The Governess and the Beast an All Romance Top 50 Best-Seller!

Woke up this morning with emails from All Romance and Decadent Publishing informing me THE GOVERNESS AND THE BEAST is on the Top 50 best-seller list for the whole site!

To say I was shocked is an understatement. I think it helped I had the word 'beast' in the title! Regardless, this is a first for me, and I am pleased.

Nice to know Historical is not dead, regardless of reports. My book is gothic at its tone, emotional at its core, with a dash of kink to heat it up. Thank you to everyone who bought it and hope you enjoy my erotic romance.

Even if this slips off the list tomorrow, I will savor this accomplishment. My thanks to Decadent and to my editor, Kate Richards,

Cheers!

Happy Long Weekend For Me!

Just finished watching all three seasons of Deadwood  (HBO 2003-2006) on DVD. Damned shame that got canceled. There was supposed to be two movies to wrap up the story lines, but they never came to fruition. Not sure who to blame, let's cut it evenly between HBO and the creators.

Above is one of my favorite Al Swearengen sayings, a credo I live by each and every day. And in the romancing publishing world, this comes in handy, believe you me.

Watching this stoked my interest in westerns, and I opened up a three year old manuscript I have done nothing with. Its completed, but needs a major edit. Set to task, I will have some fun with it and in the fall decide where to send it. Takes place in 1877 in the Black Hills.

Just like Deadwood.

Have a great weekend! It's a long one here in Canada so I plan to watch ball games, read, spend quality time with the hubs.

Cheers~

Giveaway at Riverina Romantics~Win The Governess and the Beast!

There is a giveaway at Riverina Romantics where you have a chance to win acopy of The Governess and the Beast. Stop by to enter. Runs until May 22.

CLICK HERE

Next week I will be at Romancing The Book for a Beast giveaway and I will also be participating in a blog hop, Books to Go Hot Summer Nights, where I will be offering a few historical ebooks as a prize!

NEXT RELEASE:  Black Scar (Blackthorne Clan #4) from Evernight Publishing comes May 28. Yeah, another scarred hero, lol~

Have a good weekend~

Erotica vs Erotic Romance? There is a Difference and Neither is Trash~

 

I am not a fan of rants and there seems to be a lot of them lately on various social media outlets on different topics.

I will focus on Romance. Last week, someone called for the killing of the Historical Romance genre which whipped up a shit storm on Twitter and elsewhere. When the dust settles, what does it really matter what this person thinks? Its just her opinion. Like a review, I glance at it and move on. The historical genre has supposedly been on life support more than once since the 80's. So they don't sell as many as those NYTimes romance contemporaries or certain paranormal titles. The Historical Romance authors are writing what they love. Leave them and the genre alone.

This week, a writer, supposedly ashamed she has been reduced to writing erotic romance to make a buck because her literary masterpiece tanked, insults erotic romance writers and readers alike by calling what she does Trash. Cue the shit storm. Erotica was dragged into the discussion and dissed  as well.

First, let's point out there is a difference between erotic romance and erotica. Neither is trash in the eyes of the readers who buy it and the authors that write it. Sure, like any genre, there are some poorly written stories out there and many of them sell big. 

Side note: A recent review of my erotic romance, the reviewer kept referring to it as Erotica, which it isn't. Even reviewers, it seems, do not understand the difference.

To my mind, I write Erotic Romance. Its basically a romance with really detailed sex scenes, but these are secondary to the romance, the emotion, and the HEA.

Erotica is all about the sex. It is the main focus of the story and does not require an HEA. There may be some emotional and romantic elements, but getting it on is what its all about.

Porn is all sex, no story or character development, no romance, purely written for stimulation.

This is my own personal interpretation, others may feel differently.

Now, this has caused people to get up on their soap boxes like *cough* me, and vehemently defend erotic romance and bash the alleged entitled attitude of the author.

Frankly, this endless cycle of controversial posts and the answering call for torches and pitchforks is getting old. I don't agree with this author, and I am not going to name her or post a link to her post (if it even is still up) but instead, I want to say it is no one's business why we write or read the romance we do. If people want to write to the market and make a living wage, then hurray for them. If others write what they love and are not concerned about sales, then a big hurray for them as well. We are all swimming in this over-sized pond together, turning on each other is not a smart move.

Nor is insulting the readers who buy our books.

Best-Seller! The Governess and the Beast and The Blind Cupid!

I had to share. When you have two books in the top 5 of a category, yeah, its a thrill.  This is at All Romance. The Blind Cupid already was a best-seller in this category, how great to see it back again!  I will enjoy this while it lasts~ :)

This is my Blind Cupid series with Decadent Publishing. My Victorian era historical. When I submitted The Blind Cupid (short story) for Decadent's The Edge line, I never dreamed it would spawn more stories.

The Governess and the Beast is Book 2 and I have just submitted the third and final book of this series. Fingers crossed.

Check out The Governess and the Beast at All Romance

Check out The Blind Cupid at All Romance

Cheers!

RELEASE DAY! The Governess and the Beast fr Decadent Publishing!

YAY! Official release day for The Governess and the Beast from Decadent Publishing and Book 2 in the Blind Cupid series.

Get it at Decadent Publishing
Get it at Amazon
Get it from All Romance
Get it at Bookstrand
Get it at Barnes and Noble
Get it at KOBO

Can I say how wonderful it is to have your book be released at ALL major third party sites on the same day? Thank you, Decadent Pub!

Book 1 is the short story from The Edge line, called THE BLIND CUPID  Check it HERE:

THE GOVERNESS AND THE BEAST Available at All Romance!

The Governess and the Beast By: Karyn Gerrard | Other books by Karyn Gerrard Published By: Decadent Publishing Company, LLC ISBN # 9781613335352 Word Count: 21000 Heat Index      Available in: Epub, HTML, Microsoft Reader, Adobe Acrobat, Mobipocket (.prc) Read More

About the book

Hiding secrets and a past she longs to forget, Hortense Jennings answers an ad for a governess and embarks on an adventure she did not expect.

Concealed in a gothic, crumbling manor on the edge of a North Sea cliff, Baron Simon Wolstenholme is hiding from life. Horribly scarred from battle wounds, he lives up to his name “The Beast of Stonecliff” in both appearance and attitude until he realizes how lonely he has become.

Simon propositions Hortense for a singular night of passion. Raging weather and storms of anger clash between a lonely man and a distrustful woman to reveal secret desires in an emotional crescendo. Can the Governess and the Beast find calm amid the storm and admit their true feelings, or will pride destroy the fairy tale before it begins?

An excerpt from the book

“Do you have courage, Miss Jennings?”

The question confused her for a moment. “I suppose as much as the next person....”

Baron Stonecliff reached behind his head, untied the knot, and unwound the scarf until he exposed his face. Utter ruin. She fought back the gasp of shock but could not prevent her physical recoil and stepped back. Mottled, puckered skin and a maze of nasty wounds, some of them burns, covered the left side. Scars crisscrossed his cheek and disappeared into his hairline. How miraculous his lips and jaw remained intact. What made the destruction harder to bear was the breathtaking masculine beauty still visible on the right. Lord Stonecliff must have been devastatingly handsome at one point. She kept her gaze steady, and she hoped, her emotions well buried. With swelling evident, she surmised his injury must have occurred in the last several months. The skin was red and raw. Would it be it sore to the touch? The scarring continued down his neck and disappeared under his collar. So, not only his face received injury.

“Have you looked your fill?” Stonecliff snapped in annoyance. “You must be able to gaze upon the horror that is my face. When I am in my own home, I do not cover it. The doctors recommended leaving my visage free to breathe in order to aid healing. Since am I told it is not as red as before, I suppose their theory has merit....”

He frowned and shrugged with slight indifference. The words were probably the most he had spoken to anyone in some time, and no doubt more than he wanted to share.

Hortense swallowed and took a step toward him. “Regardless, you are free to do as you wish in your own home. Since I did not run screaming from the room, there should be no difficulty.”

Did one corner of those full, sensuous lips quirk into an almost-smile? Oh, Lord, why was she thinking of his lips?

He bade her to sit again and took the chair opposite. Stonecliff crossed his long legs and regarded her closely.

“What I am about to say may well have you scream and run from the room. I did not bring you here to be governess to my ward. In truth, he is eleven years old and away at school. I lied. I brought you here to be—my companion.”