I got back from the RWA conference yesterday afternoon. I’m too jet lagged to make any kind of sense, so today’s post will brief. Its focus: The books I picked up in New York, and upcoming books now on my radar. I’ll schedule a longer post (or two) on what I did and who I met for later in the week.

In a nutshell: the conference was an amazing experience. I went expecting to find it useful, but it exceeded my expectations by far. I loved meeting people I know online in person, and I managed to acquire more than a few new friends. My critique partner, Magdalen, was the perfect roommate. I’m still sorting out all my RWA photos, but here’s one of me and the lovely Pearl in our RITA finery (we represented the European contingent!):

Despite my determination not to bring home too many print books – RWA has yet to embrace the digital age – I came back with twenty-seven, most of which were signed by their authors. I’m listing them below, in no particular order. (This morning’s attempt to sort paperwork for our impending house move proved disastrous; I’ll only embarrass myself if I try to list the books alphabetically.)

1. The Wild Marquis by Miranda Neville (Historical Romance)
2. His at Night by Sherry Thomas (Historical Romance)
3. A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal by Meredith Duran (Historical Romance)
4. Blood of the Rose by Kate Pearce (Historical Romance)
5. Murder Under Cover by Kate Carlisle (Cosy Mystery)
6. Breathe by Donna Alward (Contemporary Romance)
7. The Cloud Pavilion by Laura Joh Rowland (Historical Mystery)
8. Bad Girl by Night by Lacey Alexander (Erotic Contemporary Romance)
9. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (Young Adult Fantasy)
10. The First Love Cookie Club by Lori Wilde (Contemporary Romance)
11. Tempting the Marquess by Sara Lindsey (Historical Romance)
12. The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen (Thriller)
13. Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas (Historical Romance)
14. Shady Lady by Ann Aguirre (Urban Fantasy)
15. The Heir by Grace Burrowes (Historical Romance)
16. Coming Home by Mariah Stewart (Contemporary Romance)
17. Seducing the Duchess by Ashley March (Historical Romance)
18. An Unlikely Countess by Lorraine Heath (Historical Romance)
19. Scoundrel in My Dreams by Celeste Bradley (Historical Romance)
20. In Scandal they Wed by Sophie Jordan (Historical Romance)
21. You Belong to Me by Karen Rose (Romantic Suspense)
22. Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber (Paranormal Mystery)
23. The Surrender of a Lady by Tiffany Clare (Historical Romance)
24. A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh (Historical Romance)
25. An Unlikely Countess by Jo Beverly (Historical Romance)
26. Glimmerglass by Jenna Black (Young Adult Fantasy)
27. Provocative in Pearls by Madeline Hunter (Historical Romance)

Through conversations with new-to-me authors, there are several upcoming books now on my radar.

I’ve been following army officer/mom/romance writer Jessica Scott’s blog for over a year. She announced at the conference that she’ll be Loveswept’s debut author! Because of You will be a November 2011 release.

Sergeant First Class Shane Garrison lives to lead his men in battle. Waking up at Fort Hood, physically and spiritually broken, he refuses to accept that for once, he is the one who needs help.

Jen St James knows exactly how to deal with Shane’s anger and his rage: she’s been there. She pushes and prods until he’s willing to fight. For the men he left behind, for a chance to stay in the army, and, most importantly, for her.

I picked up historical author Ashley March’s debut novel, Seducing the Duchess, at the NAL book signing. I’m a sucker for the “marriage in trouble” trope. But when she told me the premise of her second book, Romancing the Countess, I was very excited. Here’s the blurb:

Sebastian Madinger, the Earl of Wriothesly, thought he’d married the perfect woman-until a fatal accident revealed her betrayal with his best friend. After their deaths, Sebastian is determined to avoid a scandal for the sake of his son. But his best friend’s widow is just as determined to cast her mourning veil aside by hosting a party that will surely destroy both their reputations and expose all of his carefully kept secrets…

Leah George has carried the painful knowledge of her husband’s affair for almost a year. All she wants now is to enjoy her independence and make a new life for herself-even if that means being ostracized by the Society whose rules she was raised to obey. Now that the rumors are flying, there’s only one thing left for Sebastian to do: silence the scandal by enticing the improper widow into becoming a proper wife. But when it comes to matters of the heart, neither Sebastian nor Leah is prepared for the passion they discover in each other’s arms….

Romancing the Countess will be out in September 2011.

Due to my Fire and Ice contest win, I was invited to the Chicago-North RWA chapter champagne reception. I met two newly contracted authors whose books I definitely want to read. Sarah M. Anderson recently sold to Harlequin Desire. She writes about cowboys, Indians, bikers, and lawyers. Sounds like fun! Her first book is called A Man of his Word and will be released from Harlequin Desire in December 2011. Here’s the blurb:

Dan Armstrong can’t tell if the figure in the trees is a ghost, an Indianprincess, or a hallucination—until she takes a shot at him and disappears without a trace. With only the bullet hole in his hat as proof, he starts looking around for a beautiful woman with a grudge. Rosebud Donnelly fits the bill. She’s beautiful, she’s an Indian, and she’s the tribal lawyer suing his family over water rights. But does she really want him dead? There’s only one way to find out. As he gets closer to Rosebud, Dan can’t tell which is in more danger—his head or his heart.

Another newly-contracted author at the reception was Julie Ann Walker. She writes a romantic suspense series called Black Knights, Inc which features bikers and spies. Sourcebooks will be releasing her first three books back-to-back from August to October 2012. Here’s the blurb for Deadly Secrets:

He’s the bad boy she’s always wanted…

Nate “Ghost” Weller has loved Ali Morgan nearly half his life.  But he’s done something so heinous he’s convinced she’ll never forgive him.  So he keeps his feelings and his secrets to himself.  Then she blows into town with a mother load of bad guys on her tail and Nate can’t deny she’s in serious trouble.  Unfortunately, he’s the only one who can help her.

She’s the good girl he’s kept at arm’s length…

Ali knows Nate as the most solemn, aloof man on the planet.  Sadly, he’s also the sexiest.  For years she’s avoided him, unable to stomach his dark scowls and brooding silences… especially when she secretly yearns for his touch.  Now she must rely on him to save her from the malevolent shadows ghosting her every move.  When the bullets explode, so does their passion.  But can love really conquer all?  Or are some things just too terrible to forgive?

Whew! So much for a brief post. I’m about to drag my jet lagged self to the shower. I’ll continue my RWA posts on Wednesday.

Genre: General Fiction/Women’s Fiction/Psychological Suspense

Setting: London and Brighton, UK

POV: 1st Person (story told by a couple of the main characters)

Sensuality: Warm

Violence: Mild

Format: Print

My Grade: A

Dorothy Koomson is one of the very few authors whose novels I buy in hardback. I always feel it’s money well spent. Her books are consistently strong and lend themselves to re-reading. Plus they’re beautifully produced with gorgeous covers.

The Woman He Loved Before is Dorothy Koomson’s latest story. Libby Rabvena married handsome solicitor, Jack Britcham, after a whirlwind courtship. Libby was initially repelled by Jack’s arrogance, but grew to love him once she realised his behaviour masked his grief over the death of his first wife, Eve. Despite herself, Libby is charmed by Jack’s gentle but persistent wooing. Ignoring any lingering misgivings, Libby allows herself to be swept along in the moment and agrees to marry him.

Two years later, Jack and Libby appear to have it all: a beautiful home, plenty of money, and a solid marriage. Their happy existence changes in an instant. One night, they’re involved in a serious car accident. Jack survives with minor injuries, but Libby’s airbag fails to deploy. She requires emergency surgery and comes close to death. When she wakes up in hospital, she’s faced with months of rehabilitation and permanent scars. Jack is devastated by what happened, and wracked with guilt because he didn’t get the faulty airbag fixed. It never occurs to Libby to blame Jack…until the police pay her a visit.

Detective Sergeant Morgan was in charge of the investigation into Eve Britcham’s death. She never believed it was an accident, and is convinced Jack murdered her. Libby knew Eve died in a fall, but had no idea her death was considered suspicious, nor that Jack was the prime suspect. Due to lack of evidence – and Jack’s influential father – the case against him was dropped. However, the file on Eve’s death was never closed. In spite of Jack’s protestations of innocence, Libby begins to wonder if she married a monster.

When Libby discovers Eve’s diaries, she becomes obsessed with Jack’s first wife and her tragic fate. Was her death an accident, or did Jack kill her? And if she was murdered and Jack wasn’t responsible, who was the killer? As Libby’s life unravels, she questions her marriage, Jack’s love, and her own sanity.

My description doesn’t do this story justice. In order to avoid spoilers, I’ve left out a lot of details. The Woman He Loved Before is a compelling read from start to finish. Dorothy Koomson excels at nuanced characterization and subtle storytelling. This tale is creepy precisely because she doesn’t resort to cheap melodrama, and keeps her characters real. The reader is left guessing until the end, and the ultimate resolution is both convincing and satisfactory.

Jack’s character is particularly well done. Until the end, I wasn’t sure whether the arrogant cad Libby first encounters is the real Jack, or the caring, emotional man he becomes once she gets to know him better. Libby is one of my favourite Koomson heroines. A former biochemist-turned-beautician, she uses her analytical skills and her intuition to solve the mystery.

The Woman He Loved Before is a page-turner and one which I will definitely re-read. If you haven’t tried Dorothy Koomson’s books before, this is an excellent place to start. If you’re already a fan, you’re in for a treat.

My poor blog has been sorely neglected of late. I used to write blog posts on my lunch break (i.e.: when my kids napped). Now that their daily nap has gone the way of the dodo, I’m struggling to find the time to blog. Having committed to going to the RWA conference in June, I’m devoting every spare moment to revising one manuscript and finishing another. The result: Monkey Bear Reviews is lacking fresh content.

So what have I been up to for the past few weeks?

WHAT I READ

Hardly any fiction. The majority of my reading has consisted of writing craft books and course material for the workshops I’m attending.

WHAT I WROTE

Quite a bit. My current task is revising a completed manuscript.

WHAT I WATCHED

The new series of Upstairs, Downstairs. It suffers from the inevitable comparison to Downton Abbey, but it’s well-acted light entertainment.

WEBSITE

I updated my author website. It’s pretty rudimentary but I kind of like it that way.

PERSONAL

My son is going through a hyperactive phase at the moment. I’m finding it hard going. He’s currently on his winter break and I’m counting the days until he goes back to preschool. His wild behaviour coincides with his sister starting the dreaded Terrible Twos. Mischief and mayhem reign in our household. I keep telling myself that this, too, shall pass.

♦♦♦♦

Here are a few links which might interest you:

♦ Nadia Lee has published a guide on How to Format Your Manuscript for Kindle and Nook. It’s available from Smashwords for $1.50. I bought a copy and I think even I could manage to follow Nadia’s instructions to create .prc and .epub files.

♦ Historical romance author Megan Chance has reissued some of her backlist digitally. They are available in Kindle and Nook formats. I bought a copy of The Portrait to read on my iPhone and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. I’d been hearing about this book for years but it was out of print.

♦ Author Laura Leone a.k.a. Laura Resnick has also reissued a few of her backlist titles. They include Fallen From Grace which received a rave review from Karen Knows Best last year. (Thanks to Keishon for the heads up.)

A Lady of Persuasion is the third book in Tessa Dare’s trilogy of Regency romances. It’s another strong tale and cements Dare’s reputation as an author to watch.

Sir Toby Aldridge is the jilted fiancé of Sophia Hathaway, the heroine in Surrender of a Siren. Toby was left humiliated when Sophia ran away and is doubly so now that she has returned to London society with her new husband in tow. Toby is a gentleman to the core and has done his best to achieve damage limitation. As such, Sophia and her husband, Gray, are not shunned by the ton. Despite his efforts to assist Sophia, Toby has no love for either her or Gray. When fate places Gray’s sister, Isabel, in his path, Toby is sorely tempted to toy with her and get his revenge on her brother and sister-in-law.

Isabel Grayson is enjoying her first London season. Raised on the island of Tortula by her two half-brothers, she has led a very different life to that of other girls her age. Isabel is devoted to charitable works. Her dearest ambition is to marry a member of parliament through whom she can influence laws on slavery and other social injustices. When she encounters Toby Aldridge at a ball, she is attracted to him, but immediately dismisses him as husband material. Toby has a reputation as a rake and a man of no ambition. Toby is determined to win Isabel’s hand and so he makes a rash promise to run for a seat in parliament.

Gray and Sophia are horrified by Isabel’s decision to marry Toby and try their best to dissuade her. Ironically enough, Toby’s family – who have every reason to resent Isabel and her relatives  - welcome her with open arms. Through Toby’s mother and sister, Isabel finds plentiful good works to keep her occupied. Toby, meanwhile, begins his reluctant campaign for a parliamentary seat. Will Toby and Isabel find true happiness in their marriage?

I enjoyed A Lady of Persuasion and found it a fitting end to the trilogy. Toby is my favourite of the three heroes and I thought he and Isabel worked well together. There’s also a wonderful secondary romance featuring Joss, Isabel’s black half-brother, and Hetta, a female physician. I sometimes find reunion scenes featuring characters from previous books a little dull, but they worked in this book, especially the one when Lucy gave birth to her first child.

One element of the story I didn’t enjoy was seeing a nasty side to Sophia and Gray. Given their characters in Surrender of a Siren, I was more disappointed than surprised. Gray is possessive and authoritarian and Sophia is selfish. They treat Toby abominably when they ought to be grateful to him for salvaging their reputations. Thankfully, most of this occurs at the start of the book.

This quibble aside, A Lady of Persuasion is an entertaining read and is sure to delight fans of Tessa Dare’s previous books. Given the ensemble cast feel of several scenes, I would highly recommend reading Goddess of the Hunt and Surrender of a Siren before picking this one up. Grade: B

Also Reviewed:

Goddess of the Hunt (2009) by Tessa Dare - Book 1 of the trilogy

Surrender of a Siren (2009) by Tessa Dare – Book 2 of the trilogy

With Amazon’s announcement two weeks ago that they’re launching the Kindle on the international market, I briefly thought this hypothetical dilemma would be obsolete. Sadly, it is all too relevant: Geographical restrictions still exist.

This is the third of four hypothetical dilemmas regarding piracy. The more I learn about piracy, the more convinced I am that there are two types of pirates: those who want something for free and those who want something which is otherwise unavailable to them. Fighting the former is probably a lost cause. Combating the latter is more realistic. The most logical solution to my mind is to make material available to all potential customers for a reasonable sum of money.

Without further ado, here is this week’s dilemma:

The word of publishing has finally embraced digital and print books are increasingly difficult to find. Although you were aware of geographical restrictions on ebooks, you were always able to purchase the books you wanted in print form from various etailers and regular bookstores. You have a digital reading device and you want to purchase ebooks. Suddenly you realize that all of your favourite authors’ books are unavailable to you in digital form and are no longer being printed. You’re distraught as this will entirely change the way you read. All the books you want are available for download on an illegal filesharing site and you’re sorely tempted…

The above dilemma is obviously a worst-case-scenario. I don’t see ebooks replacing print faster than it takes to sort out the convoluted mess that is foreign digital rights, but perhaps I’m being overly optimistic. If this were genuinely the case, I would contact the authors to see if they could find some loophole by which they could sell me their work directly. The obvious solution to this hypothetical dilemma would be a change in digital rights.

What do you think? Do you see print becoming obsolete faster than it takes to make ebooks available to all interested customers, regardless of their country of residence? What other solutions could work in this situation?