I just wanted to let you know about a novella I’ve just self-published. It’s called Legally Yours and it’s a super sexy contemporary romance novella. What this means is lots of sexytimes with the requisite happily-ever-after.  I think it’s  a pretty sweet little story, for all that it’s got some heat to it.

It’s only $0.99 at Amazon, B&N and Smashwords (soon to come at Sony, Apple, etc.).

I’m going to be guest blogging with Vanessa Kelly on this Friday (May 11) and I’ll be giving away three copies!

If you do get a chance to read it, I’d love it if you’d post an honest review at your favorite site.

On a side note, don’t forget to enter the Goodreads Giveaway for an ARC of How to Romance a Rake.  It closes on June 1.

Later my peeps!

Manda

Just a quick note here to let you know that I’ve received the first glimpse at the cover for How to Entice an Earl!!

I hope you love it as much as I do! I’m working on the revisions for this one right now, and let me tell you I think Maddie and Christian are pretty adorable together. And who knew Christian was such a gym rat?

Here’s hoping that your Wednesday is going swimmingly!

Cheers,

Manda

Tessa’s book, A WEEK TO BE WICKED, is a fabulously fun and sexy historical about a rake and a bluestocking (love!) and Lena’s book, SIMON SAYS DIE, is an edge of your seat, sexy romantic suspense reunited lovers story! Both of which are tropes I adore!

To celebrate, I’m giving away a copy of Tessa’s book and a copy of Lena’s book to to two lucky commenters who share with us their favorite romance tropes. Do you love arranged marriages? Or maybe you’re a fan of secret babies? Tell me below for a chance to win!

It’s been about a month and a half since How to Dance with a Duke wended its way from the virtual and literal shelves and into readers hands, and what a whirlwind! From the lovely notes I’ve received in my email box, it seems that you have enjoyed reading about Lucas and Cecily’s path to true love. And I could not have been more pleased. There’s a certain amount of angst surrounding the release of a book, most of which boils down to the question: What if they HATE it? Fortunately, it seems that if some of you have hated it, you haven’t let me know. And for that, I am grateful;)

Thank you so much for buying, for sending me pictures of the book out in the wild, and most of all for reading! I am humbled by the outpouring of praise and support you’ve sent my way, and I hope that you’ll continue to enjoy my books as they are published.

Now, on to news!

First off, thanks to your enthusiastic support, How to Dance with a Duke spent FIVE WEEKS on the Nielsen Bookscan Top 100 Romance Books list! You guys ROCK! Thank you so much for buying and encouraging your friends to buy! Big smooches to you all!

Next, my editor emailed me last week to let me know that the audio rights to both How to Dance with a Duke and How to Romance a Rake have been sold to Tantor Media! This means that in a month or so, you’ll be able to listen to HTDWAD on your ipod, CD, or whichever other audio format you choose! It’s pretty exciting for me–especially since the actress reading it is ENGLISH! So, instead of sounding like my own Southern Drawl, it will sound like it does in my head–perfectly, charmingly, English! Yay!

And finally, editor Holly sent me (and all of Twitter) a picture of the ARC of How to Romance a Rake in her hot little hands! I can hardly believe it’s time for ARCs yet, since it feels like the first book just released, but it’s true! So, be on the lookout for giveaways, my peeps!

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more exciting news and general meandering notices from my fevered brain.

Happy Spring!
Manda

First off, let me tell you how delighted I am that so many of you have read and enjoyed How to Dance with a Duke! I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to open up my inbox to find a note from someone who fell in love with Lucas and Cecily! Seriously, if this feeling could be bottled it would outsell Prozac 10 to 1! So, thank you!

Next, and this makes me giddy, I have an announcement! I’ve been in talks with my publisher, and they’ve agreed to buy my next three book trilogy! Here’s the announcement from Publisher’s Marketplace:

Author of HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE Manda Collins’s new historical romance trilogy, pitched as a Regency I Know What You Did Last Summer, in which three widows conspire to hide the truth about the death of a duke and find love in the process, to Holly Blanck at St. Martin’s, by Holly Root at Waxman Literary Agency (World).

These books are going to be such fun to write! I can’t wait to get started!

And finally I came home yesterday to find a whole packet of coverflats for How to Romance a Rake waiting for me!! I forgot to take a pic (bad Manda!) but let me assure you that they’re beautiful! And I’ll be giving some away very soon!

I think that’s all for now! Thanks again for the support! And Happy Reading!

Romantic Times calls it a “fast-paced, adventurous love story that will enthrall readers” and gives it 4 stars! I won’t bore you with the rest, but so far no one seems to loathe it. That day will come, I have little doubt. But that’s what they make wine for!

This week I celebrated my…well, let’s just say I’m in my late thirties and leave it at that, shall we? And as happens to me around this time every year, I am thinking back on this past year and looking forward to the coming year.

Have you ever really looked forward to something, like an event or a special occasion, and dreamed of what it would be like? Ever realize how it NEVER goes the way you thought it would go? Well, getting published is very much like that. It is at once more exciting than I imagined, and much, much different than I expected it to be. But, such is life.

One very cool thing, though, is that I’m about to kick off my whirlwind blog tour! It’s pretty exciting to be the one going from blog to blog, instead of the one booking the blog guest like I used to do for the now departed Romance Vagabonds. I’ll start things off tomorrow with my good friend and fabulous writer, Vanessa Kelly! Stop by and chat with me if you can! There just might be one last ARC left in my Mary Poppins bag!

So, what’s new with you guys? Been reading anything wonderful? Inquring minds want to know!

So, what do you think? I am, as our friends on the other side of the pond say, chuffed! It’s such a rich, deep blue and I love the way that the heroine is looking out at the audience, like she’s up to something. And who can blame her with that hunk holding her in his arms!

How to Romance a Rake will be released on July 31, 2012, and is already available for preorder at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.

And, while we’re at it, How to Dance with a Duke is also available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.

In more news of awesomeness, the wonderful Cindy Gerard is blogging today at Kiss and Thrill! If you haven’t read Cindy before you’re in for a real treat. She writes delicious military and former military heroes who are not afraid of danger, or love! I hope you’ll stop by and and check out her interview with up and coming romantic suspense author Carey Baldwin.

I’m getting ready to send out my first ever newsletter! If you haven’t already signed up here, you should do so ASAP! Because I’m giving away an ARC of How to Dance with a Duke to one lucky newsletter subscriber! And I’ll be including a never before released snippet from the book!

And finally, if you’d like one more shot at winning an ARC, check out this giveaway at Goodreads. Just sign up and you’ll be eligible to win! But you’re all winners in my book already, you know that right?

Smooches! And thanks for sharing this wild publication ride with me!

Also, I wanted to give a shout out to my friend Tessa Dare, who hit the USA Today Bestseller’s List last week with her holiday novella, Once Upon a Winter’s Eve! Congratulations, Tessa! Speaking of which this fabulous novella is currently available for only $0.79 for Kindle and Nook!

Next, I’m celebrating the launch of Cynthia Eden’s latest ANGEL OF DARKNESS by guest blogging with her at 1PM Central time! Come see which television show I am reluctantly hooked on, and share your own guilty pleasures of the television kind:) You’ll have a chance to win a signed coverflat from moi, a copy of ANGEL OF DARKNESS and a little something from Cynthia Eden herself! http://www.cynthiaeden.com/blog/

Hope you have a super Tuesday!