Cheryl Holt, Romance Author

February 18, 2008

Dear Friends,

My 15th and last erotic historical romance, DOUBLE FANTASY, will be released this week. The terrific reviews are already pouring in, and everyone agrees that it's my best erotic — and probably my very best book of all. I'm so excited that all of you will finally have a chance to read it.

Romantic Times BOOKreviews says it's "...HOT! Smart, sexy, and seductive. Holt lures readers into wanting more and more of her emotional, riveting love stories. Her latest is scandalous yet romantic, tempting yet tender. Very memorable!"

At Romance Junkies, they said, "I have been reading Cheryl Holt for years and can honestly say that DOUBLE FANTASY is my favorite. From cover to cover I was spellbound...DOUBLE FANTASY is truly outstanding."

Double K.I.S.S. award for double heroes!

The twin heroes, Jamie and Jack Merrick, are the most macho, sexy, and wonderful characters I ever drafted. Romantic Times actually presented me with a double K.I.S.S. award for them, saying, "Forget the lion and the lamb; let March bring in these heroes! Cheryl Holt doubles your pleasure and doubles your fun..." The magazine says that its K.I.S.S. moniker stands for "Knight in Shining Silver," but readers insist that it stands for "Kissing is Simply Stupendous." It's presented to the writer who creates the most yummy, delectable hero in any given month. I don't think any other writer has ever previously received a double K.I.S.S. award from the magazine, and I'm simply delighted to receive such an honor.

If you haven't visited my web page lately, I had a book trailer made for DOUBLE FANTASY. You can view it by going to my home page, at cherylholt.com , and clicking on the heart that says "Watch the Video." It's only a minute long, but it's very thrilling and very fun, and I hope you'll check it out.

I have one other book coming in 2008. In April, my one and only erotic thriller will be released. It's called, SLEEPING WITH THE DEVIL, and it's being published under the pseudonym, Vanessa Marlow. WARNING: The book is NOT a romance. It is NOT a romantic suspense, so if you steer clear of stories with violence and terror in them, please avoid this one. It is a very dark, creepy, and scary book that's 180-degrees different from anything I've ever written, and it's not for everyone. However, if you like a startling and frightening book, and you want to read a thriller that's completely different from any others you've ever tried, I hope you'll pick up a copy. If "thrillers" are not your cup of tea, and you wouldn't be interested in it yourself, I hope you'll recommend it to your friends who enjoy a hair-raising and chilling story.

I also had a book trailer made for SLEEPING WITH THE DEVIL, and you can view it on my web page, too. It's posted right next to the DOUBLE FANTASY video. It's so scary!

As many of you have heard by now, I have some big changes coming in my writing career. For many years, I was one of the women's fiction stars at St. Martins Press. As one of their authors, I saw my career soar into the stratosphere, and I'm so proud that I was privileged to be one of their writers. I reached many pinnacles: I have been renowned as "The Queen" of erotic romance, as "The Queen" of villains, and I was named as one of the "25 Greatest Erotic Writers of All Time."

I began writing erotics for them when the trend toward sexier books was just beginning, and I wrote 15 terrific books at a very fast pace. But after I completed DOUBLE FANTASY, I felt that it was the very best book of its kind that I could possibly write. I didn't think I could ever write a better one, and it just seemed like a good time to move on to other projects.

In 2009, I will be moving to Grand Central Publishing, which was formerly known as Warner Books. I will be the lead author in their Forever line. I will still be writing historical romances, but I won't be writing "erotic" historical romances. For a long time now, I've wanted to be able to write books that were longer, that were more emotional and poignant, which I couldn't do in the erotic genre, and I will finally have the chance. I am returning to the sort of classic romances we used to read years ago, such as FLAME AND THE FLOWER and WHITNEY, MY LOVE. My books will still be very sensual, but I plan to use emotion and drama — rather than sex — to drive the plot. My stories will more closely resemble my early novel, MY ONLY LOVE, which is still my most critically acclaimed book.

My first three novels for Grand Central will be released back-to-back in '09. I'm not sure of the months yet, but it will be late summer or autumn. I don't have the cover art or titles yet, either, but I will keep you posted through my web page by adding new info as I receive it. I will also be adding a blog this year, so that I can more easily give all of you the latest updates. I have the first book finished, and it's ready to deliver to my new editor. It turned out so good! I'm so delighted that Grand Central took a chance on me, and that I will be able to take my books in this new, longer and more emotional direction.

Thank you so much for all your kind attention over the years. I feel that I am the luckiest woman in the world — because of all your support. Thank you for loving my books! Thank you for believing in me!

Cheryl Holt
USA Today Bestselling Author
FORBIDDEN FANTASY, Feb 16, 2008