My friend’s name is Courtney Milan, and her debut historical romance is Proof by Seduction.

When Courtney and I met over three years ago, neither of us had ever written a full novel. We started working with another friend, Carey Baldwin, who had a full draft under her belt and a few more clues than we did, and together the three of us worked our butts off to figure out this romance-writing thing.

I still remember the day Courtney sent me the first draft of her first scene with Proof’s heroine, Jenny Keeble. Jenny just leapt off the page with intelligence and secrets and desires and delicious potential, and I did a little dance in my chair because I just knew Jenny would be the star of Courtney’s dazzling debut. And here she is!

Of course, by now, a lot of other people have figured out how brilliant Courtney and her book are, so don’t take my word for it! Here’s what the early reviews are saying:

“Historical romance fans will celebrate Milan’s powerhouse debut, which comes with a full complement of humor, characterization, plot and sheer gutsiness.”

—starred review, Publisher’s Weekly

“A dazzling debut by a multitalented author… Milan steams up the pages while drawing readers into an emotionally powerful relationship centering on the true meaning of love. Completely satisfying, this is a book meant for all time.”

—4½ star review, TOP Pick! RT Book Reviews

(To read yet more praise and an excerpt, check out Courtney’s website.)

To mark the release of this amazing book, today (Monday) we’re kicking off a Twitter countdown to the official release day. It’s the 12 Days of Proof!  If you’re on Twitter, join the fun by following me at @tessadare, or the #12pbs tag. For each of the twelve days, we’ll be tweeting a twist on the classic Christmas song, inspired by Courtney’s book. The…verses?…are the collaborative creation of Courtney’s most devoted fan base, the Bonbons/Vanettes.

AND, on each of the 12 days, we’re giving away at least one autographed book. Authors who’ve graciously donated their books include Eloisa James, Julia Quinn, Anna Campbell, Sherry Thomas, Elizabeth Hoyt, Sara Lindsey, Julie Anne Long, Carolyn Jewel, Victoria Dahl, Jennifer Haymore, Zoe Archer, and of course Courtney Milan herself and yours truly, Tessa Dare. We’re all fans of Courtney!

To enter each day, just follow @courtneymilan and use the #12pbs hashtag in a tweet—either by RTing our 12 Days tweets, or by using the hashtag to do your own gushing, yearning, posting of book-spotting photos, etc. Winners will be picked at random from the #12pbs twitter stream. The entry period for each day will run from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM EST, and I will do my best to announce winners promptly after close of each day, but it being the holidays and all, please forgive minor delays. Winners will be asked to DM their snail addresses.

On the 12th day, Carey Baldwin and I will be in Courtney’s hometown to celebrate her official release day! We’ll be heading around to different bookstores, spotting and signing stock, and we’ll give away copies of PROOF all day long.

If you’re not on Twitter and want a chance to win PROOF and two other great debuts (or even if you are on Twitter and want to hedge your bets), enter my monthly website contest!

Thanks for playing along!  However you celebrate the holidays, I hope you find the time to give yourself the gift of reading!

Congratulations, you two.  Please email me your wish lists and snail mail addys…

Thanks to everyone who commented, especially Gillian for giving us the link to Terry Jo’s blog.  Both darelings caught a virus this week, and we’ve spent several days quarantined and miserable.  Things are looking up today: we’ve decided everyone’s well enough to go on the overnight camping trip we’d planned.

Oh, and in case anyone’s wondering about that Unleash Your Story progress… Between the novella I completed, and some synopses I’ve been working on for my new proposal, I’ve written about 18,000 words this month so far.  Still 2000 to go before September 30th, and I know I can make it.  I’m taking a notebook and pen to the campground     As a team, the Chocolate Mafia has already raised over $1000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation!  And I’ll be pushing that total higher, as soon as I reach my goal and make my own contribution to celebrate.  Great work, everyone!

September 30 is circled on my calendar several times, because there are an insane number of books coming out that day that I’m absolutely *desperate* to read.  As in, I’m counting the minutes until next Tuesday.  I mean, seriously: Quinn, Kleypas, Guhrke in one day!  Not to mention, an amazing anthology.  So if you don’t hear much from me the first week in October, it’s because I’m hunkered down with:

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn.  I loved Jack Audley, the deliciously roguish hero of The Lost Duke of Wyndham, but I’m just desperate to get to know the quiet, enigmatic Thomas, and read his and Amelia’s side of the story.

Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas.  OMG, have I been desperate for this story.  The moment I finished Mine Till Midnight last year, my very first thought was, “How will I possibly survive until Win and Merripen’s story comes out?”  I have a deep, visceral need to see them together as…Is it Merriwin?  Winnipin?  Other?

The Secret Desires of a Gentleman by Laura Lee Guhrke.  LLG amazes me more with every book I read.  Her characters feel so real to me.  I love her “girl bachelors” series, and the two previous installments have been instant keepers for me.  I know SDOAG will be the same.

It Happened One Night, an anthology.  Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacqueline D’Alessandro, and Candice Hern.  Okay, I’m sold.

Yes, the first week of October will be rapturous indeed.  I will be floating on a cloud of romantic bliss, oblivious to the heaps of laundry and dishes piling up around me.  I will personally give the pizza and Thai delivery people unparalleled job security.   Until then…I live in exquisite, desperate anticipation.

Okay, I promised a contest!  Leave a comment, tell me what book you’re desperate to read in the next few months. It can be one of these, or something else entirely.  Doesn’t even have to be a romance.  If you’re one of the two randomly-chosen winners, I will buy it (pre-order, if necessary) and send it to you! (Within reason, please.  If your dream book costs more than an average fiction hardcover, we’ll have to substitute another prize.)