The Big 7 and Giveaway

Today, September 16, is my 7 year anniversary as a published author! 

On September 16, 2008, Bound by Deception released. It has the distinction of being my first published book, though Object of His Desire was the first M/M book I ever wrote and my first attempt at writing a novella. It was simply of function of publisher timelines that caused Bound by Deception to be my first published book. 

Still, that's not to take away from Oliver and Vincent's achievement. They get to have a #1 next to their names. I loved writing that book, and I still love it. The angst, the smex, the kink, oh my! 

When I submitted Bound by Deception to Loose Id, I crossed my fingers and hoped and prayed they'd like my story. I stalked my inbox like an author possessed, and there was much flailing about when I received an offer to publish the book. 

A lot has happened in 7 years. I've written 18 books and 4 freebie short stories. I have books in ebook, print and audio formats and in foreign languages. I've learned a lot about the publishing world and have grown a ton as an author. I also know what a dangling modifier is now. 

Some things haven't changed. I still stalk my inbox when I have a proposal out to a publisher. I still fret that I'll get a "Really? This is crud." reply. There is still much flailing when a publisher tells me that yes, they'd like to publish my story. And I still get ridiculously excited on new book release day.

And something else hasn't changed - my goal is to share my stories. I started writing because I wanted to read angsty, smexy Regency M/M romances and I couldn't find them. So I wrote the type of stories I wanted to read. When I decided to publish, my goal shifted to sharing those stories with others. And that's still my goal to this day. 

Enough about me. To celebrate my anniversary (which is still about me, but let's overlook that), I'm holding a giveaway for winner's choice of one of my available books. Here are the giveaway details:

• 2 winners chosen at random
• Winner chooses which book they'd like
• Format: Print or ebook (epub, mobi or pdf format). Winner's choice. If you choose print and you win, I'll send you an email to request your snail mail address.
• Giveaway open to U.S. and International entrants
• To enter: Leave a comment on this post (either here or with the post on Goodreads, as it will cross-post) with your email address or send me an email at ava @ avamarch (dot) com to enter. Include you preferred title and format. 
• Giveaway open until September 30th, 2015, midnight EST.

Print options include: English language editions of All In with the Duke, Sharp Love, O Come All Ye Kinky, The Bound Series. 

***

Standard giveaway rules apply. Must be at least 18 yrs of age to enter. 2 winners chosen at random by yours truly. One entry allowed per person. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary to enter. Yours truly will post the names of the winners by October 2nd, midnight EST, on this blog post. I'll also send the winners an email to let them know they've won. Winners have until October 7th, 2015 to respond to the email with their format  & book of choice. Blah, blah, blah, and whatever else I forgot to include here.

***

UPDATE
The randomizer did its work, and the winners are....Viv and Juliana!!

An email has been sent to each to let them know of their lucky winner status. Thanks so much to everyone who entered either here or via email, and big thank-you for your congratulations and generous comments. You've made me smile and feel very fortunate to have people who enjoy reading my books. :)

Viscount's Wager - ARC Giveaway

Viscount's Wager (Gambling on Love #3) releases on August 10th - that's only one month from now. To celebrate, I'm holding a giveaway for an ARC (advanced reading copy) of the ebook, and I'll pick two winners. So if you're interested in reading the book and don't want to wait until August 10th, throw your name in the virtual hat. Mr. Randomizer might smile upon you. 

Leave a comment on this post with your email address or send me an email at ava @ avamarch (dot) com to enter, and indicate your format of choice (pdf, epub or mobi). Giveaway open until July 24th, 2015, midnight EST.

Here's the blurb for the book:

London, 1822

You never forget your first love, but is a second chance worth the gamble?

Anthony, Viscount Rawling, knows exactly what he wants in life and he isn't above having a look about London for it. When he spots recently widowed Gabriel Tilden at a ton function, he thinks he might have found love…again.

Gabriel is as gorgeous and reserved as he was when he broke Anthony's heart seven years ago. But they were only adolescents then…surely Anthony won't hold the incident against him. And especially not when the attraction between them is stronger than ever.

Gabriel came to London in search of distraction, and a teasing Anthony is impossible to resist. As Anthony introduces Gabriel to the pleasures that can be found in the city—and in his bedchamber—their bond deepens into something more. Yet both men are hiding secrets that could pull them apart forever…

Story length: 102,000 words

For pre-order links, check out the book's page on my website.
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Standard giveaway rules apply. Must be at least 18 yrs of age to enter. 2 winners chosen at random by yours truly. One entry allowed per person. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary to enter. Yours truly will post the name of the winners by July 27th, midnight EST, on this blog post. Blah, blah, blah, and whatever else I forgot to include here.
* * * * * *
The names of everyone who entered (via post comments & email) were put into the list randomizer, and the winners are:
-Steph
-Loveless

ARCs have been sent to the winners. Thanks so much to everyone who entered!!

New Year's Progressive Dinner

Welcome to one of the Salad course options in the M/M Writers' Buffet!  

* * * *

Here are the rules - Dinner starts on 12/31/2014 at noon EST. You can "choose your own dinner adventure" from appetizers, soup, salad, main dish and dessert, but those of you who visit and comment at each and every blog will be entered into a drawing for one of three (3) $35.00 gift cards to the venue of your choice: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or All Romance Ebooks.

Plus, some individual authors (like me!) might include a private drawing for those people who stop by. So read, drink and be merry! Happy New Year from all of us, at the M/M Writers' Buffet!

For full blog links visit http://zamaxfield.com/new-years-eve-progressive-dinner/

* * * *

I’ll admit, my idea of cooking usually involves a microwave or the toaster oven (or both, when I employ my micro-bake method). But I do have a few things I’ve created to appease my picky taste buds, and I can operate a grill and a stove. One recipe is a BBQ Shrimp Caesar Salad. It’s super yummy, and can be made in the summer (using the grill for the shrimp) or in cruddy weather (sautéing the shrimp). 

Here’s what you need:

• Romaine lettuce

• Parmesan cheese

• Romano cheese

• Caesar salad dressing

• Shrimp. Raw, peeled and deveined. Use as many as you want.

• BBQ spice rub

• Crusty dinner rolls

Make the salad first. Combine the lettuce with the salad dressing in a bowl, mix it up, then shred some Parmesan and Romano cheese on it. After the salad is done, stick it in the refrigerator while you cook the shrimp. 

Then throw the dinner rolls into the toaster oven to heat them up. You’ll need one for every person. I usually go with French rolls, since they are nice and crusty but soft on the inside.

For the shrimp part, you’ll need a good BBQ spice rub. Rub the BBQ spice onto the shrimp. If you are grilling, then put the shrimp on skewers and grill until the shrimp are cooked. If sautéing, then put a bit of olive oil in a pan, heat up the pan on medium heat, and then sauté the shrimp until they are cooked. 

The final step is to take the salad out of the fridge, throw the BBQ shrimp on it and then tear up the French rolls to make croutons and throw them on the salad as well. The salad is especially yummy when eaten when the shrimp and rolls are still warm – it makes a wonderful warm/cold combo.  

There you have it – one of the few dishes I can actually cook with a level of success and that doesn’t come out of a box. It’s not something any of the characters in my books would have eaten – my guys live in England in the early 1800’s. They like meat and good old fashioned English food. I don’t eat meat and my taste buds aren't a fan of most traditional English dishes. But if Ben and Cavin from Thief lived in the 21st century, I could image Cavin making a salad like this one for Ben for a light luncheon or as one of the courses for a dinner party. 

And if you are interested in keeping up to date on my new book releases, you can find my newsletter sign-up form on my website. 

* * * *

To enter the New Year's Progressive Dinner giveaway for one of (3) $35 gift cards to a choice of venues mentioned  above, leave a comment on this post and the other posts in the dinner party. The winner will be chosen and announced on January 6, 2015.

Also, I'll be giving away (1) ebook from my backlist. To enter, leave a comment on this post with your email address. Winner will be chosen at random by yours truly.
-Must be at least 18 yrs of age to enter. One entry allowed per person. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary to enter. I'll post the name of the ebook winner on January 6th, 2015 on this blog post. I'll also send the winner an email requesting their book of choice. The winner has until January 14th, 2015 to respond to the email.
* * * * *
UPDATE: And the winner of the ebook giveaway is Kaisquared! Congrats!! I've already sent her an email requesting the ebook of her choice.
Thanks again to everyone who participated in the New Year's Progressive Dinner!
* * * * *

You are cordially invited to click on the author's name below to link directly to their blog!

Appetizers:
Lynn Lorenz
Morticia Knight
K.A. Mitchell
Clare London
Stormy Glenn

Soups:
Lou Harper
Alex Beecroft
Lou Sylvre
Posy Roberts
Elin Gregory


Salads:
Ava March
Poppy Dennison
Lee Rowan

Main Dishes:
Rhys Ford
ZA Maxfield
LE Franks
KC Burn
Anne Tenino
EM Lynley


Desserts:
Amy Lane
Christopher Koehler
Belinda McBride
Jamie Samms
EM Lynley

Giveaway - All In with the Duke - Print or ebook

I have some print books on my shelves that are in need of good homes. So I have decided to host a series of giveaways, one every couple of weeks or so for the rest of 2014. 

Let's start with All In with the Duke. Here are the giveaway details:

• 2 winners chosen at random
• Format: Print or ebook (epub format). Winner's choice. If you choose print and you win, I'll send you an email to request your snail mail address
• Giveaway open to U.S. and International entrants
• To enter: Leave a comment on this post (either here or with the post on Goodreads, as it will cross-post) with your email address or send me an email at ava @ avamarch (dot) com to enter. 
• Giveaway open until November 16th, 2014, midnight EST.

All In with the Duke (Gambling on Love #1)

Max Arrington, the Duke of Pelham, vows to never again let a handsome face blind him to a man's true intentions. But ten months of celibacy and lonely nights drive him to a decadent brothel, where a beautiful young man arouses his illicit passions as never before.

Tristan Walsh has grown tired of being used for men's pleasure. But his latest client is different: commanding yet generous, Max makes him feel cared for as well as wanted. Yet Tristan knows he'll never have the choice to leave the brothel and submit only to Max.

So when Max invites him to be his guest at his country estate, Tristan eagerly agrees to his terms—days to do as he pleases while Max tends to the dukedom, and nights spent together in wicked play. But when the "business arrangement" begins to deepen into something more, Tristan must face the fact that he has no true place in Max's life—or in Max's guarded heart…

81,000 words

---------------

Standard giveaway rules apply. Must be at least 18 yrs of age to enter. 2 winners chosen at random by yours truly. One entry allowed per person. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary to enter. Yours truly will post the name of the winners by November 17th, midnight EST, on this blog post. I'll also send the winners an email to let them know they've won. Winners have until November 24th to respond to the email with their format of choice. Blah, blah, blah, and whatever else I forgot to include here.
---------------

*****UPDATE****

I put the names of those who entered via the blog, GoodReads, and email into the randomizer, and the winners are:

-Janette

-Roger Grace

Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to everyone who entered!

Paperback, Pre-Order, and Blitz News

All In with the Duke is now available in trade paperback! Max and Tristan look so handsome in print :) If you're interested in snapping up your own copy, it's available at Amazon US. 

This print edition is part of a test by Carina Press to see how well books from their line will do in print. If the books selected for the test sell well, then Carina might offer more books in print in the future.

In other news, Viscount's Wager (Gambling on Love #3) is now available on Amazon US and Amazon UK for pre-order. No blurb or cover yet, but I can tell you the book features Anthony, Viscount Rawling, and Gabriel Tilden who showed up (or were mentioned) in All In with the Duke and Sharp Love. And I have a release date for the book - December 1st, 2014. 

Amazon US - pre order

Amazon UK - pre order

GoodReads

June is Pride Month, and Carina Press is celebrating by hosting a Pride Week Blitz featuring Sharp Love, The Lost Year (by Libby Drew), Stranger on the Shore (by Josh Lanyon) and Maybe This Time (by A.M. Arthur). I've included links below to a few of the blogs participating in the Blitz (there are a lot of participating blogs and well, that would be a lot of copy/pasting, so I just picked a few). There's a tour-wide giveaway, too (2x ebook copies of all 4 books in the Blitz and a cool rainbow bracelet). And if you are interested in checking out Carina's full section of fabulous M/M books, check out their new 'Discover Male/Male Fiction' page.

Book and Coffee Addict

Book Reviews and More by Kathy

Amethyst Daydreams

Carly's Book Reviews

Literary Nook

The Blogger Girls

Prism Book Alliance

That's it for me. Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

Sharp Love - ARC Giveaway

Sharp Love (Gambling on Love #2) releases on June 9th, less than two months from now. Edits are totally done, and the book's been finalized and sent off to the Production Dept. To celebrate, I'm holding a giveaway for a .pdf ARC (advanced reading copy) of the book. In fact, I'm feeling the book love, so I'll pick 2 winners. So if you're interested in reading the book and don't want to wait until June 9th, throw your name in the virtual hat. Mr. Randomizer might smile upon you. 

Leave a comment on this post with your email address or send me an email at ava @ avamarch (dot) com to enter. Giveaway open until April 30th, 2014, midnight EST.

Here's the blurb for the book:

London, 1822

William Drake has lived among thieves, bastards and beggars all his life, doing what's necessary to survive. As a young orphan, that included looking after his best friend, Jack Morgan. But as they grew older, Jack took the honest path, leaving Will behind to fend for himself the only ways he knows how.

When an unsavory errand for his employer brings Jack back to London's underbelly, he needs Will's help. It's there, among the alleys they ran through as children, that the love he's always felt for Will returns. As their nights together grow hotter, Will discovers something new about his old friend—Jack's need to serve extends into the bedchamber.

Will has never fully abandoned his dream of escaping London with Jack. But what could the Duke's driver want with a dishonest cheat like him, beyond a bit of rough sex? It takes the gamble of Will's life to find out if he can win Jack's heart…

Story length: 77,000 words
------

Standard giveaway rules apply. Must be at least 18 yrs of age to enter. 2 winners chosen at random by yours truly. One entry allowed per person. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary to enter. Yours truly will post the name of the winners by May 3rd, midnight EST, on this blog post. Blah, blah, blah, and whatever else I forgot to include here.

* * * * * *UPDATE******
It's May 1st and that means it's time to announce the winners. I entered the names of everyone who entered via the blog and email into the randomizer, and the winners are:
-Adam
-Carey
Congratulations!! I've already emailed the winners and sent them the book. Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway!

5 Yr Anniversary Giveaway - All In with the Duke ARC

Five years ago this month, my very first book was published. September 2008 = very happy month for me, with lots of twirling and happy-dancing. To celebrate, I'm holding a 5-Year Anniversary Giveaway. Up for grabs is a .pdf ARC (advanced reading copy) of All In with the Duke, the first book in the Gambling on Love series. The book doesn't release until November 11, so this is your chance to get your hands on this puppy before the leaves start turning on the trees. 

Leave a comment on this post with your email address or send me an email at ava @ avamarch (dot) com to enter. Giveaway open until September 24, 2013, midnight EST. 

Here's the blurb for the book:

London, 1822

Max Arrington, the Duke of Pelham, vows to never again let a handsome face blind him to a man's true intentions. But ten months of celibacy and lonely nights drive him to a decadent brothel, where a beautiful young man arouses his illicit passions as never before.

Tristan Walsh has grown tired of being used for men's pleasure. But his latest client is different: commanding yet generous, Max makes him feel cared for as well as wanted. Yet Tristan knows he'll never have the choice to leave the brothel and submit only to Max.

So when Max invites him to be his guest at his country estate, Tristan eagerly agrees to his terms—days to do as he pleases while Max tends to the dukedom, and nights spent together in wicked play. But when the "business arrangement" begins to deepen into something more, Tristan must face the fact that he has no true place in Max's life—or in Max's guarded heart…

81,000 words (i.e. it's a novel length book - my very first Ava novel *g*)

There's also an excerpt up on my website, if you want to check it out. It's from chapter 1, so no major spoilers. 

Standard giveaway rules apply. Must be at least 18 yrs of age to enter. Winner chosen at random by yours truly. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary to enter. Blah, blah, blah, and whatever else I forgot to include here.  

Oh, and in case you're wondering which book has the distinction of being my first published book - Bound by Deception. It's one of the reasons why Oliver and Vincent hold a special place in my heart. ...and now I'll refrain from making a comment about how Oliver and Vincent were my first...

--------UPDATE---------
First, I have to say thank-you to everyone for your congratulations on my anniversary. Totally gave me the warm, fuzzy, smile-ies. I count myself very fortunate to have readers who enjoy reading my books. Who like to read them and want to read more of them. As an author, that's the best. The ultimate. Thank you!

And now onto the update:

Since there were so many people who entered via comment or email, I decided to pick 2 winners. And the randomizer chose:
-Annelise
-Diannakay

Congrats!!!! I've already sent off the ARC to the winners. Thanks again to everyone who commented or emailed! 

Christmas in July - Giveaway

I'm currently in writing-mode, working on Sharp Love, book #2 in the Gambling on Love series. Since writing-mode isn't very exciting to anyone but the writer, I thought I'd hold a giveaway on the blog. Make things a bit exciting around here. And since it's July and I have a couple of holiday stories, it's a Christmas in July giveaway. 

Up for grabs is an ebook copy of either Men Under the Mistletoe or O Come All Ye Kinky, winner's choice. Just click on the titles to check out blurbs for each book. Oh, and I indicated the available formats under each book cover below. 

Leave a comment on this post with your email address & book choice or send me an email at ava @ avamarch (dot) com to enter. Giveaway open until July 17, 2013, midnight EST.  

Men Under the Mistletoe (epub or pdf)

includes My True Love Gave to Me, #0.5 in the Brook Street trilogy

 O Come All Ye Kinky (epub, mobi or pdf)

includes 'Twas the Night, my short naughty Christmas story

Standard giveaway rules apply. Must be at least 18 yrs of age to enter. Winner chosen at random by yours truly. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary to enter. Blah, blah, blah, and whatever else I forgot to include here.  

Hope everyone's having a fabulous summer!
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UPDATE:
Congrats to Diannakay!! The randomizer picked her as the winner of the Christmas in July giveaway. She picked O Come All Ye Kinky for her July Christmas gift.

Thanks to everyone for stopping by the blog and entering the giveaway (either via a comment or via email).

$0.99 Sale and a Giveaway

I hope everyone in the US had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I braved some stores to do some Black Friday shopping and got to spend some extra time with the family. 

First up, Chris at Stumbling Over Chaos is hosting a giveaway for the Oh Come All Ye Kinky holiday anthology. Kim Dare and I both threw in a book, so there will be two winners chosen. To throw your name in the virtual hat, stop on by Stumbling Over Chaos. Contest open until 7pm CST on November 30.

All of my Loose Id books are on sale for $0.99 at Amazon! Loose Id is having a Historical Hysteria sale in the Kindle Store. Sale starts Cyber Monday 11/26 and runs until Friday 11/30. In case you need links, here they are:

Bound by Deception

Bound to Him

Bound Forever

Convincing Arthur

Convincing Leopold

His Client

And I shall leave you with this - Kidlet made me a card for Thanksgiving. I got a kick out of it. 

Website Redesign

I launched my website back in 2008, the year I published my first book. I've done a few tweaks to the site since then (updated the header graphic, etc), but I thought it time for a major overhaul. So for the past few weeks, I've been messing around with layout options and working with my web designer to give the site a new look. And now the site's officially updated/redesigned. If you want to check out the new look, click HERE.

My intention with the redesign was to give the site a cleaner look and to make it easier to navigate and find information. If there's anything you're looking for that's not on the site, or if you have any feedback on the updated site, I'd love to hear from you. Just send me a note at ava @ avamarch (dot) com. 

In addition to the new look, the Books page layout was changed to better group the series books, the layout of each book's page was tweaked and I added links to the Story Behind the Story posts...which made me realize I haven't done that feature on my blog for awhile. So I'm going to get back to doing it for the more recent releases. 

In other news, The Bound Series is officially available on CreateSpace. It will take a few days before it's available on Amazon US and the various Amazon Europe sites. I'll post here, update my site, and send out an e-newsletter when it's available on the Amazon sites. 

There's still time to enter the giveaway on Stumbling Over Chaos for a print copy of The Bound Series. Contest open until 7pm CST on August 13th. 

That's all from me. Hope everyone had a great weekend! I spent a fair amount of time watching the Olympics (i.e. watching men in speedos). Yeah, I'm currently in love with summer sports. 

Contest, Giveaway & Capt'n Weiner

First up, All Romance eBooks is holding a Hottest Hero contest, and Benjamin from Brook Street: Thief is in the running. The contest starts with 32 heroes and spans 5 rounds, with  pairs of heroes going up against each other in each round. Plus, a random voter in each round will win a $25 gift cert from ARe. Round 1 is open from Aug 1 - 7, so if you're in the mood to cast a vote (you'll need to log into your account at ARe to vote), stop on by ARe to vote for the summer's hottest hero. 

In other contest news, Chris over at Stumbling Over Chaos is holding a giveaway for a copy of The Bound Series in paperback. To throw your name in the virtual hat, stop on by Stumbling Over Chaos. In other Bound Series news, the paperback book should be released by this weekend. Then it will take another few weeks before it makes its way to Barnes and Noble. Oh, and Oliver looks mighty find in print, if I do say so myself. Been petting him while I've been proofing the book. He's very sleek and shiny ;) 

Last week, I was out of town on the annual family vacation to the beach. Wonderful vacation, with lots of time spent in the shade since I go from pale to sunburned in the blink of an eye. Of course, I couldn't resist visiting this restaurant. I even bought t-shirts. Got hubby a 'You're gonna love my weiner' shirt, and I got a 'Hot, fresh & tasty' shirt. I just love the Capt'n Weiner dude - he's so cute!

It took a few days to watch the sun actually set over the lake (clouds kept rolling in right around 9pm, thwarting my attempts), but the clouds finally cooperated and I was able to get some good pics. 

Happy May, Giveaway, and Misc Updates

Happy May! April came and went without an early spring snowmageddon, and today's supposed to be sunny and 72, a perfect way to begin the month of May.

Want a chance to win a copy of Rogues before it releases on 5/7? Chris at Stumbling Over Chaos is hosting a giveaway for Rogues. You have until 7pm CDT on Friday 5/4 to throw your name in the virtual hat. 

In happy-shiny news, I celebrated my first trilogy with a full page ad in the May issue of the Romance Writers Report. Carina Press's marketing department designed the ad, and I'm completely smitten with it. I've got the magazine on my desk, and yes, I do gaze fondly at it from time to time. And of course, I must share the ad with all of you. 

Shawn Lane, my awesome crit partner, has a new free short story available for download on All Romance eBooks. Kevin's Stories, Vol. 3, features a hot interlude between Kevin and Michael from Car Wash. 

And last but not least, for those of you who were a bit concerned about Ryan last week, he's back to his usual self, hanging in the barbie townhouse. 

Gearing Up & Blog Updates

I'm gearing up, and starting to get geeked, for Fortune Hunter's release on Monday. 

Stop on by Stumbling Over Chaos to throw your name in the hat to win a copy of Brook Street: Fortune Hunter. Click HERE to enter. Contest open until 7pm CDT on 4/6, so only 2 days left. And the winner will get a copy of the book before release day :)

Fortune Hunter is also the featured excerpt on Carina Press's Facebook page for the next week and a half. You can download the first 20% of the book. Click HERE to check it out. Note - the link will prompt you to log into Facebook first, in order to download the excerpt. 

Um...what else is new? I've been messing with the blog settings a bit. There have been a few posts around the interwebz lately about blog settings & commenting that got me thinking about it. I disabled the stupid wordverification thing - my apologies to everyone who's had to endure it in the past in order to comment. I had no idea it was enabled, but now it's disabled. I do hate word-veri/captcha, especially since blogger 'updated' theirs and made it next to impossible to decode. I also took off the 'adult' warning thing - figured since I'm not flashing peen pics around the blog that I didn't really need it. Not that I have anything against peen pics...  Anyway, if anyone has any other helpful suggestions for blog setting, feel free to offer them up. I'm always on the lookout for new things to tweak, 'cause, you know, I like to tweak things. 

So that's about all for me for now. Hope everyone's been having a great week!

Double Cover Lovin' & Series Info

I've got covers! Well, I received the finals last week, but with all the fun of release week last week, I waited until today to show them off on the blog.

Brook Street: Fortune Hunter (book #2) - A man determined to obtain a fortune by marrying an heiress instead falls in love with an obscenely wealthy young gentleman.

Brook Street: Rogues (book #3) - Two of London's most notorious rakes are about to find out if their friendship can withstand the test of turning into something so much more.

For anyone wondering how the books relate to each other, in Fortune Hunter, the 'hunter' in question is Julian Parker, cousin of Benjamin Parker from Thief. The wealthy gentleman is Oscar Woodhaven, who made an appearance in Thief. Rogues features Linus Radcliffe and Robert Anderson, who made appearances in Thief and will also be in Fortune Hunter. Most of the guys were referenced in some manner in My True Love Gave to Me, which I think of as a #0.5 to the series. Alexander Norton and Thomas Bennett from that book pop up in the other books in the series. Most of the guys move in the same circle of close friends, in addition to a few of them living along Brook Street. And yes, Benjamin and Cavin from Thief pop up in Fortune Hunter and Rogues, as well. So there you have it - how the series books are related. They aren't direct sequels, so they can be read as stand-alone books, though I think they're more fun if read in order.

There's also a giveaway going on for Thief over at Fiction Vixen. Contest open until the end of the day, 3/30 (Friday), and there's also an exclusive excerpt of the book for your reading enjoyment. Click HERE to check out the excerpt and to throw your name into the giveaway hat.

Thanks to everyone who supported the Carina Press M/M Week blog tour last week (either by hosting a stop or a giveaway or checking out the posts). It made for a fabulous release week!

Thief Release Day and Tour Info

It's Monday, 3/19, and that means release day for Thief, the first book in the Brook Street trilogy! I contracted the trilogy back in May 2011, 10 mths ago, and it's rather surreal that release day for Thief is finally here.

I'll be all around the interwebz this week, doing my author-best to spread the word about book release day. Curious as to where I'll be? Here's the week's schedule:

Monday 3/19 - The Macaronis, as part of the Carina Press M/M Week Blog Tour. I'll be having some fun with Regency cant (slang). Stop on by to enter to win all 6 books.

Also, on Monday 3/19, Reviews by Jessewave is hosting a giveaway for the six books in M/M week. It's a one-day contest, so hop on over today to enter for a chance to win.

Wednesday 3/21 - The Manic Readers blog talking about series books.

Thursday 3/22 - The Carina blog, talking about The Pick-Up.

Saturday 3/24 - Fiction Vixen, book spotlight and giveaway for Thief, which also includes an exclusive excerpt from the book.

In celebration of the first ever Carina Press M/M Week, the authors are going on a blog tour. As part of the tour, each author is giving away an ebook bundle of all 6 book releases. Yes – all six! Check out the stops along the tour.

3/19 - Dev Bentham at Fiction Vixen
3/19 - Ava March at The Macaronis
3/20 - Larry Benjamin at Joyfully Jay
3/21 - Kim Knox at Rarely Dusty Books
3/22 - Erastes at The Macaronis
3/23 - KC Burn at Babbling About Books, and More

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And I'll leave you today with the blurb for Brook Street: Thief:

It was only supposed to be one night. One night to determine once and for all if he truly preferred men. But the last thing Lord Benjamin Parker expected to find in a questionable gambling hell is a gorgeous young man who steals his heart.

It was only supposed to be a job. Cavin Fox has done it many times – select a prime mark, distract him with lust, and leave his pockets empty. Yet when Cavin slips away under the cover of darkness, the only part of Benjamin he leaves untouched is his pockets.

With a taste of his most wicked fantasies fulfilled, Benjamin wants more than one night with Cavin. But convincing the elusive young man to give them a chance proves difficult. Living with a band of thieves in the worst area of London, Cavin knows there’s no place for him in a gentleman’s life. As circumstances pull him to Benjamin’s Mayfair town house, Cavin keeps pulling away from the best man he’s ever known. Yet Benjamin isn’t about to let Cavin—and love— continue to slip away from him.

Thief is available at Carina Press, Amazon, BN Nook, iTunes, and all the other usual secondary seller sites.

Upcoming Happenings and Stuff

First off, warm weather...I love you. I love even a hint of you. Going to be in the 60's all week, and mostly sunny. OK, your midwest weather update is now done.

Fortune Hunter and Rogues, books #2 and #3 in the Brook Street trilogy, will be available from Audible sometime around each book's release date. So that means the entire trilogy will be available as audio books. Pretty cool.

If you're in the mood to throw your name in the virtual hat, Chris over at Stumbling Over Chaos is holding a giveaway for all 6 books in Carina Press' upcoming M/M Week. Yes, all six! Giveaway includes A Brush with Darkness, Bitter Harvest, First Time Forever, Moving in Rhythm, What Binds Us, and Brook Street: Thief. Click HERE to enter. Contest ends 3/16.

Starting March 19th, Carina Press will have an entire week of M/M releases. To celebrate, the authors (including yours truly) are going on a tour. At each stop, we'll be giving away books...all six releases, to be specific. For a tour schedule, you can check out this info blog - http://carinammweektour.blogspot.com/ - or you can just check out the actual schedule:

3/19 - Dev Bentham at Fiction Vixen
3/19 - Ava March at The Macaronis
3/20 - Larry Benjamin at Joyfully Jay
3/21 - Kim Knox at Rarely Dusty Books
3/22 - Erastes at The Macaronis
3/23 - KC Burn at Babbling About Books, and More

Today I received some love from my mailman. He delivered my new Pride and Prejudice Trivia Game! *big squee* I ordered it Friday and it showed up today - I was very impressed, especially since I elected for standard shipping (which usually equals really slow shipping).

As for how I found out about the game, Mandi over at Smexy Books had a coupon code for Gone Reading - 25% off. A sale? Oh, I checked it out. And found my new fav game. I played it with hubby today but his P&P knowledge is very limited. He answered 'Mr. Darcy' to every question. Little wonder I ended up schooling him with my vast P&P knowledge. I rock!

New Release Day & Happenings

My True Love Gave to Me, along with the Men Under the Mistletoe anthology, are now officially available at Carina Press and Amazon, B&N Nook, Books on Board, All Romance eBooks, etc...the usual secondary seller places.

This week, the authors of the anthology are doing a mini-blog tour. Stop on by our blogs to read the posts and enter to win occasional prizes, which include rare print editions of Men Under the Mistletoe. Here's the schedule:

12/5 - Josh Lanyon on Christmas Kisses

12/6 - Ava March on Home for the Holidays

12/7 - KA Mitchell on Scene and Setting

12/7 - Carina Press on Next Christmas and cookie recipes

12/8 - Harper Fox on the Dark Side of Christmas

12/8 - Josh Lanyon will wrap up the tour

In other promo-related news, the authors of Carina Press's holiday anthologies are being featured over at Books on Board.

We also have winners for the Men Under the Mistletoe Scavenger Hunt - Tammy, Jaymi, and Tricia. Congrats! KA Mitchell will be contacting the winners through email. Thanks to everyone for participating and we hope you enjoy the anthology.

There's also still time to enter the giveaway for an ebook copy of My True Love Gave to Me over at Stumbling over Chaos, open until 7pm CST December 8th.

Hum...I have this feeling like I'm missing something, but I can't remember what. Anyway, in non-promo news, I'm making good progress on Rogues, the 3rd book in the Brook Street trilogy. I also put a blurb up on my website for Thief, the 1st book in the trilogy.

Edit - the light bulb went on. I wanted to let you all know about another fun contest. Smexy Books and Fiction Vixen are hosting a Ho, Ho, Ho, Guess Who Game, with a new Kindle Fire as a grand prize. There will also be daily ebook prizes...which could, possibly, include some m/m romance. *g* Check out their websites for full details.

Giveaway Winner & Progress Update

I let the randomizer do its thing and pick a winner for the giveaway. And the name that came out on top was:

1. Jason
2. Chris
3. Lisa
4. Nikyta
5. Dinnakay
6. Brandi
7. Judi
8. Lily

Congrats to Jason, who has won a copy of the Japenese version of Bound to Him/Bound by Deception! Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway. :)

In writing progress news, I got a lot done on Thief over the weekend. I only have two half-chapters left to go (yes, I skip around sometimes when I write). I hope to finish the book before the weekend, so I can be lazy over the weekend, recharge the muse's batteries, then start Fortune Hunter next week.

Giveaway - Oliver & Vincent from Japan

I'm holding a giveaway on the blog for a print copy of the Japenese language version of Bound by Deception/Bound to Him. Yes, it's in Japenese, and I doubt many, if any, of you can read the book. But it's cool - the back is the front for a Japenese book, and the paragraphs are in columns and are read left to right. Plus, the cover illustration is all kinds of awesome. I'm guessing that since the publisher is Prism Romance, that's why the cover has the prism-ie effect on the paper. Pretty fabulous. The guys sparkle ;)

I ordered the book from Amazon Japan, and ended up ordering a few since the shipping costs were ridiculous. So I decided to share the love and do a giveaway for a copy. It's likely the only time the boys will be in print, and I thought some readers might be interested in having a copy of Ollie and Vincent in print, even if they can't read the book.

Leave a comment on this post to enter, and please include your email address so I can contact the winner. Or you can email me at ava @ avamarch (dot) com to enter. Giveaway is open until Monday 8/15/11 at midnight, EST.

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering why I needed to order copies of my own book...authors don't always get author copies from foreign pubs. Between my Ava and Evageline pen names, I've sold foreign rights to 5 countries. France is the only one who has sent author copies. Spain, Russia, Italy and Japan...apparently not so much. Since I'm impatient and didn't want to wait to see if the boys would eventually showed up on my doorstep, I ordered the books myself.

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.