Sunday, December 2, 2012

Interview w/ Vanessa Kelly + giveaway (open INT)

 

Morning yall! We've got a wonderful Canadian author,Vanessa Kelly, joining us today to chat about her newest release, His Mistletoe Bride! Vanessa writes absolutely lovely historicals (with gorgeous covers!) and is one of the nicest ladies you'll meet. 

Come check out our interview and give her a nice welcome! 

Then head on down to the bottom and enter to win some really fabulous gifties from Vanessa!

When Major Lucas Stanton inherited his earldom, he never dreamed his property would include the previous earl’s granddaughter. Phoebe Linville is a sparkling American beauty, yes, but with a talent for getting into trouble. Witness the compromising position that forced them into wedlock. Whisked away to Mistletoe Manor, his country estate, it isn’t long before she is challenging his rules—and surprising him in and out of bed.

Phoebe has no intention of bowing to Lucas’ stubbornness, even though he offers all that she wants. His kisses and unexpected warmth are enticing, but Phoebe is determined to show the Earl of Merritt what real love is all about. And if that takes twelve nights of delicious seduction by a roaring fire, she’s more than willing to reveal her gifts very slowly…
Buy Your Copy:  Amazon   B&N   BAM   BookDepository


Good morning Vanessa! Hope things are going great way up there in Canada and yall are staying nice and toasty warm  :) 
Hi Anna! Thanks so much for including me in your wonderful holiday event. I have a confession to make—I’m not in Canada! I’m fortunate enough to spend part of the winter in Florida with hubby, so we’re staying pretty toasty, thank goodness.

LOL Well then hello way down there from NC! <g> I finished your book, His Mistletoe Bride, not too long ago and loved it. It was such a refreshingly unique read. From the heroine being a Quaker to the rather cheeky servants and blunt family members. Could you tell us a bit about the book and what inspired you to write Lucas and Phoebe's story? 
I have to give much of the credit to my editor, who wanted me to write a Christmas book.  I already knew I wanted a heroine from a Quaker community, and the idea of placing her in a Christmas story intrigued me.  I grew up in a historic Quaker town in New Jersey, one of the oldest in the country.  That heritage is still very visible, with an active Friends school and meeting house.  So in a real way this book is partly a tribute to the town where I grew up.  I also thought it would be fun to have a heroine who had very little knowledge of what an English Christmas looked like, and I enjoyed showing the festivities and traditions from Phoebe’s perspective.
You're editor may be one of my favorite people now! So glad she put in for a Christmas story :) Did you have anyone in mind when you were writing Phoebe and Lucas?

In terms of models? For Lucas, I very firmly had the divine Henry Cavill in mind. He’s strong and commanding, but utterly handsome and dreamy.  
For Phoebe, I envisioned Keira Knightly as she appeared in Pride and Prejudice—plainly dressed, outspoken, but still lovely and appealing.
Oh they're lovely together :) The two attended some rather disastrous parties and get-togethers in the book. Any party catastrophes in your past?
Honestly, too many and too embarrassing to even list here!  I do remember one party years ago, when I first went off to university.  I went with one person from my dorm, who pretty much abandoned me when we got there.  I didn’t know a soul and spent the night in the corner, nursing my drink and trying to pretend that I did, in fact, have a social life.  So I could really relate to Phoebe feeling like an outsider.  I’ve also been at more than few parties where things got out of control and the police were called.  I usually tried to make my exit from those out the back door!
Could you tell us 3 fun behind the scenes facts about His Mistletoe Bride?
Fact one – this is the first of my books that has gone to a second printing.              *yay! Congrats! That's awesome Vanessa!*
Fact two – I have a really cute Pinterest board about the book, with a scene by scene breakdown in pictures and text.   
Fact three – As you know, some of the characters in the book go by the last name of Christmas.  It’s actually a not uncommon name in some parts of England, including Kent, where part of the book is set.
Ah yes I love your Pinterest boards <g> So, what's up next for for you? Will we be seeing any more from this lovely group of friends and family? 
It’s possible, although I am now on to writing a new series.  The Renegade Royals is about the unknown, illegitimate sons of the royal princes of England, and the first story will be out in December, 2013.  But I do love the Stanton family, and there just might be some self-published short stories and novellas set in their world.
Oh.My.Word that sounds fantastic Vanessa! I seriously cannot wait to meet these men! Now, you also do a bit of writing with your husband as V.K. Sykes. I gotta know, how do yall go about that? Were there any big surprises that came about from writing as a team?


Two big surprises – how well we work together, and what a good writer my husband is.  We were both non-fiction writers in our former lives, but Randy has a great sense of pacing and he’s wonderful with creating exciting and interesting plots.  And I think one of the reasons we work so well together is that we never work on the same part of any manuscript at the same time.  He writes the first draft and hands it on to me for revisions, and does something else while I’m doing that.

Holiday traditions played a big part in His Mistletoe Bride. Do you have any you're looking forward to? Any exciting plans for the holidays?
Honestly?  We’re hoping for a very quiet Christmas with my dad and stepmother.  We had a lot of craziness in my family last year, including some pretty big health challenges for my dad.  If we can just have a peaceful, healthy time of it we’ll all be happy!  But we do enjoy all the traditional things like putting up the tree, decorating the house, and cooking wonderful holiday foods.  And I have a sneaking fondness for our animatronic reindeer.  I nicknamed him Tad, and he always gives me a smile whenever I see him. 
LOL. Tad? That's awesome! How about a just for fun lightning round then we'll let you get back to the family and  all that relaxing. Sounds like pure bliss to us!
  1. Cats or Dogs? Dogs
  2. Favorite villain? Darth Vader
  3. Oddest thing in your purse? Hand moisturizer from Japan
  4. Pecan or Pumpkin Pie? Both    *oh, we knew we liked you! ;) *
  5. Mistletoe Manner or Belfield Abbey? Belfield Abbey
  6. First book that got you hooked on Romance? Regency Buck, by Georgette Heyer
  7. Favorite scent? Vanilla
Thanks so much for joining us this morning Vanessa! It was lovely chatting with you. Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and New Year down in Florida and good health continues all around!!




Vanessa Kelly is an award-winning author who was named by Booklist, the review journal of the American Library Association, as one of the “New Stars of Historical Romance.”  Her Regency-set historical romances have been nominated for awards in a number of contests, and her second book, Sex and The Single Earl, won the prestigious Maggie Medallion for Best Historical Romance.  Her latest book, My Favorite Countess, was nominated for an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Regency Historical Romance.

Vanessa spends most of the year in Ottawa, Ontario with her husband, but she’s lucky enough to spend some of the winter near lovely Amelia Island, Florida.  When she’s not dreaming of plots for her next Regency novel, she’s writing contemporary romances with her husband, under the pen name of V.K. Sykes. 

Website    Pinterest   Facebook   Twitter   Goodreads   Blog   Rock*It Reads



Vanessa is being so awesome and giving away two SIGNED copies of her books today!
Mastering The Marquess and My Favorite Countess

Leave her some interview love and fill out the Rafflecopter!

We'll have 2 winners, one book each! Open INT

[then hop over to our REVIEW & enter the grand prize!]

103 comments:

  1. Ouch.. i'm fans with so many rafflecopter :(

    Great interview, I love the models you choose :)

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    1. Aw, is it not cooperating with you Eli?

      Aren't they lovely together? I thought they were great picks too!

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    2. Thanks, Eli! They both seemed to fit perfectly with the ideas of the characters in my head.

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  2. I really enjoyed the interview! What a beautiful dress she's wearing on the cover. I'd love to be able to pull that off. What was your inspiration for writing His Mistletoe Bride? I can so see Keira Knightly as the heroine.
    luvfuzzzeeefaces at yahoo dot com

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    1. Julianne, I had an idea for the book and was staring to head in a certain direction when my editor suggested I write a Christmas book. Since it was to be the wrap up for the series, I thought that was a great idea. I was also inspired to write a heroine with a Quaker background because I grew up in a small town in NJ that was founded by Quakers. It's a bit of a tribute to my own roots.

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  3. Congratulations for the release! Really like your books :D

    Thanks for the giveaway.

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    1. Thank you, Aly! I'm really glad you enjoy my books!

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  4. Great interview...I loved the snippets of facts! So are there a lot of Christmas' in Kent :) It's so interesting that you also write with your husband! I will go to check out books under both names! Thanks for sharing!
    ivegotmail8889(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Thanks, pc! It's always fun when you stumble upon little facts that seem to fit perfectly in the story.

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  5. Thank you so so much for the international giveaway. I confess you are a new author to me but now i really want to discover your books so thank you for this opportunity
    i love the cover of a mistletoe bride
    isabelle(dot)frisch(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Thanks, miki! It's a beautiful cover, isn't it?

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  6. Oh it fascinates me, a husband wife writing team. Amazing. Husband and I are a great pair and get along so well. Still,I cant imagine doing that. I would love to read your story.

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    1. It fascinates me too! There are two "authors" I read (that I know of) that are husband/wife teams. So neat :)

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    2. krazymama, it works very well most of the time, and it does help that we enjoy spending so much time together.

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  7. It's amazing to me to find out about more & more husband & wife writing teams. I can't even get mine to read! Loved the excerpts!
    modularmates(at)comcast(dot)net

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    1. Pretty amazing isn't it? The other husband/wife team I read (Ilona Andrews) does an amazing job with. Can't wait to read VK Sykes and see what Vanessa & her hubby come up with. I've heard nothing but good things!

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    2. Thanks, LM! I have one reader whose husband wouldn't pick up a book either. She gave him one of our VK Sykes sports romances - he really liked it!

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  8. Great interview! I love author interviews! It's nice to learn a little about the wonderful people that write the amazing books for us all to enjoy. I've read and very much loved the V.K. Sykes books and I can't wait to read HIS MISTLETOE BRIDE. It's a beautiful cover & I know the inside will be just as awesome!

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    1. oh my word. You'll love it! It was such a fun read :) I've got to try out the V.K. Sykes books next. I've got Bigger Than Beckham burning a hole in my Nook right now. Can't wait!

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    2. Aw! Thank you, southern girl! I'm so happy you enjoyed the VK Sykes books.

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    3. Hi Anna! Thanks so much for hosting me today! Hope you enjoy BTB - we really had fun writing that book.

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    4. Thanks for coming by Vanessa! It was wonderful having you! I'll hopefully get to read BTB at the end of the month. So looking forward to it :)

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  9. Oh! Speaking of Pinterest did yall see the wreath Vanessa made out of cover flats on her Pinterest board? It is so pretty!

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    1. Nooo!!!! I'm off to check now! :) Love all of her boards!

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    2. Thanks!! I had fun working on it, and I am definitely NOT a crafty person!

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  10. I love the fact that some of the characters have the last name of Christmas. I work with a girl who's last name is Darling. I've always found unusual last names to be so cool.

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  11. This sounds like a totally entertaining book!! Henry Cavill?? I have rot read this just to picture him as the Hero! My favorite stories that include humor in with the smoldering. Looking forward to reading The Mistletoe Bride! Thanks Anna, and Vanessa.

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    1. Pat, thank you. I do try to mix smoldering with humor - love that description!

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  12. Looks like a fun winter read. Looking forward to adding it to my TBR list :) Merry Christmas!

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  13. Great interview! I really love that Vanessa writes with her husband. I think that's fun and having male input I'm sure adds a little something to the story.

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    1. Jyl, it really helps with figuring out the male point of view, that's for sure. One of my favorite reviews once said that the author really seemed to understand men!

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  14. Absolutely loved the interview! I so hope you release a short story/ novella before next december!! =D

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    1. Nat, I actually have a short story I'll be posting on my website later this month. It's a Christmas scene, staring Bathsheba and John from My Favorite Countess.

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  15. Vanessa, as I hang my head in shame, I admit I've never read your books although I've heard great things and love the covers of your books! But I'm hanging my head higher as I look forward to reading your books..yep, added you to the top of my TBR list!

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    1. LOL! No cause for shame, books4me. There are so many wonderful romance authors to choose from these days, and not enough time to read. I'd be embarrassed to name some of the authors I haven't read yet!

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  16. Just added your book to my Books to Find list. Enjoyed the interview and I liked the choice of models/faces to match your characters. I'm going on from here to check out your Pinterest board. That sounds like fun too. Hope you do write some novellas; they are just the thing to keep one going until the next big book comes out.

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    1. TxDee, my next "formal" novella comes out a year from now. I will try to do some on-line shorts on my website, though. Thanks for stopping by!

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  17. Looking forward to reading His Mistletoe Bride, even more after reading your interview. :)

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  18. I do love your books Vanessa! And I am looking forward to reading the new series about the illegitimate sons of the royal princes. One of my fave historical authors had a trilogy about 3 illegitimate sons of the King (I think, it has been a little bit since I read them)

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    1. Hi June! Yes, I think that might have been Madeline Hunter, maybe? I don't remember either!

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  19. Vanessa I was lucky enough to have gotten an early print of Mistletoe Bride and loved it. Can't wait to read your next series.

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  20. Love this and i can´t wait to read His Mistletoe Bride =) it´s on my TBR list.
    Thanks for the giveaway (and for keeping it International =)) and Happy Monday!
    //Linda

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  21. Love reading My favorite countess and looking forward to His Mistletoe Bride!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed Bathsheba's story - she's one of my favorite heroines!

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  22. I absolultely love your books. I am so thankful that I stumbled upon Lila DiPasqua's books in Border's because when her husband took over her blog and interviewed author's husbands I became aware of your books. I love how you draw your reader into the story and have your characters come to life.

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    1. Ora, that is such a neat story! Thank you for telling me about it! It makes me very happy that you like my books.

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  23. This looks like a great book!
    You had mentioned non-fiction writers in your former lives. So I take it you believe in reincarnation? What other lives do you remember? Or was that jsut a turn of phrase?

    Awesome interview loved it! :-)

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    1. Penni, turn of phrase, although I don't necessarily discount former lives. That are so many things we don't know about the spiritual world.

      My husband and I were both researchers for a large union. We did lots of non-fiction writing. Trust me, fiction is way more fun!

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  24. Georgette Heyer got me hooked on romance, too! In my case, The Grand Sophy was the first book I read. Enjoy your stay in Florida.

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    1. jmcgaugh, isn't The Grand Sophy an awesome book? I reread it about once a year! Great way for us to start our love of romance, eh?

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  25. Hey, Vanessa! Your books are wonderful and I can't wait to read the next one. I own all of yours and devour them in hours. Please keep 'em coming!

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    1. I'll second that! Please keep em coming!

      So glad to hear you love em too Molly!

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  26. I enjoyed the interview and yum,great pic of Henry Cavill. I love your books Vanessa and I'm looking forward to reading His Mistletoe Bride.

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  27. Congratulations for the release!!
    Looking forward to reading His Mistletoe Bride. Hope soon :)

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  28. Great interview. What a pretty cover and its nice to read a holiday novel. Puts you in the spirit. sdylion(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. It definitely does get you in the spirit :) Hope you enjoy it once you get the chance!

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  29. I've enjoyed several of Vanessa's books and this one certainly looks perfect fo the season. I'm going to look for those VK Sykes books too.
    sallans d at yahoo dot com

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    1. Yay! Glad you've enjoyed them :) I'm looking forward to trying the VK Sykes books too and one of them just went up for FREE!!

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  30. I'm dying to read some of Vanessa's books. For sure I'm going to pick up the first book in The Renegade Royals when it comes out. I'm a sucker for stories of illegitimate children of royals or people in power.

    Adria
    Breath of Life Reviews

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    1. They're always interesting aren't they? I can't wait for it either!! Happy reading Adria!

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  31. Can't wait to read this book. I've heard so much about it. Love Kelly's books. I know this will be a great read as well .
    lorih824@yahoo.com

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    1. Oooh another fan! Awesome! Hope you enjoy this one too!

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  32. Nice post.The cover is really gorgeous. Best of luck and much success with it.

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    1. Thanks for coming by Diva! and OMG it is gorgeous isn't it?

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  33. I love Vanessa Kelly and VK Sykes. I have enjoyed reading your books, but I haven't read the 2 in the giveaway. How did I miss them? My next read I'd His Mistletoe Bride.

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  34. Beautiful book cover. It looks and sounds like a very interesting read.

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  35. would LOVE to win & read!
    I couldn't get all my info into rafflecopter "box" thingy
    it bled into comments :(
    P

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    1. I'm sorry to hear you're having so much trouble with the Rafflecopter today. Not sure how to fix that other than refreshing or trying again later. I've tried on multiple computers with different operating systems and haven't seen that yet. You may want to contact Rafflecopter. They're fairly active on Facebook and good about answering questions when there are problems.

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  36. Congrats on the release seems like it'll be a great read

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  37. I always love to discover new authors and definitely Vanessa gets in my list! I haven't heard of those books before and they sound so very like something I usually enjoy, so thank you for introducing me to her work :)

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    1. No problem! I love sharing my favorites and Vanessa definitely makes that list! Hope you enjoy!

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  38. I have heard of these books and I can't wait to read them.
    Nicole.nobles@aol.com

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  39. I love the cover of His Mistletoe Bride! Love the green dress a lot. One question for Vanessa, how's your husband actually feel at first writing romance novel (and the scenes as well) and how did you react to it? :)

    Thanks for the giveaway, and for making it international.

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    1. Diah, hubby was a little squeamish at first, and he still leaves the sex scenes for me to write!

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  40. Great interview. Thanks for sharing. Your His Mistletoe Bride
    sounds like a delightful read. I've had your Stanton Family series
    on my radar and would love to win these books

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  41. love the pinterest storyboard what a great idea never would of thought of it. thanks for the interview
    kaholgate at ymail dot com

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  42. Great interview! I really enjoyed this post and I 'm super impressed about husband and wife writing team, thats awsome! I added your book to my TBR list, it sounds great! Merry Christmas!
    allysonbrann06@yahoo.com

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    1. Thanks, Allyson! Merry Christmas to you, too!

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  43. Vanessa, I just wanted to let you know that I have had hours upon hours of fun reading your books. I looked forward to each new one with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning....LOL
    koonie2888 at yahoo dot com

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    1. LOL that's awesome Michelle! I'm awaiting her next one like that too!

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  44. Great interview, I loved Keira Knightley in Pride and Prejudice!

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  45. I know life has been busy lately, but I can't believe I have missed your books! They sound like so much fun, and you seem to have such a great sense of humor. Your name/books are going on my watch/wish list for sure!
    I have to agree about how amazing it is that you write with your husband. Although my hubby and I get along well and have been married for almost 17 years, I think we would drive each other crazy if we tried something like that. He even wants to be a write someday, but we both would be trying take over or push the other too much (or something). Give yourself, and hubby, a big pat on the back for working together, and doing it more than once!
    Thanks for the contest, and putting the extra effort into the blog tour so people like me could find out about your books.
    vickykerr(at)sbcglobal.net

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    1. Ooo Vicky! One of the books they write together is free on Amazon right now if you'd like to check out their writing style as a team!

      http://www.amazon.com/Hardball-ebook/dp/B005639YOY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356719667&sr=8-1&keywords=hardball+vk+sykes

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  46. Your books sound wonderful! I love the fact that a character in your book has a last name Christmas :D sounds very appropriate hehe

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  47. His Mistletoe Bride sounds like a great read!

    Happy New Year & thanks for the amazing giveaway!
    elizabeth @ bookattict . com

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  48. I have put the books on my wishlist, and yes for another Georgette Heyer fan :) Do you still read her books?

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  49. Thanks Vanessa for coming to join in the fun and tell us about your story writing. And behind the scenes stuff.
    lisakhutson at cox. net

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  50. I've heard heaps about your books but STILL haven't read any yet. Definitely need to remedy that! And there's just something about Kiera Knightly that she so suits historical roles (well I LOVED her in Atonement), and without being too annoying pretty.

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  51. Kudos to Veronica for a wonderful holiday book! I read her wonderful story over the holidays and it now has a special place on my book shelf to re-read every year!

    For anyone who hasn't had the chance to read it yet be sure to pick it up now because no matter the season you read it the story will brighten your day!

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  52. Both pecan and pumpkin, perfect answer. Love the cover too, stunning.

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I always enjoy hearing what YOU think so come on and leave a comment. Everyone's welcome :) And feel free to leave comments on old posts. I'll check in on you there too :)

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~Anna

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