Convincing Leopold - now available

Convincing Leopold, the sequel to Convincing Arthur, just released from Loose Id!! *insert Ava clutching her capri sun and doing a happy dance*

The book came in at just shy of 34,000 words, making it my longest novella (but not my longest book). It's got smex and angst, and more smex and angst, and...you get the idea. I had fun revisiting Leopold and Arthur, and hopefully readers will enjoy catching up with them.

Mr. Leopold Thornton finally has the man he’s loved for a decade, yet he can’t believe his good fortune. A reformed rake and a conservative solicitor? Can it possibly last? To add to Leopold’s worries, Arthur’s spending more time at the office...with a handsome new secretary. Desperate not to lose Arthur, Leopold does the only thing he can think of -- use pleasure to keep him.

Mr. Arthur Barrington truly wants their relationship to work. Sinfully beautiful and devoted to him, Leopold’s the opposite of Arthur’s staid ex-lover. And Leopold’s given up his old vices, putting those concerns to rest. Yet lately, all Leopold wants is sex -- in the study, in the carriage, and at Arthur’s office, no less. The sex is amazing, but juggling demanding clients and a demanding lover leaves Arthur exhausted and worried perhaps he and Leopold aren’t suited after all.

It takes one disastrous night for Arthur to realize how much Leopold means to him. But convincing Leopold he loves him, all of him and not just his body, proves difficult. For Leopold’s disappeared and Arthur hasn’t a clue where to find him.

Read an excerpt of Chapter One

Deliberately Unbound - now available on ARe

Deliberately Unbound (Bound #2-1/2) is now available on All Romance eBooks as a free .pdf download, in addition to being available on my website. And of course, I couldn't resist updating the cover art so it jived with the cover for Deliberately Bound. All 3 of my freebies are now on ARe for anyone who wants them as a .pdf, and for any future freebies I plan to post them both to my website and ARe.

Today is the last day to enter the giveaway on Stumbling Over Chaos for a copy of Convincing Leopold. The giveaway also includes Convincing Arthur, for anyone who hasn't read the 1st book yet. Contest closes at 7pm CST. Speaking of Convincing Leopold, the book releases tonight around midnight EST, and it's already received a lovely review over at Fiction Vixen Book Reviews.

In other news, I started Thief, the 1st book in the Brook Street series, over the weekend. I also had to do some research on Blackjack. Well, the guys play vingt-et-un, which is the french version of blackjack. Anyway, research was needed since the only card games I'm any good at are go-fish, old maid, and Uno, and my skills with those aren't fab (kidlet routinely beats me at Uno).

That's all for me today. I'm off to start practicing my little happy dance in preparation of new book release night.

Giveaway & Ryan's New Friend

My True Love Gave to Me is officially off my desk and in my editor's inbox. I will admit to tweaking it a bit over the last week (it's what happens when I finish a book way before the deadline). But I finally stopped tweaking and sent the thing in, so that I can focus on starting Thief, the first book in the new trilogy.

Book release day is just around the corner. Convincing Leopold releases in a week! Which means it's giveaway time. Hop on over to Chris's blog (Stumbling Over Chaos) to throw you name in the hat to win a copy of the book. It's actually a 2-for-1 giveaway, as Convincing Arthur is included in the giveaway for anyone who hasn't read the first book yet.

In other news, my writing buddy, Ryan, has a new friend. I thought he was getting a bit lonely, just hanging by himself behind my laptop, so I got him a buddy. Meet Jake (he's the dude on the left). His official name if Model No. 15 from the Barbie Basics collection, but I think Jake suits him better.

I first saw him on the display sign for the collection at Target, but the store didn't have him in stock. But kidlet saved the day. She went to a different Target with my mom last week and reported back that 'mommom's Target has that boy barbie you want'. And I went the next day to get him.

He has a fondness for hair gel, but Ryan doesn't seem to mind the helmet-hair.

1 Down & a New Trilogy to Go

I did it! I finished My True Love Gave to Me on Sunday, which just happened to be my self-imposed deadline. The book isn't due until July, but I wanted it done early because...

I have three novellas to finish by the end of 2011. *G* It's a new trilogy that will release from Carina Press in April, May, and June 2012. The novellas are due 9/1, 11/1 and 1/1/12, which means I'll be a busy girl, typing away, until the end of the year.

I'm quite excited about the new novellas. It's my first real trilogy, releasing in back-to-back-to-back months, with related characters. A few of the guys run in the same social circle and live on Brook Street in Mayfair (London). In fact, My True Love Gave to Me is loosely related to the series - both opportunities popped up in the same week, so I couldn't resist loosely connecting them.

Here's the super short, high concept blurb from the proposal -

The Brook Street Trilogy

Regency London – where polite manners and spotless reputations reign supreme. Yet behind the closed doors of three elegant town houses along Brook Street, passion and lust reign as gentlemen dare to risk scandal by falling in love…

In Thief, a lord intent on his first decadent night with a man finds love when he picks up a thief in a gambling hell. In Fortune Hunter, a man determined to gain a fortune by marrying an heiress instead falls in love with an obscenely wealthy young gentleman. And in Rogues, two of London’s most notorious rakehells discover if their friendship can withstand the test of turning into something so much more.

Pleasures of Somerville Park - Now Available on ARe

I've formatted Pleasures of Somerville Park, the free short sequel to Object of His Desire, for .pdf. It's now available on All Romance eBooks as a free story, in addition to being available on my website. I also updated the cover image because...well...I couldn't resist playing around in photoshop.

In other news, My True Love Gave to Me is coming along nicely. I'm officially on the last chapter. Just need to finish up the resolution part and get the guys to knock boots. Well, they won't be wearing boots in that part of the chapter, but you know what I mean ;)

Bound Forever's received a few lovely reviews of late. It's up for Book of the Week at Whipped Cream reviews, and up for 5-Heart Review of the Week at The Romance Studio. *pats Ollie and Vincent on the back*

And lastly, a quick pic from around the house. Kidlet decided the stuffed animals would enjoy watching the goldfish. I'm thinking the fish look a little worried...

Updates Version....3.0, I think

What's up with me? I've been working on My True Love Gave to Me, the holiday novella for Carina. I'm getting very close to the finish line. Hope to have it done by Sunday night, but....we'll see how it goes. There's a smex scene in the last chapter, and those usually take me some time to write, especially since my smex scenes tend to be rather...long ;)

The book isn't due until 7/1, but I want to get it done by mid-June. I need to get working on the next book that has a deadline. In fact, I'm now under various deadlines until the end of 2011. Deadlines for what, you might ask? 'Other books' *Ava replies vaguely*. I'm waiting until I finish the holiday novella before I go all squee-ie on the new contracts. Need to stay focused and get this one done. If all goes as planned and I finish the novella this weekend, then next week I'll tell you about what's coming next.

Why does History Channel have to have such interesting shows? I've been getting sucked into shows that I would have never thought I'd find interesting. Last night, 2 hours of Ice Road Truckers. Swamp People is another interesting one. Love how they have to use subtitles most of the time, since you can't understand a thing the guys are saying. Of course, can't forget American Pickers and Pawn Stars (love Chumlee). And tonight at 10pm - Mounted in Alaska. It's about a taxidermy shop. Ew - right? Turns out, so not eww. They mount already prepared hides, so no grossness. And it's very intriquing. Got sucked right into it last week.

Anyone seen My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding on TLC? OMIG. Those wedding dresses are nuts!!