One of my all-time favorite movies is Romancing the Stone. Romance and comedy go hand in hand in this wonderfully plotted story, with characters you cared about and fell in love with from the first screen images until the last. You (the viewer) couldn’t help but be 
swept up in the life of Joan Wilder, romance novelist, as she lives the life she’s written about but has never experienced.
Have we ever experienced true romance? Is it candlelight dinners and flowers and long walks on the beach? Or is it risking your all, fighting beside your significant other, to rescue them and save the day? Not just Romancing the Stone fits this definition, but Last of the Mohicans (Daniel Day Lewis, be still my heart!), Star Wars, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
What are you willing to lose to gain everything? How do you gauge romance in your life?
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO BE ENTERED IN BOTH THE GRAND PRIZE AND MY BLOG PRIZE.
We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 100 times!
Now what are those prizes?
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $130 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: The following Swag Pack!
The prizes for my blog giveaway are a book from my backlist (excludes Only Scandal Will Do) and a Scandal Swag Pack to three random commenters.
My characters in Only Scandal Will Do are more than willing to fight alongside each other-
-or facing one another! Lady Katarina is capable of meeting any man with a sword in her hand, while Duncan Ferrers, Marquess of Dalbury, itches to meet her–in more ways than one! Katarina leads him a merry chase and they must learn all the facets of romance before they are truly satisfied.
Excerpt from Only Scandal Will Do:
“I assure you, there was never a night like that before.” Lord Dalbury spoke quietly, and Katarina sensed a tension in him. “I had never done such a thing before. Never participated in such an auction. Never tried to take a woman unwillingly to my bed.” He stopped speaking. Just stopped. Then his breath hissed as though he’d slowly released it.
“I cannot find the words to tell you how deeply I regret I was not a better man who night.” He paused, and she held still and waited. “What I tried to do was madness, without thought, without honor. I do not even have an excuse other than my base desires, and that your abundant charms overwhelmed me.” His face was shadowy in the scarce light of the sickle moon, but he sounded contrite. “I have no right to ask for your forgiveness. I have no right to expect it. But I would ask you to allow me to attempt to remedy the situation.”
Kat shook her head slowly. “What on earth do you believe you could do, Lord Dalbury, that could even come close to a remedy for the terror and humiliation you put me through? Do you think now that I have met you, heard your feeble attempts at an apology, and rejected them, the memory of that night will magically disappear?” She fought to control her anger, though she yearned to blast him with it. “What magic potion would you have me take that would erase the memory of you pinning me to the bed? Because if you have such an elixir, then yes, I will gladly take it from you and obliterate you absolutely and irrevocably.”
He stood silent at her words, then said simply, “I have only myself to offer, my lady.”
“You would have me kill you, my lord? In that, too, I agree I would oblige you, but not at the cost of my own life. I understand the English law punishes those who do murder quite severely.” Kat was astonished when he lurched backward, as from a blow.
“No, my lady, I would not have you kill me,” he said, sounding grimly amused. “Though indeed that would probably give you most satisfaction. I meant I would have you marry me.”
His words surprised a laugh out of her. “Marry you?” The laughter grew. “I see, my lord, you think me both a whore and a fool.”
“I think you are neither, Lady Katarina.”
“Then you are the fool to believe I would put such a man as you in control of every aspect of my life.” That he thought she would even entertain the suggestion was insulting.
The pale moonlight shadowed his face, but she could read displeasure there just the same. “You judge me solely on one act that, I assure you, was grossly out of character for me. You cannot possibly know what kind of husband I would be.”
“And never will, Lord Dalbury. I can swear to you that I would not marry you if I were in Hell and you were my only hope of Heaven.”
He inclined his head toward her, a faint smile touching his lips. “I believe you made a similar claim about dancing with me, Lady Katarina. Yet we have indeed enjoyed a dance together despite your words.” His tone was soft, the sensuous, cajoling one he had used to seduce her that night in the House of Pleasure.
Kat trembled, recalling the incredible sensations of his hands, his mouth on her body. Damn. He could not do this to her again. Not just with his voice.
“Is there nothing that would entice you to leave your Hell for my Heaven?”
She struggled to answer, opened her lips to deny it, only to find her mouth completely sealed by his.
Only Scandal Will Do is available at Amazon, iTunes, and All Romance E-Books.
Don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered in all the giveaways! Now, if you want to hop on, click the blog hop image below and it will take you to the blog hop list. Happy Hopping!
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
The little things he does, even when we really can’t afford it. Like bringing home a rose out of the blue just because, or small notes.
When he brushes my hair.
Laying together listening to the rain.
It’s little stuff, but it is the most important stuff.
Great post and prizes.
bidelia78@yahoo.com
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I think I have true romance, maybe not quite as exciting as the books but I am blessed to be married to someone who is a great partner and dad and that is just as sexy as the leading guys in the novels. Thanks for sharing the excerpt.
fencingromein at hotmail dot com
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Romance can be anything to me…from flowers and gifts to the little things, like remembering that you collect something and bringing it home from a business trip. Or, taking the kids for a few minutes and going to get dinner, leaving you home alone for a bit in peace. It could be as simple as offering to cook on the grill, leaving you free from making dinner or giving up a game on tv so you can watch your romantic movie.
Romance just happens, it isn’t always planned. It’s in the eye of the beholder.
Barbara
bbsbooknook@aol.com
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Only Scandal Will Do sounds like a great read! Thanks for the giveaway! cheryllynne(at)rocketmail(dot)com
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My favorite thing about romance is having someone who all of me – even my flaws.
rockchick531@gmail.com
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Romance, in my opinion, is the little things that you do for each other. He watches the kids, so I can clean up a little, or me taking out the garbage. Helping the other person is the best way to show you care about them.
wolphcall(at)bellsouth(dot)net
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Romance is when the love of my life thinks of me for no reason, like bringing me flowers just because he was thinking of me.
Loved your excerpt.
janna@jannashay.com
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I love a romantic guy. I had a boyfriend that worked in a bakery and would bring me home cookies with differt things written on them with frosting. lol, I loved it. Thx for giveaway.
blinkysthebest at aol dot com
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Romance is the little things, like when he brings home a soft pretzel that he had a work and he saved it for you!
skpetal at hotmail dot com
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Jenna Romancing the Stone is such a classic who doesn’t love it? I think my idea of romantic in my life is different from what I see as romantic in books and movies, in movies and books I want the whole swept of her feet, candles, can’t live another second without you stuff. In my real life I have realized that to my husband he sees bringing me m&m’s home when he stops at the store or changing the oil in my car so I don’t have to as his way of showing he cares and to me that is romantic in my “real” life :O)
Carin myreadingobsession at hotmail dot com
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The Mummy is one of my fav movies with romance…I am still looking for my romance booksswagger@gmail.com
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I loved Romancing the Stone. I saw it the theater when it first came out (many years ago). Great movie with one my favorite actors (Michael Douglas).
kesummer69 at gmail dot com
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I would say just being here when I need you to listen and talk.
Brandalynn J
johnst_jb(at)yahoo(dot)com
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Really enjoying the hop!
kegasg@aol.com
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Love Romancing the Stone! I think I would definitely be willing to lose in order to gain everything.
molly dot frenzel at gmail dot com
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Romance to me is having help around the house when I’m tired and bringing home dinner on busy nights so I won’t have to cook.
sqwalker2@hotmail.com
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You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Romancing the Stone from start to finish. Maybe I will have to look it up over this long weekend and see what its all about 🙂
As for love, for the right guy? What wouldn’t I do? Love is why we are on this planet, isn’t it? So wish me luck!
Thanks so much!
Liz
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You chose my all-time, favorite movie, Jenna! I lurrve Joan & Jack – such a great, feel-good movie! I think romance is very important, especially in the mundane of doing the laundry, going to work, dealing with kids. It doesn’t have to be an over-the-top gesture, it could be a husband folding that last load or stealing a few minutes together to laze in the backyard hammock. It’s the little moments that keep the flame alive!
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Thanks for the opportunity to meet you.
featherstone.author@gmail.com
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romance… the fact that he brings home a treat that I have said might be good…weeks after I’ve mentioned it. Or that he manages to just soothe me with his presence. It’s all those simple things that happen regularly rather than the big expansive gestures.
Thank you for participating… I’ve got more added to my wishlist now 🙂
glhince@gmail.com
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for me romance is the little, every day stuff. like HIM doing the dishes after YOU made the meal or going for a nice long walk just to spend time together. yeah there can be the ‘grand moments’ but there would be nothing else if that’s all it was
parisfan_ca@yahoo.com
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Romance is all about the little things… if it’s too in-your-face it’s probably fake !
ptitpupuk at sky dot com
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Romance, to me, isn’t just flowers and candlelight and whatnot. It’s the smiles, the touches, the random gifts–not the diamonds or pearls, but more like your fella seeing a box of Powerpuff Girls cereal and getting the last 3 boxes in existence just for you b/c he knows you adore PPG. Knowing a person, listening…yeah, that’s hot.
LOL.
samantha12jane@gmail.com
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Sounds like my kind of story, I’m adding it to my “To Read” list.
Adria
adria(.)rose_03(at)yahoo(.)com
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Risk? What are we willing to risk? When do we quit risking? Do we ever become too old to risk following our dreams? My newest risk has something to do with love and everything to do with passion. I’m quitting my day job to work full time as an author. This will be my last day on the job. Am I scared? You betcha! But this is a highly calculated move and I will survive.
I had Prince Charming and maybe our life wasn’t exactly as wild as Romancing the Stone, but we took risks. He’d grab my hand and I knew we could weather any storm. When he left, he left me with the biggest challenge of my life – surviving without him. I’d like to think he’s smiling down on me and still taking my hand.
I’m not looking for another Prince Charming. I think most people go though their entire life and never find one. I got lucky the first time. But if another comes along, I won’t turn him down. Are we ever too old? I doubt it. My grandmother was a widow, and at seventy-three she married a widower and fell madly in love. Her joy beamed as bright as the sun.
Love happens, but what follows requires effort. It’s never easy. I think Lord Dalbury knows that it’s going to take tremendous effort, if he wants Kat.
E. Ayers at
ayersbooks.com (Just stick it all together!)
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