More books at bargain prices

Suddenly this seems to be coming as frequently as number ten buses!
A QUESTION OF IMPROPRIETY, HIS UNSUITABLE VISCOUNTESS, IMPOVERISHED MISS CONVENIENT WIFE and TAKEN BY THE VIKING are all on super discount on Amazon.co.uk kindle.
This is the first time I have seen TAKEN BY THE VIKING on special discount.
I have no idea how long the super discount will last but thought to highlight it.

Dans Les Bras Du Comte Giveaway

To celebrate A Question of Impropriety being released in French next month, I am giving away one signed copy of  the American version. Simply email me at contest@michellestyles.co.uk  with the answer to the following question: In which year does A Question of Impropriety take place? Hint read the excerpt. Please put QI Giveaway in the subject line. The winner will be drawn on 31 August.

I love the French cover btw.

Northumberland, 1813.Après le scandale provoqué par son fiancé, dont elle ignorait le passé dissolu, Diana Clare part oublier Londres sur les terres de sa famille, en Northumbrie. Dans cette campagne anglaise, aucun vil séducteur ne viendra bouleverser une deuxième fois son existence. Du moins, l'espère-t-elle de toutes ses forces. Cependant, quelques semaines à peine après son arrivée, elle est secourue par le comte de Coltonby alors que sa voiture s'est embourbée dans un champ. Lord Coltonby, le plus célèbre débauché de Londres qui était présent le soir où le scandale a éclaté... Troublée par les souvenirs que cette rencontre ravive en elle, effrayée à l'idée que le comte ne révèle son sulfureux secret, Diana décourage l'entreprenant libertin. Mais lord Coltonby n'est pas le genre d'homme à se laisser éconduire ... 

The French version can be purchased at Harlequin Francais or www.amazon.fr 

The English language version  of A Question of Impropriety can be purchased as an ebook whereever ebooks are sold.

Good Reads Giveaway of A Question of Impropriety

Goodreads is giving away 5 signed copies of A Question of Impropriety (ends 18 Nov)

Goodreads Book Giveaway

A Question of Impropriety

by Michelle Styles

Giveaway ends November 18, 2010.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Made my deadline

I have sent the full of my Sinai one off to my very lovely editor for her thoughts. I expect revisions as I firmly believe that every manuscript can be made better with an editor's eye.  I do really believe in this story and think that once it is done, it is going to be absolutely fab.

One thing that was different about this book is that I finished it several thousand words short. By the time I had done the edits, I had add an extra 10k to the story. If I had made that word count in the first place, I would have been cutting furiously. So it is a lesson for me. I actually found this to be true of the Online Serial as well. I finished under the word count and trusted myself to layer in the emotion etc that was in my head and not on the page.

I will get my newsletter out in the next day or so and have decided it will be a pitch type contest (ie the middle paragraph of the query letter). I promise to comment on all entries... More in the newsletter...

Both A Question of Impropriety ( on eharlequin) and  The Viking's Captive Princess (on Mills & Boon) are on sale today. You can browse The Viking's Captive Princess here  and read the first chapter of A Question of Impropriety here.

Success at last!

As you can see, I have FINALLY been able to upload my cover on to blogger!!!
I do love the cover and its colours. I also like the romantic feel of the cover.

With my current wip, I can see the end and will get there, either today or tomorrow. Then it will be going back and layering. I have a number of words to play with and there are places where I can layer. One of my big problems is that I have things in my head but not on paper. This can include sensual tension, emotion and sometimes whole scenes that should really be there. In theory, I know my faults and therefore should be looking for them.  But I am feeling more confident which is good. And I started crying when I was typing yesterday which is a good sign.

Doughnuts and not holes.

My AAs for To Marry A Matchmaker have to be done this weekend and I keep finding reasons why I love this book. Fingers crossed other people love it when it comes out in July.

There is some exciting news with regards to The Lady Soldier which I co-wrote with Kate Allan all those years ago. It will be going into e-book and I gather mass market paperback with the fledgling publisher Embrace Books. When I know more, I will let people know...but contracts have been signed.

The US cover for A Question of Impropriety

The December releases for Harlequin Historical went up on the ebook section of eharlequin today and I discovered the cover for A Question of Impropriety.  I like the cover very much. It captures the mood of the book which is all I ask. I knew it would be different from the UK cover as the UK cover was recently reused for a Mary Nichols release so I have been waiting with bated breath.
Annoyingly blogger is not letting me add images and I don't time to play with the stupid thing. You can see the cover on my website -- http://www.michellestyles.co.uk/ There is also a first chapter excerpt.

Blogging Away at Rom Con Inc

I am blogging at Rom Con Inc  today and giving away an advanced copy of my duo -- A Question of Impropriety and Impoverish Miss Convenient Wife to someone who posts comment.

It never rains but it pours as my AAs for To Marry A Matchmaker have arrived. I do love the first sentence -- Perfect planning produces perfection and am really looking forward to rediscovering these characters.
I also have 140 pages or thereabouts to go on my current manuscript which is due 1 November.

Back from the Sinai and other things

I have arrived home -- sunburnt, with a streaming cold but throughly relaxed. Egypt, in particular the Sinai Penisula was a wonderful experience from snorkelling with sea turtles and Moray eels to riding a camel into the desert sunset to dine with Bedouin and visiting St Catherine's. More on this later when I have downloaded my photos and sorted my thoughts. We all survived...no one was sold for camel and no one had difficulties in the water. The Egyptian men (they are almost exclusively men) who work in the tourist industry that I encountered were for the vast majority kind and helpful. I can thoroughly recommend Classic Collection as their service was excellent ( second to none actually, particularly at the airport arrivals) and the Hilton Sharm Waterfalls.

Yesterday, Compromising Miss Milton became available on the M&B site. You can read the first chapter. I like the cover...which is still not up on Amazon.

I also like the Australian cover for my new 3 in one. It is interesting that the Vikings are emphasised!

Finally I want to send congratulations to all the Rita finalists, in particular my dear friends and fellow Harlequin Historical authors -- Michelle Willingham for her fantastic book Taming Her Irish Warrior , Elizabeth Rolls, Deb Marlowe and Amanda McCabe. I think it is the best showing that HH has ever had. I saw that Carla Capshaw is up for the best debut with The Gladiator which I did enjoy very much. I am so pleased that I shall be going to Nashville as it will be wonderful to see these writers get to shine.

The VIking's Captive Princess in Spain -- Una princesa indomable

La batalla que se libraba era para conseguir su corazón El peligroso guerrero Ivar Gunnarson era un hombre de acción, más que de palabras. Sin apenas tiempo para pensar en amores ideales, se apropiaba siempre de cuanto quería, y la princesa Thyre no iba a convertirse en una excepción a su regla. Misteriosa y seductora, Thyre despertó el deseo de Ivar desde el instante en el que puso sus ojos en ella. En medio de un sangriento conflicto entre facciones vikingas, ella se convirtió en cautiva del curtido guerrero, pero su espíritu era indomable…

Read more here

The Viking's Captive Princess is out this month in Spain. I am thrilled.

I have discovered that A Question of Impropriety/Compromising Miss Milton/The Viking's Captive Princess will be the 3 in 1 offering in Australia in May. I wonder which cover they will use!

In writing news, I finally turned in my ms TPE and have started the Roman Undone. Can I write short? We shall see.

Amazon adding more books to its summer sale

Amazon.co.uk has added more books to its summer sale. A Question of Impropriety is now 46% off at £1.98. I am not certain how long the sale lasts. The original sale was supposed to last only until 2 August, but this may be a new one. Anyway, it is a great way to pick up books as they do have a wide range of romances on special.

Cataromance Review of A Question of Impropriety

As regular readers of this blog will know, I wait for Julie Bunello's reviews. I know that Julie loves romance, in particular series romance, and is a highly experienced reviewer. Her reviews are always a joy to read. It is part of my ritual when I get my author's copies to send one off to Julie and wait for her verdict. She never fails to disappoint.
The part of the review that I loved was:

A Question of Impropriety is another terrific novel from a writer who never fails to deliver dramatic, evocative, enthralling and poignant historical romances. Michelle Styles can make an era of history come vividly to life and in A Question of Impropriety she once again sweeps her readers off to the Regency and makes them fall in love with her gorgeous hero and lovely heroine!
Spellbinding, passionate and captivating from start to finish, once I started A Question of Impropriety, I couldn’t put the book down and I ended up devouring this delightful concoction of intrigue, adventure and romance in a single sitting! 4.5 stars.

It is wonderful to think of any reader devouring one of my books in a single sitting, let alone Julie. So this was a real boost to my day. You can read the whole review here.

Yesterday, I had a lovely time at the RNA Northumberland Christmas lunch. One of the chapter members kindly told me that she had been shopping in WH Smiths when she noticed the woman in front of her buying my latest. She lent over and told the woman that she knew me. The woman glowed and said that she loved my books and had read every single one! It is moments like that makes writing worthwhile...Writing is a lonely profession and so often the author does not hear about the pleasure her books give.

Impoverished Miss, Convenient Wife blurb

My editors have just sent through the blurb for the sequel to A Question of Impropriety -- Impoverished Miss, Convenient Wife.

His unexpected bride…
Wealthy landowner Simon Clare shuns Northumbrian society. With his son gravely ill, the last thing Simon needs is an interfering woman assuming command of his household and nursing young Robert – no matter how sensuous her figure, or how tempting her luscious lips.

Phoebe Benedict knows what it is to struggle, and finds herself drawn to the badly scarred recluse. Despite his tough exterior, she knows that Simon is a father who yearns for his son to recover – and a man who misses the tender embrace of a woman…

Personally I think the blurb captures the essence of the story and hopefully people will enjoy it when it comes out.

My current wip continues -- let's hear it for repetition and difficult to follow backstory. I need to layer in more emotion, but I think the bones are there.

Browse A Question of Impropriety

I was looking on the M&B website and saw that they have put the November books on. What is so great is that if you do click on Browse this book, you are taken to the first few pages of the book. When I had tried this earlier with An Impulsive Debutante, all I got was a blank screen.

You can read the first chapter as well as seeing the dedication, the author's note, bio and teaser, plus the back cover. In other words, everything that I look at when I make a decision if I want to buy the book. Totally cool. Or maybe I am just easily pleased.

Come November, it will also be available as an e book.

cover for A Question of Impropriety

My author's copies for A Question of Impropriety arrived today. I adore this cover. It has grace and movement. Plus the female model looks a bit like my former editor.

The blurb reads: Diana Clare has had enough of London – the balls, the rakes you can never trust… Now, having returned home in disgrace, she is trying to forget what drove her from the ton.
But rake and gambler Brett Farnham, Earl of Coltonby, seems intent on making Diana remember exactly what it was like to be whirled around the ballroom and seduced by the glint in your partner’s eye...
But Brett has ‘mistress’ rather than ‘marriage’ in mind, and Diana is not sure her reputation can stand up to another scandal…

And you can read the excerpt here.

Contests and Indoor rowing update

First of all, my thoughts are with all those threatened by Gustav and my prayer is that if it does hit New Orleans the levees hold.

There are a couple of contests on for An Impulsive Debutante -- at Liz Fielding's blog and also at Unusual Historicals. Leave a comment and you will be in the running for a copy.
My newsletter should be going out later today. And its big contest will be for a hardback of A Question of Impropriety. The paperback will be on sale in November. Set in 1813, it is a proper Regency but as it is set in the North East and has to do a little bit with the development of the locomotive, it is also different. You can read an excerpt here.
The newsletter will also have my recipe for plum chutney. The Victoria plum tree is once again overloaded. The tree is the best in the neighborhood for producing Victoria plums and we regularly get over a 100 lbs worth. Yesterday's culinary discovery was that plums make a good substitute for apricots in Moroccan dishes. It is the sweet tartness.

After the second week of indoor rowing, my weight continues to go down and my energy levels increase. Mentally I feel sharper and more focused. A recent study in the US showed that people are more mentally alert after 30 minutes of exercise. Another study (this time from the University of Pittsburgh)showed at overweight women needed to do 275 minutes exercise per week to achieve sustained weight loss. This is about twice the current recommendation. I have been reading my dh's Runner's World.
For a number of reasons, I have now ordered the deluxe seat. The current seat gets uncomfortable when you are rowing for longer than 15 minutes. I have resorted to sitting on a small pillow...
I have also discovered that intervals are killers but are useful. As my times are going down and my ability to row for lower periods is going up, I feel that I am achieving something. But the thing is that it must be kept up. It takes 6 weeks for something to become a habit.
My weight and poor fitness did not come on overnight and it will not disappear overnight, but through steady work Patience and perseverance.

My current wip is almost finished. I can just about taste the end. I think when all is said and done, it will be a good story.

A Question of Impropriety cover

The postman brought a rather large box of books this morning. The paperback copies of An Impulsive Debutante, and the hardbacks of A Question of Impropriety.

An Impulsive Debutante looks much nicer in the flesh than on its counterpart on Amazon etc.

It was my first peep at QI's cover and I love the feel of it. It does illustrate a scene in the book but more than that it has a fantastic romantic feel about it.

Now I simply have to get the books off to various review sites etc.

But the excitement of seeing a new book in print never dims. And this time, I had double the excitement.

New Blurbs

My editor's very lovely new assistant has just sent me the blurbs for An Impulsive Debutante and A Question of Impropriety.
Blurb writing is an art form and I am very pleased with both blurbs.

An Impulsive Debutante
Carlotta Charlton can’t wait for her first season – until her impulsive behaviour lands her right in the lap of notorious rake Tristan, Lord Thorngrafton!

Tristan is cynically convinced that she’s a fortune-hunter. But he can’t keep away from her. Several heated kisses lead to scandal and, one outraged mama later, they’re on their way to Gretna Green.

Catching his breath on the carriage ride to the border, Tristan decides it’s time that Lottie learns her lesson. If she wants to play with fire, he’ll notch up his seduction and set her ablaze!

An Impulsive Debutante comes out in September 08 and is Lottie Charlton's story. Some of you may remember Lottie from A Christmas Wedding Wager.


A Question of Impropriety
Diana Clare has had enough of London – the balls, the rakes you can never trust… Now, having returned home in disgrace, she is trying to forget what drove her from the ton.

But rake and gambler Brett Farnham, Earl of Coltonby, seems intent on making Diana remember exactly what it was like to be whirled around the ballroom and seduced by the glint in your partner’s eye...

But Brett has ‘mistress’ rather than ‘marriage’ in mind, and Diana is not sure her reputation can stand up to another scandal…

A Question of Impropriety comes out in November 08 in the UK and is the first part of a Regency duo. The second part is sitting (hopefully patiently) on my editor's desk awaiting her thoughts.

Some News

I found yesterday that my ninth book --A Question of Impropriety has been accepted. It is my first proper Regency.
Okay so it is set in the North East of England and has more to do with steam engines than the Ton. But it is still a Regency and I get to keep my title.
I was so surprised and pleased about keeping my title.

It is the story of Diana Clare who fled back to Northumberland after her fiance was killed in an infamous duel and Brett Farnham, the Earl of Coltonby, who is a notorious prince of rakes and who has won the neighbouring estate in a horse race.

It will be out in November 08 in the UK, US date tbd.