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American Title III Winning Book Is Out Now
It Was a Dark and Gloomy Night
  Everyone has heard of beach reads, but what about winter reads? Even here in Texas we get cold nights, blustery days and overcast skies. Not many homes here have working fireplaces, but curling up with a book still sounds awfully good when it's icky outside. So, I have put together a bit of weather-appropriate guide for book lovers. Feel free to make your suggestions in the comments below! -- On those overcast days when it feels like the winds are going to blow right through your many layers of clothes, a classic novel hits the spot. You can go for an obvious choice like WUTHERING HEIGHTS, with its classic descriptions of the moors. A tale of love and revenge like THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is also appropriate for dark and dreary days.   -- Snowed in with a loved one? A long romance like any one of Bertrice Small's books can put you in relaxed and loving mood. Snowed in and alone? A classic romance like FOREVER AMBER can keep you entertained for hours. -- Not afraid of the dark? Scary novels like THE TOMMYKNOCKERS or HIDEAWAY will take your mind off the clouds in the sky.   -- A cool and breezy day is just right for chick lit. Try JEMIMA J by Jane Green or the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. Beachy reads are just as much fun during the winter as they are when surrounded by sand and surf.   -- In the mood for education and entertainment? Then it's a good time for historical fiction like THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH by Ken Follett, which takes place in England during the 12th century and features a wonderful story set against the backdrop of the building of a cathedral. Or, if you like nonfiction, try a biography like LIFE AND DEATH IN SHANGHAI by Nien Cheng. Her story is a beautifully written tale of a woman's life and imprisonment during Mao's regime in Communist China.   Nicole
Romance in the Real World
Reading lots of fiction can take its toll on living in the real world. Anyone who knows a mystery buff will tell you that they are often slightly paranoid and always looking for clues. Or a historical fiction nut might often use archaic terms that startle other, more modern readers. Same goes for romance readers. For many romance readers, this genre presents its own set of difficulties. For instance, you might have the reader who expects the real world to be just like the books she reads. She can't understand why the man doesn't present flowers at the earliest opportunity, why the conflicts that arise are not especially sweet or romantic, and why, when she does sleep with the guy, it's not all fireworks and poetry. Other romance readers get inspired by romance novels, but fictional acts of love don't always translate well into regular life. She might want to write little love notes for her man to find, but when they don't get found or they don't elicit the response she has read about, she is disappointed. Or, she sets up a romantic evening to fulfill some wild scene she read in a book, but he comes home wanting only dinner and peace. On the one hand, reading romance can often keep the hope alive. You can settle into a fictional world where things work out in the end and come away from it believing that it's possible that life will work out, too. Reading scenes of star-crossed lovers can make you appreciate that your relationship doesn't have to overcome such hairy obstacles. Hot sex scenes can spark up the imagination and make a comfortable sex life catch fire. Reading is like any other activity - you take from it what you can and leave the rest. Remembering that life is far more rich and full of texture than any book can make it easy to live in the real world. Nicole
American Title: Vote on Best Dialogue Scene
American Title Writing Competition: Find out who got eliminated in round three (Story Summary) and make sure to cast your vote for the Best Dialogue Scene. Thank you! Natalie Web Manager
Third Time Around
I recently read IRON KISSED by Patricia Briggs, the third book in her Mercy series. I have read some of her fantasy, too, but this paranormal series is one of my favorites. I was anxiously checking my mail for the Amazon.com package that contained it (as well as KITTY AND THE SILVER BULLET by Carrie Vaughn and MY BIG FAT SUPERNATURAL HONEYMOON, sequel to the MY BIG FAT SUPERNATURAL WEDDING collection). I loved the book, especially because the character finally resolves which man she is in love with. No, I won't give it away, but I will say that I was happy with the way it was handled. Love triangles are never easy to resolve in fiction (as in real life, I suppose). But this one was handled pretty gracefully, involving elements of the werewolf mythology as well as straight-up human motivations. The action was pretty good, if convoluted for having so many characters. As with any series with continuing arcs, you end up with a lot of different names and events associated with them. Sometimes it's hard to keep it all straight. This is part of why I keep so many of my books - if it's part of a series, I nearly always end up rereading at least the previous book, if not all the of the previous ones. Such is the case with SUCCUBUS ON TOP. I am only a few pages in, but I am feeling like maybe I need to do a quick re-read of the first book, SUCCUBUS BLUES, because I am feeling a bit lost. But I love Richelle Mead and re-reading her first book is not a chore. So many books to look forward to this year. Kim Harrison, Sandra Hill, Rachel Caine, Lauren Willig, Pat Simmons - all have new books coming out this year. So far, I am off to a great start with my reading. How about you? Read any good books so far? If so, let me know in the comments. Nicole
A Classical Romance
I decided the other day to reread ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. I loved it as a kid and wanted to recapture that happiness. I had tried to read it a few years ago, but this time I had better luck and thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, I bought the rest of the books in the series because I wanted to follow the romance between Anne and Gilbert, her childhood enemy-turned-friend.  It turns out the rest of the books do continue the romance, albeit, at a slower pace than I expected. It takes a couple of books, but eventually the relationship blossoms. What intrigued me was that the last book takes place later in their marriage, when the bloom begins to fade, and Anne attempts to make her husband fall in love all over again. These books were written long ago and were written for teenage girls, but the story is still just relevant. It got me thinking about how much romance factors into everything, especially in the classics. I am a huge Dumas fan, and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is a beautiful, tragic love story. Even the series beginning with THE THREE MUSKETEERS features romances galore. In fact, it's hard to think of any classic that doesn't feature love and romance in some form or another.  Here's hoping there's love and romance in the coming year! Nicole
Happy New Year... What's Next?
This is the time of year when it's hard not to think about the past year and what's up next. 2007 was interesting for me and books played a huge role in that. I read a couple hundred books including several series that I really enjoyed. I went to my first Romantic Times BOOKLOVERS Convention and met so many wonderful people that I am heading to the next one in April. I got to talk with a lot of my favorite authors. I started writing this blog in the summer. I also did book reviews for the newspaper I work for. I read science fiction. I read romance. I read mixes of the two. I read history and historical fiction. I read Jane Green, Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, Sandra Hill. I met Rachel Caine, Vicki Pettersson and Angela Knight. And even if occasionally reading felt like more of a chore than a hobby, my love for the written word always came back, stronger than ever. My plans for 2008 include going to Pittsburgh for the RT Convention, reading the books you guys have recommended and getting back to some of the books I haven't gotten around to. Patricia Briggs, Carrie Vaughn and Lauren Willig all have books coming out soon. Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine and Sandra Hill all have new books coming out in their respective series. And I will continue to share those experiences here. I wish you all a wonderful, healthy and prosperous New Year! Nicole
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