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A Contest of Wills
 Seems some authors are getting creative these days, and not just in their plot lines. I have noticed a few interesting contests being run by authors with upcoming books. I thought I would share a few with you, just in case you haven't seen them. Jenna Black, author of THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, has a competition called the Home Demon Hunters Game. Each Tuesday, she posts a secret code word on her site. Readers find the word and email it to her, along with contact info. Each week, she does a drawing for a winner of an electronic gaming card, each of which has one of seven characters on it. In November, just in time for her next release, THE DEVIL'S DUE, she will declare one character to be "rogue" and anyone who owns that character gets a chance at the Grand Prize, a $200 bookstore gift certificate.  Rachel Caine has done several contests this year. Earlier, she did a drawing related to her Morganville Vampire series release, FEAST OF FOOLS. Currently, she is doing a drawing for her next Weather Wardens book, GALE FORCE. The winner gets a necklace similar to those worn by the Weather Wardens themselves.  Big names such as Jayne Anne Krentz, Angela Knight, Francis Ray and Christina Dodd each had giveaways through Writerspace.com. I know Pat Simmons has something up her sleeve for her upcoming release, TALK TO ME.  And it seems like everyday I am hearing about another contest, drawing or giveaway by some of the biggest names in the biz. If you are interested in a particular author, don't just sign up for the newsletters produced by the authors themselves - also sign up with their publisher. When Vicki Pettersson and Kim Harrison had books on the way to the bookstores, their publisher, EOS, had several contests to give away ARCs. And of course, RT is chock full of giveaways lately - just look down the page, and you will see ARCs and other book giveaways taking place. Good luck and happy hunting! Nicole
Lori Foster/L.L. Foster Interview
RT BOOKreviews September 08 Issue
Book Giveaway: REINCARNATION by Suzanne Weyn
To celebrate Suzanne Weyn's YA novel REINCARNATION, about a teenage love that endures through the ages, we have some copies to give away! To enter, email RT's senior editor Elissa Petruzzi with your name and address (US residents only; your contact information will be used for the purpose of this contest only). The first five people to e-mail Elissa will receive copies of the book.
For the Love of Wine and Pie
Recently, I made two small road trips to tiny towns in Texas for food and drink. Being me, I came back with more than just a full stomach. One, was Round Top, between Austin and Houston. Royers Round Top Café was for a friend's birthday. He had been dying to take some of us up there for their gourmet homestyle cooking. I had the pork chops, and got to sample the fried chicken (a Sunday-only fare), cheesy jalapeño soup, and of course, pie. Royers is known for their pies. We get at least a few pecan pies every Christmas here at my day job. When I couldn't decide which one to try, Bud, the owner, sent over both: the cinnamon roll (bigger than my head) and a slice of the chocolate chip pie. We also had cherry, apple and buttermilk pies around the table. Before I left, I had to pick up a few things, like some seasoning, peach amaretto jelly and peach pepper jelly, and, of course, a cookbook. This cookbook is amazing! Lots of lovely pictures of Bud and family throughout the years. It doesn't just tell you how to make so many of their famous recipes (including that lovely fried chicken), but also tells the story of how a restaurant in a small town of 77 pop. can make it for many years. I also went to the Messina Hof wineries this past week for the Moonlight Harvest. We got to cut the grapes off the vine, stomp on them à la Lucy, and then partake of the wonderful food their restaurant and B&B offer. Messina Hof is one of the most well-known Texas wineries and I encourage all to try some of their wine when they get a chance. Thanks to the lovely ladies at The Padgett Group, a motley collection of media fools got to drive up to the vineyards in style in a limo bus, while drinking some of the lovely Texas Hold 'Em wine produced by the vineyard. Even through the rain that started just as we finished our record-breaking haul of grapes, the whole experience was a blast. The vineyards are lovely, the people are kind and knowledgeable, and I would love to have explored their B&B some more. I also got a cookbook from there (along with 2 jams, 2 mustards and port wine truffles!). This is one of the most gorgeous cookbooks I have ever seen. Full of lovely pictures, a great story of how the vineyard came to be, and definitely some wonderful recipes I just have to try. I recommend both of these Texas-grown varieties of fun and food. And while there, don't forget to get a few souvenirs to hold you over when you get back home. Nicole
Christine Feehan Interview
Thoughts on 1001 Romances to Read
  As has been noted in the forums, the book 1001 BOOKS YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE, and the resulting posts on blogs, has inspired some of our wonderful readers. They are taking suggestions for a list of 1001 Romances to Read. I was asked my thoughts on the list, and recently took a look.  Going through that list, I found around 40-45 I had read (some books blurred in my memory, so I had a hard time with a definitive count. At the time of my writing this, there 667 books on the list. I was thrilled to see a few books on the list: THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE by Audrey Niffenegger, SCREAM FOR ME by Karen Rose and PRISONER OF MY DESIRE by Johanna Lindsey. I was disappointed there were not more African-American romances listed - where are Brenda Jackson, Francis Ray and Leslie Esdaile Banks? Also a glaring omission for me is Bobbi Smith - the queen of the Western romance.  What books would I like to add to the list? • THE PRINCESS BRIDE by William Goldman Most people get distracted by the humor, but it's truly a wonderful love story. And it seems everyone just loves pirates. • PROMISE ME ANYTHING by Meryl Sawyer I have read this one at least 10 times. Wonderful love story, well-written. • WISHES by Jude DeverauxI still picture scenes from this book, and I reread it often. Humorous, with a wonderful blend of fairy-tale and reality. And the version of purgatory in the frame story is hysterical! • TO TASTE THE WINE by Fern Michaels One of the first romances I ever read. Have bought it twice, simply so I could save the hardcover and be able to read the other one anywhere. • CYRANO DE BERGERAC by Edmond Rostand A classic love triangle that breaks your heart, but also makes it soar. • FRENCH SILK by Sandra Brown One of my favorite Sandra Brown romances. Also, WHERE THERE'S SMOKE.  There are a few others that might be nice to add to the list, too, but these are the main ones I think should be added. If you have books you think should be added go here. If you are just looking for inspiration, go to the post that lists them all here. Nicole
In the Mood For Love
 Sometimes in life, you just don't know what you want. Do you want a little action? Romance? Maybe something with a little history? Something with all of the above? I couldn't find something to read for three days. I looked through my two bookshelves of books to be read. I have everything in there from books on physics, to biographies, to all kinds of romance, paranormal and sci-fi/fantasy. I read the first couple pages of a few, the backs of others. I skimmed through whole series of books, and even more stand-alones. Nothing seemed to hold my interest for long. And then, I found my copy of A DANGEROUS BEAUTY by Sophia Nash. I turned off the TV and curled up on the couch, and began to read. It hit the spot. BEAUTY pushed my romantic buttons, while keeping me engaged and not letting my mind relax and zone out on the story. I wanted to know what happened next. The characters were fun. The male romantic interest was like a darker, badder version of Mr. Darcy – which is about the only thing that could make Mr. Darcy sexier than he already is. I did think part of the book was a bit abrupt in its transition, but was handled well enough that it didn't detract from the story much. The timing in finding such a fun romance was wonderful because it got me in the mood for the next book on my list. A friend gave me a copy of THE BRONZE HORSEMAN by Paullina Simons. She loves this epic Russian love story, and has been dying for me to read it. I am about 200 pages in and, so far, I am enjoying it. Sometimes you just don't know what you want. Finding Ms. Nash's book got me ready to read THE BRONZE HORSEMAN and I now, finally, know what I want to read. Nicole
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