Guest Author Carrie Lofty

Today I want to give a warm welcome to author Carrie Lofty. Carrie is celebrating her release from my highly anticipated Carina Press, (Which is a NEW digital-only publishing house that will operate independently of Harlequin's traditional publishing.)............. SONG OF SEDUCTION

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Getting Published

The sequence of steps that brought about my debut, WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS (http://www.carrielofty.com/WaSW.html), was fairly straightforward. I wrote the manuscript, revised it, watched it final in a few contests, pitched it at Nationals, received an offer, and eventually held my very own copies. Success! Very few surprises or disappointments. By contrast, the road I traveled in bringing SONG OF SEDUCTION (http://www.carrielofty.com/Song.html) to publication was neither straight nor smooth.

I actually wrote SONG OF SEDUCTION before the rough draft of WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS. My initial attempts to find it a good home with a New York house resulted in a stack of rejection letters. A subsequent investigation into e-publishing companies of the time revealed a host of sites devoted almost exclusively to erotica and erotic romance. I knew that my sensual historical--no paranormal elements, no ménage à trois storyline--would get lost in that market.

I decided to set it aside for a while, during which time I founded Unusual Historicals (http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com/) and did a little research. Few romances at the time were published with settings outside of England, Scotland or the United States. Even France was considered too exotic. Founding Unusual Historicals helped me understand that my storytelling technique might not have been entirely to blame for SONG OF SEDUCTION's lack of success. Perhaps it came down to its Austrian setting. My suspicion was confirmed when an editor said she'd take another look if I changed the setting to London. I decided to leave it as it was.

Time brings changes. I began to take heart with the arrival of certain game-changers to the romance scene. Joanna Bourne's THE SPYMASTER'S LADY opened France as an acceptable setting for historicals. Bertina Krahn's THE BOOK OF TRUE DESIRES, set in the Yucatan Peninsula, won a RITA in 2007. And then came Meredith Duran's lush debut, LORD OF SHADOWS, set in India, and Sherry Thomas's HIS AT NIGHT, which takes place in Pakistan. Progress!

When Carina Press opened its doors with the slogan "No great story goes untold," I thought it worth a shot. Carina was new and ambitious, with the business model flexibility to accept a wider range of stories. Turns out that my hunch was correct, as was my faith in SONG OF SEDUCTION's quality. I knew Arie and Mathilda's love affair was worth sharing with the world, a belief shared by the editors at Carina Press.

But we weren't done yet. I moved on to content editing with the lovely and talented Deborah Nemeth. Remember, I had worried over this story for more than three years, which meant my ability to see it with fresh eyes had been entirely exhausted. Deb was a tremendous help in not only in improving certain romantic and heroic elements, but in reminding me what a joy this romance was to write. I was right back there in the throes of creation, remembering what drove me to embark on such a hair-brained journey to Austria.

It's been a long strange trip for SONG OF SEDUCTION, but it's been worth the wait. Carina Press has given it the star treatment I'd once dared to imagine--a absolutely stunning cover and a launch in grand style. I only hope that readers will embrace the "something different" that SONG OF SEDUCTION, Carina Press and I have worked so hard to offer. Enjoy!

Tormented by guilt. Haunted by scandal. Freed by love.

Austria, 1804

Eight years ago, composer Arie De Voss claimed his late mentor's final symphony as his own and became an icon. But fame has a price: fear of discovery now poisons his attempts to compose a redemptive masterpiece. Until a new muse appears, intoxicating and inspiring him...

Mathilda Heidel renounced her own musical gift to marry, seeking a quiet life to escape the shame surrounding her birth. Sudden widowhood finds her tempted by song once more. An unexpected introduction to her idol, Arie De Voss, renews Mathilda's passion for the violin--and ignites a passion for the man himself.

But when lust and lies reach a crescendo, Arie will be forced to choose: love or truth?

Release Date: June 7, 2010

Publisher: Carina Press

IBSN: 978-14268-9002-4