Pumpkinnapper is Here!

The time has come! The Wild Rose Press has released my Regency Halloween comedy novella, Pumpkinnapper.

Buy link here. Note, depending on your location, the link may not yet be active.

Today's Shameless Promotion:

3-5 PM Eastern time: I'll be at the Classic Romance Revival loop
9-10 PM Eastern time: I'll be at The Wild Rose Press loop. I'll drop in all day, but I'll be there for sure at this time.

You must join the loops in order to post.

And enter my CONTEST--Find Me a Hero! Prize is a PDF copy of Pumpkinnapper. Contest runs through October 31. Details on my Contest page.

Blurb and excerpt are on my previous post. Scroll down a bit or click on the link.

Happy Halloween, a little early,

Thank you all,

Linda

Pumpkinnapper - Coming September 30!

The time is almost here! On Wednesday, September 30, The Wild Rose Press will release my Regency Halloween comedy novella, Pumpkinnapper.

The day's events:

3-5 PM Eastern time: I'll be at the Classic Romance Revival loop

9-10 PM Eastern time: I'll be at The Wild Rose Press loop. I'll drop in all day, but I'll be there for sure at this time.

You must join both groups in order to post.

I also have a contest from now through October 31: Find Me A Hero!
Details at my Contest Page.

BLURB:

Pumpkin thieves, a youthful love rekindled and a jealous goose. Oh my.

Last night someone tried to steal the widowed Mrs. Emily Metcalfe's pumpkins. She's certain the culprit is her old childhood nemesis and the secret love of her youth, Henry, nicknamed Hank, whom she hasn't seen in ten years.

Henry, Baron Grey, who's never forgotten the girl he loved but couldn’t pursue so long ago, decides to catch Emily's would-be thief. Even after she reveals his childhood nickname--the one he would rather forget. And even after her jealous pet goose bites him in an embarrassing place.

Oh, the things a man does for love.

EXCERPT:

"Emily, even with Henry, formidable as he is--" Hank glared at the goose. The goose glared back "--you need protection. I will send over some footmen to guard the place."

"No. Turnip Cottage belongs to Charlotte's husband. What will the townspeople think, with Lord Grey's servants about my house?"

Her refusal increased his fury. The sight of her hand on that damned goose's head didn't improve his mood, either. He balled his fists as his patience thinned and something else thickened. "I'll find you a guard dog. You must have some protection out here all alone."

"But I have Henry." She patted the goose's head and the bird snuggled into her hand. Again.

Heat flooded Hank, part desire for Emily's touch, and part desire to murder that damned goose, who was where he wanted to be. His insides groaned. "Very well, then, you leave me no choice. I will help you catch the culprits."

"But--"

He changed his voice to the voice that either melted a woman or earned him a slap in the face. "Who knows, mayhap we would enjoy ourselves as I lie in wait with you." I would love to lie with you.

Her eyes widened. Had she understood the innuendo?

"I cannot stay alone with you, and you know it," she said, her voice severe.

"You are a widow in your own home and no one will see. I will make sure of it."

"No." She marched back into her cottage and slammed the door. Henry smirked and waddled away.

Hank grinned. He would be back, whether she liked it or not.

Thank you all,
Linda

Kreativ Blogger Award

Jen Black has kindly given me the Kreativ Blogger award.

I'm supposed to list seven of my favorite things, seven of my favorite activities, and seven things you don't know about me, and then pass the award on to seven others.

I don't know if I can make seven, but I'll do what I can:

Favorite things: ducks, pink flowers, especially roses, daffodils, romances, Christmas lights, pumpkins, tea

Favorite activities: sleeping, reading, aerobics, walking, drinking tea (I'm a tea-aholic), going to the library

Thing you don't know about me: I have brown hair, brown eyes, and I'm short. I have a degree in geology. My last name is Italian, but everyone thinks it's Irish. Most people pronounce it wrong, and more people spell it wrong.

I now pass the award onto

Chelle Cordero

Keena Kincaid

LK Hunsaker

If anyone reading this would like the award, let me know. I'd be happy to pass it on.

Now for some Shameless Promotion: Tomorrow, September 21, I'm blogging at Happily Ever After on the First Kiss in one of my WIPs.

Wednesday, September 23, I'm blogging at Historical Hussies on The Worth of Regency Money. As a side note, I blog at Historical Hussies on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.

And in a week and a half, September 30, The Wild Rose Press will release Pumkinnapper. On September 30, I will be on the Wild Rose Press loop on and off all day (drat the day job!) and on the Classic Romance Revival loop from 3-5PM Eastern time.

Thank you all,
Linda

Science Fiction Romance

If you're like me, you'd never heard of science fiction romance. I came across the category when I read the submission guidelines for the 2010 Eppie as preparation for submitting Lady of the Stars, my Regency time travel.

The Eppie guidelines don't have a specific time travel category. So, I sent an email to the Eppie coordinators, and they very promptly replied.

I thought time travels were paranormals. According to the Eppie, the time travel mechanism determines the genre. A SF has a mechanical mode, while a fantasy or paranormal uses magical means.

As a further wrinkle, for a magical mode, the setting of the book determines whether its category is paranormal or fantasy. A paranormal exists in the real world, while a fantasy exists in an imaginary world.

Lady of the Stars uses a wormhole as the transport mode, and a wormhole has some basis in modern physics. My story is also set in the real world, so Lady of the Stars is science fiction romance. I never would have known.

Now let's see how I do.

Thank you all,
Linda

Pumpkinnapper Contest - Find Me a Hero!

The Wild Rose Press will release Pumpkinnapper, my Regency Halloween comedy, on September 30.

I decided I need a picture of the Pumpkinnapper hero, Hank.

So, I'm running a contest for a picture of Hank, from now until the Pumpkinnapper release, September 30, or later, depending on the kind of response I get.

The prize is a PDF copy of Pumpkinnapper. For the blurb and excerpt, go to my website, www.lindabanche.com

Here's Hank's description:

27 years old, 6 feet tall, brown hair, brown eyes, lightly muscled, in general an all-around hunk because he's a romance hero.

Please send me the pictures of your contender with (most of) his clothes on. I don't write anywhere near hot.

Some rules:

1. No copyrighted images

2. No royalty-paying images

3. I prefer a link rather than the image, because my mailbox might overflow since images are so large.

4. The easiest way to email me is to go to my website, www.lindabanche.com and email me from my contact page. If that doesn't work, send me an email to my yahoo address, lindabanche @ comcast.net (remove spaces).

5. Please include your email address in the body of the email. It should come with your email, but I like to be sure.

Have fun. I'm sure I will, looking at pictures of gorgeous men.

Thank you all,
Linda