Black Friday Reads

For those of us in the United States, it's the Black Friday holiday...which isn't a holiday at all, but rather the Friday that happens to be tucked between Thanksgiving and the weekend.  Because many people have the day off, it becomes a natural Christmas shopping day.  Over the last decade or two, it's become a crazy shopping day, with more and more stores encouraging shoppers with sales, promotions, and extended hours.

I'm not a Black Friday shopper.  I'd much rather stay far from the crowds and read.  If you're of the same mindset, give one of these great books a try.

For a taste of holiday romance, there's  Mistletoe Mine by Emily March

Newly engaged to her college sweetheart, Molly Stapleton has one wish for her holiday wedding: get her estranged parents back together. Will they accept this last chance to renew their promises of love—and cherish the gift from the daughter who loves them both?  Available on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble for only 99 cents, this is a novella you're bound to love.

For something completely off the Christmas grid, try a vampire romance.  Susan Sizemore's Primal Cravings is a fun, sexy read set in her Primes world.  If you haven't read her vampire romances, this is a great one to try.  Again, it's available from both Barnes and Noble and Amazon, and it's a full-length story for only $3.99.

If you're craving (ha...craving...I couldn't help using it again!) a romantic suspense, some of my faves are from Christina Dodd.  Her classic novel Lady In Black features a straitlaced lady butler, a powerful billionaire, kidnapping, scads of conflict, and some steamy scenes in a shower.

You can find it by following these links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Many of you know that I'm a sucker for historical romances of all kinds.  Though it's not out for a few weeks, I've already preordered a copy of Elizabeth Boyle's upcoming story If Wishes Were Earls, which is the third story in her popular Rhymes With Love series (no worries about reading earlier books to follow the story, though...you can read them in any order.)

Amazon has it on sale right now for only $4.74 for the Kindle version (though it could pop up to regular price at any time) and it's $4.99 for Nook at Barnes and Noble.

Finally, I've become completely addicted to author Julie Anne Long's Pennyroyal Lane historical romances.  The latest (and so far, my favorite!) is It Happened One Midnight.  Devastatingly romantic and very well-written, it'll make you a Julie Anne Long fan, too.  You can find it for only $4.74 for Kindle and $4.99 for Nook.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with great books...whether you choose to shop from home, or face the crazy crowds!

June Book-a-palooza

June is here, which--for me--means it's finally the season to write outside in the sunshine, rather than in my office.  Since winter is long in Massachusetts, I savor these days.  I tend to get a lot done from June through August while writing on the deck.  If you want to read more about my writing habits, where I get the ideas for my characters, or how I came up with the water gun game for my current book, Shot Through the Heart, check out today's interview on author Jo Ramsey's blog.  I'll be reading the comments and answering your questions (plus it's a great chance for you to check out Jo!)
 
The other reason to celebrate June?  A ton of spectacular books have hit the market in recent weeks.  I've made some great finds, so I wanted to share them here:

For YA fans, author Terri Clark has a fantastic new romantic story out called Hollyweird.  It's a hilarious look at both the demons and angels of Hollywood.  I've participated in a couple of teen anthologies with Terri and love her work.  If you haven't read her yet, Hollyweird is a great summer beach book. 

If you like steamy paranormal romance, Susan Sizemore just released the newest book in her Primes series, a vampire story called Primal Cravings.  It tells the story of two Dark Angel commandos who are forced to work together to save the world despite their resentment for each other.  Sizemore's books are always rich, creative, and fun--I love her Primes series and have already loaded this one on my e-reader as a reward for meeting my own writing goals.

For those who adore Regency romances, one of my all-time fave romance authors, Elizabeth Boyle, debuts her new Rhymes With Love series this week.  Along Came A Duke is out now and will soon be followed by two more stories, And The Miss Ran Away With the Rake and If Wishes Were Earls (which is perhaps my favorite book title ever.)  Boyle's books are perfect for anyone who likes snappy dialogue and hilarious heroines who refuse to settle.  (Deal alert:  Duke is currently only $4.99 on Kindle through the link above, so it's a steal!)

Finally, for anyone who missed it, Christina Dodd has re-released a phenomenal Regency romance, The Smuggler's Captive Bride.  It's filled with smugglers (obviously), revenge, weddings, and all sorts of drama.  I think Dodd is one of the most talented writers working today, so if you're looking to fill your e-reader, this is a great title to grab (especially since it's $2.99 right now.)  You'll fly through it.



I'm always looking for great new books and authors, so feel free to share your summer beach reading here.  What's surprised you?  What are you most anticipating?

Five Things About...

Today I'm featured on author Elizabeth Boyle's blog as part of her popular "Five Things About..." series of author interviews. Find out my dreaded childhood nickname, favorite romantic city, and more.


While you're there, be sure to check out the excerpts of Elizabeth's fantastic romance novels.  Her witty heroes and heroines have put her books at the top of my Must Buy list for years.

The Happiest Place On Earth, Part V (The Conclusion!)

Was so, so sad to leave the Disney Magic, as I blogged about earlier (just click on the labels for "Disney Cruise" at the bottom of this post if you'd like to read Parts I - IV and to see the accompanying photos of alligator heads. Or Stitch.) But when the ship docks, you're outta luck. If you refuse to disembark because you're having too much fun, you deal with the port authority, and that's not my idea of a good time.

I headed home--briefly!--because I had Red Sox tickets. (And really, isn't THIS in the running for the Happiest Place on Earth? I think so! Especially when Josh Beckett's pitching.)




After the game, however, I headed right back to Logan Airport and made nice with the folks from JetBlue, who took me back to Orlando, where author Elizabeth Boyle and I spoke to librarians at the annual Florida Library Association conference. Even though we had an early-morning time slot, our room was PACKED. (Not only because we are us, and naturally entertaining, but because we primed everyone with coffee and distributed massive goody bags. We never assume our witty banter is enough to rouse folks from their comfy beds at 8AM.)

We had a load of fun discussing low-cost strategies for making their libraries teen-friendly, ways to use their romance novel collections to draw in readers, and gave them info on attracting fantastic speakers. We also did a lot of Q & A about writing (and the life of writers) in general. If you're a librarian and would be interested in a copy of my handout on Five Ways to Encourage Teen Patronage, just e-mail me. I'm happy to send it along. (And by all means, if you organize library conferences and are interested in having us speak, ask! We love meeting librarians.)

After our talk, Elizabeth and I drove all over the Orlando area signing books. If you'd like an autographed book, check at any of the following stores (call first, just to be sure they're still in stock):

Winter Park, FL

Borders
600 North Orlando Ave

Orlando, FL

Books-A-Million
5498 Touchstone Dr

Barnes & Noble
Colonial Plaza Market Center
2418 E Colonial Drive

Barnes & Noble
Waterford Lakes Town Center
481 N Alafaya Trail

Barnes & Noble
Florida Mall
8358 S Orange Blossom Trail

Altamonte Springs, FL

Barnes & Noble
Altamonte Mall
451 Altamonte Drive

Borders
880 W State Road 436

Casselberry, FL

Books-A-Million
S Hwy 17/92

I'm now home from Florida for awhile. Tonight, I'm heading back to Fenway to catch the Red Sox and the Texas Rangers. Brad Penny's on the mound for the Sox, so it should be a great game.

The Happiest Place On Earth, Part IV

Next stop: Castaway Cay!

Imagine you had Disney's deep pockets, two cruise ships, and a wild imagination. An island in the Bahamas comes up for sale. And hey, you have those Pirates of the Caribbean movies in production and you'll need a place to park that monster prop, The Flying Dutchman, afterward, unless you plan to tear it apart. What do you do? Hmmmmm...



How'd you like to wake up to that view on a Friday morning?!

Disney bought the former Gorda Cay in mid-90s, dredged enough sand to allow their cruise ships to dock, and has been maintaining the space for its cruise ship passengers ever since. After days racing around Mexico, Grand Cayman, and Key West, we were ready for serious lounging. We spent the morning doing exactly that--with plenty of sunscreen, of course--right here on the shore:



I read a big chunk of Elizabeth Boyle's latest Regency-era romance while sitting in one of the chairs. Bliss!

Disney rents snorkeling gear, floating tubes, and bicycles for anyone who's interested. We opted to rent bikes just before noon, and explored the abandoned runway before heading off down this gorgeous bike path. Hard to believe, but we had it all to ourselves:



Off to the left of the bike path is an unspoiled expanse of rocky beach and blue, blue water. I stopped to take this photo at a gap in the trees:



After lunch, we went fishing (Disney offers several excursions, and since I love to fish, I signed up for bottom fishing the minute it was available), then had a little more time on the beach before heading back to the ship. The end-of-day view is my current desktop wallpaper:



Next, in Part V: The Other Happiest Place On Earth

Wichita, KS: The Friendliest Place On Earth?

Ever been to Wichita? What do you think?

I spent the last three days hanging out in wonderful Wichita at the Kansas Library Association/Midwest Plains Library Association joint conference with my good friend, author Elizabeth Boyle. We gave a workshop to the librarians on using their romance collections to build patronage at their libraries through various displays, programming, teen advisory groups, etc. A HUGE thanks to HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin, and the Romance Writers of America for providing all kinds of swag, including fabulous tote bags and copies of Breaking Up (Is Hard To Do) and Elizabeth's brand new release, Confessions of a Little Black Gown. We had a great turnout and a lot of fun.

What Elizabeth and I couldn't get over? How NICE everyone is in Wichita! The guy working the desk at Enterprise Rent-A-Car was cheerful and informative when we arrived, even though it was ten pm and he was probably due to get off work. We kept talking about how nice he was...then everyone else we encountered turned out to be just like him! From the helpful folks at Walgreen's (who helped me find face wash after I left mine at home), to the smiling booksellers at the Maize Road Borders (where Elizabeth and I stopped by to sign stock) to the friendly waitstaff at River City Brewery, every single person we met in Wichita was exceedingly kind. Elizabeth and I decided that it's probably the friendliest city on Earth.

We also need to give a huge shout out to everyone at the Bradley Fair Barnes & Noble, located at 1920 N. Rock Road. Elizabeth held a booksigning there on Thursday night, and the staff went above and beyond to make it a fun, relaxing event. If you want an autographed copy of any of her books, or if you'd like an autographed copy of either Royally Jacked or Scary Beautiful, stop by the store and grab one! They have a ton of signed stock. If you're not near Wichita, but would still like an autographed copy, give them a call at (316) 315-0421. They can make arrangements to ship you whatever you need. (See, told you they were nice!) Huge, huge thanks to Brad, Karina, and Bob for organizing the event and treating us like royalty. We wish all bookstore employees were as friendly as you.



NOTE: If you're a librarian, Elizabeth and I will be giving our presentation again next month at the Florida Library Association's annual conference in Orlando, Florida. Introduce yourself if you're there! And if you're organizing a library conference and are interested in having us speak, just drop either one of us a line. Librarians are some of our favorite people, so we'd love to come and meet you!