Eden Elliot is in the midst of writing her second romance
novel when her duties as Special Constable in the small
Scottish town of Glenkillen complicate her life once
again. A mysterious invitation to a whiskey tasting at
the locally owned distillery sparks events that reveal
personal discoveries that will Read more...
An aspiring author's dreams come true, but what should be
the happiest time in her life is tainted with murder.
Fresh from grad school, Lena London has a plumb job
opportunity fall into her lap. She and her cat, LeStrade,
pack up and head to Blue Lake, Indiana to Read more...
What is a man to do when he discovers he is a member of
the Ton, being pressured by his formerly estranged family
to find a most suitable marchioness rather than the
simple girl he prefers? Mia Marlowe takes this basic
question and creates the very enjoyable NEVER RESIST A Read more...
In Victoria Hamilton's NO MALLETS INTENDED (Book four in
the Vintage Kitchen Mystery series)
Jaymie Leighton is making steady progress toward her goal
of publishing a vintage cookbook when her job restoring a
kitchen in the Queensville Historic Manor has her
encountering danger and a dead body Read more...
In GARDEN OF DEATH, Chrystle Fiedler's third Natural
Remedies mystery, main character and small business
owner Willow McQuade is under fire from disgruntled local
business people who are sure she somehow cheated to win a
coveted plot of land. Willow is turning the land into an
educational Read more...
When Georgiana is banished to a strange and dangerous
reform school far to the south of England she knows her
life as she knew it is over. Her inability to blend in
with expected manners in the Ton has finally forced her
parents to remove her from polite society and Read more...
For those who like their mysteries like their sweet tea
(southern, strong and sugary) Tonya Kappes Ghostly
Southern Mysteries will hit the spot.
This outing, heroine Emma Lee Raine's 'Funeral Trauma' is
no better. Her most recent problem is recently exhumed
Chicken Teater whose prize hen Lady Read more...
DARK HEIR is the ninth gripping adventure in Faith
Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series, and the series
is, if anything, gaining steam with each entry.
Jane is caught up in rectifying mistakes made in the
past, both by Leo the head vamp in New Orleans (and the
rest Read more...
When you get to book seventeen in a series (in this case,
the Otherworld series) you might expect a bit of
staleness, but Yasmine Galenorn is too skillful a writer
to allow that to happen to one of her beloved worlds.
Part of what keeps the series fresh Read more...
Earthy, witty with tons of pizzazz, Sophie Tucker was
more than an icon, more than in institution; her life
encompassed changes in entertainment from Vaudeville to
television. Susan and Lloyd Ecker have put together I AM
SOPHIE TUCKER, a book based firmly (at least 85% firmly)
on research into Sophie Read more...
With a foreword by Deborah Robson who co-wrote one of the
most comprehensive books available on breed-specific
wools, (The Fleece and Fiber Source Book), Beth Smith's
SPINNER'S BOOK OF FLEECE: A Breed-by-Breed Guide to
Choosing and Spinning the Perfect Fiber for Every Purpose
has Read more...
It is not uncommon to find crochet being used as a small
component of a knitted creation, rarer to find knitting
used in a similar way on a crochet project. Candi Jensen
has written KNITTING LOVES CROCHET, a book of twenty-two
designs that do a good job of balancing Read more...
Christopher and Kirsten Shockey have been successfully
homesteading in Oregon for more than a decade. Fermented
Vegetables sets out to answer the three questions most
often raised in the classes they give:
"What are the secrets to making a great batch?
Which veggies play well together in the Read more...
Knitting lore states that if you knit your boyfriend a
sweater, a breakup may be right around the corner. More
often you spend hours of time creating a special garment
and your man thanks you, then sticks it somewhere dark
and lonely instead of wearing it with pride. KNITS MEN Read more...
Sienna and Austin find something special on Tybee Island
the summer before their first year at college, beyond the
sweetness of a summer fling.
Laura Johnston's first novel is a very much better than
average young adult romance. Although she writes from a
Christian perspective, it avoids any hint Read more...
Lily Ivory faces a thorny challenge in A VISION IN VELVET,
the fifth in Juliet Blackwell's Witchcraft Mystery
series. The persistence of evil, an ancient oak and a
missing pig slash familiar create a framework for murder.
The solution took me by surprise which is always a Read more...
MURDER WITH A TWIST, the second book in Allyson K. Abbott's
Mack's Bar series combines a cozy neighborhood bar
vibe with a main character who possesses an almost
paranormal (yet logically-, scientifically-based) set of
skills having nothing whatever to do with her job as owner Read more...
YARN OVER MURDER, book twelve of Maggie Sefton's Knitting
Mystery series picks up precisely where Close Knit
Killer leaves off, with the Colorado wild fire threatening
the ranch of one of the group and the others rushing to help
move alpacas to safe housing. After the cliffhanger Read more...
From an unlikely pairing of romantic leads, Susan Elizabeth
Phillips crafts a stunningly beautiful story, at times
silly, at others poignant, and occasionally both at once.
Isabel Favor is taking time out in Tuscany to try and
regroup after her self-built, self-help empire has crumbled.
Ren Gage, famous Read more...
John Varley'sThunder and Lightning books have been
compared to Heinlein's young adult science fiction. As a big
fan of Heinlein's Have Spacesuit, Will Travel I can see the
resemblance, but Varley's books (although the main
characters tend to be young adults/new adults Read more...
I am working toward adding exercise to my daily schedule. I have a number of disabilities that make that a pretty big challenge, but even if all I do is wiggle around in my chair to get my blood moving several times a day it is better than sitting still :-} I have an ergometer (like an 'arm bicycle')that I can use on good days, and I am shooting for using it three days per week, twice each day. If I can do MORE days a week, I am thrilled :-}
Doubtful that there is a cure. Once you start down that path, imaginary friends and using any intriguing moment of real life as book fodder is pretty much S.O.P. Whether or not you actually write that novel, writer's brain is here to stay, in my experience. :-}
As a resident of Canton (about 20 minutes form downtown Detroit) this fascinates me! What a great setting and character for gritty noirish detective stories!
Absolutely! Brain trumps brawn for me. Unlike the Julie Brown song (I Like 'em Big and Stupid) I like them smart enough to converse with, and more importantly, emotionally able to grow.
I have to say I hope I win! Yes, after college, I traveled to Japan and eventually became an ESL teacher and stayed for almost 3 years. Changed my life dramatically.
I think the biggest tip you already covered: Awareness. Being aware of your surroundings gives you a bit of a head start when trouble intersects your life. There are circumstances where nothing you could do would have made a difference, but in those instances, it is important to have at least a mental list of who to call first and what to do next.
I love that you have brought the descendants of the Ives into today :-} I have been a huge fan of yours for years, and I'm delighted you are continuing with your terrific books! Paranormal abilities exist. Paranormal events happen. Events in my life have proven that to me despite my best efforts to explain them away with current logic and science. Magic is defined differently depending on personal belief. I don't discount anything, keeping an open mind (but not so open that my brains fall out.
I love that Half-price Books is reaching out! My husband is a victim of the economy in a different field, and we know first-hand how much having a chance at a job means!
Oh yeah, I can pinpoint many crucial points of decision, but the one that really changed most of my life was swapping dormitory roommates in college. That one decision connected me to a single person who introduced me to a group of people, who literally decades later introduced me to the perfect man for me, my current husband.
Good to meet you Bonnie! I bow to those authors who write great books full of grim, deep and tortuous plot, but what I LOVE is when there is also a thread (or, 'heck' a full skein) of humor to contrast with the life-changing elements. After all, life is chock full of irreverence, just the way I like it.
The probably sounds strange, but when I finish publishing a new knitting or crochet pattern, I allow myself to knit something with little or no pattern at all. Yeah, I reward myself for knitting, by knitting. For BIG rewards though, a meal at our local Japanese restaurant works great too.
I would love to attend readers (and writers) conferences. Is there a way to find out which are most (handicap)accessible? When we win the lottery I plan to travel a LOT. I am lucky in that we live in an area that has many fascinating conventions (a Steam Punk Con is only one town away from home) but no local readers/writers cons I have been able to discover.
I have loved the myths and lore of the British Islands since I can remember. I even pursued a degree in Anthropology, mostly to explore the myths that persist to this day in many parts of the world. I believe the myths DO have a reality of a sort. And I adore books that weave those ancient legends and their permutations into a sexy paranormal romance. I look forward to discovering your series!
Life long here. Of course, I've been reading everything I can get my paws on since I can remember,but I devoured the multitude of Harlequin, Gothic, Regency and Candlelight romances which were what was most available at the rummage sales in my small town. I remember he tingle I got when the couple actually *gasp* kissed on the final page... until I became a teen and wanted more. It was hard to find steamy romance back in the 70's in rural Michigan, but I managed. Romance has never let me down, seeing me through a horrible first marriage and health issues with riveting stories and always a happy ending to help balance the negatives in my life at that time. Now I am ecstatically and cozily married, and still, I turn to romance. (Although I continue to read almost anything I can get my paws on.)
Thank you so much Tara. I write reviews for Fresh Fiction. I am isolated in my 'real' life and being part of the family Sarah and the rest have created makes me less so. Thank you for so beautifully expressing what is in my heart.