• 808 and counting …

    Finished After Midnight by Teresa Medeiros. It’s a historical romance with a strong paranormal bent.

    Caroline Cabot is suspicious of her sister Vivienne’s suitor, Adrian Kane. Rumor has it that Kane is really a vampire, since he keeps late hours and no one’s ever seen him outside during the day. Caroline decides to find out the truth — and ends up falling for Adrian herself.

    This is a wonderful romance, full of great dialogue and appropriately eerie, Gothic descriptions. Medeiros keeps the reader wondering for some 200 pages whether or not Adrian is really a vampire — not an easy task to pull off. The twist she throws in isn’t too hard to figure out, but it only adds to the conflict between Caroline and Adrian. 

    Medeiros has written a strong, sympathetic heroine in Caroline, who yearns for Adrian, but is determined to step aside so her sister can have a chance at happiness. You’ll find yourself hoping for a happily ever after — for everyone.

    I sometimes get tired of historicals and the limited plots they seem to have, but I really enjoyed this one. Thumbs up.

    Up next: Shadow Touch by Marjorie M. Liu. She’s another author like J.R. Ward that people always seem to be buzzing about. Liu is in Romantic Times like every other month! I wish I knew her secret …

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    Summer to-do list

    Book-related things I need to accomplish this summer (aka by Labor Day):

    1) Finish page proofs for Hot Mama.

    2) Finish up Bigtime 4, aka Nightingale.

    3) Write a rough draft of Bigtime 5, aka Fangirl.

    4) Finish up my paranormal spy book, aka Live and Let Spy.

    5) Write a rough draft of the second spy book, You Only Spy Twice.

    6) Update the Web site with Hot Mama extras, new contests, photos, etc.

    7) Get bookmarks made for Hot Mama.

    8) Update my pitch letters and promo materials for Karma Girl and Hot Mama.

    9) Dazzle everyone with my wit and brilliance at RWA Nationals.

    10) Get my head examined for thinking I can get all this accomplished in three months. 😎

    What about you? What’s on your summer to-do list? Inquiring minds want to know …

  • ·

    Karma Girl by the numbers …

    4 Comments

    karma-girl-cover.jpgI’m finally done with my first round of publicity and book signings for Karma Girl. I want to thank everyone who came to a signing and bought a book. I hope you all enjoy Karma Girl! 😎

    Here are some other fun and weird facts from my May signings:

    Number of signings: 8

    Number of books I sold at signings: 63 

    Number of miles I drove to signings: 471 (258 to one signing alone)

    Best signings: My local library and comic book store. I sold 34 of my 63 books at those two signings.

    Worst signing: A local coffee shop. It was on a Tuesday night, and no one came except two women from my critique group. I sold one book that night to the store owner, who probably felt sorry for me.

    Worst signing redux: I drove 258 miles round trip to a store and sold a grand total of two books that day.

    Nicest thing someone said to me: It (Karma Girl) was better than a Nora Roberts book! (Said by a really sweet lady who had already bought and read the book and came to a signing just to get me to autograph it for her. She totally made my day with the NR comment.)

    Strangest thing someone said to me: Are you married? (A male comic book fan after we started talking about Bruce Campbell.)

    Strangest thing someone did: After my signing, someone called the comic book store and asked the owner if I was single. I’m extremely flattered, but seriously guys, I’m not that hot. And, for the record, I have a terrific fella in my life.

    Most annoying thing someone did: A guy talked to me on and off for an hour, asking me questions about writing, getting published, etc. Then, he didn’t even buy a book. I thought that was a little rude.

    Best location: The front corner of the comic book store. You had to walk by me to get or out of the store.

    Worst location: Getting put in the back of the coffee shop behind rows of books at one of my local chain stores. Nobody could see me, and I didn’t get very much walk-by traffic either, since I was in the history section. Who wants to read history in the summertime besides my significant other?

    So, I lived, I learned, and I sold some books. I’ll be doing some more events in July and updating the Appearances page and the rest of the Web site soon. Check back for details.

    What about you? What are the best and worst things that have happened at your signings? Inquiring minds want to know …

  • 807 and counting …

    2 Comments

    Finished A Study in Scandal by Robyn DeHart.

    Amelia Watersfield loves Sherlock Holmes and the thrilling stories he appears in — so much so that she and her three friends form the Ladies’ Amateur Sleuth Society to discuss crimes that occur in and around London.

    But when her father’s prize statue is stolen, Amelia finds herself face-to-face with a real inspector — Colin Brindley. In Amelia’s mind, Colin is Sherlock come to life, and she finds herself falling in love with him — and plotting how she can get him to engage in an affair with her.

    The mystery of the missing statue is fairly easy to figure out and takes a backseat to the romance. But if you’re looking for a light, fun read, this book should satisfy.

    And mystery fans, take note. DeHart gives readers a little something extra by starting off each chapter with a real quote from Holmes.

    So, thumbs up.

    BTW, doesn’t the DeHart have the best name ever for an Avon author? 😀

    I’m slowly whittling down my TBR pile. Next up: After Midnight by Teresa Medeiros. What are you reading right now? Inquiring minds want to know …