The inaugural Readers ‘n ‘ ritas was a blast. Readers came from all over Texas and Oklahoma and it wasn’t just for the Texas / OU game although their fans were in abundance as well! Authors came from as far as NYC. It’s amazing what a gathering of like minds can do! Cover Creation Checking out cover theories.Originally uploaded by freshfiction From the first panels we knew it was a hit — I mean seriously, when women gather around the speakers table at 9am on a gorgeous Saturday morning and eagerly start discussing book covers along with examples of how a committee designed the cover for ECSTASY or enjoy a bit of show-and-tell with cat litter and dryer sheets you know it’s at least to first base, maybe even second! And by the time the third workshop was over, we were all friends…the kind that talk to each other and even feel comfortable enough to disagree! The best kind of friends. And learning about new authors and books is never a bad thing, even if you have to start early in the morning! Isn’t that why they have hot coffee ready? The Rowdy Table: Jodi Thomas and Dianna LoveOriginally uploaded…

Books are the New Wall Lining Originally uploaded by freshfiction I can still remember the first time I actually threw out a book. And it wasn’t just a damaged book with a ripped corner, pages no longer with glue scattering hither and yon, but a perfectly intact book, just one I didn’t want to read ever again. But it was still a very painful experience and I suffered book lover guilt for a long time. In fact unless it’s an ARC or galley, it is almost impossible for me to throw out a book. But the situation has reached a head or I’ve come to realize 40 years of books and a family can’t really co-exist in a single house. It’s sad but true. So, the winnowing has begun…to give a little history, last time we actually counted the approximate number of books I owned, our move in 2003, we stopped at 38,000. After that it was just get the book boxes loaded and we’ll deal with them later. Could be a few aching backs too. After the move, we had over 200 boxes of clearly labeled books and then a large unknown quantity of boxes with books. We unpacked…