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Congratulations to The Duchess Hunt ARC winner J. Stevenson of California!

The History Channel has a new show Vikings, and I have to admit, I’m completely, utterly obsessed. I’ve always had a weakness for Vikings, and have devoured many-a-Viking-Romance—Sandra Hill, Johanna Lindsey… those ladies really know how to bring a powerful, ruthless Viking to his knees.

But the show has one thing the books don’t and that’s a half-naked Travis Fimmel, who plays the main character, Ragnar. We all know I’m a historical slut, so when a show can combine my love of history with some half-naked Vikings, I’m SO there.

*Spoiler Warning*

There are a few story-telling aspects of the show that I’m struggling with—the main one being Ragnar’s disloyalty to his wife, Lagertha. She’s only given him one son, you see, which means she’s failed miserably in Viking baby-making department. From the story-telling aspect, it would have been nice to see why having more sons is so important to our hero. Is it a Viking thing, or is he just being a jerk? If he were being pressured to have more sons due to his (recently) elevated position, for instance, then I might understand. But it just seems to come out of the blue, which makes the writer in me very unhappy!

So, needless to say, I don’t expect a happily ever after for Ragnar and poor Lagertha, but then again, the show isn’t a romance (unfortunately!), so one must be prepared for heartbreak!

I have a brand-new website designed by the very talented (and patient!) Vibeke Courtney at Dreamforge Media! Check it out at: http://www.katemckinleyauthor.com

And to celebrate, I’m giving away a signed ARC of The Duchess Hunt by Jennifer Haymore! All you have to do to win is hop over to the “extras” page on my website and fill out the form. One winner will be drawn on April 30th, 2013.

THE DUKE’S DESIRE

Simon Hawkins, duke of Trent, is no stranger to scandal. Rumors and innuendo have darkened the House of Trent for decades, and it has fallen to Simon to restore his tattered family name. He lives by a strict code of honor, but when he is called home to investigate his mother’s disappearance, the distinguished duke will tangle with temptation. For there waits the only woman he has ever loved-and the last woman he should desire . . .

Sarah Osborne has spent her life dreaming of Simon’s touch. But dukes do not long for lady’s maids-or so Sarah believes, until a stolen kiss sparks a passion that could be her ultimate undoing. As the couple begins a forbidden romance, a cunning enemy plots to destroy the duke and everything he loves. Now, caught in a blackmailer’s web, Simon faces an agonizing choice: sacrifice his family’s future or break Sarah’s heart.

The holidays are over and New Year’s Day has come and gone, so it’s time to get back to work. I’m in the mist of writing Novella Three (no title yet). In fact, at midnight on New Year’s Eve, I was typing away on the manuscript. I’m not really a party girl, so it was a pretty awesome way to bring in the New Year, if you ask me. Though my hubby did stride in and kiss me just as the clock stuck twelve, which was pretty swoon-worthy.

And now, here’s something yummy to usher you in to the New Year. Allow me to introduce Damon Salvatore, the wicked, dissolute brother from the Vampire Diaries. Aside from the whole undead, sucking blood thing, he’s the perfect inspiration for my newest novella. His scrumptious exterior and wicked sexy charm fit my Regency hero, Nicholas, perfectly.

Sorry for the long silence—the last couple weeks have been quite hectic. Juggling all the un-fun, real life stuff has been a bit stressful—ugh! BUT there was a bright spot amidst the chaos. My crit partner, Jennifer Haymore, sent me her latest book to read, and I got to disappear into that world for a few days! Thank goodness for that or a surely would have lost my mind. The hero, Luke, is just the right amount of sexy infused with charm and wittiness—and he’s deliciously tormented by his past, which I’m SUCH a sucker for. And the heroine doesn’t let him get away with much, which I love about her. She has her own trauma, but she’s strong and exactly what Luke needs. Happy sigh! I think this book comes out in November 2013, so you’ll get to fall in love with Luke too. He’s mine, but I’m generous, I’ll share. :c)

On the writing front, my blurbs for novellas two and three have been approved—which means I’ve been given the green light to start writing! I’ve already delved in, and I’m having so much fun writing these books. There’s sexual tension everywhere! I love it!

So, great things are happening all around. I’ve just got to focus and stay on task—housework can always wait, right?!

I had coffee with my writing buddy, Jennifer Haymore, today. We laughed, talked business, and I was even able to squeak out a little work on my proposal. I tried to take a pic of Jen, but she squeaked in horror and ducked behind her computer the second I pulled out the camera on my phone. I tried, folks. I really did. So this is what you get—a pic of my computer and my coffee.

So, life was good today. Coffee, my buddy and writing! What more does a girl need?

I’ve been hard at work on the Nymph story and if I’m going to finish before the New Year, I really need to put my head down and focus. With work, holiday shopping and real life getting in the way, it’s going to be a challenge, let me tell you! BUT there’s good news brewing, so hopefully I’ll be back with an announcement soon!

There’s good news on the Siren front! I can’t share the details just yet, but it’s exiting. I’ll fill you in as soon as I can.

In the meantime, my muse has been very busy. While plugging away at the Regency, my mind has been whirling with new story ideas and exciting new worlds. I should be writing about rakes and heiresses and beautiful glittering ballrooms. Instead, nymphs…yes, nymphs!…have invaded my brain. Particularly a sexy warrior king named Markus. I have a few tantalizing clues about his story, a few vague plot points, but it still isn’t completely worked out in my head yet. It needs a few weeks to percolate, I think. Either that, or I’ll just write until I find the answers, which is usually what happens.

So both the Regency and the Nymphs are fighting for center stage. I have about 20k written on both, so we’ll see which story comes out victorious. My money is on the nymphs. They’re pretty darn aggressive. But who knows? My muse is easily swayed and my Regency rake can be very persuasive when he wants to be. As long as ONE of these stories gets finished before Dec. 31st, I’ll be happy!