Are romance heroes any good at Valentine's Day? You tell us!

The rose is red, the violet's blue,

The honey's sweet, and so are you.

Thou art my love and I am thine;

I drew thee to my Valentine:

The lot was cast and then I drew,

And Fortune said it shou'd be you

From a collection of English nursery rhymes 

Gammer Gurton's Garland (1784)

Since love is always in the air on Valentine's Day, we're celebrating with a contest and giveaways. Each of us has a signed copy of our latest novel to give to a commenter. There will be seven winners today! We're also going to have some fun speculating about our heroes and what kind of gift they might purchase for our heroines!

Then it will be your turn. Guess where your Mr. Valentine is shopping (or not) this year!

a) Victoria Secret

b) See's Candies/Godivas

c) 1-800 Flowers

d) Valentine card

e) A Hoddie-Footie Pajamagram  

f) Jewelry

g) None of the above

Undercover DEA agent Erren Rhodes was used to working alone. So the very idea of teaming up with Officer Darby O’Malley to ferret out a killer wasn’t exactly how he thought this critical mission would go. But thanks to information only the beautiful cop possessed, finding whoever was responsible for shooting Erren’s friend made Darby a valuable—and irresistible—partner. Digging into the case, though, revealed a far-reaching conspiracy…and angered all the wrong people. Now, trying to bring a killer to justice while keeping Darby safe was making Erren remember why he was better off on his own. Especially when Darby made him long to hole up together in the safe house and never let her out of his sight.   

Just a guess, but Erren has something sweet and delicious for Darby O'Malley.

Sebastian Case relies on his irreplaceable assistant for everything.  But since arriving in Vegas for a conference, mousy Missy has transformed herself.  From ordinary to ravishing.  From modest and reserved to bold and sensual.  And Sebastian, who’d barely noticed she was a woman, finds himself dazzled by her allure.

Now she’s quitting and Sebastian will do anything to keep her.  Including accepting her outrageous bet.  One spin of the wheel–black and she’ll stay…red and Sebastian owes her one night of passion.  What can he lose, except maybe his heart?  

Oh yeah, we know what Mr. Case needs to purchase!

In this thrilling story full of adventure and romance, Sleeping Beauty is more than just a lonely princess waiting for her prince—she’s a brave, tenacious girl who never backs down from a challenge. With vampire–slaying talents that she practices in secret, Sleeping Beauty puts her courage to the test in the dark of night, fighting evil as she searches for a way to break the spell that has cut her off from her family. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Sleeping Beauty and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read! Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer is an entirely new type of fairy tale—one that will keep today’s kids guessing and offer them hours of magical fun.

Prince Charming will sweeten his chances with a little pink box full of these:

Fifteen years ago a young Colorado Springs police officer arrested a teen runaway accused of aiding a convenience store robbery and attempted murder. She was innocent, but still served prison time briefly. Her testimony sent the real thief to jail for much longer. Now she’s a young widow raising a son, and the man she put in prison is free and seeking revenge. She moves to a home in a new neighborhood—then learns that her next-door neighbor is the by-the-book officer who arrested her. Now he’s a Colorado Springs P.D. Lieutenant. Like it or not, he may be the only one who can protect her and her son from the past he helped create. 

This is what you get from a man with a Rocky Mountain sized heart:

Sarah Piper's lonely, threadbare existence changes when her temporary agency sends her to assist a ghost hunter. Alistair Gellis-rich, handsome, scarred by World War I, and obsessed with ghosts- has been summoned to investigate the spirit of nineteen-year-old maid Maddy Clare, who is haunting the barn where she committed suicide. Since Maddy hated men in life, it is Sarah's task to confront her in death. Soon Sarah is caught up in a deperate struggle. For Maddy's ghost is real, she's angry, and she has powers that defy all reason. Can Sarah and Alistair's assistant, the rough, unsettling Matthew Ryder, discover who Maddy was, whereshe came from, and what is driving her desire for vengeance-before she destroys them all?

 Matthew Ryder just might give Sarah an old fashioned Valentine.

Geoffrey Wentworth, a war hero and rising political star, never wanted to be the Earl, but when his brother dies, he knows his duty—take up the responsibility for his family’s estates.  His mother’s definition of duty differs from his, however, and can be summed up in one word—heirs.  When Geoffrey rushes home to answer her urgent summons, he finds himself host to a house full of women, all vying to become the next Countess of Stratford.  But his love is Parliament, where he wields his influence and reputation to better the lives of ex-soldiers, until a tempting houseguest and a secret from his past threaten his freedom…and his heart.

 Liliana Claremont, a brilliant chemist, doesn’t want to be any man’s wife, much less a Countess.  If she had tuppence for every time she’d been told her place was filling the nursery, not experimenting in the laboratory, she could buy the Tower Bridge.  However, when she receives a coveted invitation to the Earl’s house party, she trades in her beakers for ball gowns and gladly takes on the guise of husband hunter—for the chance to uncover what the Earl had to do with the murder of her father.

Liliana believes the best way to get the answers she needs is to keep her enemy close, though romance is not part of her formula. But it only takes one kiss to start a reaction she can't control...

Might Geoffrey hide his Valentine gift for a smart heroine like Liliana to find?

London, 1887. Part stoic gentleman, part fearless Yard man, Zeno “Zak” Kennedy is an enigma of the first order. For years, the memory of a deadly bombing at King’s Cross has haunted the brilliant Scotland Yard detective. His investigation has zeroed in on a ring of aristocratic rebels whose bloody campaign for Irish revolution is terrorizing the city. When he discovers one of the treacherous lords is acquainted with his free-spirited new tenant, Cassandra St. Cloud, his inquiry pulls him unexpectedly close to the heart of the conspiracy—and into the arms of a most intriguing lady. Cassie is no Victorian prude. An impressionist painter with very modern ideas about life and love, she is eager for a romantic escapade that is daring and discreet. She sets her sights on her dour but handsome landlord, but after she learns their meeting was not purely accidental, she hardly has a chance to forgive her lover before their passionate affair catapults them both into a perilous adventure.

This Valentine's Day Cassandra receives long stem roses––and Mr. Kennedy. ;) 

Now, where will your Mr. Valentine be shopping (or not) this year?

a) Victoria Secret

b) See's Candies/Godiva Chocolates

c) 1-800 Flowers

d) Valentine card

e) A Hoddie-Footie Pajamagram  

f) Jewelry

g) None of the above

(If none of the above please explain!)

***Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America  addresses only. If an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.