Monday, February 20, 2012
Recommend Monday!
Good Monday Everyone!
Hope you had a spectacular weekend and you're energized for a new week. My weekend was super busy but fun. We're preparing for two (possibly three) new fur-kids! My mom lives in a very rural area and innocent little creatures are always being abandoned. My darling hubby, who has the softest heart, was determined to take care of them. So our family is growing. Yay!
Is it springtime where you live? Looks like it is here. Tulip and dogwood trees are blooming everywhere and crocus and tulips are popping up all over the place. Considering our lack of cold weather, I'm thinking that Old Man Winter must have decided to take a break for 2012. (I'm hoping he doesn't decide to come back for a visit!) With this kind of weather, it's hard not to want to go outside and dance in the street. LOL My neighbors wouldn't appreciate that so I'll hold back.
Things are percolating along with Zach and Savannah. They're wary of each other and doing their best to ignore the sizzle and steam that's only a caress away. Right now, they're embroiled in a mystery and have only each other to trust. Makes for some interesting scenes!
I'm still in the midst of reading Rita contest books, so I have no recommends today. However, I'm on the last book so I'm anxious to see what you guys are recommending. Might have to do a bit of book shopping soon!
This week, I'll be writing, writing, writing. I'm going to New York for a small conference in early March which means the writing will slow down considerably until I get back. Must make hay while the sun shines!
Thanks to everyone for your kind words on my television interview last week. Considering my nerves, it turned out better than I thought. If you didn't get a chance to see it, here's the link: http://www2.alabamas13.com/lifestyles/2012/feb/13/local-romance-novelist-36462-vi-118970/
I did get the news last week that we sold the first two books in my new series to a publisher in the UK. So even though we have no official title or release date, it's very exciting to know the series will be available there, too!
Next Monday, we'll have a guest blog from one of our regular commenters, Crystal Scott, who's going to be blogging about auto-buy authors. Very excited about this post and so appreciate Crystal taking time from her busy schedule to guest blog for me.
If you're interested in writing a Recommend Monday guest blog, email me at christy@christyreece.com and let's chat!
Okay, that's it for me. I'm going to take a quick walk with Zach and Savannah. Can't wait to see what they're up to today.
Happy Monday all! Now tell us what great books you read last week!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Recommend Monday!
Good Monday Everyone!
Hope you had a good weekend and you're all geared up to have a fabulous week. Can't wait to hear about all the great books you read last week. I'm still in the midst of judging Rita contest books and am thoroughly enjoying myself. Lots of great romances were published in 2011!
Writing was a little stilted last week as my characters and I got together for a brief conference and couldn't agree on anything. Now however, due to an intervention by a new character, we are chugging along much better. I think, since this is a new series and so different from the LCR plot-lines, my muse and I were struggling with the new cast of characters and different motivations. With the introduction of this new character, we're both feeling better about our direction.
Also, I got a bit of disappointing news last week. The first two books in this new series won't be released until next year. Tentative dates are May and October 2013. In one way, that's not bad news since I'll have more time to write but not having a 2012 release is going to feel so odd. However, I do plan to continue editing some older manuscripts for self-publishing. So even if there aren't any new paperbacks from me, there will be some ebooks I hope you'll look forward to reading. Stay tuned for more on that!
My television interview airs today at 11:30 and I'm quite anxious about it. Seeing myself on camera is not one of my favorite things. (So glad my dream wasn't to be an actor!) I'll come on a little later and post the link if you want to take a look.
Updated:
Okay, just aired. Here's the link: http://www2.alabamas13.com/lifestyles/2012/feb/13/local-romance-novelist-36462-vi-118970/
This week's plans include lots of writing and reading, which to me, is about as perfect of a week as one could get. (:
In celebration of Valentines Day and because I love you guys so much, everyone who recommends a book here today will be entered in a drawing for a box of assorted romance books, including two Last Chance Rescue books of your choice, and a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card. I'll announce the winner tomorrow morning. Be sure to leave your email address in your comment so I can get in touch with you.
Okay, that's it for me. I'm headed to my fictional little southern town where it's summertime and the fragrance of honeysuckle is wafting through the air. It should be the perfect atmosphere to fall in love but there's a murderer afoot!
Have a great day everyone. Now, tell us what great books you read last week!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Recommend Monday!
Good Monday All!
Hope you had a good weekend and in between Super Bowl parties found time to read an awesome book or two.
Last week was an interesting one for me. I did my first television interview! I must admit, I was very nervous. Taking a shy introvert and putting her in front of a camera can be an interesting, risky venture. Will she freeze up, look terrified and not speak? Or will she say something incredibly inappropriate and ruin her career? LOL Thankfully the lovely woman who interviewed me put me at such ease, the event went very well. I haven't seen the segment yet...I think it's supposed to air around Valentine's Day. When I can, I'll share a link with you.
On Saturday, I went to a mini conference called Murder in the Magic City. It was put on by The Sisters in Crime, a mystery writers' organization. I spent the day with many incredibly gifted and entertaining authors. I particularly enjoyed listening to the keynote speakers, Erica Spindler and Carolyn Haines. Very interesting and talented ladies!
Yesterday wasn't such a good one as we spent half the day in the emergency room. My poor, sweet hubby has a kidney stone and was in quite a bit of pain. And though the stubborn stone is still there, he has some meds now to ease the pain until the momentous occasion happens. (:
This week I'm all about the writing. Savannah and Zach are becoming embroiled in a little mystery, falling in love all over again and things seem to be going their way. But me, evil author that I am, will soon be throwing a major twist in their new found relationship. I can only hope we survive the fall-out!
Since I'm still reading books for the Rita contest and can't reveal them, I have no new recommends today. However, I'm anxious to hear what you read and loved. Adding to my TBR list is a weekly pleasure!
Have a fabulous week everyone!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Recommend Monday!
Good Monday Everyone!
Hope you had a fabulous weekend and you're ready for a brand new week. My weekend was wonderfully full with reading, writing and spending time with my hubby and fur-kids. Our weather has been exceptional and though I'm afraid we're going to pay for it with a blizzard in May or June, I'm enjoying the heck out of it right now.
Wanted to say thank you again to Anne Woodall for doing such an exceptional job last week on the blog. Her post was so well thought out and had me adding several new-to-me authors to my TBR list.
My plan is to have one reader Recommend Monday blog a month, giving you all a chance to talk about your favorite books, series, authors, why you read romance or your favorite types of themes. Basically anything to do with books, reading or romance. If you're interested, email me at christy@christyreece.com and we'll chat. I've got volunteers booked through April, but the rest of the months are up for grabs.
I did read a fabulous book over the weekend, but I'm judging it for the RWA Rita contest and can't tell you what it is. (Yes, I know that's cruel!) I've got eight books to judge, with a deadline of early March. Got lots of reading to do and at some point, I'll definitely be recommending some of these books. So many fabulous authors and stories out there!
However, I wanted to mention again that if you haven't read Wait For Me by Elisabeth Naughton, you're missing out. I'm a sucker for an amnesia story and the way the heroine loses her memory is scarily realistic. There's a wonderful amount of angst, sizzle and suspense and I loved how Naughton allowed Kate and Ryan the time to fall in love again. Highly recommended!
SECRETS OF A SOUTHERN NIGHT is coming along very well. Zach and Savannah had a few more secrets than I originally thought. LOL I actually thought there was only one major secret. Boy oh boy do my characters love to surprise me. Now you know why I torture my characters so much...they do it to me first!
Okay, gotta go...hubby's calling. Saint's Alive, he's making me breakfast!
Can't wait to see what books you loved last week. And while you're at it, tell us what up-coming releases you're excited about reading.
Happy Monday All!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Recommend Monday with a Guest Blog!
Good Monday Everyone!
I'm finally home for a few days. Hubby is taking my place looking after my mom. (Love that man!) Thanks to all for the prayers and good wishes. Mom's doing great and is scooting around on her walker faster than I can walk. (:
As I mentioned last week, I asked one of the blog's long time commenters to guest host for me today. Anne Woodall, or as you all know her, Oklanannie, has been a contributer to this blog almost as long as I've been blogging. And she definitely knows her way around a book. (: I was thrilled when she said yes and told me what she'd like to blog about. Her post fits in perfectly for Recommend Monday and I know you'll not only enjoy it, but you'll be adding more authors to your TBR list.
Thank you so much, Anne, for hosting today's blog. I loved your post and I know everyone else will too.
I'm headed into my writing cave where Savannah and Zach are about to discover that Alabama fireworks aren't always in the sky. Can't wait to see what you're recommending today. I'll hop on a little later and add my own recommendation.
Happy Monday All! And now, here's Anne!
**************************************************************************************************** Happy Monday Morning!
Hope everyone enjoyed a good weekend doing what they like best. For me, that’s spending time with family, finding a real bargain on a snazzy pair of shoes, and a little time reading a good book.
It’s no secret to some of you that I had a really hard time making the transition from paper books to e-readers. I was determined that nothing would ever take the place of my beautifully covered books. And absolutely nothing was ever going to change my mind either. But one very stubborn daughter and a beautifully wrapped gift revolutionized my entire reading experience. Yes, a Kindle e-reader is now an important part of my daily life. The road has been long and the potholes filled with lots of those "naughty" words, but "Miss Kindie" (as I so lovingly named her) has won me over. Because of her I’ve been on new journeys into the world of new-to-me authors and books I may never have otherwise given a chance. We’ve definitely reached the BFF status. In turn, I want to give Miss Kindie her very own "Happily Ever After." I’m calling it an "arranged" relationship between Miss Kindie and a handsome Kindle Fire. "Fire" will be joining our reading family soon. A lesson learned and quoting my two-year old granddaughter’s current distraction, the Bieber (Justin, that is) -- one should "NEVER SAY NEVER!"
When Christy asked if I would guest blog today, I immediately thought it might be fun to share some of the experiences Miss Kindie and I had exploring the world of e-book mania in 2011. Some of our searches have been highly successful and rendered great rewards; others not so much. Today I’m only interested in discussing those that ended on a positive note. And you must admit, with the number of new authors offering freebies and 99-cent deals, there are plenty of experiences to be had.
Here’s a list of the "best new authors and e-book discoveries in 2011" that my new BFF and I stumbled upon: 1) Marie Force (While this author is neither new-to-me or unknown, her self-published e-books are certainly worth mentioning and an auto-buy the moment she releases them. I would be remiss in not recommending them.) "Fatal Series’ "McCarthys of Gansett Island Series"
2) Kaylea Cross (This author’s "Deadly Descent" blew me away. I loved her realistic writing style which actually put me in the co-pilot’s seat when the helicopter went down! Her "Suspense" series is also pretty darn good and kept me coming back for more.) "Deadly Descent" (Book #1 Bagram Special Ops Series) "Out of Her League" (Books #1 - 5 "Suspense" Series) "Cover of Darkness" "No Turning Back" "Relentless" "Absolution"
3) Tracy Sumner (I read the introductory historical novella first and was hooked so I went looking for other books by Sumner. That’s when I found the Seaswept Seduction Series which skyrocketed her historicals to some of my favorites.) "To Desire A Scoundrel" (introductory novella to 2012 "Southern Heat Series") "Tides of Love" (Books 1-2 Seaswept Seduction Series) "Tides of Passion"
4) Kristen Ashley (She writes all her books in first-person! And surprise, surprise-- it really works. Her books are all about the over-the-edge alpha male with off-the-chart sexual encounters and very dirty talk! What? You think Oklanannie can’t handle the heat and badasses? Note: Biggest problem is the editing in these books but for some reason the Harleys and the biker babes overshadow these problems!) "Sweet Dreams" (part of a buddy-read challenge on Goodreads) "Heaven and Hell" "Mystery Man" (Books 1-2 "Dream Man Series") "Wild Man"
5) Jaycee Clark (Very well-written and enjoyable romantic suspense series. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.) "Deadly Shadows" (Books 1-4 "Deadly Series) "Deadly Ties" "Deadly Obsession" "Deadly Games" (to be released in February, 2011)
6) Catherine West "Yesterday’s Tomorrow" (An unbelievably emotional and touching story set during the Viet Nam War and probably my most favorite discovery in 2011.)
7) Melissa Foster "Come Back to Me" (Another real tearjerker from beginning to end - you’ll definitely need kleenex but it’s worth it!)
8) Teresa Reasor (Can’t wait for the next book from this new author - her writing style "sealed" the deal!) "Breaking Free" (Book #1 "SEAL Series)
9) Jessica Park "Flat-Out Love" (Very different, extremely entertaining. Quirky writing style. Can’t say I enjoyed this one, but certainly it kept my attention making me glad I stumbled onto it. It got rave reviews on Goodreads.)
10) Rita Henuber (Another new author whose next book will be an auto-buy for me!) "Under Fire" (Non-stop action suspense thriller with sizzling romance and great characters)
Along with your usual Monday Recommendations, I hope you’ll share your own favorite 2011 e-book discoveries.
And from all of us – GET WELL SOON wishes to Christy’s mom!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Recommend Monday!
Happy Monday Everyone!
Hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Mine was good but super busy and looks like this week will be even busier. More about that in a minute.
Thanks again to all those who have emailed or sent me messages about SWEET REWARD and the end of LCR. I so love hearing how much you've enjoyed the series. If you haven't heard back from me yet, please be patient. I promise to answer all your messages.
Your list of 2011 favorites was great! I've already added about twenty new books and a couple of new series to my TBR list. And thank you to those who included the SWEET trilogy on your list! Congrats to SusanT for winning an LCR book of her choice and a $10 Barnes and Noble card! Sue, I'll email you soon or you can email me at christy@christyreece.com with your mailing info.
I'm going to be out of pocket most of this week. Many of you may remember that my mom had knee replacement surgery last April. Well, it's time for the other knee, so I'll be spending a lot of time at the hospital and at my mom's home. The Internet service is spotty at best, so I won't be able to check in very often. Also, I won't be here for next week's Recommend Monday. However, I have a special treat for you! One of the blog's regular commenters, Oklanannie, is going to do a guest blog. I believe she's going to talk about all the wonderful ebook authors she's discovered recently and invite you to post your favorites, too. And of course, she'll ask for your regular recommended reads from the week before.
Since I'm going to be pushed for time over the next few months, I may make a reader's guest blog a monthly thing. So if you think you'd be interested in doing something like this, please let me know. I only have two rules for this blog: Stay positive and non-controversial. You can blog about your favorite romance book of all time, why you read romance or anything romance related. If you think you might be interested in something like that, shoot an email to me at christy@christyreece.com and let's chat!
Okay, that's it for me. I'll try to check in later on this week and say hey. Looking forward to hearing about your recommends!
Have a marvelous Monday!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Recommend Monday and Favorites of 2011!!!
Good Monday Everyone!
Hope you had a fabulous weekend. Mine went too fast but was excellent. Did some writing, reading, sleeping and eating. The four essentials for a restful and wonderful weekend!
Before we get started on the recommends, I want to thank all of you who have purchased SWEET REWARD, either as paperback or ebook. I got the fabulous news last week that my publisher is printing more books and that the ebook sold extremely well. So thank you, thank you, thank you! If you've not been able to find the book, hopefully with more being printed, you can find it easily now.
Also, thank you so very much to those who have emailed me or sent me messages about SWEET REWARD and how much you're going to miss the Last Chance Rescue gang. I sincerely appreciate your kind words. If you have the opportunity to leave a review at your favorite review site, that's certainly appreciated too! And if you get the chance, would you mind clicking 'like' on the SWEET REWARD Amazon page? Here's the link:
This week, I'm digging deep and hoping Savannah and Zach are ready to share all those secrets they're keeping. Just from what they've told me so far, I'm loving them both already!
With all the holiday craziness now over, I thought it'd be fun to chat about our favorite reads from 2011. Not necessarily published in 2011, but the ones you read and enjoyed in 2011. I won't limit the list to a certain number, so if you have 1000 favorite reads and you've got the energy to type them, go for it! I didn't get to read near as much as I wanted to last year, however, as I was going through my list, I realized I read more than I'd thought and with very few exceptions, enjoyed them immensely.
Here's my list for fun and memorable reads of 2011 (In no particular order)
The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelley Breaking Point by Pamela Clare Heaven Can't Wait by Pamela Clare Ride the Fire by Pamela Clare What Mattered Most by Linda Winfree Bewitching by Jill Barnett Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen Because of You by Jessica Scott You Belong to Me by Karen Rose Circle of Desire by Carla Swafford Face of Danger by Roxanne St. Claire Hush by Cherry Adair Virgin River by Robyn Carr
There were many more I intended to read but time ran out on me. They're at the top of my 2012 TBR list!
So what about you? What were your favorites? For extra incentive and to SWEETen the pot, one commenter will win a signed Last Chance Rescue book of your choice and a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card. I'll wait until next Monday to announce the winner. That way, you have all week to gather your favorites and make your list.
Okay, I'm headed out for a walk and hope that my characters come along, too. Then it's a day full of writing for me.
Hope you all have a fabulous week. Can't wait to see your 2011 Favorites!
nulla sed.
|
