The Phantom Pimp
Okay, that’s a silly title, but it’s what popped into my head. I spent the entire week last week pimping my book and MAN am I tired. Today, I’m actually not around…I’m driving three hours northeast to appear at the Lake County Reading Festival with Roxanne St. Claire and CL Wilson. I’m very excited to be there with such formidable and fabulous authors.
And other authors…authors with books out that I can pimp beyond my own!
I wrote a blog that I posted over at the Writers at Play blog on Monday about the importance of word of mouth, which was an offshoot of the blog I wrote last week at Alison Kent’s blog about why I did the Week of Excerpts Experiment here at Plotmonkeys.
Now it’s time for me to put my money where my mouth is…and pimp me some books.
I just finished FIRST YOU RUN by Roxanne St. Claire yesterday (when I should have been putting the finishing touches on my revisions of PHANTOM’S TOUCH.) The book was excellent. The hero is an Aussie Bullet Catcher (ie, bodyguard) named Adrien Fletcher…and well, he’s like butter. Sweet, smooth, tastes good on everything. My word! And her heroine, Miranda Lang, is the kind of woman I adore–resourceful, smart, very aware of what she wants in the bedroom. Her character arc in the book is significant. The other elements of the book, the focus on Maya culture and illegal adoptions, were unique and fresh. The violence in the book (this is, after all, romantic suspense) was not gory. I highly recommend this book.
Last week, I read LEOPARD PRINCE by Elizabeth Hoyt, which is up for a RITA award. Another refreshing book, set in the increasingly popular Georgian period (ie, same period my heroes are from in the Phantom books!) features a hero that is below the heroine’s station, and that doesn’t seem to stop her. The heroine, Lady Georgina, is an emancipated single woman thanks to the fortune she’s inherited from an aunt. The hero is Harry Pye, her land steward, who is suspected of murder. The villain was over the top, but balanced by the characters of his sons. The story was very twisty and very satisfying and the love scenes? Very nice. Excellent book and I will be reading more of her books. She has a new book out in May, TO TASTE TEMPTATION, and I’m sure I’ll be buying it!
The last book I’m going to pimp today is one I haven’t read…yet. You see, the author, Gena Showalter, is just about the most generous woman on the planet. She agreed to give me a cover quote for PHANTOM PLEASURES and has gone to great lengths to talk about my book on her blog–and to even give me a shout-out in her latest Author Talk video, which are absolutely hi-lar-i-ous. (Check it out here.) Since I’m a huge fan of her work, I can easily recommend her LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD series that has just launched! Check out the website she has devoted to the series. And those covers…oh, my, word. Give me a fan! The first book, THE DARKEST NIGHT, is available exclusively as an ebook, but from what Gena has said, you can read the series without this one if ebooks aren’t your thing. Personally, I’m considering buying a Kindle.
That’s my book report for this week! Have you read any of the above books? Do you intend to? And by above books, I mean PHANTOM PLEASURES. No, I don’t just mean that…I mean the others, too. I guess I’m still in pimp mode.
See you all when I get back!
I haven’t read any of these books. Yet. Yours is on my list Julie. And I also have Elizabeth Hoyt’s Prince trilogy.
I would pimp Sherry Thomas’ “Private Arrangements” and Lisas Kleypas’ “Blue-Eyed Devil”. Both are superb, and Lisa keeps getting better and better, which is saying something because she’s one of my al-time favorite authors ever.
Comment by Stacy ~ — April 2, 2008 @ 6:09 am
Stacy~, Sherry Thomas’s book is next on my TBR. Well, it’s the historical that’s next up, LOL. If I go contemporary, it will be Jo Leigh’s Blaze, COMING SOON. But Private Arrangements has had some awesome buzz and it’s been a while since I’ve read a Victorian.
Comment by Julie Leto — April 2, 2008 @ 6:54 am
I have First You Run in my TBR stack and hope to get to it next week. I love Elizabeth Hoyt, but don’t have that book yet. I had checked out Gena’s site and have been in love with the Lords of the Underworld…Can’t wait for Maddox. Of course they come out april, may, june, july.. all right in a row..
I have Phantom Pleasures on by TBB list…
Comment by Janet H — April 2, 2008 @ 7:27 am
I have both Roxie and Gena’s books on my TBB list. I’m not really a big historical romance person, but I do get them from the library every once in a while. I finished Phantom Pleasures yesterday and can only say I loved it!!! I can’t wait for Phantom Touch to come out.
Comment by Liza — April 2, 2008 @ 9:16 am
Have a safe trip Julie and enjoy!
I can pimp Julie’s new book (and will) ~ bought it yesterday, finished it last night (much to my families amusement *pained sigh*) Excellent story.
I’m not a big fan of the historical romances unless they have a touch of the paranormal in them. Though I do like Gena Showalter so I’m right there with you. One of my favorites lately though is Katie MacAlister. She has a sense of humor that I can seriously relate too. If you haven’t tried hers, and you love a good laugh, I would definitely pick up some. She’s got one coming out in April. Annette Blair’s are funny and personable too. She’s got one coming out in May. Let’s not forget our Carly!
: *sigh* July is to far away
Comment by Nettisue — April 2, 2008 @ 9:19 am
THANK YOU, Liza and Nettisue!
I’m so behind in getting ready for this trip, but to hear that you both not only bought the book, but read it and enjoyed it really have me floating on air.
Comment by Julie Leto — April 2, 2008 @ 9:25 am
I haven’t read any of the books you mention, but you did a good job of pimping them.
I have read other books by Roxannes ST. Claire and Elizabeth Hoyt but I have never heard of Gena Showalter. I will have to check her out.
Julie, you pimped Phantom Pleasures so well that I am expecting a nice box from amazon anyday now with my copy.
You might have found a new calling in this pimping business.
Comment by Gigi — April 2, 2008 @ 9:25 am
THANK YOU, Liza and Nettisue!
I’m so behind in getting ready for this trip, but to hear that you both not only bought the book, but read it and enjoyed it really have me floating on air.
I’m running late because I’m trying to finish up my revisions on PHANTOM’S TOUCH. Can’t wait to show you guys the cover…it’s really hot!
Comment by Julie Leto — April 2, 2008 @ 9:26 am
Good morning Plotmonkeys and all you Jungle Babes,
Julie, I haven’t read any of those books. I’m still waiting for Phantom Pleasures to come in the mail.
Hopefully it will be here today!
Have a safe trip and above all have fun.
Take care and have a wonderful day all,
Cher
Comment by Cher — April 2, 2008 @ 9:32 am
Oh, and Julie… I have an e-book reader. They are FANTASTIC. Although I have the newest Sony. (I refuse to tell my customers about the ebook readers ~ they would definitely put me out of business!! :gagged
The Sony is quite a bit cheaper than the Kindle and imho does quite a bit more. They hold Doc files so if you want to take your latest book with you to work on, just plop it on there from your hard drive and it can go with you anywhere. But it’s perfect for road trips. Instead of making sure you have enough books to last you in the car for your trip (taking up space). Just take your handy dandy e-book reader and they are all there for whenever you need it. And it fits in your purse! I lurves my ebook reader 
Comment by Nettisue — April 2, 2008 @ 9:34 am
There’s nothing to make a girl’s day a like a good pimping! Thank you, Jules! I’m so glad you like my Aussie. I’d hang and play for a while here, but I gotta get ready to go to Orlando with you and C.L. for a day of fun and promotion. Can’t wait to see you and snag your new book! Congrats on the release and one of the hottest covers I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to read it - tonight! (You better bring the new cover today!)
xoxo
Rocki
Comment by Roxanne St. Claire — April 2, 2008 @ 10:09 am
I’ll pimp another book that just finaled in the Ritas… Lord of Scandal by Nicola Cornick. I used to read historicals almost exclusively but haven’t for a while. This one really sucked me in. Loved the heroine in particular and the twists in the plot regarding her fortune were very well done!
Comment by Leslie — April 2, 2008 @ 10:10 am
I’ve got a good one to pimp, Sharon Sala’s new book the Healer… fantastic story!
Comment by Nettisue — April 2, 2008 @ 11:26 am
I love the Lords of the Underworld covers. Very hot.
Comment by flip — April 2, 2008 @ 11:51 am
I’ve been waiting for the Bulletcatchers book for months now. All of these books are on my tbr list, including yours, which is on top.
Comment by Jane — April 2, 2008 @ 12:11 pm
Hi, Julie!! Please, pimp away! There’s nothing I enjoy more than having more to add to my mountainous TBR (although I imagine that my DH feels otherwise…
) I have The Prince trilogy in there, but not the others you mentioned (although I just might have to add them now–drat it, Julie!)
My recent reads to pimp–Stacey Kayne’s Wild series (fabulous Western historicals) and Sylvia Day (I finally started her Georgian series–wow!)
Comment by Fedora — April 2, 2008 @ 2:42 pm
Julie, I was at my nearby Wal-Mart yesterday & I’m sorry to say they did not have Phantom Pleasures!
I was bumbed by that! Guess it will have to wait until my next visit to Border’s!
The book I would like to pimp is Lori Borrill’s latest Blaze Putting it to The Test! It is a coworker romance, well done. If you haven’t tried any of Lori’s books try one soon. She recently won an award from Colorado RWA, sorry to say I forget the exact award. My next read will be Janelle’s Born to be Wilde, can’t wait to get to it!
Julie, enjoy your day with Roxanne & the other authors. I love the Bullet Catchers series. I learned about it through her visit to the Jungle.
Thanks for pimping books today.
Comment by Donna M — April 2, 2008 @ 2:43 pm
I got Phantom Pleasures in the mail today!! Yay!!!!!
Cher
Comment by Cher — April 2, 2008 @ 4:27 pm
I have Roxanne St Claire’s book on my To Buy list.
Comment by Estella — April 2, 2008 @ 4:29 pm
I also got my copy of Phantom Pleasures in the mail today and am I ever excited!!!
Have to go now. I’ve got some reading to do!
Comment by Carol R — April 2, 2008 @ 6:33 pm
Jules I haven’t read any of these books, but I am starting to read more of Gena’s books…her visit to the jungle really made an impression. And, she promotes some of my fav authors…the
. Jules, I didn not get my package from Amazon yet and the two stores near me don’t have your book. I am so bummed 
. I can always go back and re-read the excerpts until it gets here. Not a happy camper here…
I hope that you had an uneventful drive to the northeast and that you had a ball with Ms. St. Clair and Ms. Wilson…btw, if you didn’t pimp your book, what kind of author would you be…You don’t have to worry though, because we are all big pimps here…we pimp the monkeys wherever we go…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Comment by Paula R. — April 2, 2008 @ 9:16 pm
Donna, I am in the middle of Lori’s book right now…I am loving it…the scene in the computer lab was awesome…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Comment by Paula R. — April 2, 2008 @ 9:20 pm
I just got home…driving through small town Florida in a thunderstorm at night is NOT my favorite thing…my knuckles are still white, but I’m home and didn’t get lost (thanks to CL, who led the way home…the GPS in my car is AWFUL. It actually led me into a parking lot on the way there and said I was on US 441…um no!)
Had a great time hanging out with the ladies and the women who put on this event were incredibly gracious. Our moderator, a guy, posed some of the best questions I’ve had like…ever. Great time was had by all!
Thanks to all of you who are excited about my book. I am too! Positive vibrations all around! (Paula, I hope yours arrives soon!)
Comment by Julie Leto — April 2, 2008 @ 11:01 pm
I LOVED First You Run…read it in one night…it was like a movie, zoomed by. Haven’t read the others YET, but they’re in the TBR pile. Just have to find me some more hours….
Comment by Melissa — April 3, 2008 @ 4:40 am
they look very good, heard great things about them.
Comment by kim h — April 3, 2008 @ 9:37 pm