Satin Sheets Romance -Guest Author - Cynthia D'Alba

            All About Me!

Hi All! Cynthia D’Alba here. This is my first visit to Satin Sheets (as an author!) and I have to say… I love it. Of course, who doesn’t love a good set of Satin Sheets to wrap themselves in! The Satin Sheets gang asked me to tell y’all about my personal reading habits. Here goes…

I’ll start by saying I was a reader (make that voracious reader) since I could hold a book in my chubby little hands. The public library had a rule that you had to be five to get a library card. I was three, so mom used my sister’s name and library card for me to get books. Seriously! Mom worked across the street from the library so I would spend summer days down there reading everything I could get my hands on, from the Autobiography of Malcom X, and James Washington Carver and Joan of Arc to Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden books. I didn’t care what the book was. I just loved reading. Which brings us to romance.

I’ve tried to remember exactly what was the first romance book I ever read, but I don’t remember. I’m pretty sure it was either The Wolf and the Dove (1974) or The Flame and The Flower by Katherine Woodiwess (1972). However, even as a young reader, I was entranced by the innocent romance found in the Trixie Beldon books. Trixie and Jim…Sigh.

I don’t get to read as much as I used to since now I write as my job. However, contemporary romance (which is the genre I write) is still my favorite. I credit Susan Elizabeth Phillips for cementing my love for contemporary. I have all her books. I read them when I want to remind myself what great writing is. Of her books, there isn’t one in the Chicago Stars series that I don’t love. Most of her book beginnings are mind-blowing funny, clever, smart and evoke all kinds of envy on my part. Her ability to lace the story with laugh out loud one-liners is a talent many authors dream of…myself included.

On SEP’s heels is Kristan Higgins. Higgins tortures her heroines in the most delicious ways. I find myself laughing and groaning with the suffering she inflicts on the poor gals. But Higgins has also made me cry at times with her endings, something I don’t often do. Oh, and both of these ladies have made me lose hours of precious sleep because I get so caught up in their stories.

I discovered Susan Elizabeth Phillips when one of my friends recommended First Lady (2000). I discovered Kristan Higgins when she won her first RWA^® RITA award in 2008 for Catch of the Day. If you are unaware of the RITA awards, click HERE and read about them. Think “Academy Award” for romance novels.

Having said all that awesomeness about contemporary, let spend a minute on historical romance. LOVE ‘EM. Can’t write them, AT ALL. My voice simply doesn’t lend itself to historical. That said, I love nothing more than to lose myself in a great historical which shouldn’t be surprising since historical romance is where I began this love affair. In addition to Woodiwess, Jude Deveraux and Judith McNaught were my first go-to historical authors. There are some newer historical authors on the scene I’ve been enjoying such as Vicky Dreiling, Tracey Devlin, Eloisa James, and oh, there are so many. Picking a favorite historical romance author is tough.

 

Honestly, the worst interview question is “Who is (or are) your favorite author(s)?” I falter every time. There are just too many to list. I’d have to break all my favorite authors into categories by genre!

 

But the bottom line is that my heart lies with contemporary romance.

 

Which brings us to my latest book. (Don’t you love how I worked that in?)

 

TEXAS TANGO is the second book in the Texas Montgomery Mavericks Series. Here’s a little more about it:

Dr. Caroline Graham is happy with her nomadic lifestyle fulfilling short-term medical contracts. No emotional commitments, no disappointments. She’s always the one to walk away, never the one left behind. But now her great-uncle is gone and her grandmother is on her deathbed, more concerned about Caroline’s lack of a husband than her own demise. What’s the harm in a little white lie? If a wedding will give her grandmother peace, then a wedding she shall have.

Travis Montgomery has one dream left—to build the ranch he and his wife planned before he lost her to cancer. There’s just one thing standing between him and the last bit of acreage he needs—a last living heir who has one traveling foot out the door…and an unusual request that challenges his determination to never again place his heart at risk. The land he wants in exchange for a faux marriage. Everyone wins. Until things start to snowball…and the hearts they stand to lose are their own.

Want to read the opening of Chapter One of Texas Tango? Go HERE.

Texas Tango is available at your favorite online bookstore or follow any of the links below.

Amazon | Samhain  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo 

Well, I’m getting close to my word limit but don’t leave yet! I’ve got some goodies and prizes to give away. But it’s only fair that I tell y’all a little about me. I was born and raised in a small Arkansas town. After being gone for a number of years, I’m thrilled to be making my home back in Arkansas living in a vine-covered cottage on the banks of an eight-thousand acre lake. I started writing on a challenge from my husband in 2006 and discovered having imaginary sex with lots of hunky men was fun.

My first book, Texas Two Step, released in 2012 to outstanding reviews, was a Samhain Publishing best seller. The second book in the Texas Montgomery Mavericks series, Texas Tango, released November 5, 2013, again from Samhain Publishing. In February, 2014, Texas Fandango, a Novella in the Texas Montgomery Series will be released by Samhain Publishing. I am currently at work on book 3 of the Texas Montgomery Mavericks series (Texas Twist).

I love love love to hear from readers and there are lots of ways to find me. Online, you can find me most days at my website or my group blog.

Follow me at Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Goodreads or Pinterest.

or email me at cynthia@cynthiadalba.com

To send me snail mail, write to: Cynthia D’Alba   PO Box 2116   Hot Springs, AR 71914

Now for the fun stuff. J

In the spirit of Christmas sneaking up on us, I’ll pick among the comments for someone to take home a western-themed ornament. Here’s just a sample…

I’ve got some great blog tour prizes that’ll be awarded at the end of the tour. I’m using Rafflecopter and sometimes it plays well with Blogger and sometimes it doesn’t. If it did this time, there will be a Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of the page. If not, never fear! Here’s a link to a back-up site on my Facebook page:  http://bit.ly/18bP7RT
There’s more chances to win on my TEXAS TANGO Jewelry-Themed Rafflecopter Giveaway. I’m at a number of stops today, so check out my personal blog for other places you can enter contests! Want to see what you can win?

AND I have swag for the asking! But when it’s gone, it’s gone. Pens, jar openers, postcards, bookmarks, trading cards…just go by my contact page and send me a note.

Thanks for coming by. Check out the Rafflecopter giveaway for entries. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway