News for May, 2014

News

Happy May!

Two releases this month, plus RT Booklovers! The releases show why I love writing in different genres, and how it informs what I do.

First I’ll talk about my new release from Samhain, which will be out on May 13^th. This new series had a long and tortuous gestation. I wrote the first version years ago, and it nearly came out with another publisher, but was cancelled at the last minute, so I never signed the contract and it wasn’t released. I liked the idea, but I thought the book hadn’t quite worked, so I shelved it. Then I was looking for a new historical project and I picked it up, dusted it off and started again. This time it flowed and I found an editor who absolutely loved the idea, Amy Sherwood at Samhain, who has considerable classical knowledge herself.

So what if the eighteenth century was a battleground for the ancient gods? What if, as well as the public wars, there was a private one? What if the aristocrats, instead of just behaving like gods, were really gods?

Here’s the back cover copy:

What the heart wants, it finds a way to take. 

Even Gods Fall in Love, Book 1

When Gerard Sterling, Earl of Ellesmere, races to Bethlehem Hospital—also known as Bedlam—to rescue a wrongly committed friend, he’s astonished to hear a voice in his head that doesn’t belong to his sister, with whom he shares a mind link.

Fascinated and enchanted by Lady Faith Bradley, inspired by her dedication saving her brother from the horrors of the Incurables ward, he includes them both in his rescue mission. But woo her he cannot—not with a fatal disease that saps more of his strength every day.

Faith would slay dragons to keep her brother safe from her father’s scheme to set his simpleminded heir aside. But it’s Gerard, who feels the hot breath of death down his neck, who wins her heart. 

Then it is revealed that Gerard is none other than the reincarnation of Zeus, and they face a far more dangerous enemy—Kronos, whose plan to regain power includes Gerard’s death. To foil his plan, Gerard and Faith must hold firm to the power of love…and defy Fate itself.

I’m thrilled to say that book two is in the works even as we speak! It’s quite tricky, combining the worlds, but I do try to make the history as authentic as always, and the details are still there.

If you click on this link, you can get full details and a buy link. The book goes on sale on the 13^th May.

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/lightning-unbound-p-73405.html

and here’s the link to the page on my websiteL:

http://lynneconnolly.com/lightning-unbound/

The second book?

A Nightstar book. How could I resist writing about hot rock stars? So here’s Riku’s story!

Riku is an American-Japanese hunk who gave up a classical career to join Murder City Ravens. He can’t believe that the woman he loved years ago gave up too, but in order to run tourist jewelry shops in New York. Cyn had a fabulous soprano voice, one of the best he’d ever heard, so why didn’t she carry on with her career?

Reconnecting with an old flame has never been such fun!

Since the excerpts could be overwhelming to some inboxes, I’ll do them in separate posts.

Then there’s the RT Booklovers’ Convention.

Where do I start? I’m planning to do some updates from the convention, but I’m starting my adventure with a week in New Orleans with my good friend Cait Miller. We’re going to do all the things tourists should – go on outings, shop, eat at the famous places, try to experience the whole of this wonderful, unique city.

Then it’s the convention itself at the Marriott on Canal Street. I’ll be there from the Sunday before the convention.

I’ll just tell you where I’ll be and what I’m doing, and then you’ll know where to catch me!

I’m starting with the International Reception in the Penthouse between 2 and 4 pm. This is for people coming from overseas to RT. I remember how overwhelming it can be to arrive and plunge into the maelstrom!

I’ve been lucky enough to score an invitation to the Aussie dinner on the Tuesday night.

After that, I’m running the newcomers, aka the virgin’s class first thing on the Wednesday, the first day of the convention proper. That’s at 8.45.

Also that day, I’m on a panel, the popular History Fan Fictionary panel. We give you obscure historical slang words, and you guess what they are! There are prizes!

That evening is the Mardi Gras party. I’m walking down with Renee Rocco, and I’m on a stationary float, the Ellora’s Cave one.

At 2.45 on the Thursday, I’m captaining a panel for the Vanilla Erotic romance. Everything that isn’t BDSM but is still hot! Come and see what we’ve come up with. More prizes!

On the Thursday evening, I’m reading tarot cards with Kensington on the pub crawl. First come, first served! I’m not doing complex readings, but I’ll answer specific questions, or rather, give some advice!

And I’m signing at the Big Book Fair on the Saturday.

If you’re there, don’t forget to say hello!