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Showing posts with label Shana Galen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shana Galen. Show all posts

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Release: Bad Boy Inspiration by Shana Galen + GIVEAWAY!!!



She's beyond his reach...
Gideon Harrow has spent his life in London's dark underworld-and he wants out. A thief and a con, he plans one last heist to finally win his freedom. But when everything goes wrong, he finds himself at the tender mercies of one of Society's most untouchable women-Lady Susanna Derring.

...and out of her depth.
Susanna has spent her life in London's glittering ton, under the thumb of a domineering mother-and she wants out. When a wickedly charming rogue lands at her feet, she jumps at the chance to experience life before it's too late. But as she descends into London's underworld, she finds that nothing- not even Gideon-is as it seems. As excitement turns to danger, Susanna must decide what price she's willing to pay...for the love of a reformed thief.

Buy Links

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1UlC0m7
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1IWkOBI


Author Bio

Shana Galen is the bestselling author of passionate Regency romps, including the RT Reviewers' Choice The Making of a Gentleman.Kirkus says of her books, "The road to happily-ever-after is intense, conflicted, suspenseful and fun," and RT Book Reviews calls her books "lighthearted yet poignant, humorous yet touching." She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston's inner city. Now she writes full time. She's happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making. Shana loves to hear from readers, so send her an email or see what she's up to daily on Facebook and Twitter. Stop by her website at shanagalen.com.

Social Networking Links

Website: http://www.shanagalen.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShanaGalen
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shanagalen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/93709.Shana_Galen

Guest Author's Post


When we think about Regency England, we tend to think of the balls, the carriages, the gowns. We forget that for every duke or marquess, there were hundreds of thieves and pickpockets living in the slums of the city. Covent Garden was an area of London with plenty of rookeries, and the thieves who lived there often banded together because there’s protection in numbers. My fictional gang called the Covent Garden Cubs is made up of the leader Satin, his second-in-command Beezle, and an assortment of pickpockets and house-breakers with names like Gap, Racer, and Stub. The gang also has one girl, Marlowe, and I wrote about her in Earls Just Want to Have Fun. Her best friend in the gang in Gideon, and he’s the hero in The Rogue You Know. Gideon is the ultimate bad boy who can cheat, lie, and steal with the best of them. He was orphaned at a young age and had no choice but to steal to survive. Now Gideon wants a different life for himself, and if he can just complete one last job, he’ll have it…or die trying.

When writing about my bad boy hero, I had plenty of inspiration.

1)       Flynn Rider from Tangled
Yes, I know Flynn is animated, but he is the main inspiration for Gideon. Like the Disney bad boy, Gideon is charming, funny, and self-deprecating. Flynn makes no apologies for his lifestyle, and while he may try to hide his sensitive side, his love for Rapunzel brings it out.

2)       George Gordon Byron, Baron Byron
Byron was a poet, nobleman, and ultimate bad boy. Described as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know,” Byron titillated the Regency world. He generated enormous debts, had numerous affairs and liaisons, and ultimately died young and tragically abroad. A bad boy with the heart of a romantic is always an inspiration.

3)       Danny in Grease
We’ve all seen Grease so many times we forget that Travolta’s character was really a bad boy. He’s dangerous for Sandy’s reputation and just plain dangerous, period. But like any bad boy we love, love wins Danny over and he’s willing to change to be with the woman who means everything.

4)       Patrick in 10 Things I Hate About You
I love a bad boy who sets out to corrupt the good girl and then is corrupted by her instead. Heath Ledger is fabulous as the new kid in school who agrees to date the heroine…for a fee. “How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways.” The banter between Patrick and Kat makes this bad boy movie memorable.

5)       Nick Gentry in Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas
While Gideon may be on the wrong side of the law and Nick Gentry a Bow Street Runner, Nick definitely serves as an inspiration. He’s a man with a dark past and much to hide, but Charlotte is able to peel away the layers one by one. Her love for him, and his for her, redeems this bad boy and makes us love him all the more.

I enjoyed taking inspiration from each of these bad boys and creating the character of Gideon. He may be a thief and a rogue, but he is also capable of deep love. And that’s what my books are about—characters for whom love changes everything.




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Friday, February 27, 2015

Review: Viscount of Vice by Shana Galen




Whispers and secrets are no match for love...
Henry Flynn, the new Lord Chesham, still blames himself for the disappearance of his younger brother when they were children. That incident destroyed his family, and now he's on a path of self-destruction that no one can interrupt...
Lady Emma Talbot can't stand watching the man she secretly loves destroy himself little by little. She's determined to show him that no one holds him culpable, before it's too late. But Emma doesn't know what really happened to Flynn on that fateful day long ago, so what chance does she have of saving him from himself?


Shana Galen delivers yet another charming read with this quick and lovely historical novella. This story had it all; mystery adventure and romance. Emma knows what she wants and she's smart enough to know how to go about it. Flynn is adorable in that wounded soul fashion that makes men so irresistible. They are so well suited that I couldn't help but turn the pages to see what would happen next. Of course there were a few moments of doubt thrown in but that's what keeps everything interesting! This was a truly delightful introduction to a new series and I cannot wait to dive in to it. I have never been disappointed by anything I've read by this author and this short story was no exception. There was a solid plot a beautiful Bath setting and some well-developed characters. If you are looking for an easy entertaining story this is a must-read.





Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Review: Earls Just Want to Have Fun by Shana Galen





His heart may be the last thing she ever steals...
Marlowe is a pickpocket, a housebreaker-and a better actress than any professional on the stage. She runs with the Covent Garden Cubs, a gang of thieves living in the slums of London's Seven Dials. It's a fierce life, and Marlowe has a hard outer shell. But when she's alone, she allows herself to think of a time before-a dimly remembered life when she was called Elizabeth.
Maxwell, Lord Dane, is intrigued when his brother, a hired investigator, ropes him into his investigation of the fiercely beautiful hellion. He teaches her to navigate the social morass of the ton, but Marlowe will not escape so easily. Instead, Dane is drawn into her dangerous world, where the student becomes the teacher and love is the greatest risk of all.


This was one of those stories where I'm so glad I didn't let my first impression talk me out of abandoning. I admit I was definitely not a fan of the heroine from the start but eventually I grew to really like her and I loved how her personality was revealed in layers. I also wasn't sure if they were a good match. But Shana Galen is a magically story teller and soon I couldn't imagine these two not being together. Lord Dane is an upstanding gentleman, maybe even what you could call priggish and it was interesting to see the influence Marlowe has on him, and vice versa. The supporting characters bring a depth to the story and an amazing amount of entertainment and enjoyment. I have become a huge fan of this author and I know that she is going to provide me with a skillfully written descriptive historical romance full of details and images I will remember long after the last page has been finished. If you are looking for a well-balanced, beautifully written tale this is a must-read.



Sunday, January 25, 2015

Review: Love and Let Spy by Shana Galen

Product Details

Her name is Bonde, Jane Bonde...
A beautiful and eligible member of the ton, Jane has more than a few secrets: she's one of the Crown's most elite agents. She may be deadly, but she doesn't know a thing about fashion, flirtation, or love...until Dominic Griffyn shakes up her carefully stirred world and asks her to be his bride. He's exactly the kind of man she's not looking for. And he's dangerous, because falling into his arms is so much more satisfying than saving England from her enemies.
 
Tall, dark, and tortured, Dominic Griffyn is haunted by demons from his past. When his stepfather insists that he marry, Dominic allows himself to hope that the beautiful but mysterious Miss Bonde might help him forget his troubles. As they grow closer, it's clear that there's more to Jane than danger. She might be just what his neglected heart needs.


I freely admit to not being a big fan of James Bond movies and books but I love Regency romances and I found the idea intriguing. I'm so happy I chose to read this book as it was a fabulous adventure loaded with some deeply serious subject matter but entertained immensely. Jane Bonde is a fantastic heroine, a lady all women can admire for her abilities and her faults. Dominic is as unconventional as the heroine and they are destined for one another. This couple is so absorbing, their individual histories engrossing. This wasn't the typical Regency romance I enjoy so much and yet I was far from disappointed. I loved the grittiness of it, the rough adventure, the stark realness set in such a cheerful setting. The details in the spy game was fascinating and I enjoyed meeting the interesting cast of characters, some were so much more endearing than others but they were all enticing in their own way. I highly recommend this one if you are looking for something not only entertaining but unusual.



Friday, August 22, 2014

New Release: Love and Let Spy by Shana Galen


“Galen provides plenty of explosiveness, both literal and erotic, in a Regency-era romantic thriller packed with intrigue and lust.” – Publishers Weekly


~ Excertp ~



Somewhere in Europe, 1816
She crept down the corridor, back to the wall, straining to place the voices of the men. Somewhere a woman was crying, a dog barked, and a horse-drawn cart rattled by. The stench of urine and blood burned her nostrils, but she moved forward.
Two men. French-speakers, though only one was a native speaker. The other…the accent sounded Turkish? She turned her head to locate the voices.
Closed door.
Room at the end of the hall.
Three steps.Two.One.
She paused outside, drawing her knife. She didn’t want to risk her pistol misfiring and left it tucked inside her coat, along with a stash of balls and powder. She was dressed as a man because the clothing was more practical and attracted less attention. She didn’t think she’d fool anyone who looked closely. And she didn’t care.
A man inside the room—the Frenchman—spoke again, and her hand stilled on the door’s latch.
“Reaper is dead,” she translated silently. “He took his life in prison.”
News traveled quickly, though not accurately. The report she’d seen claimed Foncé gained access to Reaper and slit his throat. The leader of the Maîtriser group didn’t tolerate failure. When Foncé realized she, an agent of his hated Barbican group, had tracked two of his men to this ramshackle flash ken, their lives would be forfeit as well. Perhaps that cold fact would be incentive for them to assist her in locating their leader.
Or perhaps it would only make them more eager to kill her.
Either way, the games were about to begin.
She pulled her hand away from the door, stepped back, raised a booted foot, and kicked. The thin wooden door splintered and shot open with a loud crack. The men jumped up, but they didn’t move quickly enough. Her knife flew from her fingers, catching one man in the shoulder and pinning him to the wall behind him. He screamed while the other man fumbled for his pistol. She obligingly reached for hers. “I’ll kill you before you even pack your powder,” she said in French. “Do us both a favor and lower your pistol before I’m forced to shoot you.”


***

Her name is Bonde, Jane Bonde…

A beautiful and eligible member of the ton, Jane has more than a few secrets: she’s one of the Crown’s most elite agents. She may be deadly, but she doesn’t know a thing about fashion, flirtation, or love…until Dominic Griffyn shakes up her carefully stirred world and asks her to be his bride. He’s exactly the kind of man she’s not looking for. And he’s dangerous, because falling into his arms is so much more satisfying than saving England from her enemies.

He’s an improper gentleman who needs a wife…

Talk, dark, and tortured, Dominic Griffyn is haunted by demons from his past. When his stepfather insists that he marry, Dominic allows himself to hope that the beautiful but mysterious Miss Bonde might help him forget his troubles. As they grow closer, it’s clear that there’s more to Jane than danger. She might be just what his neglected heart needs.

~ About The Author ~



Shana Galen is the bestselling author of fast-paced adventurous Regency historicals. She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston’s inner city. Now she writes full-time. She lives in Houston, Texas .


~ Buy Links ~


Order Love and Let Spy:
BAM: http://bit.ly/US3mGI