBUTANTE'S DARING PROPOSAL, Book 2 in the Regency Bachelors series from Mills and Boon:

"I want you to marry me."

Miss Georgiana Wickford has a plan to avoid the marriage mart--she'll propose a marriage of convenience! She hasn't spoken to the Earl of Ashenden since their childhood friendship was torn apart, but now Edmund is her only hope.

Edmund refuses to take any bride, especially the unsuitable country miss who abandoned him years ago. But when he sees beautiful Georgie at the mercy of society's rakes, it arouses his protective instincts. And soon the earl is tempted to claim the daring debutante for himself!

From Annie's bio (imagine her speaking with an English accent):

I've been published by Mills & Boon since 2007..but I'd been making up stories in my head for as long as I can remember. It was a long walk home from school, and there were no ipods in those days to keep you amused! When I wasn't daydreaming, I had my nose stuck in a book. My parents used to take me to the library every Saturday, until I was old enough to get there on my own, and my house was always full of books.

During school holidays, the whole family loved to visit stately homes and castles. As soon as we got home, my older sister and I would either dress up as lords and ladies, and romp around the garden, or, if it was raining, retreat to our bedroom where we would draw intricately detailed plans of our very own imaginary stately home, complete with secret tunnels, dungeons, and usually, a maze in the extensive grounds.

When I was old enough to go to university, I studied English literature, with Philosophy. I was not sure what I wanted to do after that, but meeting a handsome student of maths, who was the owner of a very powerful motorbike helped me make up my mind. Reader, I married him.

How romantic!  Learn more about Annie and her books at annie-burrows.co.uk - the picture of the cake above is posted on Annie's website.

I am currently reading THE DEBUTANTE'S DARING PROPOSAL and loving!  Review to come ... meanwhile, I am giving away a copy of THE DEBUTANTE'S DARING PROPOSAL to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. What would your stately home include?  I would build a house around a crumbling castle.  I found great pictures on Pinterest at this link.

2. Comments are open through Sunday, June 11, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Monday, June 12.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Book 1 in the Regency Bachelors series ...

Aloha to ONCE UPON A REGENCY CHRISTMAS with Louise Allen, Sophia James, and Annie Burrows

Twas the night after Halloween, when all through the house,

Not a candy was wrapped, not even a chocolate mouse.

The pumpkins were smashed on the front porch without a care

In hopes that Christmas romance would soon be there.

ONCE UPON A REGENCY CHRISTMAS is not one, but three!, holiday stories to usher in the Advent season:

THREE REGENCY HEROES IN DISGUISE.

THREE CHRISTMAS NOVELLAS TO WARM YOUR HEART!

ON A WINTER'S EVE by Louise Allen

Snowbound together, Lady Julia Chalcott and Captain Giles Markham try to fight temptation. But, as Christmas draws closer, their attraction proves too strong to resist!

MARRIAGE MADE AT CHRISTMAS by Sophia James
Christine Howard's frozen heart melts as she gets to know her new bodyguard. How can a man so scarred and mysterious make her feel so safe…?

CINDERELLA'S PERFECT CHRISTMAS by Annie Burrows

Shy Alice Waverly's kiss with Captain Jack Grayling makes her wonder if he—and his little children—could be the Christmas miracle she's always dreamed of…

Louise Allen has been immersing herself in history for as long as she can remember. She finds landscapes and places evoke powerful images of the past - Venice, Burgundy and the Greek islands are favourite destinations. Louise lives on the Norfolk coast. She spends her spare time gardening, researching family history or travelling in search of inspiration. Visit Louise's website, louiseallenregency.co.uk, or find her on Twitter @LouiseRegency and on Facebook.

Georgette Heyer novels formed Sophia James’s reading tastes as a teenager. But her writing life only started when she was given a pile of Mills & Boons to read after she had had her wisdom teeth extracted! Filled with strong painkillers she imagined that she could pen one, too. Many drafts later Sophia thinks she has the perfect job writing for Harlequin Historical as well as taking art tours to Europe with her husband, who is a painter.

Annie Burrows love of stories meant that when she was old enough to go to university, she chose English literature. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do beyond that, but one day, she began to wonder if all those daydreams that kept her mind occupied whilst carrying out mundane chores, would provide similar pleasure to other women. She was right… and Annie hasn’t looked back since.  Readers can sign up to Annie's newsletter at annie-burrows.co.uk.

ONCE UPON A REGENCY CHRISTMAS is next on my reading list ... review to come! .. and it is available now from Harlequin Romance.  

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about holiday decorations - how do you decorate for Thanksgiving? Christmas?

2. Comments are open through Sunday, November 6, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 7.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

This pumpkin looks like the Grinch!

Weekly Winners

We have winners at SOS Aloha!

Rose Gordon's THE PERFECT LADY WORTHE
- Molly wins Regency Swag

Melissa Cutler's ONE HOT SUMMER

- Danielle wins a book choice from my convention stash.

Annie Burrows' IN BED WITH THE DUKE

- Janice wins a book choice from my convention stash.

From Aloha Author Assistant, Debby wins a book choice from my convention stash.

Winners, please claim your prize by sending your mailing address to sos.aloha@yahoo.com.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Annie Burrows and IN BED WITH THE DUKE - Book Review

Annie Burrows is celebrating the release of IN BED WITH THE DUKE on April 19, 2016:

"Vile seducer of women!"

Of all the accusations Gregory, Duke of Halstead, has ever had leveled at him, this is perhaps the most offensive and the least accurate. But as he has just woken naked in bed with no memory of the night before, next to a beautiful stranger, perhaps it's time to reevaluate!

Innocent Prudence is just as shocked when she awakens! But as these strangers begin to unravel the plot behind the scandalous circumstances, she discovers the delicious consequences of finding herself in bed with…a duke!

To simply wake up every morning a better person than when I went to bed. - Sidney Poitier

Two unlikely lovers - a soldier's daughter and a disheveled traveler - find themselves in bed together at a posting inn, not remembering how they came to be naked with the other. Mayhem breaks out and Prudence's aunt abandons her at the inn. Yet the stranger from her bed carries her away from the scene. Thus starts a journey of the heart for Prudence and Gregory.

IN THE BED WITH A DUKE starts off with madcap comedy of Prudence and Gregory unexpectedly finding themselves dazed and confused as a series of guests rubber neck their way through the hall outside their room.  The tone turns slightly dark as Prudence realizes she is helpless until her mystery man turned white knight comes shining through to give her a new lease on life.

I appreciated Burrows' details in bringing Regency England to life in the opening scene, spotlighting the prejudices against "fallen" women and the chivalry of the nobility.  Burrows gives our hero and heroine an adventure that allows the to discover the identity of the other while understanding their own nature. Burrows offered witty banter and authentic characters to create a sweet and satisfying romance.

Recommended read for fans of Regency romance and class conflicts.

I received a print copy from the author for an honest review. 

I am giving away Regency swag to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about "inns" - have you visited any historical hostelry or modern resorts? Hubby and I spotted many historic inns on our tour of Boston (link).

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, April 16, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, April 17.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Annie and her books at annie-burrows.co.uk.

Aloha to Annie Burrows and THE CAPTAIN'S CHRISTMAS BRIDE

I met Annie Burrows during the RWA Book signing - we both volunteered to assist authors on adjacent aisles.  Annie joins us today for a cozy chat ... from her bio,

During school holidays, the whole family loved to visit stately homes and castles. As soon as we got home, my older sister and I would either dress up as lords and ladies, and romp around the garden, or, if it was raining, retreat to our bedroom where we would draw intricately detailed plans of our very own imaginary stately home, complete with secret tunnels, dungeons, and usually, a maze in the extensive grounds.

When I was old enough to go to university, I studied English literature, with Philosophy. I was not sure what I wanted to do after that, but meeting a handsome student of maths, who was the owner of a very powerful motorbike helped me make up my mind. Reader, I married him.

Kim:  Stately homes and castles - can you share a favorite?

Annie:  The closest stately home to where I live, and the one I have visited most often, is Tatton Park. But slightly further afield is Lyme Park, which was used as one of the settings for Pemberley, and recently hosted a sculpture of Mr Darcey himself in the wet shirt scene. 

They also had The Shirt on display.

Kim:  Tell us about where you live in England - what is your favorite sight, smell, and sound?

Annie:  I live in Cheshire, which is in the North West of England. There isn't all that much in my home town itself, but from here it is only one hour's drive to North Wales.

I'm fortunate to live on the edge of town, facing farmer's fields, and close to a national path called the Trans Pennine Trail. Once a week I borrow my daughter's dog to give me the excuse to get out for a walk through some lovely countryside.

Kim:  Let's chat about that motor bike - does he still have it? What would be the equivalent to a motor bike (in terms of sexiness and raciness) in Regency England?

Annie:  Sadly, the motor bike was sacrificed to practicality when we had our first child. We did seriously consider getting a side car, but she was born in October, and we didn't want her exposed to the elements that way!

And wow, what a great question about the equivalent in Regency England! After a lot of thought, I've come to the conclusion that the only mode of transport that really compares would be a massive black stallion. A biker sits astride his vehicle and is exposed to the open air. In just the same way, a horse rider would control his mount with the power of his thighs. He would also wear buckskin breeches and leather boots for protection, the way bikers wear leathers and gauntlets.

Excuse me for a moment -, thinking about tight leather breeches, and all the power throbbing between a man's thighs has got me reaching for my fan...

Kim:  Tell us about THE CAPTAIN'S CHRISTMAS BRIDE - what inspired it? What makes Regency Christmas so special? How do "get in the mood" to write a holiday romance when it is not the holidays?

The Captain's Christmas Bride sprang to life from the question - how far would one of my Regency heroines go to get their man? Funnily enough, I did intend to set it at a summer house party. Only my editor wanted the book to come out at Christmas, so my original idea had to undergo a bit of work to make it fit. Instead of naughty goings-on in the summer house, I had to come up with a scene for seduction that would give my characters plenty of privacy without being freezing cold!

As for Regency Christmas - I love the idea of those grand house parties the aristocracy used to have. All the family were likely to receive invitations at that time of year, even the most lowly, as well as the celebrities of the day - such as poets, inventors, or naval heroes. So you get a cross section of society, all thrust together in a fairly intimate setting. When I've read biographies of Regency characters, they often met up with their future spouse at such gatherings. Which gives me great scope for introducing my own characters to each other.

As for how I get into the mood to write a holiday romance - well, I usually get the idea during the holiday season. The snatch of a Christmas carol, the scent of mince pies or roasting turkey, the arrival of a family member for a visit - they can all spark off little ideas which I jot down and save until they've all gone, and I have my house to myself again.

Kim:  What's next for Annie Burrows?

Annie:  My next book is called "In Bed with the Duke". It is still with my editor, awaiting her revision suggestions, but basically, the duke of the title wakes up naked in a bed in an inn with a woman he's never seen before in his life. Neither of them has any idea how they got there. But each of them is certain that the other must be up to no good. So suspicion runs rife, accusations fly, yet passion flares as the Duke (who is travelling incognito) and the woman (who is an heiress though she has nothing but the clothing scattered across his bedroom floor) join forces to piece together the missing hours of their lives.

If you want to know when it will be published, I keep readers informed of my publication schedule on the "Coming Soon" page of my website, annie-burrows.co.uk, where they can also sign up to my newsletter.

Readers can also find me on Twitter @NovelistaAnnie.

Or like my facebook page, facebook.com/AnnieBurrowsUK.

Mahalo, Annie, for sharing Mr. Darcy's shirt and Regency Christmas with us!  THE CAPTAIN'S CHRISTMAS BRIDE is available December 1 from Harlequin.  Until then, I am giving away British swag to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about riding a motorcycle or a black stallion - have you done either?

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, November 21, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 22.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City