Sourcebooks Casablanca Romance Authors

I  have been in my writing cave working on more and more manuscripts, but I’m taking a break today to share the cover of one of my two February releases.  Wedding Tails  is a project I’ve undertaken with some of my Sourcebooks sisters, and it started when we all wondered what would happen if we each wrote a novella based in our story worlds (mine is the  Deadly Force  world) where there was a wedding and a dog and many of our favorite characters. And it would be released on Valentine’s Day! Since book 3 in my Deadly Force series,  In Search of Truth , has a dog named Nicholas Trott and ends with the engagement of Zack and Allison, I knew I had to write their wedding story. I also need them to be married in the next book in the series,  A Promise at Midnight  (Alex and Maddie’s story). (Oh, the problems of authors writing a long-standing series!) So I wrote  Searching for Ever After , a story where Zack and Allison get married but not before a...

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and if you're still looking for the perfect gift for your special someone, look beyond the candy heart and flowers. Shana Galen recommends... Offer to do a chore your valentine dislikes or might enjoy a break from. I'd love it if my husband would walk the dog one morning so I can sleep in or fold the laundry so I can put my feet up. Pixabay.com Gina Conkle recommends coffee dates... I love when Brian (hubs) suggests we go to Starbucks or one of our local coffee houses. It means quiet, uninterrupted conversation with him, and coffee dates don't cost much. Have a great Valentine's Day! Samantha Chase recommends: Making time to just be together.  It doesn't have to be a big romantic dinner or anything wild, just taking the time out of our hectic lives to spend an hour together to sort of catch up and reconnect.  So hard sometimes to remember to make time for each other, so pull up a chair, have some coffee or a favorite...

by Amanda Forester For Valentine's Day I have been thinking of what to get my sweetheart to show my love and affection. I got to thinking about what my previous heroes and heroines might give each other for Valentine's Day. But did medieval Highlanders celebrate Valentine's Day, you ask?   Maybe. How about in the Regency?   Most likely. In the 5th century, Pope Gelasius set aside February 14th as St. Valentine's Day, to honor a priest named Valentine who married couples in defiance of a Roman decree (he was sentenced to death for his romantic nature).   As early as the 15th century people were exchanging written valentines and love poems.   The practice has continued throughout the ages until the present day where over a billion valentines are sent each year.   Considered one of the most romantic days of the year, an estimated 6 million couples will become engaged on Valentine's Day.   Wow! So what will my historical heroes and heroines give eac...

by Danielle Dresser I have a confession to make... Bah Humbug to Valentine's Day! I know, weird, right? Since I work on romance novels all day. But you know how there are people who you call the Grinch around Christmas? I'm that way with Valentine's Day. Maybe I've had one too many candy hearts, or I didn't get as many valentines when we had to exchange them in grade school. Who knows? And even though I have a real life valentine this year (and forever!), and it means I'll probably get flowers and chocolate and a nice dinner, I've just never been into it. So, with that in mind, I found some sarcastic Valentine's Day cards and images to share: I must admit that I do like how everything is pink and red (two of my favorite colors), and I will definitely be buying discount chocolate over the weekend. What about you--do you like Valentine's Day? I hope so!

by Danielle Jackson Happy Valentine’s Day! I thought I'd share some quotes about love from one of our favorite authors, Jane Austen! Be sure to read through to the end, enjoying the passages, and to enter our giveaway! Sense and Sensibility – when Elinor finds out Edward isn’t married, and she can’t keep her emotions hidden any longer. Elinor could sit it no longer. She almost ran out of the room, and as soon as the door was closed, burst into tears of joy, which at first she thought would never cease. Edward, who had till then looked any where, rather than at her, saw her hurry away, and perhaps saw—or even heard—her emotion; for immediately afterwards he fell into a reverie, which no remarks, no inquiries, no affectionate address of Mrs. Dashwood could penetrate, and at last, without saying a word, quitted the room, and walked out towards the village, leaving the others in the greatest astonishment and perplexity on a change in his situati...

I love Valentine's Day. I know a lot of people hate this "Hallmark Holiday," and I can understand that. But it's the Hallmark part that I love! Remember those tacky little Valentine cards we handed out to all our classmates? Nobody got their feelings hurt, because the teachers insisted that we give a card to every single member of the class. So everybody got some love. The cards came in boxes of twenty or thirty and featured all kinds of images and terrible, terrible puns. In a fit of nostalgia, I went hunting on the internet for some of these little masterpieces, and I found a few that are appropriate for some of our Casababes. I know I should have sent one to everyone in the class, but it was a challenge finding sufficiently groan-worthy puns for everyone! Here's one with a wolf, for Terry Spear: And a mermaid, for Judi Fennell: A kilted Scotsman, for Amanda Forester: A "Domestic God" for Robin Kaye: And a kitty cat for Cheryl Brooks: But of co...

I know this will post on February 17, but as I write it, it's February 16, a very important date in my life. It's my parents' anniversary. And, as I write this, they're out to dinner, celebrating, just the two of them. It's #49 for them. I cannot believe it's that many years (though, given that I just turned 47 and can do the math, I shouldn't be soooo surprised, but still...). I've been around for all but 2 of those years. And when I was in college, of course, and then 3 hours away for the first few years of my marriage, but still, I've been here for those 49 years. And I'll tell you, one thing that has stuck with me is a saying my mom has always said, "It's a commitment to the commitment." She and Dad haven't always agreed on everything (which would be why I got to live in Spain when she was dead set against it). They've had their share of "disagreements." (She'd kill me if I had written "fights."...

by Olivia Cunning Valentine's Day is not my favorite holiday. I know, I know. A romance author should probably keep such things to herself. The idea behind the holiday is nice, but shouldn't we be celebrating love everyday, not just one day out of the year? I don't hate Valentine's Day, but it has seldom been kind to me. It started in elementary school. Was I the only one who didn't want to give a Valentine to every jerk in my elementary class? Of course, there was the secret crush whose card I carefully selected (from a box of 32 similar cards). That Super-Friends card  was so heartfelt. And will you just look at the darling heart-shape I used to dot the "i" in my secret crush's name. sigh... Finally, he will know my true feelings. We will live happily ever after. (Yes, I was nine, so what?) But what about the mean kid who eats his boogers and pushed me off the monkey bars? Why did I have to give him a card? I sure didn't want him t...

by Amanda Forester *Note - after comment I have removed spoilers just in case you didn't watch Downton last night. I'm late posting a blog today, but I got so caught up in Downton Abbey I could not tear myself away to write it. I've found clips of future episodes on you tube, but I will refrain! Ok, I will mostly refrain. Mostly I said! Anyway, the point of this blog is not to talk of star crossed lovers, but of acknowledged ones. Married people. People in relationships. You see it is Valentine's Day Eve . In other words, time to PANIC ! If you have made your reservations, arranged the babysitter, and composed a sonnet to your love, you can stop reading now. I have nothing to offer you, now go away with your smug self. If, however, you are, like me, just opening your eyes to the grey light of a Monday morning with the hope that coffee, let's make that a double, will somehow chase away grogginess, only to find that tomorrow is Valentine's Day and you've don...

By Anita Clenney You know, until I read Mary Margret's blog, I couldn't remember my first kiss. I recall it now, just a quick peck, nothing spectacular. Now the kisses that stick in my head are the paper kisses. Ah...Donny Osmond. I fell in love with him at age nine and the love lasted for many years. Of course, I can't imagine what I was thinking now, but I adored him and gave his posters lots of kisses. I could almost feel his lips kissing me back, his arms pulling me close. Now my daughter is crazy about Justin Bieber, and he looks a lot like Donny did back then. Must be genetic. Awaken the Highland Warrior is the first book in my Highland warrior series. Here is Faelan and Bree's first kiss. Not quite what she expected. She started from the kitchen, when a crash sounded from her bedroom. Gripping the tray, she ran down the hall, coming to a halt in the doorway. He was naked, sprawled face down on the bed, bare as the day he was born. The lamp was overturned, his clo...

By Robin Kaye I’m a romance writer. I live, eat and breathe romance—especially when I’m on deadline. But in my life, I can’t say that Valentine’s Day has been anything but anti-climactic. When I was single, Valentine’s Day was the equivalent of a ticking time bomb. I felt extreme pressure to get a date, a boyfriend, and/or a love life. Once I did get one of the above, then I felt pressure to buy just the right gift and/or card. This was always tricky because it was dependent upon what stage the relationship was in on February 14th. Now, I don’t know about you, but my relationship stage knowledge was invariably flawed. Should I buy a card with the ‘L’ word on it? Should I get one about sex? Friendship? Or just go with the funny card to be safe? Then there was the whole gift question. How would he feel about a pair of white silk boxers with red lips all over them? Would he like flowers? Chocolate? Or should I just go, depending on the stage of the relationship, buy myself a sexy nighty...