Cool News

I have some cool news to share…

January 30, 2012

DANGEROUS ALTERATIONS was the “Fresh Pick of the Day” at Freshfiction.com yesterday!  This honor is chosen by readers (which makes it extra special) who touted the book as the “perfect cozy read.”  Doesn’t get much better than that, huh?

~Elizabeth

Making Quick Work of the TBR Pile

I’ve discovered a curious thing about my new e-reader…

I’m reading more.

Anyone else notice the same thing?

~Elizabeth

A Bit Of Both

This past week, I joined the world of E-readers.

My Special Guy got me a Kindle Fire for Christmas and, with the help of Dear Daughter #1 (who has a computer ability that blows my mind), I’m finally up and running.

My first (and only) purchase so far? Murder 101 by my friend, Maggie Barbieri (which I’m enjoying tremendously).

I’ll be honest, I was never a fan of the e-reader concept. I like to hold books in my hand (still do). Not sure if that’s a sensory comfort or what, but it’s the way I am. Plus, let’s face it, I want to see the big Publishing Houses thrive. And sometimes, with this computer everything generation we’re in, I often find myself wondering if our online buying habits and way of living is destroying our ecomony (jobs). But that’s just me…

 However, when the Fire came out–with its color/cover capabilities–I was intrigued. A good deal of my readers read MY books on e-readers. So owning one is kind of like field research.

Anyway, I digress. I’m using my e-reader now and, quite frankly, I’m loving it. My eyesight has been slipping the past year (some because of age–I’m 44 today as a matter of fact–and some thanks to the M.S.) and having the lit screen and the slightly bigger font is making it so I can read longer (something I love). I know it’s going to be great when I travel (which I’ll be doing a decent amount of this year with the launch of the new series).

So I guess you can say I’m sold. Will I still buy paperbacks? Absolutely. I’m too much of a booklover not to. But I’ll buy for my e-reader now, too. And something tells me, I’ll probably read more this way.

How about you? Paper or e-reader or a combination of both? Thoughts?

~Elizabeth

*Remember, if you haven’t entered My Birthday contest, click on “latest news” at the top and find out how to enter!

The Go-To Story

Today’s Reading Tuesday is an easy one. Maybe.

What is your favorite Christmas story (this can be as told in a book or via a movie)? You know, the one that gets you choked up every time or simply helps get you in the spirit?

~Elizabeth

My Latest Read

I love discovering new-to-me authors who so thoroughly enthrall me with their story, that I make a special trip to the bookstore to buy another one of their titles.

Barbara O’Neal is the latest new-to-me author to fit that bill. A few weeks ago, I told you about her book, HOW TO BAKE A PERFECT  LIFE. I liked it so much, I got in the car, drove to Barnes & Noble, and bought her first, THE LOST RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS. And, once again, Barbara didn’t disappoint. In fact, I think I liked this book even more.

Here’s a blurb on the book from Barbara’s website:

It’s the opportunity Elena Alvarez has been waiting for–the challenge of running her own kitchen in a world-class restaurant. Haunted by an accident of which she was the lone survivor, Elena knows better than anyone how to defy the odds. With her faithful dog Alvin and her grandmother’s recipes, Elena arrives in Colorado to find a restaurant in as desperate need of a fresh start as she is..

What captured me about this book was the opportunity for Elena to have a fresh start (as she’d had many times) if she finally got out of her own way and let it happen.

To get out of her own way, she had to make peace with the accident that claimed the lives of her sister, cousins, and boyfriend. But to do that, she had to a) acknowledge it and b) accept it and let go. Not easy things if you’ve ever been through something traumatic.

Accepting and letting go doesn’t mean you forget. Some things you can never forget. But learning to put it where it belongs–in something that’s now out of your hands–allows you to forgive yourself and heal.

So tell me…what are you reading now? What’s captivating you about the story that’s unfolding in  your hands?

~Elizabeth

Life’s Relief Valves

Since I’m on a self-imposed hiatus of sorts from writing at the moment (I get back at it in 2 weeks), I’m actually having time to read! Yay!

I just finished reading HOW TO BAKE A PERFECT LIFE by Barbara O’Neal (which I enjoyed so much I got in the car and drove to Barnes & Noble and picked up another one of her books–The Lost Recipe for Happiness).

Here’s what the jacket copy says…

Professional baker Ramona Gallagher is a master of an art that has sustained her through the most turbulent times, including a baby at fifteen and an endless family feud. But now Ramona’s bakery threatens to crumble around her. Literally. She’s one water-heater disaster away from losing her grandmother’s rambling Victorian and everything she’s worked so hard to build.

When Ramona’s soldier son-in-law is wounded in Afghanistan, her daughter, Sophia, races overseas to be at his side, leaving Ramona as the only suitable guardian for Sophia’s thirteen-year-old stepdaughter, Katie. Heartbroken, Katie feels that she’s being dumped again–this time on the doorstep of a woman out of practice with mothering.

Ramona calls upon a special set of tools–patience, persistence, and the reliability of a good recipe–when rebellious Katie arrives. And as she relives her own history of difficult choices, Ramona shares her love of baking with the troubled girl. Slowly, Katie begins to find self-acceptance and a place to call home. And when a man from her past returns to offer a second chance at love, Ramona discovers that even the best recipe tastes better when you add time, care, and a few secret ingredients of your own.

Besides the fact this was simply a well-told story, what struck me most about this book was the notion of a passion or interest  becoming a relief valve during life’s tougher moments. For Ramona, that relief valve was baking–a passion born while spending time with her aunt as a young troubled teenager.  That passion then followed her through life, shaping her career, her goals, etc.  For Katie, that relief valve during troubled times was flowers–stoked by Ramona’s mother.

So tell me, what’s your outlet in life, and how did you come to discover that outlet in the first place?

~Elizabeth

The Invisible Line

While lunching with a friend yesterday, we got to talking about the no-no’s in a series, and whether there truly are any no-no’s at all. The resulting conversation was fascinating and I’ve found myself revisiting it time and time again since I got home.

Now I’m curious how all of you would answer the same questions…

Is it ever okay to kill off a regular character in a series?

Would an author’s decision to do that, prevent you from reading future books in that series?

~Elizabeth

The Scent of Rain and Lightning

My dear friend and fellow blog reader, Lynn Cahoon, took a “Reading Tuesday” for me and boy, did she pick a powerhouse author to share with all of us.

The book: The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard. 

And now, Lynn’s take:

First a disclaimer.  My reading time is actually listening time as I commute over an hour to my day job.  So this review is technically on the ‘audio’ book version of Ms. Pickard’s novel.

The novel opens up in the POV of Jody Linder.  We find out she’s not in love with the man she’s just had sex with, but he’s in love with her.  Then her uncles show up and her world shifts.  The man convicted of killing her parents has been released from jail.

After that, we’re shuttled back and forth from the past, where we grow to love the strong characters that shaped Jody’s life, to the present.  A present where Jody’s determined to find out what really happened the night her father was shot and her mother disappeared. 

While she’s searching for answers, she comes across some truths about her parents, her family, and ultimately, herself that change her from the woman we meet on the first page.

I loved the rural, small town setting and the personalities of Jody’s family.  Personalities that were changed by one stormy night when secrets collided and the worst happened. The author kept me guessing on the killer and the motive until the very end. 

And like all good stories, Jody is given the shot at a happily ever after possibility at the end.

It’s hard to classify The Scent of Rain and Lightning into a genre.  It’s a romance, a mystery, and a family saga, all rolled up into one.  But the read is so worth the confusion on where the book should be shelved.

What are YOU reading now?

 

Launch Day

It’s here! It’s here! 

Woo Hoo!!  Today’s the day DANGEROUS ALTERATIONS (book # 5 in my Southern Sewing Circle Series) is released!!!

And while I know I’m not supposed to pick a favorite with my own books (they say it’s like picking a favorite among your own children), DANGEROUS ALTERATIONS is mine (in this series) so far.

So if you pick up a copy…thank you!  If you buy a copy for a friend…thank you! If you write a review…thank you! Every little bit helps in the success and longevity of a series and I am deeply appreciative of it all.

Happy Reading!

~Elizabeth 

 

Your Choice

If you walk into a bookstore with no specific purchase in mind, what section do you tend to head for first?

Me? I tend to hover around women’s fiction for a while, seeing if anything says: “BUY ME!”

~Elizabeth