Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Book Club Rewind – Shanna Swendson
Uncategorized / May 24, 2007

Book club last night was great. Of course, that had a lot to do with fact that this month’s author, Shanna Swendson, was there in person rather than over the phone. Shanna, Harry Potter fan that she is, even provided a couple of meal suggestions for June or July’s (I forget) Harry Potter themed book club menu. Besides that, how could you not like someone who has enough humor to admit that her longest relationship so far has been her four year crush on one of the local TV news guys?!The idea behind her Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. series came from a trip to New York City with friends after she had some knee surgery done. There Shanna was moving around NYC not totally sure footed and she received nothing but kindness and assistance from the locals. Her friends apparently did not get that same polite experience in NYC. A few years later, she thought to combine the concept of the two different experiences she and her friends had in NYC with her love of Harry Potter (did I mention Shanna’s a fan) and Chick Lit (which she sees as the style most like her life). The Magic, Spells,…

Plano Book Club – Note from this month’s author, Shanna Swendson
Uncategorized / May 20, 2007

If there’s anything I like more than reading books, it’s talking about books, so I’m really looking forward to meeting with the book club (eating comes right behind talking about books, so I’m anticipating the food, too). I write a series of books that could be called fantasy/chick lit or else light urban fantasy, depending on whether I’m talking to a chick lit reader or a fantasy reader. When I started submitting the first book in the series to agents, I wasn’t sure which side of that line it really fell on, so I looked for an agent who handled both genres and let her decide what it was. Now I don’t worry too much about genre and just write my books, which have a mix of humor, fantasy, intrigue and romance. The best way I can think of to describe the tone and content of my books is by saying “Bridget Jones meets Harry Potter.” A grown-up Harry, of course. The fun thing about writing a series with the same main characters is getting to watch the characters grow and their relationships develop. The first book in the series, Enchanted, Inc., introduced my heroine, Katie Chandler, to the world…

Guest blogger – Robyn Carr
Uncategorized / May 19, 2007

The invitation to blog here today came at a perfect time – the third installment in the Virgin River series – Whispering Rock – will be released in a few days. And I’ve just experienced the most amazing couple of months. When I started Virgin River, beginning like I always do – on page one, flying by the seat of my pants – I was writing one story, one romance. I became acquainted with Mel Monroe, a nurse midwife in search of peace and meaning in her troubled life. Enter Jack Sheridan, a retired marine who built a small country bar and grill in a town of six hundred because it was the perfect place for him to hunt and fish and wind down from a life far too adventurous. I was getting acquainted with a couple of remarkable people. By the time I was a hundred pages in, I knew there was more than one book in this town. When I met the marines who still hung tight after serving in combat together, frequently gathering in the pristine beauty of the redwoods to hunt, fish, play poker and rally around their leader, Jack, I knew they would be the…

on a lighter note
Guests / May 17, 2007

OK, there is NO WAY that I can possibly top the previous blog about Sara and Gwen going to the Lee & Bob Woodruff book signing for In An Instant. Speaking as a news junkie and the daughter of a nurse & doctor, Bob Woodruff’s story and recovery are remarkable. …and now on to my usual fluff… I have been busy reading again. It’s so nice being able to do that. Now if only I could have a nice peaceful weekend at home. My neighborhood association is having a Mayfest celebration at the neighborhood park tomorrow. I also have a dog days of summer celebration going on tomorrow. Bella (my four legged child) is especially looking forward to the dog days of summer celebration! I mean come on, free dog treats and possibly toys. She’ll be exhausted by the time we get back home. That said, so will I! And then next weekend we have Memorial Day. I am looking forward to going back home for memorial day weekend. I cannot say the same for the five and half hour drive and gas prices. I’m trying not to think about it. Anyone else out there tackling the highways for Memorial…

Lee & Bob Woodruff Sign in Dallas
Uncategorized / May 17, 2007

Lee Woodruff, Chris Heinbaugh, Bob Woodruff, originally uploaded by freshfiction. Borders, North Dallas, Preston @ Royal We arrived early — around 4 — to pick up our book and, get ready for this, WRIST BAND! Finally, we hit the big time. Even the HUGE Giada de Laurentis signing didn’t involve wristbands, but it should have, I digress. The wide-eyed star glitter in Gwen’s eye started to glimmer. Most disconcerting. Her favorite news person, okay the only one she really knows beside Gideon Yago, and sorry, but he doesn’t count, was SO BIG, he needed a wrist band. This was almost as good as a film premier! (Pardon the exclamations, but seriously, she was very very excited.) Before we left the Borders, we made sure we had the RIGHT color arm band (being first in line) and when they were scheduled to start and what time the line began. You know, important details! So, we had two hours to go until the discussion/signing which was plenty of time for dinner. The best thing about the Preston / Royal area of North Dallas is the little eateries popping up in odd corners. The last signing — Shanna Swendson — we found Natalie’s…

Taking the time to read again
Guests / May 13, 2007

Its never a good thing if I don’t have time to read. The last two weeks have been crazy with family and work that I have not had time to read or blog which I normally do after work and on the weekends. I finally decided to get a queen sized bed for my spare room, but first I had to empty out the spare room (if you had ever seen my house you would understand what a true feat that was) to move furniture and make room for the new bed. Then my family invaded my nice and quiet house for several days around my sister’s graduation with her MBA. I never get much rest when family is in town. The days were jammed packed. I even took my father to work with me one day. (Hey, if people can take their kids to work, I can take my father to work.) Two days after they go back home I get a phone call from my other sister saying that while my father was fine he had fallen off his bicycle at was at the hospital. My father is an experienced cyclist, but it had been raining back home….

Shanna Swendson Reading from DAMSEL UNDER STRESS
Uncategorized / May 4, 2007

Shanna Swendson Reading from DAMSEL UNDER STRESS, originally uploaded by freshfiction. Bridget Jones meets Harry Potter is the way Shanna pitched her “Enchanted” series to Ballantine, and they are definitely fun, set in New York City where the “unusual” is not that much out of the ordinary…or is it?Katie Chandler fled small town Texas to the big lights of New York City where she finds it isn’t quite as she expected! People with wings on the subways, gargoyles winking and flying through the streets and magic every where. But Katie finds a new job, new friends and new adventures in the big apple! Now just when her life seems settled, she also gets a fairy godmother. And as the fables go…it’s isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be! Shanna read the scene where she and the fairy godmother go out to dinner. With a wave of a magical wane, confusion ensues! Another winner from Shanna and we can only hope for many many more!REPORT: Fellow readers have reported some book stores aren’t carrying DAMESEL UNDER STRESS Be sure to ASK for it and have your local book store order a copy for you (it’s free to special order from…