Elisabeth Barrett’s Blog Tour & Giveaway for DEEP AUTUMN HEAT‏

In this sexy new Star Harbor romance series, featuring the too-tempting Grayson brothers, a celebrity chef turns up the heat for a local café owner—and things start to sizzle.

Lexie Meyers decides there’s nothing sweeter than watching Sebastian Grayson’s perfect, wicked mouth devour her coconut cake. He’s hot, he’s hungry, and he’s sizing her up like she’s the best thing on the menu. But she’s been burned in the past and flings just aren’t her thing. Too bad Sebastian can’t resist a challenge.

Worldly, famous, and notorious with the ladies, Seb had planned a weekend of fishing and relaxation with his brothers. Until Lexie, with her kissable lips and frosty “get lost” attitude, makes him want to forget his culinary empire and create some magic with her. After he fires up his charm—including challenging her to a televised cook-off to break through her resistance—it’s now hotter in the bedroom than it is in the kitchen and Lexie isn’t sure whether she’s lost her mind . . . or just her heart.

Legends by Elisabeth Barrett

What is a legend? In its most simple form, it’s an unverified story that has taken on mythical status. Whether true, false or undetermined, legends are romanticized, and repeated over and over again to successive generations as if they were fact.

When I was growing up, there were a few legends that regularly made the rounds. Mikey (of Life cereal commercial fame) had died from consuming pop rocks and coke was a big one (False), as was the Halloween legend of pins, needles and razorblades being hidden in apples given to unsuspecting children (True but wildly exaggerated). When I started driving, I was told that gang members were being initiated by driving with their headlights off, then killing drivers who flashed their lights at them (False). Don’t ask me why I was so afraid of this.  All I can say to those people I passed who were driving with their lights off: I should have let you know, and I’m sorry!

In the days before the interwebs, it was difficult to figure out whether such legends were true. Now, there are sites like Snopes.com which exist to debunk (or confirm) every claim under the sun. In fact, I recently discovered that storing batteries in the fridge does not prolong their life (although it makes them easy to find and does keep them cold, making it easier to distinguish old batteries from new ones). Who knew?

Of course, the best legends have some basis in truth, and I’m particularly fascinated by pirate legends—especially from Boston’s Gold Coast, which is why I chose one to weave into my debut novel, Deep Autumn Heat, which takes place on Cape Cod. For those of you not familiar with the history of the area, in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, pirates roamed off of Boston’s Northshore, looting and plundering merchant ships at will.

Blackbeard, Kidd, Quelch, and Bellamy: these were names that struck fear into the hearts of God-fearing citizens. And of course, the pirates played off their own cutthroat and brutal reputations…it made stealing booty and capturing ships easier! One pirate, a maniacal man named Ned Low, was so awful (we’re talking making captured prisoners eat their own body parts awful), that his own crew mutinied and set him adrift on an open boat without provisions. That was the truth. Can you imagine the legends?

Personally, I love the idea of legends. They thrill and enchant us, retaining power and mystery years after they proliferate. They can serve as a warning (keep out of graveyards), a plea for common sense (don’t walk around late at night while drunk), or a link to another world (ghosts!). Above all, legends allow us, as human beings, to connect with one another over shared (or not!) experiences.

Elisabeth is giving away one NetGalley preview of Deep Autumn Heat. The contest ends July 12th at midnight (EDT).You’ll need a NetGalley account, and to tell us what your favorite legends are.

About Deep Autumn Heat:

In this sexy new Star Harbor romance series, featuring the too-tempting Grayson brothers, a celebrity chef turns up the heat for a local café owner—and things start to sizzle.

Lexie Meyers decides there’s nothing sweeter than watching Sebastian Grayson’s perfect, wicked mouth devour her coconut cake. He’s hot, he’s hungry, and he’s sizing her up like she’s the best thing on the menu. But she’s been burned in the past and flings just aren’t her thing. Too bad Sebastian can’t resist a challenge.

Worldly, famous, and notorious with the ladies, Seb had planned a weekend of fishing and relaxation with his brothers. Until Lexie, with her kissable lips and frosty “get lost” attitude, makes him want to forget his culinary empire and create some magic with her. After he fires up his charm—including challenging her to a televised cook-off to break through her resistance—it’s now hotter in the bedroom than it is in the kitchen and Lexie isn’t sure whether she’s lost her mind . . . or just her heart.

 

About Elisabeth:                                              

Raised in a sleepy little Connecticut town, Elisabeth draws on her upbringing to write small-town romances. Her summers spent living and working on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard were the inspiration for the Star Harbor series, which kicks off with Deep Autumn Heat and continues with Blaze of Winter (coming September 2012). For more information about Elisabeth, please visit www.elisabethbarrett.com. She’s also on Facebook and Twitter.