See the complete lineup Cloud cover forecast Photos: Trees to please List: US, Cabo, Caribbean
LIFE

Must-read romances: 'Taken,' 'Scandalous Heroes' boxed set

Michelle Monkou
Special for USA TODAY
"Taken" by Koko Brown.

Join me every week as I share a few shout-outs on romance author goings-on, related events and recommended reads.

Taken by Koko Brown

Koko Brown's Taken shuttled me back to the memories of yummy historical romances of my youth in the vein of Catherine Coulter, Laura Kinsale and Johanna Lindsey … and I'm not complaining one bit. I loved the contemporary take of the wealthy playboy, Khalid Francois Duïs, who wants the very independent Olivia Bryant, even if it means kidnapping her. One secret, erotically charged meet-up ignites the lust and romantic sizzle between them. It's seduction at its best as they fall in love. This couple is perfectly matched (and crafted), and they leap off the page and live their romantic journey in vivid, no-holds-barred imagery. And special mention for the setting … adds a wonderful element of conflict and suspense to the story.

"Scandalous Heroes" boxed set.

Scandalous Heroes boxed set

Nine authors — Sienna Mynx, Latrivia Nelson, Pepper Pace, Bridget Midway, Serenity King, Aliyah Burke, Tiana Laveen, Yvette Hines, Erosa Knowles — offer up a great array of stories with the common theme of "scandalous heroes." From the sensual to the erotic, these men represent all backgrounds with passion for life, passion for their women and hearts big enough to fall in love.

These nine great stories have something for every taste — alphas, shifters, Doms, billionaires, blue-collar hunks and urban heroes. Stories include Raw Exposure by Aliyah Burke, Vasily's Revenge by Latrivia Nelson, Double Trouble: Men of 3X CONStruction by Erosa Knowles, Tattooed Moon by Tiana Laveen, Last Call by Bridget Midway, The Wrath of Michael by Serenity King.

In addition, I have to give a few shout-outs for these captivating stories: Rallenti by Sienna Mynx with its Sicilian enforcer, Renaldo Cracchiolo, and his sexy and beautiful shoemaker, Kyra Okeeno. Great introduction to the Battaglia Mafia series with fast-paced, vibrant and sexy romance, coupled with a great cast of characters that add the right amount of drama, humor, and suspense.

Everything Is Everything by Pepper Pace surprised me because it wasn't the run-of-the-mill romance. Pace's creatively unique style had the power to pull me into the lives of these teens. Set in the '70s, neighborhoods, lives, and individual consequences collide. These young adults have grown-folk-size issues to deal with on a daily basis, and yet, their hearts still seek love and hope. A truly compelling tale with a cliffhanger ending, but the emotional investment is solidly there at the end of the story.

Sieged by Rym by Yvette Hines is a wickedly sexy brew of paranormal, science-fiction and erotica. The battle of the sexes feels like a tennis match between the elite — thanks to Hines' artistry with suspense and sexual tension.

LET'S MEET GOLDEN HEART FINALISTS

Introducing … Jillian Lark

About Jillian (courtesy of the author): She is a finalist in the historical romance category for Much Ado About Scandal, which previously received second-place recognition in the 2013 Maggie Award for Excellence and Rebecca contests.

Jillian Lark, 2014 Golden Heart finalist.

After living in two foreign countries and 11 U.S. states, Jillian now resides in Texas where she refuses to completely unpack. When not writing or spending time with her family, she is a fervent Anglophile and reluctant wrangler of dust bunnies.

Michelle: Please complete the sentence: Writing makes me feel ...

Jillian: Hi, Michelle! Thanks for inviting me to the HEA blog! I hope you and your readers had a safe and happy July 4th holiday.

Writing makes me feel happy when I type "The End" or the words flow non-stop onto the page. The Oscar Wilde took-out-a-comma-and-put-it-back-again days don't. Despite the challenges, I thrive on using my imagination. Writing is an essential creative outlet and a part of me. Otherwise I would still pass off stick-figure horses as art, wobble on ballet pointe shoes, and play sharps instead of flats on the piano. Be very glad I chose to write instead.

Michelle: What about the "historical" in romance inspires your creativity?

Jillian: When I was 8 years old, my family moved from the U.S. to a late-Victorian Era home near London. The rooms featured chandeliers, antique furniture and rugs, marble fireplaces, stained-glass windows, French doors, and wallpaper designed by William Morris. Although I had no idea who he was at the time, my passion for this home, the past, England, and writing flourished.

I stopped by the local Tudor mansion so often visitors assumed I was the curator's daughter. By then I had acquired a proper British accent and memorized most of the guidebook. (It was courteous of me to never correct visitors' misconceptions and offer impromptu talks about the witch's chair instead, wasn't it?)

When not reading every historical novel I could find, I wrote stories and plays for my friends to perform in our period homes or the ancient hunting grounds and forests near the mansion. My tales depicted handsome heroes, loyal servants, elegant balls, exquisite gowns, sumptuous afternoon tea, and all the other trappings of historical romance.

Today I still love these elements. The books and stories of my childhood and adulthood inspire me to create unique twists for favorite tropes. In Much Ado About Scandal, book one in the Mischief in Mayfair series, an estranged couple decide to end their arranged marriage the only honorable way allowed by Victorian law. One of them has to die — a faux death. To avoid suspicion they must convince Society that they are in love. The heroine in book two, Inventing Lord Remington (Remington Steele for the Victorian age), creates an imaginary husband to save her late father's business and must risk it, her reputation, and her heart when a con man assumes her fake husband's identity.

Michelle: You've traveled extensively. What countries would you like to revisit or visit for the first time?

Jillian: Once a year I fly to Oregon to see family and explore the lovely scenery, interesting wildlife, and 19th-century buildings in Victoria, B.C., and other parts of the Pacific Northwest. I enjoy any place where I can wallow in a cool break from the humid summer heat in Texas.

Visiting my childhood home, friends, and neighbors in England is a priority, and I go as often as possible. I'm eager to return to my former home near Nuremberg, too, and travel to unfamiliar areas in Northern Germany to meet a friend's birth mother. Since my previous visit to France lasted less than twenty-four hours, I want a do over. Preferably not in a Paris police station. Don't worry. No international incidents, arrests, or armed escorts to the nearest border occurred. After all, how much trouble could I cause? (Please don't ask my mother. Or the retired curator from Christchurch Mansion.)

Europe is my favorite region, because I love its history and beautiful, varied landscapes. I would love to live there again and still have a few countries left on my wish list. I miss the daily interaction with fascinating people of different cultures from Italian opera singers to British royalty and Russians who escaped the German army in WWII.

"My Beautiful Enemy" by Sherry Thomas.

Michelle: Can you recommend three books for 2014?

Jillian: WARNING: I'll start with two of my favorite authors. Since I know them, I'll issue disclaimers along the way. (Hope I don't get in trouble again.)

My first love is historical romance, and I'm eager to read 2014 RITA-nominated The Luckiest Lady in London by my Austin RWA chapter mate Sherry Thomas. I've been a fan of her writing since Private Arrangements, which was published before I met her. Sherry has a gift for magnificent prose and angst. (No, she didn't know I was going to mention her or her books. Although when Sherry was our chapter president, she began meetings by declaring herself our Supreme Overlord. Sherry has a deliciously wicked sense of humor in person and in her writing.)

Dialogue and humor are key elements for me as a reader and a writer, which is why I highly recommend the Charley Davidson paranormal series by the talented Darynda Jones. Last week I finished Lorelei King's perfect audio narration of Sixth Grave on the Edge. Wow! On the edge is right. I can't wait to find out what happens next. Just send Reyes over if you're too busy, Darynda. (Yes, I have a connection with her, too. I won a 25-page critique from Darynda and sometimes we exchange e-mails. No, she didn't know about this shout-out nor did she offer to share her Cheez-Its or name a character in her next book after me either.)

I'm down to my final selection and feel guilty about omitting other terrific authors and books. My plan is to read all the 2014 RITA-nominated books and each 2014 Golden Heart manuscript when it's published, so I recommend you do the same. (Actually I try to read all the finalists' books every year. If there's an avalanche in my TBR mountain range, I hope my dust bunnies act like Alpine rescue dogs or at least carry a flask of brandy.)

Michelle, thanks so much for hosting the 2014 Golden Heart finalists on the HEA blog! You and readers can visit me at jillianlark.com and on Twitter (@JillianLark).

Introducing … Stephanie Winkelhake

About Stephanie (courtesy of the author): She is the author of Carma Always, a YA thriller nominated for the 2014 RWA Golden Heart. Her Young Adult paranormal Following You (previously titled The Matter of Souls) was a finalist in the 2012 Golden Heart contest and the winner of the Best-of-the-Best round in the IRWA 2011 Indiana Golden Opportunity contest. Her story Do Not Machine Wash appears in Chicken Soup for the Soul: I Can't Believe My Dog Did That! When not writing, Stephanie is most likely reading, burning something on the stove, or plotting a return to Comic-Con. Her website can be found at www.stephaniewinkelhake.com. You can also find her on Twitter (@StephWinkelhake) and Facebook.

Michelle: What's your unique brand of YA?

Stephanie: As a kid, I loved reading books that would send shivers down my spine. Ghost and extraterrestrial stories — as well as thrillers and mysteries — filled my bookshelves. Anything that would make my heart race kept those pages turning. I'd hide under the covers with my flashlight at night, huddled over a book I couldn't put down. I had to know what happened next.

Stephanie Winkelhake, 2014 Golden Heart finalist.

Today, I try to write YA in the same vein — stories with a twist of paranormal or sci-fi. A common element through all my manuscripts, though, is romance. Star-crossed lovers or seemingly impossible relationships are most fun to write about. It's always difficult to find the right balance of angst in a story, but oh so rewarding when the emotions finally click and come together.

Michelle: What can make you double over with laughter?

Stephanie: Besides those funny animal videos on YouTube? I'd have to say a great sarcastic line — one that completely catches me off guard. My dad is a master of delivering those one-liners that make me shake with laughter. I used to think he was the funniest person alive growing up. I still do. He's one of the few people who can make me laugh so hard I cry.

Michelle: What's one thing/experience that you've done that you never thought you'd do or enjoy?

Stephanie: Heights are the things nightmares are made of. You'll never see me standing on the edge of a mountain summit or tall building. I get dizzy just thinking about it. Which is why I never thought I'd rappel 200 feet off a cliff.

It was my friend's fault, really. We were traveling through Australia's Blue Mountains, and he convinced me to take a mountaineering course. Maybe the thrill of being halfway across the world was part of the reason I agreed. I don't know. To be honest, I wasn't too worried about dropping hundreds of feet as I listened to our guide on the hike up to the cliff. He most graciously took my mind off heights by describing Australia's not-so-short list of venomous snakes and our not-so-close proximity to a hospital. Concentrating on my every step suddenly became my No. 1 priority.

Transitioning to a vertical position was the hardest part. I had to walk backwards from the flat surface of the cliff's edge and trust that my harness and metal clips would keep me connected to our guide. I'm sure the scenery below me was beautiful, but I didn't — and couldn't — look down. Once I got momentum and slowly lowered to the ground, it was actually fun … in a heart-pounding, please-don't-let-there-be-snakes-in-the-valley kind of way.

"The Unbound" by Victoria Schwab.

Michelle: Can you recommend three books for 2014?

Stephanie: There are so many good books, but here are a few of my favorite this year:

• The Unbound by Victoria Schwab is the second book in The Archived series. I love Victoria's prose, and it's easy to lose yourself in the story about a library filled with copies of the dead.

Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd is the sequel to The Madman's Daughter, a book about Dr. Moreau's daughter and her adventure to her father's remote island. It has the perfect amount of creepy and fantastical. I couldn't put either of these books down.

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters caught my attention immediately. It's set in 1918, during the time of the Spanish Influenza and WWI. Spiritualism is sweeping the nation, and the main character begins to see her childhood sweetheart — a boy who died in battle.

Michelle Monkou celebrates her upcoming digital release in Evernight Publishing's Executive Assistant anthology, writing as Michelle Rhys. Her website is michellemonkou.com. You can also connect with her on Facebook.

Featured Weekly Ad