TBR Yeah I’ve fallen…
So I noticed with getting the twins off to college and getting into this new empty nester life and all I kind of fell off the wagon
with reading and Wendy the Super Liberian’s TBR challenge. But I have read a bit and though this month was paranormal was the suggestion I have been reading (a first for me) sci-fi romance from Ms. Ann Aguirre. I was pulled in through the twitter world to give her Sirantha Jax Series a try and I’m so glad I did. So far I’ve read the first 2 books Grimspace and Wanderlust. I now have to get on board with the next 3 (I’m reading slow compared to my twitter friends). I have to say I’m loving this new genre for me though. It was fun to step out of my comfort zone and go into a totally new world and time dimension something I’d normally never do.
Have you read out of your comfort zone lately?
Best,
Kwana
And I Think I Know A Lot…
Well not as much as I’d like, but hey enough to make me reasonably stable and all. What am I talking about? Why it’s LOVE. And my Fresh Meat talk over at Heroes and Heartbreakers about the new book by Sarah Wendell: EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE I LEARNED FROM ROMANCE NOVELS. It’s such a good book and I think romance and especially you romance skeptics should check it out.
So head on over to Heroes and Heartbreakers to see what I have to say on this subject. Go here. Thanks!
Best,
Kwana
Random Reading and a giveaway!
Hi Folks I’ve packed up my wares and for the day I’m guest posting over at Romance at Random.
I’m over there talking about my eclectic Summer reading. Pop on over, join the convo and share what you’re reading. There’s a cool giveaway that-a-way too!
Thanks. Happy Sunday!
Best,
KwanaImage fm here
Anxious Shoulders…TBR
It’s been a while since I went on a little reading binge but my historical romance mini-binge this month all started with When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James for Wendy the Super Librarian’s TBR challenge. This month’s theme was Fairy Tales so this book fit perfectly:Here’s a little blub thanks to B & N:
Miss Linnet Berry Thrynne is a Beauty . . . Naturally, she’s betrothed to a Beast.
Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, lives in a castle in Wales where, it is rumored, his bad temper flays everyone he crosses. And rumor also has it that a wound has left the earl immune to the charms of any woman.
Linnet is not just any woman.
She is more than merely lovely: her wit and charm brought a prince to his knees. She estimates the earl will fall madly in love—in just two weeks.
Yet Linnet has no idea of the danger posed to her own heart by a man who may never love her in return.
If she decides to be very wicked indeed . . . what price will she pay for taming his wild heart?
But really it was Beauty and the Beast meets House.
What I loved about this was Eloisa’s hilarious and so very smart turn of phrase in such ridiculous situations. Poor Linnet, due to an unfortunate choice of high wiasted dress one evening (haven’t we all been there) and being spurned by a quite caddish prince now has the ton thinking she’s pregnant and of course if they think it, well then, it must be true. So now this beauty has to get some poor, but rich (of course), schmuck to agree to be her husband. And who does she choose? Only the smartest, most perceptive, most cantankerous, doctor in all of Wales. Ahoy, I see troble ahead!
She had me cracking up with this one right out the gate with this one.
Really with lines like:
“The shoulders are a trifle anxious. You mustn’t seem anxious. You are offering to save the man’s line after all.”
How could you not love her?
Best,
Kwana
I So Need…
Ok So Enough Of That…
This weekend I did nothing but lounge about and read with increments of eating bbq thrown in just to keep my lounge strength up (a girl had to stay strong mind you). But today marks the start of a new week and it seems after Nationals a new outlook on work.
RWA Nationals is always renewing to a writer like that and for me this year it particularly is with the twins leaving for college. Time to get that old grind on with a renewed spirit. But before I get started here are a few more pics from Nationals. Hope you have a wonderful week.
Here I am at Juniors enjoying a Cheesecake meet and greet with team Heroes and Heartbreakers meeting some of the other team bloggers for the first time.
Me and my friend author Jax Cassidy. Jax had me all over Times Square taking new author photos of me. Yeah, Uh, ANTM I am not.
Enjoying an Italian tourist meal with Maureen McGowan and Stephanie Doyle. We were starving and had energy to only step outside the Marriott for the meal. It was good though. Check them out on their great blog Drunk Writer Talk.
Harlan Coben and Lisa Jackson talk. So much fun and inspirational.
Finally mypushed to the limit H & H bag and my handbag wiped out in the Atrium lounge.
Best,
Kwana
Blink blink
Yawn. Stretch. Oh sorry that’s just me trying to wake myself up after an exhilarating and a completely exhausting week at RWA Nationals.
Spent a good deal of yesterday trying to organize all the books I got at author signings. Really if you were there and you call yourself my friend, you should have stopped me. A small hand slap would have done it.
But as usual I was all caught up in the frenzy of it all and just about lost my mind along with thousands of other’s at The Times Square Marriott hoping to get an autograph from their favorite author.
Here I am being all fan girl with Lisa Kleypas
And with Suzanne Brockmann
And check out my friend Maureen McGowan signing her debut YA books!
Look it’s Gwen Hayes signing Falling Under!
And this year’s Regency Historical Regency winner Lauren Willig!
What a great signing year. More to come on RWA Nationals soon.
Best,
Kwana
This is How You Do it…BEA Style
So here I am a little late but sharing my ridiculously greedy Book Expo haul.
Yeah, I went a little crazy.
Happy Friday!
Best,
Kwana
Looking for a Cowboy- TBR Challenge
So this month I didn’t bail on Super Wendy’s TBR Challenge (although I still have to finish my book club book) and I hunkered down and yesterday got in my required TBR challenge reading. This month the suggested genre was western so I chose Westmoreland’s Way by Brenda Jackson.
Now this city girl thought it fit the bill. See there was a guy on the cover who looked like he was maybe going to the opera or something and had inconveniently forgotten his shirt (don’t you hate when that happens?) but thank goodness like a good cowboy he didn’t forget his Stetson. So I saw Stetson and thought Cowboy. Oops.
Well, as it turns out he was not quite a cowboy at all but a bit time billionaire real estate developer (hmm wonder if he’ll be running for president) from Denver who is a little bit country and looking to find out the mystery of his great-grandfather when he happens upon “The most beautiful woman he’s ever seen” who sadly is engaged to someone else. Bummer that. But of course our studly billionaire would never let something like a woman being almost married stop him. Why because he’s a Westmoreland. You read the book you’ll here they are their own breed and that should explain enough.
There was nice chemistry between Pam and Dillon right from the start and it was made clear from the beginning that he was the man to root for and there was something fishy to that scoundrel of a fiancé of Pam’s. I did notice that there was lots of foreshadowing of things to come in the story so you knew the road before making the turn but even with that it was still an entertaining read. And in true Desire form there were some steamy love scenes to keep the pages heated.
I say for a fun and quick read give it a go.
Best,
Kwana
Simply Irresistible- Another TBR Bites the Dust!
Oh my goodness it’s amazing to me how fast this month has gone. I mean really I can’t believe it’s been a month since my 1st Super Wendy TBR post. Oh well this month Wendy challenged us with the theme: Ugly Ducklings. She said it could run from Plain Jane heroines to scarred heroes. Well I had trouble finding either and I really wanted to read the book I read so I was very happy that Wendy has loose rules with her challenge. So Yay!
I read Simply Irresistibleby Jill Shilvas. Here is a little about the book from PW: Maddie Moore meets the man of her dreams, but must fight her inner demons to make it work. Maddie, straight out of an abusive relationship and unemployed, is trying to change “from mouse to tough girl.” When she arrives at Lucky Harbor, Wash., to reunite with her two half-sisters and inspect the dilapidated inn inherited from their mother, Maddie nearly runs a handsome stranger off the road. Jax Cullen is the town’s mayor, a master carpenter, and a passionate lover. He’s willing to give Maddie everything if she can overcome her fear of men and vulnerability.
This book had been recommended to me by twitter friend Belle from Hanging with Bells who loved it. And when I mentioned that I was reading it lots of people chimed in that they were fans loving Jill and that they were mad for the hero Jax. Many saying that Jax was the perfect man.
I have to admit the book started off a little shaky for me, my main problem being Jax that so many loved so much. He was so perfect riding in on his motorcycle, all dark and windblown, but not a hair out of place and I like my men a little more flawed and brooding. He seemed to know instinctively so much about the broken and inwardly scarred heroine, just want she needed and wanted even if she did not and I was a bit put off by that. It took a while and me learning that Jax himself was not perfect for the book to win me over. But I’m not ashamed to say, the seriously hot love scenes which showed a completely different side of Jax didn’t hurt this one bit. LOL. Also Ms. Shilvas’ writing was smooth and beautiful and I can’t fault that one bit.
I also really liked Maddie. I enjoyed seeing her grow and find her voice. I thought she was a sweet heroine that you could get behind and root for. The secondary characters of her sisters were fun too and I thought they added to the story and I want to read about them finding their Happily Ever Afters now. All that said I will be picking up another Jill book for sure.
Thanks to Super Wendy, Bells and Jill!
Best,
Kwana
