Launching 2011 in the Lair

by Nancy

Happy New Year!!!

Part of me can't believe we're already in 2011. I remember when that seemed soooo very far away, and now here it is. We're going to have a great year in the Lair, with lots of fabulous guests already set to join us.

I hope it will be a terrific year for everyone. My fingers are perpetually crossed that the AYUs among the banditas and our buddies make the leap to publication this year and our APs climb the lists. Our Suz, aka Suzanne Ferrell, will debut this year, so stay tuned for details on the celebration.

I'm looking forward to the completion of the Harry Potter film saga and am glad the movie will come out before the boy leaves home. Our family saw that series begin together, and we'll finish it together.

I'm also looking forward to the boy going off to college, in a way. We'll miss him terribly, and thinking about his being gone far away makes my heart hurt, but it's such a milestone for him, a big step into adulthood.

RWA National will be in the capital of publishing, New York City, with lots to see and do in addition to having face time with scattered friends and learning about the business. I always enjoy New York.

I'm anticipating DragonCon, as always. That's the "let it all hang out" weekend for me, and the dh is getting into the swing. It will be strange without the boy, though.

To help launch this year in the Lair with plenty of boom, we have a wonderful lineup for January. To start, of course, so many of us and y'all are here today, some of us taking a short break from various football games on TV and others of us seeking refuge from them. There's a lot of noise coming from the gladiator villa, I noticed. Lots of yelling, both enthused and curse-laden. They seem to get seriously into watching burly men crashing into each other.


Our first guest of 2011, Stephanie Dray, will join us on January 3 to talk about her new YA historical fiction debut, Lily of the Nile, with Christie.

Anybody besides me notice that the ancient world seems to be very popular in YA these days? Anyone besides me read Mara, Daughter of the Nile as a young adult?

January 4 brings Sandy Blair back to chat with Suz. A great friend of the Bandits, Sandy is bringing us another Scottish tale in the THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF SCOTTISH ROMANCE. Her story is titled Her MacKinnon.








On Thursday, 6th January, Anna Campbell hosts historical author Beverley Kendall who will be talking about her fabulous new Regency A TASTE OF DESIRE. Bev runs the popular website The Season and she’s terrifically supportive of her fellow writers – we’re looking forward to giving her a big rambunctious Bandita welcome when she visits. More prizes!



On January 7 Aunty Cindy brings her good buddy Marie Force back to the Lair to celebrate the release of the second book in her romantic suspense series: Fatal Justice. Don't miss the fun and prizes!


On January 8, Jennifer St. Giles's alter ego, J. L. Saint, chats with Nancy about her romantic thriller, Collateral Damage. This the first in the Silent Warrior series.




On Monday, 10th January, Maggie Robinson/Margaret Rowe returns to the lair as Anna Campbell’s guest to talk about her wonderful new release MISTRESS BY MIDNIGHT. Maggie is lots of fun and we had a great day last time she visited the lair to discuss her debut historical MISTRESS BY MISTAKE. This should be a great day too – with prizes!



On January 11 we're thrilled to have Regency historical romance writer and Word Wench Cara Elliott with us to chat about her sexy February release, TO TEMPT A RAKE.

The middle of the month will be just us banditas and our usual coterie of cabana boys and gladiators and hockey hunks. And the dragon, who made out very well during the holidays.

We can't give you details because those are classified, but I can tell you Christmas Eve was a very near thing for a certain reindeer. Santa refuses to visit the Lair again unless he has a special landing site away from certain flight-capable residents.

On January 21, NYT Bestseller and Writer Beware co-founder A. C. Crispin joins Nancy to discuss the pitfalls writers should avoid as they dive back into their work during the New Year.


On January 27, Kate will host Hannah Dennison, author of the Vicky Hill English Village mysteries, who will seek Bandita advice on how poor Vicky might find the right man and cast off her virginity once and for all.



If the banditas can't help Vicky, I'm sure the gladiators, hockey hunks and cabana boys will have some advice (No, Paolo, she's not looking for volunteers from the Lair. Yes, I'm sure.).




January 30 is a very special launch party as Tawny celebrates the release of her 10th book, Breaking the Rules. I'm allowed to say it's a Uniformly Hot Book about a battle of wills between a soldier home from Afghanistan and his best friend's kid sister. There will be what Tawny describes as "major prizes," as well as more details about the book.


On January 31, Kate will host fabulous new author Regan Hastings, whose fiery VISIONS OF MAGIC promises to be the hottest book on the shelves! Who is Regan Hastings? Come get the scoop!




In bandita news, we have the following:


Anna Campbell is running a Backlist Bounty for the New Year contest until the end of January. Ten lucky people get their choice of one of Anna’s current books, CLAIMING THE COURTESAN, UNTOUCHED, TEMPT THE DEVIL, CAPTIVE OF SIN or MY RECKLESS SURRENDER. Just email her on anna@annacampbell.info and tell her which book you’d like and why.

For more information, please visit the contest page of her website: http://www.annacampbell.info/contest.html


What are you looking forward to in 2011? What book you read or movie you saw in 2010 was your favorite, and why?