Happy Halloween!

Just a quick note to wish you all a very Happy Halloween!!

Jane and I hope you're having a great day filled with fun and lots of tasty treats ;).

And here's hoping that November will be a wonderful month for each of you.

Now...back to those Milky Ways, Reese's of all varieties, Snickers bars, Almond Joys...and my character Donovan's favorites -- Kit Kats!

The Inheritance...and a Giveaway!

My lovely friend -- Olivia Mayfield -- now has out one of the coolest serials I've ever heard of...THE INHERITANCE! It's a six-part series, and the first two parts have already been released. The third one will be coming in just a few days (on October 29th) and the rest will become available to all during November. Just take a look at the fascinating premise:

Debut author Olivia Mayfield presents a thrilling and sexy new serial about seductive money, deadly secrets, and fatal attractions…

The Inheritance, 
Part I
The Will

Maggie Willings knew that returning home for her estranged grandfather’s funeral would not be easy, but she never expected the reading of his will to be the most difficult part. The four people named in the will—Maggie, her brother Robert, her ex-boyfriend Andrew, and her grandfather’s far-too-young girlfriend Bethany—are given a challenge: find out the truth about what happened to Maggie’s younger sister Cassandra, who vanished over eight years ago, and win the entirety of the estate.

Maggie is thrown by the strange request, reluctant to drag up painful memories of her sister’s disappearance, and bothered by her lingering attraction to Andrew, who wants to team up to solve the mystery. But there are ten million dollars on the line and Maggie has no idea where to start—or who she’ll be able to trust.

Buy now at Penguin (Berkley) / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Books-a-Million / Sony / iTunes!

Squeee!! SO EXCITING! 

Because Olivia is AWESOME, she's giving away 2 ebook copies (the winners can each choose either a Kindle or a Nook version) of Part One in the series: The Will. All you have to do to be entered is to leave a comment on this post between now and the evening of Wednesday, October 30th and answer this question: What is one of your favorite mystery stories?

As many of you already know, I was a big Nancy Drew fan growing up and was inspired a bit by that when I wrote The Road to You, but one of my adult faves has been Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale -- very compelling! I'd love to hear yours ;).

Good luck on the drawing, everyone!!

No Matter the Hour...I'm a "Sleepy Head"

One of my favorite shots of Mison as Ichabod Crane...
*swoon!*

Okay...I'll admit it, I'm captivated by Tom Mison! I love, love, love his portrayal of Ichabod Crane on the new TV show "Sleepy Hollow," but the thing I'm most mesmerized by is that I'd watched him in another role -- over 3 hours worth, when he played Mr. Bingley in "Lost in Austen" -- and I didn't recognize him as Crane until after I'd read his actor bio.

THAT is amazing acting! And stellar costume design. And terrific hair & makeup. But so much of the credit for the transformation has to remain with Mison himself. And, if truth be told, with the writers who've given him some pretty great dialogue worthy of that sexy British accent :). 

Mison as the affable Mr. Bingley.

I wrote about this on Facebook, but one of my favorite lines of dialogue from ANY television show this season so far was in the pilot episode of "Sleepy Hollow" when Abbie Mills, the police lieutenant, says to Crane, "I told you to stay in the car."

And, because he's been dealing with a police force that thinks he's crazy (not surprising, given his claims that he just awakened 250 years into the future because his wife saved him from certain death by putting a witch's curse on him that tied his life to that of the Headless Horseman...yeah, just go with it...), Crane replies, "As you know, I'm insane and, therefore, impervious to simple commands."

So. Brilliantly. Written. And. Delivered!

Anyway, I could keep gushing, but I'll stop here. Anyone else watch the "Sleepy Hollow" on Monday nights? (If so, then you're considered one of the "Sleepy Heads," too, LOL.) Anyone else see Mison in "Lost in Austen" from a few years back? Any other fall programs you're hooked on -- new or otherwise? I'd love to hear about them!

Her Accidental Boyfriend by Robin Bielman is Out Today!

It's always so exciting to share the release of a friend's new book, and that's absolutely true in Robin Bielman's case! Congrats, Robin, on the release of HER ACCIDENTAL BOYFRIEND!

About the book:

Faking it with this flirt never felt so real...

Kagan Owens has a secret. One she thought she'd escaped by leaving New York, but when her past follows her to her temporary new life, Kagan lets a teeny lie slip. And now the town's biggest playboy and flirt, Shane Sullivan, has become her pretend boyfriend--just until she's ready to return to NYC. But the handsome, fun-loving Shane makes it tough to determine where their friendly agreement begins and ends...

Shane has no intention of settling down--in fact, his job depends on it, and nothing's more important than his work. Still, he can't help but agree to Kagan's scheme, if only to find out more about the mysterious beauty. But when every touch from her sets his heart and body on fire, he realizes playing an accidental boyfriend may be more than he bargained for--and more than he can give.

About the author:

Robin Bielman lives in Southern California with her high school sweetheart husband, two sons, and crazy-cute mini Labradoodle, Harry (named after Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books). When not attached to her laptop, she can almost always be found with her nose in a book. She also likes to run, hike, and dip her toes in the ocean. Filled with wanderlust, she longs to visit many different places and fulfill her curiosity. She wouldn’t mind indulging her sweet tooth in every location either. She’s a lover of Post-it notes, cable television shows and café mochas. Writing is a dream come true, and she still pinches herself to be sure it’s real.

Her other novels include Kissing the Maid of Honor, Worth the Risk, Risky Surrender and Yours At Midnight. She loves to connect with readers. Learn more and sign up for her newsletter on her website at http://robinbielman.com. She can also be found online here:

Facebook: http://facebook.com/RobinBielmanWriter

Twitter: http://twitter.com/RobinBielman

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/robinbielman   

Find Robin’s latest release, Her Accidental Boyfriend, online at:

Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

And there's a VERY COOL giveaway, too!

In Her Accidental Boyfriend Kagan designs jewelry similar to this beautiful pink pearl double wrap bracelet that is up for grabs.

Check it out here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**And I also wanted to give a shout out to our friend Edie Ramer on the release of her newest novel this month, CHRISTMAS AT ANGEL LAKE!!

About the Book: 

A kitten saved her…

Broke, pregnant and deserted by her boyfriend, Maddie Barrymore swerves to avoid a kitten while driving in a Wisconsin blizzard—and her life takes another turn. Like Puss in Boots, she stays in an empty house. She has the baby, the kitten, gets a job and a degree…yet every day she’s ready to flee if the real owner shows up.

Five years later, he does…

Dumped by the woman he loves, film producer Logan MacLeesh’s heart is as dark as one of his movies. He plans to hole up in his grandmother’s old mansion and throw himself into his work…until he discovers the sexy squatter and her four-year-old son. Before he can call the sheriff, Maddie’s tale of how she ended up there entertains him. They make a deal that as long as she tells him a story every night, she and her son can stay. Even the cat, though Logan’s always been a dog person.

A dog in need of saving…

Far away in another state, a homeless dog lifts his head, sniffs…and smells him. The human who’s meant for him. As he heads through the snow toward the scent, his journey seems impossible, even though it’s Christmas, a time when miracles happen.

Get your copy at:

• Amazon
• All Romance Ebooks
• Barnes&Noble
• Kobo
• Smashwords

CONGRATS, ladies!!! I'm so thrilled for you both!! :)

Release Day for THE ROAD TO YOU!!!

It's here!! Finally, finally...The Road to You is making its way into the world! It's available right now on Kindle, Nook and Smashwords in the digital realm (coming soon to Apple/iTunes, Kobo, Sony and more), and it can also be purchased in paperback from Amazon, Half.com and AbeBooks (soon to be at B&N, IndieBound and others as well). Check out the novel's Goodreads page for story details and early reviews.

**Throwing confetti in the air in celebration!**

In fun other news, as many of you know, my husband, son and I traveled to Minneapolis, MN for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) last week, and we had a blast. The ladies of Jane Austen Books -- who sold copies of my two Austen-inspired titles, According to Jane and Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match -- were as gracious and helpful as always. And my husband and I loved browsing through the books they had available in the Emporium, as well as the other crafts and Regency delights for sale. (Yes, I did buy something called "Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Trivia Game"...who wants to play??)

Me (in my "I randomly quote Jane Austen" t-shirt) & my husband Jeff

I had the pleasure of seeing lots of the Austen Authors in person, too. We had a special dinner one night, which was a loud and fun-filled occasion!

From L to R: Karen Doornebos, Jack Caldwell, Susan Mason-Milks, Maria Grace,
C Allyn Pierson, Sharon Lathan, me, Syrie James, Shannon Winslow & Abigail Reynolds

This musically designed building was across the street from our hotel. I never could figure out why, exactly, these notes were on one side (or what the song was), but I thought it looked really cool regardless...

Another interesting thing that I got to do while at the AGM was to go on a tour of the Elmer L. Andersen Library, which has a really impressive collection of Sherlock Holmes books and memorabilia!!

And a fascinating presentation that all of the JASNA members got to hear was about the YouTube sensation "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" -- thanks to a panel discussion with one of its creators, Bernie Su, along with a producer of the series (Jenni Powell) and a writer for it (Kate Noble/Rorick) as well. It was a hoot to listen to them, and now I'm hooked on the show...

I've got a bunch of dancing and dining pictures up on my Facebook page, if anyone wants to see more, but the AGM was definitely an exciting way to end September. And, now...October has begun!! Wishing you all a wonderful month ahead :).

Goodreads Giveaway!

I've had better Fridays... I'm congested, feverish, a little headachy and basically still in my pajamas, even though it's late afternoon. So, yes, I'm definitely moping around and feeling sorry for myself for managing to catch a cold (for no discernible reason!) on this last weekend of summer/first weekend of autumn. But I'm sure it will pass quickly -- well, I hope it will, lol -- and that I'll be germ-free again before the big JASNA conference starts next Thursday. I'm looking forward to the AGM and to seeing my Austen friends once more!

Until then, I do have one bit of fun news to share: There's a Goodreads Giveaway in progress right now for 5 signed trade paperback copies of The Road to You!! If you're a member of the GR site, I hope you'll enter!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Road to You

by Marilyn Brant

Giveaway ends October 02, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

And, yes, the print copies of the novel have just become available (whoo-hoo!), and the digital versions will be ready soon.

For anyone who may be interested in being an advanced reader for this story, I'm doing a review tour from Oct. 3rd - Dec. 3rd through AToMR Book Tours, and there's a sign-up page here for my novel: http://atomrbookblogtours.com/2013/09/19/review-opportunity-the-road-to-you/ .  I can't tell you how thrilled I am that I finally will get to share this book with you all... I truly hope it's a story you all will enjoy!

Have a good weekend and a happy Autumnal Equinox, everyone, and please stay healthy!! ;)

USA Today Bestseller List!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last week's special book sale for The Sweet Temptations Collection was really exciting -- not only because my 3-book boxed set reached #9 on Kindle and #1 on Nook (!!!), but because the response from readers was so wonderful. I ended up being able to extend the discount for an additional few days to give those readers who found out about the sale later in the week a chance to pick it up during the long Labor Day Weekend. I truly hope that all who were interested grabbed a copy!

However, for anybody who may have missed it or for those who might like to get the set as a gift for someone they know who enjoys light romantic comedy, the price of the collection will be discounted to $5.99 (regular price is $8.99) during the month of September on both Amazon and B&N. My characters -- Elizabeth & Rob (On Any Given Sundae), Cait & Garrett (Double Dipping), and Shannon & Bram (Holiday Man) -- hope to make your acquaintance, and I can't thank you enough for ALL of your enthusiasm and support.

The icing on the cake for me was that I just found out this afternoon that the boxed set hit #89 on the USA Today Bestseller List!!! It's really and truly a dream come true, and there are no words to express the thrill of it. Just...THANK YOU!!