12/02/2011

THREE MONTHS--THREE UNDERCOVER OPERATIONS

SEX, LIES AND MISLETOE
Harlequin Blaze
Available December, 2011
ISBN: 0373796609
Undercover DEA agent Caleb Black is home for the holidays—possibly to bust his own father. But maybe Caleb's con-man dad isn't the one running drugs through the small town of Black Oak. Maybe it's the green-eyed goddess who runs the New Age shop and has Caleb under her sultry spell.
Pandora Easton saved the family store with two words: sex sells. And her delectable aphrodisiacs really work, as she's proven with notorious bad boy Caleb again and again and again.
Little does she guess that, in the end, her most potent potion will be the truth….
READ THE EXCERPT

SEX, LIES AND MIDNIGHT
Harlequin Blaze
Available January, 2012
ISBN-10: 0373796641

He’s lying. She’s lying. And before long, they’re lying.
Together. In bed…
Born into a con artist family, Maya Black abandoned the grifting life to live on the straight and narrow (and somewhat dull) years ago. But when her family is threatened—and the swindlers are on the verge of becoming the swindled— Maya swings into action. All she needs is a stand-in boyfriend, and the charming, tasty-as-sin Simon Barton will do quite nicely, thanks.
But Simon has a little lie of his own. He’s FBI, and Maya is his inside track to her less-savory relations. It’s a mutual using, which quickly turns into a scorching mutual attraction. In fact, their naughty little sexcapades are the only thing they aren’t faking!


READ THE EXCERPT

SEX, LIES AND VALENTINES
Harlequin Blaze
Available February, 2012
ISBN-10: 0373796706

Con artist Gabriel Black just got busted. By a babe. Drool-worthy (and clearly sneaky) FBI agent Danita Cruz is forcing Gabriel to choose between hard time and scamming his own family for an undercover sting. Now he has to present Danita to his family as his girlfriend.

And it’s the perfect opportunity to get wickedly even with her….

But Danita has some tricks of her own, and Gabriel’s control begins slipping away as raw sexual energy takes over. Their sham relationship starts feeling a lot like…well, the real deal. The Big Question is, will overwhelming desire be enough to make a liar go legit?
Lie with me…

READ THE EXCERPT

 A LITTLE MORE ABOUT TAWNY

Once upon a time there was little girl named Tawny Weber who believed in love, happy ever after and the magic of books. When she grew up, she was still enamored in the magic of stories and love, so she wrote a romance novel. Then she wrote another one and another. In 2006 a clever and savvy editor bought one of her stories, launching Tawny’s wild adventure with Harlequin Blaze. Since her first book hit the shelves in 2007, Tawny’s had the joy and excitement of celebrating 11 more releases, and by the time Valentine’s Day comes around in 2012, it’ll be lucky 13. Like any ambitious girl, Tawny’s not content with just one dream.So she balances the writing by spending time with her cutie-patootie husband and wonderful daughters.

WELCOME BACK, TAWNY
Its so hard to believe that one year ago, you were the first author to be a guest on Get Lost In A Story. How great is it that you have another Harlequin Blaze out a year later (with 4 more in 2012--woo hoo!). I’m so very happy that you can join us again.
Readers, we’re having Tawny on GLIAS today, January 6th and February 1st. Some more info on Tawny today, an interview with her characters in January, but we need some questions from you for February. Don’t forget that there will be give-aways along the way, so submit your questions for Tawny to Get Lost. Deadline for submitting will be January 25th.
ANGI: What question are you never asked in interviews, but wish you were?
TAWNY: Wow, that’s a tougher question that it seems at first glance. I had to think about it for awhile, but finally came up with: Is Tawny your real name, and if so, how’d your mother choose it? (Answer? Yes, Tawny was the color of my mom’s makeup foundation and she liked the sound of it.)
ANGI: Can you tell us about a real-life hero you’ve met?
TAWNY: Does my husband count? Because he really is my hero. He’s a guy who does what’s right, not because he should but because that’s simply who he is. He is devoted to taking care of his family, to supporting my dreams and is so darned cute! On top of that, he knows how to vacuum, keeps my car filled with gas and builds an awesome fire.
ANGI: Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading your latest release?
TAWNY: I have a playlist I used to write the story – it might be fun to listen to *grin*
ANGI: If you could interview one person (and it doesn’t have to be a writer) who would it be?
TAWNY: Ooh, I had to think about this one. My first thought was Johnny Depp, but I’d be worthless as a reviewer since I’d just sit and stare *grin* So I think I’ll say Dr. Wayne Dyer. I’ve read all of his books and find him amazing. I’d love to get insights into bringing a zen sort of joy into life.
ANGI: What was the first story you remember writing?
TAWNY: The Sapphire Rose. It was a sassy, light paranormal with three sisters, all witches, and a quest to find magical gems. I didn’t finish it, but it was the first thing I tried to write. About the time I got to the ‘hmm, I don’t know how to write’ point in the story, I started hearing buzz about how paranormal was dead (this was in 2002) so I decided to set it aside, learn more about the craft of writing and focus on Harlequin Temptation. Obviously the buzz was wrong about paranormal, but I did find my voice and style in trying to write those Temptations!
ANGI: What’s your favorite movie of all time?
TAWNY: Can I claim all 8 Harry Potter movies as one? If not, then at the moment I’d say it’s the Princes Bride. It does change between a half-dozen of them, depending on my mood *grin*.
ANGI: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?
TAWNY: Fairy Tale, always!
ANGI: Who’s your favorite villain?
TAWNY: Voldemort
ANGI: If you could change something about your favorite fairy tale (Beauty& the Beast)…what would it be?
TAWNY: As hard as I tried, I can’t think of anything I’d change about Beauty and the Beast. It’s such a wonderful tale of true love, sacrifice and the importance of looking beneath the surface.
ANGI: What would you say is your most interesting quirk?
TAWNY: Nagging? Oh wait, you said interesting, not irritating *g* Okay, usually when watching a movie, I can tell you the ending by the 10 minute mark. I think it’s a writer thing. Although now that I think about it, maybe that’s irritating, too?
ANGI: Which era would you least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most?
TAWNY: I’m pretty sure the settlers of the 1700’s fashions were my least favorite. Their shoes were all about ugly. I’d have loved to lived in the 1920s and rocked the flapper styles, though. Fringe and beads and wild hairbands? I’m so there.
ANGI: What’s your favorite kid joke?
TAWNY: Why was Six afraid of Seven? Because Seven Eight Nine.
ANGI: What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?
TAWNY: A love story with a hint of magic.
ANGI: Can you tell your fans something about going “undercover” with these heroes?
TAWNY: These heroes are so hot, I fell in love with something different with each one of them. With Caleb, I loved his sense of humor. Simon has a soul-deep need to love and be loved. And Gabriel... oh, Gabriel. He is one charming guy. So each one of them brought a different energy when they were undercover- and had a different internal battle. That was the message I really wanted to come through their stories; that they were ‘undercover’, each one of them, but the true identity they were all hiding was that they all were men with very vulnerable hearts.
ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: Getting us ready for Book #1 in the Undercover Operatives Series: Sex, Lies, and Mistletoe… Have you experienced a lot of Mistletoe kisses? Do you hang it in your home?
TAWNY’S GOTTA ANSWER: Hmm, a girl isn’t supposed to kiss and tell, right? But okay, since you’re asking, Angi, I’ll admit I’ve had a few kisses under the mistletoe. It’s been quite a few years, though. Probably because we don’t have it hanging in our house because it’s toxic to cats and dogs. And knowing my cat, she’d find a way to knock it down from whatever high spot I secured it, then she’d lure the dogs over and somehow tempt them to eat it. She’s sneaky that way. 
WANT MORE INTERVIEWS ABOUT TAWNY & HER WORK? http://getlostinastory.blogspot.com/search/label/Tawny%20Weber


Tawny Weber has been writing sassy, sexy stories for Harlequin Blaze since her first book hit the shelves in 2007.When not obsessing over deadlines, she’s shopping for cute shoes, scrapbooking or hanging out on Facebook and Twitter.Come by and visit her on the web
In December of 2011 Tawny launched her Undercover Ops series with SEX, LIES AND MISTLETOE.The second book in the series, SEX, LIES& MIDNIGHT is on shelves in January 2012, quickly followed in February by SEX, LIES & VALENTINES.Be sure to follow Tawny on her Holiday Survival Tour as she celebrates these three books with contests, giveaways and lots of fun.You can read the first chapter of SEX, LIES & MISTLETOE and the first chapter of SEX, LIES & MIDNIGHT and the first chapter of SEX, LIES AND VALENTINES on her website, too!All you have to do is join the Reader Love-Fest!
WILL YOU HAVE A DRAWING FROM THOSE LEAVING COMMENTS?

I’ll offer a copy of Sex, Lies & Mistletoe in December, Sex, Lies & Midnight in January and Sex, Lies & Valentines in February. 

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?  I’d love to know what readers think makes a character unredeemable. What is the one thing a hero or heroine can do to make you say ‘nope, not worth a happy ever after’?  

WANNA CONNECT WITH TAWNY?     Email      Website     Facebook     Twitter   
     Romance Bandits    Healthy Writer     Blaze Authors 



UP NEXT: WILD THING in A Blazing Bedtime Story – June 2012
& The Panty Thief Caper – December 2012

READERS DON’T FORGET to follow us on Facebook & Twitter (#GetLostStories) for a daily update on who’s visiting GLIAS and what they might be giving away! Join us next week for Jeanne Guzman, Carol Ericson, Jane Kendred, Sarah M. Anderson and Elizabeth Essex.  ~Angi


37 comments:

  1. Good morning Tawny ! Sorry the post didn't show up at midnight...everything was ready, guess I should verify AM & PM. eeeck, my apologies. And I also have to apologize for the weird lines. Once there, I could not remove them.

    BUT WELCOME BACK and major congrats on your success. So many books, so little time!

    I'm not certain I've ever come across a "hero" not worth redeeming. But I guarantee you, I thought some heroines were kinda silly for hanging in there for a while. I just need the author to let me know what the heroine "sees" in the hero to believe the heroine loves him.

    ~Angi

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  2. AND COMMENTERS...you might want to hit the OLDER POST at the bottom and take a peek at all the great books being given away Sunday celebrating GLIAS' 1 YR Anniversary.

    ~Angi

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  3. So fun to have our first guest back again!

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  4. Hi, Tawny!

    I'm dying to know how you're so prolific (four books in 2012??). Can you share your secrets?

    Oh, and the seven eight nine joke is one of my son's faves too.

    Hugs,
    Kelsey

    PS - I have it on good authority that Ugg slippers will be in my stocking from Santa! Wahoo!

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  5. I'd like to think all characters are redeemable in some way. I'll keep believing and rooting them on. I think, though they need to have remorse. They need to realize what they've done and take steps to change it or learn from it. Without it it's impossible or really hard to redeem themselves.
    Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  6. Oh boy another holiday book, love them. Tawny's books are awesome! Great interview!

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  7. Angi, and ladies :-) Thank you SO much for the lovely welcome back to GLIAS! I'm excited to visit again, and wow - Happy Anniversary!!!

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  8. Angi, do you think, as readers, we're harder on the heroines than the heroes? Or do you think we, as writers, just write sexier heroes that readers want to redeem? :-D

    Because I'm with you. There are few things a hero can do that push him over the 'oh, hell no' line for me. But I have to be able to empathize with the heroine, and TSTL ones make me less than sympathetic, I think.

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  9. Hi Maureen and thanks so much for having me back again. I'm extra excited to be here for your 1 year celebration :-)

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  10. Hi Tawny! Hi Get Lost in a Story gals! Happy Holidays to you all! Tawny, I love the sound of these books. Can't wait to read them and honestly, it's like catnip to a kitten when you tell me we're getting four more books from you next year. How do you manage to keep up that level of productivity? I'm in awe! By the way, Beauty and the Beast is my favorite as well!

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  11. Tawny, I think that it might be we're harder on the heroines because when we read, most of us place ourselves in their shoes, drawing on what *we'd* do. So perhaps as authors, we make certain we've justified WHY the heroine feels like the hero is worth trying for. ???

    ??? Perhaps ????
    I'm not certain about anything. It might randomly be what's happened to each reader that day that gets us to connect with the story.

    What does everyone thing?
    ~Angi

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  12. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite as well!

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  13. YAYYYYYY Kelsey :-) I'm so glad Santa's taking good care of your feet for Christmas LOL. What a good Santa!

    Hmm, how am I so prolific? I just keep writing. I'll write as many books as my editor will buy. My 4 out next year includes one that's a novella, so that helps since it takes half as long to write.

    I'll admit, though, this trilogy did put my writing to the test. I had a 6 month deadline to finish all three books (it turned into 7 because I had revisions for book 1 in the middle there).

    But it just comes down to writing, consistently. I won't lie and say I write every single day, but I do write almost every day :-)

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  14. Hi Na :-)

    I think you hit the nail on the head about remorse being the key to redemption. If a character doesn't learn from their past, and find a way to fix things, then it's hard to root for them to have a happy future when they haven't healed hurts or damage they caused in the past.

    And, of course, a lot of the power of a good story is in watching the characters find that remorse and rooting for them on their journey to that healing :-D

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  15. Awww, thanks, Virginia :-D

    I appreciate that, tons! And yay that you love the holiday books. They are some of my fave to read, and to write.

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  16. You're my role model, Tawny !
    ~Angi
    (trying to consistenly write every day)

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  17. Tawny, I'm with you, I hate TSTL heroines, and that goes double for doormat heroines!

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  18. Hi, all--What a fun post! I think most characters are redeemable. Child abuse and cruelty to animals would be really tough to turn around, but most other flaws can be turned around. If they're believably motivated and the remorse is deep enough.

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  19. Anna :-) Hey and thank you for coming by. I love my Romance Banditas!!! And I love the image of catnip, kittens and my books LOL. Now I'm imagining you rolling around in them, purring. Just so ya know ;-)

    I'll admit, 4 books in a year did push my stress levels a smidge. 3 is super comfy for me, giving me lots of time for promo, play and other writing fun in there, and will probably be my standard most years.

    I cut away a lot of life-frills to write that much :-) I rarely watch TV, don't go out a lot, and have dropped most of my online (and in person LOL) activity. I can't actually remember a vacation that I didn't have my laptop and something I was working on. It helps a lot that my husband and kids are totally on board, supportive and helpful. Heck, the entire family is. I was visiting my 91 year old gramma in Sept and as the sun went down, she asked me if I didn't need to be getting back to start writing :-)

    And YES!!! Beauty and the Beast rocks :-) You do have fab taste, m'dear.

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  20. Angi, I think you're right. I've written heroines that are really out of most readers' comfort zone (pierced, tattoed, wild) but if they can connect with the emotions and fears of the heroine, with her self-doubts and issues, they totally get on board with the story. I think, more than anything, women readers connect with--and judge--other women emotionally.

    And, of course there's that 'where the readers at and what she's dealing with that particular day' aspect you mentioned LOL.

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  21. Woot, another Beauty and the Beast fan! Welcome to the club, Candy :-)

    One of the reasons I love B&tB best is that it requires the characters to look beneath the skin, to really know and fall in love with the others' true self. Its so powerful and thats the kind of love that lasts lifetimes.

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  22. Awww, thanks, Angi :-)

    I know it sounds simple, but Write Every Day is just about the best writing advice I've ever gotten. And probably the hardest to learn to do LOL

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  23. Gail, I hear ya on the TSTL heroine hate!!! It's always hard to justify stupid.

    Doormats I don't have as much issue with... as long as they aren't doormats by the end of the story :-D Watching a wimpy heroine find her spine is always a little inspiring for me.

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  24. Nancy!!! Another awesome Bandita. Thanks for coming by.

    And oh yeah, abuse of any kind (child or woman, elder, animal, etc) is my line in the sand. That's about the only absolute I feel can't be redeemed, because it's a conscious act of evil against the helpless.

    But like you say, most everything else can be overcome. With a lot of hard work that the reader can root for, of course ;-)

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  25. Hey Tawny! Hi Maureen and GLIA's! Grins.

    So excited about this story set, Tawny. And I had to wince/LOL about Write Every Day. It works but as simple as it sounds it IS hard to do!

    As to unredeemable, I'll second Nancy's abuse/cruelty, but also add the true gold-digger (Hero or Heroine) who is just THAT hard and THAT cold, as opposed to someone pursuing wealth for survival. That's hard to redeem. I read a story recently where I tried as hard as I could to like the character who was the gold-digger and I just couldn't. Gave up around chapter 7, though I'd have probably given up earlier, but the writing was good, and I was SURE it was going to turn around soon... (It didn't) Now I'm sorry I wasted 7 chapters. Hahahah! Got too many books I adore in my TBR Mountain.

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  26. Jeanne :-D Hey you!!! It's Happy Bandita day here at Sia's for sure.

    LOL about the Writing Every Day wince. It's a tough one, isn't it. Kind of like 'eat less than you burn' as a weight loss maxim.

    Oh man, on the wasted reading time. that's so frustrating, isn't it. And yeah, I would lump gold digging into the abuse category, albeit it emotional abuse. I think setting out as a gold digger can be made redeemable, just like any other form of the hero/heroine setting out to deceive the other (hey now, all three of my Undercover Ops books are based on this theme LOL) is redeemable if the character has conflict about it and it becomes a bridge to emotional growth and a way to resolve some internal emotional baggage they're carrying.

    But straight up gold digging? How is that a love story?

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  27. Like others ~ Unredeemable acts would be violence/crulty toward children especially but also extreme violence toward women.

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  28. Physical violence is a deal breaker for me. I can't invest in a character after that. Congrats on the new releases!

    Geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com

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  29. I'm following Tawny around and liking what I find.

    I really don't like violence either. I have a hard time liking some heroes bent on revenge as well, especially if there isn't some redeeming feature in the end.

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  30. I hear ya, Ellen :-) There are definite things that make characters nonredeemable - or, really, make them into the villains :-)

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  31. Stacie, it sounds like we all have similar absolutes when it comes to unredeemable :-D

    Thanks so much for the congrats :-) I'm super excited about these stories and hope readers are too!

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  32. LOL Kaelee,Hi!!! I'm thrilled to have someone to hang out with while I tour, so you're welcome to follow along all you want.

    Hmmm, revenge. I have seen some authors do it really, really well. But I haven't ever written a revenge plot, because like you say, it's really hard to make the motivation justified enough that the person out for revenge doesn't look like a jerk -or the person they are getting revenge on doesn't look like one for whatever inspired the revenge *g* Its one of those lose/lose options, isn't it?

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  33. Hi Tawny,

    An unforgivable hero is one who is cruel and mean to the heroine. I think it's abuse,

    I love your books and if I won Sex, Lies and Mistletoe it would be a Christmas dream come true, I will still buy your book,

    Tammy

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  34. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TAWNY !

    And I hope everyone will come back to chat with your characters in January!!

    ~Angi

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  35. HI Tammy and thank you so much! I'm thrilled to hear you love my books. And I'm totally with you on the cruelty issue -not heroic at all!

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  36. Angi, thank you SOOOOOOOOOO much for having me. You're such a lovely and wonderfully warm hostess and made this a fab fun visit :-) I can't wait for next month!

    Happy Holidays, everyone!

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  37. CONGRATULATION GAIL HART !!

    You've won Tawny's SEX, LIES & MISTLETOE. Send an email to GetLostInAStory@Gmail.com and we'll get you set up.

    Thanks for stopping by everybody!
    ~Angi

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