Winners, Winners, Everyone LOVES Winners

Okay, a brief newsletter's going out later today, sending everyone here to see

This--My April/May anthology release with Lori Handeland and Rebecca Winters, Mother's of the Year, which is still on shelves--this is my Snow White and Grumpy story, guys!!! Baby Steps. I'm so thrilled with the way it turned out ;o) I'm already getting great feedback, and we received 4 1/2 stars from RT:

"This trio of charming stories...is heartwarming and well written. All three authors are masters of their craft..."

You can still find it in stores and on Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Year-Rent-Along-Daughter-Baby-Superromance/dp/0373714823/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209649207&sr=8-3

And This--My June release--Book II in Atlanta Heroes--To Protect the Child, which I promoted like the dickens at the Romantic Times conference (more pics of hunky guys to come ;o) and just received a 4 1/2 stars Top Pick from Romantic Times:

"...a nonstop thriller full of action and excitement. Alexa and Robert's relationshop is hot... Readers won't want to put this one down."

You can pre-order it on Amazon (already selling like hotcakes out there) at :

http://www.amazon.com/Protect-Child-Harlequin-Superromance/dp/0373714971/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209649207&sr=8-1

Or, if you can't wait 'til June, you can buy it now on eHarlequin.com, at

http://eharlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=17310&cid=229

Eharlequin's spotlighting it as part of a special "hero" promotion, too:

http://www.eharlequin.com/store.html?cid=459

Then there are my purse winner...from last Summer (one more chance for that winner to claim his prize). I never heard from Jack M.!!! Or maybe he emailed, and I my spam filter lost it in the midst of the last six months of writing instanity, lol! Anyway, Jack... I'm dying to send this Signature Suede Coach Tote your (and your lovely wife's) way!

And my blog purse winner from last Winter (finally announcing her, so I can do new prizes ;o) -- Pat L., who posted on October 1st!!! Congrats!!! This amazing designer Isabella Fiore bag is yours!!!

Email me guys at anna(at)annawrites.com (replace the (at) with "@").

Of course that means we need a new blog prize for commenters to win...

I'll be updating my website contest page (http://annawrites.com/contests.shtml) later today, so stay tuned...

Also, even though I was too busy for a Mothers of the Year release party, you know come June I'll be there partying for To Protect the Child!!! I'll have the dates up soon!

Until then, speaking of Coach and Isabella Fiore (my new favorite purse designer), May first is the official beginning of Brenda Novak's online auction (http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/) .

My page:

http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/auctionhelp.taf?S=N&R=2&C=2&m=3&sort=1&st=1&days=&category_id=8335&skipkw=1&_
start=1&_UserReference=D1D0771346B5C9E4FE37D12162F74819D488

is full of amazing things I hope everyone heads over and bids on.

Things like this...an Isabella Fiore wallet that's to-die for... Isn't the seahourse the cutest thing you've ever seen???

and this.... A Coach double-handled fabric with leather trim travel comsmetic tote...

There's so much more I'll be spotlighting out here this month...And, yes, of course I saved some goodies to give away just to blog visitors!

So, until tomorrow, here's a pic of yours truely with hunky Romantic Times Mr. Romance '06 to hold you over, once you're done drooling over all the great books and bags, LOL!

Thanks for coming back out to join the fun,

Anna

Because of a Boy Release Party--One For the Money!!!

Hey friends and readers--it's that time again. Celebrate with me, as I say thank you to readers and fans for a wonderful year of support, and while we all party about the October 15th release of Book I in my Atlanta Heroes series, Because of a Boy.

If you've missed the last week or so of posts, click the Excerpts and Reviews links below, or check out my website Reviews page:

http://annawrites.com/reviews.shtml

We'll fast-forward to later in the story below--to Kate's (Martin Rhodes' sister from The Runaway Daughter and The Perfect Daughter) and Stephen's (Neal Cain's co-worker from The Prodigal's Return) first love romantic scene together--what better way to start the party ;o)

Okay, okay, prizes wouldn't be a bad way, either, so... Today, a lucky randomly selected blogger commenters who tell us his or her favorite way to party will win:


This great Guess mini evening clutch.



Another will receive my last tote given away at RT '07--a very cool bag that will come with promotional goodies...

I also have decks of card adorned with Ellora's Cave models and Borders gift certificates. Let's see how many commenters we get...maybe I won't be able to wait until tomorrow to give those away, too ;o)

So, tell us what party-on means to you. To me, it means hanging with folks who lift me up and make my work seem like a dream come true--folks like you ;o)

Okay, onward to Kate and Stephen's first romantic scene--a release party exclusive!!! Trust me when I say the tension between these two builds and builds from p. 1...

They're coming together to help Dillon now, and Stephen, the man who doesn't ask anyone permission for anything, is asking Kate if it's okay to pull her estranged brother into the picture...

Tomorrow...a much anticipated love scene between our troubled couple from The Perfect Daughter--Lissa Carter and Kate's brother Martin Rhodes ;o)

*******
"Would you leave Martin alone, if I asked you to?" She needed not to care so much what he said next, but her heart was suddenly racing.

"It would be a mistake." He smoothed her bangs out of her eyes. "I know things are strained between you and Martin, but I saw how much you two still care about each other. I find it hard to believe that your brother wouldn't help, if he knew you were this involved with the Digarros. But, yes, I'll back off and look for some other way, if that's what you need. I'll put a private investigator on it, and see what he can dig up. Just tell me which way you want me to go."

Kate blinked.

How many times had she told her ex she was sick and tired of him trying to take care of her?
She'd needed to be treated as an equal in their marriage, capable of deciding what was best for her, even if he didn't understand or agree. Robert hadn't been able to do that.

But Stephen, the ace litigator who knew how to masterfully play whatever angle served his purposes, was laying his cards on the table, and allowing her to choose if he played them or not.
He was saying our.

We.

She didn't do we.

"Kate?" Stephen asked

"I...I don't think Martin will agree to help," she heard herself say. "I'm not even sure what he could do..."

"But it's okay with you if I try?"

Kate nodded, only then realizing that Stephen's palm was cupping her cheek--which was wet again.

"I don't know what's wrong with me?" She tried to move away, but found she couldn't.

"It's hard for me, too." His face was closer. His thumb soothed across her cheekbone.

"What?" she whispered.

"This need I have to trust you." His expression hardened. His gaze dropped to her lips. "I'm not an easy man, Kate."

"No, you're not." She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, her heart rate galloping when he flinched and his eyes locked with hers once more.

There was heat there now, tempering the hardness into something sexually challenging. Something she suddenly needed more than she needed her rules about keeping a distance between her and anything that made her feel this much.

"But you trust me, anyway?" he asked.

It was a statement, not really a question.

"Yeah," she replied, feeling the truth settle deep, where nothing ever got to her anymore.

"Yeah," he whispered, a second before his lips sealed hers in a kiss so full of need, it demanded she respond.

As if she needed the incentive.

Get closer.

Feel more.

Make the ache inside stop.

Or make it worse. She didn't care which, as long as she kept feeling what they felt like together.

Together.

His tongue grazed her lips. Took advantage of her gasp to feather inside. When her own twisted around it, his body tensed. He cupped the back of her neck, asking silent permission. She angled her head, closed her eyes and deepened the kiss. Their groans mingled as he took complete control.

There was no other word for the way he devoured her. Ate at her lips with tiny nips of his teeth. Sipped her tongue into his mouth and suckled gently--then as her nails bit into his arms, more firmly, his hands rubbing down her back. Cupping her bottom. Sliding her closer to the edge of her chair, until her thighs were cradled between his.

She should be protesting. It was too fast. Anyone could come in at any moment. But he was the one to pull away first.

His hands rubbed gentle circles up her arms, leaving her shivering. His kiss gentled, his chest billowing in and out with the effort it took to back off. Kate clenched his forearms, not ready to let him go, and leaned into his next kiss, pressing for more. She swallowed the low, needy sound he made.

A crash in the hallway sent them springing apart, to stare at each other.

Stephen cleared his throat and he stood.

"So." He dug his hands into his coat pockets. "Um... Your brother. I'll try to speak with him this afternoon, if you're sure it's okay."

"He..." Kate stood herself. "I think he's at the academy every weekday. Um--"

The break room door opened. Marsha poked her head in.

"Robert's looking for you." She glanced back and forth between Kate and Stephen, as if she could feel the tension still crackling between them. "I told him you were busy with something important."

"My ex-husband. He's a surgeon here," Kate felt compelled to explain. She shook her head. As if Stephen cared. "Yes, it's okay with me if want to ask Martin for help. But I think you're wasting your time."

"And I think you're underestimating his feelings for you," Stephen countered. "After what I saw last night--"

"Let me know how it goes," she interrupted.

With a glare, she begged Marsha to keep quiet.

"I'll be in touch." Stephen stepped past Marsha and disappeared into the hall.

"Last night?" Marsha asked.

"It was nothing."

"Doesn't sound like nothing, if the man's already met the brother you haven't said boo to since he moved back to town."

"It's a long story." Kate fished her stethoscope out of her pocket and followed in Stephen's wake.

Marsha kept up.

"So, is it nothing?" she quipped. "Or is it a long story?"

Kate kept walking...

Blog Party Starts Monday!!!

Here are the pics I promised--goodies going out to Because of a Boy Release Party commenters next week. Lots of give aways, lots of fun and more excerpts and stuff you love ;o) Oh, and I've added one more review below--the response to the subplots and themes in this book is really blowing me away...

First, a sneak peak of what randomly selected commenters will win next week. Multiple winners every day--


The last of the RT '07 promo itmes I brought back, including amazing decks of cards with Eloras Cave cover models on them.








There are some books left--I'll be giving away a selection of them.








And of course there will be great purses--





And one final review--enjoy, and let me know what you think of BOAB, too! It should be in bookstores everywhere by Monday...

...Anna DeStefano’s BECAUSE OF A BOY is an emotional story that forces her characters to trust based on gut feeling, and this left this reader in tears more than once.

This story comes to readers at a time where America is at war with itself on what to do with illegal immigrants, and this story slants a whole new look into the lives who escape here for reasons most of us will never understand. Ms. DeStefano has taken a tale about a family facing deportation and other evils and made it a backdrop for a beautiful love story. While Kate and Stephen’s story may be a happily ever after love story, this reviewer was just as glad to see Manny and Dillon end their tale with an ending that beat the odds.

Anna DeStefano is an author already on this reader’s auto-buy list and she highly recommends finding the other novels by this author, as well as this one, you will not be let down, she writes a mighty tale filled with emotion.

--Anige, LovesRomanceAndMore.com

http://www.loveromancesandmore.com/Oct07/becauseofaboy_angie.htm

Beautiful New Jersey

Typing away in the airport on my way home from a FABULOUS New Jersey RWA conference. It's warmer here than in Georgia right now...actually, it's freaking H-O-T. Take a look at my one and only picture from the weekend, and you'll agree, things are just about perfect in this lovely place ;o)

Yep, that's Bill Freeda, a romace cover model friend who showed for the book signing--a native Jersey boy who's always fun to see. I'm the tired lady standing beside him wearing no makeup because I'm working on my second conference in as many weeks. Bill, of course, is fresh as a daisy and lovely enough to hug that I remembered to pull out my camera and have a friend record the moment for my blog buddies! He'll be at RT again next year, and I hear tell there will even be a Romance Cover Model reunion...sigh...

I'm thrilled to report that Because of Boy once again sold like hotcakes. Romantic suspense seems to be a very good twist for my new Superromance venture. Can't wait to hear from readers as they get a chance to dive in. Harriette Klausner (a top online reviewer) has weighed in--and she likies:

"... BECAUSE OF A BOY is a fabulous look at health care for the homeless and for illegal immigrants as much as a contemporary romance. The story line is action-packed from the first encounter in the hospital between the lead couple and never slows down until the final altercation. Yet with all the non-stop action and the romantic subplot, Anne DeStefano provides a strong exposé on the lack of any health care for the homeless and limited at best for illegal immigrants (Hippocrates must be turning in his grave with some of the Draconian solutions to outlaw help).: --Hariette Klausner reviews

Wow--I LOVE writing about up-to-date topics and touch hearts and give you guys romance to gush over, all at the same time. And I promise, Remember Me, Atlanta Heroes book two, is just as exciting a romance. I'll give you a sneak peak during the blog release party, promise ;o)

But, more of Because of a Boy today... Thanks for letting me know you're enjoying it ;o) Here's more of Stephen Creighton--some of the last little bit of character setup before we run full speed into the action. Some of you will find Stephen and his boss Neal and theil legal aid center familiar--Neal was the hero of my award-winning The Prodigal's Return, and Stephen had a few cameo scenes in that book (too few...so I have him his own kick-ass story, lol!). It was a lot of fun to catch up with Neal and Jen ;o):

"No word yet from the hospital?" Neal Cain asked from the doorway of Stephen's office.

The man's dangerous edge wasn't softened by the well-cut suits and crisply-ironed shirts he always wore to the office. Stephen's boss, the founder of the meekly-named Atlanta Legal Aid Center had done five years of hard time--entering the adult penal system as a seventeen-year-old--for a manslaughter conviction he copped to, because he'd felt responsible for his best friend's accidental death.

His choice had robbed Neal of the last of his childhood, and eight years with the people he'd left behind in the small southern town he'd grown up in. But the traumatic experience had sparked his passion for protecting vulnerable defendants from an often too-rigid legal system that had neither the time nor the resources to make sure everyone received the highest quality defense possible. Neal's mission since his early parole had been making sure the innocents he defended were safe from the horrors he'd survived.

As soon as Stephen had briefed him on the Digarro situation, Neal had asked to meet the distraught father, then green-lighted the case. Whatever time Stephen needed to spend on it. Nothing beat Neal's instincts with people, and his gut had told him the same thing as Stephen's--Digarro was hiding something, but he wasn't responsible for Dillon's injuries.

"Nothing official yet from the hospital." Stephen pushed back from the desk. He rubbed the back of his neck, massaging the knots that refused to completely untie themselves at the end of each day. "I got in to see the kid for a few minutes. He's pretty banged up. I can understand the hospital's concern."

"You starting to doubt the father?" Neal gave up his relaxed pose lounging against the door jamb, and stepped into the shadows of Stephen's office. It was hours past sunset. Only a desk lamp held back the darkness as Stephen replayed every fact he knew about the case, what he'd seen with his own eyes, and Kate Rhodes' certainty that Manny Digarro was a threat to his own child.

"No," he finally said. "No way is Manny responsible for his son's medical condition."

"But you don't believe his whole story." Neal sat. He was wicked smart and ruthless, responsible for the bulk of their behind the scenes work, since convicted felons technically couldn't practice law. He was a silent weapon, writing briefs and negotiating deals long before cases got to trial. Still, he read people better and faster than anyone Stephen had ever met, and he hadn't been wrong about a client yet.

"Digarro never touched his son." Stephen was sure of it. "But that green card he showed us..."

"Yeah," Neal agreed, "it's a forgery."

And now the Digarro kid was in the system, and the police were focused on the father, while the hospital ran their tests.

"How long do you think we've got?" Stephen asked.

"Before INS comes looking to join the discussion?"

"Before Digarro disappears from Atlanta for good." There had been a lot of fear in the man the last time Stephen had spoken with him.

Illegal or not, Manny Digarro was fighting to make a new start in this country for his son. Stephen would welcome the chance to help make it a legal one. There were ways to hold off the INS, until the right visas could be obtained. Loopholes to wrangle, giving the Digarros time to apply for legitimate immigration status, and then citizenship.

But deportation was the likeliest outcome, if INS got involved before Stephen was ready to negotiate. Dillon couldn't travel in his condition, but his abusive father might find himself on the next bus back over the border, then turned over to Colombian authorities to deal with. Manny had to know the danger he was in. He was nowhere to be found, at least not at the last shelter he and his son had stayed at. Digarro had disappeared as soon as he'd given Stephen that gift to take to Dillon--along with a father's promise that he would be back for his son, no matter how long they were separated.

"Manny's next move depends on what we hear from the hospital," Stephen reasoned. "If we're lucky, he'll wait long enough to be cleared of the abuse charges. But we won't have the test results for several days. At least that's what the nurses answering the phone on the pediatric floor are saying."

A rotating shift of nurses that so far hadn't included the willful, heart-wrenchingly protective Kate Rhodes.

"And if he's not cleared of the charges?" For Neal, cold, hard reality was the only way to do business. "If immigrations status is an issue, the Digarros are headed for a courtroom either way. You'll work your magic, we'll take our chances, but this one may not be winnable."

Stephen was Neal's top litigator--a pedigreed, trust-fund baby no one had seen coming.

Underestimating him rarely happened anymore. He was too determined to help the under-privileged with the same passion as his boss. When he lost, he lost innocent lives to an unforgiving system, and he wasn't losing Dillon Digarro's father.

"We'll make it work," he said. "We've still got some time. If we don't hear anything by morning, I'll--"

"How many other cases do you have pending?" Neal asked.

He knew how many, of course. He knew what was written on every scrap of paper that circulated the office.

"No more than usual." Stephen shrugged.

"So, you're backed up two weeks out?"

The center's everyday caseload would have left the average lawyer drowning beneath mounds of briefs and pending motions, not to mention court appearances that ate entire days at a time.

"I'll handle it." Stephen always did.

"I know. You eat, sleep and breathe this job, the same as I used to," Neal conceded. He still beat even Stephen into the office most mornings, and was slaving away most evenings after Stephen headed home. "But if you're going to hunker down with the Digarro's, consider handing some of the everyday details over to the rest of the team. Let Kelly do your research. Give the junior associates a crack at some of your open cases."

"Yeah, sure," Stephen agreed as Neal stood and headed toward the deserted outer office.

Except Stephen didn't do teams, and they both knew it. Just like he never got sucked too far into a case or let relationships with clients get personal. He stayed in control. He got the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible, and then he moved on.

So why couldn't he get the Digarro's off his mind? And why had confronting one feisty nurse thrown him so badly that morning?

Kate Rhodes' mixture of strength and vulnerability had been a surprise. Her genuine concern for her young patient had been too genuine for an impartial medical professional. That was her tell. Stephen's way to convince her to fork over Dillon's test results before the hospital got around to doing it, so he could handle things for Manny and move on.

So why was the idea of playing the woman to get what he needed for his client, the way he'd played countless contacts in the past, suddenly so distasteful?

Romance B(u)y The Book--October 19th, Mark Your Calendar!!!

Guess what! I'll be blogging on LifetimeTV.com on the 19th!!! A very cool opportunity compliments of my friend Michelle Buonfiglio--thanks for the chance to hang with the Bellas at Romance B(u)y The Blog!!!

Check out the J.R. Ward blog going on this week ;o) That'll be me soon...sigh...

http://www.lifetimetv.com/lifestyle/entertainment/romance-buy-the-book/blogs

To those whom I owe goodies, they're going out in the mail tomorrow (when I ship out the last of the stuff I'll need at the NJ conference this weekend). So sorry for the delay. But did I mention that Remember Me is amazing???? Oh, and my editor called to say she LOVED the revisions to Baby Steps (my Mother's Day novella). So all's well.

To those who want more of Because of a Boy--you're going to fall in love with my little Dillon ;o)

***********
Dillon Digarro kept his eyes squeezed shut.

The grown ups were arguing in the hall now. He could still hear how angry they were. The shaking had come back--the shaking that didn't happen when it was just him and his papa.

Papa never got angry when it was just the two of them.

That nice nurse, Kate, was mad at Papa. Just like she was mad at the man who'd brought Dillon the car. And some other voice had been arguing with them, too.

Dillon just wanted to go home.

Not to another shelter, or another city. He wanted to go back home. Back to Colombia with Papa, except there were angry, scary people there, too.

Kate had been so nice at the shelter. She'd taken care of him when she'd found him hurt. She'd been with him almost all the time at hospital. He wished she'd come back. He liked it when she sat with him, even if she was mad at Papa.

She didn't understand why Papa hadn't come in the ambulance. She didn't like Dillon being hurt and scared, and she thought it was Papa's fault. She was wrong, but she was worried, and that felt good. There was no one else to worry but Papa.

He searched under the blanket with his good arm, until his fingers brushed the car he'd hidden there. Kate didn't know it was the first toy Dillon had had since leaving Colombia. She didn't know how worried his papa must be to have sent it.

We have to be able to move at a moment's notice. We can't risk taking anything that someone's seen us with. That's all they'd need to track us.

They never stopped moving. Atlanta was the longest they'd been anywhere in a year. They wore other people's clothes. Dillon's only toys where whatever the shelters had. Everything had to be left when they moved. Everything but the clothes they were wearing, and they got new second-hand stuff as soon as they stopped someplace new. He was tired of broken toys, clothes no one else wanted, and all the faces of people he wasn't supposed to talk to. Kids who couldn't be friends. All of it left behind, as soon as something spooked Papa and it was time to move again.

Except now he had his car.

Did that mean they could finally stop running?

Papa couldn't come to the hospital himself because Kate was mad at him. But if Dillon could get her and everyone else to understand, maybe they could stay in Atlanta.

Except he wasn't supposed to talk about anything with anyone.

Wait there for me. Try to get better. I'll come get you when it's time, Papa had said as the ambulance men took Dillon away.

When it was time...

Time to run again.

Dillon squeezed the car to his sore ribs, missing his papa, missing home--even though home was where they'd run from first. Home was what Papa was protecting Dillon from the most.

Except Dillon hurt and he was scared, and he wanted his own clothes and his room full of toys, and the friends he knew he'd never see again.

Papa was worried about him. The doctors and nurses here were worried. Everyone was worried about everything but what really mattered.

When were the men after his papa going to stop hunting them?

When would it finally be safe to stay somewhere? Be someone real? Have real friends and real toys like his new car, without waiting for it all to disappear?

Remember Me?

It's done!!!

Remember Me, that lovely Book II of the Atlanta Heroes series that's been keeping me away from you? It's done. Finally. And it's really good, wink, wink ;o)

So, that's my only excuse for abandoning you guys for almost a month, after promising not to again. That and the revisions I had to do on the Mother's Day novella. And the Moonlight and Magnolias conference here in Atlanta. You know, insignificant stuff like that.

Stuff that's over--leaving me free to blog daily. Yes, you heard it here first. Daily. Oh, and to chat and guest blog and lots of other good stuff. Stuff like a RELEASE LAUNCH PARTY for Because Of A Boy the week of October 15th!!! Look for more details in a newsletter that'll go out before I leave for the New Jersey conference this weekend.

Let's see... What else, you ask? You guys are sooooo greedy (I like that about you , BTW ;o)... All-American Father is a Golden Leaf finalist (in it's first contest ever, so a nice showing there)... And I have a new Because of a Boy review to share, from a great review/book site, Books For A Buck...

Author Anna DeStefano (see more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by DeStefano) doesn't pull her punches in BECAUSE OF A BOY. Dealing with some of the most emotional issues possible, child abuse, the effects of abusive families, physical injury and betrayal, DeStefano delivers a page-turning read. In a subplot involving Kate's estranged cop-brother (who was injured in the line of duty and refuses to have anything to do with either Kate or his one-time girlfriend, Lissa) DeStefano shows another side of the damages caused by abusive families and the difficulties that victims have in developing trust or a sense of self-worth.

Although there is a bit of a suspense element to this story, with Columbian druglords in the background, DeStefano keeps the novel firmly centered on the romance and on the character growth Stephen and, especially, Kate will need if she's ever going to allow happiness into her life.

http://www.booksforabuck.com/rompages/rom_2007/because_of_a_boy.html

More goodies to come. Here's another excerpt to tide you over, greedy friends of mine... To catch up if you need to, scroll back through the last few blog posts. In it, you get to meet the hero of Remember Me, Robert Livingston...did I mention you're going to LOVE that book, too? But you're going to have to wait for that one, he he ;o)

**************

"What was that?" Kate's ex-husband, neurosurgeon Robert Livingston, asked.

He was intentionally blocking her view of the lawyer's retreating back, shielding her the way he'd tried to protect her during their marriage. The way she'd refused to let him. Robert had always wanted to mean more to her than she could handle.

To save her from things they'd barely even talked about.

It wasn't in her nature to be saved. It wasn't in his to back off when someone needed help. Exit one marriage, but thankfully their friendship had survived.

And for the first time, as Kate peered around his tall frame to watch Stephen Creighton disappear behind the closing elevator door, she was thankful for Robert's coddling. Because there had been something in the lawyer's earnest expression, in his voice, that made her want to doubt what her own eyes were telling her. To believe that an abused little boy belonged with the man she was certain had hurt him.

"That was nothing," she assured her ex.

"You okay?" Robert rubbed the same place on her arm Creighton had grabbed. His other hand held up the man's fancy, embossed card. "Who--"

"He's a lawyer for some legal aid center." She glanced toward Dillon's room. "Manny Digarro sent him."

"The father of your banged up little boy from the shelter? He's already lawyered up?"

"Yeah. The police were notified by the ER attending, and I filed a report about what I saw at the center. They say they don't have enough evidence to arrest the father yet, and we're running more tests to try and figure out exactly how badly Dillon's been hurt. But his fall down the stairs couldn't have done all that damage, and there are too many signs of neglect to ignore. I guess the father thought sending a smooth-talking attorney would scare us into letting him near the kid again."

"Sounds like you're doing the right thing. Just don't get too sucked into the family's problems."

"Yeah." Except she was already in deep. Look at her reaction to finding Creighton handing a hurt little boy a toy car?

She'd all but tackled the poor man to get him out of there. He'd only been doing his job. But handsome lawyers with earnest expressions didn't change the truth. X-rays and broken bones didn't lie, no matter how much Dillon seemed to miss his father. And the truth was something Kate had promised herself to never rationalize away again.

She took Creighton's business card from Robert, tore it in half and smiled. And she kept smiling as she tossed it in a nearby trashcan, reassuring herself that she'd already put out of her mind how gentle the lawyer had been with her vulnerable patient. How earnest his assurances had sounded.

Only she'd glanced at the address on the card as she ripped it in two. She'd committed the name of Creighton's center to memory--Atlanta Legal Aid.

Damn easy-going Southern men.

Review Me Baby, One More Time...

Yep, they're starting to trickle in. Reviews, that is--I have a couple to share for the first Atlanta Heroes book, Because of a Boy, and just in time. I'm slaving (back of hand to forehead, heavy, southern belle sigh) over finishing book two this week and next, tentatively titled Remember Me, and inspiration in all forms is always welcome.

BTW, you can now purchase an early copy of Because of a Boy at a 20% discount on eharlequin.com:

http://eharlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=15756&cid=229

Note: To read the award-winning Daughter series that feeds into it (especially The Runaway Daughter and The Perfect Daughter) Amazon.com is your best bet. Just search by my name, and you'll get the whole backlist.

Okay, some reviews (and there will be prizes later in the post, so stick around):

5 Stars from Cataromance.com: "With cameo appearances from Anna DeStefano’s previous Daughter series and the introduction of fabulous new characters, her Atlanta Heroes series has a winning start with Because of a Boy. I loved the connection of the two series, which allows the revisiting of old friends and the intertwining of storylines. Today’s hot topic, illegal immigration, is perfect for Ms. DeStefano’s trademark voice as she handles it with compassion and wisdom. Her heroes have that added depth, treating their careers as life work not just a job. In Because of a Boy, readers meet nurses, doctors, lawyers, fire fighters and police, all taking their professions one step further to help others...Because of a Boy is a stand alone book and the Atlanta Heroes series does not need the lead in of the Daughter series but why deprive yourself of the pleasure? Talented Anna DeStefano delivers a highly entertaining, rewarding read with every book she writes. "

http://www.cataromance.com/index.php?p=228

4 Stars from Romantic Times: "...Remarkably realistic characters and a fast-paced story make Anna Destefano's Because of a Boy hard to put down."

http://romantictimes.com/books_review.php?book=33439

Sigh... I guess I should make sure Remember Me isn't a disappointing follow up!

I'll do more excerpts later in the week. The ones I've shared so far are probably familiar to some, but I wanted to catch everyone up before plowing forward. I'll be posting new scenes you haven't seen any day now--tease, tease ;o)

For now, here's a preview of Because of a Boy's "Dear Reader" letter--

Dear Reader,

For those of you who've followed my award-winning "Daughter" novels, I'm happy to announce that my southern-set stories has a new home. Because of a Boy is the launch of my Atlanta Heroes series--where strong, southern men and women fight for love, as fiercely as they battle for everything else in their lives.

Pediatric nurse Kate Rhodes and legal advocate Stephen Creighton are unlikely heroes. Sure they work hard to help the people their jobs place in their paths. But as they fight tirelessly to solve others' problems, they also avoid dealing with the pasts they don't want to face.

Throw together an injured but determined little boy, an illegal immigrant family on the run from a drug king pin, hot pursuit from both the INS and drug enforcement officials, and a life-or-death medical condition, and Kate and Stephen are at a crossroads. Can they dig deep and work together for the sake of a troubled family, even when the attachment growing between them is more terrifying than the danger closing in? Heroes, after all, might flinch when faced with their deepest fears. But they don't back down--not even from true love.

And for those of you who read The Perfect Daughter and asked to see more of Lissa Carter and sheriff's deputy Martin Rhodes' relationship, did you really think I'd leave you hanging? Lissa and Martin's romance continues in Because of a Boy, as Martin moves to Atlanta to rehabilitate from injuries received in the line of duty (and to be closer to the estranged sister he supposedly doesn't want to see, any more than he does Lissa). Something tells me neither Kate nor Lissa is giving up on Martin without a fight...

And a few more winners of our RT 2007 goodies!!!

To receive one of the RT Conference bags from the 19th post:

Susan F, who commented at 10:45 am on the July 25th post

To receive a selection of promotional items and a book from the 19th post:

Jenna, who posted at 7:45 pm on the July 25th post

Winners, please email me your pony express address.

Everyone else, keep leaving comments, and I'll keep drawing names. We'll work our way through each post and all the goodies eventually ;o) And of course, we have our October release party to look forward to (more teasing...what has gotten into me?).

More excerpts and a new book review of my own (for Agnes and the Hitman) to come!

Now back to rewriting Remenber Me...

Fortunately...

...You guys are wonderful readers and friends and don't mind authors going AWOL from time to time as needed.

Yeah, lots going on I won't bore you with, but the travelling and distractions from the writing that have also been putting the no-go on blogging have netted some great times (RWA Nationals was a blast, and I'm off to teach at The University of Georgia this weekend) and a chance to immerse my muse in some fabulous reading.

The times I've been en-route and haven't been able to (read, had the engergy to) power up the laptop were filled with catching up on my favorite authors, and there's lots more new releases to come in August (once the Potter mania has died down). So, to keep you with me (in spirit, even if you can't chill in the airport or hotel with me), I'll be posting reviews from time to time...while I continue to give away great Romantic Times Conference goodies...and, you know, chat about whatever motivational things happen to weigh on my mind while I'm at it, because who doesn't need a high-five every now and then.

So, look for more giveaway pics below, the names of some new winners (congrats and send me your snail mail addies and give me a week to pony express your prizes to you)...but first...fortunately...

I received The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes (http://www.unfortunatemissfortunes.com/homepage.php) in the mail a few weeks back--Jenni Crusie was asking for active bloggers who'd like to review her latest collaboration and I was lucky enough to be one of the 100 or so sites picked.

Reading any of my excerpts, you might guess that romantic comedy isn't the innate gift that fuels my creativity. I try not to depress folks too much, and there's alwas a touch of smart ass in what I do...but I'm an angsty girl at heart and while I make it work, you might want to have a few tissues handy when you read my stories... that said, my hat's off to authors who have the wit and intelligence and vision to tell emotionally compelling, accessable stories while making the reader laugh her ass off at the same time.

And let me just say...the Jennifer Crusie, Eileen Dreyer and Anne Stuart collab accomplishes this and then some. This won't be a "spoiler" review, because I want to you head out today--sprint, actually--to your nearest bookbuying place and snag your own copy. Consider this a "reading this will fix whatever ails ya' " review. Because the three separate but intertwined stories that make up this collaboration are, as the cover suggests, magical.

Open the book to any page, do it, and you'll immediately fall into the light and energy these authors spun into their characters--three magical sisters who can't control their powers or their hearts or the men their future happiness depends on. Dee (Dryer), Lizzie (Stuart) and Mare (Crusie) are independent, loyal and quirky young women whose misfiring powers are becoming too obvious to hide, even in the all things paranormal-friendly town of Salem's Fork. Throw in an evil Aunt, Xan (Crusie, also, I suspect) , who want's to strip them of their powers and isn't above using the men of the sisters' dreams to get the job done, and you can imagine how quickly The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes takes off and leaves you breathless with all you want to know.

The first few scenes knock you off balance (intentionally, I suspect, because the sisters' magical dilemmas are like nothing you and I could imagine) as you try to absorb the images and backstory being sprinkled in from three different points of view. You might find yourself backtracking a bit to be sure you've caught everything. But you won't mind, not really, not when Dryer's painting a delightful image of what it must be like to transform into an owl and be hovering on top of a wardrobe lusting after the hunky guy below while you hope against hope that you don't shift back to human form (possibly in the guise of the guy's naked mother, which is what you tend to turn into every time the sexual tensions heats up with any man) before you get a chance to fly away--seriously, not kidding, and somehow she makes it work...one of the funniest scenes in the book...

The action and comedy and hot relationships surrounding the sisters' fight to keep their secrets, their powers, and eventually their men are reason enough to buy this book and reread it until you catch every nuance. But do it for another reason--these are master storytellers who know how to play your emotions and show you what you're capable of feeling if you were in these characters' shoes. This is at its heart a story of three sisters trying to find themselves and still hold on to the only family they have left. Endearing. Real. These women fight for each other. They're the kind of people we'd like to be, and their committment to one another is the true magic that holds their intertwining stories together.

I suspect the authors bonded quite deeply as they wrote and rewrote and rewrote the countless times it must have taken to pull a project like this off. Boggles the mind how they managed to so seemlessly knit their work together into a cohesive story. But they stuck together and fortunately made it work--don't miss your chance to see just how fabulous a job they did. Now go buy the book--do it!!!

Oh, and I'm tagging fellow author and Crusie fan Tanya Micahels (another goddess at writing comedy that touches your soul while tickling your funny bone)--check out her blog, where she'll be posting her own review any day now: http://www.tanyamichaels.blogspot.com/

Okay--'nough of the raving about my latest read...

Winners from the comments left for the last post:

Flip--who posted at 4:59 pm and

Lifeasamama--who posted at 8:18 am

Send me your snail mail addies, folks--RT goodies coming your way!!!!

What about the rest of the stuff, you ask??? There were great tote bags from TOR at this year's conference (I snagged several for you guys) and the ususal book giveaways you drool over at every RT...gotta get rid of all of it...any takers out there??? Leave a comment to be in the drawing (there's lots o' stuff, including the goodies in the last post's pics, so don't give up)--if blogger won't let you log in (grrrr), leave your thoughts anon with your name in the post.

Later!!! ;o)

All Hail the Chief...

Really, I woke up Saturday the president of something rather remarkable...Georgia Romance Writers. A group of somewhere between 300 and 400 members of Romance Writers of America, and these women and men have the strange notion that I should be their leader...made official and everything on Saturday...I'll send you a picture as soon as someone sends me one.

I'm also going to start posting my monthy column in the GRW newsletter--The Galley. Lots of motivational stuff that might even interest those not nutty enough to want to write for a living. And it feels kind of nutty, as I'm once again seven days away from a deadline...but it's feeling good, too. Exhausted, but good. You won't be disappointed with Legally Yours (even if you do have to wait until September to read it, he-he)!!

Or The Perfect Daughter for that matter. Just received another glowing review...

"Anna DeStefano writes in a breezy way that makes her books a joy to read. The story was heart warming and the reader will be rooting for a happy ending. I loved Maggie and Matt and wanted them to end up together in the end. All of the characters were unique and added something to the story...recommended to all romance readers." --Armchair Interviews

The cover of All-American father is here, too. Here 'tis, along with the promo blurb I've been using in all my ads...getting excited about this book. It's so much fun to read, when I go back to take a peak:

Happily Ever After Shouldn't Be This Hard To Tackle...

A harried, ex-football star single father...

A pre-teen daughter determined to get his attention any way she can...

A blast from his high-school past--a fiesty woman with her own problems, but a knack for getting through to his child...

Cost to Derrick Cavenaugh's sanity...Priceless.

Neither Derrick nor Bailey Greenwood know how to back down from a fight. Turns out, winning each other's love with be their toughest, and most rewarding battle of all.

Don't miss the third book in Superromance's Singles...With Kids series!

Hang in there, we'll get to Feb. and all the fun chats and parties and appearances...pant, pant...

Just one more week!!!

More Reviews...and I feel like teasing you : )

So, I'm including a little more of Remember Me below...

I'm so excited about the Atlanta's Heroes series. Here's hoping my editor is, too, LOL!! Wouldn't that be a great New Year's gift? Maybe we'll have something more to celebrate during out Valentine's launch party for The Perfect Daughter.

Did I mention that the bookclub copies of The Perfect Daughter are out, and evidently being read quite avidly. Over the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve, the Amazon.com sales of my back list shot through the roof--the two other "daughter" books, The Unknown Daughter and The Runaway Daughter, topped Amazon's Superromance series bestseller list, and The Prodigal's Return got as high as #10 on the overall series list, with Nora Roberts all around me. Can't tell you how amazing it is to see folks digging your book enough to start looking for other novels.

Even the Romantic Times reviewer who's had difficulty getting excited about my emotional, angsty romances is getting on board the Love Machine this time around. Here's what she has to say:

"Anna DeStefano's The Perfect Daughter (4 stars) offers an insightful look into the realities of dealing with tragedy. Her characters are well drawn, and her dialogue sparkles."

Wow! I sparkle ;o)

If you can't wait until Valentines Day to read The Perfect Daughter, you can get you copy now. It's up on eHarlequin, and they're shipping my books out to eager fans even as we speak (even though I don't even have my author copies yet). Here's the link. Be sure to let me know what you think, if you take a sneak peak!

http://store.eharlequin.com/t2_book_detail.jhtml?PRODID=13733&_requestid=3363

If you do, I'll just have to reward you by including more excerpts of upcoming books, as fast as I can write the proposals...

Here's another nibble of Remember Me. We're picking up mid-scene, where we left off on Monday. There are two more scenes to go...so stick close...you never know when I'll throw something else out here...or pics of the Valentines party prizes...or news of chats and other online fun coming as soon as I FINISH THIS BOOK ;O)
***********

"It's okay," he whispered close to her ear. "Try to relax. You're safe now."

It took every ounce of strength she had left, but she willed her body to still and her eyes to open. To focus through the blinding light. A tall figure towered over her.

Blue, shapeless shirt.

Blue mask.

Bluer eyes.

Honest eyes.

Safe.

Her mind rebelled from the thought. She tried to jerk away, but his gentle touch stopped her. That and the weakness stealing through her body.

Their gazes collided. He smiled behind his mask, his expression kind. Caring. She hadn't had either in a long time. She was certain of it, even though little else made sense at the moment.

"We've given you a sedative," he explained. "You should be feeling it soon. Try to relax. No one's going to hurt you here."

Her instinctive laugh became a moan.

He studied the whirring and beeping monitors she hadn't noticed before, his eyes frowning. His hand moved to the whatever bandage seemed to engulf half her head, pulling it back so he could check beneath.

"You've got one minute to get her under," he said to someone she couldn't see.

Blackness reached for her again.

His hand smoothed against her forehead, magically easing the pain. She blinked away the shadows, focusing on his eyes. Their blue was shot through with a steel-like, determined grey.

"Help me," she begged. "You have to help me get out of here. We need to go..."

"Go where?" he asked. "We, who?"

The breath clogged in her throat at the question. Adrenaline grounded her more firmly in the present, forcing a moment of clarity.

But there was nothing there. No answer to his question.

She couldn't remember.

God! She couldn't remember anything!

Nothing but the gun pointing at her, and the screams. But who had been screaming? Who had been clinging to her hand?

"Oh, my God!" She struggled to sit up, the result a pitiful display, since she could no longer feel her body.

She had to get out of there.

"I have to go back, before he--"

"Go back where?" He cupped her shoulder to still her struggles against the straps holding her arms to the table. Took her hand and softly squeezed her fingers. "There's nowhere to go right now. Let me take care of you, then we'll figure out the rest. It's going to be okay."

He was a surgeon, she realized. The room beyond him, an operating theater.

"You've received quite a blow to your head," he explained. "And you need immediate surgery. But you're safe. You're not alone. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

A mask was placed over her face.

"Breath normally." He nodded to someone standing behind her, then smiled back down. "Let yourself fall asleep. I promise, I'll be here when you wake up. Trust me."

She was in bad shape.

She'd seen the truth in his eyes. In the barely controlled urgency behind the orders he'd calmly issued. The right side of her head felt like it was on fire. The nightmare was real. She could die. But worse, she'd...failed...at something. And now...

Now someone she cared about deeply, someone she couldn't remember, was in danger, and she couldn't help.

Please, she begged him with her eyes.

"It will be okay," he promised, his gaze serious but confident. "Trust me."

And she did.

She shouldn't.

She couldn't.

She hadn't trusted anyone in...she didn't know how long. But it felt as if it had been a long, long time.

But as the anesthesia rolled through her, enticing her to let go, a feeling of security cloaked her as well.

She could finally stop running. Running from what, she had no idea.

But just this once, she could stop.

Happy New Year!!!

What a fast and crazy few weeks we've had around here. Wonderful crazy, as I hope your holidays were, but crazy all the same.

A brand new year calls for a new post, however, and a little bonus for my online buds. I've sent my agent new proposals for the Atlanta's Heroes series...and with it a first chapter for Remember Me--the book that will follow Legally Yours if Super buys it. Check out the first scene below, and if you dig it, I have it on good authority there's more ;o)

Got some great reviews in my Christmas stocking. The first, from Cataromance.com. According to Donna Zaph:

The Perfect Daughter by Anna DeStefano touches the heart and pierces the soul with the poignant story of a resilient woman who is able to face her terrors with the support of her family and the love of her man. I was delighted to revisit with characters I had met in previous books and to read this engrossing series conclusion. The Perfect Daughter storyline encompasses the growing threat of gangs, even in small town America. Ms. DeStefano treats this real life problem with an insider’s view that captures her reader’s attention and provokes an empathic response. I am never disappointed in my expectations of an Anna DeStefano book. She faithfully delivers a true romance wrapped in an up to date message from today’s headlines. I recommend that you treat yourself with Anna DeStefano’s The Perfect Daughter this Valentine’s Day.

Tomorrow, we'll hear from the Romantic Times reviewer. I think she liked this one ;o)

Oh, and I still don't have mailing address for two of my holiday party winners: Shannon, I'm holding a $5 Borders gift card for you, and Catslady...that Liz satchel wants a new home. Send (or resend, if I've lost it somehow) me your addresses via email, and we'll be in business.

Here's the Remember Me excerpt...want to start the new year off right, sharing the wealth...we're going to have to start talking about the Feb. Launch Party soon!!

*****

Just a little further, and we'll be safe," she said.

They just had to make it just a little further away from the building, and then...

Then what!

There was no little further. No safe. Not until they were miles away from there.

He'd have every exit covered. More men watching the street. They were trapped.

Because she hadn't done her job.

She hadn't done anything but fail. Hadn't followed her instincts to get out while she still had him snowed.

And now he knew.

Maybe not everything, but he knew she was running, and that she wasn't leaving alone. She could hear his men searching still. Orders being shouted inside the building they'd just escaped. It was only a matter of time before they were discovered. She had to get them out of there.

If he found them, he'd never let them go.

Not alive.

She peaked around the dumpster they'd crouched behind. Searched the darkness of the filthy alley, looking for something, anything to use as a weapon.

"Nattie?" The scared whisper at her elbow shook with fear.

"Shh," she cautioned, squeezing the little hand clinging to hers. "We have to be quiet."

It was either be quiet or be dead.

And dead wasn't going to happen. She could still make this disaster right, somehow.

"Nattie." The hand tugged free. "I left Felix in my room. I have to --"

"We can't go back." Damn! How could she have left Felix? How could everything have fallen apart so quickly?

"But--"

"No!"

She'd worry about Felix later. Once she actually got them to later.

The door they'd left the warehouse through creaked, it's rusted hinges scraping open. More than one set of footsteps echoed on the damp concrete, scuffing over the discarded cardboard and junk littering the area beside the dumpster.

She forced deep breaths, one hand motioning for silence while the other pressed against the dumpster's filthy side. As a hiding place, it was too obvious for their pursuers not to check. But she'd been desperate and fresh out of alternatives.

"Desperation makes you reckless and careless," a wise voice from her past reasoned in her mind. "But you can use the recklessness to your advantage. Maybe even make yourself a little luck every now and then."

The footsteps stopped.

The dumpster's lid was lifted long enough for someone to peer inside, then quietly closed. It was empty. She'd already checked. Dress shoes scraped in opposite directions. Two sets of them, heading around round either side of the dumpster.

Time to make herself some of that luck.

"Run!" She shouted as she shoved the dumpster forward with all her strength, crashing it into the men.

Both grunted. One toppled to the ground, his gun skidding away.

She grabbed it as they sprinted toward the street. Shooting her way out was stupid, but stupid wasn't dead, which meant they still had a chance.

A hand clenched in her hair and yanked her off her feet, dragging her back into the alley.
She twisted. Ignored the pain tearing through her from his grip. Brought the gun around to fire.

There was dead. Then there was taking one of these bastards with her. She had a sudden taste the latter.

"Nattie!"

The childish scream echoed off the buildings.

A shadow moved to her right, coming from behind. Before she could react, the side of her head exploded.

Blinding pain consumed her.

Blackness sucked her under, narrowing her vision to the sight of the gun now pointed between her eyes. Another scream came, and along with it the certainty that she'd failed.

It was over.

"Do it," she snarled, the weakest part of her almost relieved.

But she was still fighting, even as the darkness took her...

Her arms twisted against her restraints.

Her feet kicked at the hands holding her down to the table.

Her head twisted despite the shattering pain, the darkness turning to grey as the blinding overhead light drew closer...

Table?

Light?

"Hold her still," a warm, calm voice intruded into the icy cold of her terror.

The warm hand on her shoulder belonged to the voice, she realized, not her nightmare. It was soft, not cruel, absorbing her shivers. Quieting them.

"It's okay," he whispered close to her ear. "Try to relax. You're safe now...

TrashyBooks.com readers like me, they really like me!

I'm back, and the fishing was lovely. Think I caught myself a single title proposal ;O)

The weekend writing retreat was great. Had a blast taking my Harlequin hat off and playing with ideas for my paranormal thriller.

Then I opened my morning email to a lovely note from Romance B(u)y the Blog--where the question of the day (from the "Smart Bitches" guest bloggers who write for TrashyBooks.com) is "What books rank among the best romances you've ever read." Seems like Julie in Ohio likes me...she really likes me, LOL!

Check the blog out. Take the time to scroll back through old posts. Michelle Buonfiglio is doing a great job celebrating romance writers and readers, and well, life in general. I expect great things from her:

http://romancebytheblog.blogspot.com/

And Julie, if you're reading out here today, I think that's about the nicest thing I've ever heard anyone stay about my stories. ((((HUGS))))