COMING SOON.....

On the 12th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me.....

Okay, it's not 12 Days till Christmas -- but it is 12 days until the release of my next book, THE HEART OF THE DUKE, and I can't wait.  

The countdown begins....

To make it easy for your true love to buy this for a stocking stuffer or to curl up with on a long winter's night, I will be offering free giveaways soon -- or as soon as my books arrive.... So stay posted!

Book blurb.....

Lady Julia Chandler fears she will be walking down the aisle with a silver-tipped cane if she waits for the Duke of Bedford to seal their engagement. Seeking to quicken his pace, she decides to find her duke, kiss him senseless, and post the wedding banns. It is a good plan, until she mistakes her fiance’s long-absent twin for her duke.

Ten years ago, Lord Daniel Bryant sailed to America to find his fortune and flee his cruel brother who inherited the family title. A cryptic note draws him back to England: Come home and claim your destiny. Before seeking anything, Daniel must first determine who set the fire that nearly took his life and precipitated his flight abroad. Now with the taste of Lady Julia warm on his lips, the stakes are raised higher than before as he seeks to claim both his destiny and the lady of his heart.

Excerpt.... 
“Don’t you want to kiss me?” Before she lost her nerve, she moistened her lips as Emily had once showed her to do to make them more alluring.

He expelled a choked laugh. “Of course, I want to kiss you. A man would have to be lacking a pulse to reject such an offer. But Jules—”

            She paused at the old childhood nickname. He hadn’t used it in years. But his hands had drawn her back to him. “You do have a pulse, don’t you?” she whispered. She was standing so close that she could see his long eyelashes, the black rim circling the lovely green of his irises, and how his eyes warmed at her question.

“For the moment,” he returned dryly. “And I would prefer to retain it. Should we proceed further with this, that could be dangerous for both of us.”

He had a point and the old Julia would have heeded it, considering the warmth of his gaze sent her pulse skipping into a treacherous rhythm. However, his look and the grip of his hands on her waist made the new Julia feel young, beautiful and desired, something Edmund had not made her feel in years. “Really, Edmund, it is one kiss. How dangerous could it be?” She raised a brow, knowing Edmund never could refuse a challenge.

            He sucked in a sharp breath and stared at her. After a beat, he exhaled and swore softly. “Hell, I have been living dangerously my whole life.” His eyes dipped to her parted lips. “Why stop now?” He yanked her to him, his arms vising around her waist and crushing her tight. 

RT's Reviewers Make their Choices

        The 2013 RT Reviewer Choice's Award nominations are in......

        FOR THE LOVE OF A SOLDIER was nominated for: 

       BEST FIRST HISTORICAL ROMANCE! 

       This book is like the little engine that could -- It keeps on chugging.

       Definitely celebrating!  (not chugging -- just celebrating!)

      

New Jersey Romance Writers Conference

         AND THE WINNER IS......


          FOR THE LOVE 
       OF A SOLDIER
                 
           New Jersey Romance Writer's 

             Golden Leaf Contest 

                  Best First Book

It was absolutely thrilling and a great honor to receive this award. 

Best of all, Anne Frazier Walradt, the lyrical Voice of Romance reads an excerpt of the winner's submission. 

I've been listening to her read for years and always dreamed of her reading mine (as I babbled incoherently in my shocked acceptance speech). Of course, when she starts reading, I realized I had won so the blood drained from my head, my hands started shaking, and I caught the last three lines...  

Did anyone tape it?   :)  

As my buddy, Stephanie Estes Saccoccio says (the queen of pithy one-liners), the best 3 c's of writers conferences are conversations, chocolate, and cocktails.  All too true.

Other Highlights:

#1 - As always, being surrounded by and getting to meet so many talented, professional, and kick-ass writers! Romance Writers Rock!

- Great workshops. Vicky Dreiling's The Happy Hooker was a top favorite. Helpful hooks to keep readers turning those pages. (I know, I first thought it was about something entirely different, too... :)  Clever.  Makes me look forward to reading her books. So of course, I had to pick up a couple.

- I lost my sweater, and it was returned to the front desk by Cathy Maxwell, a favorite author of mine.  Maybe her magic touch will have rubbed off on it. One can hope... :)

- Lots of laughs and fabulous martinis with Penny Watson, Bobbi Ruggiero, and Stephanie.

Wasn't one of us in charge of getting the recipes?

 

Books, more books, and author signings!

Sitting next to the lovely Carla Neggers at my book signing. Doesn't get much better than that.

Looking forward to reading her new series set in my home state of Massachusetts. Should be fun.


Sooooo -- whose idea was it to come home?



                                                 THANK YOU, NJRWA!

AND the early feedback is good....
HEART OF A DUKE got a ★★★★ review that will run in the December issue of the ROMANTIC TIMES.
"Tender passion, suspense and adventure propel the story along at a fine pace. Morgan's talents lie in creating realistic characters -- a feisty heroine, honorable hero and despicable villian -- and then placing them into a smartly written plot. There's a bright future ahead for this newcomer."

Like getting an A in school.  Soooo happy.

Read the complete review here. 

Best Book Finalist

Woo Hoo, that's me or rather what I'm feeling because....

 FOR THE LOVE OF A SOLDIER is a finalist in the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest in the category for Best First Book.

So exciting!  And an incredible honor.

I've been attending the New Jersey conference for years, and it is wonderful. Great workshops, speakers and a strong chapter. During their award ceremony, they read a passage from the books that final in each category. The woman who reads these excerpts has this magical, mellifluous voice that breathes life into these scenes. I swear, her readings alone sell the books. Hence, I vowed that one day -- if the fates aligned -- I wanted her to read a passage from my book.

So...ten years later, but hey, who's counting, I will get to hear her read my excerpt at the New Jersey Romance Writers Put Your Heart in a Book Conference, October 18-19, 2013.

 I may be a finalist, but having that to look forward to makes me feel like a winner already.

Thank you, New Jersey Golden Heart judges for making my day!

So exciting!!!

Fun at RWA® 33rd National Romance Writers Conference

This year the Romance Writers of America's (RWA®) conference was held in Atlanta, Georgia. You know you're in the South when everyone is suddenly calling you honey and dear. You know you're at a romance conference when 2,000 writers (published and unpublished), 99% women, converge on the Marquis Marriott to:
- Socialize with other writers
- Go to incredible workshops
- Drink martinis at the bar 
- Stalk favorite authors, agents or editors
- Network at the bar 
- And most important, jump start their writing mojo or kick some serious butt into a lazy or absentee muse!

I had come directly from an unplugged week vacationing in the Adirondack Mountains, so it was a bit of a cultural shock. It's not often one packs hiking boots and heels. I've decided that will be the title of my future contemporary romance. Seriously.

The conference was loads of fun. I got to meet my lovely editor, Leis Pederson for the first time.  We bonded over diet coke, lamenting that we couldn't take caffeine hits intravenously. I also caught up with my agent, Laura Bradford. I now understand why she is so good. She was chatting about another of her author's new releases (Maggie Robinson's In the Arms of a Heiress) and spun it so well, I went home and bought it. Laura chalks up another sale!

Kristan Higgen's awards luncheon speech made me laugh and cry, so of course I snatched up extra copies of her book to pass along to everyone I know. Kristan has a smile that is brighter than a 100-watt light bulb. She shines.  Can't imagine her book doing anything less.

I missed Cathy Maxwell's Keynote (still hiking in the Adirondacks), but I heard she was wonderful. I was disappointed because she was the first author to whom I wrote for advice on beginning a career in romance writing. I might have asked her to critique my book... (hey, I was a newbie).

A Chat with Nora Roberts was worth the price of the conference. A spitfire icon, she reminds us in a voice that sounds like it's filtered through rough sandpaper that writing is a job. Only blood and fire qualify as adequate interruptions (kids bleeding or house fire). Sage advice that I plan to convey to my family... The lights flickered when she mentioned Steven King. As Nora murmured in hushed awe 'that man is soooo powerful.' As is Nora.

Congratulations to all the RITA and Golden Heart winners!  So happy for Sarah MacLean for her win in the historical romance category for A Rogue By Any Other Name. It couldn't happen to a nicer person. Mary Jo Putney was awarded a Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award. As she is an age-old favorite author of mine, it was lovely to see her so honored.

Doing a book signing with fifty free giveaways is an incredible experience, and one I hope to repeat with my next book, THE HEART OF DUKE coming soon from Berkley Sensation, December 13, 2013. Place your pre-orders in time for it to arrive for the holidays.... 

Bitchin in the Kitchen

You know you're a bad cook when friends' e-mails begin with "burned anything lately?"- And they are serious. Let's just say, if I'm in the kitchen-- windows should be open and a take-out menu on hand.

I boil vegetables, but forget to add water.  Of course, this has a domino effect.
The pan burned, so I whisked it off the stove, set it on a glass cutting board, and shatter the board into a million pieces.
It gets better --
I then dumped the pan into the sink and poured cold water over it. The bottom of the pan literally broke off. My husband informed me I had burned the pan too many times. I didn't contradict him.

Then there is the time I cooked with Metamucil.  Seriously.
I needed to add chicken broth to a recipe.  I couldn't understand why the cubes of broth were in powder form or not in individual packets. However, I gamely estimated the necessary amount to be added.  Later, I mentioned the chicken broth consistency to my husband, who deduced the problem. My father had recently visited us and while traveling, he stores his Metamucil in--you guessed it--a container of chicken broth!  Hey, a high fiber diet is good for you, right?

I cooked an oven roast chicken and realized I had cooked it upside down. Apparently, there is a thermometer that is supposed to pop when it is done. My husband asked me where the bag of giblets was. What giblets? Apparently, I'm supposed to put my hand inside the chicken and pull out a bag filled with his innards?  No wonder I don't like to cook.

Cooking Disaster 101 tips:

Don't microwave chocolate to melt it.  Those are not Oreos in the bowl. This white chocolate became burned charcoal.

Don't store potatoes somewhere that you will forget about them. They look like prunes and after my Metamucil fiasco, I can't take any chances.

Last but not least, take off the cellophane wrapper from your ham before baking it. I think I got distracted on that one and forgot about it.  Even I know enough to do that....usually.

I blame my mother whose meals evolved around the cocktail hour, which consisted of stale Saltines, cheddar cheese, and champagne.  I kid you not.  But that story is for a whole another blog...