Welcome Wild Rose Press author, Barbara Bettis...



Hi Barbara! It's so nice to meet another Wild Rose Press author :) I am looking forward to hearing the titles of your all-time favorite romance titles and hearing about your new release. Okay, over to you!

Hi Rachel. Thanks so much for having me over today. I’ve been working on a sequel to SILVERHAWK and took a break to look over some of my favorite books in my keeper bookcase. My keepers are those books I will read again and again. That’s what favorites are, aren’t they? Ones we cherish not just for the wonderful romance but because we read them at special times in our lives.

I’d love to share my list of Top 5 favorite books. Except, I can’t really narrow my favorites to five. However, here are the ones that pop into my mind when someone asks, “What’s your favorite romance book?” I looked for a common thread and couldn’t really find one, except that they all contain conflicted heroes and stubborn heroines. And these are ones I’ve read again—more than once.
They are all historical. I know—big surprise LOL. Here they are listed in no specific order.

1.)   Prince of Foxes, Samuel Shellabarger. Not a romance in the modern sense, but the hero whose secret can destroy his ambitions captured my imagination in high school and I still love him—and his delightful if villainous sidekick. The story is heavy on history, too, which is great. His journey takes him from self-interest in the service of Cesare Borgia to honor , all because of a lady he can never hope to have. But of course, there’s an HEA. (I wouldn’t love it otherwise J)

2.)   Once a Knight, Christina Dodd. The story of a once-famous knight who’s lost his touch and the lady who hires him for protection—on the basis of his reputation (which of course is now non-existent). How these two stubborn characters at last come together and he regains his fighting edge is delightful, as is Dodd’s touches of humor. (Oh, and piggy-backing here is Dodd’s Castles in the Air—which has one of my favorite opening lines. J)

3.)   Lord of Darkness, Anne Stuart. Another wounded, complicated, unlikely medieval hero and a pragmatic heroine. He’s a phony “wizard” who’s out for his own self-interest until he meets the one lady who isn’t afraid of him.

4.)   Georgette Heyer. Really. Anything she wrote. But especially Venetia and The Devil’s Cub.

5.)   What? It’s five already. Can’t be. I’ve only mentioned the older ones and there are scads of new books and authors that I cherish. But, if I must limit it to one more:
The Spymaster’s Lady, Joanna Bourne. All of her Napoleonic War titles are here in parenthesis, too.

I’d love for everyone to share their favorite books. AND to celebrate my debut SILVERHAWK being at a bargain price of $2.99, I’m giving away a $5 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky commenter.

Because I’ve always had an interest in—and fascination with—history, there was no question what genre any book of mine would find itself. Silverhawk, my first, is medieval, set in the decade of Richard I’s reign (1189-1199 A.D.) Here’s the blurb:

He’s everything a proper lady should never want; she’s everything a bastard mercenary can never have.
Sir Giles has come to England to kill his father, who seduced and betrayed his mother. First, however, he’ll seek sweet revenge—kidnap the old lord’s new betrothed. But when Giles uncovers a plot against 
King Richard, he faces a dilemma: take the lady or track the traitors. What’s a good mercenary to do? Both, of course.

Lady Emelin has had enough. Abandoned in a convent by her brother, she finally has a chance for home and family. Yet now she’s been abducted. Her kidnapper may be the image of her dream knight, but she won’t allow him to spoil this betrothal. Her only solution: escape
Rescuing the intrepid lady—while hunting traitors—is a challenge Giles couldn’t anticipate.  But the greatest challenge to Giles and Emelin is the fire blazing between them. For he’s everything a proper lady should never want, and she’s everything a bastard mercenary can never have.

Please visit me:www.barbarabettis.com



The book will be in wide release in November.

Everyone: What are your favorite romance books?

I’m giving away a $5 Gift Card to a visitor who will share her (or his) favorite book(s).

Comments??

21 comments

  1. Thanks for hosting me today, Rachel. It was a challenge to come up with five titles when I'm a fan of so many excellent authors today. I hope others will share some of their favorites.

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  2. This book is on my Kindle and I'm finally going to have a chance to read it next week when I'm traveling. Congratulations, Barbara!! I tweeted.

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    1. Thank you Ella! I have yours, too, and am just waiting for some time to begin. I know I"ll enjoy it!

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  3. Fun list, Barb. I'm with you, no way I could narrow my list down to five. Plus, depending on my mood -- really sappy, heart pounding, adventurous, etc -- my favorites list could change. I can say that I've read A Knight in Shining Armor so many times the hardcover is wearing thin. Love Comes Softly is another book I'll pick up and re-read. After that, it's a grab bag. So many good books, so little time. Best, Lisa

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    1. Hi Lisa. So many name A Knight in Shining Armor as a favorite and I have to admit, I haven't read it. It's time I took care of it! And I do so agree--so many good books,so little time. Thanks for stopping by.

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  4. Oh my goodness! My favorite romance books? That's so tough! I'm not sure I can do that, actually. There's just so many that are great. I think, though, a romance in a non-romance book that left me the most haunted was from the book ATONEMENT by Ian McEwan. The romance that binds the book together is so raw, so powerful, so heartbreaking . . . well, I've never forgotten it. -Lani

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  5. I haven't read it, but after your description, Lani, I'll certainly check it out. Thanks for stopping by.

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  6. I'm a Jane Austen fan, so guess which five books make my all-time list? I know, not Medieval, but certainly historic. :>) I do enjoy time travels set in both current and Medieval times - Lynn Kurland does a great job with those!

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    1. Ashantay, you're not limited to medieval. Austen is a great choice. I do like the usual favorites. We read Emma in grad school English Lit class. I like Lynn Kurland's stories, too. Glad you stopped by.

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  7. Hi Barbara,

    I agree, it's so hard to choose only 5 books. Here are mine:

    1. Someone to watch over you by Lisa Kleypas
    2. The Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning
    3. The Mummy by Anne Rice
    4. Gentle Rogye by Johanna Lindsey
    5. The Black Hawk by Joanna Bourne

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    1. Ah, Anne Rice's The Mummy. Another I haven't tried, but I will now with your recommendation. I so agree with The Black Hawk. Glad Hawker got his own book and his HEA. Thanks for stopping by.

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  8. I'm with you, Barb! It's impossible to limit them to 5! I would have to add The Wolf and the Dove to the list for sure! Fun post!

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    1. Ah, yes. That's a favorite with so many people I talk to. Thanks Lana.

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  9. Barb, you know I also love Prince of Foxes. Others I love are Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers, Shanna by Kathleen Woodwiss, Outlander and Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. There are others, but you did limit us to five.:)

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    1. Oh, Lyn, thanks for stopping by with another vote for Prince :) I like Gabaldon, too, although recently I've read her Lord John stories, which she handles with such sympathy.

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  10. Great post, but limiting the list to five favorites? Not sure I can do that. How about the first five that pop into my head?
    1. Enchantment by Orson Scott Card - a great play on the Sleeping Beauty story, with an unwilling Prince Charming.
    2. The Host by Stephenie Myer - the way she writes emotions in this story floors me.
    3. The Hobbit by Tolkien, such a classic!
    4. Pride and Prejudice, my favorite Austen book.
    5. The Slightly series by Mary Balogh. Wulfric Bedwyn has to be my favorite character in all her books.

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  11. You have a couple here I haven't read, but they'll be on my list now. Of course Austen and--Mary Balogh. Oh, I think I have (or had at one time) all of her titles. Love her books. Thanks Babette :)

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  12. Oh, my gosh. Five? I could do five a day for weeks, maybe. A great list, though!

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  13. I think we're all like you, Barbara, we love to read and can't narrow our favorites to just five! I enjoy history too, so I'll definitely check out your new release. Great post!

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  14. Hi Barbara,
    I'm a day late but wanted to leave a comment. I couldn't list just 5 favorite books either. I also love Once a Knight by Christina Dodd. Your excerpt sounds great. Best wishes for great sales.

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  15. Hello, Jodi, and congratulations. Just from reading your blurb, I'd compare the plot of your novel to the plot of Pretty Woman, a movie released a little over 20 years ago. Don't worry, that's a good thing. I think it's really romantic that a woman's love can pull a workaholic out of his old patterns.

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