Today H&H is pleased to present the gorgeous cover for Caris Roane’s sixth Guardians of Ascension novel, Gates of Rapture!

Gates of Rapture is Leto’s story and will be available on December 26, 2012.

Here’s a bit more about the Ascension universe from Caris Roane’s website:

[Ascension is a] dimensional world full of winged vampires, hunky warriors and women with extraordinary preternatural powers. To become a vampire, a mortal man or woman must demonstrate power and prove worthy of ascending to the next dimension.  But the process of ascension is dangerous since the enemy, intent on conquering two worlds, tries to corrupt the most powerful ascenders and turn them into beautiful but villainous death vampires.

Battling the enemy are the Warriors of the Blood, a small brotherhood of men, vampires one and all, weary from centuries of war, each craving but resisting the presence of a woman in his life.

Destiny does not rest, does not sleep, but plots the undoing of each warrior’s heart as a series of preternaturally powerful women arrive on the scene to torment, to challenge, to demand surrender…

Today we welcome author Bronwen Evans to Heroes and Heartbreakers. Bronwen’s most recent release, Invitation to Scandal, features a heroine who makes her not-quite-honest living as a smuggler. And she’s here to share what she knows about real-life options for women in the early nineteenth century. Thanks, Bronwen!

If you were a member of the nobility in the early 1800s, and of the female persuasion, you were totally reliant on men for your keep; your husband, father or brother. If, due to dire circumstances, you were left to fend for yourself, not only did you have virtually no skill-set with which to earn enough money to keep you in comfort, but the disgrace attached to any form of work saw you outcast from Society.

Ladies were not raised to work. They were raised to think of their position in Society and to marry well. Their role was to run a household and bear children. Nothing more.

[We’ve come a long way in that regard, that’s for sure...]

In need of some sexy reading material to fill your e-reader? I’m here for you. Each month I will bring you an assortment of erotic pleasure reads to tempt your palate—and your credit card....

May may be the month of the lamb, but this month’s erotic offerings are nowhere near that tame.

The Siren by Tiffany Reisz (May 2012)

Notorious Nora Sutherlin is famous for her delicious works of erotica, each one more popular with readers than the last. But her latest manuscript is different-more serious, more personal-and she’s sure it’ll be her breakout book...if it ever sees the light of day.

Zachary Easton holds Nora’s fate in his well-manicured hands. The demanding British editor agrees to handle the book on one condition: he wants complete control. Nora must rewrite the entire novel to his exacting standards—in six weeks—or it’s no deal.

Nora’s grueling writing sessions with Zach are draining...and shockingly arousing. And a dangerous former lover has her wondering which is more tortuous-staying away from him...or returning to his bed?
Nora thought she knew everything about being pushed to your limits. But in a world where passion is pain, nothing is ever that simple.

[That does sound complicated...]

Alyssa Everett
Ruined by Rumor
Carina / $5.99 digital / May 21, 2012

After waiting five years for her fiancé to return from the war and marry her, Roxana Langley has been jilted! She may have longed for excitement, but this was not what she had in mind...

Who could possibly throw over a woman as beautiful and vivacious as Roxana? Certainly not Alex Winslow, the Earl of Ayersley, who has spent years trying in vain to forget his unrequited love. When he learns she’s been abandoned by her cad of a fiancé, he finds himself offering a shoulder for her to cry on. Comfort soon turns into a passionate kiss-and scandal when they are caught in an embrace.

Only one thing will save Roxana from certain ruination: marriage to the earl. The match may save her reputation, but responsible, tongue-tied Ayersley is a far cry from her dashing former fiancé. She’s convinced Ayersley is merely doing his duty...while he’s sure Roxana is still in love with another man. Are they trading one disaster for another?

After reading Alyssa Everett’s debut novel, A Tryst With Trouble, I was excited to discover Ruined by Rumor. Everett’s lighthearted dialogue was again a feature, as was the old-school Regency romance plot, but what I really loved was her hero.

[Ooh, and who doesn’t love a particularly delicious hero!...]

Yesterday on Twitter, author Thea Harrison posed the question of which five authors you’d like to have dinner with. Thea’s answer was, “Shakespeare, Barbara Cartland, Isaac Asimov, Georgette Heyer and Robert Parker.”

It’s a darn good question, so now we want to ask the H&H community:

Which five authors would you like to have dinner with? And why?

The day before it opened in U.S. theaters, I gushed somewhat lavishly, though not at all unwarrantedly, in these pages about The Avengers, the latest movie birthed out of the Marvel Comics stable of awesome. Throughout the course of this genuflection, I referred to writer/director Joss Whedon as “the King of Angst,” and while this sobriquet was perhaps not entirely borne out in this latest big screen outing—though I maintain there is trouble ahead for Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) and Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow), and I’d be astounded if we didn’t see not-quite-random waitress Beth (Ashley Johnson) again in relation to Cap sometime—there can be no denying that his previous work renders him a deserving holder of the title.

[Well I have a demi-god, a billionaire and a vampire, what d’you got?...]

The Bones finale certainly held some surprises. Read a special reaction piece from Anna Bowling on last night’s memorable episode 13, “The Past in the Present”:

********SPOILERS********

Keeping romantic tension high when the happy couple is, well, happy. Booth and Bones are happily cohabiting, in their own cozy house with adorable baby Christine, content in domestic bliss. For all those who have been waiting to see Booth and Bones standing at an altar in front of a priest, “The Past in the Present” delivers exactly that, but not in the way one might imagine.

The day of Christine’s receiving her first sacrament, her christening, looms, and Bones still isn’t sure if she’ll attend. She doesn’t understand how sprinkling water over an infant makes up for the sins said infant committed before birth. Maybe she would have understood if Booth had a chance to explain that it’s a symbolic washing of the soul, but they did have a gruesome corpse to investigate, so family matters must wait.

[Ah, Bones—I’d say “never change,” but you wouldn’t anyway...]

Chick Lit follows a pretty consistent formula: The stories are about women who find themselves at a crossroads, or whose lives are in a slump, and how they take action and decide to deal with it. There are breakups, makeovers, different jobs, new friends, love, and funny situations. They are all about the journey to become a different and better person, and they are usually told from the heroine’s POV.

But what happens when all the ingredients for a great Chick-Lit story are there, but the main character is a guy? Lately I’ve read books whose main character is a man who goes through a self-discovering journey that make me feel like I’m reading a “Chickless” Chick-Lit story, or, as I’ve come to think of it: Dude Lit.

[I think How I Met Your Mother’s Ted would totally qualify!...]

Whether you’re a Barney/Robin, Marshall/Lily, or Ted/Mother fan, last night’s How I Met Your Mother hour-long Season 7 finale was full of surprises. Read a special reaction piece from Anna Bowling on last night’s memorable episode(s), (7.23 and 7.24) “The Magician’s Code, parts 1 and 2":

Kids, ah, readers, there are three parts to this season finale, and each part brings somebody to a point of no return. We’ve got a birth, an engagement, a wedding and a half, a vacation that never gets off the ground, the magical contents of a mysterious box, and that’s only scratching the surface, so get comfy. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

[Buckle up!...and of course, spoilers!]

Our Lost Girl obsession is going strong! If you’re just now diving into the show, be sure to check out all of Kiersten Krum’s recaps, from Season 1 up to the most recent Season 2 episode aired on SyFy (episode 1, episode 2, episode 3, episode 4). All caught up? Good. And now, on to part 1 of the recap for last night’s episode, 2.05, “BrotherFae of the Wolves”—part 2 will be posted tomorrow!

********SPOILERS********

It’s a beautiful day in FaeVille! The sun is kinda shining, the air is sort of clear, and our dynamic Trio are out on location! Dyson, in a white shirt and blue jeans, and his long-legged stride is walking down a random sidewalk. Bo and Kenzi, in their standard all black, are nearly double-timed walking half a pace behind him. Dyson glances at them over his shoulder and ruefully asks what they want. “Goosebump alert!” Kenzi says wondering how he knew they wanted anything from him. Dyson: “You two never shut up so either you’re schemin’ or it’s my lucky day. Thing is, I’m not that lucky. So…what?”

[Cheer up, Dyson—you’re about to make the fangirls feel very lucky...]

Today we welcome author Anna Banks, whose upcoming Of Poseidon has already swept away many readers. We are delighted to have Anna here to talk about love and dating outside of a post-apocalyptic world.

When I was pondering ideas for this guest post, my initial thought was to dissect the whole love-at-first-sight-in-YA thing. I even looked up the definition of love.  According to Dictionary.com love is: A profoundly tender, passionate affection for one another.

Which made me giggle (snort obnoxiously). As with all official definitions, it felt stuffy and generic and lacking all the stolen glances, inside jokes, whipped cream and awkward moments that really encompass the true meaning of love.

So I did what any self-respecting person would do: I consulted Twitter. I took a Twitter poll, asking my participants to answer whether or not they believed in love at first sight. A whopping 90% responded that they did not (shocker).

[Does this mean I should stop staring at strange men in public?...]

There will be inevitable comparisons between the HBO show Girls and the Mindy Project because they’re both focused on women of a certain age (young!), but the comparisons are superficial, at best.

Take a look at a trailer for The Office’s Mindy Kaling’s new show, and ask yourself: Is THIS the best rom-com we’ve seen in years? Or what?

The Mindy Project will air on Fox in the fall.

Today we present not one but TWO exclusive cover reveals for exciting upcoming releases! In Gina Robinson’s Agent Ex novel Live and Let Love, a spy husband makes life tough, especially when he brings his work home with him, while in Elizabeth Essex’s Reckless Brides novel A Breath of Scandal, a naval officer will break all the rules to win his unconventional heroine. We can’t wait!

Here’s a bit more about each:

A Breath of Scandal by Elizabeth Essex (December 26, 2012)

Forced by her family into an engagement with a man she can never abide, Antigone Preston knows only a scandal will save her from a loveless marriage. But knocking a man down to the ballroom floor with her fists brings dangerous consequences. She may have ruined her reputation, but now she’s endangered her heart…

The son of an earl and a career navy man, Captain William Jellicoe has no interest in the frivolities of London—and even less in the institution of marriage. But there’s something steering him toward Antigone. He has never met anyone as brazen and unconventional as…himself. But will he risk it all for a woman who still has the breath of scandal hot on her lips? 

Live and Let Love by Gina Robinson (December 26, 2012)

Willow Pierce loved her husband madly. Even though he was an assassin for National Clandestine Services, the spying arm of the CIA, he was always gentle and loving with her. Since his death at the hands of South American drug lords, Willow has settled down to the quiet suburban life she craved while married to Jack.

Now there’s a man in town who swaggers like Jack, laughs like Jack, and looks like Jack. Is this really her dead husband come back to life and when the spy games come to her front door, can Willow trust anyone?

What do you think, are you feeling the love for these men in uniform? Or, er, out of uniform, as the case may be?

NEW!: Comment below for a chance to win 1 of 2 copies of Mary Balogh’s The Proposal!*

Mary Balogh
The Proposal
Delacorte / May 1, 2012 / $16.97 print, $12.99 digital

Gwendoline, Lady Muir, has seen her share of tragedy, especially since a freak accident took her husband much too soon. Content in a quiet life with friends and family, the young widow has no desire to marry again. But when Hugo, Lord Trentham, scoops her up in his arms after a fall, she feels a sensation that both shocks and emboldens her. 

Hugo never intends to kiss Lady Muir, and frankly, he judges her to be a spoiled, frivolous—if beautiful—aristocrat. He is a gentleman in name only: a soldier whose bravery earned him a title; a merchant’s son who inherited his wealth. He is happiest when working the land, but duty and title now demand that he finds a wife. He doesn’t wish to court Lady Muir, nor have any role in the society games her kind thrives upon. Yet Hugo has never craved a woman more; Gwen’s guileless manner, infectious laugh, and lovely face have ruined him for any other woman. He wants her, but will she have him?...

It is both a blessing and a curse to be a heroine whose story readers have yearned for lo these thirteen years. The Proposal, the first book in Mary Balogh’s new series, the Survivors’ Club, is the story of Gwendoline, Lady Muir, whom we first met in One Night For Love, which was published in 1999.

Gwen is a loving sister, daughter, cousin, aunt, friend, and all of Balogh’s readers have come to appreciate her.

[And she’s finally getting her own hero? Sweet!...]

A rape fantasy or a ravishment is a sexual fantasy involving imagining or pretending being coerced or coercing another into sexual activity. In sexual role-play it involves acting out roles of coercive sex. One form of sexual roleplaying is the rape fantasy, also called ravishment or forced sex roleplay. Ravishment has become a more preferred term in BDSM circles, as it makes a distinction between consensual role play and non-consensual assault. Though consensuality is an important component of sexual roleplay, the illusion of non-consensuality (i.e., rape) is important to maintaining the fantasy. Crossing the line may constitute an assault and result in arrest and conviction.

—Wikipedia

Rape fantasy role-playing has become a hot topic with the unexpected popularity of E.L. James’s Fifty Shades trilogy, as well as all the subsequent articles explaining and judging this popularity. When first hit with the notion that someone actually thinks about having forced sex, what comes to mind is, “Why would you fantasize about something so repugnant and possibly life-threatening?” It’s a touchy subject that requires some careful consideration. 

[Let’s give it that careful consideration...]

The season finale of Once Upon a Time, “A Land Without Magic,” aired last night, and if you watched, you saw [highlight for spoilers]the return of the Huntsman, that the power of True Love can bring people back to life, and that others weren’t dead at all![/spoilers]

What do you think of [highlight for spoilers]the curse being broken? How about Mr. Gold and Belle? Prince Charming and Snow?[/spoilers] Have you eaten any apple turnovers lately?

Please share your thoughts of last night’s episode, predictions for next season, and overall opinion of the show.

The cover for J.R. Ward’s Rapture, book 4 in the Fallen Angels series, has been released!

Here’s the goodreads description:

After reporter Mels Carmichael hits a disheveled man with her car outside the local cemetery, she pays a visit to the stranger in the hospital. The only thing he remembers of his past is seeing a name written on a headstone: that of Jim Heron—a fallen angel charged with rescuing souls from the seven deadly sins. Now, as Mels struggles to help this mysterious stranger rediscover himself, Heron himself returns to prepare for a battle between good and evil.

This is the first Fallen Angels book to appear in hardcover, and the cover looks a lot different from the first three Fallen Angels’ books, which had various iterations of male chests. Rapture will be out September 25, 2012.

Don’t miss Regina Thorne’s recaps of “The North Remembers,” “The Night Lands,” “What Is Dead May Never Die,” “Garden of Bones,” “The Ghost of Harrenhal,” and last week’s “The Old Gods and the New.” All caught up? Good. Now, on to...

Game of Thrones Season 2, episode 6, “A Man Without Honor”:

********SPOILERS********

Sometimes the titles of Game of Thrones episodes are a bit mystifying in terms of their relevance to the episode but last night’s “A Man Without Honor” could have referred to any one of a number of characters, including Theon Greyjoy, Jaime Lannister, and Xaro Xhoan Daxos. Plus, the ghost of an Man With Honor also haunted over the episode with both Theon and Jaime (as well as Ned’s bastard son Jon) talking about and measuring themselves against Ned. (He’s a head shorter, in case anyone was wondering.)

Man Without Honor #1 Theon wakes up alone in his bed in Winterfell. Osha has, as we saw last week, debunked with extreme prejudice to an Ironborn’s throat and with the Stark children, their direwolves and Hodor. Theon is incensed at his men for letting a “halfwit” and a “cripple” outwit them; the tubby Ironborn with the long resumé of rapine and murder who mocked Theon back in Pyke mentions that if Theon hadn’t been seduced by Osha, none of this would have happened. Theon dislikes the backchatting and administers some Ironclad stomping on Tubby the Reiver.

[If you can’t join ’em, beat ’em, eh, Theon?...]