I’m not quite sure what I should use as the label for South by South West (SXSW) or “South by.” It’s a film festival, a music festival and now more than ever an “Interactive” conference / festival. It’s the result of what’s happening in the “real” world. You know, the convergence of our lives and the stuff we do. Like we listen to music which is now almost all electronically stored on files, played in little devices that make us laugh when we think back to the days of the Sony Walkman, or even, bless me, the LP. We get our movies and shows on our computers and even on our phones which have become handy devices to entertain while we’re waiting or bored. We can see what’s happening in our worlds, check the weather forecast, listen to music, watch a film and read a book. It’s a wonderful gadget and almost every one has one type or another. So this gathering in Austin, the SXSW experience is amazing. I’ve met all ages, types, sizes and nationalities of people. From the geeks for tech to the nerds for film, to the secret readers of “trash fiction” (that would be what…

This week I’ve had some blocks of time during the work day away from the office. Usually I take my laptop with me, find a place with electricity and WiFi and work, but this week was a bit different. I knew there wouldn’t be WiFi, and each stop would be about 30 minutes or less and I may not have a place to unpack a laptop even a small one, so I decided to do some “work” reading. To me, “work” reading is that stuff I’ve let slide for one reason or another that isn’t “fun” related. Or, non-fiction technical or self-help books. I took along two: HEAD FIRST AJAX: A BRAIN-FRIENDLY GUIDE and TOTALLY TONED ARMS. Opposite poles of the non-fiction spectrum for me. Something all techie and something all probably not going to happen. And to be honest, the TOTALLY TONED ARMS or Get Michelle Obama Arms in 21 Days never made it out of the bag. But I did get through two chapters of AJAX. Not sure if I’ll retain any of the knowledge but at least I tried. And I really regret I didn’t take something more fun to read…like oh, say, Shelly Laurenston‘s Mane series….

When you’ve read in a genre for over five years you’ll find that some of your favorite authors seem to stop writing or no longer publish books. And it makes one wonder, whatever happened to…? This month I’ve stumbled across that phenomena when I was entering the books for the Montana Mavericks series being re-issued by Silhouette. This was one of the last continuity series I ever collected, sorry, continuity series are not my favorite thing and as I can read out of order, collecting before reading misses the appeal with me. But for some reason, I’ll blame the first Fortune family, in 1994 I collected a year’s worth of the “Mavericks.” But when I looked at the ones in the series I realized that nearly half of the authors are no longer publishing. And I wonder, what happened. Did they retire? Did they die? Did their books go out of style? Seriously, what happened? Am I getting to be an “old” reader? This could be a serious problem. I always assumed reading kept me going, learning new things, going new places, learning a new lingo (which is probably a very dated term, ah well). So, let’s examine the Montana…

A new year and time to put into effect resolutions. Some resolve to become healthier, happier, successful, or more learned. I’d say knowledgeable but I’m fond of the word “learned.” I think my fascination with the word “learned” began in my childhood when every year my grandmother resolved to read the entire Bible in a year. Yes, that is the childhood I had, but my grandmother had a different spin on the whole-book-in-a-year resolution. We already read the King James version every single day, but she’d come up with a different version or translation so we’d have our normal chapter or two of the KJV then we’d re-read in some other translation. My most memorable year was the year of the “New News for Modern Man” version. I seriously think she argued every single morning trying to reconcile the versions. But it all was in the quest of being “learned.” Talk about resolutions…read more… Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

It’s the time of year when I need an extra special escape moment or two so I do my old handy escape — fall back into a book. I feel a bit sad because my mother is not longer here, my “old” home in Pennsylvania belongs to Amish families and I feel separated from my roots. It’s a time of reflection on the good old days, or as my son states, “anything in the pass was golden.” That is not true naturally but it does seem sad that I’ll no longer be able to wistfully pine on not being able to go east to the snow and see family. Of course, I had not been able to do that in about 20 years anyway but the point I can not do it ever again makes it all the more poignant. So to return to present day, it’s also the time to be happy for what I do have. First and foremost I have memories and the cookbooks to create some good times for my family today. We practice making the cookies from the MENNONITE COOKBOOK, my grandmother and mother’s only “cookbook.” I mean, if it wasn’t in the MENNONITE COOKBOOK…

Now that we’re in the beginning of the final countdown for the holidays, what are you reading? Is there a book or series of books you just feel compelled to re-read each year at this time? Or perhaps, you go looking for and save up the “holiday” books that started appearing in September. Or is there a favorite author who wrote some truly emotional book that touches you that you love to read again and again? My reading at this time of the year includes pulling out and dusting off my old Signet Regency Christmas anthologies. Stories by Mary Balogh and Barbara Metzger and Mary Jo Putney still make me happy to read. Then I’ll read a truly emotional contemporary such as Robyn Carr‘s Virgin River Christmas or Marie Bostwick‘s COMFORT AND JOY or SNOW ANGELS. One of the things we discuss this month at book club is, what are we reading for the holidays? It’s always good to get an idea of a new book or author to try out. I heard Susan Wiggs being discovered for the first time by one member and another willing to try Robyn Carr but the number of books in the Virgin River…

Just realized it’s been over 10 years that I started on this path, crusade, mission to meet and support authors. As I was rushing, literally, to finish up some can’t-wait computer stuff, to jump in the car to make the drive to Austin for the Texas Book Festival, I had the strangest feeling of deja vu. And I realized I’ve been doing this since 1999. Maybe before that, but definitely 1999 was the year I started going to anything “book”ish — conventions, signings, conferences, if authors would be there en masse, I made plans, found money and went. I’ve bought thousands of dollars more of books than I’ll EVER read in this lifetime, almost all of which I’ve given away to my book club, through Fresh Fiction or as gifts to people. No one appreciates anything more than a signed book…especially if it’s signed to them. Anyway, there are days when I actually take stock, as in is this what I want to do? Am I having fun? Is it worth the little sacrifices — and sometimes big sacrifices by my family — to make these treks? But upon reflection, I have to say, YES. I do enjoy meeting authors,…

Book SigningOriginally uploaded by freshfiction This week’s guest blogger, Susan Wiggs, had a post about the most horrible signings she’s ever been on. And I found it interesting reading. I also thought about the comments. I haven’t always been so lucky to live in an area where authors come every week to sign their books. When I was younger, in the sixties and 70s I lived in a very rural area and don’t remember ever visiting a real “book store” that wasn’t run by the Mennonite Church. Which trust me had a very small fiction section. And that store was 40 miles away and we only went once a year to pick up grandmother’s materials. Our reading time was spent reading a chapter every day from the Bible and reading through the World Craft Encyclopedia. Our local library was located over the one engine firehouse. It was a small room with about 1,000 books in it. I did learn to love Zane Grey and Elswyth Thane. But it wasn’t somewhere we visited often. Then I went to college and oh, what a world there was! Books were sold in stores like the downtown Philadelphia Woolworth which I haunted every Saturday…

Fun Books to Read! Today is tea day, Means gathering books, getting dressed somewhat nicely (no “work” pants, jeans okay), putting on the minimal amount of make-up (mascara, lip gloss) and heading out the door by noon to go meet the girls. Sorry, no guys allowed in this part of the book club. Then we gather at a tea room and enjoy at least two hours of conversation, book chatter, life chatter and consume a four course (sometimes five if we’re lucky) tea. We do this at least once a month, sometimes we luck out and get to do it twice in a month. I can’t remember a three-time but hey it could happen! It’s really lots of fun and since we usually ALWAYS do a book exchange, you come home loaded to the gills with new books to try. It’s the closest thing to a reader paradise I know. Except maybe book club night, a whole different concept. So, anyway, today is the Saturday after “Vampire Diaries” and with all the vamp talk being going on about this one, starting in the 1990s when the L.J. Smith books first came out and Gwen discovered them. Those were the books…

Probably for about six hours. GASP. I know, it’s a shocker and I really should have thought about this earlier and had someone else guest blog today, but duh, sometimes the details overwhelm. Anyway, it was brought…FORCIBLY … to my attention that I haven’t had any “Sara” and “family” time this year, what with celebrating our FIFTH, isn’t that a kicker! It seems like we just started two years ago — ANNIVERSARY. I always say, go with your passion and you’ll be happy. And it works for so many people including me! So talk among yourselves or take the day off with a good book! I’ll be back tomorrow or definitely Monday (like I can go away for longer than 24 hours, ha!) and we’ll chat then. Oh, yes, taking a book or two with me in case I have free non-people time. I’ll tell you about it later. Until next time…Get out there and READ a book…Sara ReyesDFW Tea Readers GroupJoin us at Readers ‘n ‘ritas November 14, 2009! Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.