Happy Holidays to You!

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in our 12 Days of Bookmas Giveaway. It was fun for us and hopefully fun for you.

Now to announce the final winner in this contest. Yesterday’s question, posted by Kim, was: What books will her son Nicky be getting for Christmas?

And the answer is The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne and Stuart Little by E. B. White.

Congratulations to LisaRealWriter. Please email your contact information to blog@bookends-inc.com and we’ll get your prize out immediately.

As I'm sure many of you have figured out by now, one of the reasons for doing the Bookmas Giveaway was to help promote our clients in a new and fun way. So I'm curious . . . did it work? Did any of you discover a new author along the way? And to continue in the spirit of the holiday, we will randomly choose one more winner from the comments to receive advanced review copies of Curiosity Thrilled the Cat by Sofie Kelly and A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett.

With that, I'm ending the year for BookEnds. Today we’re celebrating what’s been a phenomenal year. We couldn’t be more proud of our books and our authors, and we’ll be toasting all of you and your past and future successes at today’s holiday luncheon.

This will be the last blog post for 2010 (unless I suddenly find inspiration over the long holiday break). BookEnds will be closed until January 3, when we return refreshed, rejuvenated, and hungry for big sales and exciting new books.

My plan is to snack on these little treats while catching up on submissions and reading all sorts of published books.

Enjoy!

Sugared Cranberries

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
2 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup superfine sugar

Combine granulated sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring mixture until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat. (Do not boil or the cranberries may pop when added.) Stir in cranberries and mix gently. Pour mixture into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Drain cranberries in a colander over a bowl, reserving steeping liquid, if desired. Place superfine sugar in a paper or ziplock bag. Add the cranberries, and gently shake to coat with sugar. Spread sugared cranberries in a single layer on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature until dry (about 1 hour).

Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week.

Note: The reserved steeping liquid is a fabulous addition to almost any holiday drink. Consider adding it to warm apple cider, vodka for a cranberry martini, or orange juice for a morning pick-me-up.


Jessica

The Twelfth Day of Bookmas

Thanks so much to everyone who’s participated in the 12 Days of Bookmas contest. Jessica and I have had a blast and I think our clients have enjoyed the ride as well! Today is the last chance to play! For the rules, hop back over to the November 30 post and give a quick read.

And of course, before we start today’s contest, we need to announce yesterday’s winner.

Yesterday’s question was: What is the title and who is the author of a book that Jessica represented that sat on an editor's desk for two years before an offer came in.

And the answer is Pills for Pets by Debra Eldredge, DVM.

Congratulations to Beverly, aka Bookwoman. Please email your contact information to blog@bookends-inc.com and we’ll get your prize out immediately.

I thought it only appropriate to make today’s puzzle holiday-themed . . .

Most of you who follow the blog already know that my 5-year-old son, Nicky, is autistic. Well, Nicky LOVES books. He spends a lot of time inside his own head and has difficulty paying attention in class, but his teacher tells me that there’s one part of the school day when he’s able to sit quietly and really listen: Storytime. He’s already reading quite a bit on his own. He loves decoding words and sounding out letters. It’s most definitely one of his strengths.

But one of his many challenges is recall. He has trouble remembering what happened at school that day, what family members we visited with over the weekend or what gifts he received for his birthday. He’s so caught up in the adventures going on inside that little head of his that he’s less invested in the outside world around him. So to work on his memory, I decided to use some “book therapy.” :) For Christmas I’ve bought him several chapter books that I can read to him piece-by-piece, and then review with him every night what we read the day before. Hopefully his love of books will encourage him to flex his memory muscles a little more.

I bought him a boxed set of the first four books in a series that Jessica recommended after she’d read them to her son.

And I bought him a special “read-aloud” edition of one of my favorite classic children’s books.

What books will Nicky be getting for Christmas this year??


Check with these authors for clues:

Lorna Barrett
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Sally MacKenzie
Paige Shelton
Amy Patricia Meade
Wendy Watson
Ellery Adams
Angie Fox
Gina Robinson
Erin Kellison
R.R. Smythe
Bill Crider
Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Bella Andre
Elizabeth Amber
Krista Davis
Heather Webber
Avery Aames
Kim Lenox
Joyce and Jim Lavene
C. C. Hunter
Cricket McCrae
Wendy Lyn Watson
Erika Chase
Elizabeth Joy Arnold


Kim

The Eleventh Day of Bookmas

Welcome to day eleven of our Bookmas Giveaway contest. For those who missed the rules, hop back over to the November 30 post and give a quick read.

And of course, before we start today’s contest, we need to announce yesterday’s winner.

Yesterday’s question was: What are the four books that stand out for Kim in her collection of autographed books?

And the answers are 1. Eye Contact by Stephen Collins; 2. Election by Tom Perrotta; 3. Before I Say Good-Bye by Mary Higgins Clark; and 4. Angels Flight by Michael Connelly.

BW was yesterday's winner, but this note from her made me decide there are two winners:

Kim,
I never would of gotten the fourth title without Jennifer's input and I feel I would be stealing her answer if I did and that's not right. If there is more than one book as a prize please send one to Jennifer. She deserves it.

BW

So, congratulations to BW and to Jennifer. Please email your contact information to blog@bookends-inc.com and we’ll get your prizes out immediately.

Now on to our contest . . .

I realized belatedly that many of my questions had to do with my early days in publishing, but few were connected to my life as an agent. So I’ll remedy that today.

When asked how long I’ll dedicate to selling a book, I always tell the story of the little book that could. The book that spent two years sitting on one editor’s desk, when suddenly the call with an offer came. I’ll be honest, I really felt I had run the course with this book and had sort of forgotten about it. I know the author did, too. Needless to say we were wonderfully surprised when that call came.

What is the title of the book and who is the author?

The winner will receive three books.

For clues, check out these authors . . .


Lorna Barrett
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Sally MacKenzie
Paige Shelton
Amy Patricia Meade
Ellery Adams
Angie Fox
Gina Robinson
Erin Kellison
Bill Crider
Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Bella Andre
Elizabeth Amber
Krista Davis
Heather Webber
Avery Aames
Kim Lenox
Joyce and Jim Lavene
C. C. Hunter
Cricket McCrae
Wendy Lyn Watson
Erika Chase
Elizabeth Joy Arnold


Jessica

The Tenth Day of Bookmas

We’re coming down the home stretch now on the contest, and since you guys have been making it all look so easy, Jessica OK’d me to make this one a four-part answer. I’m hoping to stump you a little on this one! For those who missed the rules, hop back over to the November 30 post and give a quick read.

And of course, before we start today’s contest, we need to announce yesterday’s winner.

Yesterday’s question was: If Jessica had to give up working in publishing, what one job would she want to consider doing?

And the answer is a recipe developer with a secondary dream of cookbook author. I know a number of you said cookbook author, but the truth is what I'd like to do is develop recipes. I don't want to be a chef or baker because I don't want to have to cook for others day in and day out or work in a restaurant kitchen. In fact, I've spent enough of my life in restaurants to know that's more than I want. I want to work in my own kitchen creating recipes (not testing) and maybe authoring cookbooks or, even better, doing the work for restaurants who will make them to serve to customers.

Congratulations to Ebyss. Please email your contact information to blog@bookends-inc.com and we’ll get your prize out immediately.


Here’s today’s hint (from Kim) . . .

When I first started working in the book publishing industry I was starstruck and awed by all of the amazing authors I would see in the office or at signings. I had this grand idea that I would start a collection of signed books that could be passed down through my family for generations. As the years went by, my interest in building this big book collection waned. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a huge collection of books. And I certainly treasure the ones that are signed to me by my clients or authors that I worked with when I was an editor. But I’m no longer interested in building a collection for the collection’s sake.

Still, there are a few books in the mini-collection I started that stand out for me:

The first was a book written by an actor I’d watched in a short-run TV series in the 80s. It’s the first signing/reading I ever went to. I was in NYC for my Putnam Berkley internship and I saw that this actor would be signing his book at the local Barnes & Noble. It was one of my first big-city excursions. Now I look at that book and totally crack up.

Another is a first-edition hardcover with a note to me from the author. I was the assistant to his editor at the time, and he remains one of my all-time favorite writers.

Then there’s the book that was a gift from my mother. When she knew I was eager to build this collection she bought a signed copy of this book by an author I’d grown up reading from an NYC bookstore.

And finally there’s the only signed book I actually purchased from a book dealer. All of the other books in my collection had been gifts or I’d had signed in person. This book — by one of my favorites — felt more like an “investment” in my collection.

Can you guess the titles and authors of these four books?

Check with these authors for clues:

Lorna Barrett
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Sally MacKenzie
Paige Shelton
Amy Patricia Meade
Wendy Watson
Ellery Adams
Angie Fox
Gina Robinson
Erin Kellison
R.R. Smythe
Bill Crider
Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Bella Andre
Elizabeth Amber
Krista Davis
Heather Webber
Avery Aames
Kim Lenox
Joyce and Jim Lavene
C. C. Hunter
Cricket McCrae
Wendy Lyn Watson
Erika Chase
Elizabeth Joy Arnold


Kim

The Ninth Day of Bookmas

Welcome to day nine of our Bookmas Giveaway contest. For those who missed the rules, hop back over to the November 30 post and give a quick read.

And of course, before we start today’s contest, we need to announce Friday’s winner.

Friday’s questions were: What was the title and author of the classic Kim quickly learned to hate? And what was the subject of the literature class she took twice?

And the answers are Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, and the class was on Shakespeare.

Congratulations to WriterGirl. Please email your contact information to blog@bookends-inc.com and we’ll get your prize out immediately.

Now on to our contest . . .

I feel really lucky that I’m working a job I don’t just love, but have a real passion for. When I think back to the girl who smuggled novels behind textbooks in class or spent Saturday mornings with a book instead of cartoons, I think that girl should work in publishing. Lucky for her she does. In fact, I’m that person who says that if I win the lottery I would still work, because what else could I possibly do that I love more?

When I really think about it, though, if I had to give up publishing, there is one job I would like to consider doing, although I don’t know that I’d truly have the patience for it. What is that job?

The winner will receive three novels that have nothing to do with that job.

For clues, check out these authors . . .


Lorna Barrett
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Sally MacKenzie
Paige Shelton
Amy Patricia Meade
Ellery Adams
Angie Fox
Gina Robinson
Erin Kellison
Bill Crider
Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Bella Andre
Elizabeth Amber
Krista Davis
Heather Webber
Avery Aames
Kim Lenox
Joyce and Jim Lavene
C. C. Hunter
Cricket McCrae
Wendy Lyn Watson
Erika Chase
Elizabeth Joy Arnold


Jessica

The Eighth Day of Bookmas

Welcome to the eighth day of our Bookmas Giveaway contest. For those who missed the rules, hop back over to the November 30 post and give a quick read.

And of course, before we start today’s contest, we need to announce yesterday’s winner.

Yesterday’s question was: While Jessica was at Berkley, they began publishing a series based on a TV show, and that series actually outlasted both the TV show and Jessica's time at Berkley by many years. Can you name the series?

And the answer is Quantum Leap.

Congratulations to Shannon. Please email your contact information to blog@bookends-inc.com and we’ll get your prize out immediately.

Here’s today’s hint . . .

In four years’ time — between my senior year of high school and junior year of college — I had to write three different papers for three different classes on the same freaking classic. On paper (so to speak), this book seems like it should be one of my favorites. But I hated it. I thought it was “ehhh—okay” the first time I read it. But by the third time I read it, I absolutely loathed that book and still kinda do to this day. And no . . . I wasn’t one of those students who was good at “winging it.” I couldn’t write a whole paper without rereading. So yeah . . . It got pretty tired.

Then in my junior year at Penn State I discovered a lit class I loved so much that I actually decided to audit it (take it again without receiving any credit) the following semester. So yes . . . I read a lot of the same material twice in one year and didn’t mind that one bit. Did everybody in the class think I was a total geek? Um, yeah.

So I need two answers from you on this one . . .

What was the title and author of the classic I quickly learned to hate? And what was the subject of the literature class I took twice?

The first person to guess correctly will win three books!

Check with these authors for clues:

Lorna Barrett
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Sally MacKenzie
Paige Shelton
Amy Patricia Meade
Wendy Watson
Ellery Adams
Angie Fox
Gina Robinson
Erin Kellison
R.R. Smythe
Bill Crider
Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Bella Andre
Elizabeth Amber
Krista Davis
Heather Webber
Avery Aames
Kim Lenox
Joyce and Jim Lavene
C. C. Hunter
Cricket McCrae
Wendy Lyn Watson
Erika Chase
Elizabeth Joy Arnold


Kim

The Seventh Day of Bookmas

Welcome to day seven of our Bookmas Giveaway contest. For those who missed the rules, hop back over to the November 30 post and give a quick read.

And of course, before we start today’s contest, we need to announce yesterday’s winner.

Yesterday’s question was: Who were the two "boy book" editors Kim worked for as an editorial assistant at Berkley?

And the answer is John Talbot (who became an agent) and Gary Goldstein (who is still an editor).

Congratulations to Amanda K. Please email your contact information to blog@bookends-inc.com and we’ll get your prize out immediately.

Now on to our contest . . .

When I was an editorial assistant I helped my boss with a number of licensed books, books that were based on television shows or movies. My boss’s job was to hire writers for the projects, obviously edit, and work on the books and obtain all permissions and approvals from the licensee with regard to the books. That meant approval over who was writing the book, approval over the storyline, and approval over the final manuscript (among other things, like covers, advertising, etc.). My job was to spend a lot of time at the fax machine waiting for approvals to come through and sending material that needed approval.

During my five years at Berkley Publishing we published a series of licensed books that were so successful the show actually ended the year I started working at Berkley, but the books went strong for the entire five years I was there and, in fact, continued to be published long after I had started BookEnds. What was this series?

The winner will receive three novels.

For clues, check out these authors . . .

Lorna Barrett
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Sally MacKenzie
Paige Shelton
Amy Patricia Meade
Ellery Adams
Angie Fox
Gina Robinson
Erin Kellison
Bill Crider
Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Bella Andre
Elizabeth Amber
Krista Davis
Heather Webber
Avery Aames
Kim Lenox
Joyce and Jim Lavene
C. C. Hunter
Cricket McCrae
Anita Howard
Wendy Lyn Watson
Erika Chase
Elizabeth Joy Arnold


Jessica

The Sixth Day of Bookmas

Well, today’s the sixth day of Bookmas, and that puts us right in the middle of our 12-day contest! For those who missed the rules, hop back over to the November 30 post and give a quick read.

And of course, before we start today’s contest, we need to announce yesterday’s winner.

Yesterday’s question was: Can you name the series that was developed as a result of Jessica's romance with New York City?

And the answer is the Gaslight Mystery series by Victoria Thompson.

Congratulations to Cindy. Please email your contact information to blog@bookends-inc.com and we’ll get your prize out immediately.

Now for today’s question . . .

You learned in my last post that I spent my college internship at Berkley Publishing. Well, about a year later I was working at Dorchester Publishing, when a Berkley editor called to tell me an editorial assistant position had opened up there. After interviewing with the two senior editors I’d be working with and writing a few reader reports, they offered me the job! I would be working with Berkley’s two “boy book” editors. I learned a lot from those guys and they always kept things fun and interesting.

Soon after, one of them would leave editing to become an agent, and he became a great source of advice all over again when I decided to “go to the dark side” myself. The other is now an editor at a different house, and he and I’ve had more opportunities to work together in an agent/editor capacity. They both have taught me a lot about publishing, and I’ll always be grateful to them for giving me my first job at a big publishing house.

Who are they?

The winner will receive three novels.

These authors will be posting clues . . .

Lorna Barrett
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Sally MacKenzie
Paige Shelton
Amy Patricia Meade
Wendy Watson
Ellery Adams
Angie Fox
Gina Robinson
Erin Kellison
R.R. Smythe
Bill Crider
Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Bella Andre
Elizabeth Amber
Krista Davis
Heather Webber
Avery Aames
Kim Lenox
Joyce and Jim Lavene
C. C. Hunter
Cricket McCrae
Anita Howard
Wendy Lyn Watson
Erika Chase
Elizabeth Joy Arnold


Kim

The Fifth Day of Bookmas

Welcome to day five of our Bookmas Giveaway contest. For those who missed the rules, hop back over to the November 30 post and give a quick read.

And of course, before we start today’s contest, we need to announce yesterday’s winner.

Yesterday’s question was: Can you name the two authors Kim calls "Joe Schmo" and "Jane Doe," whom she said were her favorites when she interviewed for an internship?

And the answer is Dean Koontz and Nora Roberts.

Congratulations to Kaycee Kacer. Please email your contact information to blog@bookends-inc.com and we’ll get your prize out immediately.

Now on to our contest . . .

On the Third Day of Bookmas I hinted at today’s question, something that really came into my head by accident.

As an editor I loved creating ideas for new books or series. In fact, as an agent I do the same today. The difference is that as an editor I could get pre-approval from my boss, which meant if I found the right author I knew I could buy the book. As an agent it’s more of a risk. I am often asking the author to write a proposal in the hopes that we can sell it to an editor. However, we’ve come up with some great ideas at BookEnds and we’re proud of the authors who have been able to execute them with a great deal of success.

The thing about an idea created by someone else is that it’s not your idea; the truth, though, is that it is your book. No matter how great an idea, the success or failure depends entirely on the author’s ability to make it so. I can have the most amazing, marketable idea in the world, but if the author can’t execute it brilliantly, it’s not going to be that great. And of course, the success of a book depends entirely on the author’s brilliance to create the characters and stories that will grab the readers.

Many years ago I read Caleb Carr’s The Alienist and fell in love. I was a young editor in a terrific new romance, a romance with New York City, and I couldn’t get enough of anything to do with that city, especially the city’s history. I read The Alienist, all of Edith Wharton’s novels, The Mole People by Jennifer Toth, and Low Life by Luc Sante, to name a few.

During that period of time I developed an idea for a series of books based on this romance of mine. Can you name the series that is still being published today and its author? Keep in mind, other than coming up with the idea, I take no credit for its success. That’s entirely in the hands of brilliant writing.

The winner will receive three novels.

For clues, check out these authors . . .


Lorna Barrett
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Sally MacKenzie
Paige Shelton
Amy Patricia Meade
Ellery Adams
Angie Fox
Gina Robinson
Erin Kellison
Bill Crider
Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Bella Andre
Elizabeth Amber
Krista Davis
Heather Webber
Avery Aames
Kim Lenox
Joyce and Jim Lavene
C. C. Hunter
Cricket McCrae
Anita Howard
Wendy Lyn Watson
Erika Chase
Elizabeth Joy Arnold



Jessica

The Fourth Day of Bookmas

It’s the fourth day of our Bookmas Giveaway contest. My turn again!! For those who missed the rules, hop back over to the November 30 post and give a quick read.

And of course, before we start today’s contest, we need to announce Friday’s winner.

Friday’s question was: Who was Jessica's very first boss in publishing?

And the answer is Melinda Metz, the author of the Roswell High series of books and a staff writer for the television program.

Congratulations to Paula Matter. Please email your contact information to blog@bookends-inc.com and we’ll get your prize out immediately.

Today’s contest is . . .

Way back in the dark ages when I was in college (before cell phones, Google, and corporate websites), it wasn’t easy to find a publishing internship. I sifted through 1,000-page books to find companies that might be open to hiring a summer intern. I wrote to about 15 companies. I received only one positive response. Most of the other houses didn’t even have an internship program at that time. But Putnam Berkley was interested. They requested I travel from Penn State to New York City for an interview.

When I walked into the Human Resources office, I started to get really excited. The walls were adorned with blown-up covers of my two absolutely favorite authors. When I sat down with the HR director (right after my typing test — yes . . . on an honest-to-goodness typewriter), she asked me about my reading preferences. Bursting with enthusiasm, I spit out, “Well, I’m just so thrilled, because my two favorite authors are “Joe Schmo” and “Jane Doe” and I see that you publish them both!” The HR woman looked back at me grimly and just said, “Joe Schmo actually moved to another house last week.”

Oops.

Well, “Jane Doe” is still there, and with the same editor. So I was one for two, anyway.

Can you guess who “Joe Schmo” and “Jane Doe” are?

The winner will receive three novels.

For clues, check out these authors . . .


Lorna Barrett
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Sally MacKenzie
Paige Shelton
Amy Patricia Meade
Ellery Adams
Angie Fox
Gina Robinson
Erin Kellison
Bill Crider
Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Bella Andre
Elizabeth Amber
Krista Davis
Heather Webber
Avery Aames
Kim Lenox
Joyce and Jim Lavene
C. C. Hunter
Cricket McCrae
Anita Howard
Wendy Lyn Watson
Erika Chase
Elizabeth Joy Arnold



Kim

The Fourth Day of Bookmas . . . Kind of

I have to say, I'm a little disappointed in myself. I really thought Kim and I had something good here, something that would keep you all guessing for at least an hour. Well, just when you think you have it all figured out, we're going to throw a wrench into your plans. For those of you who are EST early birds and logged on at exactly 8 a.m. to beat the rush, you're going to be sadly disappointed because today's contest isn't going to launch until noon EST. Which means you can go back to bed for another three hours or hit refresh for three hours. Whichever suits.

Hopefully today's Bookmas question will keep you all guessing for a little longer. We're still having fun though. Well, at least I am.

Jessica

The Third Day of Bookmas

Welcome to day three of our Bookmas Giveaway contest. For those who missed the rules, hop back over to the November 30 post and give a quick read.

And of course, before we start today’s contest, we need to announce yesterday’s winner.

Yesterday’s question was: What mystery series did Kim get hooked on at her first job, working at BookLand?

And the answer is Perry Mason mysteries by Erle Stanley Gardner.

Congratulations to Bonnie Ferguson. Please email your contact information to blog@bookends-inc.com and we’ll get your prize out immediately.

Now on to our contest . . .

My very first boss in publishing taught me so much. She gave me my first book to line edit (and I still use her explanation when teaching others how to line edit), she encouraged my first romance buy as an editor, and she guided me through the creation of a number of different book series when I was an editor at Berkley. Yep, the creation of a series. The one thing I loved the most about my boss was her creativity. As an editor, she not only sought out great authors to publish, but developed a number of fiction series on her own. She would come up with an idea, create a bible for the series, and she, and the rest of the editorial staff, would find authors to write to her vision.

I’ve always been an idea person, so it was so exciting to me to learn that not only would I be editing books, but I could actually help create ideas. Did you know that one of the ideas I developed as an editor more than 12 years ago is still being published today? Hmm, maybe that’s a topic for another Day of Bookmas.

Today’s question, however, is about my boss. She’s still working in publishing, but in a very different capacity. Today she’s a successful author who is coming up with fabulous ideas, but writing them herself. Who is this editor-turned-author and what 10-book YA series did she write that was later made into a television program (which she also worked on)?

The winner will receive three novels.

For clues, check out these authors . . .


Lorna Barrett
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Sally MacKenzie
Paige Shelton
Amy Patricia Meade
Ellery Adams
Angie Fox
Gina Robinson
Erin Kellison
Bill Crider
Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Bella Andre
Elizabeth Amber
Krista Davis
Heather Webber
Avery Aames
Kim Lenox
Joyce and Jim Lavene
C. C. Hunter
Cricket McCrae
Anita Howard
Wendy Lyn Watson
Erika Chase
Elizabeth Joy Arnold


Jessica

The Second Day of Bookmas

Welcome to day two of our Bookmas Giveaway contest. Now it’s my turn!! For those who missed the rules, hop back over to the November 30 post and give a quick read.

And of course, before we start today’s contest, we need to announce yesterday’s winner.

Yesterday’s question was: What was the first romance Jessica ever read and who wrote it?

And the answer is Wild Oats by Pamela Morsi.

Congratulations to Emily. Please email your contact information to blog@bookends-inc.com and we’ll get your prize out immediately.

Now on to the contest . . .

You probably won’t be all that surprised to learn that my very first job was at a store called BookLand. I’d spent several years volunteering at my school library and was already a complete bookworm — some things never change. We sold books and magazines there, along with lots and lots and lots of lottery tickets. Some days were busier than others, and I often found myself with some extra time between customers to read.

I usually gravitated toward romantic suspense and gothics, but while stocking the shelves and getting to know the store’s inventory, I became intrigued with a mystery series that I’d also watched on the small screen. It wasn’t my usual fare, but I was hooked.

Can you name the series and the author?

The winner will receive three novels.

For clues, check out these authors...


Lorna Barrett
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Sally MacKenzie
Paige Shelton
Amy Patricia Meade
Ellery Adams
Angie Fox
Gina Robinson
Erin Kellison
Bill Crider
Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Bella Andre
Elizabeth Amber
Krista Davis
Heather Webber
Avery Aames
Kim Lenox
Joyce and Jim Lavene
C. C. Hunter
Cricket McCrae
Anita Howard
Wendy Lyn Watson
Erika Chase
Elizabeth Joy Arnold



Kim

The First Day of Bookmas

Welcome to day one of our Bookmas Giveaway contest. For those who missed the rules, hop back over to the November 30 post and give a quick read.

Now on to our contest . . .

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . .

Nothing says love like a romance novel, and there’s no doubt I am often shocked that I spent the first 20+ years of my life devoid of the pleasure of romance (novels, that is). Thankfully, while desperately searching for a job after college, I discovered book publishing. It was perfect. It was my dream job even though I’d never dreamed it. In my very first job interview with a romance editor, I was handed a book and told to read it and fax (yes, fax) in a reader’s report by the end of the week. For those of you who have never interviewed in book publishing, a reader’s report is the requirement of every editorial assistant job interview. It helps give the editor insight into whether or not you’ll be qualified to read the types of submissions this editor buys.

One of the books I was asked to write my report on was a romance (weirdly enough, I have no recollection of what the other book was). It was also the very first romance I ever read, and the book that made me fall in love with romance.

What was the book and who is the author?

The winner will receive three romance novels.

Clues can be found here:

Lorna Barrett
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Sally MacKenzie
Paige Shelton
Amy Patricia Meade
Ellery Adams
Angie Fox
Gina Robinson
Erin Kellison
Bill Crider
Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Bella Andre
Elizabeth Amber
Krista Davis
Heather Webber
Avery Aames
Kim Lenox
Joyce and Jim Lavene
C. C. Hunter
Cricket McCrae
Anita Howard
Wendy Lyn Watson
Erika Chase
Elizabeth Joy Arnold



Jessica