In the original version of a key scene, Nick mentioned that Lady Tassell once took away his puppy.
Author: Rose Lerner
Note: expect a flurry of new posts. They aren't new content.
Hey all, I am transferring a lot of the book extras on the site over to the blog so I can more easily update them. Be prepared for a lot of new posts!
Open call: diversity in historical romance panel
[ETA 9/30/15: I have a tentative panel line-up, but it isn’t impossible someone could still be added, so feel free to email if you’re interested!]
I am working with Eric Selinger to put together a panel on diversity in historical romance for the Popular Culture Association‘s national conference next spring. The conference is March 21–25, 2016 in Seattle, WA. (If the panel happens, I will also be on it as an author of Jewish historical romance.)
If you write or have written diverse historical romance (protagonists of color, LGBTQ, disabled, faiths other than Christian, any combination thereof, anything I’m forgetting) and would be interested in being on the panel, please get in touch with me at lerner.rose@gmail.com!
Please make sure to include your pen name and website address in your email, and please mention if you have any scheduling restrictions during the five days of the conference (March 21-25). I would also love to hear about how your life experiences have contributed to your thinking about diversity in the genre.
Unfortunately there is no funding available to help with travel expenses. Let me know if housing is an issue; there is a possibility I could find you somewhere to crash.
New contest: "A Lily Among Thorns" in paperback!
ETA: This contest is closed. Chelsea and Patty won the books!
Hey all! A Lily Among Thorns, my second book, rereleases in paperback today! Wooooooo!
I am so pumped to finally hold this book in my hand again after years of it being out of print. To celebrate, I am giving away two paperbacks.
One paperback will be signed by me (and personalized if you want!) and is open to the US and Canada only.
One paperback is not signed, will ship from The Book Depository, and is open internationally.
Some very special news: To celebrate the rerelease, the e-book is on sale for just 99¢. Tell your friends!
Some people liked this book! NYT Bestselling Author Courtney Milan said, “I loved it, even more than I loved In for a Penny…most of all, for a heroine who is independent and prickly and yet wonderful all at the same time.”
AnimeJune wrote, “Solomon Hathaway is a prince among men. A prince among heroes! He cooks, he sews, he makes hot chocolate, he knows his way around a vial of hydrochloric acid, he has impeccable fashion sense, he’s sweet and lovely and all that is good. He is wonderful.”
And Stephanie Samphire said, “It’s all zany and fun and it moves at an incredible pace…but here’s what is my very, very favorite thing of all about the book: Solomon and Serena really, really like each other.”
You can read the first chapter and find DVD extras like deleted scenes and a free short story here.
nook · kobo · google play · apple
samhain · allromance
samhain · b&n · powell’s
book depository
Lady Serena Ravenshaw is one of London’s most prosperous women, but she’s never forgotten the misery that set her on the path to success. Nor has she forgotten the drunken young gentleman who gave her the means to start her long, tortuous climb out of the gutter. When he knocks on the door of the Ravenshaw Arms to ask her help in retrieving a stolen family heirloom, she readily agrees to help, and to let him stay rent-free. After all, Serena prefers debts to fall in her favor.
Still grieving the death of his twin brother, Solomon Hathaway just wants to be left alone in his dye-making shop—until his highborn uncle sends him to the infamous Lady Serena to scour London’s underworld for the missing bauble. He’s shocked to discover she’s the same bedraggled waif to whom he once gave his entire quarterly allowance. Yet as they delicately tread common ground, they must negotiate a treacherous world of crime, espionage and betrayal before they can learn to trust—and love—again.
Contest rules:
1. Comment on this post to enter. Please specify in your comment if you are US/Canada or international.
2. I will select one US/Canada winner and one international winner at random using random.org.
3. Open for entries through September 8th, 2015.
If you’d like to be alerted when new contests go up, you can sign up for my newsletter.
Good luck!
Before Mendoza, boxers generally stood still and merely swapped punches
Today at Risky Regencies, I’ve come up with a Jewish-themed list of awesome Regency romance scenarios, since the dearth of Jewish historical romance became pretty obvious when people started asking for recommendations after the whole For Such a Time imbroglio. I’d love to read ALL of these ideas. Bodysnatchers, boxers, and Brighton, oh my!
New contest: "Fool Me Twice" by Meredith Duran
ETA: This contest is now closed. jcp won the book!
Duran’s Lady Be Good (about an ex-thief trying to go straight, who must do one last job for an aristocratic and very angsty veteran) smashed my reading slump into bits at RWA, and I can’t wait to read the next one, about the ice queen manager of the auction house, so I thought this would be a good time to give away a signed-by-the-author copy of book 2 in the series and a 2015 RITA winner, Fool Me Twice!
A LADY WITH A SECRET
Running for her life, exhausted and out of options, Olivia Holladay wants nothing more than the chance to make a home for herself. So when she realizes that the infamous Duke of Marwick might hold the key to her freedom, she boldly disguises herself as the newest and bravest in a long line of the duke’s notoriously temperamental housekeepers. Little does she know that the wickedly handsome Alastair de Grey has very different plans for her.
A MAN WITH A PASSION—FOR VENGEANCE
As his new employee, Olivia is a fearless upstart. As a woman, the daring redhead is just what Alastair needs to rouse him from darkness to the siren call of revenge. He has suffered a betrayal so deep that he will use whatever means necessary to destroy his enemies—even his brazen and beautiful domestic. But his vengeful plan fails to account for his single weakness: an irresistible and growing passion for the enigmatic Olivia.
What is it about “I am pretending to be his housekeeper and out of sheer frustration bring his horrible house into spotless order” stories that I am such a sucker for???? I don’t know but I love it every time. Put-upon competence is my thing, I guess, which is why I love Captain America so much. But seriously, this book is amazing and the romantic tension is some of the best I’ve ever read. Read my full flaily Goodreads review (including a trigger warning).
Contest rules:
1. Comment on this post to enter.
2. The winner will be chosen at random using random.org.
3. US and Canada only.
4. Open for entries through August 28th, 2015. [NB: I’m changing up my contest rules a little so they only run for a week. Contests will still be more or less monthly. I’m making this change because the first week is when I get all my entries anyway, so it shouldn’t actually affect anyone but should just let me get the book out to the winner sooner. But I point it out because I don’t want you to think I’m trying to pull a fast one.]
5. I got this book signed at a conference. Meredith isn’t involved in the giveaway.
If you’d like to be alerted when new contests go up, you can sign up for my newsletter.
Good luck!
the Russians with fire and passion prefer Borsch
My Risky Regencies post today is a repost of my scans and excerpts from Barbara Cartland’s amazing “romantic” cookbook, The Romance of Food. This was one of my very first blog posts ever, so if you are a new reader and haven’t seen them, you owe it to yourself to check it out. A sample caption (for a lobster):
An exotic creature from the deep, the color of two red lips, which can invite, provoke, and surrender.
New contest: "In for a Penny" paperback!
ETA: This contest is closed. Karin won the book!
Hey all! I realized I never properly celebrated In for a Penny‘s paperback release…so, I’m giving away a signed personalized copy.
Regency penny photo credit: Detecting via Wikimedia Commons.
If you haven’t read it, this was my first book, and some people liked it!
“In for a Penny is a charming and original Regency that will make you wish a man like Nev would stroll through your front door.” —Eloisa James for the Barnes & Noble Review.
“Georgette Heyer watch out! With believable characters and a keen eye for period detail, Rose Lerner serves up a sprightly and splendid take on the classic marriage of convenience plot. Not to be missed by fans of the Regency romance.” —Lauren Willig, NYT Bestselling Author
“It basically restored my faith in Historical Romance…I loved this novel so much and can’t wait to read more from Rose Lerner—I welcome the author to the genre with open arms. More please!” —Ana, The Book Smugglers.
And maybe my very favorite review ever:
“[A] Georgette Heyer style historical romance but with sex & explicit fellatio…” —seton, Goodreads.
The back-cover copy:
Lord Nevinstoke revels in acting the young wastrel, until his father is killed in a drunken duel. Never one to do anything halfway, Nev throws off his wild ways to shoulder a mountain of responsibility—and debt—vowing to marry a rich girl and act the respectable lord of the manor. Manufacturing heiress Penelope Brown seems the perfect choice for a wife. She’s pretty, proper, and looking for a husband.
Determined to rise above her common birth, Penelope prides herself on her impeccable behavior and good sense. Grand Passion? Vulgar and melodramatic. Yes, agreeing to marry Nev was a rare moment of impulse, yet she’s sure they can build a good marriage based on companionship and mutual esteem.
But when they arrive at the manor, they’re overwhelmed with half-starved tenants, a menacing neighbor, and the family propensity for scandal. As the situation deteriorates, the newlyweds have nowhere to turn but to each other. To Penelope’s surprise, she begins to fervently hope that her first taste of Grand Passion in her husband’s arms won’t be her last.
Read the first chapter or buy the book here. The paperback links aren’t up yet there though! (They will be soon.) So here they are:
samhain · b&n · powell’s
book depository
Contest rules:
1. Comment on this post to enter.
2. The winner will be chosen at random using random.org.
3. US and Canada only.
4. Open for entries through August 15th, 2015.
If you’d like to be alerted when new contests go up, you can sign up for my newsletter.
Good luck!
I was trying to find the artist who painted Nathan's portrait and the second google hit is for a forum titled "How the Jews Stole Britain"
Today at Risky Regencies, I posted an updated and expanded version of my old post about historical urban legends, and the Rothschilds and the news of the victory at Waterloo.
Mini-stories for Waterloo Bicentennial!
Final story index
#1: Solomon and Serena go on holiday, and Solomon cooks dinner.
#2: Jamie (from True Pretenses) and Serena have a playdate. Lydia babysits and [SPOILER] makes an appearance.
#3: Solomon’s school friends have an embarrassing mishap.
#4: Antoine on his day off.
#5: People are betting on how long Solomon and Serena will stay together. Solomon has an idea.
*
Today is the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. (My critique partner Susanna Fraser is in Belgium right now for the reenactments and I am so jealous!) Now you may remember that A Lily Among Thorns ends with news of the battle of Waterloo reaching England (which of course didn’t happen until days later). So in honor of the holiday:
Give me a prompt, related to any of the characters or to the world of A Lily Among Thorns, and I will write you at least 100 words of fiction in response.
When I did this for Ash Wednesday, I was asked what kind of prompts I like. I was imagining something like, “I want to see Sophy and Antoine playing cards,” etc., but if there’s another way you like to give prompts, I am open to whatever!
This is open until I get around to writing them, which will be probably be in early July once I’ve turned in the next Lively St. Lemeston book. I’m only promising to write the first 10 prompts but if I get more and I’m still enjoying myself after 10, I’ll do more.