Monday, April 19, 2010

Six Book Giveaway!


Fantasies. We’ve all got them. Right?

I hope so, because I just agreed to write a story for the Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance, and God knows Scotsmen are supposed to be one of women’s big fantasies.








Which got me thinking about other fantastical guys. Like knights. That whole age of chivalry thing has been making damsels sworn for centuries.






Then there are firefighters. Come on, whole calendars are devoted to them.























What about cowboys? Is there one of us who
hasn’t read (or written) the ‘lone cowboy’s secret stolen gazillionaire baby’ story?













Anyone for doctors?








Rock stars?







Cops? How about cops? I’m not usually crazy about law enforcement, but ever since I got writing the Chrissy McMullen books, I’ve been pretty wild for Lieutenant Rivera.








So how about you? What’s your fantasy? And what books have you read that portrayed him the best?

To celebrate the APRIL 27TH release of Not One Clue, I’m giving away the whole six book series (Unzipped, Unplugged, Unscrewed, Unmanned, One Hot Mess, and Not One Clue) to some intrepid commenter, so please do share.

47 comments:

Venus Vaughn said...

My fantasy man is all the archetypes rolled together, except, I only want one to come out at a time. Alpha when I'm feeling vulnerable. Beta when I'm feeling feminist, Gamma when I want someone 'taken care of' and don't need to know the details(if you know what I mean...)

Always chivalrous, lots of stamina. Not afraid of housework, praises my cooking. The whole unrealistic package.

But not too good-looking, I don't wanna compete for him. Knowing how beautiful he is on the inside will be my treasure alone.

Virginia C said...

Wow, Lois! Thank you for offering everyone such a fantastic giveaway opportunity!

You mentioned many noteworthy and attractive types of heroes. However, for me, the "Men of the West" are the men I love the best. I was raised in a household where the whole family gathered together to watch great Western dramas on TV. Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Virginian, The Big Valley, High Chapparal, Cimmaron Strip, Rawhide, Wagon Train, Death Valley Days. Who could forget Maverick, Cheyenne, Have Gun Will Travel, and The Rifleman?

My grandfather loved to read books by Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour. The love of my life, Sam Elliott, starred in a superb made for TV adaption of Louis L'Amour's book "Conagher". Starring with Sam in this wonderful movie is his lovely wife, Katharine Ross.

I have a great affinity for the American Old West of the mid to late 1800's. In my heart and mind, I am deeply connected to that era. I feel as though I could set my birthdate back 100 years and never lose my stride, just step right into the life.

When you are loved by a cowboy, you are well and truly loved. Cowboys are short on words, and deep with feelings. There are many fine Western writers who capture the feel and the flavor of the West: Susan Kay Law, Kathleen Eagle, Linda Broday, Elaine Levine, Jodi Thomas, Linda Lael Miller, Diana Palmer, Victoria Bylin, Elizabeth Lane, Stacey Kayne, Leigh Greenwood, and so many, many more. Wonderful writers of Western Romance!

I am of Scottish descent, and I do also love Hunky Highlanders! I will definitely be looking for "The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance"!

gcwhiskas at aol dot com

Mystica said...

Its a wonderful giveaway and thank you very much for hosting.

Dont fantasize very much but what you have offered on this post is I think a good mix!

mystica123athotmaildotcom

Helen Brenna said...

Wow, Lois! What a nice giveaway!

As for fantasies. Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes! I'll take them all, thank you very much!

cait045 said...

I like Bad boys turned good when trying to win the girl. I like cowboys and cops.

usignolc(at)yahooDOTcom

Unknown said...

Venus, I think you said it all. Why be realistic when we fantasize??

And Virginia, I'm with you. Those cowboy types still work for me.

Laney4 said...

Wow. Thanks for sharing all those lovely pics.
I was surprised to see you had George Clooney's most recent ER picture (since he has grey hair). I think George has gotten better looking each year, but that could be just me, LOL! I'm a sucker for any movie with George in it.
Speaking of guys who age well, I can't get enough of Mark Harmon either. He was good looking when younger too, but maybe because I'm "of an age" with these gentlemen, I appreciate what they appear to offer (if only they'd offer "it" to me, LOL!).
Yes, I guess my fantasies include the above two "sexiest men of the year". Those aren't bad fantasies to have (although if they're "bad", that makes it all the better, right?).
Can't think of what books portrayed these fantasies the best. I am Fifty and Forgetful and have read hundreds of books every year for the past 35+ years. I don't remember one book from the other usually! The books that stand out for me are the ones I just can't stand. I put a post-it note on the cover to remind me what I didn't like about the book, then I try one or two more books by that author to see if it was a fluke or not. If I don't like any of the three books, I don't buy any more from that author. There are too many books out there that I DO enjoy to waste my time on ones I don't like, even if they are written by someone famous.

Michele Hauf said...

Great giveaway, Lois!

You forgot to mention werewolves. Hee. Hey! They are snuggly and playful and very protective of their women. And they can probably fetch,too. ;-)

Linda Henderson said...

I love the Mammoth books, I just got the Mammoth Irish book and the Paranormal book. I get acquainted with a lot of new authors that way. I enjoy all kinds of heroes, bad boys, military, law enforcement, private detectives, rakes, high-powered businessmen, really just about anything. If you want specific, I love the bad boy turned good of Roarke in J.D. Robb's In Death series, he makes me want to go to Ireland. Love all the Highlander stories, and those charismatic shape-shifters in the paranormal stories, can't resist them either.

Kathleen Eagle said...

I caught the end of one of the ubiquitous survey reports on TV last night and laughed out loud. Did you know that American women prefer "bad boys" to "sensitive men"?

Kathleen Eagle said...

Lois, that threesome? Not cowboys. The holes in the jeans aren't cowboy. And what's the one on the right doing?

catslady said...

ROFLMAO Kathleen - I didn't notice until you mentioned that!!!!

I think I must not have a great fantasy life on my own and that's why I read so much. Each book turns into a fantasy :)

Great contest - thanks for the chance!!

Unknown said...

Linda, I love Roarke, too. Well...me and about 5 zillion other women.

Unknown said...

Kathy, okay, the threesome is just a trio of guys with great abs and hats, but the other guy is the photo for ND tourism so he mmmmmiiiggght be the real deal. I'd have to see him walk to be sure.

Cindy Gerard said...

Congrats on the new release, Lois and thanks for the eye candy to start the week!
I see Russell Crow has a new movie coming out - ROBIN HOOD. What's not to like about THAT kind of hero??

Netti said...

oh! A Knight's Tale is one of my most fave movies EVER. I'm not usually a big fan of blondes but man is he YUMMMMMY in that movie.

Congrats on the release!!!

Terry Odell said...

I'm still stuck on Sean Connery and Harrison Ford!

Unknown said...

My fantasy lately have been cowboys! I think if your loved by a cowboy you are truely loved! Although I do love me some highlanders too! I think I just love heros! Leigh Greenwood writes some awesome cowboys along with Kaki Warner, and Elaine Levine! These are new authors to me!

Carol L. said...

Hi Lois,
What a great group of pictures to pick everyone up on a boring Monday. Thanks. Also a great giveaway. But my Alpha is the Scottish Highlander. My favorite read. The Outlander series portrayed him as did the Karen Marie Moning,Monica McCarty and Su Ann Welfonder books. There are more but these are just a few. Love then kilts. ;0
Carol L.
Lucky4750@aol.com

Froggy said...

Congrats on writing a story for Scottish Romance...yum...and for your new book release!

I like those paranormal otherworld characters...vampires, werewolves oh my...but I wouldn't say no to a highlander! LOL

Thanks for the chance to win! :)

Hugs,
Froggy
froggarita@gmail.com
www.froggaritasbookcase.net

Unknown said...

Netti, me either...blondes don't usually do it for me, but Ledger was really pretty great in that role.

Anonymous said...

George Clooney, George Clooney, George Clooney, you get the picture!

Carol N Wong said...

Whoops! I was so stuck on George Clooney that I forgot to leave a clue as to who I am!

Unknown said...

Terry, I almost used a pic of Connery in a kilt. Cuz it doesn't even matter that he's bald and older than dirt. What does he have that makes that true??

runner10 said...

Can't top those cowboys!!!
Congrats on the new release. I know it will do great!! Would love to read all!!

Minna said...

Depends on my mood... Right now my fantasy man would be a sexy geek who would fix my %¤#& computer.

Leanne said...

Tried to leave a comment earlier, but something went wrong. CONGRATS on the new release Lois and thanks for the great Monday Morning eye candy!:) What a great way to start the week. My current film guy fave is Jason Statham.

chey said...

Great pics! It depends on what I'm reading, and if I like the heros. Most recently a cop and a soldier.

Keri Ford said...

Lois, my goodness what a giveaway!

I'm all for the Scotsman. If I was single and didn't have a kid, I'd be saving up to take a nice loooonnnnnggggg vacation to see if I couldn't find me a kilt wearing feller.

Lorelei Bell said...

Okay, my husband is a Scotsman, also with Swedish from his mom. He's my hunk.

But if I were to cast anyone into something like a cowboy, it would be my all time favorite actor, Tom Sellack.

Not sure what he would look like in a kilt but I sure liked him in a pair of shorts when he was on Magnum.

donnas said...

Congrats on the release!! My fantasy is a mix of a whole bunch of different characters, I dont think I could pick just one to name. But I do love to imagine the end result.

I ♥ Book Gossip said...

I'm all about the badboy with the inner demon like JR Wards.I love that they try to save the world for us humans but still have issues and need a girl to save them even though their the hero. I definetly have a thing for cops because well honestly they just look dreamy in their uniforms. On or off :)

cindyc725 at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

great giveaway...i like the classic 'tall/dark/handsome' man

karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com

Jane said...

I have a thing for law enforcement. I had a huge crush on Agent Mulder from The X-Files. He was brooding, but also quirky and I loved his dry sense of humor. I think part of the attraction is knowing that David Duchovny was very smart.

s7anna said...

I love quirky Alpha heroes the most but am quite open to loving a great Beta hero who's got the same sort of characteristics that make a great male protagonist. I love a hero who is eccentric, flawed, strong, considerate, loyal and fierce. There are waay too many for me to list in terms of the purrfect hero but to me one of the ones that I keep hoping a story will be written about is a comic book hero if you can believe it...The Punisher...I just think that there is such tremendous potential in making him the ultimate hero.

hugs,
Anna
s7anna@yahoo.ca

Unknown said...

Hey I'm back online, and have to agree with evvveryone. But there is something about a guy in uniform, isn't there.

She said...

The dark brooding vampire is the one for me but I'll take any alpha. As long as I'm cast as the heroine.

lrhubble said...

I love reading about Alpha males. Though ones with Scottish accents are a favorite. Yum. :-) Not so much into rock stars and so on. But firemen are hot in more ways than one. LOL

congrats on your latest release.

Larena

Unknown said...

It's probably a good thing men don't realize what dynamite kilts are to us romantically inclined females. Interestingly, guys find then kind of romantic too. when we were in England and Scotland, the one thing my younger son wanted was an authentic kilt. . . and by golly he got one. Cost a small fortune. (It was the Braceheart era-- all teenage boys wanted to be Scottish!) But he's got great legs and wore it for some of his senior pictures in high school Looked too cool.

And watching those Scottish soldiers marching and doing maneuvers in their kilts-- they nearly had to call the paramedics for me!

And speaking of paramedics-- those firemen are really something special. But I have to say, having lived in cowboy country for 9 years-- a nice fitting pair of Wranglers (the REAL cowboy's jeans)and a pair of boots and a Stetson. . . can turn just about anybody's head. Reowrrrrrrr.

Unknown said...

We seem to have an alpha male fan club here. Which I get...but maybe not in real life.

I read though that the closer women get to ovulation the more attracted they are to alphas. We're all just animals under the skin. :)

Martha Lawson said...

Love me some cowboys, also SEALs, firefighters, cops, bad boys! Hey, I aint picky.. Great giveaway, please enter me.

mlawson17 at hotmail dot com

Lady_Graeye said...

My heros have always been cowboys. Love those cowboys! Men in uniform too; Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines. They are totally yuummy!

robynl said...

my fantasy is the cowboy/western book such as Lucky Tyler in Sandra Brown's Texas!Lucky(Texas Trilogy). He is kind, thoughtful, stands up to men who are harrassing women, sexy. You know!

buddyt said...

I think for most of us our fantasies change ever so often, perhaps depending on the latest book we have read or movie we have seen.

But probably we mostly fantasize about celebrities be they movie stars, musicians or Paris Hilton !

Thats why they are celebrities, because of us and not really because of what they actually are or do.

Carol T

buddytho {at} gmail DOT com

Mitzi H. said...

My fantasy.....I just want to be able to walk thru the standing stones and go back in time and meet me a Highlander like Jamie....Ohhhhh, so gooooood!!!!

Laurie G said...

I like the quiet heroes who help behind the scenes: the ex-mercs and soldiers in Diana Palmer's books, the ex-military guys, SEALs etc in Catherine Mann's, Christina Skye's , Merline Lovelace' sand Suzanne Brockmann's books.

I love Highland heroes too. Iain in Pamela Clare's Surrender so reminded me of William Wallace in Braveheart. They are so honorable! Love the loyalty that they inspire in their clansmen and followers.

Lately I've been enjoying several books with retired athletes and sheriffs as heroes.

I really have eclectic tastes in heroes!!

Thanks for the chance to win several of your wonderful books!!

bluegrassnash said...

How about a geek. An IT or scientist type. Really. I think it's a fantasy to wake up with one of the smartest,sexiest men in the world? The guy wouldn't just have brains. He would have it ALL, including dark eyes and a chiseled chest and stomach. Mystery, manners, and the secured finances of his success are a plus too. Daytime geek. Nighttime fantasy.