Contest Winner!

Congrats to Joy from Arizona for winning my annual holiday contest! Joy will be receiving a big basket of books, chocolate and candy to keep her warm and happy all through the holiday season. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Oh, and I have pictures of NASCAR Champion's Week--somewhere at least--I'll try to get them posted in the next week or two, so you can see all the fun Liz and I had in NYC.

Pic from Sirius Interview & New Contest

Hey, all! I've been typing my little fingers to the bone lately, but I'm taking a break today to update the blog (and the website).

A couple of weeks ago I actually did something really cool (besides sit in front of my laptop!). I went to the Richard Childress Racing Museum and did an interview with Sirius NASCAR Radio (channel 128 for those of you who have satellite radio).

I was a guest on the show Tradin' Paint with hosts Steve Post and Chocolate Myers. Steve is a long-time pit reporter for MRN and hosts several shows on Sirius. Chocolate was a member of the legendary "Flying Aces" for Dale Earnhardt, serving as his fuel man and vital member of the pit crew that won so many NASCAR championships. We talked about books and racing--and books involving racing. It was great fun, and the folks at Sirius were incredibly kind, professional and supportive of Harlequin's efforts with tackling a fictional NASCAR world.

Chocolate has actually inspired one of the characters for the last book in mine & Liz's trilogy, which he seemed pleased and surprised to hear about. (The guys have been teasing him, calling him "Hot" Chocolate now.) We all had a great time, and I hope to visit with the guys again soon.

Also, my website has the new contest posted--The 4th Annual Holiday Contest, in fact. And, yes, I know it's too early to be talking about the holidays, but I wanted to give everybody a couple of months to get their entries in. Good luck, and I hope things will slow down some, so I can post more often. Liz and I are hoping to announce some exciting news for upcoming events and projects soon.

--Wendy

Contest Winners

Hey, all! Cody and I managed to perform our usual, state-of-the-art, high-tech drawing (I write everybody's name on a piece of paper, throw them on the floor, and the ones he sniffs are the winners), so here's the list:

Debra from Connecticut
Lee Anne from Ontario Canada
Susan from Georgia
Pam from Missouri
Jeanne from Oklahoma

They will each receive a signed copy of Risking Her Heart. Congrats and thanks to all who entered!

Contest Winners and New Contest

Just wanted to pop in for a second to announce the winners of my Hot Pursuit Contest--Leslie from Georgia and Linda from Kentucky. They'll each receive a signed copy of the book.

The new contest is posted on my website. Be sure to enter fast, since the deadline is September 30th. I'm giving away five copies of mine and Liz's October release, Risking Her Heart. Go to my website www.wendyetherington.com and enter today!

Remember Hot Pursuit is on the shelves now. Get a copy and let me know what you think.

Best,
Wendy

Contest Winner

Happy 4th! Er...well, 5th.

Just wanted to announce that Cody and I have drawn for the Summer Reading Contest and are pleased to announce that Teresa from Arkansas has won! Teresa will receive a bag of books and summer goodies during these long, hot days.

Visit my website to enter the new contest. The prize is an advance copy of my September release, Hot Pursuit.

Have a great weekend!
--Wendy

Deadline Approaching!

Hey, everyone! Hope your summer is off to a great start. I've already been to the beach, and I'm set to go back next weekend (the convenience of living in a coastal state). I wanted to remind you that the drawing for the Summer Reading Bag will take place on Friday. So get your entries in right away! (Visit my website and go to the Contest page.) Only one entry per person, please. Let's give everybody a fair shot to win.

Also, I finally have a picture to share. I have plenty of books and summer goodies, plus a green canvas bag (decorated with pink flamingos) to carry everything in.

Good luck!

--Wendy

Last, but not least...

And here's cover #3...

Liz & I are so honored to have a part in this year's NASCAR holiday anthology. Our story is called Have a Beachy Little Christmas and takes place on the fictional Eden Resort in the balmy and beautiful Bahamas. So, by the time November rolls around, and the weather is getting frosty, you'll be able to sit by the fire with a hot beach read.

Tiffany McMillan is the daughter of a successful NASCAR team owner, but she lacks the respect she craves, both from her father and the people who work for him. Jesse Harwood has plenty of respect from his fellow teammates and doesn't trust the spoiled boss's daughter, even though he's wildly attracted to her. But when a few of the guys get carried away with a potent libation called Santa's Special Bahamian Delight, he's pressed into saving the day. And he and Tiffany find the ocean breeze pushing them together into a hot island fling.

Liz and I had such a hard time getting this story down to a managable length for an anthology. We felt as thought we could have gone on for a couple hundred more pages about Tiffany and Jesse's relationship. There are some sweet Christmas moments, as well as a lot of laughs. We hope you'll enjoy them all.

Oh, and if you look closely in Risking Her Heart, you'll see Jesse's introduction into our fictional NASCAR world.
--Wendy

Book Two of the Garrison Trilogy

Today's cover focus is Risking Her Heart, book #2 in the Garrison Trilogy. It will be released in October by HQN Books and is part of the NASCAR Library Collection.

Now that the marketing business is out of the way...

If you've read No Holding Back (book #1), it's fairly obvious that Liz and I were set on getting Rachel Garrison and hotel mogul Parker Huntington together. Personally, Parker is my kind of hero--gorgeous, smart, rich and witty. But he's got issues (don't we all?) Some involve Rachel, but there are some deeper problems from his past that he has to work through. And, given all the turmoil her brother, Cade, has gone through, Rachel isn't too hot to trust Parker--or anybody--with her brother's career.

Good news: Parker loosens up a bit, Rachel comes to terms with her parents' divorce and you get to attend Cade and Isabel's wedding.

Oh, and did I mention the supersexy neurosurgeon who turns Rachel's head? Well, he throws a serious wrench into the whole thing.

Liz and I love this story and can't wait to see what all of you think!

--Wendy

Covers, covers, covers!

When you have back-to-back-to-back deadlines in this business (publishing), you get a great perk, ah...eventually. Books that are released in three successive months! So, for the next three days, I'll post a cover of one of my fall releases (I have books coming out in September, October and November), and give you a bit of info about the stories.



First up is Hot Pursuit. This book is part of the 2008 Harlequin/NASCAR continuity series, "Secrets and Legends." There are 16 books in all, beginning in February, so you'll need to catch up with what's going on if you haven't started the series yet.

Story synopsis: NASCAR PR rep Kylie Palmer is a widow and a single mom, and she certainly isn't interested in dating--especially not someone with a dangerous job. But bounty hunter Arthur "Sean" Treadway is young, gorgeous and every inch the perfect guy. Suddenly Kylie is struggling between her fear...and a feeling she never thought she'd experience again.

Sean has his job cut out for him. His secret investigation to find a fugitive is drawing him deeper into the world of NASCAR--and closer to Kylie, a woman who's proving harder to pursue than his elusive target. but when their fragile relationship is tested, can Sean convince Kylie that he's worth the risk?

And does Arthur/Sean (it's a thing in the book--you'll see) live up to his hot description or what?!? Whew.

I so loved writing this book. For those of you who've read my Blazes or Temptations, you'll know I love the suspense/adventure stuff, but I'd never written about a bounty hunter before. It was great fun bringing mystery and chasing bad guys into the NASCAR world. Plus, the chemistry between these characters developed quickly and easily for me.

Sean's rebel spirit and determination was a pleasure to bring to life, and I enjoyed tapping into Kylie's vulnerability and uncertainty--especially since she's such a polished perfectionist on the job.

Look for Hot Pursuit in stores and online in September.
--Wendy


P.S. Oh, and though it won't be out until January of 2009, I've got the "official" title for my next Blaze--After Dark. More details on that to come soon.

Atlanta Race Pics

Hey, all! I'm deep in a deadline, but I haven't posted in a while, so I wanted to post some pictures from the Atlanta NASCAR race I attended last month.

I dragged fellow authors Jacquie D'Alessandro and Jennifer St. Giles who were appropriately awed by the experience--at least after we fed Jennifer some chicken fingers and cheese fries. Being rookies, they had lots of questions. Being at a track with 43 roaring engines, we wound up writing notes back and forth. I took them into the garage areas and on pit road, so they could see the "insider's" view, then we watched the race from the grandstands with all the other great fans. It was exhilerating and a wonderful break from all our deadlines.

I'm hard at work on a new Blaze, so I'd better get back to it. Hope it's warming up where you are. It's supposed to be 80 here in SC today.

Celebrate Romance

Hi, all! Before I get started on writing today, I wanted to tell all of you what a great time I had at the Celebrate Romance conference. This conference brings writers and readers together to talk about books they love. We had great roundtable discussions about the various sub-genres of romance, including suspense, science fiction, fantasy and paranormal. Authors spoke about how they began writing and how they're inspired to write their stories.

We gave away LOTS of books, and my roomies and I (Stephanie Bond, Jacquie D'Alessandro and Jennifer St. Giles) had a free pizza party on Saturday night that was open to all attendees. The conference is held each Spring, so be sure and mark it on your calendar for next year. It's an event you don't want to miss!

Welcome Back, Boys!

Whew! What a weekend of racing!

Junior wins. Major congrats to him and his new team!

The other big story was, of course Smoke versus Busch. There are a lot of people coming down on both sides of this duel. The behavioral issues, the safety issues. Personally, I think it's great. (Of course, I'm not NASCAR, the owners, sponsors, or crew members of either team, so I don't have to make decisions, make apologies or make new cars.) To me, it's all compelling, controversial, infinitely debatable and watchable. The FOX executives were no doubt opening champagne after Friday night. I see great memoirs for these guys in the future. As a fiction writer, I bow to the greatness of action and emotion.

As for a plot twist, there isn't much of a surprise, though. Do you expect a duck to bark? These guys are both driven, volitile, competitive people. You don't turn that off like a light switch. That's WHY we're riveted to every lap--to see what'll happen. This isn't Gardening for the Elderly Wheelchair-Bound, this is big-time auto racing, and I, for one, am glad it means so much that these guys forget what's proper or PC or kind or agreeable.

It's been a long, cold off-season. Welcome back, boys!

Your Humble NASCAR Correspondent

I'm working, I really am. But I'm also listening to/watching all the NASCAR action from Daytona. For those of you who aren't race fans, Media Day is underway at Daytona International Speedway, where the 50th running of the Daytona 500 will take place in 10 days. Us NASCAR fans are--to say the very least--hyped. So I thought I'd give you a rundown of all the action.

I should probably start on the romance side. First, there's the cover model looks of Jimmie Johnson, who's married to an equally beautiful woman (Chandra). This couple's kids are destined to be stunning. Next, there are the super sexy accents of Dario Franchitti (Scottish), Jaques Villeneuve (French Canadian), and Juan Pablo Montoya (Columbian). I may finally be able to get my buddy, Jennifer St. Giles, to a NASCAR race, as she's known to have a soft spot for those Scottish boys. NASCAR is beginning to have a bit of a United Nations feel, which I think is great.

Riki Rachtman is one of the NASCAR.com hosts of live web-streaming video interviews today. He was a metal rocker back in the 80's, but now does a lot of NASCAR announcing/programming. He's one of my favorite media guys. A little edgy, a little different (in a good way) from the sterotypical racing media personality, and he always seemed relaxed with the guys, managing to ask both the necessary questions, as well as getting the drivers to open up about a variety of subjects. He's just plain fun, and he obviously preps for his interviews. This is no talking head who really couldn't care less about racing. I hear he isn't going to be part of RaceDay on Speed Channel this year, and I'll certainly miss him. I hope NASCAR.com uses him often. He's a gem.

Dale Jr. looks happy and confident, which is so great, though it's still odd to see him in a green and white uniform. I guess The Red Army is just Jr. Nation now. Somehow, The Green Army doesn't have the same punch, does it?

Other highlights: Tony Stewart messin' with everybody to keep his spirits up. He's notoriously not a big fan of Media Day. A.J. Allmendinger and Patrick Carpentier talking on Sirius about how nobody is NASCAR is willing to strap you into your car (which apparently is the standard in open wheel racing). The safety harness in a stock car snaps between the driver's legs. And no crew member is going there.

Everybody at Sirius is working hard, as usual. If you're a NASCAR fan, and you don't have a Sirius subscription, you're seriously (ha, ha) missing out. I'm completely addicted and always have the shows on while I work.

Okay, back to the writing duties.

Risking Her Heart & Mini Contest Winners

I need prompts from you guys to tell me what you're interested in, and Kim from Texas (one of the contest winners) gave me a good one. She wanted to know who Risking Her Heart is about. Helloooo! Of course, that's important! :-) Thanks for the reminder, Kim.

RHH is Rachel and Parker's story (yes, wealthy, sophisticated, ultra-handsome Parker who Cade punched out to start all the troubles he's dealing with in No Holding Back). As was plainly obvious, Parker had a bit of a crush on Rachel, but--unfortunately for him--his big plans for romance don't go precisely as planned.

Brooding Bryan comes last, in the tentatively titled Winning It All. I wonder who'll be winning? Is it someone or something? Maybe both. Hmmm....

For the contest, it's already over. (Thank you, my oh devoted--or possibly bored--readers. I didn't even have to start calling relatives to enter, so I could declare winners.) Nathalie from Quebec, Kim from California and Kim from Texas will each get an advance copy of What Happened in Vegas... Thanks to all who entered!

I'm back to work now. And on Sunday night, too! See what devotion I have in making sure you're getting quality reading material? ;-)
--Wendy

Welcome!

Well, I've broken down and joined the real world. (Actually, updating my website all the time was becoming too cumbersome and I wasn't doing it often enough, so this is an easy way of posting news.) I'll still make changes to my website every few months, but this way I can post contest news, new covers, etc. quickly and easily, since I know all of you are lamenting the lack of constant information about my life--exciting as it is. :-)

So, to kick off the blog launch, I'll have a quickie contest. The first three people to e-mail me that they've read this first post at wendyeth@sc.rr.com will receive an advance copy of my March release from Harlequin Blaze, What Happened in Vegas.... (Be sure to send your snail mail address with your e-mail.)

I'll have a regular contest starting February 1st, which I'll announce on that day. Big surprise, it'll be some kind of Valentine theme.

For today, I'm working--believe it or not--on the 3rd book in mine and Liz Allison's NASCAR-themed trilogy. (Book 2, Risking Her Heart, to be released in October is still in the editing stages.) We're just getting started on this book, which won't be on the shelves until fall of 2009, but that's the way things are in publishing--the process is long. So we're getting to know our characters and figuring out how we're going to torture them for 400 pages before we let them live happily-ever-after.

So, I'd better get to work. I'll post again soon!

--Wendy