Guest Post: Author Zoe Archer - Blades of the Rose & a CONTEST!!

I have been dying to talk up this series since I first got to read the ARC's several months ago. Warrior is the first book in author Zoe Archer's new Blades of the Rose series and I'll be reviewing it here tomorrow - but for today I'll let Zoe give you an introduction as to what to expect from this fantastic new series.......

Take it away Zoe.........
Who: The Blades of the Rose

What: A band of adventurers, scientists and explorers who follow the four points of the compass to find and protect the world’s magic.

Where: All over the world! From the wind-swept steppes of Mongolia, to the gleaming islands in the Aegean Sea, to the rugged Canadian Rockies, and a few more surprising locations.

Why: I’m an admitted fan of historical romance, but I’ve also enjoyed the freedom and diversity available in paranormal romance. After reading many, many books about spying dukes and bluestocking debutantes, I wanted to read something really different, something that combined the richness of a historical romance with the range and potential of paranormal romance. So, the BLADES OF THE ROSE were born.
Romance readers are a diverse group, and I decided to bring that diversity to a historical setting. This means that not only do I have English heroes and heroines, I have a Canadian Indian hero, an American journalist heroine, and a black British hero—who happens to be a scientific genius. I loved writing each and every one of my heroes and heroines, not just for their diversity, but because they were fun and, above all, intelligent.
It’s a safe bet to say that many romance readers have come across heroines with more sass than smarts. Often, the heroine has to be bailed out by the hero, or it’s mostly luck that gets her to safety. I have one word for those heroines: oy.
When it came time to write the Blades books, right from the beginning I vowed to make my heroines just as smart and just as capable as the heroes. They can save themselves, and even, on occasion, lend the hero a hand. Of course, the heroes get their moments to shine, as well, and shine they do. But I made sure that the relationships were about equality as well as attraction. There’s nothing sexier than a man who wants a woman for her brains and her beauty (exactly how my husband feels about me!).
And, yes, these are historical romances spanning the years 1874-75, but they aren’t confined to England. There’s a great big world out there, and it’s exciting and romantic! Why should contemporary and paranormal romance get all the fun of exotic locations? Just imagine that iconic image from adventure films, where we a little icon of a plane or ship moving across the map. That’s exactly the feeling of the Blades books. You know when the plane lands or the ship docks, something really fun is about to happen.

So, to recap, what are you going to find in every Blades of the Rose story?

-Adventure

-Magic

-Action

-Danger

-Exotic historical settings

-Diabolical steampunk inventions

-Sexy men in tall boots

-Heroines who kick ass

-Red hot romance

I can’t wait to share the adventure with you!

Thanks Zoe!

                                          

The Blades of the Rose 

Warrior - September 2010

Scoundrel - October 2010

Rebel - November 2010

Stranger - December 2010

*****

The Undying Heart - Now Available in Half Past Dead  

 

Buy the book! Warrior (The Blades of the Rose)

Pre-order Scoundrel (The Blades of the Rose) Available Oct. 1st! Ahhh...Bennett *sigh*

*Visit Zoe at her website: Zoe Archer
*Follow Zoe on Twitter: (where she will torture you with her baked confections and find out that she really likes boots!) @Zoe_Archer

CONTEST TIME!! Leave a comment below and your entered to win a copy of Warrior by Zoe Archer!

*Contest ends Sunday 9/5/10 (crap - is it September already??) at 11:59pm EST

International entries OK!

*Extra entries:

+1 if you follow my blog
+1 if you follow me on twitter (@teamsheltie)
+1 if you blog/ lin on sidebar or Tweet about this contest!

Leave a comment below and be entered to win a signed copy of WARRIOR!