Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
What’ I’ve been reading
Guests / July 26, 2005

I realized I haven’t posted in here in a couple weeks. I’m not going to backtrack the past couple weeks but I’m going to try to remember to keep doing this weekly at least. Well my vacation officially started this past Friday and I have great plans for reading this week. I pulled out about 10 books that I’m hoping to get through. So next week my reading list may be large if all goes according to plan. 🙂 I finished Harry Potter 6 on CD this past week and I loved it! I was stunned a few times with the turns events took. And yes she did kill someone else off, but that’s no secret since she’s not been hiding the fact that would happen this book. But I’m not saying anything as to who since I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. All I can say is when the person died I actually yelled “NO you CAN’T do that to us!!” Fortunately no one was here to hear that except my cats and they are used to me bursting out with some reaction to something. LOL I’m still working on Volume 3 of the Legends anthology too….

Dragons in your future?
Guests / July 25, 2005

After the potter, it’s hard to get terribly enthused about anything, but I still try 🙂 and I’ve also settled for some shorter books to rest the need of hauling around a heavy book and finding a comfortable place to read. Unfortunately, I haven’t read any books I can really talk about — they are books coming out in September and October — so it would be cruel to chatter about them now. However, do put THE SMOKE THIEF on your purchase or at least check-it-out-in-the-store list. It is well worth a second or third look. I know it is expensive but this is a GOOD story! Great fantasy, decent romance, familiar plot but very well done, interesting side characters. And it’s about dragons! Believe it or not! Cool! Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

Monthly THANK YOU to Sara
Guests / July 22, 2005

Once again we all met at Sara’s and gathered around her dining room table for food, drink, and of course conversation. The guest Lois Greiman was very nice to speak with, and even had questions for all of us. Of course, I had to remind everyone I like women’s fiction, and don’t mind if a book doesn’t have a happy ending. I’m the oddball…the rest of the group has to have the HEA. Ok..I’ve been on a whirlwind of travel. Often I can read while I travel, and accomplish a lot of good reading, but this trip I was busy playing with my anniversary gift of a new laptop instead. Yes, it could be used to read e-books, but I didn’t. So now to the good stuff…what I’ve read. Since my last update I have read Unzipped by Lois Greiman. It’s her debut mystery, and was an enjoyable read. It was the first book in what promises to be an entertaining series. I also read Lakeside Cottage by Susan Wiggs and author who I’m fast beginning to really enjoy. Lakeside Cottage does have romance in it, but I would consider it more women’s fiction. Lakeside Cottage is one of my…

Potter mania
Guests / July 18, 2005

Yes, we’ve been bitten by the bug and managed to not only show up for the middle of the night countdown to sales but consumed the latest chapter in the saga of young Mr. Potter’s adventures in school within 24 hours! Well, to be honest, in our household, the mom finished the book, everyone else is waiting for a long car trip to listen to the CDs. Apparently, holding a book of that size is just too much. So, I’ll just say, we had fun at the Potter party — we started out at a local Tex-Mexican restaurant (we managed to close it down, who knew that Lewisville rolled up the carpets at 10pm on a Friday night for pity sakes!), then moved on to the local Waldenbooks at the mall. It’s always fun to walk in after the mall is closed, it’s like you’re doing something “wrong!” The guards directed us to the store and we checked our names off the reserve list and got our line numbers. Then we joined in the festivities. Picking up my free Capri Sun, a delicacy I haven’t had since my kids were in grade school, I still can’t get the straw in…

Meet another historical series you’ll want to read…
Guests / July 14, 2005

Just finished reading When We Meet Again by Victoria Alexander. This is her 10th Effington Family Regency and is in the same vein as the “Cynster” series by Stephanie Laurens. A passionate one night stand in Venice opens the action; an arrogant russian-esque prince and a ruined young woman coming into her own make this a really nice second chance at love story with some personal growth along the way for all the characters. Also, some good “laundry”, for those of you who keep up with that sort of thing. I’ll be looking for the backlist on this series. FYI, I even saw it on the shelves of both Wal-Mart and Target today when I cruised their book aisles. Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

Campbell Makes Love* and goodwill at bookstore
Guests / July 8, 2005

Just finished reading the second book by B-List cult movie and TV hero, Bruce Campbell. Make Love* the Bruce Campbell Way is a novelized “what-if” casting himself in a big budget film. It’s a hoot, in an irreverant, not take yourself too seriously way. Not only is it entertaining, but when meeting him at the local bookstore signing, he was a really nice guy; asking each person (over 400 were there) about themselves, their job, the summer heat etc. It didn’t start out looking like it was going to be a fun time, what with the arrows taped in serpentine patterns outside the store on the sidewalk of another 95 degree + day; cashiers and stacks of books also outside, ticket placeholders for access to the actual signing upstairs and the “RULES” sheet. Must buy book, only one item signed, only store personal operate can take photos, yada yada yada… Since we got there early, we managed to be in the fourth group of 50 allowed up the escalator into Bruce’s orbit. More taped arrows, on the carpet this time, die hard Army of Darkness fans weaving alphabetically thru the cookbook and literature/fiction sections. Finally, a big “X” (that’s right,…

Ed McBain moves on…
Guests / July 7, 2005

It must be the season. Although I thought it was usually in the late fall or winter, but another “great” has passed. Evan Hunter, Writer Who Created Police Procedural, Dies at 78 – New York Times We’ve got a ton of his books in our collection, not unusual since he wrote 55 of the 87th Precinct series and they were ground breaking in their way. The life and minutiae of being “the police.” Plus he holds a special place in our memories as the screenwriter for THE BIRDS with Alfred Hitchcock under his other pseudonym — Evan Hunter. Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

Update
Guests / July 6, 2005

I just checked and it seems that I haven’t posted anything in a long long time! Guess I’ve been busy reading. I was able to get a review copy of 50 Harbor Street by Debbie Macomber. When RWA was in town I had the chance to briefly chat with Macomber, and I won’t tell you what my impression of her was, but that hasn’t distracted me from enjoying her books. I enjoyed this title that will be released in September because it tied up several loose ends from previous books in her Cedar Cover series, and started new ones. I also read Old Boyfriends by Rexanne Becnel and Riggs Park by Ellyn Bache. Both of these titles are from Harlequin’s new NEXT line. I have a feeling that this is one series line that is going to appeal to me. The books are women’s fiction, and focus on older heroines. I’m a huge fan of women’s fiction, so expect to see more reports on these from me. Speaking of women’s fiction I also read The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks. Several people told me this was a sequel to The Notebook. For those who like to read series in order, I…

What I’m reading…
Guests / July 5, 2005

Well for some reason this thing isn’t allowing me to load all my pictues I wanted to, so there’s just one here. What am I reading this week? Well I finished a couple books this past week. I finished Once Upon a King by Holly Jacobs , though I think that was actually last week. LOL I finished Forget Prince Charming by Natalie Stenzel, which I started last weekend. It was a good story and must have been the one that started the “frog” stories trend since it’s a couple years old. Now that theme is all over the place. LOL It was a cute story about a young woman who catches her boyfriend getting it on with his secretary they day before the couple was supposed to go away for a romantic holiday weekend. So she decides she’s swearing off the “Princes” of the world, the buff, gorgeous, sexy men and is going to focus on the “frogs.” Her plan of action? Head to the library, hobby shops, computer stores etc, to find a nerdy guy to date since she’s convinced they won’t give her the grief her past few princes have. But her plans go awry when she…

Happy Birthday to USA…
Guests / July 4, 2005

I’m spending the day (and weekend) working! Sheesh, you’d think there’d be time for at least a little recreational reading on a federal holiday weekend, but noooo, I’ve got homework books — php and CSS stuff — to read and absorb. I tried to sneak in a little lite reading but got sidetracked by two weeks old Newsweek and the weekend Guide. Geez, I do need to find out where all the local fireworks displays are! Anyway, I’ve got two books set aside (on my bedside table) ready and eager to be opened — CASE OF LIES by Perri O’Shaughnessy and BOOK CLUB by Mary Alice Monroe. I’m looking forward to the chance to read both of them in the next few hours. But for every one in the US, wishing you the best reading this holiday weekend. Hope it doesn’t rain too much, not TOO hot and the bugs don’t nibble! Happy Birthday, USA! Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.