Lynn Raye Harris

Hey, y’all! Life has sure been busy the last few days, let me tell you. Yesterday, I had wonderful intentions to write all day. Didn’t happen. First, there was the emergency trip to Sherwin Williams to buy paint samples. Then there was the curtain lady from JCP who came to try and sell me custom curtains (this is what happens when you go to a home show and sign up for stuff without thinking about it too much). The curtain appointment took 3 hours — and we were only talking about TWO windows!

After she left, it was back to Sherwin Williams for more samples. Then I had to wait at home in case the painter came by to see what I’d chosen (but I still hadn’t chosen!). Once my hubby got home, it was back to Sherwin Williams a third time for more paint. I bought 7 samples yesterday, and finally made a decision. The painter is relieved, I’m sure. Tomorrow, he starts painting. Whew, who knew choosing paint was so hard?

This morning, as if yesterday wasn’t busy enough, another guy from the Home Show came by. This was for a yard service and termite control. Since Hubby and I suck at yard care (weeds, fertilizing, etc), we really wanted to see what this would cost. Totally reasonable, so I signed us up. And for the termite control too.

(I didn’t buy the curtains, however, if you were wondering. Though the fabric was beautiful, I have a hard time with $2500 for curtains for two windows — tall windows, to be sure, but still.)

This afternoon, I have to go pick up the paint that the painter is ordering this morning. And somewhere in all this mess, I have a book to finish. I’m seriously getting cranky about it too. Because I figured out a plot problem and fixed it, and now it’s time to move forward. But my motion was on hold for household things, which has really frustrated me.

The best part of yesterday, however, was getting my North American author copies of The Prince’s Royal Concubine. I wasn’t expecting them so early, but when I saw the UPS man, I knew that’s what it had to be because I hadn’t ordered anything recently. So you know what this means! To celebrate, I’m giving away a copy today on the blog. Leave a comment and tell me about the best book you read recently. (Does not have to be mine, btw.) Or you can tell me about how life got in the way of something you were doing.

Update: using the handy dandy Random Number Generator, the winner is Jayme! Jayme, please email me your contact info and I’ll get the book out to you ASAP! Thanks for all the comments, y’all! I enjoyed hearing about the books you like, and about your little life detours.

I’m starting a new book this week, and I’m at that stage where I’m trying to figure out what the driving emotional problem is. I wrote a chapter back at the end of August on a new idea, and I think that’s what I’m going to go with, but as I reread what I had, there’s a big gaping hole: emotional conflict. *sigh*

I always do this. I always see a scene, write it, and wonder what is really going on. I still don’t know, but I hope to figure it out quick. This book, if I am able to figure it out, takes place in Russia. That’s a new setting for me, but I have in fact been to Russia — though it was many years ago, and things have no doubt changed quite a bit.

But I remember how extraordinary Red Square was. How vibrant the colors on St. Basil’s. How brilliant the golden onion domes of the churches inside the Kremlin walls. The Faberge eggs were amazing too. I can hardly remember all the impressions I had of the country, but I love exploring my memories this way. It was a truly extraordinary experience.

What kind of settings would you like to read about? So far, I’ve written about Spain, the Caribbean, a Mediterranean kingdom of my invention, a desert kingdom, and Argentina. Next, it looks like Russia (assuming I figure out what the emotional conflict is). Have you been anywhere that you would love to read about in a novel?

P.S. Cavelli’s Lost Heir has spent four weeks on Bookscan’s Top 100 Bestselling Romances List! Thanks so much to all my readers for making this happen.

Hey, everyone! Sorry to be quiet lately, much going on in Chez Harris. I have a new book to write — in fact, I have TWO books to write by June 1st. The second book will be part of a multi-author continuity due out in 2011 from Harlequin Presents. I have no idea what the story will be yet, because my editor hasn’t told me, but I’m looking forward to it! (A continuity, btw, is a series like the House of Karedes or the House of Niroli books. Multi-author, separate stories, one continuing arc.)

In other news, my sheikh novella, Kept for the Sheikh’s Pleasure, has been accepted and will be out in the UK in September 2010! I don’t know who I’ll be out with, but as I know more, I’ll post it here. The story features King Zafir bin Rashid al-Khalifa and the archaeologist he once had a passionate affair with, Dr. Geneva Gray. Their story is hot and emotional, and I hope you’ll enjoy it! I have no idea if it’ll be out in the US, but I do hope it will be at some point.

I have just finished the copy edits on The Devil’s Heart, and that will be out in the UK in July 2010. No US date yet.

It’s hard to believe that I’ve already written five titles for Harlequin! And by the middle of the year, I will have written two more. In many ways, it’s good to be so busy. I have so many ideas, and so many good things coming up this year. I’ll be at the Romantic Times Convention with my pal Kimberly Lang in April, and of course there’s the RWA National Conference in July (which is in my back yard this year! No flight!). I’m really looking forward to these events, and to the coming of spring. I’m so sick of cold and wet and ice. Brrr!

What are you looking forward to this year?

I’m still flying high on my news of the other day, and you’ll notice that my web designer has changed the header of my site to reflect my new status — which, I must admit, still hasn’t exactly sunk in.

Today, I have a mix of things for you. First, I’m guest blogging over at one of my Heart of Dixie chaptermate’s group blog. You can read the post here.

Over at The Writing Playground, Smarty Pants is having a Free Book Friday with a Harlequin Presents theme — and she’s giving away a copy of Cavelli’s Lost Heir! Since I know SP really well, and have to pass the book to her at some point, it will be signed to whoever wins.

And finally, over at Pearl’s World of Romance, the fabulous Pearl reviews Cavelli’s Lost Heir. Here’s a taste:

CAVELLI’S LOST HEIR is the perfect book to escape the harsh reality of everyday life and get lost in a few pleasurable reading hours, dreaming of being whisked away by a dark, tall and handsome prince. If you have an ounce of romance inside you and you’re looking for a quick and satisfying read, this is one you shouldn’t miss.

The end is in sight, y’all. I hope to get there very soon, but when I looked at my daily totals recently, I realized I’ve written nearly 20k in a little over a week. It’s a lot of work, at least for me, and I can’t believe how much I got done in so short a time. I don’t recommend you do this if you don’t have to, btw. Thinking this hard, feeling my characters’ emotions so strongly over so short a period, wears me out. I really look forward to at least a week of vegging and enjoying holiday activities. (Though I expect revisions, I hope I won’t get them immediately.)

But I did have some good news to bolster me! (Besides Cavelli’s Lost Heir appearing on the eHarlequin bestseller lists!) First, I learned that my fourth book has been accepted. The Devil’s Heart is a July 2010 release in the UK! I’m very excited about this story. There is an Argentinian hero, a half-American half Italian heroine, and a priceless jewel.

The last bit of good news I got was the UK cover for The Prince’s Royal Concubine, due out in March 2010, and a North American release date! The book will be out in Harlequin Presents in June 2010. To whet your appetite, I’m giving you an exclusive sneak peak at an excerpt right here on this blog. But first, the back cover copy:

Two glittering royal houses…

Prince Cristiano di Savaré hunts his prey by ruthless means. Tonight’s pickings…Antonella Romanelli, crown princess of a rival country and part of a dynasty he has every reason to despise…

…one majestic seduction

Antonella is rocked by Cristiano’s unexpected magnetism. But there’s ice in his wolfish smile… She’s far from the promiscuous, spoiled socialite he believes her to be, but Cristiano is here to persuade her into compliance. If bedding her is what it takes, then it will make his mission all the more pleasurable…

EXCERPT:

Antonella emerged onto the top deck of the yacht, in search of someone who could arrange for a launch. She nearly stumbled when she caught sight of the man conversing with the yacht’s captain.

Cristiano di Savaré in a tuxedo had been magnificent. But Cristiano in Bermuda shorts, a crisp Polo, flip-flops, and Ray-Bans was downright sinful. He looked nothing like a prince and everything like some erotic fantasy of a muscled cabana boy who lived to serve the woman lucky enough to hire him.

He turned at her approach, no doubt because the captain ceased paying attention to him and watched her progress. She could see the captain’s eyes moving over her appreciatively, but it was Cristiano’s gaze she felt most keenly. Though he wore mirrored sunglasses, she was aware of the burning scrutiny behind them.

She’d dressed in a cotton wrap dress and sported a pair of sandals with a sensible heel. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she’d gone minimal with her makeup. She wasn’t trying to attract attention, and yet it never seemed to matter. Attention was what she got.

“You have heard about the storm?” Cristiano said, skipping the preliminaries.

Antonella pushed away a tendril of hair that escaped her ponytail and blew across her lips. “Yes. When is the launch?” she asked, turning to the captain.

“There is a slight delay,” Cristiano said before the captain could reply. “Many in the harbor are requesting transportation.”

“I see.”

“Have you made flight arrangements yet?”

“No. I had hoped to go straight to the airport and take care of it.”

“Bueno. You may fly with me.”

Antonella’s pulse beat like the wings of a thousand hummingbirds. The man was unbelievable. “Thank you, but no. I will get a flight when I reach the airport.”

Cristiano shoved the Ray-Bans onto his head. The sunlight had disappeared as clouds rolled into the harbor. His eyes, she realized, weren’t blue or gray. They were deep, dark brown.

No, green.

Hazel, that’s what it was called. Brown ringed the pupil, but the bulk of the iris was green.

Striking.

How had she missed this at dinner last night? She’d sat across from him, but she’d barely looked directly at him with Raúl sitting beside her. The one time she had, she’d been far more mesmerized by the look on his face than the color of his eyes.

“Antonella,” he said sharply.

She jerked. “What?”

“Did you hear me?”

“You were talking about your jet.”

“Yes. It’s ready, and I have room for you. All commercial flights off the island are booked.”

“But you just asked me if I’d made arrangements!”

“I meant last night, before the hurricane changed direction.”

She shook her head emphatically. “I’ll take my chances at the airport.”

Was she crazy? She might despise him, but was it worth putting herself in danger to have the satisfaction of refusing him? Wasn’t the most important thing to get back to Monteverde and speak to her brother? If only Dante had been the one to come to Canta Paradiso! He’d have gotten Vega Steel and this would all be moot.

Except he had to stay to hold the country together. And his wife was about to give birth. Antonella had been the only choice, and she’d failed. She wanted to climb back into bed and pull the covers over her head until it all went away.

But she couldn’t. Cowardice was not an option.

“Don’t be childish,” Cristiano snapped.

Arrogant bastard. She forced herself to take a long, slow breath before speaking. “It’s not childish to avoid the company of people you despise.”

“No, but it is childish to put yourself in danger because of it.”

It was disconcerting to hear her thoughts echoed in his words.

Antonella stared at the mountains rising around the harbor. The airport was on the other side of those mountains. It could take hours to reach at this rate. Dark clouds billowed over the green peaks like a thick blanket unrolling. The wind had already picked up speed in the few hours between the time she’d gone to bed and now.

How she got home didn’t matter, so long as she did. “I will fly with you if there is no other option. Though when we reach the airport, I will check to see if I can book a flight first.”

“As you wish, Principessa.”

“But I cannot fly into Monterosso.” How would that look? And how would she get home to Monteverde? There were no direct flights, and the border was cut off. A princess of Monteverde could not be ferried across the border by Monterossan soldiers. It was unthinkable.

His expression hardened. “Of course not. We will land in Paris first. You can arrange transport from there.”

A dark thought occurred to her. “How do I know you will keep your word? That you won’t take me to Monterosso and demand a ransom for my return?”

His voice stroked over her like silk. “If I were to kidnap you, mia bella, I could think of far more interesting things to do than demand a ransom.”

What do you think of this cover? (I think I need a fan and some ice water!)

I’m still working hard, y’all, but I’ve been excited to see that Cavelli’s Lost Heir has been in the Top Ten Bestsellers on the eHarlequin ebook site since it became available yesterday! It’s gone as high as #3, which makes me very happy. Thanks to all my readers who are buying the book! I hope you will enjoy, and please let me know what you think about Prince Nico and Lily.

And if you don’t have yours yet, you can get a copy at eHarlequin, either in paperback, or ebook!

P.S. The book is not officially available in the US until January!

Cynthia Gander, you won a signed copy of Cavelli’s Lost Heir last week! Please email me at lynn AT lynnrayeharris DOT com, or use the contact page, so I can send your book.

I turned in my revisions last night at about midnight. Since my editor is in the UK, that means they’d be sitting in her inbox when she arrived in the morning. What a relief to get them gone! The work isn’t done until she tells me it is, so no getting my hopes up that the book is finished yet. There may be some more work to do.

In the meantime, I have a sheikh novella to write! My lovely editor called me this morning to talk about him. I suspected there would be work to do there, and of course I was right. The novella is a new format for me, so it’s also a learning experience to try and pack all the power and emotional punch of a Presents into 25k. That story is due in about 3 weeks now, so guess who will be busy and scarce once more?

But I’m excited about the holiday this week! What American doesn’t love Thanksgiving? A day dedicated to eating and spent with family? Can’t wait. We’re going to my mother’s house, and one of my brothers will be there with his family too. I’m making my famous Cajun stuffing, and I believe I’m in charge of cranberry sauce too. Tomorrow, my mother and I are going shopping together for many of the fixins (a Southern word, for my international readers, that means ingredients).

Of course I’m going to have to find a way to write during all this festivity. And I will. I’ll write early, write late, and write whenever there’s a free moment.

I’m still looking for my winner last week! Cynthia Gander, where are you? Email me for your book!

And, speaking of books, Cavelli’s Lost Heir is officially out in the UK now! If you live in the UK, and you happen to see my book on the shelves, could you snap a pic? Email to me at lynn AT lynnrayeharris DOT com, and I’ll send you a couple of my lovely bookmarks!

My book is now mine on Amazon! They spelled my name wrong in the UK, but hey, I’ll take it. That’s easily corrected compared to them having the wrong author. Amazon is a behemoth, and they move at the speed of molasses, but they actually did this quite fast considering I started my complaint campaign on Friday. I’m pleased, because I am not just an author but also a frequent Amazon customer. I’ve spent tons of money with them over the years, and not just for books!

Here’s the US link and the UK link. It was quite disheartening to see my book attributed to someone else, and to get the run around as I tried to find a human being to communicate with, but it all worked out in the end. When I found a human, she was very helpful and apologetic and she followed through. And I don’t discount the involvement of Amy Wilkins and the Harlequin Retail Team either. I’m sure they were on top of this and helped to get it changed.

So, things work out when you’re patient and persistent. Thanks to everyone who emailed Amazon on my behalf! I’m sure those emails helped too, because you proved it wasn’t just one small author who insisted this book was hers. Your belief it was mine helped swing the balance.

Have you ever battled a behemoth? Did you get them to fix whatever it was they’d done wrong? (I did once get a 10 yr old television fixed for free because Hitachi gave me the run around.)

I am so irritated with Amazon at the moment that I can hardly write this post. I’ve recently found out what it’s like to be a published author with a book coming out that Amazon attributes to someone else. I keep trying to change the information, but so far they aren’t budging.

The Prince’s Royal Concubine is MY book, due out in March 2010 from Mills & Boon Modern. It will also come out in Harlequin Presents in the months after. Yet Amazon seems to think that my book belongs to Lee Wilkinson. How do these things happen? I wish I knew, but I’m having a heck of a time correcting it.

Want to see for yourself? Here’s the US link and the UK link.

Nothing like slaving over a book and having it attributed to someone else! How would you feel? I know they can’t forever call it someone else’s, like when the cover comes out and they can clearly see it’s mine, but I’m still pretty ticked off about this.

Amazon, give me back my book!

QUICK UPDATE: Thanks for all your words of support! I truly did not expect for folks to email Amazon on my behalf, but I do appreciate it! It seems as if they are in the process of correcting it right now. Hopefully it will be completed soon!