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Guest Post with Donna Lea Simpson, Author of Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark & Giveaway

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I’m really excited to welcome Donna Lea Simpson, author of Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark to Peeking Between the Pages today to share with us a wonderful guest post. I really enjoyed this novel as I usually do when there is a spunky female heroine involved~take a peek at my review here. So, without further delay here is the guest post from Donna and remember to stay tuned because at the end of the post as there will be a giveaway…

I’m so happy to introduce people to my new series from Sourcebooks Casablanca, the Lady Anne series, kicking off with Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark, out April 1st.

The idea began with a skeptic’s eye toward the proliferation of werewolf, vampire and ghost books that have in the past few years taken the romance world by storm. Heck, I’ve even written a few myself. In fact, I came to this series – Lady Anne – in an interesting way… having just come from writing a paranormal series, (Awaiting the Moon, etc.) where my heroine found out there really are werewolves, I flipped the idea to having a skeptical woman set out to disprove the existence of the supernatural forces apparently at work.
And truthfully, having written paranormal werewolf novels I knew very well that if I heard about a werewolf attacking folks, being skeptical by nature, I’d say, “Okay, someone is out there wandering around in a dog suit!” Think about it logically; with all the weird creatures proliferating in romance fiction today, the world’s getting a little crowded.

However, I do understand the affection for the paranormal right now. It adds a little zip to life, thinking that ghosts, ghouls and werewolves could exist, doesn’t it? Historical romance offers a similar ‘getaway’ feel, the ability to escape into something out of the everyday. Maybe that’s why paranormal works so well in a historical context. You’re adding a couple of layers of the unusual to what could be an everyday romance.
So I do hope readers enjoy my use of the paranormal in the Lady Anne novels. I’m having such a good time with it, because beneath it all, I think secretly I’m hoping my skepticism will be unfounded some day. A werewolf running loose: bring it on! A brooding fellow who turns into a bat and flits up to the belfry? Great!

But in essence, what is more important than even the paranormal thread running through the series, is how much fun I had creating the heroine and hero! Lady Anne, as a character, developed naturally as an intelligent but plain woman who has been courted too many times for her dowry. When a man professes love, she’s likely to wonder what he wants. And then with Lord Darkefell we have a hero who is weary of featherbrains, flatterers and sycophants. He’s intrigued by Anne’s intelligence, and even more by her deeply passionate nature; romance naturally follows, she resisting, and he, insisting! They are the perfect match, even if they don’t realize it at first!
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Here’s a little about the book:
Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark

England, 1786
Lady Anne, a smart, stubborn, and skeptical spinster, travels north to Yorkshire at the request of a newly married friend to try to figure out what is going on. A wolf—or werewolf—is roaming the countryside near Darkefell Castle, terrorizing the populace and harassing the sheep herds. The hour she arrives in Yorkshire she stumbles across a body, and her outraged sensibility demands she discover who committed such a foul deed.

With a bewildering love/hate relationship developing between her and the master of Darkefell Castle, the Marquess of Darkefell—he happens to also be her friend’s new brother-in-law—Anne investigates, digging into the family history. Confused by the marquess’s passionate pursuit of her and skeptical of the claims of a werewolf on the loose, Lady Anne manages to triumph, uncovering the reality of a very human murderer, a bitter enemy of the family, just in time to keep from becoming his next victim.

Alarmed by her growing passion for the imperious Marquess of Darkefell, Anne flees after successfully unmasking the killer. But Darkefell, as stubborn as Anne and twice as imposing, follows her. Their courtship, unconventional but fiery, will continue in Lady Anne and the Ghost’s Revenge (Sourcebooks Casablanca – August 2009) and Lady Anne and the Gypsy Curse (Sourcebooks Casablanca – November 2009), as he attempts to bully… or rather persuade her to marry him, and she tries desperately to concentrate on debunking ghosts, and discrediting gypsy curses.

I had a great time with these characters; they often do quite unexpected things! And I hope readers enjoy them as much as I did writing about their adventures.

Visit me at http://www.donnaleasimpson.com/ for more information on the Lady Anne series!

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GIVEAWAY

Danielle at Sourcebooks has been kind enough to offer up to one of my readers their very own copy of Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark by Donna Lea Simpson. The rules are as follows:

  • Leave me a comment having to do with something from Donna’s Guest Post and an email address please. That’s it!

The giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (no PO boxes). I will draw for a winner on Monday, April 13. Good luck everyone!

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Comments

  2. Hi Dar! Hi Donna!

    Picked your blog up from Drey’s Library, the book sounded too good not to take a peek!

    A paranormal romance where the heroine doesn’t want believe and reluctant to get involved with the Lord and Master, sounds great!!

    Count me in on the contest!

    Dottie
    gymmom_027@yahoo.com

  5. This book sounds great – I really like the idea of the skeptic heroine. It just makes the whole thing sound different.

  6. Donna, I love that you’re able to turn the conventions of the paranormal genre on its head. And congratulations on today’s book release!

    Dar, I’ve posted this at Win a Book for you. Thanks for the e-mail, even though you know you’re in my reader… Bridget can’t read my reader. *grin*

  8. It sounds great. I love the idea of reading about a skeptic involved in the paranormal. Your other series sounds really good to. I am going to have to keep an eye out.

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

  9. I’ve never read a paranormal romance before. It sounds intriguing. The mixture of strong skeptical heroine, historical era, titled gentlemen. I would be interested to see where the story goes.

    Thanks for the chance!

    nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

  10. I always love a good paranormal romance, and the fact that she’s a skeptic should add to the fun. Sounds like a great start to a series.

    carolsnotebook at yahoo dot com

  11. I like the idea of paranormal stories set in the past. It gives the genre a different twist to it. Can you enter my name in it. I would love to win as your closing date in my birthday. 21 again and again and again! Thanks for visiting my site. It always amazes me that you visit and enjoy it as your blog is just so lovely and perfect.

  12. Hee! I love the title of the book! What a neat idea in this genre to make your main character a skeptic who goes around trying to debunk and discredit all things paranormal!

    un_pissenlit(at)hotmail(dot)com

  13. There is a proliferation of supernatural/paranormal books out there. Vampires and werewolves are all the rage. It is always refreshing when someone comes out with an original take on them.

    Valorie
    morbidromantic@gmail.com

  14. When an author has fun with a series you can definitely tell in the writing. Sounds like a great start to a new series. Thanks for the post, Donna!

    jgbeads AT gmail DOT com

  16. I agree with her opinion of there being too many vampire, werewolf, etc. books floating around lately.

    So something paranormal but a different take is a great idea.

    I am always down for a contest!
    Thanks Dar!
    jennygirl73@gmail.com

  17. Thanks all for your great comments so far!! I’m so glad to hear that many like the idea of a skeptic investigating the paranormal… in a historical!

    It’s kind of funny, I know, that I would turn the idea around like this, given that I’ve written a paranormal series – and enjoyed writing it – but I couldn’t resist.

    Hope you all like the first Lady Anne book!

  20. Who doesn’t love a good werewolf story?? They are super popular right now and I think for good reason! 🙂

  21. I like the idea of a paranormal set in the past like this. It gives a new twist to the paranormal and the historical genre. Anne sounds like a wonderful heroine. I would love to read her story.

    Margay

    Margay1122 (at) gmail (dot) com

  23. I think that it gives hope to spinsters everywhere that it is possible to have a firey and unconventional courtship.Even by an 18th century model such as the lady. Put me into the drawing!

    espressogurl at hotmail dot com

  24. I love those silly paranormal books, and this sounds like such a fun take on the genre.

  25. I just recently read a few reviews of this but it was great to read Simpson’s guest post and hear about the book from her POV. Now I want to read it even more!

    Please sign me up for the giveaway!!

    mlb108[at]gmail[dot]com

  26. An historical, paranormal romance – count me in!

    Thanks,
    Cheryl
    megalon22[at]yahoo[dot]com

  27. I agree with Donna that a little paranormal adds a zip to life!!

    I’d love to win this one!

  28. From the moment I first read about this book, I’ve been interested in it, so I’d love a chance to win! I love that you took so many unique elements and combined them…and you’re right. I’d be extremely skeptical if someone told me the paranormal was real!

  29. Love books like this but I don’t think I’ve ever read a story set in the 1700’s with a werewolf!

    Ladytink_534 AT yahoo DOT com

  30. I love this… It’s a nice chance from the other paranormal romances out there.. In fact, today I was talking to someone and we agreed that some of them are so similar it’s almost cookie cutter books… weeshenanigans (at) gmail (dot) com

  31. I love paranormal themes — sounds like a great read.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    Kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com

  33. Hello,
    my first time here – what an interesting premise. I’ve adored smart, resourceful spinster stories ever since I fell in love with Amelia Peabody (the Elizabeth Peters heroine). Lady Anne sounds like she might have the same sort of feistiness.

    And, the title alone made me laugh – with a howl in there, no reader can claim not to have known there would be a canine angle!

    mayamissani AT yahoo DOT ca

  35. Hi Donna!

    First of all, I love the line “…she resisting, and he, insisting!” Oh love.

    I love your spin on the common paranormal theme. Yes, it is nice to read once in a while with heroines who are skeptical with paranormal. So, count me in.

    Sue
    okibi_insanity[at]yahoo[dot]com

  37. This sounds like a great giveaway. I too like how the heroine is skeptical about the paranormal. So often it seems no one is in the least bit surprised that they are living in the midst of vampires or werewolves. Sounds great. 🙂

    Please enter me too!

    Thanks

    Kelly

    kalea_kane(at)yahoo(dot)com