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…

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.

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,…

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.

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…

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…

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.

Our highlight of the week was dinner and a show, uh, a signing, yes, that’s it, a signing in Plano. You know the center of the universe (only if you live in Plano, I’m afraid). Our members from Ft. Worth and beyond do argue with me but it is always amusing to stir them up. But I digress… Wednesday, June 29th we had a lovely dinner at the Macaroni Grill with Mary Alice Monroe and her escort, Joanne Crandall. It was wonderful especially when Alex our waiter gave us the jug of zinfandel “on the house.” And it’s always fun to “make your own pasta” because you get to see the REAL tastes of your table mates! Mary Alice likes hers “spicy.” Of course, we had to earn our dinner — by listing and explaining two goals we’ve set to do before we die. When we combined all the things the guests wanted to do it became a truly exciting set of experiences. If you’re curious and I let you guess who had what goal you’d find the goals ranged from visiting La Scala (opera house in Italy for the heathens), visiting London to see the setting of favorite books,…

Last week I read (in one sitting) Evanovich’s 11th Stephanie Plum adventure and while I whined about her bumbling, I secretly enjoyed every word of it. Good news. I’ve found another polish sleuth with another ensemble cast to make my enjoyment carry over into July. The latest, and second, in Lori Avocato‘s Pauline Sokol series, is The Stiff and the Dead. And it’s a hoot. Pauline, like Stephanie has stumbled into an investigating career. Only she’s not tracking bail jumpers but insurance fraud. This latest case has her falling back on her previous experience as a nurse to track prescription viagra abuse at her uncle’s senior citizen center. She even has a mysterious, elusive and single-named, Jagger, mentor in this investigation business. He appears at the most opportune times and the sexual tingles get her so distracted, she forgets whatever she might be doing. Hhhmmmm….. seem familiar?? Check her out. I think you’ll like her if you’re a fan of Evanovich. Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

What am I reading this week? Well let’s see… In paper I finished Lord of Sin by Madeline Hunter (though I may have finished that last week. I don’t remember now. LOL). I also read an advance copy of Holly Jacobs’ September release Once Upon a King. I also read one of the older Silhouette Bombshells Kiss of the Blue Dragon by Julie Beard. And today I started and almost finished Forget Prince Charming by Natalie Stenzel, another older book, from the early books in the Harlequin Flipside series. I had lots of reading time this week, sitting at the car dealer waiting on my car! In electronic, I’m still on Soul of a Witch by Angela Verdenius. This is my before bed read so I don’t get too far each night since I fall asleep. LOL But I’m about 2/3 of the way in to it and it’s really good. In audio, I’m on the last tape of Left behind Book 3: Nicolae. I’m also still working on Lake in the Clouds by Sara Donati. Next in audio is either Nora Roberts’ Key of Light, or Left Behind Book 4: Soul Harvest. I have both ready to go. Visit…