COTT Winner!

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At This Site They Bravely Battled...

It's time once more to announce a new Hero at Clash of the Titles. Two authors fought not with weapons and warriors, but with gentleness and devotion. This was a clash of Romantic Moments. Our swooning excerpts were from Karen Witemeyer's A Tailor-Made Bride, and Joanne Tropello's Mr. Shipley's Governess. Two fantastically romantic scenes. And the winner is...

Karen Witemeyer's A Tailor-Made Bride!

Congratulations! A Tailor-Made Bride is Karen's debut novel and recently won the 2010 Best Western Romance contest. So it's really no surprise that she's won this week's honors at COTT as well. A snippet from her winning excerpt:

"So…uh…did you like the sunflowers?" J.T. steeled himself as Hannah turned to pass him a platter.

Her eyes widened slightly and roses bloomed in her cheeks, but the smile that followed unclenched his gut. "I loved them. The other gifts as well. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She bent back to her task, rummaging in the grayish water for something else to wash. "I had hoped they were from you."

J.T. forced a casual air to his voice he was far from feeling. "You got someone else courting you?"

(for the full excerpt, click HERE)

Some reader quotes:

• Beautiful excerpts, both of them! But, I confess, I was hooked from the moment J.T. dried Hannah's hands with his towel.
• Ah, so romantic. What a wonderful way to start the "love" month!
• I was pulled straight into the scene without even knowing it. Drying the hands up to tracing the "hollow at the base of the neck" was a detail that drew the reader in.

About writing such romantic moments into her novel, Karen says:

The joy in writing these scenes is that as the omniscient author, I know these two people are meant to be together, and I get to help them discover that truth for themselves.

Of her time at COTT, Karen comments:

It's been so much fun to participate.

Karen lives in Abilene, TX with her hunky, computer nerd husband who has heroically saved her sanity on several occasions when evil glitches arise to assault her laptop. They have three children who think it's cool that their mom writes books even if the people on her covers usually have no heads. Karen is an avid cross-stitcher, shower singer, and bakes a mean apple cobbler.

To read about how she met that hunky husband of hers and the crush she has on her heroes, click HERE 

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About the book:

When a dressmaker who values beauty tangles with a liveryman who condemns vanity, the sparks begin to fly!

Jericho "J.T." Tucker wants nothing to do with the new dressmaker in Coventry, Texas. He's all too familiar with her kind--shallow women more devoted to fashion than true beauty. Yet, except for her well-tailored clothes, this seamstress is not at all what he expected.

Hannah Richards is confounded by the man who runs the livery. The unsmiling fellow riles her with his arrogant assumptions and gruff manner, while at the same time stirring her heart with unexpected acts of kindness. Which side of Jericho Tucker reflects the real man?

When Hannah decides to help Jericho's sister catch a beau--leading to consequences neither could have foreseen--will Jericho and Hannah find a way to bridge the gap between them?

About the Author 

Karen Witemeyer writes historical romance fiction for Bethany House Publishing. She is a member of ACFW, RWA, and her local writers' guild. Visit Karen online at http://www.karenwitemeyer.com/.
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Congratulations once again, Karen! COTT's next Clash begins Monday, V-Day, with two more Romantic Moments. Don't forget to vote and enter the free book drawing!

Article by Michelle Massaro, COTT Assistant Editor