Guest Post with Cheryl Holt + Giveaway

Cheryl Holt is here to share her latest release, NICHOLAS, which will be her last book available in paperback. Cheryl has gone through a rollercoaster ride of a journey through publishing but she's powered on through. She is also giving away 10 signed copies of NICHOLAS. Make sure you check out the details at the end of the post.

WELCOME TO THE BLOG CHERYL!!!

Meet Cheryl:

CHERYL HOLT is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirty-three novels. She has numerous national writing awards to her credit and is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year” by the trade magazine, Romantic Times. The magazine also selected her as one of the “Top Twenty-Five Erotic Writers of All Time”. She has been hailed as the “Queen” of erotic romance as well as the International Queen of Villains!

She lives and writes in Hollywood, California.

Connect with Cheryl: Author Site | Facebook | Twitter

I am celebrating the release of my novel, NICHOLAS. It’s coming to bookstores in July, 2012.

This is a happy, but poignant moment for me. It will very likely be the last print book I ever have in stores—although I realize that ever is a long time. Things might change in the future, but I don’t think they will. Which means that this probably my last hurrah as a print published author.

I had a good run. I started out when I had two babies back to back and suddenly needed to earn an income from home. But I didn’t have a clue how to write a book or how to sell one. I simply jumped in and forged ahead, being absolutely confident that I could figure it out and succeed in a big way.

After four years of trying and seven completed manuscripts, I finally sold one to a New York publisher.

Over the following ten years, I wrote 23 novels for four different New York publishers. Along the way, I became a Waldenbooks, USA Today, and New York Times bestselling author. I won national awards and received tons of acclaim. Once, I was even picked as “Best Storyteller of the Year” by the trade magazine, Romantic Times.

But none of that translated into huge fame or big sales.

When the economy imploded in 2008, the publishing companies went into freefall. Employees were let go and tons of authors were dumped.

At the end of ’09, I was one of the first authors to lose my New York spot. And with the publishing industry in such disarray, I didn’t see how I’d ever get it back. My writing career had been a stressful slog of starting over and trying again. When I was finally dropped by my last publisher, I simply lacked the energy to reinvent myself yet another time.

I actually quit for a year and a half. I shut off my email and took down my webpage. But a friend bugged me to try again. So I did.

NICHOLAS is the book I wrote once I started in again. I wrote it just to see if I could still write a novel, just to see if I wanted to write a novel again. The break did me a lot of good. It’s the most critically acclaimed book I’ve penned in years, and I’ve had the most positive fan response in ages.

I’ve never pretended to be a great literary mind. I don’t have any deep or probing thoughts to share, so there’s never been anything remotely weighty about my books. They’re pure entertainment, fun and fast-paced and a great way to pass the time while lying around the pool or flying on an airplane. If you haven’t tried one of my novels before, NICHOLAS is a great introduction to my work.

It was released last year as an e-book by e-publisher, Samhain. So if you’re dying to read it right away, you can download it immediately to any e-reader. But to my fans who love my print books, or who haven’t made that e-jump that’s so popular, or who simply want a book to hold in their hands, the book is coming. And it’s coming in print to bookstores everywhere.

I hope all of you will join the celebration with me!

~~~****~~~

NICHOLAS:

New York Times bestselling author, CHERYL HOLT, delivers another spellbinding novel with two of her most memorable characters in years. In a fast-paced, fun story of love, passion, and betrayal…

CAN A ROGUE AND REBEL
Captain Nicholas Price has dedicated his life to the army. He never dreamed he’d someday become Earl of Stafford, a title and position he neither sought nor expected. Although he has no interest in the estate, and is intent on being an absentee landlord, he’s determined to do his duty to the land and its people. He hires a land agent to manage the property, not realizing that—as the man implements draconian policies that negatively impact the local citizenry—Nicholas will be pushed into the path of meddling reformer, Emeline Wilson.

BECOME THE MAN OF HER DREAMS?
Emeline is an over-educated spinster who believes in justice and fairness and is determined to make the world a better place. She would have liked to wed and had a family of her own, but she had to stay at home and care for her widowed father and two young sisters. With her father’s death, she’s lost his house and income and is about to be evicted by the cruel land agent running Stafford Manor. As one of many who are suffering, she’s elected by her neighbors to serve as spokeswoman for the town as they demand just treatment from the new Lord Stafford.

Emeline is determined that Nicholas behave better, that he become a better man. As they clash, tempers flare and passion sizzles. But as love begins to blossom, so does danger from those resolved to keep them apart. Can love survive the most wicked enemy of all?

“Cheryl Holt is magnificent…” Reader to Reader Reviews

“A master writer…” Fallen Angel Reviews

“Best storyteller of the year…” Romantic Times BOOK Reviews

Get Your Own Copy: Amazon(pb) | Kindle | B&N(pb) | Nook
Book Extras: Read an Excerpt

Cheryl’s great novel, NICHOLAS, will be released as a print book in July, 2012.  This will very likely be her last print book ever to appear in bookstores.  To celebrate this poignant occasion, she is running a contest to give away 10 autographed copies of the novel to 10 lucky fans.  The drawing will be held on June 30, 2012.  Readers can enter the contest on her homepage at www.cherylholt.com

Head over to Cheryl's site to enter. Don't forget to leave her a comment below to congratulate her on her latest release!

A huge thank you Cheryl for sharing her latest release as well as the awesome 10 autographed copies.