Blogging at PASIC, and THE LEGACY a HOLT Medallion Top Five Nominee!

Hey, just wanted to let you all know I'm over at PASIC's To Be Read blog today, talking about some of my favorite movies that are both entertaining and thought-provoking. Stop by and tell me some of yours.

Also, just heard I'm a Top Five finalist in the Best First Book category of the prestigious HOLT Medallion contest with my debut novel, THE LEGACY. Yay, me!

TJB

IMHO Welcomes Scottish Historical Author Monica McCarty!

IMHO is pleased to welcome Monica McCarty to IMHO today. Monica burst onto the romance scene in 2007 with the release of her debut back-to-back trilogy featuring Clan MacLeod—hitting both the USA Today and NY Times extended lists. HIGHLAND SCOUNDREL, the third book in Monica’s latest back-to-back trilogy from Ballantine (this time featuring Clan Campbell), was released last month and debuted at #23 on the NYT (as well as hitting the USA Today and top ten Borders list). Monica, a fellow “Wild Card” (RWA Golden Heart 2005 nominee), is a former litigator married to a former Major League baseball player who was part of the 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox team.

Monica’s HIGHLAND WARRIOR, the first book in her Campbell trilogy (look for the second book HIGHLAND OUTLAW as well), is the final book in our “Mother May I?” gift basket this month. Romantic Times Magazine gave HIGHLAND WARRIOR a 4½ Star TOP PICK review.

IMHO: Welcome, Monica, and tell us a “wee bit” about your Dark Knight in Shining Armor.

MM: Thanks for having me, TJ! I was so excited when I saw the topic this month because "Dark Knights in Shining Armor" is actually something I was thinking about when I was developing the character of Patrick MacGregor for HIGHLAND OUTLAW.

Patrick is everything a Highland chieftain and “Knight in Shining Armor” should be: he’s honorable to the core, proud, strong, brave, tough and—of course!—handsome as sin. But he’s also an outlaw. Dispossessed of his lands and hunted like a dog for years, by the time Patrick meets Lizzie Campbell, there’s more black on his armor than shine. He’s a man living on the edge of civilized, who’s just about lost hope, until Lizzie pulls him back in.

The very first time they meet, Patrick witnesses a humiliating event at which Lizzie is at the unfortunate center. At great risk to himself and his clansmen—and much to his surprise—he comes to her aid. Lizzie is shocked to discover that the man who she thought of as her “knight in shining armor” was actually an outlaw. Is it possible to be both? That’s the question she needs to answer.

These two tensions: the honorable/knightly core and the dark, hardened “outlaw,” were things I really had fun playing with and—I hope—made for a much more interesting story. Readers have seemed to agree. From the number of emails I’ve received, Patrick is probably the favorite hero of mine to date. I think the dark edge—and the gallant knight inside—is what really makes him intriguing. What’s better than Lancelot? How about a “bad boy” Lancelot, LOL.

I’ve always been drawn to the dark and dangerous heroes—especially in romance. I think it has a lot to do with the idea of love as a taming and redeeming force. Nice guys are supposed to fall in love. But bad boys...they fight it ever step of the way, making the “fall” all the more satisfying. The same reasoning applies to “Dark Knights.” It’s the darkness and danger that makes their journey to love feel even more powerful. It’s also probably explains why I’ve always preferred Batman to Superman!

IMHO: Thanks, Monica. Patrick is an intriguing Dark Knight, indeed! So, IMHO readers, Monica wants to know: do you have a favorite “Dark Knight” in movies or books? Leave a comment for Monica for a chance to win the “Mother May I?” gift basket.

Remember May’s basket will contain signed books by Deanna Raybourn, Catherine Kean, Tera Lynn Childs, Monica McCarty, TJ Bennett, a $20 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble, and a unique handcrafted “Charmed” jewelry set by BlackDogWhiteDogJewelry, local Houston artisans. To be eligible, leave a comment on our May guests’ posts (the more posts you comment on, the more chances to win) during the contest period. Sorry, US and Canada residents only, please. Further details are on my contest page.

And be sure to join us in June as we celebrate “the wedding month” with our new theme, “Weddings and Beginnings.” On board will be bestselling RITA® nominated inspirational author Deeanne Gist; Harlequin Historical author Kathryn Albright; bestselling author of the Spying in High Heels romantic mystery series Gemma Halliday; and award winning Medallion Press author and humorist Kathy Carmichael. We also have a special bonus for June: Eppie Award-winning paranormal/romantic suspense author Teri Thackston. It promises to be a wonderful month, so stop on by! And don't forget to comment on Monica's post.

TJB

Winners of Random Freebies!

And the winners of the Random Freebies are:

jcp and Babyblues22!

Folks, you have until Wednesday, May 27, to claim your prizes. First come, first serve--whoever e-mails me first at tjb @ tjbennett . com and lets me know which book you prefer (Madeline Hunter's Sins or Eloisa James' Duchesses) will get first choice.

Stay tuned for more Random Freebies, as I just got another hot one in my hands (authors are so generous). And come back on Wednesday to welcome NYT and USA Today bestselling author Monica McCarty, whose "Dark Knight" Scottish heroes will leave you breathless.

Take care,
TJB

A picture of the "Mother May I?" gift basket!

Okay, so I think I've got this picture-taking basket thing down now. Here is a reminder of what you all are playing for this month, the "Mother May I?" gift basket filled with books from our guest hosts in May: Deanna Raybourn, Catherine Kean, Tera Lynn Childs, Monica McCarty, your host, TJ Bennett, a $20 gift card from Barnes and Noble, and a "Charmed" earring and necklace gift set from BlackDogWhiteDogJewelry.

Slurplishious, isn't it? I love giving away good stuff. FYI, the OMG book the winner will receive is the paperback edition (the hardback is pictured here). Remember to read the contest rules on my contest page and comment on the guests' posts to win.

I'll announce the winner of this week's Random Freebies later today, around 6pm. Never a dull moment here at IMHO, eh wot?

TJB

Colleen Thompson's BENEATH BONE LAKE is out!

Hey, folks, one of my favorite authors and a dear friend, 2009 RITA nominated romantic suspense author Colleen Thompson, has a new book out. Join in the blitz and shower over at Boxing the Octopus and buy Beneath Bone Lake today!

I got an early glimpse of this book, and folks, I will tell you it is her best yet. If you love chilling suspense, thrill rides that will make your eyes bleed, hot romance, and twisty twists at the end of a tightly-knit mystery the ending of which you will not be able to predict, this is the book for you. In Colleen's own words:

"Stretched along the East Texas and Louisiana border, there lies a lake populated by old cypress trees cobwebbed with thick strands of Spanish moss. Inhabited by the ghostly calls of great birds and huge alligators that lurk just beneath the surface, the lake is also home to the sun-bleached, standing skeletons of huge trees drowned as the area first flooded. It's an eerie world, lonely and primordial and beautiful and sometimes frightening. It is also the setting of my next romantic thriller, Beneath Bone Lake..."

Oh, yeah! Go get it! Now!

TJB

Another Random Freebie!

On another note, I happen to have lucked into copies of signed books by two of historical romance's best, Madeline Hunter and Eloisa James! And they are yours for the winning, if you happen to be one of the two lucky commenters chosen randomly from this post, this post right here, between now and oh, say, gorsh, Monday, May 25. Happy Memorial Day!

Up for the taking: Hunter's The Sins of Lord Easterbrook and the UK edition of James' Desperate Duchesses! (Sorry for the "click to look inside" image; it's the only one I could find online of this edition.)

One person, one book, just so there is no confusion. Once I announce the names of the chosen two, whoever responds first gets to pick the title they want. You may begin the commenting now!

TJB

Marie Burton?

Hello, folks! Don't know if Marie Burton follows this blog, or if any of you folks know her, but she won a copy of THE LEGACY over at Unusual Historicals that she hasn't yet claimed. So, if you know her, tell her she needs to scurry over there to claim her prize. Tell her to send the blog owner, Carrie Lofty, a shout out and Carrie will send her name to Medallion Press, who will forward her the book.

Take care,
TJB

IMHO Welcomes Tera Lynn Childs!

IMHO is absolutely delighted to welcome Tera Lynn Childs to chat with us today. Tera is the author of the Greek mythology-based young adult novels OH. MY. GODS. and GODDESS BOOT CAMP, as well as the forthcoming mermaid book, FORGIVE MY FINS (summer 2010 from Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins). Her first (yet unpublished) manuscript was a finalist in the 2004 Romance Writers of America (RWA) Golden Heart contest for unpublished romantic works.

In 2009, OH.MY.GODS. was nominated in two RWA RITA categories for published work, Best Young Adult and Best First Book. Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and said it is "an effervescent, fast-paced read.” Tera will put an autographed copy of the brand new shiny paperback edition of OMG (check out the new cover) in the “Mother May I?” gift basket.

Tera was born in Minnesota, but only lived there a month before beginning her nomadic lifestyle. Over the years she has lived in many places, including Colorado (three times), Missouri (twice), New York City (twice), Texas (twice), California (twice), and a bunch of other places only once.

She graduated from Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Missouri (alma mater of Brad Pitt) and went on to earn a BA in Theatre from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an MS in Historic Preservation from Columbia University. Tera currently lives in her adopted hometown of Houston, Texas.

IMHO: Welcome to IMHO, Tera! So, what's the dish on your Dark Knight in Shining Armor?

TLC: Let me tell you, TJ, all my life, I've had a true weakness for bad boys. Although I'd like to blame my ill-fated attraction on Mr. Darcy, I think it all started long before I read Pride and Prejudice. There was my crush on the scooter-riding skater boy in sixth grade, the soccer-playing rebel in seventh, and a dizzying array of arrogant, egotistical, or downright delinquent bad boys throughout high school and college. Relationships with any of them were doomed to failure from the start.

Not that I've learned my lesson. I still have a major soft spot for guys who act like they own the world and could care less about following the rules. But the best thing about being a writer is that I can make them the heroes in my books ... and I get to redeem them!

I think a huge part of the allure of the bad boy—at least for me—is the (usually misguided) belief that, “Underneath his gruff, abrasive, or criminal exterior is a sensitive soft-hearted guy just waiting for the right girl to come along.” And don't we all dream of being that girl? Even if that scenario doesn't play out in the real world, in the fantasy world of a novel dreams really can come true.

Take Griffin Blake, the hero of my first book. When Phoebe first meets him, running on the beach with no one else around, he's aloof but nice. Later, surrounded by his buddies at the cross-country try-outs, he turns on his jerk self and is completely obnoxious to her. He even sabotages her race. Over the course of the book, we learn why Griffin acted that way and (although some readers—cough Steph cough—never quite forgive him) we see him show Phoebe a softer side he would never expose to anyone else.

And that's the fantasy, isn't it? We all want to believe that the jerk next door is secretly Prince Charming, that his bad attitude is just a shell to protect his vulnerable core. Too bad it doesn't play out the same way in the real world ... or does it?

IMHO: Thanks, Tera. Gotta love those bad boys. So, folks, what do you think about Tera’s Dark Knight? Leave a comment for Tera and answer this (for a chance to win the “Mother May I?” gift basket and to find out if you can forgive Griffin's bad attitude): Have you ever had the fantasy come true? Do you have any experience with a real life bad boy who turned out to be a sweetheart just for you? Or is this just an urban legend? Inquiring (and delusional) minds want to know.

Remember May’s gift basket will contain signed books by Deanna Raybourn, Catherine Kean, Tera Lynn Childs, Monica McCarty, TJ Bennett, a $20 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble, and a unique handcrafted “Charmed” jewelry set by BlackDogWhiteDogJewelry, local Houston artisans. For a chance to win the whole she-bang, leave a comment on our guests posts (the more comments, the more chances to win) during the contest period. Sorry, US and Canada residents only, please. Further details are on my contest page.

A reminder: Tera Lynn Childs visits IMHO on Wednesday!

Just popping in to give a quick reminder that Tera Lynn Childs,(OH.MY.GODS.), author of YA romance, will be the guest host on IMHO for Wednesday, May 20, 2009. Tell your teenage daughters to stop on by.

Also, be sure to sign up for my newsletter at the top of the blog. I rarely send out more than one a month, but when I do it is for an event you'll likely want to know more about. I also will let you know of each month's lineup for the gift basket ahead of time. May is turning out swell, June will be a peach, but you REALLY REALLY want to be here in July. I've got something big brewing, and I'm not saying what 'til I get it all locked down, heh heh heh. Be the first to know by signing up for my newsletter now. Now. NOW. And I won't share your address with nobody.

See you on Wednesday!

TJB

Another great review of THE PROMISE!

All About Romance, the reader review site, gave THE PROMISE a great review. While it didn't earn a Desert Isle Keeper status like its predecessor, THE LEGACY, it did garner a B+ (tough to earn at this site) and wonderful praise like this:

“[F]ull of ups and downs and tears and joys… Humor, dry wit, outrageous hero sexiness, intricate plotting, and shedding a few tears all make for a winning combination in my world.”

You can read the full review right here. So, Alonsa isn't for everyone--I knew that when I wrote her, but I wouldn't change a word. And heck, yes, I'll take a B+. Even if it's like eating chocolate cake without the frosting...dang, it's still chocolate cake, you know? Hey, pass the milk! LOL!

TJB