I’m so excited-I’m starting to see the reviews trickle in for HIGHLAND OBSESSION. Here’s what people are saying about this book:

“…uses a love triangle to explore not only the possibility of loving more than one person but the bonds of male friendship and how obsession warps the soul. All these strong themes are well handled in this satisfying read.”

4 Stars, RT Book Reviews Magazine

“A fantastic balance of erotic detail and deep emotional connection. This one is going on my keeper shelf.”

Jess Michaels – Author of TABOO

“Two bold, scorching hot heroes and the woman that ignites the flame…this book sweeps you off your feet and into a romance as untamed as the wild Scottish Highlands. I was captivated.”

Emma Wildes – Author of AN INDECENT PROPOSITION

“…Highland Obsession hits the mark for me … Dawn Halliday has done a beautiful job of making it all come to life.”

5 Hearts, Recommended Read, Night Owl Romance

I had the most fun ever writing this book, and the research…ahh! LOVED it!

The Highlands are such a rugged, grounded place, and its people and their ideas about honor and duty are fascinating to me.

For an excerpt of HIGHLAND OBSESSION, click here (adults only, please!).

To buy it:

Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | Borders | Chapters.ca

I’m researching scandalous marriages today and came across a lecture entitled “On Woman” delivered by Colonel Willyams at the Cornwall Literary and Philosophical Society in 1819.

The good colonel spends some time extolling the virtues of women, but then turns to their more despicable qualities. Then he says he’s set up some “rules and regulations” for women that he intends to get passed as an act of parliament. For women who break these rules, he suggests a “female court martial” made up of “gentlewomen of tried candour.”

What are the proposed rules, you ask? Well, here they are. I have to chuckle when I relate this to the writing community/blogs/etc. Most of us would be in big trouble!

ARTICLE 1st:

RULE: All ladies must diligently attend holy services.

PUNISHMENT: If a lady goes to church and behaves improperly, if married, she will be brought before the court martial to be “publicly and severely reprimanded.” If she’s not married, she must forfeit twelve pence.

ARTICLE 2nd:

RULE: Ladies must never speak in a disrespectful manner towards their superiors.

PUNISHMENT: Any lady to use “treacherous or disrespectful” words against her superior in rank or reputation must be rejected by her own society and “put to the bottom of the list.”

ARTICLE 3rd:

RULE: A lady can’t be mean to anyone who’s prettier or more accomplished than her, and she can’t hurt their feelings or dishonor them.

PUNISHMENT: “Any married unmarried or widow lady who shall behave herself contemptuously or spitefully towards her superior in beauty or accomplishment or shall speak words tending to her hurt or dishonour shall be punished accordingto the nature of her offence by the judgment of a female court martial.”

(Yep, I hurt your feelings, so I must PAY!!!!)

ARTICLE 4th:

RULE: No lady can cause or join in any scandal.

PUNISHMENT: If a lady is found guilty, she must “suffer silence, or such other punishment as by a female court martial shall be awarded.”

(Yeah, “silence” was italicized. What is “silence,” I wonder? She’s not allowed to talk at all?)

ARTICLE 5th:

RULE: Any lady present at a scandal must immediately “impart the information to her husband, father, brother, or other commanding officer.”

PUNISHMENT: Those who break this rule shall suffer the same punishment as article 4th.

(‘Cause, you know, the guys MUST know all the gossip, too….)

Here is the lecture (from Ackerman’s Repository) in full from Google books:


Sometimes, we’ve just got to appreciate the fact that we don’t live in the 19th century!

Congrats to Jessica M., who won (per random.org) my most recent contest! She gets a copy of A HINT OF WICKED by me, a copy of HIGHLAND OBSESSION also by me (but writing as Dawn Halliday, lol), and a bunch of author goodies.

Thanks to all who entered the contest! I asked about online sites that you go to for book information and your entries introduced me to several brand-new-to-me sites!

Stay tuned for my next contest. I have a wild idea for an ongoing contest to build up for the release of A TOUCH OF SCANDAL…

And, if you’re a writer, be sure to check out my contest over at Dawn Halliday’s site. There’s still time to enter for a critique by agent Barbara Poelle!

Thanks again! And congrats to Jessica!

Ahhh…HIGHLAND OBSESSION. It’s a love triangle like A HINT OF WICKED…but different. A touch more erotic, with two hotheaded Highland men and one very determined woman. I LOVED writing this book! I’m so thrilled about its release!

I just found this while doing my endless research about servants’ lives.

It has been frequently observed by travellers and men of experience that comfort is a term only understood in England and scarcely applicable to the habits of any other nation.

From:

By Katherine Golden Bitting
Collection on Gastronomy (Library of Congress, 1831)

I have to say, I love the vanity of the English during this period!
So…hmmm. What do you think? Was she right?

I have a fabulous contest starting tomorrow over at my Dawn Halliday site. If you’re a writer and you’re looking for an agent, this is for you! Go check it out!

www.dawnhalliday.com

I love getting reader emails. Thanks so much to all of you who have emailed me about A HINT OF WICKED!

By far, the most common question I’m receiving in emails lately, is: When will A TOUCH OF SCANDAL be out?
Answer: April, 2010.

It seems like a long way away. I have to admit, I’d love it if it were to release next month (even though I haven’t finished copyedits yet, lol!). But on the other hand, I know April will be here before we know it.

And I have a special treat to show all of you today:

Isn’t it pretty? I think they did a great job evoking the emotion of the story, and the woman looks exactly like how I imagine the heroine, Kate. (Plus blue and gold were the colors of both my universities!) Anyway, I just love it!

I’m off to the Romance Writers of America annual conference in Washington, D.C.! If you’re in the area, please come visit us! There’s going to be a massive romance writer signing on Wednesday. If not, add a comment about what you think of the ATOS cover (honest opinions, please!), and I’ll randomly select one commenter when I come home to receive a signed copy of A HINT OF WICKED! Have a great week everyone!

To win a copy of A HINT OF WICKED plus a pre-release copy of my alter-ego Dawn Halliday‘s brand-new hot Highlander book, HIGHLAND OBSESSION, just visit my CONTEST page and let me know your favorite site to go to to find great new books to read!

Here’s the cover of HIGHLAND OBSESSION. Isn’t it…yum? 🙂

Congrats to Marie C., who won my “Wicked” contest with Christine Wells. Marie wins signed copies of A HINT OF WICKED and Christine’s WICKED LITTLE GAME! Here are Marie’s favorite wicked characters:

“Wicked-yum! — Right now I’m lovin’ two men, Lucas from Nalini Singh’s ‘Slave to Sensation’ and Viscount Vale from Elizabeth Hoyt’s ‘To Seduce a Sinner’.

Wicked-eeeuuuwww! — Prince Humperdinck (from the ‘Princess Bride’)”

LOL! I love the “Wicked-eeeuuuwww” answer! Congratulations, Marie!

Wow, what a month. Between baseball, end-of-school craziness, and the book release & blog tour, I think the dust is finally beginning to settle. Well, except for the fact that my agent called to let me know book #3 is now due a month earlier, because my publisher would like to schedule 2 books for me in 2010! Yay! But…eek! For the next few months I’m going to be The Little Engine That Could…

I have a GREAT contest in the works! (Hint: It involves my agent and/or a barrel of awesome signed books!) So please check in often! I don’t know exactly when we’re going to get started, but I do know it’s going to be a blast.

I’m holding a contest with the amazing Christine Wells, whose next book, WICKED LITTLE GAME, is releasing in July. I’ve had a sneak peek at this story, and it is absolutely fabulous. If you’d like to be entered in the drawing, just visit my extras page.