Guest Blogging with Lucy Monroe

What do Henri Castelli & Alan Hyatt have in common?

They both set Jillian’s heart racing. Remember Jillian? The red-hot, feisty redhead that was Amanda’s best friend in THE REAL DEAL? Well, she’s finally getting her own story in DEAL WITH THIS (out Nov 27th). She’s just as full of mischief as ever, but this time she’s in the middle of high-tech espionage. Or at least her production company is. After her character on the daytime drama got killed off to increase ratings, she got offered a lead role on a Sci-Fi series produced in the new Hollywood – Vancouver BC.

When her celebrity crush Henri Castelli’s doppleganger shows up at her door looking for a room to rent, this is one actor whose talents are put to the test immediately. Can she keep him from finding out that he’s a walking, talking, breathing…HOT incarnation of her deepest fantasy? And does she really want to?

Alan Hyatt has a job to do, but he’s so darn attracted to one of his suspects, things south are more than a little hard. If you know what I mean. For the first time in his life, this tough secret agent may be in over his head. And looking like Henrie Castelli might be the end of him.

I had a ton of fun writing about a gorgeous guy’s doppleganger, but tell me, if you could meet anyone’s physical twin, who would it be?

Want to watch the amazing book trailer created by COS Productions for the release of DEAL WITH THIS? Here it is: (Editor note…Sorry, Lucy and guys, but the trailer won’t load into the blog, you can watch it via Lucy’s site!-Shi)

Hugs,
Lucy
http://lucymonroe.com/

P.S. I’ve got a month long party going on at my personal blog (http://lucymonroeblog.blogspot.com) to celebrate the Nov 27 release of DEAL WITH THIS. Pop by and say, “Hi,” and get entered into one of the many drawings for prizes going on.

P.P.S. You know how I love to give away prizes. So, to one lucky winner drawn from the comments on this blog, I’ll give away a hardback edition of WILLING (personalized and signed) along with a wee bit of chocolate.

(** Edited to add, contest winner will be drawn Tuesday and posted here at the blog.  Check back to see if you’ve won.-Shi)

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Guest blog by Jules Bennett

Jules Bennett is joining up today, and her alter ego, Sophia Rae will be giving away a prize. 🙂 We like prizes.

And now onto Jules…

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First of all, I want to thank Shiloh Walker for the invitation to blog today. I LOVE the Scamps and Vamps, so I’m thrilled to be here with such great company.

Okay, onto the topic of the day. Since becoming an author, I can’t tell you how many comments I’ve heard about the romance genre. I really should write a book about themJ.

When someone discovers I’m an author, their face lights up, mouths drop, eyes widen.

Then they ask the question, “What do you write?”

I reply, with a big smile, “Romance.”

The light in their eyes fade, their eyes dart to the side. “Oh. I don’t read that stuff.”

Sometimes I just want to say, “Do you have any idea what you’re missing out on?” But, I refrain. I do give them my website address and tell them to check it out and read an excerpt, they may be surprised.

I would like to add, I think the majority of these people are lying. I know they’ve got a steamy romance tucked under their pillow with the “good parts” dog-earedJ.

There’s such a vast array of romance, you can’t lump it all together and form an opinion. That would be like putting all men in a group. Let’s face it, men – like books- aren’t all the same. Some are great to cuddle with at night and some, well…aren’tJ.

Personally, I think there is a romance book for everybody. I’ve even turned my husband into a fan (sshhh, don’t tell him I said thatJ). I’ve told him about Cindy Gerard and Suzanne Brockmann and he’s taken an interest. He was surprised at the amount of action…well, the amount of action OUT of the bedroom.

Then there are the sweet, old-fashioned love stories that just melt your heart. I like those, too. Sometimes I want to go back and remember what that first feeling of love felt like. That first twinge of giddiness when you felt his hand against yours for the first time. Ahh, I love being in loveJ.

And, of course, let’s not forget the steamy, make-your-heart-stop-romances. You know the ones that get the blood pumping? Those are a must have for your keeper shelf.

So, whether you like your romances action-packed, full of sweetness or something to get your engine revved up, there’s an author and a book for you!

For example, I write sweet contemporary romances under the name Jules Bennett and hot, sensual romances under the name Sophia Rae. You see? Even I like the variety!

So, lets here it. What is your favorite sub-genre of romance? If I had to pick a fav, I’d probably choose Romantic Suspense. Who doesn’t love action from all directions? Oh wait, did that come out wrong?

(Jules taking foot from mouth).

I’ll choose one lucky person who comments today to receive a copy of my very first Sophia Rae book which comes out in a week! A Stranger’s Bed is a steamy novella – the first in a series of three. If you want more info on Jules or Sophia check out my sites: www.julesbennett.com or www.myspace.com/authorsophiarae. Sophia’s site is in the worksJ.

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Thank you, Jules!

Reminder about the contest…all you have to do to enter is respond in the comment section and one winner will be drawn. Winner’s name will be posted here in a few days and you’ll need to check back in order to claim your prize.

Thank you, Jules!

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A Halloween-ish Kind of Post… Guest Author Jennifer Estep

Jennifer Estep is joining us today at the V&S loop.  

She’s also giving away prizes…  ;o)  Everybody that comments will have their name entered into a drawing for your chance at two prizes… Just a reminder about the contest rules here at the blog…you can comment as much as you want, but you’ll only be entered once.  Entries are done via ISP, not name, so one entry per household.

If you haven’t checked out her site, make sure you do!

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First of all, thanks to Shiloh and the rest of the Vamps & Scamps for letting me guest blog. You guys are too cool!

So, Halloween is coming up, and soon, ghouls and goblins and miniature vampires will prowl the streets in search of candy – or else. I never really got into Halloween as a kid. I didn’t care about haunted houses or sticking my hand in plates of cold spaghetti. Didn’t watch scary movies. Didn’t carve jack-o-lanterns and watch for the Great Pumpkin. 

I even wore the same costume every year. A black cape thrown over jeans and a T-shirt, a black hat with a floppy point, and a cracked orange plastic pumpkin. That’s it. That was my costume. I didn’t even put on a fake warty nose. Not even once. In short, I was the most pathetic little witch you’ve ever seen. But as long as my pumpkin was full by the end of the night, I was pretty happy. Unless people gave me coconut-flavored candy. Yuck!

Over the years, I’ve realized Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. And not just because of the candy. Well, not entirely. You see, every day I read or write is a little bit like Halloween – a chance to play dress-up. A chance to try different characters, different genres, different authors on for size, and see how they fit. Each book I write or read is a new experience, a new chance to play dress-up in my mind, to pretend to be someone else, if only for a little while. To experience someone else’s highs and lows. To be brave and noble and fall in love with the hunkiest guy around.

So what have some of my imaginary costumes looked like over the years? Thanks to writers like Meg Cabot, J.D. Robb, J.K. Rowling, and Ian Fleming, I’ve been a long-lost princess. A tough, but vulnerable detective. A boy wizard with a heavy burden on his young shoulders. The world’s coolest and most resilient spy. And countless other heroes and villains, saviors and sinners, and, yes, even vamps and scamps. 😉

I’ve made my own imaginary costumes too, with my Bigtime books. I’ve been a nosy investigative reporter. A hot-headed superhero with a killer fashion sense. And some of the nastiest, most maniacal, egotistical, over-the-top villains you could ever dream up. All wearing outrageous, brightly colored spandex. Which, now that I think about, probably has something to do with that boring, black, witch costume. But that’s a post for another time.

Regardless, my pathetic little witch costume is long gone. Thanks to all the great writers out there and my own overactive imagination, I can dress up like whatever I want to, whenever I want to. I’m still holding on to my plastic orange pumpkin, though, cracks and all. Imaginary chocolate will only get you so far. 😉

What about you? Who do you like to dress up as in your books? Whose worlds do you like to escape into? Inquiring minds want to know …

by Jennifer Estep 

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Thanks so much for dropping in, Jennifer… guys, feel free to ask or comment away.  I’ll draw two winning names for the prizes that Jennifer is giving away, one autographed copy of KARMA GIRL and one copy of HOT MAMA.

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Upcoming Guest Blog by Jennifer Estep

 I’m going to have to try one of her books out.  Sounds wonderful.  😉 I mean, her tag line alone is excellent…

Sex, lies & superheroes.

Coming up on October 29, Jennifer Estep is going to be guestblogging here at Vamps and Scamps.  She’s also going to give away a couple of prizes.  We do like prizes. 

Her bio is below and if you haven’t checked out her site… here’s your chance! 

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Jennifer Estep

By night, Jennifer Estep is an author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next super idea. Her Bigtime books feature sexy superheroes, evil ubervillains, and lots of smart, sassy gals looking for love.By day, Jennifer is an award-winning page designer for a daily newspaper. She’s also a certifiable fangirl and an authority on fantasy literature and culture. Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of America, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and several other writing groups.Karma Girl was her debut book. It was published May 1, 2007 by Berkley Books. The sequel, Hot Mama, will be released Nov. 6, 2007. The third Bigtime book, Jinx, is set for an April 1, 2008 release.

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Guest Blog with Patricia Sargeant

We have company today!

Patricia Sargeant is joining us.  Man, that’s a niiiccceeee cover over there.

Patricia is a real sweetie.  I started running into her at book signings in Cincinnati about two years ago, give or take.  After the baby bratlet was born, the baby bratlet tried to adopt Patricia a few times.

She’ll pop in and out here at the blog for a day or two, so if you have any questions or comments…post away.

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Shiloh, thank you so much for inviting me to be a guest on
the Vamps and Scamps blog. This is a great honor to me. I’ve been bragging to
friends. “I’m going to be a guest blogger over at Vamps and Scamps. You know,
the blog with Shiloh, Dianne, Kathy, Erin, LuAnne, Rosemary, Janice, Lucy, Toni
and Karen. We’re on a first-name basis. We’re cool like that.”

Thinking about the “Vamps” part of the “Vamps and Scamps” theme made me wonder what it would be like to live forever. What would eternity be like for me?

Wait! Wait! Before you switch URLs and log on to Running With Quills or even the Pink Ladies Blog ;), I promise this won’t be a discussion on existentialism or anything like that. I’m just not that deep. But surely I’m not the only one who’s wondered what immortality might be like?

I mean, if I were to live forever – or even another 100 years – would I still struggle with gaining then losing only to regain these same 30 pounds? Or would someone finally invent a tasty, sugar-free, fat-free Ho-Ho?

In 100 years, how many books will I have sold? Or would the voices in my head – my imaginary friends – have relocated to a house that gets dusted a bit more often?

But why would I need eternity to adopt a healthier lifestyle or start dusting? What’s holding me back from taking care of those things now – besides an obsession with Ho-Hos and an aversion to housework?

Are there things you’d like to get a handle on – changes you’d like to make – within the next 100 years or so? 😉 I’d be very interested to read about them.

Edited to add….

Patricia will be giving away a copy of her new release… On Fire. You can read about it here. Winner’s name will be drawn from the comments.  As always, you can comment as often as you like, but your name will only be entered into the drawing once.

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