She’s a Lady
Ok it’s official I’m pooped. After Book Expo, dinners out, the subway, walks around the city and The Strand (18 miles of books, yo) I then went to Lady Jane’s Salon last night. How could I resist?
The first readers were Diane Gaston and Amanda McCabe (my weekend hang out buddies) reading from The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor anthology. They were both charming and funny. Totally entertaining the packed house.
Also reading were New York Times Best Selling author of over 70, yes, I said 70 books Wendy Corsi Staub. It’s always fun to chat with Wendy. She had the room on the edge of their seats.
The evening finished with New York Times Bestseller paranormal author Marjorie M Liu. It was Marjorie’s first reading and she was fabulous! What a voice and what a talent.
It was great seeing all of you at Lady Jane’s last night. If you didn’t make it the next one is July 6th. Please come on out and support romance and have a fun night.Wish I could now sleep the day away but duty calls. Gotta get to work and the real world. There’s a house that has been neglected and then I have some writing to do. That’s what I do right?
Wendy, Marjorie, Diane and Amanda(sorry about my bad crackberry lighting Amanda)
Oh, before I go please check out Barbara Vey’s PW Blog today. Barbara did one of her Drive By Videos and I’m so scared I’ll be on it. It was fun seeing you again Barbara!
Also check out Romance Novel TV Maria and Marisa were in the house covering Lady Jane’s. Two wonderful and friendly ladies.
These cool industry blogs will give you much better coverage than mine.
Hope you have a great day!
Best,
Kwana
Books Galore
What’s Jack up to? This morning Jack has all the energy I don’t. He’s up bright and early doing his shoving on the bed thing, making sure we’re all up and doing what we have to on this Monday morning. Specifically, taking him out and getting him food. Good job, Jack.
Well this weekend had the great opportunity to attend my first Book Expo America at the Javits Center. It was massive, overwhelming and so much fun.I sent out a Tweet that I was on the way and checked out who else would be there since I knew I would be lost. The fist person I found was Katie from Babbling About Books over by the grand landmark of the giant Clifford The Big Red Dog. It was like meeting a long lost friend.
Here are Kate and Leanna Renee Heiber over at the Harlequin booth.
I had so much fun running with Stacy, Kris, Marissa and Maria and grabbing books galore. My shoulders my never recover. There were my many books being given away. Tons of YA. My children, DD especially are very happy.
Here is Gena Showalter signing her newest YA Intertwined.
Check out the signing of The Diamonds of Welboure Manor with Diane Gaston andAmanda McCabe. Shout out to Deb who could not be there.
Speaking of Diane and Amanda, how much do I love them? I crashed with them most of the weekend. Parking my books at their hotel before going out for drinks in Soho. Then meeting then on Sunday to head to The Strand for more book and some history and then dinner with the PIC. Thanks guys!!
Drinks in Soho organized by the lovely Elizabeth Mahon. Here is Elizabeth with Dianeand Amanda.
And me, Diane, Fab author and friend Hope Tarr and Amanda.
Also hanging with us: The Fabulous authors Jennifer St. Giles, Jacquie D’Alessandroand Wendy Etherington. We had the best time with the ladies.
Check out Jacquie’s Christian Lacroix’s shoes. Hot!
It was such a fun weekend. I’ll have more later in the week and tonight is Lady Jane’s Salon at Madam X where Diane and Amanda will be reading along with Wendy Corsi Staub and Marjorie M Liu. If you’re in town stop on by. Details here.
Shout out to the DH for all the rides and holding down the fort while I had fun and learned a lot from my writer friends. H09!
Best,
KwanaDid I Really Need To Know This?
What’s Jack up to? Just look. Is this dog spoiled or what? Ugh with the DH I can’t do a thing with him.
Check this out Audible.com now has a feature where you can download audio book right to your Crackberry. Did I really need to know this? Not really. You know how crazy I am for my books and my Crackberry, so to combine the two. Yowza! Mindblowing.
I’m such a book head but lately with all my editing and my family stuff I’ve been having the hardest time getting through a book. Even falling asleep in the bath during my beloved reading time late at night. It’s so frustrating.I have been enjoying The Lace Reader, my book club book, on audio though. My library has the coolest my thing. This great little audio pod called Playaway that contains one book that you can grab and go. So cute and handy. I just grab it on my way out the door with Jack for our walks. You supply your own headphones.
So how do you fit in your reading time?
Best,
KwanaGirl’s Night Out-Literary Edition
Tonight is book group or book/wine/dinner group. Well, to be honest it’s mom’s night out with a book to give it legitimacy.
New restaurant tonight, Persian and BYOB. Fun! PVE is the designated driver. Loves her!
We’ve all finished THE TEN YEAR NAP and I can’t wait to get into the discussion and see who thought what of this book about mothers going through life’s adversities. I’ve got my thoughts. But, don’t I always?
The new selection is THE LACE READER by Brunonia Barry. I’ve decided to “read” this one on audio book during walks with Jack since the weather is getting better and my TBR (to be read) pile is tipping over and full of great romances that I’m excited to read.Here is the trailer:
What are you currently reading?Best,
KwanaP.S. I made an error! Part 2 of the NYC Housewives reunion is tonight. I’m setting my DVR are you watching?
I’m Beyond Heaving
I love Romance Books! No big secret to my regular readers there. So last night I was thrilled to attend the 3rd Lady Jane’s Salon. Check out the site here. The only Literary Reading Series in New York devoted to the romance genre. Last night’s readers were: Alisa Sheckley aka Alisa Kwitney (and my new friend) reading from her book The Better To Hold You.
Also reading was one of the founders of Lady Jane, Maya Rodale along with her Delightful boyfriend with the devilish accent from her book The Rogue and the Rival. What a sweet pair they are.The Salon was co-hosted by the fabulous Sarah Wendell from Smart Bitches Trashy Books, check it out here and she brought down the house reading from her and co author Candy Tan’s soon to be released book Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide To Romance Novels.
I was lucky enough to snag a copy for my very own. With Chapters entitled:
Cleavage, Corset, Codpiece and Love Grotto the book will not disappoint.Here is the synopsis:The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name…We do it in the dark. Under the sheets. With a penlight. We wear sunglasses and a baseball hat at the bookstore. We have a “special place” where we store them. Let’s face it: Not many folks are willing to publicly admit they love romance novels. Meanwhile, romance continues to be the bestselling fiction genre. Ever. So what’s with all the shame?
Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan — the creators of the wildly popular blog Smart Bitches, Trashy Books — have no shame! They look at the good, the bad, and the ugly in the world of romance novels and tackle the hard issues and questions:
— The heroine’s irresistible Magic Hoo Hoo and the hero’s untamable Wang of Mighty Lovin’
— Sexual trends. Simultaneous orgasms. Hymens. And is anal really the new oral?
— Romance novel cover requirements: man titty, camel toe, flowers, long hair, animals, and the O-face
— Are romance novels really candy-coated porn or vehicles by which we understand our sexual and gender politics?
With insider advice for writing romances, fun games to discover your inner Viking warrior, and interviews with famous romance authors, Beyond Heaving Bosoms shows that while some romance novels are silly — maybe even tawdry — they can also be intelligent, savvy, feminist, and fabulous, just like their readers!It does look at the bad and the ugly of the romance and celebrates it and its very smart readers for the powerhouse that it and we are!
Kwana and Sarah at Lady Jane’sFunnily enough on the drive from to the city I was listening to Whatever the radio talk show on the Martha Stewart channel and the talk was about a woman losing intimate interest in her husband after being with him for 10 years. A therapist came on and her easy suggestion was to read romance. Seriously hot romance. Because as we all know with women it all start in the head before action moves to other parts of the body. I’m just saying.
Order Beyond Heaving Bosoms then and pick up a good romance today. You won’t be sorry.Best,
KwanaClubbing It
Happy April Fool’s Day. I hope yours is a quiet one and any jokes played are indeed playful.
In honor of April Fool’s Day I’m joining in with other bloggers for a worthy cause: April Food Day. Bloggers getting together for very worthy cause. I don’t have to tell you my friends what’s going on. Times are tougher than ever.
People who never had a worry before are now turning to food banks for help and finding that the shelves are bare. There is not enough food being donated to meet the sudden rise in demand.
Every dollar contributed provides seven meals or 10 pounds of food. A gift of $25 provides 75 meals. If you’d like to make a donation to Feeding America (formally second harvest) click here. You can make a difference today.
Now without any appropriate transition except to say I am truly blessed, last night I attended our first meeting of our newly formed book/social club. Now I think we’ve come up with just the right way of how to handle a book club unlike some of the clubs from this NYT article I blogged about here. We decided to make the club not too heavy, but lighter, more low key by not having anyone host. Instead we choose a restaurant to go out to and have some eats and drinks and lots of chat ‘bout. How can you not have a good time with that? 
Our first selection was: Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home by Kim Sunee.It was a good first book full of emotion, colorful imagery and amazing food. A feast for the senses. The book sparked a lively discussion that had us chatting well past our food, drinks and later our coffee. Or maybe we just were not in a rush to get home to our kids and husbands. Hmm…
We’re now busy thinking of what the next book will be. I can’t wait.Do any of you belong to a book club?I never thought I would, but with this combo of easygoing friends and a nice night out I’m having loads of fun.Best,
KwanaLucky Surprise
What’s Jack up to? Jack’s Chilling. Working on his coolness. As if he need work. Ha!
I’m a winner!And I’m really shocked about it since I entered the Save The Contemporary contest with my usual thought of, “well you’re not winning that.” I know, I’m an eternal optimist. I even went over to one of my favorite blogs Ramblings on Romance and saw that Kristie did not win and made a premature comment that I didn’t win either. So Embarrassing when I went to Smart Bitches Trashy Books a moment later to find that I did win a copy of the new Lisa Kleypas book Smooth Talking Stranger. Now all my usual blog readers know what a big Kleypas fan I am of both her contemporaries and her historicals. I can’t wait to get my hand on this next installment in the Travis family saga. Fun, Fun Fun!Here’s a synopsis:
Jack Travis leads the uncomplicated life of a millionaire Texas playboy. He makes no commitments, he loves many women, he lives for pleasure. But no one has ever truly touched his heart or soul. Until one day, a woman appears on his doorstep with fury on her face and a baby in her arms. It seems Jack is the father and this woman is the baby’s aunt. The real mother has abandoned the child to her more responsible sister. And now, Jack is being called upon to take responsibility for the first time in his life. With delicious romantic tension, characters so real they walk onto the page and into your heart, Lisa Kleypas delivers the kind of novel that makes you laugh, love; cry and cheer.Don’t you just love an unexpected surprise? I hope you get a good one today.
Best,
KwanaAnd the Award Goes to…
What’s Jack up to? Wild boy is having a fun time lately perched up high on the couch looking out the window barking at the world. He’s still not thrilled with me not taking him out as often or as long as he would like this past week but he’s been pulling a bit too much lately and the back can’t deal. I told you before Jack graduated from obedience training under ‘the no child left behind act’. But really, all is pretty good in Jack’s world.
Yesterday the nominations for RWA’s Rita and Golden Heart awards came out which is essentially the Oscars for romance books. Twitter was all a twitter and the message boards were on fire with congratulations all around. I’d like to say congrats too all the nominees.
I can feel my TBR (to be read) pile growing at this very moment.Here is the list of nominees for Contemporary Single Title Romance
No Good Girls by Jean Marie PiersonNot Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson
Out of Time by Samantha GravesSnowfall at Willow Lake by Susan WiggsSweet Talk by Susan MalleryTall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane GravesTwenty Wishes by Debbie MacomberYour Roots Are Showing by Elise ChidleyKwana sidebar: Lisa Kleypas’ Blue Eyed Devil so should have been on this list. It’s my blog and I’ll say what I want to.Now here is the list for Historical Romance
Duchess by Night by Eloisa James
In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine HeathPrivate Arrangements by Sherry ThomasSeduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa KleypasThe Edge of Impropriety by Pam RosenthalThe Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna BourneTo Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth HoytWhere the Heart Leads by Stephanie LaurensI don’t even know which way to turn here with so many of my faves on the list. Hello. Kleypas, Hoyt, James. Sigh. And the others I have not read yet but have heard very good things. So many books so little time.
These are just two categories to get the full list you can go to the RWA site here. I like to give a big shout out Jessica Anderson, Yay! Gena Showalter and Roxanne St. Claire for their well de
served nominations. What a day!
If you haven’t already, please check out some of these wonderful authors.
Best,
KwanaCRASH INTO ME- Why Don’t Cha?
What’s Jack Up to? You know Jack, being as silly as ever. Last night he starts barking his head off, just about waking up the whole neighborhood. I was watching Make Me A Super Model with Tyson Beckford and “Ding-Dong” the doorbell rings on the TV. Jack just loses his mind at that sound thinking it’s our door late at night. We could not convince him it wasn’t for about 10 minutes. Thanks Tyson. BTW I’m really enjoying that show this season. Anyone else?
A while back I was over at Carolyn Jean’s blog A Trillionth Page, you can check it out here ,and was lucky enough to win a copy of Jill Sorenson’s Super Sexy thriller CRASH INTO ME. Love a lucky blog day!
About a week later I got a lovely signed copy from Jill. Yay! Jill does a wonderful job writing strong, but very sexy characters while still making them vulnerable. You are instantly engaged with her flawed characters and kept on the edge of your seat with both the suspenseful thriller and the sexy romance. I’m talking Hot!
Here’s the blurb from Publishers Weekly:
From Publishers Weekly: Sorenson (Dangerous to Touch) sends tough, emotionally withdrawn FBI agent Sonora Sonny Vasquez to a small California town to investigate a series of murders in this high-tension romantic thriller. The prime suspect is famed pro surfer Ben Fortune, who lives with his emotionally damaged teenage daughter, Carly. When Sonny saves Carly from a possible suicide attempt, she meets Ben, and sparks ignite. As Sonny struggles to keep her distance, other suspects emerge: Carly’s troubled friend James, his monstrous father and his strange older brother. The tension revs as more corpses and clues seem to point back to Ben, culminating in a page-turning climax as the killer is finally unmasked. Despite the mystery, the real energy comes from the emotional relationships full of explosive sex and terrible secrets.
Thanks so much Jill and CJ!
You can learn more about Jill Sorenson and her exciting new works at her website here.
BTW? Have you read any good thrillers lately? Do you read thrillers?
Best,
KwanaSophomoric Reading
Thankfully Mr. Electric came by with his silent partner and saved the day. Fixing the faulty plug and quickly pointing out that we had a potential fire hazard in the ancient wiring. Whew. Just call me grateful.
To celebrate I took the kids to the not so free movie night to see Coraline. Yep, they were the oldest kids in the movie and the DS made a good show of protesting, saying he wanted to see Friday the 13th, but admitted to enjoying it all the same. The DD liked it plenty since Coraline was one of her favorite books a few years back and she was actually looking forward to seeing the movie. Especially since she has a creepy painted over crawl space in the back of her closet that we have never been able to open. It’s all very Coraline. Before the movie the Dear Twins and I went to Barnes and Nobel they both had to pick up books for literary circles they are in for their English classes.Check out what counts for 10 grade reading these days:
This is what the DS is reading. The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
Synopsis
Each morning, Bhima, a domestic servant in contemporary Bombay, leaves her own small shanty in the slums to tend to another woman’s house. In Sera Dubash’s home, Bhima scrubs the floors of a house in which she remains an outsider. She cleans furniture she is not permitted to sit on. She washes glasses from which she is not allowed to drink. Yet despite being separated from each other by blood and class, she and Sera find themselves bound by gender and shared life experiences.
Sera is an upper-middle-class Parsi housewife whose opulent surroundings hide the shame and disappointment of her abusive marriage. A widow, she devotes herself to her family, spending much of her time caring for her pregnant daughter, Dinaz, a kindhearted, educated professional, and her charming and successful son-in-law, Viraf.
Bhima, a stoic illiterate hardened by a life of despair and loss, has worked in the Dubash household for more than twenty years. Cursed by fate, she sacrifices all for her beautiful, headstrong granddaughter, Maya, a university student whose education — paid for by Sera — will enable them to escape the slums. But when an unwed Maya becomes pregnant by a man whose identity she refuses to reveal, Bhima’s dreams of a better life for her granddaughter, as well as for herself, may be shattered forever.
Poignant and compelling, evocative and unforgettable, The Space Between Us is an intimate portrait of a distant yet familiar world. Set in modern-day India and witnessed through two compelling and achingly real women, the novel shows how the lives of the rich and the poor are intrinsically connected yet vastly removed from each other, and vividly captures how the bonds of womanhood are pitted against the divisions of class and culture.And here is t
he DD’s is Prisoner of Tehran by Marina NematSynopsis
What would you give up to protect your loved ones? Your life?
In her heartbreaking, triumphant, and elegantly written memoir, Prisoner of Tehran, Marina Nemat tells the heart-pounding story of her life as a young girl in Iran during the early days of Ayatollah Khomeini’s brutal Islamic Revolution.
In January 1982, Marina Nemat, then just sixteen years old, was arrested, tortured, and sentenced to death for political crimes. Until then, her life in Tehran had centered around school, summer parties at the lake, and her crush on Andre, the young man she had met at church. But when math and history were subordinated to the study of the Koran and political propaganda, Marina protested. Her teacher replied, “If you don’t like it, leave.” She did, and, to her surprise, other students followed.
Soon she was arrested with hundreds of other youths who had dared to speak out, and they were taken to the notorious Evin prison in Tehran. Two guards interrogated her. One beat her into unconsciousness; the other, Ali, fell in love with her.
Sentenced to death for refusing to give up the names of her friends, she was minutes from being executed when Ali, using his family connections to Ayatollah Khomeini, plucked her from the firing squad and had her sentence reduced to life in prison. But he exacted a shocking price for saving her life — with a dizzying combination of terror and tenderness, he asked her to marry him and abandon her Christian faith for Islam. If she didn’t, he would see to it that her family was harmed. She spent the next two years as a prisoner of the state, and of the man who held her life, and her family’s lives, in his hands.
Lyrical, passionate, and suffused throughout with grace and sensitivity, Marina Nemat’s memoir is like no other. Her search for emotional redemption envelops her jailers, her husband and his family, and the country of her birth — each of whom she grants the greatest gift of all: forgiveness.
Both look delicious and I want dive into them too. I think I will.Best,
Kwana
