Monday, December 19, 2011

Happy Holidays!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Bookmas Giveaway, and that includes all of our terrific clients for their clues. I'm hoping everyone enjoyed the contest, and for those who won, the prizes.

Friday's question was:

I had just finished my very first interview in book publishing. I was nervous, excited and overwhelmed by New York City, tall buildings and the prospect that I'd just discovered my dream job. As with any publisher, when walking through the office there were books and posters everywhere and I couldn't get enough of seeing what types of books they published and who they published. Some of the authors I was already a fan of, many I'd never heard of. However, what really made the experience was when I got off the train to head home that afternoon I noticed a gentleman walking next to me carrying a book. A book I had just seen a poster of in the offices where I interviewed. I can remember that moment as vividly as if it were yesterday.

What was the book and who was the author?

And the answer is Paper Doll by Robert B. Parker.

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


As I hinted at Friday, BookEnds has already had our holiday celebration and today the offices are quiet. I'm hoping Kim, Jessica, and Lauren are all at home doing something very holiday-oriented. I'll likely be baking cookies and making my final shopping lists because, in my mind, there's nothing quite as much fun as that last-minute shopping.

It's been a phenomenal year for BookEnds. We've had one of our most successful years to date and couldn't be more thrilled with how our clients are doing, and how we're doing. We've had no fewer than 7 books hit the New York Times bestseller list this year (and I might be missing one or two) and a record number of sales. We welcomed both Jessica Alvarez and Lauren Ruth into the mix and we've watched them grow, excel, sign new clients and make new deals. And most important, we've had fun. We still love what we do and the clients we work with and we couldn't be more proud of what's on our bookshelves.

So to end the year I'm going to raise my glass of warm Swedish Glogg in a toast to you, my loyal readers, to you, my amazing BookEnds agents, and to you, the clients who made it all possible and who I couldn't be more proud of.

As the Swedes say, "Skol!"

Swedish Glogg

1 bottle red wine
1/2 liter good vodka
10 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
Orange peel from 1/2 an orange
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup almonds

Place spices and orange peel into a piece of cheesecloth and tie shut.

Add all the ingredients to a heavy saucepan and set over medium-low heat until it just reaches a simmer. Do not boil. Simmer for about 45 minutes to allow all the spice flavors to steep.

Once finished, pull out your spice bag and pour the Glogg into a fondue pot or other similar pot with a ladle so you can keep the Glogg warm for guests. Allow the raisins and almonds to float on the top.

Serve with sugar so people can sweeten to taste.


Jessica Faust

Friday, December 16, 2011

The Twelfth Day of Bookmas

Welcome to day twelve 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 one or both of the niche magazines Jessica Alvarez interned for during her senior year in college?

And the answers are Footwear News and/or the now-defunct InStep Magazine.

Since only one of the two answers was required, Working Stiffs is technically our winner. But daniel john10 commented shortly after Working Stiffs with both correct answers, so in the spirit of giving we're declaring both as winners. Please email your contact information to blog@bookends-inc.com and we’ll get your prizes out immediately.

Now on to our contest . . .

While you're reading this last day of Bookmas, BookEnds agents are already settling into our holiday luncheon and raising our glasses to celebrate what's been a tremendous year. Don't worry, though. I'll pop in on Monday to reveal the answer to today's clue and send you off into the new year with a warm glass of glogg.

I had just finished my very first interview in book publishing. I was nervous, excited, and overwhelmed by New York City, tall buildings, and the prospect that I'd just discovered my dream job. As with any publisher, when walking through the office there were books and posters everywhere and I couldn't get enough of seeing what types of books they published and who they published. Some of the authors I was already a fan of, many I'd never heard of. However, what really made the experience was when I got off the train to head home that afternoon, I noticed a gentleman walking next to me carrying a book. A book I had just seen a poster of in the offices where I interviewed. I can remember that moment as vividly as if it were yesterday.

What was the book and who was the author?

Clues can be found here, using the Twitter hashtag #bookmas or by seeing what these authors have to say:

Krista Davis
Heather Blake
Paige Shelton
Sharla Lovelace
Janet Bolin
Snarky Mommy
Monica Marlowe
Amy Eller Lewis
Ellery Adams
Erin Kellison
Peg Cochran
Elizabeth Buzzelli
Laura Alden
Sally MacKenzie
Stacey Kennedy
Charlotte Featherstone
Jennifer Delamere
Avery Aames
Molly Cannon
Erika Chase
Bill Crider
C. C. Hunter
Sofie Kelly
Annie Knox

Kim Lenox
Hannah Reed
Gina Robinson
Andrea Laurence

Jessica Faust

Thursday, December 15, 2011

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: Which author of modernist literature will Lauren be haunted by as long as she works in pubishing?

And the answer is Virginia Woolf.

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

Now on to our contest . . .

Some of us know from an early age exactly what we want to do with our lives. We have a career in mind, we have a plan, and we execute it. I, however, was not one of those people. I was a voracious reader, but I never really considered making a career out of my love of books. It was only about a month before my college graduation that I saw a classified ad in the New York Times for a job at Harlequin and thought it worth a shot. Up until that point, I was leaning more toward a career in journalism, though continuing my education with either law school or culinary school were also possibilities in my mind.

My senior year in college I interned at two niche magazines that allowed me to explore a passion that I share with many other women. Can you name one or both of these magazines?

Clues can be found here, using the Twitter hashtag #bookmas or by seeing what these authors have to say:

Krista Davis
Heather Blake
Paige Shelton
Sharla Lovelace
Janet Bolin
Snarky Mommy
Monica Marlowe
Amy Eller Lewis
Ellery Adams
Erin Kellison
Peg Cochran
Elizabeth Buzzelli
Laura Alden
Sally MacKenzie
Stacey Kennedy
Charlotte Featherstone
Jennifer Delamere
Avery Aames
Molly Cannon
Erika Chase
Bill Crider
C. C. Hunter
Sofie Kelly
Annie Knox

Kim Lenox
Hannah Reed
Gina Robinson
Andrea Laurence

Jessica Alvarez

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Tenth Day of Bookmas

Welcome to day ten 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: Which three authors has Kim chosen to read more than once?

And the answer is Phyllis Whitney, Jane Austen, and William Shakespeare

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 . . .

I’ve always loved literary fiction. There’s something exquisite in an author’s ability to inspire new waves of thought in narration. I love being introduced to new worlds I’ve never seen before, new situations of beauty or horror or sorrow that I know, the minute they enter my mind, I’ll never forget as long as I live.

But it takes work, literary fiction. You can’t just relax and passively read through Chopin or Chandler or Vonnegut. For literary fiction to really do its job, you have to pay close attention and really lend your whole self to the text for a while. This can be an astonishing and mind-altering experience, if you let it. However, literary fiction exists on a spectrum, with the low end being upmarket commercial fiction and the high end being (cue earsplitting, hysterical scream) modernist literature.

There is one particular author of modernist literature whose work I simply can’t get through. Ever since I ignorantly took a college intensive on this author in my senior year of college, thereby allowing him or her to effectively hijack my life, I have disliked the work of this very highly acclaimed author of modernist literature. I will be haunted by it as long as I work in publishing, since modern authors quote him or her all the time.

Who is this author?

Clues can be found here, using the Twitter hashtag #bookmas or by seeing what these authors have to say:

Krista Davis
Heather Blake
Paige Shelton
Sharla Lovelace
Janet Bolin
Snarky Mommy
Monica Marlowe
Amy Eller Lewis
Ellery Adams
Erin Kellison
Peg Cochran
Elizabeth Buzzelli
Laura Alden
Sally MacKenzie
Stacey Kennedy
Charlotte Featherstone
Jennifer Delamere
Avery Aames
Molly Cannon
Erika Chase
Bill Crider
C. C. Hunter
Sofie Kelly
Annie Knox

Kim Lenox
Hannah Reed
Gina Robinson
Andrea Laurence


Lauren

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

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 yesterday’s winner. Yesterday’s question from Jessica Faust was:

While traveling to speak at the New Zealand Romance Writers Conference (amazing, by the way), I had a lot of time to read. I mean A LOT of time to read. That's 30+ hours of plane time. Luckily for me I was two books behind on one of my all-time favorite authors. Who is that author and what two books was I behind on reading?

And the answer is Sarah Addison Allen: The Peach Keeper and The Girl Who Chased the Moon.

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

Now on to our contest . . .

As a former editor and current agent, I've read dozens of manuscripts 2, 3, 4 . . . maybe even 5 times. I love the editorial process and each time I read these books they are slightly different, because the authors and I are usually working on revisions together, but I'm not going to lie . . . it can all get quite repetitive. Maybe that's why I'm not one of those people that reads her favorite books over and over again. Once is usually enough for me. I'd prefer to read something new where there are still surprises in store for me.

That said, I can think of three authors whose works I've actually chosen to read more than once -- not been forced into through a class requirement. In most cases, I'd read them for the first time when I was younger and wanted to see if they still held up for me years later.

What three authors have I chosen to read more than once?

Clues can be found here, using the Twitter hashtag #bookmas or by seeing what these authors have to say:

Krista Davis
Heather Blake
Paige Shelton
Sharla Lovelace
Janet Bolin
Snarky Mommy
Monica Marlowe
Amy Eller Lewis
Ellery Adams
Erin Kellison
Peg Cochran
Elizabeth Buzzelli
Laura Alden
Sally MacKenzie
Stacey Kennedy
Charlotte Featherstone
Jennifer Delamere
Avery Aames
Molly Cannon
Erika Chase
Bill Crider
C. C. Hunter
Sofie Kelly
Annie Knox

Kim Lenox
Hannah Reed
Gina Robinson
Andrea Laurence


Kim

Monday, December 12, 2011

The Eighth Day of Bookmas

Welcome to day eight 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: Which three books are Lauren's selections for Christmas 2011?

And the answer is The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and 11/22/63 by Stephen King

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

Now on to our contest . . .

While traveling to speak at the New Zealand Romance Writers Conference (amazing, by the way), I had a lot of time to read. I mean A LOT of time to read. That's 30+ hours of plane time. Luckily for me I was two books behind on one of my all-time favorite authors. Who is that author and what two books was I behind on reading?

Clues can be found here, using the Twitter hashtag #bookmas or by seeing what these authors have to say:

Krista Davis
Heather Blake
Paige Shelton
Sharla Lovelace
Janet Bolin
Snarky Mommy
Monica Marlowe
Amy Eller Lewis
Ellery Adams
Erin Kellison
Peg Cochran
Elizabeth Buzzelli
Laura Alden
Sally MacKenzie
Stacey Kennedy
Charlotte Featherstone
Jennifer Delamere
Avery Aames
Molly Cannon
Erika Chase
Bill Crider
C. C. Hunter
Sofie Kelly
Annie Knox

Kim Lenox
Hannah Reed
Gina Robinson
Andrea Laurence

Jessica Faust

Friday, December 09, 2011

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: What works were Kim's wall art excerpted from and who were their authors?

And the answer is Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and As You Like It by William Shakespeare

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

Now on to our contest . . .

Working in publishing means I read all day, in one form or another. If I’m not reading queries, a client’s new contract, or industry blogs, I’m reading exciting requested material from an author I’m planning to offer representation. When I’m not reading all of that, I’m reading something new to review on my blog. I used to read a book or two a week for pleasure, even all through college. Now, I’ve had to cut out almost all pleasure reading—I watch TV instead as a way to turn off my brain for a while. But when vacations come around, I plan my reading list like a new bride plans her honeymoon wardrobe. And then I tell all my friends and colleagues about what I just can’t wait to read and not criticize. This Christmas break, I’m planning to read three books I just can’t wait to get my hands on. I’ve spent extra time picking them out because I can’t risk choosing something I’ll regret. Which three books are my Christmas selections for 2011?


Clues can be found here, using the Twitter hashtag #bookmas or by seeing what these authors have to say:

Krista Davis
Heather Blake
Paige Shelton
Sharla Lovelace
Janet Bolin
Snarky Mommy
Monica Marlowe
Amy Eller Lewis
Ellery Adams
Erin Kellison
Peg Cochran
Elizabeth Buzzelli
Laura Alden
Sally MacKenzie
Stacey Kennedy
Charlotte Featherstone
Jennifer Delamere
Avery Aames
Molly Cannon
Erika Chase
Bill Crider
C. C. Hunter
Sofie Kelly
Annie Knox

Kim Lenox
Hannah Reed
Gina Robinson
Andrea Laurence


Lauren

Thursday, December 08, 2011

The Sixth Day of Bookmas

Welcome to day six 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 a two-parter: What was the first book Jessica Alvarez found for Harlequin Historical, and what was the first book she found for Love Inspired?

And the answers are Shades of Gray by Wendy Douglas and Finding Hope by Brenda Coulter.

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

Now on to our contest . . .

In college there were a few authors and novels that made a lasting impression on me. And back then I was a big fan of word-as-wall-art decor. When I moved to New York to start my first job in publishing, I had two framed pieces with excerpts from famous books hanging on my apartment walls. I'd bought one of them myself from the Guggenheim and the other was a gift from my mom that she'd found while on vacation.

What works were these pieces taken from and who were their authors?

Clues can be found here, using the Twitter hashtag #bookmas or by seeing what these authors have to say:

Krista Davis
Heather Blake
Paige Shelton
Sharla Lovelace
Janet Bolin
Snarky Mommy
Monica Marlowe
Amy Eller Lewis
Ellery Adams
Erin Kellison
Peg Cochran
Elizabeth Buzzelli
Laura Alden
Sally MacKenzie
Stacey Kennedy
Charlotte Featherstone
Jennifer Delamere
Avery Aames
Molly Cannon
Erika Chase
Bill Crider
C. C. Hunter
Sofie Kelly
Annie Knox

Kim Lenox
Hannah Reed
Gina Robinson
Andrea Laurence


Kim

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

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: Which two companies did Lauren intern for?

And the answer is Simon & Schuster and BookEnds.

Congratulations to Alison. 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 first started working at Harlequin, I was the editorial assistant for Harlequin Historical and Steeple Hill Love Inspired. One of my primary duties (and one of my favorite parts of the job) was going through the slush pile, which was always plentiful because it had submissions directed to me and all the submissions directed to Tracy Farrell, my boss. I love reading submissions. I love going through them, hunting for gems, and discovering new voices. While at Harlequin, I acquired a number of new authors for various lines and imprints, but the first manuscripts I found for each of my home lines will always have a special place in my memory.

This is a two-part question: What was the first book I found for Harlequin Historical? And what was the first book I found for Love Inspired?

Clues can be found here, using the Twitter hashtag #bookmas or by seeing what these authors have to say:

Krista Davis
Heather Blake
Paige Shelton
Sharla Lovelace
Janet Bolin
Snarky Mommy
Monica Marlowe
Amy Eller Lewis
Ellery Adams
Erin Kellison
Peg Cochran
Elizabeth Buzzelli
Laura Alden
Sally MacKenzie
Stacey Kennedy
Charlotte Featherstone
Jennifer Delamere
Avery Aames
Molly Cannon
Erika Chase
Bill Crider
C. C. Hunter
Sofie Kelly
Annie Knox

Kim Lenox
Hannah Reed
Gina Robinson
Andrea Laurence

Jessica Alvarez

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

The Fourth Day of Bookmas

Welcome to day four 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 questions were: What piece did Kim have to memorize in her 10th-grade English class and who wrote it? And what author did Kim do her 11th-grade presentation on and what’s the title of that author's most famous work?

And the answers are "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll, and Daphne du Maurier: Rebecca

Congratulations to Marlyn Beebe. 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 first started out in the publishing world, I interned at two different companies. My first internship was a bold introduction to commercial publishing where I learned my first two valuable lessons in publishing: 1. Publishing is about art and money, but rarely only one or the other. All books are art. All books need to make money. The best, most successful books are those that blend these elements well. 2. Just because I wouldn’t personally read a book for pleasure doesn’t mean there isn’t a healthy audience of those who would.

My second internship was where I fell in love with publishing and learned the ropes as completely as I could. I find that I still learn things—daily.

At which companies did I complete these two internships?

Clues can be found here, using the Twitter hashtag #bookmas or by seeing what these authors have to say:

Krista Davis
Heather Blake
Paige Shelton
Sharla Lovelace
Janet Bolin
Snarky Mommy
Monica Marlowe
Amy Eller Lewis
Ellery Adams
Erin Kellison
Peg Cochran
Elizabeth Buzzelli
Laura Alden
Sally MacKenzie
Stacey Kennedy
Charlotte Featherstone
Jennifer Delamere
Avery Aames
Molly Cannon
Erika Chase
Bill Crider
C. C. Hunter
Sofie Kelly
Annie Knox

Kim Lenox
Hannah Reed
Gina Robinson
Andrea Laurence

Lauren

Ellery Adams on Reader Email

Ellery Adams
The Last Word
Publisher: Berkley
Pub date: December 2012
Agent: Jessica Faust


(Click to Buy)


Reader Email: An Exercise for Aspiring Authors

Today marks the release of my 15th novel, The Last Word: A Books by the Bay Mystery. I believe this is my best book yet and I’m exceedingly proud if it. Of course, my celebratory feelings are tempered by a wee bit of trepidation. Will my sales numbers be impressive? Will the reviews be good? And when will the emails begin?

You see, once you’ve been published and have promoted yourself on every social network known to man, you’re quite easy to find. Folks will contact you. Most of the time the emails are full of praise and they’ll make you smile, but every now and then they can be, um, rather challenging.

So let’s pretend that you need to answer the following emails (all of which I’ve received within the past year). Pick your favorite and have a go. Remember, this might be you sometime soon, so word your answer carefully.

  1. “You’ve obviously never been to the Outer Banks before because you never once mention sea oats.”
  2. “Some pages from A Deadly Cliché fell out when I bent the cover all the way back (that’s how I read my paperbacks). You should be ashamed to have written such a cheap book.”
  3. “I wanted you to know that I was very offended when your main character parked in a handicapped spot. I will never buy any of your books again.”
  4. “I’ve never read your books, but could you donate a signed copy to my son’s school benefit auction?”
  5. “Why does it take nine months for the next book in the series to come out? Can’t you write faster?”

That’s enough to give you a sampling of the ones I struggle to answer (though I totally ignored the first one. I lived in NC for 8 years, but sometimes you have to sense which battles you can’t win).

It’s far easier to reply to the dozens of lovely emails telling me that my characters are complex and memorable, that my plots are complicated and expertly woven, that the reader can’t wait to escape to my fictional town or stayed up far too late reading my book, and that I’m one of their favorite authors. I’ve gotten beautiful holiday cards and one reader knit me the most gorgeous scarf, so there’s plenty of love out there, friends.

*If you’ve ever written to an author, feel free to comment on your experience.

**And to the published authors, please share a few of your “challenging” emails.

Monday, December 05, 2011

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 Friday’s winner. Friday’s question was: What was the first romance Jessica Alvarez ever read?

And the answer is Penny Jordan’s Levelling the Score

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

Now on to our contest . . .

There are a few literary works that will always stand out in my mind because of the memories I have of my high school English classes.

In 10th grade I had a rather strict teacher who was fond of having us memorize various poems and other literary selections. One particular piece has always stuck with me and I can still recite pretty much all of it from memory, which is saying something since I can’t remember where I put my keys an hour ago . . .

When I was in 11th grade, my English teacher assigned us with preparing an oral presentation about the classic author of our choice. It was a big project and would account for a large part of our grade. I picked an author I’d just recently discovered, but who’d quickly become one of my favorites. I approached my teacher with my choice and he told me he’d never heard of her. To this day, I can’t believe he didn’t recognize the name of this author or her most famous book. He let me prove her worth to him and ultimately agreed to let me do my presentation on her. I think at the end of the day, I educated him.

What piece did I have to memorize in 10th grade and who wrote it?

And what author did I do my 11th-grade presentation on and what’s the title of her most famous work?

Clues can be found here, using the Twitter hashtag #bookmas or by seeing what these authors have to say:

Krista Davis
Heather Blake
Paige Shelton
Sharla Lovelace
Janet Bolin
Snarky Mommy
Monica Marlowe
Amy Eller Lewis
Ellery Adams
Erin Kellison
Peg Cochran
Elizabeth Buzzelli
Laura Alden
Sally MacKenzie
Stacey Kennedy
Charlotte Featherstone
Jennifer Delamere
Avery Aames
Molly Cannon
Erika Chase
Bill Crider
C. C. Hunter
Sofie Kelly
Annie Knox

Kim Lenox
Hannah Reed
Gina Robinson
Andrea Laurence


Kim

Friday, December 02, 2011

The Second Day of Bookmas

Welcome to day two 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 from Jessica Faust was:

At the end of last year I had the "brilliant" idea of tackling the Book List Challenge. At the time I thought I was smart by giving myself a lot of leeway. Probably not smart enough. I still didn't read nearly as many of these in 2011 as I would have liked, but I did get to a few and one of them became such a favorite that I read it twice and am a little sad it took me this long to read it at all.

And the answer is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

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



Now on to our contest . . .

I am about to make a public confession of crimes committed when I was much younger. It’s been over twenty years since these crimes were committed, so I hope the statute of limitations has expired. Here goes . . .

I was a serial romance stealer. From the ages of nine to twelve, countless Harlequin novels were stolen from my best friend’s mother’s collection. I devoured these books and read them whenever I had a chance. My parents were not supportive of my romance addition. They wanted me to read “serious” books that might actually teach me something and help me get a career one day. And look at me now—I have made a career out of that passion.

Eventually my crime spree ended and, due to my parents’ unwillingness to fund my romance collection, I started buying my own books with my allowance money. Even so, many of those original stolen books are still in my possession, including the very first romance I ever read.

Which book was the first romance I ever read?

Clues can be found here, using the Twitter hashtag #bookmas or by seeing what these authors have to say:

Krista Davis
Heather Blake
Paige Shelton
Sharla Lovelace
Janet Bolin
Snarky Mommy
Monica Marlowe
Amy Eller Lewis
Ellery Adams
Erin Kellison
Peg Cochran
Elizabeth Buzzelli
Laura Alden
Sally MacKenzie
Stacey Kennedy
Charlotte Featherstone
Jennifer Delamere
Avery Aames
Molly Cannon
Erika Chase
Bill Crider
C. C. Hunter
Sofie Kelly
Annie Knox

Kim Lenox
Hannah Reed
Gina Robinson
Andrea Laurence


Jessica Alvarez

Thursday, December 01, 2011

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 . . .

At the end of last year I had the "brilliant" idea of tackling the Book List Challenge. At the time I thought I was smart by giving myself a lot of leeway. Probably not smart enough. I still didn't read nearly as many of these in 2011 as I would have liked, but I did get to a few, and one of them became such a favorite that I read it twice and am a little sad it took me this long to read it at all.

Which book was it?


Clues can be found here, using the Twitter hashtag #bookmas or by seeing what these authors have to say:

Krista Davis
Heather Blake
Paige Shelton
Sharla Lovelace
Janet Bolin
Snarky Mommy
Monica Marlowe
Amy Eller Lewis
Ellery Adams
Erin Kellison
Peg Cochran
Elizabeth Buzzelli
Laura Alden
Sally MacKenzie
Stacey Kennedy
Charlotte Featherstone
Jennifer Delamere
Avery Aames
Molly Cannon
Erika Chase
Bill Crider
C. C. Hunter
Sofie Kelly
Annie Knox

Kim Lenox
Hannah Reed
Gina Robinson
Andrea Laurence


Jessica Faust