Seriously hot...

Gang, this is a really yummy story. Take a look...

UNMASKED by C. J. Barry
Love Spell (Dorchester Publishing), June 7 2005

To the merchants he plunders, he's the Ghost Rider of the Dead Zone. To sector law enforcement, he's a wanted pirate. To the slaves he rescues, he's the savior, laghato. To one determined female, Qaade Deter is serious trouble. Torrie Masters had heard of the legendary raider, but she'd never expected to encounter him. Nor would she have expected that beneath his black mask lurked an enticing man destined to challenge her in ways she couldn't shoot her way out of. But a great threat has emerged-one that's left no choice but for them to join forces. Entrusted with the fate of thousands, Torrie has discovered Qaade's impossible dream. Only she has the power to help him. Only she has the power to see him UNMASKED.

Excerpt:
http://www.dorchesterpub.com/Dorch/SpecialFeatures.cfm?Special_ID=1923

About C. J. Barry


Reviews
"Wow! What a story! Bravo!" -Best-selling Author Robin D. Owens

"Applause for this gutsy tale that steals your heart. Barry's best, simply her best!" -Deborah MacGillivray, The Best Reviews 4 1/2 STARS!!

"This awesome book roars out of the starting gates and never looks back. Along with telling social commentary, it is chock-full of danger, adventure, and romance-a terrific keeper!" -Romantic Times Magazine

Website: www.cjbarry.com

Awaken Me Darkly

This one sounds like real fun. Take a look, gang!

AWAKEN ME DARKLY by Gena Showalter
(Pocket Books, June 2005)
WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD. . .
In a time and place not too far away, Mia Snow is an alien huntress for the New Chicago Police Department, using her psychic abilities and deadly fighting skills to catch her prey. Heading up her expert team of Alien Investigation and Removal agents, Mia is unmatched at battling the elusive enemy among us, and she’s the perfect girl for the job. She’s seen her brother die at the hands of aliens. She’s earned each of her scars. And she’ll never, ever give up. Now, a series of killings have Mia and her partner Dallas tracking alien suspects – but a sudden blast of violence leaves Dallas fighting for his life.
The chance to save Dallas appears in the form of a tall, erotic stranger. An alien. A murder suspect. Kyrin en Arr, of the deadly Arcadian species, holds the power to heal the injured agent but not without a price. For Mia Snow, that price is surrendering to Kyrin’s forbidden seduction…and embracing their electric attraction. She’s walking a knife’s edge, risking her badge and even her life. The closer she gets to Kyrin, the more Mia learns about her own heart, her human needs – and the shocking secret that will shatter everything she’s ever believed.
Excerpt: http://members.cox.net/genashowalter/excerpt.htm
Cover: http://members.cox.net/genashowalter/images/awakenme.jpg

ABOUT GENA SHOWALTER:
Gena Showalter holds a Ph.D. in Quantum Physics (lie), is an expert in Krav Maga (bigger lie), and once worked as a body guard for the stars (the biggest lie of all). Actually, Gena Showalter is just your everyday, average girl who enjoys creating sizzling paranormal tales of kick ass women and the men who can't resist them.

REVIEWS:
"A brilliantly written, fast-paced novel, AWAKEN ME DARKLY sizzles…Similar to Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series, (Awaken Me Darkly) takes various steps to transcend the genres of the supernatural, mystery and science fiction" Fresh Fiction
“Fans of TV’s Alias will find this book especially appealing” RT
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Alien Nation in this action-packed adventure, and Mia Snow is perfect as the alien hunter with a secret.” Booklist


Website: http://www.genashowalter.com

Knightly adventures

As long as I was posting something for the Blog tour, I thought I'd fill you all in on my current adventures.

Right now I'm hard at work on MASTER OF WOLVES, which has been giving me a throbbing pain in the butt. I have found that sometimes you can start off down the wrong path on a book and not figure it out until you've wasted WAY too much time.

In this case, I got this cute idea - Hero is a werewolf who goes undercover as a police K-9 to investigate a small town police department. Sounds fun, right? Only thing is, I just spent the past month writing the first four chapters and ripping them out when I realized they weren't working. I only now figured out what was wrong:

I wasn't writing a romance. Don't you hate when that happens?

I was actually trying to write a cute story about a girl and her dog, who happend to be a guy. Only AK does not do cute. She does sarcastic, but not cute. So, having come to that realization, I had to throw out all four completed chapters and start all over again for the third time. This time, it's definitely a romance, and I'm feeling good about it. The tone is completely different than my previous shaggy dog attempts -- brooding and mysterious instead of mildly goofy.

What WAS I thinking?

There's a moral there. I swear to God, I wasn't trying to pants the book. I plotted it out completely -- TWICE. Both times, the plot just wasn't right.

In between that, I'm also working on a new design for my website. And I'm running a contest through Writer's Space for a signed copy of my latest book, MASTER OF THE MOON. You'll find the contest here: http://angelasknights.com/contest.htm

Speaking of MOM, it did very well. It spent three weeks at Number 1 on the Waldens Romance List, and another three weeks on the USA Today list. Then, of course, Nora Robert's lastest came out, and that was the end of THAT.

I love Nora. Really, she's wonderful. She's the head goddess in my pantheon.

Anyway, I'm going to start doing this blog on a weekly basis instead of whenver the mood takes me. Stop by next week and find out what I'm up to. Thanks!

Best,
Angela Knight

Be enchanted!

The Paranormal authors blog tour continues. Next up is ENCHANTED, INC, by Shanna Swenson. Come take a look....

ENCHANTED, INC. by Shanna Swendson
(Ballantine Books), May 31, 2005
Shanna Swendson’s debut mainstream novel, ENCHANTED, INC. is a magical story featuring Katie Chandler, a 20something, small-town Texas girl, who finds that being average in New York City is anything but. Katie loves the energy of Manhattan, and if she finds some of the people odd, well, that¹s New York, right? Where else would you see a person on the subway wearing fairy wings? In fact, if Katie wasn’t completely sure those wings must be a costume, she’d think they were real, the way they flutter in the breeze. Certainly the gargoyle that perches above the door of the church she passes on the way to and from work isn’t real. Its eyes seem to follow her, and she could have sworn it winked at her once, but now that she thinks about it, it was really hot that day, and she hadn¹t eaten lunch.... Katie is still adjusting to life in the big city while working a for a nightmare boss, when she gets a fantastic offer to work for a mysterious company, MSI, Inc. Through her new job and the magical folk she meets, Katie comes to find out she isn¹t quite as average as she thought; and the fairytale life she has longed for begins to come true in surprising ways. What Katie doesn’t realize is how rare and important being ordinary can be. In fact, it is her ordinary characteristics that make her the perfect secret weapon for MSI, Inc. Suddenly the very qualities she thought made her average are what make her special! Now she has magicians and fairies meddling in her attempted romances, a secret life she needs to keep hidden from her non-magical friends, not to mention that dangerous pull she feels for Owen, an attractive but shy wizard who might be the most powerful magic man since Merlin.

Excerpt:
http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=0345481259&view=excerpt

Cover:
http://www.shannaswendson.com/Resources/shannasbookcover.jpeg


ABOUT SHANNA SWENDSONWith ENCHANTED, INC. Shanna Swendson offers a new twist on chick lit for the-now-grown-up fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. In addition to writing fiction, Shanna is a freelance marketing consultant and writer specializing in technology and telecommunications. She is single and lives in Irving, Texas, with her many pet plants, including a vicious attack bougainvillea and a Christmas cactus that has outlasted three homes, three jobs and three boyfriends, yet still faithfully blooms every Christmas and Easter. She’s looking for a man that reliable.


REVIEWS“A totally captivating, hilarious and clever look on the magical kingdom of Manhattan, where kissing frogs has never been this fun.” -- Melissa de la Cruz, author of The Au Pairs and The Fashionista Files “With its clever premise and utterly engaging heroine, Shanna Swendson has penned a real treat! Enchanted, Inc. is loads of fun!” -- Julie Kenner, author of Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom and The Givenchy Code ³I am giddy! I found an enchanting (pardon the reference) book and therefore, have a new author to read. Bridget Jones, move over. Shanna Swendson is offering up fantasy for the Buffy, Sabrina and Bewitched crowd. This is a delightful romp through the world of magic with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. There are characters you¹ll love and remember. If you want to escape the stress and busyness of life, join Katie for an enjoyable frolic into the world of make believe.” -- armchairinterviews.com


Website: http://www.shannaswendson.com

Fashionistas, Unite!

I just wanted to share a little about a book by a friend of mine, Marianne Mancusi. It's definitely on my TBR Pile. King Arthur and Designer Shoes -- What's not to love?

A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court (Dorchester Love Spell)

Once upon a time there lived an outspoken fashion editor named Kat, who certainly was not your typical damsel in distress. But when a gypsy curse sent her back in time to the days of King Arthur, she found she'd need every ounce of her 21st century wits (and pop culture references) to navigate the legend. After all, surviving a magical plot, an evil prince, and a case of mistaken identity--all without changing history or scuffing your Manolos--takes some doing!

Luckily, she's got her very own knight in shining armor, Lancelot du Lac, on her side. The honorable-to-a-fault and devastatingly handsome champion insists on helping her out, even though she's not quite sure she wants him to. After all, shouldn't he be off romancing Queen Guenevere or something? Will Kat manage to stay out of trouble long enough to get back to her beloved café lattes, cosmopolitans and cashmere? And what will Lancelot's forbidden love mean for the kingdom of Camelot?

Excerpt:
http://www.mariannemancusi.com/Excerpt.html

Book Cover JPG:
http://www.mariannemancusi.com/images/Img6.gif

Website:
www.mariannemancusi.com

Blog
www.mariannem.blogspot.com


MOVE OVER BRIDGET JONES! DORCHESTER PUBLISHING RELEASES FIRST EVER CHICK LIT TIME TRAVEL NOVEL

Imagine a Bridget Jones like character spiraling back in time to the days of Camelot. That’s the unique premise behind the latest chick lit offering from Dorchester Publishing. "A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur’s Court" (May 2005) combines, for the first time ever, chick lit attitude with a time travel plot. Debut author Marianne Mancusi, an Emmy Award winning television news producer for the NBC affiliate in Boston, pens a sexy, magical, laugh-out-loud romp through the legend you only thought you knew.

"I love the voice of Chick Lit," says Mancusi. "But I felt the same old plotlines about a girl in the city with a bad boss and good shoes were getting old. I wanted to do something a little different."
Connecticut Fashionista features an outspoken fashion editor named Kat, who’s certainly not your typical damsel in distress. But when a gypsy curse sends her back in time to the days of King Arthur, she’ll need every ounce of her 21st century wits (and pop culture references) to navigate the legend. After all, surviving a magical plot, an evil prince, and a case of mistaken identity--all without changing history or scuffing your Manolos--takes some doing!
So slip on your stilettos and clutch your Cosmos tight, as Dorchester Publishing and Marianne Mancusi send you on a wild, wacky, and oh-so-fashionable trip back in time.

About Marianne Mancusi

Marianne Mancusi is a multiple Emmy Award winning television news producer for WHDH-TV in Boston, Massachusetts. She has worked for news stations in Orlando and San Diego. A Massachusetts native, she currently lives in Massachusetts with her British husband Aaron and their dog Molly. She has six other adult and teen chick lit novels under contract with Dorchester and Berkley.

About Dorchester Publishing
Dorchester Publishing has been involved in the publishing of mass market books since 1971, making Dorchester the oldest independent mass market publisher in America. From its founding, we have strived to bring the freshest authors to millions of fans. Although mostly known for Romance, Dorchester also publishes world-class Horror, Westerns, and Thrillers under its Leisure Books imprint. For more information: www.dorchesterpub.com.

REVIEWS:
"Sparkling debut...A nice twist on the modern girl's search for prince charming." --
Publisher's Weekly

"Talented author Mancusi clearly knows her Arthurian lore. She vividly depicts the customs of a bygone era, and the wry, witty ending is perfectly Kat." --
Romantic Times Magazine - 4 Star Review

"It might sound like a strange premise for a chick lit novel, but once you pick it up, you won't be able to put A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court down." --
Kristin Harmel, The Daily Buzz, WB Morning Show

"Excellent writing, biting wit, and a slew of familiar characters will have readers of chick lit laughing and wanting more." --
Jani Brooks - Romance Reviews Today