Interview + Giveaway with Katharine Ashe

We Hottie Scotties and we sure as heck love secret agents. We're not sure what it is about them that gets our hearts beating triple time. Maybe it's the danger that surrounds them. The lovely Miz Katharine Ashe is here to share her latest release, WHEN A SCOT LOVES A LADY, as well as sneak peeks into the next two books of the new Falcon Club series.

WELCOME BACK TO THE BLOG KATHARINE!!!

Meet Katharine:

The American Library Association’s Booklist named Katharine Ashe among its “New Stars of Historical Romance.” She is a two-time nominee in the Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Awards, and her novella, A Lady’s Wish, launched Harper Collins Publishers’ e-book imprint, Avon Impulse, to rave reviews.

Katharine lives in the wonderfully warm Southeast with her husband, son, two dogs, and a garden she likes to call romantic rather than unkempt. A professor of European history, she has made her home in California, Italy, France, and the northern US. She loves hearing from readers!

Find Katharine: Author Site | Twitter | Facebook | Ballroom Blog

Kati: Hi Katharine! Congrats on your latest release. It’s a pleasure to have you at the blog again. :)
Katharine: Thanks, Kati. It’s lovely to be here. And congratulations to you on your new partnership with Jamie. (thanks!)

Kati & Jamie: Who is Katharine Ashe? (author, mother, runner, European history professor, international woman of mystery...)
Katharine Ashe: Oh, I like that “international woman of mystery.” Yes, indeed.

With my family I’m “Mommy”, “Katie”, and provider of puppy treats. In my office or on my deck I’m happy writer. Out and about I’m runner and café lover. On campus I’m professor of European religious history. And on twitter I’m cookie-aholic.

K&J: How did you pick the title for WHEN A SCOT LOVES A LADY?
KA: As I was planning the book, one day I was listening to an oldies radio station and I heard “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge. It was so right for the hero, Leam, the Earl of Blackwood, I knew in an instant this must be the title.

K&J: Tell us a little bit about Leam and Kitty.
KA: Leam is a lady’s most delectably sinful dream. He is tall and gorgeous in a rawboned Scottish borderlands fashion, with dark eyes that promise seriously scorching passion. As a secret agent of the Falcon Club, in high society he dresses casually, flirts incorrigibly, and is known to still mourn the tragic death of his young wife years ago. In private he is a man of eight languages, four unquestionably trusting friends, two devoted Irish Wolfhounds, but no heart to speak of any longer. He is a poet and a lord and everything he shows of himself to the world is a lie.

Lady Kitty Savege wears a disguise of sorts too. Pretending cool hauteur in society, she has lived her life seeking vengeance on the man who ruined her, but now her heart aches for something more -- for joy and adventure and, most of all, love. She thinks Lord Blackwood is a barbarian, from his loose neckcloth to his roguish brogue. Nevertheless, she can’t manage to stop throwing herself at him every time they have a moment alone together! He’s far too handsome, she’s far too wanton, and when they come together it’s far, far too hot to resist.

K&J: Do you have any writing rituals? (baking Toll House cookies, listening to music, drinking wine...)
KA: I write everywhere and any time I can! So, no, I don’t have particular rituals. When I write I like my desk to be clear of everything but my laptop and perhaps a cup of coffee. But if a scene is pressing desperately at me to be written, those things don’t matter either.

K&J: Plotter or pantser?
KA: I plot every book, with the most intensely emotional scenes central to that plotting. But I’ll change the plan if that’s where the characters take me. They’re in control!

K&J: If Hollywood came knocking and wanted to make WHEN A SCOT LOVES A LADY into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
KA: Oh, this is a tough one. I don’t watch a lot of TV, so I don’t know all the stars out there now, and I’d be sure to pass up folks that are perfect for the roles. Can I leave this one to my readers and let you know?

K&J: Can you give us a sneak peek or tell us something about the next two books in The Falcon Club series?
KA: In book #2, How To Be a Proper Lady, Captain Jin Seton is a former pirate with a very dark past and a lost lady in his sights, and he’ll stop at nothing to find her. The moment I wrote the first lines about Jin in Captured by a Rogue Lord, I knew I had to tell his story, and I knew precisely whom his heroine would be -- Viola Carlyle, kidnapped by smugglers as a girl but fighting mad to be dragged back to England now. Jin is sublimely confident and totally caught off guard by his quarry. Their romance is a seductively fiery battle of wills.

In book #3, How a Lady Weds a Rogue, a hardened spy meets his match in a country miss who demands that he play the role of hero in her quest. But the road may prove more dangerous than she imagined when her un-damsel-like desire for her knight in shining armor and his intoxicating embrace turn out to be the real adventure…

How To Be a Proper Lady is coming Jun 26, and How a Lady Weds a Rogue follows on September 25!

K&J: If you could write an anthology with any 2 authors (dead or alive) who would they be and what would it be about?
KA: A wedding anthology with Liz Carlyle and Lisa Kleypas.

K&J: What are you currently reading?
KA: Maya Rodale’s THE TATTOOED DUKE, released yesterday from Avon alongside WHEN A SCOT LOVES A LADY. It’s soo good!!

K&J: What do your family and friends think about you writing romance books?
KA: I am truly blessed in this. My family and friends are enormously supportive and enthusiastic. They’re always there as sounding boards for plot or character ideas, to brainstorm titles, to “ooh!” and “ahh!” over my covers, to check historical details (many of my friends are professors of history too), to comfort and encourage me when things get challenging, and to pop the bubbly when it’s time to celebrate. They also buy my books, give them as gifts to friends, and recommend them to strangers in bookstore aisles. I thank the Lord every day for their love and support.

K&J: Authors choice.
KA: If a hero from a romance novel came to life and stood right in front of you, what’s the one thing you would ask him?

Kati: Thank you so much Katharine!
Katharine: Thank you, Kati. This has been such fun!

WHEN A SCOT LOVES A LADY:

London gossips are asking: What use has society of an exclusive gentleman’s club if no gentlemen are ever seen to pass through its door?

After years as an agent of the secret Falcon Club, Lord Leam Blackwood knows it’s time to return home to Scotland. One temptation threatens his plans—Kitty Savege. The scandal-plagued lady warms his blood like a dram of fine whiskey. But a dangerous enemy stands in the way of desire, and to beat this foe Leam needs Kitty’s help…

Kitty never wanted to spend her holidays in a wretched country village! With snow up to the windows, escape is nowhere in sight. A roguish Scottish lord, however, is. His rough brogue sends tingles of heat from Kitty’s frigid toes to her chilled nose, but she’s confident she can withstand that. What she cannot control is the reaction of her carefully guarded heart when she discovers this beast is, in fact, no beast at all…

Where To Buy: Amazon(pb) | Kindle | B&N(pb) | Nook | Book Depository | Powell's

Katharine is giving away a copy of CAPTURED BY A ROGUE LORD to one(1) lucky reader and it's open internationally. Yay! Here's how to get your hands on it:

• Leave a comment answering Katharine's question: If a hero from a romance novel came to life and stood right in front of you, what’s the one thing you would ask him? (just saying 'thanks for the giveaway' isn't going to cut it)
• Fill out the rafflecopter form. You must comment but all other entries are optional. We recommend following Katharine on Twitter for sneak peeks and giveaways. Seriously.

A huge thank you to Katharine for stopping by the blog today and for offering a copy of CAPTURED BY A ROGUE LORD.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

December Joyathon: Interview + Giveaway with Katharine Ashe

Meet Katharine:

coming 2012

The American Library Association’s Booklist named Katharine Ashe among its “New Stars of Historical Romance.” She is a two-time nominee in the Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Awards, and her novella, A Lady’s Wish, launched Harper Collins Publishers’ new Avon Impulse imprint to rave reviews.

Katharine lives in the wonderfully warm Southeast with her husband, son, two dogs, and a garden she likes to call romantic rather than unkempt. A professor of European history, she has made her home in California, Italy, France, and the northern US. She loves hearing from readers! Please visit her at www.katharineashe.com or write to her at PO Box 51702, Durham, NC 27717.


Where To Find Katharine: Twitter | Facebook | Author Site | The Ballroom Blog

Kati R: Who is Katharine during the holidays? (author, gift giver, last minute shopper, baker)
Katharine Ashe: Baker! Cookies, cakes, pies, tea breads… anything that gives me an excuse to mix butter and sugar and then curl up on a cozy sofa in front of the fireplace with a cup of tea, a slice of warm yumminess, and a novel. Also, I give cookies or tea breads to my neighbors as holiday gifts. (yum!)

click to learn more

Gift-giver! Giving gifts is the best part about the holidays. One of my favorite gifts is an animal from Heifer International. In the name of one of my loved ones I donate money for a goat, dairy cow, pair of chickens, or what-have-you, and Heifer International sends that domestic animal somewhere in the world to a family that needs it to survive. I write romance because spreading love is the thing I enjoy doing most. So this kind of gift is just another way of spreading my love for my family and friends further. (Oh em gee! My dad does that every year. It's always a water buffalo.)

KR: What is your favorite thing about the holidays?

click for an excerpt

KA: Celebrating the birthday of the Prince of Peace. On the material side, it’s the Christmas tree! Picking out and trimming the tree with my family, and then cuddling in its sparkly glow is my Favorite holiday fun.

KR: Do you write more or less during the holidays?
KA: Depends on the year. Last year I wrote my novella A LADY’S WISH over the break between semesters (I’m a professor). This year I’ll be in research mode for my next book, so I won’t be writing.

KR: If you’ve written a holiday themed/titled book, what is it about? If you have not, would you write a holiday themed/titled book in the future?
KA: Two of my books partially take place during the holidays. The first, SWEPT AWAY BY A KISS (which I’m giving away today!), begins during the summer on the high seas. But the second half of the story takes my lord and lady to a country house party over the Christmas holiday. Amid merrymaking and revelry they share a steamy mistletoe kiss… and then some.

My next book, WHEN A SCOT LOVES A LADY (coming February 28, 2012), begins at Christmastime when a sophisticated London spinster finds herself trapped by a snowstorm in a tiny village with a roguish Scottish lord. The holidays heat up quite nicely in that little roadside inn. Quite nicely indeed. (Looking forward to this one. The cover is gorgeous!)

KR: Which of your heroes would you go on a sleigh ride with? (with permission from the heroine of course)

click to read an excerpt

KA: I’d like to go on a sleigh ride with the hero and heroine together, just so I could revel in how in love they are! I would probably choose Ben and Octavia from IN THE ARMS OF A MARQUESS, since that sort of deep, lifelong love leaves me positively breathless. On the other hand, the seductive sparks between Leam Blackwood and Kitty Savege in WHEN A SCOT LOVES A LADY are pretty enticing. A sleigh ride with these two reluctant lovers -- who try so desperately not to succumb to every dark corner and fail completely -- would be just too good to miss. So I’d want a ride with them too. May I take two rides? Pretty please? (How about y'all just pile into one giant sleigh? lol)

KR: What is your favorite Christmas story, book or movie? (Mine is White Christmas)
KA: White Christmas is fabulous! I have two very favorite Christmas movies: It’s a Wonderful Life and While You Were Sleeping.

KR: Real tree or fake tree?
KA: Real, fresh cut from a farm. Up when I lived in Michigan there was a tree farm every other mile and we’d have the most beautiful Douglas Firs and Spruces. Down south here, though, unless you buy a tree brought from the mountains, farm trees are usually long-needle pines. One year we waited really late to get our tree, and the only one left on the lot was so skinny, tall and twisted that it looked like a pickle, I kid you not. It was adorable!

Good grief!

KR: Specific gifts or gift cards?
KA: Specific gifts or gifts to third-party organizations like the one I mentioned above. I also love giving (and getting hint hint!) food baskets, like from Harry & David.

KR: Fruit cake or gingerbread?
KA: Gingerbread. Reminds me of my childhood.

click to read an excerpt

KR: Just enough decorations or “every tree lighted, blow up snowglobe, snow man in the yard” decorations?
KA: Somewhere in between. I adore lights, sparkly colors, gold and silver, but especially those homemade ornaments that some beloved little person made and look really awful but are full of love.

KR: Home for the holidays or visiting relatives?
KA: Home. That way I can be with my pups. And my husband and I travel so often for work, home is the best vacation.

KR: What are you looking forward to in the new year?
KA: My new series! WHEN A SCOT LOVES A LADY will be out in February, heading up my Falcon Club series. It’s more of the intrigue, adventure and hot, emotional romance I love to write, and several minor characters from my Rogues of the Sea series are coming back for their own books in it. Also, it looks like my mom might be moving to North Carolina sometime in 2012, and I can’t wait for that. She is a very special lady.

KR: Author’s choice.
KA: What is your favorite special way to treat yourself over the holidays?

KR: Thanks for participating in the Joyathon!
KA: Thank you, Kati. It’s such a pleasure!

SWEPT AWAY BY A KISS:

A Secret IdentityWhen pirates storm Lord Steven Ashford’s ship upon the high seas, it brings him closer than ever to the nefarious criminal he seeks to ruin. Only one seductive detail threatens his victory: the scandalous beauty imprisoned with him, Lady Valerie Monroe. Temptation has never been so intoxicating or so forbidden, for Steven is disguised as a French priest. If they make it off the ship alive, to protect her from his enemies, he must never see her again…

An Undeniable LoveBack in England, and under the ton’s scrutiny for a reckless past she hasn’t escaped, Valerie dreams of the breathtaking “man of the cloth” with whom she shared her greatest adventure. Then he reappears in society under his true identity, Viscount Ashford, but despite the danger their consuming passion cannot be denied. Now standing in the way of their desire are Valerie’s wounded heart, Steven’s lone destiny, and a villain that will stop at nothing to crush them both.

Where To Buy: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Nook | Book Depository
Book Extras: Read an Excerpt

Well there you have it. Katharine is giving away a copy of SWEPT AWAY BY A KISS to one(1) lucky reader. Here's how to get your hands on a sexy priest that's not really a priest(intrigued you have I?):

• Leave a comment answering Katharine's question along with your email addy, ninja style: yourname at gmail dot com
• Fill out the rafflecopter form. You must answer Katharine's question. All other entries are optional. I recommend you follow her on Twitter. Lots of twittah goodness & sneak peeks. :)

Easy peasy right? Don't forget to enter for the awesome super secret prize here.

A huge thank you to Katharine for participating in the Joyathon and for giving away a copy of SWEPT AWAY BY A KISS.

W...W...W...(18)

W...W...W...Wednesdays is a weekly meme MizB of Should Be Reading. 

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

So, here's my answers:

*Click on the covers to read excerpts/learn more.*

• What are you currently reading?

Too Wicked to Wed by Cara Elliott. Oh my. This is intriguing. I just started reading it and let me tell you, that heroine has got spunk and isn't afraid to speak her mind. Totally refreshing. No simpering miss here.

• What did you recently finish reading?

All About Seduction by Katy Madison. This first half of the book turned me off but by 62% of the galley, I finally came to amend my feelings. The anticipation and the build up towards the relationship that both the hero and heroine deserved paid off. It just didn't seem right and very icky that the elderly husband of the heroine tried to force her into having extramarital relations to conceive a child to carry on the family name and business. I still shudder at the thought of what she had to go through during her marriage. Review coming soon.

A Vampire for Christmas by Laurie London, Michele Hauf, Caridad Pineiro and Alexis Morgan. What a great way to start the Joyathon season. Christmas came early this year, in the form of 4 deliciously angsty fanged men. I'm slightly partial to Christmas themed historicals and this was my first Christmas themed paranormal. On top of that, it was an anthology. It's like 4 pieces of sinfully decadent peppermint bark. Read my review here.

A Novel Seduction by Gwyn Cready. Take one snobbish book critic who sees romance books as a waste of time, a boss who makes her write an ode the genre, an ex boyfriend as the model for the accompanying article photos and you've got a hilarious, snarky sounding read. I'll be hosting Ms. Cready on the blog later this month. You can read my review here.

Deliciously Sinful by Lilli Feisty. Read this in one sitting. This is my first Lilli Feisty book and it's HOT! Take a small town girl, a Hollywood chef, plop said chef into small town, add a whisk, chocolate pudding and oranges, and you've got a recipe for some hot loving. I will never look at the food mentioned in this book the same way. Ever again. Look out for my review later this month.

Bound in Lingerie by Gina Gordon. This was the first book that just didn't do much for me. I do like my erotic books and there were definitely erotic elements in this novella but I just couldn't get into it. Read my review here.

Then Came You by Vanessa Devereaux. This was a sweet story about a cowboy and the woman he's been pining for the last 2 years. I liked it, but it just didn't leave me breathless. And I will never look at juice the same way ever again.



• What do you think you’ll read next?

A Winter Scandal by Candace Camp. Ah, tis the season for holiday themed romance. A baby left in the manger, a woman bent on having the father claim the child and the said father denying it. Sounds like a recipe for a season of miracles and love. And maybe a bit of a laugh. My first Candace Camp book.







PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own WWW Wednesdays post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Teaser Tuesday (18)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser:

"She was no longer foxed. In fact, no trace of the muddle-headed, jittery-nerved, tangle-bellied ninnyhammer from the woods appeared to remain."
~page 249, Swept Away By A Kiss by Katharine Ashe

About The Book:
A Secret Identity
When pirates storm Lord Steven Ashford’s ship upon the high seas, it brings him closer than ever to the nefarious criminal he seeks to ruin. Only one seductive detail threatens his victory: the scandalous beauty imprisoned with him, Lady Valerie Monroe. Temptation has never been so intoxicating or so forbidden, for Steven is disguised as a French priest. If they make it off the ship alive, to protect her from his enemies, he must never see her again…
An Undeniable Love
Back in England, and under the ton’s scrutiny for a reckless past she hasn’t escaped, Valerie dreams of the breathtaking “man of the cloth” with whom she shared her greatest adventure. Then he reappears in society under his true identity, Viscount Ashford, but despite the danger their consuming passion cannot be denied. Now standing in the way of their desire are Valerie’s wounded heart, Steven’s lone destiny, and a villain that will stop at nothing to crush them both. (source)

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesday post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

W...W...W...(17)

W...W...W...Wednesdays is a weekly meme MizB of Should Be Reading. 

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

So, here's my answers:

*Click on the covers to read excerpts/learn more.*

• What are you currently reading?

Swept Away By A Kiss by Katharine Ashe. Pirates, a heroine with a penchant for inappropriate men, a priest who really isn't a priest and a destiny that will bring them together. So far it's been full of action, mystery and sinfully seductive.

My Wicked Marquess by Gaelen Foley. Not going to lie, I started reading this book because of the book trailer. A secret organization, a peer ready to settle down, a woman with an almost ruined reputation due to a jilted suitor and a strong attraction between the two. I'm about 30 pages into the book and like it so far. The hero was a little Edward Cullen creepy (aka watching the heroine from afar and she didn't know it) at the beginning, while trying to find out more about a potential wife candidate.

A Vampire for Christmas (Anthology) by Laurie London, Michele Hauf, Caridad Pineiro and Alexis Morgan. Christmas has come early! Thanks to Ms. London, I get a sneak peek into this fabulous anthology. Who doesn't want a spend Christmas with a vampire? 4 stories by 4 fabulous paranormal authors. Look for the review when I'm done reading. :)

• What did you recently finish reading?

Whoa! I haven't finished anything this week. That's a first.

• What do you think you’ll read next?

A Love By Any Measure by Killian McRae. Another book by the author of 12.21.12. This will be my first book of hers and it's a romance. I love me some romance. An Irish peasant, an English lord, set during Victorian times? Sounds like a great read. Be on the lookout for a review of this book in November.








PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own WWW Wednesdays post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Teaser Tuesday (17)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser:

"All the stolen kisses, secret rendezvous, and forbidden meetings over the years with inappropriate men--all to anger her father--had only amounted to innocent fumblings. Etienne was the first man to put his hands upon her so intimately."

~page 21, Swept Away by a Kiss by Katharine Ashe

About The Book:
A Secret Identity
When pirates storm Lord Steven Ashford’s ship upon the high seas, it brings him closer than ever to the nefarious criminal he seeks to ruin. Only one seductive detail threatens his victory: the scandalous beauty imprisoned with him, Lady Valerie Monroe. Temptation has never been so intoxicating or so forbidden, for Steven is disguised as a French priest. If they make it off the ship alive, to protect her from his enemies, he must never see her again…
An Undeniable Love
Back in England, and under the ton’s scrutiny for a reckless past she hasn’t escaped, Valerie dreams of the breathtaking “man of the cloth” with whom she shared her greatest adventure. Then he reappears in society under his true identity, Viscount Ashford, but despite the danger their consuming passion cannot be denied. Now standing in the way of their desire are Valerie’s wounded heart, Steven’s lone destiny, and a villain that will stop at nothing to crush them both. (source)

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesday post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!