Yesterday was the DFW TeaReaders annual Boas and Tiaras tea. It’s the one time of the year that we try to dress a bit for tea, and show our fabulous selves with wonderful tiaras and colorful boas. Last year I had to miss the event because of family obligations, but this year I was lucky enough to attend! As usual the food and fellowship were divine! If there’s a downside to this event it’s that it’s so big it’s hard to know where to sit, and who to socialize with. I know I missed meeting several newcomers to our events, and I really hope that they return often so I can get to know them. This year was a bit different I believe in that we had a raffle drawing. We had very generous authors who donated great prizes. Amongst the authors donating were Dakota Cassidy, Michele Bardsley, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Dianna Love, Claire Avery and Jaye Wells. If I missed an author donation I’m terribly sorry and know it was greatly appreciated. Did I mention that I was lucky enough to win one of the baskets donated by Michelle, and got a galley of her new book, Cross Your Heart?…

I had a really successful May. I read and loved BLOWN AWAY by Sharon Sala. I have to be honest here, and say that I’ve been stockpiling Sala, but haven’t really had the desire to read them. However BLOWN AWAY was a wonderful book, and really reminded me about what had drawn me to Sala in the beginning of my reading journey. I also read the concluding book in the Chicks With Sticks trilogy by Heidi Betts. KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP was a fun romantic romp. If you haven’t yet read this trilogy I strongly suggest reading in order so that by the time you get to KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP you understand the relationship between the hero and heroine. I hope that Ms. Betts continues to write romantic comedies for a long time to come. I could go on and on with the titles that I read and had trouble putting down in May, but I don’t want to bore you. I will however tell you that I read THE LIES WE TOLD by Diane Chamberlain. I believe this book to be classified more as Women’s Fiction than romance, but was swept up in the story, and…

There are many things I like about reviewing, but the thing I think I like the best is being able to get books ahead of the publication date. It’s really rather funny because it’s also the thing I hate most about being a reviewer, because it seems like I read those books, and then have an even longer wait for the author to release another new title. Recently I’ve been able to read books by Sharon Sala and Maggie Shayne who will both be having trilogies release this summer. In the case of Ms. Sala, her first title BLOWN AWAY is in bookstores. I loved this book, and could hardly set it aside when I read it. The first book in the Shayne trilogy isn’t due until the end of June and is titled, KILLING ME SOFTLY. AGAIN, another read I could hardly set aside! I just love trilogies! They’re the right amount of books to get me fully interested in the characters, and the continuing story lines, but not as many books as the popular J. D. Robb series, so that I can easily collect them, read them 1, 2, 3, and be done. That however poses the question…when…

I hope that you have noticed the logo on the home page of Fresh Fiction advertising the Reader’s ‘n’ Ritas conference in November 2010, and I’m here to recommend Tara Taylor Quinn who will be attending the conference. If you haven’t yet read Ms. Quinn I think you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise. She writes a variety of books from those that are heavy on romance and laughter, to those that are more suspenseful, and show how right and love always overcome the evil wrongdoer. I’ve never personally met Ms. Quinn, and am really looking forward to the opportunity to meet her, and have her sign her upcoming books (that should all be available by the time the conference arrives) The First Wife, The Second Lie, The Third Secret, and The Fourth Victim. I have no idea what these books will be about, but I know that they will be page-turners that I won’t want to set aside, because Ms. Quinn is that type of writer. She’s written numerous books about a fictional town called Shelter Valley, of which I’ve not read all, but have read several. I wish I could tell you which ones, but unfortunately I don’t…

Remember when you were little and you had an imaginary friend? Do you remember how old you were when your imaginary friend moved away never to return or be heard from again? Now that I’m grown why can ‘t I still have an imaginary friend to turn to when life is overwhelming? Is it because society frowns on adults being frivolous or is it because as I’ve aged my imagination has also aged and just doesn’t run to fanciful images? Thankfully because I love to read when I feel the need for an imaginary friend I can turn to authors such as Robyn Carr who created Virgin River a town where everyone feels welcome, and a seat at Jack’s Bar is always available. Or perhaps a journey to New Bern, Connecticut and the Cobbled Creek Court Quilt Shop created by Marie Bostwick. Here are women willing and able to teach me a new skill, and make me a part of the fabric of their lives. Finally what if I were wanting a friend to share a sleep over with, and share spine tingling thrills and chills. Then I might turn to the suspense that author Beverly Barton has fine tuned…

It’s time again for another reading wrap up. In April I was able to read 10 books. I know a lot of people who read more than that, and just as many who read less. I really don’t care how many anyone reads (with the exception of my friend Yvonne with whom I have a reading bet) as long as they read. What was special about this month was that I read three library books. I read THINK TWICE by Lisa Scottoline, which was a first time, read for me from this author, and I really enjoyed it, and look forward to reading more from her in the future. I followed that up with WILD RIDE by Jennifer Cruise and Bob Mayer, and was really glad that I had gotten that from the library rather than investing in a Kindle version. The final library book was THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE by Mary Higgins Clark. It’s been way too long since I read a book by Clark, and after closing the last page of THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE I’m ready for another. Thankfully I can just go to the TBR for a backlist book. I also read MORE THAN…

This last week I read Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs. I picked this book because the DFW TeaReaders is having Ms. Childs as a call in guest in May, and I decided that a different genre would be fun to read, and what if I discovered a new fun author in the process. I really enjoyed Death by Darjeeling, and look forward to continuing with this series, and perhaps exploring the other series that Laura Childs writes. Had it not been for my desire to more fully participate in the conversation I would have missed a delightful series. I got lucky and Laura Childs was an author that worked for me. However not every new author I try does that. A friend in book club read and loved Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahl…. I mean to the point where she wasn’t participating in pre dinner conversation because she was so engrossed in the book (and no Ms. Dahl wasn’t the phone in guest that night). Her enthusiasm for Talk Me Down and the newly published author had me thinking I needed to read it for myself. I did, and have read at least one other book by Ms….

Last week I asked the question when is enough enough? It took me from the days before I asked that question until this past Thursday to finish the print book I was reading when I asked that question. I decided to keep reading it, because I was still dealing with some personal things, and what would happen if those issues interfered with enjoyment of a book by a favorite author? My friends kept asking why are you still reading that book if you don’t like it, and I kept thinking well, I have to see if it gets better, or if it isn’t better how much worse can it be? Well, unfortunately I found out that it didn’t get better…but I guess that’s life. Perhaps with the stresses of the last week I would have been better off if I had given up reading and found another way to relax. I did play more than my fair share of online games, and even escaped life with a couple of naps. Yes, we should discuss what books help us to relax, but let’s be realistic and admit that sometimes a book isn’t quite helping. What other things do you do to…

This past week I made a bit of a discovery about myself. I found that I’m really being drawn to my collection of ebooks, and even when I’m home and able to read my print book I’m picking up my e-reader and reading my ebook. I had to ask myself if there was a particular reason for that, or I’m just finally embracing newer technology. Well, my friends who know me in my personal life would probably lean towards it being the fact I’m embracing technology, and playing with my e-reader is fun. I on the other hand am thinking that it’s because the print book I’m currently reading just isn’t calling my name. I have something of a reputation for finishing every book I start, no matter how much I might not be enjoying the book for whatever reason. In fact in the last 2 years I can only think of two books I haven’t finished. One was a print book, and after four days I hadn’t even read one hundred pages, and decided that there was just no way I could push myself any further. The other was a book on my e-reader, so I don’t really know…

This is the first weekend of April, so that means it’s time to tell you some of what I read in March. I can’t believe it but I managed to read eleven books in March, and listen to 3 audios. So here’s three books that struck me for one reason or another… I read the debut novel from author Kimberly Fisk, Lake Magic. I bought this book because I liked the cover, the blurb sounded good, and the topper…it had a cover quote from a favorite author, Susan Wiggs. When I finished Lake Magic I knew I had a new author to be looking for, and would recommend this title to one and all. I also was surprised by the fact that I read Big Girl by Danielle Steel, and overall enjoyed it. It didn’t take long for some of the things that annoy me in Steel’s work to come forward, but if you could ignore that, and concentrate on the story and lesson that was within the pages Big Girlbecomes a book that has a good lesson about comparing siblings, and how it can affect them long term in a variety of ways. If you are or were a…