Sourcebooks Casablanca Romance Authors

Two weeks ago I had the ecstatic pleasure of meeting several of my fellow Casa authors in person at the RT Booklover's convention. So this post will be all about my fan-girl bragging about that. I'd never before seen a streetcar or palm trees so this was a novelty. Right when I arrived at the hotel, and was having a cigarette outside and taking a picture of the streetcar and my very first palm tree (I know), a nice looking lady smiled at me and said, "Brooklyn Ann?" At my nod, she introduced herself as Victoria Roberts and I giddily gave her a hug. We didn't get to chat too much because she was on her way to check out a voodoo shop and I was waiting to meet up with my hotel roommate, Urban Fantasy author,Jess Haines, but I was still stoked. Then at the Mardis Gras, Sarah Humphreys grabbed me out of the crowd so we could take a selfie and I also saw Jade Lee handing out her infamous squidges. Apparently Shana Galen was there too, but I didn'...

It’s Here! It’s Here! ENRAPTURED has officially released! Orpheus —To most he's an enigma, a devil-may-care rogue who does whatever he pleases whenever he wants. Now this loose cannon is part of the Eternal Guardians—elite warriors assigned to protect the human realm—whether he likes it or not. Orpheus has just one goal: to rescue his brother from the Underworld. He's not expecting a woman to get in the way. Especially not a Siren as gorgeous as Skyla. He has no idea she's an assassin sent by Zeus to seduce, entrap, and ultimately destroy him. Yet Skyla herself might have the most to lose. There's a reason Orpheus feels so familiar to her, a reason her body seems to crave him. Perhaps he's not the man everyone thinks... The truth could reveal a deadly secret as old as the Eternal Guardians themselves. Publisher's Weekly listed ENRAPTURED as a Top Ten Romance of Spring 2012, gave it a starred review and said, " Filled with sizzling romance, heart...

I have to admit to not being a huge Valentines Day fan. List me among those who don't believe you need just one day out of the year to "feel the love". My husband always gets me flowers on Valentines Day, and sometimes we go out for dinner, sometimes we stay in and make a nice meal (steak and lobster were on the menu this year), but it's really not a "big" day for either of us. Our daughter is about to turn 13 and she's just getting into the whole puberty/hormones/falling in love thing. This year a boy gave her her first real Valentines Day gift and she's been struggling with how to react to it. On one hand she feels funny and unsure about the whole thing. She likes him, but now she knows he likes her too so she's nervous. On the other, she's giddy and excited as any middle school girl would be. And as we've been talking to her about relationships and boys and what to expect/look for, I've been reminded of how unimportant Valentines D...

The start of a new year is an exciting time. And it always makes me think of things I'm looking forward to in the next twelve months. 2012 looks to be an exciting year and I can't wait to see what lies ahead. But for me, these are the things I can't wait for... 1. Disneyland We're taking a family vacation in February. It'll be the first time my you ngest will see the Magic Kingdom. I can't wait to see his reaction. And since the last two times I was there I was pregnant each time, I can't wait to experience all the rides myself! 2. The release of my critique partner's debut release-- FEVER by Joan Swan ! I have loved this book so long, and I can't wait until readers can get it in their hands. Sexy firefighters, a dangerous conspiracy and a smoking hot romance. FEVER releases in March. Don't walk to buy this book...RUN! 3. My first RT Convention! I've never been, so I'm all kinds of excited. And since ENRAP TURED releases in April--the...

by Elisabeth Naughton There's not much that catches my interest as far as gifts go. I'm hard to buy for, I'll admit it. If I see something I can't live without, I'll buy it when it's on sale. And my hubby is a gem and surprises me with gifts throughout the year for no other reason than he likes to keep me happy. (Because 1. He's a smart man and 2. We've been married long enough that he knows a happy Elisabeth equals a happy house.) But while thinking "big" for this blog post, I came across this. And oh yeah, Santa. I'd definitely take one of these: This pool just looks so totally awesome. No ugly hole in the ground during the winter months! I'd definitely like one under my tree...er...in my backyard. And while I'm at it, I'll take a pool boy to manage the pool and a masseuse to ease my stress over watching the pool boy manage said awesome pool. No? Bugger. Okay, in that case, I'll ask for kids who don't argue (a girl ca...

I'm in buckle-down deadline mode for ENSLAVED, the fifth book in my Eternal Guardians series, so instead of a rambling post about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday (which I can't even think about yet) I'm going to share my I'm So F reakin ' Thankful For These Things During Deadline Days list with you: 1. My husband. During deadline crunch time he turns into Mr. Mom on crack. He does all the cooking, all the cleaning, all the laundry (doesn't even shrink my clothes) all the kid-duty AND he kicks me out of the house to get away and write. Of course he's number-obsessed..." How many words did you get done today ?"...and doesn't quite understand that a book isn't necessarily done at 100K words, but I'm willing to cut him some slack. (So long as he keeps making me breakfast.) 2. Wine. Lots of it. Nothing knocks me out and makes me sleep better after a full day of writing than a bottle, er ...GLASS of wine. (Yeah, glass. That's what I...

by Elisabeth Naughton One morning in June I was driving my daughter to theater camp when I felt something strange on my neck. Figuring I'd been bitten by a mosquito the night before, I rubbed the spot and didn't think much more of it. Until a few hours later when the spot began to hurt...a burning, stinging pain I'd never felt before. By the evening (a Friday, no less), my neck was swollen and red, and the burn was spreading. I suffered through the weekend with flu-like symptoms, and by Sunday night every lymph node in my head was enlarged, especially those on the left side of my head and neck--the side with the "bite". Until that moment, I didn't even know humans had lymph nodes on the top of their scalps! But guess what...we do. Though I really wish I'd learned that in a book and not from experience. The area around the bite turned black as the skin all died. When the pain became so intense I couldn't stand it anymore, I finally gave in and went to t...

"An entertaining and smoldering read." --Publisher's Weekly starred review "A passion-filled read." --RT Book Reviews "Dark, dangerous, and absolutely addicting." --NYT Bestseller Christina Dodd A d angerous secret. An even darker desire. As daemons ravage the human realm, one Guardian's loyalty will be put to the ulti mate test. Salvation hinges on a secret he's vowed to keep hidden and a smoldering desire he can never give in to. No matter how tempted he may be... After more than a year, TEMPTED is finally hitting store shelves! It's been a long haul, but I'm thrilled the Eternal Guardians are continuing on with Sourcebooks. And I'm even more excited that readers are finally getting to read Demetrius and Isadora's story. Passion, danger, suspense and excitement...it's all in there, along with a smoking hot romance RT Book Reviews describes as "...the perfect balance of emotion and explicitness." DEME...

UPDATE: ARC winners of TEMPTED announced: Shiloh Tolbert & Lisa at Once Upon a Chapter Winners, please email me at elisabeth (at) elisabethnaughton (dot) com with your snail mail addy. Congrats to the winners and thanks to all who played along! Anyone who has read my books knows I tend to write on the steamy side. My scenes have made my husband blush several times, my neighbors wonder just what happens in our house and my mother refuse to read any book that has the word "Bed" in the title. Personally, I blame the atmosphere. You see, my husband works for a pharmaceutical company and used to sell Levitra (an ED drug) and my neighbor conducted at home sex toy parties. I ask you...how can a romance author NOT write hot when she's surrounded by that? Seriously though, I've read a lot of romance novels over the years and don't think I write any "hotter" than a lot of other authors. My books tend to have only 2-3 love scenes per book, but I do ...

In honor of this month's topic on fabulous women, I was going to chat about the amazing women who have influenced me over the years. But, alas, I'm feeling a bit "woe is me" since I'm sitting at home, unable to attend the annual Romance Writers of America national conference in New York City. However, after my editor tweeted she'd had lunch with my agent and that my name only came up when they drooled over my new cover for ENRAPTURED, I decided to stop haunting Twitter and Facebook for updates. Instead, I'm now focusing on the positive. Who needs New York City? I can have just as much fun here at home, and so can you. Wanna know how? Read on. 1. Forget shopping Fifth Avenue. Do like I did today. Hit Wal-Mart. Not only can you restock your grocery closet for cheap, you'll find hours of entertainment all right around the corner from your house! I mean, seriously, this is more fun than people watching in Times Square. (And I ask you, where else can you g...

Before I was an author I used to dream about the good life. Working from home, setting my own hours, sleeping in, writing when I want to write and never again being tied to a bell (yes, I was a teacher in my previous life). And let's not forget the payoff...money. Lots of it. From all my sales I'd buy a bigger house, take lavish vacations. Write the next bestseller from the shores of Hawaii. Talk to any of my friends and they think this is my life. I'm an author, right? And all authors live like Danielle Steel, don't they? Ah, the glamour... That fantasy trickled through my mind today as I was sitting in the library, working on revisions for my April 2012 release, ENRAPTURED. Why was I at the public library? Because it's free to work there. A dollar in parking pays for free Internet and a relatively quiet place where I can get away from my screaming kids (all three of whom had the day off from school...thank you, budget reductions). Of course, free comes with a cat...

I will admit that I am a procrastinator of epic proportions. Unfortunately, while I know this about myself, it doesn't change my tendency to put things off until the last minute. Take this blog for example. Last night, as I was pondering what to talk about today, my instant messenger popped up and my uber -awesome critique partner's picture flashed on my screen. I was quickly distracted--as I always am when my IM pops up--but at the same time thrilled. You see, Joan Swan and I chat at least every day. Sometimes more. (Usually more.) I bitch at her about my characters and plot, stress over never getting everything done that needs to get done, grumble about my kids being too loud or the puppy who ate my favorite pair of heels. She reassures me I'm not a total loser, that somehow I'll figure out what needs to be done and do it, that my kids aren't really Gremlins who need to avoid water, that Zappos can solve my shoe problem, and that tomorrow will be a better day. (...

***UPDATE*** Heather (comment #31) you're the winner of the BODYGUARDS IN BED Advance Reader Copy. Email me at elisabeth (at) elisabethnaughton (dot) com with your snail mail info and I'll get your book in the mail! Congrats! *** It occurred to me recently that I didn't post the winners to my book giveaway last month. Shame on me, I know. In my defense, I blame two things: 1) pain killers (I recently had surgery) and 2) deadline brain. Not sure which is the bigger culprit so I'll blame both. Major apologies to everyone who entered. And I promise to make up for it at the end of this post. To start things off, we'll do a little light housekeeping... Would the following two people please email me at elisabeth (at) elisabethnaughton (dot) com to claim their prize???? Winner of MARKED: Kaetrin (comment #26) Winner of ENTWINED: Victoria (comment #10) Congrats to the two winners! Winners, please send me your snail mail addy and I'll get your autographed book in the ...

Late, but not never! (Someday I will learn how to set the post-ahead feature, I swear I will.) I've had a lot of fun reading the first kiss posts this month. And I absolutely love reading first kiss scenes in romance novels. They're all so varied. One I have yet to read, however, is the first kiss gone wrong. Be honest, most of our first kisses probably didn't go the way we planned. Take me, for example. I remember my first kiss well. I was in middle school, and I'd had a crush on this boy for months, and he knew it. At one of our school dances he asked me to dance. I was giddy with nerves, super excited. He didn't say a word to me during the whole song and I didn't talk to him either, but when the music died, he kissed me on the cheek. Sounds sweet (and tame), right? Uh, not to me. The moment he kissed me my insides flipped from giddy to revolted and whatever crush I'd had on that boy flew right out the window. First kisses don't always go the way we pl...

Sorry I've been MIA from commenting on the blog this week. It's been a rough week. Apologies in advance if this isn't the uplifting post I'd hoped it would be. My mind just isn't in an "uplifting" place right now. I've spent a lot of time over the last week thinking about what I want to talk about with regard to beginnings and I keep coming back to the same thing even though the optimistic side of me warns I should spare you from my rambling. You see, I haven't been thinking all that much about beginnings. I've been focused on endings. Last week, a friend of mine was murdered by her husband in a domestic violence altercation. She was a beautiful 38-year old woman with two daughters, ages 12 and 5, and her life was cut short because of one violent moment that can never be undone. This tragedy has hit my family extra hard as not only were we friends with this couple, but they went to our church and their 12-yr old daughter is close friends with m...

I love a good happy ending. Probably why I return to romance time and again as a reader. I love being left with that optimistic feeling that good can triumph evil, that even a broken heart can be healed, that true love conquers all. Is it realistic in real life? Maybe not always, but our world is depressing enough. A little hope at the end of a book isn't too much to ask. Realism is something readers will call an author on, though. The romance, that happily ever after, has to be believable or the reader walks away feeling cheated. A long lasting love is believable if a book spans a year or more, but what about when a book only covers a week? Or how about less than a week? Can two people fall in love for the long haul in such a short amount of time? Let's look at the science. Researchers have shown it takes between 90 seconds and four minutes to decide if you're interested in someone. This interest has little to do with what someone says but rather, 55% is through body langu...