With PW Blogger @BarbaraVey at the RT BOOKLovers Convention Book Fair.

This past week was rather…full. Or better yet, replete with lots of great opportunities to meet and interact with fellow writers and readers in both Milwaukee and Chicago.

Kicking off the fun fest was PW blogger Barbara Vey with her first Annual Readers’ Appreciation Luncheon in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. More than 200 readers and 38 authors including Cathy Maxwell, Roxanne St. Claire and Yours Truly congregated at the Oak Creek Community Center for a lovely catered luncheon. Heather Graham gave the fun keynote talk, regaling us with true tales far stranger than any fiction.

Tempting cupcakes by author Dianna Love.

More than 38 author-donated raffle and door prizes were awarded including my “Tote of Tempting Treats” filled with an ARC of the Tempting audiobook and other goodies. Lastly, the guest authors signed our for sale books. Didn’t make it this year? No worries. Barbara’s already set the date for next year’s luncheon: April 27, 2013, location TBA. Indeed the sell-out event was so successful that next year’s will require an even larger venue. Way to go, Barbara!

Then it was off to Naperville, a Chicago suburb, for my guest reading at our satellite Salon, Lady Jane’s Salon Naperville. Founded by romance authors Tracey Devlyn and Adrienne Giordano in February 2012, the Salon is held every other month in the loft of Le Chocolat, a lovely local chocolate patisserie and coffee bar in downtown Naperville.

My table at Barbara Vey's Luncheon.

Just a few months’ old, the Salon already boasts a robust following of romance readers and writers. The April 10th event hosted five guest authors: Laurie London, Traci Hall, Tracey Devlyn (reading her romance debut, A Lady’s Revenge, Book #1 in the Nexus series), Cherry Adair, and yes, me, reading from Tempting. To learn more about the Naperville satellite and “Celebrate Differences,” the recipient charity, visit their website.

Another Tempting tote was a charity raffle prize at Lady Jane's Naperville.

Last but in no way least came the RT BOOKLovers Convention. Highlights of the con included the Thursday E-Book & Graphic Novel Expo, workshops and panel talks by authors representing every Shade of Gray (so to speak) of romantic fiction, a mind boggling array of theme parties and costume events, and of course the renowned giganormous Saturday Book Fair, open to the public as well as convention attendees.

But there is indeed no place like home. After a week of glamor–or at least makeup, “real” clothes, and daily hair washings–I returned home to New York on Sunday evening pleasantly weary and wonderfully… replete, happy and blessed to be back to this writing life of sweat clothes’ wearing and copious cat cuddling and sitting down every day to write the books of my heart.

At the RT Book Fair with @LenGunnModel, Mr. Romance 2011

©2012 Hope Tarr's Blog. All Rights Reserved.

TEMPTING, releasing as an audio and ebook Feb/March 2012.

I’d like to start by sharing one of my favorite quotes by another romance writer you may have heard of, Mary Ann Evans.

“You’re never too old to be who you might have been.” –George Elliot.

You tell ‘em, Mary Ann.

2011 was, in many ways the year in which seeds were sewn for me. Among those, I revived a former second writing career as a travel and freelance features writer. Despite getting a late start, I had ten articles published with EuropeUpClose, WETA’s inReads (interview with Nora Roberts) and RT BOOKReviews Magazine (interview with Julia Quinn), to hit the highlights.

Now 2012 is off to a rock n’ roll start. Check out my Step-by-Step Guide to Visiting Peru’s Machu Picchu published just this month by uber savvy travel site, BootsnAll.

On the romance front, my co-founded monthly romance fiction reading salon, Lady Jane’s, will celebrate its third anniversary (and counting) on  Monday, February 6th at our beloved Madame X. Deets forthcoming but for now, know that with Eloisa James and Sarah Wendell (guest emcee) joining us its going to be quite the par-tay!

My award-winning Victorian-set romance novel, TEMPTING, will enjoy a second life early this year as both an audio and digital release. Please check back for specifics including the links.

Lastly, I have a new Facebook Author page, which will soon replace my profile page, fast approaching FB’s 5,000 friends’ limit. If you haven’t already, please take two ticks to “Like” me.

The winter holiday season may be ended but there’s no reason the “gifts” can’t keep coming. In that spirit, I wish you…

A 2012 filled with fairy tale dreams come true,

Hope

©2012 Hope Tarr's Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Rather than see Peru through the window of a tour bus, I opted for a more active approach. After two days spent exploring the city of Cusco on my own, I joined up with a walking/hiking tour group operated by Country Walkers.

As I did with my April-May trip to Italy, I will be detailing my Peruvian adventures in a series of travel articles. I am also prominently detailing my Peruvian journey in my current nonfiction book. Details forthcoming…

For now, the piece de resistance of the hiking portion of the trip was a two-day visit to the famous Inca City of Machu Picchu.

Built in the 1450′s, the Golden Age of the Inca Empire, Machu Picchu is especially popular as a tourist destination this year, 2011, which marks the 100th anniversary of its (re)discovery by explorer, Hiram Bingham.

I say rediscovery because Machu Picchu was never the “lost city” that Bingham made it out to be. Nor was it attacked by the invading Spanish as were most other Inca cities. The site, while badly overgrown, remained intact and well known to the local Andean people throughout the centuries. Two Andean families occupied a portion of the ruins when Bingham first made his appearance in 1911. The young son of one family served as one of his guides.

Summit of Machu Picchu Mountain--how sweet it was!

To preserve the main Inca trail leading into the site, the Peruvian government strictly limits the number of park passes issued per day. Because I booked late, the allotted number of Inca Trail permits had already been distributed to my group. Instead, I hiked Machu Picchu Mountain alone with a local guide, then rejoined my group later that afternoon at The Gate of the Sun.

The 2,000 foot climb up Machu Picchu Mountain took me to 10,300 feet. Fortunately I’d been hiking for almost a week and was well acclimated to the altitude. The topography of the trail presented the real challenge. A more or less 90 degree straight shot up, it also involved navigating jagged granite “steps.” As I wound my way up to the summit, the path narrowed to a shelf of just about sixteen to eighteen inches wide. Sheer drops greeted me on one, sometimes both sides. For nearly forty-five minutes, my reality reduced to one carefully placed footstep after another.

It was a crash course for living in the moment.

Despite a lifelong fear of heights, I made it to the top–and that coveted flagpole–in two hours, not too shabby for a city girl.

Then of course, there was the coming down.

The next day I enjoyed exploring the main park site with my group. We began with an early morning (AKA crack o’ dawn) gathering inside the park. Several of us took turns reading from a book of poems on Machu Picchu by Peruvian poet, Pablo Neruda . It was a deeply moving, deeply spiritual set of moments.

Now I’m back in the Big Apple. Amidst the happy chaos of catching up, I’m taking time to hold onto all the wonderful lessons my journey to Peru and back has taught me. Until next time…

Hope

©2012 Hope Tarr's Blog. All Rights Reserved.

A: Absolutely nothing…barring that this month I must give up one to gain the other.

Yeppers, I am headed for Peru–the land of Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail and such–which means I will miss our monthly Lady Jane’s Salon on Monday, November 7th.

Still, while I’m rambling amongst the ruins, there’s no need for you to miss. Check out the deets on the Lady Jane’s blog and prepare to party with three great guest authors: Addison Fox, Jeanine McAdam and Isabo Kelly.

Happy Trails,

Hope

PS Whilst I’m away, please check out my latest interview on Digital Book Today.

©2012 Hope Tarr's Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Chilling out on the veranda of the Hotel Villa Cipriani in Asolo. May 2011. Treviso, Italy.

One upon a faraway time, the 1990′s, there was a freelance writer named Hope Tarr. While Hope enjoyed writing articles, her Big Dream was to write books.

In 1999, Hope sold A Rogue’s Pleasure, a sexy Regency-set romp and her first book. From then on, she got busy writing books. Really busy.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Fortunately for all of us, living history can shift and change, twist and turn. On a dime.

While I’m happy to report that I’m still really busy writing books, I’ve also found time to return to a former love: travel writing.

And we’re having us quite a honeymoon.

Please check out my two (and counting) articles on Italy for the fabulous travel site and blog, Europe Up Close. My Eat Pray Love…Florence series will be followed shortly with Eating in Venice and another trio of articles on Day Tripping in The Veneto.

Grazie Mille!

Hope

©2012 Hope Tarr's Blog. All Rights Reserved.

With travel companions at the Hotel Villa Cipriani, Asolo, Italy.

Congratulations to my May contest winner, Sherry B of Tyrone, PA. Sherry’s prize, a signed copy of Strokes of Midnight is en route to her “as we speak.”

My regular monthly contest will go on hiatus for June-August. That said, throughout the summer I’ll be running several contests here on my blog. Check here and look for winner announcements on Facebook/HopeTarr and Twitter @HopeTarr.

Ciao, bellas.

©2012 Hope Tarr's Blog. All Rights Reserved.

In the garden, Hotel Villa Cipriani, Asolo.

So I’m back from Italy–Venice, the Veneto (Venetian countryside, specifically the foothills below The Dolomites) and Florence. In the course of my two weeks away, I went on some incredible hikes, saw lovely Palladian architecture actually designed by Palladio, and ate and drank my way through many a long, lazy lunch and even longer, lazier dinner. (Did I mention the white asparagus was in season)?

Civilized midday and evening meals always begin with an apperitivo. Sigh!

In case you can’t tell, I had a bellissima time.

Gradually I’m getting back into the proverbial swing of things, diving into the vortex of the crazy eclectic hodgepodge of energy that is New York City. As much as I miss my afternoon glass of prosecco–so civilized–and my post dinner “digestivo” of grappa (Northern Italy) or limoncello (Southern Italy), regular reality has a good deal going for it, too.

For one thing, I get to announce my April contest winner. Susan B of Marion, Iowa, come on down! Your signed copy of Strokes of Midnight is making its way to you “as we speak.”

For those who didn’t win, no worries. I’ll be announcing May’s winner on Wednesday, June 1st, so there’s plenty of time to enter. Visit my contest page for the deets.

Last but never least, the June 27th Lady Jane’s Salon will welcome out-of-town and local authors attending the Romance Writers of America’s annual national conference here in  NYC with seven super returning and new guest readers, including first-time Salon guest, the incomparable Eloisa James. See the complete list of guest authors at the Salon blog site and please note the change in date (June 27th, which is the 3rd Monday of the month) and time (7-10PM, an extra hour of romance goodness!) for this month only. We’ll skip the July Salon and resume our regular first Monday of the month, 7-9 PM schedule starting August 1st.

On the "old bridge" in Bassano del Grappa.

Until next time…

Ciao & Happy Trails,

Hope

©2012 Hope Tarr's Blog. All Rights Reserved.

April 30th is also the date my April contest at HopeTarr.com closes. The cutoff for randomly selecting the winner is 12 midnight ET. Only I won’t be here.

Sooooo, I will pick and announce April’s winner two weeks from now when I’ve returned from the trip. In the interim, the May contest will run as planned from May 1st through the 31st. I hope you’ll take two ticks and enter to win a signed copy of Strokes of Midnight. For now…

Ciao, bellas!

Hope

©2012 Hope Tarr's Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Hope signs THE TUTOR at the East Hampton Library Authors Night, August 14, 2010

On Saturday I participated in the East Hampton Library’s fifth annual Authors Night, a fundraiser for the library and its programs.

The weather was sublime, more like early spring than late summer. Seated beneath a massive tent set on the library lawn with the more than 150 other participating authors, I sipped wine and nibbled on tuna roll and sesame chicken, and of course signed copies of The Tutor.

Throughout I chatted with attendees, both readers and fellow authors, including romance writer, Barbara Metzger. And yes, I indulged in the occasional Fan Girl Moment with Alec Baldwin, the event’s Founding Chair, Candace Bushnell, and Lois Stern, to name a few. And before the crowd grew too crazy, I had the pleasure of meeting a charming gentleman from New Orleans, Bryan Batt. Bryan, who portrays Salvatore Romano on AMC’s wildly popular “Mad Men,” was there to sign his new memoir, She Ain’t Heavy. She’s My Mother. As a latecomer but passionate devotee of the show, I was thrilled.

Mad Men's Bryan Batt signs his memoir.

After the signing, my handsome date and I were treated to cocktails and dinner on the water front terrace of bestselling author and former Letterman writer, Jill Davis. Biographer Robert Caro, whom I first met at the Empire State Book Festival in Albany this spring, was the dinner’s delightful guest of honor. Between bites of caviar dressed oysters, quail eggs, and tempura shrimp, we collectively picked Robert’s brain for behind the scenes details on Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson, the subjects of his seminal works, The Power Broker and The Years of Lyndon Johnson (multiple volumes). Witty, wise, and infinitely charming, Robert did not disappoint.

Founding Event Chair, actor Alec Baldwin, was thronged with eager book buyers, especially the ladies.

Alas, my Cinderella evening ended far too soon for all that it began at 4:30 PM and didn’t end until well after midnight. Sunday morning began with an 8 AM eight-mile training run for the upcoming Hampton Marathon & Half, followed by a brief jaunt to the beach for a cool down wade. A quick shower, a hasty cup of coffee, and then it was on the road headed home to New York City and dare I say it, Real Life.

Now I’m back to work, plugging away on two new projects as well as promoting my newest release, A Rogue’s Pleasure, out today with Carina Press, Harlequin’s digital-first publishing imprint. Originally published with Berkley, the book has a beautiful new cover and a fresh new look overall, so if you didn’t read the original print issue back in 2000, I hope you’ll have a go at the e-book version.

Under The Big Top at the East Hampton Library Authors Night.

As for the East Hampton Library Authors Night, I’ve already begun the countdown to next year!

©2012 Hope Tarr's Blog. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the romance community rocks!

Thanks to our guest author, Delilah Marvelle, who got the giving rolling by donating ten copies of her fabulous release, Lord of Pleasure to the first ten givers. Ditto to the RT staff, especially web wizard, Morgan Doremus, for scaring up not one but two more bags of books so that every attendee who donated to Purr Babies could receive a book as our thank you. Also, thanks to former Lady Jane guest author, Louisa Edwards, for the donation of the lovely take away champagne flutes in celebration of her latest release, On The Steamy Side.

Special sloppy cyber hugs and yes, kisses go out to conference coordinator, Jo Carol Jones, who personally supervised the putting out of shimmery red table clothes, the lighting of candles, and yes the pouring of champagne, all of which transformed the Hyatt’s Peppercorn Lounge from hotel event room to a very Lady Jane-like boudoir.

Putting on the Ritz...Leanna Renee Hieber and Hope at the RT BOOK Lovers Convention, Columbus, OH.

I could go on (and on) but I’ll stop there with a reminder that the goodness didn’t end with my plane trip home to Big Apple Landia. Tonight, Monday, May 3rd is our regular monthly Lady Jane’s Salon here in Manhattan at Madame X, 7-9 PM. As always, admission is $5 or one gently used paperback romance novel to be donated to New York City groups serving women in need. We have the usual great lineup of guest authors: YA urban fantasy author, Jeri Smith-Ready (Shade); Christina Britton Conroy (One Man’s Music); and Lady Jane Salon Co-Founder, Victorian paranormal author, Leanna Renee Hieber (The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker, Book #2 in “The Strangely Beautiful” Series).

Giving back–it’s a good thing!

Hope

©2012 Hope Tarr's Blog. All Rights Reserved.