Lucy Monroe is one of my favorite romance authors. I just happen to have these two books I would like to offer for an International Contest, ending February 28th. Please leave your email address, follow this blog, follow Lucy on Facebook or her blog. Winner will be announced March 1st. Did I mention these books are both authographed?
THE SHY BRIDE
Untouched — and bought for $100,000!
Thrust into the limelight, child star Cassandra timidly enchanted audiences night after night...But when her parents died, Cass retreated into her own world — too shy to leave her home. Once a year she shares her musical passion by offering lessons in a charity auction... This year, money talks...the winning bid: $100,000!
Enter: Neo Stamos, arrogant Greek tycoon.
He wants Cass with a burning desire, though he knows that, shy and sweet, she will need a gentle awakening... But Neo’s the master of seduction!
Review
THE GREEK'S PREGNANT LOVER
No-strings fling...to wedding ring?
Self-made billionaire Zephyr Nikos has come a long way from the streets of Athens, but his heart is stone-cold — like marble. He can’t offer Piper Madison his love; instead he offers her his world: fine dining, private jet, rubbing shoulders with the rich and powerful...
As their desire heats up and finally reaches boiling point, Zephyr and Piper must end their affair before one of them gets hurt. There’s just one small complication...Piper’s pregnancy test just came back positive!
Review
About Lucy Monroe:
Award winning author Lucy Monroe published her first book in the Fall of 2003. Since then she has sold more than 50 books to four publishers and hit national bestsellers lists in the US and England. She's a passionate devotee to the romance genre and loves chatting about writing and books. Her highly charged, sensual stories touch on the realities of life while giving the reader a fantasy story not easily forgotten. Whether it's a passionate Harlequin Presents, a sexy single title for Kensington or a steamy historical or paranormal for Berkley or Samhain, Lucy's books transport her readers to a special place where the heart rules and love conquers all.
Lucy's Call Story:
The Call from Harlequin Presents came at 7:20 in the morning on September 27th, 2002...but that's not when it all began. Some authors write a selling book their first try. My friend and mentor Theresa Scott is such an author...I'm not. I wrote twelve manuscripts before the one I sold to Mills & Boon. I'd been seriously pursuing a career as a romance author for almost five years (and writing longer than that). That equals threehanging file folders of contest judge comments, a rather full file of editor rejections and a matching one for agents. It also means I've attended many conferences, both regional and national, numerous workshops, listened to dozens of tapes and experienced the best and the worst the world of critique has to offer.
There were times over the years I wondered if I would ever sell...if I were capable of writing a selling novel. Those times of doubt would have devastated me if I hadn't had my "file of good thoughts" to fall back on. That file is a compilation of some very special mementos to mentorship that kept me believing in myself. My mom's email saying, "You will publish one day. Believe it." A pen from my critique partner with my pseudonym engraved on it, with the belief I would one day publish and use it to sign my first contract. An email from Sandra Marton saying she believed I would make it. A card from my mentor, Debbie Macomber that affirmed who I was as a person as well as a writer. A drawing my husband did that affirmed his belief in my vision.
If you are where I was, I urge you to make a memorial to future success...small and big mementos that remind you that others believe in your dream and so must you.
I met my editor at the RWA National Conference in Denver and pitched my manuscript "The Greek Tycoon's Ultimatum" (October 2003 Harlequin Presents) to her. She was excited by the story idea and my knowledge of the line. She asked for a partial, which I sent to her on my birthday a couple of weeks later. A week after receiving the partial, she emailed, requesting the full. I sent it to her immediately. A week after she received it, I got another email saying she wanted revisions and would call to talk them over.
That phone call was one of the most exciting moments of my life...it wasn't just about possibly selling a book. It was about becoming the best author I could be, getting concrete editorial input to improve my story. I was ecstatic and did the revisions over the next two days. I sent them back and ... Kim called to buy the book that beautiful September morning.
A little over a year later, I got another Call from Kate Duffy at Kensington Publishing and believe me when I tell you that this call was no less exciting than the first. A lot of people believed I could sell a book, but almost everyone I told my dream of writing for more than one publisher right away warned me off of it. My dear friend, Lori Foster was one of the exceptions. She passed on my first published book, The Greek Tycoon's Ultimatum, to her editor, Kate Duffy, to read. Kate read it and emailed me to say she planned to read everything I published from there on out. I emailed back to ask if that might possibly include what I hadn't published...I had a single title for her to look at. Incredibly in November 2003, Kensington bought that single title in multi-book contract along with four novellas for the Brava imprint. A month later they bought two more single titles for the Zebra imprint.
And in early 2004, I got the call from Berkley for my first historical. I have a Regency era trilogy coming out with them and then a Regency werewolf story. There are no words to express my joy in selling to the subgenres of romance I dreamed of writing in...I love my job! :)
I have no idea what the future holds, but I do know that the story doesn't end here. I've just started on this incredible journey and I hope you'll share it with me. Take care, Lucy
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