Is there anything more decadent than a powerful, dark and dangerous alpha male who knows what he wants . . . and what he wants is you? This spring I'm taking my writing in a new, darker direction with the launch of my Midnight Breed contemporary vampire series from Dell. If you like paranormal romantic suspense, I hope you'll watch for KISS OF MIDNIGHT (May 1) and KISS OF CRIMSON (May 29).

"Sexy, dark, and very 'otherworld,' this exciting new vampire series will appeal to fans of Sherrilyn Kenyon and J. R. Ward." -- Susan Grimshaw, Buyer for Waldenbooks/Borders

To enter a random drawing for an ARC of the first book, just sign up for my private mailing list by emailing your name and postal address to News@LaraAdrian.com, subject line "RD Valentine Contest". Open to U.S. and non-U.S. residents; one entry per person/address. All entries must be received by March 1, 2007. Please visit www.LaraAdrian.com for book info, excerpts, and updates at my blog.

Happy Valentine's Day!

With best wishes from Lara Adrian, aka Tina St. John

Can you feel it? Love is in the air. Or at least in the Hallmark
section of the drug store. Yes, it's that special time of year when
we exchange heart-shaped cards, red, satin-covered chocolate boxes,
and, if we're lucky, a few stolen kisses under the stars. Personally,
I'm whispering in Cupid's ear about a certain hottie I saw in line at
Starbucks the other day, but whether you're spending the day being
wined and dined by your sweetie, or curled up with a box of See's and
your favorite romance novel, it's a time to celebrate all things
romantic. To that end, I wanted to share a few of my favorite
definitions of 'love':

Love is the poetry of the senses. ~Honoré de Balzac

Love is like a friendship caught on fire. ~ Bruce Lee

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit. ~Peter Ustinov

Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own. ~Robert Heinlein

Love unlocks doors and opens windows that weren't even there before. ~Mignon McLaughlin

Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place. ~Zora Neale Hurston

Love is a game that two can play and both win. ~Eva Gabor

Love is, above all, the gift of oneself. ~Jean Anouilh

(And, for those of us who are still nudging Cupid to work on his aim...)

Forget love - I'd rather fall in chocolate! ~Sandra J. Dykes

Happy Valentine's Day!
Gemma

To all you wonderful readers, may you have an awesome Valentine's Day with your very own hero. If you don't have a real-life dream man, feel free to borrow Zach Rundle, the hero in The Boy Next Door. He's tall, dark, handsome and a former bad-boy...who works with his hands. What more could you ask for? *g* Happy V-Day! Amy Knupp

So I’ve given it some thought, kittens, and I've decided that this year I'd prefer to have several thousand Valentines rather than just one. (And who wouldn't??) So how about it? Shall we all be each other's Valentines?? I promise it's not quite as exhausting as it sounds. :) All you have to do is come on over to my website, because in honor of romance's high holiday and the upcoming release of THE SECRET TO SEDUCTION, the final book in my Holt Sisters trilogy, I'm giving away gorgeous handcrafted pearl and garnet earrings, a special "Julie's Heroes" t-shirt, and a signed copy of BEAUTY AND THE SPY, the book that launched the trilogy. While you’re there, you can take a quick peek at a sultry little scene from THE SECRET TO SEDUCTION, Sabrina’s story. I’m not going to tell you whether all the sisters reunite, or whether they find their mother Anna, or whether Thaddeus Morley gets off Scot free…but I will tell you you’ll find out by the end of THE SECRET TO SEDUCTION, and I will tell you that Sabrina meets her match in Rhys Gillray, the Earl of Rawden and infamous poet known as The Libertine.

Meanwhile, the happiest of Valentine’s Days to you! Hope your year is filled with days that feel just like the best Valentine’s Days you’ve ever had...or ever dreamed of having.

XO….julie

Happy Valentine’s Day, dear readers! Get swept in time with Skye Ransom & Dane Fortune. It’s time to get your adventure on!

Romance is often found in the most unexpected of places. In my historical romance, “AN UNEXPECTED ENGAGEMENT,” Charlotte Engle finds herself on the wrong end of a pistol when her coach is stopped by a notorious band of highwaymen. Although she escapes the encounter none the worse for wear, her mother, Lady Epping decides Charlotte is in need of a husband to protect her. Charlotte is inclined to agree only when introduced to Kenley Fairfax, a charming, handsome young lord with a sordid past and a reputation for trouble. He’s just the sort to strike Charlotte’s fancy -- and horrify her mother. When Lady Epping arranges a marriage to an insufferable cad, Kenley comes to Charlotte’s rescue, declaring she has already agreed to marry him. Kenley charms and excites Charlotte more than any man she has ever met, but can she really marry someone she has known less than a week? A man with secrets in his life he keeps fiercely guarded? Not to mention one her mother despises? The closer Charlotte draws to Kenley, the more she realizes he might be capable of far more treachery than she had believed possible, and the more she finds herself involved in a web of deceit that includes late-night conspiracies, highway robbery, cold-blooded murder and -- most unexpected of all -- love. I hope that your path to romance this Valentine’s Day is less adventurous, but every bit as fulfilling as Charlotte’s! Sara Reinke

Here's wishing you lots of loving on the most warmhearted day of the year. Did you know you can write your lover a romantic Shakespeare sonnet that no one else has ever seen? Let me tell you how easy it is. Make it a surprise for him on Valentine's Day and then double-dip by sending me a copy in March for my online competition. In my new historical novel, THE WINTER PRINCE, Prince Rupert writes a love poem to the Duchess of Richmond by picking out 14 lines from different Shakespeare sonnets and putting them together to make a secret, passionate message. Just look through Shakespeare's sonnets and choose 14 lines to make up a brand-new, seductive sonnet of your own. Shakespeare wrote more than 150 sonnets-so there are plenty of lines to choose from. And it's a lot of fun. The competition will go live in the last week of March, with some hints and tips for competitors, to run during the April publication of THE WINTER PRINCE. First prize is a leatherbound, signed copy of THE WINTER PRINCE. Entries will only be accepted from the day the competition goes online. Prince Rupert and Mary Villiers, Duchess of Richmond, were the superstars of their era, the English Civil War in the seventeenth century. They didn't need paparazzi to hound them; they had Parliament, which denounced them as lovers. And were they? I hope the story of their hidden, dangerous affair will intrigue you. Cheryl Sawyer

To all my readers and friends:

I want to take a moment to thank all of you for your wonderful comments on Tropical Warnings. I hope you’ll enter my special “thank you” February contest for your chance to win $50.00 plus your name used as a suspect in THE LAST RESORT, book two in the Wanderlust Mysteries. Check the contest page on my website for details.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of my friends on My Space, my blog buddies, and most of all to you, my readers. So…from my heart to yours…

I’m writing a Valentine to send out to sea,
Just a little message to all of you from me;
It’s readers like yourselves that make a writers book shine,
It’s readers like yourselves I want for my Valentine.
The message has been written; in the bottle it goes,
Who and where it drifts to, only Cupid will know.
If somehow it reaches you across oceans so far;
Just know it was written with gratitude from author April Star.

Happy Valentine's Day!!! Wishing all of you a day of romance, flowers, candy, or just a few quiet moments curled up with a good book. "Whatever you are doing, love yourself for doing it. Whatever you are thinking, love yourself for thinking it." ~Thaddeus Golas I hope you enjoy a very special day! Shirley Just five more months until THE CLIFF HOUSE STRANGLER -- the third book in the Sarah Woolson historical mystery series -- is released.