Tuesday, December 1st, 2015
 My Christmas anthology with Valerie Bowman, Vivienne Lorret & Ashlyn Macnamara, which released today in e-format! My story is titled Sophie & The Duke.
December 1, 2015
Buy the ebook:Kindle
|Kobo|iBooks|Nook|Google Play|HarperCollins
The holidays are a time for dining, dancing, and of course—dukes! Celebrate the Christmas season with this enchanting collection of historical romances featuring the most eligible bachelors of the ton…
A childish prank may have reunited the Duke of Hollingsworth with his estranged wife, but only the magic of Christmas will show this couple ’tis the season of second chances…
Sophie Kinsley planned to remain a wallflower at the Duke of Helmsworth’s ball. Yet when a dance with him leads to a stolen kiss, will the duke be willing to let her go? Or will Sophie’s Christmas wish be granted at last?
To the Duke of Vale, science solves everything—even marriage. When the impulsive Ivy Sutherland makes him question all of his data, he realizes that he’s overlooked a vital component in his search for the perfect match: love.
Patience Markham never forgot the fateful dance she had with the future Duke of Kingsbury. But when a twist of fate brings them together for Christmas Eve, will the stars finally align in their favor?
Friday, November 2nd, 2012
The winners for Tuesday’s release day blog for Maggie Robinson’s Lord Gray’s List signed trades are:
Ebondy Morton & jmcgaugh
Please email Maggie your mailing address.
For the Kindle versions of Wicked Nights with a Proper Lady:
Danielle Gorman
Cathy P
Maria D
You’ll find the book in your inbox this weekend!
Monday, October 29th, 2012
   Setting: The offices of the London List, scandal sheet and clearing house for the unemployed and lovelorn. Evangeline Ramsey, wearing her famous trousers, licks the tip of her pencil and begins the interview.
Evie: Okay—and I know it’s anachronistic to say okay—we have a little problem here. I’m thirty two, and it’s 1820 in my book, Lord Gray’s List. You guys are from the future in Wicked Nights with a Proper Lady, which probably makes me old enough to be your mother.
Genny: Perhaps you are well acquainted with the Carletons? They are the dearest of friends, and I must admit, Lady Carleton has always been a mother-figure to me.
Evie: Oh, you mean Katherine from Kiss Me, Kate, which will be available to readers on November 5th on Heroes & Heartbreakers!. Yes, too true, such a lovely woman and a bit of a mischief-maker, too. I well remember the scandal that surrounded her marriage! But we wouldn’t want to spoil too much for the readers. Tell us a little about your era, and how you came to meet the famous Earl of Barrington.
Genny: The world has changed so much. Poor men make small investments and become wealthy beyond imagination, old families lose riches on silly bets—though I suppose that’s not much different from the Regency era. The house parties on the other hand remain much the same. I met Leo in the summer of ’42. He was so dashing and made me want to act so very wicked. *a pause and a sly grin tilted up her lips* I suppose I did just that.
Evie: *like a bloodhound on the trail* Huh. I don’t suppose you’d like to elaborate?
Genny: Not especially. *Looks at Leo from under her lashes* I am a lady, you know. How did you meet your Lord Gray?
Evie: Ben and I met years ago, too, and he had his wicked way with me before I wised up. He liked to gamble, and I wasn’t going to marry a man just like my father.
Lord Benton Gray: I was just a kid, Evie, trying to fit in. What did I know? Except, of course, I ruined you for any other man. Even at twenty, I knew what I was about. *smug expression*
Evie: *aggravated* Stop bragging. *Leans forward and whispers* He’s right, you know, but I don’t tell him until the last chapter. Genny, what does Leo do that bothers you most?
Genny: Well, Leo is Leo, and his goal is to vex me at every opportunity until I relent enough to let him back into my life. He’s always been Trouble with a capital T!
Evie: Leo, you’ve been called a dangerous rogue. Why give all that up for Genny?
Leo: *dusting of a speck of fluff on his jacket* I thought you knew better than to put too much stake into what the gossips are saying.
Evie: *bristles* Gossip is my bread and butter, my lord. If it wasn’t for people’s insatiable need to know all the dirt, I wouldn’t be able to support my father and our charity cases.
Genny: *crossing her arms over her chest* Really, Leo, you always evade a direct question you disagree with. You’re so difficult to manage.
Leo: *takes Genny’s hand in his own and squeezing it* We wouldn’t want you managing me, darling. That would take all the fun out of surprising you in life, don’t you think? I apologize, Evie, that was uncalled for.
Genny: Men are the same from every era aren’t they, Evie?
Evie: Damned annoying, is what they are.
Ben: Wait a minute! I gave up my ramshackle ways for you, too, Evie! It was your wretched paper that dubbed me the “Jane Street Jackanapes” and wrote about my every peccadillo. I’m totally reformed.
Evie: You’d better be. *gives Ben a look that promises news that’s not fit to print* The love of a good woman is an amazing thing.
Find out how Tiffany Clare and Maggie Robinson reform their rakes yourself. Maggie is giving away two (2) signed trade paperbacks of Lord Gray’s List today, and Tiff is giving away three (3) Kindle copies of Wicked Nights with a Proper Lady (US Residents Only–leave your email address in the comments). Just hop into the interview and ask a question of any of the four characters, and they’ll answer!
For more excerpts, reviews and more ways to win, please visit www.tiffanyclare.com and www.maggierobinson.net. 
Thursday, September 27th, 2012
Congratulations to our winners from yesterday’s guest blog!
Diane P. Diamond you have won the ebook
&
Polly the Pug you have won the paperback!
Please email Valerie with your information! 
Tuesday, September 25th, 2012
 We are really excited to have debut author join us on the Dark Walk for an interview today to discuss her book Secrets of a Wedding Night, which released yesterday! First, congratulations on your very first release! Can you tell us about your debut book? And if you’ve always dreamed of being a writer?
Thank you so much for having me, Vixens! I’m thrilled to be here today. My debut Regency romance novel, Secrets of a Wedding Night, is the first story in my Secret Brides trilogy. It’s about a widow who writes a scandalous pamphlet and the man she jilted five years ago who challenges her because of it. It’s a game of matching wits and seduction. So fun!
As for whether I’ve always dreamed of being a writer, the answer is YES! I wrote my first “book” in kindergarten. It was about five pages long. : ) It was called The Three Little Chickens and I’m proud to say I still have it.
I love that you still have the very first book you penned! What would you like readers to know about your hero and heroine? Did you base Lily and Devon on anyone in particular?
I actually based (and named) Lily after Lily Lawson in one of my favorite books, Lisa Kleypas’ Then Came You. Both Lilys are such strong characters. Devon is based (looks-wise at least) on my own fiancé, Marcus (wink).
What was your favorite scene to write in the book?
While there are many scenes I LOVE in the book, I have to say one of my very favorites is the opening scene when Devon shows up at Lily’s house ready to have it out with her. It’s the first time they’ve seen each other in five years and it was just so much fun to write. The entire first chapter is available on my website at www.ValerieBowmanBooks.com
Who are some of your favorite authors and books? Did they influence your debut in any way?
I absolutely adore reading Regency romance novels and have been a life-long fan. There are so many terrific authors but two of my very favorites authors are Judith McNaught and Lisa Kleypas. I think the angst in my books is courtesy of Ms. McNaught and of course Lily herself is based on one of Ms. Kleypas’ characters. They are both such talented storytellers.
What’s next for you?
In addition to the next two stories in the Secret Brides trilogy, Secrets of a Runaway Bride and Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage. I’m currently working on two novellas based on minor characters from these stories. The first one, A Secret Proposal, will be out in February 2013. After that, since I write Racy Regency Romps I’ll be writing a new trilogy based on romp plays. My favorites!
I absolutely love short stories based on minor characters! Thank you for joining us on the Dark Walk, Valerie!
Valerie Bowman writes Regency-set historical romance novels with a focus on sharp dialogue, engaging storylines, and heroines who take matters into their own hands! Publishers Weekly calls Secrets of a Wedding Night, an “enchanting, engaging debut that will have readers seeking future installments” and Romantic Times Book Reviews says, “This fast-paced, charming debut, sparkling with witty dialogue and engaging characters, marks Bowman for stardom.” And Booklist gave it a starred review! You can find Valerie on the web at www.ValerieBowmanBooks.com and on Facebookand Twitter.
HOW TO STOP A WEDDING
Young, widowed, and penniless, Lily Andrews, the Countess of Merrill, has strong opinions on marriage. When she spots a certain engagement announcement in The Times, she decides to take action. She will not allow another hapless girl to fall prey to a man—particularly the scoundrel who broke her heart five years ago. Anonymously she writes and distributes a pamphlet entitled “Secrets of a Wedding Night,” knowing it will find its way into his intended’s innocent hands…
HOW TO SEDUCE A WIDOW
Devon Morgan, the Marquis of Colton, desires a good wife and mother to his son—someone completely unlike Lily Andrews, the heartless beauty who led him on a merry chase five years ago only to reject him. When Devon’s new fiancée cries off after reading a certain scandalous pamphlet, he vows to track down the author and make her pay. But when he learns it’s his former fiancée Lily, he issues a challenge: write a retraction—or prepare to be seduced—to find out how wonderful a wedding night can be…
“The most charming and clever debut I’ve read in years! ”
—New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas
Buy Links for Secrets of a Wedding Night: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books a Million
Valerie is kindly giving away one ebook (International entries welcome in the comments) and one print book (North America only). Just tell us what your favorite lovers reunited books are!
Tuesday, September 25th, 2012
It really is fall-like, does anyone else think that lovely warm winter we had last year is in the past and we are in for a really cold one this time around? And that’s kind of depressing! LOL It’ll only be another month of riding my bike to and from work (which I love, even with the recent injury), then it’ll be too windy and cold to do so and back on the stinky streetcar for me.
My exciting news last week was the exclusive cover reveal of my second book in the Dangerous Rogues series: Midnight Temptations with a Forbidden Lord! It’s still sort of exclusive over on Heroes & Heartbreakers, so if you’d like to read the back cover check out this LINK on their fabulous site. But seriously, isn’t the cover fabulous?
I also received a Top Pick, 4.5 star review from RT Book Reviews. They said “Here’s the type of sexy love story that makes hearts beat faster and readers sigh with pleasure.”
Just a little over a month before I can share that first book in the Dangerous Rogues series with you! I really can’t wait to share this cast of almost-mistfit characters.
I have some other exciting news about a short story that I will share soon! The title as it stands is Kiss Me, Kate, and it’s a prequel to the Dangerous Rogues. I can’t wait to unzip my lips on this!
One last thing (isn’t it Spring that’s supposed to bring crazy change and lots of news?) I have been on a reading binge, so tell me what you’ve been reading and loved the most lately!
Don’t forget to visit us tomorrow, we have a lovely guest interview and a BOOK GIVEAWAY! With debut Regency author Valerie Bowman. She’s here to dish about Secrets of a Wedding Night! 
Thursday, September 20th, 2012
There is an EXCLUSIVE reveal of my cover for Midnight Temptations With a Forbidden Lord and the back cover blurb, on Heroes and Heartbreakers today! Go forth and see the beautiful cover!
CLICK HERE!
Tuesday, August 21st, 2012
It’s only natural to blog about what’s most prevalent in my life at any given moment and right now that’s cycling. I’m a bit of a fiend for it, actually. And drag my kids out on the weekends to make them go 20-30 km at a time. They love it, too!
First, let me say that I’m one of those people who hates exercise of any kind. Walking is okay once in a while but not fun for me to do daily, the gym is so not my thing, and at home workouts don’t work for me. I always thought my eating healthy would save me from the dreaded 10lb overnight weight gain at 30–Ha! I was mistaken there. And since I’m past 30, it’s more than a mere 10lbs separating me from my long gone twenties.
Thus came my decision to do something that would get me moving (and shed those pesky pounds). Of course it would have to be something I enjoyed.
At the same time I’m thinking all this, my husband finds and buys me a vintage bike so I can start biking around town with the family on the weekends. It was an old Raleigh vintage bike that weighed a ton!
A few things happened at the same time: my work office moved closer to my house, the construction season started in the city (public transit takes 40 minutes on a normal day, but has doubled because of reduced lanes, etc.–that’s more than 2 hours a day on transit) and anyone who’s ever had to take the streetcar in Toronto will understand how much that sucks.
And then came the famous Aries determination and final decision to cut out what I hate (the streetcar) and I decided to bike to work quite randomly and suddenly. It would save me time, it would save me money and it would be forced exercise. So many problems solved with one thing.
That sounds so much easier than it really was in the beginning. Stubborn as I am, I biked to work that first morning in 45 minutes and I felt like a rock star on my cool old vintage bike! The ride home was long and painful and I realized the bike was too heavy for the distance I was going. Knowing nothing about bikes, my hubby went to a local chain store (not a bike store, our first mistake) spent an ungodly sum of money to buy me a lighter bike (mountain).
The second day it took me an hour (there are a lot of hills–both ways if you can believe it) and I felt sore, tired and cranky. There are two massive hills on the way to work, I had to walk up them for the first week while men with potbellies and little old ladies passed me on their bikes WITH EASE. It was a little humiliating if I do say so.
I thought my legs were going to fall off they hurt so much and arnica
cream did not help ease the pain. Not to mention my sore
butt and tailbone and other numb areas. A few bike seats later and those
problems were solved and muscles I’ve never had in my life started
forming on my legs.
This new bike lasted less than a week. In fact, I hated it. It didn’t shift properly, it was
still too heavy and I was pulling my weight and the bike weight up
hills and still being passed by fat men and little old ladies that looked like a strong gust of wind would blow them over. It wasn’t fun. So my darling husband found me another vintage bike, only
this time it was a road bike (lightweight) and designed for racing so
I’d be able to kick some serious ass. I love my little purple bianchi–it goes like stink and I can carry it up to my apartment with ease cause it’s so frickin’ light.
I’m now in my fourth week of cycling, still loving my bike, and thoroughly enjoying the 35 minutes to work and 35 minutes home (24 kilometers–15 miles–a day). And the best part of this is that I’m exercising but it doesn’t feel like exercising at all because I enjoy it now that my aches and pains have subsided.
So what do you do to stay healthy and keep in shape? Are you still trying to find something you enjoy so it doesn’t feel like extra work? Isn’t it true about hitting 30 and gaining 10 lbs overnight? What is with that!
Also, there are only a few days left to enter my Goodreads giveaway for a chance to win an advanced reader’s copy of Wicked Nights With a Proper Lady. Click HERE to enter.
The picture at the top is my view on the morning bike ride. I stop and take a picture when it’s especially pretty.
Tuesday, May 29th, 2012
 Life is kind of funny. It gives you challenges, various experiences, a chance to learn and grow, opportunities for love, and so much more. Maggie’s on her way back from Paris. PARIS! so I’m filling in for her. When I volunteered to do the next blog, I didn’t know how much life had to offer over the coming weeks. So bear with me, I have so many pictures to share with you!
In the past few weeks I’ve been exposed to so many life changes that I think I’ve practically disconnected from reality. There was my neighbors cat, Baxter, OMG, how cute is a seal point lilac Siamese? We looked after him for a day and my kids fell in love with him. He was affectionate, playful, and he is definitely the most adorable kitten I’ve ever seen.
Then there’s Billy the Cat.
 14 years ago I met my husband. Well, I met him before that, but we became a ‘couple’ fourteen years ago (15yrs in October). When we celebrated my birthday together for the first time, he took me to the humane society. Why? I’d been talking about the black cat I’d had as a child for a long time. His name: Kahlua; he was the most beautiful black Persian, only he wasn’t a true black, but the deep, deep brown of a Kahlua bottle. I adored him as a child, but he was a loaner (the owners were away on an extended vacation). When he went back to the owners I was devastated. (I was ten.) We found Billy the Cat, the most obnixous, talkative cat of the 10 black cats the humane society had that day. he was young 1.5yrs at the time. I remember bringing him home, him crouching low the the floor because he was in new surroundings and then finally jumping on the back of the couch and look at us like minions in his castle. Nothing was more devastating than saying good-bye to Billy the Cat on May 18. He was my friend and companion for so long, he just got me. He’d been with us through a series of rats, four ferrets, and three dogs. Billy was my best friend and now he’s gone.
Little did I know his absence from our life would devastate my dog the most.
Before:
After:
Scarlett didn’t eat for four days. Mopped around the house, made me more depressed and sad that I had let Billy the Cat slip from this life to the next. She’s feeling better now. But she misses her cat, her chew toy, her best friend in the whole wide world. When she sees cats out on her walk she cries and cries wanting nothing more than to play and cuddle.
Experiences:
I took my kids to see Cavalia. The show and horses = AMAZING! It was a great experience (allergies included) that they got to enjoy with the family–including grandma and great-grandma. The blue-eyed spotted is an Appaloosa, the brown a Canadian (I think), the black the only black Arabian in the show, and the white was a particular favorite. He looked so beautiful on stage, so majestic, that when I saw him in the stable I talked sweet nothings to him while he fell asleep standing up. He is a Spanish Purebred and had the prettiest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.
On top of all this world change and massive experience in animal appreciation, I’ve been under deadline. A crazy deadline that makes me question my sanity on a daily basis. I’ve had day job award ceremony and massive deadlines there, too. Night-time craziness from writing whenever I can find the time to sit at my computer.
Let me tell you–sometimes I find it’s the simple things in life that make me happiest. The first picture is the view outside my windows in May. Crabapple trees bloom for two weeks here in Toronto (only three days this year) and it puts a smile on my face to see it mark the beginning of the warmer weather.
So after this long rambling blog, what have you all been up to? Do you have a few special animals in your life that keep you happy? New experiences soon to come?
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
 There are all kinds of writers. Pantsers (seat of your pants), Plotters (writing down every finite detail before actually writing the story), and Plansters (the happy medium of I cannot be defined but fall somewhere in the middle).
The funny thing is, most writers have to submit a synopsis of their full book before they write it (there are a select few that don’t have to go through this process), so I sort of preplan my books. I also consider myself a Pantser, but really, I do write a a pretty detailed synopsis that outlines the major items/plot points in a story.
So here’s the process: It takes me roughly five months to write a book from the conception point to the end. Deadlines are a funny thing though, and I was given a little less than five months to write my book this time around, so I’ve changed up my strategy in how I approach a book.
I feel like I learn something new with every book. This time around, I’m learning something I’ve always been interested in but too afraid to try… fast drafting. Which means you vomit all your words out onto the page, then worry about the edits later.
Why is this different from my usual? For starters, I generally write the first half of the book relatively easily–it takes me two months to hit the halfway mark. Then I sit on it. Sometimes for a month, sometimes for a longer. But I always sit on it because I hit the halfway mark and I start to write my book out of order and it’s a slower process to piece the puzzle bits together than it is to write that first half of the book.
This time around, I don’t have time to sit on the book and think it through for a month or two so I’ve roped my critique partner into writing crazy page counts with me daily.
It took me about three weeks to write the first half of my book this time around. I admit it, I’ve stalled, but I’m totally back in the game and I’m planning on fast drafting the second half in another two weeks.
No, my book is not finished at this point. It does need to be edited and pieced together, because there are always missing parts. In a nutshell, that is where I’m at, and my blog might be a bit disjointed because of it–did I mention piecing together the last half in two weeks? 🙂
Also, I’ve updated my website to include my new book, Wicked Nights with a Proper Lady! If you sign up for my newsletter, you will receive exclusive sneak peaks at this series! So don’t forget to sign up if you haven’t already.
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012
  Have you ever wondered what goes into the making a romance book cover?
Here are the important factors that must be considered:
1)The title has to be one of the most important things on the cover. How long is the title? does it tell you something about the story? does it grab your attention?
Much like coming up with the series title for this series (Dangerous Rogues), the title was equally hard. Keywords are pooled: Wicked, Dangerous, Tempting, Seducing, Desires, etc. Then character descriptions are listed: Lady, Proper, Governess, Wife, Lord, etc. Then phrases are played with until you have the perfect story description in hopefully six words or less. I think it took a couple of weeks of brainstorming with critique partners, my agent and my editor before we had a title for this book.
Then there is the series title, which I’ve already blogged about.
2) Character Descriptions are provided at the request of the art department and editor/editor’s assistant. At this point the author would give a physical description of the hero and heroine and then clothing styles of the era (if the book is historical). For paranormal’s, contemporaries and other subgenres in romance, considerations might be tattoos, brands, does he ride a motorcycle (for the background maybe), etc.
3) This time when I provided the above information, I took it one step further and provided a movie poster that I thought would be the perfect image of my heroine and hero embracing in a passionate kiss. I really like the movie Angel, and the costumes are phenomenal, though not quite the same time period as my stories. Still–beautiful is beautiful. And the picture says a thousand words 🙂
4) The art department then does their magic. They usually arrange a photoshoot. I can’t say for sure, but I do know I’ve had one cover that was an actual photo, and the other three are painted. I don’t know if the painter is on site painting the models or if they paint after they take pictures.
And there you have a summarized version of a romance book cover being created.
Also, I love red (what Aries doesn’t?) it’s just so vibrant and fiery like my nature that I thought I should have a red cover. So I asked for one, and . . .
How stunning is that? Does the process of cover creation fascinate you as much as it fascinates me? Can you tear your eyes away from that beautiful cover?
If you click on the picture it will take you to Amazon.com. Please consider hitting the ‘like’ on the Amazon page!
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