Category Archives: bookshelf

March 15, 2013

On Indie Bookstores & Romance Book Clubs

By Sarah MacLean

March's WORDs of Love Packages!

March’s WORDs of Love Packages!

As you know from my Read More Romance posts, I’m pretty much an obsessive romance recommender. I can’t help myself. It’s especially bad when I meet someone who has never read a romance novel or who has opinions about romance. You know the kind I mean. The kind that are wrong.

But either way, I can’t stop myself from talking about romance whenever I meet someone who’s interested in talking about it–which makes dinner parties at my house rather rousing and bizarre for newbies who start off simply trying to be polite and end up getting a dissertation on the rights of romance readers. But I’m a halfway decent cook, so it all works out in the end. :)

Three years ago, I started one of my pro-romance diatribes with the manager of my local indie bookseller, WORD in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. WORD is AWESOME. It’s a tiny, beautifully designed store that has a great event space and a tremendously well-curated cookbook section…

Wait.

First, a story:

***

Once upon a time, I wrote a book called A Rogue By Any Other Name. I was very excited about this book, because it was the first in a new series I proposed…the third series of my career — the one that is supposed to make it ok for me to officially call myself a writer in mixed company. I was also excited about this book because it was done. And writing it had been akin to labor. As in, laboring a child. Long, terrible, horrifyingly painful labor, that results in a 10lb baby. Or, in my case, Bourne. But we’ll leave it at that.

My brilliantly talented publicist at Avon Books set me up with a party in Rhode Island (my home state) on the day that A Rogue By Any Other Name was officially in the world, and I took the train north to that cupcake and champagne-laden party, filled with hometown friends and family and a fair amount of strangers. The party was held in an independent bookstore near my hometown that does not carry romance. It was fun. I talked for 20 minutes, took questions for another 40, and a good time was generally had by all. We sold 90 books in 2 hours (and only 2 of them to my mother!); I was thrilled.

Afterward, the manager of the bookstore approached and said, “That was great! We’d love to have you again…if you’d like to come back.”

Would I! “I’d love to. And in the meantime…would you like me to sign the leftover stock?” This is a thing that bookstores ask of us, typically, when we go to visit them. It basically means…we have some of your books on hand, and if given the choice, readers would rather have a signed book than an unsigned one, so would you sign what’s around so new readers can get signed books from us? Honestly? I asked knowing the answer. I’ve never had a bookseller say no to that question, and I’d just sold 90 books! Clearly, people in Rhode Island loved me!

“No,” she said, as I attempted to keep my jaw from dropping. “Our customers don’t read romance.”

I–

I can’t–

WHAT?! 90 Books! She’d been there! In fact, she was the one who told me we sold 90 books! 

And yet…her customers…they don’t read romance?

Reader, I’m still bamboozled by this story. I might need to go take a walk before I continue………Ok. I’m back, and Baxter, at least, is happy.

Let’s get back to this “our customers don’t read romance,” insanity. Let’s leave aside the fact that romance holds the largest share of the US Consumer book market and that it’s a $1.4 billion dollar industry and that nearly 75 million people read a romance novel in 2008 (4 years before this conversation), and I’m guessing that at least one or two of those 75 million people live within walking distance of this bookstore.

I’d just filled the store with sixty or so people, who had bought 1.5 books each (I won’t lie–the cutting of books in half did concern me).

And this woman was clearly blind.

Except, it wasn’t blindness.

Blindness I could forgive.

This woman was snooty.

A Serious Book Cover (made for me by the lovely ladies who run the in-person WORDs of Love Book Club)

A Serious Book Cover (made for me by the lovely ladies who run the in-person WORDs of Love Book Club)

What she was saying wasn’t “My customers don’t read romance.” What she was saying was, “My customers are too smart for romance. My customers read SERIOUS BOOKS. Literary fiction and nonfiction and sometimes mystery, but that’s as downmarket as they’ll go.” But what I heard was, “I don’t want your kind in here. And you won’t convince me otherwise. Not even with 90 books in a night. Not even with everything you just said about feminism and history and legacy and Jane Austen. I barely accept Pride & Prejudice on my hallowed shelves.”

We’ve all had this moment, right? Any one of us who’s dared admit we read romance or, worse, dared read a romance in public has had this moment. The “oh, you read that” moment. The “Romance is trashy” moment. The “I’m judging your book (and you) by its cover” moment.)

And this is a big problem. Because when romance readers (who read on average somewhere between 12 and 15 books a month) feel like we’re not getting the love from our local indies, guess where we go? Big box stores. Online stores. Chains. And we love them for carrying the books we love. We feel validated when we have a section all to ourselves. Or a whole category that we can click through to our heart’s content. And when we have sub genres? And romance on the FIRST PAGE of the website? Stop it. It’s romance reader heaven.

But guess what? We’re secretly sad we don’t have our own little indie. We’re jealous of people in Houston because they have Katy Budget Books and of the ones in Lansing who have Schuler Books or the ones in Naperville who have Anderson’s. We are book lovers, and we want to go hang out with other book lovers. We love paper and ink and the sound of the cracking spine and the smell of the damn glue. We have hundreds of novels stuffed under our beds, and in our purses and (I’m not ashamed to admit) on our bathroom shelves. We are card carrying READERS, and we have the word counts to prove it. And we shouldn’t have to fight to prove to indies (the captial-B Bookstores of bookstores) that our books are worthy, because owners and operators of indies should see that we’re in the same club! I mean…all hail the printed word! And if there’s smooching, all the better! (Come on. Who doesn’t like smooching?)

Oh my gosh this post is getting long. I’m turning back. Returning to port. I swear.

***

All this is to say…

Boy do I love my local indie.

WORD Bookstore is tucked away on a near-waterfront street in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn. They don’t have much space at all. It’s maybe 1000 square feet of space, but they have used the space in a remarkable way. They have events almost every night of the week — a fabulous children’s section, a brilliantly well-read staff, live music and awesome readings and even a “singles” board, where you can meet another local book lover and maybe get some smooching in (see how it all comes back to smooching)?

Oh, and get this…they carry romance.

They don’t have much space, so it’s not a huge romance section…but they carry the classics — the books that will gateway drug you into the genre (Susan Elizabeth Phillips & Lisa Kleypas & Loretta Chase & Jennifer Crusie & JR Ward) — and local authors (Eloisa James & Maya Rodale & yours truly) — and anything that’s got a bookseller in it (Kieran Kramer’s Cloudy With A Chance of Marriage is a favorite in there) — and anything that’s just plain good (Thea Harrison & Tessa Dare & Meredith Duran). And they’ll order you anything you like, and take recommendations for their own reading lists with pleasure.

Look what kind of book was the bestseller at WORD in January!

Look what kind of book was the bestseller at WORD in January!

Oh, and they’ll take orders for signed copies of my books anytime–you order and I have an excuse to head to the bookstore to sign books “for business.” And to linger for pleasure. :)

The coolest thing?

We recently started a Romance of the Month Club. Every month, I choose six romances (two historicals, two contemporaries & two paranormals) all with a common theme — some of them are brand new and some of them are old-skool (Yes. With a K.). You get to pick the one you are most interested in, and it gets mailed to you with fun goodies. You also get access to a private Goodreads group where we chat once a month about the books and what you liked/disliked/wished there was more of…and you get to meet a few dozen other romance readers across the country who are all excited to read and talk romance.

This month includes:

Kristan Higgins’s My One and Only

Bella Andre’s Take Me

Jayne Ann Krentz’s Sweet Starfire

Pamela Palmer’s Desire Untamed

Lorraine Heath’s Lord of Temptation

Jennifer McQuiston’s What Happens in Scotland

It gets even better if you’re in NYC, though…because some local customers of WORD, whom I did not know before the club began, have started an in person romance book club. They choose one of my picks, and then meet on the First Saturday of the month to discuss it. Last Month it was Elizabeth Hoyt’s The Raven Prince, and the discussion was fast and fascinating and fabulously brilliant.  Next month, it’s Kristan Higgins’s My One and Only.

I’m so excited to share my favorite romances with readers through the club…but I think I’m even more excited to share my local bookstore. Join us!

**

But seriously. There have got to be more indies out there that embrace romance. Leave your favorite romance-loving indie in comments, and I’ll add it to this post!

Indies That Rock Romance:

* Anderson’s Bookshop, 123 West Jefferson, Naperville, IL
* Hearthside Books, 254 Front Street, Juneau, AK
* Katy Budget Books, 2450 Fry Road, Houston, TX
* Posman Books, Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY
* Schuler Books & Music, 2820 Towne Center Boulevard, Lansing, MI
* Turn the Page Bookstore, 18 N. Main Street, Boonsboro, MD
* Wakefield Books, 160 Old Tower Hill Road (Wakefield Mall), Wakefield, RI
* WORD, 125 Franklin Street, Brooklyn, NY

28 comments   |  tags: | posted in bookshelf, on romance, words of love

April 1, 2012

Vicky Dreiling Shares How We Met!

By Sarah MacLean

Cover of How to Ravish a Rake

As you know, I’ve been begging some of my favorite authors to come over to the blog and chat for the past few weeks, and I’m so happy to host the fabulous Vicky Dreiling today on her release day for her latest–How to Ravish a Rake! I was lucky enough to read Vicky’s first book, How to Marry a Duke, before it was published…and it made me a very happy camper–it’s a wonderful Regency reimagining of The Bachelor…and I was hooked from the first line. But I’m going to let her tell you the story! 

Welcome Vicky!

***

This story is about Sarah. In March 2010, I saw this book at Barnes & Noble with a fabulous cover and a great eye-catching title:

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake

I was hooked immediately and bought the book, which I intended to read while traveling for business. Unfortunately, I forgot to pack the book. I was really disappointed when I realized my mistake at the airport. Meanwhile, my darling daughter came home from college to pet sit for me. After I got home, Amber Rose went back to college, and I searched high and low for Sarah’s book. I couldn’t find it anywhere. Then I realized what had happened. Nine Rules had taken a trip to college.  :)

Something else happened. I walked past my overflowing bookshelf, and a pile of books fell off. I looked at the mess and concluded I must do one of the following: A) Buy more bookshelves or B) Buy an e-reader. As luck would have it, Amazon was featuring a sale on Kindles, so I bought one. The first book I ordered for my Kindle was Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake.

I loved Nine Rules. From the first page, Callie grabbed my heart. So yeah, I’m a big fan of Sarah’s books, but there’s more to my story.  I started tweeting with Sarah, and of course, I adored her. We had a mutual friend, too – Sophie Jordan.  I was also very excited because I’d sold my first book, How to Marry a Duke. Then one morning on Twitter, I got a direct message from Sarah. It said: “I love your first line.”

[Editor's Note: The first line of How to Marry a Duke is: "The belles of the Beau Monde had resorted to clumsiness in an effort to snag a ducal husband." I mean, who wouldn't love that line?]

Huh?

I sent her a DM and said, “You have a copy of my book?”

We sort of scooped my editor! Not long afterward, my editor emailed to let me know about all the fabulous authors who had read my book and given it great quotes. I called her after seeing the list and told her that two of my friends were on there: Sarah & Sophie.

The really great part is that I got to meet Sarah at the RWA conference. She’s just as funny and warm as you have probably guessed. And I can’t wait to read A Rogue by Any Other Name. It’s on my Kindle Fire (I gave the 1st Kindle to my darling daughter LOL).

Oh, yeah, I guess I should reveal that I have a book coming out on today! It’s called How to Ravish a Rake, and it involves a wine cellar, a wedding wager, and a happily ever after. There’s smooching in it, too. :)

SCANDALOUS DESIRES . . .

Amy Hardwick has one last Season to shake off her wallflower image and make a love match. If she can’t, she’ll set aside her dreams of romance and return home to a suitor who can provide security—if little else. What she doesn’t count on is the inappropriate—and irresistible—attention lavished on her in a darkened library by rake extraordinaire Will “The Devil” Darcett . . .

DEVILISH DELIGHT

When Will is caught in a tryst with the ton’s shyest miss, he knows he must offer for her hand. Yet Amy is not the shrinking violet she seems to be. Passion lies beneath her prim exterior and Will is eager to release it. But winning Amy isn’t simply a matter of seduction; first, Will must convince her that he’s mended his wicked ways . . .

Sarah, thanks so much for inviting me to your site, and major congratulations on making the New York Times list with A Rogue By Any Other Name!!!

***

Thanks so much for this wonderful story, Vicky…I’m thrilled that we met! Plus, any friend of Sophie’s is a friend of mine, always!

Vicky and I believe that good friends are absolutely necessary in life…tell us about a great friend of yours in comments, and one lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Vicky’s How to Ravish a Rake (US & Canada Only)!

 

14 comments | posted in bookshelf

December 7, 2011

Autographed Books Make Awesome Gifts!

By Sarah MacLean

I make it no secret that I’m basically in love with the idea of giving books as gifts.  As it stands, I’m giving books to everyone in my life–each hand selected with love. Books are personal. They represent a passion for learning and knowledge and imagination and worlds far beyond our own. And I think they represent a special connection between giver and receiver.

That said, I’m also a big believer in putting books on my wish list.  There are about 12,000 books that I want, they’re easy to buy, and way less expensive than a Vespa (which is really what I want for Christmas), and so my Christmas wish list is filled with books.  And if they’re signed by the author, even better!

Last year, while chatting with the fabulous ladies at my local indie bookstore, WORD Brooklyn, we came up with the very cool (I think) idea that readers could order autographed copies of my books direct from them!

Here’s how it works:

1. You click here or call WORD at 718-383-0096 and select the books you’d like me to sign: The Season, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord, or Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart (You can also preorder A Rogue By Any Other Name, and  I’ll send you signed goodies to stick in someone’s stocking to say their gift is coming in April!)

2. You fill in the form, and include the message you’d like… for example: For Maggie, Merry Christmas! Sarah MacLean, or To Christine, The person who bought this book for you is the best! Sarah MacLean, or simply Sarah MacLean, or whatever else you’d like me to write.

3. The staff at WORD calls me.

4. I pop in this Saturday (December 10th) and then again on December 20th, sign the books, and add special bookmarks, postcards and other fun printed goodies to your package like the gift giving fairy I am!

5. They ship the books to you.

6. You win the award for Best. Gift. Ever. (Well, except for the Vespa.)

“But Sarah,” I hear you saying, “What if I just want the book for myself?”

Never fear!  I also wholeheartedly endorse self-gifting during the holiday season! I’d love to sign a book just for you…and I’m sure the team at WORD would love to ship it to you!

NEW YORKERS! Don’t miss WORD’s fabulous Holiday Open House this year!! I’ll be book talking romance on Saturday December 10th at 1:30 with Michael Showalter and Emma Straub…there will be goodies and good books, and I’ll sign right there in person for you!

Questions? Comments? General holiday glee? Comment below and I’ll happily respond!

1 comment | posted in bookshelf, holiday season, things that are awesome

September 20, 2011

Shana Gaelen’s Lord Spy Comes Over to Play

By Sarah MacLean

I’m very very happy to host Adrian Galloway, Viscount Smythe from Shana Gaelen‘s latest book, Lord & Lady Spy on Inside the Character’s Studio!

Mr. & Mrs. Smith is one of my very favorite movies, so I can’t tell you how excited I am for this book…the historical version!

Welcome Adrian!

What is your favorite word?
Forgiveness

What is your least favorite word?
Treason

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
Strategizing. I always have a Plan A, a Plan B, and a Plan C. If I’m dealing with my wife Sophia, I have a Plan D too.

What turns you off?
Dishonesty

What is your favorite curse word?
Bloody hell

What sound or noise do you love?
This is getting personal. Suffice it to say, my wife makes this sound in the back of her throat when she’s well-pleased.

What sound or noise do you hate?
The sound of my wife attempting to garden.

What profession would you like to attempt?
Fatherhood.

What profession would you not like to do?
I’m a gentleman and as such don’t need a profession. I was once a member of the elite Barbican group, which is composed of His Majesty’s most skilled covert operatives. This is more of a calling than a profession. If you would like to know what hobby I would not like to do, the answer is I loathe golf.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
You more than made up for your father’s transgressions.

Adrian is a spy, code named Wolf, because he’s a dangerous predator.

Shana and I want to know, if you were a spy, what would your code name be?

Comment to win a signed copy of Lord and Lady Spy!

63 comments | posted in bookshelf, inside the characters' studio, read more romance

September 4, 2011

Live Online with Katharine Ashe & Miranda Neville!

By Sarah MacLean

This post is cross posted from The Ballroom Blog:

There are days that I love being a New Yorker. Mostly, they are the days when my writing friends arrive in the city to visit with publishers or read at Lady Jane’s Salon. This week, two of my fellow Ballroom Bloggers–Katharine Ashe & Miranda Neville–will be in town, doing these things!

If you’re in the city (or the area) on Monday night, you can’t miss Lady Jane’s…aside from the fabulous Misses Katharine & Miranda reading, it’s a wonderful thing to stand in a roomful of romance readers and know that you’ve found your people! Added bonus: Lady Jane’s is dripping with leopard print, fringed lamps and tufted velvet. It’s like a Victorian bordello. Really. The salon is at Madame X, 94 Houston St. (bet. Thompson & LaGuardia).

“But wait!” you say, “I’m not in the city! What about me?” 

Well, you lucky thing, Katharine & Miranda are making a special stop at the Avon Books headquarters on Tuesday morning at 11am for a live, online chat just for you! I am thrilled to be a part of it; I’ll be interviewing these lovelies as part of RomanceLive! We’re going to talk about their new books, The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton and In the Arms of a Marquess, about the Avon Books Ovarian Cancer Awareness Campaign Kiss & Teal, and–of course–about The Ballroom Blog!

RomanceLIVE! 
Sarah MacLean interviews Katharine Ashe & Miranda Neville
Tuesday, September 6, 2011, 11am
www.livestream.com/romance

The livestream event starts promptly at 11am ET, and will run for 45 minutes, with plenty of opportunities for you to ask questions of these fabulous authoresses…and we’ll even answer questions about Lady B and Albert!

Please join us!

Leave a comment | posted in bookshelf, interviews, on romance, readings and visitations, the ballroom blog

August 29, 2011

Eleven Questions with Stefanie Sloane!

By Sarah MacLean

I’m so happy to host Stefanie Sloane for Eleven Questions! Stefanie burst onto the historical romance scene earlier this year with a quick-release Regency Rogues trilogy, the most recent of which, The Sinner Who Seduced Me, was released last month (and are you kidding me with these covers?!)

I’m so thrilled that Stefanie found time to climb into the hot seat to answer Eleven Questions!

Welcome, Stefanie!

1) Alpha or Beta?
Mmmmm, Alpha. Sorry, didn’t mean to salivate.

2) Virgin Widow or Secret Baby?
Oh, virgin widow all the way—as long as she’s deflowered at some point, yes? And in a grand, romance-y fashion befitting a woman who’s waited LONG enough.

3) Time Travel or Futuristic?
Time Travel, please. I’m much more keen on a hot highlander or rugged knight than an android inspired anything.

4) Hot as Sin or Cold as Ice?
The hotter, the better. Cold makes me think of cold fish, or cold cuts, or—even worse—certain things growing smaller in the cold. Not good. Not good at all.

5) Spinster or First Season Out?
In light of my virgin widow pick above, I’ll choose spinster. Both the widow and the spinster have seen more of life, and experience has a way of knocking you about—which can lead to a more complex heroine (in other words, more baggage, which means the hero has to work even harder for the HEA. And that’s hot.)

6) England or Anywhere but?
The British Isles. And France.  Ok, wait, maybe all of Europe too. Sometimes, you just really need a good Viking.

7) Vampire or Shape Shifter?
Well, I grew up near where a certain Cullen clan resides, so I feel a sense of loyalty to vampires—although, I suppose that if the shape shifter in question turns into a wolf, then I’ve a problem. Blast you, Stephanie Meyer!

8) Small town or Big city?
Small city! Seattle is my hometown and, in a word, it’s awesome. And smallish. So small city it is.

9) Wallflower or Belle of the Ball?
Lucinda Grey, the heroine in my first book, is a Belle with the heart of a Wallflower, so I choose a hybrid—Wallball? No, sounds like something you would have played in 7th grade gym class. Belleflower? A little better. I’ll work on it and get back to you.

10) Unrequited love or love at first sight?
I think I’m an unrequited love type girl. There’s something so delicious about a man finally realizing that the perfect woman has been standing right in front of him all along.

11) Stefanie’s choice! Answer her question in comments for a chance to win a copy of the first book in her series, The Devil in Disguise!

In light of the recent Royal wedding of Kate and Wills: Steady, reliable, charming oldest heir, or wild, unpredictable, and dangerous younger spare?
Share your answer in comments…and we’ll choose one winner on Friday to win a signed copy of The Devil in Disguise!

17 comments | posted in 11 scandals, bookshelf

July 18, 2011

RIP Borders. Thanks for the memories.

By Sarah MacLean

I’m sad today.

I’m not sad because the closing of Borders bookstores represents a seachange in publishing, which it most definitely does. I’m not sad because it means that digital books and online booksellers have grown big enough to warrant the closing of a chain bookseller that seemed like it would be around for an age. Indeed, I’m an eReader myself and, as a writer, I’m kindof psyched to be living in such an awesome time–a time that is going to bring new formats, new possibilities, and new excitements.

But I am sad because Borders holds a special place in my heart.

You see, when I was 16, I got my first summer job. The very best job a teenager with an obsession with romance novels and a caffeine addiction could get. I worked in the cafe at Borders in the Garden City mall in Cranston, RI. Behind that counter, when I wasn’t serving coffee and pastries, I read. I read like crazy. I read On the Road and Lord Byron and every Jane Austen novel. I read Bridget Jones’s Diary and every bit of chicklit I could get my hands on (as it was the age of Chicklit when I worked there). I read Edna St. Vincent Millay and Naked Lunch. And I read romance novels. Like. Mad.

As I read about the closing of the final 399 Borders stores (including the one in Garden City), I’m thinking about the quiet times in the store…late nights, when we would turn up the music on the loudspeakers and go through the calming, repetitive process of closing the store. Reshelving books, cleaning out the coffee pots, watering plants, cashing out, washing down tables and mopping floors before we’d all leave together, a small band of brothers turning out the lights and walking to our cars to head home.

But not before we’d talk about what we were reading that night.

So…thanks Borders, thanks for the memories. Thanks for the best first job ever. Thanks for stocking romance and putting the section near the cafe.Thanks for the employee discount. And, most importantly, thanks for the books.

 

6 comments | posted in bookshelf, in the news, sadness, the writer's life

June 9, 2011

In Which Tessa Dare Postpones Her Guest Blog…

By Sarah MacLean

I’m so so thrilled to host the fabulous Tessa Dare on the blog today!!!

I’m a huge fan of hers, and I absolutely cannot wait for the launch of her Spindle Cove series…beginning in September with A NIGHT TO SURRENDER (out in September!)! As an aside, Tessa’s also just plain awesome, and so I’m always happy to have her here! I had originally asked her to do Eleven Questions, but the mega creative brain that is Ms. Dare resisted the assignment…and turned it into something even better.

So, without further blathering…I present, Tessa Dare’s Eleven Scandals to Start When Postponing a Guest Blog (and other titles that don’t rhyme)

I feel sooo scandalous. I was supposed to write this blog for Sarah weeks ago. How did it come to this?

Scandal One: Procrastination.
Yeah, I procrastinate. A lot. Sometimes several times a day. Especially when it comes to blogs. I have updated my own blog about… 6.5 times in the past year. I have no excuse.

Scandal Two: Overconfidence.
But when our lovely and talented hostess Sarah kindly asked me to come guest blog in April, I excitedly said YES! Even though I secretly know I have this procrastination issue. (see confession the first.) I am always filled with good intentions!

Scandal Three: Indecision.
So unsuspecting Sarah sent me this fun list of eleven questions for the blog, and I promptly seized up with paralysis. Because they were all CHOICES. “Alpha or beta?” “Small town or big city?” Picture me weeping, wanting to just answer “Um..Er…Both, depending…I think!” to just about every one. (Unless one of the options is Darcy. Darcy wins everything. Q: Darcy or Wentworth? A: Darcy. Q: Darcy or chocolate? A: Darcy. Q: Darcy or…a brand new barouche!? A: Give me door number one, Monty.)

Scandal Four: Inherent suspicion of favorites.
This is a side note, really. But in my strange mind, I’m convinced any question resembling “What is your favorite ____?” is just sticky with the devil’s fingerprints. Why must I choose? No really, why??? I think I fear karmic backlash. Like, if I declare to the internet that my favorite meal is sushi and coconut milk, I’ll find myself shipwrecked on a desert island next week. “Good news! You get your favorite meal EVERY DAY!” (I am, however, willing to risk being shipwrecked with Darcy. See point four.)

Scandal Five: Forgetfulness.
It’s really cool how this trick works. It’s almost effortless. If you’ve procrastinated in the proper way, diligently, after just a few weeks—poof! You suddenly just forget! It’s almost like you never agreed to do it! Except…

Scandal Six: Contrition.
I did agree to do it. And when Sarah wrote to gently remind me, I of course profusely apologized for my lameness. But then I only made matters worse with…

Scandal Seven: Prevarication.
In my repentance, I may have offered to do a special blog giveaway—of a puppy, or a kidney. I must confess, I had no real intention of giving away either. Oh, the shame is piling deep…

Scandal Eight: More Procrastination.
I waited yet a few more days…

Scandal Nine: Lust.
And then last night, when I thought to myself, “I should sit down and write that blog for Sarah now.” I realized it was after midnight, and therefore zomg! release day, and I decided to download Eleven Scandals first. Because by now, after hearing from what seemed like everyone else on the planet how wonderful it is, I was practically drooling for it. Could. Not. Wait.

Scandal Ten: Greed.
And you can guess what I did next. Read.

Scandal Eleven: There isn’t one, because I’m still reading. And I’m up to the point where they’ve made out in the park, and SHHHHH. Nobody better talk to me.

Except that I’m sure Sarah will post this long after I’ve finished, so now we can talk! Wasn’t it GREAT??

And I will give away…. Um, a book and coverflat? They are way prettier than a kidney! And come perfectly housetrained.

Seriously, thank you, Sarah, for the invitation and your extreme patience. And congratulations on such a wonderful, romantic book.

I think all I’m missing now is a conversation topic. I know!

Simon v. Darcy. Discuss! Who is the starchiest at the outset? The best groveler in the end? (um, since I haven’t read the end yet, I’m just assuming on Simon’s part here…) Who would win in a cage match? Who would look better spear-fishing on a desert island?

Oh, boy am I afraid of *this* topic. But, it’s guests choice…so discuss! We’ll choose one commenter on Monday to win a copy of One Dance With a Duke and the STUNNING STUNNING cover flat of A NIGHT TO SURRENDER!

LATE BREAKING NEWS: Tessa’s also giving up a precious ARC of A NIGHT TO SURRENDER!

Thanks for coming over to play, Tessa! xoxo

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June 7, 2011

Karina Cooper Will Survive the Apocalypse

By Sarah MacLean

I’m always thrilled to meet new writers. It’s so exciting for me because I still think of writers as these magical, otherworldly people who are special in every way. Yes. I know I’ve written books…but I don’t think of myself as a writer. You see…writers sit down and have the muse come to them. They are unique butterflies. They never write a bad sentence. And they most definitely get out of their pajamas before 3pm. I am none of those things.

Karina Cooper was introduced to me as a writer. Even better, a debut paranormal writer with Avon Books. Her first novel, Blood of the Wicked, is about witches. And soldiers. And the hero is named Silas. So I’m in.

In Blood of the Wicked, Jessie and Silas are faced with a similar decision: what is it they need – from life, from themselves, from each other! – to not just survive, but to live. The world has been set on its collective ear by… magic? Mayhem? Nature? No one knows, but the witch-hunting Mission is all too happy to stamp out the heretical men and women who certainly didn’t help matters.

And because she’s one of these magical writers, I find her fascinating. Even moreso now that I know that she has plans to survive the apocalypse. What she doesn’t know is that when the rapture comes (I’m told the date is October 21st now), I’m going to go hang out with her (Baxter is good with cats).

But she doesn’t have enough room for all of us, and since I called dibs on being her sidekick…she’s sharing with you: Eleven Things She Needs to Survive the Apocalypse!

Welcome, Karina!

So, as you can clearly tell, I’m a heathen who was not Raptured. The apocalypse appears to have given me a miss, which is extremely fortunate because I didn’t actually have this list of necessary survival tools until just now.

Why would I need it, you ask? Well, Rapture notwithstanding, it’s because catostrophic events that lead to a post-apocalyptic world where men and women are hunted down for being different have been weighing on my mind. I can’t imagine why.

“Oh, no!” you say, “Karina, you’re addicted to the internet! And anime! And good books and cherries and tea! How ever will you survive?”

Waaaaay ahead of you. With the help of my good friend Nae, I’ve come up with eleven things I need to survive an apocalypse.

1. Super Irish Breakfast Tea, by Stash Teas – Let’s face it. I’m a caffeine addict. Like, whoa. I love my coffee, I love my tea, and of all the teas I’ve ever had, this brand and flavor of tea is extremely rich, extremely dark, extremely strong. Plus, a bonus, I can get it in bulk! If I start collecting it now, I should have more than enough to see me through… what, you think maybe a month?

2. A cat – I am a crazy cat lady, after all. And every wandering soul forging a blazing path across barren wastelands needs a companion. Nae suggested I get two,because then I can breed them! (Did you know if that two cats are left to their own devices, they can – in those two cat’s lifetime alone – breed 420,000 cats? That’s 420,000 cats between parents, children, and grandchildren, even before the parent cats die. I am the crazy cat lady!)

3. A hunk – It really doesn’t matter who. I mean, if the mancandy survives the apocalypse, that’s great, but I wouldn’t want my poor, bereaved husband to have to carry all eleven of our things. Let’s get Thor to do it.

4. A journal – If I can’t write on my computer (who’s got the luxury of a computer when the world has gone to pot?), then I’ll need an outlet for all these crazy meanderings! Besides, where else am I supposed to record all those naughty thoughts about our traveling hunk?

5. Batteries – Lots and lots of batteries. I asked Nae why she suggested this one and she said, “Because you’re going to find lots and lots of junk that needs batteries, but not much that actually already has them.” Nae’s a smart girl.

6. A donkey – And why not? If the Post Man can travel around the world reciting Shakespeare with a donkey, then I’m pretty sure I can travel around reciting… Well, do you suppose there’d be much call for romance stories in a post-apocalyptic world? Anyway, regardless, we’ll need a donkey to carry stuff. Oh, wait, is that what I said the hunk was for? … Damn. This bears rethinking.

7. Goggles – Every cool post-apocalyptic girl needs goggles. They are simply de rigeur for any decent wasteland-crawling survivor. Am I right?

8. Post-its – In every color. Not only is this the only way I’ll be able to plot my epic romantic naughty stories, but I can use them as a marker. A sort of, “Karina was here!” Maybe my fans—well,those who survive—could use them to find me?

9. A weapon – The nature of this weapon would depend entirely on the nature of the apocalypse. Everybody knows that a rotary shotgun is the best defense against a zombie, but a baseball bat will do in a pinch. So will a lead pipe. However, against a chemical apocalypse, neither of these things is a great choice. In that case, my weapon might just be a bag full of syringes chock full of a suspicious looking liquid. It could just be
molasses, but they won’t know that. Only my cats will.

10. A rebreather – Because chemical warfare sucks. Also, sandstorms.

11. Books – It’s all well and good to write your own books, but as the Great Book Devourer, I can’t possibly subside on my books alone. From Regency to paranormal; historical to… well, I suppose if it’s post-apocalyptic it’s all historical. I gotta have them. That makes for one tired donkey! Bonus: books make excellent weapons.

There we go! There’s my eleven things I need to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. What about you? What are the things you need to tackle the apocalypse? Tell us in comments for a chance to win a copy of Blood of the Wicked! We’ll choose one lucky commenter on Friday!

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May 31, 2011

Eleven Questions with Elisabeth Naughton!

By Sarah MacLean

I’m so happy to host Elisabeth Naughton as part of the release month celebration of Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart! Elisabeth writes sexy romantic adventures and the smokin’ hot Eternal Guardians series…and she’s taken time out of her promotion of her latest–Bodyguards in Bed–to climb into the hot seat to answer Eleven Questions!

Welcome, Elisabeth!

1. Alpha or Beta?
Alpha, all the way. I’m married to one, so it’s what I know (and love).

2. Virgin Widow or Secret Baby?
Secret baby. There’s something about that big old secret. Though I’m curious…is a virgin widow even possible? (Okay, I know it’s possible…I guess a better question is whether or not it’s believable.)

3. Time Travel or Futuristic?
Time travel. I’m fascinated with history.

4. Hot as Sin or Cold as Ice?
Hot as sin. I hate being cold!

5. Spinster or First Season Out?
Hm…I like both. But I’d probably have to go for Spinster. The girl who’s been overlooked and then is finally noticed? Compelling.

6. England or Anywhere but?
Since I live in the PNW, and England’s weather tends to be like ours, I’d have to say…anywhere but.

7. Vampire or Shape Shifter?
Mm…now this is hard. I like both. But I’ll go with shape shifter (since I’m writing one right now).

8. Small Town or Big City?
I lean toward the small town. Lends itself to quirky characters.

9. Wallflower or Belle of the Ball?
Wallflower…for the same reason I like the Spinster.

10. Unrequited love or love at first sight?
Love at first site. Bam. Leaves the hero wondering…what the hell?

11. Elisabeth’s choice! Answer her question in comments, and one lucky winner will receive a copy of her latest, Bodyguards in Bed!
What’s your favorite bodyguard story (in any genre)?

Share your favorite bodyguard story in comments…and we’ll choose one winner on Friday to win a signed copy of Bodyguards in Bed!

13 comments | posted in 11 scandals, bookshelf, contests and giveaways