Books by the Banks 2016!

This past Saturday I had the great pleasure of going to Books By The Banks! This is an amazing free book festival in Cincinnati. I've never been able to go before, since I was always working that day. But I made sure to take a vacation day so I can enjoy it for the first time ever! And it was even better than I imagined.

I went with several book-loving friends, and we started by visiting the Kids Center because Little Critter was there! My friend got her picture taken with him, while I got my picture taken with the mascot of a nearby library system.

Next we moved on to the Teen Scene, and this was the best! We participated in Author Speed Dating. We sat at a table, and every six minutes a new author would sit down with us and chat. Everyone I met was so incredibly nice, and I ended up buying a lot of books because they did an excellent job with their book talks. We were about to leave to check out everything else when author Kurt Dinan told us we couldn't leave because he was able to play Heads Up, and we needed to be there to join him. After telling us a hilarious story, he convinced us to stick around. The game was fun, and I got to meet even more amazing teen authors.

After leaving the Teen Scene, we browsed the sponsor tables. I found out Cincinnati has a calligraphy guild, and one of the members wrote my name in gold ink on a bookmark for me - and it's so beautiful! Following that, we slid into a panel with Jim Obergefell, author of Love Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers Who Fought the Landmark Case for Marriage Equality. It was an amazing talk, and I will admit to tearing up more than a few times. After that panel was one with Jenny Lawson. And let me tell you - she is absolutely hilarious in person. I knew she was funny in her books, but she's just as amazingly ridiculous in the flesh. I loved getting to meet her and have her sign my book later.

After the panels, we visited with the young adult authors in the author pavilion. I'll admit it - I spent 140 dollars on books. But it was so worth it!

I had a fantastic time, and I cannot wait for next year!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

The 2016 Reader/Author Get Together! ( #RAGT16 )

So, as long-time readers might remember, I've been going to the Annual Reader/Author Get Together for the past five (or six?) years. It's a great time, with awesome authors, and excellent charity donations. Every year, Lori Foster sells a benefit book, and all the proceeds go to the Animal Adoption Foundation - a no kill animal shelter, and it happens to be where we adopted our sweet little Mattie! And all the proceeds from raffle tickets go to One Way Farm, a wonderful place that helps kids from rough backgrounds learn to accept help and love, sparing them the abuse most of them have suffered in their lives. So of course, I love to go every year and support these great causes, plus just have a wonderful time with fellow attendees and find new authors!

Authors and publishers sponsor meals and boardrooms, and provide goodies or games throughout the conference. Most of the time, there were so many places I wanted to be at the same time, that I couldn't choose what to do! My mother and I attended a session where we used pictures and phrases cut out from magazines to make our own book cover - and my Mom won! She got a free book, which made her super excited.

And speaking of free books - we got 8 free books in our goody bags (every paid registrant gets a goody bag!), and then I got another 5 free books courtesy of the amazing authors that sponsored our different meals! I cannot wait to read them all, plus all the books I won in different raffle prizes. On top of the free books, and books I won, I also bought a small stack of books from different authors that were either new to me, or ones I had seen previously and wanted to finally pick up one of their books.

I'm still just so excited about last weekend that I can barely form coherent thoughts! I won six, SIX, raffle baskets - one basket alone had twenty books in it! All the baskets are sitting on my living room floor, lined up like soldiers, waiting for me to dive in. I did go through and look at everything, and I am blown away by how generous all the people that donated are.There's jewelry, signed books, coloring books, water bottles/mugs, even some Vera Bradley purses! There was one basket in particular that I was hoping to win, but you know what? I wouldn't trade these amazing baskets for that one. I'm already gathering some books and items to hopefully donate next year.

I was hoping to have some pictures to show you guys, but I'm afraid this has been a very busy week, so I didn't get the chance to take any. I will get some, I promise!

And speaking of pictures, if you're interested in seeing what I'm reading, or any bookish stuff that catches my eye, Novel Addiction now has an Instragram! I can be found at, as I'm sure you can guess, @noveladdiction.

I will update more when my life is a little less hectic - you know, if that ever happens.

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

RELEASE DAY LAUNCH: Her Fallen Protector by Nichole Severn!!!

It's release day for Her Fallen Protector by Nichole Severn!! I am so excited to share this new paranormal romance with you!! Nichole is sharing new teases with us and giveaways, so be sure to check out all of the info!

Blogs Taking Part in the Release Day Launch

Jess Time To Read

Jackie's Book World

Countr Gals Sexy Reads

Barbara Book Reviews

Ogitchida Kwe's Book Blog

The Consummate Reader

zees book blog

Reading Addict

Between The Lines

Ali's Reviews and More

RhiReading

KatyaRatha

Beppe DM Books Blog

Paging Through The Days

Obsessed by Books

Chelle's Book Reports

Whispered Thoughts

El Rincón de Becks

I Heart YA Books

An Aussie Girls WILD Book Addiction!

A Dream Within A Dream

Those Crazy Book Chicks

Books to Light Your Fire

The Book Lovers Codex

Novel Addiction

RhiReading

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

Cosying Up With Books

Once Upon a Twilight

those naughty girls book club

I Heart YA Books

The Book Trollop

El rincón de Becks

What Is That Book About

Read, Write, Ripley

The Book Maven

Once Upon An Alpha

Smut Book Junkie Reviews

Best Book Boyfriends

undercover book reviews

Adventures in Writing

What I'm Reading

Lovely Reads

Reading Addict

Reading A Little Bit of Everything

Musings In Fiction Alley

Between The Lines

A world between folded pages

Ogitchida Kwe's Book Blog

Barbara Book Review

My Golden Reads

Obsessed by Books

Engaging Secrets Publishing

A Dream Within A Dream

Love Affair With Fiction

Shelf Life

Those Crazy Book Chicks

Winter Reads

Battery Operated Book Blog

Books to Light Your Fire

Jax's Book Magic

Her Fallen Protector Synopsis:

When a trio of demons kidnap Vdarra Jansen, her normal life is ripped away. Her abductors claim she is the “lost heiress” of the Underworld, and the commander of the mighty Army of Duemos. They don't seem to care that she knows nothing about the Underworld, or that she only remembers the last ten years of her life...

Former archangel Jacob will do anything to bring back his lost love’s memories. But if he succeeds, it could mean the end of the world. Torn between love and duty, Jacob will do whatever it takes to save her.

Jacob and Vdarra must learn to trust each other, and push aside old hurts to find their way. They are in a race to find the one thing that will decide Vdarra’s, and the world’s, fate – the lost Seal of Solomon. It will mean choosing between innocent lives ...and their hearts.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBookstore | Kobo

Nichole Severn Bio:

Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada where she spent most days at her grandmother’s house watching X-Men, Married with Children and The Simpsons, Nichole Severn migrated to the Salt Lake City valley to live life as scandalous romance author.

She graduated with a degree in psychology from Utah Valley University and resides with her very supportive and patient husband, as well as her terrorist of a toddler, in Sandy, Utah. When she’s not writing, she’s constantly injuring herself running, rock climbing, practicing yoga, and snowboarding.

Website | Email | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

Enter Nichole's giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day Launch Party!! "FALLING FOR JILLIAN" by KRISTEN PROBY! **GIVEAWAY**

We can't wait to share this Release Day Launch for Kristen Proby's FALLING FOR JILLIAN with you! FALLING FOR JILLIAN is an erotic contemporary romance and the third book in the bestselling Love Under the Big Sky Series, published by Pocket Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Check out this amazing book below and grab your copy today!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Booksamillion | Indiebound | iBooks

FALLING FOR JILLIAN Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby comes the third romance in the Love Under the Big Sky series, featuring a veteran struggling with PTSD and the one woman who can help him recover—and learn to love again.

Jillian thought she was a city girl through and through; the fast cars, high fashion, and glamour—she loves it all. But when her ex tells her he’s having a baby with his new wife (after Jillian struggled for years to get pregnant), she hightails it back to Montana to cry on the shoulder of her best friend, Cara.

But in truth, Jillian would rather be comforted by someone else…specifically Zack, Cara’s brother-in-law. Zack is a veteran of the Iraq War who came back to the family ranch to raise his preteen son after the boy’s mother took off. He’s struggling to re-establish a relationship with his son, and warding off the demons of PTSD, which still haunt him. The last thing he needs is bold, brassy Jillian…but why can’t he keep his hands off her?

And don’t forget to read the first book in the Love Under the Big Sky Series… 

LOVING CARA

SEDUCING LAUREN

EXCERPT:

“Okay, plug them in.”

I run to the porch and plug in the lights, then run back into the front yard to see them.

“Oh, they’re so pretty!”

“Thank God they all work,” he says as he tosses the black shoe down to the ground and then moves carefully down to the ladder. “It would be a bitch to have to take them back down.”

“I checked them,” I assure him, and when his foot finally lands safely on the snow and he turns to me, I hit him on the arm. “You shouldn’t have done that! You took ten years off my life!”

I throw my arms around his torso and squeeze him tightly, then back away.

“No, you shouldn’t have been on that ladder. If I catch you on one again, I’ll spank your ass until it glows.”

My jaw drops as I gaze up into his frustrated face. For once in my life, I’m speechless. I scowl as I pull myself together and clench my fists. “You wouldn’t dare . . .”

“Put yourself in danger again and see if I don’t,” he replies calmly and crosses his arms over his chest.

“Did you come here to bully me?”

He sighs and pulls his beanie off his head, pushing his fingers through the messy brown strands. I want to sink my fingers in that thick, dark hair.

“No. I came because you won’t answer your fucking phone so I can apologize for the other night.”

“I don’t want your apology,” I reply and throw the extra lights and staple gun back into the tote and turn away, but he catches my arm and turns me back to him, takes the tote, and sets it down.

“I’m going to give it anyway.” His jaw is firm. “I had no right to kiss you like that in the parking lot for everyone to see.”

I jerk back, mortified. “You’re apologizing for kissing me?”

About Kristen Proby:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.

Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Author Goodreads ** FALLING FOR JILLIAN Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CORA CARMACK'S "INSPIRE" releases TODAY!!

***SPECIAL NOTE!***

 From now until December 20th, INSPIRE will be just $2.99!!

 

We are so incredibly excited to be able to bring you the Release Day Launch for Cora Carmack's INSPIRE! INSPIRE is a New Adult Paranormal Romance novel and the first book in her new Muse Series!! Holy canoli, y'all. Go out and get this today!

 Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes |

Kobo About INSPIRE: Kalliope lives with one purpose. To inspire. As an immortal muse, she doesn’t have any other choice. It’s part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors—they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life— a normal one. She’s spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she’s ready for something real. Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly… he’s not an artist. He doesn’t want her for her ability. But she can’t turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It’s happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal. Her presence may inspire genius. But it breeds madness, too.

  Excerpt: I can feel Wilder’s breath against my lips. More than that, I can see it. The sun has set and the temperature has dropped, and air fogs between us. There’s something about actually seeing it, like our lips are touching, we are touching, despite the distance between. And as we sway from side to side, my heart gradually begins to pick up speed. The strains of guitar music flowing out from the restaurant are nearly indecipherable over the heavy heartbeat in my ears. But Wilder must hear it. His hands are strong on my body, guiding my movements, and I’m practically clay in his palms. We dance, eyes on eyes, lips nearly on lips, and there is lightning beneath my skin each time his body brushes against mine in a new way. His touch is firm, but gentle, never pushing or pressuring, though I can tell from the dark look in his eyes that he’s just as affected as I am. The music shifts, building to a crescendo, and he spins us. My chest pushes tight against his, and I bite back a gasp. I don’t know if it’s the cold or him or some combination of both, but the tips of my breasts are painfully tight. Just the pressure of my bra is enough to rub them raw. I remember the night at his apartment, the way he’d taken his time learning my body. I think of the heat of his mouth on my skin, and the memory alone is enough to make me shiver and clench. He’s back to being business, grown-up Wilder tonight in his button down and glasses. Only now that I know him, it doesn’t seem like such a stark difference. He is neither the straight-laced man nor the tattooed bad boy. Or perhaps he’s both. Regardless of what he’s wearing, Wilder is caring and loyal and strong and so sexy that I’m having trouble remembering why I shouldn’t push him into the backseat of his SUV and crawl on top of him.

About Cora Carmack: Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.        
 

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Author Goodreads ** INSPIRE Goodreads

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Official - I'm going to the Lori Foster Get Together!

YAY! It's official, I will be going to the Annual Reader & Author Get Together this year! Last year was my first time going, and I had so much fun! But I felt like such a silly newbie that I didn't do too much. But this year I plan to live it up and take part as much as possible!

So many authors I love are going, and plenty more that I've heard of and want to start reading. Plus, all the cool swag - it was like Christmas when I went last year, lol. I can't wait! It feels like ages between now and then, *Sigh.*

So I was wondering - is anyone else going? If so, I'd love to meet some of the bloggers that I read everyday! Comment or email me if you're going, and maybe we'll try and meet up doing the get together.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

BLB Tour: GUEST POST by author Jemima Valentino!

Everyone, please help me welcome Jemima Valentino, author of "His Elle!" Novel Addiction is stop number one on Jemima's Book Lovin' Bitches blog tour, so be sure to follow her along the rest of the tour! And check out the links at the bottom to purchase "His Elle!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Writers Curse

Guest post by Jemima Valentino - author of the BDSM erotic novella "His Elle."Recently, I have been captured in the iron grasp of writers block. The curse that strikes every writer, author or blogger at some time in their career (writers block does not discriminate between the professionals and hobbyists), and for some of us it truly seems never ending. This time around it’s been bad enough that I’ve even struggled to write this guest post and have been staring at a blank screen for hours every time I’ve tried to post something requiring a degree of thought to my blog.

“So,” I hear you say, “what do you do when writers block sneaks up on you wielding its knife, still freshly bloodied from its last victim?”


Well, as the old saying goes Feed a cold and starve a fever. For me, I take this as a literal translation and pick up the nearest enemy of our dreaded writer’s curse - words. I read. I have already read four books this month alone. I am not the fastest reader in the pack and anyone who knows me will know that four books in a month must mean that I’m extra hungry. It’s true.

I believe that to lose myself in someone else’s work for a while, whether it be within the same genre as I write, or not, will help to shift something in my brain the words will come again. I’m pretty sure it’s now starting to work as I have managed to write this short rambling post, and also work on the next chapter of my new erotic paranormal romance The House on Hundred Hill.

This month I have soaked up remarkable stories and have discovered some truly exciting authors that I have never heard of before. Kitty Thomas is now a name I will recognise as one of the best BDSM writers I have ever had the good fortune to come across, and on the whim of a recommendation I am also completely addicted to Meredith Gentry and her entourage of sidhe warrior faerie bodyguards, thanks to New York Times best-selling author, Laurell K Hamilton.

Reading so much of late has made me fall in love with books all over again and remember that as a reader I have the ability to become emotionally attached to fictional characters that are materially and physically nothing but words on a page. Hell, if you say that out loud it’s almost enough to get you locked up in a padded cell! Reading has re-inspired me to write. The way I have felt over recent weeks for the characters of Merry Gentry, The Killing Frost, Darkness, Rhys, Emily Vargas and her Master to name but a few, has reminded me that it is exactly what I crave as a writer - to have a reader feel exactly that way about the characters I have created.

Any writer that tries to tell you they don’t need to read the work of another author is the same that will tell you they don’t need an editor. Those are the ones that require the padded cell as either notion is utterly insane.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you so much for stopping by, Jemima!

About "His Elle:"
A creature of beauty and intelligence is a rare breed, especially one who so wantonly offers the submission of her soul to another.



Through a chance meeting at an urgent care clinic, Elle and her Master soon fall unintentionally and desperately in love, embarking on a deeply intense BDSM relationship.


Knowing they must soon part, Elle is pushed further than ever before. Through one final limitless display of submission, expertly guided by her Master, can Elle truly release her fears and give him all of her heart? WARNING: This book is for readers 18+: as a BDSM, Erotic Romance, it contains scenes of a graphic nature, not suitable for minors.

Find Jemima at her blog: Jemima Valentino
Buy "His Elle" at Amazon.com: His Elle - BDSM erotica
Buy it at B&N.com: His Elle, Nookbook
Buy it at Smashwords.com: His Elle by Jemima Valentino

And head HERE to find more info, and watch the book trailer!

Again, a HUGE thanks to Jemima for stopping by, and I hope you all get a chance to check out her book, "His Elle!"

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

Yay book signings!

I'm making it my new goal to get out to more book signings. Especially if it's an author I love. However, this means I need to be a little more on-the-ball, since usually I don't hear about signings until they're already passed. But from now on, dangit, I'm keeping up to date!

I knew when "Maybe This Time" was released, Jennie Crusie would be doing a small book tour, and I knew I just had to go one of those days. So I looked up the schedule, sent it to my mother and aunt (also big Crusie fans), and we all said we're going. Well, time passes.. and while checking Jennie Crusie's blog, I noticed she said something about Cincinnati... OH YEAH THE TOUR! Well, I managed to convince my mom and aunt to go, and we got there just in time to browse the bookstore before getting seated.

And what a talk it was! I always love hearing Crusie speak. Talk about entertaining.. and so funny! And I do so love to hear her talk about her works in progress, and even just how some aspects of her life affect her work. But after the wonderful chat, I got my two books signed, bought two other books (Yay for a YA fiction sale!), and then immediately came home to search for the mysterious book Jennifer Crusie wrote years ago and refuses to say the name (apparently, it was one of her first/her first book, and therefore not as good). I found it... and bought it. ;)

Where was I going with this... OH RIGHT! Book signings. I want to go to more! I wish more of my favorite authors were even semi-local, and therefore more likely to travel this area, but darn it, I'll catch them if they ever come close. I did happen to notice the same bookstore hosting tonight's signing will be hosting six YA fiction authors later this month. Though I'm only familiar with two of them, I definitely want to try checking the rest out.

Have a wonderful Friday! 

Lori Foster Author/Reader Get Together

Well, I had quite the weekend! It all started out on Friday. I worked, then ran home to change, and straight off to a wedding, which was wonderful. Then home that night, only to get up bright an early the next morning to head to the Lori Foster Reader/Author Get Together. This wonderful event happens every year, but this is my first time attending, and I'm so glad I got to go! Tons of authors (75-ish) from the Ohio area come to hang with each other and readers, there are raffles, great meals, some fun parties, and TONS of free swag and books! Not only that, but if you registered in advance (or in some cases, during the presentation before hand), you could get a pitch meeting with an agent or publisher. I even met two ladies who came from Oklahoma to pitch their books.

I was so overwhelmed by everything going on, I didn't even attend any of the lectures/presentations. In fact, I think I spent most of my downtime going through all of the beautiful promotional items.
I know, I know, the quality is terrible - but that's just SOME of what I received. Three of the books were bought, and I won a goody bag in a raffle - I'll get into that a little more in a moment!

Everyone received a goody bag when they signed in - a wonderful, sturdy totebag full of swag, and at least one free book. I went to the get together with my Mother and Aunt - each of them got two free books, but I just got one. But no worries, I ended up buying several books that will keep me busy for a while. Not to mention my already huge TBR shelf! I probably looked crazy carting my bags everywhere.. I already had a purse, my bag with my clothes in it, a laptop bag, and the new tote bag I bought and decorated for authors to sign. And to gain several more bags to carry around? Quite the load to carry, but man was it worth it!

Now on to the raffle and other great prizes. There were well over a hundred raffle prizes, and while I didn't win any - my Mother and Aunt both did. I'm planning to steal the books while they're not looking. Now, there were your regular types of raffle prizes, the kind you'd expect - some with wine and glasses, some with books, a tote bag full of goodies, etc. But there were a few baskets that includes brand new eBook Readers, and the biggest one included a brand new Apple iPad. If I had won, you'd know by now. While I didn't win any of those, I won the raffle Desiree Holt was having at her table.

If you stopped by to visit and chat with you, you received a ticket you wrote your room number on. While resting in the room before dinner, I got the call saying I won! I found her later, after dinner - and what a great prize pack it was! I got a signed book by her, "Cocked and Loaded", some very steamy looking cover copies, a signed Tshirt, and it all came in a Desiree Holt Tells All totebag.

And of course, Barnes and Noble had set up a small "Store" selling books by some of the attending authors. And I believe someone mentioned eBooks were for sale as well. Quite the smart decision on their part, to be included in the event, because they got thirty plus dollars out of me, and I'm sure quite a bit out of everyone else that attended. I picked up "The Taking" by Erin McCarthy, "Ecstasy Unveiled" by Larissa Ione, and "Jared" by Sarah McCarty. And my free book - "The Next Best Thing" by Kristan Higgins. I got both Larissa Ione and Erin McCarthy to sign my tote bag, yay!

I'm so going back next year. And I hope anyone in the Southwestern Ohio area that has yet to hear about this great event will look into going next year. Registration was extremely cheap, and well worth it.

Authors! Books! A general author/book-ish post!

I know, I haven't been around in a long time. But I've got an excuse! I got promoted at work, so that means more hours, and WAY more stuff to learn. But I'm managing. And I have been reading! I'm actually preparing to go to the Lori Foster Reader-Author get together, coming up this weekend. There's going to be 75-ish authors attending, and there's so many I've never heard of!

So what did I decide to do? I picked up some new books, of course! My first find was "Tails of Love" a benefit anthology by several of the attending authors - Lori Foster, Stella Cameron, Kate Angell, Dianne Castell, Ann Christopher, Marcia James, Donna MacMeans, Sarah McCarty, Patricia Sargeant, and Sue-Ellen Welfonder. What's great about this anthology? As I mentioned, it's a benefit anthology, so the author advances all went to an animal shelter. Every story featured an animal of some sort, and the stories were wonderful. There are other benefit anthologies by these authors, I know there's one called "Power of Love" and another "Gift of Love." There may be others, I definitely want to check into them.

Since I'm talking about meeting authors - I got the chance to go to a book signing featuring Holly Black and Sarah Rees Brennan. Except for some very uncomfortable chairs, the signing was great. They were so amusing to listen to, I loved their stories. And they were both kind enough to sign the books I bought, as well as the new canvas tote bag I decided to buy, so I can have authors sign it. I heard about this great idea on a message forum, and I figured it's a great way to get autographs without carting around stacks of books!

And finally.. some exciting news, at least for me. I was browsing the book section at my local Walmart when I came upon... THIS!

What is that, you ask? It's the re-issue of the first two books in Thomas E. Sniegoski's Fallen series!! I have them all, of course, but this makes me want to buy the new versions. This series... oh man, I love them so much. I firmly believe these books changed me. They were wonderful. I heard once they made a miniseries out of them... but I never even wanted to research it, or try and watch it. Nothing will come close to the books.

I think that huge update, at least in part, made up for my lack of reviews and posting. There will definitely be a big post about the festivities of this coming weekend. Eeeek, I'm so excited!

A Book Blogger/Reviewer's Day Out - The authors I met and books I got

Today was a totally awesome day. Why, you may ask? Because my local Barnes and Noble was hosting an author event for Valentine's Day. Plenty of local authors came in to sign books and chat with the attendees. Of course I left with plenty of books (all signed!), tons of swag, and a lot of fun events to look forward to in the near and not-so-near future.

As I'm sure you've noticed, I'm all for promoting local authors, so I'm going to write up whom all I talked to, what sorts of goodies I got, etc etc etc.

Let's start with the books I got, shall we? Maybe doing this all orderly-like will make sure I don't forget anyone.
- "He's No Prince Charming" by LuAnn McLane. I've heard of this author before, and always wanted to pick up one of her books. This is why going to local author events is so wonderful - I didn't even know she was local! I didn't get to talk to her much, unfortunately, but hopefully she will be at another event soon.
- "The Seduction of a Duke" by Donna MacMeans. Unfortunately, I didn't get to talk to her much either, but my mother did. It was another author (Heather Webber) that commented on how there are several authors that have their own little ritual they go through when signing a book, whether they have certain phrases they use, or what. Donna MacMeans has created quite the task for herself each time she signs! Not only did she autograph the book, she stamped it with a rubber stamp, put two swaggy bookmarks in it, and added a peacock feather as well.
- "Truly, Madly" by Heather Webber. I got a chance to review this book several weeks ago, and as you may or may not remember - I loved it! It was nice to meet her again, as well as get her to sign my ARC of her book. She actually did another B&N signing the week before, which I had wanted to go to, but I learned about it a bit late, but at least I managed to get out to see her today. And she was extremely appreciative of everyone that stopped by to see her. And if I may add, she also said she enjoyed reading my reviews, adding that they were honest and fair. *Big grin!*
- "Taming the Beast" by Heather Grothaus. Another author I hadn't heard of before, but I'm definitely excited to read this.. whew, quite the cover. I didn't get to talk to her much, but she was very nice and friendly, which is always wonderful.
- "Naughty Bits - An Anthology of Short Erotic Fiction" by various authors, but signed by Alison Paige. My aunt actually picked this book up and got it signed, which makes me a little awkward. I'm not sure I want my aunt reading this! Haha. And I believe it was Alison Paige who said that her own mother doesn't read the stories. She buys the books, tells everyone that her daughter is an author, but doesn't read them due to the content, which I find amusing.
- "Back in Black" by Lori Foster. The last (but not least!) of the authors whose book I bought and had signed. Lori Foster was extremely nice to talk to, telling me about the event she organizes each year in June, where authors, readers, agents, and publishers get together to talk and enjoy themselves. This year, she said there will be an author (Erin McCarthy) DJing an event, as well as a pirate themed dance. I'm really hoping to get to go to that.

Now on to other authors I talked to, got some swag, etc.
- Shelley Shepard Gray - I actually have met this author before as well, when I met Heather Webber for the first time, at my local library for a Valentine's Day event. I got some swag from Shelley Shepard Gray, a little calendar, some pens, and got to speak to her for a few moments.
- Kay Stockham - I got to talk to this author for a little while as well, talking about reviewing, becoming an author (because that is my ultimate goal), as well as other local events that a budding writer/a reviewer/just a reader can go to.
- Elysa Hendricks - I didn't get to talk to this author at all, really, but she came out to meet readers and sign books, so she certainly deserves to get some free publicity! I was looking at her book "The Sword and the Pen" and I might have to check that out, it looked really good.
- Susan Crandall - I believe my aunt talked to this author far more than I did, but her book "Sleep No More" is already sold out, and it was released in January of this year! I really hope to get my hands on a copy of this in the near future, it looks really good.
- Marcia James - I got to talk to Marcia James for a little while about some of her recently published works, two of which were for charities. The proceeds from one anthology went to a (fairly) local no-kill animal shelter, and unfortunately I don't remember the other charity, but I certainly commend her for her aide! She mentioned the story she wrote was rated G, but she usually wrote stories with an R rating. I made sure to ask if it was difficult writing something G-rated since it wasn't what she normally did, and she replied "Oh yes! I wanted them to do a lot more!" I'm sure I would too. I really hope to find more written by her, as well.

Whew! Talk about a full day. I wish I could have stayed a little longer and talked to a few more people, but I feel so lucky for getting to meet everyone that I did. I'll admit it, I get all fan-girlly when I get to meet authors, even ones I haven't read anything by before. Maybe some day I'll grow out of that phase, but it's highly unlikely!

Please, check out these authors! I'll be sure to post reviews of any and all of these books that I read. And I hope to let everyone know whenever these authors have new releases. It's great to have so much local talent!

As always, Happy Reader!
~!~ Morning Glow