Going on Hiatus

My apologies to everyone who has been following Kindling Romance, but a family situation has arisen that forces me to put this blog on temporary hiatus. I hope to return to blogging soon. In the meantime, my thanks to everyone who has been following the posts here, and been so generous with their comments and suggestions.

Free Romance eBooks 10.01.09

It’s almost most Halloween and we all know what that means, Christmas decorations in every store on the planet. I’m going to jump the gun with two holiday reads among this week’s selection of free eBook downloads…

Christmas Hookup by Lex Valentine

Publisher: Pink Petal Books
Subgenre: Erotica, Holiday Romance
Length: 7.5K words
Formats: Adobe Acrobat, HTML, Mobipocket, Epub

A class reunion, a parking lot encounter, and a holiday she’ll never forget…

Black Cat by Cat Johnson

Publisher: Linden Bay Books
Subgenre: Contemporary Paranormal Romance
Length: 12K words
Formats: Adobe Acrobat, HTML, Epub

Lar has existed as a cat for a thousand years, with all the discomforts and indignities that go along with it. But when he is adopted by Belinda and gets a look into her life, can his curse finally be coming to an end?

Discovering Dani: Jamesville Book I by N. J. Walters

Publisher: Samhain
Subgenre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 220 pages
Formats: Kindle, iPhone, iPod

Burke Black wanted something he could live with, but ended up finding someone he could live for.

Dani O’Rourke has had the responsibility of raising her two brothers, Patrick and Shamus, since the death of their parents. As sole owner and operator of O’Rourke Cleaning Services, she is no stranger too hard work, but she is a beginner when it comes to men.

Burke is a very rich and successful businessman whose brush with death has made him question his priorities. He-s traveled to Jamesville for peace and quiet while he plans the rest of his life.

Their lives collide when Burke accuses her of breaking into his cabin to steal from him. Their attraction to each other is immediate, and after a series of misunderstandings he finds himself caught up in the lives of Dani and her brothers.

But can this gentle, giving woman get a man as hard and cynical as Burke to believe in the power of love? Or will Burke leave town without ever discovering the wonders of life with Dani?

Giving Chase by Lauren Dane

Publisher: Samhain
Subgenre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 204 pages
Formats: Kindle, iPhone, iPod

Together they find a special love-can it survive the threat stalking her?

Some small towns grow really good looking men! This is the case with the four Chase brothers. The home grown hotties are on the wishlist of every single woman in town and Maggie Wright is no exception.

Maggie has finally had it with the men she’s been dating but a spilled plate of chili cheese fries drops Shane Chase right into her lap. The sheriff is hot stuff but was burned by a former fiancee and is quite happy to play the field.

After Shane’s skittishness sends him out the door, Maggie realizes that Kyle Chase has had his eye on her from the start. Now that Shane has messed up, Kyle has no intention of letting anything stop him from wooing her right into his bed.

Despite Maggie’s happiness and growing love with Kyle, a dark shadow threatens everything-she’s got a stalker and he’s not happy at all. In the end, Maggie will need her wits, strength and the love of her man to get her out alive.

Demon’s Desire: A Christmas eBook by Kim Knox

Publisher: Samhain Free Read
Subgenre: Contemporary Paranormal Erotica
Length: 11 Pages
Formats: Adobe PDF

No blurb: A fiesty heiress and her demon bodyguard hookup at a New Year’s Ever party.

Kayla’s Birthday Present by Ashlyn Chase

Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Subgenre: Contemporary Erotica
Length: Short-Short
Formats: Adobe Acrobat, HTML, MS Reader, Mobipocket, Rocketbook

Kayla’s best friend Marcus returned from Kuwait just in time to celebrate her fortieth birthday. She never expected to cry about it or let him comfort her with sex, but that’s what happened.

The next day Marcus confessed the feelings he’d had for her all along and then gave her the best lovemaking of her life. After spending her week-long “staycation” in bed with Marcus, can Kayla let him leave when he’s transferred to Alaska? She won’t go with him. The career she worked so hard to build is something she loves too.

The Death of Midlist Books…Again? Or Transformation Ahead?

If you’re published, but are already on book number two and haven’t hit the bestsellers lists, chances are you’re what’s termed a midlist author. To publishers, midlist authors are the least exciting category of writer. Their first books weren’t hotties. They’ve been bought again because they did okay their first time out, but are often pushed to the back of the bus in favor of those at the top, or the next potential hottie to come along.

Editors and publishers have been shouting about the death of the midlist since dinosaurs were harnessed to run printing presses, sometime in the mid-1980s. Publishing industry pundits at the time urged their readers to cup a hand to their ear and listen for the death knell, as corporations began gobbling up publishing houses and sought to “trim the fat” off their operations.

Why should we publish people who aren’t going to be runaway bestsellers? was the prevailing corporate wisdom of the era.

In truth, I suspect that the history of the midlist over the last twenty-five years could provide hours of lively debate. Is it less than it once was? The proverbial mere shadow? Or is it even stronger today?

Lori Devoti’s “The Death of the Midlist” revives the old arguments at Romancing the Blog, with news that two publishers are supposedly sending their midlists to the gallows. In addition to providing an excellent Midlist for Dummies-style primer, Devoti asks an important question.

…when I heard these two publishers were eliminating their mid-list I thought, “How?” Are they dropping everything that isn’t an A to them? Are they getting out their crystal ball and only buying the “big” books? Or are they just gouging out the middle? Keeping the A’s and the D’s but dumping those darn B’s and C’s?”

The answer, I think, would be yes. If publishers wanted to cut their midlist, there are a number of ways they could put the squeeze on the middle. They might raise the criteria for purchases of an author’s second and subsequent books, requiring higher sell-through rates or even a back-to-print order before an author was bought again. They could contract fewer new authors, selecting just a handful at a time, those they perceived as having the potential for mass appeal; whereupon they made those lucky few into bestsellers.

Where would all the unwanted authors go? It’s a sure thing that they wouldn’t stop writing, or attempting to see their books published. I know I wouldn’t. My guess is that more and more of them would turn to eBook publishers and even self-publishing as an option.

Which makes me wonder, will the large New York houses decide not to eliminate the midlist, but transform it instead?

What are the chances they’ll release most of the dinosaurs from the printing presses and put them to pasture, or swamp, or the Brontosaurus graveyard, and choose not to print, warehouse and distribute midlist books? What if they looked forward a decade, to when print book sales will be on the wane anyway, and came to the conclusion that the midlist should be eBook-only?

In this scenario, print would be reserved for two categories of books, the A-list, and those whom publishers visualized as having the potential to A-list, whether they be first-timers, or long-time eBook only midlisters who have found a large enough audience to merit the luxury.

Devoti makes a good argument in her post when she wonders how the buying public would react to a total evisceration of the middle:

…my guess is a lot of authors who live on the mid list would just disappear. This would be okay for a while. There is a never ending supply of new hopeful writers, but eventually wouldn’t that get old? There are a lot of really good books on that mid list. (Seriously, none of us believe only best-sellers are good, right? Or even all best-sellers are good.) If you could only pick between the new and the big, I truly think you would miss what used to be in the middle.

Regardless of what choices corporate publishing makes, to transition their B- and C-list authors to another format, or allow a great migration of the same to smaller eBook-only houses, my belief is that the midlist will never truly die.

Romance eBook Bestseller Lists 9.30.09

Each Wednesday, Kindling Romance posts a sampling of the bestseller lists in eBook romance culled from across the Internet. Both publisher and retailer-only websites are included, as are books that have print versions in addition to eBook format. Lists should be considered a snapshot of the rankings on each site at the time gathered. Live rankings are more fluid than old school print bestseller lists and may have changed by the time you read this.

Though they sometimes appear in bestseller lists, eBooks that are free to readers (List Price $0.00) are not included, as they are not actually for sale.**

Websites are listed in alphabetical order.

ALL ROMANCE (allromanceebooks.com)

Retailer or Publisher: Retailer
Editions: eBooks only, though some books on the list may have print editions available elsewhere.
Formats/Devices Available: Adobe PDF eBook, MSReader, HTML, Mobipocket, Palm DOC/iSolo, Franklin eBookMan, Hiebook, Rocketbook, Open eBook.

1. Warrior’s Cross by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban, Dreamspinner Press. #1 on this list last week.
2. Twisted Rose by Amber Kell, Literary Road. #2
3. Songbird by Maya Banks, Samhain. #4
4. Unrequited by Abigail Roux, Dreamspinner Press. #6
5. His Convenient Husband by J.L. Langley, Samhain. #7
6. My Lupine Lover by Stormy Glenn, Siren Bookstrand. #8
7. Nick Of Time by T.A. Chase, Amber Quill Press.
8. Tabloid Star by T.A. Chase, Samhain. #10
9. The Endowed by Tianna Xander, eXtasy Books. #5
10. Beyond the Norm by Shawn Lane, Dreamspinner Press.

KINDLE BOOKSTORE (amazon.com)

Retailer or Publisher: Retailer
Editions: Mixed. Sells books that are eBook only, as well as digital versions of print books.
Formats/Devices Available: Kindle, iPhone, iPod

1. Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon, St. Martin’s Press. Print edition available (#5 in Kindle top sellers.**)
2. The Renegade Hunter by Lynsay Sands, HarperCollins. Print. (#8)
3. Hot for the Holidays by Lora Leigh, Angela Knight, Anya Bast and Allyson James, Jove. Print. (#11)
4. Feel the Heat by Cindy Gerard, Pocket. Print. (#12)
5. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, Dell. Print. (#14) #1 last week on this list.
6. Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur, Dell. Print. (#16) #3
7. Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas, Minotaur Books. Print. (#17) #2
8. Make Her Pay by Roxanne St. Claire, Pocket. Print. (#18)
9. Dreamfeaver by Karen Marie Moning, Delacorte. Print. (#19) #4
10. Dark Slayer by Christine Feehan, Berkely. Print. (#20) #5

BARNES & NOBLE (barnesandnoble.com)

Retailer or Publisher: Retailer
Editions: eBooks and Print.
Formats/Devices Available: iPhone, iPod, Blackberry, PC, Mac

1. Hot for the Holidays by Lora Leigh, Angela Knight, Anya Bast and Allyson James, Jove. Print edition available. (#18 in B&N top sellers.**)
2. Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning, Delacorte. Print. (#19) #8 on this list last week.
3. An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, Dell. Print. (#21) #1
4. The Darkest Prison by Gena Showalter, Harlequin. Print. (#22) #2
5. The Renegade Hunter by Lynsay Sands, HarperCollins. Print. (#23)
6. Bitten and Smitten by Michelle Rowan, Forever. Print. (#24)
7. Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur, Dell. Print. (#26) #4
8. Kiss of Crimson by Lara Adrian, Dell. Print. (#27)
9. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, Dell. Print. (#28)
10. Midnight Rising by Lara Adrian, Dell. Print. (#29)

SONY (ebookstore.sony.com)

Retailer or Publisher: Retailer
Editions: eBooks only, though some books on the list may have print editions available elsewhere.
Formats/Devices Available: Sony Reader, Windows PC with EBL software, (no Mac Support).

1. Dark Slayer by Christine Feehan, Penguin. Print edition available. #3 on this list last week.
2. Hello Darkness by Sandra Brown, Simon & Schuster. Print. #1
3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, Dell. Print.
4. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory, Simon & Schuster. Print. #2
5. The Darkest Whisper by Gena Showalter, Harlequin. Print. #6
6. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris, Penguin. Print. #7
7. Bitten and Smitten by Michelle Rowan, Forever. Print. #9
8. Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning, Delacorte. Print. #5
9. 92 Pacific Boulevard by Debbie Macomber, Harlequin. Print. #4
10. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Hachette, Print. #10

FICTIONWISE (fictionwise.com)

Retailer or Publisher: Retailer
Editions: eBooks only, though some books on the list may have print editions available elsewhere.
Formats/Devices Available: Sony Reader, Kindle (using unencrypted MultiFormat books and Mobipocket), MSReader, Adobe PDF, Mobipocket, Windows PC, Win CE (Palm Doc), Rocketbook, Franklin eBookMan, Hiebook, Symbian

1. To Sir Phillip, with Love: The Epilogue II by Julia Quinn, HarperCollins. Print edition available.
2. Dark Slayer by Christine Feehan, Penguin. Print. #1 on this list last week.
3. Storm of Shadows by Christina Dodd, Penguin. Print. #2
4. Wicked All Day by Liz Carlyle, Pocket. Print. #6
5. Hot for the Holidays by Lora Leigh, Angela Knight, Anya Bast and Allyson James, Jove. Print. #8
6. The Renegade Hunter by Lynsay Sands, HarperCollins. Print.
7. Living on the Edge, Susan Mallery, Harlequin. Print. #7
8. Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch by B.J. Daniels, Harlequin. Print.
9. Hael’s Fury by Viola Grace, eXtasy Books. eBook only.
10. Diner Girl by Mary Malcolm, The Wild Rose Press. eBook only.

HARLEQUIN (eHarlequin.com)

Retailer or Publisher: Publisher.
Editions: Mixed. Sells books that are eBook only, as well as digital versions of print books.
Formats/Devices Available: Adobe PDF eBook, Microsoft eBook, Mobipocket.

1. The Billionaire’s Bride of Innocence by Miranda Lee. Print. #8 on this list last week.
2. The Greek Billionaire’s Innocent Princess by Chantelle Shaw. Print.
3. The Christmas Love-Child by Jennie Lucas. Print.
4. The Diakos Baby Scandal by Natalie Rivers. Print.
5. After the Kiss by Michele Hauf. eBook only.
6. Raffaele: Taming His Tempestuous Virgin by Sandra Marton. Print.
7. Wedding at King’s Convenience by Maureen Child. Print.
8. Bedded at the Billionaire’s Convenience by Cathy Williams. Print.
9. Constantine’s Defiant Mistress by Sharon Kendrick. Print. #3
   
10. Hot Boss, Wicked Nights by Anne Oliver. Print.

MY BOOKSTORE AND MORE (mybookstoreandmore.com)

Retailer or Publisher: Retailer.
Editions: eBooks
Formats/Devices Available: Formats determined not by retailer, but by individual publisher. May included PDF, HTML, Mobipocket/Kindle, MSReader, Rocketbook, ePub.

1. Coming Full Circle by Liz Andrews, Samhain. #6 on this list last week.
2. Damned by Blood by Evie Byrne, Samhain.
3. Lions’ Pride by Teresa Noelle Roberts, Samhain.
4. Between Brothers by Lauren Gallagher, Champagne Books. #4
5. Songbird by Maya Banks, Samhain. #5
6. Cabin Fever by Alisha Rai, Samhain. #1
7. Bound by Design by Natasha Moore, Samhain.
8. Gone with the Monster by Lila Dubois, Samhain.
9. Shoulda Been A Cowboy by Lorelei James, Samhain. #10
10. Maison Domine by Skylar Kade, Samhain.

Lists are retrieved from the individual retailers’ or publishers’ own websites, and are not official reports. At this time, I can find no mainstream news media, such as Publishers Weekly or The New York Times, tracking bestsellers in eBook format. Lists are gathered on Wednesday and reflect the rankings at the time they were retrieved. Please be aware that each site uses its own methods to arrive at or update a bestseller list (i.e. daily, hourly, etc.) and that no Internet server is infallible. Sometimes glitches happen.

For sites that list print and ebooks in the same list, every effort is made to separate out and/or note ebook-only romances. As with Internet servers, human glitches have also been known to occur.

Smashwords Authors’ eBooks Now Available at Sony’s The eBook Store

Just last month, Smashwords announced that authors and small publishers would have the ability to sell their books on barnesandnoble.com. Now comes word via Digital Beat that distribution channels for small presses and the self-pubbed have expanded once again.

The shift toward digital books is helping small-fry authors and publishers to get in front of wider audiences than ever before. That trend is being reinforced today as Smashwords announces that it has a distribution agreement to get its books published on Sony’s new eBook portal.

Self-published authors can now visit the Sony Publisher Portal and click on Smashwords to sign up for a free publishing account. Then they can format a book in Smashwords’ style and choose their distribution preferences, and their book will be made available for immediate sale at Smashwords.com. The book can show up a few days later on Sony’s eBook Store.

This welcome development means there are even more options for newer authors who haven’t yet made that first sale to a publisher, or published romance authors with a project that, due to story length or theme, may otherwise have difficulty finding a good home.

EBooks to Leave Print Book Sales in the Paper Dust by 2018

In just nine short years, eBook sales will dominate the market. So says a survey from the Frankfurt Book Fair. Conducted last month, the survey polled 840 industry experts in connection with the fair, scheduled to take place October 14-18 this year.

The Frankfurt Book Fair is well known as the annual international meeting place for thousands of publishing industry professionals, a sort of RWA Nationals for agents, editors, publishers, film producers, and others who attend to buy, promote, and sell media and foreign rights.

In a post about the FBF survey, Bookseller.com reported:

Around half of those who responded to the survey said 2018 was the “turning point”, up about 10 percentage points on the same survey last year. In 2008, 27% were of the opinion that digital would never overtake print – now that number is only 22%.

The bullish prediction comes despite the majority of respondents admitting digital products still comprised just a fraction of overall sales – 60% esimated that “considerably less than 10% of their revenue” would come from digital sources this year – though this is expected to grow sharply over the next couple of years.

The vast majority – 80% – said they embraced “the radical change” digitisation brings about, rather than seeing it as a threat to the old guard.

I wonder how the Romance Writers of America awards committee will take the news, given their current stance on the legitimacy of eBooks?

EReader Devices Poised to Be the Must Have for Christmas

For those who can afford Christmas this year, and in a recession of this magnitude that doesn’t include everyone, 1 in 5 gift recipients could find an eReader device under the tree.

In a study by Gadgetology, commissioned by electronics website Retrevo, 21% of respondents stated that they would be buying an eBook reader this season. If the study is any guide, it appears that Kindle could be the big winner of such a buying spree, with 62% of prospective buyers leaning toward Amazon’s reader, versus 32% who expressed interest in buying one from Sony, and only 6% shopping among the multitude of other readers hitting the market this year.

Other findings from the study:

• More men than women planned to purchase an eReader this Christmas (26% to 17%).
• 69% of prospective buyers were under the age of 35. Only 10% of those above the age of 45 planned to buy one.
• Those with household incomes of $100K-$200K (33%) were twice as likely to state they would be buying an eReader, than those in the $50K to $100K bracket (16%). No word if those making less than $50K could afford one.
• Prospective buyers in the Northeast region of the U.S. outnumbered buyers in the West by a margin of 2:1.

You’ll find more info on the study at Retrevo, as well as some fairly cool graphs to illustrate the above statistics.

Legendary Romance Editor Kate Duffy Passes Away

News was released this morning that editor Kate Duffy, Editorial Director at Kensington Books, had passed away from complications of an infection. She is already sorely missed by so many within the romance community. Tributes of affection are springing up across the Internet. Among them: touching remembrances at barnesandnoble.com and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.

New Romance eBook Releases 9.28.09

Here’s a round up of current and upcoming releases from a variety of eBook romance publishers for the week of September 28, 2009.

The romance novels and short stories below are not a complete listing of every eBook romance published this week, but rather a sampling from different subgenres**. Information is offered direct from the publishers’ websites, so this round-up should not be considered a review of the individual titles.

SAMHAIN PUBLISHING:

BOUND BY DESIGN
by Natasha Moore

Release Date: September 29, 2009

Word Count: Novella

Subgenre: Contemporary Romance, Red Hots!

Formats Available: Adobe PDF (SonyReader), HTML, MS Reader, Mobipocket, (including Kindle), Rocketbook

Price: $3.50

Description: He may bind her body, but can he bind her heart?

Jenn spends her days crafting custom-designed slave jewelry, but wear a collar herself? No, thanks. Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. That whole Master/slave scene was too much of a roller coaster ride. Then Scott, an architect with a dominant side, enters her life. Something about him makes her body come alive with longings for another taste of the lifestyle.

Scott’s life fell apart when he tried to deny his dominant tendencies. He’s determined to convince Jenn that denying her submissive needs would be a big mistake. Her response is so strong, so sweet, he finds himself falling again and falling apart for the smart and sexy sub.

Suddenly, something he thought he’d never have seems within reach—a forever love tied up in a nice leather bow. But any mention of 24/7 sends Jenn flying away in panic. If any real healing is to take place, he’ll need to take a giant step back and design a new approach using ropes, chains…and a whole lot of trust.

Free excerpt available at the publisher’s website.

CERRIDWEN PRESS:

UNFOLDING THE SHADOWS
by Katie O’Sullivan

Release Date: October 1, 2009

Word Count: Novel

Subgenre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense

Formats Available: PDF (SonyReader), HTML (including Kindle), MS Reader, Mobipocket (including Kindle)

Price: $6.99

Description: Jillian has worked hard to close the doors on her past and the psychic abilities that defined her youth. For sixteen years, she’s ignored the ghosts who still try to whisper to her. Even her controlling husband Kyle has no idea that his wife can talk to spirits. But on the day after Christmas, her great aunt’s car smashes head-on with a commuter train and Jillian finds herself on a collision course with ghosts who refuse to remain in the shadows any longer.

Long-hidden secrets are coming to light and Jillian’s life has to change to accommodate them. With the help of her friends and a substantial inheritance, she sets her life in a new direction, but Kyle’s not about to lose out on his share of Jillian’s inheritance—even if he has to kill her to get it.

Excerpt available at publisher’s website.

ELLORA’S CAVE:

ELLORA’S CAVEMEN: FLAVORS OF ECSTASY III
by Angelia Sparrow, Cheryl Dragon, Courtney Bee, Fiona Jayde, Lyla Sinclair, Naomi Brooks, Sherry James

Release Date: Current New Release

Word Count: 6 Stories/Super Novel Length (judging by cover price)

Subgenre: Erotic Romance Anthology which includes Paranormal, Contemporary, Historical, Suspense

Formats Available: PDF (SonyReader), HTML (including Kindle), MS Reader, Mobipocket, (including Kindle), Rocketbook

Price: $9.99

Description: Cherry Tart by Angelia Sparrow & Naomi Brooks

In 1896, disgraced Chastity is sent to the New Abilene Colony on Jupiter’s moon of Io. Resigned to a fast marriage in order to save her nonexistent virtue, she doesn’t count on falling hard and lustfully for handsome Ulysses. During the six-month trip, the virile Outrider, whose favorite part of his job is lassoing and riding asteroids away from the ship, meets his match in this petite redhead. Chastity teaches him in delicious detail exactly why her name fits her so badly.

Climbing the Corporate Ladder Without Panties by Courtney Bee

Kate’s plan to become editor at a male-dominated publishing house just suffered a major setback, and to make matters worse, the cocky but handsome IT guy is on his own quest—to make Kate his.

One night Kate succumbs to his brash charm, shocked as he loosens her prim bun and bends her over for a spanking. Ashamed to admit she’s just had the best sex of her life, Kate has to make a decision—keep control, forfeiting sexual bliss for a dream career, or embark on a sexual journey where she surrenders all power.

Eight Seconds by Sherry James

Erotic writer Taylor Westfall needs fresh inspiration. Who better to help her research sexual techniques than professional bull rider Devlin McCord? Devlin’s red-hot reputation proves his riding skills aren’t limited to the arena. Taylor’s sure he can get her juices—creative and otherwise—flowing if she can find the nerve to proposition him.

Devlin is tired of one-night stands and life on the road. He wants the girl he’s loved since high school. When Taylor tells him she needs to have sex with him, he’s ready…and he’s got more than eight seconds in him.

Pitch Black by Fiona Jayde

Breathless seduction in a glass elevator above a darkened Kiev covers up the deactivation of Katherine Belaya’s implanted GPS tracker. Nicholai Rostov may have just saved her life or led her into a trap set by the Russians. Her lust for him is simple nerves, adrenaline pumped high by the threat of bullets. As they fight for survival, Kate’s trust in Nick may be the only thing keeping them alive.

Shifting Sides by Cheryl Dragon

In spite of being held captive by sadistic scientists, shifters Kiren and Breman forged a relationship. The evacuation of Earth forced them apart but their mutual lust never died. Now Breman has the chance to bring Kiren back to the rebel colony with him.

Cat-shifter Kiren has missed her dragon-shifter mate and when Breman catches up with her on Old Earth, their lust gets the best of them—for once without limits or spectators. Finally sharing all their secrets, Breman has a plan. Freedom and passion are within reach if they can escape the assassins in orbit.

The Johnson Obsession by Lyla Sinclair

From her balcony, Vivian secretly sketches her sexy wet neighbor while he swims and lounges at the apartment pool each evening.  When he shows up at her door one night, she’s sure he’s there to deliver some misdirected mail. But suddenly, Duke is dominating her, carrying out sexual plans that she could only dream of—exactly the one’s she’s dreamed of, in fact. He knows the contents of her dirty little fantasies. But will he see it through to the ending she’d never dared ask of any man?

Free excerpt available at the publisher’s website.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

REV ME UP
by Adele Dubois

Release Date: Current New Release

Word Count: Novel

Subgenre: Contemporary Erotic Romance with Latin Theme

Formats Available: PDF (SonyReader), HTML (including Kindle), MS Reader, Mobipocket, (including Kindle), Rocketbook

Price: $5.95

Description: Lisa has always been a Good Girl. When she flashes her breasts at the hunk riding by on his Harley, her wild impulse seems like harmless fun. How could she know he’d hit the curb and land at her feet? To make amends with the cop from Santa Fe, Lisa agrees to a cocktail with him. When she slides on the bike and wraps her arms around Antonio’s buff body, they take off on the ultimate ride.

Antonio’s in town for his brother’s graduation before heading to FBI training. Lisa’s there to break up with her cheating midshipman boyfriend. Revenge sex with a hot cop may be the perfect way to unleash her inner Bad Girl. But can she keep her feelings casual?

With sexy Antonio by her side and the lust blazing between them, this Bad Girl may have a chance to have it all. As long as an ex-boyfriend out for revenge doesn’t destroy her new happiness.

Free excerpt available at the publisher’s website.

THE WILD ROSE PRESS:

THE CARETAKER
by Gabriella Lucas

Release Date: October 2, 2009

Word Count: 2 Novellas (260 pages total)

Subgenre: Fantasy Romance, Spicy

Formats Available: Adobe PDF, HTML, MS Reader

Price: NA

Description: A WOMAN ACHING TO FIND LOVE AND PASSION . . .

Nikki Quinn, fresh off an acrimonious divorce, is looking for a place to live with her eleven-year-old daughter, a new job–and love. When she inherits her best friend’s mansion, she has no idea that her friend’s ghost lingers there, nor does she know that the spirit of Paddy Doyle, cursed over two hundred years ago, comes with the property. The truth about what really happened so long ago is buried deep within the recesses of Nikki’s mind.

Attracted to her new boss, Michael Williams, but mesmerized by Paddy’s spirit and haunted by ghosts of the 1798 Irish Rebellion, Nikki straddles two worlds, as well as her past life and her present one.

A MAN AFRAID TO LOVE AGAIN . . .

Nikki’s new boss, attorney Michael Williams, lost his wife in a tragic accident six years ago. When he meets Nikki, his heart tells him yes but his head tells him no. It’s always been easy for Michael to walk away from a beautiful woman, but his feelings for Nikki are different. They reach deep into his heart; they transcend pain and time. When he finally opens his heart to her, he cannot begin to imagine how the ghosts of Ireland will affect his future . . . and threaten his life.

Drawn into a loop of reincarnation and the supernatural, their lives hang in the balance.

Free excerpt available at publisher’s website.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SLEEPING WITH SKELETONS
by Doralynn Kennedy

Release Date: October 2, 2009

Word Count: Novel (272 pages)

Subgenre: Romantic Suspense, Spicy

Formats Available: Adobe PDF, HTML, MS Reader

Price: $6.00

Description: Former CIA operative Margaret Garrison is not the woman she appears to be when she arrives in rural Ireland, hoping to find a quiet respite from running for her life. The last thing she needs is to catch the eye of Aidan Grimes, the wildly popular Irish actor filming the movie Jane Eyre in Ballyrick.
Rumored to have broken a thousand hearts, Aidan is also a man of many surprises. The very secrecy that shrouds Margaret compels him to want to know more about her, which inadvertently alerts her enemies to her location and threatens not only Margaret’s life, but those of the people around her.
Between Aidan, his father, and a little girl desperately in need of a mother, Margaret discovers a life she has always dreamed of but never dared hoped for. But with the skeletons from her past drawing nearer each day, can love triumph over evil, or is it all just a myth?

Free excerpt available at publisher’s website.

RED ROSE PUBLISHING:

HELLO: KEYSHIA WILLIAMS
THE WILLIAM SISTERS: BOOK I
by Marie Rochelle

Release Date: September 24, 2009

Word Count: Novella (30K words)

Subgenre: Contemporary, Interracial/Multicultural

Formats Available: Adobe PDF, HTML, MS Reader, Mobipocket

Price: $2.99

Description: Hotel/spa owner Keyshia Williams is used to being the good older sister and daughter that her family depends on. She always follows the rules and doesn’t have spontaneous bone in her body. She has given up on love deciding to devote her time to working at her business Family Affair along with dishing out unwanted advice to her three younger sisters, but all of that changes when Steven Weber walks through the door.

Tabloid journalist Steven Weber has grown tired of the scandal that comes along with his job. He is no longer interested in making money off a celebrity’s misfortune, so he decides to take a much needed vacation. He isn’t thinking about a woman or a relationship when he walks through the doors of Family Affair, but he quickly changes his mind after one soft spoken word – Hello.

Will the good sister find something that tempts her to take a walk on the wild side with bad boy Steven Weber or will she continue to think love is not going to find its way to her door?

Free excerpt available at publisher’s website.

LOOSE ID:

A TRICK OF THE MOON
by Melinda Barron

Release Date: Current New Release

Word Count: Novel

Subgenre: Contemporary Multicultural Romantic Suspense, Erotica, Ménage à trois

Formats Available: Adobe PDF, HTML, MS Reader, Mobipocket

Price: $5.99

Description: Big, beautiful woman Maura Atwell has put away her attorney shoes to run her father’s guest ranch while he recovers from a stroke. When what looks to be a Native American kiva is discovered on her father’s land, she does what any good attorney would do: she has it investigated.

Archeologist Declan Littlecreek has wanted Maura since they were in college. Knowing sex and friendship don’t always mix, he kept things from getting too heavy. Now that Maura is asking for his help in exploring her new find, he’s all game. And he’s ready to explore the attraction between them if she is.

Declan and his best friend, policeman Dario Fuentes, travel to the Full Moon Ranch to see what they can learn. While the threesome explores the kiva, they also discover a passion that burns hot between the three of them, binding them together. Will it survive the end of the exploration or will it turn out to be just a trick of the moon?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DOMINATING VICTORIA
by Kitty DuCane

Release Date: Current New Release

Word Count: Novel

Subgenre: Paranormal Shapeshifter Romantic Suspense, BDSM

Formats Available : Adobe PDF, HTML, MS Reader, Mobipocket

Price: $4.99

Description: Victoria McLain’s dad was the best DEA agent ever, but now he’s dead and Victoria’s hell-bent on making the responsible Colombian cartel leader pay. Even though she’s not DEA, her dad trained her as DEA and she plans to use all her training to extract revenge. Her only problem is Hayden Hunt.

Hayden Hunt is a DEA agent and a werewolf. His wolf senses are a blessing when Victoria’s lying to him and a curse when her emotional pain bleeds. Even though he doesn’t know the reckless beauty he’s hunting by name, he knows her and he’s determined to keep his mate from her revenge, especially since she doesn’t plan to survive.

Brought together by circumstance, Victoria and Hayden spend their days battling each other and fill their nights with passion as Hayden takes and claims his mate again and again.

But when Victoria discovers that Hayden’s the only survivor of the ambush that killed her dad, she wonders if he’s the mole in the DEA she’s been looking for. Hayden will have to prove himself again, if he’s going to keep dominating Victoria.

Free excerpt available at publisher’s website.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every effort is made to locate and promote eBook romances at all heat levels from sweet to erotica. If you’re the author of an upcoming release, please considering submitting a blurb about your book using this blog’s Your Chance to Brag! page.

**Finally, please note many romance eBooks on the market today have a high heat level. The individual publisher’s websites may caution readers under the age of 18 to discontinue reading excerpts and other material.

Romance Novel Trailers for a Sunday Afternoon 9.27.09

It’s been a quiet week as far as romance eBook trailers go. Never fear. We’re going old school this Sunday with eight trailers for romance novels for the print—and eBook—markets.

The White Queen by Phillipa Gregory

Touchstone

Historical Romance ~ Current New Release

How to Dazzle a Duke by Claudia Dain

Berkley

Historical Romance ~ September 1, 2009

Intertwined by Gena Showalter

Harlequin

YA Paranormal Romance ~September 1, 2009

Queen of His Heart by Adrianne Byrd

Kimani Press

Contemporary Romance ~ September 1, 2009

My Wicked Vampire by Nina Bangs

Leisure Books

Erotic Vampire Romance ~ September 29, 2009

Too Wicked to Kiss by Erica Ridley

Kensington

Paranormal Gothic Historical Romance ~ March 2010

Marianna by Susanna Kearsley

Allison & Busby

Contemporary Paranormal Romance ~ April 15, 2010 (paperback edition)

13 to Life by Shannon Reinbold-Gee

St. Martin’s Press

YA Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance ~ June 2010

Would you like to see your trailer here next Sunday?

Send me the link to your trailer on YouTube or Google Video. In addition to the usual romance subgenres, romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and YA paranormal romance trailers are also welcome!