Last week I got a very nice surprise! The cover for my first Laurel McKee book, Countess of Scandal (out in February 2010!). I think the purple color is gorgeous, her dress, her fan, her necklace–all of it. Though it’s a bit weird to see “someone else’s” name on the cover–I will just have to get used to my other half (I’m sure she’s the one eating all the chocolate and drinking all the Chardonnay in the house, not to mention using up my MAC Hello Kitty lipgloss and watching the Twilight DVD over and over. That crazy Laurel…)

BTW, if you happen to be in the New York City area, be sure and pop in at Lady Jane’s Salon on June 1. Diane and I will be there talking about Diamonds of Welbourne Manor, and my editor at Grand Central Publishing, Alex Logan, is pulling together a fun presentation on how a cover like this goes from concept to reality. (I’ve heard the cocktails are fab there, too!). We’ll also be in the Harlequin booth at BookExpo America on the 30th at 3:30.

Speaking of romance novels, I realized last week that I haven’t curled up and read one in a long time! (At least not a historical romance–I’ve read some paranormal and contemporary series, as I fiddle around with vague ideas in those genres). I’ve been mostly reading lots of research books, and I don’t usually read many historicals when in the middle of writing a book myself, so the TBR pile had been, well, stacking up a bit. I miss them!!! I MUST read a historical romance! So I sorted through some of the titles I’ve been buying lately, and pulled out a few to get me started. I can’t wait to dive in. (Here’s a pic of some of them. Have you read any of them? Anything you recommend I start with?)