The Avon Affair - Road trip with Cathy Maxwell, Lady Margaret Chattan, and THE DEVIL'S HEART

The Hawaiian phrase of the day is:

No kekahi o kakou ka pilikia malaila pu kakou a pau.

Should one of us get in trouble we will all go that way.

Lady Margaret has lived in the shadow a family curse:

When a Chattan male falls in love,

strike his heart with fire from above...

Her older brother, Neal, fell in love with his childhood friend in LYON'S BRIDE (link).    Margaret hoped her second brother, Harry, could reverse the curse in in Scotland.  Instead, he fell in love, too, in THE SCOTTISH WITCH (link).   So now it's time for Margaret to take matters into her own hand in THE DEVIL'S HEART, available April 30 from Avon Romance:

New York Times bestselling author Cathy Maxwell continues the her popular historical romance series, the Chattan Curse, with The Devil’s Heart.

Lady Margret Chattan, one of the most desirable women in all of England, has no interest whatsoever in marriage. When her brother’s lives are put in danger, she travels to the Scottish Highlands, intent on saving them. There she meets Heath Macnachtan, who is trying to find out who murdered his own brother. Together, they team up to investigate the powerful curse that is behind the deaths, but instead find themselves falling in love.

Exceptionally entertaining and charming, The Devil’s Heart mixes a well-crafted love story with complex characters and pulse-pounding adventure.

Glenfinnan on Loch Shiel

Before Margaret can take a stand, she has to take a road trip in a 1824 coach with her maid, driver, coachman, valet, and four armed outriders.  The coachman estimates it will take three to six days to travel from Glenfinnan to Loch Awe.  Today, it would take two hours via Fort William and Glen Nevis (link to Google map).   Two hours gives me just enough time to read A DEVIL'S HEART.   

But a six day coach ride allows me to read Cathy Maxwell's entire library of 24 novels and 6 novellas in anthologies ... so I would jump in the coach with Margaret!

Kilchurn Castle on Loch Awe
Image by Peter Gordon (link)
Posted per Creative Commons Licence (link)

THE DEVIL'S HEART is now on sale for preorder:

Amazon Kindle:  $3.99 link.

Amazon Mass Market Paperback:  $4.98 link.

B&N Nook:  $3.99 link.

B&N Mass Market Paperback: $4.98 link.

Book Depository $5.99 link.

(free world wide delivery)

I am giving away a copy of THE DEVIL'S HEART - winner's choice of ebook or paperback - to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about road trips - how do you entertain yourself?  Read a book?  listen to music? Watch a movie?

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, March 30, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, March 31.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Cathy and her books, check out her website at cathymaxwell.com.

The Avon Affair Continues with ...

A Tasty Read
Rusticating In The Tropics
Toot's Book Reviews
The Book Queen's Personal Book Palace
Romancing The Readers
The Book Cellar
Blithely Bookish
The Romance Reviews
Tempting Reads

The Avon Affiar: Aloha to Jennifer McQuiston and WHAT HAPPENS IN SCOTLAND

The Avon Affair is a fourteen day Avon Books Review Event hosted by current and alumni members of Avon Addicts.   Fall in love with Avon Romance ....

The Hawaiian word of the day is 

moku.

It is island.

The State of Hawaii is composed of eight island (oldest to youngest):  Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui and the island of Hawaiʻi.  The "ninth" island is Las Vegas.   Hawaiians flock to it for its climate, shopping, and entertainment.   Jennifer McQuiston joins me for a cozy chat about her romance debut, WHAT HAPPENS IN SCOTLAND.  Did the ninth island inspire it?  Read on ...

Glenfinnan Monument

Kim:  You hail from Atlanta! What is your favorite sight, sound, and smell of The Big Peach?

Jennifer:  Thanks so much for hosting me today! While I WISH my favorite sight boasted a soothing beach and beautiful sunset, as yours no doubt does, my favorite Atlanta sight is easy: I travel a lot for my day job, and I absolutely love the sight of Atlanta's familiar, jagged skyline as I drive back home from the airport. When I see those skyscrapers rising up, I know I am just a few minutes away from my family.

My favorite sound in the big ATL is probably the local country music station, 94.9 The Bull... Georgia has churned out some amazing country artists, and this station plays all my favorites (especially Kip Moore, a romance author's dream!) 

And favorite Atlanta smell? I confess I love the smell of ripe peaches, as cliche as that sounds... and Georgia peaches are my favorite variety in the world. Unfortunately, they are only in season May-July, so I am usually shoving as many in my mouth as I can during those three blissful months. 

Castle Frasier

Kim:  How did a Veterinarian and infectious disease researcher become a romance author? Did any part of your scientific training help you in writing romance?

Jennifer:  My day job as an infectious disease researcher at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is wonderful, but it can also be challenging. Reading has always been a welcome escape, but over time I found it wasn't enough. In some ways, I suspect I became a fiction writer because I needed something to stimulate the creative side of my brain that was languishing on peer-reviewed journals with names like "American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene". I gravitated toward Romance because it is what I prefer to read. I think my scientific training helps me with the research that is such an important part of writing historicals. It has also helped me better manage the criticism that comes with writing for a diverse audience -- it was a bit eye-opening to realize there is every bit as much of a peer review process for fiction writers, only it usually isn't anonymous!

Edzell Castle Gardens

Kim:  Can you share a squeal moment as a two time Golden Heart (GH) finalist? 

Jennifer:  Oh, I can do better than that... I can share the Jim Beam (my favorite adult beverage) along with the squeal! During my first GH final in 2011, I showed up at the conference knowing hardly anyone, but toting a little bottle of Jim Beam around in my purse. When they announced the winners, that bottle was tipped up and then passed around the table to console the other non-winners, too. In 2012, it was almost expected I bring the bottle, only this time I had three critique partners and a whole lot of friends to share the non-winning swig with. In hindsight, it was for the best. My debut novel, WHAT HAPPENS IN SCOTLAND, was written after those two GH-finaling books, and I am so glad this will be the one to introduce me to readers. I have a quirky sense of humor, and I enjoyed letting it fly with this book. In fact, sometimes I have to pinch myself that I am getting published for writing the very snarky retorts and witty dialogue that would have once landed me in trouble in high school. 

Dunnottar Castle

Kim:  Tell us about WHAT HAPPENS IN SCOTLAND - what inspired it?

Jennifer:  WHAT HAPPENS IN SCOTLAND is your typical "she woke up married" story... only based in 1842 Scotland. It is a fun romp that will (hopefully) keep readers guessing to the end, and it was an absolute blast to write. The idea came to me as I was heading to Vegas to celebrate my 40th birthday, and it occurred to me in one of those "gee whiz" moments that I had never read a historical that tried to do this. I wrote it in two months, and it just poured out of me onto the page.

The heroine, Lady Georgette Thorold, wakes up in bed next to a handsome stranger. Presented with the disturbing evidence of what she might have done, she runs for it... only to realize she must track the mystery man down and press him for an annulment. James MacKenzie isn't sure if he's married or not... all he knows is that the beautiful woman he thought he was protecting has clocked him over the head with a chamber pot and run off with his life savings. Each must piece together the clues of a night gone wrong... and pray that it doesn't get worse.

While some readers might indignantly claim, "That couldn't have happened!", I humbly present the Scottish marriage laws for debate, which in the 1840's were very different from those in England. In fact, Scotland's lax laws on irregular marriages prompted the popularity of Gretna Green as the go-to place for those seeking to elope, and resulted in the occasional abduction and forced marriage of naive young heiresses. The laws of the time enabled anyone to be married at anytime by a citizen witness... and oddly enough elevated the status of the local Scottish blacksmith to matchmaker!

Gretna Green 

Kim:  What's next for Jennifer McQuiston?

Jennifer:  WHAT HAPPENS IN SCOTLAND is the first in a three-book series. The next book is still untitled, but it is an unrequited love story featuring a tortured hero with an unheroic past, and a heroine determined to snag the man she has loved for years. It is based in Brighton, a seaside resort town that was popular in the Regency and Victorian eras, and it was a lot of fun to craft a historical novel that captures the essence of a passionate summer romance.

The third book in the series (which has also not yet named) features a hero who has been charged with murder, and the heroine he tricks into marriage so she can't testify against him. While darker in content, I can tell you that this current work in progress is proving almost as much fun to write as WHAT HAPPENS IN SCOTLAND.

Mahalo, Jennifer, for joining us today!  I loved WHAT HAPPENS IN SCOTLAND - I posted my five star review on Amazon (at this link) and Goodreads (at this link).  I am giving away a print copy of WHAT HAPPENS IN SCOTLAND to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway, 

1.  What would happen if you visited Scotland  .... 

... follow the Whisky Trail (link)

... travel the Castle Trail (link)

... shop the Royal Mile (link)

... visit the Highlands (link)

or something else?

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, March 23, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, March 24.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Jennifer and her books, check out her website at jenmcquiston.com.

The Avon Affair continues with ...

A Tasty Read

Rusticating In The Tropics

Toot's Book Reviews

The Book Queen's Personal Book Palace

Romancing The Readers

The Book Cellar

Blithely Bookish

The Romance Reviews

Tempting Reads

Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness 

SOS Aloha's 3rd Anniversary

The Hawaiian word of the day is

Ho'omana'o.

It is anniversary.

Today I celebrate SOS Aloha's third anniversary.   Achieving this milestone would not be possible without: 

- Mary Gramlich (at this link) for encouraging me to make the leap into Bloggerland;

- Terry (at this link) for teaching me how to post pictures and hyperlinks; 

- Rhonda Penders from The Wild Rose Press (at this link) for donating 200 books in October 2010.   Her generous gift took my six-month-old blog to a new level.

I also appreciate the readers, authors, publishers, and publicists who gave me the opportunity to share my voice in Romanceland.   

This anniversary brings me to a crossroad.  As my blog grew, so did my inbox. Keeping up with my inbox has been a challenge while my husband has been away in Korea.  And the biggest challenge is yet to come in July - we are moving to Baltimore for my husband's next assignment.   I am sad to leave Hawaii but look forward to the new opportunities on the East Coast.  To facilitate the move, I am taking a six month break from SOS Aloha.  My last post will be April 1.     

Of course I want to keep my big toe in Romanceland, so I will be a guest blogger with Mary Gramlich at marygramlich.blogspot.com.  This gives me more time to review books while herding my kids to our new home.   I will still post pictures on ALOHA ON MY MIND (at this link) even after I move as I plan to take the Aloha Spirit with me.

 

In honor of my third anniversary, I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Would you like to live in another city?  

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, March 9, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, March 10.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Aloha to Dydd Gŵyl Dewi - St. David's Day

March 1 is the feast day of St. David - the patron saint of Wales.   The most famous Welshman in Hawaii was Isaac Davis.  From the National Park Service (at this link),

The end of the 1700s was marked by increased visits to the Hawaiian Islands by European explorers. With their trade ships, warships, cannon, and military experience, the foreigners were considered assets by the warring chiefs.

Kamehameha was particularly astute on this point and took captive two young seamen, John Young (Lancaster, England) and Isaac Davis (Pembrokeshire, Wales). Young and Davis proved their courage and loyalty in battle and became close, trusted lieutenants to Kamehameha, aiding in his rise to power. Their relationship lasted far beyond the battlefield and into civilian life, with Young eventually becoming governor on the Island of Hawai'i, and Davis on the island of O'ahu.

In honor of St. David's Day, I share my pictures of Welsh Castles cared by CADW, the guardian of Welsh heritage (at this link).

The Roman amphitheater at Caerleon Caerphilly Castle, guarding a town known for its cheese.

Victorian sink in Castle Coch

The clock tower at Cardiff Castle

Tintern Abbey, founded in 1131 for Cisercian monks

What do you know about Wales?  One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, March 2, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, March 3.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

 White Castle (sans hamburgers)

Great Aloha Run

The Hawaiian phrase of the day is

Ke kukini me ke aloha pau‘ole.

The race with compassionate love.

Today is the Great Aloha Run ... from its website (at this link):

The GAR, an 8.15-mile foot race, begins at Aloha Tower and finishes in the Aloha Stadium. There are divisions for elites, age groups, wheelchair and handcycle competitors, Sounds of Freedom (military running in formation) and those who just want to walk the course with friends and socialize along the way in the Back of the Pack.

There is a place in the Great Aloha Run for everyone who wants to participate. It is this inclusive philosophy that reflects the Hawaiian name for this race, “Ke kukini me ke aloha pau‘ole”—the race with compassionate love.

It is more than a run ... it is a festival of healthy living.  My son is volunteering with his leadership class to greet runners at Aloha Stadium.   We have to set the alarm for 5 am!   Despite the early hour, I am proud that he is participating in this annual event.

If you were here, what would you do - run?  walk?  volunteer?   One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.   Comments are open through Saturday, February 23, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, February 24.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Hau`oli Lā Hānau! - Special Birthday and Football Preview

The Hawaiian phrase of the day is

Hau`oli Lā Hānau

It is Happy Birthday.

Today is my youngest son's birthday.  David was born near Tampa while my husband was working in Japan.  Alas, my husband is now in Korea.   David was born three days after the Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa Stadium.   This weekend, the Ravens face off against the 49ers for Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans.   Hence, we're rooting for the Ravens.   Who are rooting for this weekend?  If you are not a football fan, what kind of cake would you make for David? 

One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, February 2, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, February 3.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

David at an NFL event for military children

Twelve favorite books from 2012

If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. - Oscar Wilde

Laura Levine's DEATH OF A NEIGHBORHOOD WITCH:

Halloween is just around the corner, and between cauldrons of candy and a deliciously cute new neighbour, Jaine Austen is struggling to resist her sweet tooth. But this year, her once humdrum neighbourhood seems to be handing out more tricks than treats.

I posted my five star review on Goodreads at this link.

Sabrina Jeffries' 'TWAS THE NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS:   

Pierce Waverly, the Earl of Devonmont, has been estranged from his mother for most of his life. When his mother’s new companion, Mrs. Camilla Stuart, writes to tell him that his mother is seriously ill, he goes home. But when he learns that the lovely widow tricked him in order to effect a holiday reconciliation, he refuses to stay—unless she meets his “terms.” 

I posted my five star review on Goodreads at this link. 

The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who'll get me a book I ain't read. - Abraham Lincoln

Megan Mulry's A ROYAL PAIN:  

Smart, ambitious, and career driven, Bronte Talbot started following British royalty in the gossip mags only to annoy her intellectual father. But her fascination has turned into a not-so-secret guilty pleasure. When she starts dating a charming British doctoral student, she teases him unmercifully about the latest scandals of his royal countrymen, only to find out—to her horror!!—that she's been having a fling with the nineteenth Duke of Northrop, and now he wants to make her...a duchess?

I posted my five star review on Goodreads at this link.

Hester Browne's THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS:  

She’s a green-fingered gardener. He’s a blue-blooded banker. Can the Queen of Spades really make it work with the Prince of Diamonds?

I posted my five star review on Goodreads at this link. 

You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me. - C.S. Lewis 

Jill Mansell's A WALK IN THE PARK:

Lara Carson left her family and boyfriend Flynn eighteen years ago without a word to anyone. Why has no one heard from her since? Does it mean anything that she's suddenly reappeared in Bath just in time for her ex–best friend Evie's wedding? And what about Flynn? Even the most eagle–eyed observer can't tell whether he's happy to see her, or just stunned.

I posted my five star review on Goodreads at this link. 

Susanna Kearsley's THE SHADOWY HORSES:

Archaeologist Verity Grey has been drawn to the dark legends of the Scottish Borderlands in search of the truth buried in a rocky field by the sea.

I posted my five star review on Goodreads at this link.

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - Saint Augustine

Toni Anderson's DARK WATERS:

Known as the Graveyard of the Pacific, Barkley Sound is notorious for surging swells with the power to pull helpless victims into its merciless abyss…

I posted my five star review on Goodreads at this link. 

Anne Elizabeth's A SEAL AT HEART:

Being a Navy SEAL means everything to John "Red Jack" Roaker, but a mission gone wrong has left his buddy dead, his memory spotty, and his world turned upside down. His career as a SEAL is threatened unless Dr. Laurie Smith's unconventional methods of therapy can help him.

I posted my review on Goodreads at this link.

You cannot open a book without learning something. - Confucius

Heather Snow's SWEET DECEPTION:

Lady criminologist, Miss Emma Wallingford, unknowingly finds herself tangled in the dangerous final mission of Lord Derick Aveline, a spy who also happens to be her long lost first love. But when deception, however sweet, is the name of the game, no one can be trusted. And every love--and every life--is at risk.

I posted my five star review on Goodreads at this link.

Victoria Alexander's MY WICKED LITTLE LIES:

Evelyn Hadley-Attwater has it all—a genteel Victoria life replete with loving husband, ball gowns and elegant parties. No one, including the man she married, suspects that she was once “Eve”, a spy for England’s most enigmatic intelligence agency. Summoned for one final assignment, the excitement of her former life and memories of her mysterious, flirtatious boss “Sir” prove too tempting . . .

I posted my five star review on Goodreads at this link.

There is no friend as loyal as a book. - Ernest Hemingway

Cathy Maxwell's LYON'S BRIDE (Book 1 in the Chattan Curse series):

They call him Lord Lyon, proud, determined-- and cursed. He is in need of a bride, but if he falls in love, he dies. His fervent hope is that by marrying-- and having a son--without love, perhaps he can break the curse's chains forever.

I posted my five star review on Goodreads at this link.

Cathy Maxwell's THE SCOTTISH WITCH (Book 2 in the Chattan Curse series):

Harry Chattan is fighting for his family. For two hundred years the Chattan men have been destroyed by love . . . and now he's come to Scotland on the hunt for a witch to break the curse. Instead he finds himself bewitched by Portia. Harry has vowed to fight the demons that torture him.

I posted my five star review on Goodreads at this link. 

What are your favorite books from 2012?    I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter.  Comments are open through Saturday, January 5, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 6.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Come back on Monday, December 31, when I share other bloggers' favorite books from 2012!